(Y/S/N) = your ship name
Your POV.
"Good morning, (Y/n)." Lexa's voice had an extra cocky ring to it as she slid into her seat beside you, you'd been diligently writing in your english notebook, ever the good student.
You shook your head in exasperation. "Good morning, Commander."
You didn't notice Lexa's reaction to her use of the nickname. It was different, the way you said it. The way it so elegantly and deliciously rolled off your lips.
Lexa forgot to speak.
"Another game won..." You drawled, glancing up at Lexa with a wry smile.
"You came." Lexa noted aloud, and you glanced away bashfully.
"For Anya." You blurted out.
"You have a thing for my cousin?" Lexa's bewilderment, and acidic tone, was not unnoticed by you.
You laughed, blushing. "Uh, not really. But...you know...support your local girl football player and all that."
Lexa narrowed her eyes, but smirked nonetheless. You were teasing her.
"You're on a roll, then?" You asked, leaning forward on your elbow, toothy smile in place.
"We don't plan on losing." Lexa shot back arrogantly, but she matched your smile.
"Too bad." You whispered, your voice lowering so that Lexa was closer. "You know, you could really stand to be knocked flat on your ass a few times. Take your cockiness down a notch. I'd pay to see that."
Lexa grinned wickedly at you, enjoying their banter like she had come to enjoy most things about you. "You'd pay to see my ass, (Y/l/n)?"
"That's not what I said." You scoffed, cheeks turning red.
Lexa's smirk forced you to shake your head, muttering, "You are incorrigible."
Their work began and Lexa's playful mood only seemed to bolster your own spirits. You too had come to enjoy your banter.
Maybe it had a little bit to do with Lexa's offering of support the other day on the field.
Maybe.
But you began to notice little nuances and changes in Lexa's tonality, in her expression, a softness that perhaps had been absent on their first day. It was endearing.
Towards the end of the class period, you had noticed Lexa's telltale smirk boring into you.
Glancing up, you felt an immediate blush settling in. "What?" You demanded.
"Oh, I'm sizing you up." Lexa announced loftily, shutting her book with a satisfied smile.
"Me?" You snorted. "What for? Planning on taking our arguments to the next level?"
There was a strange intensity in those words. You found yourself looking away, while Lexa licked her lips, heat pooling in your stomach.
Okay, so you had frustrating bouts of attraction to Lexa Woods. Who didn't?
"It's just..." Lexa shrugged. "I'm the so called Commander of the Kru...You're the head of your little group of...Delinquents."
"Yeah yeah, we're star crossed lovers." You rolled your eyes. "Why is this relevant? You planning on a gang war?"
Lexa's lips quirked up in a smile at that. "No. But I was debating inviting you to a party at my place, Friday evening."
Your brows shot up. "Your place?"
"Anya's, if we're being specific, but my aunt and uncle have fled for some much needed alone time, which I don't care to think about. That leaves Anya and I in charge." She replied lazily, twirling her pen between her long fingers.
You bit your lip. "So you're using your bestowed responsibilities to...throw a rager?"
Lexa shrugged. "Costia wanted to. Who am I to deny her?"
You felt an unpleasant feeling bubble in the pit of your stomach. Of course Lexa doted on her.
"Well." You began, ready to deny. That turned you off completely. "I don't think our groups would get along, you're right."
Lexa leaned forward, wry smile on her lips and glint in her eyes. "Who says it's about them?"
You froze, batting your eyelashes in surprise. Did Lexa just-
"Bring whomever." Lexa shrugged as the bell rang, offering you a lazy grin (but damn if it wasn't the most beautiful thing you had ever seen). "At least...think about it."
Lexa had sauntered off before you had a chance to take another jab. Now you really did have to consider it.
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Aden's POV.
Through a lot of stealthy planning on his part, Aden had finally set the beginnings of his plan into motion.
You had cancelled their tutoring session for the day, citing personal reasons, which had given Aden all the excuse he needed to call a meeting to order. With Atom's help, Aden had successfully located the lockers of all the so-called delinquents , and deposited individual notes asking them to gather at the school library after the conclusion of sixth period.
Aden sat, flipping through the binder he'd prepared, and watched as they trickled in, one by one.
The Blake twins arrived first, with Raven following not long after, and then came Monty Green and Jasper Jordan until, finally, Murphy walked in, hands stuffed in his hoodie pocket, sitting next to the others. They were talking amongst themselves, and Aden gauged that the general mood was one of confusion, and decided to make his presence known, walking over to the table they'd all sat down at, and plopping his binder down on the table.
"You may be wondering why I've gathered you all here today," he opened dramatically, doing his best to channel his inner Lexa.
"Who's the kid?" he heard Raven ask, and Octavia piped up a moment later.
"That's Aden Woods."
"As in the commander's little brother?"
"That would be the one."
He cleared his throat, shooting a little glare in their direction, to which Raven answered with a wide grin.
"Anyways, as I was saying," Aden continued, "you are all here today to help with a plan that I have conceived, and will show to you with the help of my lovely assistant, Atom." On cue, Atom approached, rolling along with him a borrowed giant whiteboard. Aden quickly rifled through his binder, and pulled out several packets, and Atom handed one to each delinquent.
"Exhibit A," as he spoke, Aden quickly pulled a picture of you from his binder and taped it to the whiteboard on the left side, "exhibit B," here, he placed a picture of Lexa on the opposite end of the board, and quickly drew a blue line between the two of them, and wrote, in big, block letters OPERATION (Y/S/N)) above the line.
"I like this kid already," Raven grinned, flipping through the offered packet, which was a detailed task analysis and timeline for Aden's master plan.
"Now," Aden continued, "as you can tell, this is an intervention in an attempt to get your friend, (Y/n), and my sister, Lexa, together, because, quite frankly, the amount of sexual tension between the two of them is ridiculous."
