Chapter Text
Clarke swung the apartment door open, walking in with a slight skip in her step, overjoyed from the absolutely brilliant day she was having so far. Dumping the bag of groceries on the kitchen counter she started to unpack all the snacks, which were going to be essential for a group get together this evening. A head popped up over the back of the sofa looking across the open plan living room/kitchen/dining room, eyes narrowing at the sight of her tiny, blonde friend practically glowing.
‘Hey Clarke, so where have you been since last night?’ Raven asked, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. ‘Last time I saw you, you were looking like one hell of a hot bombshell, ready to destroy hearts. If I remember correctly you then started damn shouting something about needing to get laid immediately’. Jumping over the back of the sofa Raven straight towards Clarke, ‘and no one stays with a simple one night stand until what is it? ... three in the fucking afternoon!’
By this point Clarke had started to fidget with the hem of her shirt, it was one of her nervous ticks when she was hiding something and Raven most definitely knew what it meant.
‘Hah! You are seeing someone! O and I have been debating over it for like the last couple of weeks. I mean it was just the way you were acting, always running out to the bar without us to ‘’get laid’’ and refusing to tell us anything’. Clarke couldn’t help but laugh quietly to herself at the fact that her friends had only just started to realise that she was seeing someone, took them long enough.
Clarke smiled shyly, ‘Well, yeah. I mean I am seeing someone, ummm yeah, it’s actually getting sorta serious’. Understatement of the century Clarke thought to herself whilst biting the inside of her cheek to stop the laughter from coming out.
Sitting on one of the tall kitchen counter stools Raven whooped, fist bumping the air, ‘Called it! God Clarke you are so not that subtle’. Rolling her eyes, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear she reached over to grab an apple from the fruit bowl. As she grabbed the apple to the right of Raven, Clarke realised to her utter shock that she had forgotten to take of the engagement ring. The beautiful diamond ring with blue sapphire pear side stones on the white gold band was hard to miss against the red of the fruit.
Falling off the stool the tall brunette grabbed her friend’s hand, ‘OH MY FUCKING GOD! YOU’RE ENGAGED?’ Raven stood staring at the ring before aiming a full out glare at the slack jawed Clarke. She could try and say something about how it was an expensive gift from her mother but Raven knows that she hasn’t spoken to her mother in almost a year and no one wears a drop dead gorgeous ring on their left ring finger unless obviously they’re getting married.
‘Uhhh, I … I … I mean … well, I just ummm god uhh I.. I ….. yeah?’ Clarke stuttered the last part came out sounding more like a question than a statement.
‘What the hell? Nope, wait, nope I don’t want to hear anything you have to say until O gets here!’ Still gripping her hand tightly Raven pulled her phone out of her back pocket and was ringing their other friend before Clarke could even think about protesting.
‘Hey Rav, what’s up!?’ Octavia’s voice came through the phone pressed tightly against her friend’s ear, who still staring her down.
‘Octavia, it’s an emergency.’
‘I’m really busy though, can it wait?’
In the most deadly calm voice Raven practically whispered into the phone, ‘Nope, it’s a nuclear war level emergency. Get. Home. Now.’ With that the Latina hung up the phone, and dropped Clarke’s hand to rub her temples, which she only did when really, really, really stressed.
…………………………………………………………………………………
By the time O had stormed into the apartment, breathing heavily demanding to know who had died, her two friends were precariously sat on opposite each other on the sofa in an awkward silence.
‘Guys seriously what the hell is wrong? I basically just ran all the way here due to being informed of an emergency more important and urgent than any important and urgent emergency ever!’ She suddenly stopped, panting heavily from the exercise, sensing the tension that hung heavily in the air.
‘Well our friend here has a tiny winy little announcement to make’, Raven said her voice strained.
Turning to Clarke who was looking rather upset Octavia asked, ‘Well?’
After stuttering on a few words Clarke finally just decided on holding out her left hand to show O the engagement ring.
Jaw hanging down she stared at the ring. ‘What. The. Fuck?’ Octavia screeched.
‘Ok now that O’s here, spill. I would like you to explain how is it that your two bestest friends ever didn’t know that you were dating someone seriously enough to get engaged. Also you can’t have been dating them long enough to actually consider getting engaged, it’s way too early.’ Raven started to raise her voice obviously getting rather frustrated about not knowing anything. ‘Who is it? We want to meet him. I also want you to tell us why we aren’t deemed important enough for you to tell us anything whatsoever!’ Both of Clarke’s friends look offended and let down that neither of them knew about her relationship.
