A/N: Hey guys, I'm really really enjoying writing this, and I'm really really enjoying all your kind feedback! Keep it coming, please!
Clarke was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when she heard Bellamy knock on her front door. She felt oddly nervous as she let him in...it felt too much like getting picked up by a date or something. She just hoped Bellamy couldn't sense her discomfort.
Bellamy looked handsome. He was dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, but he wore them so well that Clarke had to restrain herself from staring at his chest, which, since she'd yet to put on her heels, loomed broad and toned right at eye level.
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah, just a second."
Clarke went back to her room to get her purse and shoes. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over her dresser and was dismayed to see that she looked flushed.
You're not supposed to be excited, stupid. This isn't a date, it's a sick show for your closest friends. No one can know who Bellamy really is, so get ready to sell it.
Clarke joined Bellamy in the living room. "You look nice," he said, with a small smile. He didn't seem nervous at all. He does this sort of thing all the time. Clarke adopted her most business-like tone.
"Thanks. So listen, it's a house party, nothing fancy, but Amanda loves having lots of people over. Oh, and speaking of Amanda…" Clarke walked to the kitchen and returned with a grocery bag containing three wine bottles. Seeing Bellamy's amused look, Clark shrugged. "She loves rose."
"Anything else I should know about your friends?"
"They're polite, they're fun, and they enjoy a good party. But above all, they're smart. Some of the smartest people I know. Once the booze starts flowing, they'll probably ask you a million questions about yourself. Amanda and her boyfriend Will live together, just a couple of blocks from here, actually. Then there'll be Raven, Finn, Harper, Miller, Jessica, and...well a bunch of other people, probably. A lot of them are couples, but not all of them. It'll be a pretty standard party."
Bellamy nodded and leaned down to take the bag of wine from Clarke's hand. She caught the faintest whiff of something...aftershave or cologne. What is it about men who smell nice?
"I've got some general knowledge on most of those people. I'm not worried. And Clarke?" Bellamy had his intense, bodyguard face on. "I don't want you to be nervous. This is a low-risk outing. Just treat me like you would any other new friend, ok?"
"Sure. A new friend who happens to be on my mother's payroll and carry a gun-wait, are you armed right now?"
"Yes." Bellamy opened the door and waited for her to walk through. Clarke just stared.
"Where is it?"
Bellamy sighed. "Where's what?"
"Don't be a smartass. Where's the gun?"
"Ankle holster."
"You're very matter of fact. It's annoying."
"Come on, Clarke. We'll be late."
Clarke stalked through the doorway and into the warm evening air.
By the time they arrived at Amanda's house, the party was in full swing. Clarke had met Amanda during orientation for their grad school program and they'd hit it off immediately. Clarke had introduced Amanda to her friends, and Amanda had done the same. Now, it was impossible to explain who knew who from where. They were just one big happy urban family, and parties like tonight's were a common occurrance.
They walked up the porch steps and Clarke opened the door without knocking. No one on the inside would have been able to hear it over the music anyway. The house was full of people talking, laughing, holding drinks and wandering between the kitchen and the living room. A record player was blasting something vintage. A dozen people noticed Clarke as she entered and called out a chorus of hellos. Each greeting was followed by a pause as her friends laid eyes on Bellamy. Thankfully, Amanda sashayed through the kitchen door, a pitcher of something wicked-looking in one hand.
"There you are!" she called, beaming. Clarke couldn't help herself from beaming back. Amanda made her way over and gave Clarke a tipsy hug. "I maaaaaay have started drinking my own punch while I was getting ready, ergo I maaaaaaay be two drinks ahead of everyone else. So here. Get started." She handed Clarke the pitcher and then spun around, looking for plastic cups, which she eventually located on a nearby bar cart.
Clarke smiled and shook her head as she poured herself and Bellamy a drink. Amanda stuck her hand out toward Bellamy. "Hello. Clarke told me she was bringing someone, but she didn't mention he'd be tall, dark, and adorable." Bellamy laughed easily and took her hand. "I'm Bellamy, Clarke's new neighbor and charity case. She brought me along tonight because she heard I was new in town. Happy birthday, and thanks for letting me join."
Amanda waived her hand dismissively. "Oh please, we're very much a "more the merrier" crowd around here. We love making new friends." Bellamy handed Amanda the bag of wine. "And we definitely love making new friends who come bearing wine." Amanda leaned towards Clarke and said in a stage whisper, "He is VERY attractive. Let's keep him."
Clarke couldn't help but giggle. She handed Bellamy his drink while Amanda wandered off to deal with something on the porch. "Oh, shit, I forgot. Are you allowed to drink that?" Clarke asked quietly.
"Generally, no. But one won't hurt me. I have a high tolerance, and since I'm trained to blend in..." Bellamy grinned at Clarke and she felt her mood lift. It was a party, after all. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
Clarke made the rounds, saying hello to everyone and introducing Bellamy. She was impressed-his manner was easy and he made great small talk. She would never have suspected he was anything but her witty, good-looking neighbor. Eventually, Clarke was able to loosen up and actually enjoy herself.
After an hour or so, Clarke found herself alone in the kitchen with Bellamy. She was slicing fruit for another batch of sangria while Bellamy nursed a Bud Light and looked with interest at all the pictures on Amanda's refrigerator. Finn came in, searching for more beer. Seeing Clarke standing at the counter, he pulled up a stool and sat down.
