The Little Adventures of Katara (And One Giant Prince)
New Zutara fic!
Summary: In which Katara discovers that size does matter. Also, the real one in need of saving might just be her giant, grumpy protector.
FFN
AO3
Excerpt:
"Zuko!" she growls.
His gaze zones in on her, albeit sleepily. Then his jaw drops and he blinks a few times.
She balls her hands into fists. "You—"
But whatever she is going to say is lost in a cry of rage. It doesn't matter that she is naked and probably smaller than his hand; the sheer craziness of the situation tells her that this has to be a dream. So she doesn't bother to cover herself. Instead, she charges and begins attacking every inch that she can reach of him. Which really means she is stuck kicking and punching one of his legs. If only she had her water to bend …
Written for the @yearoftheotpevent June challenge of “(accidental) love confessions.” I wanted to give Michael and Alex some time to enjoy getting back together and to tell people about their new relationship so I added a few days to 3x09 between Kyle being released from Deep Sky and Alex getting sucking into the Lockhart Machine. This really just some fluff about them telling everyone they are in love. Their are brief references to past Miluca and Forlex. As always, this is a Maria friendly fic.
You know I love you so on AO3
Title from “Yellow” by Coldplay
Summary: There first date is still a few days away. It's too early for Alex and Michael to say "I love you." At least to each other.
Michael sits at the bar, fiddling with his empty beer bottle until Maria comes over.
“Want another,” she asks, already handing him a new bottle.
“Good to see you back in action,” Michael smiles. “But are you sure it’s not too soon?”
Maria rolls her eyes. “I wish everyone would stop asking me that. I’m fine, 100% fine, even certified by both Liz and Kyle.”
“Alright I’ll back off,” Michael holds out his hands in surrender. “But you can’t blame us for caring about you.”
Maria’s stance softens, and she smiles at Michael. “I’m lucky I had so many people on my side, I know that. But what about you? I heard you and Alex had quite an adventure of your own.”
It’s an opening Michael can’t ignore, but instead of the carefully worded explanation he planned, he blurts out, “ I love him, Alex, I mean.”
“I know,” Maria’s smile gentles. “He loves you too.”
Michael blushes and ducks his head, but doesn’t deny it. Alex hasn’t said the words - neither of them have which makes Michael’s confession even more awkward - but Michael feels them. He feels them in the way Alex kisses him, the way he smiles at Michael’s dumb jokes and the way he holds him in bed, no space between them.
“It doesn’t mean I didn’t love you too,” he says. And Michael knows that is what he’d really come here to say. Alex comes before and after - and hopefully forever after - but he doesn’t want Maria to feel like she was just a pit stop along his way back to Alex.
“I know that,” Maria takes his hand off the bottle where he’d been picking at the label and squeezes it. “I loved you too. A relationship doesn’t have to last forever to be important. We had a good thing together, it was what we both wanted and needed at the time.”
“And now?” Michael can’t help but ask.
“And now we’re friends. You’re where you need to be and I,” Maria hesitates for a second. “I’m figuring it out.”
“We have a date this week,” Michael confesses, a disbelieving thrill of excitement in his chest just from talking about it. “We wanted to tell you first before you saw us or heard about it from someone else.”
“That’s great,” Maria’s smile is wide and genuine. “I shouldn’t have said when I did before, but I really do expect an invitation to the wedding.”
Michael knows he should brush it off, but he can’t bring himself to pretend it’s not what he’s always wanted so he draws an “X” over his heart, “Promise you’ll be first on the list.”
“I’d better be. Now go bother your siblings,” Maria points to where Isobel and Max are sitting, having come in sometime while they were talking, “so I can get some actual work done.”
“Here you go,” Kyle sits next to Alex and sets their drinks on the table. “Boring beer for you and a Pomegranate Pluto Martini for me.”
Alex makes a face when he sees just how bright Kyle’s drink is. “So this is why you wanted to meet here instead of the Wild Pony? Because Maria won’t make you drinks that glow.”
Kyle throws back his head and laughs. “Just wanted to celebrate my clean bill of health. There’s nothing like Taylor Swift Drag Night to make you feel alive.”
It’s a fairly quiet Tuesday at Planet 7, no drag queens in sight yet, but Alex thinks he understands what Kyle is trying to say. “I’ll drink to that,” he agrees, tapping his bottle against Kyle’s glass.
