Alex POV
As the sun rose high above their heads, the delinquents gathered around the screen that had been set up outside of the dropship, waiting for the Unity Day ceremony to begin.
Alex wasn't sure what drew them to the screen. They were the discarded children of the Ark; they owed nothing to those they left behind. Yet when the announcement came, the teens eagerly gathered like moths to a flame. Maybe it was tradition. Maybe it was something that they all somehow still felt some connection to. Maybe it felt important to honour those who had pulled everything together to give what was left of humankind a chance to survive.
What we thought was left of humankind, Alex thought, standing near the front of the group, Nate at her side.
The screen finally flickered and came to life and Chancellor Jaha appeared through the static. Even though the camera was on him; he was clearly addressing a larger crowd outside their field of view.
The chatter around them died.
Chancellor Jaha smiled. "My friends, this is a historic Unity Day. Every year, we mark the moment our ancestors of the twelve stations joined to form the Ark, but this is the last time we do so while aboard her. Next year - on the ground."
"Right," Nate scoffed from beside her. "After we did all the work."
Alex snorted. "I wonder if he'll mention how they originally sent us down here to die?"
Nate snorted.
"Can you both shut up?" Raven snapped from beside the TV, where she was making sure they kept up their connection with the Ark. Her gaze never left the screen. "No one's forcing you to watch."
Alex's eyebrows jumped at Raven's response before she glanced up at Nate, who was scowling in Raven's direction. When he met her gaze, he rolled his eyes with a shrug.
"For ninety-seven years, we have eked out an existence…" Jaha continued and Alex sighed, already tuning him out. While the words might change, the content of the speech was the same every year.
Gaze wandering, she caught sight of Finn and Clarke talking quietly on the far side of the dropship and couldn't help but wonder what that was about. Since Raven had come down, Clarke had been adamant about staying away from both of them.
Maybe that's why Raven is in such a mood.
Mentally shrugging to herself, Alex continued looking around. It didn't take her long to notice someone else was missing - she hadn't seen Bellamy since the gun training this morning.
Her cheeks reddened at the memory of the bet they had made… and how she had so painfully lost. She had been so sure she could win. And now…
Now you owe Bellamy Blake a favour. She shifted on her feet. The thought that she owed him anything bothered her more than she thought it would. She had no doubt he would claim it. The question was - what would he want?
The memory of his lips against hers flashed through her brain.
No, stop. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, trying to bring her mind away from how good his lips had felt against hers, the feel of his warm chest pressed against hers. Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus on the screen, catching Jaha's last words.
"To our sons and daughters on Earth listening to this message." He had turned to the camera. "We will see you soon. The first Exodus ship will launch in under sixty hours, carrying you the reinforcements that you need, so stay strong. Help is on the way." He turned back to the crowd. "Without further ado, I present the story of us!"
The camera panned over to a young girl who stood proudly in the middle of the hall. She took a deep breath and spoke: "Long ago when the Earth was on fire, twelve stations floated through space all alone. Then one day, Mir floated by Shenzhen, and they realized life would be better together. The other stations saw this, and they wanted to be together, too. When all the stations were formed, they called themselves—"
A bright flash of light lit up the screen, cutting off the girl's story before only static remained in its wake.
Alex frowned. That was odd. Raven had been absolutely sure the connection they had for the ceremony was the best they'd had so far. The signal had been loud and clear, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky - so why had they lost their signal? Must have been an Ark issue.
"What the hell?" Raven muttered, leaning forward to play with the connection as the surrounding teens hollered and booed. It only took a couple of seconds before Raven whirled around to yell at the loud crowd: "If you don't like it, get lost! You'll know if we get a signal back."
That seemed to be all the group needed to disperse and start their own celebrations.
Alex turned to Nate to ask him what he might do next when someone bumped into her shoulder hard, sending her stumbling forward. Barely catching her footing, she whirled around with a scowl, intending to give whoever had shoved her a piece of her mind, only to find Jasper casually standing next to Nate with a shit-eating grin on his face.
She couldn't help but return his grin with a roll of her eyes. "Was that really necessary?" she asked dryly.
