Chapter Eight

The carnival was well underway by the time Clarke and Lexa showed up. Practice had run late for both of them and they'd only just had enough time to go home and change before Clarke showed up at Lexa's house, wearing a kind of Tiffany blue summery dress and a jean jacket over it, a pair of red converse on her feet. Her blonde hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders and Lexa's eyes had widened almost as soon as she opened the door. The brunette was dressed in another plaid shirt (red and black), a black tank top underneath it, and a pair of ripped skinny jeans that Clarke couldn't help but notice hugged her frame very well.

But the thing that got her blood pumping the most was the pair of blocky black-framed glasses perched on her nose, magnifying those electric green eyes. Clarke's eyes widened at the sight and Lexa visibly blushed.

"My contacts were starting to annoy me," she said, self-consciously pushing her glasses up with one long, delicate finger. "Do I look like a total dork?"

Clarke gave her a soft smile and shook her head. "No," she said. "Not a total dork." Lexa softly hit her arm and Clarke laughed, grabbing her hand and tugged her out the door. "Come on," she said. "The church is right around the corner."

"Church? I thought we were going to some carnival," Lexa said, blinking at Clarke in confusion.

"It's held in a church parking lot, though," Clarke informed her. "The school doesn't really have room for a Ferris wheel, ya know?"

Lexa chuckled and nodded, following Clarke down the pathway to the sidewalk. Their hands stayed connected as they made their way around the corner, basking in the comfortable silence of the early-Autumn night. It was still warm out for October, but Lexa's hand wrapped around hers was very welcome and sent shivers up Clarke's arm. Her hand tightened involuntarily around Lexa's fingers and she could swear that Lexa squeezed back, the other girl's cheeks turning pink.

Before either of them knew it, they were walking onto the fairgrounds, their senses taking in the colorful sights, the loud, boisterous laughter of children, and the scents of the mouth-watering fair food. There were game booths set up like a long hallway on either side of them and straight ahead were the rides; swings and a rollercoaster and the Ferris wheel and so many more.

Clarke tugged Lexa towards the ticket booth and they flashed their ID's to get the student wristbands, which would allow them unlimited access to all of the rides. Lexa had barely finished putting hers on before Clarke was dragging her off down the path, like an excited child. All Lexa could do was smile and allow herself to get dragged.

"Let's go on the teacups first!" Clarke exclaimed, pointing to the ride, which had a line full of small children, all bouncing on their toes.

Lexa lifted one eyebrow at her. "I'm pretty sure that ride is for kids," she said. Clarke pouted at her, giving her wide puppy dog eyes until Lexa sighed and held out her arm. The blonde let out an excited squeak and took her friend's hand, dragging her straight to the back of the line. Lexa tried to ignore the giggles from the children surrounding them, focusing instead on the girl bouncing on her toes right beside her.

At least she was an amusing sight.

It took less than five minutes for the line to move forward enough for them to get onto the ride, Clarke picking out a pretty pink teacup and pulling Lexa inside with her, looking around excitedly, practically vibrating in her seat. Lexa couldn't hide her amusement and just grinned at Clarke until she noticed and raised her eyebrows.

"What?" she asked. "I like the teacups."

"I can see that," Lexa said, still smiling. "You're very…youthful."

"Are you calling me a baby?"

"No, I'm calling you youthful. It's a compliment, trust me."

"It better be, Woods."

"What are you going to do if it isn't, Griffin?"

Their faces were inches apart now, their noses practically brushing. Clarke felt her heartrate pick up and wondered if this was the moment for her to—

But then the ride started and she slid away from Lexa, her hands grasping for the wheel in the center as a surprised laugh left her mouth and she started to turn them. Lexa joined seconds later, the two of them laughing uproariously as they spun around and around, the lights starting to swirl their vision, fingers knocking together as they fumbled for the wheel. Clarke found herself watching as Lexa laughed, her head tipped back as her hair flew around her head, getting tangled slightly in the glasses that were slowly inching their way down her nose. Clarke lifted one hand, impulsively, her intention to push the glasses back up, but before she could Lexa's hand had done it, the middle finger pushing the spectacles up absently, before returning to the wheel and tugging at it again.

Clarke's hand dropped, blindly, and landed clumsily onto the wheel, overlapping Lexa's slightly. It was enough for the brunette to look up, a wide grin still stretching her lips, and lock eyes with the other girl. Suddenly, Clarke's heart felt like it would beat out of her chest, the heat of Lexa's skin burning her fingertips, her breath stilted in her lungs. Then Lexa's face changed from pure joy to a look of concern, her head tilting to the side, her brows furrowed together, questioningly. Clarke realized then that her emotions—mainly fear, she guessed—were written all over her face and she hastened to replaced them with a smile as she shook her head and continued to laugh, tugging once more at the wheel so that her blonde hair obstructed her heated face.

By the time the ride began to slow, Lexa was right back to laughing with her, the two stumbling into each other as they stepped off the ride, still giggling like children. Clarke nearly tripped over a crack in the pavement and Lexa instinctively wrapped her arm around her waist, pulling her back against her body.

