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Chapter Text

Clarke's POV

I sat staring at the whiteboard in front of me, newspaper articles connected with red string plastered all over it.

"Griff, if you keep staring at the board like that you might set it on fire." Raven's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Either that or you'll self-combust." Raven smirked.

"Now that I actually wouldn't mind seeing. Keep staring Griffin." She said as she wheeled herself towards me. She leaned forward until her face was inches from mine, completely disregarding any personal space I thought I had. Raven didn't seem to believe in personal space.

"Raven," I kept staring at the board, "if you're going to try and kiss me, could you at least pop a mint? You're never going to have a shot if your breath always smells like liquid ass." I tried to hide my smirk as I noticed a scowl replace her smug grin. It wasn't gone for long.

"Aw come on Griff," she drawled, leaning even closer. "You know you want aaaall of this." She made sure to say it as breathily as she possibly could.

"Raven, you're gross." I said as I shoved her. She just laughed as her chair rolled and spun away, clearly very satisfied with herself.

"Seriously Griffin, you've been staring at that thing for hours. Take a break."

I looked at the clock on the wall and was surprised to see it was already twelve o'clock. She was right, it had been hours. I sighed in concession and got up to go get a coffee.

"I'll take a caramel cappuccino!" Raven yelled out behind me as I made my way to the door.

"And I'll take a mocha!" Monty, our camera and tech guy.

"I'll have a hot white Russian thanks! The drink or the real thing, either or." Jasper, sound guy and resident alcoholic.

I turn dramatically to face them as I open the door to see them all grinning at me.

"Right away your excellencies." I throw my arm up and sweep it down across my body as I do a flourishing bow, not looking up until I'd backed all the way out the door and I heard it close in front of me.

I rolled my eyes as I started walking towards the café, but I couldn't help the smile that was forming on my face. Those guys are idiots, but they're my idiots.

Lexa's POV

I threw my punches one after the other, each one landing with a satisfying thud on the punching bag. The more I warmed up, the faster the punches started flying, sweat starting to roll down my body. It was probably after about 20 minutes that I heard Anya's voice stream in from the gym entrance.

"Lexa! Great news. He's accepted your challenge. The fight will be this weekend."

I didn't take my attention off the bag, I wasn't quite done. I finished with a flurry of punches, adding in some kicks and elbows for good measure, before turning to face Anya.

"That was quick." I wiped away the bead of sweat rolling down my face. "I thought he may need a few days to think on it."

"He was hesitant at first, thought it would be an 'unfair fight." She scoffed. "He accepted pretty quickly when he heard how much money was in such an 'easy win' though." She finished, a smile playing at her lips.

"Oh?" I quirked my eyebrow. Good, let him think that I'm weak. The more arrogant they are the more satisfying it is to win. I could feel my excitement grow in anticipation.

This was going to be fun.

"Now, are you going to keep beating a poor, defenceless bag? Or are you going to take on something that can actually hurt you back?" Anya climbed into the ring, brow raised in a challenge.

"Not if I'm still stuck with you as my training partner. Or did you manage to find someone that actually knows how to fight?" I followed her onto the ring, grinning with confidence.

"That's some big talk, commander." She said as we started circling each other.

"If your punch was half as impressive this might actually be an interesting match." Anya countered with a smirk of her own.

Seven years and Anya has only beaten me twice, but she still talked big like this before every fight.

We stopped circling each other and lunged.

Clarke's POV

"Guys, Octavia and Bellamy are inviting us to join them at the bar. Who's keen?" Raven looked at us all expectantly as we left work.

"I can't, I've got a hot date waiting from me." Jasper said proudly.

"Jasper, it's not a date if they can't talk back. Blow up dolls don't count." Raven teased.

"Fire your shots Rey, they just ricochet right off. Ping, ping." Jasper imitated bullets bouncing off his chest before getting into his car and driving off.

Raven laughed, "Whatever, scrub. Monty? Griffin? You guys coming?"

"Nah, I gotta go home and water my plants." Monty shrugged as he got into his own car.

Raven stared after him with an incredulous look on her face. "Okay..."

She sighed and turned to me. "Clarke, whatever your shitty excuse is, I don't want to hear it. You're coming."

I opened my mouth to argue, but closed it, deciding against it. I wasn't going to win an argument against Raven, and I actually wouldn't mind a drink or two. The case I was working on right now had hit a dead end and it had been doing my head in all day.

When we arrived, we saw Octavia and Bellamy at the bar waving us over. Raven walked straight past Bellamy to Octavia and threw her hands around her neck, pulling her into a kiss. Bellamy pointedly cleared his throat.

"Oh, hey Bellamy." Raven greeted him as if she hadn't realised he was there. She still didn't look away from Octavia as they grinned stupidly at each other.

"Hey Bell." I laughed as he drew me into a hug.

"Hey Clarke. At least someone's happy to see me." He pulled away smiling.

"Hey O." I flash a smile at Octavia who had finally unwrapped herself from Raven and now stood beside her.

"Clarke! No way, you actually came out!" She teased, but the shock in her voice wasn't totally insincere. I wasn't exactly the biggest party person and I didn't come out very often.

"It must be a night for friggin' miracles, hey Bell? Tell them." She said nudging him in the side.

"You guys," he said grinning. "I have a fight this weekend. Some nobody challenged me, and usually I'd feel too bad to accept such an easy win, but she's thrown some serious cash on the table. It's going to be payday! What do you say I shout you all dinner and drinks after I win? But only if you come."

"Hang on, did you say 'she'?" I asked.

"Yeah, I know it's crazy. She must actually think she can take me. I feel bad, but I mean, she's the one who challenged me. I'll try my best to win without hurting her too much, but that's not really possible in an MMA match." Bellamy said with a shrug.

Suddenly I was very curious. Somehow, I don't imagine that a girl with the balls to challenge Bellamy was someone to underestimate. I had to see this for myself.

I smiled at him, "I'll be there."

"Hell yeah, Griff! So will me and O."

"Awesome!" Bellamy was clearly excited that I was coming to watch him, I'd never been to one of his matches before.

It was probably best that I didn't share my real reason for going was the potential of him getting his ass whooped by a girl.

This was going to be fun to watch.

Chapter Text

Clarke's POV

Raven, Octavia and I made our way through the crowds to stand in the area reserved for Bellamy's team. We were only about two metres away from the ring.

The building wasn't fully packed, but there were still a lot of people. If I had to guess, I'd say about 3000, which is way more than I was expecting. I knew Bellamy was a good fighter, I just realise how popular he was.

We had just wished Bellamy luck in the fighter's preparation area, although we could tell he really wasn't lacking in any confidence. He was sure he'd win.

"Hey O, could you quickly summarise the rules for me again? Like, twenty words or less."

She rolled her eyes, this was the third time I'd asked.

"The whole fight is 5 rounds, 5 minutes each. They get a minute break in between. You win if you knock the opponent out, if they tap out, or if you have the most points at the end. Basically anything goes, except for knees to the balls and throat. Sticking your fingers in uncomfortable places is also pretty frowned upon."

Right. I had initially found it strange that this fight was even allowed to happen. Not because it was a guy versing a girl, but as far as I knew (which to be fair, I didn't know much) the opponents had to be in the same weight category.

