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

Chapter 84

Lexa's POV

After our meeting with Ora, we all go our separate ways. Our guards seem happy about being able to train and Raven is trying to explain an idea she has to Octavia. I take Clarke towards the stables after we say goodbye to everyone. Her nose scrunches up when she sees where we are going and gives me a confused look.

I just smile at her, loving how she can never resist smiling back at me. "Patience, hodnes (love)."

I lead her to where they are storing our wagon and start to dig through the stuff. It takes longer than I expected to finally find what I am looking for.

"Babe, what are you searching for? I can help." Clarke offers, watching me continue to search with an amused expression.

"No it is a surprise, Clarke! If I tell you it will not be a surprise." I say. "It should be somewhere around here, I just got it at the market." I curse loud enough to make Clarke laugh a minute later while I'm still rooting through the wagon, Raven's technology everywhere. "Jok (fuck)! Raven had to bring the entire room." I grumble.

"It's fine, babe. You can get it for me another time." Clarke says reassuringly, but I do not give up. I really want to see her face light up when I give her it.

I find the basket with a blanket on top that I put it in. I cry out victoriously, pumping my fist in the air like I have seen Raven and Octavia do. "Found it!"

Clarke is giggling at me now, a beautiful sound. I have to move a bunch of things in order to get the basket out. While I do that, Clarke wraps her arms around my waist and rests her head on my shoulder. I have no doubt she is curiously trying to see what I got her.

Glad that I got the sturdiest basket I could find because otherwise it would have been crushed under all of the metal that Raven brought. I turn around in Clarke's arms. She pulls away and looks at the basket.

I hand it to her, suddenly feeling shy. Clarke notices the blush on my cheeks and kisses me gently. She pulls back and I gesture for her to take the blanket off of the top. Clarke does and gasps, her eyes filling with tears. Inside, there is paint. I got every color that Clarke usually uses, and I know because I love watching her paint and have made sure that I know what colors she likes to have. I have also noticed that how she paints and what colors she uses depends greatly on her mood. There is also some good pieces of paper, and four or five canvases she can paint on. I wanted to get more, but could not find any more. There is also a wooden easel, I think it is called, that holds up the canvas as she paints. I did also get a few other things that I have seen Clarke use before.

Clarke throws her arms around me and buries her face in my neck, whispering her thanks. I can feel her salty tears on my skin. I have been with her enough to know that they are happy tears. Though it was fairly obvious because I could see the joy on her face before she hugged me.

Clarke moves back just enough so she can attach her lips to mine. Unlike earlier, this is not a quick kiss. She deepens it quickly and accidentally hits me in the back with the basket when she tries to move her hands to my waist. We rest our foreheads against each other and she sighs happily.

"Thank you again, Lexa." Clarke says, grinning brightly.

I hum in response and she takes my hand, leading me to the cave. Clarke has an excited spring in her steps as she pulls me along, carrying her basket.

We walk halfway up the tunnel and I have to admit, her stamina has greatly increased. We are both breathing slightly heavily by the time we get to a satisfactory place. She takes out the easel and opens it so it can hold up a canvas. Clarke takes out a canvas and some paints and gets to work. First, she lightly sketches some things on the canvas with a pencil, outlining various parts. I sit down a few feet behind her at the perfect spot to watch her work.

Clarke finishes with her pencil rather quickly and puts it back in the basket, getting out a paintbrush. She sets it down for a moment and tries to put up her hair. Clarke groans when she realizes she did not bring a rubber band or something to hold it up.

"Clarke, I can braid your hair while you work." I offer.

"That would be great. Thanks, babe."

I mark my spot in the dirt so I know where to go back to before getting up. I sit behind Clarke and run my fingers through her hair. She picks up her paintbrush again and starts mixing some paint on a what I believe is called a "pallet", though it could be incorrect. Sometimes when Clarke is talking, I will focus on her expressions and her mouth instead of what she is saying.

I begin braiding as she puts the first drop of paint on the canvas. It does not take long for a vague picture of the view before us to show up. My jaw drops slightly, in awe of her talent once again. She has only filled in the brown and black of the cave sides and floor, but it looks so good already that it is almost hard to believe she has more to do.

Continuing painting and mixing, Clarke hums a song softly while I continue braiding her hair. I glance up at the painting every once in a while and every time I am shocked by her progress and how beautiful it looks.

Clarke's painting again! Man, I kind of want to paint the cave like I see it in my head but I don't think I could do it justice like Clarke does... Oh well! Thank you all for reading and for your amazing comments! Stay awesome!