bakerstreet | the picture prompt meme;

[ Getting out of town felt like the best idea he'd ever had. And yes, she'd let him take credit for this one, even if she was the planner of most of the things they did, if only because she loved to do it. Being spontaneous wasn't exactly her forte but she'd let him drive them towards the mountains. It was a matter of trust, he may not understand just how much.

As the snow slowly starts to drift down, a gently blanketing the earth on either side of the road, she watches with a faint, almost nervous sort of smile. It's killing her not to ask him where they're going, where he's taking them. She wants to ask a thousand questions, she wants to know the plan, she wants to make the plan. But this might be about trust for him too. She has to trust that he's done something great because despite his best efforts to seem otherwise, Bellamy Blake has proven himself thoughtful in the short time they've been together.

For the hundredth time since they started this journey, she smooths out the skirt of her dress and glances at him, briefly before pretending that she's not a total control freak.]

[ he's often been the one following the orders. on the ark, he'd had to do as the rules dictated. on the ground, he followed clarke's lead, until her lead became pike's, then pike's became guilt. eventually, the cycle of leadership turned to him, and he held it in his hands for the longest time. being the one in control isn't something he's ever really liked, but bellamy's found that with each choice that he makes, the world doesn't end and people don't die. ]

[ it helps when his company's immortal, but he counts the lives saved by the amount of clothes caroline has that aren't stained with blood. ]

[ knowing the lack of control must be killing her, bellamy still doesn't relent. he keeps driving, not letting her take the wheel even though he's sure it'd be best if, at times, she did. the best lesson he's learned is not everything's his fault, and the one lesson he supposes caroline's in the middle of learning is that sometimes other people need to take the wheel. she doesn't always know best. (that's a lesson bellamy's never going to learn, my sister, my responsibility. it's almost begun to settle onto caroline's shoulders, with her becoming his.) ]

[ looking straight ahead, he counts to ten before he even thinks to acknowledge the one thing he hadn't wanted to bring up. looking at her from the corner of his eye, ] Stop looking at me. I'm not going to break and tell you where we're going.

[ caroline forbes is a terrible liar. ask anyone. she's only good at concealing things. it's a little different. so when she speaks, it's probably entirely unconvincing.] I wasn't looking at you. [ oh yes she was and she'd been busted. she does look at him now, looking a tiny bit petulant for a moment before her lips curve at the corners.]

It was just a glance. [ she corrects herself and him, looking back out the window.] I can't help it if you're the most interesting thing to look at. [ currently and maybe ever, if you asked her. she tugs idly at the seatbelt, worn out of habit rather than necessity.]

How much longer?

[ at her comment, bellamy looks amused. no matter how much time he spends with caroline, those types of comments will always make him feel just a little flustered. he looks away, eyes on the road ahead. they may be far from the busy streets of the city, but it's still pivotal he keeps his eyes on the road. there's small craters in the dirt, and bellamy still doesn't quite trust that the world around him isn't one that's trying to kill him. ]

Not long.

[ he knows it's not an answer, and not a great one for someone who might actually create a timeline for the day right down to the very second. ] We'll be there in maybe an hour, less than that if you don't distract me.

[ he knows exactly what he's doing. he knows that this is driving her crazy, taking her out of her comfort zone. it's only fair, after all, she's done the same to him, many more times, with only minimal heel dragging. she lets out a quiet sigh as she tries to remind herself of that fact.

he throws her a scrap and she eats it up, trying to think of where they could be going that would take an hour. there's quite a few options and she can't confess to being an expert of things outside the city.] I'm not distracting you.

You are.

[ he glances at her then, expression one that's matter-of-fact. turning back to the road, bellamy readjusts his grip on the wheel. he could go faster, pressing the accelerator to the floor and zoom right across the dirt road, whipping dust up in their wake. but there's no reason to do so, no adrenaline pushing him onward. enjoying the small things in life, the quieter moments, is something he's learned with caroline, and he's not particularly keen on rushing it. ]

I can hear you thinking right now. Where's he taking us? Why's he not telling me anything? Why won't he let me control at least the music? [ he looks at her once again, eyes returning back to the road. ] Radio's broken. You can thank me not understanding Raven's instructions for that one.

[ she throws him him a little look when he says that she's distracting him but she isn't sure if he meant it as a compliment or a complaint. she watches his face for a moment longer as he looks forward before she lets out a tiny sigh and looks out the window, rolling her eyes good-naturedly as he speaks.]

