A/N: Here's Chapter four as promised!
Disclaimer: No, I haven't gained ownership of The 100 since my last post a few minutes ago.
We are on level five. Still searching for the mystery grave digger(s). My eyes are darting all around, searching for possible foes, my shoulders are about halfway down the main hall when something finally happens. Monty and Jasper have stepped out of formation, to the side of the hall. I can't see what's lured them over, but soon there is a crowd in front of it, and people are making their way through.
That's when I see it. A golden head of hair. Peachy skin and blue eyes. Her soft lips form a shy smile. Our eyes meet, and I am making my way to her, never breaking eye contact.
I simultaneously forgive her. For leaving camp. For abandoning me. For anything and everything. Seeing her alive again is enough. What's more, she looks well. Which is more than I could have hoped. I feared finding her on the brink of death, or worse.
I don't realize it at first, but I have stopped a few feet away from her, unsure of what I should do. I want to collect her in my arms, and hold her. But still I hesitate, looking at her like she is an injured animal, not sure how to treat its wounds.
Suddenly, her arms are around my neck, her body pressed to mine, and she presses soft kisses to my cheek, flames igniting everywhere her skin touches mine. My arms wind themselves around her waist, and hold her tightly in place.
"I've missed you." She sighs into my shoulder, her breath tickling my neck.
" I've missed you too, princess. So much." I whisper, my voice cracking with the emotion that fills me. I kiss her soft hair, and she looks up at me, eyes wide in wonder and amazement.
"Don't leave me all alone again, okay?" I ask tentatively, licking my lips that have suddenly gone dry. She only slowly nods before speaking.
" I don't plan to... I didn't know what you meant to me until I was gone. Now that I know, I don't plan to let you go ever again." She declares, the ferocity in her voice that I have come to admire so much.
She is so strong. How can a broken man like me ever deserve her? Then she falters, looking down at the ground, shuffling her feet.
"I ran away like a child. You should be angry with me for leaving. Yet you aren't. Why? Why do you love someone so broken-" she stops herself short, realizing what she had said. She is staring into my eyes, desperate to know what I am thinking. I tell her.
" I love you, princess, because you are my strength. You are the voice of reason when I want to do something rash. You rein me in. I need you. But I also love you for your vulnerabilities. How you look to me when you need reassuring. How-" I am cut off by the clearing of a throat behind me. The 'kids' were right there. And I had forgotten them completely. Oops. Oh well. I don't care. But I do, because I can feel my cheeks are hot with blush, and I curse them. I can't look like this in front of the kids!
" As... Touching as that moment was, we do have a lot of work ahead of us. These graves don't dig themselves." Miller says, his eyes avoiding mine. I nod in agreement.
" We need to have organized shifts and jobs set in place so that we can do this with efficiency. I think there should be three groups of workers, body preparations, grave digging, and grave marking. We need to make sure that this is done right." I speak loud and clear, my voice firm. Clarke grabbed my hand at some point. I didn't notice. Her hand just fit so nicely into mine.
"We should have a smaller team on the inside to prepare food and to have water on the ready. You need to be well nourished to do you best work." She adds confidently.
"How many of you guys are there?" She asks me.
" Only twenty-four. Chancellor Griffin didn't allow anymore to go. I would have preferred twenty more, but she wouldn't have it." I say, feeling the frustration rise, my ears burning red, and a frown forming on my lips.
"Oh. I'm sorry she is so stubborn sometimes. She can be so aggravating." she says earnestly. She is biting the inside of her cheek nervously.
"It's alright princess. I know someone else who is just as stubborn, and I love her for it." I state honestly. Her stubbornness made me challenge my convictions. I love a challenge. I smirk at her, and she blushes.
"Alright everyone. Lets get four groups of six! Bellamy or myself will alternate between working and making sure everything is going smoothly." She says with conviction. Everyone gathers into four straight lines.
"Actually, I would prefer if you supervised and covered any injuries. I can handle the work detail."
"But I -"
"No buts."
"Bellamy -"
" You've done more than your share." I tell her, one hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes. I see her soften, and I know I have won. I give her a small smile as everyone disperses. There are section leaders and everything. The kids have grown up so much since we came down from the sky.
We work in shifts of four hours. Resting when tired. And Clarke makes everyone eat three times a day. She also is a kind of water boy. She takes water out, and then collects the cups. She also helps wherever she is needed, and although injury is infrequent, I am more than glad to have her around when it does happen.
Night is my favorite time now. After dinner, we put in as much work as the sun allows. Clarke won't let anyone work past dark. I find it adorable, how she orders all of us around, squaring her shoulders and speaking firmly.
Once work can no longer be done, we all gather in a recreation room, and talk. Usually about the day and goals for tomorrow. Clarke and I are inseparable during quiet hours, and have taken to sleeping in one of the vacant apartments, as have the rest of us. Mount Weather had enough room to house more than a thousand people, so there is plenty of room for our crowd of twenty five.
We have been spoiled while here, being able to use running, hot, water in showers. Clarke and I have this little routine now before bed, we sit in the living room and read books found in the library. Then she showers. She comes out, smelling of honey and flowers, her skin soft and warm. She sits down next to me, I put my book down, and we have little talks.
Sometimes we talk about insignificant things. Other times we talk about the future, and what us being us means for our co-leader situation. And how or if we'll tell anyone. We decide to just let everyone assume, and until things become more permanent, we'll leave it at that. Octavia will be all over me for details, and I want to hold that off as long as possible. Right now, just the two of us knowing the details is enough. We know what we are. That is all that matters. Once our talks have tapered off (or we are too tired), I kiss her softly on her forehead, and then go to shower.
When I come out of the bathroom, I find her already snuggled into the bed. I get in, and she rests in my arms, her head on my chest. For the few moments before I slip into unconsciousness, everything is perfect.
We finish burying the last mountain man, a little boy, by midday of day three since arriving. We have buried the grounders and sky people dead as well, and their graves are marked in the same way. We hold a memorial service right after the grave is finished being filled, everyone taking a shovel full if dirt and then I finish the job.
"Not all of the Mountain Men were our friends. Some of them were so obsessed with getting to the ground, that wickedness filled them, and they were willing to harm us in order to achieve their goal. But some of these people were our friends, and allies. They put everything on the line for us, and made the ultimate sacrifice. We cannot let that sacrifice go to waste." Jasper says in the strongest voice I've ever heard out of him, and it renders all of us speechless. After a few moments though, Monty steps up to him and hugs him. Wick follows. Then Clarke. And at that point, I am swept up into this massive group hug that lasts entirely too long and becomes awkward, so somebody finally breaks it up.
We are relieved. The weight is off our shoulders. Some of us, like Jasper, want to leave right away. Clarke convinces them to stay one more night, if only to be fully rested for the trek back to Camp.
A/N: Huzah! Hope you enjoyed this one!We finally got a taste of the Bellarke we love!