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Bellamy would say that he didn't expect to like going to conventions, except that makes it sound like he'd expected conventions would be a part of his life, and the surprise is just that he likes them. And that's definitely one aspect of the surprise, but it's more that his entire life is a surreal experience at this point, and he was not, on any level, expecting any of it.
Once he realized they were an option, cons seemed kind of theoretically cool, a good way to make some money and get PR, both of which turned out to be true. And the weirdest thing is that cons are forever. He was the lead on the Marauders TV show from age eighteen to age twenty-four, and now it's almost ten years later, and he still gets invited to cons based not on his current role on External Affairs, a fairly boilerplate cop procedural, but as the once and future James Potter.
And he still goes because, honestly, they're still pretty fun. He gets to meet a good mix of people: twenty- and thirty-somethings who liked the show when they were in its target demographic, older fans who love the books, younger fans who discovered it on Netflix and Hulu and still think he's awesome. Even a few fans who actually care about Detective Michael Aquino, which is always a little disconcerting. External Affairs is a fine job, but Bellamy can't honestly say he's invested in the show or the character.
Which still doesn't mean he's happy to find out he's being killed off.
"Shit."
His sister glances up from the phone she's reading on the bed. "What?"
"I'm dying."
"Like, immediately? Should I call an ambulance or are you just giving up?"
He snorts. "On the show. They're killing me off in the season finale."
"Well, you knew that might happen," she says, pragmatic. "You said you wouldn't mind leaving."
That's all true, of course. They'd been talking about killing someone off as part of a cliffhanger setting up next season's big plot line, and he'd seemed like a decent candidate, a regular and fairly popular, but not a lead whose death would mess with other plots. They'd asked him about it, and he said he was fine with it. Which he was and is.
But he's at a convention.
"Yeah," he agrees. "I'm just not looking forward to answering fan questions today."
"You can't tell them," she says, and he rolls his eyes.
"I'm not an idiot, O. I know I can't tell them. But they know the finale is filming soon, so--"
"So most of them don't even care about Aquino," she says, not unreasonably. "You're going to get a billion questions about how the Harry Potter books would be different if James lived and what his favorite color was or whatever, and maybe three people will say they like whatever show they think you're on now."
"Yeah, okay," he grants. "It's still going to be weird."
"Cons are always weird. I can't believe people still want to fuck you just because you played a fake wizard's dad ten years ago."
"As always, your support is appreciated. You're the one who keeps booking them for me."
"I ask first. And we make so much money. You could probably survive off cons if you wanted to."
"Yeah, but I don't. So start looking for a new real job for me, okay? Something fun."
She waves her phone vaguely. "Already on it."
The con schedule is pretty straightforward, nothing too taxing. He's got a Q&A first, then autographs, then he's talking to some online reporter who happens to live nearby and is taking advantage of the chance to get some celebrity interviews. That one will probably ask him about External Affairs, but he'll have had plenty of time to digest the news by then. Like Octavia said, it's not really upsetting, just awkward. He wishes the timing was different.
He's a little distracted through the Q&A, but he's done enough of those by now that he doesn't have to think about it much. His favorite on-set memories, does he still keep in touch with the rest of the cast, would he be interested in doing another project with them.
"Am I a zombie?" he asks, flashing a grin at the crowd. "Is this Harry Potter and the Benefits of Necromancy? It was a great role and I had a blast playing it, but everyone knew how it ended before it began. I'd love to see the rest of them reunite to do the later books from the Marauder perspective though."
"You could be a portrait," the girl who asked the question suggests, and he laughs.
"Yeah, perfect. Miller has a locket with a painting of me in it, and I give him advice about how to live his life. We could call it What Would James Do?" The girl flushes, looking pleased, and he gives her another smile. "Thanks for the question. Next?"
"Hi, do you have any movies coming up?"
"Nothing right now. I used to do that a lot, but I was still in the poor-kid mindset. If I wasn't working every hour I could, I felt like a failure. But I'm finally coming around to appreciating vacations. I only feel guilty, like, seventy-five percent of the time. Hoping to get it down to sixty pretty soon. Thanks for the question," he adds, and the moderator holds up her hand slightly before he can move on to the next one.
"That's all the time we have for today," says the moderator, standing. "Bellamy will be doing autographs in room 403 after this, for anyone who's interested. Let's give him one more round of applause!"
He waves and thanks them, takes about ten minutes to scarf down some food, and then settles in for the long autograph process. It's nothing he's ever going to complain about, really, because the money is stupidly good, for the amount of work he puts in. It's three long, exhausting days, but it really bulks up his savings.
The routine is second nature at this point. Most people meeting him are a little nervous, the usual celebrity awe, so he starts the conversation if they don't, asking names and if they're from around here, and he usually manages a short and apparently satisfying interaction that ends in an autograph, sometimes a selfie, and usually a hug. It's tiring, but not trying, as a rule.
Madi shows up after about two hours, and he nearly chokes when he sees the familiar copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
He doesn't know a lot of his fans, even ones he's met more than once. There are just too many of them, and too long between conventions. There's a nice couple who went through pregnancy and childbirth over the course of a few years, and he'll recognize them when he sees them, even if he couldn't come up with their names if you gave him fifteen years to think about it. There's a kid who is very attached to his James Pothead cosplay who always wants Bellamy to take pictures with him on a weird snapchat filter. There's a group of four siblings who have come a few times wearing Weasley-style jumpers.
And then there's Madi, whom he knows because she always has him sign the same thing: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The front of the book is a chronicle of every time they've met, all of the cons she's made it to, so he has their entire history right in front of him, which makes it easy.
But that's not the only reason he knows her. The first time he met her was seven years ago, and she was so small, only six or seven, this little girl dressed up in black robes, with a lightning bolt scar drawn on her forehead. She came in with her mother, who said that Madi loved the books and the show. He offered to take a picture with her and he remembers the familiar way her mother looked away, the way she said it wasn't necessary. He'd known with a sudden clarity that this was an indulgence for them, a special treat that they'd budgeted for carefully, and he told her he insisted, squatted down and put his arm around the girl, let her mom take as many shots as she wanted.
The next time Madi came, it was three years later, and she was alone. She had the same book clutched to her chest, and when he saw the inscription, he remembered her all at once, notable without being that noteworthy.
"This was 2010, right?" he asked her, and she looked pleased.
"Yeah."
He wrote in the name of the con and the year and then looked back up at her. "You want me to just sign it again?"
She nodded. "Please."
He scrawled his name quickly, and when she made to offer money, he said, "No, it's cool. You already paid for the autograph. We're good."
"I can pay," she said, setting her jaw, and he made sure to gentle his smile.
"I know you can. But I bet you can come up with something better to do with thirty bucks than give it to me."
The conflict was written all over her face, but finally she nodded. "Thanks."
"Sure. You want another picture?"
"No. Thank you." She took her book, clutching it to her chest, and left, and Bellamy moved on to the rest of the line.
She became a semi-regular after that, when he came to cons in the general vicinity of Los Angeles, and he figured out her story slowly, based on her appearances and companions. Her mother had passed away a few months before the second con, and she's been rotating through her relatives, none of whom seem to want to keep her. Sometimes, one will come with her to the con, but they all seem dismissive, uninterested, and generally disengaged with Madi's life.
Not that he's an expert either, of course. But he's been seeing her a couple times a year for almost four years now, and some part of what she's going through is familiar to him from his own childhood, even years later.
It wouldn't be a big deal at all that she's back, except they're in Las Vegas, and she's alone.
"Hey, Madi," he says, flipping open the book. It's not his business, but--it's weird.
"Hi."
"Did you move?"
"What?"
He finds a clear spot to add the autograph and the date. "I've never seen you out of California before. Did you move, or is your family in town for--"
"Madi!"
The voice cuts across the room, harsh and terrified all at once, and he and Madi aren't the only ones who turn to look.
She's visible by virtue of being in front of him, separate and easier to distinguish from the crowd, and because his table is closest to the door. The woman who shouted her name seems to have spotted her in passing, but she's flanked by a security guard, like they weer on a search, and Bellamy glances at Madi to check her reaction.
