100 One Shots #2
Disclaimer: I do not own The 100 nor do I own anything on CW
A/N: thank you to my beta for editing these! Please go and check out my new story Kingdom of Shadows!
Try Again
Octavia was beginning to get frustrated. Trying to teach Bellamy how to speak Trigedasleng was proving more difficult that she'd originally anticipated. The words that sounded so eloquent coming from Lincoln's mouth as he taught her, sounded garbled and foreign as her brother stumbled over the strange vowels.
He'd never been good at learning new things, and she now had a new respect for her mother as she thought about what the poor woman must have gone through to teach a young Bellamy the things that he now excels at.
Octavia's thoughts were quieted as she listed to Bellamy once again try to pronounce a simple word. His nose scrunched adorably as his tongue struggled with the odd sound. It didn't sound quite right, so she asked him to try again.
This went on for several more tries until soon each new attempt was followed by a low curse. Octavia laughed, earning a stormy glare and a few choice words that she'd never repeat. She knew he didn't mean them, however it didn't stop her own temper from flaring.
"Stop whining," she hissed, "It's not that bad!"
"I do not, whine," Bellamy said with an indignant snort, "And yes, it is that bad!"
Octavia rolled her eyes, watching as he rose from the makeshift stool where he'd formerly been siting to sharpen his knife.
"I just can't get it," he said as he began to pace.
"You have to keep trying, Bell. You've only been at this for an hour. Cut yourself some slack," Octavia said, in what she hoped was an encouraging tone.
"I don't have time to sit here all day with you, O," Bellamy said with a frown, "I'm leader of this camp, and I have responsibilities."
Octavia stared at her brother, his stubbornness grating on her nerves. However, she also felt bad for him because he was right. Bellamy had been weighted down by responsibility his whole life. He'd never had the time, or the chance, to be just a regular kid.
She stood, moving to where he still paced, placing a gentle hand on his arm. His dark gaze met her own, and in that moment she saw his vulnerability. This wasn't just about learning a new language; her brother was just terrified of failure. Down here failure meant death, and she knew that had to be a heavy burden for he and Clarke to bear.
"Try again, Bell. I promise it will get easier," Octavia said softly, a smile curving her lips, "And if you insist on being difficult, I'll go get Clarke."
At the mention of his co-leader's name his eyes widened slightly, causing her smile to grow. Octavia could tell her brother cared about the pretty blonde, even if he wasn't quite ready to admit it yet.
"Fine," Bellamy said with a huff as he regained his seat, shoving his knife down in his boot and crossing his arms, "Tell it to me again."
"Ai laik Belomi kom Skaikru," Octavia repeated slowly, carefully enunciated each word.
She watched as Bellamy took a deep breath, running a hand through his already tousled curls.
"Ai laik Belomi kom Skaikru," he said, breathing a sigh of relief.
Octavia couldn't help the laugh that erupted, the look on his face paired with the garbled sounds his mouth made was just too much. She held her stomach as she guffawed, tears coursing down her cheeks. Bellamy just sat there in stunned silence, waiting for her laughter to subside.
Finally Octavia quieted to a gasping giggle, and Bellamy rolled his eyes.
"I didn't get it, did I," he asked morosely.
Octavia shook her head, a new wave of laughter overtaking her.
"Shut up, O," Bellamy grumbled.
"I'm sorry," Octavia said, holding up her hands in surrender, "Try again, you're getting closer."
Bellamy stared at her intently, his lips forming a hard, narrow line. She could tell he was imploding, his dark eyes sparking angrily and his hands fisting at his sides. However, he did try again.
"Ai laik Belomi kom Skrishkru," he said through gritted teeth.
Octavia's eyes widened, and she had to fight to hold in her giggle as she sought to explain to her brother exactly what he'd just said.
"Bell," she began, "You just said 'I am Bellamy of the Crap People'!"
Bellamy stared at her, his first real smile of the day appearing soon after. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head at his own misstep.
"Maybe you should break it down for me," he said finally.
"Ok," Octavia replied, warming to the idea, "You're having the most trouble with skai, so let's start with that."
Bellamy gave a curt nod, his hands moving to his hips as a look of determination entered his brown eyes.
