STARGIRL, bellamy blake

14

This period of ignoring one another had felt different, for both them. It wasn't out of annoyance, or regret. It was because they both feared that once they had the conversation of what their night together meant—of what they were—it would be done. Neither of them wanted it to end, but Astoria knew it couldn't happen again, just as Bellamy knew she didn't want it to. They would rather exchange longing looks from across camp, and short conversations about the well-being of the group, then discuss what was looming in the air.

Clarke approached them before Bellamy could respond, stopping beside the man as he crouched by the bones of an animal that no longer held meat. Astoria was on his other side, and she met eyes with Clarke. "Any idea what happened?" the blonde asked.

"Murphy says that Del kept feeding the fire," he began, his voice becoming aggravated as he continued. "Mostly because Octavia told him it was a bad idea."

Clarke didn't look convinced, "And we believe Murphy?"

"I do, yeah," Bellamy answered, and Astoria remained silent. Del hated grounders just as much as any of the hundred did, and Octavia had spent time with Lincoln. As much as she didn't want to use Murphy as their main source of information, it didn't seem like a lie.

"We have some wild onions and nuts in the dropship," Clarke thought aloud, shaking her head slightly. "It's only enough to last us maybe one or two weeks. What's left here?"

Astoria spoke up as Bellamy rose to his feet, "Nothing. Everything was burned." She waited a moment, knowing that Clarke thought as she did. "We need to go hunting for more."

Clarke nodded her head, but Bellamy didn't look convinced. "Alright, anyone we can spare goes out," she decided.

"With the whole grounder army out there?" Bellamy questioned, looking between both girls.

"Look, we can't defend ourselves if we're starving," Clarke argued.

Astoria let out a huff of air, debating the best way to go about feeding the group. "We go out in small groups, no more than two or three. Each group brings one gun incase grounders show up, not to use for hunting," she started, "We regroup before dark, and see what we've managed to bring in."

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Astoria had wanted to go by herself; she had made it just past the wall before Bellamy was walking beside her with a rifle in hand. She held back a sigh.

"I'm fine on my own," she attempted, bow in hand. It as true—she didn't need someone with a rifle with her. She knew how to hunt in silence, and having someone with her would only knock her off her rhythm. "A group could use you, go find one of them."

He didn't listen to her, and she didn't argue any further. They walked deep into the woods, and hours passed before they spotted anything they could bring back to camp. Neither had spoken further, but Astoria didn't mind. As strange as it was, she found herself enjoying his silent company. Four weeks prior, she enjoyed being isolated. She found solace with the sounds of the forest and nothing else. Having Bellamy trailing behind her was different. His footsteps were much louder than her own, and he didn't know to avoid large piles of leaves or fallen tree branches. They crunched under his feet as he walked over them, but she found the company nice.

Just as he decided to try to have the conversation they were both dreading, Astoria stilled at the sight of a small deer about thirty feet in front of them.

"Astoria—" Bellamy tried, but Astoria quickly shushed him. She pointed out the fawn, and Bellamy looked through the gaps in the trees to the animal.

When he tried to bring his gun up to aim at it, Astoria gripped the metal and brought it back down to his side. He didn't fight her, eyes moving to look over her face. She looked in awe at the baby deer, and he had never seen her features look so soft.