Author's note: It's here! Yay! I struggled with this one, but I pushed through. I keep thinking to myself what will happen if they cancel this show. I'd freaking die is what. I've become a crazy fangirl. Not gonna lie. Anywho, without further ado here is my next chapter. Comments are always appreciated. I apologize in advance for any errors I missed while skimming through this one. Like I said. It was a challenge. Some squeak worthy moments ahead in this chapter I promise.
...
A particularly loud spark popped out from the fire, causing Bellamy to wake from his dream. He had only just started to fall asleep, when the crackle had startled him. A sigh left his lips as he sat upright, only to notice that Clarke was already awake and staring into the fire herself.
"What are you doing up princess?" Bellamy picked up a leaf and started twirling it in his fingers absentmindedly.
"Can't Sleep"
Bellamy nodded. No words were needed to explain why.
"I'm sorry." He comforted. "For Finn. I know... he um... I know he meant something to you." Being sensitive was not his forte', but he gave it his best effort.
Clarke turned to look at him. This time it was her turn to nod. Her teeth grazed her lower lip as she held back her own emotions. Bellamy couldn't help but take note of the gesture.
Suddenly very uncomfortable with the silence, Bellamy let out a cough and decided to get down to business. He knew his princess well enough to know that she needed a distraction. Saving the 42 people stuck in the mountain would be a welcome change of topic for the both of them.
"The arc is getting together several volunteers to storm the mountain and reclaim our people. Once we get back to camp Jaha, you'll be asked to lead the guard to the caves that lead to the entrance. Beyond that Clarke, I don't think you need to press any further. The reapers you mentioned in the caves are dangerous enough. Once you've secured our passage into the bunker, I think you should keep back and stay safe." Bellamy's voice was firm. He knew Clarke was invaluable as a guide to where they were headed, and that she would rather die than stay at camp while others died to save her friends, but he'd be damned if he was going to put her at the front of the line. "You've done enough fighting Clarke, let the guard do the hard work this time."
Clarke felt the heat in her cheeks rising despite the frigid air. "Is this because you think I'm weak? Do you think I can't handle a fight, because I've lost Finn?"
Her question wasn't meant to sound so defensive, but she couldn't help but feel like Bellamy was looking down on her. That she had somehow lost his trust, or respect. There was a hurt in her voice as she asked the question. Something deep inside her trembled at the thought of losing that respect. They had fought so hard to earn it from each-other. She made a point to look directly into his eyes as she waited for his answer, her head held high. Her pride was on the line.
"No Clarke, I don't think you're weak." Bellamy seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. "This has nothing to do with Finn, and everything to do with the giant scars and bruises that are all over your face. Have you looked at yourself recently? You look like you've been through hell." He quirked a brow at her smuggly. "Not to mention the fact that you're still recovering from a gunshot wound."
Clarke sighed dramatically "I feel fine"
"Don't lie to me Clarke, I'm not an idiot, and you know that's not how we work. You're sore, I can tell by the way you've been holding your gun"
Clarke eyed him for a moment before admitting defeat. Bellamy was right. She was sore, and she couldn't lie to Bellamy about anything.
"I don't think you're weak, I think you're injured." He laid back down but kept talking. "You're also too important to put at the front of the line"
"Camp Jaha has several healers now Bellamy, we'd be.."
"That's not why you're important Clarke. Those kids in the mountain, they look up to you, you're a leader to them, and they need to know that you'll be there for them at Camp Jaha if they're going to survive."
Clarke thought that through for a moment. "You're a leader too Bellamy, what about you?"
"I'm different." he said with a smirk plastered to his face. "I lead through fear and physical strength. They need to see me fight to follow me, to believe in me. You? You're the voice of reason. You're supposed to tell me that I'm an idiot, and roll your eyes every time I do something you disagree with."
Bellamy had leaned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow by this point, making sure to cast Clarke an award winning smirk.
She couldn't help herself. It worked, she let out a slight giggle and rolled her eyes. "Idiot."
"See? They need that. You're staying towards the back" he laid back down.
"Bellamy, you can't expect me to stay put and not fight"
"I'm not expecting you to, but I AM asking you to. Please don't do anything reckless"
At the sincerity of his tone, Clarke found herself caught off guard. She let his words sink in.
"OK"
"ok?"
"Ok, you win, I will keep to the back... But you! You can't be reckless either." Clarke laid down on her own makeshift bed. "I..." She hesitated, but decided to follow through. "I can't lose you again. Once was enough."
