𝐃𝐔𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐓𝐘 ── bellamy blake ¹ ✓

[ 16 ] die for you

Earlier, as Clarke and I examined Raven's condition, the blonde and her partner-in-abduction told us all about their encounter with the Grounder Princess, Anya from the bridge, and how their people avoid the so called Reapers like the plague. Clarke shakes her head, dismissing Bellamy's idea, ''Not this enemy. We saw them, trust me, it is not an option.''

''There's no time for this. Can she walk or not?'' Finn cuts in, eyes flickering from Clarke to me. Again, I remind myself that there is no time to be petty, and my sympathetic eyes see right through Finn; he still loves Raven, and he is scared.

''Absolutely not, no way,'' I deny, placing a gentle hand on Raven's upper arm.

''Yeah, we have to carry her,'' Clarke notes.

''The hell you will,'' Raven, ever so stubborn, scoffs, attempting to lift her body up from the bed, voice strained, ''I'm good to go.''

''No, you are not good to go!'' I almost shout, gently pushing her back down.

''Listen to me. That bullet is still inside of you. If by some miracle there's no internal bleeding, it might hold until we get somewhere safe. But you are not walking there. Is that clear?'' Clarke leans closer to my friend. Finally, after a moment of spooked hesitation, Raven gives in, nodding.

Finn steps backward, ''I'll get a stretcher.''

''Can't run away fast enough, huh? Real brave.'' Bellamy narrows his eyes, my hand automatically shooting out to wrap around his wrist.

Finn stops in his tracks, spinning around, ''Dying in a fight you can't win isn't brave, Bellamy, it's stupid.''

The older man still refuses to back down, ''Spoken like every coward who's ever run from a fight.'' He takes a threatening stance before Finn, my feet dragging along as my fingers still clutch his skin, a flash of pain jolting up my arm when my bandages brush against him.

''Bell,'' I warn quietly, tugging his hand back.

Finally, Clarke intervenes, ''Alright, that's enough. It's time to go.''

''And if they follow?'' Bellamy questions Clarke, unintentionally covering my body with his, causing me to take a step back and to the left.

''Yeah, won't it take us, like, days to get to the ocean, weeks even?'' I wonder, teeth picking at the cracked skin of my lips. Water sounds good right about now, but the trek to it, however...

''Look, we're wasting time!'' Finn shouts angrily, turning to leave, ''If they want to stay, they can stay.''

''Screw you!'' I call after him. I guess we're dropping the nice act?

''No, they can't!'' Clarke retorts, watching him disappear behind the curtains. ''We can't do this without you and there's no way I'm leaving you two behind.''

''What do you want me to say, Clarke?'' The man grumbles, avoiding eye contact. My hand remains tightly wrapped around his wrist.

''I want you to say that you're with us. Those kids out there, they listen to you,'' the blonde's voice is barely above a whisper, a gentle crease forming between her eyebrows that lift into a pleading expression.

''They're lining up to go, Clarke. They listen to you more,'' I place my other hand in the crook of Bellamy's elbow.

''I gave them an easy choice. But five minutes ago, they were willing to fight and die for you,'' Clarke insists, her light eyes staring into our brown ones, ''You inspire them. I'm afraid we're gonna need that again before this day is through.''

With that, my friend turns on her heels and exits the ship, streaks of blonde hair almost flicking me in the face. With a heavy sigh, I twirl toward Bellamy, ''I don't think we have much of a choice left here, Billy. The two of us realistically can't stay behind. What do you say? Be my walking buddy?''