The summer air swept over her as she stepped out of her car and Clarke smiled. Summer had always been her favourite season and she counted herself lucky that her birthday was right in the middle of it. Clarke didn't even mind that her birthday was the last of her friendship group's before they went to university, it gave them all a chance to celebrate one last time together.
Clarke could hear laughing and music coming from the living room of the Blake household as she stepped through the open front door.
"Hey Princess." Bellamy emerged from the kitchen holding a red cup and smiled at her.
"Hey Bell." She replied, smiling back. Her heart fluttered as he smiled at her and she willed her cheeks not to redden. Having a crush on her best friend's older brother was inconvenient at best and she didn't want to make things awkward for anyone. She ducked her head to hide her flaming cheeks as Octavia entered the hallway and pulled Clarke in for a tight hug.
"Happy 18th Clarke!" she exclaimed. Octavia let her go and led her to the kitchen and Clarke calmed herself down. "Bell's bought us drinks but we're not allowed to get too drunk." She dropped her voice to impersonate her brother.
"God, Bell. You're such a killjoy." Joked Clarke as she moved past him towards the drinks.
"I'm just not cleaning up after you." Bellamy said exasperated, but the smile ghosting his lips ruined the effect.
Their friends started to arrive Clarke and Octavia went to greet them. The music started playing louder and the drinks were being passed around to the guests. Clarke smiled to herself before taking a drink and letting her hair down a bit.
Somehow, at some point in the evening, everyone had left the kitchen except Clarke and Bellamy. Everything was fuzzy and the kitchen lights seemed brighter than before but Clarke felt content and happy. She was lighter she told herself and tried to ignore the flips her stomach was doing as she looked at Bellamy.
Bellamy said something but she didn't catch what, she knew from his facial expression it was a joke and she started laughing lightly. He smiled at her as she snorted.
"Careful, Clarke." His voice was serious, but his smile still held. Clarke calmed herself down and took another swig of her drink, willing her heart to stop thumping so loud.
She turned to him with a grin and a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Let's do shots." She whispered before standing. Bellamy look apprehensive but she stopped his train of thought when she placed her hand on his arm.
"Come on, don't look so serious. It'll be fun." She pouted up at him and he rolled his eyes.
"Fine!" he exhaled. She grinned up at him before walking across the room and plucking two shot glasses off the counter. Unsteadily, she poured two shots of vodka out. She turned back, carrying the glasses to see Bellamy studying her intently. She looked down and focused on carrying the shots to avoid the intensity of his stare. She cleared her throat before looking up, the look on his face had changed from the unreadable expression he'd been giving her before she looked up, to concern.
"Is this a good idea?" he asked, worry in his voice.
"This is a great idea," She replied as she handed him a shot. "You only turn eighteen once." She reminded him. They clinked glasses and downed the shots together. The shot hit her throat and she winced while swallowing, Bellamy snorted at her face, she stuck her tongue out. The shot mixed in her stomach with all the other alcohol she'd drank and everything hit her at once. She stumbled forward and Bellamy stood to catch her. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Thanks." She said a little breathlessly.
"I think that's enough for now, Princess." Bellamy said quietly, his arms still around her waist to keep her upright.
"But I'm having fun." Clarke replied in a hushed tone. "I don't want my birthday to end." She looked up at Bellamy and the unreadable expression was back on his face.
"Your birthday isn't over yet," Bellamy said quietly. "I've not given you my present." He said matter-of-factly and she rolled her eyes in response.
"Okay."
"Close your eyes." He ordered. Clarke complied and closed her eyes. She was thankful for Bellamy holding her up, the darkness was making her balance worse.
"Ready?" Bellamy whispered right next to her ear. A shiver ran down her spine as his warm breath touched her ear.
"Y-yes." She stuttered out.
Clarke felt Bellamy's lips press on hers lightly. She was still for one, two heartbeats. She felt Bellamy start to pull away. She quickly reached up and pulled his face towards her and kissed him back. His lips were soft and warm and she moaned into his mouth at the feel of finally kissing him. He tasted of alcohol, but she didn't mind because so did she. Bellamy smiled into the kiss before pulling away. Clarke opened her eyes and they snapped up to his.