"Amen to that, sister," Octavia grinned, high-fiving Raven from across the table.
"Now, there are a few roadblocks in this plan," Aden said, motioning to Atom, who had pictures ready in his hand, "most notable exhibit C." He paused to allow Atom time to place Costia's picture next to Lexa's, drawing a pink line between the two. "And, most recently, an unexpected roadblock that will put a dent in my timeline, exhibit D." Here, Atom placed a picture of Luna next to you.
"Now, while I don't have anything against Costia or Luna, I just don't think that the two of them are the best for the people they're currently pursuing, and would be better suited with a different partner."
"I can agree with you on that," Bellamy agreed, pursing his lips, "Luna had no clue how to handle (Y/n) when she was upset, so I can't see that lasting very long." Aden grinned at him widely, and Atom began writing their respective names on the board.
"Now, as you can see, I've laid out a comprehensive list of things you can do in order to help (Y/n) and Lexa realize that they were meant to be―yes, Monty?" The korean boy had a small frown on his face and had raised his hand.
"Yeah, don't you think we should let the two of them figure this out on their own?"
"Have you met , (Y/n), Mon? She's even more stubborn than Raven―"
"I'm going to take that as a compliment, Jas."
"I know, but―" Monty trailed off at the looks from his friends, who all looked fully onboard with the idea, sans Murphy, who appeared fairly bored, as per usual, and, outnumbered, the boy sighed. "Fine. You guys win."
"Excellent!" Aden cheered, clapping his hands together, "now, we have to start off slow, I'd personally recommend..."
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Lexa's POV.
"I don't understand why you're upset." Anya sighed, putting her feet up on Lexa's dashboard on the harrowing morning drive to Arkadia.
Lexa was hiding beneath her tinted sunglasses, lips pressed in a firm line, much like her mother did when she was angry. At that thought, she felt another pang. She couldn't even remember her mother's stern voice anymore.
"Ow, hey!" Anya protested when Lexa delivered a swift shove to her feet, sending them down. "What the hell, Lex?"
"Feet off my dashboard." Lexa growled pointedly, her eyes on the road.
Aden sighed, leaning forward from his seat in the back, to whisper in Anya's ear: "She's mad because mom and dad have been so busy that they've barely caught up with us. You and Lexa have a four game win streak and a perfect season so far."
"So?" Anya scoffed. "It's not like you play for them."
Lexa, quite privy to their hushed whispers, didn't answer, instead shrinking further into her seat.
"So, come out with the team to the Dropship after practice today." Anya offered, glancing at her cousin with a pointed look.
"I'm supposed to go out with Cost." Lexa mumbled, her eyes on the road.
Aden resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Anya did not.
"Why?" Anya pressed.
"She's my girlfriend, for starters." Lexa replied mildly, unwilling to fight so early in the morning.
"Doesn't mean you have to suck face all the time." Anya retorted.
"Amen." Aden quietly murmured from his back seat, catching Lexa's sharp glance at him through the rearview mirror.
"I'm not in the mood for English." Lexa sighed, rubbing her temple with her free hand as she stopped at a light, bringing the car, her baby, to a gentle rolling stop.
"Yeah but Crewe almost makes that class worth it." Anya smirked. "Right? She's hot as hell."
Lexa bit her lip. "I don't even know where we stand, to be honest. She likes my partner, though. (Y/n)."
Aden perked up silently, eyebrows shooting up. This was going to be telling.
"How's that...going for you?" Anya asked, rather awkwardly.
"It's..." Lexa sighed, shooting a look at Aden. "Okay, I'm only saying this once. I might have overreacted about her. She's...."
"Amazing?" Aden supplied. "Great? Really attractive?"
At that last one, Anya shot him a smirk and shook her head, though neither one missed Lexa's tensing at the wheel.
"We're making it work." Lexa supplied, pulling to a sharp stop in front of the curb.
"Uh, Lex." Anya muttered in confusion. "This isn't the senior lot."
Lexa put the car in park, glancing at Anya, motioning for her to switch over. "You're absolutely right." She fired back, numbly. "Park her. And not a scratch, Anya."
"Where are you going?" Anya asked, slipping around as she stopped her cousin by the hood of the car.
Lexa shook her head in response, turning away, bag slung over her shoulder.
"She's going to brood, somewhere." Aden informed Anya with a helpless shrug. "She ditches, remember?"
"Wow, I didn't realize how pissed she was. Man, she's upset."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The morning breeze made the flowers dance up in the northern quad, past the football field Lexa had so diligently spent all her free time on.
And for what?
Nothing.
She was "The Commander", "Gifted", the "Star of the School", and "D1 Bound".
What did it matter?
For all Alexander and Anastasia Woods knew, she could have been dropping out to pursue a career in the circus.
Lexa sat, setting her bag aside as she bunched her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on her jeans. She took in the sweet aroma of the flowers, the various types swaying all around her, giving off their last glimpses of brilliance before the harsher season of winter.
Perhaps these flowers would be resilient, like her.
Perhaps they'd bloomed in the spring, where everything had been fine, like Lexa.
Perhaps they were determined to stay alive, even in the harsher, more desperate times, like winter.
Maybe Lexa could, too.
Lexa thought about how many times she'd been the one to kiss Aden's injuries, to pick him up from school. She thought about how many times she'd gotten herself into idiotic situations, ditching class, getting into physical altercations, all because her beloved mother and father couldn't be bothered to make so much as a goddamn guest appearance in her own adolescent life.
She thought about it, and she cried.
She let tears well in her eyes, ushering them to fall with quiet sighs.
The last time they'd actually spoken to her was a skype call, where all they'd done was gush over Costia.
She hadn't had a heart to heart about womanhood with her mother in ages.
Her father hadn't passed her the ball in months.
She knew it was ridiculous, petty, even. She was eighteen. She was an adult. She knew she didn't need anyone. She knew that no one had to know her innermost thoughts, her secrets and feelings that she feared to share with even those closest to her.