"Had to snap you out of whatever Evans-esque thoughts of doom and gloom you were having." He shrugged, then wagged a finger in her face. "You are frowning enough for the rest of us, and we can't have that. Forget Jaha, forget everything else." He waved an arm out, and she shook her head at his melodramatic mood. "Which will be easy-peasy, as I, the Great and Magnificent Jasper, have just the thing for it." He leaned towards her secretively, pressing a bottle he had been holding into her hands. His voice dropped into a whisper: "Monty's moonshine. It's the same shit he got arrested for." He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.
Her brows jumped, and she glanced down at the bottle in her hands in appreciation. "Nice," she said, inspecting the glass bottle, briefly wondering where they had got them from.
Jasper's words seemed to drag Nate's attention back her way. "Really?" he said doubtfully, before reaching out and snatching the bottle straight from her hands.
"Hey, rude!" she huffed but allowed him to take a swig. Memories of the last bottle of alcohol she had shared with Bellamy returned with a vengeance, the taste seared into her mind. That stuff was nasty.
Staring at him expectantly, she watched Nate smack his lips as he lowered the bottle, looking impressed by what he had tasted. "That is good shit." He sounded pleasantly surprised. "At least Monty got put away for something good."
At his comment, Alex suddenly realized she didn't know how Nate had made it onto the dropship in the first place. She narrowed her eyes at him. "That reminds me…" she started slowly, hiding a grin when Nate narrowed his eyes back at her with equal suspicion. "You never told me how you got locked up in the Skybox."
Nate's suspicious expression broke into a wide grin. Reaching out, he threw an arm over her shoulders and pulled her harshly to his side, nearly winding her. She couldn't fight her own smile at the familiar, comforting gesture.
"Well, well, do I have just the story for you." He nodded his head in thanks to Jasper and pulled her over to one of the nearby fires. "All I'm going to say is that you and I are going to need this full bottle to get through the story of how I made the spiciest protein bars the Ark has ever known."
"What? Seriously?" Alex snorted. That was not what she had expected him to say.
He grimaced. "Oh. You have no idea, I had a stomachache for days…"
"You ate them?" she demanded with a laugh before rolling her eyes. "What a stupid question. Of course, you ate them. Did Liam…" Her words died in her throat as she realized that no, Liam wouldn't have been around to see it.
Nate seemed to sense her change in mood and hugged her more tightly to his side. "No, he wasn't there. But I think he would have greatly approved," he said, his lips pulling into a softer smile. "But I'll tell him all about it when he gets here!"
And that was how she ended up sitting around the fire with her best friend, laughing and cringing as they shared stories of the pranks they had done with Liam over the years. Jasper, Monty, Harper, and a few others had joined them around the fire, listening to the stories and sharing in their laughter.
She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed that hard. Her gut was sore in the best of ways and she couldn't keep the smile off her face. Happiness. She had forgotten what it felt like.
Leaning back onto her hands, Alex watched Nate tell the story of how they had strung up all the newly made underwear from Factory Station on the ceiling of the Alpha Stations cafeteria. She watched him talk with a smile, appreciating how good of a storyteller he was and felt a pang at the fact Liam wasn't here to tell it with him.
Soon. He'll be here soon.
She took a small sip from the bottle she held and enjoyed the pleasant warmth spreading through her body. Taking a deep breath, she sighed in contentment. For the first time in a long time, she felt at ease. Things weren't perfect, but they were right. Liam was awake and Nate was back at her side. Both were things she had never thought would be possible in the nearly two years she had spent behind bars. But here she was. Could anything make it better?
Even as she thought, her gaze drifted across the camp, searching. It didn't take her long to find who she was looking for.
Bellamy was leaning against the dropship ramp by himself, his arms crossed across his chest. There was a distinct furrow between his brows as he stared pensively into a nearby fire. Everything about his posture screamed he wasn't enjoying himself, even with all the celebrating going on around the camp.
At some point, Nate must have caught on to where her thoughts were because he leaned over and nudged her shoulder with his own.
She blinked, startled out of her thoughts. "What?"
