Chapter Text
"Fuck- I'm gonna- I'm..." Her body shifts, driving upwards and her fingers tighten just slightly in the mane of dark hair between her legs, fingers curling and palms clenching. Her head falls backwards against the pillow, sweat slicked hair damp against the back of her neck as she crests the wave of her high.
Lips part, lungs scrambling for breath as her eyes fall shut, nothing but darkness and wet heat between her legs. Her orgasm rushes through her, making her quiver as soft, gentle touches ease her down, sucking and kissing gently until she slumps back against the ruined sheets, body rapidly cooling as the sheen of sweat on her skin coaxes gooseflesh to ripple over her. The kisses placed softly to the inside of her thighs pull a long shiver from her body, drawing it out as easily as if she's a marionette and she peels open an eye to peer down through the late afternoon light at where the dark haired woman is looking at her, her head resting against the inside of her thigh, a small smug smile on her shining lips.
"Don't look so pleased with yourself."
Lexa's laugh is deep and soft, like jewel toned velvet and she heaves herself up until she is lying beside Clarke in the bed, drawing the soft blue blanket Clarke keeps in a pile at the bottom of the bed up and over their bare bodies.
"What, four orgasms aren't a good enough Christmas present?"
Clarke can only roll her eyes, huffing softly but unable to keep her eyes away from the girl for long as Lexa stretches out beside her, throwing her hands behind her head and exposing small, pert breasts from beneath the blanket.
"I suppose it'll do," she twists onto her side, leaning up on her elbow to watch as Lexa casts a small smile in her direction. There's something immensely satisfying about pulling a smile from the usually stoic girl and though they've been sleeping together for five months-
(not that Clarke's counting)
- she still feels a flurry of butterflies at the sight.
"What are you doing for the holidays then?"
Lexa turns back to look at the ceiling of her dorm room again, shrugging against the sheets and running a hand through the errant strands of tangled hair as she says, with disinterest, "studying. I don’t really do Christmas."
Clarke wrinkles her nose, shifting a little closer to make sure Lexa sees her displeasure at her answer, "you're going to study all of the winter break? Won't your family want to spend time with you?"
"I don't think so, seeing as they'll be on another continent." Lexa replies dryly and then, at Clarke's confused expression, explains, "we aren't spending the holidays together. My parents are in Rome on a business trip."
"On Christmas?" Clarke sounds aghast and Lexa rolls her eyes, laughing carelessly.
"We're staunch atheists Clarke, Christmas doesn't mean anything to us."
"Yeah but," she splutters over her words, outraged, "we're not exactly the most religious people in the world but my family still get together at Christmas! What about your sister?"
Lexa casts her a sideways glance and Clarke remembers abruptly that Lexa has never mentioned her sister to her, it had only become common knowledge from copious facebook stalking and she flushes at the realisation.
"My sister is spending the holidays with her girlfriend and her family."
"Couldn't you go with her?" Clarke presses on fruitlessly and Lexa sighs heavily, heaving herself up and over until she is straddling the blonde, pushing her firmly back against the mattress in a way that makes Clarke's mouth go dry.
"I thought we were here to do something other than talk," Lexa swathes a line of kisses down her jaw and though her throat feels tight Clarke ploughs onwards.
"But it's Christmas Lexa, you can't just stay in the dorms and-" She is cut off by the firm press of lips against hers, sucking and nipping until she is left breathless.
"How about I make you a deal, hmm?" Lexa is hovering above her, eyes dark and lips swollen, "you stop talking about the holidays and I'll make it five, okay?"
Clarke wants to protest, really she does, but there's something about the way Lexa starts to descend her body in an almost predatory manner that makes her give up and throw her head back again at the first touch of gentle fingers.
----
At first she had ignored the occasional groan from the room above hers. The girl on the fourth floor seems to enjoy loud rap music and rough sex, so she invested in good headphones and ear plugs and spent most of her time in the library. Annoyingly though the library is shut for the holidays and so Lexa is stuck in her room, going over her notes on Machiavelli when she hears the ominous creaking and groaning of the floor above her. With a huff, she reaches for her headphones, readying to press them into her ears when another louder and far more foreboding groan sounds.
