Octavia Blake didn't know where her boyfriend was.
That morning when she'd woken up, he hadn't been there beside her as was the norm. Now, she was walking through the hallways of the newly renamed Arkadia, looking for him everywhere she could think of.
She saw people moving around, carrying things.
It had been two weeks since they'd returned from Mount Weather and everyone had needed a fresh start. So Camp Jaha had become Arkadia. Without the constant threat from the Grounders, the Sky People had begun to relax and settle down. The whole place was being built almost from the ground up. The construction plans for the final version of Arkadia were complete with stables, crops, a medical wing, a hangar, even a big fire pit where the people could live together.
There was life again among the Arkers.
Octavia moved to the Hangar. She didn't find Lincoln. Instead, she found her brother.
"Hey, Bell?"
Bellamy turned. "Yeah?"
"Have you seen Lincoln?"
"Hmm, I think he left."
Left? Octavia couldn't believe. Lincoln wouldn't have left without telling her. "Well, where did he go?"
"I don't know, O." But Bellamy did, in fact, know where his sister's boyfriend had gone this morning. Lincoln was preparing the first part of Octavia's birthday surprise.
He was pretending not to remember her birthday, when in reality, he and Lincoln had a whole special day planned for her. Bellamy had been stunned when he'd asked Lincoln what his plans were for Octavia's birthday and the other man had told him he hadn't even known the special date was so soon. Why hadn't she said anything to him?
"But I'm sure he'll back soon," he assured. "Don't worry."
Octavia nodded and tried to do just that, which was hard, considering Lincoln wasn't exactly on friendly terms with his people since he'd disobeyed the Commander's orders to not help Skaikru at the Mountain. What if one of them caught him and decided he deserved to be punished? The thought chilled her to the bone. She would wait for a couple of hours, then she'd go out to find him.
Then, she noticed something which took her by surprise. Today was her 17th birthday, and Bellamy hadn't said anything.
He'd forgotten.
Octavia was okay with him not remembering, honestly. She didn't really feel like celebrating anyway. Fresh from battle and with plenty of wounds – both physical and emotional – to heal, nobody was in a mood for celebrations. So, what did it matter anyway?
But Bellamy had always done something special for her birthday, no matter what. Even for her last birthday, when she'd been in lockup, he'd bribed one of the guards to deliver her gift: her favorite blanket, her childhood doll their mother had made, and a card that read:
Happy Sweet 16, O.
Wish I could be with you right now.
I love you,
-B
She told herself that he was just distracted by everything that was going on, but it still hurt a little.
As she waited for the time to pass and for Lincoln to hopefully come back, before she had to do anything drastic, Octavia pondered her situation. She would never admit it to herself or to anyone else, but she was brooding.
This was her first birthday on the ground. So many things had changed since her last birthday... For one, her 16th birthday had been spent in lockup, alone. It had been the first time she'd cried since her mother's execution the month before. The gifts she'd received from Bellamy had eased the ache somewhat, but the anguish was still heavy in her heart.
Then, she saw Lincoln from afar and rushed to meet him.
"Hey!" Octavia called.
He turned at the sound of her voice, grinned. "Hey."
She greeted him with a kiss. "Where have you been?"
"I went to TonDC."
Octavia could've sworn she felt her heart stop. "Is everything okay?"
He smiled brightly, easing her mind. "Yeah." Then, he reached for her hand. "Come on, I have something I want to show you."
He took her to the stables, which were mostly still under construction.
The previously empty stables weren't vacant anymore. A beautiful brown horse stood in one of the stalls. Octavia gasped and when to its side, at once enchanted by the creature. "Hello, beautiful."
She scratched the horse's head lovingly.
Lincoln came up behind her and whispered in her ear. "Happy birthday."
Octavia froze.
"How did you even–" She closed her eyes and sighed, realizing the truth. He hadn't forgotten... She felt her heart lighten. "Bellamy. He told you."
"Yeah. The question is, why didn't you?"
She looked down. "I don't know. I guess I don't really feel like celebrating."
He continued to stare at her, expecting more.
"It's just not the same since my mother died. And my last birthday was spent in lockup, so..." Octavia shrugged. "Besides, everyone is still recovering from Mount Weather. It just doesn't seem like the right time for celebrating."
