And per usual, my sincerest thanks to all you wonderful people out there reading this!

And Chapter Twelve! It's getting so close to being done!

Clarke woke up on Sunday morning, the previous night's activities came flooding back; she remembered the Drop Ship…and the apartment doorway, the hallway, and finally her bedroom. You could say it was a good night. She rolled over expecting to find a sleeping Bellamy next to her, but was instead greeted by an empty, but still warm void. Her heart dropped.

Clarke, she told herself, it's fine. You're fine. You're a big girl. You know that Bellamy has a reputation for one night stands. You guys didn't specify anything last night, and he doesn't know that you have actual feelings for him, and that you didn't want this to be a one-time thing. Chin up, don't cry. You're better than this, one man doesn't make or break you. A traitorous part of her brain answered, He does if his name is Bellamy Blake.

Sure, the past week whoever had woken up first would quietly get out of bed without waking the other—it had usually been her because her work started earlier—but whoever it was would always make sure to say good morning and good-bye to the other. She knew that this time was different for obvious reasons, but it she hadn't expected him to just disappear.

She took a deep breath and started to climb out of bed. Right as she swung her feet to the floor, her bedroom door was pushed open. "Good morning, Princess. I made coffee," Bellamy said cheerfully. Within the second, his face dropped and he rushed to put two coffee mugs on the dresser and hurried to the side of her bed, kneeling down and cupping her face in his hands, "Clarke, what's the matter?" he asked, concerned. He wiped away a tear from her cheek that she hadn't realized had fallen.

"It's nothing. It's stupid. Forget about it," Clarke dismissed, trying to smile, but the worry of not knowing where he stood still nagging the back of her mind.

"Clearly, it's not," Bellamy insisted, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"When, when I woke up and you weren't there, I, I thought you had left, like gone home, and…"

Bellamy brought his lips to hers. "Silly, Princess," he laughed quietly. "I was just bringing you coffee because I've woken up here enough mornings to know that you don't want to do anything until you have coffee." He smiled at her, then added with a mischievous smirk, "And I have a couple activities in mind for this morning."

Clarke let out a laugh, choosing to dismiss her worries at least for the moment. "Bellamy Blake! You are a crude, crude man."

"The question is, did it work."

"Why don't you try your luck and find out?" It was Clarke's turn to smirk as she pulled him onto the bed with her. Their coffees got cold long before they had a chance to drink them.

Still lying in bed with Bellamy, Clarke's phone started to ring. "Don't you dare answer that," Bellamy warned.

She let it go to voicemail, but when it started to ring again, Clarke looked at the phone, "It's your sister."

"Then definitely don't answer it."

"Hello?" She answered the device.

"Hey, Clarke? Did Bellamy spend the night? He's not picking up his phone, and I'm trying to plan this lunch thing."

"Yeah, Bellamy spent the night," Clarke told Octavia with a smile to the man who was now towering over her; as she lay on her back talking on the phone, he had one arm on either side of her head holding himself suspended over her.

"Okay, well, I was thinking me and Lincoln could just meet the two of you at the restaurant. Can I talk to Bell? He said he had a place he wanted to go."

"You want to talk to Bellamy?" Clarke repeated, looking at the man in question. He shook his head and began kissing her neck, shoulder, and collarbone.

"Stop it," Clarke scolded him quietly, covering the mouthpiece. Bellamy just smirked and continued. "He's a little busy at the moment," she told Octavia. Clarke felt his muffled laugh against her skin.

"Okay, well, can you ask him where he wants to go?" Octavia asked.

"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Clarke asked Bellamy. He looked at her, shrugged his shoulders, and continued his administrations. "Would you stop that?" she pushed him away playfully.

He actually stopped what he was doing, but only to smirk at her and say, "What are you going to do? Say, 'Sorry, O, I can't talk right now; your brother is about to eat me out;' I don't think so." And with that his mouth started southward.

Clarke bit her lip. "He doesn't care. Just pick somewhere and text it to me. Noon, right?" Clarke rushed, hoping her voice doesn't sound as strained as it felt at making coherent sentences.

"Sounds good…Clarke? Are you okay?" Octavia answered, sounding concerned.

"Never better," Clarke replied honestly. "See you at noon!" And hung up.

It was Tuesday night, the entire group was gathered around Octavia and Clarke's living room. Clarke sat at one end of the couch using the armrest as a back support, her feet in Octavia's lap who as sitting next to her, Lincoln on Octavia's other side; Bellamy sat in the armchair that was more or less facing Clarke. They had elected to keep their weekend activities to themselves, mostly on account of a certain bet and avoiding about a million I told you so's. But that didn't stop them from eyeing each other with knowing smiles.

