Lexa couldn't help but be relieved that the party was starting to wind down. It'd been fairly hectic for the past while with some faster-paced drinking games and karaoke, and while Lexa didn't hate that kind of party environment, it definitely wasn't her scene, making her feel a little out of place refraining from drinking anything but water or the delightful peach nectar Clarke had gifted her with. Though, as she considered her current state, it seemed it had been long enough for her body to have settled down and pushed free of the nausea from before. Another cooler or two wouldn't hurt...and it would certainly help me out with how often I catch Griffin staring at me...what does she want?

The night, as a whole, had been a good one, even if it had Lexa more confused than ever, something her increasingly tired mind wasn't very capable of dealing with. Combine that with more mindless rounds of truth or dare as the party was slowing down, and Lexa largely just wanted to go home for a well-deserved and restful sleep, leaving her confusion for another day.

Especially if it meant never having to hear Octavia try to sing again, the girl having just finished some offensively bad Christina Aguilera karaoke. While half the room had playfully cheered the birthday girl on, Lexa was part of the other half who had groaned at the display of tone-deafness, and she didn't feel like enduring another such trial any time soon.

"Lexa...Lexa!" She heard Anya blurt out, a sharp elbow jamming at her ribs a bit, drawing Lexa away from her thoughts to the realization that her cousin was staring hard at her. "Next time around, don't be a nerd, choose dare."

Which, whatever. Lexa was a bit of a nerd, and didn't find the term offensive. Anya did have a bit of a point, though, in that she had been avoiding dares ever since she'd done that body shot off Raven a few hours ago. Ever since Clarke had rushed out of the room and a deep pit had formed in her stomach, really.

Not that Lexa had hoped to, or even cared to attract the blonde, but the notion of Clarke finding her disgusting or revolting was perhaps a little depressing. And even though she'd gone a few hours without drinking, she was still affected enough by the alcohol to feel a little sad about that. So maybe Lexa took that opportunity to open up a fresh cooler. And maybe that thought bounced around her head a while before she realized she'd downed half of it in a single go. And maybe she'd needed a little help coming to that realization.

"Easy, little one. Okay, maybe you just stay away from dares, then." Anya muttered, snatching the half-empty bottle from Lexa's hands, and bringing the brunette back to reality. On one hand, she wasn't immediately nauseous. On the other hand, it appeared Clarke was up next, what with Octavia and Raven prodding at the flustered blonde.

For what it was worth, Clarke had been a good sport all night in this game. The girl had chosen dares each and every time she was called upon, something the room seemed to appreciate. Well, even if Lexa wouldn't have minded hearing some truths, though that was a purely educational interest, in wanting to understand her rival better. Nothing more.

"Okay, okay, give me another dare, O." Griffin let out, mock-scowling at her roommate.

"I dare you...to sing your favourite love song to the hottest person in the room!" The birthday girl practically yelled her dare, following it up with loud laughter as Clarke immediately went beet red. For good reason, likely; Clarke didn't seem the type to half-ass much of anything, given the Taylor Swift medley earlier had been performed with sincerity and professionalism, as had Griffin's two other karaoke performances since. Honestly, the idea of Clarke singing someone a love song didn't feel right, that same deep pit in her stomach twisting at her insides again.

"Octavia, come on, don't put this on Clarke, leave it for my next turn." Lincoln noted with an expectant look that usually for him what he wanted in the Pine household, but apparently Octavia wasn't having it.

"No way, I shouldn't have to dare my boyfriend to sing something nice to me. So since you won't sing to me, at least someone will be getting in on some vocal loving tonight." Octavia shot back, and though Lexa could understand the birthday girl's point, since Lincoln never sang anything ever, she didn't understand why Clarke had to sing in his place. Especially with Clarke looking so uncomfortable, an expression Lexa might have enjoyed a few hours earlier, but didn't quite appreciate right now.

Though, by how loud Bellamy, Jasper, and Harper were being in goading Clarke and sending her odd gestures and expressions, Lexa felt that perhaps she might be in the minority on the matter.

Clarke's almost pained sigh immediately dragged her attention back to the wary-looking blonde, Griffin staring hard at her roommate. "What do I have to do to take a pass on this dare?"

"Nuh uh, you're sober, so you can't take the usual drinks. You have to do it!" The Blake girl exclaimed, drawing more cheers from some particularly interested members of the group.

"Are you serious?" Clarke asked, shoulders slumping, head tilting slightly in apparent disbelief. Which Lexa could understand; usually sober people had different rules for passing on questions, she'd never heard of it being forced. Usually someone just chose a worse or more embarrassing dare.

"Hey, you can sing what your eyes have been doing all night long, you're a big girl." Bellamy added with a grin that Lexa didn't trust. It was clearly a little predatory, and he was having fun at Griffin's expense, something that Lexa couldn't feel comfortable with. Mostly because she and Anya were the ones who were supposed to enjoy Clarke being uncomfortable. Also, getting Griffin to confess her feelings through song to her apparent crush, which was probably Raven, just seemed insensitive and kind of mean. There were more noble ways of teasing a person. "If you need a counter dare, then it's making out with that certain person for thirty seconds."