"Well, we're celebrating it," he stated firmly, holding her closer. He'd be damned if he'd let her sulk.
Octavia passed a hand through the horse's long mane. The horse nudged her with his big head, making Octavia giggle. Lincoln's heart lifted with the sound.
"He likes you."
She smiled. But, then, sobered. "I don't know how to take care of a horse, Lincoln, or even how to ride one."
"I'll teach you," Lincoln promised.
She considered the animal before her. Then, she turned to Lincoln and almost squealed. "Really?"
Lincoln nodded and laughed at her excitement. "Do you like him?"
Octavia beamed. "Yeah!"
"Wanna go for a ride?"
She nodded furiously. Lincoln got the horse from its stall and helped her up onto it.
"Put your foot on the stirrup, there," he instructed.
She did as she was told and mounted the big animal. There was a fur like blanket over the saddle, for which she was thankful for.
With skill and experience, Lincoln jumped on the horse behind her.
"Ready?" he asked, grinning.
Octavia nodded excitedly.
She looked so happy. He didn't want to change that with the news he'd heard in TonDC, when he'd gotten the horse that morning. The Commander had placed a kill order on him. Later, Lincoln decided. He would tell her later. Today, there would be no worries, no problems. It was her special day and he would make everything perfect.
Lincoln's hands were over hers on the reins, helping her stir the horse. "You have to guide him, show him where you want him to go."
She was so fascinated, so enthralled by the novelty. Her horse, the thought made her giddy. Octavia Blake, the girl who was found hidden under the flood, who'd had nothing growing up, had her very own horse.
After a morning of riding lessons, they stopped by a creek to rest and eat. Sitting against a tree trunk, Octavia nestled against Lincoln's chest as they nibbled on their food and watched the horse peacefully drinking water.
"So, does he have a name yet?" he wondered.
Octavia looked at the animal and considered. The beautiful horse lifted his head from the water, the sun shining down on him. And, suddenly, she knew.
"Helios," she declared. "Like the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology."
Lincoln remembered Bellamy telling him how much Octavia loved mythology and smiled. "It's a great name."
She returned the smile and looked up at him. "He's a great horse. Thank you."
Their lips touched tenderly.
It felt good to be by themselves, away from all the madness.
Lincoln leaned his forehead against hers, bumping noses blissfully.
"I have something special planned for us."
She raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Do you?"
"Mhm." He kissed her again.
He had special plans for the two of them, plans he hadn't shared with Bellamy. There were things no brother should know about. All Bellamy knew was he was giving her a horse as a surprise birthday gift and a special day with riding lessons through the forest and a picnic.
When all three of them were well rested, they continued their journey to her next surprise.
The closer they got to the destination, the clearer it became to her. They were back at the cave, their cave.
Octavia softened. "Is this part of the surprise?"
He kissed her cheek. "Yes."
They stared, in a loaded silence, at the cave's entrance for a while, then he prompted. "Come on."
He dismounted Helios and helped her down.
"There's a place nearby where he can safely spend a few hours by himself. He'll be perfectly fine," Lincoln promised.
Part of her was unwilling to part with the animal, but she so wanted to get on with her surprise.
He took Helios' reins. "Go on in. I'll be right there."
While Octavia waited for him to return, she lit the fire. She looked around the cave.
Lincoln had prepared everything, she thought adoringly. Beside the furs, she saw two bowls – one with nuts and the other with freshly caught berries, a bottle of wine and two wooden cups, and the best and most significant thing of all, lilies. There were white lilies spread on the floor of the cave.
He'd even remembered their method of contraception, she noted. The natural herbal concoction the grounders used to prevent pregnancies was there in a small glass vial, next to the wine. Octavia drank the greenish liquid in a single gulp. She still remembered when she'd first taken it, when they'd made love for the first time in this very cave.
Octavia smiled as all the memories of their time there rushed back. How they would meet in secret, loving each other for most of the night before she had to hurry back to her camp, how he taught how to fight...
Suddenly, he was there. She'd felt his presence immediately. Lincoln came up behind her and pulled her against him. He brushed her long brown hair to the side to kiss her neck. Octavia closed her eyes and leaned back against him, moaning.
