A/N: Here's a little oneshot about what happened during the time that elapsed between Clare's phone call with her mother and 11:00 in "Tonight, Tonight."
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi. If I did, you would obviously have witnessed Eli and Clare making love by now.
"All over you, all over me. The sun, the fields, the sky. I've often tried to hold the sea, the sun, the fields, the tide. Pay me now, lay me down."-Live, "All Over You"
She leans down to kiss him, her cheeks on fire with the good kind of hurt that only comes with grinning too hard. He kisses her back, sending tingles of joy throughout her every nerve. The angle is awkward, so she pulls away, painful smile still in place. Eli removes Clare's phone from her hand and places it on the dashboard before interlacing their fingers. Her free hand rests on the back of his neck and idly plays with his hair.
"So, eleven, huh?" Eli asks, his tone suggestive. "What to do, what to do…"
Clare lets out a giggle, and she's so darn happy, for once she doesn't mind how girly she sounds. "We should probably go say hi to Adam before we do anything else."
"That's true. We did come here for him, after all." Eli grins and hops out of the truck. Clare follows, and when their strides synch, Eli casually swings a comforting, familiar arm over her shoulders.
She never feels happier than when he's touching her.
The sun beats down on Clare's forehead, and she soon feels a bit uncomfortable in her itchy sweater on the unseasonably warm day. She glances at Eli, looking completely at ease and sexy in his denim jacket. Before he can catch her staring at him, a habit she's far too guilty of these days, she looks toward Whisperhug.
"Hey, guys!" Imogen runs up and gives Eli a quick peck on the cheek. Clare's happy to only feel a slight tinge of jealousy; Imogen's a pretty girl, but she knows without a doubt that Eli doesn't have any feelings for her anymore.
It's always been Clare, and she's so, so thankful for that.
"Hey, Imogen." Eli's arm doesn't leave Clare as he scans the crowd for their best friend. "Where's Adam?"
"Oh, he went off to declare his love for Becky Baker."
"What?!" Clare asks, completely flabbergasted.
"Oh, Jesus," Eli groans. "That's happening again?"
"Apparently!" Chirps Imogen.
"But she hurt him!" Clare exclaims.
"The heart wants what the heart wants," Imogen quips before grabbing Fiona's hand.
Clare smiles at the two girls; she never saw their couplehood coming, but she'd be a fool to say they weren't adorable together.
"We're throwing an impromptu party at my loft," Fiona reported. "Want to come?"
Clare looks at Eli. Somehow, they manage to communicate through their eyes, and with a slight, perceptible nod, he lets on that he knows what she's thinking.
I want to be with just you tonight.
"Maybe next time," Eli declines. "I have plans for this one." He points at Clare, and she laughs again.
"What might these plans be?" Clare inquires.
"Oh, they're super epic," Eli drawls sarcastically. "We're going to go horseback riding on the beach, and soon after, we'll have a romantic picnic of French food under the moonlight."
"OH! How cute!" Imogen rejoices. "And so romantic!"
"Uh, Immy, I think Eli's kidding," Fiona gently suggests.
"What?" Imogen frowns. "Boo! Stop saying romantic things if you aren't going to follow through with them, Eli Goldsworthy!"
"Yeah," Clare teases. "That's not very nice."
Eli uses his free hand to tickle Clare's side. "You'll get over it."
"Awe," Fiona gushes. "You two are cute."
"Yes we are," Eli acquiesces. "Especially her." He rests his head on Clare's, and she can't stop her insides from melting into a pile of goo.
Her boyfriend can be an idiot at times (especially while in the company of her stepbrother), but he is also the sweetest boy she's ever known.
-*X*-
"Ice cream was your big plan?" Clare asks as she happily licks her strawberry cone. "You know me well."
"Well, duh," Eli jokes as he digs into his cup of mint chocolate chip. They're sitting on the hood of the truck; the late-afternoon sun makes the red hue seem extra vibrant.
"I don't get why you eat it out of a bowel," Clare notes as she continues slurping up her sweet treat. "Ice cream is always better in a cone."
