Our People (the Third Book of the Her Weakness series)

Chapter 63

Clarke's POV

Lexa and I come and eat dinner with the others after we're finished with our time in the spring. The smirks on Octavia and Raven's faces tells me that they know (and probably heard) exactly what we were doing. Luckily, they don't pester us and instead debate with each other about whether or not cats still exist (as in domesticated cats).

I don't bother pointing out that there's this old lady in Polis that definitely has one, or how Lexa's eyes light up whenever she sees the cat. I'll have to keep an eye open for one in our travels. A cat could definitely come in handy anyways, killing rodents and when it sheds enough fur, we can make a wig for Titus or something.

"How much longer until we get to the capital?" I ask Lexa.

"One day if we ride fast, but most likely a day and a half."

"Where are we going after that?" I pry, hoping she'll reveal the secret place.

Lexa smiles and moves closer to me on the log, wrapping an arm around my waist. "It is a surprise, Clarke. You will have to be patient."

I pout at her, knowing that this particular one is one of her weaknesses. Lexa chuckles and kisses my cheek. I sigh, resigning myself to not knowing. Besides, no matter where it is, Lexa picked it out personally. So that means I'm going to love it, especially since she's keeping it's location secret from me. If it were going to be a generic nice place (like the Azgeda capital for example), she'd tell me about it. So this means Lexa picked it out specifically because she knows I'll love it. Which is really adorable and sweet of her.

"No Octavia." Raven says louder than she had been talking, sounding both annoyed and amused. "Leaves are green because of chlorophyll, not because they're jealous of animals because they can't walk."

"Then why do they go reds and yellows and brown in the fall?" Octavia retorts, a teasing glint in her eye. Oh this should be interesting.

"I didn't study this, but I'm pretty sure it's because there's less sunlight then and they're preparing for winter, storing all that chlorophyll and nutrients. Wait, then why do you think they do that?"

"They finally accept they'll never be able to walk or run. The yellows are starting to realize, the reds are angry, and brown is the final stage, dying inside. Then in one desperate attempt to be anywhere but that place they've been their whole, short life, the leap from the branch they call home and fall to the ground, dead." Octavia tells this whole thing while gesturing and practically acting out everything, making it that much better.

"That was actually well thought out." Raven admits. "A truly incredible level of incorrectness, but well thought out."

"Thank you."

Octavia stands and takes a bow. Raven and I clap for her, Lexa still close to me and laughs quietly, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

"Why is green associated with jealousy in your culture?" Nix asks, speaking up for the first time since Lexa and I came back.

"I thought it was associated with envy." Lexa adds.

Octavia waves her hand dismissively. "Whatever, they're practically the same thing. They're homonyms."

"You mean synonyms, babe." Raven says.

"Close enough."

"A synonym is two words with similar meanings. A homonym is two words that sound the exact same but are spelled differently. Like tide an tied. One's the waves coming to shore, and the other's kinky." Raven explains, grinning widely at Octavia.

I stifle my laughter at Raven's explanation.

"Well, aren't you educational." Octavia teases, poking Raven in the side.

"Yup. I also happen to be tired. Would you care to join me?" Raven asks, smirking. I know she's not tired. It looks like we are definitely going to have a late start tomorrow.

Raven stands and holds out her hand, which Octavia takes. They walk hand in hand to their tent on the far side of camp (either they or the guards must have known they'd be making noise tonight). Now that I'm thinking about that, Lexa and I's tent is pretty far too.

"We should probably turn in, too." I say to Lexa.

She nods and gets up, helping me up and kissing my hand like the chivalrous dork she is. We head to our tent, bidding the guards goodnight. They give us knowing looks, probably assuming that the instant we're in the tent, we're going to jump each other (again).

After Lexa closes the tent behind us, she wraps her arms around me. Her front is against my back, her head resting on my shoulder. We stay like that for a bit before I turn around in her arms and kiss her gently. She sighs happily into my mouth, making me smile against her lips. This kiss is perfectly innocent, both of us trying to continue kissing despite both of us smiling widely. Eventually, I pull back just enough to kiss her nose and rest my forehead against Lexa's.

Her hands move beneath my upper armor, gently resting her hands against my bare sides. I open my eyes, not realizing until now that I had closed them to see her lower lip tremble, her eyes closed. A tear glistens and falls delicately down her cheeks. Earlier today is the closest we've been in a while to being torn away from each other again. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't remind me of when she was kidnapped. It must remind her of then  too.

Lexa's eyes open again and she doesn't ask anything. She doesn't need to. I can see everything I need to know in her eyes. I lean in again and kiss her, noticing that I can faintly taste the salt from her tear on her lip. Moving almost at the same time, we start taking off each other's armor.

We had our fun earlier, but this isn't the same this isn't the same. This is life affirming, gentle and not just sex like earlier, this is making love.

This chapter was so much more educational and then fluffier than I thought it would be... Remember, the others don't know yet why they were attacked. Lexa and Clarke will have to tell them the next day. And bonus! Finished this before I have to go to drivers training! Thank you all for reading and stay awesome!