"That's the second-best present I've gotten." She said once she'd got her breath back. Her hands moved away from his face to rest on his shoulders. Bellamy rolled his eyes before chuckling.
"Second best?" He asked her, quirking a brow, mock offence covering his face.
"Well, nothing could beat the dollhouse I got when I was ten." She teased.
"Of course." He replied, smiling a half smile down at her. Clarke stifled a yawn, but Bellamy noticed.
"Come on, Princess. Time for bed." He stepped away and took her hand.
Clarke stepped forward but her foot slipped on a rouge shot glass. She fell forwards and everything felt like slow motion, her head collided with the edge of the counter and then everything was blackness.
Three years later
Clarke was livid. Actually, scrap that, she was beyond livid she was - deep breath she told herself. After calming herself down slightly she played the voicemail again.
"Hey Princess," she gritted her teeth, she hated that nickname and it felt like a sucker punch to hear him say it again. She sighed.
"It's Bellamy," his voice sounded distant, as if he wasn't holding the phone next to his head. This annoyed her more, he'd made all the effort to call but he couldn't be bothered to talk normally?
"I know we haven't spoken in…a while," she rolled her eyes. "But, I just wanted to wish you a happy 21st." She pressed end call to stop the voicemail options. Clarke was so angry. How could he?
They hadn't spoken in almost three years and he just calls out of the blue to wish her a happy birthday? Bellamy Blake was a complete mind-fuck and she hated him. Tears stung her eyes and she threw her cell across the room. Hearing his voice just brought up back all the anger and hurt she'd been trying to distance herself from for the past three years.
Clarke was dragged out of her anger fuelled breakdown by a persistent knocking at the door. She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes before standing up. She made her way to the front door. The scowl she'd been wearing all day fell from her face as she opened the door.
"Happy Birthday!" Octavia all but screamed once the door was open. Octavia pulled Clarke into a one-armed hug before moving past her into the apartment. Clarke followed her slowly, closing the door behind them.
"Sorry I had to knock, I lost my key." Octavia admitted bashfully.
"I gave you that key for emergencies." Replied Clarke, rolling her eyes.
"This in an emergency," Octavia grinned before setting down a hastily wrapped present. "It's your birthday!"
Octavia loved birthdays – not just her own – everyone's. She loved buying them gifts, wrapping them (somewhat haphazardly), and making them feel special. Excitement was radiating from Octavia and Clarke couldn't help but think her best friend's excitement was contagious.
"O, you shouldn't have." Clarke said as she touched the box and eyed the card that came with it.
"Yes, I should have," O replied, rolling her eyes. "and hands off, missy. Raven isn't here yet." Clarke eyed the brunette suspiciously.
"What have you got planned?" Clarke asked.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Octavia replied smirking at her. The look on her face immediately reminded her of Bellamy. She cleared her throat and tried to shake him from her thoughts.
Octavia and Clarke spent most of the afternoon catching up. Octavia had a new boyfriend, Lincoln. He was a few years older than them but it didn't really matter. Clarke listened to Octavia gush about how amazing he was and felt a twinge of sadness about how badly things had ended with her and Lexa. Clarke huffed and tried to stop thinking about Lexa.
"What's up with you?" Octavia asked her, prodding Clarke's leg with her foot.
Clarke opened her mouth to respond but was cut off before she could by the apartment door swinging open.
"Sorry I'm late." Raven called as she stepped into the apartment.
"That's where my key went!" exclaimed Octavia as Raven joined them in the living room.
"I think you'll find it's still my key." Laughed Clarke before pulling Raven into a hug.
"Happy birthday Clarke." Raven said as she returned the hug.
"You can open your present from us now!" said Octavia excitedly.
Clarke smiled and broke away from Raven to open their present. She opened the card first. It was a standard 21st card that came with a badge with the number 21 on it. They'd got all their friends to sign it and Clarke smiled at the messages everyone had written.
"Aw, thanks you guys." Clarke said as she set the card on the coffee table.
"Now the present." Raven all but squealed.
Clarke laughed as she started to tear the paper. She opened it to reveal a box. Giving her friends a raised eyebrow and a suspicious glace, she opened the box. She peeled back the layers of blue tissue paper to reveal soft, silky material. She picked the material up and found she was holding a navy-blue dress. It was beautiful with intricate flower designs that snaked up the torso of the dress and swirled around the neckline.