It's all guilt and a little defiance, no fear at all, which makes him feel better.
"You cannot," the blonde says, as soon as she's close enough for Madi to hear her, "under any circumstances, ever, leave the state alone on a bus, but you especially cannot do that without telling me."
As far as Bellamy's concerned, it's a valid policy.
"I told you," says Madi, a note of petulant defiance in her voice.
"Leaving a note on the counter while I'm asleep doesn't count as telling me." Bellamy actually winces, and the woman seems to notice him for the first time. She's a few years younger than he is, probably around his sister's age, frazzled and wild-eyed, for which he can't blame her. "Sorry," she says, a quick aside, before she's whirling on Madi again. "And you didn't pick up your phone!"
"I was already on the bus, they weren't going to turn around."
Bellamy glances around, grabs an empty chair from behind him and puts it with the one that's there in case his sister wants to use it. "If you guys want to, uh--" He considers the right words. "You can talk back here if you need to." It's only a little privacy, but it's better than nothing.
The woman's jaw works for a second, like she's thinking about fighting him, but then she exhales, and schools her face into something polite and pleasant. "That would be great. Thank you."
Madi follows her, slumping into the seat with her arms folded over her chest, the perfect image of teenage petulance.
The woman has a quick conference with the security guard that Bellamy can't quite hear. He assume she's sending him away, and he's a little reluctant, but she finally convinces him, and only then does she join Madi in the seat behind the table.
It's late enough in the day that his table is relatively empty. People have been stopping by periodically, but his big rush is over. It's both a curse and a blessing right now, because it means he can eavesdrop, but he also really shouldn't be. It's not really his business.
"I gave you all the information," Madi is saying. "I didn't think it was a big deal."
"If you didn't think it was a big deal, why didn't you just tell me?" She sounds mostly tired now, and Bellamy assumes she's coming down from the adrenaline high of panic. Octavia ran away a few times when she was a kid, and he remembers clearly the stages of it: terror, anger, relief, exhaustion.
Madi doesn't respond, and the woman scrubs her hand over her face.
"You need to ask me about this stuff. I promise it can be a conversation, but it needs to be a conversation. What if I had plans for today?"
"Then you should have told me," says Madi.
The woman sighs. "Madi."
"I know," she says quickly. I'm sorry."
"Okay. So--what else did you want to do? You didn't get a hotel room you didn't tell me about, did you?"
Madi looks at the floor. "Just this."
The woman's eyes flick to Bellamy, and he shrugs one shoulder. "We're old friends."
"Yeah?"
"She comes to my cons in LA. It's a tradition. I've got something around there in a couple months," he adds, to Madi now. "You really didn't have to come all this way."
She perks up a little. "Really?"
"Yeah, uh--" He pulls his phone out to check the details and jots them down on a piece of scrap paper. "It's a newer con, but it's Harry-Potter specific, so they wanted me." He pauses, debating, but--he's worried. He'd like to know that she's still doing okay, in a few months.
So he adds his email address at the bottom of the paper and gives it to Madi.
"I think there are still tickets left, but if there aren't, you can email me. I assume they'd give me some passes or something, if I need them."
The woman is watching him a little warily, and Bellamy can't help being glad of it. He doesn't know how this she relates to Madi, but she's already showed more concern for her well-being than anyone he's seen with her since her mother.
"Thanks," she finally says. "We appreciate it." She looks at Madi. "You don't want to check out anything else? Vendors or other autographs or anything?"
Madi considers, worrying her lip. "Artists?"
The woman nods. "Why don't you go check that out? I'll wait here."
"So now I'm allowed to go off on my own?"
"I'm expecting you to pick up your phone and respond to texts. And be back in no more than half an hour."
"I will," she says. She glances at Bellamy, and he hands her book back to her with a smile.
"Have fun."
Once Madi is gone, the blonde slumps into the chair, rubbing her face like she has a headache. "Thank you," she offers, to Bellamy. "For not calling security."
"They were already with you, it seemed kind of pointless." He grabs one of the complimentary bottles of water his handler brought and bumps it against her arm. She opens her eyes and takes it, offering a smile of her own before she drains half of it in one gulp. "So, cousin?" he asks.
"Sorry?"
"Trying to figure out how you ended up with her," he says. "Last time she told me where she was, I think it was her uncle. So are you a cousin?"
She opens and closes her mouth a few times, finally settles on, "Not related. Her family decided she wasn't worth the trouble and kicked her into the foster system."
He winces. "Jesus. Assholes."
"You have a surprising number of opinions on her life for a random celebrity."
Someone approaches, hesitantly, for an autograph, and he offers a smile and chats a little before sending them back on his way and turning his attention back to Madi's foster mother.
"She's been coming to my cons for seven years. Not all of them," he adds, quickly. "This is the first time she's ever showed up out of state. I thought she might have moved."
"No, we're still in LA." She pauses, considering her next words. "I guess I'd start recognizing someone after seven years."
"She always gets the same book signed," he says. "That makes it easy on me. I don't wonder how she's doing when she's not around or anything, but every time she shows up, it jogs my memory."
"I guess it would." She wets her lips. "She's never gone out of state before?"
"Not to come to me. But maybe she stalks a lot of actors."
The woman huffs a soft laugh. "That makes me feel so much better."
He clears his throat. "The, uh--the first time she came to see me, it was with her mom. And the second was three years later, right after her mom died. So I think it probably just a comfort thing. They used to read the books together, she told me. And watch the show."
"Oh," she says, just a breath. And then she nods. "That would make a lot of sense, yeah."
"How long have you had her?"
"A few weeks. I thought it was going pretty well, so--god, I was so scared. I wanted to believe she was telling the truth, like--why would she make up going to a fan convention in Vegas? And she had the bus number and everything. But I couldn't decide if I was doing the right thing. I could have called the police."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because I wanted to believe she was telling me the truth?" she says, her smile sheepish. "I thought if I had the police pull over the bus, she'd probably never forgive me or trust me ever again. But if she hadn't been here--"
"She was," he says. "I don't know what I would have done if I were you, but I think this was a defensible call."
"Thanks, James Potter. You're my parenting role model."
He laughs. "It's Bellamy, actually." He offers his hand. "Bellamy Blake."
"Clarke Griffin. I meant the thanks," she adds. "Do you have a going rate for talking people down from panic?"
"No charge. I don't mind. I'm glad she's got someone good looking after her." He glances at her out of the corner of his eye, debating his next move. But he assumes she's sticking around until Madi gets back. "Are you driving home after this?"
"Fuck," Clarke breathes. "I don't know. I probably shouldn't. Is there more happening tomorrow? Something cool? If we're here we might as well do more--" She waves her hand vaguely. "Convention stuff."
He has to smile. "I'm doing a Q&A and photo ops. I don't really see the convention stuff much. They keep me busy."
"God, that sounds so weird. I can't imagine someone paying to take a picture with me."
"It's pretty surreal being an actor, yeah."
"Does Madi usually get pictures?"
"Never since the first time. Her mom took a few on her phone, but every time I offer she says she doesn't want one."
"Well, maybe we'll just wander around. I don't know. There's probably something appropriate for a thirteen-year-old in Vegas. It's not all gambling and drinking."
"Probably not," he agrees, and when she shoots him a glare, he grins. "This is my first time here. I'm not an expert or anything."
"I guess I can't expect you to have answers to all my problems," she says, with a sigh. She settles back, closes her eyes. "But thanks anyway."
He bites the corner of his mouth, lets himself watch her for a second before he turns his attention forward, back out to the people walking by who might want to meet him. "Sure," he says. "No problem."
*
"Can we talk about the Harry Potter convention?"
It's been almost two months since Vegas, and Clarke and Madi haven't really talked about it since. Clarke made it clear that if Madi wants to go somewhere, it needs to be a discussion, but that she's not opposed to going to conventions, if that's something Madi cares about. Madi didn't say much in the conversation, but Clarke wasn't really expecting her to.