Nate rolled his eyes. "If you are going to stare at him all night, you may as well go talk to him."
She felt her cheeks redden at being called out so easily. "I wasn't staring at anyone," she grumbled.
His lips curved into an amused smirk. "Anyone with at least one eye and a heartbeat can tell you like Blake," he said the words slowly, like he was explaining things to a child. When she only narrowed her eyes at him, he gave an exasperated sigh. "Al, I've known you since before we could walk or talk! I know what it looks like when you like someone. And it looks like that." He swirled a finger in her face, and she had to refrain from the childish urge to bite him. When she opened her mouth to argue, he cut her off. "And don't get all defensive about it! You guys have kissed. Twice. The least you can do is admit it."
Alex wanted to refute the idea that she liked anything about Bellamy, but found she couldn't force the words past her lips. Could she really deny it? She exhaled hard. "I honestly don't know how I feel about him," she admitted, keeping her voice low. "At worst, he's a jerk and a bully. At best, he's infuriating. And more than half the time, I want to strangle him."
"But you like him," Nate stated, a grin tugging the corner of his lips.
She groaned and threw her head back. "Okay, fine. Yes, I like him. Happy?" She glared at him.
Nate tugged her back against his side. "See? That wasn't that hard."
"You're a jerk," she grumbled, but couldn't stop her lips from tugging into a smile. "It never ceases to annoy me how well you know me."
"But you love me."
"Ugh, don't remind me," she mumbled before they settled into a companionable silence and she allowed her head to rest on Nate's shoulder.
Their silence didn't last for long. "So?" Nate quipped.
Alex rolled her eyes. "So… what?"
"Now that you've made the painfully slow realization that you like Blake. What are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know."
"Well. If you want my expert opinion—"
"Didn't know you had expert opinions on Blake," she interrupted with a smirk.
He glared at her. "If you want my expert opinion," he repeated forcefully. "Which you obviously do. I think you should go over there and just talk to him."
She gasped, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth. "Talk to him?" she said, outraged. "How dare you suggest such a thing!"
"I know, right? Something you never would have thought of on your own." He rapped a knuckle on her head.
"Ow!" She pulled away to rub her head.
"That didn't hurt, you big baby. Now go. Talk to Blake. Make out. Fuck. Whatever you want." He waved a hand at her, shooing her away. "But I expect a full run down when you get back."
She huffed a laugh, swatting his shoulder. "You are such a gossip! I swear you are worse now than you were a couple of years ago."
He shrugged with a sardonic grin. "Had to find a way to entertain myself without you and Liam."
The reminder that he had been alone while Liam had been in the coma and she had been locked up immediately soured the mood.
She bit her lip before replying. "I'm sorry," she said softly, turning to look into the fire. "I can't imagine it was easy."
"It was easier than being locked up or stuck in a coma," he replied, his tone taking on a harder edge.
"That doesn't mean it was easy."
He turned to face her head-on, his expression serious. Reaching out, his fingers found her chin and gently brought her back to face him. "I didn't bring it up to ruin the mood, Alex," he told her firmly, tone somewhere between exasperated and sincere. "It happened. It sucked. The last two years are something we are all going to learn to live with." He sighed, hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. "But when it comes between you and me - we're good, you hear me? I'm not holding it against you and I'm not going to keep bringing it up to guilt you. I think you are already shouldering enough guilt."
Surprise filled at his words. She stared back at him, her gaze roving his face, looking for any hint of lying, any hint of the anger and hatred she had seen on his face from the moment they'd arrived. She kept expecting him to return to the way he had looked at her when she had first seen him on Earth, but she couldn't find any sign of it in his expression.
He held her gaze steadily in return, seemingly sensing her uncertainty, her vulnerability.
Slowly, she felt the tension in her shoulders ease. "Okay," she finally agreed softly, her lips pulling up into a tentative smile. "You've grown." And he had. He wasn't simply the young jokester she had known.
His expression was sombre as he replied. "We all did." He paused, casually reaching out and tugging a wisp of blonde hair that had escaped her braid. "Except maybe Liam… Do you think he's still the same pain in the ass as he was two years ago?"
