A/N: This chapter gets a little weird, I had a headcanon and I went with it. Let me know what you think ;)
Several hours had passed since Raven took off, and Harper and I were joined by the rest of our group from the day. We all crowded around the table which was now overflowing with drinks and there was an intense game of cards taking place. The atmosphere was joyful and celebratory in a way that I hadn't seen since Unity Day and it was heartwarming to see the faces of my family that had been aged by hardship light up in each other's company. Even Bellamy had joined the drinking, but whilst the others threw back their cups with enthusiasm, he simply continued to nurse his first drink in his usual controlled manner. I was starting to feel relaxed and warm in a way that I knew was fuelled by the alcohol, but still felt completely in control of my actions. There was raucous laughter as Harper successfully defeated Monty with her sly tactics.
"Alright, come on mom and dad, it's time you stopped hiding on the sidelines and joined in." Octavia stated as she set her sights on Bellamy and I with a determination glinting in her eyes. "Deal them in, loser has to down their drink." She announced and Bellamy chuckled as he shook his head at her. "Come on Bel, you're supposed to be the big brother, it's about time I got to see you drunk." She drawled as she slapped his arm and he groaned at her in disappointment.
"Hell, I'm in. But i've been here for hours already so I'm at a disadvantage." I stated, as Octavia cheered in excitement and returned her expectant expression to Bellamy. "I think if Bellamy dares to join the delinquent life, he should have to catch up first." I challenged as I bit my lip suggestively at him and the entire group whooped as they waited with baited breath for his decision. I held Bellamy's tempted gaze with my heart hammering in my chest.
"Bring the drinks." He ordered without breaking eye contact and I felt my stomach fizz with nervous anticipation. Miller clapped in celebration and hopped to his feet to fetch three straight shots, which he lined up in front of Bellamy with a flourish. Bellamy glanced up at me with a competitive fire in his eyes, before swiftly sinking each shot whilst his audience cheered him on. When he successfully finished the set, I raised my brows in surprise and he winked slyly at me over the table.
The card game was tense as people gradually dropped out at the cost of numerous forfeit drinks and they munched on a couple of bowls of peanuts that Miller had snuck out of stocks as they watched the remaining players. Most of the surrounding tables emptied as the majority of camp retired for bed, but our party continued into the darkness until eventually only Bellamy and I remained in a showdown that exhilarated the group. We were caught in a silent staring contest as we each attempted to intimidate the other into cracking and I could sense the thrill of those observing the match with baited breath.
"You think I'm lying badboy?" I drawled in a low voice and Bellamy smirked confidently from behind his cards.
"I know all your tells, Scrappy." He crooned and I felt my nose scrunch up with the width of my smile. It was practically impossible to be subtle about my attraction to him with my inhibitions so lowered and I suspected that our friends were enjoying the blatant flirtation between us.
"Sorry baby, but you don't." I whispered as I revealed my winning hand and he cursed under his breath whilst the group around us roared in laughter. "Drink up Bel." I winked and he bitterly forced down the entirety of his cup with a grimace. Octavia leaned over to high five me and we sniggered together with matching pink cheeks from intoxication.
"Indie, catch!" Monty called as he threw a peanut at my face and after playing this game for hours at a time with him and Jasper back in our old camp, I instinctively leaned forward to catch it in my mouth. He could hardly believe his eyes when I successfully managed it and gasped at me. "Bullshit!" He hissed in shock as I remembered missing every single throw in the past and I laughed at him fondly. "Bet you can't do it again." He stated and I shrugged to welcome another launched peanut. This time when he threw it, my reflexes were too slow and it missed my face completely. Instead, it hit my chest and promptly disappeared into my top.
"Ah shit, I think that went in my cleavage." I remarked as I shook my top in the hope of releasing it to no avail and several of the men in our small gathering found this hilarious.
"Hold on, I can help with that." Bellamy commented as he stood from his seat and I viewed him suspiciously.