Octavia had explained that both opponents just had to be below the cut-off for the weight category, it didn't matter how much. So technically, a light weight could choose to enter into the heavy weight category, but it was stupid, and no one ever did.

"Guys, look! It's starting!" Raven was practically bouncing up and down.

I rolled my eyes. This chick had an unhealthy obsession with all things dangerous and deadly.

I couldn't help getting excited either though. There was a tangible buzz of anticipation going through the crowd and it was hard not to get caught up in it.

The announcer began his, well, announcing. First the judges, then the referee, and with a ferocity that made the old white man's face go redder than a tomato, he started to introduce the two fighters.

Bellamy was first. As the announcer finished his big fancy spiel, Bellamy came walking down the hallway from the fighter's area. A loud, deafening roar erupted from the crowd and I swore that Raven and Octavia popped both my eardrums with their screeching.

Bright lights flashed over him as he walked down, a big grin on his face. People stretched out their hands for high fives as he made his way to the ring. He was clearly revelling in his moment. He climbed onto the ring, finishing his lap as his opponent started to be announced.

I perked up in anticipation. Just who exactly was this girl? I didn't know why I was so intrigued. Even if this was a pretty unusual event, it's not like I really cared about MMA, and I definitely wasn't writing an article about. There was just something inside me that made me think this was going to be a night to remember.

"Ladies and gentleman! Now, introducing the challenger, hailing from right here in New York City. She is bold, she is formidable, she is breaking down expectations left, right and centre! A fearsome woman who fears nothing, please welcome to the ring, Leeeexaaaaaa WOODS!"

The crowd's roar quickly replaced the booming voice of the announcer as I saw Lexa walk into the spotlight. She wasn't surrounded by a team, like Bellamy was. Besides the security guards, she was only walking with one other girl.

She marched with her chin lifted high, face cold as ice.

"Jeez, what's up her butt? She looks about as thrilled to be here as a stripper in church."

I snorted at Raven. It's true, she wasn't very showy. But I liked that. She had a calm confidence about her, a fierceness that would make anyone think twice about messing with her.

She climbed onto the ring and removed her coat. I had to give credit where credit was due, she was fit.

Long, dark, neatly braided her draped down her back and covered most the tattoo that ran along her spine. The bright lights gleamed off her tan skin and reflected off her emerald green eyes.

I got that feeling that if she looked at me with those eyes that they'd pierce straight through my soul.

They took their positions opposite each other and a part of me was concerned. Bellamy towered over her. I had no doubt she would put up a good fight, but how hurt would she get?

After huddling with the referee, they both took a few steps away from each other and assumed their stances. The crowd went dead silent as the referee lifted his hand. With a blow of the whistle as his hand swept down, the crowd went nuts.

The fight had begun.

Lexa's POV

The crowd was loud, but I focused on drowning them out. I wasn't here to put on a show, I wasn't here for the money, and I definitely wasn't here for recognition.

I was here to fight. Simple.

It's one of the few things that still was, simple that is. Just me, an opponent, and the aim to win. I could be as raw as I wanted to be and no one would question it - everyone got worked up in a fight.

I couldn't care less about the actual fight. For me it was just an outlet, a way to deal with the actual fight going on inside my head. But it was never enough, I just had to keep looking for harder fights.

I finally reached the ring and quickly climbed in. Bellamy was still milking the crowd. I removed my coat and handed it to Anya before moving to the centre of the ring.

The referee explained the rules to us; no foul play and don't kill yourselves or each other was the general gist of it.

The adrenaline was pumping through my veins and I could feel my muscles coil up in preparation to spring. Bellamy was a big man, much bigger than me. But he was cocky and he was slow. That's why I was going to win.

The referee raised his hand, then dropped it and blew the whistle to signal the start of the fight.

I didn't attack first. I knew Bellamy would be overconfident and impatient. He would attack without thought and expose himself. I was right.

He charged towards me, swinging a powerful right hook. I ducked underneath and stepped towards his left, landing a punch to his solar plexus and ribs before swinging my elbow up to knock him in the jaw.

He stumbled, caught off guard. He didn't attack so recklessly this time, instead stepping forward and trying to connect a left roundhouse to my side.

Too powerful to catch or block, I rolled away from it and stopped near his right foot. Before his left could hit the ground, I spun and kicked his leg out from under him.

He landed with a thud and I was quickly back on my feet moving towards his head. I dropped to my knee to drive a punch into his face, but he rolled away at the last second and my fist connected with the floor.

Back on his feet, I could tell that he was getting angry. I smirked at him, adding fuel to the flame.

He let his emotions rule him and came barrelling straight at me. His arms were out to his side, attempting to tackle me to the ground.

I allowed him to close the gap, then swung my legs down between his just before he made contact. Grabbing his neck on the way down, I flipped him onto his back so that we were both lying down, head to head.

I roll backwards over my shoulder, locking his arm and neck between my legs, holding on to his forearm with my hands.

He thrashed around on the ground, trying to get out of the lock, but I had him.

His face was turning red from having his throat constricted and his efforts became weaker by the second. The referee knelt down close by, watching to see if he would tap out or go unconscious.

I thought that he would continue to struggle until he passed out, but he conceded moments before he did, tapping the ground to indicate his submission.

As I was beginning to release him, I looked up into the crowd in front of me. Everyone was going crazy, except for a blonde girl at the front. She had the slightest grin on her face as her blue eyes locked with mine. I held her gaze, but her's didn't waver.

I realised that I still had Bellamy in a lock, so I quickly released him. Standing up, I looked down at him as he slowly began to recover. He looked at me with a baffled expression.

I held out my hand to help him up and glancing at it briefly, he decided to take it.

"You're a hell of a fighter." I said, truthfully. If not for the lack of control over his emotions that I could toy with, this would have been a very difficult fight to win.

He scoffed. "You took me out in 4 minutes." He was still looking at me with the same expression.

"Who the hell are you?"

I didn't have the chance to answer as the referee grabbed my hand and shoved it into the air, declaring to the crowd that I had won.

Chapter Text

Clarke's POV

Bellamy lost. I felt like a bad friend for being happy about that, but I couldn't help it. What I just witnessed was absolutely incredible.

She moved with such strength, such precision, such grace, it had made every move made by Bellamy look clumsy. She was calm the entire time and there wasn't a second when it didn't look like she in total control.

For once, I found myself out of words to describe what I saw. Four minutes, the fight was over in only four minutes.

There was a moment when our eyes had locked and I felt myself freeze. A strange rush had coursed through me as the noise around me faded into distant roar. I couldn't look away. It was only brief, but it felt much longer. When she finally looked away I shook myself out the trance.

We met back with Bellamy in his locker room. He was sitting hunched over a bench, nursing an ice pack over his chest in one of the many places Lexa had landed a punch.

"You look like shit." Octavia shot a glare at Raven telling her to shut up. Bellamy winced, although whether it was because of his hurt pride or bruised rib, I wasn't sure.

"Ignore her Bell, you don't look too bad. I thought the fight was pretty bad ass, you almost had her a few times."

Bellamy looked up at his sister, "Thanks O, but we both know that's not true. I got my ass handed to me."

