A/N#1: Sorry to those strictly Bechloe fans this is a full Clexa chapter. The duo-date-night was too long for one chapter so it is broken into two. This will be Clexa the next chapter will be all Bechloe.
Chapter Seven – Clexa Date Night
Lexa
"Dude, why am I freaking out right now?" Lexa was pacing back and forth in between her bed and Beca's, where said girl was laying on her side with her head propped up on her fist. Lexa knew that Beca was getting enjoyment out of her current state but Lexa hadn't felt like this in a long time, and it was freaking her shit out! "I mean, like should I be this nervous?" Lexa began to wring her hands together only to pull them away from each other and shake them loose and start all over again. Beca finally let loose the chuckle she was trying to hold in.
"Okay I know you are freaking out right now but seriously do you honestly think you have anything to worry about?" Beca really shouldn't have asked that question at that moment. Lexa spun on her and glared causing Beca to sit up and start falling over her apology.
"Beca how could you? She wants to know things about my life! The last time I told a girl that I liked about my parents things didn't exactly turn out for the best." Lexa took a breath so she wouldn't rip into her sister again, she knew deep – very deep – down that she was trying to help. "I can't go through that again Bex, it almost ruined me last time. Plus Clarke is different, she makes me feel…more…alive! I feel more like who I really want to be when I'm with her." She took another breath before she looked Beca in the eyes again. "That scares me Bex, like a lot. I shouldn't trust her this much already. The only thing I really know about her is that she is pre-med, likes art, and has incredible blue eyes that change with every thought that passes behind them and they bore into your core and send that warm feeling through your whole body…"
"Okay I get it!" Beca interjected. "Sorry but you are getting creepy descriptive right now. I know you are scared…because I am too. We are both willing letting people past our walls dude. We told each other to make sure no one got past them, but if I'm being honest," Lexa knew what came next would be both the truth and exactly what she needed to hear right now. "It's really kind of lonely." The fact hit Lexa with enough force to render her speechless. Beca was right, the only person behind Lexa's walls was Beca and she loved that she really did, but the day could come that they won't be near each other and things would get hard.
"You're right Bex." She looked down at her boots then back at the shorter girl. "It's time to let someone new in. Plus she is starting to slip through the cracks she made any way." They both laughed.
"I know what you mean, Chloe has defiantly made some holes in places." Beca looked like she was thinking for a moment. "Maybe that is why we want to tell them, why we trust them. Because without even knowing it, they are starting to change who we are for the better." Lexa nodded again, then looked at her phone to check the time. She needed to get going so she would be right on time to pick up Clarke.
"Well I need to get going, how do I look?" She knew she was well put together but she needed someone to tell her.
"Like you are going to have to carry your date because she will probably pass out when she looks at you." Beca and her words never ceased to amaze Lexa.
"Right, okay, well I'm off." Lexa turned to the door and took one last deep breath.
"Don't freak yourself out just go and have a good time. I'm literally telling you all of these things because I'm telling them to myself too. Don't worry about the Jeep, I will be extra careful with it tonight. Send me updates…wait…no don't do that, keep your focus on Clarke at all times!" Beca got up and followed Lexa toward the door. "Stay safe out there, if something does happen you better call me!"
"You know I will. Try to keep your rambling in check, though Chloe might find it cute now that I think about it." Beca gave her shoulder a shove from her spot beside her, then something happened that hadn't in a very long time. Beca reached her arm around Lexa's shoulders and pulled her into a side hug. Lexa reflexively returned the hug, and for once she didn't want to pull away the second it happened. Yet that is exactly what Beca did.
"I'm so sorry! Oh my God, Chloe is seriously rubbing off on me, I have no idea where that came from."
"It's okay Bex…actually…I really didn't mind it. It felt normal, but can we like try that again? I have a feeling that hugging will happen to both of us at the end of the night, and by the sound of it Chloe might just hug you every chance she gets." Beca nodded with Lexa's statement. This time they gave each other a true hug, the only thing that made Lexa feel uncomfortable was how much she actually missed the action. Having someone who you know cares about you deeply wrap their arms around you just for the sake that you know they care about you, makes your whole body warm with their love. Then she thought about how hugging a stranger would not feel like this, how it wouldn't have that feeling of emotion a hug from a friend would. Lexa thought about how it would feel to hug Clarke, then she thought about how much she WANTED to hug Clarke. She broke away from Beca with a smile seeing one on her sister's face too. "Love you Bex." She called as she opened the door.
"Love you too Lex, let loose a little sis!" With that parting thought from her sister she was ready for this date with Clarke and nothing could stop her from having the time of her life.
Clarke
All of the sisters had gathered at the house to watch the dates arrive. Clarke would be the third one picked up, leaving Octavia and Niylah to witness Lexa's arrival. Harper had already left at six with a rather smart looking Asian boy named Monty Green from her Biology class. After she had gone the older girls had given her "points" for getting a guy with a brain as big as his heart it seemed, due to the fact that he not only showed up on time but with flowers and actually offered her his arm when they left the porch. Monroe was met at six-fifteen by a guy from the football team, who also happened to be a Sigma brother, he wore a pledge pin as well and Clarke sent a silent prayer that there weren't any strange "tasks" for the frat house that Monroe would get wrapped up in. So naturally Clarke was up next, she was waiting upstairs with Octavia and Niylah for Lexa to arrive.
