[Clarke and Bellamy]
Waking up to find Bellamy asleep beside her was something that never ceased to spread a warm feeling within her, and leave her content as she watched with rapture, memorizing every detail for when she'd have time to paint, the way his skin seemed to glow when hit by the morning sunlight coming through the windows.
Bellamy slept on his stomach, and Clarke usually would've loved to wake him up by leaving tiny kisses and running her fingers lightly on the dust of freckles on his shoulders, but she was starving so she grabbed one of his tee-shirts, slipped it on and silently padded out of Bellamy's old bedroom.
They were at Bellamy's and Octavia's childhood home in Norwich. Clarke had wanted to come here before the Jaha's wedding madness started and Octavia, maid of honour and wedding planner, would've taken hold on everyone's life and demanded that everyone stuck with her perfect plan for the perfect wedding, and so prevent them from leaving the city.
She had always wanted to see where Bellamy had grown up, and had been a little nervous to bring the option up to him, but Bellamy had smiled happily as he agreed that it was a great idea, so they had packed up and left for three days.
This was their last day and after breakfast they would've to climb in the car and drive back to London.
The first day Bellamy took her to Eaton Park, the same park where his mum used to take him and his sister. As they prepared the picnic on the grass, Clarke remembered the story that Octavia had told her about getting lost because of chasing butterflies and Bellamy had confirmed it by chuckling and shaking his head with a wistful smile on his lips.
The second day, he took her to see his high school and told her all kind of stories and shenanigans he took part with John and the others. It was wonderful spending the days like that, not having to worry when he'd have to leave again, just the two of them, walking hand in hand as they talked about their childhoods.
While they did some groceries in the local store they also found a newspaper and various gossip magazine with an interesting cover. Clarke's mouth had dropped when she had seen them. Bellamy had just sighed and squeezed her arm, dropping a kiss on the top of her head, mumbling "Welcome to my world."
He had told her that going with him at the Cannes Film Festival would mean to put their relationship right there, out in the open, but seeing herself in the covers of magazines was still hard to wrap her head around.
Not only there were pictures of them, smiling at the cameras the day of the festival, but some had also pictures of them hugging at the airport.
Having caught her staring at that particular picture, for probably too long, Bellamy had said to her nervously, "I know it's a lot to take in, and if it freaks you out, I totally understand, it took me a while too-"
"Can we buy it?" Clarke had asked, interrupting him. When he'd remained silent, she had looked up at him with a shy smile, "I like the way you're smiling here." she pointed at the picture where she had her back to the camera with her legs wrapped around his hips while he was grinning happily, his eyes crinkling at the corners the way they always did when he laughed. Looking at it, she could clearly hear the way he had sighed, as having her in his arms was everything he had ever wanted, and the way his arms had held her tight against him, like he'd never want to let her go again.
She loved that picture.
She told him as much and after that, he had just taken the magazine with no further word. From time to time she'd catch him staring at her with a thoughtful look and when finally she had raised her eyebrows in askance he had just shook his head and cocking his head had said, "You really are the one."
She hummed the tune of and advertisement that had annoyingly been stuck in her head since the previous night, while she took two mugs out from the cabinet and put the kettle on for some tea.
She jumped a little when she felt two warm arms encircle her from behind as she poured the already diffused tea in their mugs, and then smiled relaxing in Bellamy's hold.
"Morning."
She turned in his embrace and smiled up at him, "G'morning, to you too." She held the mug to him and he took it with a matching bright smile.
"You know, I'm getting used to this waking up together thing," he said as he sat at the small kitchen table.
Clarke smiled down at her tea while she stirred the sugar, "Yeah, me too."
Bellamy groaned thudding his head on the surface of the table, "I just realized, we're going back today."
Clarke shook her head smiling, "I bet Octavia is going crazy."
Bellamy looked hilariously grim when he said, "My sister would give Bridezilla a run for her money."
Clarke giggled, "Maidzilla."