Raven looked like she had something clever to say, but another glare from Octavia kept her quiet.

"I'm still glad I came tonight Bell, even if you didn't win." It wasn't a lie.

"I never realised how popular you actually were, there was such a big crowd. It's actually kind of impressive." I smile at him, hoping to soften the blow of his defeat at least a little.

I think it worked, because he returned a genuine smile.

"And with such a big crowd I'm sure you're still getting a pretty decent payday, so dinner's still on you."

"Damn right it is. I came with the promise of free food and I'm not leaving without it." Raven said crossing her arms.

Bellamy laughed. "Seriously guys? Can't spare any pity for the guy who just lost in front of 3000 people?"

He looked at each of us as we just stared at him.

"Not even a milkshake?" We said nothing.

"Of course not." Bellamy rolled his eyes. "Give me a few minutes, I'm going to go take a shower." He grabbed his stuff and made his way into the bathroom.

As soon as we heard the water running, Raven blurted out, "That shit was insane! I don't where this Lexa chick came from, but she's a total bad ass. I really think we'd get along."

Octavia rolled her eyes and pushed a smirking Raven on the shoulder. "Whatever, she'd probably knock you out after spending two minutes with you because you're so annoying."

"Aw, are you jealous babe?" Raven laughed.

"Guys I'm going to go look for another bathroom that's free, I'll see you guys back here in a bit."

"Sure thing Clarke." They barely looked at me as I left, Raven too busy making smooching noises and Octavia too busy trying to push her away.

I wandered through the halls trying to find the room that I was looking for. When I did, I stood in the doorway and knocked on the wall.

She turned away from her locker and raised her eyebrows at the unexpected intrusion.

"Can I help you?"

She was waiting for an explanation of why I was there, but I didn't have one. I wasn't even really sure myself.

"Just wanted to congratulate you on your win." It's the best I could come up with.

I watched her eyes as she looked me up and down, the action sending shivers down my spine.

"Thanks."

Silence filled the room as we just stood, staring at each other.

"You're one of Bellamy's supporters. Why aren't you with him?"

"How do you know I'm one of his supporters?"

"I saw you in his team area."

The surprise on my face must have been pretty evident because I briefly saw the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"He can lick his wounds by himself." I said with a smirk. This time a full and genuine smile settled on her face. My breath hitched in my throat at the sight.

"Why are you here?"

She had a glint in her eyes that made it hard to focus on getting any words out. Why was I here? Something about her just drew me to her, I couldn't make sense of it.

"I'm a reporter. I investigate things that make me curious."

"I see."

I was sure that would have gotten more of response from her. People love to talk about themselves, yet she didn't seem at all bothered to know why I was curious.

"I have to say, you don't seem very excited for someone who just won a fight. Especially when that was the first ever mixed gender one."

She shrugged as if to say it wasn't a big deal. "It's just an over-glorified fist fight, nothing to celebrate about."

"Why do you fight?" She looked at me waiting to elaborate. "You clearly don't do it for the applause, or for the excitement of winning. Is it the money?"

She laughed. "Are you secretly trying to report on me Ms..."

"Griffin. Clarke Griffin, but call me Clarke."

"Okay, Clarke. No comment." That damn smile, it was so distracting.

"Well that's the most emotion I've seen you show since you walked into the ring. So if my goal is to get to know you, I'd call that a journalistic success."

She didn't respond as her green eyes locked with mine. Her gaze was so intense I thought that she could see into the depths of my soul.

"Getting to know me is not something you want do." Any trace of her previous humour left her voice.

She turned back to her locker, collecting her things. I guess she was done with this conversation.

"Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one, Ms Woods. Enjoy the rest of your evening." I said, turning to leave.

"Wait." I stopped.

"I hope we meet again, Clarke." The way she said my name sent chills down my spine. And with that, she turned and headed into the bathroom, probably for a shower of her own.

I stood in the doorway looking at where her form had just disappeared from for a few more seconds. What the hell's wrong with you Clarke? I shook myself out of my daze. It's probably all of Raven's and Octavia's damn yelling that's ruined my ears and is messing with my balance or something.

I left and walked back to where the others were, replaying her words in my head. I hope we meet again. With a smile on my face, I found myself hoping for the same thing.

Lexa's POV

I relaxed back into the hammock as the touch of sunlight hitting my skin wrapped me in a warm embrace. I sighed as the tension left my body, enjoying the peace and quiet. The sky was vibrant and clear, and when I closed my eyes I saw a pair of eyes the same colour staring at me.

I smiled as I thought of the encounter I had with the girl, Clarke. I'd stared into enough eyes to recognise strength when I saw it. There were other things in those striking blue eyes and I found myself wishing I had longer to lose myself exploring them.

"Lexa!" My eyes snapped open and I glared at the sky above me, ripped away from my thoughts.

"Yes, Anya?" I didn't bother disguising my annoyance at the interruption.

If it was anyone else I would have made them regret disturbing me, but I'd known Anya for years. She was under my command for both tours we did in Syria. She knew me better than anyone, and she knew better than to disturb me for something that wasn't important.

"Sorry Lexa." I nodded at her, letting her know it was okay.

"The board has called a sudden meeting. Indra is adamant that you attend this one. I think some of them might try to make a move on your position if you're not there. You need to go."

I barely managed to suppressed my sigh. When I had started my company I made my terms clear with the board. I would design, I would lead as CEO, but I would do it out of the spotlight. Indra and Titus would be the faces of the company.

Lately, though, they had started to insist that I took over as the face of the company and attend more meetings. I'd refused both for months.

I knew it was inevitable, it would have to happen eventually. I had just hoped to delay it as long as I could. I was tired of always leading, but we can't run away from who are. I knew better than that.

"Get me everything I need to prepare and send for the car."

Anya left to do as I had told her and I... well, I guess I had to get out of my sweatpants at some point. I went to get changed.

I steeled myself before marching through the boardroom doors. It always felt like I was walking into a war room with people just waiting for an opportunity to shoot in the back. I was happy to have Indra and Anya with me, I knew I could always trust them.

Setting my face, I swung open the doors and moved to my spot at the head of the table. Only when I reached it did I make eye contact with all the board members around the table. They had stood when I entered and I motioned for them to take a seat.

There were uncomfortable shuffles as we sat in the silence, all eyes watching me, unsure of what to expect.

"Is someone going to tell me the purpose for calling this meaning or are we going to keep staring at each other like idiots for the next hour?"

A man three seats to my right, Titus, cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Lexa, we weren't sure whether we could expect you to join us today. I'm glad you have."

I had mixed emotions about Titus. On the one hand, he was one of the first people who had supported me in starting this company. He saw the vision of Polaris and helped me rise to the top. I owed him a lot. On the other hand, he was kind of creepy and I always felt like he was working on some plan in the shadows. Dodgy, is a word that wasn't not suitable to describe him.

"As you know, in recent months we have been on our back foot as a company. Our competitors are pushing forward with new technological designs for both offensive and defensive weaponry, while we continue to deal only in defence. And, without a clear captain at the helm for our partners to deal with, Polaris has been falling behind."

Nods of agreement came from around the table.

"It sounds like you have a suggestion to share, Titus. What is it that you would recommend we do?"