The absolute abrasiveness of the counter dare had Lexa seething, that pit in her stomach twisting painfully into a vortex of uncomfortable hate as Octavia laughed and nodded eagerly at the new condition of Clarke's dare. She almost even got up to berate the host when Clarke just stood up and walked over to the stage where her guitar had been resting. She could see the stunned expression on the blonde's face, could hear Griffin muttering 'fuck' over and over, eyes glazed as the girl tuned her guitar.

It didn't take long until Clarke had apparently finished, turning to face the room and give a small shake of her head at the birthday girl. It all had Lexa a little anxious, uncertain who exactly the blonde would sing to; who those blue eyes would gaze at while sweet words and melodies tumbled from her lips. Lips that let out a sigh, anxiety leaving those calming blue eyes as Clarke cautiously walked closer to her side of the room, fingers playing away at a smooth melody.

"Come away with me in the night..." Clarke sang, voice smooth like velvet, each word washing over her like a spring breeze, warm enough to relieve but chilly enough to have her covered in goosebumps.

Lexa jabbed her elbow at Anya, needing her cousin to pay attention, because Clarke was going to sing to her, and Anya was a little too tipsy to be focused enough to realize it without help. And given her cousin's interests, Anya would definitely want to know if she were being sung to, so Lexa gave a second, if lighter, jab. Besides, it was a good thing, because whatever minimal attraction she held for the blonde would surely fade after seeing her cousin all close with the girl. Anya hadn't dated in forever, and was a big romantic, so a song would certainly...

...what?

Lexa's mind went blank when, instead of rounding the loveseat to get closer to Anya, Clarke perched up on the armrest beside her, eyes focused directly on her, even if those eyes were void of anything but tiny shreds of worry. Odd, given the usual level of emotion and expression they tended to give, and gave in previous performances.

"And I wanna walk with you on a cloudy day...in fields where the yellow grass grows knee high. So won't you try to come?" Clarke continued, that soft and fragile voice doing strange, conflicting things to her; it set her nerves on fire and narrowed her focus to the blonde, just as her body warmed immensely, the mixture of song and whatever else quickly lulling her into relaxation.

But not nearly relaxed enough to kill her confusion. She's singing to me? She pondered in disbelief, eyes growing wider against her will as she calculated the implications of that. Octavia said...and she sounds so sincere...like she does want me to come away with her...not...not that I would, but...she...this was a dare to sing to the most beautiful person in the room...wasn't it? But that would mean...

Lexa nearly startled at the realization, memories from earlier in the party flashing alongside her recollection of Clarke taking care of her in the washroom, being gentle with her, being vulnerable with her to keep her from feeling too embarrassed about vomiting. The thought of going away with Clarke was a little enticing, even in her drunken and tired state, her mind wandering off to what they might accomplish in such an adventure in the beautiful wilderness before Anya's voice rang out in her head. Lexa no!

She fought a frown initially at the conflict she was presented with, in maintaining her rivalry, or pursuing something new, something her internal Anya was warning her from. She succeeded, at least until she saw Clarke's eyes glimmer slightly as the girl continued onto the next stanza.

"Come away with me, and we'll kiss..." Clarke sang, voice hanging ever so slightly on that last word, the blonde's eyes fluttering closed as her muted professionalism took over again. "...on a mountain top. Come away with me and I'll never stop loving you..."

Lexa felt her stomach twist as Clarke delivered those lines without the eye contact they'd held beforehand, even if she understood it. Being forced to sing a love song to another person was different than singing any old song; Clarke apparently singing it to someone she was attracted to, well, Lexa could appreciate the slip from full sincerity with words that seemed to mean a lot to both of them. Even if it still would have been nice to hear with those blue eyes matching her gaze. It's silly, though...it's a silly fantasy, but it wouldn't happen...Sure, maybe if we DID go away together for a while, something could happen. We could go on so many walks, I could show her so many gardens, and parks, and rivers, and... But...well, it's best we just stay away from each other then...definitely a safer bet...I certainly don't want to kiss her lips, especially on a mountaintop. Probably windy up there, and we'd have to hold each other, and...and my face would be so close to her lips, her neck, her...LEXA NO

Clarke's head dipped, her hands working out an elaborate solo of sorts, which Lexa was thankful for, because she needed to catch her breath a bit, and needed to just figure out what to feel. Because this was unexpected, and this was not supposed to happen, and these feelings around being wanted were not at all what Lexa had wanted.

But now, mid-song, maybe she could admit that a part of her was really happy. A part of that she'd locked away for years now, a part of her that honestly scared her to death, but Clarke's voice was keeping that fear at bay somehow. And with how oppressive and persistent that fear had been for so long, so painfully long, Lexa wasn't sure she could trust it to stay away. As sweet at her song is, it won't last. It can't...she can't...

Lexa was confident of that. Lexa was resolute.

And then Clarke's bright blue eyes fluttered open again, ripe with yearning and gracing her with that elusive warmth that had Lexa sinking into the cushions, suddenly not so certain even a brief getaway with the blonde would be so bad.