The Sunday lunch had gone by swimmingly; Octavia was slightly taken aback by how much so, but Clarke and Bellamy had been too wrapped up in each other and as well as keeping the new developments in their relationship to themselves to either make a fuss or catch on to Octavia's confusion. Octavia had repeatedly tried to get Clarke to tell her what she had told Bellamy to make him so happy and calm during the meal, but Clarke only ever shrugged and said something along the lines of, "I guess he's just realizing you're growing up and that you made a good decision with Lincoln."

This Tuesday night, the group was chatting happily amongst themselves when Raven stood up suddenly. "I propose a new game!" she pronounced, producing a bottle of José Cuervo. "Truthful Tequila Tuesday! It's like Truth or Dare, but either you answer the question truthfully or you take a shot of tequila."

"Why don't we just play Truth or Dare?" Wick asked.

"Because Octavia's dares usually end up very badly for one or more parties," Clarke told him, kicking at her friend lightly.

"I'm sorry I didn't know that there was a police man around that corner, or that Dean Kane was going to come out of his house at that exact moment. I can't predict the future!" Octavia attempted to defend herself in a tone that revealed she had apologized for this hundreds of times already.

"I need to hear these stories," Lincoln chuckled, eager for an explanation.

"Well," began Jasper, "once upon a time, it was a Saturday night before finals and it was raining, so studying was even more miserable. So, we decided to play Truth or Dare. Of course, we were also a few drinks in by then, as well, because who actually wants to study? Anyway, earlier in the week I had given Clarke and Octavia crap for watching musicals; they began torturing me with songs from them, so my brain was memorizing the words despite my conscious protests. I stupidly picked dare, and Octavia dared me to go outside and sing "Dancing in the Rain" in my underwear because it was conveniently raining that night. I complied, because one does not go against The Dare, and was out in the rain dancing and singing in my whitey-tighties and around the corner strolls a police man; I was cited for a drunk and disorderly. The rest of the group just giggled from inside the door and did nothing to help me." He looked accusingly at Octavia, Clarke, and Monty. Everyone else shared an uproarious laugh as the three accused mumbled apologies.

"Alright, alright. Ready for story two?" Clarke asked, quieting the group down. There was a resounding yes from those who had not gone to college with the four of them. "So, the dean of the college at Augie—I actually think he still is the dean—was Dean Marcus Kane. He was a bit of a hardass, though still friendly and nice, he just wouldn't take your shit. Well, shortly after we had a prank war with Jasper and Monty—a story for another time, for those of you who don't know it—one that the dean put an end to, we may or may not have been a little bitter. As a result, during a game of Truth or Dare Octavia dared me to go play ding-dong ditch at Kane's house; he lived in the neighborhood. I was going along with it and was about to ring the doorbell when the dean walked out the front door. I made up some bullshit excuse about wanting to talk to him about the prank war and apologize for our juvenile behavior, and then got out of there as soon as I could. After that every time he saw us, he would greet me with a respectful head nod and glare at the rest of them, saying they should take a cue from me and take responsibility for their actions." Another round of laughter roared through the apartment, Clarke joining in.

"So as a result, we are no longer allowed to play Truth or Dare," Raven concluded.

"Alright," Wick agreed. "I don't need any run-ins with the law. Truth or Tequila it is."

"So…" Raven began, searching for her first victim, "Clarke! What is the most orgasms you've had in a single night with a guy?"

"Whoa! We're going there already?" Clarke asked. "We don't usually get to the dirty stuff till a few drinks in."

"Answer the question or a shot of my good friend José Cuervo," was all she replied.

"Umm…" Clarke began to run through her Saturday night, ticking them off on her fingers. "Does morning after count?" she asked, trying not to make eye contact with Bellamy who she noticed had a self-satisfied smirk on his face; she may or may not have professed he was the best sex she ever had as they were interlinked together before falling asleep.

"Hmmm…you intrigue me…but I'm going to say no," Raven responded.

"Then it would come to five," Clarke said, knowing her face was more than likely bright red.

"Who?" Octavia asked flabbergasted. "And why did I never hear of this?"

"That is two questions, and I believe it is my turn to ask someone a question. Plus anyway, it's you who tells me about your sex life, not the other way around."

"Wait, what?" Lincoln asked.

"Nothing, sweetheart," Octavia assured him with a hand on his arm.

