Why I Love Her

Play Ball (I Lived)

AN: Chapter is inspired by and named after the One Republic song.

When Octavia said she'd set Clarke up with Lexa, she hadn't expected the destination to be a baseball field near Coalition's Highschool. She thought, maybe it was the baseball game of lexas nephew or niece of maybe even child (hey she wouldn't judge and she was open to that).

What she didn't expect was for Lexa to actually be on the field, whistle sling around her neck, sunglasses fashionably covering her eyes in a way that made her look suave. She shouted commands teaching and coaching the teens like her personal soldiers. But there was also compassion to her, a kindness in her tone despite the lack of praise and her harsh words that made it clear she cared about these kids.

Clarke smiles at the display and climbs the bleachers. Perhaps Lexa had wanted to show another side of herself to Clarke. The one that wasn't a hero even on New Year's Eve. Just a normal baseball coach.

Lexa was so in her element she hadn't even looked up at Clarke. She'd wait. Disturbing Lexa felt like a crime.

Meanwhile Lexa was realizing that meeting at the baseball field was a bad idea. What type of person chooses a day where they are coaching practice for the first date? Especially on a hot summer day like today. Clarke would probably rather be indoors in a mall or a roller skating rink, or maybe enjoying the sun on the beach.

Her ideas were so embarrassing. She could bear to look at Clarke, training her eyes on the field and the players. It was really hard to keep her eyes from roaming though. The notion was silly but she could feel Clarke's eyes searing into the back of her head.

Lexa struggles to focus on coaching her team until one of the boys, Artigas speaks up waving his wrist that sports a handy dandy watch, "Coach! We were supposed to leave thirty minutes ago." Flushing, Lexa dismisses them, knowing that Clarke heard that.

She makes a point of watching all of the team pack and head back into the showers before turning to Clarke. Her apologetic smile is genuine. What type of person made a girl as brilliant as Clarke wait a whole forty minutes watching something that probably bored her half to death?

"I'm sorry for making you wait",Lexa says, stepping up one leg onto the bleachers and reaching out to guide Clarke down the bleachers. They both know there's no need, but the chivalrous move brings Clarke closer to Lexa and neither of them have complaints about that.

The grin that sports Clarke's face is blindingly bright like the sun. "It's okay. You're really cute when you're nice and caring."

Suddenly Lexa's heart is pounding even harder. Her head spins at the compliment. Clarke managed to turn her into mush too easily. The best she can come up with is, "What am I when I'm not nice?" God, it must sound so dumb.

Clarke seems to flush then, her confidence fading slightly as she looks away at the parking lot and murmurs, "Hot as fuck." Lexa wants to jump up as if her pants are on fire, because to be seen as hot by Clarke, a literal Goddess, is mindblowing.

That is not what she ends up doing. Clarke seems shy, and slightly uncomfortable as if she hadn't really wanted Lexa to hear it. So instead Lexa feigns obliviousness. "Can you repeat that? I didn't catch what you said."

With a chuckle and the shake of her head, Clarke answers, "Will you teach your kids like that too?" Clarke could see it, with how attentive Lexa was. She was caring despite her distant demeanor as a captain when she was on duty.

"I-..." Lexa's ears are going red in the most adorable way and Clarke resists the urge to reach out and caress them. "I haven't thought about children, but I can teach you if you want...?" In a miracle, Lexa manages to get a proper sentence out through all her inner panic. Was Clarke implying they would have kids together? Lexa had to be overthinking it right?