“I’ll have you drinking one of these by the end of the night,” Kyle says, quickly downing his drink and signaling one of the bartenders for another.
Alex just shakes his head. He’s been to Planet 7 a few times with Forrest, but it’s not really his kind of place. Kyle, on the other hand, seems completely comfortable. He knows most of the staff by name, has glitter highlighting his cheekbones, and Alex is pretty sure he’s wearing lip gloss. He doesn’t know what to do with any of that, but tonight is supposed to be about Kyle having a good time so he’s trying not to think too much.
“So tell me what I missed,” Kyle prompts him once his new drink has been delivered.
Michael is the first thing Alex thinks because Michael is all he thinks since their kiss on the patio. He tries to push away the images of Michael’s smile after they kissed and the way his body looked spread out over Alex’s bed. “Nothing much,” he answers as casually as he can..
“You got laid,” Kyle’s eyes widen, and he points at Alex. “Who was it? Is he here?”
Alex looks around quickly just in case Michael showed up while he wasn’t looking even though he knows Michael is at the Wild Pony with Max and Isobel. He’d declined Alex’s invitation to join him, sending him off with a kiss and a promise to take pictures if Kyle did anything embarrassing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, doing his best to stonewall Kyle.
“Don’t lie to me. I know that look. It’s the same look you had after you hooked up with Forrest. Is it Forrest? Did he come back because he can’t live without you? He didn’t convince you to run away with him did he? I just got out of coma, don’t leave town again.”
“What is in that thing? Alex eyes Kyle’s drink suspiciously. “You shouldn’t be this drunk after one and half drinks.”
“It’s more like four. I had few before you got here. Devon makes a mean martini,” he waves his hand carelessly in the direction of the bar and the bartender winks at him. “But don’t change the subject. You definitely got laid, and I want to know if you’re running away with some cute guy and leaving me behind.”
“I’m not running away with anyone,” Alex admits with a huff.
“So it’s not Forrest. Who is it? If you don’t tell me I’ll just get Isobel to get it out of you.”
Alex winces because nothing the Air Force taught him would prepare him for being interrogated by Isobel “It’s Guerin. Michael,” he corrects.
“Oh, thank God,” Kyle sighs dramatically. “The sexual tension between you two was getting uncomfortable.”
“There’s no sexual tension,” Alex protests.
“Maybe not now,” Kyle wiggles his eyebrows. “But the last time we were all out together, and he was playing pool, the things he did with the pool stick to get your attention were very suggestive, educational too, but mostly suggestive.”
Alex blushes, “It’s not like that.”
“It’s not sexual?” Kyle sounds doubtful. “Because I know you got laid”
“Ok, yes I got laid,” Alex cuts him off. “But it’s not just sex. I love him,” he admits without meaning to.
“Oh,” Kyle’s brow furrows for a second before a bright smile blooms on his face. “That’s awesome, dude. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, I’m pretty happy about it too,” he admits, finding it easy this time to say just how much Michael means to him.
Michael walks away from his conversation with Maria smiling and wondering if he should text Alex even if it means interrupting his night with Valenti. When he gets to their booth, Max and Isobel are having a whispered conversation that stops once he sits down.
“What’s up?” he asks when they both turn to look at him. He really hopes it's not another Jones emergency. He wants his date with Alex before the next pile of shit hits the fan.
“Nothing,” Isobel says too brightly.
“You and Maria looked like you were having a pretty intense conversation when we got here,” Max says.
“Not really,” Michael shrugs. Intense seems like too strong of a word, important yes, but it’s not like they were fighting. “Just wanted to talk to her about something. And make sure she’s feeling alright.”
“It’s nice that you are so concerned, but we don’t want you to get hurt,” Isobel reaches across the table and takes his hand.
“Ok?” It’s a question because Michael really has no idea what she’s talking about. He feels like he walked into the middle of the wrong conversation.
“Michael,” Isobel sighs and sits up straighter, taking her hand away. “You know Maria is seeing Greg Manes.”
“Greg’s not the Manes I’m in love with so I don’t see why that would be a problem,” Michael shrugs.
“You mean Alex, right?” Max asks.
Michael rolls his eyes, “I sure as hell wasn’t talking about Flint.”
