Enjoy!
The sharp scraping of metal pierced Clarke's ears as she wandered through the rows of cages, blurred eyes skipping over the bodies huddled within their metal ribs. They were so frail, so weak yet they were clawing at the doors as their parched lips croaked for assistance. A hand slid over her side and she flinched to the side, a shiver wracking her body as she quickened her pace. The others weren't far behind her with tools to break the large group out, but she wasn't looking to join their race to release the prisoners. No, her eyes were set on each pair of eyes that she passed along this crammed path. They were ringed in red or clouded with tears, a mixture of fright and ecstasy tugging their lips in various poses on their stony cheeks. Clarke's breath hitched in her throat as she turned the corner, eyes raking over the new set on metal cages.
Clarke froze midway down the row, hands shaking as she raised them to swipe away the unshed tears threatening to trickle down her face. As her hand fell back to her side, she felt a wet finger trace the back of her hand. Her muscles stiffened as she jerked forward, lurching away from the grimy hand that had reached out to her. She turned slowly towards the one who had touched her, only partially facing the culprit as she blinked away the rest of the tears she had been unable to swipe away. It would've been useless anyways because they instantly swam back in place, clouding her view of the mangled boy before her.
"Bellamy." She choked on his name as she fell to her knees, a shiver caressing her body as she crawled forward to bridge the gap between herself and the bars of his cage. Her hand surged through the bars, snatching up his hand and pulling it out through the bars so she could grasp it between both of hers. Her shoulders drooped and her head followed suit as she leaned her forehead against his hand, a cry pitching her forward so that she ended up pressing herself against his cage.
"Shh, I'm okay. You're okay. Clarke-" She glanced up to meet his eyes through the bars, a wobble to her lips as she tried to smile at the weary man sitting in front of her. "Mind getting me out?" His words held a tinge of it's old fight, but the smile picking at the edge of his lips didn't reach his eyes. Clarke jerked her head quickly before sliding her hands away from his, just now noticing that she had laced her fingers with his. She thanked the blood that smeared her cheeks because this was not the time for him to see the thick blush creeping across her cheeks.
"I'm going to get you out of here, it's okay." She whispered more to herself than to him, her composure long gone at this point. Her fingers fumbled towards the belt of her pants as she found the sword she'd acquired just before the fight had begun. The mountain men were no longer an issue. After radiation had leaked into a single level of the bunker, the smaller community had called their surrender over an intercom. The execution of the younger Wallace and those linked had been immediately performed and as far as she was concerned Lexa and her mother were still perfecting the peace treaty between the newly cleansed group. It was risky, but the thought of slaughtering children and citizens with no link to the matter seemed far too vicious. Sure, she had burned 300 grounders alive and held back news of a missile that could've saved 250 grounders but those were all necessary to win the war. This wasn't. And she doubted she could break through another bout of guilt due to a mass murder she could've avoided.
Clarke swept the thoughts out of her head as she drew the sword out of it's holder and wielded it before her. She spotted a slight smirk creeping up along Bellamy's lips and she felt herself mirror it as she laughed quietly, "Just wait until you see your sister." She attempted to hide the broad smile ripping across her face when his eyes lit up at the news of his striving sister, and nodded at him to back up in his cage. "Ready to be free, my king?"
"Of course, Princess." His voice was rough, but it was beautiful nonetheless. He shuffled backwards towards the far wall and she took the sword up. It sliced through the lock's metal without hitch and it clanked to the ground, clipping her boot as it clunked away before silencing on the floor. A ripple of happy voices swirled around her as the other prisoners cheered from their cages, rocking their doors as they pulled on the bars.
Her eyes traced back along the wall of cages before whipping back towards Bellamy, eyes settling on him as he stood up outside the cage. The corridor was smaller than she remembered. There was only a foot between their toes and it wasn't there for long. She found herself lunging forward to snatch at him, wrapping her arms around his neck to settle her palms into the skin of his upper back. He was shirtless and he was wearing a strange wrap in place of shorts, but she ignored the heat creeping up her neck as she pressed her face into his shoulder. His arms were wrapped around her back, fists clenched in the fabric on his jacket and it felt right. It felt like...home.
"It wasn't worth the risk. You aren't worth the risk." She breathed into his ear, her words a croak as she fought down a happy sob. She wanted to stay here forever, wrapped in his arms where she was safe from blades, arrows, and bone marrow treatments. She had felt him tense at her words, but he seemed to loosen soon after before pulling her tighter against him. His breath was warm on her cheek as she pulled away slowly, her eyes settling on his as she took him in. His face was marred with scratches, but that crease in her forehead was still there. He was trying to figure her out, decide something?
The question fragmented and dissipated as he leaned in, his hand settling on her throat as he broke through the minuscule gap. His nose brushed hers lightly as he turned his head slightly to the side, eyes slipped closed after one last look at her eyes for reassurance. Her eyelids slipped closed and she felt his lips brush along hers, slide across hers before he captured her lower lip. She could feel her cheeks flushing as his hand slipped up from her throat to cup her face, tilting her face up as his tongue traced over her lip. Her breathing hitched before she parted her lips, letting him have reign over her mouth. She swept her own hand up now to slide through the hair at the base of his skull, anchoring herself to the moment as her heart thumped loudly against her rib cage. She felt her teeth clack against his and a laugh broke free as she pulled away slowly, a blush creeping up her throat as she gazed up into his half-lidded eyes.
"Never let me send you away again, okay?" Clarke spoke in a whispered sigh, fear and happiness gliding into it as she peered up towards him. It hadn't been said but the implied love behind her breathy words seemed to register as something flashed behind his eyes before his hand brushed along her cheek, his lips drawing in closer as he placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose, breathing an okay as he drew away. She wrinkled her nose, a stubborn frown creasing her cheeks as she fought and lost to the smile prying below the surface. Her eyelids had slipped closed during the small kiss, but she now peered up at him through her eyelashes. A smile was lazily settled on his lips and they just stood there for a moment, chests pressed together as they shared the small space, breathes mingling.
"Not to interrupt, but mind getting us out?" A rusty voice called out from beyond her shoulder and the two started, but didn't break away as they swept their gazes over towards the grounder crouching in a cage close by. Clarke felt Bellamy's hand drift down from her cheek, trailing down towards her shoulder before he turned to the side so that he could loop his arm around her waist. His fingers gave a slight squeeze before he released his grip on her and moved to take the sword she'd set aside up into his hands.
After a few grounders had been released from their cages, Bellamy turned back towards Clarke who had retrieved a pipe to assist on the other side of the corridor. Clarke felt his eyes on her and she turned towards him once the lock she was working on had clattered to the ground. Her head tilted slightly to the side in question as a smile crept along her reddened lips. Bellamy crossed towards her, stopping a foot away to brush a strand of blonde hair out of her face.
"I love you, too, Princess." Bellamy tucked the hair behind her ear before leaning in to plant a firm kiss on her jaw. He broke away and moved his lips towards her ear, "Now let's go rule our kingdom."