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“Come on in, the water’s fine!”
At the sound of Murphy’s sly voice Bellamy finally allows himself to relax. If that idiot had drowned 5 minutes after landing on a new planet… he dismisses the thought. No, Murphy is fine. He sighs in relief, releasing the breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. Another member of his family wasn’t just tragically ripped away from him prematurely. He swallows the lump in his throat at the thought of his deceased friends; Monty and Harper didn’t sacrifice themselves in vain. It’s safe here - the water is safe. His remaining family members are safe.
He’s pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of heavy splashing and a shriek as Emori is pulled into the water by Murphy, a deviously-satisfied smirk on his face. Bellamy finds their play fighting amusing, and can’t help but laugh at their antics. Maybe Murphy has the right idea - they all could use a little fun and relaxation.
Bellamy turns his attention towards Echo and smiles at her, nodding his head towards the water. He can see a minuscule smile start to tug at the corner of her lips as she coyly looks back at him. Her eyes flit over to Murphy and Emori’s play wrestling, and she finally stops suppressing her smile, chuckling softly to herself. Bellamy giggles, head over heels for her, eyes full of mirth and unable to contain his exuberant grin. He can’t help it! She just makes him so insanely happy - a massive smile takes over his face at the thought of goofing around with her in the water. He wants to hold her close and let the rest of the world melt away.
Bellamy knows he doesn’t stand a chance of physically pulling her into the water like Murphy did with Emori, especially now that the element of surprise is gone - but it looks like she’s still on board to have some fun in the lake after all.
“Last one in’s a rotten egg!” He yells as he takes off towards the shore. Both of them quickly strip to their undergarments, throwing jackets to the ground and shirts over their heads, as they race into the water. Somewhere off to the side of him, Bellamy hears the muted thud of Echo’s sword as it lands on the ground, safe and protected in its well-worn sheath. If Echo wasn’t bringing her sword then she must have come to same conclusion as he did - it’s safe here. Bellamy’s still hopping out of one of his pant legs when he sees the bottoms of Echo’s feet slip below the surface as she effortlessly dives into the water and disappears into the lake. He stares in awe for a moment, before kicking his foot free and making his way after her into the water.
Echo’s head pops above the surface and she slicks her hair back with both hands as she stands. The water is shallow around the shore, only just coming up to her knees when she stands.
“You’re a natural!” Bellamy beams at her.
“And you’re a rotten egg.” She smirks, teasing him, as she rings out the water from her hair. There’s a twinkle in her eye as she playfully goads him, and Bellamy wants nothing more than to kiss that smug expression off her pretty face.
“You got me. I’m a rotten egg and a rotten swimmer,” he concedes, arms up, as he wades closer to her. “How’d you get to be such a good swimmer anyway? They have lakes that aren’t frozen in Azgeda?” He is genuinely curious, but he’s also hoping to buy some time as he slowly makes his way closer.
“I didn’t learn to swim in Azgeda. I traveled a lot.” She answers short and to the point, always so direct. He adores her and her straightforward nature, but he really doesn’t want her to slip away like some kind of incredibly nimble, graceful fish right now. He needs to keep her talking.
“Think you could teach me sometime?” He’s almost next to her now - barely close enough to touch her - just a few more steps. “It can’t be worse than teaching me to sword fight,” he smiles at the memories of getting his ass kicked for those first few months they sparred together. “Besides, I’m an excellent learner. And you make such a great seda.”
She playfully rolls her eyes at him, even though she blushes at the compliment. “Maybe it won’t take you three years to figure out this time.”
Bellamy is finally beside her now, and he takes the opportunity to wrap his strong arms tightly around her as he whispers in her ear, “Maybe it only took me that long because I liked having you all to myself for our one-on-one lessons.”
He can feel Echo’s face heat up, but she doesn’t miss a beat as she replies, “maybe you should have just said something sooner.” Bellamy smiles. He knows she could break his hold and flip their positions - if she really wanted to - and send him crashing into the water at any moment. But Echo is letting him keep his arms around her, effectively trapping her in place against him. She turns in his possessive embrace and reaches up to tenderly cup his face, “would’ve saved you from all that quality time with the training room floor.” She lovingly brushes the hair back from his face.
He laughs, tightening his arms around her and giving her body a playful, loving squeeze. An uncharacteristically adorable squeak escapes her lips at the unexpected movement, and Bellamy smiles from ear-to-ear. He nuzzles his nose into her temple and peppers her cheek with a flurry of kisses. She grins, full of affection for him, relishing the way his beard lightly tickles her face.
Keeping his arms snuggly around her, he moves so he’s directly in front of her as he rubs his nose against hers. He briefly pulls back, but only just enough to kiss the top of her nose and smile adoringly at her.
