Lexa woke up the next day with a killing headache. She felt her head nearly exploding, her temples pulsing and her eyes aching. Lexa raised her hands up to her face and rested her head on them. After taking a deep breath, she dared open her eyes again, only to be hit by sunbeams and feel like spears piercing her brain.

Lexa groaned and shut her eyes close again, facing away from the light filtering through the tent. She stayed like this for a few more minutes, then tried again opening her eyes and after several seconds she got used to the light and slowly got up. She managed to make it out of the tent without stumbling or falling, and that was already something.

"Heda!", Indra was beside her as soon as Lexa had stepped out of the tent.

"Please. Don't. Shout.", Lexa begged with eyes filled with pain. "My head is about to explode. I'm serious."

"Heda I might be a little daring here but I must remind you that I told you last night. I may trust the Sky People, but I most certainly don't trust their weird beverages. That's not the first time they offered us such things", Indra replied with the hint of a smile on her face.

"How is it that you don't feel as bad as the majority of the people here, me included?"

She scanned the surroundings. There were people already working but there were definitely fewer than usual. She noticed that they were mostly Sky People. Probably they were more used to drinking than her people.

Lexa tried to collect memories from the previous night but everything was blurred. Her head kept pulsing and beating like a freaking drum and the effort she made with thinking seemed to drain all of her already scarce energy. She dropped the thoughts and moved to the war tent, Indra beside with the shadow of a smile for her Heda's hangover conditions.

"Good morning, Commander!" an overly excited Octavia popped up at her side the very moment her foot touched the floor inside the tent and Lexa couldn't help but cursing the younger girl inside her head.

Lexa grunted and shot her a killing look that was answered by a wide smile and almost sparkly eyes.

"Not a morning person, Commander?" Octavia raised an eyebrow, not losing her smile, silently mocking the Heda.

"I am a morning person, just not after nights like the past one. You, on the contrary, since when are you a morning person?"

"I'm going hunting! It my first hunt, I'm going with the other scouts. We'll leave shortly". Octavia's eyes lit up while saying those words, you could hear the excitement in her voice. She was so happy that Lexa couldn't hold a smile. The girl could be more of a Grounder now than a Sky person.

Octavia looked over at Indra, who nodded clearly proud of her second.

"We'll leave in 30 minutes", Indra instructed. After looking at Octavia, making sure she had understood everything about the upcoming hunt, Indra excused herself and headed to the stables to help settle everything up before leaving.

Lexa approached the throne and sat on it, placing her head in her hands, leaning a bit forward and closing her eyes.

"Still recovering from last night I see", Octavia said jokingly. "You're lucky I stopped you two before things could degenerate, or you would feel much more exhausted", she teased with a smirk.

A bunch of memories suddenly flashed in Lexa's mind and she shot her eyes open, glaring at the younger girl, who was now laughing out loud.

"Shut up, Octavia", Lexa said with a quite threatening voice, that only made Octavia laugh louder. "I mean it. My head is exploding. I've already had a rough awakening and this morning everybody seems to be in the mood of shouting."

It took Octavia several minutes anyway to lower her voice and it took Lexa everything she had not to punch the girl in the face to make her shut up. When finally there was silence, Lexa took a deep breath, trying to calm her increasing headache.

"Heda?", Octavia asked tentatively gaining a groan from the Commander. "Heda, I wanted to apologize for last night", she continued, "I did what I thought it was best for you both, even though I understand that you two have a strong affection for each other."

Lexa raised her head and simply nodded, accepting the apology.

"I understand why you did it, Octavia. Now that I think about it, I don't know what came to me."

"I do", Octavia stated not adding anything else. Lexa was looking at her with a confused expression asking for her to continue. Octavia sighed.
"I've seen the looks you exchange with Clarke, probably not even acknowledging that you do make them. It's the same kind of look that Lincoln gives me and I give him."

Octavia smile wholeheartedly at one even more confused Lexa. The Commander had understood what the young warrior meant and honestly it scared her. No, it terrified her. That terror probably showed in her eyes, because Octavia picked up the conversation again.

"It's okay to feel, Heda. I remember how you were when our peoples first met and I see how different you've become now, months after. You're more sociable, more sharing, more open-hearted. This is good. Not just because people can talk to you and make jokes without fearing your wrath" she added playfully "but also because that makes you a better leader for your people. You've made a lot of steps forward, you're not the same person who started this alliance, you're better. And may I say, I think it's because of Clarke and I think you know it, too. It's not just physical, we all can see it. Don't panic, Heda. Don't hide."

Lexa remained silent for a minute, not tearing her eyes from Octavia. Her look was not harsh, but it showed a inner fight that visibly pained the Commander. Lexa closed her eyes just a moment and slightly turn her head. She had to absorb everything the younger girl had said. She needed time and that was not the moment.

"I believe your group is about to leave for the hunt", she simply said.

It was a clear sign that Octavia had touched a weak spot, maybe pushed too many buttons too fast. She took a step backwards and nodded, but before exiting the tent she turned to Lexa once again.

"Just- Just talk to her, okay?", and with that she made her way out of the tent, leaving Lexa alone floating in a infinite number of thoughts which didn't seem to want to leave her in peace in the nearest future.

With her head pulsing stronger and stronger, she leaned back on the throne.
'Definitely the first and last time I'll get drunk'

Clarke woke up alone in her tent. She could tell that the sun was already up but it was still early in the morning. The tent that the Tree People had set for her was pretty big, although still bare since there were only a bed, a small table beside the bed and a piece of furniture where she could put her things and clothes. She could paint or draw something to give the place some color, she thought.

