Genesis ➳ Bellamy

5. Fire Talk

"So you make these flowers into tea and it helps you breathe?" 

Nyah's innocent gaze peered into Charlotte's confused gaze. Both girls were sat on a stump by a small fire Atlas had made, with the silent help of Bellamy, before showing them how to make the tea as well as an ointment for wounds.

Atlas stirred the mixture, nodding as Nyah had so far, been the only one to listen. Charlotte was still unconvinced.

"What the hell is that?" Bellamy's voice elicited a glare from Atlas and giggling from the girls.

"Yeah, Language. Don't bother, Lungs, they're old enough to be here, they're old enough to cuss." Bellamy rolled his eyes, dropping a pile of sticks he gathered to keep the small fire going.

It was early morning, the sun had yet to rise and the majority of the camp was still sleeping. Above the snoring and talking were the pained moans and whimpers of Jasper. Atlas herself hadn't been able to sleep the last few nights since bringing him back; no one really had. 

This led to Atlas keeping Nyah and Charlotte out of the drop ship on the off chance they could sleep without being scared. It was causing the camp to shout for Jasper to die already. It made Atlas angry, hearing how these kids could be so cruel but three days later, she was becoming more understanding. 

She didn't want him to die, the thought never entered her mind, but her anger toward the others lessoned.

"So we can say hell?" Nyah was the first to ask, her gaze looking between a smirking Bellamy and scowling Atlas. "I like that word, it's simple."

"Damn is simple." Charlotte added fuel to the proverbial fire. Atlas sighed loudly as Bellamy quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What's so wrong with us saying bad words?" Charlotte scrunched up her nose. "We're criminals and criminals talk like that."

Atlas shook her head. "You're not criminals. You're kids." Ceasing her stirring, she nudged the makeshift metal pot out of the fire and toward the edge where it could cool.

"I'm not a kid. I'm twelve." Charlotte yawned.

It had become apparent that she didn't like being told she couldn't do something. She was also showing signs of being impulsive, but Nyah was there to keep her from going too far. 

Atlas had found the girls about to leave camp because Charlotte had wanted to get away from Jasper. Thus, leading them to sitting by the fire.

"Twelve's pretty old." Nyah nodded in agreement. She shuffled closer to Atlas before climbing onto her lap. 

"What's the brown goo for? Can it heal broken bones?" Her curiosity toward the medicine shifted the conversation once more.

"It doesn't heal broken bones." Bellamy replied, his gaze flickering to the caught off guard of Atlas. "And twelve year olds should be sleeping." 

His gaze returned to Charlotte, her eyes had dropped closed. With a half nod, she laid onto her side, her head resting against Atlas as she drifted off.

"My dad liked medicine." Nyah wrinkled her nose as she made the mistake of leaning forward and sniffing the ointment Atlas had moved onto to making. 

"That's gross. I don't want to get hurt if I have to use that smelly stuff."

Bellamy chuckled, his gaze focused on the light and soft laugh Nyah had elicited from Atlas. He paused for a moment, settling on simply sitting with them and not speaking. He listened as Atlas explained that sometimes getting hurt just happened. 

This launched them into a debate in who had gotten hurt and how. So far, not counting the age difference, Nyah had gotten hurt more than Atlas; despite Atlas having asthma. Bellamy sat and listened until Nyah had talked herself to sleep.