@earthsfirst liked for a starter
knocking octavia out had been necessary. lincoln knew she would try to risk her own life to save his, and he couldn’t have that. this was his fight, for his people. and it wouldn’t be worth anything if it meant octavia was dead. while he normally wasn’t one to take away her agency, he needed her out of harm’s way. ------ if he knew kane & bellamy were going to throw themselves into the line of fire, he would have let octavia stay awake for the action.
lincoln had accepted the fact that his fight was over, that he was making this sacrifice for the greater good. so it came as a surprise when bellamy was the guard assigned to lead him to his death sentence, and instead he was released from his shackles. despite living in arkadia for the past three months, lincoln never would have expected the skypeople to put their lives at risk for him, or for the other grounders in imprisonment. it made his heart swell with hope that maybe peace was possible. pike hadn’t completely destroyed the idea of skaikru & trikru working as one.
now, a safe distance from arkadia, he holds octavia’s head in his lap, fingertips gently running over the braids along her scalp. they were okay. they were alive. the other grounders were nearby, freed by kane & the other young guards willing to help their cause. helios was even close, grazing on grass contently. it was a short-lived victory, but lincoln was willing to bask in it while it lasted.
when he feels octavia stir under his touch, he lifts his hand slightly, eyebrows raising in concern. ❛ ------ hei. are you alright? ❜ he had made sure to be gentle with her during unconsciousness, but he had still been worried about her in the process.