This definitely wasn’t how Clarke pictured telling them but she couldn’t just ignore them, ‘Look guys, I swear it’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, you two are my family by everything but blood. I really did want to but it was so complicated, especially at the beginning and it was just never the right time. You’re my best friends, of course I wanted to sit and rant about all the amazing dates we had, how mind blowing the sex was and literally just annoy you with how in love with him I am.’
‘How could it possibly not be the right time? I thought we could tell each other anything. Also, how long have you been dating? It’s obviously longer than either Rav or I suspected.’ Clarke hung her head in shame from hearing the pain in Octavia’s voice.
‘I know, I know and I’m sorry for not telling you but he’s coming round this evening. We honestly did plan on telling everyone, or at least you guys, several times but things sort of got in the way and we really didn’t want to mess anything up.’
‘Ok fine but how long have you officially been dating?’ Raven asked.
‘Uhhh, officially well umm, ok soo like officially it’s around two years now.’
‘WHAT?’ both of Clarke’s friends screamed.
‘How the hell is it that we haven’t met him then’, Raven demanded.
‘Well actually, you both have met him but can we postpone the questioning until he gets here, I really think we should both be here.’
‘Wait we’ve met him? God, Clarke’ O took in a big deep breath to calm herself before continuing, ‘Fine you go call him and I’ll get the rest of the gang to come over ok? I think we’re going to need everyone here for this.’
Clarke responded with a barely audible whisper of ok, relieved that she was not about to be grilled on her love life without Bellamy. She went into her room to call Bellamy and explained what just happened.
……………………………………………………………………..
Clarke got up off her bed, where she had stayed after hanging up with Bellamy, when Jasper and Monty knocked on their door. Curling up in the corner of the sofa, clutching a pillow Clarke waited until everyone had arrived.
Miller was sat in the massive armchair with Monty practically in his lap, listening to Jasper who was currently using wild arm and hand gestures to explain how he accidently blow up the kitchen sink … again.
Lincoln and Wick arrived within a minute of each other, looking rather confused as to why they had been called her at such late notice. After everyone was settled Wick started to question what was so important that a group meeting was required pronto.
Octavia laughed sarcastically, ‘Well guys, Clarke here has been keeping something a secret, or should I say someone a secret and we need backup for when he arrives.’
‘Oooo, your dating someone?’ Monty practically cooed.
‘Nope’ Raven answered, popping the ‘p’.
Miller sat frowning looking around at everyone, ‘So would you care to explain what is actually going on then.’
‘No Clarke isn’t dating anyone because she’s engaged’.
A chorus of gasps and questions sprung up all over the room, ‘What?’ ‘Oh my god’ ‘How come we didn’t know?’ ‘Isn’t it too soon?’ ‘Are we going to meet them?’
By now Clarke was starting to get quite worked up, she could feel a lump forming at the back of her throat. Octavia and Raven were her family, they had always been there and now she was so worried that she was about to lose them forever. This was supposed to be an amazing day, full of happiness and congratulations but it didn’t seem to be going quite according to plan.
Keeping her voice calm, trying to not let anyone know how scared she was Clarke looked up at the group before answering, ‘Well, we’ve been dating for around two years. We didn’t tell anyone because it was just not the right time and yeah he’s coming over now’.
‘Wait, I just remembered you said we all have already met him, yeah?’ Raven questioned turning to Clarke.
‘Uhhh, yeah, you have …’
‘Oh god, it’s not, are you, jeez I really hope it’s not who I’m thinking of’ Clarke held her breath as her friend became silent for a bit. ‘It’s not Finn is it? Please don’t tell me it’s Finn.’
She laughed in horror at the prospect of ever being engaged to that douche bag, ‘Jeez no, not if he were the last man alive.’
Octavia actually smiled at that, ‘Good, ok well that rules out seven guys we know of who she could be engaged to. It can’t be Linc or Wick ‘cause well, they’re devastatingly in love with us’, she winked at Raven. ‘Monty and Miller are both out as well because a) they’re gay and b) we went to their wedding, it can’t be Jasper because well he’s in a relationship with Maya. I doubt it’s a girl because you have said he several times when referring to your mystery fiancée and you just assured us that it’s not Finn.’
Lincoln contemplated what his girlfriend had stated, ‘Babe, that’s only six guys’.
Clarke suddenly looked at Octavia dreading what she was suspecting was about to come out of her mouth, ‘Yeah and Bellamy.’ Clarke cringed internally at this, ‘Let’s be honest they hate each other.’ The rest of the group laughed at the absurdity of the idea.
Clarke’s breathing became jagged and her head pounded as the world around her started to fade in and out of focus. What if Octavia got really mad and forced them to break up? What would happen if Raven got even more pissed off and refused to speak to her? Would Monty and Jasper be disappointed? God what if Miller thought she wasn’t good enough for Bellamy? Would Bellamy suddenly realise that he didn’t actually love her and demand the ring back?
