"You know, Lexa, you can admit that you're nervous."

Lexa turned to look out the passenger window. "I'm not." She assured Clarke, arching her chin up in defiance. "You're the one who's going to look like a fool bringing me along."

"Why?" Clarke laughed, taking her eyes off the road for a moment to glance over at Lexa. "Because you've never celebrated Christmas?" The other girl didn't respond, only blinked and swallowed and pretended like she didn't notice how ridiculous it sounded. "That doesn't make any sense. Look it's easy, it doesn't matter what anybody gets you for a gift. You smile, you say you love it. It's that easy."

Lexa thought over it for a moment before saying "Alright," and removing her gaze from the passing houses. "Who all is going to be there, again?"

"Um, Well, Raven, obviously," Clarke added. They couldn't exactly have a Christmas party at her house if her roommate wasn't invited. "Bellamy. Octavia's going to be there so Lincoln's coming, he's from your floor so that's someone you…sort of get along with. Jasper, Monty, Harper, Wick, Monroe and Miller." As she listed off names she realized Lexa didn't know any of them all that well. Or many people at all actually. She had tried to explain to Raven earlier that Lexa was (as Clarke lightly worded it) aggressively shy, rather than rude (as Raven worded it).

"She's a Poli-Sci major who participates in debates for fun every other week, I wouldn't call her shy." The conversation played through her mind again.

"Shy in like a I-don't-know-how-to-make-friends kind of way?" Clarke had offered up the flimsy defense which seemed to work to some degree although her roommate still made her promise that her girlfriend wasn't going to stir up any trouble at the party.

She glanced over at Lexa again. If Clarke told her that, there was a strong chance she would do it purposefully just to spite her. So maybe it was her who was the actual nervous one. I really hope this goes well.

Clarke parked the car and met Raven inside. "Well Merry friggin' Christmas you two!" Her roommate said as they entered.

Lexa looked to Clarke for a moment before giving Raven a small thin smile. "Thank you," she said politely before moving to take a seat.

Raven raised an eyebrow at Clarke as if to say what the hell was that. The truth was, Clarke could tell that Lexa 100% thought she nailed that greeting. The cultural trials of being an international student had begun.

Luckily for Lexa she caught on pretty quickly as more gusts arrived to proper holiday greetings and even quietly explained the things she had picked up to Lincoln, her fellow international student, so he wouldn't feel embarrassed.

It was ridiculous trying to pack twelve people in their tiny house, but somehow they made it work. Making it work meant pretty much everybody had to sit on the floor and tripping over crisscrossing legs anytime someone got up for a drink. Clarke was doing just that, accidently spilling half her drink on Murphy who wasn't invited but tagged along with Monroe anyway. "Shit! Sorry John," She called over her shoulder. Maybe that wasn't entirely an accident.

She tapped Lexa on the shoulder with a second glass. "Here." Clarke handed her the drink before sitting down next to her.

"Raven was just telling me about the last party you had here," Lexa said, a half smile tugging at her lips, "I didn't take you for the drugs type Clarke."

"Yeah, I didn't know Murphy had brought pot brownies." Clarke shot a glare at Raven as she explained her defense. "That's why he wasn't invited this time."

Lexa almost laughed, "how would you not know?"

"That's what I said!" Raven interjected.

"I knew after I ate it!"

"God, she was so high she wasn't even mad. And you know Clarke, she's always mad about something."

"I am not!" Clarke protested. She looked to Lexa for backup but she was nodding along in agreement with her roommate. "You guys suck."

Raven cleared her throat. "Speaking of being Clarke being mad, I did get you Christmas gift." She reached behind her to grab a bag. "Bellamy unintentionally helped me pick it out. It's kinda for both of you." She added.

Clarke and Lexa exchanged glances. Bellamy helped? Unintentionally? Both of us? Clarke pulled it out…whatever it was.

Her expression went from confusion to disgust instantly. It was the most hideous sweater she had ever laid eyes on. Yes, Sweater. Not sweaters. It was two sweaters sown together where the other sleeve should have been. One half was red and said 'I've Been Nice' while the other half was green and said 'I've Been Naughty'.