I gave him the opportunity I knew he was trying to manoeuvre himself into. I knew what he would say, but I wanted it said in front of the board.

"Over the last four years this company has grown to be one of the largest in the United States, something to be proud of. But war is about more than just defence, it's about attack, and unless we adapt to embrace developing offensive technologies, we will crumble."

I stared at him, holding his gaze until he finally broke away.

"And do you all agree with this?" I asked to the rest of the room.

Choruses of agreement came from around the table.

"I see. I am grateful to each of you for you commitment to seeing this company thrive. It would not be what it is now without each of you."

Poorly disguised glances of surprise passed through the room - they weren't expecting that response.

"I understand why you want me step out from behind the scenes. I have considered it, and I have decided that you are right."

Murmurs briefly passed amongst them, but their attention was fixed on me. I make eye contact with each and every single one of them as I continue.

"I will not, however, allow the vision of this company to be forgotten. We exist because there are already more than enough weapons to indiscriminately maim and murder soldiers and civilians alike. We will not sit in our comfortable chairs, inside our safe little buildings, designing more ways for powerless people to die. War will never end, but maybe, just maybe, we can help make it so fewer people need to suffer. If this is not a vision that you agree with, then Polaris is not where you should be."

When I finished, most of the board members' eyes were downcast. Perhaps they were ashamed - they should be. All but Titus'.

"And that is why you are the face of our company Lexa." Titus wore a small grin and I realise that perhaps he had meant for this happen.

"Does anyone not agree with anything I've just said?"

No one spoke.

"Good, I'm glad we're all back on the same page. Now, let's talk about what we need to do going forward."

Chapter Text

Clarke's POV

I sat in our office, blankly staring up at the ceiling. The last two days I hadn't been able to get a certain person out of my head and work had been slow to say the least.

I sighed and turned back to the article I was working on. Come on Clarke, just focus. I typed away until I'd finished another paragraph. See Clarke, not so hard.

Then I read what I'd written.

For years, Lexa Woods has been hiding a secret.

Lexa Woods Corporation has been...

... evidence suggests that Lexa Woods... Lexa Woods...

Lexa Woods... Lexa Woods...

I stared at the screen, not sure what the hell to make of it. This is stupid, why am I so distracted?

"That's a really interesting article you've got there, Clarke." Raven said over my shoulder. I could almost hear the smirk on her face.

"Don't you have your own work to do?" I closed the document.

"Well unlike some people, I haven't been obsessing over my new crush, so I've actually gotten most of it done."

"Clarke has a new crush?" Monty yelled from across the room.

"No, I don't." I yelled back.

"Yip! A new lady crush." Raven winked at me.

"OooOO, who is it?" Monty and Jasper both peered over their computer screens. They looked like meerkats. Nosy, annoying meerkats.

"Lexa Woods, the girl that beat Bellamy in the fight last weekend."

"Damn Clarke, you like it rough, huh? Should have known to be honest." Jasper nodded like he'd just realised something obvious. Monty laughed, Raven snorted.

"Guys, shut up. I do not have a crush on anyone and I definitely do not have a crush on someone I haven't even met." I hadn't told anyone that I went to talk to her after the fight. They didn't need to know.

"Sure Clarke, and I'm not the most amazing person on earth." Raven said sarcastically, cocky as ever.

"What about that love letter you've written then?" I glared at her, wishing I could get rid of that stupid look on her face.

"She was on my mind, and not because I have a crush. My instinct is telling me there's something more to her." I said as decisively as I could.

"A random girl almost no one has heard of comes out of no where, wins one of the most talked about matches of the year so far, then disappears. No victory laps, no interview, nothing. It's weird. I just feel like there's a bigger story behind this."

"Good try Clarke but you're not foo-"

"I wouldn't call her a random, Clarke. Guys come look at this." Monty cut Raven off.

I stared at the screen, reading an article just posted that Monty had open.

'Lexa Woods has stepped out from the shadows to reveal herself as the CEO and pilot of Polaris Defence. While she made no comment on why she had kept this fact hidden until now, she released a statement expressing the values and vision of Polaris, promising to never compromise on them. Although unclear what prompted this action for Ms Woods, she has made quite the reveal. It is clear that she is a woman of great presence and as the now public face of the second biggest defence weapons company in the US, it might not be long until she raises it to number one.'

"Damn Clarke," Raven whistled. "You've got yourself a crush on a real sugar daddy."

I ignored her and grabbed my jacket.

"Where are you going?"

"To get some answers."

"Clarke, you hate writing pieces on famous people, unless you're outing them as assholes."

"I told you Raven, I have a feeling."

I got into my car, suddenly excited for today. This is why I loved what I did. I didn't like unanswered questions, but I loved being the one to answer them. Although, I did feel more excited than I usually would. Must just be because Raven wasn't here to annoy me.

Yeah, that's why.

Lexa's POV

"Wait here, I'll go get the car." I pecked Costia on her cheek and walked out of the restaurant.

It was cold. Thank God I didn't park far away.

I pulled up in front of the restaurant and saw Costia waiting for me inside the entrance. Smiling, I took a step towards her.

Suddenly, I was flung backwards. A wave of heat crashed into me. A loud bang left my ears ringing.

Disoriented, I tried to stand up. My arms and legs were covered in cuts, shrapnel sticking out. But I felt no pain, only panic. I couldn't breathe.

"Costia!" I scrambled over the debris towards where the restaurant door had just been.

"Costia!" I desperately dug through the rubble.

No, no, no. This isn't happening. This can't happen. "Costia!"

I saw an arm sticking out the rubble, a bracelet on the wrist. The bracelet I had given her.

I cleared the debris away, grabbed her shoulder and turned her on her back.

Her head flopped to the side, body limp.

"Costia! No, no... Costia, open your eyes. I'm right here. It's okay, everything's okay. Costia!"

I shook her. "Please, please open your eyes."

My eyes snapped open. My breathing was laboured and I felt sweat running down my skin. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. It didn't work very well - it never did. I glanced at my alarm clock.

4:30am. Right on cue, I thought with a bitter smile.

I got out of bed and climbed in the shower, allowing the cold water to wash away any trace of the nightmare from my body. Unfortunately, it couldn't do the same for my heart or mind. Those still bore all the signs of it.

I rapped my bathrobe around me and stood in my living room, looking out the glass wall at the city lights around me. Costia would have loved it here.

I got dressed in workout clothes and went to the gym. That always made me feel better, even if only slightly. When I finished, I ate breakfast and took a seat at my desk, resting my feet on top.

I'd barely gotten any actual work done these last few days. The board had a thousand questions they needed me to answer and I wondered how they ever managed to do anything while I wasn't there.

And the reporters... Since I made my public announcement, I'd been hounded for interviews. You'd think that no one would be interested in some CEO of a random company, but apparently also being a 27 year old female no one has ever heard about made a difference.

Well, they could keep asking their questions, I had no interest in answering any of them.

Yet, I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. There was one reported I did hope to see, but she hadn't made an appearance. Of course not, she probably has more important things to write about. I doubt she even knows about me.

It bothered me a little that I found myself wanting to see her so badly. Every time Anya called to tell me a reporter wanted to do an interview, I always asked for their name, hoping I would hear hers. Clarke.

