Lexa Deserved Better (clexa fic)

sis

The man in front of her was not the Titus she recognized. This man was thin and frail looking, curled into the fetal position with his back to the door, the iron chains around his wrists and ankles rattling slightly with every tremor of his body. He was so unlike the pillar of strength and discipline all of the grounders knew Titus to be. 

Lexa would have felt sorry for him had she not known the horrors of his most recent actions. Instead, she stopped abruptly as Titus lifted his head to look at whoever it was that had entered the throne room.

"Leave us," Lexa said coldly. 

The guard complied, and Lexa was alone with the man who had just recently tried to kill the love of her life. She let out a low, feral growl that made Titus shudder. Lexa scoffed as he slid across the floor until his back was pressed against her throne, looking very, very afraid. Grounders were never supposed to show fear, even when death was upon them. 

"Do you understand the gravity of what you did?" Lexa snarled. 

"Heda," Titus' voice shook. "If I could just expl-"

"No! You don't get to explain!" Lexa was seething with rage, trying to keep from marching over and slapping the cowering man across his face. "If you had an issue with Clarke, you should have formally brought it up instead of trying to kill her."

"Heda, I did, many times."

"And each time, your reasoning was flawed, so I dismissed you. Clarke has been nothing but helpful since she got here."

"Do you not remember what happened after Costia's death?" Titus was beginning to speak more evenly, more purposefully. 

"How dare you," Lexa practically shouted. "How dare you bring her up! How dare you use her to justify what you have done! You have no right to speak of her, and if you ever do so again, I will cut out your tongue." 

She began to pace the room, not able to look at her advisor's guilt ridden face. 

"I'm sorry, Heda. I wasn't thinking clearly. I offer my sincerest apologies."

"You're sorry," Lexa chuckled. "You're sorry. What am I supposed to do with you, Titus? What am I supposed to do with you now that you've betrayed me like this? No fleimkepa has ever done this before. There is no procedure."

"I didn't mean to betray you, I was just doing what I thought was best for you. Moba, Heda. Moba."

"Yu fleim ai op!" Lexa snapped.

"Are you going to kill me?" Titus asked meekly. 

"I can't kill you yet. I don't have someone to take your place." 

"Please, Heda, spare my life. Clarke has taught you mercy, hasn't she? Clarke has shown you that there is strength in compassion!" 

That was more than Lexa could take. She drew her dagger and slashed angrily down Titus' cheek, not deep enough to cause any real damage, but deep enough that rich blood gushed down his face and spilled over his jawbone. Titus looked at her in surprise, and she pushed the man angrily to the ground. 

Reflexively, Titus swiftly kicked Lexa in the stomach, right on top of her bullet wound, sending her toppling to the ground. Lexa cursed, annoyed that the self defense training all of the grounders were put through was still ingrained in Titus' mind. The poor man looked shocked and frightened as Lexa pushed herself back up to a standing position and glowered. 

"You can't use someone as your saving grace if you tried to kill them," she said bitterly, storming out. 

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Lexa collapsed almost as soon as the guard closed the door to her room. Clarke looked up from the bed, startled at first, and then worried. She hopped up and helped Lexa back over to the small ottoman in the corner. Lexa lay back, breathing heavily as Clarke examined her with concern. 

"What happened?" she asked, pulling up Lexa's shirt and ripping off her bandages, inspecting the wound. 

"Titus." Lexa grimaced as Clarke's hand ran over her stitches. "I pushed him down and he responded. Damn those self defense classes." 

"Well, you seem to be alright, just a little winded, but you need to rest. Did you decide what to do about Titus?"

"No," Lexa sighed. "There's no practice for this. It's never happened before."

"That's fine. We'll think of something together. It will give you an excuse to stay in here and rest without your people thinking you're weak. I mean, besides the obvious excuse that you just almost died, which should be reasonable enough-"

"But I am the Commander, and I must be strong," Lexa finished. 

"Well then use the other excuse, but you have to stay here and rest."

"Alright," Lexa agreed. "Under one condition."

"Name it," Clarke sighed, putting fresh bandages on Lexa's stomach and pulling her shirt back down. 

Lexa took Clarke's chin in her hand so that she could look into her eyes and studied her face intently, smiling at the girl. 

"Promise you'll stay. The whole time. Promise you'll stay here. With me."

"Ai swega klin," Clarke promised. "Of course I'll stay."

Lexa smiled, sitting up to press her lips to Clarke's and wrapping her hand around the back of the blonde's neck so that she could pull her closer. Clarke climbed onto the ottoman and adjusted herself so that she was straddling Lexa, bending down to keep Lexa from having to use the undoubtedly sore muscles in her stomach. 

"I'll stay as long as you like. We'll get through this together." 

"Thank you," Lexa smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too, babe," Clarke grinned. 

"What is it I heard Octavia tell Lincoln?" Lexa scrunched up her forehead in confusion, pondering it for a second before coming to a conclusion. "Shut up and kiss me," she exclaimed proudly. 

Clarke laughed and gladly obliged, leaning back down. Lexa felt warmth spread through her chest at the touch of Clarke's lips and sighed blissfully. 

"Clarke? What does shut up mean?" she asked after a few minutes, her curiosity winning out over her longing for Clarke. 

"It means stop talking," Clarke answered, cuddling into Lexa's side so that her head rested on Lexa's chest and pulling the brunette's arms around her waist. 

"Oh, that makes sense if you take into account the context of which she was-"

"Lexa," Clarke interrupted, leaning back up to give her girlfriend another peck on the lips. "Shut up."