“Does this mean we can finally talk about your secret, sordid teenage affair with Alex Manes instead of just hinting about it?” Isobel leans forward eagerly.
“No, and it wasn’t,” Michael makes a face and Isobel raises one brow at him, “sordid.” He’ll give her secret, but there was nothing sordid about how they felt about each other. Sure, they fucked it up later, but when he fell in love with Alex it made him feel lighter and hopeful.
“Does he know how you feel or are you still waiting for the right time? You know the weird emo poet guy is gone,” Isobel tells him.
“Oh, he’s very aware,” Michael smirks, thinking of how thoroughly he’d demonstrated his feeling this morning.
“So you’re back together,” Max, ever the romantic, smiles.
“No,” Michael corrects, but he feels bad when Max’s face falls and Isobel rushes to comfort him.
“Maybe he just needs time,” she says. “He wrote you a love song after all.”
“We are together,” Michael admits. “Just not back together. What we had before is over, and we need to start fresh if this is going to work. Can’t keep looking back.”
Max winces a little, and Michael knows he’s thinking about his own complicated history with Liz.
“So when did it happen? Who made the first move? Was it romantic or one of those fighting until your kissing moments?” Isobel bombards him with questions, most of which he has no intention of answering.
Michael leans back in the booth and sighs. “It’s still pretty new, and it’s still not sordid,” he makes another face at that word. “Although the sex is,” he trails off and lets out a low whistle.
Max drops his face into his hands, but Isobel claps her hands, “Tell me everything,” she demands.
“Iz, no,” Max looks up and glares at her.
“What, even you can admit they are hot together.”
“And it’s not secret this time,” Michael says, drawing their attention back to him. “We have a date this week.”
“That’s awesome, man,” Max beams at him.
“When is it?” Isobel asks. “I’ll need an hour, no two hours, to get you ready.”
“I can dress myself,” Michael objects, looking to Max for support.
Max laughs, “Don’t look at me. She has a whole section of my closet marked off for date clothes and knows if I don’t use them. I’m thrilled she has someone else to torture.”
“I wouldn’t have to do that if I could trust you to get changed before you go out,” Isobel scolds Max.
“Hey, I thought women liked a man in uniform.”
“Not that ugly brown uniform you wear. Now, I remember how Alex looked in his dress blues for the parade,” she smiles dreamily and turns to Michael. “Does he ever wear that for you? Because he should. The role play possibilities are endless.”
It’s Michael’s turn to cover his face with his hands. “Maybe we should have kept this secret,” he groans, but no one believes him.
After their respective nights out, Alex and Michael went back to their own homes, and while they exchanged texts about how their evenings had gone, they hadn’t seen each other. Alex was surprised by just how much he missed Michael even after only a few days together, and pleased at how he isn’t afraid to let Michael know it. So it was no hardship for him to leave early enough to pick up three coffees instead of one and stop by the junkyard on the way to work.
He leaves his own coffee in the car and heads toward the garage with the other two. As expected it’s Sanders who he sees first. Alex isn’t sure if he has an alarm system on the driveway entrance or he just spends all his time watching for cars, but he always appears the minute someone gets out of their vehicle.
“Car trouble?” Sanders asks as he makes his way to Alex.
“No, sir, just stopped by to see Michael.” Alex lifts the coffee cups a little higher in the air.
“So you’re coming by in the daylight now, out in the open, instead of sneaking around hoping no one sees you?”
Alex feels a flush of shame on his face. He was never embarrassed to be seen with Michael, just afraid, but he knows how he looks. “You’ll be seeing a lot of me now. I’ll do better by him,” he says as confidently as he can. “I love him,” he adds because Sanders is Michael’s family, and Alex wants him to know he’s serious.
“I could have told you that. One eye,” he taps his patch, “but I’m not blind. Don’t know why I have to keep reminding people of that,” he grumbles. “And you’ll both do better because you’re not a couple of scared kids this time. You’re not hiding from that no good daddy of yours, and he’s not so used to secrets he wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped him in the face.”
Alex laughs because he’s not wrong, but “No, now we're just dealing with his,” Alex pauses and reconsiders his words because he can’t bring himself to call Jones Michael’s father in front of the man who really should have that title. “Now we’re dealing with Jones and all my bullshit from a decade in the Air Force.”
