"Octavia, can I wear this?"
Clarke comes out of her room, walking over to Octavia who's cooking dinner in the kitchen while waiting for her friend.
She's already tried on two other outfits. The first one was a black leather skirt and a baby blue top.
Octavia didn't like it and had reminded her that her brother likes her more in girly things like her flower dress and Clarke had to agree. She liked the first outfit even though that's not how she normally dresses, but since it's a date she thought she should wear something more special.
In the end she didn't choose it because she remembered how Bellamy looked at her while they were at the park with their friends. Octavia, Lincoln, Jasper, Monty, Murphy and Miller met Bellamy and Clarke at the park because they already were there working on art stuff Clarke had to do. Well, Clarke worked and Bellamy just sat with her and talk.
This time she wore yet another dress. The dress was baby blue and had little white clouds on it. While she paints she catches Bellamy looking at her thoughtfully. He seems to be in his own little world judging from the lack of reaction he gives her when she calls his name.
She looks at his face and sees something close to admiration in his eyes. Something soft. And he wears that little honest smile he only shows when he's really happy.
She smiles then, because he's adorable and she realizes he had looked at her dress and was mesmerized by the clouds.
Bellamy always liked this kind of style better than very fitting, tight, sexy looking dresses, although he didn't say no when a woman came to him wanting to dance.
Octavia told her that that doesn't happen often anymore. Clarke always wondered why but was pretty sure she knows now. Somewhere along the way he changed from the guy he was before he knew Clarke, Monty and Jasper—a really good looking, arrogant womanizer—to a wonderful human being to be around. Somehow she suspects his new friends had a lot to do with it. They showed him things he didn't realized he liked. He met the group of friends, and Maya, for example, who didn't flirt with him but joked around while talking to him about all kinds of things.
He realized he didn't need to kiss a girl or dress up to get attention because he got all that from his new friends without ever asking.
Clarke and Octavia had a long talk over tea one day after having eaten breakfast and Octavia said deep down he always was this man but didn't show it, only to his sister and her boyfriend.
O didn't tell her she thinks Clarke's the reason behind all the niceness of Bellamy. She didn't want to talk to either of them about her suspicions and kept quiet about it.
So Clarke didn't do anything but smile when she caught him looking, because sooner or later he would snap out of it and tell her what's on her mind—after all, she's kinda his best friend besides Octavia.
She realizes she's almost finished with her project after looking back at it so decides to get his attention. She nudges him and lays a hand on his arm so she won't startle him and begins talking again.
"What do you think about it, Bell?"
She shows him what she's drawn so far nervously. He always tells her the truth.
If he doesn't like the painting, he'll tell her—but he just nods.
"It's really great, Clarke. The colors are nice and you really catch the vibe of the beginning of summer when everything awakes again."
"You think so?" she asks, just to be sure.
"Yes, you idiot. You know you're good," he replies, laughing.
"Thanks, nerd. I appreciate it," she tells him and puts all her stuff away, "Now will you tell me why my dress got you hypnotized?"
His eyes widen and he looks embarrassed.
She realizes something must be bothering him and gets closer to him, sitting cross-legged in the dress, white leggings underneath.
"What's up, Bell?" she asks, worried, and takes his hands in hers, waiting for his answer.
He looks at their entwined hands quickly before opening his mouth.
She doesn't expect his next words, but really likes the sound of them.
"It's just that your dress is really fucking cute, just like you. Well," he finally looks into her eyes, "I guess what describes you better than cute is beautiful."
She must be grinning like and idiot, because he's smirking at her. Then he continues, "it shouldn't surprise me. Princesses always look like they have all the time in the world to get ready in the morning before having their teain their old castle."
She opens her mouth in shock and hits him in the chest but laughs along with him.
"Thanks for the compliment and thanks for ruining the moment."
"Anyway," Bellamy said after a moment, smiling. "I must have zoned out pretty bad this time, because the other times you didn't quite catch me looking at you and-"
"What a minute. The other times?"
"Octavia's party last month, our brunch with with O and Raven, you picking me up from work—just to name a few occasions I admired your choice of dress."
She actually blushes now. "Wow okay. Continue, I like where this is going," she tells him, smiling and squeezing his hands.
"I think it has been going on for a while now and I'm kind of embarrassed you caught me, but I'm also glad you did, because we're finally having this talk. Or this monologue, I don't know," he rambles and catches himself this time.
"And?" she asks, impatient.