"Watch out," she warned, her breath washing over Clarke's ear and sending a shiver down her spine. Clarke turned to her with a smile and she could feel the heat on her cheeks as she looked up at her.

"Thanks," she said, clearing her throat slightly, trying not to let the fact that Lexa's fingers were practically searing her through the fabric of her dress make her shiver or pull away too soon. She didn't want to pull away at all, but she felt as if she might do something stupid or embarrassing if she didn't get some space soon. "So," she said, clearing her throat, "what next?" She pulled back just enough to look Lexa in the eye, but the girl's hand was still firmly set on the small of Clarke's back.

"I don't think I can handle another ride right now," Lexa said, chuckling as a flush came over her features.

"Then how about a game?" Clarke suggested, nodding to the aisle of carnival games that flashed lights and made sounds. There were walls of large prizes behind each counter and young children all gathered around, squealing as they played racing games and threw beanbags and footballs at targets in an attempt to win a stuffed animal or—in some cases—a fish. "You can win me something with your strong arm." Impulsively, she reached out and wrapped her arm around one of Lexa's biceps, her eyes widening slightly when she realized that it was all muscle.

Either that or Lexa was flexing.

Clarke didn't know which thought made her heart flutter more, but she attempted to ignore it as Lexa flashed her a grin and nodded, guiding her—hand still on the small of her back—to the game where a young boy was attempting to hit a large red target with a football toss. He missed and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest, as they approached.

"Sorry, kid," said the carnie with a sympathetic smile. "Maybe next time." She reached under the counter and handed him a tiny keychain with the Grounders logo on it. He sighed and stepped to the side to allow the girls ahead of him. The carnie smiled at the sight of them. "Hey, you're that new football player at AHS, aren't ya? First girl on the team!"

Lexa blushed and nodded, scratching the back of her neck. "Yeah," she said. "That's me. I'd like to play two games, please?"

"Sure can do. It'll be good practice for you." Lexa dug her wallet out of her pocket and handed the lady four dollars, receiving two footballs in return. "One bullseye gets you a medium prize. Two gets you a large prize. Four gets you one of the ones hanging up here." She pointed to a row of giant multicolored gorillas overhead and Lexa nodded.

"Got it," she said, picking up her first football and positioning it in her hand. There was a large target set up on the back counter, with a hole in the center, just big enough to allow a football through, if thrown correctly. Clarke stepped back, standing next to the still sulking little boy, and watched with awe as Lexa positioned herself at an angle, checked her finger placement on the ball, and then threw a perfect spiral straight through the center. It didn't even brush the edges of the hole.

Clarke, the boy, and the carnie all gaped at Lexa, who just shrugged, giving them all an embarrassed grin. "What?" she said. "I've been training my whole life. Literally."

"Can you teach me how to do that?" the boy asked, his eyes wide as saucers and Lexa nodded, motioning him forward. He wasted no time, stepping back up to the counter and grabbing the football. Lexa stood behind him and positioned it in his hand.

"Make sure that your fingers are in line with the laces on top, okay?" she said, softly and he nodded, allowing her to move his hand a little. "Try not to stretch your hand too much, otherwise it will start to cramp and you'll lose your grip, but make sure it's not about to slip at the same time, okay? Wrap your thumb around underneath and hold it at ear level. Elbow raised slightly. Now, as you throw, pivot your back foot so that it follows the motion of your hand and try to send it straight through there, okay?" He nodded and Lexa stepped away. "Whenever you're ready," she said, gently, smiling as he nodded and took a breath, pivoting his foot and dragging his arm forward, releasing the football so that it flew through the air…

And knocked against the edge of the hole, bouncing onto the floor. The boy deflated, sighing and Lexa placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's alright," she said. "It takes a lot of practice, but you'll get the hang of it."

"Until then," the carnie said, "let's call that one a freebie. Go ahead and pick a big prize, but don't tell anybody I let you have this, okay?" She winked at Lexa, who grinned and looked down at the boy.

"Go ahead," she said and his eyes widened.

"Really?" She nodded and he beamed, pointing at a large shark on the top shelf. The carnie pulled it down and handed it to him, smiling. The boy thanked her and then turned, throwing his arms around Lexa's waist. "Thank you so much!" he said. "You're awesome!"

Lexa flushed bright red and Clarke smirked, watching as she awkwardly patted the boy's head. "Uh, anytime," she said. He practically skipped away, waving his new toy over his head and Clarke smothered her laugh against the heel of her hand and shook her head.

"You ready for the next game?" the carnie asked, placing two more footballs on the table. Lexa turned to look at Clarke, offering her one of the balls, but the blonde shook her head.

"Oh no," she said. "I'm fine. Football is your game. I'm more of a darts girl."

Lexa laughed and it was like music to Clarke's ears, heat rolling over her body as she watched the other girl get back into position, gripping the football firmly and then throwing it swiftly through the target. She did the same with the next one and the carnie motioned to the top shelf of large prizes. Once again, Lexa turned back to Clarke.

"Pick one," she said and Clarke's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Pick a prize," Lexa clarified.

"Oh, Lex, you don't have to—"

"I want to," Lexa said. "Come on, you can win me a fish later or something."

