Chapter 1
(All errors are my own.)
Clarke
"This is going to be an amazing opportunity for you Clarke. I'm glad you found a roommate to help with the cost of living in the city." Her mom, Abby, told her as she folded up one of her shirts to put in the final box that needed packed. Not that she 'really' needed help to pay for the place, her father had made a name for himself and his business really made it so neither of them had to work if they didn't want to. Her trust fund made sure of that. But she did want too, she had to make her own way and be like the rest of the world. And she knew why her mom clung to her job.
If she was honest with herself she was a little nervous. But she was finally getting to do what she loved, sure she was an intern, but drawing was a passion and graphic design was pretty close to the same creativity it took to draw. Sometimes even more challenging. Which was a good thing. It would keep her busy.
She was moving over four hours away from the only home she had ever known. To top that off she was moving in with some girl she had never met. She was a sister of someone that Clarke's best friend knew. The extent of their conversations had been through instant messaging, texting, and e-mail. She guessed that was part of the 'on the move' and traveling for her sport the girl did. Not much time for face to face. Not that it mattered much. Clarke was just looking for a roommate and in four short hours she would meet her anyways. She couldn't be that bad if Raven was vouching for her.
"Will Belle be meeting you at the apartment?" Her mom asked, the tape she was using to close up the box drowning out some of her words.
"Yeah. We are planning on arriving around the same time." She pushed her hair out of her face. Her long curls always seemed to get in the way.
"Well at least you two can help each other unload. It will be good bonding time for you both." Her mom paused and tapped the top of the last box that needed taped up. "It looks like you are all set. Call me if you need anything! I will be there, no matter what time." Her mom dusted her hands off on her jeans. She was normally in scrubs and she was also normally at work. Clarke had toyed with going the same route her mom had, into medicine. But then when her dad had died and nothing could be done to save him, she knew she couldn't live with that sort of thing on a daily basis. She had to follow her passion instead.
"See you soon mom." Clarke wrapped her arms around her mom in a tight hug; besides college this was the furthest away she had ever been. She swallowed back the tears that threatened to come. This was a happy day she would not cry.
"Be good." Abby told her with a watery smile after she had climbed into her packed and crowded car. With a small smile and a wave Clarke backed out of the driveway and started her drive to the city, to her new home.
Bellamy
Bellamy pulled out of his driveway after saying goodbye to his little sister Octavia and their mother. They always wanted the best for him and this small crack into the minor leagues was what he needed, he had played Hockey all through high school and college and he was ready for this. If he played well the NHL would possibly pick him up next Fall.
It was almost like it was meant to be. Hell his roommate situation was thanks to Octavia's friend Raven knowing someone that also needed a roommate. Everything happens for a reason. At least that is what his mom always said.
After the short 3 hour drive to his new place he called up Murphy and Lincoln to tell them he had arrived. He had played hockey with Murphy in high school and against him in a few games in college; they were finally on the same team again. Lincoln and him had met a year ago at an open clinic and became friends from that.
They helped him make short work of moving his stuff into the apartment. He picked the room with a view of the city horizon. He could just see the major league hockey stadium in the distance from his room. It was the benefit of arriving earlier than his roommate, O had said Clarke would be here around 4pm; he had a little over an hour before he should arrive.
Turning from the view he faced his friends with a broad smile. "Thanks so much for moving me in."
"It's about time you arrived to be honest. Party tonight?" Murphy suggested. "Break the place in a bit?" He looked around the room an eyebrow raised. "I know some ladies."
"Where did you find this one?" Lincoln quietly murmured from his position leaning against the wall. He nodded in the direction of Murphy a serious look on his face.
"He didn't have much choice, we went to school together." Murphy admitted.
Bellamy laughed as he remembered the physical fight that they had gotten into that actually made them become friends. Murphy had been flirting with his sister and Bellamy had heard the rumors of his history with the girls and did what any good big brother would have. He beat the crap out of him. The flirting stopped and Murphy moved onto another girl and they formed a sort of friendship after that.
