The Cozy Couch
“This was my favorite song as a little kid,” Lexa smiled as the opening lyrics rang through her apartment. The song instantly sent waves of fond memories of dancing and singing and parading around her childhood home in her magical unicorn outfit crashing through her mind.
“Aww, Baby Lexa was trying to let the world know something from an early age.”
“The irony didn’t hit me until I was much older,” Lexa chuckled, well aware that this song became somewhat of an anthem for pride.
The song drew to a close, and after they finished the bottle of wine and two glasses of sparkling water apiece, Clarke stood and stretched. “I should probably get going. Thanks for the company tonight. You were leaps and bounds more fun than a bunch of drunk people.”
Lexa pulled herself off the couch and followed Clarke as she slipped on her shoes. “Even though I don’t consider that a high hurdle to overcome, I’ll still take it as a compliment.”
“You should.”
Clarke stood in front of Lexa’s still closed door, evidently waiting from some sort of goodbye from Lexa, but all Lexa could think about was how late it was and how far Clarke was about to walk by herself. “I don’t particularly like the idea of you walking home so late.”
“I’ll be fine,” Clarke smirked. She flexed her arms for good measure. “I’m a big girl.”
Lexa ignored Clarke’s little joke and shrugged her shoulders. “You could stay here. Walk home in the morning.”
“Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t,” Lexa pointed out. She was suddenly so giddy with the possibility that Clarke was about to say yes that she sweetened the deal as best she could. “You can even take the bed.”
Clarke rolled her eyes in quite the dramatic fashion as she kicked off her shoes. “I’m not kicking you out of your bed.”
Lexa shook her head but didn’t press the issue any further at the moment. She busied herself with putting the used glasses in the dishwasher, recycling the empty wine bottle, and handing Clarke a pair of comfy sweatpants and an oversized shirt to sleep in.
Lexa, ever the gentlewoman, allowed Clarke to change and wash up first. After Lexa was in her pjs, she pulled a couple of blankets and spare pillows from the hall closet and made a little nest on the couch. Clarke watched her the whole time with crossed arms and a bit of a grimace.
“Lexa, I’m not taking the bed while you’re out here on the couch. It’s your bed.”
Lexa looked up from under a blanket with the sweetest smile she could. “The couch is really quite cozy, and I sleep on it all the time.”
“No, you don’t.” Clarke stomped over to the couch, pulled one of the blankets off of Lexa, who was too stunned to retaliate, and snuggled up on the other end. Their legs tangled with each other’s as Clarke made herself comfortable.
It would seem that Clarke was just as headstrong as she was. But Lexa hated losing, so she just laid back down and called out an overly sweet, “That big fluffy bed will be so lonely tonight. Goodnight, Clarke.”
She flicked off the lamp next to her and resituated herself, very aware of how nice it felt to have Clarke’s legs pushed up against hers, even if they were only doing it because they were too willful to admit defeat.
“Are you always this stubborn?” Clarke grumbled into the darkness.
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
Lexa felt absolutely ridiculous tucked up on one end of her couch with Clarke on the other when there was a perfectly good bed big enough for the both of them not fifty feet away. But Lexa was far too stubborn to let Clarke win, even if the thought of sharing a bed with her was very, very tempting.