Clarke grabbed Raven’s hand tightly, ‘Rav, please, Rav I … I’m … help’, tears were now streaming down her face and air was refusing to enter her lungs. Both Octavia and Raven turned immediately realising that their friend was going into a panic attack, they both had practise with helping her through them but it was never easy.
The two girls moved the small blonde into the middle of the sofa and sat either side of her, hugging her trying to block everything out, in the gentlest of voices they tried to bring her back, telling her to focus on breathing. Nothing they said even registered in Clarke’s mind as a whirlwind of worries and lack of oxygen dragged her further into the nightmares of her own mind.
………………………………………………….
Bellamy walked into the girls’ apartment, after Jasper answered the door, to find the three girls sat on the sofa as everyone watched with worried expressions. Bellamy had helped his girlfriend out of many panic attacks over the course of the past two years. It was never easy to see Clarke who was always so on top of things and happy to completely fall apart. He needed to get everyone out of the room before he could help her, ‘Everyone, out. Now.’ His voice held no room for excuse.
Clarke’s head snapped up, only just registering his presence, her crystal blue eyes shone with tears and he could hear her internally screaming as all the thoughts wreaked havoc in her head.
Everyone except Octavia and Raven got up to go and sit in one of the girls bedrooms, sending worried glances to Clarke before they left. Walking into the middle of the floor he sat down cross-legged in front of the sofa and opened his arms to her, Clarke practically flew into his embrace from where she had been sitting in between her two friends. Wrapping his arms around her small frame, he leant his head down so that his mouth was by her ear. He blocked out the rest of the world for her, ‘Hey, hey it’s going to be fine but first I’m going to need you to breath, copy my breathing, there we go, concentrate on just breathing ok. Put your hands on top of my heart, feel the rhythm, that beating, it never stops.’
Bellamy looked up to see a mixture of shock and confusion over Raven and Octavia’s faces; they also looked devastated, neither girl liked to see her in such distress and emotional turmoil. With his eyes he signalled that they should also leave the room so that he could concentrate solely on helping Clarke.
……………………………………………………………..
Once she had finally calmed down enough, Clarke leant out slightly to look up into Bellamy’s face, ‘Hey princess, you feeling better?’ Nodding in response, she whispered a thank you as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
‘So, you up to talking to everyone now, can I call them in?’ Bellamy asked.
‘Yeah, sure, we can’t really put it off any longer can we’, Clarke pointed out.
Clarke sat back up on the sofa, as Bellamy went to call everyone into the living room.
Raven and Octavia ran straight to Clarke’s side pulling her into a massive group hug, ‘hey, you feeling better? Are you going to be ok? Do you want ice cream?’ All her friends knew that nothing made Clarke feel better than a tub of Ben & Jerry’s chocolate fudge brownie ice cream.
Laughing slightly Clarke shook her head and assured them that she was fine; Bellamy came and sat down next to her on the arm of the sofa. As everyone got back into their positions Jasper decided questions needed to be answered, ‘Ok, so is anyone going to ask how Bellamy here was able to help his arch enemy out of an attack? Like don’t you hate each other, how did you know what to even do?’
Octavia hummed in agreement, ‘Yeah, also Clarke wasn’t exactly holding back when Bell sat down in front of her.’
Jasper’s face literally lit up like a light bulb as an idea popped into his head, ‘Wait, wait, wait hoooold up! Are you and Clarke like secretly actually friends? Do you know who she is engaged to?’
Utter disbelief at how oblivious everyone seemed to be was written all over Bellamy’s face.
‘I would goddam hope so!’
‘What the hell does that mean?’ Miller inquired.
Bellamy snorted at the question, ‘God guys, for a bunch of scientists, lawyers and cops you aren’t that smart. Well I would hope that if I proposed to someone I would actually know.’
A rather extensive list of swear words bounced about the room, as everyone realised what he had insinuated.
‘Oh’
‘Oh, Ohhh, Ohhhhhhh fuck … but you, she … what? How?’ Raven asked.
Octavia narrowed her eyes at Bellamy, ‘Ok, right so this is what’s going to happen. I am going to order Dominos for everyone and once the pizzas arrived and the popcorn is distributed we are going to play a game. It’s called, we each ask a question and the pair of you two will give us a very detailed answer, then we will try and guess whether this is a practical joke. Everyone cool with that?’
Neither Clarke nor Bellamy liked the sound of the new game but they also knew that they didn’t have much of a choice.
If they knew anything it was that it’s going to be one hell of a long evening.