FROZEN STARS
forty nine

THERE WERE GROUNDERS EVERYWHERE. Each one of them shot Marley glances, and each glance chilled her right down to the bone. They were all so big and imposing — at least double Marley's size, though she was slight, still, and that wasn't entirely surprising — and she would have been hard-pressed not to be intimidating by the glares they gave her. Looks that told her, if she put one foot out of line, they would not hesitate to end her life before it had even really begun.

Without a second thought.

The sun-brushed the tips of the trees. The light was cold, barely burning bright enough in the early morning to light the horizon. Marley shuddered and pulled her jacket tighter around her body; it made no difference. The chill cut through the leaves and lay claim to her skin.

She wondered if Bellamy's arms around her would stop the cold from snatching at her bones.

She looked over at him; walking beside Clarke at the head of the group, their two de facto leaders, keeping them all safe. Even now the others were here - the Chancellor, the Council, the guards, those who made it to Camp Jaha still looked to them as the voices of reason. She'd chosen to walk with Elijah and Raven, instead. In the middle of the Grounder pack, surrounded by other friendly faces, it seemed like the least reckless of all the options. They were unthreatening, merely followers in this death march.

And Marley was a sucker for the safest option.

Though they'd been walking for what seemed like days, though Marley was sure it couldn't have been that long. The sun had yet to sink, and it still sat high above them, beating down upon their heads with brutal, uncomfortable ferocity. She'd already had to take off her jacket and sling it over her arm. The heat had become a problem for Elijah and Raven, too; their legs were less than capable of making the strenuous trip and, despite their stubborn insistence that they were okay to walk, they'd both since perched on the back of the Grounder wagon that carried Finn's body.

Surprising, given the moment Elijah had seen the funeral procession — the very thing leading his oldest friend to his death, and not nearly as friendly as it was meant to be — he'd shut down again. He hadn't said a word to either her or Raven, just shot both of them a smile that was meant to reassure but did nothing except make them worry more.

Marley had fallen behind after they'd left for the wagon. Reserved and hesitant, between the pair of them and Bellamy and Clarke. Safe, but alone, wringing her hands awkwardly in front of her, unsure what to do.

She could hear Bellamy and Clarke talking behind her - a low murmur, too quiet for her to hear what they were saying, over the sounds of the forest and the rumble of the wagon's wheels - though, half the time they talked, it was never anything good. One, or both, of them usually came up with a ridiculous plan, a plan so absurd that was sure to get them killed.

She dreaded to think that was what they were doing.

Marley heard the call of her name; it was Clarke's voice, though she wasn't sure whether she intended for her to hear. She turned and smiled, a little hesitant. She noticed Bellamy watching her, his brown eyes trained upon her, soft but still focused upon the back of her head and - soon enough - the curve of her jaw and smile. He smiled a little, lifted his chin in her direction and stepped forward, alongside Clarke, to stand beside her.

She felt Bellamy's hand brush hers. It was odd; usually, she'd pull her hand away, nervous and a little terrified. Now, when his fingers inched towards hers again, intentional, he took them and wrapped his hand around hers. He squeezed her hand once. His palm almost engulfed hers. It was a simple gesture, insignificant to most, but she felt so much safer.

It felt good to finally have someone who could love her. And someone who cared, without her being more of a burden to them.

Only Clarke seemed to notice him take Marley's hand. She smiled a little at the gesture. Marley's cheeks flushed deeply at the acknowledgement. They weren't trying to hide anything — that wasn't the problem — she'd just never been that casual, that close, with someone before. No one had ever made her feel safe like that before.

Marley could feel Bellamy's eyes on her. She dared not look at him; she knew, if she did, if she looked at those deep brown eyes that watched the way the breeze stirred her hair against her temples, she'd probably crumble and become one with the forest floor.

Bellamy Blake would surely be the death of her, someday.

Instead, she watched her feet. The rhythmic one, two, one, two-step of her feet. She sighed and felt Bellamy's thumb run across her knuckles. "What will happen to Finn when we get to their village?"

"We say our goodbyes and then we lay him to rest," Bellamy's answered.

She knew that. But what happened before, what happened after, that was a mystery. She hated the thought of Elijah witnessing something just as horrific as his oldest friend's death. She wasn't sure he'd recover from that.

"And then we go home, right?" Her eyes rose to his face. He didn't answer, just squeezed her hand again and watched the slight flush of red across her nose and the tops of her cheeks, the telltale sign of an oncoming sunburn. He chuckled a little at the sight of it, running his thumb over the patch upon her cheek. "Bellamy," she whispered when he didn't answer. "-we go home."

