CHAPTER 8 RAVEN

Raven stormed into the apartment and instantly regretted it, Bellamy's bare ass was out for the world to see with Clarke's blonde waves thrown over his shoulders. Bellamy needs a haircut desperately. "Woah! Guys, you have people coming over."

"In an hour!" Bellamy huffed. "Get out, Reyes."

"Obviously I'm here for a reason, Blake. Do you really think I want to walk in on this? Clarke, I need you."

Clarke's head popped out around Bellamy's broad shoulder, "Can it wait ten minutes?"

"Fine, I'll be in O's room," Raven sighed dramatically and covered her eyes until she was safely tucked away in O's room, putting on the new Twenty-One Pilots album to mask the sounds of the two love birds in the kitchen just minutes before cooking Thanksgiving dinner for all of their friends. And Wick. And Roan. Shit, she screwed up.

"Good song," Clarke said walking into the rom four songs later, holding back a smirk and only dressed in a robe.

"Okay, first off, Bellamy better be cleaning that kitchen with bleach before starting dinner."

"The turkey was put in the oven hours ago. Everyone else is bringing something. Where's your pie?"

"That's the other thing, I had Wick get it, you know I suck at these things."

"You two broke up two weeks ago."

"Yes, and I spoke to Monty who talked to Wick last week and said he was still planning on coming but of course I find this out after inviting Roan."

"The hot physical therapist you've been crushing on even though you were something with Wick?" Clarke vaguely remembered.

"Yep," Raven said making sure the p popped in annoyance. "just reiterating that wearing heels for any occasion is a horrible idea. So they're both coming and bringing pie."

"Different pie?"

"I'm hoping so but what the hell am I going to do here? I'm at a loss."

"You should have made sure that your ex wasn't going to be here before you invited your crush, dating 101."

"Who are you and where's clueless to dating Griffin?"

"She miraculously got engaged," Clarke smiled nervously.

"What!" Raven jumped up and, hurting her leg, hugged Clarke tightly before searching for the ring on her finger.

"That's what we were doing when you walked in."

Forgetting her man troubles, Raven focused on Clarke, "Where's the ring?"

"It's too big, has to be resized," Clarke beamed.

"And Octavia?"

"I think she's focusing on the wedding—her wedding. I'm leaving that to Bellamy."

"Good. God, I remember when my life was Finn and mechanics and simple." She scoffed, "Ironically I was hit by a car, I have two dates to dinner tonight and probably the best most eclectic group of friends I could ever ask for. I'm a mess."

"You don't really think that Bell and I have it all together do you? We definitely don't. He hasn't met Abby yet."

"Oh, dear God."

"We're going over Christmas. She's dating Marcus Kane," Clarke grimaced.

"That asshole congressman from Iowa? Fitting."

"South Carolina." Clarke shrugged it off, "Anyway, we know Wick, he'll be passive aggressive with snarky comments the entire night. If you warn Roan ahead of time, it should be fine."

"You're right. Speaking of Roan, I hurt my leg when I jumped up to hug you. I'm going to be couch ridden until he gets here."

"The TV is all yours. I'm going to shower and Bellamy is making stuffing."

"That's not the only thing he was stuffing," Raven deadpanned and Clarke hit her with a pillow before they both fell into laughing fits. "Seriously," Raven said after a minute. "Bellamy Blake, chef. Who'd have thunk."

"At least he doesn't burn water like Clarke Griffin," Clarke smirked at her own joke, helping Raven to the couch in the living room. "Bell, I'm going to shower, please bring Raven a beer."

"Tequila," Raven corrected.

"Or that," Clarke chuckled before scurrying off to the bathroom.

A minute later Bellamy collapsed onto the couch next to Raven who lifted her leg onto a pillow on the coffee table.

"You're a mess, Reyes," he smirked, handing her a glass of tequila.

"Thanks. I hear a congrats are in order."

"Yep, just let me be the one to tell O."

Raven was searching through the Netflix queue, Stranger Things, Grey's Anatomy, Hemlock Grove. "Grim," she grimaced. "I'm not one to gossip but there's no ring to prove it. Speaking of, what the hell, Bell?"

"I—I love her, she sure as hell doesn't make it easy but hell, where would we be if we were easy?"

"Octavia and Lincoln."

"Yeah, well, they have their own version of hell that they overcame."

