prompt: Clarke's first exhibition

Saying she is nervous may be somewhat of an understatement – she's scared to death. Because this is it, this is a 'make or break' kind of deal that could influence her entire career, depending on who sees it, who likes it, who writes about it.

Her first exhibition.

Her first real exhibition, in a real gallery, not just at the university for the students to see. No, this is the real deal, a vernissage with champagne and canapés – she even wears high heels and a dress, which happens never. And she tells herself someone might be interested in buying, and that's the most frightening thoughts of all. Her first sell that isn't a commission.

Thankfully, Bellamy is by her side.

("What am I supposed to talk about? I don't know shit about art," he'd asked her as she was fixing his tie. He cleans up nicely in a suit, she'll have to give him that, even if she has mixed feelings about the way he combed back his hair.

"You know shit about art, like the frescoes of Pompeii and stuff." She fidgeted with his collar too, just to keep her fingers busy. "Don't let them get to you because they think an upside-down urinal is the epitome of art."

He laughed.)

His hand on her lower back anchors her even as she talks with her former professors and other artists – he doesn't speak much, playing the part of the trophy boyfriend quite nicely. It makes her laugh internally every time she glances at him, how he pretends not to be bored out of his mind and how fake his smile is. But he's trying, so very hard.

"Clarke!"

She gets pulls into a hug before she has time to react – a very familiar hug, actually, and Raven beams at her with her brighter smile. She pulls Bellamy into a quick hug too, in a bouncy way that speaks of one too many cup of champagne drunk before she found them.

"Your art is awesome, girl. I'm so proud of you."

"Wait, you saw her work?" Bellamy asks with that indignant edge to his voice.

"Wait, you didn't?"

Raven looks between the two of them and Bellamy looks at her and – and Clarke just sighs. With all the talking (and, well, the ass-kissing), they haven't even taken the time to look at the gallery yet. And it's kind of unfair, because she's refused to tell Bellamy what is exposed, and he isn't the patient type so – yeah, really badly handled on her part.

So Raven takes matter into her own hands as she links her arm with Bellamy's and drags him to another corner of the room – leaving Clarke to end the conversation she was having with someone seconds before, and the woman looks downright insulted by those loud cheerful young adults.

Whatever.

She makes her way towards Bellamy and Raven slowly, not so confident on her high heels now that she no longer has her boyfriend to lean on just in case. When she's close enough to him, she wraps her arms around his waist and puts her chin on his shoulder. He's frozen on the spot, and she doesn't pretend not to know why.

The painting – one of her very few – is from one of her sketches, drawn on a lazy Sunday morning in their apartment months ago. He lies on his stomach and hugs his pillow, peeking through his lashes with sleepy eyes. She's been working so hard to get all the details right – his freckles and his skin turning to golden hues in the sun, the tender look in his eyes even when half-asleep. It's soft and bright and beautiful, showing him the way she sees him, the way she loves him.

(It's one of her favourite pieces, if she says so herself.)

"Look at that, " she says, low enough for only him to hear. "You're not naked."

He chuckles softly, laces his fingers with hers on his stomach. "Yeah, we wouldn't want to create a riot. Fangirls screaming, all that jazz."

But he moves so they stand face to face, still in each other's arm, and she sees it all in his eyes – the depth of his feelings for her. They're not the kind of couple to say 'I love you' all the time but, really, they don't need to. Not when it's written all over their faces.

"Yeah. Beside, I'm the only one allowed to see you naked."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really."

Bellamy kisses her nose.

Raven makes gagging noises for them to stop.