The One Who's Fallen

Chapter 106

Despite neither of us really wanting to do anything besides plan or maybe cuddle in our tent, Lexa and I stick around for the festivities. It's pretty good for something that was thrown together in just a few hours. There's food and drinks everywhere, even a makeshift dance floor. Nearby, some Grounders and Skaikru kids are playing on instruments to make music.

Lexa and I keep an eye on everyone as we move through the large group of people. We get stopped every few meters by a person who greets us and most of the time starts up a conversation. Sometimes it's someone wanting to thank us, sometimes it's someone wanting to know stuff about the ground. Once someone had a staring contest Lexa until they broke out into a sweat and backed away.

The cutest thing that happens is when a couple ArkKru kids come up to us and hand us each a flower. It makes Lexa smile genuinely without any anxiety or worry for the first time all day. We both tuck them into our chest pieces, putting them on display, which delights the kids. One of them even gives Lexa a quick hug before they dash off. Her surprised but gentle expression makes me feel like I'm falling for her all over again.

The funniest thing that happens while we are walking around is when a drunk man in his early twenties stumbles up to us. He starts slurring out what seems like stand up comedy to us. Even though I'm pretty sure he's stolen all of his 'content' from the comedic movies we had on the Ark, it's still hilarious. He only goes away after he blanks on any more funny jokes and blurts out 'your faces are scary and cute'.

Lexa and I exchange an amused look as he stumbles his way through the crowd. I tune back into the music and notice a new sound. I look over at where the Grounders and Skaikru kids are sitting and playing. My eyes widen when I see that Artigas is now among them. He's holding an instrument that looks almost like a violin. He is even playing it like it is one. The sound that comes out of it is eerily beautiful and adds a lot to the music.

"What is that?" I ask Lexa. "The thing Artigas is playing? It looks like it's a violin."

Lexa looks and then smiles. "That is because it is one. Only two people in the clans can make one that sounds as good as that. They live in Polis and their products are notoriously expensive but worth it."

"Then how would Artigas have one? I mean, he doesn't seem like he is rich."

Lexa thinks for a moment and then her eyes light up. "Anya. Of course. Anya, being the renowned warrior she is as well as a General, can easily afford one. She does have a soft spot for him, so she must have bought one for him."

"That's really nice of her," I say.

"She is a sweeter person than most would expect." Lexa admits.

We stand for a moment and watch as our people dance and interact. Surprisingly, no fights have broken out.

It's interesting to see the difference between how the Grounders dance and how Skaikru and ArkKru dance. Grounders dance more confidently, so much so that their moves seem choreographed. Some of them are doing the same moves, so some of it must be a popular dance.

Skaikru kids are all over the place, dancing like no ones watching. I even see a few kids doing the robot. ArkKru dance more stiffly, more self-consciously. Except for the drunk ones, of course.

Somehow, Raven managed to get her girlfriends to not only get on the dance floor, but to dance with her. She looks happy, dancing sandwiched between Anya and Luna.

Lincoln and Octavia are dancing as well, a bit more provocatively than is really appropriate when they're surrounded by hundreds of people. I'm surprised that Bellamy isn't prying them apart or giving Lincoln a death glare until I notice that he's dancing with a Grounder woman. When she turns towards me, I see the scars on her face and recognize that she's Azgeda. Lexa told me about this girl called Echo, she's one of the few Azgeda that Lexa actually trusts.

The song switches to something slower and I look up at Lexa when she taps my shoulder.

"May I dance with you, Clarke Griffin?" She asks politely with a soft smile on her face, holding out her hand.

"Of course, Lexa kom Trikru." I respond formally, making her laugh.

She grins and takes my hand. "Do you know how to slow dance?"

I shrug one shoulder. "Not really, but you could teach me." My only experience is seeing people do it in movies.

Lexa smiles wider and pulls me onto the dance floor. I resist the urge to burst out laughing when I see the surprised looks on people's faces when they notice us.

She looks at me like I'm the only thing she sees. It makes me feel like my heart is melting in my chest. Lexa pulls us close together and puts us into a waltzing position. I raise an eyebrow, surprised this dance survived even down here.

The band must be playing a song she knows because Lexa hums along as we dance. It feels like here, in her arms, everything else just fades away and all that's left is me and her and the music. I rest my forehead against hers and close my eyes. I relax, taking this moment in to carry with me when things inevitably get tough.

When my eyes reopen, Lexa's giving me a look that is hard to describe. Loving is the best word I can think of.

"You look meizen, ai hodnes (beautiful, my love)." Lexa murmurs.

"Mochof (thank you). So do you."

Lexa smiles and kisses me, which surprises me at first. I didn't expect her to kiss me out here in public, even if it is a sweet gentle kiss. I quickly sink into it and we pull apart when it we need to breathe. We stay for a while longer after that before leaving to head back to our tent for a night of tenderly making love.

Fluff!! Next chapter, the building begins! Thank you all for reading and for your lovely comments! Stay awesome!