"Oh, wow. This is gorgeous." She murmured, admiring the dress.
"It's for tonight." Octavia replied with a grin.
"What's tonight?" Clarke tore her eyes away from the dress to give her friends a wary look.
"Tonight," Raven answered. "We're going out." She said with a dangerous smile.
Three women getting ready in the same apartment was a recipe for disaster. Luckily, Clarke, Raven, and Octavia were used to getting ready together. Raven was ready first and helped Clarke to curl her hair. She picked up a strand of blonde hair and wound it around the curling wand.
"You're gonna look so hot tonight." Raven said, letting the strand go. She smiled a she tousled the curl to make it look more natural.
"Thanks, Raven." Clarke chuckled, rolling her eyes.
Clarke finished up her makeup and Octavia pulled up her dark hair into braids. The three women were ready within an hour. Clarke checked her make up once more in the mirror before following Octavia into the living room. As she walked into the living room, she spotted her cell phone on the floor from where she threw it hours ago. By some miracle, it wasn't broken and the screen was still intact. She discreetly picked it up and placed it in her handbag.
"How did you leave your cell down there?" asked an amused Raven.
"Oh," Clarke replied, slightly flustered. "I must have dropped it." She added with a laugh. Raven rolled her eyes and handed her a drink. Saying her thanks, she sat down on the couch and sipped her drink before the other two sat with her.
When they finally got out in town, everything was in full swing. The taxi pulled up outside Polis, the club where Octavia's boyfriend, Lincoln, worked at. The girls handed the money to the taxi driver before thanking him and stepping out onto the sidewalk.
"Ready for you first legal drink, Princess?" Octavia smirked at her and raised a lone eyebrow. Clarke linked her arms with her friends and returned Octavia's grin with a thin smile.
"Let's go." She said before stepping forward.
Polis was a small town bar that was usually quiet during the week. On Friday and Saturday nights it got busier so the tables were pushed to the sides of the room and a DJ was hired. It was a small club full of mainly locals, but they made good cocktails and that was good enough for Clarke.
"First round's on me." Octavia shouted over the thumping music once they got inside. She unlinked arms with them and grinned before heading towards the bar in search of her boyfriend. Clarke and Raven followed her after a few minutes and found her with three shots lined up. Octavia handed them one each before picking up her own.
"Cheers." Said Raven, clinking the plastic shot glasses together before swallowing the shot. Clarke followed her action and winced as the alcohol burned down her throat.
"Ugh," Clarke pulled a face at the after taste of the shot, she felt the liquid settle in her stomach. "Let's get some cocktails."
The rest of the night passed in a blur of dancing and drinking. Clarke danced with her friends and with a few good looking strangers. She felt light and happy and was sad to see the night come to an end.
It took Raven three attempts to get Clarke's apartment door open, not that Clarke noticed or was in any state to say anything. After almost falling from leaning on the door, Clarke stumbled into her apartment.
"Let's get you to bed." Raven said softly as she closed the door and turned the lights on. She helped Clarke to her room and sat her on the bed.
"Where's Octavia?" Clarke said slightly slurred, she started to take her heels off somewhat clumsily.
"She's staying at Lincoln's remember?" She answered as she handed her a makeup wipe. Raven left the room and Clarke changed into her bed clothes and took her make up off as best she could. When she returned Clarke was lying in bed. Raven placed a glass of water down on her bedside table along with some paracetamol tablets.
"Here." She said as she helped Clarke sit up to take the pills. After she was satisfied that Clarke had taken them she refilled the glass.
Satisfied that Clarke was okay, she pulled the blanket over her before saying goodnight and promising to text her the next day. Clarke heard the front door close and lock and then there was silence. Or, there would have been, if her ears weren't ringing so loud.
If only Clarke hadn't had that extra shot. If only she'd not felt the buzz of it as she lay in bed. If only Raven had stayed an extra few minutes. If only Clarke's cell hadn't buzzed in her purse. If only she'd gone to sleep, she wouldn't have stumbled across her room to fish her cell phone out from her bag and make a mess of a perfect night.
