The fog had been whispering against the walls for hours.
Every now and then, Jason would pause, tilt his head slightly and listen. Searching for that sign that it was clearing up. So far, nothing. Just the muted hiss of acid mist licking against rock, eating away at the world outside.
If it weren't for Octavia, he might've done something stupid by now. Something reckless like stepping outside just to test how far his body could actually resist the fog. The thought alone sent a strange thrill through him. 'How long could I last out there? Seconds? Minutes?' He didn't know, and a part of him hated not knowing.
But that experiment would have to wait. Right now, he had a different kind of problem, a very human one.
His uneasy roommate.
The two of them sat in the small, dimly lit space. It was cramped, cold and eerily quiet. It had been nearly an hour since either of them had spoken. Octavia had barely moved, barely even breathed properly. Her eyes were distant, her whole body tight as though she were waiting for something terrible to happen.
"You can relax, you know," Jason finally said, his voice cutting through the silence like a dull blade.
Her head snapped toward him, disbelief flashing across her face. "Relax?"
He nodded, unfazed. "Yeah."
"I don't know if you noticed," she shot back, her tone sharp, "but there's a literal acid fog out there. We don't know when it's going to clear up."
Jason's lips twitched. "Yeah… that should be clearing up in—" He glanced at the entrance, the faint hiss still audible. "I have no idea. But hopefully soon."
Octavia rolled her eyes, exhaling sharply.
"Fortunately," he added, gesturing toward the boulder over the narrow opening, "the fog can't get through that. We're sealed pretty tight. At least we made it to cover. Bellamy and the others went out before the fog rolled in, I'm guessing they found shelter too."
She looked at him uncertainly. "And Finn, Wells, Clarke? They went to the river for that red seaweed."
Jason nodded. "If they made it back fast enough, they should've cleared the fog line. I'm sure they're fine. Patrol probably spotted it in time and warned the rest." He paused, glancing toward the faint greenish light filtering through the cracks. 'Hopefully they actually did', he thought. 'Or maybe the fog won't reach them at all'.
He pushed himself off the rock wall and crossed the small space to sit across from her. In the dim light, he could see every tiny tremor that rippled through her. She was trying to stay composed, but her eyes betrayed her they looked restless.
'Can't really blame her', he thought, watching her subtly draw her knees closer. 'Being locked in a space this tight after what almost happened out there? I'd be twitchy too'.
He frowned at the thought. 'Being torn apart by a panther probably isn't on her bucket list'.
At least she wasn't claustrophobic. That would've made things a hell of a lot worse. Still, he could tell this space, this confinement was gnawing at her. It brought back all the bad memories: years of being hidden away, treated like a secret, a burden, a ghost. He'd learned enough about her to know she'd spent her whole life in the dark cramped quarters with the constant fear of being found.
'No wonder she craved freedom so badly'.
And yet, there was something else in her, a spark, fierce and untamed. A will to carve her own place in this new, savage world. Jason respected that.
Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a small makeshift pouch of dried meat and another of water. He'd been lucky to grab his bag during the sprint from camp. The moment he slung it off his shoulder, a faint sting flared across his back. 'Right, that's still there', he thought, grimacing. The gash was already healing though, faster than it should have. Perks of his body.
He caught Octavia's eyes flick toward the meat. He smirked and held it out. "Here. Take this."
She hesitated, then reached out, her hunger winning over her pride.
Jason leaned in slightly, gesturing toward her shoulder. "May I?"
She blinked. "What?"
He nodded at the faint scratch there. "Your shoulder. Looks irritated."
She hesitated again but nodded, clutching the food. Jason poured a little water over his hand and gently washed away the dirt and dried sweat. She flinched slightly but didn't pull away.
"Sorry," he murmured quietly.
"It's fine," she said softly.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence wasn't heavy now, just fragile.
Trying to lighten the air, Jason said, "You know, when you think about it, we've had more freedom in the last few days on Earth than we ever did on the Ark. Sure, the air's toxic, the plants want to eat us, and there's the occasional fog that melts skin but at least no one's watching our every move."