"As much as I'd love to party, I'm not sure my nerdy new roommate would be up for that on the first night in a new place." Bellamy sighed and ran a hand across the back of his neck. He did want to hang out, he just didn't want the new guy to get spooked and decided not to room with him. He needed a roommate, without one he couldn't afford this place. "We could go out. Show me around?"
"Sounds like a plan." Murphy replied clapping his hands together in anticipation. "You coming, tall, dark, and broody?" He quipped at Lincoln.
Lincoln remained quite and lifted a single eyebrow. "I think you should have left him where you found him." He glanced at Bellamy with a slight smile to his lips.
"Oh you know you want to go." Murphy walked over to Lincoln and clapped him on the shoulder. "We can find you a lady, or not, your preference. If you know what I mean."
"Hands off." Lincoln shrugged and moved away from the close proximity that Murphy had put them in. "But, yeah, I'm going to go." His dark eyes shown with the same anticipation that Murphy had, the season hadn't started yet and partying was something they didn't do a lot of once practice started. Which was in two days.
"Great! Well I need to go get cleaned up, I'll be back around in a few hours to grab you two." Murphy replied.
"I'll be back by 6." Lincoln informed them as he followed Murphy to the door.
"See you guys then." Bellamy answered.
Clarke
Her hands were full and she knew she probably shouldn't have brought a box up before seeing the apartment or even knowing if Belle had arrived yet. But she wanted to get the unpacking started and get settled. It had already taken her an hour longer to arrive than planned due to an accident on the freeway.
Now that she was at her door and she was struggling with the damn key she knew she should have just come up and unlocked the door before starting to unload. "Ugh!" She grumbled as the key slipped from her grip, again.
Setting the box down, like she should have done the first time she had dropped the key, she unlocked the door and then pushed it open with the box after retrieving it from the floor. The sight she was met with stopped her in her tracks, there was a man coming out what could only be the bathroom, in a towel. OMG! Wrong apartment.
"Uh-I—Sorry!" Clarke blurted the same time the guy said, "Oh hey, you must be Clarke's girl, I'm Bellamy, let me get some clothes on." His words were a little muffled as he finished drying his curly hair.
Clarke was speechless, her eyes wide as she took in his chest. The words he said didn't register and she stood in the doorway as he went to get some clothes on. He was out in what felt like seconds a pair of shorts on and pulling a shirt over his head. "So, is Clarke here too?" He asked her as he approached a full smile that lit up his eyes graced his face.
"There must be some mistake." Clarke replied finally finding her voice. "I think I'm in the wrong place, I am rooming with a girl named Belle. My friend said this was the apartment." She held up the key as proof of her words.
"Yeah, there must be, because I'm rooming with a guy named Clarke. You aren't his girlfriend?" His voice was slightly confused, but he said her name he really thought she was supposed to be a guy. She was going to kill Raven.
"I am Clarke. That makes you Belle-?" She trailed off uncertain.
He turned red as a blush flushed his cheeks, "Bellamy. My name is Bellamy. My sister said you were a guy. I mean I would have never agreed to this if I knew you were a chick."
Clarke felt her eyebrows shoot up at him calling her a 'chick', she was not a baby chicken, and she hated that word to describe females. "Excuse me? Chick? I'm a woman, not a bird." She could feel her anger flow to the surface, such a common thing since her father had died.
"Whoa, calm down princess, it's just a word." He held his hands up in surrender a slight grin still on his handsome face. Wait. Handsome? She needed some boundaries from her thoughts immediately.
"Princess? You don't even know me!" She replied and pushed past him into the apartment. She was not leaving, this was her dream and she would not give up on it because of some guy. Considering she liked both sex's it didn't matter much that he was a guy and not a girl, she could have been just as attracted to him if he had been a girl instead. There her thoughts went again, damn. She needed to do something about that.
"I know enough." He replied, it was almost like he wanted to get a rise out of her.