“Never gonna be perfect,” Sanders grunts. “But you’re better together than you are apart. Start with that.”
“Thanks,” Alex shifts on his feet. He wasn’t expecting to have a heart to heart with Sanders so soon. It makes his anxious to see Michael, to be reassured he hasn’t fucked things up already. “Here, this is for you,” he thrusts one of the coffee cups at Sanders.
He sips it cautiously then smiles before narrowing his eye at Alex. “Michael tell you how I take my coffee?”
“Nope, he told me you take it black.”
“Idiot,” Sanders mumbles under his breath. “Guess coffee runs are your job from now on.”
“I can do that,” Alex agrees easily. Sanders' approval is worth the hours he spent reviewing the footage he hacked from the coffee shop to find out Sanders preferred coffee is a double espresso latte with half vanilla, half coconut and almond milk.
“Best be on your way before Michael glares a hole in my back waiting for me to let you go. Guess I know why he’s been smiling like a loon these last few days. Probably explains the limp, too.”
Sanders walks away leaving Alex choking on air. But he spots Michael waiting in the doorway of the garage, and his smile is worth the embarrassment.
I was looking back at some of your lovely Rumbelle fics you did during Season 3, like 'Watching' and 'Dutch Courage In Desperate Times'. Will elements of these and/or any of the others that you wrote play a part in OUADT?
I’m not really sure yet, possibly not, because they were more closely linked to what was happening in canon whereas OUADT tends to take things further away from canon. I haven’t finished writing OUADT yet though, so never say never!
I’m really glad you enjoyed the S3 fics, though, so thank you very much!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Mary Morstan/John Watson
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Mrs. Hudson
Additional Tags: Romance, Angst, Season/Series 03, The Sign of Three Spoilers, Season/Series 03 Spoilers, Episode: s03e02 The Sign of Three, Missing Scene, Pining Sherlock, Dancing, Dancing Lessons, Ballroom Dancing, Confused John, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, The Sign of Three, POV John Watson, Slash, ALL THE TAGS!
Series: Part 1 of Goodnight, Vienna
Summary:
Sherlock teaches John to dip.
+++++++++++++
NOTE: This is the sweetest, most heart wrenching little fic! It's just a short little scene of Sherlock teaching John how to dance for his wedding to Mary, but the feeling and tension packed in make this story amazing and worth a read. I would LOVE to see this story continued or added to.
after comic-con, i felt the need to write a s3 fic. the consensus seems to be that there’s gonna be a lot of angst in our future, so that’s what this is. also fluff, because i’m bellarke trash. bellamy’s pov in the months while clarke is gone, and their reunion. title and lyrics inset are from “kingdom come” by the civil wars.
.
.
don’t you fret my dear,
it’ll all be over soon
i’ll be waiting here, for you
He doesn't know how long it's been. Weeks, days, hours... they all pass, but it still feels like the blink of an eye since she left them.
He's managed well enough. He's been forced to take charge, and make sure that the rest of the 100 -- 44, there were only 44 left -- were taken care of. For the first few weeks back in Camp Jaha, the only way he could get over the sting of Clarke’s abandonment was to force his way into council meetings and make sure they knew that he damn sure wasn’t going to roll over and give up being in charge.
It took some time, but with Kane’s begrudging respect, some of the adults finally conceded that most of the kids knew more about the ground than they did. It helped; being put in a position of power again gave him more responsibilities, and less time to think.
The worst day was when Lexa came to the camp. It was the first time anyone had heard from her since the Grounders abandoned their alliance and left them in the Mountain, and Bellamy had been seeing red since the minute the sentries announced that she was the one at the gate.
“Bellamy,” she had greeted him, and he had never felt so much like his old self than he did in that moment. He wanted to shake her, wanted to throttle her, wanted to make her pay for what she made them do to all those people. “I was hoping to see Clarke.”
Bellamy let out a bitter laugh, “Clarke isn’t here.”
“When will she be back? We can stay until--”
“No one knows!” Bellamy nearly shouted, “No one knows when she’s coming back, or where she is. We have you to thank for that.”
“Bellamy--” Octavia’s voice was a low warning in his ear, but he didn’t listen.
“She had to kill everyone in that Mountain to get our people out. She had to kill everyone because you didn’t hold up your end of the deal, and it turns out having to kill an entire race of people,” Bellamy practically spit the words at Lexa, “didn’t sit well with Clarke’s mental state.”