Aden knew not to bother her during these times of refuge, and he wouldn't be caught dead skipping class.
Lexa wasn't sure it was within Anya's capacity to concern herself over such trivial things.
Indra and Gustus were sweet, but they were occupied with making a living, and Lexa dared not interfere with that.
She thought of Costia, her radiant beauty, her sweet smiles.
She could never open up to Costia like that. Not with all the little intricacies Costia busied herself with, like school and the scholarship and the drama and gossip of her status.
Lexa felt alone, not for the first time that day, that week, that month, that year.
Lexa felt entirely, utterly alone.
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You frowned as the bell for chemistry rang, signalling the beginning of class, and Lexa was still nowhere in sight.
After not seeing the girl in english, you had assumed she was just off doing something with Titus, as she was known to miss one period at a time for miscellaneous reasons, but usually came back by third period, which was chemistry. This time, however, she still remained oddly absent, and you couldn't help but peel a pang of concern towards the brunette football player. You considered sending her a text asking her if she was okay, but pushed the thought away quickly, as you didn't want to seem too worried.
"Good morning class," Pike greeted as he entered the room, the door closing behind him with an echoing click .
"Morning Mr. Pike." The monotonous, well-rehearsed response of the class reverberated through the chilly classroom, and the man smiled tightly at them, setting his bag down on the desk at the front of the room.
"Now, as I was explaining the other day, today we'll be doing a lab in regards to the formation of different crystalline structures, so you'll need to get into pairs of two, no more, no less. I'll give you a few minutes to decide that amongst yourselves, and you can begin when you're ready, instructions are online in the canvas module for the day. And please, for the love of god," he paused to shoot a glare in the direction of Raven and Jasper, "don't blow anything up today."
"No promises, sir!" Raven called back cheekily, and the man rolled his eyes before returning to whatever it was he did on his laptop every day. You figured it had something to do with botany, because Pike absolutely adored plants, and even kept a few in his classroom, which was a bold move on his part, especially with how often Raven and Jasper set things on fire.
You immediately turned to Octavia, who greeted you with a grin, patting the seat next to her welcomingly.
"Ten dollars says Raven sets something on fire," Octavia whispered, and you rolled your eyes.
"I don't take sucker bets, O, I learned my lesson the hard way," You paused, "twenty says it's Bellamy's shirt." Octavia grinned and shook your hand as she began pulling up the instructions from the internet.
"You're so on, (Y/l/n)."
Pike had chosen the lab specifically because he knew it was an easy one, and he'd been trying to come up with things for his class to do that didn't leave any opportunity for either of his more explosive students to create a scene. But there was little that could stop Raven Reyes from making something go boom .
"Alright, which one of you nerds is going to be my partner since my cousin so graciously spared me of her presence." You couldn't help but tune into Anya's conversation, half because you hoped for information as to why Lexa was absent, and half generally curious on which delinquent would pair with the girl for the lab.
"I will." You exchanged a grin with Octavia when Raven and Bellamy's voices rang out in unison, and you had the feeling that you'd be walking out of this class twenty dollars richer.
"Ooh, two idiots fighting for my hand in holy chemistry partnership," Anya deadpanned, "it's basically all my dreams come true." Bellamy and Raven, however, ignored her snide remark in favor of glaring at one another.
"I'm about to be twenty dollars richer," You crowed, and Octavia scowled in response, reading the instructions in favor of listening to you gloat.
"If Anya wanted to fail chemistry, she'd pick you as a partner, Bell," Raven scoffed, "because your head is filled with nothing more but hot air."
"Yeah, well I don't think Anya wants to get blown up, either," Bellamy shot back, "and don't be jealous because I'm hotter than you are, Rae."
"Oh, you? Hotter? Need I remind you who bagged four―"
Choosing to ignore her two friends, you went against your better judgement and pulled up your phone, biting your lip lightly as you tapped on the messaging app.
(Y/n) (Y/l/n)
Hey, you alright? Haven't seen you today.
You tried to push down your disappointment and concern when there wasn't an immediate response, and the fact that you needed to push down said emotions at all confused you to no end. You and Lexa were just barely friends... except that was a lie. You weren't just ' barely friends' with people who saw you in that state of emotional vulnerability and comforted you.
"Oh yeah? Well at least I'm not obsessed with some dumb musical ―"
"―don't you bring Hamilton into this! Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius!"
"See? What a fucking nerd ―"
"Ok, how about we calm down, no need to fight over m― holy shit!" Anya's exclamation of surprise successfully snapped you out of your own thoughts, and the (Y/h/c) girl was greeted by the alarmed screaming of one Bellamy Blake, who was jumping up and down, trying to put out the bright orange flame that had sprouted on his shirt.
"Stop, drop, and roll, Bell," Octavia grumbled as she fished through her wallet, grudgingly slapping a crisp bill into your outstretched hands. Bellamy, however, was not one for the simple 'stop, drop, and roll', so he ran over to the emergency shower and pulled the handle, and the class erupted into chaos as water began pouring down from the ceiling, and the smug class president took the excuse to take his shirt off, revealing toned muscles that were now shining with water.
"Damn you, Bellamy! This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"
Master Jedi (Y/n)
If I was looking for a Lexa, where would I find her?
Young Padawan
Probably in the flower field to the North of the school.
Why are you looking for her?
Master Jedi (Y/n)
....I'm worried
Young Padawan
Good luck!
Pike looked positively murderous , and he threw his arms up into the air in surrender.
"I try to have a nice, peaceful lab and this happens. I need a vacation." He walked out of the room, bag in hand, leaving a rowdy class in his wake. Raven was still screaming at Bellamy, now in spanish, and Anya looked entirely too amused, while Octavia was trying to coax the quickly assembled blowtorch out of Raven's hands.