Madi isn't her first foster kid, but she's the first one who has the potential to become a part of her family. In the past, Clarke has had short-term placements, kids who need a place for a few months while their parents get it together, or just until they turn eighteen. At thirteen, Madi needs a home, and Clarke has found she's hoping it'll be with her. Once they get used to each other.
"Yeah, of course," says Clarke. She pats the couch next to her, and Madi sits. "You want to go?"
"Yeah."
"Can you tell me about the conventions? It--Bellamy made it sound like you've been to a lot."
There's something very surreal about casually referring to Bellamy Blake in conversation. She knows he's not a huge celebrity or anything, probably a solid C-lister, these days, but Marauders was on when Clarke was in high school and college, and it feels like half the people she knew were in love with him. Herself included. It's just as well she had the Madi panic happening while she was talking to him, or she very well might have completely clammed up. As it was, she had a surprisingly nice and reassuring interaction with an attractive actor who is, apparently, sort of weird friends with her foster daughter, and now they are having a chat about him.
Madi shifts a little, awkward. "I went to one with my mom, it was fun. She used to like them."
Clarke nods. "That one seemed cool. Have you looked at the Harry Potter one? Do you want to go the whole time, or just to see Bellamy?"
"I used to dress up," she offers, hesitant. "Robes and stuff. That would be fun."
"We could do that, yeah."
"We?"
"You're not the only one who likes Harry Potter. Hermione was my go-to costume for every party I went to in college. I think I might still have my robes around somewhere."
Madi looks delighted. "Really?"
"Yeah. Want to go look?"
They check her closet and find the old outfit, although in Madi's professional opinion, she should be wearing Slytherin colors, not Gryffindor, which Clarke can't help finding amusing.
"What about you? What house are you in?"
"Ravenclaw," says Madi, instantly.
"Okay, cool. We can work with that. I don't know how much we want to buy before the con, though. It sounds like there are going to be a lot of vendors there, so we might be able to get better stuff. But if you want to check Amazon, we can figure out a budget."
"Do you think we can still get tickets?" Madi asks. "Are they expensive?"
"I guess it depends on what you want. The basic tickets aren't too much, but those don't come with any perks. I assume you want an autograph from Bellamy?"
"He says if I get the same thing signed, he won't charge me," she says, worrying her lip.
"That's your book, right?"
"Yeah. Mom and I bought it for the first con we went to. I said we should get that one signed because it had the Marauders Map."
"Can I see it?"
She doesn't answer, but just goes to her room and retrieves it. "I know it's kind of stupid," she says, clearly self-conscious. "But it really fun, when Mom and I went. And then it was something I could do, I guess. To remember her."
"It doesn't seem stupid to me," Clarke says. "As traditions go, it's nice. As long as you don't disappear without telling me again."
Madi smiles a little. "I'm sorry."
"Why did you?"
"I felt weird," Madi admits. "About having--you want me to stay here."
"Yeah."
"I felt like I needed to--I wanted to remember my mom, I guess. So when I found the con, it felt like--right. It seemed so perfect."
Clarke nods. "I get that."
"I still should have told you."
"Oh yeah, absolutely. But you're telling me about this one, and as long as you keep telling me, I don't mind if we keep going to cons, when you want to go to them."
"Thanks." She considers. "I don't care about autographs except for Bellamy. I don't like, like--autographs. But I like having the tradition, I guess."
"Me too. And we should probably say hi anyway. I assume he doesn't get a lot of family arguments happening in front of his autograph tables."
Madi bites her lip at the word family, but doesn't comment. "No, probably not."
"So we can just get the basic pass, right? Three-day?"
"Can you lose a day of work?"
"Yeah, it won't be a problem. And we don't need a hotel or anything, so it's not going to be expensive. Might as well get the full con experience. Since this is my first real one."
"That sounds fun," says Madi. "Thanks."
Clarke buys the tickets right then, feeling only slightly disappointed that they're not sold out and she doesn't have to email Bellamy to get assistance. It's been this weird, nagging thing lurking in one corner of her brain, the knowledge that she has Bellamy Blake's email address, that she could send him a message any time she wanted to, to check in.
Even worse is the knowledge that she really kind of wants to. It's been a while since she had any real romance in her life, and even though a chance encounter with an attractive actor doesn't constitute anything like real romance, it was still kind of exciting, this odd little secret just for her. She knows Bellamy Blake.
Just a little.
She and Madi order themselves house t-shirts on Amazon for the first day of the convention, so they won't be without some kind of appropriate attire, but the plan is to pick up some better outfits while they're there. Clarke is unapologetically and unreservedly excited about the whole thing; she doesn't think of herself as a nerd per se, but she does really love the Harry Potter franchise, and going to a weird party for like-minded people with Madi sounds like a great weekend plan.
And Madi is just as excited. "I want to go the Marauders panel first," she says. "They have a couple but I want to go to as many as we can."
"Sure," says Clarke. "Who's on it?"
"This one is James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. So the actual Marauders. There's one tomorrow that's just James and Lily, and then one on Sunday with all the cast members who are here."
It's the most genuine enthusiasm she's ever seen from Madi, so it's impossible not to get caught up in it. "So, that first? Right now?"
"I want a good seat."
"Lead the way."
The first few rows are reserved for people who paid for better tickets, so Clarke and Madi get in the fourth row, near the aisle, in case Madi thinks of a question.
It is, admittedly, a little weird for Clarke, that people still want to see the cast and ask them questions about the show ten years out, but it's the nice kind of weird. It must be cool to have done something that still means so much to people.
John Murphy, who played Peter, comes out first, followed by Monty Green, Nathan Miller, and finally Bellamy. Bellamy, Nathan, and Monty all crowd their chairs together, leaving John off on the side and isolated, which gets a big laugh from the crowd.
"Really?" he asks, deadpan.
"Dude, you betrayed us," says Nathan. "You got me locked in jail for thirteen years. Thirteen?" he asks the audience, and there's a general roar of Twelve! that Madi contributes her voice to. "Sorry, sorry. They kind of blend together on the inside."
"In retrospect that was pretty subversive casting," Bellamy observes. "Of course the white guy does the crime and the cops pick up the black guy."
"Yeah, it's almost too real," Miller agrees. "So, we've got questions, right? You guys don't just want to watch us making fun of Murphy for forty minutes."
The crowd seems to indicate that they'd be fine with that, but the moderator is stepping up, getting everything in order and running smoothly. The questions are about what Clarke expected, stuff about favorite on-set memories, how much they all still keep in touch, how they see their characters' lives going if the war hadn't been an issue. There are a lot of questions for Nathan and Monty about the Sirius/Remus relationship, and their own relationship, which started on set and is still going strong. John Murphy gets questions about playing Peter as someone he knew would eventually betray his friends, and Bellamy gets asked about the TV show he's on, which apparently just aired the finale.
"No spoilers," he says, flashing a quick grin.
"He got killed off," Madi tells Clarke, low.
"I think a week is enough time," says Nathan.
"It's not a con for that show," Bellamy points out. "Okay, guys, if you care about External Affairs spoilers and haven't watched the most recent season, just cover your ears or put in some headphones or something, okay?" He gives it a second and then says, "Yeah, I'm off the show. It was a great three years, but I'm happy with how my character went out and looking forward to some new opportunities."
"Dude, you sound like a greeting card," says Murphy.
"Just because you don't have a job right now--"
"I have a lot of irons in the fire."
"You sound like you're seventy, who says that?" He turns his attention back to the crowd with another smile. "Anyway, yeah. If you want to talk big plot stuff you should come find me in the autograph hall, but I'm happy with the work I did on the show and excited to see what my sister finds for me to do next. My sister is also my agent," he adds. "It's not like I just let her find work for me because I can't do it myself."
"Can you find work for yourself?" Monty asks, and Bellamy rolls his eyes.
"Shut up, Monty."
Once the panel ends, the four celebrities head to the autograph hall, and Clarke expects Madi will want to head over there herself, but to her surprise, she suggests they go check out the vendor hall instead.