"Please," Eli scoffs. "You can savor it by eating it with a spoon. Look at you, hurrying to eat it all before it melts onto your hand." He holds a spoonful of his ice cream out to Clare. "Here, try it." She smiles, and takes the spoon in her mouth, doing her best to "savor" it. She holds it in her mouth for a moment, closing her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy the minty, sweet taste of Eli's favorite flavor. When she opens her eyes, spoon still in mouth, Eli is staring at her, swallowing hard. She pulls away from his spoon and allows the cold treat to slide down her mouth.
Eli continues to look at her, and Clare feels somewhat odd under his unusual scrutinizing stare. "What?" She finally asks.
He swallows again, hard, and croaks out, "nothing." Shaking his head, he laughs. "You just…you really don't realize how much of an effect you have on me, do you, Edwards?" He fidgets as he asks the question.
Clare blushes. She's not sure what she's done to make Eli so flustered, but she enjoys watching him squirm. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't," she plays.
"Tease."
"You'll get over it." Clare finishes her cone and hops off the hood of the trunk, taking in her surroundings. Somehow, she found herself driving toward the old, abandoned church after they picked up their afternoon dessert. Maybe it's all the times she came here in Morty back when Eli was teaching her to drive, perhaps it's nostalgia, but whatever the reason, she's glad they're here.
"I've missed this place," Clare mutters. "We haven't been here since-"
"Since I made fun of your dancing and you started pushing me away?"
Clare freezes at his words. They're the truth, and sometimes the truth is like a knife, capable of cutting open all of your old, forgotten scars. "Yeah," she whispers. "Then."
"Clare." Eli slides off the hood of the truck, carefully leaning his cup, now void of ice cream, against the windshield. He makes his way to Clare, and she tenses, fearing his words, not wanting to dwell on the very dark parts of their past. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's ancient history." He puts his arms around her from behind, and she relaxes into his embrace. "We have plenty of good memories here, too." His lips trail over the nape of her neck while his hands hold her close and rub her sides. "Let's enjoy today, okay?"
She turns around to award him with one of her brightest smiles. "Okay." Thankful Eli's just short enough that she doesn't have to stand on her tip-toes to kiss him, she leans up for a soft peck, takes his hand, and leads him to the back of the truck. Jake keeps loads of blankets in the bed, and Eli and Clare wordlessly spread them out before cuddling up together on them.
They lie together in silence for a while, and Clare thinks, this is what I love most about Eli, no matter how much we both love words, when we're together, we don't need them.
"I'm really fucking relieved that your mom decided to let me back in your house after all," Eli remarks.
"Well, yeah," Clare teases, poking his nose. She thinks of all the time they've spent in her house since getting back together; they've done hours of homework, watched dozens of movies, and edited page after page of each other's writing. "You practically live there, after all."
"Hey, lady!" Eli rubs his nose against Clare's, and she can't stop herself from giggling at his Eskimo kiss. "Excuse me for wanting to spend time with my girlfriend. She's kind of cool."
"Kind of?" Clare raises her eyebrows. She laughs, though, not taking his bait.
I want to spend as much time with you as possible, she thinks. You're leaving me soon, and I don't know how I won't miss you with all that I am.
"What's wrong?" Eli asks, tilting Clare's face toward his. His hand is warm, and she leans her cheek into it, relishing in the comfort it provides.
"Nothing," Clare whispers. "I just-" She can't get the words out.
"You just what?"
She sighs in relent, knowing she can't keep anything from Eli. Perhaps more importantly, she doesn't want to.
"I'm just going to miss you so much next year." Tears pool in her eyes, but she knows they won't fall.
Too many tears have been wasted via Clare Edwards lately, and she refuses to expend her energy on shedding any more.
"That's why I've been so pissed off at Helen lately," she admits. "I want to suck up as much time with you as I can before you leave."
Eli doesn't say anything, he just pulls her closer, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead. She keeps her promise to herself; she doesn't cry, but the melancholy in the air isn't something she wants to handle. "We'll be okay," she whispers.
Somehow, someway, she really believes her words.