Taking advantage of the chaos, you slipped out of the room relatively unnoticed, and began to make your way off campus, destination clear in mind.
The walk didn't take very long at all, the small little field was just over the hill to the left of the football field, and you had frequented the spot almost religiously in your freshman year, using the bright colors as inspiration for your paintings.
Lexa was sitting facing away from you, knees drawn up to her chin, on the downward slope of the hill, staring out at the multitude of flowers, looking so much smaller than you had ever seen her.
Wordlessly, you moved to sit next to Lexa, drawing your knees up in a similar fashion.
The two of them sat in silence for a while, just looking at the flowers. You weren't sure how you felt in that moment, but there was a flowing sense of calm, of coexistence, and you could feel your stress melting like evaporating dewdrops, coaxed away gently by the mid-morning sunshine. Your shoulders were barely brushing, as you didn't want to intrude on Lexa's personal space, but the brunette didn't shy away from you as expected. After a few long moments, Lexa opened her mouth.
"Do you ever just feel so alone in the world? Like, you're surrounded by people but you just feel as though there's something lacking, a piece of you missing, and you can't quite figure it out? And then you realize that it's just the dull ache of loneliness thrumming through your bones and nothing seems to stop it?"
You knew the feeling all too well, knew it better than perhaps even Lexa herself did, but didn't voice those thoughts, because this was Lexa's moment of introspection, not yours.
"I just," Lexa paused, unable to form words, motioning widely with her hands, brows furrowed in obvious frustration, "I don't like feeling like this, and being so helpless about it."
Wordlessly, you leaned into Lexa slightly, and the other girl melted into your touch, left hand easily accepting your right, and sighing contentedly when you began to rub small, comforting circles on the back of her palm.
You didn't know how long the two of you sat there, Lexa drawing comfort from your silent companion. It might have been an eternity or a few fleeting moments, but they were at peace.
In the distance, the bell for fourth period rang, and you stood, brushing stray strands of grass off of your pants before you lowered your arm in offering. Lexa stared at it for a moment before accepting, and you pulled her from the ground before tentatively pulling the usually arrogant girl into a soft embrace, letting Lexa relax in your arms.
"Lexa?"
"Yes, (Y/n)?"
"You're never alone." As you pulled away from the other girl, you pretended to ignore the sheen of wetness in the emerald gaze, and turned, tugging Lexa alongside you. "Come on, or we'll be late to Kane's." Lexa laughed humorlessly, using her free hand to wipe at her eyes from behind you, before the two of you headed off in the direction of the school once more.
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Lexa's POV.
The wordless assimilation back to the norm of Kane's class would have been almost pleasing, if Lexa hadn't found that staring at you made the separation almost a thousand times more painful.
Kane himself had made a habit of coming in late, therefore, the students took it upon themselves to absolutely screw the seating chart and simply cajole and converse.
Lexa, on the other hand, had duties to fulfill, loyalties to keep.
She noticed the stack of papers on her designated desk, all exams from last class. She also noticed the key, in a manila envelope marked with Kane's writing: For Lexa Woods' Eyes Only. She shook her head at that, wondering if Kane actually thought that would stop anyone.
Luckily, she'd gotten there first.
Slinging her bag of her shoulder with a sigh, Lexa slid into her seat, pulling the papers into her line of vision. With a great sigh, she began to tune everyone out, willing herself to focus on the task at hand.
Instead, she felt a hand on top of hers. Steeling herself, she glanced up, eyes narrowed.
"Hey, Commander." It was Jasper Jordan, with a cheeky smile, leaning across the desk like it was a bar and he was doing her the favor of ordering a drink.
"Jordan." Lexa replied curtly.
Today was not the day for delinquent antics, with the rare exception of you.
"So, I hear you come from a business family?" Jasper wriggled his eyebrows.
Lexa sighed, rubbing her temples. "Was it my parents and last name on the cover of Forbes that gave you that impression?"
Jasper chuckled at that, while Lexa tried to maintain her calm façade. "Anyway, seems to me like you're a smart cookie."
"I'm not giving you the exam key to sell, Jordan." Lexa scoffed.
Jasper's face fell immediately. The crime would be traced directly to her. Her scholarship opportunities would go down the drain, and maybe then her parents would actually give her the time of day.
Were all delinquents this dense?
"Think about it." Jasper put his arm around Lexa, not noticing the way her muscled weapon of a body went rigid. "You, me, maybe Monty....Hundreds of dollars-"
"Whoa, Jas." Your husky tone boosted Lexa's resolve almost instantly. "She's about ten seconds away from breaking your fingers."
Jasper noticed Lexa's tense posture and immediately backed up, eyes wide. "No...Nope, no need for that. I'm just...I'm gonna....you know what? We never had this talk."
He scampered off in the direction of Monty's stern glare.
You chuckled, and Lexa felt her anger evaporate on the spot.
"I'm your English partner. I expect a cut." You teased, leaning against the desk.
Lexa felt herself fall into a smile. "My hero." She fired back, watching your eyes sparkle with amusement.
"Sorry, about him. He's..." You shrugged. "We love him anyway."
Lexa smirked. "Same for Anya. I guess being related helps, there."
You chuckled softly once more.
Before Lexa could add anything, however, your hands were pulled forward and you turned abruptly to reveal Luna, who had an eerily similar confident smirk. She was in a tank top that was kind, to say the least, and Lexa felt something unsavory stir within her all over again.
"Hey." You breathed, smiling evenly.
"Hey yourself." Luna offered. "How are you?"
"Alright. Kinda tired, but...Alright." You offered, seemingly still embarrassed from your attack last time in front of Luna.
Lexa waited, for Luna to ask. To ask how you were coping, if everything was alright, if you needed any support.
Luna decided to avoid the topic altogether.
"Same here, practice gets a little rough." Luna nodded, as if she knew your pain.
Lexa scoffed aloud. It wasn't even Lacrosse season.