She frowns, pausing to look up and in the second she takes to contemplate going upstairs to bang on the door, the centre of her ceiling disintegrates in a torrent of water.
----
"Sis!" Anya is stood in the doorway to the large, red brick building, so strung with fairy lights it seems to glow in the night, a wide smile on her face and a preposterous pair of reindeer antlers on her head.
Behind her, the cab roars its engine and skids away across the icy road and Lexa wishes she could call it back, instead stood awkwardly beside the curb, her duffel bag thrown over her shoulder as she shuffles her feet. It's snowing just slightly, the flakes hang in her hair and on the soft material of her warmest jacket and she glances up, wishing for the blue skies she knows so well as Anya steps out of the house.
There's a figure lingering in the doorway, but they remain there, watching as Anya opens her arms out for her younger sister, ushering her into a quick hug before pulling back to look at her.
"You've uh..." Lexa gestures awkwardly to her antlers and Anya laughs a little, but the joy on her face is completely genuine.
"Yeah, they do Christmas pretty hardcore here. Want me to take your bag?"
"No, I'm good." She tightens her grip on the strap of the bag, following when Anya starts back towards the house. "Listen, I'm really sorry for intruding on you guys, I can go if it's a problem."
"Don't be stupid," Anya waves off her concerns, "I couldn't see my little sister stranded for the holidays. There's more than enough space as well."
"If you're sure," she mutters beneath her breath, wiping her snowy shoes on the mat and shivering gratefully when she steps into the warmth of the house as Anya chuckles.
"Yeah, not quite California huh? You're lucky your flight landed to be honest."
Lexa hums in agreement, eyes catching at the wreath on the door- all bright green holly and golden tinsel and red berries- before the front door is swung shut behind her and she has a chance to admire the spacious, oak panelled hallway. A wide staircase swings in a graceful curve in front of her and a row of golden pegs with various coats and jackets swung on them sit to the right of the door. There are more fairy lights curling up the banister and mistletoe hung obnoxiously above the doorframe and she struggles not to wrinkle her nose at it.
"Here," Anya takes her coat and hangs it on one of the pegs, brushing the snowflakes from it expertly.
"Hi," a voice from behind her makes her turn in surprise and she can't help her slight smile at the sight of the tanned, dark haired girl with a gaudy Christmas jumper on and a Santa hat pulled over her head. "You must be Anya's sister," the girl is smiling welcomingly but it's clear she's keeping her distance, waiting for Lexa to make the first move towards physical contact. "I'm Raven."
"My girlfriend," Anya appears at her side, touching a hand to the small of the girl's back protectively and casting Lexa a warning glance that screams play nice.
But Lexa needs no such warning and instead smiles, reaching out a hand towards the girl, "hey, great to meet you at last."
Raven's satisfied smile is enough to pacify Anya, who lets her touch fall as Raven shakes her hand firmly, a small smirk playing on the edges of her lips. "You too Lexa; I take it you aren't crazy about Christmas either, hmm?"
"It was never a big thing in our family, it all just seems a little commercial," she hesitates at the scowl Anya throws her, hesitating through her words, but Raven only laughs.
"It's alright, we'll soon have you converted."
"Well I'm really sorry for crashing on your Christmas like this," she lifts a hand to rub awkwardly at the back of her neck, "I'll try to keep out of you way, it must be weird having a total stranger in your house."
"Oh it's not my house-"
Raven is cut off a sudden figure appearing from the wide doorframe to their left, all dark hair and flushed cheeks. She wears a slightly ridiculous hat that looks like the rear end of a turkey and Lexa is starting to sense a theme here even as she looks between Anya and the girl in surprise.
"Is this your sister Anya?" The girl doesn't wait for an answer as she darts around Raven and throws her arms around Lexa, squeezing her so quickly that it leaves Lexa reeling. "Hi! Lexa, right? I'm Octavia!"