Clarke hadn't told anyone but O and Rae about Lexa being her date for the task. She wasn't ashamed that is was Lexa picking her up, she was just worried that she would be kicked out of the sorority for her sexuality even though it's the twenty first century and people should really stop being dicks about it. Some of the other sisters were upstairs as well watching from the windows and lining the small loft watching the sisters below. Watching them gave Clarke that nervous excited feeling that she gets when something new was about to happen. Her knee started bouncing when she glanced at her father's old watch and saw it was nearly time for Lexa to show, 6:29 to be exact. She only stopped when Octavia's hand fell on her knee holding it still. She looked at her friend to see a genuine smile that clearly read 'you-will-be-fine' and 'stop-freaking-out' at the same time. Clarke thought it was easy for her to say those things. The smaller girl never got nervous about anything, except that time when she tapped a phone poll with Bellamy's beloved truck causing no damage at all but 'he will still skin me alive you guys', she wasn't even nervous for Lincoln to pick her up at seven (the last to get picked up).
Octavia gave her knee a squeeze and a pat before pulling her hand away, and that was when they heard it. The distinct sound of a motorcycle engine getting closer. One of the sisters at the window called out, "Who ordered the hottie with the bike?" Then everyone was at the window watching a black crotch rocket style motorcycle pull to the curb in front of the house. Clarke's pulse quickened, she was next to be picked up, she had never thought about what Lexa would be driving and the bike shocked her…in a good way. Yet it was still possible that Niylah's date was early…right?
"Oh my God!" Octavia let out as the rider unzipped their jacket and swung their leg over and off the bike. Then their hands went up and tugged at the buckle at the chin of their helmet. This was the moment that would tell Clarke if one of her wildest, most likely to not actually happen, dreams had in fact come true. Then a curtain of brown waves shook from the helmet as it came off. The majority, if not all, of the sisters gasped and turned to look at Clarke who was still gaping out the window at the figure making her way up the path. Clarke too had a reaction at the sight of Lexa when the helmet came off and she voiced it at the exact time the collective gasp took place.
"NO FUCKING WAY!" Once she could no longer see Lexa from the window she headed toward the stairs, careful to not make eye contact with any of the sisters because she could still feel the eyes on her. She bounced from one foot to the other waiting for her name to be called like the two before her had been. Her ears listened for any sound at all coming from the lower level of the house. She heard the bell ring and Nia's kind 'hello' when she opened the door.
"Hi, I'm here for Clarke Griffin." Lexa didn't sound nervous at all, which made Clarke feel a little better about the whole situation at the moment, because as it was right now a few things about Clarke's personal life had just been revealed to the sorority. 1, she was into girls and 2, she has no problem telling people that. There was an unnecessarily long pause to where Clarke was sure Lexa's eyes were darting between different faces. Clarke gripped the railing of the loft tighter waiting for someone, anyone, to say something to her date.
"Yeah, okay, umm one second." Nia finally spoke and Clarke let out a breath she was holding. She was praying that Nia and the others would let this date happen without question, she knew there would be questions when she got home but she could deal with that after her date was over. All she wanted to do right now was run down the steps and hop on the back of that sexy as shit bike and ride off with Lexa. Then she heard the hinges of the door creak closed but not the sound of the door actually closing. Clarke knew there had to be a look of shock on her face. Would they honestly not even let us go out? Can they do that? Clarke answered her own question with a firm; I won't let them do that!
The sound of faint whispers could be heard down stairs but Clarke couldn't make out any words. Then there was a distinct 'YES' that came from Ontari of all people followed by hinges again. "Clarke, your date is here." Nia called up the stairs. Clarke let out a sigh of relief and made her descent. Her eyes instantly shot to the figure in the doorway and she took her chance to really take in Lexa. She had on her black leather motorcycle jacket and what appeared to be a tight red tank top with a flowing neckline. Her muscular legs were covered with gray skinny jeans that pulled at her impressive calves and lead to her black fold over combat boots with red and black plaid lining. Clarke noticed the subtle things too, like the extra shiny metal bar through one ear and the chain that hung so low from her neck and behind her shirt the pendant could not be seen. In short, she looked badass-sexy-hot, because Clarke couldn't pick just one word.
Then she noticed the look on Lexa's face, it was a mix of curiosity and desire, and the way her eyes combed over Clarke's body. Clarke had on a simple olive green button down with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows, classic blue skinny jeans and her brown lace up calf high boots. She suddenly realized why Lexa had given her the tip that they were going to be walking a lot and she probably shouldn't wear heels, because obviously it was so she didn't have on something that would keep her off of the bike. A smile had been plastered on Clarke's face since she heard Nia reopen the front door but now she was sure it couldn't compare to the one Lexa just slapped on. Her green eyes came to rest on Clarke's own and everything seemed to freeze for only a moment. Clarke had paused on the landing below the bottom step just inside the front door of the house. "Wow," Lexa began to speak. "I honestly have no words to tell you exactly how absolutely breathtaking you are." Clarke felt her face getting warm so she looked down at her shoes.