I closed my eyes and smiled as the memory of her face filled my mind. I hope we meet again. That didn't seem very likely.

I sighed. I wasn't going to get any work done here. I gathered my things and left my apartment.

I walked through the big glass doors and into the foyer of my company building. I greeted the security guards and the receptionist before making my way to the elevators.

"Lexa!" A familiar voice called behind me.

I turned, surprised to see Clarke running towards me. She stopped when she was just a few steps away. I caught myself marvelling at the way the light caught her eyes and reflected off her blonde hair and I hoped she didn't notice.

"Oh my goodness, finally! I've been waiting here forever. I tried to go upstairs to see you, but someone wouldn't let me up." She shot a glare at the receptionist and I couldn't help but smile at her reaction.

"You only just got here?" She looked at me curiously. It was 9:30, not exactly late.

"I couldn't focus at home, decided to come into the office." - to avoid being distracted by you, I wanted to say.

She nodded like that made total sense.

"Is there a reason you're here?" I asked. She looked at me slightly confused for a second.

"Oh, right!" As if just remembering something. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at me, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. I tried not to look at them as my breath quickened.

"I knew there was something about you. I've been thinking about it constantly but I couldn't figure it out." She paused, suddenly realising what she'd said.

She'd been thinking about me. Constantly. I couldn't stop myself from smiling at her.

I noticed her eyes flick down to my lips. It was subtle, but I'd been trained to pick up on subtleties. Her eyebrows drew together in a small frown before she shook her head slightly, as if trying to discard some thought.

"You're interesting. I like interesting." She said, holding my gaze.

"Right, because you're a reporter?"

She hesitated for a brief second. "Yeah, because I'm a reporter."

"I've been asked for an interview by a lot of reporters and turned them all down. Why shouldn't I do the same to you?"

"Because none of them are here, they gave up. So you could say no if you want to. But I'll be here every morning you arrived and every afternoon you leave until you say yes."

"I could think of worse things."

Her eyes widened in surprise at my comment.

"So, you'll annoy me until I change my mind if I say no. That's your amazing pitch?" I smirked at her.

"Um... yeah." She said sheepishly.

"You must be pretty confident in your ability to be annoying then." I laughed.

Relief flashed across her face and she laughed too. It was a beautiful sound, one that I wanted to hear a lot more of.

"Follow me." I held out my arm, gesturing towards the lifts.

She looked into my eyes for a few seconds and I tried to hide from my face the fact that my heartbeat had noticeably sped up as a result.

Finally, she stepped past me, brushing my hand as she did. My breath caught in my throat as a jolt coursed through my body.

We rode the elevator up in silence.

Chapter Text

Clarke's POV

As Lexa walked towards the desk in the middle of her office, I scanned the room. I was shocked. Not by the view, which could be seen through the windows that ran from the ceiling down to metre high wooden shelves that wrapped around the room - although it was incredible. We were on the top floor, after all. I also wasn't shocked by the bookcase that ran along the wall next to the door, filled with vinyl records. It wasn't the samurai swords placed neatly on a rack for decoration either.

No. What shocked me were the sheer amount of candles. They were everywhere. On her desk, in the bookcase, on tables around the room, on the extended window sill that ran along below the windows, on the floor. 

"Um...Lexa?"

Lexa had perched herself on the window sill beside her desk. Her face was illuminated by the light that filtered through the window, highlighting her perfect cheekbones and her jawline that looked sharper than any of her swords. 

"Yes, Clarke?" Her voice was so... sweet. She cocked her head slightly to the right, exposing her neckline and collarbone to the sun. She raised her eyebrow as I took too long to answer. I was staring. Shit.

"I think your office might be missing something."

Her eyebrows knit together ever so slightly in thought, looking around the room to see if she could figure out what it could be.

"What would that be?"

"Candles. I really don't think you have enough." I said, grinning.

She swept her gaze across her office, as if only now realising how many there were. She let out a soft laugh. I decided then that if rainbows could make a sound, it would sound like Lexa's laugh.

"Do you also work was an interior designer, Clarke?" She asked playfully. 

"No, a fire hazard inspection officer, actually. And my inspection is telling me that your office is an accident waiting to happen."

She had a cheeky grin on her face and her eyes glinted with amusement.

"They calm me." She shrugged, as if she thought her obsession was completely normal. "Plus, they smell nice." She said so quietly, almost sheepishly, that I nearly didn't catch it. I wanted to laugh, but I controlled myself.

"Lexa, there's like fifty candles in here. How much calming do you need?"

"A lot." 

"Sounds more like you need some weed and a bubble bath." I mumbled under my breath.

"What was that?" Lexa asked, a quizzical expression on her face.

"Uh, nothing. I said candles are cool." Nice save, Clarke. Lexa narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but didn't push.

"So let me see... so far I have, 'Secret CEO Lexa Woods enjoys long walks through the forest, occasionally kicking ass in MMA fights, and candles.' Damn, that would get you like, a thousand guys on any dating site."

"How do you know I like the forest? And who says I'm looking for a guy?"

I pointedly looked at the three different painting of forests hanging from her wall. "Really?"
I asked, smirking at her.

Her eyes narrowed and a slight pout formed on her lips, like she was displeased that a detail about her was so obviously plastered around her office. There weren't any personal effects around, so I assumed didn't like revealing much about herself.

"As for the guy... Sorry." I said, holding my hands up in apology. "Lexa Woods is a strong independent woman who don't need no man, noted." I pretended to write on my notepad. She rolled her eyes in annoyance, but the grin on her face betrayed that she wasn't annoyed at all.

I looked back up at her, staring directly into her eyes, searching them for the secrets they hid. The smile dropped from her face as she also gazed intently into mine.

"Who are you, Lexa Woods?" She broke the contact and turned her head to look out at the city that surrounded us. 

"Depends on who you ask." Her voice was quiet, her eyes distant.

"I'm asking you. Who do you say you are?" 

"I am what I'm needed to be." Her eyes returned to mine, her words sharp, her face stoic.

"Well, right now I need you to be a woman of more words. Otherwise, this is going to be the shortest article I've ever written." I laughed, trying to lighten the mood that seemed to so suddenly have shifted.

Her expression softened and the corners of her both turned up into a slight smile. That's better, I smiled, much better. 

"I have a better idea." I didn't much like the mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah? What's that?" I tried to hide the worry from my voice. I don't think I succeeded.

"Follow me around for a week or two, judge for yourself what kind of person I am."

Well... that's not what I was expecting.

"I can see you don't seem to like that idea. Forget I suggested it." Her mask went back up, the mask I'd come to recognise she wore whenever she wanted to hide what she was thinking. She must have taken my silence as reluctance.

"No!" Woah Clarke, way too keen.

"It's not that." I said much more calmly. I actually liked the idea of spending the week with her, a lot.

"It's just, I have work. Our news outlet is still in its infancy and I don't know if I could leave my partner alone with everything for that long."

"I see." She looked at the ground and I thought that I heard disappointment in her voice, but I probably just imagined it.

"But I could probably make every second day work." Her gaze flicked back up to me, a smile again resting on her face.

