CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

"Yes."

***

"I feel like this isn't the best way to manage your anger!" 

 To say I was terrified was an understatement. Phia claimed that if she didn't have a partner to spar with, she was going to kill someone. So naturally, I threw away all sense of self preservation, I told her I would do it. 

 Those will be my last words. 

 I took two steps back as she swung her knife at me again. I had discarded my shirt a good thirty minutes ago, when it became apparent that this was an extremely grueling workout. I lifted my own knife up to block her hit, swinging it up and hitting hers out of the way, earning a full spin and another aggressive stabbing motion. I began to question whether she was actually trying to kill me or not about twenty minutes ago, and I am still curious. 

 "Yes it is," her voice was so hard I couldn't tell if she was mad anymore. I assumed yes by the way she swung her knife at my neck, and I had to drop to my knees to avoid getting my throat slit. 

 "Goddamn, woman!" I yelled, rolling out of the way and stumbling to my feet. "This is going to kill me!" 

 "This is only the beginning," she spun the blade over her head, and I jumped off to the side, lunging for her expose side, which she blocked by spinning around and kicking me in the stomach. 

 My feet stumbled, and then flew up from under me, my back hitting the ground with a harsh thump, all of the air forcefully flying from my lungs. I gasped, rolling over to my side and coughing once. 

 Phia's eyes held to remorse, but her eyes flickered down to the long scar that ran across my stomach, and her eyes softened slightly. She held out her hand, clad in a finger-less glove, and I reluctantly accepted it, pushing myself up as Phia tugged. 

 "That was from me." She noted, not phrasing it as a question, as she knew there was no where else I could have possibly gotten a scar like that. I looked down, as if I had forgotten it was there, and felt my face burn red. 

 "Uh, yeah... thanks." 

 Her eyes flashed with something for a fraction of a millisecond, before she jutted her chin out, and spoke in that authoritative tone. "Well, if I knew you back then, I probably wouldn't have stabbed you." 

 For some reason, I found that very sweet, and brought a hand to my chest, "that might be the nicest thing you have ever said to me." 

 "Don't get used to it, sky boy," she rolled her eyes, taking a step back. "I am stuck with you now, and until the rest of your people trust me, you are the only one I can actually communicate with." 

 "Sounds good to me... I guess." 

 The sound of the door swinging open broke the quiet, and Bellamy walked in. His eyes flashed in confusion as he took in the scene. Me with no shirt, holding a knife and probably bruising at the stomach. Phia, in her usual bad-ass armor-clothes, with her own knife dangling from her fingers. I held up a hand on greeting, although I was sure I was blushing. "Hi, Blake, what's up?" 

 "Clarke is explaining how she got out of the mountain, I figured you'd want to be part of that conversation." 

"Yes," I darted over to the corner of the large open room, grabbing my shirt and slipping my knife into the sheath I had acquired from my female companion. I saluted Phia, "until next time." 

 She playfully grinned, "you shouldn't be excited." 

 I tapped Bellamy's arm as I walked past, and he tore his tentative gaze away from Phia, and walked alongside me as I tugged my shirt over my head. The air was cold, and the sky was so dark I just knew everything around me was a tripping hazard. Clarke had a flashlight pointed at some kind of map as we approached, lifting her head and giving me a small smile. 

 "So this is the mountain?" I asked, slipping into the spot next to the blonde, so I could peer at what looked to be an inside view of Mount Weather. 

 Clarke nodded, sighing and brushing her hair from her face, "yes. It's basically a maze... a labyrinth. Anya and I got to the dam through-" she tapped one of the halls drawn on the paper, "-this tunnel. It is connected to the mine system... which is our way in." 

 "If we can get past the Reapers, and the Mountain Men." Bellamy corrected, and I nodded in agreement. 

 "Yeah, how the hell are we supposed to do that?" I added, ruffling my sweaty hair anxiously. "I mean, if we have to fight a big battle, we'll just be weak for the other defense mechanisms they put in." 

