by rory midhani

Thanks to your gentle, persistent encouragement, I am finally all caught up on The 100, and am now digging into the deliriously good part of fandom that houses all the Clarke and Lex fan fiction! I asked my Clexa-loving friends to recommend some fic to me, and these were their top 7 stories. But I need more, okay? More. (MORE, MORE, MORE.) Will you share more with me in the comments below? Me and my three-hour flight tomorrow thank you in advance.

they take their shots but we’re bulletproof by nightshifted

Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
Plot: Clexa sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g.
Length: 10,000 words

Lexa is giving her a choice, Clarke slowly comes to understand, and her grip on her gun loosens. In a world of forced decisions that stain Clarke’s hands with more blood than she can wash off in her lifetime, in this one instant, Clarke has a choice. I do trust you, Clarke, Lexa had told her between whispers of hope and genuine affection, and Clarke aches at the realization that Lexa holds strong to that trust, would put her life on the line to prove that even if Clarke will never be able to reciprocate that trust, she can still have hers. It is the most reckless and stupid thing Lexa has ever done, Clarke thinks as she lowers her gun and gathers ammunition of a different kind.

“Tell me why you really came here,” Clarke says, clipping her gun back into her belt. “Tell me, and I’ll go with you.”

At that, Lexa softens. “You know why.”

“Say it.”

“Clarke.”

“Say it.“

when love becomes the reason by clarkesquad

Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
Plot: It’s a Neighbors fake-dating AU!
Length: 2,300 words

“Wait, are you telling me you’re 23 years old and you’re already some big CEO?” Clarke hops onto one of Lexa’s marble countertops and tips back a glass of wine. It’s probably the most expensive alcohol she’s had in years.

“No, I’m a Manager, it’s much different. I answer to a Director, who answers to a Vice President, who answers to the CEO.”

“And everyone who isn’t the Director or the Vice President or the CEO… answers to you.”

“Not exactly. There are multiple Directors, multiple Vice Presidents, and multiple Managers. I don’t answer to them, but they don’t answer to me, and the people who answer to them don’t necessarily answer to me.”

“You work in a tall building and you’re in charge.” Clarke clarifies.

“Essentially.”

“Impressive.”

“Thank you.”

Lexa smiles into her wine glass. She’s proud of herself. Clarke would be too.

“What do you do, Clarke?”

“I wheel patients around hospitals… pretty much all day long.”

fearless. by lordvoldyfarts

Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
Plot: 20,000 words
Length: Every ship needs a cross-country road trip fic.

Lexa is already settled into the passenger seat, buckled and everything, when Clarke slides back in. The windows are opened just a crack and the radio is playing softly, though Lexa doesn’t recognize the tune coming from it. Clarke seems to though because she’s humming along to it the moment she settles down into the seat. Her fingers are tapping against the steering wheel and she gets ready to put the car into drive. “I have a full tank, so we should be good to go for a few hours at least. If you get hungry, just let me know and I’ll pull over.” Clarke says, looking over her shoulder for any oncoming cars. Seeing none, she begins to pull out of the parking spot. She looks over at Lexa. “Or if you just want to stop because you see something fun.” She shrugs after her addition, shooting her eyes back to the road. Lexa stares at her for a moment.

“We’re going home, Clarke. This isn’t a vacation.” Lexa responds noncommittally, as if it were the most obvious thing on the planet. Clarke shrugs.

“That doesn’t mean it has to be boring.” She says and that makes Lexa look over to her. She isn’t looking at her and the morning sun is illuminating her profile beautifully. She really is a pretty girl. Her eyes seem to sparkle the way the light is reflecting on to them and Lexa swears she feels her stomach drop. How uncomfortable.

Forged in War by RavenclawGenius

Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
Plot: “Lexa can be patient, for Clarke.”
Length: 38,000 words

It is not so much that Clarke is mysterious, for, to Lexa, she is not; to Lexa, Clarke is an amalgamation of characteristics that she has seen before – but never presented in one form. Clarke is not a mystery so much as a puzzle made of pieces that do not quite merge in line. For Lexa, it is the contradiction of Clarke that first captures her interest.

For Clarke is strong, and kind, but she is also pliable; she is willing to do what must be done, but she is smart about doing so only when necessary. She is willing to lead, though she is still learning what that means. Clarke is willing to sacrifice all for the safety of her people, and for peace. Still, Clarke is determined to hold on to the scraps of her humanity, even in the darkest of times, and even when Lexa knows that it can lead only to Clarke’s own suffering.

Lexa does not understand why.

Still, Lexa does what she can for her. She offers advice of things that she herself has learned throughout her rule that have saved her the agony that she now watches Clarke suffer through.

It is not enough.

It is not enough, because Clarke hides her anguish from all – Lexa’s people; her own people – but Lexa sees. Lexa peers through the jaded cracks of silver in Clarke’s blue eyes of steel, and she sees the vulnerability there; she sees Clarke’s pain, and, as Commander, there is only so much that Lexa has the power to do in this regard.