"Thanks," Compliment her back stupid it's not really that hard, she chastised herself. "You are the one that is knocking the wind out of people though." Clarke was proud of herself not only for actually fitting words together that sounded right but the fact that those words caused Lexa to drop her gaze in embarrassment too. Only to glance back up with that smirk on her face then everything sped back up as Clarke was drawn forward toward the beauty in the doorway.
"Remember Clarke be back here by 11:30." Ontari stated calmly finally drawing Clarke's gaze from Lexa. She locked with Ontari who gave her a knowing nod accompanied by her approving smile. In that moment Clarke knew that there was at least one other person besides O in that house who would stand on her side of things. She figured by this point her face should be hurting from how much she kept smiling but with how happy she was in that moment she couldn't care less. Clarke turned back to Lexa who moved to gesture for Clarke to step out the door before her down the path toward the motorcycle on the street. Clarke followed the arm and heard the door click once she was through it. The muffled shouts and shuffling should have been enough to tip her off that every pair of eyes was on her at that very moment.
"I hope you don't mind bikes." Lexa asked softly chancing a glance at Clarke.
"Are you kidding? This is the most exciting thing ever!" Clarke could no longer contain the giddy teenage girl that did in fact reside somewhere inside her. Then as she looked over the bike again she felt the fear rise up slowly. She needed to tell Lexa, everything would be okay if she just told Lexa. "Actually, umm. I've, I mean…I haven't really." She let out an awkward groan trying to get the words to force themselves into a straight line. "I've never been on a motorcycle before." Lexa let out a small chuckle.
"It's okay Clarke," Lexa paused to look her in the eye. "I was planning on driving anyway." The laughter rocked from both of them for a moment before Lexa continued. "If you are uncomfortable we can walk, it's not a huge deal." That was the absolute last thing Clarke wanted to happen.
"Oh no we are totally taking the bike! I just don't know exactly what to do and I want us to be safe." Clarke watched green eyes flash understanding then excitement.
"We will be safe as possible as long as you can trust me." Clarke nodded excitedly while drawing her bottom lip between her teeth, she caught the subtle hint of a smile as Lexa used Clarke's own words against her.
They had reached the bike by this point and while Lexa went to get something from under the second seat Clarke looked down at the words drawn in gray paint across the sleek black body that read 'Kawasaki Ninja'. "Here, this is one of my old jackets. It has some padding in it just in case something tragic happens, plus we are wearing helmets." Lexa was holding open the jacket for Clarke to slide her arms into. Clarke followed the unspoken order and shrugged the jacket up over her shoulders when Lexa's hands had released the collar. Clarke pulled the jacket closer around her and unconsciously inhaled the scent, it was intoxicating and totally Lexa, a perfect mix and balance of worn leather, natural earth, and something close to clean linens. Clarke let out a small internal sigh and zipped the jacket when she saw Lexa had done the same. Then Lexa was before her holding two matching matte black full face helmets. "You sure you're ready?"
"Totally!" Clarke reached and took the helmet Lexa held out closest to her. Before she could pull it on though Lexa stopped her hands.
"It might be better for your hair if you pull it up before you put it on. That keeps me from getting horrible helmet hair." Lexa laughed out. "Here watch me." Lexa handed Clarke her helmet to hold then reached back and pulled her hair together and around the back of her head. She held out a hand toward Clarke and she handed over the helmet. Lexa held her hair with one hand and used the other to hold open the chin strap before swiftly pulling the helmet down on her head impressively keeping all of her hair inside. Lexa lifted the visor before she spoke. "Now it's your turn. I will help however I can." Lexa took the second helmet from Clarke's grasp. Clarke moved her hair in the same fashion that Lexa had, but she knew there was no possible way for her to get that helmet on her head the way that Lexa did.
Clarke didn't have to think about that long because Lexa had lifted the helmet over Clarke's head waiting to help her lower it down. Clarke thought for a moment about how the hand Lexa had used to hold her hair had moved out from under her helmet but she couldn't for the life of her remember how it was done. "How exactly do I keep my hand from ending up in my helmet and leave my hair in place?"
"Once you feel the helmet on your fingers lift them from where they rest on your hair. I will manipulate the helmet to hold your hair in place once you lift your fingers." Clarke was still a little confused plus Lexa's voice was slightly muffled from her helmet. "You will lift your hand off a little at a time starting from the tips of your fingers. Ready?" Clarke nodded and hoped she did this right, or at least well enough to not ruin her hair. Lexa lowered the helmet down and Clarke did as she had been instructed with her hand. In the end the helmet was snugly in place with her hand free but her hair held fast. Then Lexa beckoned her forward with a crook of her finger. Lexa reached to the left jaw line of the helmet and fiddled with something before doing the same to her own. "Can you hear me better now?" Clarke heard Lexa's voice ring true in her ear.
