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The moment Clarke saw her bedroom, she knew the nap was delayed. Raven stood in the middle of it, crying. Clarke's bed was a pitiful battle field of ash and burnt wood.
Raven repeated her apologies over and over and that she knew Clarke was scared of loud noise and that she was sorry, she hadn't known Clarke was back, and she hadn't mean to ruin anything of Clarke's stuff, she had just tried something out in the basement and it had burnt through the wooden floor and caught Clarke's bed on fire and-
And she was cut off by Clarke with a, "Raven, it's okay. That's your problem to deal with mom and dad, because you just burned a hole through their floor. This is your old room anyway, not mine."
"But- but it's your new one. And I don't want you to have to go back to the old one."
"Maybe this is the sign that I'm not supposed to stay here any longer. I just stayed with my girlfriend two weeks Rae, to be honest I don't even want to go back to succumbing in my bedroom for weeks and do nothing. Maybe I need another two weeks off to find something new, and then my bed will be repaired. I don't mind if it's three weeks."
"But where will you stay?"
"She can stay with me," Lexa offered. "We've done it for months before, not a problem. The opposite."
Jake and Abby didn't look happy with the idea. "But honey what if- what if something happens?"
"Well, guess what would have happened if I had decided on a nap twenty minutes earlier."
That thought seemed to paralyze Clarke's parents and to be honest, nobody present wanted to think about that, so Abby very reluctantly agreed to letting her daughter go again. She was somewhat relieved when the Heda told her that, besides keeping Clarke safe of course, Abby and Jake could come visit any time.
So, Clarke and Lexa's nap was pushed back by one hour, but they didn't miss the opportunity of finally sharing Lexa's bed again. It felt like ages had passed since Clarke had been in the tower last. The bed felt softer, Lexa warmer, the sleep deeper.
Their 'nap' turned into sleeping until late evening. Clarke only woke up because of her hunger though. The journey hadn't brought her much sleep despite not riding the horse, and thus, she had dinner with Lexa but went back to bed afterwards.
When she woke up again, in was night. The room was lit as usual by candle light and Lexa was by the table, leaning over several papers and a notebook concentrated. Clarke grunted and buried herself in her pillow and the furs again. She lightly drifted off a few times, but after another hour or so of just lying there enjoying the state of being half asleep, she got up.
Lexa was fully engrossed in whatever she was staring at and scribbling down, but she immediately noticed the floor creaking when Clarke moved. Her instincts had fully gotten used to Clarke now, but she looked up from her work anyway.
Clarke walked over and Lexa let her settle on her lap. "Hi."
"Hi," Lexa replied.
"So this is what you're up to at night?"
"Mhm, no, mostly sleeping."
"No 3 hours sleep routine anymore?"
"Of course not. But I slept before dinner and I had something on my mind anyway."
"Okay," Clarke said softly. "Want to tell me about it?"
"Just something considering the nightbloods," Lexa said and Clarke nodded, leaning in for a soft kiss.
"Does it bother you if I stay for a few minutes?"
"Not at all."
-
Two weeks passed and Lexa and Clarke relished coexisting and going on the one or other market date. Clarke got back into painting, with all her supplies in Lexa's tower, and spent a lot of time outside of Lexa's chambers somewhere she would excitedly tell Lexa about when they had dinner.
She'd help the healers and learn how to do first aid. She went to the market for hours to inspect all the intricate details of the things offered to the many people roaming the streets. She got stuck in conversations with some merchants or passants and one afternoon, she spent entirely with an elder woman who sold crocheted things.
The woman reminded Clarke of old Bertha. When she mentioned that she crocheted too, the woman even offered her to work for her a few hours a week. Clarke was ecstatic about the offer.
Going over the market not just looking at the beautiful little things but also being able to buy them was even greater. She brought Lexa flowers as often as she felt like it, because different to Clarke, Lexa seemed to drown under papers. Clarke felt like it was her responsiblity to show Lexa that there were in fact more beautiful things in the world than papers, so she started with flowers.
Also, Lexa was her favorite person.
Clarke never wanted Lexa to stop having flowers, now that Clarke had the money to buy them.
Sometimes, Lexa would gone on one meeting or the other and that day again, Clarke found herself alone in Lexa's chambers. She changed, washed her face and brushed her teeth, lit some of Lexa's candles, put the new flowers for Lexa in a vase and cuddled herself up in the bed. Winter had come and it was dark and cold outside. Lexa's bed seemed like the safest place on Earth in these weeks.