"Every second, then. Shall we make today the first?" Her head tilted to the side again. It reminded me of the way a puppy quirks its head when it was trying to figure something out. It was damn cute.

"I'd have to call my partner and make sure she's okay with it first. But if she is, then yeah, I guess so." We smiled at each other and I ignored the flutter in my heart as I stepped outside to call Raven.

Lexa's POV

Clarke had stepped outside to make a phone call, leaving me in my office to consider exactly what the fuck I was doing. 

I took a deep breath and tried to slow down my heart rate. It felt like it was bounding out of my chest. Why was she having this effect on me? Why would I invite her to peer into my life and all the darkness that lied in it? 

She was just so easy to be around. When we were talking, for the first time in as long as I could remember, my heart felt light. I could laugh, I could joke. I was comfortable around her. Anya and Lincoln were the only other people in my life I could say that about, yet even with them  I restrained myself a little.

Yet, with her, I felt like I didn't want to retrain myself at all. Which would be a mistake. If she started to see into my soul she would not want to look much further. I considered telling her that something had changed and I was no longer able to have her following me around for the next two weeks, but they way my heart dropped at the thought made me decide against it.

It was only every second day. I would allow myself to enjoy her company while she was with me, but I would be careful to not reveal too much. And when her article was finished, everything would return to normal. Yes, that would be fine, I convinced myself.

The sound of the door opening pulled me from my thoughts and I saw her step into my office. Cascading blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, and in all of her brilliance. She carried herself with such elegance, elevating herself above anyone else who could find themselves in a room with her.

"Raven's fine with it." She smiled. "So, what's on the agenda for today, Ms. Woods?"

"I think I've been in this office for too long." I said.

"You've been here for less than an hour." She raised her eyebrow quizzically, the hint of a smirk on her lips. Her perfectly plumb lips. 

"Like I said, too long." I grinned. "I have more thinking to do today than actual doing. Let's go somewhere I can think."

She looked at me for a moment, then stepped aside and gestured towards the door.

"Lead the way, Ms Woods." 

"Lexa, call me Lexa."

Clarke's POV

"No way." I shook my head so vigorously I felt the last few of my brain cells rattle and die.

"Clarke, it'll be fine. I promise it's safe, I wouldn't put you in harms way." A warmth spread through my chest at her words. I searched her eyes and I found in them something that stirred me to trust her. 

I calmed down significantly and, grabbing the helmet that Lexa was holding out for me, took a seat on the back her motorcycle. A wide grin spread across her face as I did and she took her place sitting in front of me. 

"Hold on." She said over her shoulder, slamming closed the visor on her helmet.

This is it, this is how I die.

Before I had the chance to change my mind, we sped away. I jerked backwards and instinctively grabbed Lexa's waist, holding on for dear life. After a while of weaving in and out of traffic, I realised that this wasn't totally awful. Actually, it was kind of fun. We pulled into a parking lot only a short time later. To Lexa's credit, she didn't speed or do anything dangerous on the way. I never felt unsafe.

Lexa cleared her throat. "You gonna let go anytime soon?" 

I suddenly became acutely aware of the fact that my arms were still wrapped tightly around her waist - which, can I just say, felt exactly as ripped as they had looked when I saw her for the first time.

I felt a hot flush on my cheeks and was thankful for the helmet that hid it. I released my grip on Lexa, immediately missing the warmth of her body against mine. She climbed off the bike and removed her helmet, flinging her hair to the side.

"Fuck off." I blurted out before I could stop myself.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise as she turned to look at me. I felt myself blush, again. Damn it, Clarke, get it together.

I tried to compose myself, speaking with as much confidence as I could muster, as if I said what I said completely intentionally.

"It just looked like you were in some photoshopped ad. No one is actually supposed to look like that in real life." I removed my own helmet, hair a complete mess and plastered across my face, proving my point.

The look in her eyes as she smiled at me forced me to look away. I was not blushing again. I looked around, half trying to just look anywhere but Lexa, half trying to figure out where she'd taken us.

"A planetarium?" 

"Yes." She nodded excitedly. "Come on." She grabbed my arm and led me into the building before I could say anything. I let her drag me along, trying not to focus on the way that her touch left a burning imprint on my skin.

Chapter Text

Lexa's POV

We were carried through the stars, through the milky way, through to galaxies beyond. We orbited suns and planets, drifted through nebulas, and crashed through meteor showers. It was so beautiful. It didn't matter how many times I came here, it was never any less magical.

We sat side by side in recliner chairs as were transported through different parts of the known universe. Every now and again I swear could feel Clarke's eyes on me, my skin tingling wherever her gaze landed. But she didn't say anything, so neither did I.

The scene around us faded to black and dim lights flicked on, signalling the end of our journey through space. We were the only ones there, which is why I loved coming at this time - I'd almost always be alone when I did. Neither of us moved, we just kept staring at the dome above us.

"I love it here." It was almost a whisper. The silence felt fragile and it didn't seem right to shatter it.

Clarke turned her head, still saying nothing, just watching me.

"I love the way that my doubts and fears crumble to dust whenever I look at the stars. The way it makes me feel so small. The way it outshines everything else. Other things just... fade away. You know?"

I didn't know why I was saying all this, but it seemed right; it felt... nice.

"It's the same reason I love the forest, love the mountains, love the beach. It puts everything into perspective. Makes me realise that whatever may be, it's not the end of the world. The waves will continue to roll in, the forest will never stop growing, and the mountains will always stand. Just like the stars will always keep on shining."

When Clarke remained silent, I turned my head to look at her. I quickly realised that was a mistake. The way she was staring at me made my breath catch and I had to remind myself to breathe. Her eyes searched my own, intent on finding in them whatever it was she sought. It was unsettling how easily I could get lost in her eyes, easier even than the starry sky we were immersed in moments ago.

"What is it? What could make a woman like you feel like she needs to carry the world on her shoulders instead of having it under her feet where it should be?" Clarke's voice may have been quiet, but it reverberated through to my soul. 

"Take your pick. Childhood trauma, teenage tragedy, or early adulthood wounds?" I smiled wryly. Clarke's eyebrows furrowed in response. Her eyes were tender with concern and I had to remind myself that she was only asking because she had an article to write.

"I'm only joking," I said as sincerely as I could. "I've had no more obstacles and difficulties in my life than anyone else's, Clarke. I've made choices, some I regret. I tried to run away from it, but I found out quickly that you can't run from who you are. "

Nodding in agreement, her stare grew distant, the way mine did when I was playing a memory back in my head.

"I wanted to be a doctor once. My mom's one and I wanted nothing more than to help people the same way she does. My dad worshipped the ground she walked on - I thought it would make him proud if I followed in her footsteps."

I was taken by surprise as she started sharing, but listened closely to her every word, not wanting to miss any detail about who she is and what's made her that way. A shadow fell across her features as she continued.

"My final year of school he was away on a business trip. He called me to say that he would be coming home soon, but there was something important he had to do first. He tried to hide it, but I remember the worry in his voice. I didn't ask him about - I barely said anything at all. I was studying for exams and I didn't want to be distracted, so I told him that I'd see him soon and hung up."