Her jaw dropped at his audacity before she had to breathe out a laugh. "As much as I wish to say I hope not… he better be. I can't imagine him any different."
"I guess we'll find out soon enough." His gaze drifted up to the gap between the trees above them. "They'll be down here soon."
"Yeah," Alex sighed, her gazing following his up to the sky above them. "Yeah. I guess they will be."
Nate was quiet for a long moment before he nodded his head firmly. "Okay, enough of that. Get out of here Evans, go make goo-goo eyes at Blake elsewhere. I'm sick of watching you drool over him."
Alex couldn't help the strangled sound of indignation that escaped her before she reached out and punched him in the shoulder. "Way to ruin a moment, Miller. Ugh, I don't even know what that means. But I don't make 'goo-goo' eyes at Blake," she said, finding her gaze drifting back over to where Bellamy was still standing. She paused, then added: "And I'm not drooling."
Nate grinned at her. "Keep telling yourself that."
She shook her head. "You're insufferable," she muttered to herself before reaching across him to snatch the bottle on his other side. Taking a deep breath, she shoved herself to her feet.
"Oi! Where are you going with my bottle, Evans?" Nate said, staring up at her in outrage.
"My bottle now, Miller." She winked at him, before turning to head in Bellamy's direction.
She hadn't made it far when Nate's voice came from behind her. "That's my girl!"
She waved her fingers back at him in response but kept her gaze firmly locked on Bellamy, keeping herself moving so she wouldn't lose her sudden burst of courage.
What are you doing? Is this a good idea? Ugh, why are you taking Nate's advice? She had little time to contemplate it, as weaving her way through the partying delinquents didn't take nearly as long as she would have liked.
Bellamy must have heard her approach because he looked up in her direction. An amused smirk tugged at his lips. "You just can't get enough, can you, Evans? If you keep this up, they are going to have to add stalking charges to your list of criminal behaviour."
"Rude." She stuck her tongue out at him as she came to stand next to him. "Who knew Bellamy Blake had such a terrible sense of humour?" She pulled herself up to sit on the ramp beside him, her knee resting against the side of his hip. She nudged his shoulder with her own. "So, why the long face?"
He scoffed. "I do not have a long face."
"You do! You've been sitting here being all…" She waved a hand at her face as she pulled her expression into an exaggerated pout.
His lips twitched before his frown cracked into a smile. "That looks nothing like me."
"What? It totally does!" She jabbed her finger into the muscle of his shoulder. "I've perfected the Bellamy Blake frown."
He raised his eyebrows as he eyed her in amusement. "How much have you had to drink?"
"Me? Drinking? What makes you say that?" she asked innocently as she brought the bottle she had been carrying up to her lips.
He snorted before fading off into silence, turning back to stare into the fire once more.
She frowned, studying the side of his face, sensing he wasn't quite in a mood to talk. Maybe he doesn't want company. "Did you… want me to leave?" she asked tentatively, starting to slide off the ramp.
He reached out and placed a hand on her knee, stopping her from moving. "No. Stay." He turned his head towards her but didn't quite look her way.
She hesitated, then gave a small nod. "Okay." She leaned back against her hands and waited. He would tell her what was bothering him if he wanted to.
For a long moment, they quietly sat side by side, her leg pressed against the warmth of his side, and his hand resting on her knee, his thumb mindlessly caressing her leg.
Eventually, Bellamy took a deep breath and spoke. "The Ark is going to come down and they are going to take over everything we've built here. No questions asked. No thoughts about what we've gone through to get this far. I'm just worried that all of this will have been for nothing." Bitterness crept into his voice. "That I'll–" He cut himself off with a huff, his expression hardening.
The 'I'll return to nothing' went unsaid.
Alex blinked, caught off guard by his admission. Even though they had kissed, even though they had become closer over the last little while, she didn't think he trusted her enough with his inner thoughts, his concerns, and his worries. She liked him, but were they even friends?