Bellamy was losing it, and he knew it. He also knew that Clarke’s leaving had more to do with their entire time on the Ground and not just about what she had to do in the Mountain. He also knew that he was grasping at straws when it came to blaming Lexa, but his anger at the entire situation was spilling over, and he couldn’t keep it inside any longer.
“Bellamy, stop it,” Octavia said harshly, but he shook off her hold on his arm.
“If you’re looking for a friend, you’re not going to find it in me. I don’t trust you. Go find Kane if you want to talk.” Bellamy hissed, turning on his heel and storming away before he could do or say anything else to ruin what was left of their alliance with the Grounders.
.
.
It wasn’t long before Octavia stormed into his tent, eyes flashing. “How big of an idiot are you?”
“Give it a rest, O.”
“What if she would have fought back? What if she would have deadened the alliance right then and there?!”
“Well, she didn’t, did she. Crisis avoided.”
Octavia gaped at him, her eyes hardening, “What is wrong with you? You haven’t been like this for a long time, Bell.”
Bellamy clenched his fists at his side and struggled to put into words what he was feeling. He was angry and taking it out on everyone, and even though he knew that, he couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“You blame Lexa for Clarke leaving,” his sister said, always able to see right through him. “You think that if she would have attacked the Mountain with us, then Clarke wouldn’t have left.”
“It’s not just about Clarke,” Bellamy protested, despite the voice in his head yelling lie, lie, lie. “Who knows how many people would still be alive if she and her people would have helped us like she said they would.”
Octavia was quiet for a minute, her eyes calculating. “Look, Clarke and I haven’t seen eye to eye lately. I don’t agree with a lot of the decisions she made, but this? There was no choice. She needs some time to make herself understand that.”
“I know that, Octavia.”
“I know you do. I also know that even though I think she needed this time alone, I also think she needed to be here. She needed to heal with us. She needed to help us. That’s why you’re so angry.”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“You know... just because Clarke left doesn’t mean you’re alone. I might not understand what you’re going through, but that doesn’t mean you have to deal with this by yourself, Bellamy.” Octavia smiled sadly at him, and then she was gone, and Bellamy had never felt more alone, despite his sister’s reassurances.
.
.
Lexa’s party was gone the next day. Kane dealt with her, and some of the finer terms of their alliance, and Bellamy was surprised to hear that in a roundabout way, Lexa had apologized for leaving the Sky People vulnerable at the Mountain. Bellamy still scowled when Kane told him that Lexa had some secondary conditions that needed to be met in order for the alliance to hold, but they were small compared to what they could have been.
They were going to develop some technology for the Grounders, simple things like medical equipment, and train them how to use it. In return, the Grounders were going to give them some extra clothing and furs for winter, as well as some seeds and plants that they needed to start growing crops when the weather turned.
Bellamy was grateful, but he knew that it was all Kane and Abby Griffin’s doing. If he had been in that room, he knew the conversation would have been decidedly more negative. After his sister had confronted him the night before, Bellamy had barely slept. That wasn’t too strange, seeing as how most nights he was plagued with nightmares, but this time, he was replaying her words over and over in his head, and he knew he needed to be better.
His people deserved a better leader. The problem that he couldn’t seem to reconcile within himself was that he was convinced that Clarke had always been the one to make him better. She was so good, and she always challenged him to be more than he thought he could be, to be better than the person he was when they first came to the ground.
Sometime early in the morning, he came to a decision. He needed to stop moping around. It had been weeks, and there was no sign that Clarke was going to come back anytime soon, so he needed to get over it. He needed to get over it, and move on, and be a leader again.
(He couldn’t help himself from keeping one eye on the horizon at night though, still hoping that he’d see that familiar head of golden hair coming from the treeline, ready to come home.)
.
.
Two more months passed, and Bellamy was better. He wasn’t healed, not even close, but the majority of his emotional scars had scabbed over, and he was relishing in being in charge once again. He and his sister and Raven had been talking seriously about moving back to the Dropship site for a few weeks, and he thought in a few months they would finally be able to make it happen.
No one had brought it up with the adults yet, but Bellamy was confident. There was no reason for them to stay there, not anymore, except for the few kids who had been reunited with their parents.
