fragile | clexa

chapter forty four

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When old Berta found out Clarke had a date (it was really more of an accident that Clarke let it slip) she got all too excited. On their next cooking session just the day before the date, she asked Lexa to stay at home with the help of an excuse that she wanted to have a therapy session with Clarke alone and reluctantly, Lexa had sent two most trusted guards instead. Two guards that Clarke herself had agreed to too.

As soon as the door of the kitchen had closed, Berta laughed to herself and with steps as quick as her age allowed, she led the guard pushing Clarke's wheelchair to the back door of the house.

"Do you already know what you're going to wear?" Berta asked and Clarke frowned.

"When?"

"On the date of course!"

Clarke shrugged. "Something like this?"

The old woman looked down Clarke's somewhat too big pants and her unwillingly oversized shirt. Lexa had let clothes be made for Clarke quite a while ago, but with her new weight and the warm temperatures, her tailored winter robes weren't the best choice to wear anymore.

"Ahem- politely... no," Berta said after clearing her throat.

"Why? What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing, nothing, and I'm sure she'll find you beautiful either way but it's your first date," Berta emphasized eagerly. "We're on our way to the market, come on dear, I'm sure we'll find something very pretty for you."

"I don't think the stuff there will fit me," Clarke said hesitantly. "And I don't have any money."

Berta made a dismissing gesture and huffed. "No, no, I have a friend who makes clothes for every size. I'm sure we'll find something," she repeated.

"But I don't have mo-"

"Oh, see, there we have to turn left. Come on my dear, it's not long anymore."

Going over the market, the guards in complete neutral silence, it seemed more like it was Berta's first date instead of Clarke's. The excitement was contagious though, because in the end, Clarke nervously held two or three bags that Berta had told her to hide from Lexa and the night, she barely slept at all.

She had a feeling that Lexa, lying behind her with her arms around Clarke, wasn't very asleep either.

Around 2 in the afternoon the next day, Clarke went to the bathroom and the next minute, the guards called in to Lexa that there was somebody in front of the tent.

"Come in," Lexa called back and Berta came into the tent, bowing and muttering niceties with a smile while hurrying to the bathroom. There, she knocked, was let in by Clarke and for the next thirty minutes or so, only Berta's chatting was to be heard.

Lexa raised a brow when the woman left again. "Are the therapy sessions now in our bathroom?" she asked.

"No, no, my apologies, this was an exeption. Thank you for your generosity," Berta said, bowed, her cheeks red with exhilaration. It was too obvious that she was trying to force a wide smile down. "And, you know, have fun. In case there's anything planned today. Not that I'm saying there is. But if it should be, then have fun," she said for goodbye and was out of the tent again. Now, Lexa's second brow raised too.

"Clarke?" she called, just to make sure the girl was still alright.

"Yeah?" she got a nervous reply.

"Are you okay? Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"Perfect. I'll pick you up at three."