"And I want to wake up with the rain falling on a tin roof, while I'm safe there in your arms...so all I ask is for you...to come away with me in the night." Clarke sang, those intense emotions in her eyes matched in full by her voice; Lexa could hear how earnest the girl's longing was, how Clarke yearned to escape with someone, to enjoy simple pleasures in magnificent places, far away from their current worlds.

Lexa yes? She wondered absently as she enjoyed the image Clarke's words painted in her imagination; the both of them off at her uncle's cabin, early in the spring, rain pitter-pattering on the roof as the sun started to peek over the horizon in pockets of orange and blue through the cloud cover. They'd be sharing her bed, Clarke tangled up and snug in her arms, all awash in the hazy morning light, the blonde smiling softly up at her as they greeted the new day together. It was a nice dream, and for a moment, she could see it, smell it, feel it, before the rest of her caught up.

For a split second, Lexa chided herself for projecting, knowing rainy days always brought out her loneliness, even before Costia, but especially since. For a moment, she doubted that sincerity, but watching those emotions swirling in Clarke's eyes fade away into a placid, empty gaze was proof enough that she'd witnessed something in Clarke. Something had slipped out that the blonde hadn't quite tamped down on, and that had Lexa anxious. That was dangerous.

"Come away with me..." Clarke trailed off, hands still over the guitar strings for a few fleeting moments before the blonde was spinning off the armrest, practically tossing the guitar onto Lexa's lap. Before Lexa could even react, Clarke had left the room in a fury, and in a hurry, and she honestly had no idea what to do.

Her first instinct was to go after the blonde, oddly enough, but Anya had pushed Lexa back down onto the loveseat before she'd even realized she'd been getting up. "She needs a friend right now." Her cousin whispered, Lexa watching helplessly as Octavia stumbled off the couch, clearly acknowledging Lincoln's prodding by chasing after her roommate. And sure, Lexa could understand what Clarke needed at the moment, but it didn't change how she felt, even if she was conflicted over that particular detail. Clarke sang to her, Clarke was upset because of it, so shouldn't she be there to share that burden? Wasn't that the right thing to do? Of course Lexa understood that Clarke needed her friend, but she didn't particularly have to like that it meant her own absence. And as Anya pulled her into a sideways hug, Lexa let herself like that, too, even if the prospect of hugging Clarke was more immediately satisfying. Even if Lexa knew full well that she should be worried about feeling that way, scared about feeling that way.

Any chance that she'd just experienced a waking dream vanished as she looked around the room, finding the majority of people were staring at her, gauging her response, some apparently grinning at the situation she'd be put in. Still, some seemed entirely awestruck, or at least thoroughly confused.

Lexa shifted in her seat and faced forward, towards the wall, her hands resting on Clarke's guitar and her eyes locked on the remaining coolers. The night had already been a bit of a mess; why not drink a little more so Anya could bring her tired self home?

Yes, for once, Lexa could use a little more alcohol. She'd deal with everything tomorrow.


It was twenty after two in the morning, and Anya was pretty certain that she and Lexa needed to find a way home, because her cousin had seriously flamed out after downing another half of a cooler, and Anya was feeling the pull towards sleep herself.

Frankly, it was about time. Ever since Clarke and Octavia blew out of the room close to fifteen minutes ago, the party had kind of sagged, the games ended, and people were mostly just telling stories. Which, while Anya wasn't entirely averse to all the others in her presence, she didn't find sticking around for another hour very appealing under those conditions.

And the sooner I can leave this rancid washroom, the better... She mused in disgust at the lack of cleanliness of the club's facilities. Seriously sub-par, even if it had seen some traffic tonight. The amount of built-up grime covering the tile flooring and walls was obscene.

Anya quickly got to washing her hands, internally planning on a long and thorough shower when she got back to the dorms. She was just drying her hands off on the almost pointless paper towels when slightly muffled voices filtered through into the washroom.

"Just accept it, O. I'm not arguing with you over this." Anya heard Clarke demanded, drawing her closer to the doorway. If nothing else, Clarke had shown interest in both Lexa and herself tonight, albeit in different ways, and that made any opportunity to understand the blonde a valuable one.

"I just don't get why you're not coming back, too! Look, I'm sorry for fucking things up earlier, I didn't..." Octavia spoke, sounding far more emotional than usual; while the girl's anger still rose to the top, there was a solid undertone of fear there.

Clearly, whatever talk they'd been having up until now hadn't gone so well... Anya thought to herself, eyes widening as Lincoln's voice filtered through the walls. Muffled, but she was familiar enough with him to understand.

"We bought the privacy screen for a reason, it wasn't a problem before, was it?" He asked, confirming Anya's suspicions that her brother and Octavia's relationship was further along than the two often alluded to.

"Stop, okay? This has nothing to do with the damn screen. It's your birthday tonight, O. You deserve some private time with him, so I'm giving you that. Bellamy's going to drive you. You get a night to yourselves, you don't have to travel a half hour out of the city to get to your place, Lincoln, and you can have some time to sleep in before your midterm tomorrow, O." Clarke asserted, the plan of sorts being fairly well thought out and certainly beneficial to her brother and his girlfriend. Clarke however...