"What the hell is this?"

Lexa smiled. "Thank you Raven, we love it."

"No we don't. This is awful where did you even find this thing?"

Raven was beside herself with laughter. "Just for that you get the naughty side Clarke!"

"Are you serious right now?" Clarke was not reveling in the joke her roommate found so funny. "No. This is not happening."

Of course, it definitely was happening. Soon enough the two of them were in the dumb sweater much to the amusement of all the party guests. Even Lexa was playing along, wearing the goofy grin she had likely developed from being trying to be serious all the time – like her face didn't quite know how to smile so publicly. "Traitor," Clarke muttered under her breath.

"Alright, smile!" Raven pulled out her phone for a picture. Clarke did her worst 'fuck off' face and held up her middle finger. "Perfect," She muttered. After a moment she handed her phone to them to see. "Don't bother deleting it, it's already on facebook."

Alright. So she had to admit the picture was funny. They both were playing the roles pretty well, her looking like a delinquent while Lexa was looking at her with a shy smile like biting away a laugh. Funny, but it maybe not right then at that moment.

After Raven moved on to terrorize someone else, Clarke turned to Lexa. "I get her an entire new tool set, and this is what I get?"

"A new tool set so that she would fix your car," Lexa reminded her, "which she did."

"Yeah, well." She had her there, but Clarke wasn't one to give up so easily. "this thing is itchy and what are we supposed to do with our arms?" she added, nudging Lexa playfully in the side with her elbow.

"I can think of something," Lexa said, taking Clarke's hand in hers. It was rare for the raven haired girl to show any form of PDA and so the touch caught Clarke off guard. She smiled and blushed and felt stupidly school-girlishly giddy. "And besides, this just means you are the superior gift-giver, Clarke, embrace it."

How does she say stuff like that with a straight face? Clarke laughed. "You're such a dork."

"I only speak truth."

"Sure you do. C'mon," Clarke motion for them to stand up, "I have an idea how to make Raven regret this."

They spent the next half of the party moving from group to group, purposely swinging the other into people as if they didn't know they were attached to the other, laughing uproariously as they went partially because it was funny and partially because they were getting progressively more drunk as the night wore on.

"You both are lightweights," Bellamy said as they stumbled into him, this time not on purpose. At that time of night, most people were either passed out, heading home, or like Bellamy making sure everyone either had a ride home or finding people a place on the floor to sleep. "I'd ask how you figure out who drives on nights out, but then I remembered that all you guys do is study."

"I hadda kick'err outov my dorm cuz I wan'ta sleep but she's studying and won't leave." Lexa said listlessly, not really looking at him as she spoke.

Clarke's mouth hung open. "When'd that happen? No."

"AAAAlllll last week. O'er finals."

"OK." Bellamy clapped his hands together. "You need to get to bed." He shook his head as he led by their shoulders to Clarke's room.

"I've been drunkerrr." Clarke told him.

"I know. Unfortunately." Bellamy said. "But I don't think your girlfriend has."

Clarke looked over at Lexa who was talking to them, but looking in a completely different direction. "what tha even mean? I'm not." They waited for her to finish her sentence but apparently she was done.

"Yeah." Clarke nodded her head until it made her dizzy. They made it to her room and more or less fell onto her bed. "Bellamy, you're a good guy." She said, words muffled by the blankets.

"Uh, yeah, ok." He said. "I'm gonna bring you guys some water." Clarke gave him a thumbs up.

Lexa tugged on her arm. "Clarke?" she whispered.

"Yeah?"

Lexa smiled, eyes closed, and by all accounts half asleep. "I like Christmas," she muttered.

Clarke smiled, "Yeah, just wait till Christmas with my mother."

"Mm." Lexa made a little noise letting her know she heard her. She shifted closer against Clarke getting comfortable, her hand still held in hers'.

Clarke kissed her forehead and closed her eyes, deciding she would much rather enjoy this than think about the inevitable drama to come.