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It had all started out as dare, a simple game around the camp fire to lighten the mood. After Clarke had returned things had been tense, but as the months passed and summer came things slowly got better. It had been a warm summer night and Monty had brought out an extra batch of moonshine for the occasion.
“Come on Raven, it’s your turn! Choose someone!” Octavia was encouraging the other girl on who was still trying to recover from her own dare – to give Wick a lap dance – both of their faces were burning brightly and Clarke couldn’t help but laugh with everyone else at the two idiots.
“Okay, fine!” Raven pointed to Clarke, “Clarke,” her tone was suspiciously sweet, and nothing good could come of this. “Truth or dare?” The words tumbled from her mouth with a sugary innocence that didn’t fool anyone. Either way, Clarke was in for a good time. Taking an extra gulp of the alcohol Clarke took her chances.
“Dare.” She spoke the word with certainty as everyone watched the wordless battle between the two of them as Clarke challenged Raven to think up something good.
“Sniff Bellamy.” Everyone gawked at Raven, who at this point wore a smug grin before crossing her arms.
“That’s it? Sniff Bellamy? Okay.” Clarke shrugged at the seemingly simple dare but there was something about the way Raven was looking at her that told her this wouldn’t be over that quickly. Clarke bent down and took a quick whiff of the man before her. Standing back up, Clarke crossed her arms, leveling the other girl with a challenge.
“There. Done.”Clarke tried to keep her expression playful but her eyes couldn’t hide what Raven knew. There was something about the smell of the person that you were attracted to that could drive you up the wall and Raven knew all too well how much Clarke liked Bellamy’s scent. Raven had slipped in the girl's tent to talk early one morning only to find her changing out of slightly bigger shirt. Raven had smirked and as Clarke explained that Bellamy had lent her a shirt because her own had been ruined in a recent hike. There was no specific reason why she had worn it to bed. It didn't smell like him, not at all. Raven silently smiled at Clarke before switching the conversation to something about the latest project. Bringing her thoughts back to the present Clarke tried to keep her expression playful but her eyes were blown, Bellamy had been doing manual labor all day and his scent was so much stronger that Clarke did everything she could not to let her eyes roll back. She had been sleeping in his shirt almost every night, his smell one of the few things that could lull her to sleep.
Everyone else seemed to miss the exchange aside from Wick and Bellamy, who exchanged looks of confusion, before the game had progressed with Harper having to sit on Monty’s lap for the rest of the night.
That had been a week ago and Clarke was still cursing Raven. Though it had been three months since her return Clarke and Bellamy hadn’t made any real advancement in their relationship with each other. It seemed that they were at an impasse, unsure of what was next in this world filled with death.
“It’s driving you mad, isn’t it?” Raven whispered next to Clarke making the girl jump in her own skin before chuckling.
“I hate you for that dare.” Clarke retorted with frustration clear in her voice.
“Mmhmm, you’ll get over it. Or, you’ll find ways to do it again. Or you’ll just finally bang each other and everyone will be happy.” Raven pulled Clarke along as she tried to follow what her friend was saying. “Oh, and don’t even try and play coy with me Griffin, I know you’re in love with each other. It’s gross how much you two moon over each other, really.” Raven lead them to the work room where she finally let go of Clarke.
“Whether or not I have feelings for him doesn’t matter. We haven’t been able to be alone in the same room since I returned. Either we’re in meetings or he’s coming and I’m going or vice versa. It’s been six months of cat and mouse and now all I want -” Clarke stopped at that, what did she want? Her silence was telling enough as Raven smirked and turned away.
“Uh huh, that’s what I thought.” Raven’s smirk fell as she pulled her into the empty work area, having made sure they were alone first. “Clarke, look, I know…” She paused to gather her thoughts. “I know that things haven’t been easy between us but Bellamy makes you happy, he grounds you and you ground him. You two belong together.” Clarke took in every word that she was saying, though a little shocked at how serious the conversation had turned. Clarke nodded her head still in thought. “Now go find the man and bang his brains outs.” Raven’s smirk returned as she turned to walk towards of the benches in the back next to a drawing board. Clarke smiled, that was Raven.
As Clarke wandered away Wick came back in carrying a multitude of different pieces of equipment to work on their next project. Wick glanced between the two girls before approaching Raven.
