A/N: This story has gotten away from me! I definitely didn't see it progressing like it has, anyway here is chapter four. A big shout out to all my reviewers and followers! I adore all the reviews, so much it makes me write faster (and the fact that I am officially on Spring Break)!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
His Saturday went on as planned, after he left O. Laundry, a run around the block, getting the fixings for dinner and an hour or two of hitting the books. Clarke and Octavia aren't the only one with goals he thought as he picked up his studies pack and proceeded to lay everything all over the coffee table.
He had just opened Adams' book on American Literature when he heard the telltale signs of Lincoln's rather boisterous singing. Getting up from the couch and making his way over to the door he waited for Lincoln's annual Saturday serenade as the girls had coined it upon hearing it.
"SIIINCE YOOOOU'VE BEEEN GOOON-" He heard Lincoln yell at the top of his lungs outside his door step. I'm sure the neighbors are gonna love that he mused trying not to die of laughter at his buddies antics. Having just about enough of Linc's wonderful voice he threw open the door before Lincoln could start belting out the chorus.
"Aw man, you didn't let me finish" Lincoln pouted looking over at him.
"Well I'm sure you are used to it." He said unsympathetically as he grabbed the bottle of agave tequila from Linc's hand before heading back towards the living room.
"Actually Octavia has no problems when I finish, in fact you could say I make her night." Lincoln quipped, before throwing a wink at him.
"Dude, not cool! I don't want to hear about my sister like that." He said barely hiding the disgust and repulsion in his voice.
"So what? You think I've been going out with your sister since freshman week of college and we haven't had sex?" he asked before sitting down, eyebrow quirked waiting for a reply.
"I'm not naïve, trust me. I would just prefer to think of her as the girl who runs around with Mr. Bunny stuffed under her arm forever." He said, whilst sitting back down on the couch.
"Hate to break it to ya buddy." Lincoln chuckled while getting up from his seat and making his way over to the kitchen.
"So what have you been up to today?" I call out while stacking the books that are spread out haphazardly on the table.
"Uh- Nothing much, your sister has me drinking this nasty shit three times a day that she swears boost energy and endurance. Honestly it smells like cat vomit, but I mean whatever it takes to stay on the field and awake in the classroom right?" Lincoln asks for reassurance, coming back with two tumblers filled with ice.
"Yeah, yeah." He agreed, before running his hands across his face.
"Here." Lincoln says handing him a half glass of the drink, before making himself comfortable.
"Thanks." He sighs out, before taking a sip and closing his eyes as the liquid warms his insides.
"Long day?" Lincoln asks curiously motioning to the books and shuffled papers on the coffee table.
"And night." He amends, propping his feet up on the coffee table, and heaving a sigh of relief.
"Spending the night with Collins a bit too much for you?" his sisters' boyfriend jokes good-naturedly, nudging him in the side.
"God that guy is such a tool, I seriously don't know how Clarke can stand him." He says annoyance dripping from his voice.
"Careful Bellamy, if you continue to talk like that people might get the wrong idea about you and Clarke." Lincoln taunts with a smile in his voice.
Prying one eyelid open, he assumed correctly, Lincoln is staring at him with a big knowing smile on his face.
"Shut up" He barks back, before taking a sip of his drink.
"Oh touchy subject got it." Lincoln teases before taking a generous swig of the premium tequila.
"It's not like that man, how many times do I have tell you? Clarke is-" He tries to explain but the words die on his tongue as the slight smell of her perfume wafts around him. I must be imaging things because her perfume cannot still be in this apartment. He thinks before shaking his head and focusing again on the conversation at hand.
"Clarke is what? Smart? Intelligent? Selfless? Beautiful?" Lincoln rattles off all the qualities and adjectives under the sun to describe the princess and yet none of them seem to fully encompass all that Clarke is.
"My best friend" He breathes out, before guzzling the last few remaining sips and slamming it down on the table with a loud thwack, ending the conversation in its tracks. The room is all but silent, as he listens to ebb and flow of Lincoln's drink as it sloshes back and forth with every sip. He lets out a tired sigh before getting off the couch and stretching his exhausted muscles.
"Wanna eat a pizza or something?" He asks trying to break the weird vibe that had settled between them after his outburst.
"With mushrooms and artichoke hearts?" he questions, while bringing the empty tumbler to his lap.
"On a pizza? You really have been whipped by Octavia." He jests before making his way over to the counter where his phone sits.
Picking up the phone, he most certainly doesn't smile at his lock screen picture of Octavia and Clarke's smiling faces from all those years ago. Unlocking the phone, he calls up the local pizza joint just a few blocks or so over from his apartment on the edge of campus.
"Can I get two medium pizza's. One with mushrooms and artichoke hearts and the other one with barbeque chicken and cilantro." He calls in his order as he hears Lincoln grumble something while he pours them another glass.
"Yep name's Blake, you already have the address. See you in a bit." He confirms before hitting end and walking over to take the proffered glass. Raising the glass towards Lincoln he smiles before taking a swig and letting the warm feeling wash over him. He most certainly doesn't think of her fingers brushing against his sides as the liquid warms every bit of his skin.
It's an impulsive decision, but he acts before his cowardice takes over. "Why don't you call up O and let her know we got pizza for dinner if she wants to join us." He says generously, hoping to not divulge his ulterior motives.
"Yeah, if you don't mind our 'Boys night' being overrun by your sister then it works out great so I don't have to suffer through your sisters cooking when I get home." Lincoln jumps at the chance, not sparing a minute before whipping out his cell and dialing O's number as quick as possible.
He listens as Lincoln goes through the pleasantries of good phone etiquette, he was raised well he thinks before he hears Lincoln ask Octavia to hold on a moment, before asking me if it would be alright if Clarke could join them. Everything is going according to plan he mentally claps himself on the back as he nods at Lincoln who goes back to his conversation with Octavia. After the seventh nausea inducing pet name Lincoln hangs up and claims his manhood again.
"Octavia was with Clarke, but then again you already knew that didn't you." Lincoln flashes him a knowing smile "That's why you said that your sister could crash our night." He finishes looking at him expectantly.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, luckily we ordered enough pizza." He says evasively before turning away from Lincoln and grinning to himself.
Fifteen minutes later and a few knowing smiles thrown his way the doorbell finally rings alerting them that either the pizzas' have arrived or the girls.
Grabbing the few bills out of his wallet, he heads over to the door and opens it to the wonderful smell of freshly baked dough and barbeque sauce…ugh and mushrooms. Guess it's the pizza and the girls…and Finn he maintains his smile but his eyes burn with something akin to disgust as he sees the girls with Collins in tow walk up his front step a few paces behind the delivery guy. Handing the guy the bills and generously giving him the leftover money, he takes the warmed boxes and holds the door open for the girls. He smiles sweetly at Octavia who returns the smile and rushes inside to see Lincoln. His eyes drift over Clarke's body for a split second before focusing on her eyes. "Hey there Princess, haven't seen you in a while." He says as a way of greeting. Clarke smiles coyly at him fully understanding the implications behind his words. He is interrupted from his locked gaze on Clarke by Finn draping a hand over Clarke's shoulders and squeezing her into his side. "You just saw us yesterday Blake." Finn replies for her emphasizing the word 'us' by curling his fingers subtly around a stray lock of golden hair that has fallen on Clarke's shoulder. What he would give to rip that hand off the princess' shoulder and beat him to death with it he thinks before meeting Finn's eyes.
"Of course, but what can I say? It's nice when we all get together; in fact I think coach would even call this "team bonding". He jokes without a trace of humor before opening the door wider to let them pass through.
"Come on in."