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Bellamy smiled when he opened the door to their shared room and saw Echo’s sleeping form already under the covers. He could just make out her brown hair peeking above the blanket as her chest gently moved up and down with her steady breathing. Bellamy stood there in awe for a moment, watching her chest slowly rise and fall, frozen in the doorway with a stupid grin on his face. Sometimes he still couldn’t believe how lucky he’d gotten.
All his life Bellamy never had someone who loved him unconditionally, who loved him just for him. He was always the one who had to take care of everybody else and finally - finally - he had someone to take care of him. He didn’t need to be the big brother, the protector, or the leader with Echo - he could just be Bellamy. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he’d find someone as perfect for him as Echo. His Echo, he thought lovingly, his stupid grin growing even bigger.
He always had a soft spot for Echo, no use denying that now. He felt a connection to her from the moment they met in the cages of Mount Weather. Back then, all he knew was that his heart was compelling him to her. He felt something stir deep in his soul when he sacrificed himself in her place and promised to come back for her (it wasn’t lost on him that her first instinct was to protect him too). It was only later, looking back on it all, that he realized the true depth of their connection.
They were kindred sprints, two sides of the same coin, soulmates - both tools of war, used and discarded by the people they trusted most and were closest to. They’ve lived lonely, isolated lives where they were forced to live in service of others and were never given the opportunity to be selfish or live for themselves. Bellamy understood it all now. And he would go through it all again in a heartbeat if it meant ending up here, falling in love with the woman of his dreams and getting to come home to her each night.
Ever the pragmatist, Bellamy wasn’t really one to believe in fate or cosmic connections, but he was coming around on the idea of Echo being his twin flame. It just made so much sense to him. Harper had brought it up the other day when she saw them cuddling together after they had just spent all morning intensely sparring with each other. He would never admit it out loud, but it actually warmed his heart to think about. No one understood him the way Echo did - she soothed his soul and made him feel happier, safer, and more loved than he’d ever been. He had never felt more at peace and whole than when he was with her. They were always operating on the same wavelength, able to read each other with just a look, and they never tired of each other's company - everyday it seemed a little more obvious that they had both found their missing half. Their twin flame was born of the same spark, always threatening to become smothered or burn out from their love for others - but now they were together, burning brighter and hotter than ever.
He quietly closed the door behind him and changed into his sleep clothes, careful not to trip on Echo’s boots piled on the floor. On days when Echo was totally beat from sparring she never remembered to move her stuff out of the way. Today must have been particularly exhausting. Usually she’d be up in bed reading a book and waiting for him, but tonight she was fast asleep. Seeing her rest peacefully made his heart swell - he loved her so much.
Bellamy tiptoed over to the bed and got in, carefully wrapping himself around Echo and pulling his front flush against her back as he snuggled close. Normally he liked to be the little spoon when they cuddled, but tonight he was going to take full advantage of being the big spoon. His arms snaked around her waist and he gave her a little squeeze, pulling her impossibly close and pressing his face into her shoulder. Her body immediately relaxed into his familiar frame, feeling the warmth of his body pressing against her own. He left a gentle kiss on her exposed skin as his eyes drifted closed to the sound of her soft breathing. He absentmindedly started playing with the hem of her shirt and was about to fall asleep, when his cold fingers brushed against her bare stomach and he felt Echo’s whole body shiver. He internally cringed and closed his eyes tighter. Crap.
“Bellamyyyyy,” she sleepily whined, which turned into a yawn halfway through, “Your hands are freezing.” Her voice was quiet and a little raspy, she didn’t even bother opening her eyes. She looked extra soft and Bellamy felt even guiltier about interrupting her sleep.
“Sorry,” he whispered sheepishly. He hugged her tighter and buried his face into her back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
She gathered his cold hands in her own and brought them up to her chest, settling herself further back into his body. “It's okay,” she mumbled softly, already teetering back on the brink of sleep. “I’ll keep you warm.” She pressed a soft kiss to his hands and held them close to her heart.
Bellamy couldn’t help the dopey smile that spread across his face. He loved her so damn much. He really was the luckiest guy in the whole universe! “I love you,” he whispered softly before kissing her head goodnight. “Ai hod yu in, niron,” he said again, barely audible as it gently puffed against her hair. He’d secretly been practicing his trig with Emori and was waiting for the right time to tell Echo how much he loved her in her native language - next time he’d do it when she was awake. He smiled to himself and snuggled closer to Echo. Tomorrow seemed like a good idea, maybe first thing in the morning. Definitely first thing in the morning, he thought as he breathed in the sweet scent of Echo’s freshly washed hair. Bellamy drifted off to sleep wrapped around Echo, hands warm and heart full.