New Year's Day, a 100 fanfic

New Years Day

[Verse 1]

There's glitter on the floor after the party

Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby

Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor

You and me from the night before, but

Exhaustion. That was the feeling that had absolutely overcome her body. It wasn't the type that came after an extremely long shift at the hospital. No. This type of exhaustion was one that felt a bit foreign to her since she couldn't remember the last time she had stayed awake all night for something not work-related. At least it was a night she would never forget. It was rare to have a day off that coincided with a holiday or celebration. It was even more uncommon for her night off to be on New Year's Eve.

The time now was 6:24 AM, and the sun would soon be making its appearance, letting everyone know that a brand new day was starting. The first of a brand New year and their guests had either left or were on their way out. Well, those who weren't crashing in her living room were. She didn't mind that. For those friends who were staying, "home" was currently miles away and although she wasn't very vocal about it, they were something she would always be thankful for. Being an only daughter had been a bit lonely, yet she had managed to make a family out of the group of misfits.

Looking around her place, she wouldn't be able to deny that the party had been great if the mess left behind was anything to go by. Yet she couldn't help but feel that looking at it from afar, it was a good representation of how the old year had been. A mixture of chaos and glitter; screams and laughter. Melted wax and scattered pictures; tears and moments forever ingrained into her brain. All of it accurately represented the bad as well as the good, sort of balancing each other out. It would always be something that amazed her, how no matter how bad things could get, they would never be able to overshadow the positive. That had been a tough lesson to learn, but those around her were good teachers.

Proof of that was the single polaroid laying at her feet. It was a group picture of her little makeshift family, taken at the right moment, as they reached midnight. Sure, she had thought the idea of having several polaroid cameras placed around the apartment for her guest to take pictures was preposterous, but now she was thankful that she gave into the antics of her better half. As she picked it up, she realized she didn't have any inkling of who had taken it, but it was a picture she was sure to treasure.

[Chorus]

Don't read the last page

But I stay when you're lost and I'm scared and you're turning away

I want your midnights

But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

The sound of glass bottles moving against one another followed by a small giggle brought the blonde out of her reverie, causing an involuntary smile to grace her features. She knew all too well who was causing it. She easily navigated around the living room, avoiding the collision of herself with any of her friends, or any of the items that loitered the floor and soon she was mere steps away from the one person who had taught her it was okay to love again.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but, we can clean later Lexa." The blonde spoke quietly with a smile on her face as she watched the brunette clumsily try to pick up more forgotten beer bottles in her drunken state.

Clarke was now thanking her better judgment about staying relatively sober along with her higher alcohol tolerance, as she easily approached her wife and removed the aforementioned bottle from her hands before helping her navigate her way into their bedroom. At this time two years ago, she was still debating whether this woman would stick around long enough in her life. Or if any of their issues would lead to the ending of what would end up being a brief story. Yet here they were now, still writing pages. The end looking as far away as the end of the world in an apocalyptic way.

It was a unanimous decision that the makeup would remain on. The proximity of the bed highlighted how much they were both in need of rest. For now, the heels of the brunette were quickly discarded somewhere in the room, while the heels of the blonde were probably laid somewhere in the living room, taken off the minute the guests began their parade home, maybe even before. The blonde released a small laugh as she remembered Lexa had always been a bit of a clean freak, never one to pass the chance to remind Clarke of where things belong because admittedly, the latter was a bit disorganized but that was something that came with being a closetted artist. If this was any other moment, and they weren't this tired, Clarke would have definitely teased her wife about how easily she discarded her heels instead of putting them away.

[Verse 2]

You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi

I can tell that it's gonna be a long road

I'll be there if you're the toast of the town, babe

Or if you strike out and you're crawling home

Her laughter only increased when she saw her green eyed lover struggle with unzipping the back of her black dress. After a second longer than necessary just staring at her with amusement written all over her face, she decided to take pity and come to her aid before helping her get into bed. Blue eyes met green and smiles were exchanged, no words needed before Lexa took a hold of her hand and tugged her closer.

"Hey Clarke?" She mumbled as she squeezed the aforementioned's hand once before being overtaken by a fit of giggles which only caused the blonde to smile bigger in return.

"Yes Lexa?" Clarke replied, her own smile growing.

"I'm not wearing PJs" she blurted before falling into a fit of giggles again.

"I'll go get you something, Lex" Clarke shook her head whilst smiling and going to get up to find something that would appease 'the great drunken commander' but she was stopped by her wife tugging her hand once again.

"Hey Clarke?" The brunette said as she squeezed her hand a second time, trying to get her attention.

Clarke looked at her wife once more. "Yes Lex?"

Blue eyes met green once again, and they were already dancing with amusement at what she wanted to say. "How does a hypotenuse prepare to go to Hogwarts?"

Clarke facepalmed with her free hand as she humored her wife and asked "How does a hypotenuse prepare to go to Hogwarts, Lex?"