"And where are you going to stay, Clarke? It's two in the damn morning, you can't just call one of your friends up and crash there! And Raven's roommates hate you, for some damn reason, so that's not going to work either!" Octavia shouted, voicing the same concern that Anya saw in the blonde's plan.

"I've got a friend who does shift-work, she should be getting home around now, and she'll be up for a few more hours. She's let me crash there before, she'll let me again, it's not a probl..." Clarke started, only to be interrupted by a loud bang on the wall that nearly startled Anya from the force.

"Every time you 'crash' at your goddamn friend's place, you come home exhausted as hell, and in need of a few hours of sleep, AND you won't even tell me who she is or let me meet her. It's fucking sketchy Clarke, and I don't believe for a second you'd choose to sleep on someone's couch tonight when you could have your own damn bed! Not unless you're avoiding me!" Octavia ranted, leaving Anya to wonder just how often the blonde refrained from sleeping in her dorms, and whether this 'friend' of Clarke's could be a girlfriend, given the description of how the girl would be upon returning home.

"I'm not avoiding you! It's your birthday, I had this planned in advance because I wanted to do something nice for you. This has NOTHING to do with that shit you pulled in there." Clarke shot back, and for what it was worth, the blonde sounded honest. Her gut was usually right on those sorts of things, and it came as a bit of a relief that Clarke was most likely just trying to be helpful, while her roommate was dragging other issues into that decision. Issues which apparently needed more discussion to clear up, by the sound of things.

"That's fucking bullshit! Stop being a damn princess, and just let us deal with this, Clarke! So I fucked up whatever with Lexa...I saw an opportunity and I took it, and..." Octavia continued on, clearly not ready to give up on the original reason they'd been out there, only for Lincoln's voice to sharply interrupt.

"Octavia, let it go for now. You've both went over that long enough, and it's just making you more upset." He spoke, voice trailing off into lower, softer tones that had Anya's ear hovering an inch away from the wall to fully hear. No way she'd actually touch that grimy, disease-ridden surface.

Anya could hear Octavia's immediate growl of disapproval at Lincoln's request. "She's being stupid! You're being an idiot, Clarke!"

"Look, I've had enough, it wasn't your decision to make, O...not after everything you knew about me. Just like tonight's not your call. You're getting the dorm room tonight, so just deal with it. And if you need to yell at me so badly, you can catch me after I give Raven's car back, tomorrow." Clarke grit out with the kind of steely calm that reminded Anya of herself a little bit. It might have been impressive if she truly understood the context. "Anyway, happy birthday, O. Good night, Lincoln."

With that, Anya heard the clacking of Clarke's boots fading off, alongside Octavia making a slew of varied angry sounds. Honestly, she wasn't sure what had gone on between the two, but it seemed serious enough, given how close they were. There was a difference between merely butting heads and an emotional yelling match.

Anya waited around in the dingy washroom for around two minutes, not wanting to let out that she'd overheard, and not exactly wanting to in turn cause a scene. Thankfully, as she spied the premises from the doorway, all parties had gone their separate ways. Feeling better now that she was free of the disgusting washroom, she made her way back to the party, passing Bellamy, Monty, Jasper, Lincoln, and a sullen Octavia. She nodded at her brother, seeing he wasn't in much of a position to offer a better goodbye, quickly earning one in kind from him.

Clearly, the party was over, so it wasn't surprising when she entered the room and saw Clarke packing up her guitar, and a drunken sleepy Lexa staring longingly at the blonde from her spot on the loveseat. Anya let out a sigh at the sight. Such a useless lesbian...I swear...

Her entrance caught Clarke's attention, though, bright blue eyes fixating on her as she made her way back towards Lexa.

"Hey, do you two have a way home?" The blonde asked her, stilling Anya in her tracks, having expected something entirely different from the woman.

"I have cab fare. It's handled." She let out cautiously, the blonde's previous conversation playing in her head. If Clarke has nowhere to stay, then...oh... Anya mused to herself, coming to the realization just as Clarke's mouth opened.

"I've got a car, and Raven lives near the NU campus. I could drop her off, then the both of you. It'd be maybe five minutes out of my way, the least I could do, all things considered." Clarke spoke, words softening near the end as the blonde once again surprised her. She'd expected Clarke ask to bunk out with them, not simply offer a ride.

Especially not as some sort of way to 'make up' for earlier. The song for Lexa hadn't exactly been a catastrophe on their end; honestly, it was more than a little sweet and romantic, even if Clarke was seemingly forced to perform under the threat of more blatant harassment. That Clarke had performed the song, instead of exposing Lexa to misdirected potential taunts and jeers, had been a mark in the 'good' column for the blonde. While Anya knew Lexa could handle herself, people putting in the effort to protect her cousin, at the expense of themselves, was noble.

"It would still leave you far from your dorms. I couldn't ask it of you." Anya retorted, if only to give herself an in for figuring out what Clarke had planned for that night.

"It's a fifteen minute drive, less than that in the dead of night. Besides, Octavia and Lincoln have the dorm to themselves tonight, I'll be checking in at a friend's." Clarke explained, slipping the locks of her guitar case shut.

