Chapter 21

Everyone was gone. Clarke sat quietly by the fire. The silence was awkward and Clarke wished she were anywhere else. Bellamy was laying in the same spot, away from the fire, alone in the darkness.

Bellamy began to struggle. He forced himself to sit up, trying to stand. Clarke was at his side in an instant. "What are you doing?" she asked, as she helped him up.

"I can't stay on my back," he said. "I'm so damn stiff. I just need to get up for a little bit."

"That's good," said Clarke. "You need to try and start moving around, but you still have to be careful."

"I want to look around, check out the hot spring," he said.

"Okay, well just take it easy, you're still weak, you don't want to fall," Clarke said as she tried to help him.

"Clarke, I'm fine," said Bellamy as he walked towards the hot spring.

He was supporting his broken arm with his good hand. "Here, wait," said Clarke. She went through her pack and grabbed a large cloth. She walked over and stood in front of him. "Let me tie your arm up, here I'll make a sling," she said as she looked up at him. He held his arm in place as she brought the cloth under his arm, then reached up around his neck on her tip toes. He bent down a little so she could reach around him to tie the sling behind his neck. She felt his warm breath on her neck. Realizing how close he was to her, made her heart beat faster and she felt a tingle move through her entire body. She brought her arm back down from his neck, and nervously stepped back.

Bellamy just looked at her, "Thank you Clarke," he said.

Clarke smiled at him, and then she turned and started to go back to the fire.

"Clarke," called Bellamy quietly.

Clarke turned. "Yes," she answered back softly.

"What do you see, when you look at me?" he asked.

"What? What do you mean? She asked.

Bellamy had a frown on his face, his eyes were sad. "You saw what I did, in Polis, to that man…"

"Bellamy, you thought they murdered your sister, you were fighting to survive," Clarke said.

"I became a monster Clarke. I didn't care about anything but killing," he said. "I did things, I didn't think I …"

"Bellamy," Clarke interrupted, "you are no monster, don't ever think that."

Clarke walked up to him. She put her hands on his chest and laid her forehead against his chest. Bellamy put his hand against the nap of her neck and he bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you princess," he whispered. He closed his eyes and held her there for a while.

Clarke wanted to stay there, in his embrace, unsure if she really could call it an embrace, but she loved the feeling of him near her. Then he stumbled, his knees were shaky. "Bellamy? Are you alright?" she asked him as she tried to steady him.

"I just got a little light headed," he said. "I think I need to sit down for a minute."

'Here, come here and sit," she said as she helped him to the fire. "You need some food. You haven't had anything to eat in days. I don't know how you can even function."

"I am hungry, I think your right," he said. "How are our supplies doing, I don't even know what they brought us."

"We have more than enough," said Clarke. "We have plenty of dried meat, fruit; we even have some bread and cheese."

"Were lucky," he said. "We have friends, real friends for the first time in my life." Bellamy said in a somber tone. "It's like for the first time, I feel like we're really a part of something," he said as he looked at Clarke. "I always had my mother and O, until they separated us. Then I was alone, until I came down here, but it was always just me and Octavia. Now, I feel like were a real family."

Clarke smiled at Bellamy, "We are lucky," she said. "We have people that care about us. What they did to get us out of there, I don't know how to ever repay that," said Clarke as she fumbled through the pack and found some meat and cheese for Bellamy.

After he ate, he stood back up with Clarke help. "I really would like to check those ribs," said Clarke. "I may need to rewrap them."

"You just want me to take off my shirt," teased Bellamy. "Well yes there is an upside to that," smiled Clarke.

Clarke lifted his shirt taking care to pull it over his head then finally inching it carefully down over the broken arm and its brace. Bellamy looked down at her and smiled just a little when he saw her blush. She wouldn't look him in the face, but focused on his ribs. "Tell me if this hurts," she said as she ever so softly pressed in tender areas. She felt the firmness of his waist and along his abs. His flesh was smooth, yet covered with deep purple bruises, from where he was brutally kicked by the Ice Nation guards. She noticed how his chest was chiseled with muscles and his shoulders were broad. He winced in pain when she pushed in places. "I'm sorry," she would whisper.

Finally she looked up and their eyes met. He glanced from her sky blue eyes, down to her mouth, where she instinctively bit her lower lip, ever so slightly. It was all he could take at that moment. He leaned down and softly, slowly kissed her. She closed her eyes, and felt her body shake with nervous anticipation. He pulled back, looked into her eyes, searching for a sign from her. "Bellamy," she softly whispered, as she slowly closed her eyes and leaned up towards him. He kissed her again this time with deep passion, both of them exploring the other and longing for more. Bellamy reached down with his one good arm and held the back of her head, burying his hand into her silky blonde tresses. He knew it was right.

They lay down on her makeshift bed of fur, exchanging soft kisses. Bellamy wanted to take things slow with Clarke. A concept that was foreign to him, but she was special. He knew she had been through a lot, and he didn't want to push.

He lay on his back, and she faced him, her head nestled in the dip of his shoulder, one leg bent over his. His arm was wrapped around her as she traced invisible pictures and words lightly across his stomach. She would stop and reach up over him to kiss him deep with longing, wrapping her hands through his black shaggy hair. Then settle back into the soft spot below his shoulder.

They didn't talk, there was no need. They needed one another and both knew they were where they belonged. Bellamy for the first time felt love for someone other than his sister. This was a different love. He wanted to share his deepest secrets with her, and explore her body. He wanted to keep her safe, and make her happy…