fragile | clexa

chapter sixty eight

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The market was beautiful. It smelled of pumpkin, apple and chocolate and all kinds of pies and cakes flooded the stands. There were loaves of fresh bread, cookies and small baked goods, some of them things neither Lexa nor Clarke had never even seen before.

People turned their heads at the Heda, but regarding the announced feast, they let the couple walk through that paradise of food with no more than a curious glance.

And yes, walk. Clarke walked almost flawlessly without her cane along the entirety of the market, not once even requiring Lexa's support other than holding her hand. It made the latter impossibly proud.

They stayed, ate and bought food until the sun set over the market. The colored garlands and lampions were touched by the apricot color of the sky and soon, the white sheep clouds above Polis turned the most beautiful orange as well. Lexa's eyes gleamed in the reflection of the light and Clarke thought that she'd have to paint the woman again, just like that on the October market beneath a fluttering garland and a vast, orange sky.

They had only managed to tear themselves away from the market once the sun was gone and by the time they had reached the turn to Clarke's street, it was almost dark. "I was actually wondering," started Lexa, "If you'd like to spend the night in the tower."

"Yeah, I'd love to, I just have to ask my parents."

"Let's go and see if they're alright with it."

"They're going to think something's off."

"Well we could be good friends, that's all," Lexa argued with a shrug.

But both Lexa and Clarke knew that it was a risky thing to do, sleeping over twice in a row and revealing that they had spent the afternoon on the market together. Still, they walked to Clarke's house together and Clarke hesitantly knocked. It was Raven who opened the door and when she spotted the Heda, her big smile impossibly grew.

"Oh, hi. Come in, Clarke. Welcome, Heda." She bowed to the Heda and held the door open for both of them. "It's good that you're here, we just started baking the annual apple pies. Twelve hands do more than eight, right? Come in."

"Actually-"

But Raven had already pulled Clarke gently into the kitchen, where Abby seemed just as excited about those apple pies. When she saw the Heda, she looked surprised but didn't further mind it. Jake and Anya were there too, the latter seeming unusually quiet and reserved.

So, because they kind of didn't get out of it anymore, they helped bake apple pie over apple pie for the next three hours. Raven and Anya cut the apples, Lexa and Clarke made the dough and Jake and Abby made a cake out of both these things.

Raven couldn't help her eyes going to her side over and over again, watching the Heda and Clarke for any signs of a relationship. Clarke's hand holding the Heda's as she taught her how to break an egg. Clarke accidentally smearing a bit of egg on the Heda's arm, but instead of getting angry, the Heda just smeared it back and a tiny, subtle egg battle was fought. Little whispers exchanged when the others were loud enough not to hear. The Heda picking a piece of apple out of Clarke's hair with a grin.

It were only small things, but Raven was delighted to see them. She was delighted to see how Clarke looked at the Heda, or smiled at her, and she knew that her best friend wasn't only a ghost of herself after all.

After all the pies had been made and the last one was in the oven, Jake thoroughly thanked everyone for helping again. One of the pies was cut and everyone got a large, fresh piece of traditional Ouskejon apple pie. The kitchen was cleaned up, Clarke went to change back into her old clothes and apologized about a dozen times for having egg and flour on Raven's sweater, but Raven looked like it had snowed on her herself and didn't mind.

As Clarke was just about to step out of her old room again, still not her favorite to be in, Anya surprisingly stopped her. She was sitting on the bed and had a most unusual expression of apology on her face. "Look blondie, uh- I'm sorry if I was too rought with you once in a while. It was more of a me-thing, y'know. And thanks for saving my life too."

"What?" Raven asked and stared at them. "She saved your life?"

"Ehm- story for another time baby," Anya tried.

"No, what, I want to know."

"I think they'll talk about it at that feast, sooo-"

Clarke was glad Abby came in that moment and asked her about new medicine she had gotten. Gratefully, she slipped out of the room and followed her mother to the kitchen. "Nyko gave me a bit of new stuff and a letter from some Berta? You also got one from Octavia and Lincoln, I didn't know they know you're alive."

"Oh, I met them," Clarke said vaguely. "Mom- I was wondering...um- would it be okay if I stayed the night at the Heda's place?"

Abby's brows furrowed softly. "The Heda? Again?"

"I just- she invited me... I mean when we- when she-"

"You like her," Abby stated simply, relieving Clarke from the attempt to construct a sentence and for the umpteenth time that day, Clarke's cheeks turned red.

"W-what?"

"When she said you were seeing healers the last few months, you lived with her, didn't you? That's why you're more comfortable around her."

"Mom, I- how did you..."

Abby chuckled a little and gave Clarke's shoulder a small pat before pouring herself a glass of water. "You might have been gone for five years, but that doesn't mean I don't still have the sense of a mother. So, is she your friend?"

"Yeah," Clarke breathed relieved. "Yeah, she's a friend."

Abby sighed and leaned against the counter next to the sink, thoughtful eyes on Clarke. "Is she a good friend?"

"Yes."

The older woman nodded. "Okay," she said simply. "I'm glad to hear you're close to someone. If I'm being really honest with you though, it's not my favorite idea to think about, you staying over at hers."

"She's not going to hurt me."

"I didn't think Finn would either," Abby said carefully, testing the boundaries of what they could talk about. Clarke stiffened a little, but didn't show any other signs that his name was better left unsaid.

"I stayed with her for a long time and she slept over here last night. You even let her in my room and bed."

"I know, but there I knew I was close, that I was there. It might be irrational, but even if you're safe in her rooms, what about the way there and back? It's dark already. I'm just worrying about letting you stay somewhere else overnight. The market was already... scary enough," Abby admitted.

"You can't keep me in this house forever, mom."

"I don't intend to, and you know you're an adult, you're free to go wherever you want whenever, you don't actually need my permission. But- well, Clarke, you would do my nerves a great favor if you didn't go. You might trust the Heda, but I don't, not yet."

Shoulders hanging and a smudge of disappointment shown in Clarke's face, she nodded. "Okay."

"Yeah? You know if she helps you to be comfortable, maybe we can meet in the middle. She can always stay here for another night if she wants to, it would make me feel much better."

Clarke's back straightened again and Abby wasn't lost on the hint of a grateful smile on her lips. "Thank you, mom."

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