Work Text:
We’re only lost children
Trying to find a friend
Trying to find a way back home.
I.
The summer heat had grown so relentless and stifling that everyone was starting to tire of it. At first, they’d been so thankful for the break in the cold weather that any day without frost was a good one. The winter had been just as hard and long as they’d expected, and though they came through it well enough, everyone was more than ready for warmer temperatures. But spring had segued into summer far too quickly, at least for Raven’s liking. Before they knew it, they were all sweltering and peeling off the layers that they’d become so used to.
Clarke’s long hair was up in a ponytail that swung lazily behind her as she strode towards the camp gate. Bellamy and several others were coming back from a successful hunting trip, though a few of the younger kids appeared dehydrated. Bellamy’s eyes lingered on Clarke as she moved throughout the group, sending a few off to medical and inspecting what they’d returned with. She finally turned to him and placed her hands firmly on his shoulders, making him sit down on a crate. One hand stayed on his shoulder as she gave instructions to the remaining kids. Raven didn’t miss his glance upwards or the brief grin that flashed across his face.
As the others left, Clarke remained with him, rummaging through her small kit. Raven’s eyebrows shot up as Bellamy tugged on her ponytail, the mischievous look on his face so reminiscent of a little kid on the playground. It was strange and unusual and… cute. Clarke turned in surprise, her finger out to scold immediately. But she was trying very hard not to smile, and they both knew it. Bellamy stood and stretched with a groan, and she pointed determinedly at the tent. He rolled his eyes but gave her ponytail another quick tug before heading inside, and Raven caught her friend’s exasperated smile and the touch of color on her cheeks before she went the opposite way.
II.
Raven was in the woods collecting extra wood with Wick when she heard a familiar voice. Stepping carefully over the uneven ground, she made her way up the small hill and crouched to peek through the heavy brush.
Clarke and Bellamy stood at the foot of a small lake they’d discovered a while back. It wasn’t small enough to be a pond, and it sure wasn’t the sea, but it was deep and wide and Clarke had insisted it was a lake, so it was a lake. Bellamy’s gun lay on the ground by them, their shoes tossed off into the grass. Clarke’s bare feet were in the water as she inched forward, then took two steps back, her squeal echoing on the wind.
“It’s so cold!”
Bellamy laughed, startling Raven. When was the last time she’d heard him laugh? “Of course it’s cold, princess. That’s kind of the point.”
Clarke hit his shoulder lightly while backing away. “Still, I think I’ll just-”
“Oh, no you don’t.”
Before she could protest, Bellamy had swept her up into his arms and was wading further into the lake.
“Bellamy!” Clarke’s hand clutched the back of his neck in surprise, her pale fingers a stark contrast to his tanned skin.
He laughed again, but kept walking.
“Bellamy Blake, put me down this instant!”
Uh oh. Raven knew at the same moment as Clarke did that that was the wrong thing to say.
“As you wish, princess,” came his smug reply, and he tossed her into the water. Raven put a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh as Clarke emerged seconds later, sputtering in surprise.
“Fuck, that’s cold!!”
Bellamy was bent double in laughter, so he didn’t see her swim closer and yank at his outstretched hand. He tumbled in face first with a mighty splash, and even from here Raven could see the smirk on Clarke’s face.
When he broke the surface, blinking water from his eyes and shaking his hair, Clarke pounced immediately, nearly sending him under again. Their shouts and laughter mingled and twisted into the air, and Raven shook her head in surprise and delight before heading back to find Wick.
III.
“Would you stop wiggling around so much?”
Raven stopped outside the tent, wondering if she’d imagined Bellamy’s exasperated voice.
“I’m trying,” came Clarke’s equally annoyed reply. “But it’s hard.”
Raven looked around, wondering if anyone else was hearing this. It was near evening, and most people had gravitated towards the small fires to eat and relax. Except, of course, for their two fearless leaders.
Carefully, she inched closer and lifted the tent flap to peek inside. Clarke was sitting on her cot, her back to Bellamy. Her shirt was lifted slightly, exposing a nasty red cut that sliced across her back. Bellamy sat behind her, carefully applying cream over the injury while chastising her for being so careless. Raven smirked at the role reversal. Though his hands were gentle, his voice was not. He was snappish and angry as he continued talking, but she could hear his distress clear as day. So could Clarke, who reached back and grasped his fingers tightly, making him pause.
“Bell,” she said softly, and there was an apology and reassurance wrapped in his name.
He sighed, holding her hand for a moment before silently going back to his task. As his hand went to her hip to twist her slightly, she jumped.
“Clarke!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.”
Bellamy stared at her back for a moment, a mischevious look dawning on his face. His fingers purposely brushed against her side again, watching as she yelped and tried to hit him. Now he was grinning widely.
