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dragongirl-writer-ff · 1 year ago

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The Swan Princess AU: Chapter Three- "What. Else. Is. There?"

Princess Clarke of Ark was not in love with Crown Prince Bellamy of Skairu. She had spent the year after her visit to Treekru and despite her initial thought, knew that it wasn’t that kind of love she had. Nope. Not a chance. It’s simply not possible. She had spent too many years fighting against the marriage treaty to even consider wanting to do it. It was completely irrelevant that Bellamy had become one of her favourite people. So was Octavia, yet no one was claiming that her affections for the other woman were romantic. Yet she couldn’t even lie to herself and say that her love for Octavia was the same as it was for Bellamy. Once again, Queen Lexa’s words echoed in her mind. You care for him more. Well of course she cared for him! There was no arguing with that point, she had always been a fiercely loyal person, and when she decided to let someone in, she cared for them with all that she could. It was like that with all her friends, it was why she didn’t hesitate to help Lord and Lady Jaha grieve Wells. However, the young queen had implied that she had cared for Bellamy more than the others. Which she couldn’t do. Losing Wells had almost destroyed her. So if Lexa was right, and she did care for Bellamy more than him, and something happened to her, she wouldn’t survive it. So no, Clarke had decided that she was not romantically in love with Bellamy, and for the first time in years, was reluctant to go to Skairu.

~*~

Prince Bellamy was not having such issues with his feelings. Spending the last couple of summers without her, and receiving only a limited number of letters, a drastic amount less than usual, over the past year allowed him to fully face his feelings. He had missed Clarke, and didn’t want to spend any more time without her. No, his current worry was that he didn’t know how she felt about him. He knew that she was against the marriage treaty. It was a stupid treaty, he knew that. But would that be the only reason she would be against marrying him? Or did he misread how close they had gotten? Perhaps she views him in the same way that she viewed Octavia- no, he couldn’t go down that path. That would hurt him more than if she simply didn’t feel anything for him.

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice Miller enter his room until he loudly cleared his throat. “The chamberlain has announced that the Royal carriage of Ark has been sighted from the tower,” Miller said, in the most uptight voice he could muster. “ King Jake and Princess Clarke should be here within the hour. Do you think you’ll be able to pull your head out of your ass by then?” Bellamy threw a pillow at his friend. “Don’t you have an orchestra to assemble? My mother mentioned something about a ball tonight to celebrate the tradition being ‘back on track’ or something.” “Deflection will get you nowhere, I’m not Jasper,” Miller said. “Are you finally going to tell Clarke that you love her? Or should we look forward to another year of you being all mopey.” “I’m not mopey!” Miller didn’t have time to issue a retort before Queen Aurora burst into the room. “They will be here within the hour, and the ballroom is nowhere near ready!” She said, “Are you almost ready my dear? Best to dress for the ball now, we can start it soon after they settle in.” “I will be ready in time to greet them, as I always am,” Bellamy assured her. “Yes, but this isn’t like any other summer,” Aurora said. “This is the last summer that the treaty asked for. After this, it will entirely depend on you and Princess Clarke as to how often you see each other.” She let out a sigh. “I did try to extend the treaty, given that they were not here for the last two summers, but Jake was insistent. Thinks you two are old enough to make your own choices.” “Which is why you’ve come to make sure that I’ve chosen an appropriate outfit, haven’t you?” Bellamy chuckled at the look his mother gave him, “Actually, that’s why I’m here,” Miller said, then turning to bow to Aurora. “Though if it pleases you, your majesty, I have an orchestra to wrangle together.”