“What was that about?” Wick inquired casually as he went about organizing everything.
“Oh, just teasing Clarke about the dare is all.” She replied, distracted.
“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that. What was up with that?” He was leaning next to the bench in front of her with his arms folded watching as her eyes analysed the pieces in front of her before glancing up to the board where the schematics were drawn.
“Oh, you know, just a way to drive her crazy and hopefully push those two idiots together finally.” Raven responded nonchalantly.
“Is that right?” Wick hummed, dropping his arms and stepping into her personal space. He had been careful not to overstep and rush things but at moments like this she was irresistible.
“Yeah, it is.” Raven stepped closer barely leaving breathing room between them. “Why, still don’t get why I did what I did?” She smiled daringly at him.
“Oh, it took me a little while, but I understood. Scents have a way of driving people crazy don’t they.” He was keeping full eye contact with her.
“That they do.” She let her focus drop to his lips and before she could over think it Raven stepped forward placing her lips on Wick’s as she took in a breath, enjoying the smell around her.
Clarke had been wandering, trying to ignore Raven’s advice about “banging his brains out” but she was getting tripped up on her other words. Did Bellamy really love her? There was a connection between them to be sure. They could talk without words, there was the chemistry between, the implicit trust -which had been building back up again since her return. There were many things but Clarke wasn’t sure if love was one of them. Clarke looked up then, having realized she had walked unintentionally walked over to where she knew Bellamy would be at this time of day. Miller spotted her first, slapping Bellamy’s arm to grab his attention from where it wandered in the trees he gestured towards Clarke before nodding his head for Bellamy to leave and find out what the girl wanted to talk about.
She watched everything transpire much more quickly than she had anticipated and now started to regret her choice on coming over. That was at least until Bellamy was standing in front of her and his presence invaded all of her scenes. He had been on guard duty today and she got distracted at the way the t-shirt he was wearing pulled over his arms and shoulders. His hand on her arm brought her out of her reverie.
“Clarke, what’s wrong?” She must have seemed out of sorts as his eyes looked over her entire form, checking for signs of injury.
“Noth-” the word got trapped in her through as he stepped closer, his scent intoxicating her. “Nothing. I just, uh, wanted to…”Clarke drifted off, not really having much of an excuse to come and visit him but as she looked up into his eyes and noticed his smirk as she stumbled over her words as images of what Raven told her to do would look like. Clarke couldn’t help the intake of break and as he stepped closer his smell was overwhelming her.
“Clarke, did you just sniff me?” She hadn’t noticed the action but supposed that she probably had, he just smelled so good.
“No?” It was more of question than a statement. She had to wash his shirt yesterday and his scent had faded, it wasn't her fault that she just wanted it to fill her again. Raven was right about one thing, it drove her up a wall and grounded her all at once.
“Hmmm.” He stepped closer, moving the gun to his back while he pulled her closer leaving his hands on her hips. He watched her reaction and noticed as her shoulders rose and fell with another deep breath. Clarke on the other hand was trying not to do anything embarrassing. He had moved closer and if she thought she could smell him before she most certainly could now. He smelled glorious, like the wood they would chop for the fire, and the earth after the rain, and something that was just him. She couldn't help but close her eyes as she was bathed in the scent.
“I smell that good, huh Princess?” Clarke blinked her eyes open as a bright blush flooded her face. “Good to know this goes both ways.” Bellamy blushed slightly at the acknowledgement. Since Raven had dared Clarke to sniff him he had been going crazy. The wind had picked up just enough to wash her scent over him as well and he couldn't stop himself from loving it. He had caught whiffs of it before but that night he had been bathed in it, and had wanted nothing more than to bury his nose in her tresses and let it soothe him.
“You smell like heaven.” He whispered in her ear, letting his lips just barely dance on the shell. “You smell like flowers just after the rain and the sweetness of the herbs you work with and it has been driving me mad.” He stepped back to take her in, happy to see that her eyes were huge with the realization.
“Good to know this goes both ways.” She whispered the same words at him before pulling his lips down to hers and letting herself go. She had spent all week trying to ignore the way his scent pulled at her, tugging at her heart in a way she could quite place. Now as she let it wash over her again and again as they kissed Clarke realized what made it pull at her heart, he smelled like home.