Bellarke One Shots Book 1

26) Your Couch my couch

Sighing deeply, Clarke hauled her back through the hallway of the apartment building. She dreaded being here, she had stuff to do, stuff she could only do at her own desk, but Octavia all but kicked her out forcibly because her boyfriend was staying over, and much as Clarke liked Lincoln, when O and Lincoln had been apart for this long, Clarke did not want to be in the same room with those two.

She wondered how people could keep that up; see each other sporadically and have lots of sex when they do see each other. But it seemed to work for her roommate.

Not so much for her. Since O was hogging their room, Raven had Wick over and she didn't even want to think about was Lexa and Castia were doing, now they had finally been assigned as roommates, she had no other alternative than cross the city to see O's older brother, who had not much to his name beside the apartment in a crappy neighbourhood. He didn't have much of a choice. He was singlehandedly putting Octavia through college, which didn't leave much for food, let alone a decent apartment. But it was a place to sleep and seeing it was his sister that had made her homeless for the night, Clarke figured he owed her.

She knocked, and knocked again when he didn't answer quickly enough. When he did, she was greeted by a half-half-naked, grumpy Bellamy Blake. "Oh, for the love of God." he murmured, and then he saw her. Confusion passed over his face. "Princess, what are you doing here?" His everlasting nickname for her, never ceasing to annoy her.

"Your sister and her boyfriend kicked me out. I need a place to sleep. Your floor is as good as any." Clarke said, defences up instantly. He was more hostile than usual, and she was not dealing with this.

He looked her up and down, a small smirk appearing. "Lincoln is in town, is he?" Thankfully, he stepped aside and pushed the door open further to let her in. "Welcome then, Griffin."

"Thank you, Bellamy. I had nowhere to go."

"You should really find your own place." Bellamy said, moving across the tiny apartment to get her some blankets. "And let me give you a tip, if you've got the money, do not move into this apartment block."

Clarke chuckled. "Well, it's enough for one person and no one can kick you out of your own bed." She placed her bag beside the door and she pulled her sleeves over her hands to warm herself (it was a nervous tic, but she would never admit that to herself, let alone out loud).

"There you go." He handed her blankets. "Take the couch, Princess. I got a bonus at work last week so a bought a couch."

"Good for you." Clarke sighed as she let herself drop on the couch, her tired body sinking into the soft cushion. "Thanks." she murmured sleepily.

The cushions dipped beside her. "So, Clarke Griffin. What's going on in your life?"

"Nothing much. My parents still aren't talking to me. That's what you get for pursuing your own dream instead of theirs." she said bitterly. "Sorry. I shouldn't whine."

Bellamy chuckled, patting her shoulder. "We all have our own difficulties in life. Mine do not cancel out yours. How's art school?"

It should have weirded her out that he knew so much about her, but it didn't. Bellamy had been in her life for as long as she could remember. When she met Octavia in elementary school, she was malnourished and small, but her big brother, six years older than the both of them, had done all he could to keep O alive. At school, Clarke began the habit of buying more food than she could eat, just so Octavia could eat more than what the school was prepared to give her with her food ticket. And so they got each other through elementary, secondary and high school. Bellamy Blake had always been a bit of a jerk, but she could handle that. He was always the big brother she never had, with him comforting her when her parents were being assholes and with her and O teasing him about the small things in life. So they kept up a balance.