snowed-in | clexa

five

Flip it vertically or horizontally?" Clarke asks, holding the pan with a frying pancake inside unsurely. Lexa tilts her head.

"I- just... just flip it."

"But in which direction?"

"Here, let me show you:"

Lexa cups Clarke's hand holding the pan and, guiding Clarke, she flips the pancake once. "It's all in the wrists," she explains and shows Clarke how exactly to flick her wrist.

Clarke complies with the next pancake.

Five minutes later, they're done scrubbing the stove clean of burnt pancake dough.

"Try again," Lexa insists, and has to catch the next pancake with a plate. "Try again," she repeats until she successfully taught Clarke how to flip pancakes.

Clarke is shining like a diamond in the sun when she manages her first pancake and is proudly boasting about her second. With acorn syrup and blueberries, very much American-style, she serves Lexa these two pancakes first thing.

"Oh, very pretty," Lexa appreciates the swift but elegant decoration. Somehow, syrup and berries never look so artistic on her pancakes.

"I'm an artist," Clarke grins and wiggles her eyebrows, but her facial expressions change when she realizes what she said. "I mean- well, not an artist-artist. I'm just copying the breakfast places I like to go to."

"Do you like art?"

"No! I mean- yes. In museums. It's very nice to... look at."

Lexa can't help a small frown. "Have you ever made art yourself?"

"Well, um- you know, some doodling. Nothing big. I don't have time for it anyway, work is a lot and I had a boyfriend until last April who didn't- I mean, who preferred other things and anyway, art isn't gonna get me anywhere."

"Does it have to?" carefully, almost like the question threatens Clarke's current belief. It probably does.

"I-" Clarke stops and sighs. "Look, I don't like being the spoiled daughter with mommy's and daddy's money, so I've earned me my own paychecks and why would I give that up for something stupid?"

"It's not 'stupid'. You could do it as a hobby," Lexa says, but Clarke shakes her head.

"I don't have time," she repeats.

Lexa thinks about it for a moment and then takes a deep breath. "Okay, so, I haven't wanted to ruin your morning, but I already checked the snow and... we're going to have to wait a little longer, probably until tomorrow. If you want, I should have some old canvas and paints in the basement, we could put on one of those rom-coms or a nice playlist and just paint a bit. You do have time here."

"I don't know," Clarke sighs and looks out of the window, which shows the snow just as it was the day before. She has no idea how Lexa imagines taking a hike out there the next day already, the temperatures are surely not going to rise. "hat about the QC today, and the Trikru party and Finn Collins on Saturday? It's so important.

And God, what about her parents and Raven? They're going to worry to death, she hasn't called them in two days now.

Fuck.

"Sorry, the situation is a bit inconvenient," Clarke says with a small smile instead of completely losing her sanity as she feels like doing. Lexa isn't being paid to be here, after all. She's just a kind woman who wanted to spend some days alone and was instead surprised by a stranger that can't even properly help in the household. "Um- painting sounds nice, if you want to."