~*~

Clarke wandered slowly down the corridor. She had been grateful that Queen Aurora had decided against a formal greeting of the carriage, instead focusing on the ball that was to take place that evening. Octavia had come bounding into her room, with her usual chaotic energy. She had bombarded her with questions, asking her about Trikru, and how the Jaha’s were. Clarke noticed that they were avoiding the topic that was on everyone’s mind; would she uphold the treaty, or would this be her last official summer in Skairu? Her friend knew that she was conflicted about her choice, but that did not stop her from not so subtly making her hope known. Clarke looked down at the blue gown Octavia had insisted she wore for the ball. Bellamy’s favourite colour, and the one that best brings out her eyes. It was also tighter in the bodice than what she was normally comfortable with. It was amazing that she could even breathe in the dress. “Are you ready for your grand entrance?” King Jake asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. “Not really,” She said honestly. “I know everyone is expecting me to make a decision this summer, and I don’t know what to do.” “Your mother and I will support your decision, no matter what,” Her father said, taking her hand and placing it on his forearm. “Though we both know your mother may not necessarily show it if you choose against what she wants.” Clarked laughed and ducked her head. She took a deep breath as they reached the grand oak doors. With a signal from the King, the guards opened the doors and let them in.

She knew that the ballroom was filled with the lords and ladies of Skairu. Knew that Queen Aurora and Octavia were there greeting them. However, all she could see was Bellamy standing there. He was somehow even more handsome than she remembered, dressed in her favourite colour; a deep green. No doubt Octavia’s influence again. He also seemed to enter the same trance that she was in, because he barely acknowledged King Jake as he bowed to her. She curtsied in return, and took the hand he offered, an unasked invitation to dance. They didn’t look away from each other’s eyes as they moved around the dance floor. Now the entire room had disappeared, the music more of an echo around them. Everything she had been trying to deny came rushing to the surface as she stared into his eyes for the first time in two years. She didn’t want this moment to ever end, and have the world just be her and him, together, always. Bellamy was able to read the emotions on her face, and gave her the brightest smile. She felt the same way as he did. He could feel it in his bones as he swung her around the floor. They naturally began to slow their movements as they drew closer to each other. Both had thought about kissing each other over the years, but neither had thought it would happen like this. It was better than either had imagined. They parted slower than they had drawn together, not truly wanting to part. Then where they were and what just happened hit them, and created two different reactions. “Arrange the marriage!” Bellamy declared to the room, causing those around them to erupt in celebration. Miller struck up the band to play a jovial tune, Queen Aurora and Princess Octavia hugged each other and squealed and King Jake clapped. All of this was too much for Clarke. “Wait!” She said, her objection cutting through the celebration like a knife. “Why?” Bellamy asked, too caught up in his own euphoria to see the panic growing in her eyes. “You’re all I ever wanted!” His brain tried to list all the reasons he wanted to be with her, but all it seemed to be able to produce at the moment was, “You’re beautiful!” “Thank you,” Clarke said slowly, causing him to fill with concern. “ But what else?” “What else?” Bellamy’s mind completely froze. This wasn’t happening, was it? “Is beauty all that matters?” Clarke asked him. Surely she knew the answer, she had to. He could feel everyone’s gaze on him, as his brain still refused to work for him. Then, he proceeded to say the singularly most stupid thing that he would ever say. “What else is there?” A gasp rippled through the crowd. He heard Miller make a negative sound, highlighting the incorrect response. He glanced over to his mother and sister, the former looking distraught, the latter counting down the days he had left to live. Or more accurately the hours from the rage. “I think this treaty has run its course,” Clarke announced loudly, unable to look at the man before her. “I would like to go home now.”

~*~

“What else is there?,” Miller practically yelled as he paced the room. “She asks you ‘Is beauty all that matters?’ and YOU respond with ‘What else is there’?” “It was stupid I know,” Bellamy groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. He was so distraught over his stupidity, he didn’t even notice that Jasper was cheating in their game of chess. “You should write a book,” Miller said in his usual deadpan tone. “How to offend Women in five syllables or less.” “I didn’t even mean it!” Bellamy said. “It was like after that kiss, my brain just shut down and all that was able to was moron.” “Misogynistic moron,” Miller corrected. “Hey look Bell, you’ve lost your queen,” Jasper said, waving said piece around. “That’s twice in one day!” “Bellamy Augustus Blake, what the hell is wrong with you!” Octavia yelled as she burst into the room. “I know! There was so much happening at once, and I was so afraid of making Clarke feel unwanted, that I couldn’t find the right words. I still don’t know what to say to fix it,” Bellamy said. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. “I know! I’ll show her how I feel! I’ll prove my love to her!” “How? She’s already left for Ark,” Octavia said. “I’ll find a way,” Bellamy promised her.

