Clexa One Shots

You are a catch 22

By: fuscience
none of this medical stuff is real except for that Clarke is suffering from a grade 3 concussion. 0/10 would recommend following the instructions for care in this fic - doctors are your best friend and hopefully, you're never far from one. on a related note - it is not dangerous to fall asleep if you have a concussion - just a concussion.

no beta so please lmk where the mistakes are

title from wasted by tiesto
Work Text:
maybe stars

are the

pieces god

left of himself

after he made man

and gave the earth

to strangers

- christopher poindexter

Objectively, Lexa is attractive, even by sky people standards who used to see beauty only in the pale skin and dark circles that comes from generations of living under fluorescent light. But Lexa, with her sunrise skin and paint smeared eyes, like most of the Grounders, makes for a startling contrast to Clarke's utter lack of color and blonde hair - they are a study in opposites though truly never as far from each other as most would assume. Clarke wonders how beauty translates in their language.

"Do your people use political marriages?" Clarke walks behind, avoiding a particularly large root. It's a stupid question, but she wondered. Bellamy's history lessons were scattered in the back of her mind and Lexa, with all her disdain for emotional attachments, was a powerful commander who might consider an alliance of this nature if that was an acceptable practice. Could she lose her to marriage? Clarke thinks, and then backs up because there's nothing to lose - nothing except quiet walks through the forest and calloused hands steadying her elbow. Nothing.

"Do yours?" Lexa responds, giving her an unreadable look.

Clarke smiles and shakes her head. "No, no need. With such limited space and numbers everyone got along or you were floated."

There's a chatter above their heads, and a buzz in the air. It smells like spring and new things in the forest just surrounding this village, a nice change from the iron tang of blood they'd spent so long living in. Now, they get to learn - about each other - and peace looks well on them all. She's pretty sure Bellamy had nearly cried when they'd salvaged a digital library from the Mountain and Raven was dragging Wick through every scrap heap they could find. Enthusiasm, long drained from them all had returned slow and unbidden as the remaining few rediscovered themselves. They hike now, for pleasure, not simply for the hunt or scouting. It is living instead of surviving.

"Floated? You speak of this frequently. I understand it to be a punishment? A death?" Lexa waits at a small grove for her to catch up, reaching for her animal skin water pouch, and Clarke is momentarily mesmerized, watching the sunlight stream through the treetops and catch the reflection of the water leaking out from between her lips, dribbling down her chin and catching on the front of her clothes. Wow. "Clarke?"

"Uh. Yeah." She swallows, "Floating meant releasing," Not the right word, but all she can think of is her father, the volunteers, the fate she escaped. It's bitter, but no longer hurts like the fresh, open wound it was for so long after they dropped from the sky. "people into space. There's no gravity so they would just... Float away."

Lexa simply nods, still standing and waiting for her to climb up and join her on the giant root. "Why are you concerned with marriage?" Lexa drags a hand along the tree's trunk, letting her fingers catch on the bark and avoiding Clarke's gaze. "Do you wish to secure an alliance with me through marriage, Clarke?" Her tone is teasing and sly and Clarke can feel her face heat up - it wasn't where her thoughts had wandered, but it wasn't exactly wrong either. "I am sorry to inform you, that an alliance already exists so, our union would be unnecessary."