Bellamy closed his eyes. Her last comment wormed it's way into his heart. She was the only person down here besides his sister who would even care if he died. For her, for Octavia, he wanted to live.
"As you wish Princess" and with that they finally fell asleep.
...
The next day was again quiet, but Bellamy could sense a calm over Clarke as she pressed through the woods; It was a different kind of quiet. It was the kind of quiet that was almost healing.
They stopped only twice, for food and water, and as the sun's last rays fell beyond the horizon, Camp Jaha came into view once more.
...
"Clarke!" Clarke's mom Abby was running towards the gate as they approached. She was so relieved to see her daughter alive, and at the same time, so very angry with her for leaving in the first place.
Their hands were held high in the air, rifles forfeited immediately as they entered the camp. Octavia and Murphy headed off in separate directions almost immediately.
"Clarke!" Abby breathed. "Don't you ever do that again! Do you understand me?" She pulled the unwilling Clarke into a hug and glared daggers at Bellamy.
"And you! Where do you get off taking my daughter on a suicide mission like that?"
"Mom please,..."
There are god knows what kind of dangers out there, and..."
"Mom!"
"Look mam, you don't know your daughter very well if you think..." Bellamy started.
"What if you had gotten lost?! What if she had been injured?! Or Killed?! What then!?"
"MOM! would you just listen to me!" Clarke was pushing herself away from her mother as she spoke.
"I'm not a child anymore. This whole thing was MY idea. Not Bellamy's. And in case you've forgotten, YOU were the one who sent me to die in those woods almost a month ago to begin with. To be perfectly honest with you, I feel safer in those trees than I do sharing a tent with you."
Bellamy couldn't help but be impressed with his princess for that last one. "Ouch." He muttered.
"Now if you don't mind mother, I need to find a place for the night. I'm exhausted. I've had a long day, and I have an even longer day tomorrow."
"Like hell you do, you're sleeping with me in my tent, and you're not going anywhere tomorrow"
"They need me mother, I'm the only one who knows how to get there, and I'm not going to let those kids down. They are my family now, and you don't abandon your family, despite what you seem to think. As for my sleeping arrangements, I'll have someone reassign me an available room immediately, If nothings available I'll take my chances with the elements."
With that Clarke stalked off, Bellamy silently following her. Abby stood, mouth open at the gate, wondering what to do next. She could order Clarke to stay with her, but at what cost. She was pushing Clarke further and further away and she knew it. Perhaps it was time to let her grow up. To let her make these kind of choices on her own. Maybe Clarke needed her to back off, before they could heal again. She knew she had a lot to make up for, and part of her knew that her daughter was right. They did need her tomorrow. Whether she liked it or not.
Regardless, she knew she had lost this particular battle, as she watched her daughter approach the guard in charge of sleeping arrangements. 'When did she become so strong?' There was no stopping her.
...
"I need a place to sleep for the night." She demanded rather than asked the guard in charge.
"Make that one for me too" She heard Bellamy's voice clarify behind her. "I'm no longer under house arrest, so I think I'm entitled a place to sleep."
"We don't have that many units left, and we're expecting the 42 from Mt. Weather to arrive soon. You'll all be paired up, so I'll start with you two." The guard indicated between the two of them, as he scribbled their names on a small piece of paper.
"Wait?! What?" Clarke felt her cheeks flush pink. "You can't! You haven't seen how many women this guy brings back to his tent?!"
Now it was the guard's turn to blush. "Sorry, I'm not going to spend hours of precious time shuffling through everyone's priorities and sorting people based on who they like best. It's 2 per unit, in the order that I receive requests for them. Work it out between the two of you. Now, if you'd follow me, I'll show you to your room."
Bellamy immediately started laughing.
"This is not funny Bellamy!"
"Like Hell it isn't Princess. Welcome back to the Arc. Bureaucracy at it's finest." A huge grin planted itself on his face.
"Bellamy!"
"Yes princess?"
"Ugh! Stop calling me that! Say something to that guard. Change his mind!" she was practically begging at this point, and it was definitely amusing the rebel leader.
"Not in a million years princess, looks like we're roomies" He gave her a playful wink and started to follow the guard towards their new quarters.
"You've got to be kidding me" Clarke followed suit.
"Here it is" He motioned towards the old prison cell to their right. "There is currently a shortage of blankets, which should be remedied once we gather the supplies we need from Mt. Weather, so for tonight you'll have to share this one blanket." He handed Bellamy a small bundle. "There is a clean shirt in there for each of you as well."