"Skai," Octavia said slowly.
"Skai," Bellamy repeated, his sister giving him a warm smile at his success.
"Good! See now you're getting it," Octavia said excitedly.
She carefully went through each word of the sentence, sounding it out for him before putting it all together.
"Now the whole thing," Octavia instructed, moving to sit on the stool Bellamy had once again abandoned.
"Ai laik Belomi kom Skaikru," Bellamy said, his words still slightly stilted.
"You're getting better," she praised with a smile.
However, Bellamy shoulder's were slumped in defeat and she could tell that old frustration from moments before was beginning to bubble to the surface.
"I can't do it," he said finally through clenched teeth, his eyes blazing.
He was losing patience with himself, and he was about ready to explode. Octavia tried to keep her own frustration at bay, placing her head in her hands as she tried to think of a way to help him.
When she could come up with nothing, she simply told him to try again.
"O," Bellamy sighed angrily, "This is stupid. Why can't they just speak English?"
Octavia rolled her eyes, preparing for an argument. She wasn't Clarke, so she wasn't going to enjoy this one bit.
"We're the intruders, Bell. Their customs and way of life need to be respected," she said trying to get her point across.
Bellamy growled, grabbing his knife from the scabbard in his boot and throwing it at the nearest wall. It bounced off the metal with a thwang, clattering uselessly to the floor. He walked over and retrieved it, turning the sharpened metal over in his hands as he walked back to where he was leaning against a workbench.
Octavia watched him, still wracking her brain for any possible way to help her brother. Finally a thought occurred to her, and she knew exactly what he needed to hear.
"Do you remember teaching me how to read," she asked, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees.
"Yeah," Bellamy replied with a reluctant smirk, returning his knife to his boot.
"Remember how frustrated I got," Octavia said, watching as his lips curved in a genuine smile.
"You're not going to tell me that this is just like that are you," Bellamy asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Octavia rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched with a smirk.
"Shut up, Bell," she said, her tone lacking any real bite, "I know you're not the most patient person…"
"I can be patient," Bellamy scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
Octavia couldn't help the laugh that escaped, not missing her brother's glare, "Oh you can, can you? Well at least you're trying, and that's all that matters. Keep trying and you'll get it."
She got up from the stool, walking to where Bellamy stood still glaring. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, meeting his eyes with her own. "You've got this, big brother," she said softly.
Bellamy closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to dispel what remained of his anger. He opened his eyes, staring down at the center of his world, and knew that he would try again.
"Ai laik Belomi kom Skaikru," he said slowly.
Octavia squealed, throwing her arms around his neck to hug him tightly.
"You did it," she said, "See, a little practice goes a long way."
She smiled up at him, pride swelling in her chest. Pride that he'd finally said something in Trigedasleng, but also pride that she'd been the one to teach him.
"Thanks, O," Bellamy said finally, "Now what's next?"
Octavia laughs at this, "You're hilarious Bellamy! There's not going to be any more lessons for a while."
"Come on, O! I can do it now," Bellamy said in a teasing tone.
"No, it took three hours for you to get just that one sentence," Octavia said with a shake of her head.
"Maybe the next line won't take as long," he said with a charming grin, the one that usually got him whatever he wanted.
However, Octavia was well versed in telling her brother no. "I'm not doing it Bellamy. Ask Lincoln," she said with a smirk.
The two men were still not on great terms. They were civil, but her brother still looked like he wanted to choke the life from the very large Grounder ever time he saw him.
"Ha-Ha, very funny," Bellamy said, his gaze following his sister as she walked from the drop ship.
"Love you," she shouted over her shoulder.
"Love you too," he called back.
Octavia shook her head, she needed a break after the three hours she'd just spent with her brother. Dealing with him was like dealing with a panther with a thorn in its paw, all growls and hisses. She wondered how Clarke managed it, but then again she kind of new.
She turned to watch as Clarke met Bellamy at the opening of the drop ship, his deep voice carrying as he showed the blonde what he'd learned. Clarke gave him an endearing smile, and then laughed in his face. However, instead of being angry, Bellamy laughed right along with her.
"Yep, they deserve each other," Octavia said with a shake of her head, unable to hide her devious little smirk.
-Lin
