Princess ♕ Flarke ❶ {Wattys2015}

Chapter 26: Clarke

Chapter 26: Clarke

I awake in Finn's strong arms, wrapped around me like a coat of paint covering a wall. Yes, they're wrapped around that tightly. My face feels sticky and wet, probably tears from last night - I cried myself to sleep after Finn dozed off. And there's my next problem: Charlotte.

If I get up, I have to talk to Charlotte again, but if I stay here I'll have nothing to do but sleep, which I definitely need after last night. It's a no brainer.

The light seeps in through the small window on one wall of the room, causing Finn to stir.

"Princess, you look tired," he says sleepily.

"Yeah, well, I've been crying." Finn hugs me closer.

"All night?"

"All night," I confirm. "After you fell asleep."

"Wake me up next time if you're sad. You can always talk to me about anything."

"Can you see if Charlotte is awake?" I ask. "I don't want her seeing me like this."

"Sure, Princess." He gets up - even though he looks like he doesn't want to - and opens the door, peeking out to look. "She's still sleeping. Do you want to come outside with me?"

I push myself off the bed to join Finn, holding onto his arm when I see Charlotte. She's in the same position as last night, but something looks different about her. The dark circles under her eyes are gone, her cheeks are flushed with colour, her breathing relaxed and easy. She looks more awake, more alive.

She looks less like a cold-blooded killer.

Gripping tighter on Finn's arm, I shake the thought from my head. Finn opens the door and a cold breeze blows me backwards away from him. I run back, looking at Charlotte once more before hurrying outside.

"You look like a lost squirrel," Finn chuckles. "Always darting around."

"Squirrels run from places they don't want to be, if that's what you mean." I quickly find a place to sit by the dying fire.

"You're a nervous wreck whenever you see Charlotte."

"Wouldn't you be if she had killed your best friend?" I question defensively. "Or if she killed me?"

"Of course I would, anyone would." He comes and sits beside me. "I can't live without you."

"Then don't question it again." I lean into his shoulder. "Sorry, I keep shouting at you."

"I accept your apology. What should we do now?" he asks.

"What is there to do? We could get lost in the woods and be killed by grounders."

"Then let's do it!" He jumps up, taking hold of my hand in the process. We walk into the woods amongst the densely planted trees. "See? Just walk around."

I do as he says and walk in between the trees, touching the bark with the tips of my fingers. It crumbles like a powder under my touch. I press my finger into the tree and the wood falls away quickly letting my hand go all the way through as I expected. I pull my hand free and inspect the hole. The edges are coated with a blue-purple substance that emits a dull glow. It seems like radiation made some trees unstable.

"Whoa, what's that in the tree?" Finn asks. "It's glowing."

"I think it's radia -"

"Get that stuff off you. Now!" He swipes my arm with his hand, brushing off little flecks of the glow. His eyes show fear.

"I'm okay, I'm okay. Don't panic."

"Touching stuff like radiation could affect the baby."

My stomach drops slightly. "Oh, I didn't think of that."

"Are you feeling okay? No second heads?" he jokes.

"No second heads," I confirm. "Now let's get killed by grounders."

I take Finn's hand and run further into the woods. The cooling wind blows through my hair and gets it out of my eyes. Finn's hair moves away from his face and wind combs it like a brush, the silkiness of it fading. We stop at a small river in the middle of the woods to rest.

"You're hair's a mess," Finn says. I peer over the water but Finn's not entirely right - my hair looks fuller rather than messy. I pout my lips a little and before I know it Finn is kissing me passionately and we're lying on the muddy ground, his hands cupping my cheeks. When he breaks away he says, "If you ever look like this again then I'll barely be able to keep my hands off you."

"What's different about how I look right now?" I smirk. I internally laugh at Finn's puppy dog eyes and how he's trying to keep himself off me.

"Your cheeks are red, your hair is tousled but looks great... And then you pouted your lips and that did it for me."

I pout my lips again and Finn's groans, making me laugh.

"I knew you would do that!" he says. "And I know you'll do it again."

I repeat and Finn gives into himself, kissing me again. He goes to my neck and then back to my lips, and then he puts his arm behind my back and lifts me up. I wrap my legs around his waist and he walks back into the forest, still kissing me.

"We're almost back," he says, holding me bridal style now. "Then we can take this to the bedroom."

I can see the camp walls and the roof of our house getting closer and closer. When we get to our house the door is open and Finn puts me down slowly.

"I'm sure I shut the door behind me..." Finn says.

"Wait here." I motion Finn to stay behind me as I walk inside the house. In front of me are muddy tracks - I had seen these ones before, recently. I turn to Finn.

"Raven's been here."

***

A/N

OKAY I'M SORRY IT GOT KIND OF KINKY BUT I WAS HAVING A REALLY KINKY CONVERSATION ON INSTAGRAM WITH MY FRIENDS CAITLYN AND ZAK ABOUT SHREK AND YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW