A/N SO sorry this took so long. Several things happened at once around my place and I've been more in survival mode than write-y mode. Hope you enjoy. Cheers.
Bellamy
He picked up his new suit that morning after work and is now standing in the trailer bathroom, staring into the mirror with a grimace as he tries to remember how to tie a tie.
Octavia emerges from her room and huffs as she walks over and bats his hands away.
"Let me."
The fact that O knows how to do a double Windsor knot aside, Bellamy is grateful for her help since he is annoyingly nervous about tonight. O looks up at his face as she fiddles with his tie.
"You okay?" She asks as she finishes the knot and Bellamy looks in the mirror to smooth the tie down the front of his shirt.
"I'm fine." He replies, and Octavia gives him a condescending look in the mirror.
"Okay, I'm nervous as fuck and I don't know why."
Octavia pops a hand on her hip and smirks.
"Because I think this is the first time that you really like someone and actually care if you screw it up."
Bellamy narrows his eyes at his sister as he fiddles with his suit.
"When did you get so insightful?"
Octavia backs down the hallway towards the kitchen with a laugh.
"It's because I know both you and Clarke so well. But relax, big brother. Clarke will be hard into the wine and aaall over you in that suit."
That thought is one he hadn't considered and as it takes hold, Bellamy starts grinning at his reflection before sending Clarke a quick text and heading for the door.
On my way, babe. Meet me out front?
Clarke responds as Bellamy climbs into his truck, careful not to wrinkle his fancy new royal blue suit.
I'll have to, to fend off the hordes of drunk, single women you could fall prey to.
Bellamy laughs and responds before starting the engine and backing out of the driveway.
My hero.
He drives across town to Clarke's childhood home and swears at the number of cars parked up and down the street. After parking almost two blocks away from the house, Bellamy hops out of the truck and checks his phone as he hits the 'lock' button on his key and starts walking.
Wonder if you're saying that after you talk to my Mother.
Bellamy is wondering about that too as he stuffs the phone into his jacket pocket and walks faster towards the house. He spots Clarke standing on the overly-decorated front porch, head thrown back as she takes a long drink from her wine glass and tries to juggle the two glasses and her phone.
He stops a few feet away on the front lawn to look at her in her form-fitting, floor-length pink strapless dress, her pretty tattoo hidden beneath a silky white shawl. She turns to look at him and a slow smile crosses her lips as she closes the distance to hand him a drink and drapes her arms around his neck.
As Clarke leans in to kiss him, Bellamy slides his free hand down her body and over the slippery material of her dress. He kisses her leisurely and then Clarke pulls back to look him up and down and Bellamy holds out his arms, doing and little spin for her as Clarke whistles in appreciation.
"Wow. You look like you just walked out of one of my favourite fantasies, Blake."
He chuckles and steps forward to slip his hands over her again and murmurs in her ear as he pulls her in close.
"And you look like a real princess, but I have to say that, that dress would look so much better on my bedroom floor."
Clarke laughs and kisses him again quickly before they hear a voice from inside the house calling her name and she gives him a bolstering look as she takes his hand to lead him inside.
"You ready for this?" She asks, and Bellamy takes a minute to chug down the entire glass of beer that Clarke had given him, place the glass on the front foyer table, straighten his tie and grin at her.
"Let's do this." He says as Clarke smothers her laugh in her own drink and almost drops her phone in the process. Bellamy grabs the phone and drops it into his jacket pocket to free up her hands and Clarke gives him a grateful smile. The voice searching for Clarke turns out to be her future step-brother, Wells, and they find him in the hallway leading to the backyard.
"Wells. Hey."
Clarke says, catching his attention and he turns with a bright smile towards them.
"Clarke. There you are. I think the speeches are done for now and it's safe to come back outside." He says with a laugh as his eyes dart down to where Bellamy's hand is holding Clarke's and back up to her face.
"Wells, this is Bellamy. My… boyfriend." She introduces with a slight stumble over the words and a blush staining her cheeks. Bellamy steps forward and holds out his hand with a friendly smile and Wells shakes his hand firmly.
"Nice to meet you. I haven't really met anyone else my age around here except for Clarke and she's a hard one to keep track of."
