Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 78

"Okay, this is ridiculous." Ethan sighs, staring down at the mangled mess of sticks and leaves gathered at their feet.

Murphy chews on his lip, swiping a hand across his nose, "Do you have any better ideas?"

The fire has started a total of two times. 

And the wind has blown it out a total of two times.

From inside the cave just ahead, Emori's voice is heard. It shakes with a small laugh, her shadowed figure watching them from the entrance. "Stop trying to be heroes and come inside."

Ethan blows out a breath and studies Murphy, who purses his lips, nods reluctantly and kicks at their attempt until it's nothing but sticks flat on the dirt. Giving up, they move inside the cave, already lit with the fire burning away next to a smug Emori.

"Very good," Murphy praises sarcastically, dropping to the stone floor. "We've got the fire, you gonna do my hair or what?" He arches a brow at Ethan, oranges and reds lighting up his face.

Ethan snorts, "Not with that attitude."

Murphy turns the other way, "Emori-?"

"Hey," Offended, Ethan hits him, "I'm doing it, you prick." He settles on a log with Emori's knife in hand and jabs it at the ground threateningly.

Rolling his eyes, Murphy shuffles over.

It's been a day since their escape, and Ethan can only explain it as. . . weird.

Waking up in the middle of the night expecting darkness and a closed door. Expecting to be alone, only for Murphy to reach over and grab his arm, not even attempting to sleep.

Now, Ethan can feel Murphy's elbow hanging over one of his knees and bathes in the warmth of another body.

He tenses when he feels Murphy's hand brush above his ankle.

A moment passes. He keeps cutting at the mess of hair.

And then Ethan's jerking away in a pained inhale because Murphy has curled his fingers around his ankle and squeezed.

"I thought so." The culprit says, sounding suddenly on edge.

Confused, Ethan blinks his eyes open, not knowing when he'd closed them.

He notices, abruptly, that he has a hand clasped around the nape of Murphy's neck, as though he was trying to push the threat away.

He yanks his hand back, eyes wide and seeping guilt. "Sorry."

Murphy's shoulders lower, eyes flicking towards the injury. "Gideon do that?"

"I did." Ethan answers honestly, swallowing around the lump in his throat. He breathes out slowly, "I was going crazy in there."

"Yeah." Murphy chews on the inside of his cheek, and nods, voice low. "Yeah, I know."

They meet eyes.

I was too, is left unsaid. Because they understood.

Murphy turns around, leans back and pushes his head pointedly into Ethan's hovering hand until he takes the hint and continues what he started.

Ethan wonders if they'll ever talk more about it. About the shit they almost did. He wonders about their relationship. Where it's going and where it had been. And he's determined to ask, but maybe once they were completely alone.

He'd almost forgotten Emori was there, peacefully chipping away at wood and turning it into art.

Murphy shifts impatiently underneath his hands. Ethan's eye twitches. He forces the brunette's head back against his knees until he's staring at the top of the cave. "Don't move."

He's addicted to Murphy and at this point, he doesn't think anything could make him stop.

Murphy's eyes snap to his, glinting with something he can't name.

Emori observes with a soft smile. There's a slight way in which Murphy melts under Ethan's hands, unlike the rigidness that became of his limbs whenever she brushed by his arm.

Then Murphy sees the bruise across Ethan's jaw and his eyes fall, guiltily looking away.

Ruffling the hair beneath his hands, Ethan tries for a smile, "All done. How's that?"

"I don't know, you're the expert." Murphy shrugs, brushing his fingers through the strands. He shakes his head out to get a feel and then nods, "Lighter."

"Good."

Emori nods as well, "Better."

Her brown hair is as smooth as ever, forehead still covered with the headwrap, though they haven't had a chance to wash up since the boat ride. She promised them a lake by morning.

"I wanna head back to the Ark." Ethan finally says.

He prevents Murphy from moving by wrapping his arms around taut shoulders and twisting his hands together. He might be unsure where they stand, but Murphy not pulling away is a good start.

"The Ark?" Emori's brows furrow, meeting their eyes over the fire.

"Do you really think they're gonna believe us when we get back and tell them the truth?" Murphy says, the longest sentence he's said all day. But he leans back, just a bit, into Ethan's front.

"They're our friends. They have to." Ethan's lips press into a thin line. He tightens his arms.

Murphy sighs through his nose, slow and sure. "The Ark. . ." he looks at Emori, and chews on the inside of his cheek, finding the words. "We're not from here. The grounders call us Skaikru." 

"We came from the stars, I guess." Ethan starts, playing with the zipper of Murphy's jacket. "For ninety-seven years, the council was lead to believe it would take another few decades for the Earth to be inhabitable. But the Ark was falling apart."

"So Jaha sent us." Murphy tilts his head, looking away. "The juvenile delinquents. It didn't matter if the Earth was still toxic because we were expendable."

Ethan bites the inside of his cheek, "He's the only reason we're in this mess."

Deeply interested, Emori leans closer.

Thus begins the story of three rejected teenagers, bonding over the tales of their lives. They tell her of the Ark's so-called justice system, about the guards and the people, about how quickly the adults came to rule when they landed. About the friends they were forced to leave behind.

And so they formed a plan.

ALIE's looking for an army, in one way or another, and Jaha knows exactly where to find one.

The Ark.

With her brother no doubt in tow, Emori's agreed to help them get home. Much to Ethan's chagrin, the only way they're gonna make it to the Ark, is with supplies.

Supplies in which they don't have.

Supplies in which they've decided to steal from passing villagers.

Weeks later, that is exactly what does him in.