Project Iphigenia (Bellarke)

Chapter 26

12 Years after the Start of the Project

"Can't you two just apologize?" Bellamy asked, looking across the room where Wells sat.

"Bellamy, encouraging forgiveness with Wells Jaha." Clarke scoffed, "That's new."

"I just hate this, it's frustrating." He said, "You two are best friends."

"Were." She corrected, still licking her wounds, "Look, it's been two months. You don't see him apologizing any more than I do." She said firmly. Bellamy gave a defeated sigh. When Clarke Griffin decided something, it was nearly impossible to sway her otherwise, even if she was being completely bone-headed, like now.

"Why are you sure he as lying?" Bellamy asked for the umpteenth time.

"Because he was my best friend." Clarke said softly, a little more hurt than upset, "I could tell a lie from you in a second." She added, her tone growing hard again.

"Okay, he lied. He might have a good reason, you know?" Bellamy said, understanding the delicate world of secrets now that he was higher up in the world. He had learned quite a few as his time as a guard that he hadn't told Clarke, mostly because he wasn't allowed to. They weren't secrets she might want to know anyway, but they were secrets nonetheless. There were certain realities of life that needed to be kept away from the majority, or it would incite panic. Even Ana was starting to realize such things, and coming from an anarchist personality like her, this was a huge step of maturity.

The truth of the matter was there were certain ideas that not everyone was ready to hear.

"I'm one of his best friends. He can tell me." She said, "I can take it."

"He hasn't told Bree though yet, it seems, and she's not nearly as upset and I daresay she's closer to him than you are now." He pointed out.

Clarke had not so subtly questioned Bree about Wells trip to the Sky Box and she hadn't even known he'd gone. While Bree still didn't emote much, she was the sort of person that wore her heart on her sleeve. Truth, love, and integrity was easy to glean from her.

"She's madly in love with him. It's easy to sacrifice angers to keep things good between two people." She said wisely, seeing it in her mother and father still today. She wasn't totally convinced they continued to love each other, even with the great 'crisis' of last year averted.

"So are there things you've compromised with me then?" Bellamy asked, eyeing her meaningfully, "Or things you think I've done with you?" He asked.

Clarke's gaze snapped toward him.

"Do you...love me?" She asked quietly. It wasn't the situation he'd imagined telling her in, not here among all their friends in the after school room, but it did change the subject and it just slipped out, the meaning behind his question like a slimy fish that happened to land in his lap now.

Of course he loved her, he felt like he'd loved her since far too young of an age to like someone so much younger than him. Being with Clarke now only six months didn't feel like such a short time for him. He'd been with Gina much longer, but he'd never loved her. It wasn't being mean; she'd never 'loved' him either, though they still cared for each other. Truth of the matter is there had never been anyone but Clarke he loved.

She wasn't ready to hear all that, not now. One day, he imagined like a thirteen-year-old girl, maybe at their wedding.

He tried to read Clarke's face for signs of her folding back into herself, afraid of him to say that, any sign she wasn't ready. It was hard to tell right now, which was unusual for him. Out of anyone in a room, he could usually tell exactly what Clarke was thinking about. But now he was lost.