Reaching out, she grasped the hand on her knee, curling her fingers around his. "Bellamy. You could never be nothing. Not to this group. Not to me." She admitted, and his eyes met her own. When he opened his mouth to argue, she cut him off with a sharp shake of her head. "Let me finish. Maybe it's true. Maybe the Ark will come down and take over without a second thought. But Bellamy… everyone here knows what we've been through, knows what you've done for us. How much we've built." How much we've lost went unsaid. "No one will forget that," she told him firmly. "I know I'm not speaking for just myself when I say that we'll stand by you."
Bellamy's gaze flicked between her eyes before he briefly closed his eyes and breathed out a laugh. "How did we get this way again?"
She cocked her head slightly, confused. "What do you mean?"
"How are you the one here giving me advice?" He shook his head in exasperation. "I'm pretty sure I hated your guts a couple of weeks ago."
Only a couple of weeks? So much had happened during that time. Memories of Bellamy holding her while she told him about Liam. Memories of their fight against the Grounder, of how desperate and afraid they had both been fighting for themselves and each other. I guess that's what happens when we are thrown into the fire together, what fighting to save each other's life will do. She forced away the sickening memory of her blade sinking into the Grounder's neck, of the way the blood poured over her hands like a river. All to save Bellamy's life.
She would do it all over again.
Forcing her mind away from the morbid thoughts, she forced a grin. "So, you don't hate my guts now? Was it my charming personality that finally won you over? My wonderful sense of humour?"
He rolled his eyes but returned her grin with a soft one of his own. "Yes. I'm sure that was it."
Her amusement softened into something genuine. "I'm not sure," she finally answered his question. "But I'm glad we did."
He nudged her knee with his hip. "Me too."
Silence fell between them again, but this time it wasn't tense. It was easy. Comfortable. She wasn't sure if she would call what they had a friendship, but there was now some type of understanding between them that hadn't been there before. Some spark that had flickered to life along the way.
Suddenly, she remembered the bottle she held in her hands. "Here. Drink," she said, holding out the bottle for him to take. "We still have a few days until the Ark comes down. As Jasper told me - maybe it'll help take your mind off of it."
He grimaced. "I'm not really in a celebrating mood."
She gave him an amused smile. "You don't need to celebrate to drink. There's angry drinking. Or sad drinking. Maybe this is sad drinking?" She pursed her lips and shrugged. "Call it whatever you want."
Satisfaction hit her when his lips tugged back into a smirk. "Sad drinking? You do that often?" He raised an amused eyebrow in her direction.
The comment hit a bit too close to home. She ignored it. "Something like that," she answered, but didn't elaborate. He didn't need to know about her hiding away on the Ark drinking with Liam and Nate, doing anything she could to not go back to Mrs. M….
Alex saw him frown at her answer, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he looked down at the bottle in his hands and eyed the contents with suspicion, then shot her a wary look. "This better not be the same shit you gave me last time."
She shot him a sheepish smile. "Nah, that was Finn. This is whatever Monty has been brewing up. No idea how he's managed it. But I'm sure it's good enough to wipe the grumpy look from your face." She grinned at him.
He rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Who knew Alex Evans had such a terrible sense of humour?" He echoed her own words back at her. He pointed a finger at her. "This better be good, or you're going to owe me another favour."
She raised her chin challengingly. "Only one way to find out."
He met her gaze before tilting his head back to take a small sip, only to pause and press his lips together as he rolled the drink around in his mouth, an appreciative expression crossing his face. She couldn't help but watch the way his throat moved as he swallowed. He shot her a quick grin. "Sad to say you're right. It is good." He took another, bigger mouthful before handing the bottle back to her. "You're off the hook for the second favour."
She shrugged. "I never agreed to those terms anyway." She waved him off. "Can't believe you doubted I was right."
The sound of laughter attracted their attention. Nate was back on his feet, doing a grand impression of who-knows-what, while those around the fire before him burst into laughter. She couldn't hear what was being said, but she couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips as she watched him. Nate looked happier than she had seen him in a long time.
He's not the only one.
"You looked like you were having a pretty good time over there," Bellamy said, nodding his chin toward Nate and the others, where Nate was flapping his arms like a maniac. "I take it you and Miller are back on speaking terms?"
