i.
"Brave, Princess." He smirks at her, tilting his head, and right from the start, there's a little spark.
But then Finn interrupts, the first in a long line of interruptions that will follow them for years to come. From war to partner, and from partner to war. There's always something in the way.
.
Jasper hangs from the tree, and with no hesitation, the princess runs up to help him. Uselessly brave.
He's just behind her when suddenly, she's falling, and he's catching. She's in the ground, spikes biting at her toes. His eyes are wild, like his hair, not understanding why he caught her.
Holding her wrist, he recognizes the fear in Clarke's eyes. His grasp tightens.
("The only way the Ark is going to think I'm dead, is if I'm dead. Got it?" They both remember her words, but he still doesn't let her go.)
When the guys pull her out by his arm, she stares at him with recognition, her breathing empty.
You didn't let me go. Her face is frozen.
I didn't. He sits there with lost lungs, struggling to look her in the eye.
Why?
I don't know.
They have this entire conversation without any spoken words between them, and it scares him.