"We can talk through these?" Clarke was impressed and overly happy with the fact that they would be having a real conversation as the ride went on.
"Yeah, they have a Bluetooth system where you can either sync to your phone or to a second helmet. You ready to get on?" Lexa asked with a tilt in her voice that was asking if Clarke was still okay with getting on the back of the bike. "I will have to get on and start the bike before you get on behind me, is that okay?" Clarke nodded and stood back to watch Lexa fluidly throw her leg over the bike and stand it up right off the kickstand. Lexa fiddled with the key and then the engine roared to life. "Okay, you are good to get on now. Put your right foot on this peg, hold onto my shoulders – I won't go anywhere so don't worry about that – then swing your left leg over the back of the bike and you will feel another peg on the other side."
Again Clarke followed instructions yet as she swung her leg over the back of the bike she felt her right foot slightly slip but not off the peg. Her grip on Lexa's shoulders tightened reflexively and she felt Lexa's hand grip her ankle holding her leg in place and she finished getting settled on the back of the bike. "Thanks for that. I got a little spooked there." Clarke let her hands fall from the broad shoulders to her own thighs.
"Not a problem, I know this may sound weird but you are going to have to sit closer to me, and wrap your arms around me." Clarke was instantly glad for the helmet and the fact that she was behind Lexa because she felt heat rush to her cheeks. "Riding is going to be easy you can trust me." The truth was evident in her voice and Clarke knew she had no reason not to trust her. "All you have to do is keep your body in line with mine, whichever way I lean, you lean."
Clarke scooted closer to Lexa's back pressing her front flush with her. Lexa felt warm already and just before Clarke wrapped her arms around where she was sure toned abs would be prominent, she remembered the task at hand, she had to take pictures to document the date for sorority purposes – though she may just want to never forget this day ever. "I'm going to take pictures so I can brag to Raven and Octavia later, I hope you are okay with that." Clarke drew her phone out of her jeans pocket, opened it to the camera, and held it at arm's length before Lexa had answered.
"Only if you promise to send them to me after too." Lexa snapped the visor of her helmet closed again and looked toward the camera, where both girls and the bike could easily be made out. Once Clarke captured the moment she fired off the photo in the group text she kept with Raven and Octavia.
Griffster: Safety First ;)
Clarke didn't bother waiting for a reply before swiftly sending the same photo (sans caption) to Ontari because she really didn't want to send it anywhere else. Clarke zipped her phone into a pocket in the jacket for safe keeping. Then wrapped her arms around Lexa's middle, being sure to try and feel as much as possible when she did so. "Okay I'm ready." She felt Lexa lift a foot and shift the bike into gear. As soon as they started rolling Clarke gripped tighter to Lexa who let a small chuckle out in her ear. "Hey, don't laugh, I'm really trying here. I don't really want to fall."
"I'm serious when I say you can trust me Clarke. The first time I got on a motorcycle I was eight. I've been riding ever since." Clarke felt a little better but didn't ease up on her hold, it might have been because Lexa just felt good in her arms. Lexa was right though riding was easy once they started. Whichever way Lexa leaned Clarke just followed, they were still flush together so it didn't really feel like she could go anywhere else if she tried. The sound of Lexa in her ear, the rush of the wind over her body, the warmth of Lexa's body under her hands, and the roar of the bike between her legs was enough to send Clarke's senses into overdrive. There was only really one thing she wanted right now and all she had to do was ask for it.
"Can we go faster?"
Lexa
Lexa couldn't stop the thoughts screaming through her head. Beca had been right all along. Clarke literally has her hands wrapped around me right now! Did she tell any of those girls that she was going out with me? Lexa had to get the questions out of her head but the last thing she wanted to do was upset Clarke in any way. She really had no choice here though. After Clarke asked to go faster – which of course she gladly obliged – they fell into a comfortable silence enjoying the road beneath the wheels. It was time to break the silence, considering they were almost there anyway. "So a sorority huh?"
"Umm…yeah." Was all that came in reply.
"Is there a reason you didn't tell me? I mean I'm totally cool with it. I know a lot of people do that through their families and stuff, others just want a family while away from their family. Are any of those you?" Lexa hoped she wasn't prying too much but she really wanted to know why she didn't tell her about it.
"Not particularly. I really want something fun to do in between classes but would help with classes at the same time. Found them at the activities fair and it all just kinda clicked." Clarke paused shortly. "And I didn't exactly want to tell you before our date because some people think that sorority girls are just a bunch of stuck up, snobby, rich bitches."
"Well I'm not one of those people, plus you being part of a sorority would never change the person you are on the inside." Lexa pulled the bike around the last curve into an unmarked parking lot before shutting it off. "We are here."
"Yeah, and not to sound totally creeped out or anything but where exactly is here." Lexa noted the worry in Clarke's voice before she hopped off the bike in the same fashion, minus the small slip, she had gotten on. Lexa got off the bike as well and took her helmet off shaking out her hair again.