Clarke had worked on the market until her fingers had been frozen stiff and she had hardly been able to sort the coins anymore. Now, she enjoyed the warmth seeping into her thoroughly. The job at the crocheting stand was only temporary and it wasn't always easy with these temperatures either, but Clarke loved it anyway.
She didn't just have her own money, she could also sleep much better now that she actually did stuff outside during the day. Rest felt more nourishing now that she was exhausted in the first place.
With the cold slowly dissipating, other physical needs pushed through; the need for food, and Lexa's touch. No matter how many furs and blankets, nothing could warm or relax Clarke as much as cuddling with Lexa.
Lexa didn't come for another while. Eating dinner together had become their ritual though; sometimes, Clarke slept in and Lexa had left her note, or Clarke was gone all day and only came back in the evening, so to make sure they spent time with each other and could talk to each other, they always ended up having a long, conversation-filled dinner together.
After half an hour, Clarke decided she could have a little snack beforehand, so she asked Lexa's guards for one. She had just eaten enough to be slightly full for another 30 minutes or so, when Lexa came back.
"Oh. Hi, love. You're back late again?"
Somehow, Lexa glowed. "Yeah!"
Clarke forgot about her tiny pre-dinner and tilted her head curiously. "What's so exciting about that?"
Lexa's eyes sparkled when she looked at Clarke. "I just bought a house."
"What?"
"Not for living of course," Lexa hurried to add. "I want to try something out."
"In... a house."
"Yeah!"
Clarke couldn't help but smile too- Lexa's was just too contagious. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I love the way you smile about it, so it's got to be good."
"Hopefully," Lexa agreed and kissed Clarke hello. "And you? What did you do today?"
"Well um- I didn't buy a house, but I bought you new flowers?" Clarke presented the pinkish bouquet on the table to Lexa, who beamed even more.
"Are you serious? Thank you!"
After three weeks of seeing Lexa in her usual work mode, all calm and concentrated and productive, this was definitely a change. Clarke loved it.
They had dinner, shared a bath and went to bed eventually- Lexa's mood calmed, but never truly changed. She laid behind Clarke, and her body was still tense with excitement, never settling.
"Lex, baby," Clarke murmured. She didn't want to ruin Lexa's heightened spirits, but she couldn't sleep with Lexa holding her, acting like an excited golden puppy.
"Yeah?" Lexa didn't even sound tired.
Clarke turned to face Lexa and raised her brows. "You've been very cryptic about whatever has been making you feel this way, and I'm counting on knowing somewhen, but I can't sleep next to a loaded energy ball."
"Oh. Okay, I'll just- leave for the couch."
Clarke held Lexa closer before the woman could actually get up. "Absolutely not."
"I can't get myself to be tired, though," Lexa whispered apologetically and Clarke hummed, propping herself up on one elbow.
"Are you sure?"
"Well of co- oh." Lexa heart skipped a beat when she saw Clarke's gaze and her body melted to a puddle just a litte. She didn't know what to say, but apparently she didn't have to anyway. Clarke kissed her and it was soft, innocent, but with the promise of more if Lexa would take it.
She didn't hesitate to.
Five minutes later, Lexa was hovering over Clarke, hands at the ties of Clarke's nightgown where Clarke had placed them, gently tugging the dress down.
Lexa's hands were hesitant, even though Clarke tried to guide them and allow Lexa to touch her at Lexa's own pace. Maybe this was Lexa's own pace.
Either way, Clarke didn't have to chase the high. The close, skin-on-skin body contact, Lexa's kisses on Clarke's neck, the fact that it had been a month- Clarke took that to explain the wave of pleasure that crashed over her after just a few minutes of Lexa touching her.
By the time they both fell asleep naked and exhausted next to each other though, two hours had passed, and Lexa was anything but energetic anymore.
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hi guys,
i hope you liked the chapters, vote to help support the story if you want or comment what you think, your comments are always my favorite thing to read :)
also i have a question for you guys. I have non-published drafts that I've been thinking about publishing, but I always think 'the on-going ones need to be finished first plus Hidden, then the drafts' but first of all, i can't make any promises with Hidden atm and secondly, it's not like I have any control over what story I feel like writing / am inspired to write and I don't want to / can't force myself.
So, I write my drafts anyway, the question is whether or not you'd be interested in reading something. What do you think about a new clexa story some time soon? There's sweet stuff, there's stuff that has potential, there's stuff I want to share with you, but I always have this mental to-do list of having to finish the other stories first, even though I don't know when I will.
Tell me what you think, stay safe and don't forget you're awesome people <3