Diner

chapter six: if this is all it takes

Clarke's POV

March 1988

"I'm glad you waited," Bellamy said, smiling as he put on his jacket.

"I told you I would wait for you. Can't back out now, Blake," I laughed punching his shoulder. Except I was not ready for the fact that he would be so muscular, and I almost winced in pain.

"You lift weights or something?!" I exclaimed clutching my knuckles.

"I know what'll help," he said as he slipped his hand into mine.

"If anything, that hurts more," I joked not being able to look him in the eyes for the fear of the blush that was creeping it's way onto my cheeks.

"Wanna go back to my place?" He asked pulling me a little closer.

"Whoa, why don't you buy me dinner first."

"No! Not like that! I didn't mean, like, that way. I'm not, I just meant that I got a new cassette tape and it's one of the bands I know you like—"

"You're rambling. Yeah, let's do it. But you better lead the way a little faster than this, my legs are icicles!"

~time skip~

"I haven't heard any of these songs before," I breathed as I laid on the hard floor next to Bellamy.

The music from his cassette player was flowing through our ears, the drum beat was shaking our hearts, the guitar was coursing through our veins. This is what I could spend every day doing.

"Hey, loser!" I heard coming from the front door. Bellamy and I propped ourselves up from the floor, stretching out our aching backs in the process.

"Really, O?" He said to the girl with the stunning, long hair.

"Oh, you have company?" She smirked pointing to me, and I laughed because it was just too funny to see Bellamy getting flustered.

"Just go do your homework!" He shouted tossing one of the pillows at her. She walked out of the room and closed her door behind her.

"She seems nice," I said laying back down.

"Yeah, I'd give anything to protect her, keep her happy, you know?" He said laying down next to me.

"I wish I could tell you that I know the feeling. But I'm an only child, so, there's that," I sighed, breathing in the awkward conversation.

"It's a blessing and a curse," he chuckled as he turned his neck to look at me. He stayed like this for a good minute before I said,

"Take a picture, maybe it'll last longer."

At this moment, he jumped up and grabbed something from his bookshelf.

"You're right, it will last longer," he said as he took my picture with an old Polaroid camera.

"You jerk!" I shouted.

I began to chase him around his apartment as he kept taking continual pictures of me. We were bumping into every wall, every picture frame, every corner.

"Burn those!" I laughed as I jumped him, finally pinning him down against the ground.

"You can't make me!" He giggled.

"Did you just—"

"Yeah, I giggled. Bite me."

"You gotta stop saying bite me, it's pretty tempting," I smirked getting off from him. I went to the couch and picked up my jacket.

"You're leaving?"

"It's almost nine and it's already dark out. I have to walk home," I shrugged placing my hat on my head.

"Let me walk you home then," he said as he also shrugged on his leather jacket.

"Oh, you don't have to."

"Yes, I do," he smiled.

"I was hoping you would say that," I smiled back at him as I intertwined our hands together instantly feeling the warmth he was radiating.

The walk home didn't seem that long or that cold, because I had Bellamy to keep me warm.