Clarke looked absolutely mortified.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Clarke shouted at the man who ignored her protest and continued talking.
"Now I know it get's pretty cold at night, but no fires are permitted within the Arc walls, however engineering has provided several small space heaters for each of the units. They work well enough, but don't expect anything spectacular. It's designed to keep your room from freezing over, but it doesn't generate a ton of heat. They are solar powered, so it is up to you to take the unit outside every once in a while for a re-charge during daylight hours." They both nodded as he handed the device over to Clarke. "As for everything else, that's up to you. Sleep well and get some rest, you'll need it for tomorrow." And just like that he walked off, leaving Clarke to investigate her new living space with one terribly amused Bellamy Blake.
The room was small, and there was no window, but there was a lantern. Undoubtedly, it too was solar powered. And as much as she hated the idea of sharing a cell with someone, she had to admit. It kept the wind out a heck of a lot better than her makeshift tent ever could back at their own camp.
Clarke got to work immediately on turning on the space heater. It would take a while for it to even begin heating the cold industrial grade cell they were in. Bellamy, who had been laughing up to this point, started untying his shoes while sitting on the bench on what he had claimed to be His side of the room.
"So, you're actually staying here then?"
"Lighten up Princess. I think it's actually a good idea we bunk up." Bellamy looked up at the blonde from his spot. "Despite having to cut back on my time with the ladies." He shot her a trademark Bellamy Blake grin.
Clarke rolled her eyes. "Idiot"
He chuckled at that. "Look, we both get along a lot better now than we used to. We frequently stay up way beyond a reasonable hour discussing camp politics, battle plans, and survival tactics anyway" his second boot made it's way off his foot. " And you have to admit I'd make a better roommate than John Murphy any day.
Clarke had to admit he had a point. "Yeah, okay whatever." She picked up the discarded bundle next to Bellamy and started to unwrap it. "But don't get any weird ideas about this." she motioned her fingers back and forth between them. Why did she feel so nervous all of the sudden.
Bellamy burst out laughing. "In your dreams princess, in your dreams." He stood up and took off his coat.
Clarke went to her side of the room and sat down. Pulling off her own boots rather quickly. A blush once again hitting her cheeks as she may have let herself think a little too long on that possibility. Now she felt like the idiot.
She could hear the sound of Bellamy unfastening his belt buckle in front of her, and immediately shot up and faced the wall. "What are you doing!?" She screeched rather uncooly.
"Relax princess, I'm taking off the belt, the pants are staying.
She let out a sigh of relief as quietly as she could, as she shrugged off her own coat and turned around.
The blush in her cheeks deepened as she stood face to face with a shirtless Bellamy blake. His arms stretched over his head as he pulled off his old, stained, blue top.
She'd seen him exposed like this before, but something was different this time. They were friends now for one, she respected him more, and silly as it seemed, the fact that they were alone in a small room seemed to intensify the situation. Bellamy seemed completely oblivious.
"Oh, Sorry." She spun around again.
"It's nothing you haven't seen before princess, get a hold of yourself." Bellamy smirked at her obvious discomfort.
Clarke felt really embarrassed at this point. Get it together Griffin. She turned around, he had finished putting on his new shirt, It too was blue, but it looked cleaner. Bellamy was currently unfolding the blanket in his arms.
"Could you, uhm.. turn around Bellamy?"
"Why?"
"The shirt idiot. I need to change too."
Bellamy obliged her. "Sure, sure."
Clarke hesitated at first, but decided that Bellamy was not the kind of guy to peek without permission. She started to peel herself out of her old shirt. Her gunshot wound was pretty tender at this point. It was agonizing as she tried pulling the shirt over her shoulders. She couldn't help but cry out in genuine pain, as she outreached herself.
"Clarke? You alright?" Bellamy turned around as soon as he heard her.
His eyes tried not to rake her in all at once. It was hard not to stare at her exposed bra. Was Clarke always this stacked? The distinctly male part of him couldn't help but notice.
Now he was the one who felt awkward."Uhm, Let me help you with that."
"What?! No!. Turn around!" Clarke was completely flushed as she tried tugging her shirt back down.
