Chapter Text
“You know I don’t do blind date’s Raven” Clarke said, flapping her arms around as if to convey a much harsher tone to her voice by using her hands to speak.
“No Clarke,” Raven interjected. “You don’t do dates…period.”
“And for good reason,” Clarke whined.
Clarke and Raven had known each other since they were twelve, and they have loved and hated each other ever since. Raven was the new kid at school, who demanded your attention with her fierce exterior and ‘take no bullshit’ attitude. So when she met Clarke, who was very similar, it was needless to say the two girl’s butted heads.
Neither girl backed down.
For their whole Middle and Senior years, Clarke and Raven competed each other against everything. From who would ace their exams more, to who would kick the more goals in their soccer matches, to who could swim and run the fastest. It wasn’t until their last year at school, when Clarke’s father had a terrible car accident and died, that the two girls became friends. And even though they continued to compete in pretty much everything, they also knew that without each other they wouldn’t be the best versions of themselves.
“Just go out and have some fun,” Raven pleaded. “You never know, you two might hit it off and move out of my apartment.”
“Our apartment.”
“My apartment that you share with me” Raven laughed.
Clarke rolled her eyes and conceded defeat. “Fine, but when this date turns out to be some serial killer who ties me up and throws me in the trunk…just remember my I told you so face.”
“Kinky.” Raven smirked.
Later that night across town
It had only been ten minutes into their date already, and Clarke was extremely bored. The conversation, thus far, had been more about the difference between still and sparkling water, which was more at the waiter than her. Followed closely with what was on the menu, which Clarke really wanted to point out that she could read.
Since all the formalities were, thankfully, out of the way, Clarke now had bets on which opening line of questioning he would go for. Would it be the ‘what do you do for work’ question, or the ‘what do you do for fun’ question. 10 bucks was on work.
“So” the boy began. “What do you do for work, Clarke?” He asked
Bingo
“I’m a scientist” she politely smiled.
“Really?” The boy was clearly impressed. His eyes already popping out of his head.
Clarke laughed, more of a ‘ha’ than anything. “No, not really.’ She shook her head. “I’m an illustrator for children’s books.”
The boy nodded his head, assuming to understand what any of that meant.
“And you?” she asked, more so out of being polite than she was actually interested.
“I, uh” he nervously twirled the napkin in front of him, “I work in finance.”
Thankfully they were interrupted by the waiter bringing out the food before Clarke could slap herself in the head with how poorly this date was going. But more so, she wanted to slap her friend Raven. How could she possibly think this guy is dating material?
Clarke, for thirty-two minutes and seventeen seconds, patiently listened to this boy speak and chew his food at the same time. At one point, she wondered if he would choke on his food, which led her to feel a sense of relief that this date would be over. As she was about to excuse herself, and make a run for it, she thought she saw someone she knew who had just walked into the restaurant.
No, it can’t be she thought.
“Octavia?” Clarke yelled out from where she was sitting. As the other girl looked back at her, with a huge smile forming, Clarke leapt out of her seat and practically sprinted over. “Oh my god, look at you.”
“Well if it isn’t the Princess, Clarke Griffin!” Octavia acknowledged, embracing Clarke into a small hug. “I haven’t seen you since…”
“…since I got wasted and ran naked around your house?”
Both girls laughed simultaneously.
Octavia peered over Clarke’s shoulder, “Who’s the puppy?”
Clarke looked back, and saw the boy smiling expectantly at her. Damnit. “You have to save me from this disastrous blind date.”
“I would…” Octavia started. “But I’m kind of waiting for my boss.”
Clarke begged with her eyes.
Octavia rolled hers. “Fine.”
Clarke walked back to her table, as Octavia and the waiter followed closely behind. The waiter pushing another table close to hers.
“This is Octavia” Clarke said. “I hope you don’t mind, but I haven’t seen her in a really long time.”
The boy smiled, and gestured to Octavia to sit down.
“And this is Flynn” Clarke said, pointing to the boy.
“Finn” he corrected, shaking the other girl’s hand.
Fuck, I thought it was Flynn.
“How do you know Clarke?” Finn asked the girl who was now sitting beside him. Clarke immediately rolled her eyes, which didn’t go unnoticed by Octavia.
Octavia chuckled. “We kind of went to school with each other.”
“Kind of?”
“Yeah, I mean, she was two years ahead of me. She knew my brother.”
Clarke flinched at those words, hoping this line of questioning would soon stop. She didn’t want this boy, who she would more than likely never see again after tonight, knowing too much about her.
As if the gods above were listening to Clarke’s prayers, they were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice now standing near their table. Although, by the looks of things Octavia seemed to know the girl standing there.
