Chapter 26
Lexa quietly sat down next to Clarke after the blonde had been missing for about twenty minutes. She silently handed her a glass of wine before looking up at the sky with the girl.
Clarke finally looked over at her with a smile before looking back out at the city lights. "How'd you know I was up here?"
"I'm smarter than I look." Lexa chuckled as she bumped her shoulder against Clarke's.
"This is your get away from the world place, at least in New York."
"And yours is on the beach near the pier by my house, at least in Laguna." Lexa laughed with a smile and waited until Clarke was ready to speak. "I just went from hating my birthday to loving it in the span for a second. It's a little overwhelming to have everyone I care about in the same room. That sounds really weird but it's just a lot of emotion."
Lexa shook her head. "I totally get it, being pulled in twenty different directions at once but over all, surprised?"
"Very much so. I don't know how Octavia managed to keep it a secret or where she came up with the idea but I definitely owe her one now." Clarke smiled as she looked at Lexa and tried to read her reaction. "It was really nice of her to invite your parents too and for them to come."
"My parents love you, almost as much as they love me. Actually sometimes I think they love you more."
"They were never close with Costia?"
Lexa shook her head. "No, I mean they were friendly and welcoming but that bond was never there. It's always been different, you know that."
"My dad used to go and watch your soccer games so it's only fair that your parents are close with me."
"I remember that." Lexa laughed. "I'm pretty sure our dads were more like my soccer moms than any of the actual moms there."
Clarke nodded and Lexa could see the tears welling up in her eyes as she looked up at the sky. Without thinking about it Lexa wrapped her arm around Clarke as the other woman rested her head against Lexa's shoulder. "You knew that was why I came up here didn't you?" Clarke finally said a couple minutes later.
"You're an open book at this point." Clarke raised an eyebrow without raising her head off Lexa's shoulder. "Don't worry I'm the only person who has a copy of it."
"Thank you."
"No need for thanks."
Clarke leaned back and finally moved to stand up. "Shut up and accept it." She chugged back the glass of wine Lexa had brought her and smiled. "I guess I should get back inside before they think I've escaped and send a search party." Lexa grinned as she stood up without saying a word. "Wait, you were the search party."
Lexa grinned with a shrug. "I volunteered."
"Easy Katniss."
"Wait." Lexa stopped her before she reached for the door causing Clarke turn to around as Lexa took a step closer to her. "Happy birthday Clarke."
Without warning Clarke threw her arms around Lexa and brought her in for a tight hug. "I kind of thought you forgot."
"Octavia told me. I could never forget your birthday. It was always the hardest time of year. Every year at midnight I would grab my phone on reflex or something and go to text you but I just could never bring myself to."
"So this year you show up with Orchid and make me pay for my own damn late night breakfast?" Clarke grinned and her and Lexa stood in close proximity.
Lexa shook her head. "No the money is in your bag, you just haven't found it yet. I paid for it when you were in the bathroom. I'm sorry I couldn't say it sooner, I've been struggling with it all day."
"You sneaky mom!" Clarke smacked her on the arm playfully. All the wine and champagne starting to go to her head.
"I couldn't let you pay on your birthday, I was raised better than that. My mother would slap me upside my head so quick."
"Speaking of, we should really get back before our parents prove they can out drink our friends."
Lexa nodded with a large grin plastered on her face. "Good call, I do not want to find our moms playing beer pong again."
"That was definitely not a good night."
Both women started laughing at the memory. "Sobered us up real fast didn't it?"
Clarke nodded as Lexa held the door open for her.
XOXO
A couple hours later, almost everyone had left, including Lexa and Clarke's parents, both opting to stay at a hotel rather than cramp their kids style.
"I'm going to head out and let you have girl time." Finn whispered in Clarke's ear with a smile as he kissed her cheek.
"Okay, thank you for being here."
He nodded with a grin. "Of course." He turned to all the ladies left in the room. "It was very nice to meet you all." He waved before Clarke walked him to the door.
"What's with his hair?" Anya asked once Clarke was back in the living room.
"His hair was kind of cute, good job Clarke." Raven hi fived her as she sat down and leaned her back against the couch.
Octavia walked back into the room and set the last two bottle of wine onto the table. "Thank you guys for coming all this way."
"It's about time we got the New York invite." Echo said as she leaned up to the table and started to fill everyone's cups.
"That's what I've been saying!" Anya smacked Clarke on the arm as she stuck her tongue out at Lexa. "Seriously, it's been how many years and this is the first time I've gotten an invite. Rude."
"Where'd Gus go?" Octavia asked as she looked around the room, suddenly realizing that he wasn't around.
"I got rid of him. He and Lincoln went god only knows where. They'll be fine." She laughed as Octavia shook her head.
"I think they have a bit of a bromance going on and I'm starting to wonder if I should be worried."
