Chapter Text
“Having a good time?” Raven asks Lexa who’s been nursing her beer bottle for the last half hour without even taking a single sip out of it.
“Of course.” It does not sound very convincing or even remotely sincere but the fake smile on Lexa’s face and the couple of mojitos Raven has downed in the last hour help.
“Okay, then.”
The Latina is about to walk away but hesitates for a second and grabs Lexa by the arm. “You’re coming with me. Time for a quick make over before we hit the bar.”
Lexa is reluctant but follows the other brunette nonetheless.
“And smile, for frak’s sake.”
“I shouldn’t have suggested you watch BSG...”
“And I would have missed Tricia’s hot red dress? No way, that was your best suggestion.” Raven pulls Lexa with her into Octavia’s bedroom where the other girls are giggling. “Go on, Commander, move your ass to the bed, I’m the one in charge of your make-up.”
As soon as both brunettes enter the bedroom, Clarke turns her head towards the door to look at her best friend. Octavia immediately growls and tries to catch the blonde’s attention “Hey, Princess, if you keep moving, you’re going to look like a mess and we don’t want that, do we?”
Clarke quickly smiles at Lexa, who smiles back, and faces Octavia again. “No need to be a bitch.”
“You love it,” says Octavia as she applies a very bright pinkish lipstick to the blonde.
Lexa comes and sits on the bed, next to Monroe. Raven is ready to work her magic on Lexa’s face.
Harper, Anya, Maya, Fox and Emori are already at the bar, at their usual Saturday night’s booth, the table covered with various cocktails, when the Princess and her court arrive, late, as predicted.
“HEY PRINCESS!!!” yells Maya.
“Wow, you look...” starts Harper.
“She’s okay considering the trouble I had to get her to stay still” growls Octavia.
Lexa follows the group of ladies when Anya spots her.
“Wow, what happened to your face?” frowns the tall dark blonde girl.
“Doesn’t she look perfect like this?” smirks the Latina.
Anya seems speechless for a minute, opens her mouth, attentively examines Lexa and decides to give her opinion. “I guess... it makes her look scary.”
“Am right here, what did you do, Raven?” She turns to Anya. “She didn’t let me see.”
“Trust me, it’s good.” Says Raven as Anya talks at the same time. “It suits you, really.”
“Whatever. Monroe, give me a drink please.”
“Which one?”
“I don’t give a damn.”
Clarke is already sipping on her fancy unknown but very colourful cocktail and Lexa has the clear intention to get drunk when she downs her Cuba Libre all at once and grabs the next drink Monroe is presenting to her. The girls are cheering the Commander up. It’s going to be a wild night.
At 2am Raven is still dancing with strangers in the middle of the dancefloor. It looks like alcohol has no effect on her. It’s almost a miracle, until it isn’t. Octavia knows that within the next hour the Latina is going to switch off like a dead light bulb. Anya knows this too but right now she is more concerned by her cousin, Lexa, who’s gone to the bathroom a while ago and still hasn’t come out.
“Lexa?”
There are a couple of girls, almost dead drunk, chatting very loudly by the sink. They don’t even notice the dark blonde knocking on the cubicles’ doors.
“Lexa, are you in there? Are you throwing up?”
Lexa growls from behind one of the doors but with the loud music, Anya can’t tell which one.
“Am okay. Just needed... some alone time.” Says Lexa as she exits her cubicle.
Anya can tell her cousin has been crying but she has to admit that the racoon’s make-up Raven did doesn’t give a clue for the average person. And Lexa is a master at putting on a brave face, a no nonsense but still caring mask. So nobody will notice anything and Anya knows her cousin enough not to question her. She knows why Lexa has been crying.
“Okay. Shall we join the others?” Lexa nods.
It’s now 4.30am and the girls are back at the flat. Octavia is asleep on the corner armchair, Monroe and Harper have taken her bedroom. Raven is lying face down on the living room carpet at Octavia’s feet. There is a bucket near her in case of emergency. Clarke is sharing her bedroom with Maya and Fox. Emori and Anya are sleeping on the side couch. Lexa is the only one still awake at this hour. She is sitting on the main couch, silently sobbing.
