run me like a river.

                                    

                                          
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Song: River by Bishop Briggs
                          
Mira escorted Clarke to her bed that night and waited until she had finished crying and fallen asleep until she headed to her own bed, where Octavia was no where to be seen and Asteria was fast asleep. Mira assumed Octavia had snuck out to find Lincoln and make sure he was okay. She was relieved when she finally got into her bed, pulling her blankets to her chin. She was exhausted. She'd been awake since the early hours of the morning, and it was nearing twenty-four hours later. But sleep never came. She tossed and turned for hours, worried and helpless thoughts filling her mind. Eventually she gave up and threw her blankets off her, slipping her boots on and grabbing Bellamy's jacket. She huffed and exited the tent. 
                          
The bonfire was directly outside the drop ship, it was the heart of the camp. Even when everyone slept, it remained burning. Mira expected it to be empty but instead she saw a familiar figure slouching on a log beside the fire. She smiled to herself and walked to sit next to Cory. He flinched a little when she sat down, surprised by the sudden company. She felt bad, Cory had once been her best friend, but she had been neglecting him and hardly had any time for him. She'd probably only spoken to him once since she returned from Naira's. 
                          
"How have you been?" She started. He shrugged and her heart fell. "I'm sorry," she sighed. Cory looked at her in confusion. 
                          
"What are you talking about?" He asked. 
                          
"I've hardly made any time for you and we rarely speak anymore I know, I get why you'd be mad at me..." Mira trailed off, seeing Cory's amused expression. "You're not mad at me are you?" She asked, he shook his head with a devilish grin. Mira nudged him in the side playfully. "Dick," she muttered. 
                          
"You've been busy saving our asses, so thank you for that," he said, grinning and turning to the fire. 
                          
"Why aren't you asleep?" She asked, and his face fell for a moment before he quickly covered it with another smile. 
                          
"Jasper. He snores ridiculously loud, it's a wonder he doesn't wake Monty up-" 
                          
"Cory..." Mira said softly, not believing his story for a second. Cory sighed and diverted his gaze to his clasped hands, his elbows were resting on his knees.
                          
"Do you remember when I used to get panic attacks?" He asked, Mira nodded. "Well do you remember that one night when you stayed over and I had a really bad one and my dad took us out to that huge window in farm station and told us about all the different stars and constellations until I calmed down?" Mira nodded again. 
                          
"I remember him telling me in particular about the Mira star," Mira added. Cory nodded with a nostalgic smile. 
                          
"I guess I'm just homesick, and I'm starting to have panic attacks again," he explained glumly. He looked up and Mira followed his gaze, to the stars. "I come out here to try remember all the stars names and calm myself down, but I can't see half of them from down here." 
                          
Mira shuffled closer and leant into him, pointing up to one particularly bright star. "That one is Mira," she told him, and they both looked back at each other. "I'm still here Cory," she told him, offering him a smile. He returned it and slung his arm across her shoulders, pulling her small frame into his chest. He placed a kiss on the top of her head and looked back up at the Mira star, and for once he thought that they might make it through this.