"There's gonna be a big rush," she explains. "Everyone's thinking about it right now. If you go later, there are fewer people and you can talk to them more."
"I had no idea you were such an expert."
Madi looks pleased. "Did you see that book? I've been to a lot of these."
"Cool, lead the way."
They browse the vendor hall until a different panel starts, which is, according to Madi, the ideal time to go get autographs, so Clarke follows her there and does her best to not feel nervous. Bellamy's obviously going to remember Madi, when he sees her, but it's not a big deal. He's an apparently nice guy who was inadvertently drawn into Madi's life. His concern for and interest in her welfare is sweet, and Clarke appreciates that he's been there for her as much as he has, in his very limited capacity as a random actor she sees a few times a year.
This really has absolutely nothing to do with her.
Bellamy does have a line, but not a huge one, and Madi gets in at the end of it without any sign of anxiety. Of course, as she said, she's been to a lot of these, and the novelty of meeting Bellamy will have worn off for her by now.
For Clarke, it's still a little nerve-wracking. She can see Bellamy at his table, chatting with a girl who looks to be in her early twenties. His hair is a little longer than it was at the last con, and he's wearing glasses, either as a James Potter throwback or because he actually needs them. Since he was on stage, he's gained a Gryffindor tie, which he's wearing tied around his forehead, pushing his unruly curls out of the way.
Objectively speaking, he looks like a giant dork, and Clarke is completely charmed.
He spots them before they actually get to him, and he flashes them both a grin and a wave. Then he jerks his head to the open seats on either side of him, an unmistakable invitation to come join him.
Clarke wants to hesitate, but Madi shows no such impulse. She ducks out of the line and takes the seat on Bellamy's far side, leaving Clarke to follow her.
"Hey," he says, mostly to Madi. "You guys made it."
"It's not like it's far," says Madi.
"Yeah, if you were willing to come to Vegas with me, I figured this wouldn't be too bad. Did you bring your book?"
"Yup."
"Cool, I'll sign it in a minute. Let me just get through the line."
"You know we lost our place coming to sit with you, right?" Clarke can't help teasing, and he grins.
"Yeah, you're right, I'm a monster. But I'm not going to charge you, so--"
"I guess it's worth hanging out with you for a free autograph."
"I was hoping so, yeah."
Clarke still feels a little awkward just hanging out, but Madi's having such a good time it's hard for the anxiety to really get far. She's clearly enjoying being something like a VIP, someone who gets to be on the celebrity side of things, and this time she doesn't have the stress of Clarke being mad at her. She watches the autograph sessions and occasionally chimes in with opinions and Clarke's heart is kind of ridiculously full of warmth and light. It's just--it's really nice, seeing Madi so relaxed and happy. It doesn't happen often enough.
Bellamy's line dies down after about fifteen minutes, and he stretches. "So, you guys having fun so far?"
"Yeah," says Clarke. "Your panel was good, and we're figuring out where we want to buy our house robes."
He flicks his eyes over Madi, and then over Clarke. "Ravenclaw and Slytherin?"
"Yup. And you're Gryffindor?"
"James is, so that's what people give me. I think I'd go for Hufflepuff, but either one's fine with me. And the red and gold definitely looks better on me."
"Which is the most important thing."
"Always, yeah." He pushes the tie up, making an even bigger mess of his hair. It should be against the rules for famous people to be so adorable. It's bad enough when real people are cute, let alone people who shouldn't exist off her TV screen. "Are you guys doing the whole weekend, or just today?"
"Whole weekend. It's my first con, so I might as well do it right."
"Second. Vegas."
"I didn't buy a ticket for that one, so I'm saying it doesn't count."
He inclines his head, accepting the logic. "Well, uh, if you get tired of wandering around, you can feel free to visit me any time."
"You get bored?" Clarke asks.
"I can throw wadded up pieces of paper at Miller," he says, jerking his head in that general direction. "But in terms of ways to make to make my own fun, that one's kind of lacking." He still does it, of course, and Miller jerks up from the autograph he's signing to glare at Bellamy, and she doesn't understand how he just keeps getting cuter.
She should really try to start dating again, if Madi's cool with it. Clearly it's been too long since she was in a relationship. That's the only explanation.
"Does that mean I can leave my stuff here?" Madi asks.
Clarke frowns. "And go where?"
"Just the bathroom," she says, with a roll of her eyes like Clarke is the one who's being weird about this.
"Yeah, of course," says Bellamy. "And any time I'm around you guys can leave your stuff. Just make sure you get it again before I have panels or photo ops or whatever."
"Cool," says Madi. "Back soon!"
She takes her phone, at least, and Clarke wonders if she's texting her friends about her celebrity encounter, or if Bellamy isn't actually a general draw for eighth grade girls.
No, he must be. Even if they don't know who he is, google exists. Madi's definitely milking this one.
"How are you guys doing?" he asks, once Madi's out of earshot.
"Okay, I think." She smiles at him. "How much information do you want?"
"As much as you want to give me. Until someone shows up for an autograph, I'm not doing anything else."
"She's my--fourth foster kid? But the first one who's got a chance of staying with me long-term."
"What made you decide to start fostering?"
"I realized I could, mostly. I've got a good job where I work from home, and my dad left me a decent amount of money when he died. I'm not sure I want kids of my own, but I knew there were a lot of kids in foster care, especially older kids, so I figured I could try it out. And if it wasn't a good fit, I could just stop."
"But you like it?"
"I'm not going to say every kid has been a perfect fit, they definitely haven't been. But I think Madi's a good fit for me, and I want to be good for her."
"She looks better already, honestly," he says. "A lot less tense, and she's putting on a little weight." He flushes. "Not that I'm monitoring her vitals or anything, just--"
"You must have seen her at her worst."
"I think I probably did, yeah. And I saw her with--her other relatives came to these things with her sometimes, but they all acted like it was this huge burden, you know? Like she was just dragging them along and they hated every second of it. And that was when they came at all."
She can't help a laugh, and when he cocks his head at her, she just smiles. "Sorry, I still have trouble believing that my foster daughter has a celebrity fairy godparent who's been keeping an eye on her for seven years."
He laughs too. "Yeah, well, when you put it like that, it sounds really weird."
"What's the normal way to put it?"
He considers. "She's a good kid. I just wanted to make sure she was doing okay."
Clarke's heart does this painful little spasm in her chest. "I think she is."
"Yeah," he says. "I think she is too."
*
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Octavia asks.
"Not as far as I know," Bellamy says, absent. "Do I have a new job yet? Are we just asking random questions?"
"There are pictures of a girl hanging out with you at that con last week," says Octavia. "And then someone else posted pictures of you hanging out with her at the con in Vegas. The natural assumption is that she's your girlfriend."
"Yeah, well. You know what they say about assuming."
"Bell."
"What? She's not my girlfriend."
"So who is she?"
He does have to stop to think that one over, but it doesn't really feel like a failing on his part. He's never mentioned Madi to Octavia because why would he? She's not really relevant. But that means that there's a much longer conversation to be had here, and his sister will have many more questions.
"It's kind of hard to explain."
"How?"
"She's the foster mother of--I guess a fan?" He frowns, thinking about it. "Honestly, I have no idea how much she cares about me as a person at this point, but it's, like--a thing for her. She came to her first con with her mom, and then her mom died, so now coming back is a way to remember her, I guess."
Octavia opens and closes her mouth a couple times. "And you never mentioned this?"
"The foster mom is new," he says. "I met her in Vegas. Why would I mention the rest of it? She's a fan. You know I meet fans at cons. I was a little surprised, but--it's not a big deal."
"It could be great PR," she points out, and he makes a face.
"I'm not really looking for PR, O."
"You could be. I'm not saying it's, like--" She waves her hand vaguely. "We aren't going to try to leverage it into a job or anything. But if you told some random internet fansite about it, they'd probably think it was cute and give you a nice writeup about it."
"Not interested."
"What about the foster mom?"
