There are three surefire ways to ruin a friendship between a man and a woman.

One is betrayal. Whether it's betraying them by lying or hurting them in any way. If you betray a friend, man or woman, it's going to be hard to come back from that. The second way is money. If you borrow money and never pay it back or if you go into a business deal together and it ends badly. You should never, ever go into business with friends.

And last but not least there's the biggest and baddest of all the ways to ruin a friendship between a man and a woman.

Sex.

The thing that bothers him the most is that he knew that going into his friendship with her. He knew that he was attracted to her and why he ever thought that being just her friend was going to be easy on him is beyond him.

He's getting ahead of himself.

In order to explain the full ramifications of this seemingly normal act requires going back a little further.

Back before the night his entire existence was shattered beyond possible repair.

Two Months Ago

"Bellamy! We have to meet Monty and Raven in twenty minutes!"

Bellamy groans as he attempts to fastens a tie around his neck, the piece of silk feeling like a damned noose ready to end his precious life and carry him off into the underworld. He can practically hear the impatience in Clarke's footsteps as she bounds up the stairs and he gives her a pathetic look when she steps into his room.

"I can't do it," he says sticking out his bottom lip in a pout and Clarke rolls her eyes as she steps in front of him.

"You're a fucking child," she says with a laugh as she undoes the mess that he's made. It takes her less than a minute and when she turns him around to look in the mirror he can see the dark blue silk knotted perfectly under his collar.

"Aw thanks buddy." He grins as she rolls her eyes again. "You know, if you don't stop doing that your eyes are going to get stuck like that."

"Whatever you say mom. Now get your ass in gear Blake. Tonight is really important for Raven and I don't want to be late."

Their mutual friend Raven also has no idea how important tonight really is for her. Her boyfriend Monty, one of Bellamy's oldest friends, is proposing tonight and asked Clarke and Bellamy to be there to watch it all go down.

"I don't get it," Bellamy says as he reaches to pull his suit jacket out of his closet. "Aren't proposals supposed to be like romantic and personal? Why would Monty want us there?"

"We've gone through this a million times, Bell." Clarke is standing in front of his mirror, turned to the side as she examines the hunter green dress she's wearing that fits perfectly to her curves. He finds himself watching the movement of her hands as they trail down her tiny waist before coming to rest on her hips. "Monty just wants us there for moral support. You know how he gets sometimes." Her voice trails off when she sees him staring at her. "What? Do I look ridiculous?"

He shakes his head quickly, mostly to clear his mind of some seriously impure thoughts about his best friends. "No, no you look gorgeous." Clarke raises an eyebrow and Bellamy stumbles over his words. "Not like gorgeous, I mean…you do look gorgeous but…we should go."

She's just blinking at him as he abruptly grabs his wallet and keys from their spot on his dresser and heads out the door.

It's not a big surprise that he's attracted to Clarke. In fact, he'd have to be blind not to be. Not only is she beautiful but she's nice and funny and sweet. She's been his best friend since they were eighteen.

Monty had just started dating Raven and they had convinced him to meet Raven's roommate because they were trying to play matchmaker after Bellamy's high school girlfriend left him high and dry after graduation.

Raven's roommate turned out to be Clarke and while she was obviously gorgeous and they got along great they figured out early on that they made better friends than paramours. Four years and three serious girlfriends later and she's still the most important woman in his life save for his mom and sister.

So looking at her like this, like someone he would try to pick up if he was out at the bar, is not going to work out for him any way you slice it.

Clarke is his friend, his best friend, and that's all she will ever be.

The drinks are flowing as Raven wipes the tears from her eyes, a shiny two carat rock now sitting on a very important finger.

Clarke is laughing at something Monty says and Bellamy smiles as he takes in the scene. These are three of his favorite people on the planet, definitely his favorite three people outside of his family, and as corny as it sounds their happiness makes him happy.

"You're awfully quiet tonight," Raven remarks as she wipes the corner of her eye with a napkin. "What's going on in that brain of yours?" It's just like Raven, worrying about someone else even when tonight is supposed to be all about her.