"I'm curious what kind of friend you have that would be open to drop-ins after two in the morning." Anya noted as she rifled through her bag, making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Thankfully, everything seemed in its right place.

"He's good people, a family friend, and I just checked in with him to make sure it's alright." Clarke said, a brief bit of hesitation on her face only had Anya feeling more suspicious. What with Clarke having described the mysterious 'friend' as a woman to Octavia, and all.

Anya ignored the minor flutter of worry the blonde's words instigated and focused on the topic at hand. "How long have you known him? What's his story?" She asked, wondering what Clarke said that was truth, and what were lies.

"What's with the inquisition? You usually leave that for people dating your family." Clarke deflected, a bit of blush on her cheeks that could have been from avoiding the topic, or potentially from thoughts of dating Lexa. Either way, a deflection was a deflection, and Anya was unimpressed, something Clarke could apparently tell quickly. "Look, you can needle me in the car. Right now, Lexa looks ten seconds from passing out, and Raven's technically awake, but totally out of it."

Anya took a moment to weigh the pros and cons before allowing a nod and moving to her cousin's side. Thankfully, despite Lexa being entirely unstable on her feet, her cousin did well in pressing up against her as the four of them slowly made their way out of the building and to the old muscle car. She and Lexa took the back seat, knowing full well that Raven would get the front.

While Raven was pretty much out cold, slumped down in the front passenger-side seat, the car did help Anya a bit in understanding the sophomore. The nearly fifty year old car was spotless inside and out, restored to what she could imagine was near mint condition; from seating, to the dash, to the floor, to the wheel, there was clear dedication at work. Her own father being a bit of a gearhead, she'd come across a number of others who owned older model restored vehicles, but most had been modernized, or left weathered enough to know that the car was more of a sometimes hobby.

Raven seemed committed, and had an eye for detail. If Anya gained nothing else from the ride home, it was that, and those details were more than enough to fuel the embers of her curiosity.

It didn't take long to also confirm her suspicion that the car rode like a dream, Clarke safely maneuvering them towards the NU campus. As suspected, the roads were mostly barren given it was a Sunday night, which made it a little easier for her to appreciate the ride home. The sound of Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes" playing on the local oldies station, quietly as to not disturb the others in the car, only had Anya wondering if Raven shared her interest in the music. Whatever the case, she allowed herself to enjoy the moment, humming along lowly to the wonderful tune.

As Clarke had predicted, it wasn't terribly long before the blonde had pulled up to Raven's slightly run down home and helped the girl across the front lawn and into it. Without the frustration of Lincoln's love life, she could view the area with new eyes. The place wasn't in terrible shape, perhaps built nearly a century ago, with a garage added on decades later, even if the garage was well aged itself. The neighbourhood had clearly seen better days, as well, but Raven's home was among the better kept ones on the street from what she could tell. Clearly, Raven took care of her home, took some pride in it, and that mattered when the girl was fresh out of BC's dorms.

It was a longer wait than she'd thought before Clarke returned, Lexa having fallen into a deep sleep given the lack of noise and movement. It'd make it a little trickier to move her cousin, in the end, but at least they only lived on the second floor of Light Hall.

"So, where to, exactly?" Clarke asked, looking over her shoulder and into the backseat at her.

"Light Hall. Eighty-one Saint Stephen Street." Anya recited quietly, drawing a quick nod from the blonde, who pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. "So since you didn't answer my questions before, I'll ask again...how long have you known your friend? What does he do?"

"Going on eight years now. He works security, good friends with my dad, he helps me out when I need to crash." Clarke rattled off with ease, though Anya couldn't help but wonder if the girl had rehearsed that in her mind long enough to sound convincing.

"What's his full name?" Anya asked in return, earning a quick scoff from the driver.

"No way, I'm not letting anyone hassle him on my watch." Clarke shot back, clearly anticipating Anya's own refusal to accept those words, because within a second, they'd pulled over, and Clarke was staring back at her again. "Look, Jason's good, he's safe, I promise. He and my dad used to work together, and I used to babysit his little girl."

Again, Anya couldn't detect a lie, everything she was seeing and hearing seemed sincere enough. Which, of course, had her wondering if Clarke had lied to Octavia about these details. And if so, why would she lie to her best friend, yet tell the truth to someone like me? She wondered, trying to put the pieces together to that puzzle, but failing. None of it made any sort of sense, and it wasn't just her moderately drunken mind limiting that.

"You could always crash at our dorm. When you need to." Anya spoke once the car got in motion again, shocking herself nearly to the point of gasping that such words had escaped her.

Now, Anya wasn't sure what happened to her higher functionality in that car after Clarke had gotten back to driving again, but she personally chalked it all up to temporary insanity. It was the only logical explanation. Wasn't it?

"I...I appreciate the offer, Anya. That you'd open your home to me...I'm not sure I can really express how much I appreciate that. I'll keep it in mind for another time, but right now, you two need a good night's sleep without having to deal with me. I'm not sure Lexa would appreciate me being around so soon, anyway. And again, I have a safe place to stay, I already let him know I was coming. But...thank you, again." Clarke rambled, clearly about as taken aback about the offer as Anya was.

