CHAPTER 2

Everyone was starving by the time Bellamy came back with food three days after landing. The goal was to land near Mt. Weather, a military level bunker designed to withstand a nuclear war. The group had landed on the wrong side of it about 20 miles away.

Despite the hunger, there were bigger threats. A boy, Jasper, had been speared. They weren't alone. There were other people on the ground. They started constructing a wall but hadn't made significant progress. Bellamy had asked John to be in charge while he was gone now he was asking for him to help guard the freshly killed two-headed deer. "What's in it for me?" John asked with a playful smile. Bellamy shrugged, "Someone has to help me run things."

Bellamy started calling John by the name Murphy instead being that there was already another John. Soon enough, everyone was calling him Murphy. Murphy helped people stay on task with the wall and controlled water and food portions while Bellamy was away. When Bellamy was in camp he went on hikes through the woods trying to find something medicinal for Jasper.

All Jasper did was groan and groan, which started to really annoy the rest of the group to the point of wanting to kill him. Murphy had used some seaweed to brew into a tea and tried giving it to Jasper. He groaned for the rest of the night regardless of how much he drank, and as much as Murphy didn't want to admit it, at a point he wanted to kill Jasper, too.

Bellamy smiled at the boy whenever he had the chance. It wasn't his usual smile. It turned into something more than shallow yet meaningful, when he saw Murphy his face lit up brighter than the burning sun, which felt especially warm today.

People were sleeping in tents and the dropship, but Murphy sat wide awake by himself at the smoldering fire. He paid his respects to the lost lives and carefully watched the four people keeping guard, picking up their techniques and routines for no reason in partic

ular. Bellamy sat next to him and he jumped, almost letting out a high pitch scream.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you," Bellamy put his head down apologetically.

"No, that's okay. I was just spacing out," he shook his head, "why aren't you asleep?"

"I couldn't. It's a nice night. I wanted to see what the stars look like from the ground."

Murphy nodded and put his head down to fiddle with his hands. "You okay?" Bellamy asked with soft eyes placing a hand on his back. Murphy thought nothing of the gesture as he nodded once more. All of his friends had done this at some point.

Murphy kept adjusting uncomfortably against the chest bindings that were now crushing in on his ribs. Bellamy wrapped his entire arm around his waist and pulled himself slightly closer. The blonde had gotten some sort of hint that Bellamy had feelings, and as much as he didn't want to lead him on a path going nowhere, he needed the embrace. He needed to feel something other than pain and regret. He leaned into Bellamy and put his head on his shoulder. He quietly sobbed until Bellamy asked what the problem was shortly later.

He told him about his life. He told him about Clarke, he told him about his mother, and he talked about what crime he committed in the first place.

"My dad found an error in the oxygen system. The Ark is dying. That's why we're down here. Anyway, he told me and I told Wells and Wells snitched to the chancellor."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"I tried to get the message out after my father was executed."

Murphy's father was executed when he was younger and he never got to see him transition or see him develop into a young man.

"I hope you know that no matter what you'll always be John Murphy to me," Bellamy smiled at the boy in his arms.

Murphy let a tear escape, "Thank you. No one has ever said that before."

Bellamy nodded, "As long as you're nothing like Abby you'll be fine."

Murphy laughed at the reference to his mother, "I promise I'll be nothing like her then."

The two men stared at the stars for a while when they heard a noise. Bellamy jumped to his feet so fast he almost fell over. He relaxed when he heard soft laughing and told the guards to stand down. "Raven! Finn! You're out way past curfew. Get inside," Bellamy ordered, but with a small smile as not to be too intimidating.

Murphy subconsciously watched Raven walk by clinging to Finn's arm. She looked at him with her soft brown eyes and he snapped back into reality when he saw her smile and blush at him.

Bellamy looked in the same direction as Murphy when he lowered himself back to the ground. "You should get some sleep. Or at least try," Bellamy offered. "Okay. Thank you for talking to me and being understanding." Bellamy nodded and their eyes locked together.

They stood there chasing each other's eyes until Bellamy leaned in to kiss him. "Stop," Murphy said inching away. "I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to lead you on I just needed someone to talk to. I-I don't want to be with you." Murphy looked at the ground in embarrassment. Bellamy grabbed his shoulders lightly, "Hey, that's okay. You're okay. I just hope we can still be friends."

Murphy's head shot back up, "Yes, of course." Bellamy smiled. He didn't seem hurt, but he didn't seem as happy as he was when he was clinging to Murphy. The two men wandered into separate tents and let sleep take hold.