clarke stiffened, trying to avoid the kiss. lexa whispered

lexa: "now who’s the coward? I'm a step away from you, clarke, and you're trembling like a cat in heat."

clarke retorted

clarke: "don’t you think it disgusts me too to kiss you now that you’re a married woman? or that your lips have touched other women instead of me? I’m trembling because you disgust me, lexa."

lexa: "well, that makes two of us“

lexa replied, as their breaths mingled, creating a palpable tension that threatened to consume them both. lexa pressed her nose to clarke's and pulled her forcefully by the waist. clarke looked away, trying to appear indifferent and superficial. lexa took off her armor and then said*

lexa: "I love my wife. I could never cheat on her with a manipulative whore like you."

clarke opened her eyes, her heart tightened. lexa had just uttered the word "love" for another woman, something she had never dared to do for anyone, not even for her. clarke said

clarke: "do you really love her?"

lexa: "yes clarke, I love her more than anything in the world. Is there anything else you want to know, clarke? do you still think I’m pretending and that this marriage is a farce? dince I've been with cartesiclea, I’ve been happy. dhe doesn’t try to manipulate me, she loves me for who I am."

clarke responded

clarke: "costia loved you too, you said. you could have married her, but you replaced her."

lexa: "I never loved costia, clarke. she was always your fixation."

clarke pushed lexa against the wall and said

clarke: “hink what you want, lexa."

clarke held lexa tightly

clarke: "you’re right, maybe I made choices that made you think I'm manipulative, but I’ve always put you first, despite you constantly hurting me. I can believe that you’re falling for another woman and I can accept it, because I closed my heart a year ago for you, and so everything you said didn’t touch me at all. I’m here to restore order in the world. I will fight until my last breath, lexa, even against you, know that."