Bellamy chuckles and nods his head as he places a hand over Clarke's lower back and glances at her pink cheeks.
"She most definitely is."
Clarke rolls her eyes but smiles.
"Did you say the speeches are done? That means they're clearing the dancefloor and starting the music?" She asks with visible relief and Wells laughs.
"Yeah, I think so. I was going to swing by the bar. You guys wanna join me?"
Bellamy and Clarke nod emphatically and Wells turns with a laugh towards the backdoors and the bar tent beyond.
Over the next twenty minutes, Bellamy gets to know Wells a bit more as they lounge by the bar and he decides that he likes Clarke's future step-brother. Bellamy meets the groom-to-be when he walks over to chat with his son and he falls into easy conversation with Marcus for a few minutes before he and Wells are whisked away by the wedding planner.
Clarke turns to Bellamy after they leave and asks the bartender for a couple shots of Irish whiskey. She hands one to Bellamy and looks at him with a nervous giggle.
"I say we get this over with, so we can relax."
Bellamy adamantly agrees and they take their shots with a grimace. After dropping the glasses back onto the bar with a nod of thanks to the bartender, Bellamy takes Clarke's hand and signals for her to lead the way. Clarke takes a deep breath and starts weaving her way across the dancefloor to where her Mother is engaged in an animated conversation with two of her friends. Clarke taps her mother on the shoulder lightly and she turns around to smile at her daughter.
Abby's smile falters when her eyes move to the man standing beside Clarke and Bellamy braces himself.
"Clarke. What is it, darling?" Abby asks, her eyes leaving Bellamy's face only to raise an eyebrow at their clasped hands.
"Mom, I know you've met before, but I wanted to officially introduce Bellamy Blake to you… as my boyfriend."
Bellamy smirks slightly when he notes Clarke getting more comfortable using the word 'boyfriend' to describe him but smothers it to school his face.
"Mrs. Griffin. It's nice to see you again. Congratulations on your engagement." He begins as he directs his best grin at Abby's friends for a moment. Both charmed, he turns his attention back to Abby who reluctantly smiles back at him.
"Thank you, Mr. Blake." She replies stiffly as she glances over at her smitten friends and forces a wider smile.
"I had the opportunity to meet your future husband and step-son a few minutes ago and they seem like a real good poeple." He continues, and feels Clarke squeeze his hand with approval as Abby's smile turns slightly more genuine.
"Yes, I am a very lucky woman to have found two good men in my lifetime."
Bellamy watches Clarke's face turn to shock and she smiles sadly at her mother but doesn't comment and instead changes the subject.
"Well Bellamy owes me a dance and I love this song, so we're gonna—" She says as she gestures to the dancefloor and Bellamy gives the older ladies one last grin, dripping with charm, as he shrugs and follows Clarke towards where other couples have started to dance.
As Clarke pulls him onto the dancefloor and wraps her arms around his neck, Bellamy's confidence slips slightly.
"Uh, Clarke? That was a convincing bailout, but I don't really dance."
Clarke places his hands on her waist and smiles brightly.
"Just move with me. You're pretty good at that as I recall."
Bellamy laughs and does as she says. Soon he relaxes into the rhythm of the Ed Sheeran song the DJ is playing and pulls Clarke in closer until she is moving against the front of his chest. He dares to dip down and kiss the side of her jaw despite their on-lookers.
"I think that went about as well as it could have." He whispers, and Clarke smiles up at him as she nods.
"I think you're right. Octavia's plan went off perfectly. Besides who could resist you in that suit when you're grinning at them like the sex god that I know you are."
Bellamy chuckles again as he slowly slides his hands up and down over her back and hips, stopping just short of her luscious ass.
"Speaking of which… Now that the introductions are over…" He says leadingly while he caresses the inside of her hipbones with his thumbs and kisses softly under her ear.
Clarke bites her lip and slides her hands over his shoulders and down to press against his chest, nudging him away a couple inches.
"Go get a couple drinks and meet me inside the house at the bottom of the staircase."
She says quickly and then walks away from him towards the house as Bellamy smothers his eager grin and walks towards the bar.