The door burst open as lightning struck outside the window. One of King Jake’s men stumbled into the room, severely injured. Everyone rushed to him, but Bellamy was the fastest. “Octavia, go get the physician! Jasper, alert the guard!” He instructed before turning his full attention to the man. “ What happened? Where’s King Jake and Princess Clarke?” “Attacked...Queen’s road,” The man got out. “Sent me...to get...help.” Bellamy didn’t stay any longer, letting Miller take over tending to the man until better help came. He didn’t stop until he reached the stables and tacked his horse. Once again, his vision became single focused as he led his horse to the entrance and down the Queen’s road. After what had felt like far too long for him, halfway into the forest, he found the destroyed carriage. His heart dropped at the sight. “Clarke! King Jake?” He called out. A groan from the wreckage caused his to jump off his horse. He made his way to the carriage and managed to pull the crumpled figure out. King Jake let out another involuntary groan of pain as Bellamy lay him down again. “King Jake, what happened? Where’s Clarke?” The older man struggled to respond. “It happened so quickly,” He said. “A great animal, but Bellamy, listen to me.” He pulled Bellamy closer with what little strength he had left. “It’s not what it seems. Nothing is what it seems.” “I don’t understand, where’s Clarke?” Bellamy asked. “Clarke is…” Jake gasped for air. “Clarke is... gone.” King Jake collapsed back into Bellamy’s arms. The prince held onto the older man tighter. “No, King Jake, stay with me!” He said, his tears mixing in with the rain. “I will find your daughter I promise you, do you hear me? I will find Clarke if it’s the last thing I do!” But there was nothing he could do.

Like his daughter, King Jake was gone.

#bellarke fanfiction #bellarke #my writing

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dragongirl-writer-ff · 8 years ago

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The Swan Princess AU:Chapter Two

The next few summers that followed, did little in the way of improving matters. On the one hand, even at their respective young ages, the two heirs showed great promise of being headstrong, intelligent leaders who would not back down easily. On the other, they decided to show this by continuing their trend of arguing with each other over anything and everything the moment they were within yelling distance of each other. There was only two things that they would ever agree on; that they both loved Octavia, and that they wanted to spend as little time with each other as they possibly could. The first fact was quickly proving to complicate the second. Though Bellamy had made it clear that he did not want the two princesses following him and his friends around all summer, Octavia was not used to being refused by her older brother. So, she would stubbornly follow them anyway, with Clarke naturally by her side, and try to do what the boys would anyway. This would always end with Bellamy yelling at Clarke that girls, and her in particular, were annoying, and she would respond by saying that boys were rude and she didn’t want to be near him anyway. The argument remained on continuous loop until The Treehouse Incident near the end of the third summer. It was then replaced with the argument over which of the two parties involved- Bellamy, Miller and Jasper or Clarke and Octavia- was to blame for the collapse and subsequent injuries that followed. All that came from it on the adults side was the agreement that the children, particularly Bellamy and Clarke, could no longer be trusted without constant supervision. An arrangement that suited the two just fine, since they could then just ignore the other all day until dinner.

With the arrangement still miraculously in tact, Clarke continued the tradition over the coming summers of going to Skairu with one of her parents. As Bellamy had turned thirteen the next summer, and started his training as a knight and future King, they saw very little of each other outside of dinners and royal functions. They still argued when they saw each other of course, but had learnt to restrain themselves to normal levels of conversation as they did so. Nor did it ever get physical, as they still remembered the feeling of broken bones. Bellamy grew into a handsome young man, who was well aware of the affect he had on those around him. Where he would have once recoiled from the attention he received from the girls of the court, he now found himself enjoying them, and even returned them on occasion. Especially after his mother voiced her disapproval of his flirting while he was practically engaged. Not that he supposed intended minded at the time. She and Octavia, enjoying their last few years as children, created a game out of it. They would come up with multiple ways of embarrassing him in front of any girl he was trying to impress. Their favourite part was that he couldn’t retaliate, or he would lose favour with the girl instantly, as most of the castle adored the duo. Miller and Jasper proved to be of no help in these incidences. The latter was going through girl problems of his own (what with not being able to get the attention of one while the Crown Prince of the kingdom was right there), and the former found it just as entertaining as Clarke and Octavia to embarrass both of his friends.