"What about her? She showed up in Vegas freaking out because Madi took the bus alone from LA and just left her a note telling her where she went. I told them to come hang out while they talked it through and told them about this con, if they wanted to come. It's really no big deal."
Octavia seems to accept this explanation and let it go, and Bellamy wishes it were that easy for him. Not that he's not letting it go or anything, but--he can't quite stop thinking about Clarke and Madi, which is a new and somewhat disturbing trend. Especially because the focus of his thoughts really is Clarke. Madi's not new, of course, and he did think of her, from time to time, even when he wasn't at cons, just an idle worry about how she was doing.
Now, he thinks a lot about just calling Clarke up, asking how the two of them are doing, seeing if--
Not seeing if she wants to be his girlfriend, but seeing if they could start with just being regular friends and see where it went from there. Which could be all sorts of places, and he'd be happy with it. He doesn't have a ton of friends, so it might be nice, to develop some kind of social life outside of work people. Especially since he just lost his previous job and doesn't have a new one yet. He liked all of his previous costars well enough, but he's pretty sure they're not going to develop lasting friendships or anything.
Not that he should really be thinking about developing a lasting friendship with Clarke, either, given she is, basically, a random stranger, but--she's a random stranger he likes and feels comfortable with, which is saying something. He doesn't often like people, not so quickly or so easily.
And he'd be lying if he said he hadn't noticed that she's pretty, and he likes her laugh, and if the two of them had met under other circumstances, he would have asked for her number. But they didn't, and he didn't, so it doesn't really matter. He'll see them at the next con he's at, or he won't, and if he doesn't, well, at least he knows Madi is taken care of.
He doesn't let himself realize fully how disappointed he'd be if he never saw them again until about a month after the Harry Potter convention, when he checks his email one morning and finds he has a message from Clarke Griffin.
It's a good thing he's alone, because his reaction is, frankly, embarrassing.
from: Clarke Griffin ([email protected])
to: Bellamy Blake ([email protected])
subject: Conventions
Madi wants to know if you have any cons coming up. I think the taste of being a VIP went to her head. Now ordinary life isn't exciting enough for her. I told her I was willing to drive no more than four hours for these things, so keep that in mind when you answer.
PS: Aren't you an actor? Couldn't you pay to at least be bbblake1?
from: Bellamy Blake ([email protected])
to: Clarke Griffin ([email protected])
subject: re: Conventions
Nothing set in the next couple months, but if that changes, I'll let you know. Sorry I built up unrealistic expectations for Madi about how cool her life was going to be.
I actually also have [email protected], but I stopped being able to use it after I got famous because people just started sending fanmail and weird stuff there, so now I just have my sister check it and tell me if I need to respond to anything. I need the anonymity of bbblake27.
from: Clarke Griffin ([email protected])
to: Bellamy Blake ([email protected])
subject: re: Conventions
Poor celebrity. It must be hard being so popular.
from: Bellamy Blake ([email protected])
to: Clarke Griffin ([email protected])
subject: re: Conventions
Yeah, it keeps me up at night.
You know, I don't think you ever actually told me what you do.
from: Clarke Griffin ([email protected])
to: Bellamy Blake ([email protected])
subject: re: Conventions
Probably not. I'm an illustrator. I make most of my money doing diagrams and stuff for science textbooks, which is actually pretty cool, but I've done some work on children's books and cover design too. I've been pretty lucky with it, honestly. I can't believe I make a living off of this.
from: Bellamy Blake ([email protected])
to: Clarke Griffin ([email protected])
subject: re: Conventions
So you're kind of a celebrity too. None of us get how we're making a living. Anything I would have read?
from: Clarke Griffin ([email protected])
to: Bellamy Blake ([email protected])
subject: re: Conventions
I don't know, how many biology textbooks have you read?
from: Bellamy Blake ([email protected])
to: Clarke Griffin ([email protected])
subject: re: Conventions
A normal amount, obviously.
Also, emails are a pain. Are you on hangouts?
And suddenly, they're just chatting, friendly and easy and completely confounding to Bellamy. It's not as if he doesn't have friends, but he doesn't have many. He's stayed close to Miller, and by extension Monty, and he'll hang out with other former coworkers at industry parties and events, but he's not really prepared to just talk to a pretty girl he likes.
And he really does like her. He likes her more and more, as he gets to know her. Within a week, they're talking every day, and it's great, it's just nothing he's really prepared to handle. As sad as that is. It feels like it should be pretty simple, just asking her to hang out, but instead he can't stop thinking of all the complicating factors. He doesn't think of himself as a celebrity, exactly, but it's hard to be even tangentially involved in the Harry Potter franchise without becoming fairly well known, and he was the lead in a TV show. So it's enough celebrity to make it weird, enough celebrity that people care who he is and what he does, enough that he feels strange talking about ordinary things like the parts his sister is trying to get him and events he goes to, because he knows they're not really ordinary for other people.
And then there's Madi. He doesn't know if Madi knows that Clarke has been talking to him more, or how he should be trying to include her in any hypothetical further steps he takes towards friendship with Clarke. Not that he has any ideas what those steps are even without Madi, but it seems a lot more daunting with her in the mix. He can't really invite Clarke over to Netflix and chill with her daughter, but if he tells her not to bring Madi, then it becomes a date, the two of them spending time alone, and that's intimidating too. And it's not like he doesn't like Madi, obviously. Madi's great. It's just possible that this is a higher level of relationship than he's really prepared to deal with, and he should have started out with something easier, and built up to woman who is fostering a child he knows from fan conventions. That would have been the smart way to do it.
But at least they're talking regularly. They chat about the non-celebrity parts of his life, about Madi's upcoming summer vacation and Clarke's current projects, about TV shows and movies they're watching, and he's pretty happy. It's not like it's even been very long, and there isn't a rush. He just wants more of her.
It's mid June when Octavia gives him something like an opening.
"Tell me you love me."
"I tell you I love you all the time," he says, frowning. "Do you not know? You're my sister, of course I love you."
"Don't be a dork. I got you the job, and they're announcing it now, which means you're going to have a busy summer."
"Which job? I've done like fifteen auditions."
She rolls her eyes. "The best one, obviously. Netflix."
His eyes widen, because that really is good news. Netflix got the rights for a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, and Octavia had him try out for Ford Prefect. The show's been getting a ton of buzz, and Bellamy hadn't been letting himself get his hopes up, but--this is big.
"Holy shit. Really?"
"Yup. They're sending the paperwork today, so you'll have proof. And they want you to get on the con circle. I pointed out you're probably a good crossover draw. Bring in some Harry Potter fans who haven't read the classics. And they liked you," she adds, at his expression. "Don't worry, it's not just because of that. They want you on the Comic-Con panel too. I told them you're an old pro."
"Fuck, I haven't been to Comic-Con since I was on Marauders. It's so fucking huge."
"You'll be fine, you love cons."
"Yeah." He clucks his tongue. "You think they can get me some tickets? I know it's sold out."
"What, to Comic-Con?"
"Yeah. The studio probably has passes, right? If they had a couple they could give me--"
Octavia narrows her eyes. "For your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend. But yeah, for her. And her kid. They'd have fun, right? What's the point of being a celebrity if I can't get cool perks for friends?"
"Well, I'm going to say it's for your girlfriend. Not because she is," she adds, before he can object. "But because I don't want to have to try to explain that she's this girl you have a crush on because you hang out with her foster daughter at cons. That's way more information than the studio needs."
Bellamy inclines his head, thinking that over. "Yeah, you're right. Just say it's for my girlfriend and her daughter."
"And you could work on making it actually for your girlfriend and her daughter. Just a thought."
"Yeah," he says, leaning back on the couch and closing his eyes. "Trust me, I've been thinking about it."
*
Bellamy: Is San Diego too far for you guys?
Me: For what?
Bellamy: Cons
Me: Oh, yeah, we could do San Diego
Did you book something?
Bellamy: A new job
They want me to go to Comic-Con
Me: Congratulations!!
What's the job?
Bellamy: Netflix is doing a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
Have you read the books?
Me: Yeah, my dad was a big sci fi fan
That's awesome!