"Don't worry I didn't bring you to just some random parking lot, we can just park here for free and no one will mess with the bike." She explained in a calm voice hoping Clarke wouldn't ask too many more questions. She watched at Clarke unfastened the buckle on the chin strap and started to lift the helmet off. "It may help if you shake your hair out a little." Lexa watched as Clarke's blonde ringlets flowed from underneath the helmet and bounced as her head rocked from side to side. Everything felt like it was in slow motion and Lexa was sure that she was either gaping like the Grand Canyon or drooling like Niagara Falls. "Damn." Shit I just said that out loud! Clarke laughed a little at her slip up. Lexa blushed as she fastened the helmets to the sides of the bike so they couldn't be stolen. She looked up to see Clarke unzipping the jacket but not really looking like she wanted to remove it. Lexa didn't mind, the jacket looked better on Clarke than her anyway.
"So are you going to tell me what we are doing on this best first date ever yet?" Clarke asked eyeing Lexa as she too unzipped her jacket. Lexa just smiled and motioned for her to walk with her. They walked for about two blocks before rounding a corner and coming face to face with a street carnival in full swing.
"Welcome to the Conclave Street Fair!" Lexa exclaimed opening her arms wide, she took in Clarke who was taking everything in. Lexa felt a ball in her stomach as the look on Clarke's face was unreadable. "I totally have a plan B if you hate this." Lexa shot out quick.
"No," Clarke turned on her with a smile. "No, this is perfect. Seriously this looks like so much fun!"
"Well then, let's get started shall we?" Lexa began walking toward the street reserved for food trucks. "Are you hungry? Because I'm kind of starving right now, and I'm a sucker for carnival food." Lexa beamed at Clarke as they walked past truck after truck as mouthwatering aromas filled the air.
"Yeah let's eat, I could really go for some chili cheese fries right about now." Clarke stated, Lexa just stared at her in shock for a few seconds. "What?"
"Nothing, I just like a girl who can eat and that is undeniably one of my favorites!" They stood in line waiting to get their food. Alongside the fries they shared a breaded tenderloin sandwich (that was bigger than both of their heads combined), a jug of lemonade with two straws, and an elephant ear that put the size of their tenderloin to shame. Lexa wouldn't let Clarke pay for a thing. "I'm the one that asked you out, that makes this whole thing my treat. Plus I really want to." Clarke didn't bother arguing which Lexa was thankful for. It wasn't as though Lexa felt like she should be paying, she honestly just wanted to give Clarke everything. They had found a picnic table across the way where they sat with their food to eat, rather than try to balance everything while walking. Lexa braced herself for the questions as soon as she hit the seat. Though Clarke took a picture of their food before she fired of the first of many.
"So how did you know about this place?" Clarke began.
"My parents brought me here a couple times as a kid. I grew up in Dunwoody which is not too far from here. Dad was a big fan of the games and rides, mom was more about the crafts and music." Lexa cringed internally at her ease of bringing up her parents. She really needed to get past this whole thing already.
"What was Beca's thing? I'm guessing the music like your mom." Clarke was treading lightly and Lexa could tell. She was grateful for the fact that Clarke was trying.
"Beca didn't come with my parents." Lexa started it was time to get this all out in the open, right here right now. "Beca and I have been inseparable since birth, our birthdays are even on the same day. We are biologically cousins, her dad and my mom were siblings. She and I have been best friends ever since. Our moms were really close to each other too. Beca's parents got divorced when we were eight yet nothing really changed among the family because we were so close.
"I realized I was gay when I was twelve." Clarke's eyebrows rose slightly. "This is important to the whole story. My coming out story can wait until another time though." Lexa continued as Clarke lowered her gaze again. "I didn't really accept it until I was fourteen though. I was scared to come out to my parents and family but when I did everything was fine. Again another long story for another time." Lexa took a very deep breath before this next part. She looked back up into sky blue eyes seeing an unspoken 'you-can-tell-me-anything' before she began. "A few months after I came out, my parents and I were in a really bad car accident. I came out with a few minor injuries, it was a head on collision and I was in the back seat. My parents were much worse off, I ended up losing both of them that night." Clarke's body visibly drooped next to her but Lexa couldn't find the strength to look at the beauty. "Beca's dad, being my only biological uncle or aunt, was given custody of me. After I was released from the hospital I moved in with them.
"Things were fine for a while then like every kid who loses their parents, I started to get depressed and rebel against everything. It didn't help when Beca's mom got sick with cancer either. Beca got angry at the world and I already was, you can imagine what happened. There was a lot of sneaking out after hours, hanging out with the wrong group of kids, and tending to not give a shit what anyone thought or said to or about us. There was this girl I started seeing, her name was Costia, and for a long time I thought she was the only person who wanted to know the real me behind the rebel attitude I wore. So being the stupid teenager I was, I told her everything, including that I had feeling for her. She had returned them and we started dating. Beca's mom ended up dying when we were sixteen. Beca was broken. I knew I needed to be there and be strong for her, she was my sister now and the only true family I felt like I had left. I canceled plans on Costia to stay with Beca as much as I could. There was apparently a party and it ended up in rival gang territory or something along the lines, I'm still not sure. Costia and about three other people ended up dead that night." Lexa stopped again to take a breath. When she looked down Clarke had taken her right hand in both of her own. Lexa had no clue when that happened, and her normal reflex to pull away wasn't even prevalent. "After that Beca and I basically shut ourselves down emotionally. We put up walls to keep people out, we never hung out with anyone except each other, and we never talked about our pain. Until now that is." Lexa looked at Clarke who was just sitting and listening, giving Lexa her full attention. Lexa tried to read her expression through her eyes but only found understanding and that couldn't be right.
