F I F T E E N

XX

xx

XX

THE HURRICANE HAD PASSED, but the rain was steadily carrying on. After what had happened on the second floor of the dropship, Harlai had gone down the ladder and walked straight outside. No one seemed to notice considering Clarke and Raven were busy with Finn, but that was good. They finally had what they needed to heal him.

Harlai let the rain wash over her bloodied face and soon enough, the water from the sky was colliding with water from her eyes. Her whole body racked with sobs as she grieved for once. She grieved for Wells. She grieved for her mother. She even grieved for the loss of her father, something she needed to do years ago, but just now found the courage to.

The brunette felt a warm hand on her shoulder and she immediately knew who it was. She turned around and gave in, letting her arms wrap around the man's frame. Bellamy hesitated for a moment as the shorter woman buried her face into his chest, his strong arms wrapping around her tightly. Her gentle yet firm touch made the man's heart skip a few beats.

A frown etched its way onto Bellamy's lips as he let Harlai cry her heart out. He had taken a minute to leave the second floor, escaping Octavia's scary silence and that was when Clarke told him about Harlai's mother. He had only seen Elise around a few times, but every time he saw her she was smiling. He suddenly wished he could see Harlai's smile right about then.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty. You're gonna catch a cold." Bellamy murmured as he began to lead the soaking wet girl to his tent.

She sniffled softly as she pulled her face away from him only to walk into the tent, staying close to his warmth. Bellamy bent over to grab a dry shirt and pants only to give them to Harlai. She began to pull her wet shirt over her head and Bellamy did something he never did when a girl was changing and that was turn around.

Harlai chuckled quietly as she pulled off her wet bra, leaving her in just the wet pants momentarily. Hearing her laugh, Bellamy began to turn around. "What are you lau-" He paused when he saw her state and he could feel his cheeks darken in color. "I'm sorry."

"You say that, but you haven't turned around yet." Harlai quirked a brow as she brought a hand to her drenched hair, beginning to twist at it so the water fell out. Some tiny droplets fell onto her chest, Bellamy following one as it trailed down the side of one of her breasts. "My eyes are up here, Beast."

Bellamy quickly returned his eyes to her own emerald ones. "Oh really? I didn't know that." He quipped back as he took a step closer to her, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Someone failed Sex Ed." Harlai chuckled with a roll of her eyes and teasingly, she brought the shirt over her head, letting it fall over her body.

With a playful pout, Bellamy crossed his arms over his chest. "Did you really have to put them away?"

"You don't have permission yet." Harlai couldn't stop the words from piling out of her lips and her eyes widened slightly.

"Yet?" Bellamy's smirk only widened and he took yet another step closer. Harlai wanted to relish in the tiniest bit of warmth that overcame her, even with Bellamy standing an inch away.

"Shut up." Harlai turned around and she pulled her completely drenched pants down, only encouraging Bellamy's dark eyes to trail downwards.

"The only thing wrong with that is I don't shut up." Bellamy's voice had dropped a little bit as he let his eyes wander up her legs, trailing over each curve of her skin. He wanted nothing more than to let his calloused hands trail over that soft skin of hers, every inch of it. His fun was ruined as he saw the pants he leant her cover her up.

"Maybe that isn't such a bad thing." Harlai chuckled as she turned back around so she could face him. Her eyes trailed over his own body, but mostly because he was still in the clothes that stuck to his skin due to being soaked in the rain with her. "Shouldn't you change?"

"You just wanna see me naked." Bellamy smirked again as he turned to grab himself some fresh clothes.

Harlai scoffed as she plopped down onto his makeshift bed and she pulled a blanket over her body. "Yeah right." Her own cheeks flamed up in response because that was the main reason.

Bellamy chuckled as he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the ground with Harlai's wet clothes. The brunette couldn't help but let her green eyes fall over his sculpted back. Every time he moved his arms, the muscles in his back shifted and made Harlai smile to herself.

Bellamy turned back around as he began to unbutton his pants, locking eyes with Harlai as he did. Her smile slowly faded as she tried to keep her eyes on his own, but once he began to pull his pants down, she couldn't help it. Her eyes trailed downwards, over the muscles in his chest and his arms and then down further.

She snagged her bottom lip between her teeth as she felt Bellamy's heated gaze on her and she let her eyes meet with his again. Not wanting to stay away from her any longer, Bellamy began to walk to where she was sitting. He set one of his knees on the bed and began to crawl over her body, meanwhile, Harlai began to lean back until she rested against the bed.

The tension was so thick the sharpest blade couldn't cut through it. Bellamy's eyes searched Harlai's for a moment and then he began leaning down, letting his body press ever-so-gently against her frail yet full-figured one. Harlai could feel a certain heat in her core, building itself up until she could barely take it anymore. Just as Bellamy's lips were a mere inch away from her own, they were rudely interrupted.

Clarke pushed the flap of the tent up, walking inside. "Bellamy, Finn's awake now-" She halted to a stop when she saw him hovering over someone and the two jumped apart. Her blue eyes widened in surprise when they fell upon Harlai. "O-Oh my god."

"Could you have came in here more quickly?" Bellamy asked as he sat up, being completely nonchalant about the situation. He grabbed a shirt and began to tug it over his head, a completely flustered Harlai pushing herself up from the bed.

"It-It's not what it looked like, Clarke." Harlai tried to explain to the frozen woman.

"Yeah... okay. Well, I'll leave you two alone." Clarke chuckled quietly as she recomposed herself and she turned, walking out as quickly as she came in.