“Lexa” Octavia smiled, standing to greet the woman. She was taller than Octavia, but not by much. Her eyes, however, were a magnetic green. Her hair was half up, half down – messily but styled the way. But it was the way she stood, and commanded herself, that took Clarke’s attention. Tall, back straight, shoulders back – this girl meant business.
“Octavia” she greeted, before slowly placing her clutch down on the table and taking a seat next to the blonde. “I didn’t know we would be having company this evening.” She said in a more hushed tone.
“I hope you don’t mind” Octavia smiled. “This is Clarke, we went to school together.” She rushed out, pointing to the girl seated next to Lexa.
Lexa looked the girl quickly up and down, and Clarke immediately felt chills.
“And you are?” She looked to the boy opposite of Clarke.
“Flynn” he nervously replied. “I meant Finn” He quickly corrected, not before a few choice words were muffled under his breath.
Two hours later
After the first two bottles of wine were opened and quickly disposed of, Clarke reconnected with Octavia and caught up on the several years they had missed since they last saw each other. Although Clarke had heard different things from mutual friends, Raven included, it was a nice to hear it from Octavia herself. She soon learned that Octavia was a paralegal for Lexa at a law firm here in the city, Lexa boasting pride at the creation she made out of Octavia.
Octavia then learned that Clarke went on to become an illustrator while also trying to put herself through art school.
Another two bottles were disposed of, and the four of them were sitting there laughing and carrying on like old friends. Well, three of them – Flynn/Finn was just sitting there.
“Oh god” Clarke announced. “The wine is getting to my head.”
Octavia giggled, taking another sip of her drink. “I think the wine got to your head about three bottles ago.”
Clarke raised her index finger to her lips giving her a ‘shh’ sound. “If you’ll excuse me” She said, pointing to the bathroom before walking off.
“I’ll go with her” Lexa said, giving Octavia and the boy a gentle smile.
As Clarke exited the bathroom stall, she noticed Lexa standing by the sink reapplying her mascara, or eye-liner. At this point Clarke was a little too intoxicated to tell.
“Hi” the blonde slurred, bumping her shoulder into the other girl. “Checking up on me?”
Lexa let out a soft laugh. “I could go and get your date to check up on you, if you prefer?”
Clarke groaned. “Why do I let my friends set me up on these disastrous blind dates?”
It was more of a statement than it was a question, but Lexa could somehow tell there was a bit of sincerity behind the other girl’s words.
“You don’t seem like the type of girl that let’s anyone dictate what you can and cannot do.”
Clarke scrunched up her nose, although it was the nicest thing anyone had said to her in a while. But she paused, and looked at Lexa through the mirror, met with the other girl’s eyes upon her. She saw a stillness looking back at her; she also saw a softness and felt a warmth. It was as though in one split moment she knew this girl.
“Clarke” Lexa softly spoke
“Lexa” Clarke replied, now turning to face the girl.
Clarke reached for a loose strand of hair that fell upon Lexa’s cheek, and tucked it behind her ear. She never broke eye contact with Lexa, not once. She leaned over, and her lips had suddenly met Lexa’s. They kissed, and Clarke felt the passion of their kiss as if a candle’s flame had been ignited. Her cheeks flushed, and her heart rate rose.
“You’re drunk Clarke,” Lexa broke away first. “And we shouldn’t.”
Clarke’s eyes were still shut, and her mouth feeling the loss of contact from Lexa. “I’m not the only one,” she responded, opening her eyes slowly. “And we should.”
Lexa took Clarke’s hands in her own, and tightly squeezed them. “Believe me when I say in another time, and in another place, I would be all yours.”
Clarke thought it was because they were both slightly intoxicated, and so she conceded defeat and allowed Lexa to lead them back out to their table.
Even later into the night, back at Clarke’s apartment
“Clarke?” Raven asked, as she heard the blonde stumble through the front door, tripping over everything in sight. “You got drunk?”
Clarke plopped herself onto the sofa nearby. “I’m not drunk” She corrected her friend, “I just can’t feel my face.”
Raven laughed, as she sat down beside her friend who was sprawled out on the sofa. She picked up Clarke’s legs, and placed them on top of hers. “You’re smiling?” She asked. “So, Finn was a success?”
Clarke rolled her eyes. “God, no. Flynn was a disaster.”
“Then why are you smiling?” She asked, confused.
“I ran into Octavia.”
“Octavia Blake?”
“Yep” Clarke nodded. “And then I had my tongue in her friend’s mouth.”
Raven let out a belly of a laugh. “You what?”
“Lexa!” Clarke slurred and screamed all at the same time, and then passed out two seconds later.
Raven shook her head in disbelief, “Only you Clarke.” She smiled.