"Do you want to start walking again?" Clarke asked after a moment. "I'm not going to say anything about the story you just told me and I can explain why." Clarke stood pulling Lexa with her. They cleared the table and started walking again, their hands falling back to swing by their sides. The dead air was becoming too hard for Lexa to take.
"So you were going to explain." Lexa coaxed.
"Right, well I grew up in Covington about an hour outside of Atlanta. With both of my parents, mom is an emergency physician and dad was in the military for a while. Dad was in the Army and served three tours, two in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. Each time he came home to us safely, the last time he came home he decided to retire. My mom and I were both overjoyed with the fact that he wouldn't be leaving again. He couldn't just sit at home though either so he became a state cop. One night he was out of patrol and there was a big car chase happening in Atlanta headed our way. Dad had set up part of the blockade to stop him, though he never did stop. He drove straight through them all even through the shots fired at him. Dad got air lifted to the hospital where mom was working. She couldn't save him." Lexa didn't know what made her do it. Maybe it was the fact that she knew Clarke would need some kind of contact after that statement, but she reached over and threaded her fingers through Clarke's and held fast. Clarke smiled softly before continuing. "I blamed my mom for months for not being able to save him. It wasn't until one of her colleagues sat me down and showed me exactly what was wrong and why it couldn't be fixed that I forgave her.
"That is why I didn't say anything after you told me about your parents. I hated hearing that people were sorry for my loss, that they understood why I was upset, and that it was okay for me to feel the way I did. Because no they weren't really sorry for my loss they were just sorry they couldn't think of something better to say. I hate hearing that, so I don't say it anymore." Clarke took a deep breath and squeezed Lexa's hand.
Lexa let the feeling sink in as she ran her thumb across Clarke's knuckles in an unspoken understanding of how she felt. Lexa had been there too, a lot. They walked around looking through the craft booths in silence for a few moments, while Lexa was squealing like a valley girl on the inside about getting to hold Clarke's hand. The rounded a booth of overly colorful scarfs and came face to face with a DJ booth and an impromptu dance floor. Lexa let the beat of the music flow through her before she acted, she watched a group of people dancing in partners wondering if Clarke would be up for such a thing. Then the beat changed, an all too familiar line dance from their childhood shot from the speakers and Lexa could no longer stand still.
She dropped Clarke's hand when she felt resistance and turned to stand facing her in the quickly fading group. Part of Lexa felt a little embarrassed about knowing this dance still (or at all) but she and Beca had not stayed up for countless nights to figure it out for no reason. She swallowed her shame and fluidly moved her body. Then the unmistakable voice of Miley Cyrus filled the floor and Lexa did every step of the infamous Hoedown, Throwdown from the movie without missing a single step. When she had turned back to where Clarke was watching the blonde was gaping at her. Everyone else had erupted in cheers and applause. More people fell in beside and behind Lexa to follow along with her steps, most of them failing but a couple actually could keep up. Lexa beckoned Clarke forward with her hand but Clarke was frozen in place. Lexa finished out the dance with a grin on her face, people had come up at the end and given her compliments on her dancing. She made her way back to Clarke smiling yet feeling the emotions try and take her over again.
"Where in the hell did that come from?" Clarke asked laughing a little, snatching Lexa's hand again once she was close enough.
"Like I said mom and aunt were big into music, they even had their own album together. They taught Beca and me how to dance and sing at a very young age. Though after my mom's death it became hard for me to sing without thinking about her so I don't anymore, at all, not even with the radio or at Christmas. Nothing." Lexa explained. "I still love to dance though, and Bex and I put way too much effort into learning that dance when the movie came out for me not to do it every time I hear it." Clarke laughed with her this time. Lexa swung their joined hands back and forth as they rounded the last bend in the road and headed toward the midway.
"So there is still something that has been plaguing me since our meeting in the woods." Clarke began. Lexa looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "What is it with your tattoos?" Lexa let out a small laugh.
"Well there is no reason to hold back now. The one on my arm that you saw, the tribal piece? It is actually the exact same tattoo that my dad had, in the same place and everything. The only difference is right here." Lexa shrugged her right arm out of her jacket and pointed to the inside of her bicep to a few roman numerals. "These are the dates of his birthday and his death, I got this one and the one on the front side of my left hip after they died. As you probably guessed the one on my hip was a tattoo that my mom had again with the addition of her dates." Lexa finished pulling her jacket back on her shoulder. "I have a couple more but they are not as important as those two." Clarke nodded.