That earned him a faint, reluctant smile. "Yeah," Octavia said. "Would've been more fun if Bellamy wasn't trying to cage me here too."
Jason chuckled, leaning back. "He's only doing that because he loves you, you know. That's all he's ever known. You're all he's got left, and protecting you gives him something to hold onto."
She frowned. "I never asked for that."
He nodded slowly, moving to sit a few feet away, resting his back against the wall. "Most of us don't ask for the things that happen to us," he said. "But they happen anyway. Bellamy does what he does because he wants to. Because you're the only thing keeping him grounded. Without you, he'd lose his meaning."
Octavia stared at him for a moment, quiet.
Jason smiled faintly. "Besides, he's just trying to keep you safe from the psychos we got dropped down here with. Some of those guys? You don't even want to know their crimes."
Her eyes flicked toward him. "And what about you? What was your crime?"
Jason blinked. Well, that's awkward.
He sighed theatrically. "Tried to steal some supplies. Got caught."
She raised a brow. "That's it?"
Jason laughed. "What, you expected something cooler?"
"Something more badass, yeah," she said, smirking slightly.
He grinned. "Hey, I'll have you know I was deadly."
In his head, he added dryly, 'Dead was exactly what I was, and now I'm in another universe, hiding from acid fog with a girl who eats like a wolf'.
Octavia handed him back the pouch. "Thanks," she said quietly after taking a sip of water.
He nodded, meeting her eyes for a moment. In the faint light, he saw something flicker there. Appreciation, or maybe curiosity before she looked down, wrapping her arms around herself again.
'And there she goes', Jason thought, sighing softly.
As he leaned back, his mind drifted to the others. All of them criminals, rebels, thieves each locked up for some reason. Some had stolen. Some had killed. Some had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. They all had choices that led them here.
All except her.
Octavia had never had a choice. She wasn't a rebel, a thief, or a murderer. She was just a girl who'd been born—born into a system that saw her existence as a crime. A second child, condemned from the moment she drew her first breath.
Jason looked at her, curled up on the opposite wall, and thought quietly, 'Of all of them, you're the only one who didn't deserve to be locked up'.
The hiss of the fog outside continued.
————————-
He remained as he was silent. The two of them sat and lay there motionless as the night began to fall, the quiet between them filled only by the distant sounds of the forest outside. Jason leaned back against the cool stone, his eyes tracing the faint patterns of light shifting on the ceiling.
'How's Clarke doing right about now?' he wondered.
He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, letting exhaustion seep in. But just as he began to fade into the lull of sleep, a faint, trembling sound of chattering teeth.
Jason's eyes snapped open. He turned his head and froze.
Octavia was curled tightly in on herself, her entire body shuddering with involuntary spasms. The moonlight didn't reach this far in, but the faint shimmer from the bioluminescent vines painted her skin in streaks of soft blue and green. That was when it hit him just how cold it had gotten.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath. He hadn't even noticed the temperature drop. His body, resilient as it was, barely registered discomfort anymore. But she… she wasn't built like him. She'd followed him into this hellish cave, half undressed because he'd made her ditch her jacket to escape the fog faster.
Now her smooth skin was exposed to the icy air, her arms wrapped tightly around her bare shoulders, legs trembling under her. Jason's gaze lingered for a moment too long on the way her exposed skin, on the slight twitch of muscle when she shivered.
He blinked hard and shook his head.
"Okay, okay, hormones, I get it," he whispered to himself. "This is the cliché setup, right? Trapped in the dark with a beautiful girl and yeah, no. Chill out, man."
But when she shivered again, harder this time it snapped him back. He sighed, then quietly shrugged off his jacket.
Octavia looked up, confusion flickering across her tired eyes as he approached.
"Relax," he murmured, kneeling beside her. He draped the jacket over her shoulders, gently tucking it around her.
Her expression softened almost immediately, her breathing slowing as the warmth began to seep in. She looked up at him, really looked at him, the glow of the vines catching in her eyes.
