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Lexa was running late, and since she hated being late more than almost anything else in the world, she was frenzied. Anya was having a Christmas get-together and had called at the last minute desperate because she was out of bread and eggnog. Lexa had taken pity on her sister and volunteered to stop at the store on her way to the party. She made her way through the crowded grocery store aisles, swerving to avoid people and grumbling under her breath about crowds and holiday shopping. At the end of the aisle, Lexa took a glance at the grocery list in her hand, turned to the right and ran straight into another person.
The other person in question was a blonde woman who fell back flat on her butt, her groceries scattering around her.
“Shit! I am so, so sorry,” Lexa cried in disbelief, “I should have been looking where I was going. Here, let me help you up.”
The girl laughed and Lexa was struck by the shade of her eyes, an impossibly vibrant blue, “It’s okay, really. I was not watching where I was going at all. I’m such a klutz.”
“I should have been more careful,” Lexa tried again, “here, let me help you pick your groceries up.”
The woman was pushing herself up, then wiped her hands on her pants and smiled. “Thanks for the help, I’m really okay though. You’d be surprised how often I get knocked ass over tea kettle.”
Lexa laughed at the woman’s choice of words and then took stock of the groceries scattered on the floor. “Where are you going? A sleepover?”
The woman laughed again, and Lexa found herself drawn to the sound.
“It seems that way, doesn’t it? No, I’m just a huge junk food fan, and every once in a while you just have to let loose,” She smiled brightly during the explanation and then held out her hand, “I’m Clarke Griffin by the way.”
Lexa returned the handshake, noted how soft Clarke’s hands were, and replied, “Lexa Woods. Nice to meet you.”
They stood for a moment, the chaos of the store forgotten, and looked each other over. Lexa couldn’t deny that Clarke was beautiful, though she wondered why she wore a shirt that said ask me how I got on the naughty list.
“Well, thanks for all your help,” Clarke started.
“What’s with your shirt?” Lexa interrupted. “Damn, I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”
Clarke looked down at her shirt, back up at Lexa, and snickered loudly, “Oh this? This is quite a story.”
Lexa grinned at her, “Well I guess it would have to be.” A sharp ringing sounded and Lexa swore before pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Sorry,” she said sincerely, “that’s my sister, she sent here to get a few things and now she won’t leave me alone until I’m back.”
Clarke nodded sympathetically. “Do you want to get a drink with me?” She asked, “and I can tell you the story of my shirt?”
“I’d love to!” Lexa answered immediately, then the phone rang again and she looked at Clarke apologetically. “I really want to, but my sister is having this holiday party and she will kill me if I don’t show up. Can I give you my number? I really do want to know what that shirt is all about.”
Clarke’s smile grew the longer Lexa rambled. “Lexa,” she grinned, “Take a breath. Would it be too forward of me to ask if you’re allowed to bring a guest to the party?”
Lexa felt her mouth open in shock. “You want to come to my sister’s party with me? My sister, who is a total stranger to you and is intimidating on the best of days?”
“Well, when you put it like that,” Clarke joked, “I can stay here and you can go to this party alone.”
It didn’t take Lexa long to decide. “Yes,” she said, “come with me. I want you to come. Plus, you have to tell me this story about the shirt.”
“Sounds like a deal,” Clarke answered, “Now, do you have a car or are we splitting a Uber?”
“Uber is fine,” Lexa answered, “That’s how I was going to get there anyway.”
Twenty minutes later, Lexa and Clarke walked up to Anya’s door still deep in their conversation from the car ride. The front door flung open before Lexa could even knock, and Anya stood in the open entryway radiating annoyance.
“Where have you been? I was worried you were dead in a ditch.” Anya growled, though Lexa could tell she wasn’t as serious as she let on.
“I had a literal run in at the grocery store,” Lexa explained, “and I invited her to come to the party with me.”
Anya raised an eyebrow, but thankfully welcomed Clarke to the party without any further questioning.
“She seems nice,” Clarke whispered theatrically as they found the drink station, “A bit intense, but nice.”
“Intense is a good word,” Lexa laughed. “I love her, but she can be an acquired taste. What do you want to drink?”