"Don't even think about it." I emphasised as I held a finger up to him in warning and he strode over to me with a mischievous smile fixed in place. "Bellamy, don't!" I attempted to sound firm but my voice cracked with the hint of a giggle and he stepped behind me to shove his hand down my top without any hesitation. "Oh my god Bel, stop!" I cried between filthy cackles and I could feel his sloppy laughter against my back. I struggled in my seat with a squeal as he took his time to search around thoroughly and the group fell apart in disbelieving laughter. "Get off me, you animal" I tried to shout but a snort escaped and Bellamy almost choked on his delight. He finally stepped back with the peanut held up victoriously, much to the cheers of his audience. I knew what he was about to do in the moment before he moved as he met my eyes and threw the peanut into his mouth. "Ew! That is so gross!" I groaned and Octavia covered her face beside me.
"Alright, that last game is going to be hard to beat. Strip poker for the next round?" Miller suggested and I stared at him in shock.
"Oh, not a chance! I think I'm gonna head off before it gets any worse." I announced as I wobbled my way into a standing position. I was amazed at how steady Bellamy was beside me and it was clear that our size difference gave him a rather substantial advantage when it came to alcohol tolerance.
"What about truth or dare?" Monty chirped and I paused in place as I considered his words for a moment. I slowly slid back towards the chair, but for some reason I didn't quite meet it as something held me in place.
"Nope." Bellamy stated defensively as he noticed my interest and wasted no time in hoisting me over his shoulder in a graceless movement that earned a squeal of surprise from me. "I'm taking her before she can cause any more trouble, any objections?" He addressed the crowd who simply waved him off and continued drinking whilst he carried me away.
Once we were back in his quarters, he dropped me onto the bed with a thump. I took a moment to sit up after the dizziness of hanging upside down and he wandered the room in search of something. I noticed that music began playing and scanned the space in confusion.
"Got this from Mount Weather, thought we could have a little fun." He explained as he indicated to a radio and handed me a cup of whisky that he'd swiped from the bar. He dropped onto the bed beside me and I leaned over to place my head on his shoulder. There was a romantic old song playing gently in the background and I smiled fondly at him.
"I didn't know you liked this kind of music." I commented idly and he shrugged in a relaxed manner.
"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." He remarked and I felt a pang of sadness at his words. It had never occurred to me before now how little we actually knew about each other and I was uncomfortable with the idea that, despite feeling that I knew him better than I knew myself, he was right. His face contorted into a guilty expression as he studied me and I realised that I must have revealed my feelings. He crossed the room to change to an upbeat swing song and strolled back over to hold a hand out to me. "Dance with me?" He offered and I viewed him with suspicion. He waved his hand to encourage me and I took it nervously.
The moment that I stepped to my feet, he pulled me into him and began guiding me in a simple but quick two step. I felt my mouth drop open in shock at how efficient he was at this and he dipped me backwards in a smooth tilt. When I straightened back up, he flashed me a dazzling smile and I couldn't contain a laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.
"What is happening right now?" I cried as he spun me around and I fell back into his arms clumsily. "You can dance?" I questioned with a growing confusion and he chuckled charmingly.
"My mom was all about dancing before Octavia was born. I used to practice with her all the time." He revealed and I felt my face light up as I beamed at him. "Guess I still know some moves." He winked and I found myself staring at him in awe.
"I never would have guessed that you have rhythm." I remarked with a delighted expression as I watched him with a renewed appreciation.
"I didn't realise you had none." He teased as I mocked offence and he had to puppet me into the correct place as I tripped over my feet again. I would love to be able to blame it on the alcohol, but if I was honest with myself I'd never really had the coordination for any kind of dancing.
"What can I say, I'm more of a rock and roll girl." I commented in my defence and his brows raised, before he quickly changed to a fond smile.
"Yeah, that actually makes sense for you." He muttered as he seemed to view me with a new assessment. The song changed to a ballad and we slowed into a close sway. I moved one of my hands to his face and caressed the edge of his jaw. "Octavia doesn't even know about this." He admitted quietly and I cocked a brow at him in interest. "I want you to know me... really know me." He dropped his voice to a low tone and stared into my eyes with a deep sense of adoration.
"I'd like that." I expressed, with the feeling of my heart swelling in my chest when he smiled at me. I felt as if I wanted to stay lost in this moment, with the dreamy music and warm fuzzy feeling, forever. I could hardly believe that it was real and the thought crossed my mind that I'd never imagined experiencing anything like what I had with Bellamy. "Alright, my turn. Let me show you what I grew up on." I chimed as I stepped out of his arms and crossed the room to the radio. "What have we got here?" I mumbled as I flipped through the available songs and he settled in a seat with a fresh glass of whisky, watching me with blatant amusement.