It was a system that worked until the summer Octavia became gravely ill. Though the adults assured both of them that she would be fine, Clarke and Bellamy still insisted on waiting outside her chambers until they were told that they would allowed to visit for a short amount of time each day. During the times that they weren’t allowed to see her, they eventually began to talk to each other. First about Clarke’s new lessons. As she had turned thirteen, her parents had thought it time to increase the details and content of her lessons. She cautiously informed him that while she loved art, languages and geography, the history of their two kingdoms was proving to be hard for her to muster. It was the first time either of them had willingly given the other something to tease them about. However, instead of teasing, Bellamy offered her help. He loved history and literature, and took any opportunity to talk about it. Clarke was surprised to find that she liked this side of Bellamy. He wasn’t being rude, or trying to impress anyone by being an over confident ass. Just as Bellamy was surprised that she wasn’t annoying and trying to argue with everything he said. Instead, she listened to him intently, and wrote down notes about he was explaining to her. They then began to talk about other things they enjoyed, with more being mutual than what they were wiling to admit. Arguments still arose, as it was in their nature at this point to do so, but they no longer held the heat that they once did. Octavia was confused by the change once she recovered, but was happy that her two favourite people were finally getting along.

Their friendship steadily began to grow. They slowly became inseparable during the summer days, as their mothers had hoped would happen when they were younger. Even King Jake, who had been skeptical of the outcome of the arrangement since The Treehouse Incident, had to admit that there was something potentially there. Not that Bellamy and Clarke noticed. They were still getting used to considering each other friends and not breaking out into a heated argument every time they talked. Everyone else, unfortunately for them, were not as oblivious. They watched as the two would stand incredibly close to each other during functions, trading private commentary and jokes until their friends could join them. The looks that each of them would sneak when they thought the other wasn't looking. Few were brave enough to ever point it out to the two. No one wanted to be the one to prevent the possible marriage simply because Bellamy and Clarke were too stubborn to admit how they felt.

Or in Clarke's case, admit the possibility in the first place. Since finally learning what the aim of the summer visits were at fifteen, when she over heard a few maids talking about if they would work the wedding, or if the union of the two kingdoms would lower the taxes, she was determined to never think of Bellamy in that way. She had even told him so, right after talking (yelling) to her parents. The only reason she didn't demand to go home right then was that she was genuinely friends with the boys and Octavia, and her father had assured her that she didn't have to marry Bellamy if she truly didn't want to. Bellamy at the time had agreed, and saw no reason why they couldn't have the same treaty that their parents currently held.

It took him until his twenty first birthday to realise that he might not want the same treaty. The ceremony of being officially Crowned Prince of Skairu left him full with nervous energy. He had been raised for the responsibility of leading his kingdom since before he could remember, but it suddenly felt more real the moment the gold circlet was placed on his head. He needed Clarke to calm him down, again, and automatically began to look for her in the crowd. His stomach dropped when he found her, flirting with one of the guards. It was like being punched, and he hated that he felt that way. It was Clarke. The annoying princess who somehow became one of his closest friends. He shouldn't care if she wanted to flirt with someone. Hell, he had done his fair share when he was her age. Rather than going up to her and interrupting, he decided to have a celebratory drink with Miller and Jasper. Or seven. Which is why he made the mistake of bringing up the Clarke flirting with his two incredibly unsympathetic friends. Miller told him that his crush was obvious even to a blind beggar, to grow a pair and talk to her, while Jasper began to loudly break into several love ballads. Bellamy didn't remember much of the night after that point, and had a very bad feeling that he needed to find Clarke and apologise to her. However, by the time he staggered to her chambers, there was nothing but a note left for him explaining that she and her mother had already left for Ark, and to tell him not to worry, he was still her favourite. Favourite what, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know. It did make him realise that his feelings may not be strictly of the friendly kind, and that he would have to talk to her face to face when she returned the next summer.