“You’re ticklish?” His delight was all too obvious. Clarke yanked her shirt down and made to stand, but he caught her easily around the waist.
“Okay, okay. I promise I won’t do it again. Just let me cover this up.” When she stared suspiciously at him, he raised an eyebrow. “Come on, princess. Aren’t you the one always yapping on about infections?”
He had her there. Clarke sat with a huff, sending a warning glare over her shoulder. Bellamy chuckled but behaved, pulling the bandage over her skin. Raven backed away slowly and made her way to sit with the others, not saying a word when Clarke finally sat next to her.
A few days later, she was wandering through the woods when she heard the first peal of laughter. It rang through the air uncontrollably, punctuated by the occasional squeal before it started all over again. It was the kind of laugh that once it started, wouldn’t stop, and that made Raven smile even though she didn’t know why. Her footsteps carried her to a small clearing surrounded by trees.
Bellamy was holding onto Clarke tightly. She twisted and squirmed in his arms, her hair flying around her face, but she was unable to escape his hold - not that she was trying particularly hard. Clarke was breathless with giggles, her knees buckling even as she swatted his hands away. They merely returned to her waist moments later, fingers tickling mercilessly, and her gasps gave way to glee once more. Even Bellamy was as unguarded as she’d ever seen him - probably because he was so distracted by Clarke. Eventually she gave him a mighty shove, hard enough that he fell to the ground, but not before he pulled her down with him. They lay there in the grass, laughing quietly for a few moments and catching their breath. When Bellamy finally sat up, he didn’t move right away. It was as if they both wanted to prolong this rare moment before returning to reality.
Finally he stood, offering his hand to her, and they continued slowly on their way. Clarke’s laughter was still ringing in Raven’s ears as she walked back to camp, a smile on her face.
IV.
The pair had gone on a trip to find more medicinal herbs when the rainstorm hit. Clarke had been hounding Bellamy for days to let her go alone, but he’d stubbornly refused in that soft and steady voice he always seemed to use with her. There had been too many random attacks recently, and he was being extremely careful with whoever left camp.
Raven heard mostly her side of the arguments, since Clarke couldn’t seem to stop harping on it when they were together, and Bellamy didn’t talk about it at all. But when she suggested Clarke simply leave without telling him, her friend hesitated. That told her just how much trust she placed in Bellamy - and just how well she knew him.
He finally relented on the condition that he would accompany her, and of course they chose the worst possible day to get stuck in the woods. The heat wave broke as a downpour started out of nowhere, descending on the camp without mercy. Raven cursed as she tried to cover her things, eventually giving up and tossing them under a tarp. Wind and rain lashed into her every pore as she struggled to get inside one of the smaller huts. Wick appeared out of nowhere, as he often did, a hand at her elbow as he helped her along. Once inside, she sat gratefully and peeked through the slats, her eyes on the gate. Of all days to venture out…
Only when she saw two figures running down the slope did she allow herself to relax. Clarke’s blonde hair clung to her face and neck and she was clearly soaked to the bone, but it was the wide smile on her face that drew Raven’s attention. Her friend wasn’t just running - she was splashing cheerfully through the puddles. Bellamy followed, his dark eyes trained on Clarke as usual, but there was an ease in his steps, a lightness to his movements that that made her look twice. A grin stretched across his face as he watched Clarke dance her way through the rain, and Raven’s breath caught at his tender expression.
Bellamy Blake was in love with her best friend.
There was no denying it - it was on his face for all to see; except for Clarke, who was so smart about the human body but couldn’t quite seem to get a grasp on her own heart. But right now only the two of them existed in the little bubble they’d created, and Raven watched as he took Clarke’s hand and twirled her in a circle. Clarke laughed brightly, continuing to spin on her own, arms outstretched, as the rain pelted her face. No - for her it wasn’t pelting, it was drowning out the noise of all the other problems they had, drowning out all the gears in her head that couldn’t stop shifting for one second.
Bellamy had stopped a few feet away, simply watching her. When she finally stopped spinning, she took a few steps towards him with a peaceful smile, heedless of the rain. She didn’t stop when Raven thought she would, instead continuing forward until she was definitely invading his personal space. He didn’t move an inch, not even when her arms snuck under his jacket to clasp around his torso.
She leaned up and waited expectantly. His hand cupped her cheek, and with a smile he dipped his head. Their lips touched softly in a gentle greeting. There was something familiar and incredibly intimate about it, like it was something they did often. Like they could easily continue to do it for a long time.
Raven smiled to herself. Maybe Clarke wasn’t as clueless about her heart as she’d thought. Or perhaps Bellamy had just helped her open her eyes.