When Clarke heard the footsteps, she knew they were his. They could only be his. They had been alone together for a long time now. She had thought that it might be a fleeting thing, that things would go back to normal before she even had the chance to adjust. But it had been a month, and they were still alone. It looked like it would stay that way.
"Hey Clarke?"
"Yes?"
"Why didn't we ever get together?"
There was no space here for flippancy or denials. Just the truth. "When we first met, I didn't think you were worth my time. You were a rebel, a criminal."
"And then?"
"Then, eventually, I felt like I was the rebel, the criminal. I wasn't good enough for you."
"Do you still feel that way?"
"The feeling isn't as strong. The wound isn't raw anymore. But that doesn't mean it isn't there. I know I'm not evil incarnate. I haven't had the opportunity to do anything worse than track mud inside since we got here. I know it's awful that we're trapped here away from our friends, but it's also kind of relaxing. I don't have to do the right thing or the wrong thing. I can just exist. That being said… not-evil is a very low standard. You deserve better."
Bellamy shrugged. "If not you, then who? In case you haven't noticed, you don't have much competition these days."
"It's not that simple."
Bellamy nudged her shoulder. It was a familiar gesture. Something born out of a month of companionship, used to distract her from worries or jolt her from boredom. "Do you want it to be?"
Clarke decided that there would never be a better time for a confession. "Now that everything else has fallen away, I can't stop dreaming. And even though you're right here in front of me, the only thing here, I always dream of you."
He gave her a wry grin, but she could see the vulnerability underneath. "There's no cure for that. Believe me, I've tried everything."
"Not everything."
She kissed him. It wasn't a brave kiss. Her hands were trembling, and her heart was beating fast. But only for the first few moments. Because when he kissed her back, she knew and she wasn't afraid anymore. She knew everything that she had been blocking out back in the real world. She knew that this was Bellamy and he loved her. She knew that this was Bellamy and she loved him. The knowledge was like standing in the sunshine on a cold day. It was so beautiful that she made a promise to herself. She promised that she would hold on to the knowledge. It didn't matter if they were forever alone, or if they found themselves surrounded by friends and enemies tomorrow. She would remember, and she would never be afraid to kiss Bellamy again.