The flat is quiet apart from the wheezing emanating from the alcohol soaked girls in the room and Monroe’s extremely loud snores that could probably be heard by the neighbours. Clarke’s bright pink hen’s sash is properly folded on the sofa where Lexa is sitting. Every few minutes, Lexa gives it a look but doesn’t dare touching it. It would be too real. It would mean that there’s no coming back, that she has to accept the situation as it is. Clarke will get married next week and she doesn’t know how to feel about it. Hell, who is she kidding? She feels like hell and deep down she exactly knows why, but doesn’t want to admit it. Clarke is her best friend and she wants her to be happy. That’s all she wants. That’s the most important thing for her. Clarke is everything. She is her priority, always.
At 4.52am, Clarke wakes up. Her throat is as dry as a desert. She needs a gallon of water to clench her thirst. She swears it’s the last time she drinks like this.
As drunk as she is, the blonde still manages to catwalk in the flat. She immediately notices her best friend on the couch and she knows Lexa is not sleeping. Her thirst can wait. Clarke sits next to the brunette while wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Lexa is tensed at first but relaxes a bit after a while.
“Wanna talk about it?” Lexa shakes her head and Clarke nods.
At 4.55am, the girls are hugging.
At 4.57am, Lexa’s silent tears start falling on Clarke’s night shirt.
At 4.58am, Clarke hugs Lexa tighter.
At 4.59am, Lexa’s hands grip Clarke’s shirt as if life depended on it.
At 5.01am, Clarke loosens the hugs and cups Lexa’s head in her hands. Their foreheads are touching.
At 5.02am, time suddenly freezes. Clarke tentatively leans in and Lexa’s heart is no longer beating. After what feels like eternity, Clarke’s lips are pressed on hers. It’s not even weird. It’s natural.
By 5.04am they are slowly making out. There’s no thinking, just reacting. It’s soft, lips are waltzing as if they’ve done it all their lives.
At 5.07am Octavia shuffles on the armchair and Lexa’s right hand is moving down Clarke’s torso to find a bit of skin. Instinctively Lexa’s thumb caresses the bare skin it can find and Clarke’s body moves closer to the other girl’s body.
By 5.09am, Lexa and Clarke have changed angles countless times but strangely enough the pace is still slow. Everything is happening in slow motion. Normal time is in suspension, hanging by a thin threat, in the air, just waiting for a drop to disturb the surface.
At 5.10am, Clarke hands are massaging Lexa’s scalp while their noses are bopping, eyes closed. Lexa’s tear tracks have dried.
At 5.11am, Clarke is caressing Lexa’s bottom lips with her left thumb. And that’s when the drop falls. Raven stirs in her sleep and the bucket that was near her right arm falls on its side and noisily rolls on the wooden floor. Time resumes its normal speed and Lexa instantly distances herself from Clarke. Lexa is uncomfortable, Clarke can tell that much by her best friend’s body language.
At 5.12am, Lexa is in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water, facing the sink. Clarke is kindly looking at her from the doorstep. As soon as she finishes her glass and puts it in the sink, Lexa closes her eyes, takes a deep breath in and turns around to face the blonde. They look at each other for a moment before Clarke walks in the room. Lexa instinctively turns around to pick up her glass, fills it with water and hands it to the blonde. Clarke takes the glass and smiles at Lexa who tentatively smiles in response. Clarke leans in and Lexa meets her. It’s just a peck and it’s over almost as soon as it started.
At 5.14am Lexa has left the kitchen and is heading towards the front door with her coat on.
At 5.20am, Clarke is back in her bed and replays the last 20minutes in her mind. Clarke doesn’t know how to feel about it. Lexa is her best friend. Of course she loves her. Best friends kiss, don’t they?
Don't they?