Lincoln took her sword off her back and let it drop on the floor. Then, with deliberate slowness, he pulled her already opened jacket from her shoulders and tossed it to ground, somewhere next to the discarded sword. She decided to give him a hand and removed her fingerless leather gloves, also throwing them aside. Then, Octavia turned around to face him.
"Do I get to unwrap you, too?" she flirted, reaching up to push his jacket off his shoulders. "Are you my gift? Hmm?" They shared a smile, but Lincoln's face went dark with need when Octavia slowly began pulling on his pants. He couldn't resist her anymore. Lincoln took her face, pulling her to him and kissing her thoroughly.
Completely in unison, they moved blindly through the cave toward the soft furs on the ground, kissing all the while. Lincoln laid her gently down on the warm material. He reached down and unlaced her boots, taking them off, one after the other. Her jeans followed. Octavia laughed as he pulled them and her underwear down her legs.
Lincoln winked at her before disappearing under the furs, slipping down her body to lie between her legs. His light stubble tickled her skin, making her giggle. It turned into a moan as his mouth descended on her. She reached a hand under the furs, holding his head in place as he freaking obliterated her senses.
"Oh, God," she gasped.
Octavia lifted her head off the bedding with a cry of pure satisfaction and need. She was unable to keep still as the orgasm took over her.
Once she'd come down from the high, Lincoln kissed her left inner thigh and bit it gently, making her squirm and give a little laugh. Poking his head from underneath the furs, he started leaving a trail of kisses up her body. On her belly, her breasts, her neck. When they were face to face, he whispered, "Happy birthday," and kissed her lips. Octavia laughed, breathless, still high on the endorphins from the earth-shattering orgasm he'd just given her.
Lincoln hovered over her as they kissed deeply. Then, she embraced his hips with her thighs and switched their positions so that she was on top, straddling him. She wanted him so badly. First things first, however. She moved down his body and worked on taking off his boots, then his pants. A pretty damn impressive erection waited for her. Octavia took him in her hand and gave him a few slow strokes. Lincoln leaned his head back and closed his eyes, overwhelmed with the sensation. He was so close to losing control.
He put a hand on Octavia's wrist, urging her to stop. "Wait, wait, wait." Then, he pulled her up toward him, "Come here."
She hurriedly pulled her burgundy tank top over her head and off, followed by her bra and returned to him. Lincoln flipped them over, switching positions again. He gripped her thighs, holding her to him.
Lincoln kissed her devotedly as he slid in. They already knew each other's bodies so well. Sex between them felt as natural and effortless as breathing. Octavia looked into his gorgeous brown eyes as they moved together. She saw his face contorting as he reached his peak, as she herself was beginning to feel it. They gazed into each other's eyes when the climax rocked them both into oblivion.
They spent the following hours talking, sipping wine, snacking on the nuts and berries, and having more sex. Now, they lay naked in each other's arms, tucked beneath the warm furs, sated and completely spent. He kissed her forehead and she practically purred.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "This is so wonderful."
Tired and relaxed, Octavia began to feel groggy. It must've shown because Lincoln held her closer, kissed her head and told her, "Sleep for a while."
Comfortably nuzzled against him, Octavia fell asleep.
When she woke up, she looked up through the hole in the cave's roof and noticed that the sun was setting. How long had she slept? Then, she looked at Lincoln. His eyes were closed, but he smiled and moaned low in his throat when she kissed his jaw.
"Hey," Octavia whispered sweetly.
Lincoln's eyes opened just a slit to look at her. "Hey."
She caressed his head, rubbing his forehead gently with her thumb. He opened his eyes further to find her staring at him intently.
"What is it?" he wanted to know, touching her cheek.
She'd gotten caught. "Nothing." Octavia looked down, embarrassed. Then smiled. "Sometimes I just look at you and wonder how I got so lucky, to have you in my life."
Lincoln smiled and looked at her with such softness in his eyes it made her melt. He had a similar confession to make.
"Every day, I look at you and I feel like I'm the luckiest man in the world."
Their foreheads touched in a moment of tenderness.
"You're seriously the best boyfriend ever. You know that, right?"
He shrugged playfully and they laughed.
"And, by the way, it's not that I don't love it, I do, but you didn't have to do all of this," she told him, gesturing around. "I would've been more than happy with just spending the day with you."