I wasn't wondering about the radio-- [ her lips curve into something much amused because yes, he can read her mind on the other things.] But now I have something else to think about. [ she swallows back laughter for as long as she can before she lets it out and she reaches over to give his hair a playful stroke with her fingers.]

And trust me, I could be so much more distracting.

[ bellamy smiles when she reaches out to brush her fingers through his hair. he looks at her for only a moment, lips still curved upward as he arches his brow. a part of him wonders if she really was thinking about the radio, and if its silence contributed to anything to his big, grand plan. but there's no grand plan up his sleeve, other than wanting to get out of town, calm his itching feet to see the world he'd been robbed of growing up in. ]

[ he shakes his head, and purposefully says aloud, although it's supposed to be a mumble to himself, ] Knew I should've made you sit in the back. Distracting.

[ caroline thinks there are few things in the world that she likes better than bellamy's smile. not the tight one that he gives when he's tolerating something but the real one, the one that starts out as a small curve of his lips and eventually widens into something so real, so awesome, she strives to put it on his face every chance she gets.

her life hasn't been a bed of roses but his life is something tragic. she doesn't pity him, she just wants to make him happy, to show him the tenderness he didn't always get back where he was from.

she slides her hand back into her lap when he shakes his head and admonishes her, in a playful way.] I would have been way worse in the backseat and you know it. [ the windows are smaller and she'd definitely kick his seat or try to play with his hair.]

[ he smiles, nodding his head. he'll give her that one. if he banished her to the backseat, she'd take the one behind him, and he knows she wouldn't need to try too hard to ensure that he knew the consequences of his own choice with a nicely aimed kick. ]

[ he releases a hand from the steering wheel, resting his elbow against the open window. some of his choices have earned him a great panic, but he's since learned not every decision he makes is one that results in life or death. it's also not his choice whether caroline sits in the front or the back, as he knows she'd crawl into the backseat just to kick his seat, or pull herself to the front so she can enjoy the view up close. ]

[ for a moment he leans his head into his palm before he rights himself, peering out into the distance before him. it might look like he's just been struck by an idea, and when he looks at her, he informs her matter-of-factly, and with a smile: ] We could always use the trunk. [ he wets his bottom lip, dragging it between his teeth for a quick second. ] Then I'd be pretty bored. Think the passenger seat is the best spot for you.

[ where caroline sits in the car is certainly not a life or death situation. where they're going isn't either. maybe that's why she's not giving him as hard a time as she might someone else, why she's not pestering him to tell her his plans. someone a bit more eloquent than Caroline in these types of matters might say that it's her way of giving him agency over his life.

or maybe it's as uncomplicated as that she's trying to get better at not being such a control freak.

it's hard not to look his way whenever he makes bigger movements, like the one he does now. her eyes are suddenly drawn to his mouth as he licks his bottom lip and chews on it. she swallows and feels herself flush before she remembers to be indignant about his comment.]

See! I'm a good sort of distraction. [ her smile turns more teasing, triumphant only.] And besides, if you got pulled over, there's no way you'd be able to get out of ticket. [ unless the cop was a lady cop, then maybe he'd be able to get his way. bellamy blake was charming sometimes, caroline could attest to that.]

Really? [ bellamy glances at her, brows shooting up to his hairline as he smiles. he laughs a little, as if taken aback by her claim. while he knows she has a way of easily getting herself out of trouble, he takes it to mean something less supernatural. it doesn't induce a headache when he interprets some of her teases to not be in the family of something he doesn't think he'll ever understand. ]

[ that's the problem with bellamy — he likes to try and understand the nitty gritty of things. mom's greek myth retellings had mostly consisted of him posing to her scenario after scenario to try and break the lesson she was trying to teach him, while also attempting to understand the reason for her tucking him into bed with a tale of heracles to send him off to sleep with. her being a vampire isn't something he easily swallows, even if he often greets some of what she says with a grunt or a huh and leaves it be. ]

[ eyes on the road, he feigns cockiness. back sitting straighter against his seat, his fingers grip the wheel before relaxing. ] I could get out of a ticket. You shouldn't underestimate me because I'm from space, Care. [ and in an uncharacteristic turn of events, he looks at her and states: ] I've got moves.