"I'm just really happy for you guys," Bellamy says sincerely and holds his champagne glass up to clink it against hers.

Raven laughs. "You know if you and Clarke would have taken a different route all those years ago we could be sitting here celebrating your engagement." Bellamy rolls his eyes at Raven's little smirk.

"I think we both know that Clarke and I would never work," he says quietly but Clarke is too wrapped up in her conversation with Monty to hear them.

"And why is that?"

"Because we both know too much," he says with a wink.

"I think that's bullshit," Raven replies frankly. "Friends always make better lovers."

Bellamy doesn't say anything else, just sips his champagne thoughtfully as he watches Clarke's eyes crinkle as she laughs and wonders why in the hell he's thinking about feelings when it comes to a girl that's never been more than a friend.

"Did you know that an ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain?"

Bellamy shakes his head as he holds onto Clarke's waist, her penchant for random facts always a little higher when she's got a good buzz going on.

"Is that so?" Bellamy asks as he struggles to pull his key ring out of his pocket. Clarke had insisted that she was fine to walk home but Bellamy was having exactly none of that so he called a cab to take them back to her place. He finally finds her spare key and ignores her ramblings ("Did you know that there are more plastic flamingos in the United States than real ones") as he slides her key into the lock. "Okay boozy, in we go!"

Clarke is giggling when he plops her down on her couch, the lights of her apartment still off, and he feels around the wall next to the door until he finds the switch.

"Bell, no it's too bright!" She hisses as he turns on the light and he rolls his eyes as he clicks on the table lamp before turning the overhead lighting back off. "Oh yes, much better!"

"God woman, you're trashed," he says with a chuckle. He's trying to remember how many drinks she had and he can't pinpoint when she crossed the line from buzzed to just plain drunk. "You really need to get some sleep."

She hums a little as she stretches out so she's lying on the couch. "You're a great guy, Bell. I don't tell you that enough."

Bellamy laughs quietly as he grabs the throw blanket that sits on the back of her armchair. "Yeah, kid you're not so bad yourself." He's just about to spread the blanket over her when she reaches up and holds onto his arms. "Clarke, what are you…?"

He doesn't get a chance to finish because all of a sudden her hands are in his hair and she's pulling his lips down to hers. He's never kissed her before, nothing more than a friendly kiss on the cheek, but now she's kissing him like her life depends on it and he can't find it in himself to stop her.

But then he remembers that she's drunk and he's not and he's just not that guy.

"Clarke…wait," he says when they pull apart. "We can't do this."

Her cheeks are flushed and her lips are pink and Bellamy doesn't think he's ever seen her eyes so damn dark before. "And why not?"

"Because you've been drinking and are obviously not of sound mind if you're trying to kiss me right now." Clarke pushes up on her elbows, which in turn pushes her chest too fucking close to him, and pouts.

"Bellamy Blake. I am not drunk," she says seriously. "Have I been drinking? Yes. Am I a little buzzed? Obviously. But drunk I am not. And right now," she pulls him closer to her, "right now the only thing I want to do is you."

Bellamy groans as she brings him down to her level again and this time it's impossible not to give in. She pushes his jacket off before pulling him until he's lying on top of her and she feels so good underneath him that he can't figure out why it's taken them four years to get to this point.

"Why now?" Bellamy asks as he kisses his way down her neck. Her breath quickens when he settles himself between her legs.

"Because you looked amazing in that suit tonight," she purrs as he nips at the skin right above the top of her dress. "And because of the way you were looking at me before we left tonight."

Bellamy stills and looks up to see her smirking. "You noticed that, huh?"

"Yeah, I noticed that." He chuckles before kissing her again, taking his time to get to know her in a way that he never has before. She's got one hand in his hair and the other is swiftly undoing the buttons of his dress shirt.

"Clarke…wait…"

She pushes her bottom lip out when he pulls away and it takes everything in him not to kiss her again.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

He can see her eyes flash while she considers his words and then she's sitting up and reaching to the bottom of her dress to pull it up over her head.

