[REPOST] The 100 fic: Fall to Pieces
Canon divergent. After a year on the ground, Bellamy and Clarke are finally ready to confront their feelings. As long as Bellamy doesn’t break his neck first.
(This story was originally written in 2017 and has been updated for composition and clarity in 2020.)
1,461 words | [PG]
By Clarke’s calculations, they’ve been on the ground for around 380 days. It’s the end of September. Or maybe it’s early October. It’s hard to tell. The chill of autumn has chased away the sweltering heat of July and August, but summer is making a last stand. The sun that filters through the treetops tickles her skin, leaving little goosebumps down her arms. She glances to her side-those might be from another reason, though.
Next to her, Bellamy’s hair flutters around his head in the warm breeze. He repeatedly shoves it out of his eyes with a huff, but it does no good. Watching him try makes her grin.
“You need a haircut.”
He snorts. “Thinking of making a career change to hairstylist, princess?” he asks without any of his usual derision. He shoots her a smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes and releases a swarm of butterflies in her stomach.
Clarke looks away before he can see her blush. She’d never hear the end of it. If there was one thing Bellamy was good at it was teasing her. He knew how to push all of her buttons. Which, she has to admit, isn’t always a bad thing. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see him still smiling. It looks good on him. She wishes he would do it more often. “Why are you in such a good mood?
“What do you mean?”
She doesn’t believe his innocent act for a second. And she’s not going to fall for his charm. Not much anyway. She narrows her eyes at him, hoping she looks more stern and less like he has her insides doing gymnastics. “You’re acting weird. What are you up to?”
“Are you always this suspicious?”
“When it comes to you-yes.”
[read more]They stare at each other a moment before they both crack a smile. Bellamy shrugs. “It’s a nice day. I don’t have to deal with the whining back at camp. What’s not to be happy about?”
He has a point. It does feel nice to get a break from the monotony of camp where everyone constantly needs her attention. Bellamy, though, seemed especially eager to get away when she mentioned she needed an escort to the river. Usually, he pawned babysitting off on one of his gunners-Harper or Monroe went with her a lot. This time, he jumped at the opportunity then looked embarrassed by his enthusiasm. It was kind of cute.
Bellamy hops onto the crumbling remains of a wall. She watches him balance along it like a tightrope walker, arms out, as he climbs higher.
“You’re going to fall,” Clarke says, blocking the sun with her hand as she watches him cross the wall ten feet in the air.
“I’m not going to fall. Will you relax, Clarke.”
She rolls her eyes. Why did he have to be such a pain? “One of us has to be responsible.”
He ducks under the branch of an overhanging tree and looks down at her. “You think I’m not responsible?”
She squints up at him again. She can’t really see his face with the sun blinding her, but she imagines his annoyed look. “Not with your own life. Not really.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He sounds genuinely offended.
Clarke shrugs. “When it comes to your own safety, you don’t seem to care much.”
“I’m just trying to keep everyone alive.”
“I know, but you don’t have to risk your own life to do it.”
He cocks his head. “So who’s life should I risk? Monty’s? Jasper’s? Yours?”
“I know you know what I’m talking about so quit acting like a jerk and get down here.” She bites her lip when he wobbles a little, but he recovers effortlessly. She’s pretty sure he did it intentionally just to give her a heart attack.
“Now I’m a jerk?” At least the devilish grin is back on his face.
Her heart flips. She’s not sure if it’s from that look he gives her or the fact that he’s one wrong step away from breaking his neck. He eyes a tree a good five feet from the wall.
“Bellamy-” Clarke warns, but as usual, he doesn’t listen.
He jumps, snagging the branch easily. His smirk lasts about three seconds. Then the branch gives with a loud crack. Bellamy lands with a thud on his back, the air rushing out of him in a groan.
Clarke runs over, sliding to her knees next to him. “Are you okay?”
His eyes roll back as he fights for breath, but eventually, he gasps. Clarke lets out her own relieved breath then smacks his chest. “I told you to be careful.”
“No, you didn’t.” He pries a rock out from under him, tossing it into the woods. “You just said I would fall.”
“And you did.”
Bellamy gives her a crooked grin. “Still didn’t tell me to be careful.”
She smacks him again. Sometimes she thinks he argues just to annoy her. “You didn’t give me a chance. Besides, it’s implied, smartass. Are you all right?”
“I think so.”
Clarke helps him sit up, watching him carefully for signs of injury. He seems okay. “You know, there are easier ways to impress me.”
His face flushes scarlet. “Why do you think I’m trying to impress you?” he sputters, voice sounding a little strangled. She has to bite back a smile because his awkwardness is adorable.
Neither of them says anything for a long time. They’ve been dancing around their feelings for over a year. It’s exhausting. She’s about to tell him she’s tired of playing games, but he cuts her off.
“I wanted to spend time with you. Is that such a bad thing?” Bellamy says softly. He picks up a twig and nervously breaks it apart. “We’re both always so busy.”
Clarke sucks in a sharp breath. She didn’t expect him to come right out with it, but now that they’re actually talking about this, she’s a little terrified. She swallows hard, but the lump is still stuck in her throat. “If you wanted to spend time with me, you could have just asked. You didn’t have to fall out of a tree to get my attention.”
Bellamy ducks his head. “It’s not like I did it on purpose.”
“Uh-huh.”
His cheeks are still rosy, but Clarke sees the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “For reference in the future, what do I have to do to impress you?”
Her heart does another backflip. “For starters, just tell me when you want to hang out instead of elaborate plots to get me alone.”
He blushes again-it’s charming how insecure he is right now. “What if I want to do more than hang out?”
His eyes widen. She’s not sure who’s more surprised by his confession. Before he can take it back, she leans closer. “Then quit being a baby and make a move.”
She can see the moment he realizes she’s serious. He cups her face slowly-giving her a chance to change her mind. It makes her love him even more. The second their lips brush, an explosion of desire chases the butterflies away. Clarke’s entire body vibrates. The heat between them burns her skin, but she can’t get enough of it. She tangles her fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck causing Bellamy to growl. The sound makes her head spin. She’s lost and doesn’t care if she’s ever found. How does he even have this effect on her?
When they finally pull apart, Bellamy’s pupils are shot, giving him a dazed look. “Wow,” he murmurs, breathless. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”
Clarke’s heart threatens to beat right out of her chest. The way he’s looking at her right now might be the most beautiful thing on Earth. And it took way too long for her to find it. She pulls him closer-she’s tired of waiting. “I think I do.”
This kiss is sweeter. Tender. It’s a side of Bellamy she wouldn’t have believed existed a year ago. She’s glad he’s finally showing it.
“Am I impressing you yet?” he says against her lips.
Clarke laughs. “Bellamy, you’ve been impressing me since the day we met.”
He leans back, eyebrow cocked. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
She pretends to think. “I’m not sure. You might have to kiss me a few more times-” He doesn’t give her a chance to finish. Which is fine. Clarke can’t remember what she was talking about anyway. It may have taken 380 days, but it was worth every argument and smartass comment it took to get here. Well worth it.