[ caroline means it in both senses. yes, she could easily compel a police officer not to give them a ticket and let them go on their way, but she also knows the right things to say or just the right way to bat her eyes without any sort of supernatural mumbo jumbo.

caroline doesn't try to rub the fact she's a vampire in anyone's face, not even bellamy who accept what she was with a grace and understanding that she hadn't expected. her... issues aren't enough to keep them apart, obviously, given where they are at the moment. but that doesn't mean she likes to show off her fangs or drink blood in front of him. she tries to keep it to herself as much as possible, whether that is healthy or not... it's just the way she's had to do it. and matt donovan's words still echo in her ears I don't want to look at you and see what I'm seeing; it's been years and that rejection is still as fresh a wound as the day he gave it to her. and sometimes, she thinks that bellamy will come to his senses and change his mind. she doesn't walk on eggshells exactly but she treads lightly for her own selfish sake.

if bellamy is good at one thing, it's taking caroline by surprise. she lets out an astonished laugh and grins at him. a cocky bellamy is an attractive bellamy, she has to admit.] Oh really? Moves? You should definitely show me some of those moves.

I have to keep my eyes on the road. [ he lifts a hand from the steering wheel to gesture toward the road ahead of them, an expanse of dirt and dust waiting to be shifted by the tires of the car. ]

[ if she wanted him to show her his moves, he knows she would — and easily. bellamy's not exactly the smartest tool in the shed — or maybe he is, given his choice in letting her believe he's done something he perhaps should. as much as monty's gone on about herbs being good for one's system, bellamy hasn't particularly taken to sprinkling vervain on his food or in his drinks. ]

[ trust — it's the one thing the blakes completely suck at, but bellamy thinks he's getting the hang of it. it's easy with caroline; he trusts her to bat her eyelashes and try and goad him into doing what she wants without the gift she's been given. ]

[ wrapping his fingers around the wheel again, he glances at her. ] I told you, you'd distract me, and here you are, trying to distract me. [ he shakes his head, smile still in place. ] Unbelievable.

[ caroline wouldn't compel him. she couldn't. not without hating herself. how could she betray the trust he put in her like that? if she had the option to give him vervain, she might. she'd find a bracelet or necklace that fit his whole rugged-hot-guy-in-henleys aesthetic and she'd slap it on him. but she trusts own judgement, despite what has happened in the past. and she also knows that if she violated that trust, she'd be sent home in an instant.

she tries to do everything she can to earn that trust from him, because she senses it's the sort of trust that once lost, it's near impossible to get back again.

she laughs at his feigned exacerbation.] I'm bored, [ she counters with her own smug smile, looking at him.] And I don't want to start the "are we there yet" game...

[ that's a game he doesn't quite like, even if the "are we there yet?" might have a different version on his ground. "are we there yet?" often morphed into "have we survived this yet?" "is it over?" and bellamy's never been a fan of it. but this takes them into a territory that's still fairly new for bellamy. preferring to travel alone, and often on whims when he doesn't feel like being antisocial and remaining in his own home, he's still learning the ways of the world that had been lost in the bombs. ]

[ he's always liked to embrace his opportunities to learn. spending time with caroline's been an educational experience, teaching him how to focus on the details of latte art, telescopes, and the elaborate planning that goes into events the ark might have once been able to hold. ]

[ for a moment he thinks about not asking what's on the tip of his tongue, but caroline's never made it a point to judge him for almost being an alien to basic things she might've taken for granted because they were there. ] What kind of games do you play in the car? O usually plays with the radio, but radio's out.

[ caroline's never judged him for the things he doesn't know, things that he couldn't know because of life on the ark. she doesn't isolate him for the experiences he lacks. on the contrary, she embraces it, she relishes in being able to teach him things, to show him something new, to give him an experience he's never had before (and hopefully without it being condescending).

and right now, she's eager to keep him in the light of her extroversion. humming when he asks what kind of game she liked to play in the car (feeling tickled that he mentions his sister as much as he does).]

Well... there's the classics. I Spy. Twenty questions. Categories.

[ his brows pull together as he mulls those games over. i spy, twenty questions, categories — they're games he knows he's played on the ark, a version of them if anything, and they're ones he's played before getting sidetracked here. sometimes he feels like an alien, given how so many people in this place aren't from the same background as him, but then he's reminded of the similarities between all their worlds. while the bombs had erased so much from his, some concepts continued to live on. those games seemed to have survived the radiation a lot better than the people, animals, and buildings. ]

Okay. [ he nods his head. he glances at her before his gaze returns to the road. fingers tapping on the steering wheel, they wrap around it once again. ] Twenty Questions. I don't know how far we'll get with I Spy. How many times can you pick D for dirt before it becomes a given?