“Bellamy,” she laughs, smiling brightly right back at him. Echo’s a big softie at heart - Bellamy still remembers his surprise and utter delight at discovering the big, scary Azgeda spy was so cuddle-able. It breaks his heart to think about how harsh and unforgiving her childhood must have been - he’s heard the typical grounder horror stories and knows all about Azgeda’s exceptionally cruel reputation. He wants nothing more than to give Echo all the love she deserves - including every last bit of his heart.
Echo loves how affectionate and tactile Bellamy is. And he loves seeing her smile like that. He nuzzles into her again, kissing all over her face - her nose, her eye, the ridge of her brow, the cute little crinkle of her nose, her forehead, her other eye - he doesn’t seem to be following any kind of pattern, just kissing anywhere he can reach. She playfully tries to move away, but she’s still held firmly in place by Bellamy’s bear hug - and her laughter is totally giving her away. She missed him for far too long when they were forced to separate back on Earth. She doesn’t want to be anywhere else right now (or ever).
Bellamy finally kisses her mouth, soft and slow, and when he pulls away she chases his lips. They kiss again and Bellamy hums happily. Her arms snake around his lower back and her hands splay greedily against his skin, pulling him closer. He eagerly goes back for more, hungry. His hands run through her damp hair and he lightly scratches at her scalp the way she likes. She melts at his touch, sighing softly into his mouth, and he gently bites at her lower lip, senses overwhelmed with all things Echo. They part only when the need to breathe becomes too much. Bellamy immediately starts nuzzling her again, not wanting to be apart. He pulls her close and wraps his arms around her again, still amorously nuzzling her face. “That tickles,” Echo comments, bringing a hand up to rest on his bearded cheek. She lovingly strokes her thumb over his scruff.
Bellamy pauses for a moment, and the corners of his lips curl mischievously. “Oh, you don’t like tickles?” He asks with faux-innocence. Echo can practically see the idea forming in his head.
“Bellamy, don’t you dare-“
They both know what the other is thinking - but Bellamy reacts a fraction of a second faster, having already anticipated her reaction before he even spoke. He knows what she’s about to do, so before she has a chance to sweep his legs out from under him, he leans back, arms still wrapped tightly around her, and lifts her out of the water, as he swiftly begins tickling her midsection.
She squirms in his arms, laughing incessantly as she tries to escape his hold. “If-you-d-don’t—stop,” she manages between laughs, “you’re-g-going-to--regret-it.” She’s still laughing and squirming uselessly against him, gasping for air - her warning completely defanged by her comically nonthreatening delivery.
Bellamy can’t contain his own laughter any longer, but he lowers her back down to the ground anyway. He slows the movement of his fingers, giving her time to breathe - not wanting to push his luck too much. He can’t keep the self-satisfied smile off his face though. Echo is breathless and her face is pink, but she’s smiling shyly back at him - even if she’s eyeing him suspiciously. She’s the most amazing woman he’s ever seen. He drops his arms, finally releasing her from his crushing embrace. “I love you so much.” He says, eyes glistening, looking at her with such reverence and awe. He could stare at her forever, tracing the proud arch of her cheek and the curve of her lips. He doesn’t want to move, lest the spell be broken; he just wants to stand there and look at her forever - take her in and memorize every detail.
At the sudden loss of his touch, she reaches out for his hand and holds it in her own, gently rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand in a soothing motion. She never wants to be apart from him again.
“I love you too.”
Her dark eyes find his and his heart skips a beat. “Come here.” He gently guides her towards his chest as he leans back, floating together with her further into the water. Wet hair frames her face as she looks down into his eyes, while he floats on his back, holding her close. The water is getting deeper now, making Echo much lighter and more easily maneuverable. Bellamy sits up, pulling her into his lap, and her legs come up around his waist. A smile breaks out across his face, and he plants his feet on the ground to get more solid footing. She clings to him and buries her head in his chest. He runs a hand through her damp hair and softly kisses the top of her head, before closing his eyes and resting his cheek on top of her head. He can feel her smile against his chest and he wraps his arms around her again, holding her tight. He never wants to let go.
He likes feeling the weight of her as she holds onto him - a physical reminder that she’s here with him, safe, and not going anywhere. Her touch always has a way of grounding him, and the sensation is multiplied tenfold holding her in his arms like this. He sinks down in the water slightly, getting lost in the comforting feeling of her body pressed up against his. He’s itching to touch her - 100 years in cryosleep making him desperate to feel her skin against his.