"I'm sure."

He wakes up with a face full of blonde hair.

His body aches and he doesn't remember being this sore since he trained for a triathlon in high school. Clarke is snoring quietly beside him, her body covered by a sheet only from the waist down. He drinks in the sight of her smooth tan back and he grins as he runs his knuckles up her spine lightly.

Last night was fucking incredible and only part of him wonders what this is going to mean for their friendship. The other (bigger) part of him just wants to do it again.

"Mmmph," she mumbles with her face still in the pillow, "Stop that tickles."

He laughs quietly as he moves her hair aside so he can kiss the back of her shoulder. "Sorry Princess."

She groans at the nickname, one he gave her years ago that she's always hated, and rolls over so she's facing him.

"You know I hate it when you call me that," she says darkly and Bellamy smirks.

"I know," he winks, "that's why I do it."

It's then that she realizes she's not wearing any clothes and she blushes as she pulls the sheet up over her naked body. "What time is it anyways?"

Bellamy looks around for his pants, which contain his cell phone, and sees them lying next to the dresser. "I could tell you but my pants are all the way over there." He motions in their direction and Clarke rolls her eyes.

"So why don't you go get them?" The last thing he wants to do is get out of this bed and he tells her as much. "I'm supposed to meet Raven at eleven. We're going to try out that new gym."

Bellamy laughs as he pulls Clarke closer to him. "Who needs a gym after last night?" He tries nuzzling into Clarke's neck but she laughs quietly as she pulls away from him.

"Seriously, Bellamy. I gotta get ready."

He frowns when she gets out of bed, keeping the sheet wrapped tight around her. "Okay, I guess I'll get out of your way then." She's standing there biting her bottom lip and he doesn't whatever he sees flashing in her eyes.

"Bellamy, last night was…"

"It was fucking awesome, and you know that. Unless you lied and you were too drunk after all." He starts rounding up his clothes and is pulling on his boxers as she stands there awkwardly in her sheet.

"I wasn't drunk and I'm not saying it was a mistake or anything like that."

"Then what are you saying?" He asks bitterly as he pulls on his shoes. "That we should just go back to being friends?"

"I guess," she sighs, "I don't know."

He shakes his head as he pulls his phone out of his pocket.

"It's nine thirty-seven. Guess you'll make your spinning class."

The sound the door makes when it slams makes him feel almost as good as when he was inside of her the night before.

"Wait so what happened?"

Bellamy sighs as he grabs another chip from the bowl on the couch between him and Monty.

"We hooked up last night. I think it was great for our friendship," he says sarcastically as he chomps the tortilla chip harder than necessary. "She basically kicked me out of her bed this morning."

Monty shakes his head in disbelief. "I can't believe Raven was right," he says to himself and Bellamy pauses the game to look at his friend questioningly.

"What do you mean?"

Monty shrugs. "Raven thought there was something going on with you two last night. She said that Clarke was looking at you differently. I told her that the shine from the diamond must have been blinding her from reality."

Bellamy snorts. "Oh thanks a lot buddy."

"You know what I mean," Monty explains. "You and Clarke have been friends forever. You know what this means right?"

Bellamy doesn't say anything as he shakes his head.

"Nothing is ever going to be the same between you two. You'll still be friends but…not like before."

Bellamy thinks about this as he pops another chip into his mouth.

"Well shit."

He doesn't hear from her for the rest of the week.

It pisses him off too because he doesn't know who to blame for everything going to hell. He blames Clarke for looking so fucking good in that dress and he blames Raven for putting the idea of friends and lovers into his head. At one point he even blames Monty for proposing to Raven and forcing him and Clarke to be there to witness it all.

Most of all he blames himself for kissing her back in the first place.

If he would have just stayed strong he wouldn't have kissed her and he wouldn't have dragged her little lace boy shorts down her thighs with his teeth. He wouldn't have looked in her eyes when he pushed into her for the first time. And he certainly wouldn't have groaned her name into her neck when she came so hard that she had to bite down on his shoulder to keep herself from screaming.