Clarke looked down at her phone. Low Battery 10% of battery remaining. She sat in bed and pressed "dismiss" on the notification. As she was laying down again the voicemail notification at the bottom left of her screen caught her eye. She'd forgotten to delete Bellamy's message. Clarke felt a surge of anger that was only fuelled and amplified by the drinks she'd had that night. She felt three years' worth of anger, hurt, and confusion build up inside of her. Before she could stop herself and chicken out she hit the call button.
The call rang out before going to voicemail.
"Hey, it's Bellamy," hearing his voice just made her feel worse. "I can't answer right now, but leave a message."
She scoffed at his friendly tone before hearing the beep to let her know the call was recording.
"You are such a dick, Bellamy Blake." Clarke slurred out in a whisper. "You call me on my birthday as if everything is okay. As if we're still friends?" Her anger shifted into upset and she could feel tears building in her eyes and making her voice sound shaky. She took a steadying breath, she refused to let Bellamy know she was upset.
"You left me remember?" She continued. "No call, no nothing…for three years?" Hot tears spilled down her cheeks. Her speech was slurred and she was tripping over her words but she didn't care; she had to let Bellamy know how she felt. "Now you call me out of the blue? You're a head fuck and I hate y-you." She broke down once she pressed the end call button. Everything was blurry through her tears as they continued to fall, she deleted Bellamy's message before collapsing back onto her bed. Hot tears were still spilling down her face and onto her pillow, she wiped them away before trying to calm herself. Rolling over, she tried to get some sleep.
Clarke shifted into a fitful and restless sleep scattered with vivid dreams.
Clarke looked around her surroundings and smiled to herself, knowing exactly where she was. She stood in the park near her childhood home. Slowly turning, she took in the view of the trees in full bloom and the sun shining down on her and warming her skin. It was summer, her favourite time to come to the park with her father. She felt a twinge in her chest at the thought of him. Clarke took in a deep breath and could smell the freshly mown grass and blooming flowers. As she turned she heard a loud shriek from a child.
She spun quickly to see if they needed help, but smiled and felt relief wash over her when she spotted a seven-year-old Octavia giggling. She was chasing after a butterfly through the park. This was the day they'd met Clarke remembered with a smile. Octavia was chasing butterflies and catching them in her hands. She ran straight into seven-year-old Clarke. After apologising quickly, the two of the spent the day chasing butterflies together – but not catching them because Clarke thought it was mean. Clarke wasn't sure how much time had passed, but before long Octavia's ten-year-old brother was marching towards them.
"Octavia!" He called from across the grass.
Octavia rolled her eyes at Clarke. "That's my brother, Bellamy." She turned to face him as he approached.
"You shouldn't have run off O." He frowned at her. Clarke could see the resemblance, they both had the same tousled hair and wild brown eyes. Bellamy's hair was curlier than his sister's and his face was splattered with freckles, while his sister's was freckle free.
"It's time to go." He said sternly. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at his sister. Clarke snickered as Octavia stuck her tongue out at him. He glanced over to Clarke and gave her a once over before turning his attention back to his sister. When it was evident she wasn't going to come willingly, he reached to grab her arm.
"Bell, please!" Octavia exclaimed as he circled his hand around her upper arm.
"Say goodbye to the Butterfly Princess, O." He told his sister. Clarke rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Her name's Clarke." She huffed before breaking free of his grasp. She ran over and pulled Clarke in for a quick hug.
"Bye Clarke, I'll see you next week." She said breaking away before turning to follow her brother. She got halfway across the field before turning to wave. Clarke waved back and smiled.
Clarke turned when she heard a noise behind her.
"Dad?" Clarke said in disbelief as she stepped towards him. Clarke started to walk faster towards him but he couldn't see her. She broke into a run but her body wasn't moving. She gave out a cry of frustration and tried to move again. Frustrated tears spilled over her eyes as she watched her Dad stand up from his seat on the bench and start to leave. She pushed forwards but she was still too slow.
She awoke with her heart thumping loudly and her breath coming in big heavy gulps. She checked her clock and saw it was half two in the morning. She sighed before going back to sleep.