The rest of the 44 had been through too much to continue living under the Council. Now that they had decent supplies to last through the winter, Bellamy was looking forward to going back to where it all started, where their dead were buried, where they could build real structures and start over. They needed this. He needed this.
While they were still in the early phases of planning, he, Octavia, Lincoln, Raven, Wick, and Miller had taken a day trip back to the Dropship. It had been an emotional experience for all of them, especially for Raven, who had been sure that fate was going to let her die inside the Dropship while all her friends were taken right outside.
Octavia, who hadn’t been there when the battle had happened, had steeled herself before entering what was left of the gates, clutching Lincoln’s hand like a lifeline.
The brief time they returned to the Dropship after the battle they had been consumed by trying to heal Lincoln, and calm a raging Finn, and there hadn’t been time to let what had happened there sink in. Now, in the quiet of the early afternoon, they all seemed to freeze and reflect on the life they had there and what could have been if they had stayed.
The ashes were still scattered everywhere, footprints of the people who fought, died and were taken still visible. Bellamy shut his eyes tight for a few seconds, taking a deep breath. He wished more than anything in that moment that Clarke was there with him. He needed someone to pull him out of his own head and help him deal with the tumult of emotions swirling inside of him.
“We can do this,” Raven’s voice came from beside him, her voice thick with tears, but strong nonetheless. “This is where we came from. This is where we took a stand. This is where I almost--” she cut herself off, taking a deep breath, and Bellamy pretended not to notice when Wick stroked her arm affectionately, seemingly offering what little comfort he could. The man beside Raven looked just as stricken as she did, probably imagining how a group of kids had to defend themselves without any help from the Ark. “We need to start over, and we should do it here.”
Miller nodded in agreement from his place next to Bellamy, “It’s not going to be easy, but we can do it.”
After they spent a little bit of time cleaning up the debris and ashes of fallen Grounders and members of the 100, they stood on the ramp to the Dropship, taking in the scene before them. So many memories were overtaking Bellamy’s brain, and he knew right then and there that he wanted to create more memories in this spot, where it all started for all of them.
(When they entered the Dropship, Bellamy tried to tell himself that his racing heart was due to fear of the unknown, and not because of the sudden thought that Clarke might have come here, that she might still be here, hiding out from the world. When no one was found inside, the disappointment swelled up like a punch to the gut, and he hated himself for it.)
.
.
Two months later, they were officially their own settlement. The Ark didn’t like it, Abby and Kane insisting that they were still just kids, but Raven’s vehement protests that they stopped being kids the moment they were attacked just for landing on the ground quickly silenced everyone.
“We were sent here to die,” Bellamy said, his voice firm, but not unkind. “Luckily for all of you,” he glanced at the adults, “we survived. We survived on willpower, intelligence and community alone, and we did it without your help.”
“Bellamy--” Abby Griffin’s stern voice tried to interrupt, but Bellamy held up his hand, signalling that he wasn’t done.
“With all due respect, Chancellor Griffin, we deserve our own settlement. We are grateful for the supplies that we’ve been given, but we can’t stay here under the Council’s rule anymore. We’re not kids anymore. It’s time that we all accept that so we can move on.”
Abby looked at him then with a look bordering on surprise and pride that was so similar to Clarke that Bellamy had to look away, the sudden onslaught of emotions it brought on nearly too much for him to handle. He wondered for the hundredth time if she was okay, if she was somewhere keeping tabs on them, if she knew what they were doing and if she would be proud of them.
He had to believe that she was okay. If she wasn’t okay, then he didn’t think he would ever forgive himself for not convincing her to stay. He was still angry with her, and resented what she did for more than one reason, but the sadness that she wasn’t there to argue for their independence won out in the end.
“How soon will you leave?” Kane asked, and Bellamy tried to contain his smile, but knew he was failing when he saw the corners of Kane’s mouth twitch in amusement.
“As soon as we can gather together the necessary supplies. Ideally, all of the 44 will come with us, but anyone who wants to stay with their parents probably will, unless their parents want to come with us too.”
“You better start making a list of what you’re going to need, then.” Abby said, that look still on her face.
For the first time in what felt like years, Bellamy grinned.
.
.
