Stronger Together | The 100 [Bellarke one-shots]

Dark Secrets

Clarke was hiding.

It had been another long day on the ground, gathering supplies for the dreaded winter months. Worry clouded her mind like a blanket, stifling and tangling around her thoughts. And so, in the dimming crawl of darkness, she slipped away.

Not too far, because to travel alone was one step shy of absolute suicide. No. She was still within the campsite wall, but tucked in a little hollow near the far side, shadowed by the back of the dropship.

"There you are, princess."

Clarke shut her eyes and tried to gather some semblance of decorum about her as Bellamy's voice infiltrated her brief moment of solitude. Wasn't her position obvious about the fact that she just wanted to be left alone right now?

"What is it?" she replied a moment later, glaring through the blurry shadows of the fast-approaching night.

"Finn's wondering where you are." Bellamy's following shrug showed more than his dry tone exactly how he felt about Spacewalker. "He didn't see you around the fire with everyone for dinner, and he got worried. But since he's just now up and about after almost dying, and I didn't want to deal with a pissed-off Raven–"

"I got it," Clarke sighed, reaching up to try and rub the frustration out of her head with the back of her hand . . . and probably smudging her features with dirt, based on the gritty feel. That, or she was just filthy because finding time for such mundane tasks like bathing in the middle of trying to stay alive in world that seemed to be doing its utmost to prevent such a thing.

As she sat there for a moment, mulling over whether to sneak a trip to the river tomorrow or try and nick some water from the camp reserves for a quick wash, Clarke realized that Bellamy was still standing over her. Huh. She would have expected him to leave once he'd ascertained her location.

But then, the last few days, Bellamy had changed from the brash, rebel leader into someone who Clarke found herself beginning to trust. He was dependable, and in shaky times like these, she needed someone like that by her side.

Which was even more proof why Finn wasn't able to keep her heart like he wanted . . . no. She wasn't thinking about that – again. She'd wasted enough time on Spacewalker.

"I can see if there's any food left from dinner," Bellamy said, his tone now shifted from one bored, mild annoyance into what seemed like quiet awkwardness. But Bellamy Blake didn't do awkward . . . did he? "Uh, since you obviously want to be, ah, antisocial right now."

"Thanks for noticing," Clarke drawled, earning a snort of laughter from Bellamy.

"I'll be right back," he said, and then strode back to the faint, flickering glow of firelight from the front of the dropship.

When he came back, Bellamy had a stick of roasted meat in one hand, and a water cup in the other. Clarke smiled in the darkness at his thoughtfulness, and not for the first time wondered what exactly had happened on the Ark to make him hide this, well, sweet side. She knew it was something to do with his sister, Octavia, but The Girl Under The Floor was as much a mystery as her brother.

After he handed her the food, Bellamy lowered himself to sit opposite of her, folding his long legs a little clumsily, and adjusting the strap of the rifle slung over his back so the gun now rested in his lap, able to be brought to the ready at a moment's notice. Clarke eyed him as she took a bite of the warm, tender meat. If he was going to be watching her eat the entire time, that was going to be . . . interesting.