Dread filled Clarke as she looked around her. Everyone was dressed in black with solemn looks on their faces. She recognised the scene. Her breath rushed out of her and her stomach dropped straight to the floor as she saw the coffin pass her. She couldn't picture anything but her father's lifeless body inside the mahogany coffin. The ground raced towards her as her legs gave from underneath her. Strong arms caught her before she hit the ground and she looked up. Though her tears blurred her vision, she knew it was Bellamy; she'd recognise his mess of curls anywhere. He kept his arms around her and rubbed her back as the funeral march carried on out of the church. She allowed herself to fall into his embrace and for her resolve to crumble.
Clarke's pillow was damp when she awoke the second time. She wiped her eyes, not even bothering to check the clock this time. She fell back asleep.
Clarke felt exhausted as she walked forwards. She'd been carrying boxes to and from the removal truck all morning. Moving to university was more difficult than either her or Octavia had anticipated even if it was still in Washington DC. Luckily, she was moving with her best friend and that made everything a whole lot easier. She stopped at Octavia's house to drop off some clothes she left at Clarke's while packing. Clarke knocked on the door and waited. She was greeted by Bellamy. Her face fell and awkwardness radiated between them. Things had been weird with Bellamy for the past few weeks and she wasn't sure why. Things had been fine before her birthday but he'd started avoiding her since then. She was hurt about it but didn't want to say anything in case it made things worse.
"Hey," she said, finally finding her voice.
"Hey," he responded. "How's that bump on your head?" He said, concern filling his eyes.
"I, uh. It's getting better thanks." She reached a hand towards her head. Bellamy told her she'd whacked her head on her birthday but she didn't remember anything. She refused to tell Bellamy about not remembering in case he told her mom, or worse, stopped buying her and Octavia drinks. He cleared his throat, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Oh, uh, yeah. I've got some stuff of Octavia's." She said gesturing at the bag of clothes under her arm.
"Oh right." He responded. He quickly took the bag off her and turned to go back inside.
"Bellamy wait!" She couldn't take this awkwardness anymore. He turned back and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Are we good?" She asked.
"We're fine, Clarke." He told her.
"Then why does this feel wrong?" she said exasperated.
"I'm sorry Clarke." He was looking down at her with sad eyes and a pained expression. She looked up at him in confusion.
"Bellamy? What's going on?" Worry was building up in her chest. "Has something happened?"
"I'm moving," he told her abruptly, looking away from her. "I got an offer at Ohio State University and since you and Octavia are going to college, I'm going to take it."
"That's great!" She encouraged and placed a hand on his arm. He looked down at it and she quickly removed it, embarrassed.
"That's like, a two hour flight. Octavia and I could visit you some time." She said excitedly.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Bellamy said harshly. "The last thing I need is my sister and her friend tagging along."
Clarke stepped backwards, hurt. Her heart squeezed and she was struggling to breathe. She'd always considered Bellamy a close friend but he clearly didn't consider her the same.
"Wow, okay. Yeah." She was rambling nonsense but she couldn't stop herself. Bellamy's face was stern but unreadable. This made her feel worse, Bellamy had always been an open book to her and his stoic demeanour was making her uneasy. She searched his eyes and hoped this was just some joke.
"I think you should go, Clarke." He said finally. "Haven't you got packing to do?" He didn't wait for an answer, he turned back inside the house. Clarke was left staring after him as the door clicked shut.
Bright light awoke Clarke from her fitful sleep. She looked over at her alarm clock on her bedside, it was just past 10AM. She huffed before rolling over and pulling the duvet over her head to block out the strips of light from her window.
After a few failed attempts at getting back to sleep, Clarke sighed and threw her covers off her. Looking around, she found her phone on the floor. Thank God, it's not broken she thought as she picked it up. It was dead so she plugged it in. The logo lit up as it turned itself back on. Clarke begrudgingly got out of bed and started to get ready, she couldn't mope in bed all day hangover or no hangover. Wisps of the dreams she'd had last night fluttered through her head as she showered and changed.
Once she was dressed she sat down on her bed with a sigh. She checked her phone and saw three missed calls from Octavia. She scrolled through her messages and groaned.
Octavia Blake 9:02AM
WHAT DID YOU SAY TO BELLAMY?
Clarke Seriously?
Octavia Blake 9:08AM
Ugh fine!
Can you at least bring my sweater?
I felt it at yours the other day.
