"Yep, text you later," Bellamy said, watching Clarke walk away. She'd rolled her eyes as she insisted she didn't need an escort back to her room.

"Damn, you've got it bad," Jasper said with a smirk.

"Shut up, Jasper," Bellamy muttered, shutting the door. His two roommates were sitting on the spare mattress, eating their cake.

"Nothin' to be ashamed of. Everyone needs a little college romance." Jasper wiggled his brows, and despite himself, Bellamy felt his heart tick a bit faster.

"It's not like that," He said firmly, sweeping cake crumbs from his desk into the trash bin.

"Oh, more like a friends with benefits type of thing?" Jasper pressed.

"No!" Bellamy snapped, fixing him with a glare.

"O-kay pal," Jasper leaned back into the wall. "If I were you though, I'd snatch her up. This cake is the bomb."

Monty snorted at that and then looked peevishly at Bellamy, conveying a silent apology for friend's directness.

"What about you two then? Where's your college romance?" Bellamy challenged.

"Oh, sorry Bellamy, I'm a taken man."

"Yeah? Who?"

"Her name's Maya. She's back at home, though."

"So, it's not a college romance, then?" Jasper frowned.

"It will be. Next year, once she comes to college. She's still a senior in highschool," he said.

"Ohhh," Bellamy flopped down on his bed. "I see."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jasper challenged. Bellamy propped up on an elbow. He hadn't expected the boy with the chemistry goggles constantly glued to his forehead to take such a stance over his girlfriend. Although he knew he shouldn't, Bellamy could'nt help but give him a little grief, after everything Jasper put him through on a nightly basis.

"I dunno. Just, you, being here, and this Maya being, where are you from again?" Bellamy knew the answer to the question, but he asked it anyway, trying to get a rise from the boy. It worked.

"LaCrosse, Wisconsin," Jasper said harshly.

"Ohh, yeah! What's that, like three hours away?"

"Two hours and forty five minutes, if you go 70 on the interstate."

"Okay. But still, quite a ways. How often can you guys see each other? Seems like one of you might get a little lonely, you know-"

"If you're suggesting that I would cheat on my girlfriend-"

Bellamy interrupted him. "No! I would never! It was just a thought."

"Hmpf." Jasper made a displeased noise.

"But you know, if Maya ever does get a little lonely, feel free to give her my phone number." It was Bellamy's turn to smirk at Jasper, who by this point had caught on that Bellamy was only pulling his leg.

"Oh, go off yourself Bellamy," Jasper jeered, struggling to maintain his harsh tone.

"I'll consider it." Bellamy yawned through the words, laying back down.

"Okay, let me know what you decide. I've got work to do." Jasper stood and walked out of the room without another word.

Monty stood, seeming as if to follow his friend, but paused at the door, glancing back to Bellamy.

"Hey, um Bellamy?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Your sister, and uh, do you know what her roommate's name is?" Although Monty's olive skin hid the blush in his cheeks, his fidgeting hands gave away his embarrassment at asking the question.

Bellamy smiled at the boy. "Harper. I can get her phone number for you, if you want?"

"Oh! Uh, I would, but don't you think that'd be a little weird? Wouldn't she wonder where I'd gotten it from? What if that made her think I was some kind of stalker or something?"

"You've got a point," Bellamy agreed. "But yeah, Harper. She's a real nice girl. Perfect for your college romance." Bellamy scoffed at the idea.

"Harper," Monty repeated. "Thanks Bellamy. And tell Clarke thanks again for the cake!" He said in a rush, shutting himself into the bathroom.

" 'Course." Bellamy yawned again. Too many late nights and long days were catching up with him as he neared the end of the week.

There was only one more thing he needed to do before turning in early for the night: talk to Octavia. There was something going on with her, something that went beyond her typical stubbornness.

Bellamy didn't want to go back upstairs and knock on her door. Harper, Clarke and Raven were all bound to be right there, chatting as girls were prone to do. That also left out calling her on the phone too.

So, there was only one other option. He sent her a quick text and hoped she would respond in a civil manner.

B: Want to come down to my room so we can catch up?

It took a few moments before she replied.

O: Sure thing Dad. See you in 10.

Bellamy groaned. She wasn't going to drop her position that Bellamy was far too involved in her life anytime soon.

It was seventeen minutes before she showed up, and Bellamy was still laying on his bed, watching an ESPN countdown on his phone when she let herself in.

"What'cha want, Bell?"

"Hey. I just wanted to talk to you." He sat up as Octavia leaned against the wall right inside the door.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you, too." Bellamy nodded for her to continue. She took a deep breath and began, pressing her fingertips together in front of her chest.

"First of all, I just want to have an adult conversation with you," she began.

"I would like nothing better," Bellamy said smoothly, recognising the irony of those words coming out of Octavia's mouth.

