DAY 56: LEXA | ALICIA

The night is clear. Clear and black. No clouds, no moon. Showing us its brightest stars. Hundreds, thousands, no, countless stars twinkling overhead, ready to show me the way. The way to the north. To Mom.

Soon.

But not now.

Now we are here. Together. Clarke and me.

On a blanket on the grass in a little backyard - our own tiny paradise. Tomorrow we will go out into the world again. We will start our plan that has a beginning, but not yet an end. Our plan that still needs more thought, more planning. Our plan that needs to be further talked about.

But not now.

Now I don't want any more talking. Not about what happened - recently as well as years ago. And not about what's to come. There's only so much you can plan in this world anyway. I don't want to waste my breath on it. Not now.

Now I am lying in her arms. My head resting on her shoulder, her cheek warm against my forehead. She's as quiet as I am, but in those little moments that she speaks, I can feel the lightest graze of her lips against my skin.

Her lips that were on mine only a moment ago, when I finally got to kiss her. And when she kissed me back with no hesitation.

She did.

She kissed me back and I kept kissing her—simply not knowing how to stop anymore—and then for a little while that was all there was, all we were. The two of us, being one. Just holding each other, and kissing each other - in the slowest, most probing way, gauging each other's reaction before taking it any further, before deepening it, as if either of us could break at any moment.

She kissed me back. In the most precious way. And with it, she brought me back to life. Again.

With her heartbeat close to mine and our fingers mindlessly playing with each other, a sudden melody comes to mind. An old one, from a vinyl record my grandma used to listen to. The lyrics quickly follow and I start to hum, then before I know it I feel myself softly starting to mumble.

"Come bring me your softness. Comfort me through all this madness. Woman, don't you know, with you I'm born again?"

My voice is so low I'm not even sure I'm singing out loud. Which is why I'm not prepared for any reaction, and even more, why I'm highly surprised when after a short moment of silence Clarke's melodious voice suddenly sounds in response.

"Come give me your sweetness. Now there's you, there is no weakness. Lying safe within your arms, I'm born again."

Wide-eyed, I look up from underneath my lashes.

"You know this one?!"

Clarke smiles down on me and giggles, her lips tickling me again. "How about that, huh?"

I can feel my face light up with a little grin and snuggle even closer, nuzzling my nose into her neck. She plants a kiss on the top of my head.

"Will you ever stop to amaze me?" I ask her, knowing the answer already.

"Will you?"

"I hope not," I answer truthfully.

"Then let that be our pact," she proposes. "Our vow to each other."

With no pen around to put my signature down, I quickly go for the alternative: I tilt my head and press a kiss on her collarbone.

"Deal."

The world around us turns still again. Still and peaceful. But the tune, the words and most of all the meaning of them are still in my head - eager to get out. To do what I haven't done for too long.

To share with her.

"I was half, not whole," I serenely pick up where we left off. "In step with none. Reaching through this world, in need of one."

She doesn't take over this time, but joins me for the next line; our voices a tad louder now, and perfectly in sync.

"Come show me your kindness. In your arms I know I'll find this."

As our harmony fills the sky I let go of her and prop myself up on my elbow. My gaze glides over her beautiful face, which is softly glowing by the light of the camp fire, and our smiling eyes meet, making my heart skip a beat.

But there's no time to get lost in the moment. When Clarke opens her mouth again, ready to go on, I swiftly lay my finger on her lips. She falls quiet right away, yet her eyes show nothing but joy and curiosity. For once the gesture has nothing to do with any danger coming towards us and she knows it.

She wiggles her brows, playfully, telling me that whatever is coming, is coming from me and is more than welcome.

I slowly bring my hand to her face and tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear. From there my finger slides further down, following the contour of her jaw, until I reach her chin. I lift it up, just an inch, and lean in.

Her eyes flutter shut when my lips gently touch hers, and I can feel the tip of her tongue searching for mine. When I pull back before she succeeds, a small whimper escapes her, but then our eyes lock and I know she can read in mine that I'm not going anywhere. That there's just one more thing I want her to hear - for real.

It's the one thing that feels bigger than any I need you, or I'll never leave you or even I love you. In the end, those are things that could be said to anyone. Meant, even. But this, these words, are reserved just for her. For the one person who keeps saving me from two lives, by giving me one in return - one life that's brand new, and in which I can actually be me.

And I want, no, I need her to know that I know that.

"What is it?" she asks when I linger, too busy with losing myself in her eyes while I'm trying to keep it together.

I swallow, shake my head without letting go of her gaze, then sigh blessedly.

"Oh woman, don't you know," I softly chant one more time, "with you... I'm born again."

... ...

This short chapter is basically my way of giving you all a little heads up for the fact that I'm gonna change the title of this fic to (drum roll) "With You I'm Born Again", so you guys won't miss it when it's updated next time. And yes, I know this part is corny as hell, but I felt that they - as well as all of us - deserved a bit more fluff after making them go through so much misery in the first 32 chapters... (and before going back on that road again!) ;-)