Raven Reyes 9:34AM
Are you alive? xx
Clarke sent a quick reply to Raven to assure her she was, in fact, alive. She then tried to work out whatever the hell Octavia was talking about. Clarke vaguely remembered the previous night's events. She groaned again as she remembered parts of what she'd said to Bellamy via voicemail. She tried to work out the time difference between Washington and Ohio but it was pointless, he'd clearly already listened to the message. Embarrassment coursed through her veins and she wanted to curl up and die.
She took a deep breath to try and strike up some resolve. Bellamy wasn't even in the same state as her anymore. She shook the thoughts from her mind and started to look for Octavia's sweater.
"Okay, I'm on my way." She reassured Octavia as she opened her front door. She hit the end call button and threw her phone in her bag before stepping outside. The drive to Octavia's apartment was quick but Clarke's hangover meant she wasn't in any state to drive, walking would have to do.
When she reached the apartment, she buzzed for Octavia to let her in. There was no answer.
Octavia Blake 11:07AM
I'm outside, O.
Where are you?
The dots appeared to show Octavia was typing.
I just needed to pick some stuff up from the store.
Just let yourself in xx
Clarke rolled her eyes before digging around in her pocket bag for her keys. She let herself into the building and hiked up the stairs. Clarke unlocked the door to Octavia's apartment and wished she hadn't.
Bellamy's head snapped up as the door clicked shut and a frown set about his features as he looked at her. He still looked the same as he had last time she'd seen him, his dark curls framed his face with some sticking out haphazardly like they always had. He'd filled out a bit more in the past three years, she scolded herself for thinking about how good he looked, she was still mad at him.
"What are you doing here?" she asked him as she stepped into the room.
"I could ask you that same." He replied looking back to his book.
She hovered in the room, unsure of whether to leave or not.
"What are you doing here, Clarke?" he asked coolly as he set the book he'd been reading down on the coffee table. Clarke placed Octavia's sweater down on the chair closest to her and mentally cursed Octavia and her plotting. She sighed and decided to stay and face him once and for all instead of running again.
"I guess we need to talk." She replied not meeting his eyes.
"Oh, you've decided that?" he asked angrily. "I thought I was a "dick" as you so eloquently put it."
"Bell-" she started.
"No, Clarke." He cut her off as he stood up. A hurt look crossed his face. "You don't get to come over here and tell me we need to talk. I am done talking."
"You know?" she said quietly, finally looking him in the eyes. "I'm glad we're not friends anymore if this is who you've become. This isn't who you are." She added desperately. She could feel sadness building up in her chest again as she thought about everything they'd been through and wondered how they'd ended up here. She turned to leave, it wasn't worth trying to fix something with someone that didn't want to try. She refused to let Bellamy see her cry.
"How would you know who I am? You've not spoken to me in three years." He said coldly to her retreating back. She spun to face him, regardless of if he saw her cry.
"And whose fault is that Bellamy?" she hissed. "I tried to talk to you and you pushed me away."
He ran a hand through his hair and groaned.
"I couldn't do it Clarke!" he shouted and it caused her to flinch. He winced at her flinch and lowered his voice. "I couldn't carry on like things were normal like you could. Like nothing ever happened." Confusion crossed her face.
"What never happened?" she asked, furrowing her brow. She searched his face for an answer. He huffed out a laugh.
"Your 18th birthday?" he asked sarcastically.
Clarke frowned. She didn't remember any of her 18th. She told him so and watched as his face changed from anger to confusion.
"What do you mean?" he asked in an almost whisper as he stepped towards her.
"I hit my head remember? I think I had too much to drink and I don't remember anything." She could feel the blush creep up her neck and she looked away from him. At least the upset had gone and changed into embarrassment.
He was quiet for a minute and she chanced a glance at him. He was staring at her with his mouth slightly agape.
"Bellamy?" she asked tentatively.
"So, you don't remember we kissed?" he blurted out.
"What?" she responded, now extremely confused.
"On your birthday. We kissed. Right after all the shots." He explained, watching her intently. She wanted to laugh, when she was eighteen she'd had a massive crush on him but told herself nothing would ever happen because she'd always be his little sister's best friend. She thought he might be joking to mess with her but the look on his face made her believe him. She felt her face heat up and she was sure she was bright red.