"And how're you doing tonight, Princess?" Finn asked. He was slightly drunk, like everyone else at the party. Clarke's eyes flicked to Bellamy, who was still facing the refrigerator door. She thought she saw him stiffen slightly.
Clarke forced a smile but kept careful focus on the apple she was dicing. "I'm doing pretty great, and yourself?"
"I'm good too. Been awhile since I've seen you." Finn glanced at Bellamy and frowned.
Clarke nodded. "I know. Things have been crazy with school and all my TA stuff."
"Let's get dinner this week. That Ethiopian place we like? With that crazy waiter?"
Clarke kept her tone light. "Sure! I'll see if Amanda and William and Raven want to join."
"Actually, I was thinking just us, so we could catch up."
"Mmmmm, yeah maybe." Shit. Clarke squirmed, feeling cornered. Dinner with Finn was the last thing she wanted to do. And incidentally, it was impossible, since Bellamy wouldn't allow her to go alone. Luckily, Amanda was gifted with impeccable timing and chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. She paused to survey the scene through slightly squinted eyes. The she cleared her throat and said sweetly, "Finn, I think Will is bringing in more beer from the garage. Would you be a doll and help him?"
"Oh, uh, yeah sure." Finn left, tossing an appraising glance towards Bellamy, who watched him go with a neutral expression.
Clarke wiped her hands on a dishtowel and glanced at Amanda. "Hey girl, these apples are done. I'm, uh, just gonna run to the bathroom." She made a speedy exit, desperate for a couple of minutes to clear her head. Bellamy did not follow.
Bellamy watched Clarke scurry out of the kitchen. He'd listened to her exchange with Finn first out of professional necessity, and then with growing curiosity. Clarke had been uncharacteristically tense and Finn had called her princess. Clearly, he was missing some subtext. Might explain those unanswered texts from Finn, though.
"Finn's in love with Clarke, Raven's in love with Finn, Clarke won't say how she feels because she values Raven's friendship too much to ever do anything that might hurt her."
Bellamy spun around to face Amanda, who was leaning against the sink, smirking like some sort of self-satisfied Greek chorus. "Oh come on, like you weren't curious. You could cut the tension between them with a knife when I walked in." Amanda tilted her head to the side and regarded Bellamy shrewdly. "And you don't seem like the type to have missed that."
Bellamy stood blinking, momentarily at a loss for words. Clarke had said her friends were smart.
He recovered himself, shrugging. "Any big group of friends is bound to have a few melodramas, right?"
Amanda let out a short laugh. "I guess you're right. And Finn's a nice enough guy. But the fact is he's sleeping with Raven and carrying a torch for Clarke. And it's not going to end well for anyone." Amanda gave Bellamy another appraising look. "So what's your story, Bellamy? Clarke says you're some sort of analyst?"
Focus, Blake, it's time to win that Oscar. "That's right. Technical stuff. Companies pay me to keep their data safe from hackers." This was Bellamy's standard cover story. Trade "data" for "people" and "hackers" for "bad guys" and it was basically the truth. And staying as close as possible to the truth was ideal. The less actual lying he did, the better.
"Do you like it?"
"Sure, I like it. No two clients are alike, so I'm never bored." Certainly not bored with Clarke.
"And how long did you serve?"
Bellamy choked on the beer he'd been swigging. He had to hand it to Amanda, she knew how to keep a guy off balance. He didn't usually divulge his service history as part of his backstory, but it seemed dangerous to lie about it to someone so perceptive.
Bellamy cleared his throat and smiled. Sitting down on the stool Finn had just left, he asked "Is it that obvious?"
"Probably not to most people. But I was an army brat. I can spot a serviceman from a mile away."
Bellamy nodded and picked at the label of the beer in his hand. "Ranger. Served for five years."
Amanda nodded, looking impressed. "Afghanistan?"
"Mostly. Some other places, too."
Amanda was silent for a few moments. Then she seemed to remember that she was the hostess of an increasingly rowdy party happening just a few feet away in the living room. She shooed Bellamy out of the kitchen as she set to work finishing the sangria.
Bellamy found Clarke on the back porch. She was alone, sitting with her knees drawn up in an old rocking chair, a fresh drink in her hand. She looked up when he opened the back door, squinting into the bright light that poured out.
"I know, I know. I broke the "ten feet at all times" rule." She took a large sip of her drink and winced as it went down. She still looked tense.
"I'll let you off the hook this time." Bellamy settled himself into another rocking chair next to Clarke's. "So. This Finn character. Is he gonna be a problem?"
"Nope." Clarke said flatly, staring out at the dark back yard.
"Really? Cause he seems like the type to ask qu-"
"If I say he won't be a problem, then he won't, understood?" Clarke snapped. She was looking at Bellamy defiantly now, that defensive haughtiness making her eyes cold and disdainful. Inaccessible. Bellamy's temper flared. Oh, HELL no.
Bellamy's eyes narrowed. "Well since I don't answer to you, Princess, I guess I'll have to judge that for myself."
Clarke's eyes darkened with anger, but her icy demeanor remained otherwise unchanged. She snapped her head back towards the yard and said without looking at him, "By all means, Blake, make your own assessment. That's your job, after all."
And just like that, her shutters were drawn again. Bellamy stared at Clarke furiously, fighting the urge to shake her, to yank her down from the rich-girl high horse she'd just climbed back up on. To make her look him in the eye.
Clarke stood, still staring away. "I'd say it's time you took me home, bodyguard."
