Bellamy could practically see Clarke's knuckles turning white as her grip tightened on her seat's armrests. She stared forwards with a wide-eyed look that made him feel uneasy. He was used to protecting his crew, comforting them when things went wrong. In her own way, he guessed Clarke was a part of his crew for this journey, and he hated feeling like he couldn't do anything to ease her fears. How could he when he himself was worried? Despite all that he'd been through on his expeditions, he'd never encountered something quite so life-threatening as this. It made his pulse quicken and he could practically feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins.
But that was nothing compared to what he felt when he looked at Clarke's expression. She was just a college student trying to make her way in life, not some seasoned explorer. He felt his heart racing at the sight of sheer dread in her eyes. Even if he was scared out of his wits,terrified that he would never see Octavia again, he knew he had to say something to try to calm her worries. Anything. So he said the only thing he could think to say in the moment.
"Hey. Clarke. It's going to be ok."
Clarke still stared forward, paralyzed as she felt the plane shifting and going upwards at a degree that planes probably never should. She could see the storm clouds outside the window from her peripheral vision. They were too close for comfort. Far too close. It took her a minute to even register that Bellamy Blake was talking to her.
"It's going to be ok."
She heard the words replaying in her head like a soft echo. They swirled around in her mind for a moment before she turned to look at the boy sitting next to her.
Her concerned gaze was met by a comforting pair of brown eyes. Intense. Focused. Yet somehow soothing. Sincere, even. She didn't know anyone could look so strong and so gentle at the same time until her eyes met his. She could see the determination in his eyes, the pure intensity of his resolve to make it to the island. Octavia was there, and she knew that in Bellamy's mind, he had to be there too. But mingled in with the determined, serious Bellamy was a softer version of himself that Clarke realized must be one of the reasons he was such a great leader. His words were assuaging, his demeanor calming to her. She felt her nerves go from being static noise that she couldn't hear past to becoming a faint whisper in the back of her mind.
"Yeah. Yeah of course. I'm sure it'll be fine," she was finally able to reply.
Raven, who had been oblivious to the conversation happening behind her, let out a frustrated grumble.
"These clouds look very dense and tall. I'm not sure I'm going to make it over the top of them before they make impact. Just keep holding on because it's going to be a close call. Even if we scrape the clouds a bit, I think I can still make it. It just depends where they hit the plane and at what force."
Before Clarke and Bellamy could respond, they felt themselves being shaken around the belly of the plane with even more force than before. Items that were stowed all around the plane began falling and sliding around the floor. Bellamy felt something clock him on the forehead as it tumbled to the ground. Emergency kits, life jackets, oxygen masks, and other various items blended together with Clarke and Bellamy's luggage as they slid towards the back of the plane.
They were getting closer.
Gusts of wind pelted the side of the plane with savage blows, knocking it from side to side like it was a nothing but a feather. Raven kept a solid grip on the plane's yoke as she tried to keep them gliding upwards. Clarke could see the strain in Raven's biceps as she controlled the vessel to the best of her ability. In that moment, Clarke knew Raven was the best damn pilot she'd ever met. She just wasn't sure if that would be enough to carry them through this storm.
Clarke could tell the clouds were unavoidable at this point. They loomed over the small aircraft like a haughty giant. With just one precise hit, the A.L.I.E would be done for. She just hoped it wouldn't come to that.
As Raven pressed the plane forward, she shouted out a string of curses Clarke didn't even know existed. She looked out the window to see clouds engulfing them, surrounding them in blackness. The plane was battered from side to side, shaking it's contents with a new kind of ferociousness. Clarke could feel her head pounding with every new motion they made. It was a miracle Raven hadn't lost control of it already. She was being thrown around the cabin as much as anyone else, yet she maintained her unwavering focus on her job. Clarke looked over at Bellamy, who appeared as though he'd just lost a fist fight.
A thin trail of blood trickled down his forehead, presumably the result of when everything was falling earlier, and his lips were slightly swollen from where he'd inadvertently bitten down on them in all the commotion. He didn't seem to notice his injuries, simply holding onto his seat and planting his feet firmly into the floorboards. Before Clarke could think of anything to say to him, she heard Raven shouting another loud curse and felt the plane suddenly shift beneath her. They were dropping.
"Clarke, look out your window for me," Raven shouted, her voice filled with urgency,"Can you see anything?"
Clarke squinted out the window to her left, looking for anything amiss. The clouds were still very thick all around them, but she caught a brief break in which she could visualize the plane's wing.
"Oh shit," was all she could manage to say.