Clarke was not to return to Skairu the following summer. Wells, her childhood friend, had died just before she was due to leave. Queen Abigail sent her regrets and informed them that Wells was like a brother to Clarke and she was going to spend the summer with the Jahas to properly grieve and help his family in any way she could. Bellamy sent Clarke a letter, expressing his sympathies and extending the offer to talk should she need it. Her response was short, thanking him, and telling him that she just needed time. The summer after, King Jake decided that it was time for Clarke to participate in a peace treaty and took her to the Queendom of Trikru. Clarke sent Bellamy frequent letters during her trip, telling him of all the things she saw that was different, and what she was learning. He became slightly concerned with the amount of times she mentioned the young Queen of Trikru, Queen Lexa. She had once confided in him that she felt as though she could be happy with either a man or a woman, and she certainly sounded happy with Lexa. He decided that if that was the case, then he would be determined to be happy for her, even if it didn't make him happy. Clarke certainly thought Lexa was making her happy in the beginning. Then Lexa began noticing how much time Clarke would spend each day, making notes of things to tell Bellamy (as well as Octavia, but Bellamy's name appeared a lot more in her writing). She eventually confronted the princess about this, stating that if she was already in love with someone, she should tell her now. Clarke tried to deny the accusations, but found herself unable to do so. She spent the rest of the trip simply observing her father, as she tried to figure out her feelings. The confusion left her unable to write anything to Bellamy, for fear of writing something stupid to him. This left Bellamy worried that something happened to her, until King Jake wrote him, assuring him that she was fine, and that with the peace treaty agreed upon, they would join them in Skairu the next summer.

A year had never felt so long.

#bellarke fanfiction #bellarke #My writing

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dragongirl-writer-ff · 10 years ago

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The Importance Of Being Obvious

Normally, Clarke had a fool-proof system with getting through a benefit, and remaining relatively sane (drink just the right amount of alcohol). Heavens knew she’d been to enough of them. However, the system did not cover anything to do with being in love with Bellamy Blake.

Ao3 Ff.net

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#bellarke fanfiction #bellarke #My writing #reblogged

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dragongirl-writer-ff · 10 years ago

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me: wow I'm actually in the mood to write

*makes a cup of tea*

*turns on laptop*

*prepares notes*

*opens microsoft word*

*turns on nice music*

*stares at blank page*

me:

me: I hate writing

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dragongirl-writer-ff · 10 years ago

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The Importance Of Being Obvious

by Dragongirl_writer

Words: 2000, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: The 100 (TV)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Bellamy Blake, Clarke Griffin

Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin

Additional Tags: Bellarke, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

Read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/1SibRGq

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dragongirl-writer-ff · 10 years ago

Text

The Importance Of Being Obvious

Normally, Clarke had a fool-proof system with getting through a benefit, and remaining relatively sane (drink just the right amount of alcohol). Heavens knew she'd been to enough of them. However, the system did not cover anything to do with being in love with Bellamy Blake.

Ao3 Ff.net

Clarke sighed as she grabbed a champagne glass from a passing waiter. Not for the first time that night, the thought of attempting to escape crossed her mind. Growing up as the only child of a top ranking neurosurgeon, and the CEO of the second largest engineering company in America, she had developed a strong dislike for any event that required a fancy dress, heels and make up beyond her usual foundation and mascara. She had a deep-seated loathing for anything that then also required her to socialise with people she barely knew, but knew her through her parents, and didn’t have access to anything but appetisers as a source of food. For longer than what she would ever admit to anyone, for obvious reasons, her main method of coping was to drink as much of the overpriced champagne that she could get away with drinking without receiving judgemental and suspicious looks from the other patrons- her mother in particular. It was much easier answering the same questions about high school/collage/med school and now her residency at Ark Memorial, when she was pleasantly buzzed. That, and knowing her father enjoyed these types of things about as much as she did.