“Anything alcoholic,” Clarke answered with a snort.
Lexa nodded in understanding, “Go and find a place to sit, I want to spend some time with you before everyone else gets here and wants to monopolize you.”
Lexa had been right in her estimation that no one would leave her alone for long after she had shown up to a party with a strange girl that she had never even mentioned. As soon as they got comfortable with their drinks Lincoln came up and greeted Lexa warmly with a hug.
“And who is this?” he has asked kindly.
“Clarke Griffin,” Clarke had told him, standing to shake his hand, “Lexa bowled me over in the grocery store, so I invited myself to her friend’s party. Seemed only fair.”
Lincoln let out a chuckle, “Sounds about right. Well, I’m glad you crashed the party. I hope you enjoy yourself.”
Clarke smirked at Lexa, “I definitely intend to.”
Lexa tried to ignore the burning in her cheeks.
“So what’s the real story?” Anya questioned in Lexa’s ear.
“Shit, Anya!” Lexa flipped around to find Anya standing directly behind her. “You can’t just sneak up on people like that!”
Anya shrugged, “Sure I can. The story? What is it?”
“No story,” Lexa replied. Clarke was playing a game across the room with Lincoln and other party guests, and she couldn’t help the smile that settled on her face.
“Bullshit,” Anya remarked, “you’re totally besotted. How did you meet?”
“First of all, who the hell says ‘besotted’ and secondly, I told you we met at the grocery store,” Lexa answered. “She invited me for drinks, and I couldn’t go.”
“So you invited her here instead?”
Lexa rolled her eyes. “Like you mind. You’re thrilled.”
Anya laughed, “Just cause I’m thrilled doesn’t mean I still can’t vet the ladies you bring along to my Christmas party, little sister.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Listen, I don’t care what you do with your new lady love,” Anya snickered, “but it better not be anywhere in my new house.”
“Noted,” Lexa said dryly.
“Do you want to go back to my place?” Clarke whispered when she made her way back to Lexa’s side.
Lexa found herself unable to form the words she needed to say and nodded instead.
“Perfect, do you need to tell your sister you’re leaving?”
Lexa nodded again, “Yeah, I don’t need her sending a search and rescue team after me. She’d probably do it too, just out of spite.”
“I’ll grab our coats,” Clarke told her then headed out of the room.
“So the shirt,” Lexa started when she and Clarke were settled on the couch in Clarke’s apartment, “what’s the story?”
Clarke laughed, handed Lexa a bottle of water, and pulled at the T-shirt she wore. “So a few weeks ago, I was at my local hangout with a few of my friends. They bet me I couldn’t snag a date with this woman who was there that night. I took the bet, and lost it spectacularly when I ended up getting a drink thrown right in my face just like the movies. I think they’re still laughing about it behind my back.” She stopped talking and fixed Lexa with a piercing stare. “Looks like the joke’s on them though,” she finally continued, “I’m pretty sure I won out in the end.”
“So they bet you that you’d have to wear a shirt that told people to ‘ask how you got on the naughty list?’” Lexa clarified, “because you failed to get a date with someone?”
“Pretty much,” Clarke answered, “I never promised a great story.”
“Fair enough,” Lexa conceded.
“Enough about me and my crazy antics,” Clarke took a long drink from her water bottle, “tell me something about you.”
“I’ve never been more glad to literally run into someone as I was today,” Lexa told her.
“That makes two of us,” Clarke told her softly and she licked her lips.
Lexa couldn’t help but glance at Clarke’s lips, and before she could talk herself out of it she leaned forward and kissed her lightly.
Clarke moaned and immediately deepened the kiss. Her hands cupped Lexa’s face and tangled in her hair, before they lowered to rest on her hips.
Lexa immediately deepened the kiss as she leaned into Clarke’s embrace, moving to straddle her.
Clarke’s lips turned up in a smile as they continued to kiss, and she whispered huskily, “It looks like I’m not the only one who should have a spot on the naughty list.
“Shut up and kiss me,” Lexa commanded far more forcefully than she usually spoke. There was something about Clarke that made her lose her senses and she ran her hands under Clarke’s shirt to touch the soft skin of her abdomen. “Can we lose the shirt?”