Anya shook her head no. "You got me in the deal, I say you're winning." Behind Anya Lexa was vigorously shaking her head. "Excuse you?" Anya asked with attitude as she turned around and looked at Lexa. "Just remember I know all your secrets!"
"Fuck." Lexa groaned under her breath.
"That's what I thought." Anya took a drink of her wine.
"So how's it feel it to join the thirty club?" Echo asked as Clarke leaned back against the couch, her wine glass pressed to her lips.
"Weird and it's only been a day. I'm still in too much shock that you all are here to even think about how it feels to be so old."
Raven grinned and rubbed the top of Clarke's head, messing up her hair. "Well buddy, it has only just begun because we are so going out to the club. We need to show these two how we do it in NYC."
Octavia sat grinning with a nod as she took a swig right from the bottle of wine. "Believe me, as fun at Cali is you two haven't experienced anything like New York."
"Us two? What about her?" Echo pointed to Lexa.
"I live here!"
Octavia nodded. "These two used to roll in at six a.m. back in the day when some of us had class in the morning."
"It happened like twice!" Clarke defended.
Lexa nodded as she leaned across the table so that her and Clarke could cheers their glasses. "Says the girl that used who used to have full fledged parties when we were trying to sleep!"
"Actually it was just you that was trying to sleep, I always joined the party." Clarke said sheepishly with a shrug. "I'm starving, O, where'd you put my cake?"
"Fridge but I'll help you get it." Clarke nodded as she leaned on the table to help herself up. Her and Octavia giggled the whole way to the kitchen for no reason which told them both that they were in fact drunk.
"When are you going to admit it to yourself?" Anya asked as she and Raven sat on either side of Lexa who looked absolutely clueless.
"Don't make that face Commander, we aren't stupid." Echo chirped in with a laugh as Lexa's face only got more confused.
"No but she is." Raven joked as she smacked Lexa's leg. "You're crushing on my girl."
"What? I am not. You guys are senile in your old age! And shut up before she hears you." Lexa shook her head as she finished her glass on wine.
"Come on Lex, we've been friends since we could walk. I know your heart eyes when I see them and I haven't seen them in a long time."
Lexa rolled her eyes. "What the fuck are heart eyes?"
"The way your eyes light up whenever a certain blonde walks into the room. You know up until now I was mostly trying to piss you off when I joked about you and Clarke but now I'm starting to think I've been right this whole time." Anya shrugged as Lexa grabbed the other bottle of wine from the table.
"Great, cake. Anya, you love cake, you should eat some!" Lexa grinned as Octavia handed her two forks so that she could hand one to Anya.
"What are we talking about ladies?" Clarke asked.
"Nothing major, just that I have a date on Saturday." Lexa covered as she stuck her fork into the cake.
Clarke stopped and sat down in her previous spot. "A date? With whom? I thought we were in a no dating zone?"
"Yeah I was but I'm far too charming apparently when I get order my coffee."
"No, tell me it's not Amy for the café?"
Lexa laughed with a nod. "She asked, and I didn't know how to tell her no."
This time it was Clarke's turn to laugh as she stuck her own fork into the cake. "I can not wait to hear about this! When are you doing?"
"Couple days, I think. I wrote it down, I honestly don't remember."
"You're terrible." Clarke was still laughing as she ate her cake.
"Hi, yeah thing 1 and thing 2, you aren't alone and if you want to be, you know where your room is!" Octavia laughed as she pointed drunkenly down the hall.
"Soooorrrrry." Clarke sassed as she stuck her tongue out before having another bite of cake.
Raven and Echo leaned into Octavia as they watched their friends. "How long have they been like this?" Raven whispered just loud enough for Octavia and Echo to hear.
"Since Clarke found out Lexa was in town. I swear they see more of each other than I see both of them, combined. Is this how it happened the first time?"
"Not sure, we never really got all the details because they were aware at school but they did play the friend card pretty hard back then." Echo shrugged as she leaned back onto the couch.
xoxo
An hour later Clarke yawned and stretched out her neck. "I'm staying here tonight O, I'm too damn tired to go home."
"Room is already waiting for you." Clarke gave her a thumbs up before getting up and clumsily walking towards her old bedroom.
"You're so crushing on her." Raven laughed as she watched Lexa's glossy eyes follow Clarke to the bedroom.
"What?" She asked finally clueing in that someone was talking to her.
Her three friends laughed. "Nothing, nothing at all Commander, go back to what you were doing."
Lexa rolled her eyes and flipped off her friends before standing up and heading to the kitchen.
xoxo
"Come in." Clarke said as she slipped on an old t-shirt that she had left at Octavia's for occasions like this.
Lexa walked in with her eyes closed, holding out a bottle of water. "I'm clothed. Mostly." Clarke laughed as she took the bottle from Lexa's hand.
"That's more than enough clothes, are you sleeping in the arctic?" She closed the door behind herself as she leaned against the familiar wall. "It's different in here."
"A lot has changed since the last time you were in this room." Clarke said before she took a sip of the water Lexa had just handed her.
