Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at https://archiveofourown.org/works/3782146.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: F/F
Fandom: The 100 (TV)
Relationship: Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Costia/Lexa (The 100)
Character: Clarke Griffin, Lexa (The 100), Raven Reyes, Costia (The 100)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
Series: Part 10 of We're Bad At Dating: Clexa Edition (AU tumblr prompts)
Stats: Published: 2015-04-19 Words: 1851

devotion & desire

by itainthardtryin

Summary

Part ten of the 'We're Bad At Dating' series based on this prompt: We’re going on a blind
date - but wait a moment, aren’t you the one that went down on me in a back alley behind
a club a year ago? … what do you mean “which one”

Alternatively, Clarke meets Lexa for a blind date. When Lexa takes off her jacket and
Clarke sees her tattoos, she realises she's met her before in a very different setting.

Notes

This fic also covers the prompt "We’re on a blind date, but wait a moment… aren’t you
that guy who gave me a hand job at a Renaissance Faire a year ago?… what do you
MEAN “WHICH ONE”?" because it's pretty much the same as the other one. Also,
there's a little bit of angst in the middle of this, but I just can't help it when it comes to
Lexa's back story, so.

See the end of the work for more notes

Clarke looks down at the phone buzzing in her hand. It’s Lexa.

“We agreed to meet at two. Have you stood me up?” she says, not even letting Clarke get a word
in.

“The subway had delays on the track. I’ve just come out of the station, I’ll be a few more
minutes.”

“Good. I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

Clarke smiles, because this conversation is the first time she’s heard Lexa’s voice. They’ve only
ever communicated through text before this. “Stay on the phone, then at least I can keep you
company.”

“For someone who’s punctuality is awful, I have to admit your charm is excellent.”

“I do try,” Clarke tells her laughing.

---

Five minutes later, Clarke arrives at the restaurant. She can see Lexa smiling before she even
reaches her. “Sorry I’m late,” Clarke says.

“It’s okay, I had a very charming lady on the phone to distract me from your questionable
timekeeping,” Lexa smirks.

“You look amazing,” Clarke notes, looking Lexa up and down. She’s wearing a leather jacket
with a very tight, and very low cut, tank top underneath, along with skinny jeans and knee high
boots. Pretty much Clarke’s ideal look on a girl.

“As do you,” Lexa admits, thoroughly enjoying Clarke’s skin tight dress that bares most of her
legs.

“Shall we?” Clarke asks, motioning for Lexa to lead the way inside.

---

As soon as they’re seated the waiter takes their drink order and leaves them to it. Lexa takes off
her jacket and drapes it over the chair behind her. Clarke’s eyes are automatically drawn to the
tattoo on her arm.

“Inked up. I like it.”

“I also have some on my back. Perhaps I can show you later,” Lexa smirks. “Do you have any
tattoos, Clarke?”

“Not yet. I prefer my art to be on paper rather than skin.”

Lexa considers this. “At least we can both appreciate a good piece of art when we see one.” The
waiter arrives back at the table with their wine. Clarke pours them both a glass.

“To art,” she says, raising a toast before they drink.

“To beauty,” Lexa replies, eyes fixed on Clarke. They drink, and return their glasses to the table.
“Good wine,” Clarke says. There is a comfortable silence for a second before something registers
in Clarke’s mind. “I’ve seen your tattoo before. I recognise it.”

Lexa frowns. “Stalking my Facebook photos?”

“No,” Clarke says, confused. Then it clicks. “The one on your back… it’s symbols, right?” Lexa
shifts uncomfortably. “And tribal markings. Kind of like flames?”

Lexa nods. “How do you know this?”

“We’ve met before,” Clarke informs her, remembering last summer.

“I believe I would remember if we had crossed paths, Clarke.”

Clarke blushes. “You were very drunk.”

“What did I do?” Lexa asks, and Clarke can see the fear in her eyes as she waits for the answer.

Thirteen months before

“Clarke! Why do you have to be such a buzzkill?” Raven practically yells from the dancefloor as
Clarke refuses to dance. “Come on! I swear to God, I will drag you up here against your will if I
have to.”

Clarke laughs and shakes her head. “I’d like to see you try, Reyes.”

Just as Raven is about to prove it, Clarke’s attention is distracted by a girl sitting down beside her.
“Your friend has such low expectations of this night,” she says.

“She’s just trying to enjoy herself.”

“She could do that in other ways. Ways that are more pleasurable.” Her speech is slurred, and
Clarke knows she’s drunk.

“And what would be more pleasurable than spending a night dancing with your friends?” Clarke
dares to ask.

“Showing you would be much easier than telling you.”

This girl is practically drooling over Clarke. Her hand finds it’s home on Clarke’s thigh, and she
shoots a quick glance to Raven, who smirks and turns away knowingly. When she looks back at
the girl, her eyes are dark and staring at Clarke’s lips. “Then show me,” Clarke says, giving her
permission.

She leans in and kisses Clarke. It’s messy and awkward, as all drunken kisses are. It becomes
heated far too quickly, tongues finding their way into the kiss immediately. After a few moments
Clarke pulls away. “I don’t even know your name,” she says, breathless.

“Lexa,” she says. “Yours?”

“Clarke.” Lexa nods and leans in to kiss her again, but Clarke pulls away. “Not here.” She’s
already too hot. It’s the middle of summer, and even on a cool day Clarke has been wearing very
little clothing to try to cope with the temperature. Being in a club in this heat is too much.
Especially with the added hotness of Lexa.

“Outside. Now,” Lexa says, taking Clarke by the hand and leading her. Raven notices them go
and cheers as they walk away. Clarke laughs and holds up the middle finger.