"Yeah," she replied, feeling warm at the fact he had apparently been watching her. "With Liam awake, Nate seems willing to listen. I mean, it sucks that that's what it took. But I'll take what I can get." She smiled softly as she thought about it, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "I mean… he's hurt too. We left him behind with nothing but questions. Liam and I weren't the only ones who lost everything that day…" she trailed off softly, her heart panging as she thought about those early days alone in her cell. The fear of being locked in a cage, no way to make sure Liam was alright. The anger that no one would talk to her, no one would let her explain.
She swallowed at the memories. There's no point dwelling on the past.
"He's lucky you're forgiving," Bellamy noted.
"I don't know if I would call myself forgiving," she said, the image of Kane flashing through her mind before she could stop it. "But none of it was Nate's fault." She inhaled deeply. "I mean - the last few years of my life sucked. Nate's and Liam's too. And I guess I just feel like for once things are… back on track? Even with Myles and the Grounders and the Ark." She gave Bellamy a small, honest smile, rubbing the back of her neck. "As cheesy as it sounds, leaving my cell wasn't nearly as freeing."
Bellamy's lips tugged into a smile. "It suits you."
She shot him a questioning look, wondering what he meant. "What does?"
"Being happy."
Her gaze fully snapped up to meet Bellamy's gaze, his expression surprisingly warm. She faltered, feeling herself redden, and had to look away. To distract herself from the way her heart suddenly raced in her chest, she took a quick sip from the bottle - only to inhale it as it passed her lips.
At the sear in her throat, Alex lurched forward, her body curling up as she coughed, desperately trying to clear the fluid from her lungs.
Bellamy chuckled and patted her back. "You're supposed to drink it, not breathe it in, idiot."
"Thanks—" She coughed again. "For the news flash. Jerk."
"Anything I can do to help." He flashed her a rare, genuine smile.
She had to press her lips together to stop her smile, continuing to clear her throat. Once she managed to get her breathing back to normal, she narrowed her eyes at him. "So… I have a question."
He raised an amused eyebrow and shook his head. "Shocking," he said flatly. "I knew you wanted something."
"Oh, come on, I'm not that predictable." She almost pouted, feeling offended. When he simply raised an eyebrow and gave her a dry look in response, she sighed. "Fine. I want to know what favour you're going to ask for."
Bellamy actually threw back his head and laughed at her. "Oh, not a chance, Evans." He grinned. "I'm holding on to that for something good."
"Oh? You don't have any ideas? Not a single thought floating around in that thick head of yours?" she asked, cocking her head and then teasingly trailing her fingers up and down the inside of his forearm. A smug feeling of satisfaction shot through her when she felt the ripple of goosebumps beneath her fingertips.
Her bravado faltered when he stepped up and turned towards her. She didn't have time to ask him what he was doing before he smirked and stepped into her space, her mouth going dry when his hips came to rest against the ramp between her knees.
"What are you doing?" she finally got the question past her lips, her voice much higher than she would have liked.
"Answering your question." He leaned towards her until there were only a couple of inches between their faces, his hands coming to rest on the ramp on either side of her hips. "I have some ideas."
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to not lean away, her body suddenly painfully aware of the position they were in. Even though no part of their bodies touched, she was keenly aware of the way the material on the inside of her pants brushed against his, the way the arms on either side of her body seemed to radiate heat.
From here, she could see all the little details she hadn't noticed before. Long, dark lashes framed his equally dark eyes; a smattering of freckles sprinkled across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. As her gaze dropped to his mouth, she watched as his lips tugged up into a smirk that told her he knew exactly what he was doing. She forced her eyes back to his and away from his lips, knowing she'd been staring for a moment too long.
"Oh, what ideas are those?" she asked, forcing herself to keep her voice steady, even with the feeling of her heart pounding behind her ribs.
She inhaled sharply when his fingers left the ramp and began to lightly trail up and down the outside of her thighs, down to her knees, then back up to his hips, mirroring the way she had touched his arm.
He cocked his head slightly, his eyes dark as they held hers before leaning in until his lips brushed the sensitive skin along the rim of her ear. "I'm sure I don't have to explain to explain it to you, Evans."