He slowly drags his hands up her back, taking his sweet time and moving at an agonizing pace. She lifts her head to meet his intense gaze. Her big brown eyes stare back at him and he can’t hold back any longer. He cups her face with both hands and pulls her in for a searing kiss. Her legs tighten around him and her hands gently tangle in the curls at the base of his neck, scratching lightly. He groans affectionately, thumbs gently stroking her cheeks as the kiss deepens. She’s soft and pliant under his touch - something that never fails to fill him with wonder. He buries his head against her neck and mouths at the sensitive skin there. Her breathing becomes ragged and her hand fists in his hair as she pulls him closer. A soft whine escapes her lips and she finds his mouth again. Her kissing becomes desperate and needy and he’s happy to oblige.
Mercilessly, they have to part to breathe again. They’re both panting, cheeks flushed and breathless. Bellamy closes his eyes and pushes his forehead up against hers, just letting his head rest there. They stay like that for a while - long past the point where their breathing has evened out - foreheads pressed together, as close as they can possibly be - perfectly at peace.
Until they are rudely interrupted by a small tidal wave splashing over them and soaking them completely - courtesy of Murphy, who is cackling loudly just out of reach.
“Murphy!” Bellamy growls. He protectively clutches Echo closer to him.
“Run, John!” Emori yells, cupping her hands around her mouth. But she’s laughing too.
Echo smiles despite herself at the scene unfolding in front of her - she loves her little family too much to be upset or offended by their shenanigans. Plus, there’s plenty of time for her and Bellamy to resume where they left off later. She slowly disentangles herself from him and gives him one last, quick peck on the lips before turning her attention towards the undeniably guilty Murphy.
Bellamy smirks knowingly, “I hope you know how to swim, Murphy!”
“Oh crap.” Murphy blanches at the sight of Echo vanishing into the water, and he frantically starts hopping back towards the shore.
“You’re so screwed!” Bellamy yells gleefully.
Murphy suddenly yelps, when not a moment later something beneath the water grabs his leg and pulls him under. He’s only gone for a second before he pops back up, sputtering and sopping wet. Echo pops up next to him, smirking, and good-naturedly pats him on the back. He reminds her of one of those wet, disgruntled cats from those old cartoons they used to watch on the Ring, who unwillingly got a bath. She smiles to herself at the comparison. “Now we’re even.”
“All right, yeah, I deserved that.” He admits amicably, shaking the water from his hair.
“Look at the bright side,” Bellamy starts as he comes over to join them, “now you won’t have to worry about us retaliating later.”
Bellamy stands, causing his torso to rise out of the water and he’s instantly greeted by the cool mountain air. He shivers and immediately regrets leaving the comfortable temperature of the water. He huddles in on himself, rubbing his arms up and down trying to warm himself up with the friction.
Echo stands up to full height and doesn’t even flinch as she’s exposed to the cool air.
“What?” She raises an eyebrow at his mystified expression. “I’m from Ice Nation.” She shrugs, “It’s not that cold.”
“Not fair,” Murphy drawls, rolling his eyes.
“Anyone else feel like getting a fire started?” Bellamy asks, teeth starting to chatter. Echo goes to his side and starts sympathetically rubbing his back. “Sitting around a big toasty flame sounds pretty great right now,” he adds sheepishly.
They all agree and make their way out of the water. Bellamy gathers his and Echo’s scattered clothes on the way back, careful not to get them wet. He lays them on the ground by their designated campfire spot and quickly follows Echo, sword by her side, into the surrounding forest to collect some firewood. Murphy and Emori strip off their wet clothes and hang them nearby to dry. They gather various twigs and leaves off the ground to use as kindling. Once they have all their materials, it only takes their group a few minutes to get the fire going.
“Haha yes!” Emori exclaims, smiling brightly.
The warmth is instant, and everybody sighs contently. Emori and Murphy cuddle up together while Bellamy settles into Echo’s side, resting his head on her shoulder. They snuggle together, basking in the glow of the fire and sharing each other’s body heat. Between the feeling of Echo lightly playing with his hair and the warmth of the fire, Bellamy feels like he’s in heaven. His eyes drift closed and Echo tenderly kisses his forehead.
“Rest, ai hodnes,” she whispers softly, watching over him fondly.
A few minutes later Bellamy is snoring. Echo smiles her small, reserved smile at him. He’s so cute when he sleeps. She watches him sleep for a moment, studying the lines of his tired face and appreciating the sound of his soft breaths as he dreams. He’ll be out for a while.
The rest of them watch the suns start to set as the sky turns a wondrously orangey-pink color. It really is beautiful here. And so far there doesn’t appear to be any major threats - maybe they can actually use this second chance to finally live in peace. With Bellamy in her arms and the promise of peace on the horizon, for the first time in a long time Echo feels hopeful for what lies ahead.