He gave a faint smirk.
"Don't want your brother killing me because I let you freeze to death," he said dryly.
She blinked once, then twice, before whispering, "Thank you."
The words were so quiet he barely heard them, but the sincerity in her tone carried more warmth than anything else in that cave. Jason nodded once and sat back down, letting the silence reclaim them.
The light from the vines pulsed softly, painting the walls in surreal hues of emerald and sapphire. Outside, the world was engulfed in yellow fog and cold, but in here… there was something oddly peaceful.
———————-
Hours passed.
Jason stirred awake again, blinking groggily. His neck ached slightly and when he shifted he realized why.
Octavia's head was resting against his shoulder, her breathing was slow and steady, her hair tickling his chin. He stared for a second, then chuckled under his breath.
"Well, would you look at that," he whispered with a faint smile. Carefully, he adjusted her so she wouldn't wake, then leaned forward, scanning the cave.
He was about to stand when he heard a soft voice.
"Hey."
He turned, eyebrows raised. "Hey, you."
Octavia blinked sleepily. "How long were we asleep?"
Jason looked around and noticed the vines were dull now.
"Well, considering the bioluminescence is out," he said, stretching, "I'd say the entire night."
She groaned quietly, rubbing her arms.
"So, what now?"
"I'm about to check if the fog's gone," he replied, his tone turning practical again.
He moved toward the cave entrance, staring at the massive boulder he'd used to block it. With a grunt, he set his hands against the rock and pushed. Muscles tensed, veins tightening beneath his skin as he shifted it slightly just enough to let a sliver of light through.
Octavia blinked at the movement. "Okay, wow. That's gotta be freaking heavy."
Jason smirked over his shoulder. "What can I say? Ate all my veggies growing up."
She snorted softly, shaking her head. Through the crack, the first rays of sunlight streamed in, slicing across the stone floor. Jason peered through the opening, scanning for the swirling mist that had nearly killed them and found nothing.
He turned back.
"The fog's cleared," he said. "We should go."
He moved back to grab his pouch, slipping it into his pack. "We don't have time to waste. The others will be worried, and we still need to get back to the dropship—"
But Octavia wasn't moving. She was just watching him, quietly.
When he turned back toward the boulder to push it the rest of the way, she felt something twist inside her chest. The moment he stepped outside, it wouldn't just be them anymore. The silence, the strange comfort, the feeling of safety she felt with him, it would all vanish.
She wasn't ready for that. Not yet.
Jason placed his palms on the rock, ready to roll it aside when he felt a small, warm hand pressed against his shoulder.
He blinked. "Huh? What is—"
He didn't get to finish. Octavia spun him around suddenly, and before he could register what was happening, she stood on her toes, grabbed his arm and pressed her lips against his.
For one sharp, electric moment, the world stopped at the unexpected action.
His brain stuttered to a halt. 'What the fuck—?'
The kiss was quick, clumsy and almost hesitant but searing all the same. Then, just as suddenly, it was gone. Octavia pulled back, her expression flickering to fear.
She had no idea why she'd done it. Maybe because she finally could. Maybe because, after years of being locked away like some dirty secret, she was free to do what other kids could do and with him, she felt seen. Whatever it was, she hadn't expected it to feel this good.
The warmth had spread through her body the instant their lips met, igniting something deep in her core. It was unlike anything she felt when she kissed Atom.
But he wasn't moving.
Jason stood there like a statue, eyes wide, completely stunned. The last time anyone had kissed him was his girlfriend, back before the argument, before everything fell apart for him.
Octavia saw the frozen look on his face and felt a sting of disappointment twist through her. Maybe she'd overstepped. Maybe she'd ruined whatever fragile connection they'd formed.
But all she knew and all she felt was that she didn't want it to end.
She took a slow breath, eyes locked on his, heart hammering in her chest.
She didn't know what he was thinking but she knew one thing for certain.
She wanted to try that again.
So she latched onto him, leant forward and kissed him again. Hard.
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