A/N: A Morning After was requested, so here you go. I hope it will be to your liking :)

Lexa wakes up with a dry mouth but no headache and the feeling of a warm, heavy arm slumped over her stomach. With much reluctance she opens her eyes, forcing herself to find her phone or an alarm clock and check the time. The bedroom curtains only let through half of the daylight and as her eyes come to focus on the girl next to her, she forgets about checking the time entirely.

Clarke's hair is messily draped over the side of her shoulder, tips of it tickling softly against patches of Lexa's arm. Her expression is soft in sleep - innocent but not untroubled, and Lexa can't help but want to kiss the shadow of that frown away. She breathes softly in her sleep and Lexa watches the faint beating of Clarke's pulse underneath a faded red mark Lexa left on her neck.

She wonders how many more strangers have left their marks on her.

Clarke is beautiful and smart and a very smooth talker, and for some reason Lexa's chest constricts when she realizes she might've been just another one to warm her bed.

And that maybe she really should leave before Clarke wakes.

The blonde's eyes open as if she can feel Lexa's gaze on her.

For a moment they both stay quiet and Lexa's unsure about what to say, for it might determine the rest of their morning.

Clarke's eyes watch hers intently and a warm feeling settles in Lexa's stomach that has nothing to do with the slight nervousness she was feeling only moments ago.

Eventually, Clarke smiles. She smiles and it's a sincere look of happiness; of a content moment. She smiles and Lexa's own mouth tugs up.

"Hi," Clarke whispers as if anything too loud might break this peaceful bubble that they've woken up in.

"Hey," Lexa mumbles in response and the arm around her middle tightens shortly before retracting a little, like Clarke made up her mind or is afraid of giving away too much.

After a long moment of silence and a quick replay of what had happened, Lexa takes a breath and steadies herself to say the words she doesn't want to speak. "I should probably go," she muses.

"Or you could stay," Clarke responds a little too quickly. "I mean - only if you want, of course."

Lexa's mind is twisting over itself while trying to think. She's not sure if that's an invitation for morning sex, or whether Clarke would simply like for her to hang around a little longer.

Either way, Lexa realizes, she wouldn't mind.

"Do you want me to?" she inquires carefully, just to be sure.

Clarke smirks, although the sweetness in her eyes makes it seem more like a cute smile. "I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't."

Lexa casts her gaze down for a moment to hide the joy that flickers behind her eyes. She readjusts her position under the bed covers, stroking her fingers down Clarke's arm that is still in reach.

Clarke smiles softly once more and smoothly intertwines her fingers with Lexa's. A small frown creases the blonde's forehead. "Should I go… make breakfast, or something?"

Lexa can't help the soft chuckle that escapes her at the uncertainty in Clarke's voice. "Are you telling me you're not an expert on the whole morning-after thing?" she asks her with a grin.

Clarke's mouth drops a little in feigned offense. "Are you saying you expected me to be well experienced with one-night stands?"

Lexa raises an eyebrow. "So now I'm a one-night stand?"

They both chuckle and it's really something odd to laugh about, because neither have really confirmed or denied what last night meant to them.

Still, the way Clarke looks at her and holds onto her hand like it'll stop Lexa from ever leaving her bed, convinces Lexa there's something more here. There's something more and Lexa's ears burn with the realization.

"Seriously though. Are you hungry or anything?" Clarke asks her with the hint of a concerned frown and Lexa smiles. She shakes her head gently.

"I'm fine just staying here. But if you want to have breakfast, I won't complain."

Clarke smiles again and runs her eyes over Lexa's face as if trying to memorize it. For a moment Lexa thinks Clarke is going to kiss her again and roll their naked bodies back on top of each other, but instead Clarke's gaze flickers back to hers and holds it as if trying to read into the greenness of Lexa's eyes.

"Maybe later," she mumbles with half a smile. Reaching for the nightstand next to the bed, Clarke pulls out two small, unopened water bottles and hands one to Lexa who replies with a grateful thanks at the prospect of getting rid of the dryness in her mouth.

After taking a few large gulps, Lexa places the bottle next to the bed and slightly props herself up against the headboard. She takes a deep breath and stretches her limbs, feeling the strain in her neck and the rest of her body. She's not feeling hung-over, thank God, but still her body feels tired from the night before.

Clarke chuckles. "Not used to late nights out?"

