Another World - Clexa/Supercorp

"Do I want to know what I said?"

Raven could feel Luna tense, but she didn't interrupt. "I was tied to a pole and cut because Lexa's guard framed me for poisoning her drink. After the Mountain, I spent time talking to Anya as one of the few that would entertain the idea of talking to Grounders. She wasn't as bad as I thought, I even came to like her."

"She had her moments." The interruption was soft, but it was welcome.

"She did. Then she died." Chugging the last of her wine, Raven held the empty cup in her hand like it would magically refill if she stared at it long enough. "What I'm getting at, on this incredibly long explanation and apology, is that everyone I care for, or I thought was meant to care for me, has died." Silence hung between them as Raven tried to figure out exactly how to say what her now mildly buzzed brain wanted to admit. "I... I'm scared. I didn't intend to feel anything for you when I helped you to Lexa's Tower, but it happened and under the flirting and the sass I am still nineteen and terrified that I could lose a lot more than I already have."

She stopped, the complete silence in the room unnerving, prevented her from continuing to explain and apologise. If not for the warm air around her, she would have thought Luna had managed to leave without her noticing, unable to meet her gaze or look at her for longer than a second. As it was, Luna was stood frozen in the same place she had been when she started, jug in hand.

Able to look at her – actually, unable to look away – Raven tried to understand what was going on through the Luna's head. A hard feat considering the woman in front of her had years of dealing with Titus.

"I killed my twin brother in the Conclave." The admission was a whisper, but Raven heard every word and stilled. She had known there was a story behind Luna's run from the Conclave, but never had she asked, or the woman offered it freely. "I ran a sword through him and watched the light drain from his eyes before Titus held my arm up and declared me the victor of that battle. I didn't get the chance to say goodbye, I ran before they burned the bodies of the fallen."

If Raven had thought the air in the tent had been warm before, it turned stifling as her chest ached for the pain in Luna's voice. She remained silent, eyes intent on the brown that now stared at the jug in her hands. "Titus sent Anya after me before Lexa won, he knew she wouldn't demand me killed so ordered it himself. I had run straight for Floukru, knew they wouldn't judge me for what I had done, what I had run from. At the time they were a small clan that was left out of many discussions in Polis, more so than now, so Anya did not venture that far until a month into her search."

"Titus had intercepted all messengers to her instructing her to stop on Lexa's order, he was and still is intent on seeing me dead. By the time she was standing on Floukru's main rig, I had become their leader after a harsh storm had claimed the man that had granted me sanctuary. It almost took me when I tried to save him, but the sea was too black, it was the first time I thought the sea looked like a natblida had opened their veins to fill the oceans. I only managed to pull a child from the waves before she was swallowed whole."

"The people decided I would lead them and a few days later Anya arrived to find me helping to rebuild the home of a couple whose entire lives had been washed away. I have not seen a storm so destructive since and do not wish to, but I like to think it was seeing me help give that couple something to replace the home they had lost that stopped her from taking me – or attempting at least."

"She declared she was there to help on Heda's order's after riders had given word on the harsh storm and stayed over a month. We rebuilt in two weeks, but she stayed, enjoyed the quiet life of Floukru and even dismissed my concern over her duty to report my whereabouts to Heda. Anya was the first person I told of my brother's death at my hands, it was then she told me of her true orders."

"I almost threw her from the rig in the middle of the night, believing her to have used my trust to gather information and earn my trust to capture me. Instead, she handed me a dagger and told me to slit her throat if I wished."

Raven gasped, even though she knew it didn't happen, Luna was such a storyteller, she was engrossed in her words. "So, I threw it in the ocean." Luna smiled when Raven laughed, the two of them able to see the glare Anya no doubt gave Luna that night.

"And you're still alive?" She hadn't meant to speak, but she couldn't help it.

Luna's smile was nostalgic, soft. "I am as surprised as you." She met Raven's gaze, the tell-tale shine of tears in her eyes. "It was her favourite, and she was not pleased. She watched the ocean in disbelief before laughing. She left the next day for months. When she returned, it was to form the Kongeda and we sent an Ambassador in my place, claiming I was unable to travel and she had offered up a contract bound by Floukru's badge with our agreement to join along with the terms I had told my Ambassador."

"The last time Anya visited was when she escorted my Ambassador home to relay the trust of Heda in the agreement. She stayed for months and I gifted her a hand-crafted knife I had made from the finest metal we had to offer. I had hoped she would stay forever, but the war with Azgeda required her at Heda's side. At times I wish the message had arrived two days earlier, before we had married. Others, I am grateful for all the time I spent with her."

Tears fell and tracked down Luna's cheeks as Raven waged a war to bring her into a hug or not. "I saw her once after that, the only time I had visited Polis during a summons and it was like no time had passed when we were alone, but to the other leaders you would have thought we had never met. I forgave her for leaving as she did, in the middle of the night each time without fail, almost like she would not have left had I been awake to ask her to stay."

Luna blinked and focused back on Raven in front of her, tears shining in her eyes too. "We have both been hurt and I refuse to be hurt like that a second time. Your nature is refreshing against the harsh reality of this world and I never want that to change, I just want to know that you won't leave in the middle of the night because you are scared to stay."

Raven smiled. "Leaving in the middle of the night would be impossible, and not because my brace will no longer give me away. I'm not saying I'm still not scared, what I'm saying is that I want to know where this will go and trust me, if I ever left, I would absolutely want break-up sex first and I can't get that if I leave when you're asleep."

Her smiled turned into a grin when Luna laughed. She brought the jug to her lips and gulped another large mouthful as Raven stepped closer. "We can take things slow, see how we do here when we aren't drunk on another Earth in a hotel room. Get to know each other a little more whilst you're here and see where we stand when you have to return home?"

Luna set the jug on the table, the wine almost scalding in the heavy air of the tent. "I would like that, but I do not understand how slow you are referring to?"

Raven's brow rose. "Well, I thought we could spend time together when we aren't busy and I don't know about you but considering how little time we probably have before you have to leave, we could use all the time we can get to be together." She looked around them at the tent. "I wouldn't mind sharing... if you don't?"

A grin broke out on Luna's face. "I do not." She gestured to the table of food next to her. "Should we start now, talk over our meal before retiring for the night?"

Raven stepped forward quickly and wrapped the woman up in a hug, arms equally as quick to encase her. "I would love to."