"Diagonally, of course!" Lexa exclaimed before dissolving herself into another fit of giggles, and in the midst of it, releasing the blonde's hand.

Clarke took this chance to get up, laughing quietly at her wife's antics. Only she could take Algebra and mix it with Harry Potter trivia for a dorky joke of epic proportions. With another shake of her head she rummaged through the drawers finding Lexa's Ravenclaw shirt. She set it aside before finding something to wear herself. She changed quickly and returned to their bed with the offending ravenclaw shirt -if anything, Clarke was in the better Hogwarts house (Gryffindor). The debate over this had been an ongoing thing since they met- which she knew would make her better half happy.

Lexa had her eyes closed as she approached the bed but opened them quickly once she felt the mattress dip with the weight of Clarke sitting on it and gave her a big smile which only grew when her eyes fell on the blue shirt.

Clarke easily helped her wife into the shirt before getting under the covers on her side of the bed. Once she was in, Lexa grabbed a hold of her hand a third time that night and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Hey Clarke?" This time the brunette whispered,

"Yes, Lex?" Came from the blonde equally whispered.

"I love you" were the three words uttered with a smile before Lexa's breathing evened out as her eyes slowly closed out of their own accord.

"I love you too"

[Chorus]

Don't read the last page

But I stay when it's hard or it's wrong or we're making mistakes

I want your midnights

But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

Clarke sat on their bed, leaning against the headboard. It seemed that even though the feeling of exhaustion was consuming her, she still couldn't find it within herself to let sleep claim her yet. So there she rested, with a book in her grasp. It was part of her nightly routine. At least one chapter.

The same couldn't be said for whom had become her ever-present companion. It had been a long journey to even reach the place where they were. There were several instances when she had felt so sure they wouldn't make it. Yet, as she remembered the ups and downs, she couldn't help but glance towards the still sleeping brunette peacefully sleeping next to her, their first memory resurfacing.

[Post-Chorus]

Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you

And I will hold on to you

The first time she had seen her had oddly enough been on new year's eve, several years before. It had been a while since Clarke had been required to attend any hospital fundraiser event. Yet, there she had found herself; in the middle of a crowd when all she wanted to do was go back to the hospital and check in on her patients. She had been doing her best in being polite when she was approached and in general staying out of other people's way. At some point, she had decided to have a seat at one of the tables near the bar. The colleagues she was sort of close with, were busy speaking with people they knew. She wouldn't call herself an introvert or anti-social. She just didn't like the superficiality these events entailed.

So, she would play the part expected from her when needed and left the rest to her colleagues who were better at the whole "schmoozing" concept. She knew she had to be at the event until a little after midnight, then she would be free to go. So that was the plan. Or it had been until someone sat opposite of her. That had definitely been something she wasn't expecting and was making a mental plan to excuse herself politely before finding somewhere else to hide until she was free. Those thoughts flew out the window when ocean eyes met forest eyes.

It seems she wasn't in any rush after all.

After initial introductions had been taken out of the way. The rest of the conversation had come quite easily. She had introduced herself as Alexandria and she worked for a large biotechnology corporation. The night progressed, as did the drinks, and Clarke found out that -like herself- the brunette wasn't one for functions like the one they were at.

[Bridge]

Please don't ever become a stranger

Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere

Please don't ever become a stranger

Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere

Somehow the conversation had veered off of the formal road. They had already discussed what they did for a living. They had even mildly complained about how not everyone at the fundraiser was there out of true passion for helping, but were there for the recognition and praise they would get out of it. Something that was supposed to be selfless turned into something completely selfish. And then, somehow that conversation ended with them talking about the most unexpected things. They even spoke about which Hogwarts house was the finest, all the way to which Doctor reincarnation was the greatest and everything else in between. The conversation just flowed so easily and it was something that the blonde never would have thought she would encounter at a function such as the one they were at.

Time; which seemed to have been dragging on at the beginning, suddenly flew by and without a warning, the countdown to the new year had begun. Lexa -which is what the brunette had made very clear, was what she preferred to be called- had jumped slightly before breaking out into laughter as the crowd began to chant, equally surprised at how long they had seemingly spent together. They both knew they should probably get up and go in search of their respective colleagues but neither made to move away from the table they were at.

Clarke wouldn't realize this until much later, but Lexa's laugh would become one of her favorite sounds. For now, all she knew is that she definitely wanted to get to know the brunette more because this night was simply not enough. Their laughter slowly ceased and their eyes met once again as the countdown around them slowly reached its end.

[Verse 3]

There's glitter on the floor after the party

Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby

Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor

You and me forevermore

Who would have thought the ending of that year, which came to represent one of the most harrowing chapters in Clarke's life story, would also bring about the best thing to ever happen to her. That night they had stayed until the very end of the function, neither of them prepared to part from the other. Maybe it was the fear that the other would disappear never to be heard of or seen again. But like that saying by Geoffrey Chaucer "All good things must come to an end", the time to say goodbye came around and as they watched the colleagues that still were around be escorted to cabs, struggle to make their way to them whilst carrying their shoes, blazers, or other miscellaneous items in the midst of their drunken state, one of them -most definitely not the blonde out of the two- mustered up the courage to ask for a number. The teenager inside Clarke squealed internally in delight, already romanticizing the whole thing and thinking of the prospect of a forever. It seemed that side of Clarke wasn't wrong, since they haven't celebrated a New Year's apart since then.