Once Lexa has her outside she takes her down an empty alley a little way from the front door of
the club. Clarke isn’t shy about sex, but she’s never had sex outside before. She’s had sex in cars
and tents, but never out in the open like this. Instead of making her paranoid about people catching
them though, it only spurs her on.

“Lexa,” she whispers, and that’s all the encouragement Lexa needs. She pushes Clarke back
against the wall, and Clarke’s fingers scramble to find the hem of Lexa’s dress, pushing it up and
over her head in one movement. Lexa doesn’t seem phased by standing in public in only her
underwear and a pair of heels, and Clarke’s mouth starts to water at the sight. Lexa wastes no time
in kissing down Clarke’s neck, earning her a moan every time she sucks in the right places. Clarke
knows there will be bruises there in the morning, but all she can think about is how she wants
bruises somewhere else.

Lexa seems to read her body language, and skips ahead. She kneels in front of Clarke, not even
sparing a moment to worry that her knees will likely end up cut and grazed. Lexa’s hands find
Clarke’s ass underneath her dress, and she pulls Clarke’s panties down with ease. Clarke kicks
them off, and places a leg over Lexa’s shoulder, opening herself up to her.

Lexa kisses up the inside of Clarke’s thigh, and the sensation drives her crazy. Lexa sucks hard on
the skin, marking the path to where Clarke wants her most. Clarke looks down, watching as
Lexa’s head moves north. She’s distracted briefly by Lexa’s back. She didn’t expect to see it
completely covered in tattoos. But then again, she met this girl ten minutes ago, she doesn’t
understand why she had any expectations in the first place.

Her thought is cut off by Lexa’s tongue on her clit, and Clarke cries out in pleasure.

Present day

Clarke leans in closer and lowers her voice. “You went down on me in the alley outside
Grounders.”

Lexa’s eyes widen comically and Clarke almost laughs, until - “Oh God, not you too?!”

“What do you mean ‘me too’?” Clarke asks. “Is this a regular thing?!”

Lexa sits back in her chair and takes a deep breath. “Last summer was a particularly difficult time
for me. My girlfriend passed away in March.” Clarke wants to say she’s sorry, but Lexa’s stare
tells her that she’s heard that enough, so instead she just listens. “I was deeply depressed for
months. In August, Anya insisted that I needed to start going out again. I didn’t agree with her, but
I went anyway.”

Clarke just lets Lexa talk. “I became quite reliant on alcohol. To be clear, I am not an alcoholic,”
she says, when she notices Clarke glance at the bottle of wine, “but there was a brief time where I
was barely sober. It lasted a few weeks, and is not something I am proud of.” Lexa clears her
throat. “A girl approached me one night, and we ended up sleeping together. I cried for an entire
throat. “A girl approached me one night, and we ended up sleeping together. I cried for an entire
day afterwards.”

“Lexa, you don’t have to explain yourself to me if yo-”

“No, it is good for me to talk about it. As long as it is not making you uncomfortable?” Clarke
shakes her head. “I understand that this is not a great first impression. But it’s best if I tell you this
now rather than later.”

“It’s fine,” Clarke says, reaching out over the table to take Lexa’s hand in her own. Lexa accepts it
and holds on to her tightly.

“I felt like I had betrayed Costia by finding pleasure with someone else. But I also felt guilt for
enjoying it so much, and for craving it again. I ended up sleeping with two, maybe three, girls
every night. It was almost a punishment as much as it was a pleasure.”

Clarke’s heart breaks for her. And all she can think to say is, “You didn’t let me touch you.” Lexa
swallows. “After you went down on me. I tried to do the same for you. You didn’t let me.”

“After a while, I couldn’t bring myself to be touched. I wanted to feel the connection with
someone, but I didn’t want them to make me feel what I was making them feel.”

“How did you get over it?” Clarke asks.

“It took me a long time,” Lexa admits. “Costia was my first. Before her death, the only pleasure I
had ever known was from her. I found it extremely difficult to separate the two things.”

“But it became easier?”

“In time. Each girl I was with detached me from the situation a little more. Eventually I learned to
keep the two separate.”

Clarke smiles sympathetically. “Thank you for telling me that. I know how hard that must be for
you.”

“It would be as difficult to have this conversation now as it would be to have it after we have been
dating for months. It is best to put the cards on the table and show you my wounds first.”

Clarke’s expression turns mischievous. “I like that you’re already thinking about our future, even
when we’ve only been on this date for fifteen minutes.”

Lexa softens. “History has proven that we are not people who take things slow.” She laughs and
Clarke laughs along with her.

“Do you think it’s fate that we’re here right now even though we’ve already hooked up?” Clarke
asks, teasing.

“Perhaps. Or maybe it’s so you can finally get me off,” Lexa whispers.

The waiter arrives, interrupting them. “So ladies, what are we eating tonight?”

Clarke laughs first, and Lexa follows.

“I’m sorry, we haven’t really had a chance to look at the menu,” Clarke tells him. “Can we have a
few more minutes?” He nods, and leaves them alone.

“And here was me believing that you already knew what you were eating tonight,” Lexa jokes.
 “I don’t think the waiter would appreciate the graphic description.”

Lexa smirks. “I would.”

Clarke blushes slightly. “Let’s order first. Then I’ll talk dirty.”

“No need for an appetizer then,” Lexa says with a wink.

End Notes

As always, my tumblr is scottcanyounot.tumblr.com and you're all more than welcome to

come into my ask and talk to me about my fic or Clexa in general or prompt me for a one
shot! Love hearing your feedback :)

Also, I saw this series on a Clexa fic rec masterpost, so whoever did that - thank you! It
means a lot!

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!