I Can't Stop Loving You

Chapter 5

"Something's changed with her, Raven. I don't know what... I don't know how. But I feel like she's changed." Clarke leant over the table, her whisperers drowned out by the loud sound of the kitchen.

The tables in the hall were dimly lit by power saving lamps, illuminating the food and faces which surrounded them. Jasper sat in the corner, a cup filled with some sort of intoxicating drink even though it was still early in the morning. Some seats were empty, where people had to rush off to their jobs before they finished their food. Other seats were empty as their usual owners had been lost to their war efforts.

Raven rolled her eyes as she bit into her food, quickly chopping down and taking a sip of water "Clarke, she's been gone for years. Of course she's changed. I don't think you've noticed yet, but you have too"

"I know but-"

"And besides, she still looks like the commander to me." Raven nodded in the direction of Lexa, and Clarke looked over her shoulder to follow her gaze.

Lexa weaved through tables with a kind of swiftness which she always carried in her. Her back was straight, poised, ready. And for a moment, it was like Clarke was meeting her all over again, in her tent with Indra glaring over Lexa's shoulder like she was scum. Maybe because she was.

"Yeah well, you don't know her like I do" Clarke whispered as Lexa neared them.

Lexa finally sat down in the seat beside Clarke and Octavia, who had been with Lexa, sat down on her other side. Clarke felt the need to do something, anything, to make Lexa know that she acknowledged her presence... or something like that. Her hand acted upon instinct, like an irresistible and strong magnetic pull dragging her towards her, and she reached into Lexa's lap under the table, fingers tangling amongst each other. Their hands rested on Lexa's thigh ardently. Clarke felt green eyes watching her throughout the entirety of her actions.

Octavia's eyes searched the hall, most likely looking for Lincoln. Raven however, seemed more interested in eating her food than looking for Luna. Octavia then shuffled in her seat and looked down at her food.

Lexa seemed to notice her squirming and leant foreword over the table to confront her. It seemed like Octavia had been anxious for years now, and Clarke had just put the blame towards the leading position she had found herself in. But now, her anxieties were much clearer than before.

"Octavia"

Octavia's head quickly lifted from her plate at the sound of her own name "yeah?"

"I have news for you. About your brother"

Octavia pulled a disgusted face, betrayal evident as she looked back down to cut her food. Even so, everyone on the table could see through her pretences. She was not fooling anyone. "why would I even care about him anymore?"

"Would you like me to continue or would you rather I kept my information to myself?" Lexa snapped. That was the commander everyone knew. Patient but impatient when needed. Peaceful but violent when pushed. Always carefully calculated. Always.

Clarke loved it.

"Okay..." Octavia dropped her cutlery to turn and face Lexa "What is it then?"

"He is attempting to get back to you. Escaping Pike's grip on him would be hard since he knows that his previous loyalty lay with you. But he has help."

"Who?"

"An ice nation woman named Echo is aiding him in his escape"

"How can he trust her?" Octavia frowned "She's ice nation."