Lexa lets the half embarrassed smile paint her cheeks. Truth is, she's not. Not anymore. It had been a while since she had gone out and even longer since she ended up spending the night with someone. She shakes her head. "How'd you figure?"

"Like I told you," Clarke mumbles, pushing herself up and pressing her lips against the skin of Lexa's bare shoulder, "you're classy."

Lexa can't help but laugh at her insistence. "I don't know, Clarke… I remember very well letting you lick salt off my skin before jumping at the chance to go home with you. Does that really make me that fancy?"

Clarke is quiet for a while, her lips still resting against the other girl's shoulder, and Lexa suddenly fears she said something wrong.

"I usually don't, you know," Clarke breaks the silence.

"What?"

"Take someone home," she explains. "Sleep with them… Not before a few dates, at least."

"Oh."

Oh.

There's a spark in Lexa's heart, a subtle hope that maybe - just maybe - this whole connection meant as much to Clarke as it meant to her. Maybe that odd, warm sensation that exploded through Lexa's veins every time Clarke touched her meant that this had been about more than just sex. Maybe it meant that Clarke could feel it, too.

Clarke crawls on top of her, straddling her thighs and placing her face in the crook of Lexa's neck.

"But it's different," Clarke says as if thinking out loud.

"It's different?"

"Yeah, it's… I don't know. It just feels different with you."

Again, Lexa's mind goes: oh. She's torn between what she wants to believe - wants to believe so badly - and what her rational thoughts are telling her.

Clarke wraps her arms around her middle and Lexa desperately hopes that her rational thoughts are wrong - that Clarke hadn't just made an exception for her based on the sexual tension between them and the tequila induced haziness.

The blonde's lips press against the skin of her neck and Lexa sighs, returning the embrace by moving her arms to hold the girl closer to her. Because that's all she really wants right now - to keep Clarke close to her. She chastises herself for the feeling, knowing all too well she will have to let her go sooner or later.

Clarke's mouth trails kisses along Lexa's jaw until she finds the curve of lips and captures them in a slow, lingering kiss. Their bare skin presses together and Lexa's breath hitches. Clarke is warm and soft and feeling her so close does weird things to Lexa's chest; makes her feel safe and causes her lower lip to tremble for no specific reason. It has been long since Lexa has let herself enjoy another one's simple touch, and somehow this feels more intimate than the mind-blowing sex they had the night before.

She sighs once more, her head gently resting against the headboard. Clarke looks at her and at seeing the blackness in Lexa's eyes, her own pupils dilate in response.

They sit like that for a while longer, exchanging kisses that are no longer laced with the headiness of alcohol but with their unspoken feelings. Eventually Clarke slowly starts grinding into her, and Lexa rolls them over, flat onto the bed again. This time it's slower and gentler than the night before, as if they're both more aware of what they're sharing. They breathe their releases into each other's skin and when Clarke looks at her like she's the universe, Lexa allows herself to think that all this means something to Clarke, too.

She presses a kiss between the blonde's eyes, then another one against her brow.

"Hey," Clarke whispers, a small frown creasing the spot Lexa's kiss lingered only moments ago, "we haven't… met before or anything, right?"

Lexa smiles. She doesn't know why, but she smiles. "Not that I know of," she answers, cuddling into Clarke's side. "Besides, if we had, then you would definitely remember me. I'm quite unforgettable in bed, you know."

Clarke swats at her shoulder, laughing. "That's not what I meant… but yeah."

When Clarke picks a large hoodie from her closet and throws it at her, Lexa doesn't hesitate to put it on. She convinces herself that her own t-shirt wouldn't be enough to cover the morning's coolness anyway. The fact that it's Clarke's and Lexa has the urge to snuggle further into the warm fabric, has nothing to do with the reason she accepted it.

Lexa follows Clarke into the kitchen and the blonde wastes no time in making coffee. Lexa sips her drink, pitch black, and watches over the rim with curious eyes as Clarke throws three sugar cubes into her own cup. The blonde then moves over to her laptop on a table in the room and puts on some sort of lofi hip-hop stream that plays through the connected stereo set. It's nice and easy and Lexa is amazed at Clarke's ability to make this morning carefree and surprisingly less awkward than she had expected.

Lexa sips her coffee again, trying to figure out how she's supposed to know when the appropriate time would be to leave. Because she should leave, at some point. She has to keep telling herself that.