I could feel the effects of the alcohol now as the last of my inhibitions dissolved and Bellamy barely seemed to be feeling a light buzz by comparison. Finally, I selected a song with a cheer and turned the volume up to blaring. He laughed as I threw my jacket off dramatically and started to whip my hair around. I downed what remained of my whisky before descending into fully jumping around with flailing arms and very little semblance of any form of dancing. I forged an unsteady path toward him and pulled him to his feet. It took some considerable convincing, but he eventually dropped his guard and joined me in our own 2 person rave.
He suddenly paused in place and studied me with an awestruck expression. I opened my mouth to question him when he fell into my space and slammed his lips against mine. There was something more frantic about his kisses tonight, as if the calm control that he so carefully maintained the rest of the time had been removed by the shots that I'd baited him into earlier. My body immediately responded to his contact with an urgency that was emboldened by my lack of inhibitions.
I threaded my fingers into his hair and pushed myself up against him hungrily. The low growl that escaped his throat only spurred me on and I deepened the kiss before he could. We broke apart for just long enough to both start removing clothes from the other before clashing together again. I jumped up to wrap my legs around his waist and he wasted no time in gripping me in place. Several items of furniture clattered over noisily even over the sound of the music and I laughed against him at the chaos.
Bellamy pushed me against the wall and pressed his body against me with a level of dominance that was new but not unwelcome. His hands were all over me and I could hardly catch my breath as he altered between sloppy kisses and nipping my neck. He deftly removed my trousers whilst I was too distracted to notice and following a particularly head spinning connection of our lips, he tugged my hair. I released a moan that sent him wild and he gripped me tightly to him as he strode over to the bed. We crashed onto it in a fashion that produced a worrying variety of crunches from the bed frame but we were too absorbed in each other to care. As he resumed his mind blowing conquest, I knew that tonight would be an experience to remember.
- O - O - O - O - O -
The very first thing that filled my consciousness was a pounding that was so powerful, it seemed it could split my head in two. My mouth was so dry I could easily be convinced that I had been living in the desert for months and I was pretty sure that if I dared to move even a single muscle, I would vomit. After a while of lying perfectly still and wallowing in my own self pity, I dragged myself into sitting upright and the entire room spun around me. I could barely comprehend my environment through my blurred vision and wondered if I was actually still drunk. My entire body throbbed from last night's antics and my desperate need for water urged me from the tangled sheets. I tried to gingerly slide myself to my feet and instead fell gracelessly from the bed in a flop.
Following some considerable effort, I managed to coordinate my limbs into the clothes that were strewn across the room between the carnage. I carried my jacket by my side as I felt a cold sweat covering my skin and wandered on shaky legs in search of fresh air. As I stepped out into the breeze of camp, I took a moment to indulge in some deep breaths as I considered who I could count on for hangover advice. Instinctively, I found myself shuffling toward Raven's quarters and as I opened the door, I stumbled inside with my arms outstretched for balance. The moment that I fell into the room, Raven glanced up at me with a grimace and a hiss. My puffy, matted hair hung in front of my face and I panted from the strain of getting here.
"You look like hell." She commented with a hint of amusement in her tone and I groaned loudly in response.
"I think I'm dying." I gasped with a hoarse voice and she chuckled as she raised from her seat to rattle around in the cupboards. I struggled to keep myself in an upright position as I worried how I would ever be able to move any further than this exact spot and felt as if the space was mocking me with it's rapid rotations. Raven crossed the room to hand me a bottle of water and a bag of food.
"I remember my first hangover, I felt the same. Drink plenty and get some food in your stomach, it'll help." She advised as she smiled at me and I attempted a nod that only made the room spin faster. "And sit down before you fall down." She added sternly as she returned to her workbench and I followed her with a heavy footsteps. I dropped onto a stall beside her and drank from the bottle as if I'd never had water in my life. Raven pointed at the food insistently and I held back a burp.
"Oh god, I can't do it." I cried as I tossed the bag onto the bench and leaned forward to place my elbows on the surface with my face in my hands. My hair fell forward to block out my surroundings but I heard Raven take a sharp breath, then barely suppress a laugh.