Clarke chuckled and nodded, perusing the choices. All were stuffed animals, fluffy and adorable and incredibly soft-looking. Her gaze stopped at one in particular; a stuffed raccoon, with shimmery light eyes surrounded by the typical black mask. It was wearing a Grounders letterman jacket, as the raccoon was their school mascot. In a way, it reminded Clarke of Lexa, which was probably why she found herself pointing it out to the carnie, who reached up and tugged it down, handing it to her.

Clarke hugged it to her chest and turned to Lexa, smiling warmly at her. "Thank you," she said. Then, before she could lose her nerve, leaned in and pressed a quick peck to Lexa's cheek. When she pulled back, the girl was a stammering mess, her hand once again at the back of her neck, her face so red that Clarke thought her head might explode. Suddenly, the girl who had just thrown three perfect spirals will all the focus in the world—and who was able to tackle guys nearly twice her size on a daily basis and exude confidence in much of what she did—was a blushing, nervous, stuttering wreck.

And Clarke found it adorable.

Chuckling, she grabbed Lexa's hand and tugged her onto the next game. Lexa went without question, their fingers tangled between them, palms kissing.

A few stalls down were the goldfish, swimming around their small bowls, just waiting to be taken home. When they reached it, Clarke recognized Monty and Jasper, who were having issues getting the darts to hit their target. Monty was trying to use his knowledge of physics to help Jasper get his dart in the center of one of the tiny stars scattered on a sheet of paper on the back wall. It was not working.

"Shit," Jasper groaned, as he missed the last target. "I'm all out of money."

"Same here," Monty sighed. "Man you really suck at this."

"You weren't any better," Jasper shot back.

Clarke rolled her eyes as they continued to bicker and put her own money down for a couple of games, receiving three darts for the first. Without much to it, she picked up the first and threw it straight into the center of a star and then did the same for the next two, smiling proudly as the carnie handed her a bagged goldfish and a tiny packet of fish food. She handed both to Lexa and then received three more darts. Again, each dart sailed easily into the stars and she received another goldfish and more food. Clarke grinned cockily as she turned to her guy friends, who were now staring at her, jaws practically unhinged.

"Do you want the fish or not?" she asked, holding it out towards them. Jasper was the first to snap out of his daze and nodded, accepting the offered fish and tucking the food into his pocket.

"Thanks, Clarke," he said with a grin. "Aw, man he's so cute!"

"Hey little guy," Monty said, looking over his shoulder. "We should name him Tesla."

"Tesla Green-Jordan," Jasper said, testing the name out on his lips. "That's cool. And his middle name can be Clarke, after his aunty C."

"I'm honored," Clarke laughed, rolling her eyes. The boys grinned at her and smothered her with a hug while Clarke let out an exaggerated grunt at their nonexistent force, then they left her and Lexa, heading off with their little 'Tesla'. Clarke snorted and turned back to Lexa, who surprised her with a kiss on the cheek, similar to the one Clarke had bestowed on her earlier. This time, however, it was Clarke's turn to be the stuttering mess while Lexa smiled at her.

"Um," Clarke said, fighting past the heat in her cheeks. "Now what?"

Lexa shrugged. "Wanna get something to eat?"

"Only if you don't want to go on the rollercoaster," Clarke said. "Trust me; you do not wanna go on that thing with a full stomach."

"I'm not really big on rollercoasters, anyway," Lexa informed her. "Besides, I've been wanting to try that fried dough thing forever."

"You mean the zeppoles?" Clarke asked. "They're great!"

"So you've had them before?"

"At every carnival I've been to since I was six!" Clarke exclaimed. "I can't believe you haven't."

"We didn't go to many carnivals," Lexa said. "Besides, my dad was a chef; we mostly ate at home."

Clarke nodded. "Makes sense," she said. "But you've got to try these. They're so good!"

"Lead the way," Lexa said, and Clarke found herself sorely disappointed at the fact that she couldn't grab her hand, since Lexa was holding the fish gently with both of hers. She thrilled, however, at the way her spine tingled when their shoulders brushed on the way to the small picnic area just a few dozen yards away. This will do, she thought, feeling her cheeks warm up slightly as she guided her date to a table.

Lexa sat the fish down and attempted to dig her wallet out but Clarke waved her off.

"My treat," she said, offering Lexa what she hoped was a flirty grin. The look on Lexa's face told her that it was successful as the brunette averted her eyes down to the fish on the table, her bottom lip pulled in between her teeth. Clarke's heart swelled and she turned away, quickly so that Lexa wouldn't see the effect she was having simply by existing.

Clarke sighed internally as she made her way to the zeppole stand. You've got it bad, Griffin, a voice in the back of her mind—which sounded suspiciously like Raven—whispered. Glancing back at their table, Clarke's eyes ran over Lexa and she smiled.

Yeah, she thought, smiling as she turned back to place her order. I really do.

This one ran a bit long, but hopefully it will soothe the ache that tonight's finale is definitely going to bring. If anybody needs to talk, my Tumblr is cassiebones and my inbox is open. Thanks for reading!