Bellamy snorted taking a sip from his tea, then looked up as he remembered something. He watched Clarke with a pensive look, then he stood up and offered his hand to her.
She took it and followed him down the hallway and up the stairs where his and Octavia's old bedrooms were. He stopped in front of a closed door that she had assumed was her mother's.
He let go of her hand to touch the brass knob and took a deep breath, "It's my mum's room." He said confirming her thoughts without looking at her.
"Bellamy," she touched his hand still grazing the knob, as if he was bracing himself for what he would see. "You don't have to," she said ducking her head to catch his gaze, "It's personal, I get it. You don't have to show me anything you don't want to."
His lips twitched up a little and he let go of the doorknob to cup her face and kiss her slow and sweet. "You're part of my life, now." He whispered on her lips. "I do want to show you."
Clarke searched his eyes and when she didn't find any doubt she squeezed his hand and brought it down to kiss his knuckles. She thought her heart would melt in her chest for the way his eyes softened.
He opened the door and Clarke's breath hitched as she took a look around.
The walls were lined with shelf after shelf full of books. She walked inside looking around in awe.
"She loved books." Bellamy said coming to stand beside her, "When she died, I couldn't step into this room for almost a month," he snorted bitterly, "I could barely bring myself to think of her, too much grief –too much…" his cleared his throat and smiled when Clarke reached out to brush her fingers on his shoulder.
"One day though, I dreamt of her reading a story to me when I was very small, maybe five years old, I don't know," He frowned as he were trying to remember, "I was happy," he said. "I didn't feel pain while I dreamt, it was peaceful… and I guess, I realized that I couldn't go on living being afraid to raise her memories, it wouldn't be fair to her…" He took a deep breath, moving away from Clarke to touch the spines of the books, "So, I gathered up the courage to open the damn door, but when I did, the room had already been cleared up, the bedsheets washed and neatly folded on the bare mattress, and most of her things already packed up in boxes." He sighed, "Another thing I made Octavia go through alone… but I wanted to do something.
"Something for me and Octavia, a last gesture that symbolized our love for her and hers for us. She loved reading." He smiled fondly, "I never seen her without a book resting somewhere that was at least at her arms reach." He shrugged, "So, I decided to turn her room in a small library," He said spreading his arms as to encompass the whole room. "Octavia helped me, I didn't know it at the time, but it was the first step of me healing… We couldn't decide what to do with the bed though," He said glancing at it, still in the far corner of the room, "In the end we decided to keep it, and it was a good choice because then, this room would be where John would sleep when he came to live with us, after his mum died two years later."
He turned to Clarke, a wistful smile on his lips. "This room holds so many memories, some good, some bad, but I think that doing what did with it, has been one of the best choices I've ever made in my whole life."
Clarke walked up to him and rested a hand on his chest, above his heart, "It's beautiful." She said looking up at him, "Thank you for showing me."
Bellamy covered her hand with his and stroked her cheek with the thumb of his other, "Thank you for being here with me."
She leaned in his hand turning her head to plant a kiss on his palm, "Always."
[Clarke and Wells]
"Do you think it's weird?" He asked biting down at his bottom lip, "I mean, it's not exactly traditional."
Clarke snorted and raised an eyebrow at her best friend, "Wells, you made a child before you got married, that's not exactly traditional either."
"Yeah, I guess not." Wells grinned easily, "So, will you do it? Will you be my best woman as the best friend that I could ever wish for, and witness me marrying the love of my life?"
Clarke teared up and pulled him in a hug, "Yes, of course, I'll be your best woman."
Wells held her tight, "Thank you, Knobby." He said huffing out a chuckle.
Clarke sighed and shook her head, leaning back, "It's incredible how amusing you think it is."
Wells cocked his head, "Oh, it totally is."
Clarke made a face, "I think, you're getting old Jaha," she said airily, "Your amusement taste is dated."