They made it through the winter without any casualties. Bellamy still wasn’t sure how that happened, although he knew better than to question a bout of good luck. Thanks to the supplies from the Ark and the furs from the Grounders, they were able to keep warm while building more solid structures to last them through the coldest months.
Now, they had almost 4 solid structures in their settlement, and had gotten permission from the Grounders to expand their territory all the way to the river, so they could have access to water and other essentials more readily.
Bellamy was scaling one of the outer walls, trying to make a repair to the top of a loose log when he heard the sentries shouting to open the gate. They sounded frantic, and Bellamy automatically assumed the worst, freezing in his position and trying to crane his neck to see who was there.
“Bellamy...” Miller sounded wary from his position on the ground down below Bellamy where he had been spotting him, and Bellamy followed his gaze, his heart stopping in his chest when his eyes fell on Clarke, standing in the entryway to the camp, her clothes torn and dirty, her skin tan, but her eyes bright, brighter than he could ever remember seeing them. “Bellamy.” Miller said again, and Bellamy nodded at him.
“I’ll be down in a second.”
“Don’t you think you should--”
“I need to finish this. She can wait a few minutes,” Bellamy said harshly, and Miller swallowed. “Just give me a minute,” he said, more quietly, and Miller nodded in understanding.
“You got it, boss.”
Bellamy took his time fixing the section of the wall he was working on, hoping that by the time he was finished the butterflies in his stomach would have disappeared, but when he glanced over his shoulder to see Clarke and Monty in deep conversation, he knew the lurch his stomach gave at the sight of her wasn’t going to go away anytime soon.
Climbing down from the wall, he landed with a thud, attracting the attention of Clarke and the small group of people that had gathered around her. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, and Bellamy honestly didn’t know if he wanted to hug her or yell at her.
“Bellamy.” Her voice was soft, but still the same husky tone he remembered, and he was embarrassed to feel his throat growing tight.
“Princess,” he replied, tilting his head in greeting. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“I... I didn’t expect myself to show up here, either.”
“So why did you, then?” His voice sounded hard even to his own ears, but he stood his ground, the resentment he’d been feeling for months bubbling to the surface.
“Can we go somewhere else to talk?” She asked, her voice plaintive, so different from the Clarke he remembered.
“I’m busy.”
“Bellamy, please--”
“I don’t really have anything to say to you.”
“Guys--” Raven cut in, but Bellamy didn’t let her, shooting her a glare.
“I have work to do. In fact, doesn’t everyone have work to do?” He asked, gesturing at the small crowd that had gathered. “Enough standing around.”
The crowd dispersed, mumbling under their breath, but Bellamy didn’t care. He just knew that he needed to get far away from Clarke Griffin before he let his anger take over and make him say something he would regret later. Turning on his heel, he headed into the Dropship, trying to ignore the footsteps he heard following him.
“Bellamy, wait.”
“Why?” He nearly shouted, whirling around to face her, taking some satisfaction at the startled look on her face. “Why should I?”
“Because you were right!” Her voice was still quiet, but that fire he recognized in her was back. “You were right. I needed to deal with my issues, Bellamy, but I shouldn’t have left everyone.”
“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have,” Bellamy fired back, taking a step closer to her. “Do you have any idea what it’s been like these last few months? These kids were barely keeping it together. I was barely keeping it together.”
She didn’t say anything, just looked anywhere but at him, and the thought that she was avoiding this again angered him to no end.
“I needed you here, Clarke. I know you felt guilty and needed some time, but fuck, what about me?! I pulled that lever too. I watched all those people die. I saw those kids in the Mountain and yet I still let them--” He trailed off, breathing hard, putting his hands on his hips. “I’ve had to wake Harper up from nightmares more times than I can count. She barely spoke a word to anyone until a few weeks ago. Jasper still isn’t speaking to me. He’s only here because Raven convinced him to help her in engineering.”
Clarke’s eyes were filled with tears now, but he didn’t back down. He couldn’t.
“I’ve had nightmares every single night since you left, to the point where I don’t really sleep anymore. I needed you here to help me deal with all this shit, Clarke, and to help me help them, and you weren’t here. I get why you had to leave, I really do, but it doesn’t change the fact that it really fucking sucked, Clarke.”
Just when Bellamy was sure Clarke wasn’t going to say anything, she wiped a tear from her cheek and met his gaze. “Lexa came to see me a few months ago. I don’t know how she found me. She tried to apologize.”