And that was only the first time.

He's still in bed on a Saturday morning when his phone beeps from the nightstand and he's shocked as hell when it's a text from Clarke.

Hey.

That's it? That's all he gets a week after he has mind blowing sex with his best friend.

Hey back.

This is stupid, he thinks as he holds his phone waiting on her response. He feels like he's still in high school waiting for his crush to call him back.

Actually maybe that's not too far from his current situation.

So about the other day…

He waits for the next text.

I was a fucking prick. I'm sorry.

Bellamy rolls his eyes as he types in a response.

No you weren't. I was and I'm sorry too.

His phone rings almost immediately after he sends the text and her voice is coming through the line.

"So…what now?"

Bellamy shrugs even though she can't see him. "I don't know, Clarke."

"I still want to be friends, Bell." Her voice is heavy with emotion and he hates this, all of it.

"Yeah," he says quietly. "Me too."

She doesn't say anything for awhile and Bellamy wonders for a second if she's hung up the phone when she finally speaks again.

"I'll talk to you soon then?" She asks like the answer is going to be no and he's never heard her sound so unsure before.

"Yeah. Yeah of course."

She hangs up after telling him that she'll call him in a couple of days and Bellamy sighs as he lies back on his bed.

"Where in the hell do we go from here?" He wonders aloud.

The words echo through the empty space but no answer comes and he's still left with the sinking feeling that nothing will be right between them again.

Two Months Later

To his dismay, Bellamy's house has somehow turned into wedding central.

"Why in the hell are you getting married so soon again?" He asks as he gathers a stack of invitations into a pile on his dining room table and hands them to Raven.

"Because Monty starts his new job in June," Raven sighs as she handwrites another address onto an ivory envelope before stuffing an invitation inside. "And he'll be too busy after that to help me with everything. Trust me, it's just easier this way."

Bellamy takes the finished envelope from her when she hands it to him and applies a stamp from the roll on his left. "But four months to plan a wedding? Like, I'm no expert but that seems like an unattainable goal." He sets the envelope on top of the pile of ready to mail invitations.

"That's because you're a pussy," Raven laughs as she seals another envelope with her tongue. "And technically now it's only two months to plan a wedding."

Bellamy groans as he looks over the stack of still unsealed envelopes in front of her. "How many more of these do we have to do?"

"Fifty. So suck it up because I have to meet Clarke in an hour for a dress fitting and I want to get these out today." He stiffens at the mention of Clarke and any hope of Raven not noticing is lost when she sighs. "Are you two still not okay?"

"We're fine," he says but Raven obviously doesn't buy it. Probably with good reason. "We hung out last week."

Raven nods. "Yeah, you went bowling. She told me. And how did it go?"

Bellamy shrugs. "I don't know, it was fine. Why? What did she tell you?"

Raven sticks two more envelopes in front of him. "She said that it was fun but…"

"But what?"

Raven hesitates. "She said it was different."

"Different," he scoffs. "Explain to me how she's the one that alters everything about our relationship but yet I'm the one that ends up feeling like the asshole."

Raven sighs as she sets down the invitations in front of her and motions for him to do the same. Whatever she's about to say, she obviously wants his full attention.

"She's scared, Bellamy." That's not what he was expecting her to say at all and it just confuses him even more.

"Of what?"

The look Raven shoots him tells him that she clearly thinks he's an idiot. "Of you, moron! You two have been dancing around this thing for years without even realizing it. And Clarke finally put herself out there and made a move but now she's freaking out about it. And she's going to continue freaking out unless you do something about it."

"Did she actually say that?" He asks, still stunned at Raven's outburst.

"She didn't have to." Raven resumes writing addresses onto the envelopes. "I know her, and so do you. And you pouted for two months instead of telling the girl how you really feel."

Bellamy is quiet as he applies stamps to the now towering stack of envelopes sitting next to him.