"Clarke don't be an idiot. You need help. It's not Like I haven't seen a girl in her bra before." Though he had to admit, he'd never seen anyone quite like Clarke in a bra before. All of his previous flings, were rather athletic in their appearance. Lean, tall girls, with nothing extra to hold on to. Clarke was different. She was womanly. She had curves, and her skin looked soft and supple. She was admittedly the most attractive thing he'd seen in a very long time. She looked so feminine standing there, it was beyond enticing. Bellamy swallowed hard, and shook his head. "Uh, let's just get this over with." Get it together Blake.
He tugged at the hem of her shirt, and lifted her out of it gently. Then before she could yell at him for helping, he turned around and muttered an apology.
Getting into her new shirt was a lot easier, than getting out of her old one. It took her only a few seconds and she was set right again. "Alright you can turn around now." She was convinced the blush in her cheeks would never leave now.
Bellamy went to lay in his bunk, and covered himself with the blanket he had taken. The air was still pretty cold in their compartment.
"You coming to bed? Or are you just going to stand there all night"
Clarke stared incredulously. "Who said I was sleeping with you Bellamy Blake?!"
"Relax! I'm not trying anything Clarke, I'm just trying to conserve body heat. Now get in here before I change my mind and keep this blanket for myself." He Opened the blanket a crack and patted the spot next to him. He laid back down on his back, and tucked one arm under his head.
Clarke stood wordlessly for a moment debating her decision.
"Alright, but no one can know about this." She didn't want rumors spreading around the camp about her. She couldn't afford to be seen as another one of Bellamy's call girls. Her position demanded serious respect, and no one respected the floozies who slept around with Bellamy Blake.
"And! As soon as we get back form Mt. Weather you're going hunting for new pelts, so this never happens again."
He nodded lazily, while yawning. He was trying to knock the image of Clarke's exposed skin far from his mind.
"Fine, now get in."
Clarke hesitated for a few seconds, before caving. Gingerly she put her legs under the blanket and scooted down at his side.
It was admittedly much warmer under there. His body temperature must have been several degrees warmer than her own, for he felt almost like a human furnace. A slight sound of pleasure slipped out of her lips before she could stop herself. Immediately after, she realized what that had sounded like and she covered her mouth with both hands.
Bellamy closed his eyes, and turned his back to Clarke. "You're not making this easy Clarke"
"Sorry, it's just...um.. You're just so warm, I wasn't expecting it."
Bellamy rolled around again to face her. Assessing the situation in full, he could tell that she was cold.
'Why do girls seem to get so much colder?' He wondered.
Slowly, he tucked his arm under her jacket, which was currently acting as her pillow. His other arm hovered slightly over her stomach, before he finally decided to go ahead with his decision.
A small squeak escaped her lips the moment his hand landed on her waist.
Clarke was in complete shock. Both at what was happening, and at how 'what was happening' was making her feel.
He pulled her close to him, and turned her to her side so that she could actually feel the heat radiating from his skin.
Don't get any ideas Bell, he told himself mentally. Control yourself. This is just to keep her warm.
Bellamy closed his eyes. He couldn't look at her this close. He was afraid of what he might do.
"Bell?" She whispered. "What are you doing?"
"Shhh." he pretended to sleep.
"Clarke decided that she felt too cozy to argue. If she thought he felt warm when she was just laying next to him, she felt almost hot now, as she let her fingers settle gently on his chest. Her forehead eased forward enough to rest against his own.
A wave of emotions rushed over her as she laid there. She didn't want to admit that her heart was racing in his arms. Or that she was actually enjoying the smell of his skin. That she loved the freckles that seemed to dance across his nose. She wasn't sure she even understood what any of these feelings meant.
It didn't take long, but Clarke found herself in the deepest sleep she'd had since she was a small child. She'd never felt safer, more relaxed, not even that night she had shared with Finn had brought her this much peace. Nothing compared to the simple act of cuddling Bellamy in his bunk that night.
Bellamy took a little longer to fall asleep. It took every ounce of concentration he had not to think about sex in that moment. Especially after he had peeped an eye open to spy on Clarke's sleeping form. One look down, and he saw both her slightly parted lips and her soft cleavage beckoning him.
With any other girl on this planet, he'd have easily caved into his desires and made a move. But this was Clarke. She was his princess. He wasn't sure what that meant exactly, and thinking about what that could mean, made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
But he knew she deserved better than that. Better than him.
It took an insane amount of willpower, but eventually he managed to fall asleep that night, and he too discovered that sleeping with Clarke in his arms, brought on the best night of sleep he'd had in a long time.
How would they ever go back to sleeping alone after this...