She sat up on the bed, letting the sheets and furs fall in her lap and beside her. The air was cold and it stung on her skin sending a shiver down her spine.

Her first impulse was to go back to sleep inside the warmth of the bed, but as soon as she closed her eyes, Lexa's face flashed before her eyes.

A smile appeared on Clarke's face. She couldn't help it. They had made a step forward the previous night, although it was under the influence of the Moonshine.
The blonde remembered it all and now that her mind was completely clear she felt kind of embarrassed for her actions. Not for the actions themselves, she didn't regret those, but because she was in front of other people. A lot of other people.

Clarke breathed deeply still keeping her eyes closed and the smile on her face.

"Why are you smiling to yourself?"

Octavia entered the tent and leaned against one of the poles holding the structure of the tent. She was smiling, too and Clarke knew from her face that she was up to something.

"I bet it's about something that happened last night with a certain someone", Octavia teased with a smirk.

Clarke eyes her suspiciously. "Maybe, but I'm not that obvious"

"Please you're like a happy puppy right know. I mean it. You're literally glowing for how much you're happy"

Clarke shot her a glare but that wasn't effective, because Octavia answered with an equally intense smirk and kept teasing.

"Anyway, Princess. This certain someone is currently in the war tent and- "

"O, I'm not a stalker. I just got up and she probably just did too. Besides, I don't see why I should care of where she is right now", Clarke lied and it was quite evident. She did want to know because she wanted to see Lexa, talk to her, laugh with her, feel her near.

"Yeah but anyway", Octavia continued, "I just have two minutes so let's get to the point. Lexa's hangover, probably her first time, so you could go there and help her. It seemed like you were willing to help her even last night, so- "

"Octavia!", Clarke blushed remembering the previous night but couldn't retain a small laugh. Octavia instead seemed to be about to choke laughing out loud.

"One day you'll thank me, Princess, and you know it. Now get up and get dressed and go talk to her. I know you want to, it's written all over your face"

"Oh, come on! I can't just go there and act like anything had happened at all. I mean, she probably doesn't even remember any of it."

"I'll tell you what. Beside the- uhm - physical part of your relationship, maybe you don't know the effect you two have on each other. You shift when you see each other, it's like a magnetic phenomenon. Every single time she enters the room you're in, you move too and vice versa when you enter she turns towards you unconsciously. I swear, I'm not making it up."

Clarke looked pensive. She had never noticed such behaviors and changing in her or Lexa's attitude but, again, she realized she was caught in Lexa's eyes every time she saw her. How could she not? Those beautiful forest green eyes were like magnets, she couldn't do else but look inside them and get lost. People usually said that her own eyes were like the ocean, blue and deep, and people could feel at peace just by gazing at them. Clarke had never understood what they meant, until she met Lexa. Those eyes weren't blue like the sea but it felt like floating in peaceful safe waters. She could spend hours just looking at them, at her. Clarke would simply zone out.

"Clarke", Octavia drew her attention by snapping her fingers in the blonde face, stopping her stream of thoughts, "you just zoned out, again. That's exactly what I was talking about like right now. "

The blonde shook her head, coming back to reality. "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

Octavia sighed as she shook her head. "I said, you're always in another dimension when you're with her. That's a good thing, but honestly the way you two look at each other is rather disgusting. I could get diabetes just by looking at you looking at each other, and I'm not exaggerating. You make these sweet puppy eyes and I swear Lexa's eyes are starting to shape into hearts."

Clarke chuckled as she got up from her bed and went to the table where her clothes were.

"Fine. Maybe you're right. I'll talk to her, although I'm still figuring out what is that Lexa and I have."

"That's a start". Octavia quickly peeked outside the tent and noticed a bunch of scouts ready to go into the woods. "Sorry Clarke, I have to go, I have my first hunt today and we'll leave in a minute. I'll see you later, okay? And talk to her!", she shouted once she was already outside.

The blonde smiled to herself, thinking about how close Octavia and her were getting lately. She was starting to think of the brunette as a younger sister, although things were still developing. Anyway Octavia seemed to care for Clarke and that made the blonde think that maybe, just maybe, the events of the past that had caused so much trouble between her people and not just between Octavia and her were finally buried and forgotten. No, not forgotten. She could never forget, but she could forgive and be forgiven.

Clarke finished getting ready, her thoughts shifting from one thing to another, from Octavia to her past, from Lexa to her future.

When Octavia stepped out of the tent after her talk with Clarke, she found Lincoln waiting for her nearby. When he saw her, a wide genuine smile appeared on his face.

"You really do like playing matchmaker, don't you?". Lincoln reached for Octavia and pulled her in for a hug. He kissed the crown of her hair and slipped his hand in Octavia's, lacing their fingers together.

"Someone has to. You've seen how they look at each other. They love each other, they just don't know it yet. That's where I come in. They just need a little push and everything will fall into place spontaneously"

"How can you know that they're in love? Before for last night, no one had ever seen Lexa so exposed and it may be a omen but that's far from being able to affirm that they love each other", Lincoln replied softly while walking with his arm wrapped around Octavia's waist.

"Believe me, I know it."

"How?".

Octavia looked up to his face. He was clearly curious and waiting for an answer. His look was soft, loving and caring.

"They look at each other the way we look at each other. And I love you, so that's basic math", Octavia replied tugging at Lincoln's hand and making him stop walking. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and placed there a gentle kiss.

The young couple smile at one another and, still hugging, they resumed their walk to the stables where the scouts were waiting.

"I hope you're right, O. They both need and deserve this. They deserve to be happy".