"I wanted to make everything perfect for you," he said, picking up one of her small braids and playing with it. "Unforgettable."
Just when she thought she couldn't love this man any more... She beamed at Lincoln. "Well done, then."
Octavia leaned in for a kiss, to which Lincoln had eagerly responded. The kiss got heated as their tongues battled, as they groped at each other, touching everything they could get their hands on.
He grabbed her ass possessively and she moved on top of him.
Well, maybe not completely spent...
Lincoln sighed as he looked up at the night sky outside.
"We should probably get going," he told her.
"Noooo," Octavia complained loudly, hiding her face on his bare chest. "Do we have to?"
Lincoln wanted to be selfish, to spend the night here with her, but he was sure Bellamy would want a moment with his sister on her birthday. He probably had a surprise of his own for her.
He laughed. "It's late. Very late."
Octavia groaned.
"Fine. But just a little bit longer?" she begged. "Please."
"Just a little bit longer," Lincoln agreed.
They kissed tenderly and enjoyed their final moments alone before they had to leave.
It was nearly 2 a.m. when Lincoln and Octavia got back to Arkadia, holding hands, looking happy and in love.
They hadn't expected to find anyone still awake, but upon entering the Hangar, they found Bellamy, Raven and Gina waiting for them. Everybody else had already gone to bed.
"Finally!" Raven grunted jokingly. She got up and walked toward them supported by her crutches. "I almost ate the damn thing myself waiting for you two love birds."
Gina stepped forward, holding a small cake covered with white frosting, with a single candle on top.
"We don't have enough ingredients around here to make a proper birthday cake," she lamented. "but we did have enough to make a pretty decent one."
"Oh, guys..." Octavia was sincerely moved by their affection. "Thank you. You didn't have to go through all this trouble."
Raven shushed her.
Bellamy didn't say anything. He just opened his arms for his little sister, and she let go of Lincoln's hand to jumped into them and off the ground.
"I thought you'd forgotten," she confessed.
"How could I forget the best day of my life?"
He set her down and kissed her forehead. "Happy Birthday, O."
"Thank you."
"Happy birthday," Raven and Gina both echoed.
"Thanks, guys," she told them. Then pointed at the cake. "For everything."
"Come on, Blake." Raven urged, playfully. "Blow the damn candle. We're starving here."
Octavia laughed and blew the candle.
"What did you wish for?" Gina asked.
"Nothing," she muttered, shaking her head. She beamed at Lincoln. "I already got everything I want."
Raven smiled and Gina awed, while Bellamy looked slightly disgusted yet happy for her. He didn't want to think about what they'd been up to since leaving that morning.
"Oh! I got a horse today!" Octavia informed them happily.
Raven smirked. "You're so weird."
"Yeah, you go ahead and laugh it up, Reyes," Octavia teased. "Just wait until you meet Helios. Soon enough, you'll want one too."
They all laughed.
Bellamy nudged his sister. "Helios, huh?"
"Yup," she said proudly.
He pulled her to his side for a hug and dropped a kiss on her head.
About an hour later, when everybody had had a slice, they sat in the few chairs the Hangar provided.
Raven had already gone to bed. She would never admit it to anyone, but her leg must've been killing her. She still hadn't recovered fully, probably never would.
Lincoln and Octavia sat facing each other, still eating what was left of the cake, apart from the others' conversation. It was almost as if they were in their own private little bubble. Octavia fed him a piece of cake and laughed when the frosting smudged his full lips. He smiled and closed his eyes as she wiped it away with her finger. Then, he gently grabbed her hand and took the finger into his mouth and sucked it clean of the frosting. It made her lose her breath all over again.
"I think Gina's trying to win me over," she commented, trying to lighten the mood, and nodded to where Gina sat talking animatedly with Bellamy.
"Is it working?" Lincoln asked.
Octavia took another bite of the cake and shrugged. "The cake is really good."
They laughed.
"I have one last surprise," Bellamy announced, approaching them.
Octavia protested, mouth full of cake. "But..."
"Come on, come on. Bring the cake," he insisted.
Bellamy led them through the hallways of Arkadia. He walked ahead, Octavia and Lincoln following behind.