Her voice choked up and I could see the beginning of tears starting to well up in her eyes. Without thinking, I placed my hand over hers to try and comfort her. She glanced down at the contact and realising what I'd done, I started to withdraw my hand. She brought up her free hand and stopped me, holding my hand secure between hers. She looked back up at me.

"I found out the next day that my dad had died in a car crash. They ruled it an accident, said that there were empty alcohol bottles littered in his car and that everything smelled of alcohol too. Apparently, he'd been drink driving and lost control of his car, drove it into a tree."

Despite trying her best to hold them back, two tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away and I tightened my grip around her hand.

"Clarke, you don't have to talk about this." 

She shook head. "No, I want to. It's okay."

"I never believed them, you know? My dad almost never drank and he would definitely never drink and drive. I've never known anyone with more integrity than him. He always did what he thought was right, no matter the consequences. I couldn't accept what they said, so I decided to forget about medicine and become an investigative reporter instead. I thought I could find out the truth about his death, but I still haven't been able to. I changed my career path - for nothing. I've let him down. I didn't even tell him that I loved him, Lexa."

Her voice broke with her final admission and I felt my heart ache in response. The wall that held back the dam of tears which had been threatening to burst forth finally crumbled. I drew her into a hug and let her cry into my shoulder, tracing circles on her back with my thumb.

"I know I never knew your father, Clarke, so what I say may hold no weight. But I don't think there's a father on earth who wouldn't be proud to have a daughter like you.  You show your love for him every day in your strength to keep going. Just like you showed it by studying so hard for your exams. You were trying to make him proud, he knew that." 

I pulled back to look into her eyes. "You didn't have to say it, he knew." I tried to communicate with my eyes how much I meant what I said, plus all the things I couldn't find the words to say.

She sniffled, wiping away her tears. "You know that I'm the one that's supposed to get to know you, right?" She laughed softly.  "I'm sorry, my baggage isn't something that you should be forced to listen to or have to deal with."

"Please, don't apologise. I'm honoured that you trust me enough to share that, Clarke. If sharing these things is helpful for you, then I'd gladly listen for as long as you need."

I meant it. Barely two hours ago I'd convinced myself that I could allow Clarke into my life for two weeks and then never see her again - it would make no difference. I could no longer convince myself of that.  I knew it was crazy, I hardly knew the girl that sat in front of me with her puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. She only just entered my life, yet my heart lurched even at the thought of her leaving it again. We fell into a comfortable silence again, just looking at each other.

"I lost someone special to me, too," I said, breaking it. "Her name was Costia. It was on my first tour in Syria, I was nineteen. She was a civilian, one of our translators. We spent a lot of time together and we got close. Even in the middle of a warzone she somehow managed to find joy in every little moment. Being around her made me forget where I was."

I was surprised how easily I was opening up to Clarke. I'd never spoken about Costia before to anyone. Anya and Lincoln knew, but they were with me on tour - they saw how it affected me, I didn't have to tell them.

"We were out to dinner one night. I went to get the car because it was winter and I didn't want her walking in the cold. She was waiting at the door when I pulled up to the restaurant. Then a bomb went off, blew up the entire restaurant and everyone inside. I found her underneath the rubble, dead."

"I'm so sorry." Her voice was soft, comforting.

"I thought I'd never get over the pain, but I did."

"How?"

"By recognizing it for what it is... weakness."

"What is? Love? So, you just stopped caring? About everyone?" 

"Yes." At least, I thought I had.

"That's no way to live, Lexa." She shook her head sadly. "To love is to be vulnerable, to risk getting hurt. If we live our lives scared of that and we close ourselves off to love completely... is that even a life worth living?"

I wavered. Not allowing myself to feel is the reason I had made it to where I was. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to command, to live, to breathe. The grief would have killed me.

"I did what I had to do to survive."

"Shouldn't life be about more than just surviving? Don't we deserve that?" She looked down at the ground.

No, I told myself, I didn't deserve that. But for once, my heart did not want to listen to my head. At that moment I was suddenly overcome with an intense need to feel her lips on mine. I glanced down at her lips, so inviting, so enticing... and back to her eyes, filled with so much depth I could submerge myself in them totally. I started to lean forward and -

"We should go, they'll probably be coming in here any second to kick us out." She laughed, looking back at me. She stopped laughing when she saw the emotion that must have been plastered all over my face.

"Lexa?" She said so quietly, I barely heard it.

Looking away, I cleared my throat and abruptly stood up. 

"You're right, we should leave." I turned and headed to the exit, not checking to see whether she followed or not.

Clarke's POV

Exactly like our first meeting, I watched Lexa's receding form as she walked away, not looking back.

The way she had looked at me... for a second I thought... No - come on, Clarke. You must have just been seeing what you wanted to see. What I wanted to see. Did I want her to kiss me? I shook my head, trying to clear it.

I couldn't deny how her hand on mine had calmed me at the same time it made my heart leap. Or how our hands seemed to fit perfectly, how safe I felt in her arms, how I felt I could stay there forever. I barely knew her, yet I shared one of the deepest parts of myself with her. And she had done the same... The Lexa that sat in front of me, baring her soul, was so different from the guarded Lexa I first met.

But why did she leave so abruptly? The tenderness in her expressions, the emotions she'd allowed herself to show in her eyes, they had vanished behind her mask in an instant. Did she forget that it was me she talking to and regret sharing what she did?

I sighed. I didn't know, I didn't think so. But maybe I just didn't want to believe that. Whatever the case, I needed to clear my head - I had a lot to think about. And for some reason, I got the feeling that having to cling to her again on the way back wasn't going to help that much.

I stood and walked outside to where she was waiting for me.

Chapter Text

Clarke’s POV

42. That’s how many spots were on my ceiling. I could tell you that because I’d been lying with my head dangling off the end of my bed for the last… Well, I didn’t actually know. All I knew is that it was way too late and I was way too old to be staring at nothing in angst over someone I barely knew like a teenager.

But what was I supposed to do? I’m an investigative reporter, for crying out loud. I investigate, I make connections, piece together puzzles, I figure stuff out. But here I was, completely clueless and baffled. Not only by what had happened today, but by my response to it. By Lexa in general.

I groaned in frustration and sat up. Too quick. I closed my eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning. I flung myself out of bed and decided to get dressed. I wasn’t getting any sleep and my thoughts were going in circles. I threw on tights and a hoodie and left my apartment, catching the time on the way out. So, maybe going for a run alone at midnight wasn’t the smartest thing to do. But it’s better than staying in here going crazy.

I popped my earphones into my left ear – it might have been dumb to go running now, but that didn’t mean I had to go full dumb. At least this way I’d hear my would-be murderer approach before he murdered me. Comforting, right? Stepping out of the building doors, the cool night air hit my face, making me pull my hoodie a little tighter over my head. I swung my legs a few times in a terrible excuse for a warm up and then I was off. It was about 2km later than I suddenly remembered something – I don’t run. I never run. Why the hell was I running? Completely out of breath, I stopped and put my hands on my head trying to recover. I lived near a lot of office spaces and looking around I realised I was only a few blocks from Lexa’s. I wonder if she’s…

A whistle from behind distracted me and I turned around to look at the source. Ah, shit. A very, very suspicious looking man was walking towards me, leering in ways that made me physically ill.