Who are you playing?
Bellamy: Ford Prefect
Me: I assume you're excited and it doesn't come across via text
Or you're playing it cool
Bellamy: I'm really excited, yeah
It's awesome
Filming in LA too, so I don't have to worry about relocating
I think it's going to be fun
Me: Yeah, that would be a blast
Also I just looked and San Diego Comic-Con is completely sold out
Also gigantic?
I think we have to sit this one out
Bellamy: I got you passes from the studio
If you want to come
They have some set aside for friends and family
So if anyone asks you're my girlfriend
Or you can just skip it
I haven't been since Marauders wrapped, but it's pretty gigantic
But the passes are some kind of VIP thing so it shouldn't be as bad
Clarke stares at the phone, frozen, her eyes locked on the word girlfriend. It's not actually a thing, of course. He breezed right past it, a casual lie that was probably just the simplest explanation for why he wanted a couple tickets to the con. If they're really as hard to come by as her perfunctory google search indicated, it makes sense. And it's really sweet of him to have gotten them for her and Madi, so the correct response to the information is to thank him, not to hyper-focus on throwaway references to them dating.
But she really likes him. He's smart and funny and easy to talk to, already her go-to person when she has news or needs advice or just wants someone to chat with. And some corner of her brain never forgets that he's Bellamy Blake, a fairly well known actor who she knows because people actually pay money just for the honor of talking to him for five minutes, but it feels like it matters less and less. They're friends. She feels pretty sure about that.
Me: Let me check with Madi
But I'm pretty sure she wants to be a VIP at Comic-Con
She's going to be so excited
Thank you
Bellamy: Well, I get some company
You'll be doing me a favor
Just let me know
If you don't want them, I should give them back
Me: Will do
I'll ask her as soon as she gets home
Madi is at the beach with some school friends, so Clarke has to wait in squirmy anticipation for her to get back. Having done a little more research, she's sure that Madi will be thrilled at the chance to hit Comic-Con, and Clarke's pretty excited too. It'll be a zoo, but the fun kind of zoo. Especially if they have some VIP access and Bellamy to hang out with.
Bellamy might be the biggest draw for her. But that's neither here nor there.
She's fretting about hotels when Madi gets in, and Clarke just calls, "Hey, you want to go to Comic-Con?" with deliberate casualness.
Madi freezes. "What?"
"Comic-Con."
"The one in San Diego?"
"Yeah."
"Doesn't it sell out in, like, ten seconds?"
"Apparently. But Bellamy's going, and he says he's got VIP tickets if we want them."
Madi gives her a somewhat wary look. "Is he hitting on you?"
"I don't know. What do you think?"
"He never gave me VIP tickets to anything."
"Yeah, but it's weird for thirty-something guys to give presents directly to teenage girls. Better to go through legal guardians first. And I don't think he really liked any of your other legal guardians he met. Except your mom."
"Yeah, I didn't either." She worries her lip. "Are you hitting on him?"
"Kind of. Not very well, I don't think. But we've been chatting, and I like him. He's a good guy. Easy to talk to. But I haven't dated anyone in a while, so I don't feel like I'm great at it. Other people tend to make the first move for me."
Madi does not look impressed, which was what Clarke was hoping for. "So, you're hoping the celebrity will sweep you off your feet?"
"He did get us Comic-Con tickets. That's a pretty big deal. You want them? Or does me wanting to make out with him make it weird for you?"
She grins like a shark. "I want them. I can have fun at Comic-Con and you guys can make goo-goo eyes at each other or whatever. It'll be good."
"As long as you have a plan," says Clarke. "I'll tell him we're in."
She asks if they have a hotel deal too, and Bellamy says they upgraded him to a room with two queen beds, so as long as she and Madi can share, they're set. Which is, honestly, almost as disconcerting as the girlfriend thing.
Me: You don't mind us crashing in your hotel room?
Bellamy: Do you snore?
Me: No, but you're going to be dealing with fans all day. Are you sure you want to go back to your hotel room and have company?
Bellamy: Yeah
You guys can tell me the fun stuff about the con that I miss having responsibilities
Sorry, is that weird?
I can see if my sister can find you somewhere private, they just offered the upgrade and I figured free is always better
Me: No, it's fine
Not weird
I just feel bad
Should I be paying you back or what? You're giving us a lot of perks
Bellamy: You can pay for pizza
I bet they jack up the prices for the con so it'll be really expensive
I'm still going to come up ahead
Me: Deal
Thanks, though
This is really awesome of you
Bellamy: No problem
I'm looking forward to seeing you guys
I kind of like you
Me: Oh good
We kind of like you too
It's the kind of interaction that would be all too easy to obsess over, which is why she's so glad Madi basically immediately goes into full-on Comic-Con obsession mode. She hasn't read the Hitchhiker's Guide books, so she insists on doing that, so she won't come across as a fake fan when they go to Bellamy's panels, and also insists that Clarke rereads them when she doesn't remember them well enough to appreciate Madi's commentary. Then there are schedules to figure out, cosplay to consider, con-exclusive products to review and rank by desirability.
A week before the con, she has to message Bellamy about it. It's just too much.
MbI think I shouldn't have told her this was an option
She never had to know you were offering us passes
Bellamy: Yeah, lying to kids is always a good cal
Five stars, would recommend
When are you guys driving down?
Me: Wednesday afternoon, I think?
Since the room starts Wednesday night
Can I get a key myself or do you need to be around?
Bellamy: Your name is on the room, so it should be fine
But I thought you guys might want to carpool
I'm going down Wednesday and coming back Monday, if you want to save gas
Your call
It's not flirting, of course. But it is encouraging, how much he seems to be looking forward to spending time with them. All else aside, he's clearly excited to see them, apparently considers the two of them a perk of the whole con experience.
He shows up on Wednesday in his car, which is not surprisingly larger and nicer than hers, with three cups of coffee, hers and Madi's prepared to their specifications. He's wearing sunglasses and a Superman t-shirt, and Clarke thinks her inability to believe that he's really here for them has almost nothing to do with the fame thing. He's unbelievable all on his own.
"Iced coffee?" he offers, holding up the cup for her.
"Thanks."
"And sugar water for Madi," he teases. "Where's your stuff?"
Madi takes her frappucino and takes a huge gulp. "Inside. Thanks for the drinks, Bellamy. And the tickets to the con."
"You're welcome," he says, with a warm smile. "Thanks for coming. These things are a lot less fun without company, and my sister can't make this one."
"Yeah?" Clarke asks, leading him inside so he can help her with the bags. "What's she doing?"
"On vacation with her boyfriend. We didn't think I was doing Comic-Con this year, so she made plans, and I wasn't going to tell her to cancel. It's not like I really need her around, and she usually just comes because she thinks cons are funny."
"Not fun?"
"It's sort of like going to the zoo for her, I think. Observing alien creatures in their own habitat. Despite my best efforts, she's not much of a nerd."
"That must have been a real disappointment for you."
"Yeah, I really failed her." He gives her a small, almost shy smile. "Hi."
"Hi. Are you nervous?"
"About the con? Not really. I've been doing these since I was nineteen. This one's giant, yeah, but I've pretty much figured out how to not put my foot too far into my mouth. I guess it's a little different this time because we haven't started filming yet, but I know the books pretty well. Especially after you guys made me reread them," he adds, shooting a grin over his shoulder at her.
"We had questions that needed a professional opinion."
"I'm just glad none of us will come across as fake geeks."
They don't have much stuff, so it doesn't take long to get the car packed. Madi takes the back seat, settling in with an ease that's a little staggering to Clarke. It's strange to realize that Bellamy is probably partially responsible for Madi's comfort with her as a parent, that Madi hadn't started really opening up to her until she realized that Clarke was not only not opposed to the convention thing, but actually excited about it. It started Madi talking about her mother, about things she wanted to do, instead of necessities, and it's strange to think that it's been only about six months since she adopted the girl, and five since she ran away to go see Bellamy in Vegas.
A lot's changed.
