Upside Down--Quil, Claire
"Quil! Help me!" She yelled helplessly from where she was hanging. The asphalt below her mutated into lava for a second.
Quil chucked, walking slowly towards her. Agonizingly slowly.
"Quil, I swear my legs are going to give away in a second, and I'm going to fall and die, and it's going to be your fault."
Quil frowned. "You know I'll always catch you, Claire."
"Uh-huh." She snorted, and almost choked. She froze when he leant his head down close to hers. "No, no, no. Quil, don't--"
She closed her eyes when he kissed her quickly, upside down, and she dropped her arms and legs and landed not in boiling lava but in Quil's, still hot, arms.
"Told you I'd catch you." He smirked.
"Yeah, after you make me fall."
--
Blue Skin--Jacob, Bella
"What the hell did you do to yourself, Bells?" I gaped at her as she moved her hair forward to cover her face.
"Alice," she muttered. I raised an eyebrow.
I have to admit, even on Bella, her usually beautiful blush on top of bright blue skin was not a very nice color.
"You look good purple."
--
Paternal--Quil, Claire
"You need to understand, Sam, please--"
"Shut up, Quil. You're not helping anything."
Quil collapsed in Sam's kitchen chair.
"It's not the end of the world, Quil." Jacob said from the corner.
"You can say that."
"Yes, I can," he responded cooly.
--
Ice Cave--Jacob, Claire
"At least put on a hat or something. Quil is going to kill me."
"If he's going to kill you anyway, then it shouldn't matter."
Jacob put a hand over his heart dramatically. "I'm hurt, Claire. You don't even care what he's planning to do to me..."
"Yeah, I'm not the one who can read his mind."
Jacob groaned. "I can't believe I'm doing this."
Claire hands him a shovel. "How can Quil want to kill you for hanging out with me?"
"It's not just hanging out, Claire, you know that."
Claire burst out laughing, and Jacob turned a bright shade of red.
"Okay, okay, you know I didn't mean that."
"It's just snow, Jake, relax."
"Ice," he muttered.
--
Invisibility--Jacob, Leah, Nessie
Sometimes I just wish I'm invisible. Such as when I really, really, hate my imprint.
It's weird, this feeling. Leah, who's taken Sam's place in theorizing why things happen to our messed up species, thinks it's because I'm conflicted.
Seriously. As if it has anything to do with the half-vampire thing.
Leah, after being near-invisible after Sam imprinted, doesn't get the fact that I can see her.
I can see her and I hate it too, but I never hate her.
Only...sometimes I feel like I hate Nessie, but I always hate imprinting.
--
Escapade I--Jacob, Claire
"Quil is going to kill me."
"Why is it whenever I'm with you, you say that?"
"It's only when we go on these little, illegal, escapades. He thinks I spend too much time with you."
"He does not. And we're not doing anything illegal. You just wanted to make it sound dramatic."
"You can't read his mind. He'd never say it to us, actually, but he can't help thinking it."
"He's stupid."
"I know."
"Aren't you ashamed of being related to him?"
"You have no idea."
"Well then, can you do me a favor and think to him next time you're in his head that, surprisingly enough, I love him, and if he doesn't believe it then he's an idiot. And why are you smirking at me?"
"Your face."
"What's so funny about my--jeez, Jake. Yes, I love you too, but I don't want to throw you down and have hot wild sex with you every time I see you."
"Why, thank you. I'll make sure to think about that as well."
"You do that."
--
Escapade II--Claire, Quil
"Sorry, Claire."
"It's not your fault for thinking that."
"Sure, sure."
"Stop looking at me like that."
"It's kind of hard."
"And why is that?"
"You really didn't need to say that to Jake."
"What?"
"What you said."
"What part of what I said? That I love you?"
"Uh...no. That other part."
"Ah. Yeah. Well. Um. You can stop being so embarrassed."
"Is it...true?"
"Do I ever lie to Jake?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, about you?"
"Uh...I dunno. This might be a first."
"Quil."
...
"Yeah, okay, I believe you now."
"That's the difference between you and Jake."
"That's it?"
"Well, apart from the fact that I'm in love with you. And I'm not with Jake. As you can see."
"Oh."
"Well, we didn't have ho--"
"Shut up and kiss me."
"Touche."
--
Time Flies--Jacob, Bella
Whenever I'm with Bella Swan, time flies.
It's not that I'm having fun. You'd think that, at least, I'd get more time, just because of that, because I'm not having fun.
But, of course, even when I'm miserable and with her, it's like an hour passes in a second.
Even when I thought I had enough time in the world. She'd sit down in the Rabbit, we'd exchange a few words, and then she's say, "I gotta go make dinner for Charlie..." and she'd be gone.
Maybe it was an omen. Maybe I should have payed more attention.
Problem is, I've never really believed in omens. Exploding into a giant wolf when you get pissed off tends to do that to a person.
Especially if you don't believe in them before.
--
Late--Quil, Claire
"You're late."
"I know."
"Again."
"I know."
"Why?" She got into the car, staring at me while she did.