Anya rolled her eyes, though more at herself for getting into that situation than at Clarke's words. That the girl had thought of her and Lexa's well-being tonight instead of being more selfish, well, maybe it had Anya feeling a little flustered. Enough to toss the beanie stuffed in her bag at Clarke's head. "You talk too much."

Maybe five or six minutes later, they pulled up by Light Hall, parking a few feet further than she'd hoped for, but it was to be expected given they'd got in late. Anya was just getting out of the car and moving around to grab Lexa when Clarke hurried around and went to do the same, prompting the older woman to cock an eyebrow in question. "I've got Lexa."

Clarke let out a tired sigh and leaned up against the Torino. "Look, I'm sober, you're drunk enough to be a little unsteady on your feet. Lexa's out cold, and even if you can wake her enough to walk her up, you're both going to be real unsteady. Let me help her up, you can handle the doors."

Anya processed Clarke's logic for a moment, then gauged the girl's worried expression. It was a little frustrating that the blonde seemed to care as much as she did, but she couldn't hate Clarke for that. Not when the girl was doing what she could to keep them from accidentally hurting themselves. Which wouldn't be anything major if something did happen, anyways, but it was interesting to know someone was looking out for them, for whatever reason.

"Fine. Be careful with her." Anya stated firmly, moving aside so Clarke could open the door and help a mostly asleep Lexa out of the car.

Slowly, they made their way to the building and through the front door, Lexa labouring a bit on the steps and needing the blonde to basically do the walking for her. Still, after a good five minutes of struggling, the three of them made it to the dorm room.

"Lexa would hate waking up in jeans, I'll get her settled. Can you get us some water?" Anya asked, not wanting to expose her cousin to Clarke to such an extent.

"Yeah, I've got an unopened bottle, and one empty in my bag that I could re-fill, would that do? Or I do go to the vending machine?" Clarke returned, clearly just wanting some direction on the matter instead of trying to decide for them.

"Lexa's far from a germophobe, she'll be fine with a refill." She noted, earning a smile and an unopened bottle of water from the blonde. Anya nodded and brought Lexa into the dorm room while Clarke went off in search of the washroom.

Anya slowly made their way over to Lexa's bedside and sat her cousin down before starting to remove the girl's jeans. She was on her third tug when a realization drilled its way through her slightly drunken mind, snapping her head up to gauge her cousin's posture and expression. Slightly too tense...breathing a little too restricted and still, too quiet for how she usually is when she's out. Anya mused, letting out a nearly muted scoff as she finished pulling the jeans off. It barely took half a minute to find and grab a pair of Lexa's sweats, her cousin still in the same position as before instead of slumped around on the bed like a maniac, as she usually would be when this drunk. Oh, little one, what am I going to do with you?

Just as she finished redressing Lexa, there was a brief knock at the door. Feeling a bit too frustrated at the moment to speak, Anya let out a grunt, set the bottle on her desk, and moved towards the door just as Clarke peeked it open. "You both good in here?" Clarke whispered, earning a stiff nod from Anya, who just knew she needed to get out of the room for a moment. To just goddamn think.

"Can you finish up with her? I need to brush my teeth." She halfway grit out, though if Clarke registered her annoyance, the blonde didn't give any sign of it.

"Yeah, I'll get her to bed, and set your bottles and Advil on your nightstands, alright?" Clarke asked, Anya just nodding again as she pushed past Clarke and out into the hallway, towards the washroom.

Lexa may have wanted to be asleep, but she wasn't, and Anya figured giving her cousin and Clarke some alone time could count for some well-deserved minor torment for letting her deal with Clarke alone, and for Clarke hauling her all the way to their room. If there was one thing Anya wasn't fond of, it was Lexa tricking her for something other than a good laugh. This was Lexa hiding from her problems, not wanting to face them head on, even though Anya knew the girl was strong enough to handle it.

Being able to brush her teeth was a fantastic reprieve, even if she knew her dentist wouldn't appreciate the aggression in her brushing methods. It was better than releasing her frustration most other ways, especially since she still wasn't entirely steady on her feet, even if her mind was up to snuff.

The night had just been a bit of a whirlwind. Meeting all those new people, the discussion with Raven, all the looks Clarke had cast her and Lexa's way; which, hell, was only amplified by whatever Clarke and Lexa had gotten into in the washroom for a good ten or so minutes. Then the song, the blowout between Clarke and Lincoln's girlfriend, the argument over the ride home and lodgings, and now Lexa playing possum. It was a lot to digest, and Anya knew she had plenty of time to spread all that out over the coming week, but it didn't change the fact that it'd likely keep her awake for a while tonight.

That such an annoying realization went hand in hand with a minor thought of asking Clarke to stick around and talk...well, it wouldn't be entertained. Even if she DID want more insight on the blonde who had potentially laid her heart out to Lexa earlier that night. That potential dynamic complicated, well, everything. Anya always liked to keep herself ahead of those kinds of changes, but she just didn't have the energy or patience to deal with inviting Clarke to stay, especially since the blonde was starting to grow on her.

