"Clarke, you should probably know that I don't think I've picked up a paintbrush since I was about six years old," Lexa said, feeling very unprepared as Clarke laid paints out on her already color splattered table.

"That's okay."

"Seriously, though. And it was worse than every other six year old's art, whatever it was."

"Seriously, Lexa, I don't care. We're basically going to spatter it with paint. It doesn't even have to look good. The point is that I don't want it to look like plywood," Clarke insisted, grabbing a handful of different sized brushes from her shelf and splaying them across the table next to the paints. "I promise, it'll be easy."

"You're sure you don't just wanna do it yourself?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Probably in the outcome."

Clarke rolled her eyes, grabbing one of the paintbrushes, dipping it into some purple paint, and then handing it over to Lexa."Pretend like it's your hair," she said teasingly, her smile widening as Lexa begrudgingly accepted the brush. Clarke dipped a second one into green paint, and then brought it over to the door, painting a meaningless, jagged line across the middle of it.

Lexa cringed. "I thought art was supposed to look pretty." Clarke's laugh got a small smile out of her, though, until she realized that the purple paint on her brush was about to drip onto her clothes. Squealing, she just about slammed the brush into the door, creating a strangely shaped blob of purple paint.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I guess not."

Clarke grinned. "Come on, there's nothing you wanna paint? We can cover anything up. The door is your canvas," Clarke stated, winking playfully at the brunette, who looked at the door with suspicion.

"Doesn't look like a canvas."

"Oh my god, Lexa, play pretend for five seconds," Clarke said, rolling her eyes and getting a small, smug smile from the brunette.

"Okay, fine," Lexa agreed, setting down her paint brush and grabbing for a smaller one. She dipped into some pink paint, and then turned back to the door. Clarke's bright blue eyes were on her as she painted two stick figures on the door, before then painting yellow hair on one, and brown hair on the other. "There. That's you, and that's me." She thought for a moment, getting some black paint and painting a happy face on Clarke's stick figure, and a sad face on hers. "And this is how we both feel about making me paint."

Clarke smirked, taking the black paint covered brush from the brunette and blotting out the Lexa stick figure's face. "Well, that's how I feel about how you feel about me making you paint."

"Wow, just erase my face from real life, why don't you?" Lexa glared as best as she could at the blonde, and Clarke just laughed for a moment before leaning forward and pressing her lips against Lexa's softly. Lexa, distracted from the task at hand, melted a little bit, kissing Clarke back instinctively.

Suddenly, though, a cold, wet paintbrush was pressed against her cheek, and she jumped back with a squeak. Clarke was grinning at her mischievously. "Paint the door or I'll paint you, cutie."

Lexa raised her hand to her cheek, pulling it away to reveal the black paint all over her hand. "Oh my god, get the away from me. I actually like having clothes that aren't stained."

"Last I checked, your face wasn't a part of your clothing," Clarke stated, still smiling as she swapped out paintbrushes again. "Can't you please just help me paint my door?"

"Fine," Lexa agreed, smiling despite herself, because would she really turn Clarke down? "So, where did you live before you moved here?"

Clarke smiled a little. "Washington DC."

"Why'd your parents move here?"

"My mom got a job at the hospital here," she replied, "but I guess it wasn't good enough for her a few years later. She lives back in DC now."

"Oh. That's lame."

"Mm, yeah. But I like it here, after everything. My real family – my friends – are here, anyway." She was painting blue across part of the door, and Lexa grinned devilishly as she got red paint and intersected the blonde's strokes. "Oh, so now you're oh so into painting?"

"You can't paint one whole area of the door blue," Lexa insisted, "or else it'll look weird."

"Alright, since you're clearly the paint expert here," Clarke said with amusement, a small smile playing on her face.

"I don't get it. If you paint actual nice things so often, why do you want the door to just be random paint splotches?"

"It's fun," Clarke answered. "Plus, if I put an actual picture up here, I'd be bound to get bored of it. "At least if I get bored of this, changing it wouldn't mean destroying an actual nice piece of art."

"I guess I'm just blind to the ways of painting," Lexa thought aloud, swirling her red paintbrush around in a circle.

Clarke chuckled. "You're doing fine, you weirdo. It's not supposed to look amazing."

"Well now I'm offended that you don't think my red circles are amazing."

"Oh my god, you might actually drive me insane," Clarke said, taking the paintbrush from the brunette. "Sit your pretty little ass down if you don't wanna paint."

Lexa grinned, sitting on the only empty spot on the table. She sat quietly for a few minutes, watching Clarke cover up their stick figures and creating a sea of color, random strokes and waves and shapes that somehow all fit together nicely on the now far less boring door. It was somewhat mesmerizing, watching Clarke do the easiest type of painting that there was while still looking so focused, as though it was far more important than it was in actuality.

Clarke was the one who broke the silence. "So, I was thinking that you and I should do something tomorrow while the rest of the world is partying away."

The brunette smiled a little, though Clarke wasn't facing her. "Okay. Like what?"

"Like, I should buy you dinner somewhere. Because we haven't really gone on like... a date," Clarke answered, sounding like she was nervous to ask. A few weeks ago, Lexa never would have imagined her being able to make Clarke nervous, seeing as how the blonde had just about terrified Lexa the first few times she's seen her.

"I'm not opposed," Lexa stated, still smiling.

"Good," Clarke said, a little more relaxed now as she turned away from the door to clean off a paintbrush and dip it into another paint.

They continued to talk about whatever came to their minds while Clarke painted, and finally, when it was easily around nine o'clock, the door was finished. "I think it turned out well," Lexa stated, tilting her head a little at the artwork.