She tried to recall the kiss but everything was a blur after they'd done the shots. Bellamy watched her with an intense look, a look she recognised from somewhere.
"You're the one that took off though. You could have said something instead of pushing me away." She told him.
"I didn't want to ruin everything." He replied, looking away. Clarke let out a heavy sigh, willing her face to cool down.
"Great job with that one." She told him and rolled her eyes. He looked towards her and huffed a laugh. A ghost of a smile danced across his features and she gave a small smile back. Maybe they could still fix things, maybe they were both the same people they had been three years ago.
After a moment, she stepped towards him, determined to try and clear the air between them.
"I missed you, Bell." She said quietly. He looked up at her and his expression shifted from sad to hopeful.
"I missed you too, Princess." He replied smiling a genuine smile. He closed the distance between them by enveloping her in his strong arms.
She laughed into the space where his shoulder met he neck before bringing her arms around his waist. She sniffed and was greeted by the familiar smell of Bellamy; soap, sandalwood, and clean laundry.
"You sniffing me Princess?" he teased and she could hear the smile in his voice.
"Shut up." She replied, laughing into his shoulder. He pulled her tighter and she sighed, content. She smiled into the hug, this hug felt like she was coming home after travelling for so long. Bellamy stroked her hair and she involuntarily shivered.
He pulled away first but kept his hands on her shoulders and gently stroked the skin on her neck, sending more shivers down her spine. She looked up to his face and studied him. He hadn't changed much in the past few years. His freckles were still sprinkled across his face and she could make out the scar above his lip that he'd had since she'd known him. His shoulders were broader and his arms more muscular. He looked good she thought. Maybe she wasn't entirely over her crush.
His eyes were studying her face and she subconsciously bit her lip. His eyes flicked down to the movement and she saw something shift in his brown eyes, they seemed to go even darker. Their eyes met again and she swore she could feel electricity between them.
Within a moment his lips were on hers. Even though she couldn't remember their first kiss, her body responded and this felt familiar and safe. His lips were soft and they felt perfect, she kissed him back hard trying to put all her emotions into the kiss, trying to convey to him how much she'd missed him. This kiss was far from gentle like their first kiss had been, it was hungry and desperate each of them trying to undo three years' worth of hurt and anger. Her arms moved up to wind around his neck and he pulled her closer to him so they were flush against one another. She threaded her fingers through his hair and he groaned into the kiss. He nipped her bottom lip and she moaned into his mouth before parting her lips for him. His tongue searched for hers and when he found it they danced around one another. She smiled into the kiss as she played with the hair at the nape of his neck.
Clarke pulled away first, gasping for breath.
"Fuck, Clarke." Bellamy said breathlessly, smiling at her.
"I don't think I'll be forgetting that kiss anytime soon." She joked before pecking him on the lips again.
"Guess we should thank O for forcing us to talk?" he asked, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Affection crossed his features and she smiled up at him.
Clarke's response was interrupted by the sound of keys in the lock of the front door. Octavia entered the apartment and squealed.
"You two made up?!" Octavia said excitedly. Clarke turned to face her friend and Bellamy slung an arm over the blonde's shoulders. Clarke crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her friend.
"You tricked us into talking to each other." Clarke said.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Octavia said with faux innocence. Clarke let out an annoyed noise as Octavia walked past them and into the kitchen. Bellamy laughed as Clarke huffed.
Clarke turned to look up at him and saw him smiling down at her.
"Why does it matter?" He asked softly.
"You know I don't like to be forced into talking about things." She admitted.
"Yeah, but you started this remember?" He teased as he traced patterns on her arm with his fingers.
She rolled her eyes before pulling him down for another kiss. She hoped she'd never get tired of kissing him because it was fast becoming her favourite pastime.
"Ew, do you have to make out right here?" said Octavia as she returned from the kitchen. "I take it back; I preferred it when you two were fighting."
They pulled apart and glared at her.
"We've got three years of catching up to do, O." Bellamy explained, smirking at his sister.
"Well can you catch up at Clarke's place please? I'd like to keep my lunch down thanks." Octavia smirked.
"What a great idea." Clarke smiled before taking Bellamy's hand and leading him out of the apartment.