Lips dry, her hands automatically reached up to grip the blue material of his shirt, which peeked out of his open jacket. Her fingers brushed over the thin material which covered the hard muscles of his chest and the lower ripple of his abs. Satisfaction shot through her as his muscles flexed beneath her fingertips. He inhaled sharply at her touch, his hands digging almost painfully into her thighs as he gripped them tightly.
She both loved and hated how easily the motion shot heat straight through her.
His cheek brushed against hers as he pulled away, before brushing his lips against the corner of her mouth. "Tell me what you want, Evans," he breathed, taunting.
What do I want?
"If I'm asking for it, then it wouldn't be your winning, would it?" she deflected, her lips dry, her breathing a bit more ragged than usual.
One of his hands slid out from behind her and reached up to her face, his fingers sliding along her cheek until his warm palm was flush against her skin. His thumb softly traced the skin below her lip. He leaned in, his breath ghosting past her lips. Even so, his lips did not touch hers. "Alex," he said. "Tell me."
Her name on his lips seared through her veins.
Her grip on his shirt tightened.
Damn the bet. She knew what she wanted.
"Bellamy," she breathed. "I want you to kiss me."
His eyes darkened at her words. The hand on her cheek slid down to rest on her neck, his thumb coming to rest under her chin. Slowly, he tilted her chin up, tipping her head back.
Her lips part with a sharp breath of expectation, and his gaze dropped to her mouth.
Then he ducked his head, his lips a whisper against her own, their touch as light as a feather. It was soft. Gentle. Simple. Her eyes fluttered closed as she returned the caress, focusing on the feeling of his lips gliding against hers, the way his warm hands cupped her face. Her own hands drifted up, one of them grasping his wrist, the other resting against his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin radiating through his shirt.
The world around them faded. The celebration and laughter, the worries about the Ark and the Grounders… it all dissipated, leaving only them behind. His lips and hers.
One of his hands drifted away from her face, trailing lightly down her shoulder, along the curve of her waist, before finding the hem of her shirt and dipping underneath. His fingers grazed her skin, sending a shiver through her body before he lay his hand flat against the small of her back.
She felt his muscles bunch before he tugged her hips forward, pressing his hips against the junction between her thighs. Then, with a firm roll of his hips, he pressed himself against her core.
Alex gasped into his mouth at the hardness he pressed between her legs, the evidence of how turned on he was. Her body ignited in response, a deep yearning ache growing low in her gut. Her hand slid up from his chest, along the side of his neck, until she buried it into the soft strands of his hair, tugging his mouth closer.
More.
Taking the parting of her lips as an invitation, Bellamy tilted his head and deepened the kiss, his tongue tracing her bottom lip before sweeping into her mouth. Heat prickled her skin as she returned the motions in kind, her lips pressing and kneading desperately as she searched for more. When her tongue swept against him, a deep appreciative sound rumbled in Bellamy's chest.
The warmth of his skin drew her like a moth to a flame and she arched her back, pressing her chest against his, desperate to feel his skin against hers. Her other hand trailed down his chest, feeling the ripple of his abs flex beneath her touch before sliding down to the hem of his shirt and slipping her fingers beneath, her fingertip finally coming into contact with the hard warmth of his lower abs. Some primal sense of satisfaction filled her as his muscles flex below her touch. She continued caressing him, running her fingers teasingly along the soft skin before finding the waistband of his pants. Digging two fingers beneath the front of his band, she used her purchase to roll her hips against the hardness between her legs.
Alex gasped at the electric feel even as Bellamy inhaled sharply, his lips leaving her momentarily as his hands came down to grip her hips hard, holding her still, as if he couldn't decide if he wanted to pull her closer or push her away.
His eyes were closed, his breathing ragged. "Fuck, Evans," he said, voice deep and husky. He rested his forehead against hers as he caught his breath. "Do you know what you do to me?"
Heart pounding furiously in her chest, a breathless laugh escaped her. "What I'm doing to you? Blake, you have no idea what you're doing to me."