"Considering that I did all of it, I guess neither of us should be surprised," Clarke teased, smiling at the brunette with slightly raised eyebrows.

"First you wanted me to help you paint, and now that I didn't, you're happy?" Lexa asked, rolling her eyes slightly as Clarke began to clean up the paints and brushes spread over her table next to where Lexa was sitting.

"Mm, in retrospect maybe it was a good thing that you didn't help." Blue eyes flashed with amusement, and Lexa felt a smile appear on her face involuntarily. "What's the time?"

Lexa grabbed her phone from where it had somehow ended up sitting just behind her on the table and checked the time. "Nine thirty." Unlocking her phone, she found that she had a few missed text messages.

From Luna – R U going to the bonfire 2morrow? PLS Anya won't go unless u go!

From Anya – Don't go to the party with Luna tomorrow – you owe me some hang out time lately.

Lexa bit down on the inside of her lip.

To Luna and Anya – Can't party or anything tomorrow night, I have a date.

From Luna – Like, a real date date?

To Luna – Yes. :)

From Anya – What! Okay, then you owe me hang out time RIGHT NOW! :(

To Anya – I'm with Clarke right now. :(

From Anya – Well I could just turn up at that warehouse place if you'd prefer that.

Lexa sighed. "I have to go."

"Oh, why?" Clarke asked, glancing over her shoulder toward Lexa from where she'd moved over to her shelf to put her supplies away.

"Best friend duties, I guess," Lexa answered, shrugging. "Thanks for letting me watch you paint your door instead of helping."

Clarke smiled. "Sure. I'll text you tomorrow." She stepped away from the shelf and toward Lexa, hardly surprising the brunette when her lips joined with Lexa's in a kiss. The feeling made Lexa feel warm and fuzzy, and as soon as it was over, a frown took over her expression. Clarke gave her a confused look, and she responded only by closing the distance between them once again with another kiss. Clarke smiled into it, and Lexa pretended for a handful of seconds that it didn't have to end. But then she was stepping away from the blonde, giving her a bashful goodbye, and carefully sliding open the newly painted door. With one last smile at the blonde, she left to go meet up with Anya.

"Lexa just leave?" Octavia asked, as Clarke found her in Bellamy's room, sitting on his couch and scrolling through his Netflix.

"Yep," Clarke replied, crouching in front of the mini fridge and unlocking it. Feeling a bit lighter than normal, she grabbed two beers, handing one off to Octavia as she went over to the couch.

"Ooh, he always buys the best brands," Octavia commented, grinning at the can before popping it open. "So, about you and Lexa. You guys like... a real thing now? Or still the whole 'she's not my girlfriend!' deal?"

Clarke shrugged, sitting on the opposite end of the couch as Octavia and spreading her legs across the cushions and over her friend's lap. "I'm not exactly sure." She opened her beer and took a sip of it. "I'm going to take her out tomorrow, though."

"Ooh, where?"

"I don't know."

Octavia chuckled. "Should've guessed as much. You don't seem like much of a date planner anyway."

"Shut up," Clarke muttered, getting another laugh out of her friend.

"Oh, by the way. Murphy texted Raven and said that we're all invited to one of his mini lakeside parties next Saturday. Apparently there's some on campus frat party that night, so the lake will be empty. It starts early in the afternoon too, so Rae and I were going to use it as our last opportunity to get some sun. Everyone's invited, you gonna come?"

"Sure, why not?" Clarke agreed. "Sounds better than the frat party anyway. Who all is invited besides us?"

"Murphy's usual gang, plus a few people that Miller knows, I guess. He's got that whole 'invite your own group' sort of thing going on, so I'm not exactly sure," Octavia explained, shaking her head and taking a long drink of her beer. "It should be pretty fun, though."

Clarke nodded. "Yeah, count me in then."

"So, did Finn talk to you?"

"What about?"

"Lexa."

"Sort of. Why?"

Octavia sighed. "He was trying to get me to say to him that I don't think you should date her."

Clarke lowered her gaze down to the can in both of her hands. "Did you?" She looked up again at the brunette.

"No, I didn't," Octavia admitted. "I don't think it's all that big of a deal, really. When does she turn eighteen again?"

"In like three weeks," Clarke answered, smiling a little as she realized that that wasn't actually so far away.

"Oh wait, really? That's soon. Yeah, I don't think it's that big of a deal, as long as you aren't doing anything illegal, which you aren't. Lexa seems pretty decent as far as teenagers go, anyway," Octavia continued. "And I mean, if you like her, you should definitely go for it."

Clarke smiled. "I do like her."

"Oh god, she's turned you into a pile of mush."

"Fuck off, Octavia, no she hasn't."

The brunette grinned widely. "There's the no-nonsense Clarke that I know and love! Not that I don't approve of mushy Clarke, but I assume that your moment of weakness is going to be between you and me... and well, Lexa, I guess."

"There's no mushy Clarke," Clarke denied fervently.

"Mmhmm, whatever you say," Octavia teased, still grinning. "Whatever, though, I'll let it go. Feel like watching some Netflix?"

"Sure. What were you gonna watch?"

"I wasn't sure, but now I'm pretty sure that we should watch something super romantic and adorable to fit your mood, and also to give you date ideas for tomorrow." Clarke glared at Octavia with such fire, that brown eyes actually widened for a moment before she let out a laugh. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. How about Orange Is the New Black? Have you caught up yet? Oh shit, you have to see it."

Clarke smiled to herself as Octavia started an episode up, relaxing into the couch and feeling oddly happy.