[ it's no surprise he's probably heard of these games or even played a variation of them. they may be literal worlds apart but some things are fairly universal. and figuring out ways to pass the time and fight boredom is one of them.

shifting in her seat, she pivots her body to face him a bit more, laughing when he makes a good point.] It's not like there's a lot of variety on this road either. [ it's pretty but it seems a bit endless in terms of scenery and nothing else. the game would get old quickly, just as he pointed out. ]

Okay, so you think of something since that's probably less distracting than asking the questions.

[ bellamy doesn't answer for a good minute, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. perhaps he shouldn't take the dirt road for granted, given there hadn't been any dirt roads like this one back home, but bellamy's since learned he doesn't need to treasure every little thing that isn't easily found at his fingertips back home. he can take the endlessness of the road for granted in exchange for appreciating her company. ]

What did you want to be when you were a kid? [ he glances at her, finding the question is a little strange. they had dreams on the ark, but those dreams weren't as expansive as the ones people who hadn't grown up on a space station have. ]

[ the question catches her off guard. she opens her mouth to correct him, to tell him that's not how you play but she doesn't. caroline finds that she likes this way better, if only because she suddenly has a feeling she can learn a lot more about him.]

Everything, [ she smiled a little sadly, glancing at him before looking forward.] I wanted to be a doctor, a ballerina, a teacher, a reporter, an actress. I wanted to do everything. [ then the world reminded her that wasn't possible.] But mostly be an actress/singer.

[ she looks at him with a soft expression.] If you could do anything in the world... no limitations, nothing... what would it be?

[ with an upward quirk to his lips: ] That's ambitious. [ and very much caroline. he knows what half of those are now, but while on the ark, he wouldn't know a ballerina, reporter, or actress. those occupations had no use in the ark, not when there were engineers, doctors, guardsmen, seamstresses. entertainment and keeping communication channels open weren't priorities on the space station as far as bellamy's concerned. ]

[ he doesn't respond immediately, thinking it over. bellamy can easily recall how he wanted to be heracles as a kid, wanting superstrength and the ability to fight monsters, be a hero, and overall explore the great world of greek mythology. but he'd been whatever mom wanted, and then whatever octavia needed. ]

Be normal. [ it takes him a moment to look at her, then he turns his attention back to the road. ] I'd want to go to school. [ his lips curve upward, serious look gone. ] I still don't know what one plus one is. They don't teach you that in space.

[ his answer breaks her heart a little. of course he wanted to be normal, from what she knew of his childhood, it was already weird enough without the added factor of keeping a massive life or death secret, of being the only person in space with a sibling. she wonders if he ever got to be just be a kid...

it's strange how different the things she wanted were. she wanted to see the world, she wanted to be different, to be extraordinary when all he wanted was something steady and normal. his words draw a laugh from her despite how heartbreaking his answer is. she leans over to press one kiss to his cheek, then another.] How many kisses was that? [ she smirks at him because she knows that he knows how to add.

she settles back in her seat before she speaks again.] You should go to school here, drag your sister with you so you don't get beat up for lunch money.

[ bellamy can't help but wrinkle his nose when she leans over to kiss him twice. furrowing his brow, he playfully answers, ] Four?

[ glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he keeps his attention on the road. her suggestion's one he's had many times over, but bellamy's never leapt for the opportunity. to learn in a proper school would be something different, but he doesn't know what he'd do — with little desire for science or medicine or even how to grow stuff much like monty, bellamy doesn't quite know where his skills even lie. ]

[ then again, he often thinks in terms of the ark and camp jaha — what would serve it best? ]

I don't know. [ he shakes his head a little. ] I don't know what I'd study. And I know you're supposed to know that before you go.

Oh boy, we're going to have to work on your counting abilities... [ still, she looks smug about her method of 'teaching' him how to add.]

Says who? [ She looks at him with both eyebrows raised high.] When I started college, I had no idea. [ That's right, Caroline Forbes, the planniest of all planners, didn't know what her major was going to be.]

You could study literature or science or humanities or freaking physical education, you can study anything you want. Just take classes for fun. [ she perks up with an encouraging smile.] And I'll make you flashcards to study with. I'm amazing at it.

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THANKS FOR NOT GIVING ME THIS NOTIF DW

why is dw not letting us have nice things??

idk but it's rude

i'll try and make it stop being rude just for you

write a firmly worded letter.

i'll make sure a dingo delivers it!

that'll teach 'em!

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