ATLAS

one

Bellamy couldn't take his eyes off her. Andromeda was akin to angels. Long hair cascaded down her back and her smile made his knees weak. Her blue eyes met the fire in his own and he was bound. The blue in them rivaled the skies of his favorite Earth books. She had these flecks of forest green, as deep as the depths of the trees, that shined when her mouth lifted into the mischievous grin that he knew all too well. Andromeda was plotting. He raised an eyebrow in question, to which she just smirked. She was trouble for Bellamy. She was beautiful, selfless, and painfully kind. He had admired her kindness from the moment he met her. A cheery young girl who gave up all her free time to ensure that his sister had a proper education.

Aurora Blake was lucky to find a friend like Cerise in her Saturday morning book club. The two women grew close enough that Aurora trusted her most sensitive secret to her: Octavia. Cerise, an Ark English teacher, could not standby silently as a young girl was deprived of an education and any semblance of a life, so she volunteered her daughter, who was close in age to Octavia, to serve as a teacher for the young girl. Andromeda never complained as she exhausted herself with her own education and took on Octavia's as well. In fact, she gladly became a best friend to her. Each day after Bellamy left guard duty, he met Andromeda at her family quarters and walked her to the Blake household, and each evening he walked her back home after the girls spent the whole evening together. Andromeda grew close to the entire Blake family. Octavia treasured her best, and only friend, Aurora adored her as a daughter, and Bellamy could not take his eyes or his mind off her for even a second. In this very moment he imagined her freckled face basking in golden hour, her hair caressed by the breeze as she ran giggling in the forest. He always imagined her there. He couldn't daydream about her between gray, metal walls. She didn't belong there. The giggling grew louder, and the corner of his lips raised in a small smile.

"Bell, you aren't supposed to listen, you promised," Andromeda whined.

Bellamy, ripped from his daydreams, assured her, "I'm not listening, see."

He plugged his fingers into his ears and turned away. Peaking at the girls, he saw her whispering in Octavia's ear. Her eyes were locked on him as Octavia giggled. His brows pulled together curiously, but she only smirked in response.

"Trouble," Bellamy whispered under his breath, sighing contently. Before he could turn back around, he was being shoved towards the door by his sister.

"Go outside so she can get dressed. Her date will be here soon," Octavia commanded.

Bellamy's eyes snapped over to the pretty girl still seated on the floor, "date," he questioned, "with who?"

Before she could respond, Octavia stepped in, "it's a dance, Bellamy, she needs to have a date. Don't scare him away."

"She doesn't need a date," he responded turning towards Andromeda, "and if he's so easy to scare away from you, he doesn't get a minute of your time."

She couldn't take her eyes off him as he passionately spoke about her date. She hoped that the emotion she was sensing was jealousy. She had been pining for him for years and the prospect of him feeling anything in return delighted her.

"You could take me instead," she suggested, secretly pleading for him to accept the offer.

"Romey, you know I have guard duty, please don't," Bellamy begged, stepping closer.

She knew that he was pleading for her to not beg. She would anyways, but only a little. She stood up and met him halfway. Her eyes instinctively found his. She sensed the turmoil in them, and she was glad for it; it meant that he had at least thought about saying yes.