"Did you settle on your itinerary?" Bellamy asks Madi, once they're on the highway headed south. He's driving, and Clarke's in shotgun, and she's becoming increasingly convinced that the awkwardness she's waiting for isn't actually going to come. This trip is just going to be her and her daughter and their friend, having a good time. Even if their friend happens to be a celebrity guest at the con, not an attendee."
"You can get us into your panel, right? We get special seats or something?"
"I think so, yeah. I don't actually know. This is the first time I've abused my celebrity powers to get passes. But I assume I can get you guys in to hang out backstage, if nothing else. Might not be as good a view, but you can hear."
"Madi really just wants to feel like she's getting special privileges."
He laughs. "Yeah, fair enough. I should have a handler, I bet they can tell me what kind of cool stuff you guys have access to. I know Madi's looking forward to all the wild celebrity parties."
"Are there really wild celebrity parties at Comic-Con?" Clarke asks, dubious.
Bellamy shrugs. "Honestly? No clue. I guess we'll find out."
She has to smile, settling in to her seat. The sun is shining and the traffic hasn't gotten bad yet, and Madi is grinning in the back seat. To say nothing of Bellamy grinning next to her. It feels like it's going to be a good weekend.
"Yeah," she agrees. "I guess we will."
*
In the last ten years, Bellamy had forgotten just how big Comic-Con is. The first time he came, it had been to promote the final season of Marauders, and that had definitely been a huge deal. This year, he doesn't have nearly as much going on, and the show isn't expected to be as big a draw, but the scope of the place is still more than a little overwhelming.
Madi seems thrilled.
"There are so many cosplayers!" she says, bouncing on her heels as she looks around.
Bellamy doesn't have any official duties until Friday, so this is his day to explore the convention with Clarke and Madi. Octavia has already pointed out that hardcore fans are going to notice this is his third public appearance with Clarke, but he has trouble caring about that. If anyone asks, he can honestly say they're friends, and her daughter is into cons, so he made sure they got Comic-Con tickets when he had the chance.
He is also, admittedly, hoping that by the end of this weekend, he might honestly be able to say she's his girlfriend, but even if he can't, he's glad he's got them here. He's never actually just wandered around the floor without his own stuff going on, and he'd probably be kind of bored if he did. But Madi has a clear plan, and Clarke is just kind of generally excited, so this seems like the perfect time to start.
And it really is pretty great. He gets recognized enough that it's kind of fun without totally taking over their day, and the fans who do recognize him seem to realize that he's taking today to be a civilian, so they just tell him they're looking forward to his panel or their photo ops, or that they loved him as James Potter. Madi insists on taking pictures of him with all the Harry Potter cosplayers they see, which they're as excited about as she is, and it feels like the right way to be his level of celebrity. Mostly blending into the background, and occasionally surfacing to make someone's day.
"I guess we probably won't see any Hitchhiker's Guide cosplayers this year," Madi says, sounding wistful as she watches the Harry and Luna he just posed with walk off to freak out in private.
"We might not recognize them if we did," Clarke points out. "But yeah, I don't think it really has a fandom yet. It'll be easier when there's a TV show and canonical costumes."
"I hope we get lots of them next year," she says. "I bet the Ford cosplayers will stand out more than the James ones. Easy to find for pictures."
Her tone is careful, testing, and Bellamy thinks it's a test for him until he catches Clarke's expression and realizes she's saying she'll still be living with her in a year, and that's clearly huge.
Clarke has to clear her throat. "Yeah, all the Harry Potter characters just wear robes, so if the scar isn't visible James and Harry are basically the same. Make sure you get a distinct wardrobe for Ford. For us."
"I'll be sure to let them know."
Madi is taking a picture of another pair of cosplayers and Clarke is still looking overwhelmed, so he reaches over, takes her hand and gives it a quick squeeze, just so she knows someone knows what's happening, that someone cares.
She looks over at him, startled, but the sight of his smile makes her smile too, warm and soft.
"You think you'll be back next year?" she asks.
The subtext is clear. "Yeah," he says. "I hope so."
Clarke insists on paying for dinner, but they order takeout. It's only the first day and he's pretty sure they're all excited to finally get a break from the crowd, so it feels like they shouldn't push the socialization.
He keeps waiting for it to feel weird, having the Clarke and Madi around all the time, to be crashing with two people who are in most ways strangers. But Madi is a kid, and a kid he's known for a while, and he and Clarke have been talking online every day for over a month now. They might not see each other very often, but they're definitely friends. And he's nothing but glad that the two of them agreed to join him.
His panel is at eleven on Friday, so he does that and then grabs lunch with Clarke and Madi before his autograph session starts. At most of his conventions, he's a medium fish in a tiny pond, and does fairly well by virtue of being more recognizable than the other random guests that have assembled. Comic-Con has a lot of big stars, though, and many of the people who would ordinarily be dropping by out of a lack of anything else to do have other things they're more interested in.
Which is more than fine by him. He gets to have some relaxed, casual conversations, and he texts Clarke for updates about how she and Madi are doing when he doesn't have anyone around. They stop by periodically to sit down and/or drop off swag Madi has procured, and that's nice too. He's not used to company, and he likes it.
"I'm going to be dead by the end of the weekend," Clarke says, slumped in the chair next to him while Madi hits the restroom.
"And you're not even working."
"You're sitting instead of chasing a teenager around."
"I stand up when people come."
"You don't have to."
"It's the personal difference, Clarke. That's what people want."
"You sound like you're running for office."
"Hey, I wouldn't be the first person to leverage my celebrity into a career in politics." He worries his lip, glancing at her. "You guys are having fun, right? You're happy you came?"
"Yeah. She's having a blast. I can't thank you enough."
"You don't have to. I'm having way more fun than I would alone. I'm really glad you're here."
"Me too." She wets her lips, clearly thinking something over, but she doesn't have to think for long. "I like hanging out with you. It might be fun to try it when we aren't in a hall full of people dressed as superheroes."
"What a concept," he teases. "Yeah. That would be good. We could--"
"I just checked and people are already lining up for the Cartoon Network panel, so we should go to that like now," says Madi, startling Bellamy out of suggesting an actual date. "Sorry, Bellamy," she adds. "But I really want to see that one."
He checks his phone. "That's at four, right?"
"Yeah."
"I'm done then, so I'll try to come by. Hang out backstage, if nothing else. Meet you guys after and check the vendor hall?"
"Okay!" says Madi, sounding pleased, and Clarke hesitates for a second before she finds his hand, under the table and out of anyone's sight. He cocks his head at her, surprised, and she just smiles.
"You should finish what you were going to ask me later," she says, biting the corner of her mouth.
"Don't worry," he says. "I'm planning to."
And he is, really, but the next time they're alone, they're back in the hotel room, just the two of them. Madi befriended a girl at the Cartoon Network panel and asked to be allowed to go to the hotel pool with her, which Clarke approved as long as parents would be present and she'd be back by ten. It gives them a couple hours to themselves, and Bellamy really means to ask her about maybe getting dinner sometime as the next step in their relationship, which is, in his opinion, already pretty awesome.
But they're alone in their hotel room, and Clarke is smiling at him, so instead he kisses her.
In Bellamy's experience, spontaneous kisses aren't really like they are in the movies. They're never quite that spontaneous, because when they are, they aren't actually very good kisses. Kisses tend to be better when everyone is expecting them and can make sure their noses and mouths are in the right place. So he steps in, close, but not so close that Clarke will have to leap away if she's not receptive to the whole thing. When she doesn't move and just looks up at him, he tucks her hair back behind her ear, and when she smiles, that's when he leans down and presses his mouth to hers.
The kiss is soft, and he's planning for it to be quick, but when he pulls back, Clarke follows him, and it somehow doesn't really feel like something they need to talk about right this second. Not when he could be kissing her again, longer and deeper, not when she's tugging him in, opening for him, her hands coming up to tangle in his hair as his own slide under her shirt to settle on the smooth skin of her back.
It really is a great use of their privacy.