Lexa could practically feel the awkward vibes you were giving out as you, too, struggled to dodge the root of the subject: your attack. Lexa couldn't believe Luna was so blatantly ignoring it, especially given how poorly she'd handled it earlier.
"Something funny, Woods?" Luna, playing the part of the ever-close family friend, leaned over Lexa's desk, smirk still annoyingly in place.
Lexa wanted to wipe it off with her fist.
"Your paper." Lexa shrugged with a tone that invited Luna to bite. "I'm grading."
"Oh, Lex." Luna began with an airy laugh. "Always competitive, this one." Luna turned back to you, who'd been watching the entire exchange rather quizzically. "Did you know we played football together growing up?"
"One of us actually did something with it." Lexa muttered, trying desperately to focus on the papers before her.
Luna's smirk was unwavering. "That's because I was more interested in the finesse of lacrosse."
Lexa bit back a reply.
"I could've made the Grounder varsity football team if I wanted." Luna shrugged, you nodding, seeming to accept the idea. "Probably would've beaten out Woods for captain, here."
At that, several heads turned. The class fell silent, save for the "oohs" of students trying desperately to rile up a fight between the two dominant Alpha personalities on campus. They were both well built, with wits to match. It would have been a hell of a fight.
Lexa stood up, eyes narrowing, jaw clenching.
Only you knew what kind of day she was having.
"Oh, looks like I hit a nerve." Luna murmured, though there wasn't too much malice in her tone.
You didn't seem to understand their relationship at all. If they were family friends, why did they look like they wanted to murder each other?
Lexa stepped around the desk, and you noticed the way her bicep muscles tightened, much like her jaw.
"Oh shit." Bellamy mumbled from his seat with the delinquents, standing up, feeling some sense of duty as class president. "Woods..." He tsked, moving behind her cautiously.
Lexa was so clearly not interested in his warning.
"Holy shit." Raven grinned at Octavia, who regarded the entire scenario with a wry smile. It was so obviously a tug-of-war for your affections.
Aden was sharp.
"Hey." You turned to Lexa, trying to get her attention. "Lexa." You tried again, softly. You stepped forward, pressing a gentle hand against Lexa's chest, forcing the girl back a step.
To everyone's surprise, you didn't receive a tongue lashing of any kind. Lexa merely took in a breath, eyes locking with yours.
"She's not worth it." You murmured only so that Lexa could hear, offering her a wry smile.
Lexa couldn't believe it.
You had taken her side? Over Luna's? Weren't you dating?
Before she had any time to process what had just occurred, Kane had walked in, beaming and chipper as ever.
"Morning, lovely students of mine!" He cornily grinned.
Lexa wondered what the hell had gotten into him as of late.
"Hey. I'll pick you up at seven, right?" Luna smiled in your direction, and you nodded vigorously, slipping silently back into your seat.
Lexa gazed crossly at Luna's exam, hoping she failed.
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Aden's POV.
"I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"
Aden grinned as Atom picked up the soccer ball that the two of them had been practicing juggling with, a small ding letting him know that his mother was here to pick him up.
On the days that Aden wasn't in tutoring with you, the two boys would spend an hour or so together after school, just messing around and waiting for their respective rides. Atom's mom didn't get off of work until later, and Aden had to wait around for Lexa to finish practice anyways, so it made sense that the two friends would pass the time together.
That, and Aden genuinely loved spending time with Atom. There was something about the other boy that made him feel completely comfortable, and he never had to worry about being someone else in Atom's presence. Atom accepted him for who he was, nothing more, nothing less, which Aden appreciated endlessly.
"Yeah," Aden returned, pulling the taller boy into a quick hug, "see you then, nerd."
Atom pulled away with a small smile on his face, a faint brushing of pink rising on his neck and under his ears, before offering Aden a jaunty salute and jogging in the direction of the parking lot, backpack swung over his shoulder.
Now without a distraction, Aden made to walk away from the courtyard he and Atom had been occupying, whistling absentmindedly to himself. The sun was still high in the sky, and his eyes traced the lines of his shadow, hands stuffed in his pockets as he followed the sidewalk. His expression deepened into a frown when he noticed other shadows approaching his own, as he hadn't seen anyone else around the courtyard at the same time.
Aden turned around, and felt his heart drop when he observed the familiar faces of Dax Mulligan and his two cronies, Sterling and Myles.
"Mulligan," he greeted, trying his best to remain calm.
"Woods," the much larger boy had a rather evil smirk planted on his face, and Aden knew that this wasn't going to end well. "You two, keep an eye out for the (Y/l/n) bitch this time."
"Which one?" Sterling inquired, and Dax scowled at him.
"Both, I don't fucking care, just make sure that I'm not interrupted."
Aden felt a rush of righteous anger rise within him at the bully's words, because you were one of the most caring people he'd ever met, and didn't deserve to be slandered as such, and he knew that Abby (Y/l/n) wasn't very different.
"Alright, Dax, on it."
At that, the two other boys scampered off, and Aden turned once more to face Dax, who cracked his knuckles in a manner that was supposed to be menacing, and Aden did the only sensible thing he could think of.
He ran.
His feet carried him quickly out of the courtyard and into the school, and he looked around frantically for somewhere to run to, but by this time, the majority of the staff had left, and the hallways were barren.
"You can't escape this time," Dax laughed, "you don't have that (Y/h/c) bitch to rescue you."
True to his word, it wasn't long before Dax caught him. Regardless of all the running he did for soccer, Aden's legs were still much shorter than Dax's, and he flinched as rough hands grabbed him by his neckerchief, which, while aesthetically pleasing, wasn't the best aid in escaping from bullies.
Within moments, Aden found himself once more suspended in the air, up close and personal with Dax's sneering face, back pressed up against the uncomfortable coolness of the lockers.
"You're disgusting, you know that?" Dax growled. "You and your little boyfriend." The words took a moment to register in Aden's mind, and his face scrunched in confusion.