"Kane put me in charge of organizing and distributing the rooms," he explained. Then, he stopped in front of a door and pulled it open. "And..."
He gestured them to go inside.
Frowning, Octavia entered the room, then Lincoln.
They got inside, taking in their surroundings. Much like the rest of Arkadia, the room had grey metallic walls, bare but for the lights. There was a medium sized bed to their left against the wall. Next to it, a small bedside table stood, under a big lamp that hover right over the bed.
On the other side of the room, stood a table with a small stack of books of top, two large chairs, a metal cabinet, and an assortment of various other things. The room was filled with all kinds of junk. It kind of reminded her of the cave. Despite that fact, this entire space was incredibly simple and monochromatic.
Glancing around, Octavia and Lincoln noticed their things were already there.
"What is this?" she inquired, looking back at her brother.
"Your new room."
While it didn't exactly please Bellamy that his little sister and her boyfriend had their own room, he was relieved that he would, hopefully, never have to witness their PDA moments again.
He could've told them that the bedroom was meant for her only, but they wouldn't have accepted that. Bellamy knew by now that where one would go, the other would follow. They couldn't live without each other.
"Well?" he prompted. He desperately wanted to know if she'd liked it.
Octavia peered around the room again. Everything seemed to be grey and metallic. Typical Arker decor, she scoffed mockingly in silence. But she and Lincoln could bring some life to the place. Maybe some flowers, some Trikru elements...
"This is great, Bell." Octavia set the leftover cake on the table and hugged her brother. This was more than a simple room, it was a gesture. She felt that he was finally truly accepting her relationship with Lincoln. "Thank you."
Soon after, Bellamy bid them goodnight and left, closing the door behind him.
After he had gone, she asked Lincoln. "What do you think?"
"I like it."
"Yeah, me too. It's pretty spacious," she conceded, taking her sword off her back and placing it on the table beside the cake. "It's definitely bigger than what I had on the Ark."
Something occurred to her.
"We have our own room," Octavia said, slowly taking in the space again. "You know what comes with having your own room?"
"What?"
She raised her eyebrows, smirking mischievously. "Privacy."
Then, she jumped him. Lincoln laughed as they fell on the end. The silliness vanished, the mood turned serious and intense as desire took over again. He lay on his back while Octavia straddled him. They kissed passionately, their tongues meeting in a fiery frenzy, hands roamed each other's bodies hungrily. She could still taste the wine they'd had earlier on his breath.
Lincoln sat up and Octavia took off his jacket, then her own. Their lips only parted so she could pull his t-shirt over his head. She threw it across the room. He took her tank top off and did the same.
Grabbing his face in her hands, Octavia tried to pull him closer to her. Which was physically impossible, any closer and they'd fuse together.
Then, she pulled away from his lips, breathlessly.
"I want something else, too. For my birthday."
"Anything," he promised.
Octavia traced a hand over one of his tattoos. "I want one of these."
He frowned.
"It's just... I feel like I've lost them, especially now that we're back here." she explained. "I need to feel close to Trikru again. I don't want to lose that part of myself."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
He nodded, thoughtfully. "Okay, where do you want it?"
"Hmm, my arm," she decided, pulling the black bra strap over and off her right shoulder.
"Anything specific?"
Octavia shrugged. "Artist's choice."
"I'll do it," he agreed. "but I'm not too sure your brother's going to like it."
"My body, my rules," she stated firmly.
That made him smile. "Okay."
And so, he did it. He did it for her, because of much she wanted it, how much it meant to her; but also to soothe the upcoming blow of the news that they probably wouldn't be able to leave Arkadia anytime soon.
Later that night, as she lay in his arms, both of them naked and happily worn out, Octavia contemplated the day. It had been a surprise, alright. A great one. She hadn't expected anyone to remember her day, let alone celebrate it.
Lincoln rubbed her arm soothingly over her brand new tattoo. It still stung a little, but not too badly. He'd applied some kind of oil to it afterward and it had helped to calm her sensitive skin.
Octavia Blake was in her love's arms in a bedroom that was all theirs, with her brand new tattoo still fresh on her skin, leftover birthday cake her friends had made for her and a beautiful horse waiting for her in the stables.
Best. Day. Ever.