"H-Hi," she feels a little out of breath as the girl spins away, turning to look to the two men who are now lingering in the doorway to the left hand room uncertainly and gesturing eagerly.
"Guys! Come and meet Lexa!"
The first, a tall, dark skinned guy with muscles on muscles, who looks as if he could snap Lexa in two with a glance walks towards Octavia to touch at her shoulder, holding his other hand out for Lexa to shake. He wears an ugly sweater that looks unfortunately similar to Octavia's and he and the other guy, of course, have matching green and red elf hats.
"Lincoln," he introduces himself calmly, but Octavia takes over, talking excitedly.
"My boyfriend! And that's Bellamy over there," she gestures to the other boy, whose shaggy dark hair looks as if it is trying to escape from beneath the hat, "he's my brother."
"Unfortunately," Bellamy puts in, but only laughs when Octavia sticks her tongue out.
The others laugh too and Lexa lets out an awkward chuckle, her eyes darting uncertainly to Anya for an explanation, but Octavia is already ushering her through into the room to the left where they have all emerged from, leaving her bag abandoned at the bottom of the stairs.
The room is a living room, she realises when she steps inside. It's long, with a cluster of chairs around a large fireplace decorated with yet more tinsel and holly at one end and a dark oak dining table at the other end, filled with empty bowls as if it once contained a selection of buffet foods, now abandoned. A huge Christmas tree, lavishly decorated, is placed in the bay window of the room, close to the fireplace. It is a mishmash of decorations and colours but somehow manages to look homely and comfortable in this rich, warm space. On the small coffee table in the middle of the cluster of chairs and couches by the crackling fire sits a half finished game of monopoly and a girl is crouched over it, flicking through the cards in the middle of the board, though her head darts up guiltily when they walk in.
"Hey!" Octavia cries out in outrage, "stop cheating Clarke!"
Lexa almost freezes in place. Clarke Griffin is knelt beside the table, a glass of what looks like mulled wine on the floor next to her. She's wearing a disgusting Christmas sweater and a Santa hat is pulled down over her blonde curls, blue eyes wide with surprise and cheeks so pink from the fire and the embarrassment and the surprise that she looks like the picture of a 50s Christmas.
"Clarke, this is Lexa."
"Hi," she offers a lame wave at the same time that Clarke says:
"We know each other."
"You do?" Anya is frowning beside her, looking between them.
"Yeah, we've actually met at Berkley," Lexa looks to Clarke uncertainly at the girl stumbles to her feet, revealing large fluffy slippers on her feet.
"Just a... passing acquaintance, some mutual friends. We've been at parties together." Clarke is barely looking at her, her eyes darting from Raven to Octavia and back to Lexa before flying away again.
"What's this I hear about parties?" A strange voice comes from behind them and they turn together, creating a path for the older woman who walks through their little group, a tray of fresh cookies between her hands and deposits them on the plate on the table before turning to smile at them all. She has a soft smile and a kind, but sharply intelligent face and when her eyes land on Lexa she feels as if she's being looked over from top to bottom. "Hi, I'm Abby. You must be Anya's sister."
"Lexa," she holds her hand out and Abby's handshake comes with a comforting squeeze. Her eyes flicker around the group that seem to be watching her expectantly and she finally says, her words stilted and uncertain, "sorry, I don't want to be rude but how... exactly... are you guys all siblings or...?"
"No, no," Raven laughs, shaking her head and moving away to flop onto the couch. The rest of them seem to take their cue from her, Abby lowering herself into an armchair as Anya sits more carefully down beside Raven, letting the girl curl up against her and Bellamy settles onto the couch on the other side of Raven, leaning back as she stretches her legs along his lap. Octavia and Lincoln snuggle into the loveseat together and Clarke slowly kneels beck beside the monopoly board again, leaving Lexa to perch on the footrest, glancing between them all as Raven explains.
"I'm not actually related to any of these guys-"
"Not by blood anyway," Octavia interrupts and Raven rolls her eyes, waving her hands.
"Sisters in spirit doesn't count O."
