Taming Chaos // J.M // The 100

Chapter 59

"Nice." Ethan slides down onto the path, holding out an open hand.

Because the three kids from before are currently shrieking for their lives and running for the hills, shoving each other frantically towards the Ark.

They don't look back to see Murphy sliding down from the other side, stopping beside him. He smacks his palm against Ethan's, lips quirked up victoriously.

Like partners in crime.

Hands slip away, back down to their sides. Warm fingers brush against each other accidentally when they start walking.

A little closer and they'd be holding hands.

"We weren't like that, were we?" Murphy gestures towards their fading figures.

Ethan cocks his head to the side, "I dunno, remember the first time we met a panther?" He glances at the side of Murphy's face, "What do you think they'll tell the guards?"

The boy shrugs, pursing his lips. "Not my problem. But my best guess would be they saw us in the trees and we were so handsome that they took off." Murphy uses his fingers as legs, treading them in the air.

"Yeah." Ethan pauses. "Wait," He bursts out laughing. "Really?"

"I could think of a few different words."

Ethan lifts a tantalizing brow. "So could I, pretty boy." He clicks his tongue and winks dramatically.

It's weirdly satisfying to be explained as someone handsome. His hands are clammy and his ribs are sore from the laughter piled up over the day's events.

They should really address the elephant in the room.

Murphy smiles a little, glancing at Ethan through wet strands of hair. Further proving the pretty part of the equation.

They avoid the elephant. But it's clearly there.

A simple, wildflower-scented breeze pushes through the woods, shaking the leaves in a peaceful goodbye aimed at the sun, hiding behind the horizon. It leaves them with just each other as company in the darkness.

"You gonna tell me what happened in TondC?"

Ethan winces, "Yeah, that's a long story."

He dives into it as they walk, from start to finish, about how easy it was at the start, about the betrayal that hit Lexa, about -

"You did what?"

Ethan sighs through his nose, articulating the words, "I tested the cup. Yes, I know, give further notice next time."

"You're an idiot." Murphy pauses in the path, shaking his head. "How about not doing it next time?"

Ethan arches incredulous brows, "And let Raven die? No thanks."

They feel the abrupt beginnings of rain against their faces, touching gently at their skin. It sends a smile to Ethan's face, reaching out to enjoy the weather. 

"We should head back." Murphy begrudgingly admits, knocking their shoulders together when he stops.

Tilting his face towards the pouring sky, Ethan closes his eyes. "Little bit longer." And so they wait, standing together in the rain.

It's oddly peaceful.

Now, getting past the gates and back into camp is the easy part for Ethan and Murphy. Avoiding Kane was not.

The Chancellor catches the two of them heading towards cover - their usual place of hiding - and calls out past the activity of grounders behind him, "Mr. Murphy!"

"Shit." Murphy twists around, trying to avoid it to the last possible second.

Ethan follows suit, pulling his hands out of his pockets to flee from Kane and catch up with Murphy. Though he bumps into his back, grabs his shoulder, and twists around him to see what's stopped his escape.

A few of Kane's guards are standing there. They're not armed, or even moving to stop them, just waiting for further instruction.

Murphy sighs through his nose, shoulders rising and falling once.

The two delinquents share a defeated glance.

"Running from your duties, Murphy?"

Said boy turns back around and shrugs at Kane, "Don't know what you're talking about. Unless my duties include helping out around camp, then yeah, that's what I've been doing. Right, Ethan?" He tilts his head towards the blonde.

Ethan smiles innocently, "He sure was. You can trust me as his witness."

Kane doesn't seem intent on getting mad. In fact, he almost seems amused. He gestures towards the Ark, staring solely at Murphy. If "I'm so over this" was an expression, it'd be the one he's wearing.

Murphy purses his lips in acceptance.

"Have fun with work duty!" Ethan calls out, watching Kane walk side by side with Murphy until they're stumbling into the Ark, away from the rain and fighting grounders, most likely towards a dusty room they can chuck Murphy in for cleaning.

Ethan blows out a breath, glancing around camp.

Seeming as they were too lazy to swap shirts back over, he'd have to clean that too.

To his room it is.

Three kids are huddled in front of Harley by the entrance of Alpha Station. They shush one another every time a guard walks past, eyeing the armed soldier until they deem it safe to continue talking.

So it wasn't just Ethan that found Harley the safest guard here.

Harley, who looks confused, but also reassuring, stops them enough to get his own words in, hands settled on his hips.

Ethan moves closer, edging towards the door. He struggles to keep his expression neutral because there's a ton of animal names being tossed around the circle of young teens, trying to pin a beast to the jumpscare Ethan and Murphy had induced on them just an hour ago.

He can't find it in himself to explain what they were truly running from. This was too funny.

Harley quietens the kids - aged between twelve and fourteen - with a wave of his hands, "It wouldn't have been the grounders. You're probably right about the animals, okay?"

Ethan disguises his snort with a sudden cough.

Harley glances up. Meets his sparkling, pleased eyes and it clicks.

"Or-" he adds, raising his voice pointedly to be heard by Ethan, "-it was a couple of kids breaking the rules just like you were to play pranks on you."

Ethan shrugs at Harley, arms held out to the side with a satisfied smirk.

Shaking his head lightly, trying hard not to roll his eyes, Harley glances back down. "Which you deserved for being out there in the first place." He chastises, "The Chancellor said no one past the clearing. The forest was off-bounds."

Says the one that helped Ethan and Murphy escape into the trees.

See, Harley understands that they're not just kids anymore. Recognizes that they've been through - and know - so much more than those that have just touched the ground.

Ethan trusts Harley more than any other Arker here.

He searches the horizon for anyone watching, then tugs his shirt up to reveal the handgun tucked into his waistband.

Harley nods, ushering the kids away with one last reassurance.

"Had fun out there?"

"Oh yeah."