Clarke looked around the circle of friends, avoiding Bellamy, because she knew there was no way she could look at him with the confession she had just made. "Lincoln, you're new to the group; let's learn a little bit about you." Lincoln looked stoic and unfazed as was his usual manner. "What is your most embarrassing moment?"

Lincoln thought about it for a moment. "One time in college, I was home alone, all my roommates were in class or something. I was home alone, cooking my grandma's favorite stroganoff recipe, I was playing music and singing and dancing along quite ridiculously. I thought I was home alone, and so I was literally dancing like no one was watching. The next thing I know, I turn around and standing at the glass door to the kitchen was my landlord. He had dropped by to make sure the heat was working alright for the coming winter. He was dropping off his smoking hot daughter after—"

"Hey!" Octavia interrupted.

"Not as hot as you," Lincoln assured her before continuing with his story. "Anyway, since they lived in town, every time I went out to the bars, I would run into his daughter who would start singing the song I was listening to and without fail I would turn beet red."

"What was the song?" Miller asked.

"Dancing Queen by ABBA," Lincoln replied quietly.

The entire group started laughing for the third time that night. "You do know we're never going to let you live that down, right?" Monty told him.

"Somehow, I guessed as much," Lincoln replied. "My turn…Octavia."

"Yes," she responded, batting her eyelashes.

"What is the craziest thing you have ever done?"

Octavia immediately looked at Clarke who asked incredulously, "Why are you looking at me?"

"You know exactly why. You're always the instigator of my craziest acts, though somehow, despite you planning them, you're never the one caught or blamed."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Clarke told her friend, unable to hide her smile, knowing the truth of the words Octavia spoke.

"What have you gotten my sister into in the past, Princess? And why is this the first time I'll be hearing about it?" Bellamy addressed from his spot across the room.

"She lives to tell the tale, now. Is that's not what's important?" Clarke said smiling at him. "Plus, you would have freaked out if you found out we had to run from the police in Cancun."

"WHAT?" Bellamy exclaimed.

"Yup. Just like that."

Octavia laughed. "I had almost forgotten about that one. Hmmm…good times, good times."

"Can we hear that story, please?" Wick asked. "Octavia running from la policía somehow seems more believable than Clarke, but if I hear correctly it's Clarke behind it all."

"It is!" Octavia cried, excited that someone might actually believe Clarke's role as the mastermind of her worst shenanigans. "Anyway, it was almost five years ago now, so Bell can calm the fuck down. But freshman year, Clarke and I went to Cancun for Spring Break. You know those hang-glider things that you use to jump off cliffs and whatever? Well, Clarke decided she wanted to try it."

"Shoot me for wanting to fly," Clarke said both defensively and dreamily.

"I agreed, but Clarke decided to circumvent the long lines at the big tourist places and found some locals who said they could help us. We didn't know that these guys didn't have a license for it and had stolen the equipment, but we were at the top of the cliff, having just finished our lesson. We were already strapped in and ready to go when the police showed up. Clarke, in her infinite wisdom, freaked out and instead of calmly talking to the police like you all would probably assume she would, she literally ran off the side of the cliff and started to hang-glide. I wasn't about to be left behind, so I ran after her. We made it to the beach safely, ditched the gliders and booked it to the nearest area with people and were never caught by the police."

Clarke was laughing so hard by this part of the story, her adrenaline pumping at the mere memory of the event, she developed a stitch in her side. The rest of the group were also chuckling. Bellamy spoke up, "You're never taking my sister on vacation, again!" he proclaimed.

"Good thing we're planning something for this summer, then," Octavia barked at her brother in a fit of laughter.

"I will follow you and keep you in line," he continued, protective brother coming to full light.

Clarke barked a laugh. "I'd like to see you try."

"Let's continue with the game," Raven announced, trying to dissipate what she had mistaken for fighting tension which would have been more common several months ago; now, it was just Bellamy and Clarke making a silent challenge to the other, marking their patterned teasing fights that held no real malice behind them.

"Okay, okay," Octavia looked around the group. "Wick! What is one thing you would change about your fiancé if you could?"

Without pause, Wick grabbed a shot glass from the table and threw it back.

"No, I want you to answer that!" Raven said, hitting him in the arm, and not playfully.

Wick, ever quick on his feet, said, "I couldn't answer it truthfully because there isn't one thing I would change about you." He gave her a smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I will accept that answer…for now."

"Bellamy!" Wick turned quickly to the next person to answer a question, eager to get the spotlight off himself. "The best sex you've ever had, I don't need names or dates (too personal), just location."

