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Clarke is used to people telling her that she and Bellamy should be romantically involved in a variety of ways, from how have you not fucked that guy to how long have the two of you been married. All of which she generally takes in the spirit they are intended, which is, she assumes, that the two of them make a cute couple and are clearly close friends who care deeply about each other.
All of which they are. But Clarke would also be up for literally anything Bellamy wanted to do with her, up to and including marriage, so when Roan mentions it, she figures there's no point in denying it. She's known Roan forever; he wouldn't believe her anyway.
"Yeah," she tells him. "He's great, but he's not interested."
"Not interested?" Roan says.
"We're not like that. He's my best friend. In a platonic way," she adds, quickly. "For him. So--yeah. It's not happening."
Roan regards her coolly. He's only been living in the city for a week, and this was his first time meeting Bellamy. And all they did was get drinks and complain about the unevenness of the Marvel Netflix shows, so Clarke really doesn't know how much insight Roan really thinks he could have.
But he says, "I'll bet the two of you are dating. In the next month."
Clarke has been not dating Bellamy for three years, and she's fully prepared to continue not dating Bellamy for the rest of her life, if she has to. And if Roan wants to give her some money to not date Bellamy, she'd be fine with that.
"How much?"
"A hundred dollars."
"Cool. I'm not going to date Bellamy for the next month."
Roan smirks. "Yes, I'm sure you'll have no trouble resisting." He offers his hand. "Do we have a deal?"
"Deal," Clarke agrees, and they shake on it.
*
On Friday, Roan sits down next to her at the bar, way too close, and then puts his arm around her. She startles and glares. "What are you doing?"
"Just saying hello to my favorite Griffin," he says, bright. "Can I buy you a drink?"
"I never say no to free drinks." She glances at Bellamy and Raven, both of whom are watching them. "Do you guys need anything?"
"I've got mine," says Raven, holding up a glass.
"Yeah, I'm fine," says Bellamy. He's watching Roan, frowning a little. "It was Roan, right? You used to babysit Clarke?"
"It was one time!" Clarke protests. "My mom was desperate."
"And that was a long time ago," Roan says. "Although I'm sure if Clarke needed someone to come spend the night with her, I could be convinced."
That's when Clarke figures out what's happening, and she gives Roan a glare that Bellamy and Raven won't be able to see.
In response, Roan's smile turns charming. She might murder him.
"I'm sure," Clarke agrees, rolling her eyes.
But Bellamy is frowning as he watches them, looking a tiny bit, well--irritated.
So Clarke doesn't shake his arm off. Just to see.
*
Raven calls her the next morning.
"So, is this your plan or Roan's?"
"What plan?"
"The thing where he's flirting with you to make Bellamy jealous."
Clarke groans and flops down onto her couch. "Fuck, is it that obvious?"
"Depends on who you're asking. I was pretty sure, but you definitely got Bellamy. Which, I think it would be easier to just talk to him, but hey. Your kink is not my kink."
"It's not my kink. It wasn't my idea." She huffs. "Roan bet me me and Bellamy would be dating in a month."
There's a long pause from Raven. "What did he bet you?"
"A hundred bucks."
"I can't believe you're going to lose a hundred bucks because you can't wait a month to make out with Bellamy," she says.
"I could wait a month," Clarke protests. "It might not even work," she adds.
"Uh huh," says Raven. "What's his number?"
"Whose? Roan's?"
"Yeah, I've got some ideas for him. I want half the winnings."
On the one hand, Clarke finds the whole thing kind of absurd and stupid, and she really doesn't think it's going to work. On the other, it's actually win/win for her: either she ends up dating Bellamy in the next month, or she gets a hundred bucks.
"I'll text you his contact information," she tells Raven. "And I want it on the record that I think this is stupid."
"Oh yeah, I've got that on the record. I'm going to remind you that you said that after this totally works. I'm really looking forward to it."
"Yeah," Clarke agrees. "Me too."
*
"So, Roan," Bellamy says.
Clarke hasn't actually told Roan much, which means that he and Raven are definitely talking, because otherwise Roan wouldn't have been so on top of his game in the last week.
Case in point: she definitely didn't tell him that she and Bellamy were hanging out tonight, but he's sent her three snapchats of himself shirtless, wearing sunglasses and giving the peace sign. It is not a good look for him. And it definitely wouldn't be happening without Raven.
"What about him?" she asks.
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"About what?"
"He's been hitting on you."
"That's just--Roan. That's how he is."
"You're not always great at telling when people are hitting on you," he says, which is absolutely true. Clarke is famously bad at picking up on signals. "But he is, trust me. And if you're into that, it's fine, but--I can talk to him."
It feels like cheating to just tell him what's happening, so she settles on, "We've been friends since we were kids. I really don't think it's like that."
"Trust me, it really is."
Right on cue, her phone buzzes. It's another snapchat from Roan, this one a video, him dancing to--
"Is that Miley Cyrus?"
"Pretty sure, yeah. Which makes Roan and middle-school Octavia the only two people I know who willingly listen to Miley Cyrus," he adds. "So, factor that into your dating choices."
"What, are you saying Miley Cyrus is a dealbreaker?"
Bellamy looks unimpressed. "Are you saying she's not?"