An unexpected turn of events, certainly, but Anya figured they were similar enough in some areas. Even her booze-addled mind could understand that a fleck of kinship could warp her mind sometimes. A non-family member was inevitably going to manage the feat, Clarke just happened to be the first. Not a big deal.

I'll deal with her when the time comes...and tonight is not that time... she mused to herself on the way back to her room, stilling at the doorway to watch Clarke scribbling something on her desk. Anya peered around the room, noticing the bottles of water set up, two pills laid out beside each. Also, Lexa was fully tucked into bed, laying on her side and facing the wall, away from the blonde and herself.

"Oh, hey, I wasn't sure how long you'd be, I was...well..." Clarke whispered out, having caught her looking at her cousin. The blonde crumpled up her note and dropped it in the nearby trash. "Anyway, it's drafty in here, so I got her under the covers. Didn't want her to catch a chill. Your water and pills are set out, too."

Anya met Clarke's gaze and offered a silent nod, entering the room and taking a seat on her bedside. "Thank you."

Clarke stood around for a second or two more before nodding to herself and offering Anya an oddly kind smile. "I'll head out now, so I hope you sleep well and you don't have too bad of a hangover tomorrow. Just keep hydrated...I can't do anything about Lexa, but you should drink some water before going to bed, alright?"

"I will." She noted softly, prompting Clarke to move toward the door. A stray thought finally wormed its way past her internal defenses, taking a ride on her impatience, stilling the blonde at the door as it was voiced. "Did you do this for Raven?"

Clarke leaned against the doorframe and let out a small laugh, running a slightly shaky hand through her hair. "Raven would have wanted me to stay here, keep an eye on you two. I know you can handle yourself, and Lexa, too." The blonde said, letting out another low laugh as the girl shook her head. "She thinks you're interesting Anya, but she's not going to pressure you. Annoy you, maybe, but if you say no, she'll respect it. If you need time to figure her out, you've got it."

Anya took in Clarke's words that managed to answer a few basic questions that had floated around in her mind. She still wasn't sure what to think about either newcomer, but she at least mustered a wave and watched Clarke leave the room and shut the door. Idiot girl... She internally groused to herself, feeling annoyance at how much she was warming up to the blonde.

It had been a long night, and Anya's body suddenly felt much more tired than it had mere seconds ago, the darkness and quiet lulling her towards sleep. She sluggishly made her way under the covers and settled in, facing across the room, eyes scanning the Lexa-sized lump on the other bed that was suspiciously still.

"I'll tolerate cowardice just this once, Lexa. We'll work it all out tomorrow." She spoke, her soft, quiet voice breaking the room's deafening silence, a barely audible sniff from across the room following it up. Internally, she cursed herself, knowing she probably should have expected as much from her cousin, after everything. Some wounds had healed, but others had been covered up with bandages and left raw, not healing well, if at all. For all the work she'd done with Lexa after Costia, there was still bound to be flare-ups if her little one was touched by emotions she hadn't felt since back then.

Feeling a little guilty for underestimating the severity of the situation, Anya slipped from her bed and crossed the room, not expecting either would get much sleep tonight as she pulled Lexa's covers back and settled in behind her cousin. "We'll find a way through this together, little one. I promise. Let it out here, I have you, you're safe." She murmured as Lexa's breathing grew ragged and descended into vocal anguish, Anya just wrapping her arms snugly around her cousin, holding her together as she fell apart.

But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep... Anya mused to herself, letting her eyelids fall shut feeling more than a little fortunate there wasn't an early morning practice that morning, and that both of their first classes were early afternoon.

It had been a damn long, confusing night.


Clarke was acutely aware of how tired her body was as she stepped into the foyer of the apartment complex; even if her brain was firing on all cylinders, she really did need to rest up. Thankfully, Jason was at the security desk and not making his hourly rounds, given she'd forgotten her elevator key at her dorm.

"Hey Nyko, easy night tonight?" Clarke asked with an easy smile at her father's old friend.

"As easy as always. Miss Rutherford's cat's been making some noise, but aside from that, business as usual." He noted with a grin, watchful eyes giving her a good look over. "Let me guess, you forgot your key again."

Clarke let out a laugh, knowing the man could hardly ever be fooled over when she was feeling embarrassed. "Guilty as charged. Can you let me up?"

"Of course. I know it's technically still the weekend, but you need to get a good night's sleep one of these days, Clarke. Your father would be tearing his hair out if he was here right now." Jason shot back, standing up from his chair and leading the blonde over to the elevators. "I promised him I'd look after you, you know."

"As if you don't remind me every time I come by, Nyko. I'm fine...it was my roommate's birthday, and I rolled designated driver, and things ran a bit late getting everyone home safe and sound." She explained as he slid the key into the lock and called the elevator down.

"Just make sure you take care of yourself, sometimes, too. You're just like your father, Clarke...always everyone else first, with you." He noted, setting the elevator up for Clarke's floor and ushering her in.

Clarke considered laughing off his words with some witty dismissal, but she simply lacked the energy for it tonight, after everything. "I know. I promise I will...I am." She spoke, nearly wincing at her slip, though it wasn't as if he hadn't known how she'd been over the past while. It wasn't as if she'd revealed anything new; she'd just simply put it to words.