Lexa feels angry at Clarke’s people – for Clarke will do (and has already done) everything for them, but the Sky People have no desire to see what her actions have wrought. They are content to live on and crucify Clarke for her decisions, believing her a monster, but they make no attempt to see what those decisions have cost her.

They refuse to look, and therefore do not see.

Lexa cannot help but to look.

Enchanted

Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
Plot: Clexa Hogwarts AU, y’all!

“Raven, we can’t blow up the Slytherin common room. End of story.” Lexa responds. Raven huffs.

“It would just be stink bombs, come on! Maybe they’d smell too bad to come out onto the pitch and play us.” Raven continues and Lexa purses her lips.

“And would you really want to win by default and not by our own merit?” Lexa questions and Raven’s eyes roll.

“If it means I don’t have to get up before the sun rises every single morning, yes.” She grumbles and Lexa just shakes her head. She bows her head and continues to read her Prophet. “Oi, Griffin! Get over here and talk some sense into your girlfriend.” Raven nearly yells across the Great Hall and Lexa’s head shoots up. Clarke has just walked in, speaking in hushed tones with Bellamy, but now she’s looking over at Raven and Lexa with an amused smile. Lexa is blushing and she pinches Raven’s arm. She jumps and glares over at Lexa. “Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?” She says and Lexa’s jaw is clenched.

“You know very well what that was for.” Lexa hisses and Raven straightens her back and smirks.

“You listen to her a right load better than you listen to me.” Raven shrugs as Clarke makes her excuses to Bellamy and starts to walk over to the Ravenclaw table. She slips onto the bench across from Lexa, whose face is still flushed, and raises an eyebrow.

“What’s she done this time?” She asks, gesturing toward Lexa, who says,

“Absolutely nothing.” At the same time that Raven says,

“Gone mad.” And Lexa flares her nostrils and kicks the top of Raven’s leg. She winces and Lexa smirks.

“Raven’s just a little upset with my chosen practice times.” Lexa directs toward Clarke.

The Wrestle by coeur-d’astronaute

Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
Plot: “One year after the Battle of Mouth Weather. Life in the aftermath and the continual struggle to survive. Life flourishes in every way as two leaders figure out how to live with the new peace.”
Length: 62,000 words

“Listen, I got these,” Clarke held out her arm as she pointed at her side, “Because I was sloppy and weak and Reapers were strong. Not because of you.”

“We both lost many things that day, Clarke of the Sky People.” The Commander sensed the sadness that came through in anger. She knew that feeling. But Lexa never told Clarke of the days she spent checking on her in the Sky Healer’s room. She didn’t tell her that she had her best healers work on her as well. There was an abundance of pride between them.

“We won. It’s a celebration of victory for a reason,” Clarke corrected, purposefully missing the meaning. “I missed you. Let’s not let the day ruin that. I’m glad you returned safely.”

Clarke shook her head again as she took a step to head back, shaking away it all, away her relief at seeing her friend, at the safety she provided, at the day, at the entire past, and especially at trying to shake her head enough to rid her of the thought of Lexa’s eyes when her forehead furrowed in thought. She was stopped by a hand on her arm, making her stall.

“I missed you, as well,” Lexa confessed, apologetic for upsetting the person she was most eager to see upon her return for a myriad of reasons. “Thank you for your drawings. They made me miss home, which… is new.” Again, without knowing how, perhaps it was in honesty or confession, Lexa thought, that she made Clarke smile, a small smile, one that pulled at half of her lips, one that she tried to hide.

“You’ve really lost your formal rigidity in a year,” Clarke teased, causing the leader to drop her hand and flex her jaw. “Maybe you’ve lost your killer edge since these alliances mean less war.”

“Make no mistake at my capacity to kill when the time calls for it,” Lexa corrected, lifting her chin slightly. Clarke could feel the times she shifted into Commander mode, could feel a regality, a realness to the role, to fitting it, to being it, that she herself never thought she possessed. “Do not confuse my fondness of you for weakness of character.”

“Love is weakness,” Clarke reminded her.

Aftermath by Ruler of Destiny

Pairing: Clarke/Lexa
Plot: Clarke accidentally proposes to Lexa.
Length: 8,7000 words

Clarke sighed in relief, pushing Lexa back so that she could lay on top of her. “Good.” she said, nuzzling the Commander’s neck. “Wake me up at noon.”

There was no denying that she enjoyed this position, and she indulged in it for several minutes. It was relaxing to just have Clarke in her arms, not worrying about impending war or the deadly wildlife.

But.

“Clarke. I would like to eat.”

No answer.

“And change.”

Still nothing. Checking, she realized that her partner had truly fallen asleep, most likely worn out from the long days of dancing, fighting, and being lectured. With a soft smile, she gently pushed Clarke off of her. Unfortunately, her attempt at escape was rejected by the slumbering blonde, and Lexa found herself pulled down and wrapped in strong arms.

“Clarke. Wake up.”

The girl huffed, burying her face into her prisoner’s chest. Lexa swallowed.

It looked like she was going to have to be creative about undressing.

Okay, will you share your favorites with me now?

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