"We go home," he repeated, though she could tell he didn't mean it.

It was dangerous to make promises.

So often did they fall short.

She smiled up at him. It was half a smile, though. And he could tell that she didn't mean it.

"How's Elijah?"

Marley shook her head. "Honestly? Not good." She sighed and brushed a hand through the hair that was troubling her, falling into her face as the breeze swept through the trees. "I shouldn't have left him last night."

It wasn't regret. Bellamy knew that much.

Of course she couldn't regret the night before. She never would. It was the right thing to do, for herself, for both of them. And it was about damn time, too. Even she was aware enough to acknowledge that. But leaving Elijah alone was the one thing that troubled her about it all; her happiness over his, she supposed, even if they had no consequence on each other.

Bellamy nodded. He understood.

Sometimes, good things come from bad things. It doesn't mean you have to move on.

‣ ‣ ‣

IT GREW DARK BEFORE THEY REACHED TONDC. They were still ten miles out when the sky turned to ink and the moon pulled up high, shimmering silver through the trees. It made safe passage impossible, so they'd settled down for the night in a clearing, surrounded by thickly-branched trees and a tiny river that rushed and bubbled incessantly.

They'd settled beside one fire, the Grounders besides a larger one had built. A stark division between the two groups that only Clarke seemed uncomfortable with. Marley perched on the ground between Elijah and Bellamy, her hand tucked neatly inside his large palm. He'd rubbed a calloused thumb over her knuckles the entire time, and she relaxed into the warm comfort of his embrace.

Marley recalled the night before and how it had all felt; overwhelming and utterly terrifying, feeling like she was falling, hurtling down into the unknown. But there'd been so much gentle safety in him, so much warmth blotting out the terrible darkness that always seemed to creep in. Everything about it seemed right, and she wouldn't trade it for the world.

She'd expected Elijah to say something. Something about the fact Bellamy is holding her hand, and he'd been wondering for longer than she could even recall when she and Bellamy were going to face their feelings. Feelings Marley didn't even realise she had until the night before, when she'd found herself outside his door in the middle of the night, in nothing but a sweatshirt and sleep shorts, willing him to let her in so that she could tell him how much he meant to her.

It wasn't love, not then - and maybe Elijah knew that, too - because it was far too soon and too quick and too terrifying. But, when she felt his hand in hers, and his shoulder pressed snug against hers, the gentle weight of his presence lingering, she knew she could make a home out of that feeling.

Elijah crept off to bed early, disappearing out of sight with a tight 'goodnight' and a half-hearted sigh. The lack of tents - only three for a handful of them, to be exact - meant they all had to share; Raven had taken herself off to sleep as soon as they'd pitched their tents, exhausted and battered by emotion. He'd slid in beside her, leaving just enough space for Marley, stuffed up inside a too-small tent for the night. At least they'd be warm, packed together like that. And the forest was cold and unforgiving at night; Marley and Elijah had found that out the hard way, their nights spent shivering amongst the trees in search of salvation.

When Elijah left, Marley had curled into Bellamy, a wave of exhaustion crashing over her. She'd spent the entire day pretending she was okay, for his sake, but trying to fight back the tears as the overwhelming darkness swelled around her, had taken its toll. Bellamy curled his arm around her shoulder, holding her close to his side. And he kissed her forehead with such tenderness, a whispered conversation between them amounting to nothing more than reassurances that she was okay, just lethargic and sleep-deprived, and her distracted dances with his fingers in the firelight.

"I should stay with Elijah tonight," she told him, eventually, as her eyelids began to grow heavy and she found herself stifling a yawn.

Bellamy nodded. "I'm surprised he never said anything, tonight." He chuckled, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone, then brushing a stray hair out of her face.

He stood and offered out a hand, tugging her up from the floor. His hand curved around her hip and he held her close as she came to rise in front of him.

"Give him time, I'm sure everyone in camp will know by the time we're back." She hummed.

"I'll see you in the morning." He glanced around them, at the Grounders sat around their fire, warming their hands and sipping their water. They paid no mind to Marley and Bellamy.

Their glares had ceased the moment most of their people fell asleep.

She smiled up at him. His face was only half-illuminated by the fire beside them, amber light flickering against his freckled skin. "Goodnight, Bellamy."

He wouldn't kiss her unless she wanted him to.

And so it was her who kissed him first.

Just once, delicate against his lips, a fleeting goodbye.

When she walked away, she couldn't help but grin.

‣ ‣ ‣

a/n: writing them as canon is so fun because they're still so hesitant around each other but goddammit they're soft af