But she did, cradling it in her palm. “What did you trade for it?”
“A promise,” Bellamy said, reaching out to cup her hand in both of his. “I promised to love you, respect you, honor you, protect you, defend you, tease you, argue with you…” He laughed. “And so on and so on…” His face fell serious. “For the rest of my life and yours… Clarke, will you marry me?”
Her knees gave out. She put her hands on his shoulders and let herself slide to the ground beside him, her arms slung around his shoulders, her kiss serving as the only answer he would ever need.
But just in case, she drew away and murmured against his lips, “Yes.”
They kissed again, and as they sat in the soil, entwined together, it felt to Clarke as if it wasn’t just this tiny patch of land they were claiming, it was the whole camp, the hills and mountains and rivers and lakes around them and everything beyond that.
Despite everything they’d faced since landing on Earth, right now it seemed as though the entire planet was finally saying what Bellamy was murmuring to her right now.
“Welcome home.”