Wells shrugged good-naturedly, then looked up at her as she stood up from where they were sitting on the carpet in the living room, "Hey, do you think that now that I have a daughter, it allows me to make awful dad jokes?"
Clarke burst out laughing, "I think you're already there."
Wells lightened up. "Awesome."
[Octavia]
After Wells had proposed during the dinner that she had organized, and after Jasper's comment comparing her to the god of love, Octavia felt a new found urge to help the people in her life to open their eyes and make them see the love that so clearly was under their noses. She wasn't forcing anything, she told herself. She was just speeding up the process of something that was bound to happen.
And there was still, only one person that was being annoyingly stubborn about it, but Octavia, between all her commitments for the wedding and work, had a plan for that too.
Emily was trying on her wedding dress while they were trying on their bridesmaids' ones. They had all found the perfect dresses, the bridesmaids' ones was a pale blush colour while Clarke's, best woman, one was a shade darker.
The theme of the wedding was rose blush gold, mainly because they'd found an adorable blush dress lightly dusted with gold on the tulle for little Amy, and Octavia and Emily both had decided to plan everything based on that. Both Wells and Emily wanted something intimate and with Octavia agreed that Wells' childhood house backyard, the one right across from Clarke's, was the perfect place to celebrate it.
Octavia glanced at Raven from the corner of her eye, took a deep breath and asked, "Raven, are you inviting Kyle as your plus one?"
Raven turned to her with a sour look that made Clarke giggle, "No, of course not." she shuddered, "I spend half of the time I'm forced to spend with him wishing that I was at least at five-hundred feet away from the guy."
"And the other half?" asked curiously Emily steeping out from the changing room in her wedding dress, a strapless embroidered lace and tulle ball gown with a sweetheart neckline.
Raven smirked, "Resisting the urge to throw something at him every time he opens his mouth."
"Oh, a couple of months ago was 'resisting the urge to stab him with something' if I recall right," chirped Clarke with a smirk of her own, "Grown on you, didn't he, Rey?"
Raven glared through her reflection at her and Clarke just grinned wider.
Octavia went on smoothly, "So, you wouldn't mind if I take him as my plus one, right?"
Raven whipped her head so fast that Octavia wondered amusedly if she felt whiplash from it. She seemed to realize it too and tried to downplay it. "I thought you had a boyfriend, already?" she arched an eyebrow.
Octavia shrugged carelessly looking at her nails, "He can't come, he has to be the translator for some important guy the day of the wedding… and Kyle is fun company."
She sensed all the girls eyes on her, but she refused to look up until she heard an exasperated huff of air and Raven reply, "Sure, no problem. See if I care."
Octavia looked up then and met Emily's and Clarke's suspicious gazes with a wide grin.
Operation Stubborns In Love is go.
[Clarke]
Clarke made her way through the groups of the invited to go and support the groom as was expected of her role as his best woman. There were some University friends of Emily and Wells' that Clarke had never seen before, but other than that she knew everyone invited. As the couple had wanted, only family and close friends.
She saw Raven having what seemed a very heated discussion with Wick near one of the guests table and rolled her eyes. She wondered why the hell Octavia had invited him, the guy had a particular talent to push all Raven's right buttons.
"Looking sharp, Griffin."
She turned towards the familiar voice and beamed. "Not bad yourself, Blake." She replied to Bellamy, looking unfairly gorgeous in his suit and with Amy happily attached to his neck.
She pouted, "I'm jealous," she declared walking up to them. "She likes you more than she likes me."
"For a moment there, I thought you were jealous of her." Bellamy said arching an eyebrow.
Clarke snorted, "Why would I be?" She grinned as she kissed Amy's hand, "She's the little princess of this day, aren't you?" she asked tickling Amy's tummy and making her giggle, "You're just some guy."
Bellamy hummed and looked at Amy with a wistful look, "See? Barely a couple of months together and the love is dead, I'm just some guy now." Amy looked at him intently with her mouth a little agape, confused by his serious tone.