"Clare, next year won't be perfect," Eli confesses. His face morphs into a soft smile. "But yes, we'll be okay. We've made it this far. I love you."
Clare smiles at his words, and the tender look he's giving her, like she's literally the only girl he's ever so much as even wanted to see, compels her to kiss him.
It starts off slow and sweet, as most of their kisses do. Clare runs her hands through his silky hair, secretly pleased that he seems to be growing it out again; she's always liked the way it feels between her fingertips. He gently pries her mouth open, and their tongues battle. She shivers, but not from the cold, despite the fact that the early-spring sun is setting. Eli's kisses always fill her with sparks from head to toe.
She wonders if it will always be this way, or if it's just because they're so young and in love.
She doesn't care.
His lips are peppering kisses along her jawline when Clare whispers, "Wow, look, it's completely dark."
Eli rolls off of her, reaching down and interlacing their fingers together.
She's grateful for the action, because she can't stand it when they're this close and not touching. It's not that she's clingy; she doesn't NEED his touch, she just wants it while it's within her grasp.
"So it is. The stars are out," Eli smirks, reminding her of her own words so long ago. "What's your wish?"
Rather than answer him, Clare simply climbs on top of Eli and kisses him with fervor, moving her hands all over his chest and lightly thrusting against him. He's shocked at first, but they've done this before, so he soon follows suit. Somehow, his hands are warm, despite the dropping temperature, and Clare relishes in the feeling of them reaching under shirt and sliding up against the skin of her sides. She pulls away, sheds her cardigan and blouse, and motions for him to do the same.
Soon they're in just their underwear, and though Clare knows she should be nervous, she just isn't.
"Eli," Clare whispers as he sucks on the skin of her breasts. "I want more." Fire surrounds them, and if something doesn't put it out, she's sure they'll burn to death.
Eli coughs. "Wait, you want to have sex? Here, now?"
"No," Clare shakes her head. They've talked about it. She's positive they'll sleep together soon, that someday is no longer a fleeting thought, but tonight's not the night for that. "I just want more."
Eli nods, and she knows he gets it.
He's always understood her.
His lips continue their ministrations, but they trail down from her breasts, to her abdomen, to her hipbones. His teeth lightly bite down on each of them, and Clare can't control the loud cry that escapes her mouth. She feels his smirk on her skin, and doesn't even tense as his teeth take her panties and slowly, sensually, bring them down her legs. He runs into trouble when they reach her knees, and they both laugh when he has to remove his mouth and use his hands, but soon enough, they're discarded.
Completely naked in the moonlight under Eli's disbelieving gaze, Clare's never felt more beautiful.
Eli spreads her legs, and she tenses for just a moment before relaxing as his mouth moves over her in a way it never has before. This is Eli, and she is Clare, and he is making her feel amazing.
His tongue rolls in circles over her clit for a while, and she whimpers, because nothing has ever felt this good. His familiar fingers find their way inside of her, and she moans loudly into the quiet, wooded area. Eli laughs, and the vibration against her brings her to the highest of highs she's ever known.
Her pulsing slows, and Eli spoons up behind her, pulling her close. She turns and kisses him, surprised to taste herself on his lips, and even more surprised that she likes it.
"I can't believe you let me do that in public," Eli laughs.
"I can't believe how good it felt," Clare sighs.
"How DARE you doubt my skills?" Eli asks in mock horror.
"Eli?"
"Yes, Clare?"
"Shut up."
Eli smirks but complies, burying his face in her curls. His breath reaches her neck, and it gets her excited all over again.
"Hey Eli?"
"Yeah, Babe?"
"It's only eight o'clock."
"Hmm…so it is…"
"We have three hours." Clare swallows, suddenly shy. "I mean, I could return the favor…"
Eli's eyes widen, but instead of jumping at her offer, he just pulls Clare closer and kisses her quickly. "Clare, not tonight." He squeezes her. "There's no rush. We don't just have three hours…we have all the time in the world."
They spend the rest of the night talking about everything and nothing, and when Clare sees a shooting star, her silent wish is that Eli's right.
She wants all the time in the world with him, but even that will never be enough.