“Damn sweets, I wish I was the one making you sweat like that.” Cue disgusting smirk. “Follow me back to my place and I promise you’ll get an even better workout.”

“This is the perfect amount of workout for me, so no thanks.” I didn’t want to turn my back on him, so I decided my best bet was to walk past him and head in the direction of my home. I tried to not show the knot that was forming in my stomach.

As I walked past, he grabbed my arm and yanked me back. Without thinking, my right hand flew forward and crashed into his nose.

“Fuck!” He released my arm and grabbed at his now bleeding nose. I quickly made as much space between us as possible.

“You little bitch.” He growled as he started making his way towards me.

My heart was racing out of my chest. Bad idea, this was a bad idea. I shuffled back a few more steps then turned to run. I heard his steps behind mine. I wasn’t quick on a good day and right now I was exhausted – he was closing the distance between us quickly. His steps were so close, I gulped as much air as I could for the scream that was about to escape my mouth. But before I could, a roaring engine came revving behind us and I heard wheels squeal as they came to a stop. I glanced backwards briefly to see the man had stopped running, distracted by the stranger who’d just pulled up beside him. I took a few more steps but stopped. I wasn’t actually going to just keep running while someone stopped to help me, right? But what if they weren’t here to help… I only had a second to decide and I made potentially my second bad decision of the night – I stopped.

I turned back just in time to see the stranger, still wearing a motorcycle helmet, stride up to the man who had been chasing me and swing an uppercut. As the man’s head recoiled from the shock, helmet-stranger-person landed three alternating punches to his stomach then stepped back to swing a kick straight up to his balls. He keeled over, howling in pain. My saviour kicked him in his chest, knocking him to the ground.

Helmet-stranger-person, facing away from me now, lifted the helmet’s visor and knelt beside the man. The person leaned down and seemed to be saying something to the man, who could only nod while his air supply was being cut off. The stranger released their hold on the man’s neck, who quickly got up and scrambled away. It was dark, but the terror in his eyes was satisfyingly obvious.

I didn’t realise how terrified I had been in that moment, not until the sudden surge of relief caused a few tears to start rolling down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. Whoever this person who stood in front of me, they just saved me. I was in shock, but tried to calm my breathing to say something.

“Thank you.” I managed to get out, with a voice softer and weaker than I would have liked.

I take back what I'd just said about being in shock. That wasn't shock. Shock is what I felt when the helmet-stranger-person took off their helmet and turned to face me.

Long, wavy brown hair... green, almond shaped eyes... perfect cheekbones and round lips...Lexa.

Lexa’s POV

42. That’s how many push-ups I did before I realised that it was doing absolutely nothing to distract me from my thoughts. I stayed back late at the office today. It took me a lot longer than usual to get any work done, my mind was a little preoccupied. I sighed and flipped over onto my back to continue the internal argument I was having with myself.

Some people might find the way that I handle things unpleasant. Like Clarke. I can see where she’s coming from, even I had to be honest with myself about that. Saying that I had shut myself off from love did sound a little woeful. But it wasn’t. It worked. I was succeeding in everything I wanted to, more than I could have imagined. I brought my whole team back from Syria safe, alive. Well, almost… That was just another painful reminder of what happens when I allow my judgement to be clouded by emotion. What I did was necessary, it still is necessary. Caring for people I loved has never kept anyone safe, it’s gotten them killed.

But what if Clarke was right? Does it matter what I do if I spend my life ignoring the one thing that makes it most worth living?

Of course it does, Lexa. What I’ve done has saved the lives of countless people. Not enough, but still many. I bare the burden of leading alone so that no one else has to, whether it was while I was in the military or finding ways to protect those who still are,. I'm like this so that everyone else can have their love and their hopes and their families. It would be utterly selfish to neglect that duty for… for whatever it was that I felt in my chest every time I thought of Clarke. There have been people in my life that I have been tempted to care for more than I should, but I had always been able to abandon the feelings. Not with Clarke. I felt like an idiot. We’d seen each other twice. How was it even possible that the thought of her follows me wherever I go?

I sighed again, rolling over onto my elbows so that my forehead was resting in my hands. I didn’t even need a second meeting for that to happen, the first was enough. The way she spoke, how she carried herself, everything about her presence had made it feel like electricity was coursing through my body. My heart had raced more speaking to her than it had in my fight with Bellamy. And just like the first time, I ran the moment I felt it. I never ran from anything, yet here I was; alone in my office, at midnight, on the ground, agonising over a girl. Damn it, Lexa. I slammed my fist into the ground in frustration.

That’s it! She was one of Bellamy’s supporters. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t even considered this until now. More than likely, they were together, and she had no interest in me or any girl. It was simple. Once I confirmed it, I could let this whole thing rest and be done with it. Feeling sure of myself once again, I picked myself up off the floor and grabbed my keys. It was time to go home.

I hadn’t made it two blocks from my office before I saw something that made my blood boil with rage. A man yanked a girl walking past him by the elbow and she threw a punch at his face. It wasn’t hard to tell that his presence wasn’t welcomed, but any doubt was erased when she began to run as he chased after her. I sped up and pulled up in front of the man just before he managed to close the gap between them.

I was thankful that he had stopped and shifted his attention to me instead of her. It meant I only had to take a few strides before I was in reach to collide my fist with his jaw. The surprise of the sudden impact helped fling his head backwards, giving me an easy target to hail down on. This wasn’t an MMA fight and there were no rules, so I drove my shin up between his legs and watched with a great amount of satisfaction as he howled in pain. 

Kicking him over, I choked him so he wouldn’t move. The fact that it also meant he couldn't breathe was a pleasant bonus. I lifted the visor on my helmet which I hadn’t had the chance to take it off. I leaned down close to his face so that he wouldn’t miss a word as a I spoke.

“If you ever so much as look at another girl with your reviling face again, I will end your fucking life.” I spoke calmly and quietly, but the ice in my voice and daggers in my eyes made sure that he understood I wasn't lying.

“Do you understand?” He vigorously nodded his head, which was growing pinker by the second. I also noticed his bleeding nose. I felt myself wanting to grin - the girl had landed a good shot.

“Good. Now fuck off to the hole you came from.” He scrambled onto his feet and ran in the opposite direction to me as quickly as he could.

“Thank you.” Her voice came from behind me. It was soft and trembled ever so slightly, but I felt my arm prickles as I immediately recognised it. I took of my helmet and turned around to look her. My breath hitched in my throat as it does every time I see her and I clenched my jaw trying to hide my reaction. Why can't I seem to get away from you, Clarke Griffin?

Chapter Text

Hi!

To everyone who's read this far, who have commented and made suggestions thank you<3
If any of you still care, I also really hope this notification hasn't given you the false hope of a new chapter...
I wanted to apologise for my sudden disappearance, I know how awful it is when a story you follow suddenly just stops. Long story short, I got a gf, started med school, started my physio job, and ya know, corona and stuff.... So suffice to say it's all been a bit much. I'm hoping that in a month or two when things get back to normal and I get a bit more used to adulting that I can get back to writing. So if you're still around, hopefully, the next post will be an actual chapter.

Till then, love yourselves and please take care of your mental and physical well being <3