Raven looks at him amused. "You're not going to respond to that?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

Raven's smile is soft when she looks up at him.

"Say that you love her." Bellamy just stares at her too stunned at her words to say anything. "Better yet why don't you tell her that you love her?" It takes him all of thirty seconds to realize that everything Raven is saying is true.

It also completely scares the shit out of him.

The whole thing comes to a head a week before Raven and Monty's wedding.

He's spent the last few weeks avoiding Clarke, which was weird since she had been the one avoiding him since their night together. It was also exceptionally hard since he is the best man and she's the maid of honor and he didn't realize just how involved they would both be in the wedding planning process.

Every time he sees her now it's like a kick straight in the gut. His palms sweat and he acts like a nervous idiot and after awhile it just became easier to not be in the same room with her at all. Regardless of anything Raven said about Clarke's feelings he has no idea if any of it was accurate or not. The last thing he wants to do is shatter what's left of their already crumbling friendship.

Turns out he isn't that great at avoiding her because one night she shows up at his house completely out of the blue.

"Bellamy Blake!"

The shrill sound of her voice coming up the stairs startles him and it's not until then that he remembers that she has a key to his front door. He's lying on his bed with his laptop on his lap and he sets it to the side when she bursts through his door.

"What's up?" He's trying to be nonchalant and he's failing miserably.

"You've been avoiding me," she states as her hands go to her hips. "And I want to know why."

Bellamy rolls his eyes as he stands up next to his bed. "Stop being dramatic, Griffin. I'm not avoiding you." It's a thinly veiled attempt at a casual response and they both know it.

"You're so full of shit! I know you better than you know yourself and you're avoiding me. I just want to know why." She's exasperated and pissed as hell but he can see the emotion that's bubbling under the surface. She's hurt and he hates himself for making her feel that way. He doesn't want to say the words that come out next but they are the only ones that come to him.

"I just…I can't do it anymore, Clarke."

"Do what?" Her eyes narrow. "You can't do what anymore, Bellamy?"

"This," he says as he motions between them with his hands. "I can't keep pretending like that night between us didn't happen. And I can't go back to just being friends."

"So what then? We can't even be friends anymore?" His heart fucking breaks when he sees tears forming in her eyes but now he's on a crash course that can only end one way.

"I don't think we can go back, Clarke."

"But why?" She's yelling now, practically in his face, and her hands are waving wildly as she speaks. "Why can't we go back? Tell me the truth!"

"Because I'm in love with you!"

The words hang in the air between them and Bellamy swears he stops breathing as he watches her face change from anger to surprise.

"You're what?"

"I'm in love with you." A smile is forming on her lips and Bellamy is stunned when Clarke launches herself at him, her lips crashing on his with such force that it almost pushes him back.

"Finally," she says with a laugh as she pulls away, her hands still gripping his shoulders so tight it almost hurts. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot. I was just scared because I realized how I felt about you and then that night…" Bellamy kisses her before she can continue and she hums in happiness.

"So the princess is in love?" He asks with a smirk, kissing her again when she blushes. "Who would have seen that coming?"

"Raven."

They say it in unison and Clarke is still laughing when he lies her down on the bed and fits himself between her legs.

She doesn't laugh after that but she's sure as hell smiling.

He catches her eye while he's standing next to Monty and she's standing next to Raven.

She looks downright incredible, her blonde hair wrapped up in a delicate twist that he can't wait to undo when they get back to her place after the wedding. There are over two hundred people with their eyes fixed on the bride and groom but he can't take his eyes off of his best friend.

Raven told him months ago that friends make the best lovers. And she was right.

He can't deny that sex ruined a friendship but what it gave him was more than that. Clarke is more than just a friend and she's more than just a lover. She's everything.

She blushes when he tells her that later. Her tiny gasp when he pushes into her and the way she holds him close as he takes his time with her tells him the only thing that he needs to now.

He's her everything too.

Prompt:

(226): We hooked up last night. I think it was great for our friendship.