“I really don’t--”
“She told me that you basically told her to go to hell.”
Bellamy was silent, not knowing what he was supposed to say here. Deep down, he hated that Lexa had found Clarke before him. Hated that she might be the reason she was here in the first place.
“I told her that you took the words right out of my mouth.”
Bellamy’s eyes snapped to hers. “You what?”
“She betrayed us. Me.”
“The alliance--”
“She told me she deserved what we both said to her, and told me that it was probably best if you and I dealt with our anger separately.”
Bellamy sucked in a breath, feeling like he’d been punched in the stomach. How many times could Clarke possibly stick a knife into him with her words? How many times was he going to stand in front of her and let her kick him while he was down?
“She was wrong, Bellamy.” Clarke was closer now, so close he could feel her breath on his chest. “I was wrong, too. I still feel guilty. I still have nightmares, but I... I feel more selfish than I’ve ever felt in my life and I hate it.”
“You made the choice to leave, Princess.”
“I know. I know that, and I was wrong. Don’t get me wrong, being alone was good for me, but it also... it messed me up, Bell. I spent every day trying to heal myself while also worrying about all of you, and I just... I just want to have a home again.”
Bellamy looked at her for a long moment, unsure of what she wanted to hear from him. “Your mom probably misses you,” he offered.
She was already shaking her head before he even finished his sentence, “That’s not home. It never will be.”
“You want to stay here?”
“I want to stay with you, Bellamy. I want to earn your forgiveness because I can’t do this without you. I don’t know how to be myself without you to remind me that I’m not a monster--”
Bellamy cut her off by taking three quick strides towards her and gathering her up in a hug so tight he nearly lifted her off the ground. She felt small, too small, under his hands, but he figured that was a fight for another day. Right now, he was too relieved to hear her say that she was going to stay, that she needed him as much as he needed her... he was just relieved, plain and simple.
“I’m still angry with you,” he mumbled against her temple.
“I know.”
“We could have gotten through this together,” he chided.
“I think I knew that all along, and it scared me, Bellamy. My track record with relying on people isn’t that great.” Her lips twitched in a ghost of a smile, and Bellamy felt something warm settle in his chest.
“You told me once that I wasn’t a monster. You made me believe that I was more than the product of my actions and my choices. I figure I at least owe you the very same.”
They were quiet for the next few minutes, both of them simply basking in being in each other’s arms.
“It’s not going to be easy, Clarke. A lot of people are still struggling.”
“I am too. I want to help, Bellamy. I want to lead again. I want--” She cut herself off, pulling away from him slightly. “I just want to know that when I look next to me that I’m going to find you there.”
“Clarke... even if I hated you I’d be there. You have to know that by now.” Bellamy told her, his voice rough with emotion. “It would have been easier to hate you,” he murmured, almost to himself. “I never could, though.”
They stood there like that until Octavia stormed into the Dropship, looking like she was expecting to find them screaming at each other or plotting the other’s murder. Bellamy watched with held breath as Octavia and Clarke stared at each other, the air between them thick with tension.
“Are you planning on staying?” Octavia asked Clarke, her voice hard.
“Yeah. I am.”
“Good.” Octavia said simply, before closing the distance between her and Clarke and wrapping Clarke up in a hug that surprised even Bellamy. “If you ever hurt him like that again, you’re going to have to answer to me,” Octavia whispered fiercely.
“Alright warrior princess, give it a rest,” Bellamy drawled.
“C’mon, Clarke. I’ll take you to the new Med Bay. We moved it out of the Dropship. Lincoln’s been helping me there, but neither one of us are as good at stitches as you are.”
Octavia took Clarke’s arm and dragged her outside, Clarke glancing over her shoulder to meet Bellamy’s eyes quickly, something he couldn’t define in her blue eyes. Whatever it was, it scared him and thrilled him all at the same time, and he finally let the knowledge that she was back settle over him, like a comforting blanket.
She was back, and he’d be damned if he was letting her leave ever again. They were in this together, just like they’d always be. Two sides of the same coin, and maybe more, if Bellamy had anything to say about it.
Run fast as you can
No one has to understand
Fly high across the sky from here to kingdom come
Fall back down to where you're from
Don't you fret, my dear
It'll all be over soon
I'll be waiting here for you