"Depends on how much I like them," she says, and purposefully doesn't look at him.
It's not like it's untrue, it's just not about Roan. And if he's not into her, it won't bother him anyway.
She still feels just a little bit like a jerk. But Bellamy doesn't remark on it, and gets Netflix going instead. So, yeah. Obviously she's going to make a hundred bucks.
Awesome.
*
Roan: Bellamy and I just had lunch
Me: Congratulations
I think you owe me $200 bucks if you start dating him
That's a step beyond just losing the bet
Roan: He wanted to tell me how amazing you are
And how bad it will be for me if I ever hurt you
Me: You should hear the lecture he gives to guys he thinks want to date his sister
Roan: I hope he doesn't call her beautiful as often as he called you beautiful
But maybe he thinks she's the most amazing girl in the world too
Me: He didn't say that
Roan: He did
Me: Okay, he might not say THAT about Octavia
But he probably would about Raven
Roan: How much longer for this bet?
Me: Eight days
Roan: Then I'll let you know if he says that about Raven in nine days or so
With $100, I think I can take her out for a nice date
Me: Or you could just use all your family money and take her out for a REALLY nice date
Roan: Less symbolic, but I'll keep it in mind
I told him I only had your best interests at heart
Me: Wow, there's no way he bought that
Roan: Not at all
He's perfect for you
Me: Thanks
I think
*
The next seven days are surprisingly quiet. Clarke was expecting a lot of wacky schemes or whatever, but all Roan does is invite everyone over for a belated house-warming party the day before the end of the bet. Clarke is a little suspicious, but it's not like she can just not go. If nothing else, she wants to see what Roan is up to. It's definitely going to be a disaster.
Bellamy grumbles the whole way over, even when Clarke points out Roan definitely has expensive, fancy liquor, so--probably she should ask him out. In, like, two days. She can explain the bet, tell him that she won, and ask if he wants to go on a hundred-dollar date with her.
Roan might have the right idea with this one, honestly. There is something nice and symbolic about it.
"I seriously don't see what you see in him," Bellamy mutters.
"He was the only person I had to talk to at fancy rich-person events," she says. "Any port in a storm."
"I see what you used to see in him, I just don't get what you see in him now," he says, and, yes, she is definitely asking Bellamy out. So soon.
For now, she pats his shoulder. "Did I mention the fancy booze?"
"I got that, yeah. Still not convinced."
Clarke knocks sharply on the door, and does it again after a minute of no response.
"Yes, coming!" says Roan. "Just a second."
She's not completely sure, but it sounds a lot like Raven is saying, "I wish you were coming in just a second."
"Uh," says Bellamy, so maybe she isn't actually hearing things. "That's probably not what--"
Roan opens the door shirtless, with Raven on the couch, with her shirt on backwards and her hair a mess.
"I'm sorry," says Roan, smooth. "We lost track of time."
"That's what you're sorry about," Bellamy says, voice dangerous, and Clarke slides her arm into his.
"You should definitely be sorry about that tattoo on your pec," she says.
Roan looks down at himself. "I regret nothing," he says. "Ball is life, Clarke."
"Clarke--" Bellamy starts, all concern, and she has to admit, she feels a little bad about the whole thing.
Apparently her guilt is directly proportional to how much she believes Bellamy actually likes her, and she's more convinced than she realized.
She definitely owes Roan. A hundred dollars, to be precise.
"Is anyone else actually coming to this thing?" Clarke asks Roan.
"In theory they were, but--no, I told them not to bother."
"Okay, so--we're going to grab dinner. You guys have fun with--whatever happened to Raven's shirt."
"Oh, we will," says Roan. He smirks. "Bellamy, a pleasure, as always."
To her surprise, Bellamy makes it all the way to the elevator before he rounds on her. "Seriously, Clarke, what the fuck is going on with you guys?"
Clarke worries her lip, but it's definitely honestly time. "We had a bet going. He thought we were going to be dating within a month of him moving here. Me and you, I mean. Not me and him. He just thought his best move was trying to make you jealous."
There's a pause long enough that Clarke gets nervous about it. "He bet you?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't it really easy for you to just not date me? You can win that bet without doing anything."
She still can't read his tone, but in a way that makes her smile. He's being very careful about it. "No, it's actually been really hard. I wasn't sure I was going to make it."
"Make it?"
"We bet a hundred dollars. I didn't want to lose, but--" She bites her lip. "It really sucks for me, not dating you. I was going to ask you out the day after tomorrow. Once I got the money."
"Oh." He wets his lips. "You're not into Roan."
"Not at all. But I'm really into you."
He stares at her for a minute, and then he starts to grin, and when he steps in, Clarke leans up.
But the kiss doesn't come. Instead, he says, "Are you going to lose the bet if we do this?"
Clarke grabs the front of her shirt and pulls him to her. "I don't give a fuck," she says, and kisses him.
*
Me: So, do you want $100 in cash, or should I get you a gift certificate for a date with Raven?
Roan: I have to admit, this worked out surprisingly well for me
I think we can call it even
Although Raven still wants her $50
She says she deserves it, for all the years she put up with the two of you
Me: Deal
Roan: A pleasure doing business with you