"You sleep well, Clarke." The man spoke, offering a simple nod and a sad smile as he stepped out of the way and let her continue on upstairs. They were close, but there were limits to that, and he'd learned not to push her.

As the doors to the elevator closed, and she began her ascent to the eighth floor, she leaned against the railing and shook her head over the night's ending. What had started out as a wonderful party had ended as a bit of a wreck, and had Clarke honestly wondering what the hell was wrong with herself. It wasn't like her to mix her stories up, consistency was something she'd long understood to be a key in being convincing, but when Anya had set those sharp eyes on her, she'd felt like she was under a microscope. She'd slipped the tiniest bit, and suddenly she'd been faced with juggling two separate stories.

That Anya had gotten a vague form of the truth didn't escape her, even if she wasn't sure what to make of that just yet. The intense woman had earned a bit of her trust in treating Raven well that night, and showing clear support for Lexa throughout the night. Clarke could respect that kind of loyalty, and she was happily surprised that Raven had come away all smiles about Anya. People who made her friends happy were worthy of her efforts, that had always been her stance, and Anya wasn't any different in that.

But still, there was something different there, something Clarke hadn't pinned down, only complicated by Anya's offer of shelter earlier that night. Even with the woman drunk, she knew Anya wouldn't say anything she didn't mean in the strictest sense, so there was definitely something there. Clarke idly hoped it was friendship as she stepped out of the elevator and made her way to the rightmost entrance, unlocking the door and resting her hand on the doorknob.

With a deep breath, Clarke entered her father's old condo, seeing it was exactly the same as she'd left it. She swiftly locked the door and made her way over to the fridge and grabbed the grocery list there, knowing there was a better chance of her remembering to pick things up if the list was on the bedside table when she woke up. She'd return the Torino, grab her SUV, and go on a grocery run before classes began. Still have enough for a decent breakfast, though...

Her morning plans worked out, leaving herself a mental note to go the load of sheets before breakfast, and to maybe tidy up the living room a little, Clarke made her way into the washroom and got to her usual nightly routine.

It was about as efficient as a routine could be, but Clarke let herself take her time, knowing her mind wasn't about to slow down for a while yet. No need to rush into the bedroom and just lay there for forever. Not that the bed wasn't comfortable, and not that she hadn't changed the sheets after the clients earlier Sunday afternoon, but it was always a bit of a difficult place for her to feel settled in.

It had been different years ago, when she'd visit her dad, and he'd sleep on the couch while she took the massive bed. At least then, even if he wasn't in sight, she knew someone else was with her. These days, she was alone as ever there, and while sleeping in her dorms was a big help, Octavia was gone more often these days. And often enough, sometimes Lincoln would stay over, and it never failed to make her feel like she was intruding.

Clarke let out a sigh as she finished brushing her teeth, moving to the final step of cleaning her face. Maybe I need to stop that. Not O and Lincoln, but...distancing myself. I always just...take the lead and be that instead of a friend, and use it as an excuse to keep people away. Which is fucking dumb because I hate when I do that...

She shook her head at herself and looked hard at herself in the mirror. Maybe I did start all that shit tonight. Maybe... She started, letting out a sigh, crumpling up the face wipe and tossing it in the trash. Maybe I at least let O and Bellamy sabotage whatever...whatever the hell Lexa and I were building tonight. Safer to keep distance and not try, right? Hasn't that been my M.O. lately? Since Finn? To just let things die? Killing my close friendship with O, killing anything before it started with Lexa, a good two for one?

Finished with her routine, she made her way into the bedroom and flopped down onto the bed. I need to stop doing this...maybe I don't need a relationship, but I do need friends. I can help my people out and still be close with them...I've shown that with Raven, I did with O before tonight...I can do this right? She mused, turning her head to the picture frame of her and her father, enjoying her tenth birthday at a Capitals game. It was a favourite of hers, and one of a select few from that day that didn't include her mom, which made it all the more heartwarming. I can do this, right, dad?

Clarke reached over to her phone, dismissing all the client alerts from the night, and set her alarm for mid-morning, hoping that she could hold this momentum through the rest of the week. Perhaps she could mend whatever bridges she'd burned, or at least scorched a bit. Not that she was solely at fault, but she knew Octavia was just trying to help, even if her roommate had dragged Lexa into a mess, and had been hardheaded and stubborn in ignoring everything she'd told the girl about her lack of a love life. Especially the reasons why it had to stay that way, even though Lexa was really, really pretty and a little fascinating.

She didn't have to shut O out earlier though, even if she DID need a night away to process. Even if that night away was at her father's old place.

That earlier invite to crash at Anya and Lexa's dorm bounced around in her mind a bit, even if it was a bit unrealistic. Still, it was a nice thought, and Clarke closed her eyes and focused on that as she willed herself to rest. Maybe sleep wouldn't come for a while, but at least her body could have a bit of a break.

At least until the morning.


A/N: Welp, that took a bit longer than expected, but the birthday party is officially over, and the ground is largely laid for future developments. This, I suppose, is the end of the opening arc of the fic. Stage is set and all that.

I went with some feedback, Clarke's song being lowkey romantic. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed it!