"Atom? But we aren't―"
Dax, however, didn't seem to care about the actual status of Aden and Atom's relationship, and the blonde haired boy didn't get to answer before there was a sharp blow to his abdomen, and he yelped in pain, dropping to the ground quickly when Dax released him.
He scrambled on the ground as he attempted to get up, but a quick kick to the side of his face stopped his efforts, slamming his head against the metal of the locker doors, and Aden curled into the fetal position, arms covering his head in an attempt to shield himself from further damage.
It didn't work.
Dax seemed to realize that he'd get away with more my targeting places that most people didn't see, so he was delivering most of the damage to Aden's stomach and legs, and the younger boy knew that his body was going to be a collage of bruises soon enough, and he focused all of his energy on trying to breath and keeping tears from falling.
It could have been seconds or hours that Dax unleashed his fury onto the small, limp body in front of him, and all Aden could register at that point was pain, until, suddenly, Dax's fists were no longer pressing into him.
"Dude, what the fuck? Get off of him!"
A single blue eye peaked out from underneath the protection of a heavy lid, to find his sister's teammate, Nathan Miller, towering over Dax menacingly.
"He deserves it, though," Dax sneered, "the little fa―" Nathan delivered a swift kick to the other boy's balls, and he went down like a deadweight.
"Watch yourself, Mulligan," Nathan growled, "and pick on people your own size. Scatter, before I decide to teach you a lesson." Aden flinched slightly when his savior approached him, aching all over.
"Hey, you okay kid?" He reopened his left eye to warily observe the football player, whose own eyes widened in recognition. " Woods?"
"Don't," Aden wheezed, "don't tell Lexa." A pause. "Or Anya."
He knew that if his sister or cousin found out about his predicament, there would be blood to be shed. Neither of them would let Dax get out of this without a severe facial disfigurement, and Aden didn't want it to come to that. He might have been a bully, but nobody deserved to be hurt so badly.
"Ok, then I'll call (y/n)―" Aden shook as head as much as he could, pushing himself to a sitting position with great difficulty.
"No," he repeated vehemently, "don't tell anyone."
Nathan regarded him with a somewhat bewildered look, before sighing.
"Alright, kid, guess it's just you and me. C'mon, let's get you patched up." Gingerly, so as not to aggravate Aden's injuries further, he helped the much smaller boy up, and supported his weight so the two of them could stagger over to a locked office.
"My dad's head of security," Nathan shrugged, pulling keys out of his back pocket, "and he's got some first aid shit in here that I can use." He paused in his opening of the door. "I got beat up a lot, too, freshman year."
Surprised, Aden looked up as Nathan helped him into the room and onto a stool.
"You did? Why?"
"I was a scrappy little thing, probably even smaller than you," Nathan laughed, "I know, hard to believe now. Also, being openly gay didn't make things easier for me, so you and I have quite a bit in common it seems."
"I'm not even gay," Aden grumbled, "at least, I don't think I am. I don't know. It isn't really something I've thought about." And that much was true. Growing up alongside Anya and Lexa, Aden had regarded sexuality as something that wasn't a big deal, and thus hadn't put much thought into his own.
"Don't worry about it, kid, you've got plenty of time to figure things out." The older boy frowned. "Pull up your shirt, bud?" Tentatively, Aden did as he was asked, wincing as the movement, and Nathan pursed his lips.
"He broke some skin on your back, and I'll probably wrap up your ribs just in case. I don't think anything's broken, but you're gonna be sore for quite some time." He shook his head in disgust. "Bigots like him need to wake up. It's 2015, not the stone ages." Aden cracked a small smile in agreeance, and hissed softly as Nathan wrapped the bandage across his midsection, clipping it in place quickly.
"Take these." Aden opened his mouth obediently as Nathan pressed two pain relievers there, and swallowed the offered water quickly.
"Can you stand?"
Determined, Aden pushed himself up, feeling like a newborn fawn, legs shaky.
He didn't want to admit how much pain he was in, but he almost faltered as he took a step forward, head ringing.
"Dizzy," he muttered, and Nathan's scowl deepened.
"Yeah, he hit your head pretty hard." He disappeared for a moment and then reappeared with an ice pack, and Aden decided quickly that Nathan was now his new favorite person. "Here, hold this to your head, should help till the pain meds kick in. I can rewrap that for you tomorrow before school if you meet me here."
"Thanks," Aden breathed, steeling himself and planting a smile on his face, "now I have to make it to Lex..."
"I'll walk with you," the older boy offered, and Aden accepted quickly.
As always, Lexa was waiting with Anya by her car in the parking lot, and her eyes narrowed when she observed the ice pack practically glued to her younger brother's head.
"What happened?" she demanded, and Nathan cut in smoothly before Aden could open his mouth.
"Took a nasty spill in the hallway, hit his head," the lie rolled off his tongue easily, and Aden felt a surge of gratitude towards the other boy, "doesn't look like he has a concussion, but I'd let him rest, and ice his head thirty minutes on and off." The two girls stared, as though searching for any sign of a lie, before nodding.
"Honestly, you're as clumsy as a baby gazelle," Anya snorted, "get in the car, nerd."
"See you at practice tomorrow, Miller."
"Later, commander."
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Your POV.
You had spent the past hour and a half deciding what to wear.
Article upon article of clothing had been taken out of your closet and haphazardly laid out on your bed, but you just couldn't make up your mind.
"(Y/n/n)," Raven whined as you threw yet another reject at your friend, "it's just a movie date."
"Yeah," Octavia agreed, "it'll be dark anyways. And you're hot, Rivers is gonna appreciate your bod no matter what you wear." Successfully placated by your friends, you finally settled on your high-waisted white skirt, pulling on a shirt and baby blue sweater over your head, the white collar peeking over the neck of the warmer fabric. After quickly pulling your hair up into a tastefully messy bun and making sure you didn't look like too much of a mess, there was a ring at the door.