She was no plane expert, but she would have to be an idiot not to notice that a part of the plane was missing that had been there earlier. One of the flaps that used to be on the side of the wing was now gone, torn clearly from the metalwork it once nestled snugly in.
"That flap that was on the wing is gone. It's just...gone!"
Raven was once more clicking buttons all over the control panel before her, flipping switches and pressing pedals. Her eyes jumped from one section to another with lightning fast speed that paralleled her motions.
"I knew it. It would be the flap that we lost," she grumbled.
Clarke exchanged a glance of confusion with Bellamy. Airplane structures were a foreign concept to her. She wasn't exactly sure what this meant, but she didn't like the sound of it.
Raven was barking out orders at them before Clarke could process what was happening.
"You two, get to the back of the plane and get the parachutes. Now."
And just like that, Clarke had her answer.
They were going down.
She whipped off her seatbelt and practically flew to the back of the plane. The parachutes were crammed in a corner underneath other items that had gotten thrown around during the tussle with the storm. Bellamy was at Clarke's side within moments, helping her dig through the debris to get to the chutes.
Just when she thought they were in the clear, her eyes set on something that made her heart sink.
One of the parachutes had ripped open.
It must have gotten torn during all the mess before, she assumed. Although that didn't change the fact that one of their three parachutes was now useless.
"It's ripped," Clarke said in a panic, showing the remnants of it to Bellamy.
His eyebrows creased at the sight of the torn item as thoughts flew through his head. Clarke could tell he was deep in thought, wondering exactly what was going through his mind. All of a sudden, he grabbed one of the undamaged chutes and began putting it on.
"I guess you'd better have a good grip then," he announced.
"What? Why?" asked a confused Clarke.
"Because you're coming with me. We'll have to share the chute. It's the only way we can both get to the ground safely."
Clarke shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to be entrusting her life to the guy who was furious at her just hours before.
"Why can't you and Raven share?"
Before Bellamy could answer, Raven was chipping in from the front of the plane. She'd never strayed from her duties, still furiously working on the control panel in front of her.
"I hate to break up this little debate, but we don't have time for this. You're going with him. Besides, I'm staying here as long as I can. I can probably keep this plane in the air long enough to reach a clearing by using the rudders and ailerons. The longer I can navigate it before it hits the ground, the better chance it has of sustaining minimal damage. You two need to go now, though. There's no point in you staying here."
Clarke was about to protest when she saw Bellamy prying open the plane's side door. Rain rushed into the cabin and she could feel the rage of the storm outside. The A.L.I.E was dropping more and more with every second that ticked by, no matter what Raven's capable hands did to keep it in the air. They were now solidly below the clouds and plummeting only further down. Clarke stood in shock at the sight before her until she felt herself being pulled out of her thoughts.
She didn't even register that Bellamy had wrapped her in his arms until she caught the scent of his cologne floating around her. He had her pulled flush against his skin, no wiggle room between either of them. His muscular arms engulfed her as he wrapped a rope around both of their waists, bringing them only closer. Clarke could feel the heat creeping into her cheeks as Bellamy tied a knot to secure the rope. She hadn't been this close to a guy in ages, and now the one she was being tied to was Bellamy Blake? It seemed like fate was mocking her.
Clarke knew she should probably be upset about it, but something within her was oddly content. She felt safe in his arms. His warmth and comforting presence poured over her as he tightened the rope up with incredible speed. She didn't even flinch when he started wrapping the rope around the top of her legs. He weaved between each leg, creating a makeshift harness that mirrored the one of the parachute he was wearing. Clarke realized what he was doing, but it didn't stop the emotions from stirring within her when he touched her like that. When he finished and looked up into her eyes, she felt like she could barely breathe.
"That'll hold you in place pretty well, but you still need to hold on as tight as you can. Got it?" he stated.
All Clarke could do was nod. That was all Bellamy needed from her, though. Within seconds, he was shouting back at the pilot.
"We'll see you on the ground, ok Raven?"
Raven gave a smirk, her eyes still fixed on her controls.
"Happy falling."
Bellamy wrapped his arms around Clarke tightly, his eyes staring into hers once more.
"Hold on tight, Princess. The adventure is about to start."
And with that, Clarke felt them both falling.
AN: So disclaimer - I know absolutely nothing about airplanes. Or storms. Or pretty much any of this stuff. So I'm not exactly sure how plausible of a situation this is. But if you do know about these things and anything is amiss, just pretend not to notice so Clarke and Bellamy can have their moment haha! :) I hope you all are liking the story so far. I am certainly having a good time writing it. As always, favorite/follow/review if you are enjoying the course of events! I will try to update soon.