Clarke laughed pushing on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.
Bellamy beamed at the small gesture and as Clarke left him, to make her way up the stairs to Wells' room, she heard him say, "There's hope, still. The flame of love is intact." And giggled as she rushed up to last set of steps.
"How's the groom?"
Wells turned from where he was looking out the window, at the guests mingling in the backyard where not even fifteen years ago he and Clarke used to look for slugs.
"I'm getting married." He said knotting and then undoing the bowtie on his neck.
"Yes, you are." Clarke acknowledged closing the door behind her. She looked over at the struggle he was having with the tie and raised an eyebrow, "Are you getting cold feet?"
Wells shook his head, "No, of course not." He said giving up and looking at Clarke with his puppy eyes.
She rolled her eyes and helped him, starting to tie it properly, "What is it, then?"
"Emily." Wells sighed.
"She's getting cold feet?" Clarke hands paused, looking at him wide-eyed.
"Why are you always assuming that we're getting cold feet?" Wells inquired in a sort of exasperated amusement. "It's not that." He said when she wouldn't stop staring. "It's her parents…"
"Oh," Clarke pressed her lips tightly and tried to concentrate on the bowtie. These were the same people that refused to get to know Amy and that treated Emily like she was dead, because of her relationship with Wells.
"Yeah." Wells rubbed his face tiredly, "She sent an invitation and a photo of Amy to them, tried to call, but- They just…" he sighed. "She says that it's fine, that she didn't have much hope anyway, but… I know she would want them by her side, today. As I have all of you by mine."
"She has you and Amy." Clarke said once finishing tying the bowtie and handing him the suit jacket, "And all of us are here for her as well."
Wells smiled ruefully, "She knows that, but…"
"I know." Clarke said, "It's not the same, but I'm not sorry for her. I'm sorry for them, because they're the ones, missing the chance of seeing their daughter in the happiest day of her life. They're the ones that are missing Amy growing up. And they're the ones missing the opportunity to witness how much she loves you and how much you love her." She shrugged, "So, yeah. I'm sorry for them."
Wells looked at her fondly, "Oh, Knobby." He bumped his forehead with hers, "Are you trying to make me cry?"
"Obviously." Clarke said pushing up and head-butting him lightly, "It's not like you're wearing make-up."
Wells snorted leaning back.
"Thank you." He said flicking the tip of her nose.
"Any time." Clarke replied through a glare as she rubbed it.
Wells grinned offering her his arm, "So are you ready to give me in marriage?"
"You're getting married." Clarke said suddenly as the realization hit her completely.
This was Wells. Her best friend since she had barely started to walk, the one she climbed trees with. Wells who used to keep giving her his crayons whenever the teacher would catch her drawing in class and would take her stash. And he was getting married.
"Yes, I am." He said softly squeezing her hand.
She exhaled as she looked at him and smiled, "You're going to weep, my friend, when you'll see how beautiful your, soon to be, wife is in her wedding dress." She told him taking his arms.
Clarke was pretty sure that everyone present had shed at least a tiny tear in the moment of the "I do."
At the beginning of the ceremony everyone had cooed and awed as Amy appeared in in her adorable gold and pink dress and chucked rose petals on the white carpet as she made her way to the altar, followed by a grinning Octavia.
When Emily had appeared looking like something out of a fairy tale, with her beautiful wedding gown and with multiple tiny white and pale pink flowers in her strawberry-blond hair, Clarke had looked at Wells and her heart had filled with warmth at the way he was looking at his bride. Being able to stand and witness by his side during one of the most important days of his life had almost overwhelmed her and she had to, as conspicuously as possible, smother the urge to let out a sniffle. It all seemed kind of surreal when she thought too much about it, but at the same time she'd never felt so happy and proud of her friend.
