Another World, Another Love

Chapter 21

Clarke POV

I take her outside, where I've set everything up. Candles surround us, still lit, even though the sun still shines brightly around us. A brightly patterned mat is laid down, with all my art supplies nearby. A basket of grapes lies right next to them, fresh and ripe.

"Is this... for us?" Lexa inquires, looking towards me gently.

"You guessed it," I smile, watching her blush under my gaze. Even after everything I love this feeling when I'm around her.

"You did not have to do all this."

"I did, now stop protesting it, and sit down with me." She joins me on the mat as I snatch a grape.

"What are your art supplies for?" She too also takes a grape after asking me.

"I mean if you're okay with it... I wanted to draw you?" I offer, knowing very well that Lexa was very likely to turn it down.

"Me?" She fiddles with her finger, in such a small manner it would've been noticeable to practically anyone else. Except me.

"I suppose it is the least I can do, after all you have done here," She continues, looking flustered.

"Great, do you want music? Raven made a little record player type thing?" I reply.

"It is not a big deal either way, whichever you would prefer."

"I mean, I'm pretty partial to just talking to you, but we can do both I suppose," I answer going to start the music. It plays quietly as I get my stuff ready.

"You ready?" I ask as she moves around uncomfortably.

"I suppose," She answers nervously, resulting in laughter from me, and Lexa shooting me a confused look.

"You can relax I'm not here to interrogate you, I'm here to spend with you," She relaxes at my words going to pick another grape as I begin to draw. She wriggles a little at first, but I manage to draw most of the important lines and angles.

"So Clarke, tell me about you," She tries, as I smirk.

"Nope, not happening, tell me about you," I reply.

"You know most things about me," She states bluntly.

"Bullshit, tell me about your friends, your childhood," I urge, gently marking the features of her face.

"Well... I only had a few friends," Lexa admits bashfully, "Luna was one of them."

"Go on."

"Luna and I were friends even during the short period of time when we weren't initiates. She and I were both pleased to have someone, even though she had her brother," Lexa explains.

"Then what?" I reply after watching the look on Lexa's face.

"Then we trained, and became the top two in our class, with me slightly ahead. But Luna was improving and we both knew that neither of us truly wanted to kill each other. After she was made to kill her brother in the first round, she fled and no one has seen her since, she's likely in another clan as of now."

Realization hits me like a bullet, "So she's the one that fled, the one you told the story about."

She nods as I stay silent, focusing on the drawing. I look up to see Lexa with what looks like a scowl on her face.

"Lexa, stop scowling," I command as I earn a small smile from her. The smile that could quite literally kill me. 

"I dislike admitting it but... perhaps I was angry at her for leaving, but now I am not, it was weak of me," Lexa admits quietly, maybe confessing to both me and herself.

"Lexa having feelings doesn't make you weak," I tell her, not looking up, "I have feelings for people, do you consider me weak?"

"No... quite the opposite," At this, I look up, truly admiring Lexa in all her beauty and perfection. She blushes when I realise I'm staring at her, "I never got the chance to ask, but how were the books I sent to your room?"

"They were great, there were a few on mythology I know Octavia would die for, but honestly she's made me love them too," I reply, continuing to draw, "Have you heard of Achille's and Achilles heel?"

"No, is he important?" She questions.

"Okay let me explain, Achilles basically became invulnerable, after being dipped in the River Styx, and his enemies were unable to beat him. But, when he was dipped, his mother held him by his foot, making it his weakness, and ultimately how he died," I tell her.

"What is your Achille's heel, Clarke?" She says after a while.

"More like who, my friends, Octavia, my mum, you, maybe caring too much," I reply, subtly adding Lexa into the mix, to hint that I clearly feel something for her, "On the other hand, I think yours was Anya."

"Maybe... maybe it was," She answers, her head clearly somewhere else. I take this time to continues drawing her, every crevice and line on her face, every singular detail. Art makes me feel relaxed, and with Lexa here, it's surreal, too perfect almost.

"Well, I'm done," I state as she quickly moves to come to see.

"Clarke I- you are truly talented," She gapes as she looks onto the drawing of her. 

"Helps when I have someone like you to draw," I comment, as she shakes her head. My drawing shows her as I see her, despite whatever flaws or insecurities she feels she has. I would describe her as perfect, but sometimes perfect isn't what we think. No, I'd describe her as ethereal, no matter the circumstance. Nothing changes her otherwordly-ness. 

"Thank you, Clarke, I enjoyed being here... with you," She looks downwards, and I can tell she's feeling vulnerable.

"If anything I should thank you for letting me do this, and well, agreeing to come in the first place," I counter, trying to show my appreciation, "I could stay here all day."

"I am with you on that," She agrees, as I chuckle.

"Then stay with me and we can watch the stars," I say, meaning for it to come out as a question. 

"It would be my pleasure," She lays down, as I join her. I had forgotten how late it had gotten since the lighting of the candles made it seem light outside. We look up at the blanket of stars that stained the night sky. I glance over to her, watching as she's entranced by the scene. And yes, she looks cute while doing it.

"I always loved space, you know," She tells me, "It fascinated me."

I chuckle slightly at this, "Quite the opposite for me, I always loved the idea of the ground, that the ground was the dream."

"Space was everything I couldn't have," She admits.

"The ground was something I thought couldn't have either," I finish.

She smiles gently back to me, as I slowly move closer towards her.

"You see those stars there," I ask, as she nods, "That's the Ursa Minor constellation."

"That was Toria and I's favourite stars, we didn't even know it was a real constellation, we made it up," She explains. We sit in silence for a little, lost in the stars. 

"Hey, Lex?" She turns to face me, "I like spending time with you."

She says nothing in return but instead reaches out to hold my hand, giving me all the answers I needed.