 "It would be better if we had one person go in, and scope it out from the inside," Bellamy pointed out, and I turned around to give him a stern look, obvious to what he was implying. "No." 

 "Nate's right," Clarke began, speaking like she got an entire conversation from that one word. "It is too dangerous." 

 Bellamy leaned forward, his eyes narrowing, "it may be our only option." 

 "Keyword: May," I defended, crossing my arms over my stomach and leaning back in my seat, sending Bellamy a sharp look. "We can find a better option."

 "Of course we can," Clarke smiled softly, placing a gentle hand on my bicep. "We always do." 

 Before any of us could say anything else, the smile melted off of Clarke's face. I turn and glance over my shoulder, watching the dark outline of Finn jog outside. I felt my lip curl in distaste, and shared a look with Bellamy, who cleared his throat nervously. "How is Finn anyway?" 

 I wouldn't know, I was too busy trying to prevent his demise by my Grounder friend. 

 " I haven't talked to him since we got back," she admitted, her head hanging slightly, then, as if to defend herself, it popped right back up, "I didn't know what to say." 

 "I have some things I'd like to say to him-" 

 "But you won't," Clarke defended, crossing her arms indignantly over her chest, "because I need to talk to him before you go and cuss him out or something." 

"That I would like to see," Bellamy smirked, but the expression drained from his face, right as Finn approached our table. He looked shy, like he was just meeting us for the first time. It kind of felt like he was, because I don't recognize this guy at all. 

 "Hey." 

 None of us replied, but I did send him a very harsh glare, oblivious to the warning looks I was receiving from Clarke. Bellamy coughed in an effort to relieve the tension, and stood up, his chair scraping on the ground. "Uh, next round's on me." 

 It was silent for a few seconds, before Bellamy sighed and grabbed my arm, yanking on my sleeve, I jerked my eyes away from burning holes into Finn, and glanced up at Bellamy. "Oh, um, I'll go watch him."

 Bellamy scoffed as I jumped up and followed him away from Clarke and Finn, who already seemed to have produced more tension then I have ever experienced in my lifetime. Bellamy rolled his eyes. "You can stop glaring at Finn now." 

 "I just don't get it," I muttered, staring ahead as we walked through the crisp night air. Bellamy raised an eyebrow. "You know? Finn used to be the most anti-violence person I have ever met... and then he just... slaughtered all of those people for no reason." 

 "This world has changed us all." Was the response I received, and Bellamy turned to glance at me from the corner of his eye. "Only some is not for the better." 

 We fell into silence, just walking in the dark. I still got a creepy feeling whenever I was around Finn now, just picturing him killing people without feeling anything. 

 "Can I ask you a question?" 

I turned to make sure he was talking to me, despite the fact that we were pretty much alone, "yeah, what's up?" 

 "Would it be weird if I asked you to be my boyfriend?" 

 Here's the thing, I don't think I actually comprehended what he said for a few seconds, and just kept walking. The words sunk in, and my legs froze, making me stop in my tracks. My eyebrows were pinched together, and my body felt hot all over. 

 Boyfriend? That seems like such a ridiculous word in my new vocabulary. Maybe that was just because it didn't have an outcome of  pain and suffering. Would it be weird is his question? 

 "Uh, yeah." 

 He turned to look at me, a coy grin on his face, "would you say yes?" 

 Another pause, which I used to gather my thoughts to form a coherent image in my mind. I felt like I did whenever I had classes on the Ark... blank. 

 "Yes..." I cleared my throat, "I mean, uh, yeah." 

 Bellamy laughed, "you are so good with words." 

 "Shut up." I turned around, smacking his arm, but overwhelmed by the sudden urge to kiss him. Then I realized I could. 

 So I did. 

A/N: Three... two... one... 

 OMGGGG!!!! PARDON ME WHILE I SCREAM FOR TEN MILLION YEARS, ALTHOUGH I AM NOT SURE HOW WELL THAT WAS WRITTEN!!

 Tell me what you think you guys! Use the time to comment while I dance around my house because YAY NATHAMY IS FINALLY CANON!