Tonight was turning out to be a different kind of hell than the normal kind that benefits usually were. Yes, she was surrounded by people who she didn’t know, though so far only the older end of the guests recognised her through her parents, and yes, she was in a fitted black lace cocktail dress, heels that were already winning the fight with her feet and as much make up as she allowed Octavia get away with, but that wasn’t the main problem of the night.

No, her problem, and the reason she decided to ditch her three drink rule and get as drunk as she could, was the tall, infuriating man across the room. Otherwise known as her best friend, Bellamy Blake. Normally, it would have been fine that he had asked her to come with him to his university’s benefit. It wasn’t the first time he had needed someone to come with him to a work function, and her childhood had made her extremely qualified to deal with the task. Not to mention that he always made sure he came up with a good enough bribe to get her to come, and maybe not burn her dress when she got home. Again.

The difference was, she hadn’t realised that she was in love with him before, and had failed in telling him so. Not for lack of trying to be sure. She had, in fact, told him the moment she realised it. He seemed to have taken it as more of a declaration of friendship, since he just smiled, kissed her forehead and asked if she wanted to go to the midnight screening of Star Wars. So, for the last month, she’s been stuck on figuring out the best way to tell him, and get him to realise what she means, without potentially ruining their friendship. Which would be a lot easier if she had a little space from him to think, and if he hadn’t increased their one on one outings. She wasn’t exactly complaining, the increased time alone together helped her realise the strength of her feelings for him, but the prolonged close proximity wasn’t helping her think straight about the matter. The increased frequency of his displays of affection (she learnt early on in their friendship that he was much more comfortable displaying his feelings than verbally expressing them) were also a new twisted form of hell. The kind that was letting her experience what it could be like being with him, without actually being with him.

Which is how she ended up near the wall of the banquet hall, watching Bellamy talk to his boss and a colleague (who was annoyingly attractive and his type), as she worked on what must have been her sixth (or ninth, she wasn’t really keeping count) glass of complementary champagne. There was no way he was in love with her, not when people like the brunette next to him existed. Hell, were she not so completely down the rabbit hole in love with Bellamy, she would be over there herself, trying to see which team she played for. She shook her head at herself. This was ridiculous and pathetic. If any of her friends were acting like this, she would berate them over it. Tell them that life isn’t some stupid romantic comedy, and that if they wanted something to happen, more often than not, it was useless waiting for the guy to do it. Especially if the guy was Bellamy, who could be so oblivious to such things, he didn’t even notice the girls that kept coming up and flirting with him when they went ice skating last week (he had been terrible, and she had been too busy laughing her ass off at him to be of any help). No, she was going to have to go up to him, grab his face and tell him she loves him before kissing him.

With this idea in mind, she downed the rest of the contents of the glass, discarding on the nearby table with the others, and made her way over to where he was. Bellamy gave her a blinding smile when she reached him, making her forget what she had initially come over to do. It really wasn’t fair. The alcohol probably wasn’t helping either.

“Hey, there you are,” He said, wrapping an arm around her waist. Yeah, all ability to think had completely gone. What was her name again?

“I was wondering where you went off to,” Bellamy continued, as if he hadn’t turned her brain into a pile of mush. Okay, she was going to stop drinking. “I wanted to introduce you. Clarke, this is Marcus Kane, the head of the history department at the university, and Echo Parker, who specialises in modern American history.” The two gave her a nod and smiled, which she returned. “Kane, Parker, this is my girlfriend, Clarke.”

Wait, What?

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Bellamy hasn’t been able to shut up about you, even before he asked you out,” Echo said, laughing at the look Bellamy shot her. Clarke didn’t respond, or more accurately, couldn’t respond. She was frozen in shock, staring at Bellamy, a million questions running through her alcohol addled brain. Girlfriend? What was he going on about? Did he ask her to fake a relationship with him for this gig and she forgot? Why would he though? He’s never needed her to be at the other functions. Or has he? Did she need to start paying more attention to when he asked her to these things? Why else would he introduce her as his girlfriend? Maybe it was a mistake?

It took her a moment for her to realise that Echo had something and acknowledge it. She turned to face the other woman, who was smiling knowingly at her (no doubt thought Clarke was simply drunk and in love, and well she’s not wrong, but that wasn’t all it was), and gave her an apologetic smile.