Turning to look at the clock, you smiled softly.
Seven o'clock sharp.
You were a sucker for punctuality, Emori must have warned her.
Before you had the chance to open the door, Octavia bolted past you, Raven not far behind, speeding down the stairs like it was their business, and the former reached the door first, yanking it open with much more force than necessary, revealing Luna in all her glory, wearing black skinny jeans that hugged at her hips, and a low cut white tank top with a black bandeau clearly visible underneath.
"Blake, Reyes," Luna greeted coolly, before her warm brown gaze flickered over to you, drinking in the sight of the blonde with a grin, "(Y/n), looking stunning as always."
"Not too bad yourself, Rivers," you grinned, accepting the offered arm and smiling.
"Have her home by ten," Octavia instructed sternly, to which Luna rolled her eyes.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Raven added as the two of you made your way towards Luna's car, arm in arm.
"The question is, what wouldn't Raven do," You muttered under your breath, and Luna laughed lightly before opening the door to the passenger seat for you. The (Y/h/c) in question hesitated a moment before getting in, buckling your seatbelt quickly and taking a few deep, calming breaths to compose yourself.
You don't remember the movie.
It's some post-apocalyptic thriller about kids sent down from space to an apparently radioactive earth who are greeted by people already living there, and you recognized a few of the actors, but the story was generally lacking and after a few minutes, you found herself utterly bored. Luna, who had already removed the armrest between the two of them, took advantage of the situation wholeheartedly, and you found yourself thanking your decision to sit in the back, because you certainly didn't watch the movie.
You prided yourself on being a good kisser.
Though your record of relationships was rather lacking, you'd been known to make out with many a people during parties, though it never went further than that. There'd been one particularly embarrassing moment in sophomore year when your liplocking partner had been Raven, but you two laughed about it now. So you knew what a good kiss was.
Luna was a great kisser.
In the darkness of the theater, you felt as though your other senses were heightened, and you could detect the slight citrusy aroma on Luna's hair, and tasted the mint chapstick on her lips. Somewhere along the line, Luna pulled you into her lap so that you were effectively straddling her, one hand resting on the small of your back, while the other busied itself behind your neck, pulling you closer to the lacrosse player, who teasingly nipped at your lower lip, before moving to trail kisses down the artist's jaw, creeping down onto your neck, which caused you to shiver, leaning into Luna's ministrations.
All in all, the date was a relative success, and Luna kissed you sweetly after walking you to the front porch of the (Y/l/n) household before leaving with a jaunty wave, but you found yourself dreading the next morning and the inevitable inquisition that would come with it.
As usual, Raven and Octavia were ruthless.
You walked into english quickly, making a beeline for Lexa, who was already at her seat.
The brunette football player looked up as soon as you sat down, green eyes searching your face for a moment as her mouth tugged slightly downward, before settling in a neutral position.
"How'd your date go?" For some reason, you couldn't help but feel there was an odd sense of forced casualty in Lexa's tone, which made no sense whatsoever, but you smiled softly anyways.
"Pretty great, actually, we went and saw a movie."
"Oh?" Lexa raised a singular perfectly sculpted eyebrow, a half-smirk now planted on her face. "What was the movie about?" You opened your mouth as though to answer, before closing it promptly with a frown.
"Y'know, I actually don't remember much about the movie..." You trailed off with a sheepish smug, the implication certainly there, and Lexa didn't miss it. You did , however, miss the way Lexa's gaze immediately darkened and the grip on her pencil tightened significantly, knuckles shining white, as your vision was impeded by the two people you'd been trying to avoid most.
"(Y/l/n)! There you are, you sly dog!" Raven grinned, sliding in between Lexa and you forcefully. "You don't mind, do you, Woods? No? Good. So, (Y/n/n), O and I were wondering..."
"Is Luna a good kisser?" Octavia continued, and you blanched, a blush rising to your cheeks.
"That's not exactly something you share, guys," You hissed under your breath, and Raven rolled her eyes.
"Those marks on your neck beg to differ, (Y/n/n)― whoa , Woods, you ok there? You just snapped that pencil in half , and it's mechanical." Quickly recovering from your prior embarrassment, you shot a concerned look in Lexa's direction, but the football player waved you off with a grimace.
"I'm fine," Lexa ground out, before quickly turning to acquire a new pencil. There was a moment of pregnant silence, before Raven interrupted once more.
"So, back to Rivers..." You groaned, burying your face in your hands.
It was going to be a long day.
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Lexa's POV.
It was a senseless beating, an absolute thrashing. Arkadia High was up, with three times the score of their entirely pathetic opponents, from Mount Weather Academy, Lexa's old school.
Even students in their section of the bleachers found themselves cheering for Lexa and Arkadia, as it was simply too embarrassing to watch. With only one instance of scoring for all four quarters, it was looking to be a simply dominating performance by Lexa and her team.
The night air was chilled, but that hadn't stopped Arkadia's students from massing in their designated bleachers, cheering and screaming for their war-painted Commander, enjoying the high of their undefeated season so far.
Lexa had taken her time, during the defensive plays, to scan the bleachers, out of pure curiosity.
It wasn't as if she had been looking for anyone in particular. Costia was off to the side with her cheering squad, occasionally smiling at Lexa if they happened to share a glance. Lexa took off her helmet, resting it at her side as she felt strands and curls frame the sides of her face, having fallen loose from her bun.
Lexa's forest gaze raked the bleachers, noticing many familiar faces from her classes, mixed in with underclassmen she absolutely couldn't recognize, with Charlotte being the one exception. Lexa had been seeing her everywhere, though she couldn't bring herself to care. Charlotte was a cute freshman with a good attitude. Lexa didn't entirely mind her.
And Lexa happened to be in an absolutely chipper mood, having all but secured the game.