He laughs. "Patience, princess. It's coming," he teases her and kisses her knuckles and she actually melts because he's suddenly even more charming then ever and she didn't think he was capable of actually being a nice man when she first met him.
"To make a long story short," he continues, "I would really like if you would want to spend even more time with me than now. You know, on a date where not one of us draws something or reads something. I love spending my time with like this, because it's really nice, but I really need to wine and dine you before I go crazy."
She laughs at his last sentence but otherwise nods. "Yeah, that would be great. But you do realize you already wined and dined me before, right? We've had a lot of dinners."
He pulls her closer and into his lap and wraps his arms around her.
She's at the same height and it's perfect. "But not the real kind. Like where we get to know each other and hold hands and spill wine over ourselves. Any princess deserves that."
Clarke smiles again. "I really don't need all this and we already know each other. You're one of my best friends so you know almost everything about me," she tells him, caressing his arms.
"That's the problem, princess. I want to know everything, not just almost everything."
"What changed you? You're literally melting my heart right now and a year ago you were kind of an asshole."
He sighs and looks in her eyes then. "You don't know, do you?"
She raises her brows, helplessly.
He tugs her closer and puts his forehead against hers. "You and your friends happened. Most importantly you. Everyone showed me what a man I could be be just by treating me like it. You all saw through me right from the beginning and I still don't know why," he whispers and lets out a little chuckle.
She answers at the same volume. "Magic," and chuckles too.
"Suddenly we were hanging out almost every day and along the way everything changed, Clarke. I changed and the reason is you. You happened. And I'm fucking grateful for it."
He closes his eyes then and obviously enjoys the caresses she gives him. Her hands are now ghosting over his face while she processes his words.
"Bellamy," she whispers, "you're way to cute for your own good. Thank God you didn't show other girls this side."
He opens his eyes then and squints. "Let's not talk about other girls, alright? Just say yes and let me enjoy this."
She laughs again and whispers a yes against his mouth before kissing him.
The kiss doesn't last long, only a few seconds before she pulls away again. He doesn't let her go far before pressing a few little kisses against her lips.
She pulls away, giggling. "This was only supposed to be quick, Bell. So you have something to look forward to. That's all you get. At least for now."
He groans a little but didn't argue. "Definitely looking forward to our date. Or the end of the day when we all say goodbye."
"Yeah," she agrees and moves away to sit next to him again, "as much as I love this sitting arrangement I don't want to know everything just yet. Not before we have our date."
He nods. "Agreed."
She squeezes his hand again before releasing it. Clarke sees and hears Octavia approaching out of earshot a second before Bellamy and winks at her.
"Hey, when is our date anyway?" she asks, curious.
"Tomorrow? It's Saturday and we don't have plans."
"Now we do," she tells him, happily. They start talking about the book he's reading shortly after until the others reach them.
"Hi guys," Octavia yells to them although she already has their attention,"here's the food you wanted. Next time you pay, Clarkie."
Clarke rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Gimme the food and sit down."
She looks at Bellamy and bites her bottom lip, waiting for his silent answer. He nods and continues talking to Jasper.
Octavia doesn't see their interaction and sits down without a thought and begins talking about her day and some girl in the self-defense course she's teaching who's flirting with every single man in it.
She tries to listen what Octavia is saying, but really can't concentrate because she wants to tell someone. So she pulls Octavia mid-sentence onto her back on the grass and lies down next to her for a second.
"What? Why did you do that Clarke? I-"
"Bell is taking me on a date, O," she whispers, smiling the whole time.
"I didn't quite catch that," his sister tells her and gets closer.
Clarke rolls her eyes before repeating herself.
"I said your idiot, charming brother is taking me on a date, O."
She begins laughing quietly at Octavia's shocked face.
"He asked you?" She nods her affirmation.
She cringes and covers her ears when Octavia lets out a loud shriek of delight. A second later there's a heavy weight on her and she's wrapped in the arms of Octavia Blake.
"That's the greatest thing ever, Clarkie! My asshole brother finally found his match. No offense, but you can be an asshole sometimes, too."
She pinches Octavia side as revenge while hugging her back.
"Octavia? Why did you just do that?" Murphy asks, grumpy. "My ears hurt," he adds.
Octavia just sits up and grabs her food. "Nothing at all, Murphy. Now ignore me and eat. Clarke and I will talk girl stuff now."
Clarke sees O eying her brother and watches his reaction. He looks at Clarke before grinning to Octavia.
She grins right back before she starts talking to Clarke again. About their upcoming date of course.
I got a little carried away but I really love these two. I'll make it up next chapter!