heda | clexa

sixteen

Clarke does come back. It's about an hour later and Lexa is waiting for her outside the town still, now on a bench, reading the Word.

When she notices Clarke her heart sinks, because of course, Clarke's jaw is tight with anger and her knuckles are suspiciously bloody. Again.

Lexa has barely gotten up to greet Clarke when she's already pushed hard, so that her back meets the rough palisade and her feet lift off the ground. The breath is blown from her lungs and she exhales a sharp breath.

"What was that?" Clarke snaps, pushing Lexa up against the wood, cutting off her air.

"The village is called Erport," Lexa gets out.

"You knew they hated me, didn't you? Is this really a chain indicating I'm a prisoner, or does it give my identity away? Did your people hand out posters or pamphlets? How did they know who I am? I'm wearing no armor."

"They don't. They don't know who you are."

"They all hated me! No one wanted me in a bar or club or even on the street!"

Lexa fights against Clarke's grip and Clarke lets go so that Lexa can return to standing and breathing. Lexa wipes her robes of imaginary dirt and flattens them from wrinkles. "If they had known who you were, you would be dead. You're just any other woman to them."

Clarke shakes her head. "Don't fucking tell me lies."

"I'm not," Lexa sighs, tone agitated but voice never raised. "I'm trying to make you understand what it takes to survive."

"I don't need a stuck up religion teacher to do that for me. You couldn't even guess at the things I've survived."

"But you don't understand this place, and that's gonna get you killed! Did you see how they treat you? Good. That's normal. That's what they're supposed to do. That's what's always going to happen, and if you fight that, you could die. You will die. It's not just a few prisoners you may be able to fight. It's millions upon millions of men, and the institutions, and the government, and the military."

Clarke shakes her head and scoffs. "Just watch me, Lexa. Watch me die. You'll still be waiting in a decade."

That same moment, hands grab her shoulders and arms and a pair of guards roughly put a set of chains back on. Lexa raises a brow softly and hums. "Maybe not so long."

Clarke struggles against the hold of the men and the metal around her wrists, but it's useless. They tie her to the horse and Clarke can't do anything but follow Lexa back to TonDC.

Well, there is one thing.

Before Lexa saddles the horse, Clarke spits her in the face.

-

Whatever strange thing happened between them is now gone.

It should be. Lexa sends prayers of gratitude to heaven that it is, and Clarke is more than happy to be back to herself. The anger in her feels much more familiar than the mushy, fluttery feeling in her stomach when Lexa holds her hand.

There's no more of that either. No strange hugs or hands that find one another too many times.

Lexa is clearly angry and all Spirits know that Clarke is.

That night, when they return, Lexa leaves the chains on.

"If you do anything stupid, I'll give you to Teacher Pike. He'll have all the access to punishment I don't."

"Nothing over some well-intended threats, hm? Gods," Clarke laughs. "How pathetic. Are you going to tie me to my bed?"

Lexa does. The cabin, however nice-looking, is designed as a prisoner cell in the end. It's no problem locking Clarke's shackles at designed spots in the wall; rings in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, wherever she wants Clarke.