"Can I see the one from your mom?"
"Of course, but surprisingly I don't have a picture of it on my phone and I think me showing you in the middle of a street fair might draw some judgement." They laughed together walking into the abundance of carnival games. Clarke was drawn to Lexa's side as the crowds became dense in the limited space. The sun was already low in the sky and when Lexa looked over at Clarke clinging to her arm as they tried to flow with the bodies her hair looked as though it was on fire. The orange and yellow of the sun behind her crown of blonde hair made her look like a halo had been perched on top of her head. Lexa smiled as Clarke drew out her phone yet again and pulled Lexa into a selfie of the two of them. For the first time Lexa didn't fake a smile in a force picture with someone else, for the first time in a long time Lexa wanted someone to take a picture of her.
Clarke
Once they were amongst the endless booths of games Lexa was in the zone. Clarke had been firing off pictures and videos to Raven, Octavia, and Ontari right and left. Raven had been commenting nonstop to each message, Octavia answered a few times followed by pictures of her and Lincoln.
Griffster: Safety First ;)
Fix-it Reyes: SO JEALOUS RIGHT NOW!
Blakey Boo: Rae you should have seen everyone's faces when she pulled up!
That was just from the first picture. When Clarke sent out the one of the sign for the street fair (so captioned 'I don't know if I'm more excited about the food or the eye candy!') because Lexa was in the picture. Raven sprouted off something about biker gangs whereas Octavia just sent back a shocked emoji face. The picture of their shared meal ('She likes a girl who can eat, I think we are all know I can put it away with the best of them') was rewarded by a rather raunchy reply from both of her best friends. The video and pictures of Lexa dancing rendered both friends speechless (Clarke was proud of herself for being able to take them without Lexa's knowledge). The first picture of her and Lexa walking side by side was meet with 'awws' and that was when they got their first picture of Lincoln and O. They were in a bowling alley and looked like they were having a great time.
Clarke's favorite moment was a video she took of Lexa playing a carnival game. They were walking by and Lexa kept asking Clarke if she saw anything she wanted to take home, the answer was always no because Clarke knew they wouldn't be able to fit anything on the bike. Clarke felt a little bad about that because it was so obvious that Lexa wanted to play something. They had walked by a booth where people threw baseballs at dinner plates, three balls for three broken plates to win a prize, there was a man who appeared to be the father of a small girl at his knee. The young girl looked very disappointed when her father spoke to her.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, Daddy is not very good at this game. Maybe they will have the panda at another game. What do you say we keep looking?" It was obvious the man was much more brain than brawn but didn't give off the 'total nerd' vibe.
"No Daddy, I want THAT panda!" The little girl whined pointing to the toy above her head. The father looked crushed and irritated at the same time.
"I'll be back in just a second Clarke." Lexa whispered in her ear as she squeezed her hand and let it go. Lexa walked over to the game and Clarke instantly pulled out her phone to capture the moment. Lexa handed the carnie the cash and took three balls in hand. The family turned to watch her quietly.
Lexa didn't miss a step. She took a deep breath before drawing her arm back and flinging a ball straight through a plate. Her fluid motion didn't stop as she took the next ball hitting the plate to the right of the first, then the last and hitting the next plate to the right. Clarke felt her jaw drop at the pure accuracy that Lexa had. Yet the part that forced the air out of Clarke's chest and filled it with adoration was when Lexa pointed to the very same stuffed panda the little girl had wanted. Lexa took her prize and walked toward the little girl who was now standing with her back to her father's legs as they took in Lexa. She knelt before the girl and handed her the stuffed toy. "Here you go kiddo." Lexa said with a smile.
"Really?" The little girl asked dumbfounded.
"Of course!" The girl took the panda in her arms and wrapped it in a tight hug.
"Thank you." She replied before running toward the woman a few yards away from Clarke. The father was next to speak.
"Thank you so much! Here let me pay you back." Before he could even move his hands toward his money Lexa was on him.
"Don't even think about it! Just return the favor to a stranger you find in need." Lexa shook the man's hand and made her way back toward Clarke, who instantly wrapped her arm around Lexa's waist.
"That was something else. I really want to say sweet and generous and kind and like fifteen other things but they just don't feel like they would do that justice." Clarke spoke as Lexa wrapped her arm around Clarke's shoulders and started them walking again. "Where in the world did that come from anyway? That was totally not lacrosse form back there."
"I told you I play two sports. The other is softball, my dad was going into the majors when he died Clarke. I have been playing ball since I could physically hold one." Lexa's face didn't change at all when she spoke of her father. "He actually did that once for a kid here when I was little. He won my toy and then won another kid one because whoever she was with didn't hit all the plates." Lexa's hand was rubbing up and down Clarke's arm in a soothing motion.
"Like father, like daughter then?"
"Mostly yeah." Lexa laughed out.