"Says who?"
"Says science, dumbass." Bellamy puts in and Raven cuts through Octavia's indignant response.
"Anyway, this place is actually Abby's," she gestures to the house, "Clarke is her daughter." Lexa tries to ignore the way that her cheeks heat up, keeping her gaze resolutely on the brunette speaking to her, "O and Bellamy are Clarke's cousins and I'm just an old family friend, I've been coming here for Christmas since I was little."
"Normally our parents would be here, but my mom's sister is sick," Bellamy adds, "she and our dad are both down in Florida looking after her."
"Right... I see." She swallows, glancing to Anya and resolutely avoiding looking at Clarke as she stands. "I might just go and wash up, if that's okay with you all? The journey was long."
"Of course," Abby stands at the same time that Anya does, "I can show you to your room if you want?"
"I'll do it," Anya tells her, firmly, moving to stand next to Lexa and place a hand on her shoulder. "You relax Abby."
"Oh, well," Abby hesitates, still standing, "you must be hungry after your trip. I can make you something eat? Pasta? Soup?"
"Please don't go to any trouble," Lexa holds out a placating hand, "I'll be fine, honestly. I might go to bed though, if that's okay?"
"Of course, the bed is all made up for you." Abby is still watching them, even as Anya steers her sister from the room with the hand on her shoulder, a chorus of goodnights following them out of the room.
"Come on squirt, it's this way." Anya shoulders her bag without accepting any complaint and leads her up the staircase until they come to the wide landing. "Your room is just up here," she gestures down a wide hallway with carpet so soft that it bounces beneath Lexa's feet and pauses at the second door on the left.
Inside is a spacious, neat guest bedroom; all neutral whites and browns with a soft, red blanket thrown at the bottom of the bed and a vase of white flowers and crimson berries sitting on the lace covering that lies over the top of the dresser.
The curtains to the tall window in the corner are drawn back, though it is too dark outside to see anything and when she reaches out to unhook them they fall forwards with the soft, satisfying thump of heavy, warm curtains. A door to a inbuilt closet stands to the left of the bed and a little further on is a bookshelf with a collection of odd books in it. Lexa lowers herself carefully onto the end of the double bed, fingers running over the gentle material of the blanket and watches as Anya lowers her bag to the ground at her feet.
"My temporary room should be ready by Christmas Eve," she says at last, to break the silence, "I'll be out of your hair by the time the big day rolls around."
"Don't be ridiculous Lex," Anya moves to sit beside her, "you shouldn't be alone on Christmas Day."
"You've never cared before," she cocks an eyebrows and Anya's brows furrow slightly.
"Well this year I do, okay? Just stay."
"Really?" Her eyes wander up to the antlers on Anya's head and even she can't help but crack a smile when she reaches up to tweak one, "seems like they're very serious about Christmas here. You know I don't really do it."
"They are," Anya pulls the antlers off her head, smiling wryly as she holds them between her hands. "I was sceptical at first too but... they really won me over."
"You mean Raven won you over," Lexa corrects her teasingly, nudging an elbow into her ribs as Anya rolls her eyes, shoving lightly at her arm. "She seems nice," she says more seriously and Anya nods, smiling.
"She is Lexa, they all are. And Christmas is important to them."
"I need to study," she points out, looking down to the bag at her feet and Anya nods, patting her knee as she goes to stand.
"That's totally fine, just try not to be a total Grinch, okay?"
"I'm not a Grinch," Lexa protests, even as Anya raises an eyebrow. "Whatever. Goodnight loser."
"Night asshole," Anya pulls the door shut behind her and Lexa leans back against the bed, flopping her body weightlessly against the soft mattress and stretching her arms up above her head just as a soft knock comes on the door.
"Hello?" She darts upwards as the door creaks open and Clarke's head peaks out from behind it.
"Hi," she smiles sheepishly, offering out a plate. "My mom's a feeder, sorry. She made you a PB&J, I hope that's okay."
"Oh, that's actually... great." Lexa smiles back despite herself as her stomach growls in response to the food.