Bellamy looked directly at Clarke, "Behind the bar of the Drop Ship, then it continued in the doorway of her apartment, the hallway of her apartment, and finally several times in her bedroom." Clarke felt her cheeks heating up rapidly. She broke eye contact to stare at the pillow that was in her lap, placing all her hopes on people looking at Bellamy rather than her.

"Wait! Behind the bar of the Drop Ship? Dude, we work back there! People get drinks from the liquor back there!" Jasper sounded appalled. "Now, that's all I'm going to be thinking about when I go into work. Please tell me you cleaned thoroughly afterwards!"

Bellamy just chuckled. "Calm yourself, Jasper. Worse things have happened behind that bar," Monty told him.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Jasper turned on his lifelong friend.

"Yes?" Monty said, less sure of himself.

The night continued on, the group having fun, getting drunk, Clarke and Bellamy making eyes at each other and hoping no one else noticed.

On Wednesday, Octavia's phone rang while she was at work. "Octavia Blake, where can I help your dreams take you?" she greeted cheerfully.

"Seriously, that's what you say?" Raven asked her in response.

Octavia's demeanor changed immediately. "They make us say that," she pouted.

"If you say so," Raven said. "Anyway, discussing your work greeting is not why I called. So, Clarke and Bellamy last night?"

"I know! They were practically eye fucking each other last night!"

"Exactly! They just need to realize that they need to actually fuck!"

"Okay, too far. This is my brother we're talking about, I do not need those mental images to scar me for the rest of my life."

"Eye fucking is alright to witness first hand and talk about it, but even the idea of your brother and your best friend actually going at it, turns you off? You're in the bet for when they do exactly that! Granted you already lost, but…"

"Shut up. Don't try to reason out my logic. And now my boss is looking at me funny through the window. So, either set up an appointment for planning your honeymoon or get off the phone."

"Wait. I actually did want to do that," Raven told her.

"Good. Because I was going to kill you and Wick if you didn't at least consult me."

After her Thursday night shift, Clarke waved good-bye to Sterling, the bouncer who had helped clean after a rowdy night. As soon as he and his car were out of sight, Clarke felt Bellamy's hand slide onto her hips from behind and turn her so she faced him. She settled happily into the kiss the followed.

"When Jasper said he had gotten someone to cover his shift, I had thought it was going to be Monty," Bellamy said after breaking the kiss.

"I hope you weren't planning on kissing Monty like that for filling in for Jasper, I might start to think you had a thing for all your co-workers," Clarke teased, taking his hand in hers and beginning to walk back to the apartment.

Bellamy made a face at her. "No, that was all for you; it'd been too long since I saw you."

"You literally saw me two days ago."

"Yeah, but that was two days too long, and I couldn't kiss you then," Bellamy told her, pulling her back from their walking into another kiss.

Clarke laughed as she broke the kiss. "Who knew you were so needy?" she joked. He slid his arm around her waist and continued their walk back to the apartment. Suddenly his face dropped. "Huh?" Clarke asked.

"I just realized that I'm going to be sleeping on the couch twenty feet from you instead of right next to you, just so Octavia doesn't freak out when I'm not on the couch when she wakes up in the morning."

"You could always just text her that you're crashing at Miller's or Murphy's or someone's and not to worry…" Clarke suggested with an impish smile.

"Why do I get the feeling you had this idea before I even brought it up?" Bellamy returned her rascally smile.

"Because maybe I got the idea while we were working and already reasoned out that Octavia knows that I don't have the Conservation Center tomorrow and because I worked tonight I would murder her if she opened my door or woke me up in the morning before she leaves for work."

Bellamy laughed, "You know, I'm starting to believe Octavia that you're the real mastermind behind all her schemes and adventures."

"Hey, I may come up with the ideas, but she's the one who puts them into action."

"That's us Blakes, we're doers."

"So are you going to 'do' my plan then?"

"And that's not all I plan on doing tonight either," he said, pinching her side where his hand was resting and causing her to squirm further into him.

"You are so vulgar!" Clarke said with a laugh.

She was truly glad that things with Bellamy were seeming to go on the track she wanted. They had texted every day this week, with a few phone calls dotted in, and there had definitely been a more flirtatious tone to these interactions than in the past. And now she knew that her and Bellamy weren't just a one night thing. Yet they still hadn't talked about what exactly they were despite the fact that they were keeping it—whatever it was—to themselves for now; she decided to leave that worry for another time.