"So you know Lincoln?" Clarke sits down next to her at the kitchen island.

Lexa nods. "Co-worker. He's the head of security at the company I work for." She catches Clarke's sparkling blue eyes and has to look away to avoid a wide grin from spreading over her face. "You know him too?"

Clarke smiles in confirmation. "His girlfriend Octavia is a friend of mine. Met in college, shared a room. Lincoln's a nice guy and he often tags along when we go out with a bunch of friends."

"Yeah," Lexa mumbles with a chuckle, "I noticed."

Clarke narrows her eyes as if trying to figure out whether there was something more behind that answer. Lexa catches her gaze and bites her lower lip in a smile. "You know, you guys should really pick better spots to hang around in clubs."

"Hm? How do you mean?"

Lexa chuckles, this time fully. "You were literally standing in the most inconvenient spot for anyone trying to reach the bar."

Clarke's cheeks are painted with dimples from her smile and her voice turns mocking. "Well, you know. Apparently we had mutual friends, but since they weren't making an effort to introduce us, I decided to take matters into my own hands and blocked your way."

Lexa laughs at her explanation, causing Clarke to quiet down in her own chuckle after a while and merely watch Lexa with wonder.

The blonde sucks her lower lip into her mouth and averts her eyes. "No, but seriously. I wasn't really aware of it, to be honest… But I guess it worked out okay."

Lexa can't get the smile to leave her face and she wonders how long it's been since someone put it there. "I guess," she mumbles in response and curses the way her body seems to be set on betraying her, sending a blush up to her ears.

Lexa finishes her coffee and decides that now is as good a time as any to say something. She inhales a trembling breath and hopes it isn't audible to the blonde sitting next to her. "I was thinking… Maybe we could do this again next week?"

Clarke raises an eyebrow carefully and studies her eyes.

Realizing how that sounded, Lexa immediately decides to explain further, hoping nothing stupid will come out of her mouth. "I mean, go out. Not just drinks at a club but, like, to dinner or something."

Clarke smiles at her and for a moment Lexa isn't sure whether that's a good sign or just plain amusement.

"If you'd rather not, then that is understandable and I won't-"

"I'd love to."

At the sound of her voice and the gentle honesty in her answer, Lexa finds the courage to look her straight in the eyes. Clarke still has the softest expression on her face and she nods as if trying to answer the question in Lexa's gaze.

Lexa grins and averts her eyes again, trying not to let the excitement overtake her. She searches for a topic to avoid the silence and to stop herself from smiling like a giddy fool.

"You're an artist?" she asks, gaze falling on a large canvas on the wall and remembering the art supplies she had seen in the living room.

Clarke shrugs and Lexa would almost call her smile shy. "I paint sometimes."

Clarke glances over the canvas on the wall as if rounding up the courage to continue and Lexa patiently waits.

"You know, a gallery is actually showing some of my work tonight… If you want, you should come."

Lexa smiles. "I'd like that." She averts her gaze back down again, eyeing the bottom of her coffee cup. "Then I should also probably go home to take a shower and put on some proper clothes for tonight."

Clarke chuckles. "You should."

Lexa bites her lip and searches around the table before her eyes fall on a notebook. With a pen lying nearby, she writes down her number and pushes it towards Clarke.

"Just text me with the address and time, and I'll make sure I'll be there."

"You know, you also just could've asked for my phone and put your number in my contacts," Clarke tells her, motioning towards her phone lying next to her on the table.

Lexa shrugs. "I know, but I like it better the classic way."

"Mhm," Clarke mumbles with a smile as Lexa stands up, "'Cause you're classy."

"Exactly."

Lexa finds her shoes and puts them on before slowly making her way towards the front door, picking up her jacket from where it had been thrown down the night before.

"Oh." She turns back towards Clarke who has turned in her seat, watching her go. "Your sweater." Lexa moves to take it off, but is stopped by the blonde's voice.

"It's okay, you can give it back tonight. Or next week, in case you want to wear it during our dinner."

Lexa grins and Clarke moves towards her, closing the distance.

"Thank you," Lexa tells her.

Clarke merely smiles and kisses her again like it's their first time - and every second of it is still as blissful as before.

"I'll see you tonight?" Clarke asks her and Lexa nods, the prospect making her feel a little better, knowing she will get to see Clarke again.

Knowing that Clarke wants to see her again, too.