This one is a bit long, my insomnia has been keeping me up all night but I hope you enjoy!!
Octavia Blake didn't know where her boyfriend was.
That morning when she'd woken up, he hadn't been there beside her as was the norm. Now, she was walking through the hallways of the newly renamed Arkadia, looking for him everywhere she could think of.
She saw people moving around, carrying things.
It had been two weeks since they'd returned from Mount Weather and everyone had needed a fresh start. So Camp Jaha had become Arkadia. Without the constant threat from the Grounders, the Sky People had begun to relax and settle down. The whole place was being built almost from the ground up. The construction plans for the final version of Arkadia were complete with stables, crops, a medical wing, a hangar, even a big fire pit where the people could live together.
There was life again among the Arkers.
Octavia moved to the Hangar. She didn't find Lincoln. Instead, she found her brother.
"Hey, Bell?"
Bellamy turned. "Yeah?"
"Have you seen Lincoln?"
"Hmm, I think he left."
Left? Octavia couldn't believe. Lincoln wouldn't have left without telling her. "Well, where did he go?"
"I don't know, O." But Bellamy did, in fact, know where his sister's boyfriend had gone this morning. Lincoln was preparing the first part of Octavia's birthday surprise.
He was pretending not to remember her birthday, when in reality, he and Lincoln had a whole special day planned for her. Bellamy had been stunned when he'd asked Lincoln what his plans were for Octavia's birthday and the other man had told him he hadn't even known the special date was so soon. Why hadn't she said anything to him?
"But I'm sure he'll back soon," he assured. "Don't worry."
Octavia nodded and tried to do just that, which was hard, considering Lincoln wasn't exactly on friendly terms with his people since he'd disobeyed the Commander's orders to not help Skaikru at the Mountain. What if one of them caught him and decided he deserved to be punished? The thought chilled her to the bone. She would wait for a couple of hours, then she'd go out to find him.
Then, she noticed something which took her by surprise. Today was her 17th birthday, and Bellamy hadn't said anything.
He'd forgotten.
Octavia was okay with him not remembering, honestly. She didn't really feel like celebrating anyway. Fresh from battle and with plenty of wounds – both physical and emotional – to heal, nobody was in a mood for celebrations. So, what did it matter anyway?
But Bellamy had always done something special for her birthday, no matter what. Even for her last birthday, when she'd been in lockup, he'd bribed one of the guards to deliver her gift: her favorite blanket, her childhood doll their mother had made, and a card that read:
Happy Sweet 16, O.
Wish I could be with you right now.
I love you,
-B
She told herself that he was just distracted by everything that was going on, but it still hurt a little.