"I have to go check on the grounder." Bellamy muttered as he stood up as well, pulling a pair of pants on and leaving the tent, leaving a stunned Harlai behind.

••

THE NEXT MORNING WAS the morning in which everyone that had parents got to talk to them. Harlai didn't consider herself to be one of these kids, but apparently her father wanted to talk to her. He didn't stand a chance. Harlai wouldn't dare talk to him, not after everything he's done.

The young woman walked out of her tent, bringing her arms up in a stretch as she grunted. Harlai had still been wearing Bellamy's clothes, only because she knew she wouldn't find any anywhere else. A plus was they smelled like him.

As Harlai's eyes scanned their little camp, they paused on a certain pair of friends. A small smile spread across her pale pink lips and she walked over, just as Jasper tossed a peanut up into the air and catching it in his mouth.

The brunette snuck up behind Monty and when Jasper saw her, she put a finger to her lips, silently 'shh'ing him. Harlai then placed her hands over Monty's eyes and leaned over, whispering, "Guess who?"

A grin spread across Monty's lips and he brought a hand up to stroke his chin. "Hmmm... this is a hard one. Is it Harlai?"

"You are one smarty!" Harlai let her hands fall as she laughed and she stepped up beside Monty, the other two guys laughing as well. Her eyes trailed over to the peanuts on the table and she raised her eyebrows. "Are those peanuts?"

"Yeah, get as many as you want." Jasper smiled and he cracked another one open, tossing it into the air and catching it in his mouth again.

"Hey, you guys seen Dax?" Clarke walked up next to them as she asked the question, Harlai grabbing a few peanuts and beginning to crack them open.

"Over there," Monty motioned to where the delinquent was. "By the meat crew."

Clarke left the three of them to tell Dax he was up to talk with family. Harlai knew that if her father even tried to speak with her, she wouldn't think twice before saying no.

"What do you think they're gonna do with the grounder?" Jasper randomly asked as he smashed some peanuts open.

Monty looked over his shoulder at someone, making Harlai glance over as well. It was the one person she didn't really want to see at the moment. Bellamy Blake. "I'd rather not think about it." Monty answered.

As Harlai's eyes lingered, she felt someone's stare on her. She turned her head just in time to see Monty look away.

"Well, it's been days since Bellamy captured him." Jasper replied as Harlai placed a few peanuts into her mouth. "How long till his friends come looking?"

"Cheer up, buttercup." Harlai sent him a small smile as Monty nudged him.

"Yeah, in that time, we'll all be dead from hypothermia." Monty said, making Harlai and Jasper laugh nervously. Monty held up a peanut and Jasper opened his mouth. When Monty tossed the peanut at him, he caught it in his mouth.

"Hey, hey, hey." They both said as they laughed and smiled before giving themselves highfives.

"Dorks. I'm friends with dorks." Harlai said as she laughed, not being able to stop the smile that spread across her lips.

She paused as she felt someone's grasp wrap around her wrist and the other two guys looked behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she stopped when she saw Bellamy. "Hey, I need to talk to you." He stated.

"Okay.." She looked back to Jasper and Monty and smiled at them. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

Bellamy didn't waste another second as he turned around and began walking to his tent, Harlai following behind him. When they were in the private spot, Bellamy gave her a once over. After the night before, the tension had grown even more thick.

"What is it, Bellamy?" Harlai crossed her arms over her chest as she ushered his reason out.

"Clarke and I are headed to a depot to look for some winter supplies. I thought we could use an extra hand." Bellamy's gentle voice made her whole exterior soften and she glanced over to him.

"Are you sure you need my help? I've been the opposite of help lately." Harlai's eyes trailed downward, locking onto the floor.

All of a sudden, the young woman not only saw his feet come into view a few inches away from her own, but she could feel his breath fan over her cheek and the warmth that always spread over her body, flowing from his own. "I don't need your help, Sleeping Beauty. I want your help."

Hearing this, the brunette tilted her chin upwards so that she could look at him. Her emerald eyes locked onto those beautiful chocolate coated irises of his and a small smile curled her lips. How was it that he always made her forgive him within a few hours of being mad at him? It must have been his super power.

Feeling his gaze lower to her lips, Harlai's tanned cheeks began to darken into a rosy pink. She wanted nothing more than to feel his lips pressed against her own and it seemed like he felt the same way. Without another moment of hesitation, Bellamy leaned down and did just what the both of them were wanting to do: kiss.

Harlai's cheeks darkened even more as her eyes fluttered shut, feeling the absolute softness of his lips against her own. It was just as she imagined- utter bliss. She let her lips gently work against his own as Bellamy's arm slid around her waist, pulling her body closer to his own. It was as if their lips were made for one another, locking perfectly in place. Even their noses rested gently and comfortably beside each others'.

After a few more moments of sharing their first kiss, Bellamy was the first to pull away. He couldn't hide the small smile that was ushering its way across his lips. Although, Harlai was the first to speak as she grinned herself. "We should get going, loverboy." And with that, the young woman stepped around his goofily-grinning self and waltzed out the tent.

XX

xx

XX

WORDS: 2226

CHARACTERS: 12088

PAGES: 6

Opinions! I need opinions. How did you feel about this chapter? The kiss?! Did you expect it ;) Let me know how you're feeling about the book in general! Do you like Harlai? How is her character development coming along? Also, do you have any questions for me? I wanna be able to hear opinions so I know how to make her better or the plot in better over all :) Thank you all so much!

xx