"You should go on a date with me," he murmurs, not really moving away from her mouth. "That's one of the ways we should hang out without superheroes."
She laughs, bumping her nose against his. "What are the others?"
"I don't know. Stuff Madi can do. I bet I could get you on set once we start filming the new show."
"Is your entire seduction strategy based around impressing Madi with your Hollywood connections?" she teases, and he kisses her again.
"No. That's just how I make her like me. I've got better ways to make you like me."
She bites her lip on a grin, tugging him back to the bed. "Yeah? Like what?"
"My awesome personality."
"Next."
He kisses her jaw. "How long until Madi gets back up here?"
Clarke checks her phone, makes a face like she's thinking about it. "Depends on if she actually stays out until ten or not. We probably shouldn't risk it."
"Probably not. My seduction technique also involves watching TV and snuggling, if you're into that."
That's how Madi finds them when she gets back, Clarke curled into Bellamy's side on the bed, watching Netflix while his hand idly strays up and down her side. He's a little nervous she'll be upset, but Clarke doesn't seem to share his concern, and apparently rightly so. Madi takes one look at them and shakes her head, flopping down onto the other bed with a huff.
"I knew he was hitting on you," she tells Clarke, and Clarke smiles.
"Yeah. I was really hoping."
*
San Diego Comic-Con isn't really any less overwhelming the second time Clarke goes. It's just as big and loud and busy as last year, only Bellamy is, as predicted, more famous. Not that Hitchhiker's Guide is really more popular than Marauders was, not by any metric, but it's current, and he's been called the highlight and breakaway hit.
And he's definitely the one most people are cosplaying.
"It's because you're so popular," Clarke tells him. He asked for Thursday off to hit the con with his girlfriend and her daughter, and Netflix seemed to think it would be as good publicity as having him signing autographs.
Given that Madi is dressed up Trillian herself and is leading them around the con, finding as many other Hitchhikers cosplayers as she can to get pictures with, Clarke thinks that's got to be true. Some of them even say they were cosplaying Harry Potter characters last year and were hoping this would happen again if they switched to Hitchhikers, so she's building a brand for him, one Comic-Con at a time.
"It's because my costume is easy and recognizable," he grumbles. He's wearing robes and a Gryffindor tie, and Clarke is pretty sure only like half of the people who have asked him for pictures realizes he's the actual James Potter and not just a very convincing fan.
"Or you're the best."
"You're incredibly biased," he points out, but he's having trouble even pretending to be grumpy about it.
"Incredibly. But I also have an entire bookmark folder that's basically just reviews of the show saying you're the best, so it's not like I can't back it up with cold, hard facts."
"Reviews are subjective, they're not facts." He leans down to press his lips to her temple. "But this is definitely pretty awesome."
"Bellamy! I got another one!" Madi calls, waving. "It's a Zaphod, she looks great!"
"Duty calls," says Bellamy, with a wry smile.
"You too, Clarke!" says Madi. Since she's cosplaying, Madi has Clarke on camera duty, which is a role she'll be happy to assume for as many years as Madi wants to keep going to cons.
It feels like they'll be doing this for a while.
Bellamy's panel is the next day, and Clarke and Madi hang out backstage, watching as he and his costars field the usual questions. Madi tells her that Hitchhikers has really made a huge difference to the entire panel experience, because people finally have something new to ask him about, and Bellamy's confirmed that it's nice to not just get the same five questions about Marauders every time he appears in public.
Granted, these days it's usually the same five questions, but about Hitchhikers instead, and at least there's new information about that show still emerging. They're going to start filming season two soon, and everyone is pretty excited about it. The first season was well-received, and they have every reason to think they'll be able to keep going.
And they're still filming in LA, which is good. Clarke would miss him if he had to go somewhere else. She and Madi would probably have to think about moving.
"Hi, I have a question for Bellamy?" says a girl. She's probably a year or two older than Madi, a little flushed from nerves, dressed up as Ford.
"Hi," says Bellamy. "How can I help you?"
"I was wondering about, um--yesterday you were on the floor taking pictures with this Trillian cosplayer? I was wondering how that started. Was there like a contest or--"
Bellamy laughs, glances backstage. "No, no contest. That's actually my girlfriend's daughter, Madi. She's--" He considers, and then cocks his head at them. "You want to come out here, Madi?"
Madi glances up at Clarke, and Clarke shrugs one shoulder. "Up to you."
She scampers off, tucking herself under Bellamy's arm when he stands. It took her a good few months to get comfortable enough with Clarke for physical affection, and a few more for Bellamy, and she's still not wild about it, preferring to roll her eyes at them for their excessive snuggling instead of participating herself.
But she doesn't seem to mind Bellamy saying nice things about her in front of a large crowd, Clarke assumes because, at heart, she's still just really excited to be close to a famous person. It's not something she brags about most of the time, is very casual when she's introducing Bellamy to friends or talking about him with acquaintances, but when she's at cons, she likes feeling special.
"Yeah, so, this is Madi," he says. "She's been coming to my cons for, what, eight years now?"
"Yeah," says Madi. "2010."
"Since before I even knew her mom. She always has me sign the same copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which I'm running out of room to sign, and at Comic-Con, she likes to get me to pose with all the cosplayers. So if you come on a day when I'm not doing panels or autographs, you can probably get a picture with me and Madi. If you can find us. Anything to add?" he asks, and Madi shakes her head. He gives her a final squeeze. "Cool, thanks for agreeing to be seen with me in public."
Madi rolls her eyes and runs back to Clarke, and Bellamy takes his seat again. Clarke gives Madi a squeeze of her own, since she's currently more open to affection than most times, and Madi just grins.
Three questions later, someone asks, "How did you meet your girlfriend's daughter so long before you met your girlfriend? Sorry, if that's weird you don't have to answer, I'm just kind of curious? It sounds like there's a story there."
"Yeah, there definitely is," he says. "Clarke's her--well, she was her foster mom when we met, and now she's her adoptive mom." He shrugs, rubs the back of his neck, clearly self-conscious. He does better talking about Madi than Clarke, a fact she's pretty sure all of them find secretly hilarious. "I don't know. I just got lucky, I guess. Sometimes stuff works out perfectly."
"Awwww," says Roan. He plays Zaphod and is Bellamy's best friend on set in the way that popular girls in high school are best friends, with a lot of backhanded compliments and weird passive aggression. Unlike popular girls in high school, they seem to actually like each other deep down, though, without any real animosity between them.
"I don't know what you expect me to say when someone asks me about my girlfriend," he tells Roan. "She's amazing, I love her, it's all very sappy." He turns his attention back to the fan. "Anyway, yeah, uh--it's a long story. Ask me about it on twitter sometime, that's probably a better medium. But basically, yeah. Eight years ago, I met one of my favorite people, and last year, she introduced me to another one of them. Dumb luck."
They take a few more questions and then the panel ends, and Bellamy joins the backstage, offering Clarke a slightly rueful smile.
"Was that okay? I thought about asking you to come up, but I didn't want you to feel weird. Or, uh, weirder."
Clarke tugs him down for a very quick kiss, just for reassurance. "Yeah, I hate when you say nice things about how much you love me in front of a giant crowd of people. It's the worst."
"I really do hate when he does that," says Madi, and Bellamy snorts.
"Sorry, next time someone asks about you guys I'll pretend I don't know you." He puts one arm around Clarke and the other around Madi. "I've got like two hours before I have to do autographs. You guys want to do con stuff?"
Madi ducks out from under his arm, because of course she does, but she doesn't even try to look annoyed about it. "I want to try to get some exclusives from the dealer's room, I bet you'll get special treatment."
"Sometimes I think you're just using me for my fame," he tells her, and Madi grins.
"Sometimes I am. Meet you there."
Clarke leans her head on his shoulder. "Sorry we just keep you around for for con access and B-list fame."
"I'll live," he says, and kisses her hair. "Ready to fight the crowds again?"
She moves out from under his arm, but just enough that she can take his hand instead. The crowds really are no joke, and she doesn't want to lose him.
"Ready," she says. "Let's go."