“I’m really sorry, it’s nice to meet you too,” She said. “I hope you don’t mind, I actually came here to steal Bellamy away, if I can of course.”

“Not a problem,” Marcus said. “We were just about finished anyhow. Do give my best to your parents.”

Clarke smile and nodded, before grabbing Bellamy’s hand and pulling him towards the exit. She didn’t stop or let go until they had ended up outside of the building.

“Clarke, are you okay?” Bellamy asked, looking at her in concern.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were going to introduce me to people as your girlfriend?” She asked, hitting him in the shoulder.

Bellamy frowned in confusion.

“I didn’t think you would mind,” He said, sounding slightly hurt. “I’m sorry if you didn’t want people to know yet but-“

“What are you talking about? I don’t want people to know what?” Clarke was getting a headache, she was so lost.

“That we’re dating,” He said slowly. She looked up at him in alarm.

“We are?” She asked. “When did this happen? Was I drunk? You know you can’t ask me anything important when I’ve had more than two drinks. Are you sure?”

“I was until just a moment ago.” Bellamy sighed and ran a hand over his face. “You remember when I asked you to go to that Winter Festival with me? The one your favourite artist was at?”

“Of course,” She replied. Then something finally clicked. “That was meant to be a date? I thought you asked just so I wouldn’t have to go fangirl over Steciw without someone to calm me down!” Clarke buried her face into her hands. “Oh my god, I’m so embarrassed.”

“Trust me princess, not nearly as much as I am,” Bellamy said. “So all those dates I’ve been taking you on, you thought they were-“

“Just us hanging out,” Clarke answered. “It wasn’t totally unusual for us, though it was happening a lot more often.”

“And when you said you loved me last month, it wasn’t you being ready to move our relationship along,” Bellamy said, looking devastated. “It was just as a friend.”

“No!” Clarke said quickly. “Oh my god, Bell, no! I’m sorry, this must be terrible for you!”

“It’s definitely a blow to the ego, thinking that I had finally managed to ask you out, just to find out you thought I was being a good friend,” Bellamy agreed. “Don’t worry Princess, I’ll get over it.”

“Oh god, I shouldn’t have drunk so much,” Clarke moaned. “Though if I knew that you thought we were dating, I wouldn’t have.”

“What?”

Clarke took in a deep breath, grabbed Bellamy’s hands, and looked him straight in the eye.

“The reason I’m so embarrassed,” She started slowly. “Is because I have spent over the last month being in love with you and wishing that the time we spent together were dates. Trust me, this has nothing to do with you. I’m the one who had put myself so far into the friend zone that I can’t even tell when you’re asking me out. You have no idea how happy I am right now. And how much I want a taco. Not related, but I really, really want a taco.”

Bellamy just stared at her for a moment, before he began to laugh. He pulled her into a hug and bent down to kiss her. Clarke happily met him halfway, and her smile matched his when they broke apart.

“Wait a minute,” Clarke said, a thought suddenly coming to her. “The festival was two months ago. If you were under the impression that we were dating, why didn’t you try that before?”

“I was playing off of you and just thought you wanted to take it slow,” He said with a shrug. “Figured I was in it for the long run, and was happy to wait until you were ready.”

“Who are you, and what have you done with my asshole?” Clarke asked, raising an eyebrow. Bellamy chuckled and kissed her again. “Okay, as much as I love doing that, and could happily continue doing that - and much more- for a very long time, I’m cold. And hungry. Tacos. Really feeling like tacos.”

“Alright, alright,” Bellamy said with a mock sigh. “Let’s get our coats and I’ll get you your tacos.”

“Hmm, I like this dating thing,” Clarke said happily, looping her arm around his as they began to walk. “Ooh, and curly fries!”

Bellamy just shook his head and kissed her temple.

“You’re lucky I love you.”

“Could have made that more obvious.”

“I tried!”

“Bell?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you too.”

Bellamy gave her one of his blinding smiles.

“I know.”

“Good. Just making sure. Now let’s go get tacos!”