The wind was harsh and even though Bellamy weighed heavily in muscle, he felt it blow right through his skin and had to take a step back to keep from losing his balance. The darkness had set in and the only noise that could be heard was the howl of the wind rolling through the trees and pounding against the tents. There were few times Bellamy was alone and could let the weight on his shoulders sink to the earth. He savored the wind pouring into his lungs and the softness of the ground underneath him. Earth was magic, and despite being emotionally and physically drained from a stressful day at camp, he wanted to stay awake.
He was almost by his tent when he saw Clarke. She was sitting against a tree playing with a knife, her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail so it would blow less in the wind. He studied her expression before approaching. Her eyes were empty, looking at nothing in particular, and was wearing two coats to protect her from the cold of the wind. He wondered for a moment why her lips were moving. She was singing to herself. Or maybe whispering?
Bellamy moved closer to Clarke, trying to hear her voice. Instead, he accidentally stepped on a pile of dried leaves, creating a loud crunch. The woman immediately jumped up in panic and flung her body around, holding her knife to his neck. Her eyes were wild and her posture threatening, breathing heavily. She had never looked more beautiful and alive. The adrenaline in her system still wasn't gone when she first spoke.
"You scared me." She dropped her stance and sat back down by the tree again.
"Are you on watch tonight? You weren't assigned that position. I need you awake tomorrow." He leaned on a tree opposite her, trying to forget the fact that she could have almost killed him moments ago.
Clarke began playing with the knife again, twirling it around her fingers. "Glass needed someone to cover her shift. And I couldn't sleep anyways so I volunteered."
"Is she alright?"
"Her period is out of whack. Ever since we landed all the girls have had irregular schedules, so it's impossible to plan around them. And the fact that we don't have the medicine to numb the constant pain makes it worse. When I found Glass it got so bad she was on the verge of passing out."
Bellamy nodded, trying to sympathize as much as possible. Girls had to go through hell and back. When Octavia first got her period she couldn't get off the bed and had to be lifted into her hiding spot when the Guard came for an inspection.
"You should probably get to bed," she continued. "We can't both be tired tomorrow."
Bellamy shifted slightly and asked, "Do you uh. Want some company?" He knew the answer but asked anyway.
There was a silence between the two until she smiled sadly and spoke, "I'm sorry. I kinda want to be alone right now."
Bellamy nodded at the ground and began to leave, but then turned to shout over the wind, "You better be awake tomorrow. Just because you're on watch now doesn't mean I'll let you work less tomorrow. Make sure we don't get attacked by grounders. Or worse. Miller."
His grin met her faint one.
"Roger that."
The weight on his shoulders was still there when he walked to his tent, and his eyes were barely open, but him being straight with Clarke made his mind a little less fuzzy. Even though the wind was howling in his ear and was pushing against him, he felt a strange balance.