"I don't want you to treat me like your daughter, or someone that you need to protect. I am an adult. I can take care of myself. I go to school, and I got a job now, so I don't need any more of that state pension money we got from mom. I opened my own bank account now. I want to be free to make my own decisions and I would appreciate it if you stayed out of my business from now on." She tipped her nose in the air, looking satisfied at the delivery of her obviously pre prepared speech.

Bellamy stared at his little sister for a moment. He knew she craved nothing more than independence. She had from a young age, but until now, she wasn't capable of surviving without guidance.

She still isn't. Bellamy grappled with the voice inside his own head. Octavia was still his little sister. She would always be, and he would always be her older brother, her protector. Could he really just- let her go? Relinquish his position in her life, just like that?

"Bellamy?" She interrupted his thoughts, leaning forwards with a slight frown on her lips.

"Uh, yeah." He said, trying to keep his face free from his conflicting emotions.

"So, you're okay with that, then?" She stood straighter, the tone of her voice edging on disbelief.

"I mean, no," he said honestly. Octavia's face started to darken. "But, I realize how I might be a little too overprotective at times. I suppose…"

"You suppose…?" she prodded.

Bellamy was torn. Was this what it was like to be a parent? He was only five years older than Octavia, but still…

"I suppose I ought to let you go your separate way," Bellamy said, watching as Octavia's face brightened. "But I will always be your big brother."

"Of course, you would never let me forget it!" She said, throwing her arms around Bellamy's neck, giving him the first genuine hug in months. Bellamy couldn't even remember the last time Octavia had willingly embraced him.

As she pulled away, Bellamy smiled a little bit and joked, "My little girl, all grown up." Octavia wrinkled her nose at that, but it didn't dampen her spirit.

"Okay, now that we got that settled, you can let Clarke know she doesn't have to keep making excuses for you to follow her upstairs."

Bellamy felt his stomach do a little drop. "I uh, yeah. I guess I can." He scratched the back of his neck.

"So you admit to using her!" Octavia cried, pointing a finger at him. The tone of her voice was accusatory, but she was still smiling.

"Um, no," Bellamy said slowly. "Some of the times we really did just bump into each other." He thought that would be a safe answer. He didn't know what Clarke had told Octavia.

"Hmm," Octavia said, sitting on the edge of the desk. Her phone chimed in her back pocket. She pulled it out and smiled at something she read.

"Who's that from?" Bellamy asked.

"None of your business," She said, with just a touch of her usual snippiness.

"Okay, then," Bellamy said, forcing the words out, trying to comply with Octavia's request.

"Wow, that's a first!" She praised him, setting her phone down. "I think this is going to be good, for the both of us. Now that you won't spend all of your time helicopter-parenting me, you could accomplish so much more."

Bellamy chuckled. "I didn't before?"

"No," she clarified, "But Bell, we both know you never really had a social life. You were either at school or working or minding after me or mom. But now, you only have school, and just a little bit of mom, so you could go join a club! They have some really good intramural sports. I think you have to try out, but I know you could get on a have dodgeball! You loved dodgeball in high school!"

Bellamy rolled his eyes. He hadn't played dodgeball in probably eight years.

"I'm serious! You should look into it. Some of them have tryouts this weekend."

"We'll see," Bellamy said.

"Okay. Let me know then. Maybe we could come watch you tryout."

"We?"

"Yeah- me and uh, Harper." Octavia looked guilty. Bellamy frowned at her, but she turned and grabbed her phone off the desk and made for the door. As much as Bellamy wanted to demand she explain herself, he reminded himself for the second time in the past minute that she should be able to live her own life. It was time.

"Okay, goodnight Bell!" Octavia chirped, slipping out the door. Bellamy looked at the closed door with a strange mixture of apprehension and relief. The truth was, Bellamy hadn't been nearly as attentive to Octavia as usual this past week, preoccupied with Clarke as he was. It gave him a bit of hope that she had gone disaster free for a week without his constant guidance.

Except for the party.

That could have been the biggest disaster of her life. Instead, it was Clarke who received the short end of the stick on that one. It was a sick thought that crept into Bellamy's head, that he would rather it have been Clarke than Octavia, and the second he thought it, he physically recoiled. It was an absolutely wretched thing to think. Who knew how different the situation could be, but Bellamy was committed to helping Clarke in whatever way he could.

He smiled softly as he mused that Clarke had filled in the space that Octavia had vacated. Clarke needed him now. At least, Bellamy hoped she did. If there was one thing Bellamy realized about himself, it was that he worked better when he had someone else to look after and take care of.

The main difference between Clarke and Octavia was that Bellamy didn't feel like a parent towards Clarke, or even like an older brother. He felt like her confidant, her protector, her friend. And, growing in the back of Bellamy's mind, were some feelings that would definitely not be conducive with being her brother.

AN_

I love dodgeball. ;) Should be fun...!

Thanks for reading!

-Birch66724