Clarke had absolutely no idea how it happened, to be completely honest, had no idea when John Murphy of all people became her very own guard dog. Wherever she was, the dirty teen was never far behind, a gun slung casually over his shoulder or absently cleaning his nails with that damn knife of his even as his eyes scanned their surroundings like they could be attacked at any moment. Which, given their history since coming down to the ground wasn't much of a stretch but still! Today, she had no plans to leave Camp Jaha or even approach the fences but he still followed her and she'd gotten used to it, actually, even welcomed it. He was good company when he wasn't being a total ass to her and the people she cared for. Well, that part hadn't changed, he was rude to everyone but her…and Monty, because she thinks they'd bonded over being way to protective of her. Clarke was starting to think they had weekly meetings where they just talked about how she could've gotten herself kill that week.
As she walked towards the Med bay, her thoughts drifted to the incident not two weeks earlier when that ever constant knife of his had almost pinned a Grounders hand to the table when he got to close to her as she discussed something or other with Lexa. Usually, she was fast enough to stop him before he got it all the way out but she'd been distracted that day and to be honest she'd been slightly amused by the look on Nyko's face. He'd looked almost scared of the lanky boy at her right. Hell, she hadn't even known the little shit had come to the meeting until he'd popped up beside her with a drink halfway through the meeting. Clarke was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist and tug gently, her eyes snapping to Muprhy who had silently done so to stop her from running straight into the med bay door, a small and rare smile curling the corners of his mouth upward.
"Thanks, Cerberus.." She smiled, lightly touching the hand that had grabbed her wrist before pushing open the doors and walking inside. Clarke doesn't know where she'd picked up the nickname, but she thought it fit the boy, her own personal hell hound, the thought brought a rather unladylike snort from her as she walked inside. Murphy only a few steps behind her as she made her way over to her mother and came to a complete stop in front of her. A frown tugged at her lips when her mother turned a glare at Murphy over her shoulder, harshly ordering him out of the room. She almost wanted to snort when the young man simply cocked an eyebrow at the older Griffin and hopped up to sit on one of the operating tables in the room, knife dangling loosely from one hand as he supported himself on the other.
Sighing, she turned her attention away from her defiant companion and instead focused on her mother. "Listen, I only came to tell you that some of us are going to be leaving in a couple days. I thought seeing as you're the Chancellor and all you might like to know.." Abby looked like she was going to argue until she saw that look in her daughters eyes, the same look she'd seen when she released the Mountain Man, that defiant but strong and determined gaze. Sighing, the doctor gave a resigned nod and resolutely told herself not to look at the sneering boy perched on her operating table.
"You're free to go and you know it. The guard listens to you more than they do me these days." Abby muttered more to herself than Clarke, running a hand through her hair as she looked at the girl before her.
"Glad to hear it. Now that that's clear I have some other stuff to get done before I head to bed." Nodding politely to her mother, Clarke turned on her heel and waved a hand at Murphy, giving a silent command to follow that the boy automatically followed. "C'mon, Murphy, we got work 'ta do before we get to sleep." She joked over her shoulder as she strode out of the med-bay and down the walkways towards the front gates. The boy simply smiled softly at the back of his leader, following her obediently as she finished up her errands for the night.
Sooner than she thought, Clarke was back in her tent and collapsing tiredly into her makeshift bed without taking off her heavy winter jacket or her scuffed boots, simply rolling over to lay face first into her only pillow and breathing deeply. She didn't hear Murphy enter but she did feel him gently kick her boot and she did hear his quiet snort of amusement.
"Y'gonna sleep like that, Princess, or are you just taking a mini nap before rushing off to save the world again?" His voice was husky from disuse as he crouched down and tapped the back of her leg in a message to roll over that she easily responded to, rolling onto her back and half glaring/half squinting at the other teen. It still surprised her that he came to check on her before going to bed, in the tent that he'd moved just next to hers mind you. That she was the only person he seemed to care about in the entire camp, but it also warmed her to her core. Because despite everything she'd come to care about the little shit just as much.
"Ass." She muttered, halfheartedly kicking at his knee as she threw an arm over her eyes. Murphy snorted once more and he was sure she could hear his eye roll from her place draped across the bed like a starfish. Huffing quietly, he grabbed one of her booted feet and set to the task of un-lacing and pulling it off her foot.
"You love my ass…" He teased as he worked the first boot off her foot and set to repeating the motion with the other. "And you know it, so there's no use being so rude, Princess." John rolled his eyes up to look at his Princess with a smirk, tapping her ankle. She was his Princess. His warrior princess and his leader and he swore he'd never let anything happen to her. That she'd be able to do things like this for as long as he lived. Clarke peaked out from under her arm at Murphy, simply humming her agreement as he pulled the second boot off her foot.
"Sure, sure, whatever you need to tell yourself, Murph." She smirked at him as he gently set her feet back on the bed and tugged her to sit up. "C'mon, y'know I can do this m'self right?" Thought she didn't try to protest as Murphy pushed the heavy coat off her shoulders and lay it across the table near her 'bed'.
"I know, but I do it anyway. So zip it, sunshine." His actions completely contradictiong his teasing words as he pulled her to stand and pressed a gentle kiss to her hair. "I think you've got it from here, princess. I'm gonna head to bed. Y'know to holler if you need anything." Murphy nodded, patting her shoulder as he ducked out of the tent and walked the couple feet to his own.
Clarke rolled her eyes at Murphy's back but slipped out of her clothes from the day and into one of the shirts and shorts she used for sleeping. Snuffing the gaslight that kept her tent lit, she crawled under the covers and settled down to sleep, the sound of Murphy readying himself for bed a few feet away calming her as she drifted to sleep.