[Chorus]

Don't read the last page

But I stay when it's hard or it's wrong or we're making mistakes

I want your midnights

But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

The next day they had both woken up with a headache. Clarke's headache was not nearly as intolerable as Lexa's so it was understandable that there was a bit of an inner fight to get out of bed. Clarke had struggled more than Lexa when it came to getting up; not because of a hangover like Lexa; the brunette really did need to work on her tolerance.

Clarke mostly struggled because she never understood why waking up early was necessary on a day that was meant to just rest. Yet her better half, who had finally regained most of her senses, was adamant of not neglecting her responsibilities. Not even on what was supposed to be considered a holiday. So regardless of what the blonde wanted, Lexa and herself were a team. So she followed Lexa out of their bedroom -with a few half grumbles and half jokes here and there directed towards her wife- and whilst Lexa occupied herself in the kitchen Clarke continued what Lexa had begun at sunrise with the whole picking up of bottles and messes left behind.

As the apartment began to look more like what it was meant to look like, the aroma of breakfast wafted throughout their home, her friends who somehow managed to remain asleep through all kinds of noises, began to wake up. The silence slowly being consumed by the comfortable noise that came from chatter and laughter of the people who have a permanent place in their mind and heart.

Clarke helped Lexa serve the meal and once everyone was sitting down, anecdotes of the previous night were exchanged. The rest of the day passed by, very much in a similar manner. At some point some goodbyes had to be exchanged. Always a bit tearful, but also knowing that they were temporary because they always end up together in the end. Of course those who were staying behind and spending a few extra days with them had to remind them of that.

[Post-Chorus]

Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you

And I will hold on to you

As the day came to a close, Lexa tried to make sure all her responsibilities were taken care of. Today her responsibilities were important because they included feeding their makeshift family that was scattered all over their home and making sure they felt how welcomed and loved they were. This was a family that had accepted her, although that was only after putting her through hell and back.

She did understand their reasons. Clarke had gone through enough. So in a way Lexa was thankful that they went through such lengths. Once they realized that she wasn't planning on giving up or leaving, things did change and with time her own friends and those that belonged to her lover, merged to become this small makeshift family.

One that was united by a bond and not by blood.

She had heard the word "love" before. She even believed she had experienced it already more than once and in many ways; not just romantically. Some of those experiences were intense. None of those experiences were even remotely similar to each other. Yet this kind of love was the most different of them all. This one came with what she could only describe as peace. It wasn't something that she needed to fight for in order to receive it. Both Clarke and Lexa had to fight for most of the things in their life. This love, on the other hand, was given without anything expected in return.

More than one thing was different about it all. The love they all had for each other. Not just the love between Clarke and Lexa. It was as if for once she could see that every single moment, good and bad, were leading her here. Something that she didn't fully believe in, suddenly became real; the concept of fate.

It felt as if the universe needed them all together. Like maybe they must have all known each other in another life. It was like all along there were invisible strings tying them all to each other. Here on earth and everywhere else. It felt like it was written in the stars. It suddenly made sense why every other thing just didn't work out. Why events happened the way they did. This was why all of them didn't fit in so easily anywhere else, or in other groups. They were meant to be a family.

It was a long fight for each one of them. At times it seemed like the end of the world was trying to cease their existence. Sometimes the pain was so immense, it felt like they would never heal and in some ways, they all had scars. Some visible while others you would never know they were there. It was as if there was nothing else out there for them until they realized they had each other. It never made sense until now and both Clarke and Lexa were very thankful to have something like this that seemed so impossible. Honestly, some of the things that came to mind regarding this all, even felt a little cliche and quite unreal. But it WAS real. They were never really strangers to each other. They knew they would never become such. They were all proof of it.

You just had to look closely to find it.

[Outro]

Please don't ever become a stranger

(To the memories, they will hold on to you)

Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere

(Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you)

Please don't ever become a stranger

(Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you)

Whose laugh I could recognize anywhere

(I will hold on to you)

Nightfall came once again and with it; the first page of a new chapter came to an end. Clarke and Lexa found themselves in bed, mentally preparing themselves to return to their routines. They were expected back at work the next day and this small reprieve from their hectic day-to-day was coming to a close. Ocean eyes meet forest eyes and fragments of memories from the past few days come to Clarke.

The blonde couldn't help but smile as she rested her head against Lexa's shoulder and whispered "You know…" the blonde's arms engulfed her wife in a tight embrace which was immediately returned by Lexa "I really do love your laugh." which elicited from the brunette the sound the blonde had just proclaimed her love for.

The one she will hold onto, until their very last page.