Beyond the Ark: Oliver Nash

Chapter I: Part III: Celebration

"Congratulations, Mr. Blake. Welcome to the guard," Lieutenant Shumway said, handing Bellamy a guards uniform.

"Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much this means to me," Bellamy replied.

Bellamy walked back to his quarters, uniform in hand. Knock Knock

"O, get in your spot just in ca-" Oliver said, moving the table, but stopped when he heard a familiar voice.

"It's just me," Bellamy called from the other side.

Oliver quickly went and opened the door. "Sorry, man, didn't know it was you. How did initiation go?" Oliver asked, shutting and locking the door behind them.

He turned and saw Bellamy holding a guardsman uniform in his hands, sporting his signature grin. "I'd say it went pretty well."

Octavia ran up to him, jumping on his back. "I knew you'd get in, big brother!" She practically squealed before getting off him. "Quiet, O!" Oliver said, half joking, half serious before walking up to Bellamy and dapping him up, pulling him into a bro hug. "I knew you could do it, man. Just don't go shooting me every time I beat you at Poker," Oliver laughed, pulling away.

"That's just because O helps you cheat," the dark-haired boy said, ruffling his sister's hair, causing her to stick her tongue out at him.

Oliver grabbed Octavia's arm, pulling her away and leaning down to whisper in her ear, "think you can keep him here a while?"

"Yeah, why?" the raven-haired replied, looking up with a glow in her eyes.

"Just a little surprise, trust me, lil sis." Octavia loved surprises. "What are you two talking about now?" Bellamy scoffed with a grin.

"Nothing, Bell," Octavia said, trying desperately to hide her smile. Bellamy noticed the corners of her mouth twitching but did not pry.

Oliver walked and dapped Bellamy up. "See you later, man. Tell your mom I said hi if she gets here before I'm back."

"Alright, see ya," Bell replied with a smile.

"Bye, Ollie!" Oliver winked at Octavia before leaving the room.

Oliver made his way towards Farm Station, where his mother worked. "Hey, Mom," he called, seeing his mother inspecting the algae.

"My beautiful boy," she said, walking over and hugging her son. "I need a favor. You know how Bell's always wanted in the guard, right?"

"Yes," his mother replied, eyes widening in excitement.

"Well, today he got his uniform," the young man said with a smile on his face. "So, Mom, I was wondering if you could," he looked around, making sure no one was too close, "make a Starshine cake to celebrate."

Starshine cake was one of the few delights here on the Ark. Oliver had never tasted it, but he heard stories of what it was like: a small, dense cake made with algae-derived sweeteners and a few precious ingredients like honey and preserved fruits.

"I could try," Rachel said, "but only a small cake, enough for one, maybe two people."

"Thanks, Mom, you're the best!" Oliver said, giving his mother a hug before leaving. Those who worked in Farm Station long enough got a small privilege when it came to food, something Rachel had never taken advantage of, so she figured getting access to a small amount of specialty ingredients wouldn't be hard, and it wasn't.

A couple of hours later, Oliver's mom walked into her quarters, finding her son reading a book in silence. She placed the small cake on the counter in a plastic container, earning a glance from her son, who then went back to his book.