Raven smirked, remembering the college football rivalry that nearly always ended in blood by the end of the game. Octavia was watching the game, walking in screaming in support of Miller and Murphy but walked out more concerned for the Grounder they attacked than their teammate and friend Mbege who was severely injured.

Arkadia University hated Octavia where as TonDC College hated Lincoln but they didn't care and because they didn't give into everyone's hate they thrived. It's rather beautiful actually.

The first to arrive as per usual were Octavia and Lincoln, bringing the mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole.

By the time Roan arrived with a pumpkin pie, Raen was buzzed. Monty brought moonshine so she switched over to that and she was animatedly complaining about how the mechanics of the time machine in 12 Monkeys was completely inaccurate, mispronouncing words she's known forever, amusing everyone until Clarke cleared her throat, bringing the long haired, brooding man to Raven's attention as he and Bellamy exchanged names and Bellamy got Roan a beer.

"Pumpkin," Clarke told her and Raven smiled, knowing Wick hated pumpkin spice so the pies won't be the same.

Raven smiled and waved Roan over. "Hey," she said trying to keep her cool.

"Hey," he smiled and turned to Clarke. "Hey, Clarke, nice place."

"Thanks, it's all Bellamy."

"Except for the art," Roan smiled at her. Clarke took Raven to her first physical therapy session and asked so many questions it was ridiculous and embarrassing.

"True, I should go check on the turkey and you should check Raven's leg, she got excited about two hours ago and I had to help her to the couch." Clarke informed him, bowing out.

"You're the one that excited me!" Raven called after the blonde.

"That'd be a sight to see," Roan said smugly.

"Couldn't you get fired for a remark like that?"

"I'm not at work."

"Right,": Raven grimaced, her knee throbbing.

"So, leg, what'd you do?"

"Jumped up and attacked Clarke in a celebratory hug."

"Landing on your leg?"

"Of course."

"I recall us talking about a cane last week."

"I recall your lame Thanksgiving plans alone in your apartment."

"That also but Raven, if you don't take your rehab seriously, you might never walk again."

"I have Dr. Griffin in my corner, she makes miracle s happen."

"Clarke? She dropped out of med school and is studying art, how can she work your miracle?"

"Dear Lord, not Clarke, I'll trust her with a papercut and a splinter. Her mom is this big deal surgeon in DC, did surgeries on presidents and supreme court judges. I trust her with my life."

"Cool."

"Yep. Um, I have to warn you, this guy that I was kind of seeing is going to be here and he does this passive aggressive thing where he'll make comments that are right up to the line that they could be considered rude but they're more tasteless than anything."

"Directed at me?"

"Yeah, I invited you, you're my guest and my responsibility. So I'm just warning you about his bitterness."

"You said you were kind of seeing him?"

"Yeah, we were sex friends. I didn't know that he knew Monty and Jasper who brought him to Friday Game Night a few times so he thought we were dating when I couldn't see myself with someone who couldn't be serious. The only times he's serious are during game night and when he's jealous."

"Of me? As your pathetic friendless physical therapist?"

"That I cared enough about to ask to a holiday event? Yes."

"Care as in I'm helping you walk again and you found out that I'm spending the holiday alone so you pitifully asked me to your friend's party or—"

"A date if you're into it. In all honesty, I'm not this forward, I'm past buzzed and tipsy and almost drunk but not there yet."

"Considering Clarke asked all the questions at your first session, I know. And this probably isn't the best first date setting with a jealous ex around. Wednesday? I'll pick you up at seven?"

Raven's jaw dropped, utterly shocked that Roan agreed. "Um, yeah, sounds perfect."

Roan smiled as the door opened with Maya, Jasper and Wick walking in.

"Yay!" Octavia called, Jasper and Maya were bringing the asparagus and green beans which are apparently her favorite parts of the meal.

Raven told Roan that Wick was the ex and he huffed out a hidden laugh. Raven knew what he was thinking. No threat.

Clarke was right, as per usual, all Wick dd was make snide remarks and talk to Monty about some project they were planning to start over Christmas break. By the time they left, Roan was fuming, asking t walk Raven home.

"I can't believe he spoke to you like that, like your job isn't important. Doesn't he know that there are no engineers without the mechanics who put their designs together and surely he could make a cooler brace but your brace is for function and support and—"

Raven stopped Roan right there 8in the middle of the street and kissed him. Roan immediately scooped her up, into his arms, so not to hurt her leg even more while Raven ran her fingers through the long hair at the base of his neck.