"Whatever." She brushed him off wishing she could brush her attraction to him away as easily. Moving towards the only door she hadn't seen him come out of she pushed it open to find a bedroom that was about the size of hers back home. Fully furnished as promised. Placing the box down on the bed she put her hands on her hips as she took in the room. The lighting was perfect for her art. Home. She felt it in her chest; this was where she was supposed to be.
"So we are going to do this?" Bellamy's voice came from the doorway to her room. She turned to see his arms crossed across his chest and leaning on the doorframe. His stance said he was relaxed, but his words said he was unsure.
"By do this, you mean live together?" She quipped. Now was the best time to set those boundaries for both of them. "It's not a big deal. I like girls." -And guys, but she wasn't going to tell him that, that would be dangerous. She shrugged like it was no big deal. Her eyes followed his adams apple as he swallowed. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Nope, that is great. Perfect even." He responded, fake cheer in his voice.
Bellamy
She brushed past him again on her way out of her bedroom and he had to hold back a groan. He could do this. Sure she was hot and a little mouthy, but she liked girls, it would allow him to focus on his career he couldn't afford any distractions. Hell, he had to do this, he didn't have a choice, it wasn't like there were other apartments that needed roommates and he was not living with Murphy and the gang that was out of the question.
He turned to watch her walk back to the door. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. When she left the apartment he walked over and grabbed his phone off of the counter and punched in the number to call his sister.
"Bell, you all settled in?" Her happy voice came over the line after two rings.
"Don't you Bell me. Why didn't you tell me Clarke was a girl?" The words seemed to explode from him.
"She is great! Isn't she?" Octavia replied her words still holding happiness but sounding a little smug now.
"O—" He warned.
"Oh come on Bell, relax. She is great. Perfect for you even."
"You know I'm not looking for a relationship. Besides she likes girls."
"Good you guys are getting to know each other. But listen Jasper just showed up I've gotta go. Love you!"
"Wait, O, I'm not—" the silence of her hanging up on him answered his words. Frustration ran through him and he ran his fingers through his damp hair. Damn it, where was his nerdy roommate he was promised.
Bellamy turned towards the door as it opened again revealing Clarke with more boxes. Shit. He should help her bring them in. He was losing all his manners and it had only been a few minutes in her presence. His mom would beat him.
"Here, let me." He told her as he took the box from her arms, their hands brushing slightly. The awareness that he had for her was unnatural. Hopefully it would fade. He turned from her and quickly put the box in her room. "Lead the way princess, I'll help you unload." He had quickly fallen in love with that nickname for her and he didn't think anything would make him stop using it. She glared at him, but there was a small smile he thought he could see trying to come out. She liked it too.
They made quick work of her stuff and he pulled out two of his glasses and filled them with water and ice from the fridge and offered one to her.
"Thanks." She said as she took the offered water gratefully. He got caught up in watching her close her eyes and take a long drink of the water, like she had been lost in a dessert for a week and it was her salvation. Oh god, he didn't think this attraction was going to go anywhere. When she took the glass away from her now damp lips he couldn't break himself out of the spell until she raised her eyebrows at him and cocked her head a little to the side. "Aren't you thirsty?" She gestured at his still full glass and he snapped out of the spell he had been under. Without a word he lifted the glass to his lips and took a drink. His eyes never left hers and he could swear that she watched his movements hungrily.
A/N ~ I've been working on this for a while, the idea came to me when reading a Romance book about a hockey player in college being really dedicated to his sport until the girl comes along and then he realizes he can have both. I've always been a sucker for roommates/best friends turned romantic and for match making. The fact that Raven and Octavia are obviously working together to set these two up will be fun to work with. I DO plan on exploring Clarke being with someone other than Bellamy. But Bellarke IS end game. If you've read any of my other work you know I am full of angst, not much fluffy... I don't know how to write fluff really. So tell me what you think. I love reading reviews. (Oh and if you are reading some of my other work, I am writing a chapter for The Chosen one right now.) Hugs!