Amusedly she now noticed how Jasper was scowling with his puffy red eyes as John teased him with Emori smiling entertained by his side. Clarke had invited her, but it turned out that John had already done it, inviting her as his plus one. Octavia had been ecstatic about it. In fact, she had spent the whole day grinning ear to ear.
Clarke couldn't blame her, everything that she had organized turned out perfectly. There was just a little hitch with the Wedding Cake, apparently the one they had ordered had got squashed up at the last moment, but Octavia had handled that too smoothly enough. Clarke was starting to wonder if she had some kind of power or something.
She scanned the garden for Bellamy and almost tripped on her feet as her eyes found Raven instead. Her friend was having the make-out session of the century with no other than Kyle Wick. She ogled them for probably too long, and then caught sight of Octavia standing nearby with Lincoln watching his girlfriend with some sort of exasperated fond look on his face. Octavia wasn't noting it though, she was busy watching Raven and Kyle too and she was also grinning maniacally as she did it.
Clarke decided that her boyfriend's sister was a witch, alright. Witch of love and organization..?
She snorted to herself, glanced one last time at Raven and the once upon a time, hate of her friend's life and moved on to continue her search.
Her mom and dad were talking amiably with Wanda and Thelonious. Clarke was happy to notice that her dad seemed pretty accustomed with his new arm. Once Raven had come to him to work on it together, not only they were able to finish it in no time, but also nearly removed any trace of unhelpfulness that her dad had been feeling.
There were some couples dancing and she smiled as she found Chris and Sebastian moving together slowly and effortlessly with the practice of two people completely in tune with the other's bodies, in their eyes the same look that she had seen in Wells and Emily's more than once. A look that somehow conveyed all the love, faith and understanding. The kind of look that two people shared after having gone through multiple challenges, gotten some scrapes but endured unbroken.
Her vision blurred a little when she spotted Wells dancing with his two favourite girls, his wife and daughter.
She felt a two strong arms wrapping her from behind and smiled leaning back on the solid chest behind her. "I was looking for you," She told him.
"I found you, instead." Bellamy kissed the spot behind her ear. "You look happy." He mumbled after a while.
Clarke turned in his embrace and looked up at him, her eyes bright, "I am happy."
A/N: Guyyyyyyyyyyyys it's over. This is the last chapter. Next is the Epilogue but I won't make a Author's note in that one. This one is my last. So I take the chance to say thanks to a couple of people that had stood by this story since the very beginning.
Thank you to Sydcasy, red08, Tigger300, jewelz1642, moralaevolo, and denise . miller 1297, you sweethearts always found the time to drop me a line. Thank you!
Thunderatic! Girl, I love you so much, seriously. You're reviews were and still are one of the things I look most forward when I update the story, your love for Raven is just nghhhh xD I just love you, and I'm grateful for having had you as my loyal reader since the very start.
Zombiedounaght, You cupcake, thank you for reading each of my stories, the fact that you loved them all, kinda blows my mind. Thank you!
Thanks again to Eliane, Tamara and Veronica, You're all have a special place in my heart and I just want you to hug you all.
Having said all this, I'm planning to make spinoff about Murphy and Emori. As you could've probably told already, I love him so very much in this universe, and I can't let him go still. I need to explore his and Emory's stories too. Obviously this means that Bellamy and Clarke and Octavia and Raven and all the others will appear again, so if you're interested subscribe to me and you'll know when I'll post it u.u
Also, It's some time now, that I wanted to write a High School AU with all the characters together… Clarke, Raven and Octavia the best friend forever trio, Bellamy and Clarke having a I-hate-you-since-the-time-you-punched-me-and-made-my-nose-bleed-when-you-were-dressed-as-a-fairy-and-I-made-fun-of-you kinda history Murphy always being Bell's best friend and he and Emori being the powercouple of the school… and much more, interested? Let me know!
Well, now it's really time to go.
I love you guys so much. Thank you for reading. To Bellamy, Love Clarke wouldn't exist without you.
To you all,
Love,
Elisa