The next night Raven insisted that they go out sans men. She had just booked the venue for her wedding. They were given the choice of either a date three months away (a result of a recent cancellation) or a year and a half away. At the moment, Raven had thought it was a good idea to just choose the earlier one because she didn't want to wait, now she was freaking out about all the details that needed planning and just wanted to have a final worry free night out with her friends.

"Yeah, Rae, I don't know if it counts as a girls' night without the guys if the two bartenders at the bar you choose are Bellamy and Monty," Octavia said as they walked into the Drop Ship.

"Hey, we know this bar, we like this bar, and I'm not trying out some new place when I know I can have a good time here," Raven defended her choice.

"I'll go get us some drinks," Clarke told them, eyeing a particular bartender.

"Shots too!" Raven called after her.

No sooner had Clarke picked an empty bar stool then Bellamy stopped in front of her with a flirtatious half-smile. "Let me guess, a whiskey sour, a rum and coke, and a cranberry vodka?"

"You forgot the shots. But shouldn't you be helping someone else who got here before me?"

"Nope, I'm giving you special treatment," he replied with a smile and started making mixed drinks.

"Hmmm, and what does this special treatment include?" she replied playfully.

"Let's see, you get served first when you come to the bar…um, that's all I got for the moment."

"And does this special treatment extend to your sister or Raven?"

"Just you," he smiled at her.

"And what exactly are the requirements to get these privileges?"

"I have a few ideas in mind," Bellamy said with a wink.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. We're in public, you're working, and I'm out with your sister. Inappropriate, Mr. Blake," Clarke reprimanded with a huge smile on her face.

Bellamy mirrored her smile. "Here are your drinks. We'll work out the payment for the quick service later."

"Looking forward to it," Clarke said, returning his earlier wink and going back to Raven and Octavia.

Bellamy continued to work the bar, glancing up to find Clarke, Octavia, and Raven every once in a while. A smile was plastered on his face from every time he looked up to find Clarke looking back at him.

He walked over to the next patron. "What can I get you?" he asked.

"I'll take a Jack and Coke, but can I also ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure," Bellamy responded, unsure of what was going to be asked.

"That blonde you were talking to earlier, the one that's with the two brunettes over there," he said pointing to Clarke, Octavia, and Raven who were sitting at a table chatting. "Is she single?"

Bellamy became very aware of both the fact that Monty was standing a foot away and could hear the entire conversation and more strongly he was aware that he and Clarke had never exactly defined what they were to each other now. He knew he wanted to make things more permanent and keep going in the direction they were headed on now, but he had no idea where she stood. "I…ummm…she's single as far as I know," he ended up saying, reluctant, his mind full of uncertainty.

"Great!" the guy returned, grabbing his drink, throwing a $10 on the counter, and making his way over to where Clarke was sitting.

Bellamy immediately started mentally kicking himself in the ass. Now that guy was going to ask Clarke out and that was the absolute last thing he wanted. Then the thought struck him: if Clarke said "no" to the guy, maybe it would mean that she wanted to continue whatever it was that they were and if she said "yes" she probably just saw them as a fling. The thought calmed him down for a bit and he helped the next customer, while keeping an eye on their table. The guy was currently talking to Clarke, he gestured to the bar and Clarke quickly looked at Bellamy over his shoulder. Bellamy couldn't read the expression on her face over the distance and multitude of people in between, but was happy when the guy walked away from the table and over to his friends. Bellamy went back to work, believing a disaster avoided.

Clarke sat back into her chair, and tried to hide her emotions from her friends. It wasn't out of the ordinary that a guy would come talk to her while at the bar, or that he would ask her out. What had thrown her off was that the guy had said that he had asked the bartender, specifying the taller one with curly hair, if she was seeing anyone, and said bartender had told him she was single. Although her and Bellamy hadn't specifically said anything to define their relationship, she had thought he at the very least would have not wanted her to go on a date with another guy. But apparently she was wrong. And with Raven and Octavia sitting right there, she was even more determined not to let anything slip, so she said "yes." If Bellamy was telling other people to go ahead and ask her out, then he evidently didn't care if she dated other people. And she was not going to be the type of girl to sit at home and pine after a guy who didn't want her…no matter how much that's what she wanted to do right now. She refused to be the one to go get drinks for the rest of the night.

A walk home scene requested by LittleWildFlower. Though suggested before I posted Chapter Eleven, lack of internet led me to not see it until after I had finished the previous chapter and started this one. As a result, I have decided to include it in here, because it seemed like a cute way to show where Clarke and Bellamy's relationship was in the moment in which I situated it. I hope it turned out well.