"It's definitely been a long time." Clarke nodded as she accidentally brushed past Lexa as she went into her old washroom and started to wash off her face. Lexa couldn't help but watch her for some reason she didn't understand. "What were they bothering you about out there that you had to find refuge in here?"
Busted. "The usual. The four of them together is not a good thing."
Clarke looked up at Lexa through the mirror. "I'll let the vague statement pass this time because I am far too drunk to think of a smart ass comment but you can hide out in here for a little bit."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome to stay the night. I'm pretty sure the other two are and your hotel is across town."
"I can't impose I don't mind the cab ride home."
Clarke shook her head. "Don't be stupid. There's a box in the bottom of the closet, I'm sure you'll find something to change into." She watched Lexa nod before she moved off the wall.
Ten minutes later Clarke emerged from the washroom to see Lexa sitting on the edge of the bed in a pair of her old shorts and a USC t-shirt. "I thought I lost this shirt you know?"
Clarke shrugged. "Not my fault you left it here."
"You sent everything back to me in a box, this was not in it."
"Finders keepers bitch." The statement caused them both to burst out laughing as Clarke climbed into the bed and leaned against the headboard as she turned on the tv.
"You really need to stop hanging out with Octavia." Lexa laughed.
In return Clarke threw a pillow at her. "You don't have to sit down there, sit on the bed properly or go back out into the jungle with the wild animals."
"Rude." Lexa moved the pillow before sitting next to Clarke at the head of the bed. She closed her eyes for a minute but the room started to spin so she opened them and tried to focus on the t.v.
"I'm not rude, you're the one who acts like I have cooties."
"You do." Lexa stuck her tongue out and it threw them both into a fit of laughter as Clarke hit her again with a pillow. "Oh it's so on now." Thanks to the alcohol there wasn't a second thought as Lexa leaned over and started tickling Clarke's sides.
The blonde tried to squirm away before relenting and trying to tickle the other woman back. They rolled around the bed in a fit of laughter as they continued to try and get the other to concede.
"What the hell are you two doing?" Anya asked as she threw the door open. "We can hear you down the hall."
They both moved their hands away from each other as they looked over at the door to see Anya standing with her hands on her hips. "Oh that's nothing, I've walked in on so much worse. Continue, but keep it down, I'm going to bed." Octavia said as she peaked over Anya's shoulder before walking off.
Once their friends walked away they looked at other before bursting out into another fit of laughter.
XOXO
Lexa woke up and brought one arm up to shield her eyes from the light was pouring in from outside. It took her a couple moments to get her bearings right as her head started to pound. With her eyes still closed she reached over and grabbed the bottle of water that was sitting on the table beside her. As she finally started to wake herself up so that she could drink some water she felt a warm hand run gentle across her stomach to lay lightly on her hip. It was a very familiar feeling. Too familiar.
Opening her eyes and trying to rid herself of the sleepy hungover daze she saw blonde hair cascading over her shoulder. She looked next to her on the table that she had just gotten the bottle from and saw the two small pills sitting there. She couldn't help the smile that came over her face. Maybe things didn't change as much as she thought. Reached over she grabbed the two pills and swallowed them with a mouthful of water before she relaxed back into the bed.
She contemplated trying to sneak away but she knew the minute she moved Clarke would wake up and then it would be even more awkward. Instead she closed her eyes and started to feel herself fall back to sleep as a soft murmur filled the quiet room. It had been a long time since she had heard it and it was like music to her ears as she felt Clarke take a deep breath and adjusting her leg a little before going silent and still once again. Lexa rationalized that Clarke was comfortable and she didn't want to disturb that so she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep herself.
XOXO
"Are they still passed out in there?" Raven asked as she watched Octavia grab something out of the fridge.
"Out like lights." Anya responded as she walked back into view.
Octavia grinned and set the orange juice down in front of everyone. "Aww my little babies are all cute and cuddling. Let take bets on how long we think this whole 'friend' thing will last."
"I got a twenty on 2 months." Echo grinned from where she laid still half asleep on the couch.
Raven shook her head. "No way my money is on 2 weeks."
"Lexa is stubborn I give it a month."
"A month Anya? You must be as delusional as that one." Octavia pointed to the couch with her fork before taking another bite of her Eggos. "I give it another week before one of them realizes that there are more than friendly feelings going on there."
"It's settled then, closest one to their approximate date wins the money." Raven nodded affirmatively as if her word was law. They started laughing before stopping themselves, not wanting to wake their two friends.
"Do we think Clarke has figured out that this party was mostly Lexa's idea?" Anya asked as she stole a piece of Raven's Eggo.
"She has too, she knows I'm not good with surprises. I tried before, it didn't work out too well but we all know Lexa hasn't told her because that's what normal people do."
They all laughed once again before they went back to eating their breakfast. Yep, this was definitely going to be a fun game to watch.
TBC…