So when she waved, ecstatically at Lexa, from behind Aden's spot alongside his companions, Lexa even gave her a wink, sending her swooning and giggling across the bleachers.
Lexa's eyes fixed on Aden for a moment, and the two siblings locked gazes, Lexa matching his grin. Aden was her good luck charm, her sense of home and belonging in the bleachers. She felt a pang of regret when she imagine what it'd be like to have her mother, in one of her expensive coats and scarves, cheering Lexa on from beside him. Or her father, in a crisp suit, clapping his hands and booming out unfollowed commands in his proud haze.
She blinked those thoughts away, eyes falling to her current, existing support system.
Lexa's eyes settled on you, and she felt her heart fall into her stomach.
You had come, loyal as ever, once again donning the jacket with Lexa's number 13 emblazoned on the front and back.
Before Lexa could smile at that, a frown pulled to her lips, because your face wasn't entirely visible. That was because you were turned around, currently in a heated lip-lock with Luna Rivers, straddling her knee as you leaned into the kiss, your hands lacing themselves around Luna's neck. Luna's hands supported you from the small of your back, and you looked intensely busy.
Lexa felt her jaw clench, her fists balling up beside her tightly.
It made her feel wrong, in every sense of the word. Angry, frustrated, and she wasn't sure why.
You deserved better. You deserved someone kind, sweet, and caring; someone who understood your issues and helped you cope with a sweet touch of worry. Not someone cold and flirtatious and sexual like Luna Rivers.
You were rocking ever so gently against Luna's thigh, and Lexa felt her stomach twist. She felt inexplicably disgusted with herself, because in that moment, she was substituting Luna with herself in her thoughts.
That should have been her hand snaking up the back of your sweater, guiding you further into her lips. That should have been Lexa's knee you were rocking on, pushing against you in sweet agony. That should've been Lexa leaving loving bruises on your-
"Woods!" Anya all but shoved her cousin, effectively throwing her out of her reverie. "Game time! Get in there!"
Lexa had seconds to fasten her helmet as she jogged into center field, shaking her thoughts as she tried desperately to listen in to the team huddle.
She didn't need to listen. She had a plan of her own.
The roar of the crowd was deafening, but Lexa was able to tune it out with razor sharp focus as she awaited the snap, eyeing Lincoln with a sharp gaze. He seemed to get the message.
Lexa had never thrown the ball so recklessly, so daringly, and powerfully in all her years playing the game. The ball was a projectile missile, a torpedo aimed straight for the end zone. Lexa knew Mount Weather had meager defense. Unlike when she was playing with Azgeda and the Queens, Lexa didn't have to worry about being sacked, especially with Quint and Nyko at the vanguard of her defense.
Lexa had taken a sharp breath, waiting until Lincoln had enough of a start before absolutely launching the ball across the vast distance of almost the entire field.
The stadium was silent.
You had pulled away from Luna, mouth agape in awe.
The stadium only made a sound, specifically, the roar of applause, after Lincoln dove, the ball just landing in his fingertips as he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Un-fucking-believable!" Anya grinned as she rushed Lexa, like the rest of her teammates, all slamming into her in a congratulatory fashion.
Mount Weather's team looked absolutely perplexed as they moved for a "mercy quit". They had exams to study for, and the game was beyond over.
Lexa couldn't help the fact that her eyes wandered to you before anyone else. Before Aden, before Costia, before Titus.
You were grinning at her, clapping wildly as you openly cheered, perhaps for the first time, for Lexa.
Lexa mirrored her grin, triumphant and suggestive as always, taking off her helmet to offer you a wink.
You blinked, your cheeks rosy as you watched Lexa's chest rise and fall with the victorious stunt she'd just pulled.
And then Lexa was practically toppled over by Costia, who was kissing her before she'd caught her breath entirely.
"Babe, that was fantastic!" Costia cheered, shaking her head. "Really stupid, unbelievably reckless but....nice."
Lexa laughed at that, eyes falling back to you.
Except now, Luna was holding her delicate hand, leading her away to the parking lot with a mischievous grin on her face.
Suddenly, Lexa didn't feel like she was winning anymore.
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Aden's POV.
Aden and his friends had once more found themselves in the company of the delinquents, who were just as loud as ever. Tristan and Charlotte, who Aden couldn't stand , were busy fawning over Anya and Lexa respectively, while Aden was jotting down notes in his binder, trying to brainstorm ways to speed up the flow of his plan.
There was a lull in the game, and Aden made eye contact with his sister, offering her a smile from his position in the bleachers, accompanied by a thumbs up, and a frown tugged at his lips when he saw her face darken, eyes looking beyond him. So, naturally, Aden looked back.
He wished he hadn't looked.
You were situated on Luna's lap, and the scene that greeted him was so intense that Aden was compelled to look away instantly, diverting his eyes instead to the other delinquents, who were in varying stages of shock. Octavia reached over to close Raven's slacked jaw, and Bellamy looked utterly affronted from his position right next to the two. Emori seemed pleased that her captain was getting some action, while Murphy appeared as unphased as ever.
Monty and Jasper were much too high to form a coherent response.
Scowling, Aden pulled his itinerary from the binder, inspecting its contents with a sigh.
This was going to move the plan back significantly .
He paused in his furious recalibrating to watch his sister once more, blue eyes widening as he took in the ferocity and utter reckless abandon that she channelled to throw the football, felt his own jaw open in wonderment as he watched it soar and soar and soar until it found purchase in the endzone, just barely caught by Lincoln's deft hands.
Looking down at his itinerary, Aden grinned.
Maybe it wouldn't slow down the plan as much as he thought.
Sorry this chapter was late we had like 3 days of sun and hot weather this week. And I had to make the most of it because we don't get hot weather very often, so I just sat and slept in the sun when I could for 3 days straight lol :P
Sorry for mistakes it's like 3 in the morning here
Another update up next week :)