Chapter Text
Ch 1. Why the Fuck are we even here?
They were at Grounders, a local bar that one of Lexa's on-again, off-again older hookup works at, all squeezed into a booth: Lexa sitting comfortably between Anya and Lincoln, their respective limbs sticking out of the sides of the booth; and Gaia, Emori, and Echo all sitting on the other side.
“Okay everyone bring it in, bring it in. You are all probably wondering why I asked you here today.”
“Umm, yeah, I literally just asked, why the fuck are we here?”
“Thank you, Emori. You are an excellent notekeeper.”
“What? I'm not your –"
“I also want to add that I especially appreciate you being here. I know the clans have not always been… kind to you.”
“Umm… yeah, everyone called me and my brother freaks and you let them. I’m only here cu –”
“Yes! Yes, you are correct. Thank you for bringing that up. I sincerely apologize for that. I am not proud of all the things I allowed to occur in the past, but know that I plan on making changes. So please, let us have bygones be bygones, yes?”
“What? No, Lexa, I - "
Emori felt a kick under the table at the same time as Anya slammed her fist on the table and sprang up from her seat, startling Gaia who had been silently reading on her phone. Emori turned in the direction of the kick to look at Echo as they gave each other "what the hell" stares. Echo shook her head at her. Even she knew better than to call The Commander by her first name in front of her minions.
Lexa raised her hand for silence, not seeming to mind the misdeed, as Anya sat back down and continued glaring across the table.
“Please, everyone, let's not fight. The reason I’ve asked for this meeting is because I want to check in on you all before we begin classes next week and to tell you about this book I’ve read about. It’s called Love Languages.”
“Heda, apologies, what do you mean a book you’ve read about? Did you… read a book… about love?”
“Thank you for demonstrating such excellent listening skills, Lincoln. I have not read the book, but I have skimmed many blogs and reviews about it. Additionally, I asked Aden to read and summarize it for me. He is very astute.”
The group let out a collective “okay…” as they waited for more information. Even Gaia had put down her phone to pay attention to what was going on. She only came to these "meetings" because her mother, Indra forced her to be friends with Lexa and Anya. Indra was the P.E. coach at their previous school and she loved the two older girls like they were her own daughters. She seemed to want nothing more than for Gaia to be more like them - aggressive, assertive, assholes - instead of the quiet and studious person she'd become. She ignored the pang in her chest as she thought about her mom and looked up at the group, curious to hear what ridiculous scheme Lexa, or rather, The Commander, as she preferred to be called, had come up with this time.
“First, I will read this informative selection from the Google search I pulled up a moment ago." She cleared her throat and began reading "There are five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. Each one is important and expresses in its own way. Learning your partner's and your own primary love language will help create a stronger bond in your relationship."
Silence.
"Emori," she started again, passing the phone across the table "please cite this source in your notes."
“Dude, I am not – ”
“Heda, with all due respect. I don’t understand… what is happening?”
“Patience, Anya. I am getting there." Lexa paused and waited until she had everyone's attention again.
“As we all know, we will be embarking on a journey to a new school next week. As your Commander it is my purpose to keep you safe and make sure that we stay united. As such, I believe we need a new ‘thing’ as they say. It seems that 'Jus Drein Jus Daun' did not work out well for us in our last school…" they all shifted uncomfortably, "so I think that this time we aim for something a little softer."
"You mean weaker?”
Lincoln glared at Anya, but Lexa, again, did not seem to mind.
"Yes, Anya, we have been taught that love is weakness, but certain recent events in my life have made me think otherwise."
“Heda, I think that is a GREAT idea! Rebranding our image to express Love? I am SO on board with that.”
“Thank you for your enthusiasm Lincoln, though to clarify I would expect you to be on board with whatever I decide we are on board with.”
“Yes, Heda, of course.”
“I’m sorry, Heda, again, so much respect and I will follow you to the ends of the Earth but… what is it that we will be doing?”
“Anya, I am getting there." She paused again, as the group looked to her with empty expressions. "We will no longer be known as fighters, we will from now on be known as lovers and our love language will be none other than that of the internet's Lesbian Jesus herself, Hayley Kiyoko.”
The group stared at their commander with uncertainty. Their confusion was interrupted by the barkeep's sudden appearance and shouting. “What have I told you kids about hanging out in here? Get the fuck out of here!”
They all scrambled out of the booth. Lexa slid out from her seat and walked leisurely past the frazzled man rolling her eyes “Ugh, okay Titus, chill out, dude. We're leaving.”
Titus shooed them out as the group made their way out to the parking lot murmuring to each other.
"Man, that guy always has a stick up his ass"
"I thought Niylah was working today"
"Did someone grab my notebook?"
"I thought you weren't notekeeper."
"Shut UP."
Echo grabbed Emori's arm, holding her back from the group.
"What the fuck, dude!?" Emori pulled out of Echo's grasp, keeping her hands in her jacket.
"Hey, I'm sorry, sorry!" Echo raised her hands in defense, Emori's red notebook clasped in one of her hands. "Here." She held the notebook out
Emori eyed her suspiciously before pulling her right hand out of her jacket and taking the notebook, "Thanks?"
"Yeah, well, I saw you'd left it" Echo said smiling at her.
"Okay… " Emori wasn't sure what to think. She and Echo had gone to the same school since they were kids, all of them had, but Echo was a couple of years older. Not that it would have mattered, nobody hung out with Emori anyway. All she knew about Echo is that everyone called her a snitch, though she wasn’t really sure what the circumstances were. She was also not used to seeing her smile. "Well, thanks for grabbing it."
"No problem. I'm Echo."
"Umm..." Emori tried hiding her amused confusion "I know who you are, Echo."
"Well, yeah," Echo looked down at her feet before looking back up at her again, "but we've never been formally introduced." She extended her hand. She'd noticed how the girl didn't care for Lexa's claim of leadership over them and she figured she could use someone like that on her side, especially since no one else from her clan would be joining them in this new school. They'd all been scattered across the school district after their own school closed down due to, as the school board put it, their "inability to refrain from trying to kill each other." She was surprised that Lexa and her two minions were lucky enough to get placed together - lucky or something else, she thought.
Emori wasn’t sure what game Echo was playing, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to start this new school being on good terms with at least someone she knew, even if just a little. Besides, Echo herself had never been mean to her, and she seemed less involved with Lexa's inner circle than the others were. She pulled out her left hand and gave Echo a curious look, "Okay then, I'm Emori."
Echo glanced down at Emori's hand for a moment before looking up at her face smiling, she'd heard the girl had some kind of "disfigurement," but this was the first time she'd seen it in person. She knew that Emori was testing her, gauging her reaction to her hand. She reached out and clasped Emori's arm, greeting her in the way their clans were accustomed to doing. Emori smiled back, nodding her head. This could be the beginning of an interesting friendship, she thought.
"What the hell did I say!? Stop loitering out here!" Titus yelled from the door. He'd been watching them from inside, making sure they left the premises. He was going to have to have a conversation with Niylah about letting her friends hang out at the bar when he wasn't there.
"I just CAN'T catch a break" he huffed to himself as he watched them all disperse.
***