Clarke steps further into the room, sitting carefully on the bed next to her as she passes Lexa over the sandwich, looking anywhere but her as Lexa takes a bite of the sugary, sticky concoction.
"So, not quite where you expected to spend your Christmas, huh? What happened to the library?" Clarke throws a wry smile at her, arching a curious eyebrow.
"My dorm room flooded, the girl above left her bathtub running," she can't even get through the words without rolling her eyes, though she feels more like strangling Jessica from 4-2B.
"Oh shit," Clarke's eyes widen in alarm, "how bad is it?"
"Not too awful, it'll take them a couple of weeks, longer because of the holidays. My temporary room should be ready by the 24th though, so I'll be out of your hair in a few days. Thanks for taking me in, I appreciate it."
"You can... stay for Christmas if you want," Clarke's hands are curling together awkwardly, "it's no trouble."
"No, it's okay thanks," despite her earlier words to Anya, her mind is made up, "I have work to do and I don't really-"
"- do Christmas," Clarke parrots her own words back at her and she can't help but smile, "yeah I know. Well, the offer is there if you want it."
"Thanks."
An awkward silence descends. Lexa's finished her sandwich, but Clarke stays sat on the bed beside her, tracing patterns in the carpet on the floor with the toe of her slipper. Finally, they both speak at once.
"Why did you lie?"
"You can't tell my mom."
Lexa's brows crease uncertainly and she waits as Clarke swallows, gathering her words and saying in a quick rush.
"You can't tell my mom about us. She's just a little fucked up this Christmas, she wants it to be as perfect as possible which is why there are so many people in the house and I just... I can't land this on her right now, you know? It would ruin her Christmas, she'd totally flip."
"Because I'm a girl or because we hook up without any emotional connection?" Lexa asks, bluntly and Clarke scowls at her.
"Hey, I make you laugh."
"Yeah, only around making me cum though."
Clarke whacks at her arm, rolling her eyes again even as Lexa lets out a soft chuckle. "You're right, we have nothing. In fact, I kind of hate you."
"Sure you do."
"My point is," she ploughs on, ignoring Lexa's jibes pointedly. "Don't tell her."
"Okay," she shrugs, watching as Clarke turns to look at her, tongue nervously wetting her lips as she becomes more sincere.
"I'm serious Lexa, this is really important."
"Hey," without thinking her fingers go to sit beneath Clarke's chin, tilting her eyes up so that she can see how frank she is, "I understand. There is no reason your mom- or anyone else for that matter- needs to know. It's nothing, just a little harmless sex. We'll just act..." her eyes flicker to Clarke shining lips and she fees her voice crack slightly, "normal."
"Right," Clarke's words are only slightly breathy, "so... no fucking."
"None." She's leaning forward without thinking and when Clarke's fingers tangle in her hair and draw her into a sudden, passionate kiss she can't find it within her to pull away. A tongue slides out to run over her lips and she opens her mouth slightly, their breath hot against the other's skin as their bodies press together. Teeth nip at her lips and she lets out a groan that she barely realises is hers until she feels the rumble of her chest and Clarke's soft, throaty laughter against her mouth.
"Clarke?"
The voice from downstairs makes them spring apart as if electrified and Clarke's wide eyes dart to her and then to the door as she runs a hand through her hair and shouts back, voice shaking.
"Coming!"
The word only makes them both flush even more and Clarke jumps from the bed, pressing hands against her hot cheeks and pulling her hat further down.
"Okay... okay no more of that, understand?"
"Loud and clear." Lexa shakes her head, trying to clear the haze from her mind and then looks up as Clarke runs a finger over slightly swollen lips and asks.
"How do I look?"
"Alarmingly normal. Painfully average."
Clarke's eyes roll again but she can't hide the smile on her face as she flicks the finger in Lexa's direction, pausing at the door.
"Fuck you. See you in the morning, Lexa."
"Goodnight Clarke."
She tries to ignore the softness in her voice and the warmth still clinging to the back of her neck, where Clarke's hands had been.