Project Iphigenia (Bellarke)

Chapter 32

The news that Jasper and Monty had 'get-out-of-jail-free' favor cards, strong enough to save a guy from the death penalty, caused quite the stir...which is what Bellamy expected and why he encouraged the people that knew not to spread it around.

But it was hard to explain how Murphy had survived and somehow word got out, Bellamy suspected Finn, and before he knew it Jasper and Monty were cornered with anxious questions from the group.

Jasper shut down all requests quickly.

"I'm going to be a father soon," He said firmly, shoving away from the pleading cries, "I need this. You never know what might happen...my family comes first." Bellamy was pleased to hear this, because a tiny part of him feared that they might go the same route, as Octavia had been an illegal second child. She was never good with birth control and fertility clearly ran in their family and she'd often talked about how despite being locked away most her life she would never trade the experience of getting to have a sibling for anything else. Obviously no one planned these sorts of things but Jasper had a damn good trick up his sleeve if it happened. Or anything else, for that matter. He could save himself, Bellamy considered as he looked at Murphy, and not have to leave his kid without a father. He knew Murphy would have killed to get to have his dad around longer.

Monty could quash people's questions and requests quite as easily. It had been looked into, but his favor could save one singular pair from the forced arrangement, but not everyone. This favor could do nearly anything, and it was saying a lot that it could do anything. Jaha didn't need to give them this. Bellamy understood there had to be rules with it or else it would just result in chaos and mutiny.

And did Monty even want to use it? And if he did, whom would he use it on? From the way he looked at Miller and Harper, all misty-eyed and depressed, it was obvious where his heart lay. If he got himself out, both of his objects of affection would still be tied up. If he broke up their marriage, he couldn't even really be with either and it would be difficult to play favorites so obviously.

And, just as with the way that Raven had saved hers, one never knew what worse things might come their way. As impossible as it was to imagine something worse than being tied to someone you couldn't love no matter how hard you tried, Bellamy knew there were worst things in life.

The whole matter was a hot topic for a couple weeks; people either trying to sweet-talk or bribe the two boys or just sending betrayed glances at either of them. When it was clear neither were budging, though, people lost interest in trying to aggravate them into using it stupidly.

As Octavia grew larger and Jasper grew more mature in his preparation, Bellamy couldn't help but look on to them with a growing sense of longing. Not even a kid, although he was looking forward to being a father, but just their togetherness in general. The way their house was filled with weird inside jokes between the two of them, how they got to share a bed every night and make food together, how they disappeared into the sanctuary of something theirs after hard days.

If Clarke was a little more distant, a little firmer in her resolutions that she'd previously voiced, it might not be so hard. As it was, though, both of them were finding it harder and harder to keep their hands away from each other. He didn't know what had changed in Clarke, from wanting to be slow about it and attempt to make it easier since she was sure they couldn't get married soon, but he was torn between hating it and loving it. Hating it because he wanted everything about her so badly and got teasing tastes of it just for a couple seconds here and there but loving it because he'd never get tired of anything about Clarke.

She was becoming more adventurous too, unable to wait until the rare moments her parents were gone and Bellamy was free to fool around. They were finding themselves in odder and odder spots on the ark, hands sliding over bodies and lips bruised from passionate kissing.