After that they went on a couple rides, nothing really exciting but they were fun and kept them entertained. Around 10:00 things started to die down quite a bit. Lexa lead Clarke back toward the parking lot where they had left the bike, it was now filled with multiple motorcycles and scooters alike. Though Lexa didn't stop at the bike, she lead them down the opposite way of the fair over a hill to reveal a clearing. Lexa took her jacket off and sat down on it gesturing for Clarke to sit between her legs. Clarke sat with her back to Lexa's front and waited for something to happen, nothing did. "What exactly are we doing?" She asked the form behind her.
"Look up." Lexa said in her ear, her warm breath sent chills down Clarke's neck standing all of the hair on her arm on end. Clarke leaned her head back onto Lexa shoulder to look up at the sky. The view was clear and vast, spotted with stars as far as you imagination could create them. It was incredible, and it only got better when the sky lit up in color as fireworks were shot off from the direction the fair had been in. "It's the last night of the Conclave. There are always fireworks, most people stay in the streets to watch but my family always came out here. Everything looks a little different when you take a step back." Lexa's arms were resting on her knees on either side of Clarke's body. Her knees were bent keeping her arms parallel to the ground. Clarke hooked her own around Lexa's pulling them from their resting place to drape down around her own body. Clarke wanted to capture this moment forever, and possible sorority date points. At this exact moment though Clarke didn't care if her date was voted the best because this was by far the best date Clarke had ever been on.
"One last picture?" Clarke felt Lexa nod and she pulled out her phone. She flipped the camera and turned herself and Lexa around putting the fireworks in the background. Clarke waited for the perfect moment and snapped the picture with a bright green explosion in the black behind their heads. Clarke craned her neck to look Lexa in the eye and swiftly took another picture with a different array of colors behind them.
They turned back to finish watching the display while Clarke swiftly sent the last pictures to her main three and then all of her photos to Lexa. Lexa pulled her phone from her jeans when it started to buzz continually. She smirked and let out a small chuckle thumbing through the shots, not playing any of the videos. Then her phone went right back to where it came from and her arm returned around Clarke's body.
Once the show was finally over they got back on the bike but when Lexa started it this time a green glow erupted from the depths of the bike coloring the pavement below. "Under glow? Are you kidding me right now?" Clarke laughed through their Bluetooth connection.
"Hey what can I say? I'm a sucker for anything utterly awesome! Have a color you want it to be? Yeah I can change it." Lexa stated the obvious.
"Nope!" Clarke popped the 'p'. "Green is my favorite!"
Once they got back to the house it was almost exactly 11:30 (Lexa may have taken the long way back upon request) and Clarke was sure the faces were in the windows again. Lexa hoped of the bike and walked Clarke up to the door.
"Thanks for sending me all the pictures you took. They look great, I bet they will be even better when I get a really good hard look at them."
"Not a problem, let me know when you get back to your dorm safe?" Lexa nodded in answer before Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa's neck. Lexa felt a little stiff at first, then her hands wrapped around to rest on the small of Clarke's back and pull her in bit tighter. "Thanks for the best first date ever." Clarke mumbled against the skin below her. All of her being wanted to kiss Lexa in that moment even knowing every sister was watching, but she didn't. She wasn't able to judge if Lexa would want that right away so she withdrew herself from the hug to see Lexa's smile filling her face.
"Good bye Clarke. I'll text you when I get home." Lexa called as she walked backwards toward her bike before turning her back. Clarke hugged her arms around herself to try and keep the feeling of the girl's body with her, that was when she noticed she was still wearing Lexa's extra jacket.
"Lexa, your jacket!"
"Keep it! That way I have an excuse to take you out again. Not that I think I need one, besides it looks better on you than it ever did on me." Lexa pulled her helmet down and mounted the motorcycle before taking off and leaving Clarke awestruck.
After Clarke finally entered the sorority house she noticed she was the last pledge to arrive. They all sat in the living room while various sisters threw up pictures on the television from their various dates and asking questions. The whole ordeal took them until close to one in the morning. It was then that the current sisters made their way out of the living room leaving all the pledges together.
Clarke had been the only pledge to get picked up by a girl (not that she was surprised about that), but each of the other girls had told her they thought her date looked like so much fun. Harper and Monroe actually ended up in the exact same theater for the exact same movie date, Octavia and Lincoln went bowling and did some laser tag (there was a picture of go-carts too that Clarke wanted to ask about later), and Niylah had ended up at mystery dinner theater (which Clarke made a note to ask Lexa to do sometime). They pledges didn't say much while they waited on the upperclassmen to return, they were all too nervous for what could potentially come next. When they started to file into the room all five of them stiffen noticeably.
"Well, we have come to a decision," Nia started. "All of you had decent dates but one stood out from the rest." These paused were worse than the host of a reality TV show host's. "Clarke you had the best first date any of us sisters have ever seen. Congratulations." There was clapping and Clarke let out the breath she was holding. O gave her a hug from her seat next to her. "Now dump her."
A/N#2:Duh duh DUUUHHHHH! I know, don't kill me. I promise nothing bad will happen. I mean even death can't keep these two apart we all watched it happen! Sorry that you will have to wait until chapter 9 to see what happens I'll try and make up for it! S.C.