His dark eyes finally opened to gaze into her eyes, and a dangerous smirk danced across his lips. It was one of self-assurance. One of promise. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. He leaned forward once more, his lips grazing from her mouth, along her cheek to the rim of her ear, while one of his hands slid down to the hem of her shirt. She shivered as his fingers touched the warm skin of her belly, just above the hem of her pants.
His lips found the skin just below her ear. He nipped and sucked on the skin there before continuing: "Oh I have some idea." His hand slid up her back and fisted in her hair. His lips traced along her jaw, before he tugged her head back, giving him better access to the skin along her throat. He rocked his hips against hers gently. "You have no idea how much I want to bury myself between your legs, Evans" he whispered against her skin. "I want to fuck you until you're screaming my name."
Alex barely swallowed the whimper that threatened to escape her throat, unable to stop her thighs from clenching around his hips at the images his words conjured in her mind. As his lips continued working along her throat, she gasped for air, her eyes unseeing as she stared up through the canopy above them.
She was unprepared for his hand to slide down from her belly and cup the junction between her thighs through her pants. A strangled moan escaped her and her hips jerked involuntarily at his touch. She clung to his body, her fingers digging into the skin of his arms as her whole body flushed hot and the ache between her legs deepened almost painfully.
"Bellamy," she gasped out into his shoulder, pleading, unable to stop herself from grinding against his fingers as he pressed and kneaded his fingers against her core. She needed more, needed the fabric separating her from his finger gone, needed him inside her.
He grinned against her neck. He knew exactly what he was doing. "I know. I know," he murmured huskily, continuing to rub her through her pants, his hand moving steadily against her.
"Hey, Evans!" a familiar voice shattered the lust-filled haze that clouded her mind.
Embarrassment flooded her at the sudden reminder that they weren't alone and Alex jerked away from Bellamy like she had been burned. The thought that everyone around had witnessed her kissing Bellamy, seen the way he had been palming her through her pants sent a wave of a different heat through her, one that settled under her cheeks.
A strangled groan escaped Bellamy, his forehead briefly resting on hers before he turned to glare at the approaching boy. "You have shit timing, Collins," he sneered. "Can't you see we're busy?" His anger at being interrupted was palpable, though he removed his hand from between her legs.
Finn came to a stop far enough away to give them some sort of privacy. "Oh, are you?" he said drily. "I'm sure nobody noticed." He shoved his hands in his pocket, looking like he was uncomfortable even standing there.
Alex winced and ducked her head, wanting to hide behind Bellamy's form.
"Anyways, I need to talk to Alex," Finn continued.
"Right now?" Bellamy scoffed, although he seemed to notice the way her body tensed up because he pulled away from her slightly, letting his hands drop away from her body.
"Yeah, actually. Right now." Finn said, keeping his tone even. Then he met her gaze. "We have some things to discuss."
She tried to ignore the flush in her cheeks as she frowned at him, confusion filling her. Finn shifted on his feet and averted his gaze, only adding to her confusion. It was clear he didn't want to be standing there. We have something to talk about? Now? He wouldn't say that unless it was important… Everything clicked as realization filled her. Unless it's about the Grounders.
"Right," Alex said hurriedly. She met Bellamy's gaze as he turned to look at her and gave him a tentative smile, trying to ignore the way her cheeks burned. "Finn's right. I - I should… probably go," she said uncomfortably.
A flicker of a frown crossed Bellamy's face, and Alex cringed inside. Rejection or suspicion; she wasn't sure which one was worse. Then his expression eased and he nodded, stepping to the side and allowing her to slide to the ground.
Finn gave her a look and then turned and began walking away. She took a step to follow before uncertainty filled her and she turned to look at Bellamy. He met her gaze with a daring one of his own.
"I guess… I guess I still owe you one," she found herself saying.
"Oh yes, Evans," he drawled. "You most definitely do."
But it was the smirk that followed his statement that had her turning away and hurrying after Finn.
She knew if she stayed, things would get out of hand.
But she knew from the deep, unfulfilled ache between her legs that she wouldn't have minded.
Not one damn bit.
A/N: Sorry about the wait! Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I would love to hear your thoughts. :)