"Sorry," she said after he put her down.

"For?"

"I've just always said that there'd be no engineers without mechanics. You just did, it was hot."

"Noted," Roan smiled and grabbed Raven's hand, taking her home.

"So, you and Roan," Octavia smiled in British and Viking History Monday morning.

"How are the wedding plans coming?"

"Fine, we won't talk about Roan. Lincoln asked his friend Nyko to be his best man and said no, so now it's Bellamy."

"So you're going to have an engaged couple as your best man and maid of honor, kind of—"

"What?" Octavia exclaimed and Raven immediately regretted it, honestly expecting that Bellamy would have told his sister about the engagement by now. It's been four days!

Raven smiled, "I honestly thought Bell would have told you this weekend, I found out by walking in on the celebration, I'm assuming Clarke wouldn't have told me if I didn't need Roan/Wick help."

"This happened Thanksgiving?" Octavia exclaimed.

"Don't yell at me, I'm not the one who didn't tell you!"

"But you're the one who knew!"

"Why are you mad? They love you and you love them and they love each other."

"I'm mad that Bellamy didn't tell me he bought her a ring or that he was even thinking about marriage."

"I don't think he wanted to take your focus off your own wedding plans."

"Screw my wedding plans, I'll go to the county courthouse in a sundress as long as I'm marrying Lincoln. They're stupid if they don't know that."

Raven rolled her eyes, glad that all her friends are happy and healthy.

"I'm going to talk to him," Octavia stood and Raven grabbed her arm.

"No, for one, we have class right now and two, let them be blissed out of their minds for right now. Okay?"

Octavia thought about it for a moment before nodding and sitting back down.

Raven sat between Roan and Bellamy at the table at the bar, they're going out to Friday Game Night, a scavenger hunt or something.

"Octavia knows," Raven whispered to Bellamy.

"Knows..?"

"Your engagement."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Bellamy deadpanned.

Raven scoffed, "Bell, come on, I walked in on you and Clarke having sex in the kitchen. I needed an explanation and, God, is that a good one."

"So you told her," Bellamy grumbled, trying to keep the knowledge from the group, but they're all talking about some new app that's taken to new places around the city.

"I thought you would have by now, I'm sorry."

"Did you tell Clarke because O and Lincoln are bringing her from work."

"Um," Raven grimaced.

"So O is going to coerce it out of Clarke."

"Really? It's Clarke, only two people are able to actually get anything out of her, you and Lexa and I don't see Lexa around, do you?"

Bellamy grimaced at the reminder of Clarke's ex, not responding and Raven knew he was fuming. She fucked up again.

Clarke walked in then with Octavia and Lincoln behind her and the second Clarke saw Bellamy's expression she looked at Raven who gave her a look that said "yeah, I know I fucked up. Fix him." So Clarke wrapped her arms around Bellamy's neck and kissed him slow and thorough, making everyone in the bar either cringe and look away, wolf whistle, or tell them to get a room.

"Hey, baby," Clarke smiled at him when she pulled away.

"God, you know how to cheer me up."

"Raven made a mistake, it happens, but you should have told O yourself when you went for brunch Sunday."

"I chickened out, she was going on and on about how many different kinds of cakes there are and I freaked out because I don't know what your favorite kind of cake is."

"Ice cream," Clarke smiled and Raven wondered if every couple was as perfect as Clarke and Bellamy.

"That's a good one."

"My dad used to make one from scratch every year for my birthday."

"You haven't had a birthday cake in five years?"

"I hadn't told anyone when my birthday was just for that reason."

"And this year you let me get you a chocolate cupcake, I'm feeling neglectful."

"You're not."

"Will you two stop acting like an old married couple already so we can do this thing?" Murphy asked, his arm wrapped around Emori's waist.

"Well, then it's a good thing we're getting married, isn't it?" Clarke smiled, leaning into Bellamy who's stupid, smug smile was bigger than ever watching their friends faces fall.

"Is this how Friday nights are with you guys?" Roan asked Raven skeptically, not surprised about the engagement at all though Raven didn't tell him.

"It isn't a Friday night without a bomb being dropped," Raven smiled, not wanting it to be any other way. This is her family, the people she loves most and she wouldn't change them for the world.