Clarke smiled and bent forward from her spot on the wood bench. She ran her fingers through Ares's soft fur. She played with his ears a few time then straightened up.
Ares enjoyed the attention, but he stayed on the floor, stretched out in front of both women's boot tips. He looked from his friend to Lexa, who was seated next to Clarke. He opened his mouth and let his tongue hang out.
Lexa controlled her smile, mostly. She reached forward and also petted the black, two tailed wolf. She straightened up and briefly watched Ares settle back into his spot in front of them. Slowly, her attention pulled away from the wolf and went to the Senators that gathered in front of them.
Clarke was listening to them talk, but she curiously peered over at the commander. A slight grin shaped across her lips. She was seated close to Lexa, much closer than necessary. She moved her right hand off her lap and placed it flat against the small space between her and Lexa. With her fingertips, she brushed the commander's thigh.
Lexa peered down briefly before she looked over at Clarke. For an instant, she and Clarke traded a silent exchange.
Clarke kept her smile hidden, but she had a glow to her eyes that had been missing for days. As she looked back at the Senate, she thought about earlier this morning. Her decision this morning had ebbed her worries, and she now had direction.
After she and Lexa had returned from the boat ride yesterday, they had gone home and relaxed until dinner. At dinner, Clarke shared her adventure with Octavia and Lincoln. Similar to Lexa and Clarke, Octavia had a grand tour from Lincoln and was impressed with the city. Alex asked the two outsiders what they saw and made suggestions on what to see next time.
When dinner finished, Lexa softly invited Clarke to her room. Clarke smiled at the invite, and she went to her room first. She changed out of her clothes and put on something more comfortable for the night. Ares followed her to Lexa's room. Unexpectedly but pleasantly, Clarke stayed the night. For hours, the two leaders sat in front of the fireplace, on the fur rug, and shared warm cider. They sat close, almost touching, almost brushing skin. They talked about many things from their past until exhaustion took them to bed.
In the morning, Clarke woke up to an empty bed, but Ares popped his head up at seeing his friend awake. He sat up on his hinds and patiently waited for her to get up.
Clarke smoothed out her messy hair during her walk to her bedroom. She quickly took a shower and pulled out a clean, creamy white long sleeve shirt from the dresser. She wore her black jeans again. She took a few minutes to brush her hair and removed all the tangles from the breezy boat ride yesterday.
Downstairs, Lexa and Alex visited with each other. They shared a morning meal and chatted about Alex's ceremony today. Towards the end of their meal, Clarke arrived with Ares. Alex smiled at Clarke and offered to make a meal. Clarke returned to the smile and decided to walk Ares first.
Lexa watched Clarke go after they traded slight nods. She realized they were developing a silent communication that would benefit them later. Clarke loved to talk through things, but Lexa had learned to speak through silence; an old art that Anya taught her early on as a leader.
Breakfast lit up with flavor, just like the other meals. Clarke was use to bland foods on the Ark. She was amazed the difference in quality on the ground. Alex was flattered by the Sky Princess's compliments. Halfway through, Alex had to leave and get ready for her busy day. On her way out of the kitchen, she gave Ares leftovers from last night's meal.
Once alone, Lexa and Clarke curiously eyed each other across the island table. It seemed as if whoever spoke first lost a game. Lexa had a slight smirk when Clarke gave in first.