"Seems like you had a hell of a night." She crooned and I scoffed as I tried not to linger on my hazy memories. Everything was a mess in my mind and although I remembered enjoying every moment of the events, their sequence was still a mystery to me. In fact, I wasn't even sure if some of it was possible or I'd potentially just experienced a montage of hormone fuelled, boozy dreams.
"You have no idea." I muttered as I felt a surge of embarrassment flooding through me. For a moment, I was distinctly sure that our activities had been rather more vocal than usual and I realised that a lack of inhibitions may have caused some significantly more adventurous parts of my personality to reveal itself. I shook my head in an effort to distract myself from the highlight reel that threatened to fill my mind.
"Oh, I have some idea." Raven remarked with a deviousness that made a shiver run down my spine. I leaned back to examine her with nerves building in my stomach and she studied me with her lips pursed smugly.
"You know what, I don't even want to know what you mean by that." I stated with a long sigh, deciding that I didn't have the strength for her mockery today. "I'm supposed to be working today, you got any tips on how I can do that?" I asked with a desperate, pleading expression and hoped that I could simply battle through my pain. She looked momentarily sympathetic before a wicked smirk spread across her face.
"I don't know if you want to go to work after you kept people up pretty late last night." She stated with a cocked brow and I gulped involuntarily. I prayed that her insinuation was merely in jest and that she would follow it with a confirmation that she was referring to the over exuberant noise of our card games last night, but her silence was deafening as she continued to stare back at me with a knowing look.
"Yeah, I guess the music was pretty loud, got a little carried away." I mumbled as I shuffled in my seat and battled not to appear embarrassed. There is no way she could know anything about what happened in the privacy of our room and I was determined not to fall into her trap of accidentally revealing any details this time.
"Oh, I know exactly how carried away you got, pretty sure the whole camp does." She reported and I felt my stomach lurch at her statement. "It wasn't the music that you need to worry about Indie, I don't think it was quite as loud as you think it was." She finally cracked with a snort of laughter and I felt all of the colour drain from my face in horror. I couldn't hold back the mental replay of the noises from the night before that I'd been confident the radio would cover and felt as if I could die on the spot. "I'm telling you, if you thought people didn't know that you two were a thing before, they absolutely do now. And anyone who still doesn't will soon if you keep walking around with your jacket off." She sneered as she glanced at my neck area and I viewed her with confusion. She indicated to a mirror in the corner of the room and I leaned to catch my reflection with a gasp. I was coated in a multicoloured assortment of hickeys all over my neck, spreading down onto my collarbone and I rushed into the large jacket with my cheeks burning. Raven snorted in delight beside me and I hurried to my feet.
"I'm going back to bed before today gets any worse." I groaned as I rapidly stumbled toward the door and I could hear Raven's cheeky laughter even from outside in the hall.
I returned to Bellamy's bed with a heavy head and hid under a pillow in embarrassment. I hadn't even questioned where he was this morning, I'd been too distracted by my own suffering and at the current moment, I was relieved by the peace of my solitude. My mind spiralled over the idea of others hearing us together and felt sick with humiliation. The feeling was so overwhelming that the only logical solution my mind could present was to never leave this bed again. At some point I must have drifted back to sleep, as when I next opened my eyes Bellamy was crouched by the bed, studying me with a smile.
"Morning sleeping beauty." He muttered and I groaned dramatically in response. He handed me a bottle of water with a cheeky smile and I took it gratefully. I noticed that he was fully dressed and was still frustratingly bright despite my clear memory of him drinking whisky with me. I fixed him with a scrutinising look as I pondered his perfect face that didn't show any signs of exhaustion.
"Did you lie to me about not drinking before?" I asked in a gruff voice and he shook his head in confusion. "Because somehow you're sitting here looking like a goddamn model and I'm on my actual deathbed." I groaned as he chuckled in amusement.
"I just hold my drink better, Love." He teased and as I leaned up on my elbows to retort, the mattress fell through with a large crack. I squealed in surprise and after an initial fuss over me, Bellamy and I stared at each other in disbelief.
"Did we...actually break the bed last night?" I hissed with a slight bite on my lip to suppress a laugh.
"Just one of many parts of collateral damage." He commented as he glanced around and now that I had slept off more of the effects of the drink, I absorbed the state of the room with bewilderment. When I returned my attention to him, we both broke into laughter.