"Claire..." I rubbed my eyes with my hands, winced as the recent wound pulled. "Please, just..."
"What? Quil, you don't hang out with anyone else who doesn't know. Why am I different? Just some girl you saw and decided to be my friend? Why don't I get to know? Why do I get to know you?"
Even when she was angry at me, she made it sound like something she liked. Knowing me.
"You do, Claire, you do get to know, just..."
"Jared said he told Kim when she was sixteen."
"That's different."
"I'm sixteen."
"He was sixteen."
"How old are you, then?"
"Claire..."
"What!" Her hands clenched into fists. "Fine, Quil, don't tell me. I don't know why you would anyways. Who am I to know? I'll just leave, then. You don't need to see me anymore, if you don't want to." He hand reached for the handle.
I slammed on the brakes. "Claire! What are you--stop, you could get hur--"
"And why would you care if I did, Quil?"
"Because! Because I love you, okay?" My knuckles turned white as I gripped the steering wheel.
"Yeah. Yeah, right."
I closed my eyes against the pain that shot through me. "God, Claire. Why is that so hard to believe?"
She laughed bitterly. "If you knew me, you wouldn't say that."
"I know you, Claire," I whispered.
"Then how can you love me?"
"Because you're beautiful, and smart, and funny, and I'm not going to list all the reasons because you'd kill me."
"Then tell me, Quil, the reason why I'm a junior in high school and not one boy has so much as looked at me?"
I sighed. "Uh...I don't know, Claire. Maybe they're gay or something. I don't know. But it doesn't matter--"
"Matter? It matters to me! But we just established that what matters to me doesn't matter to you, so can you please stop the car so I can get out!"
I shook my head. "I'll drop you off at home. It's not safe here."
We sat in silence for the next minute or so. I slowed down considerably. I wanted nothing less than to let her out of my sight right now.
She starts again. "Why, Quil? Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you--oh. Oh." She buries her face in her hands.
I glance over at her. "Don't cry, Claire--"
"I'm not crying!" She snarled at me, but I could see her tears through her hair.
"What did I say?" I muttered.
She looked away from me. "You have no idea how much I'm freaking in love with you and then you tell me you love me like my parents and that's even worse than not even knowing I exist--" She breaks off, looking horrified.
Several seconds passed. "I never said that," I said finally, my heart in my throat.
"What?"
"I never said I loved you like you like your parents do."
"Oh. Okay."
"But it's not true, anyways."
"It's not?" She glances at me.
"Well, obviously I do, but I also love you like I really, really wish I wasn't driving because I really, really want to kiss you right now."
--
Hunger--Emily, the pack
"I'm hung--"
"Yes, yes, I'm coming." Emily rolled her eyes, but smiled. As much as she complained, everyone knew she loved feeding the pack.
She's swarmed by hungry teenage werewolves, and said, "Okay, well, you could always come here."
Sam kisses her before he descends on the food and she can't stop smiling.
--
Together--Quil, Claire
"This is weird," Claire said quietly in my ear. I closed my eyes--she had no idea what she did to me.
"Yeah," I agreed.
"I mean, we've known each other for years. Why should this be any different?"
She knew the answer as well as I did. Together.
It was a nasty word, really. Neither of us liked it as much as we though we would have.
As Sam shot us weird glances, I asked her if she wanted to leave.
"Yes. Very much."
We escaped outside, and she kissed me quickly.
"It doesn't really change anything, you know," she told me.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know."
--
Finally!--Quil, Claire
Finally, she knew.
Finally, she knew the other thing.
Well, both of them, really. Because you can't really know one without the other. That's what Quil thought, anyways. That would be too much like lying.
And she didn't care he was what some would call a monster (she called it "awesome") and she didn't care he was completely in love with her.
Well, maybe she didn't care because she was too. With him, not her.
--
First--Quil, Claire
Claire was used to Quil being her first.
First kiss, first person to call, first place to go. Whenever.
So when Peter Peterson (really, that was his name) slid his hand up her shirt and yanked off his own, she had some doubts. When his hand went lower she really regretted the fact that she told Quil don't worry.
Yeah, and when it was her pants coming off, she really couldn't quite understand why he had blonde hair, and why his hands were so cold, and, most of all, why he was here.
Or rather, why she was here.
"I can't do this," she muttered. He took his lips off her neck (getting dangerously lower).
"What?"
"I have to go."
"Claire, why--"
"I can't do this. I'm sorry, Peter."
"Can't do this--" he motioned to both of them half naked on his bed-- "or this?" His hand waved between them.
"Any of it." Better break everything off now. That way she wouldn't feel guilty when...
She pulled on her pants, then her shirt, trying not to look him in the eyes. "I'm really sorry, Peter." She grabbed her keys off the floor, left abruptly, not able to really feel all that guilty.
At least not till she pulled up at Quil's house and he was waiting for her, and she saw his face when he saw her unbuttoned shirt and messy hair and wide, scared eyes.
"I can't do it, Quil, I can't, I can't..." She muttered against his chest when he hugged her.
"Shh, it's okay, Claire. It's okay. You're safe. It's okay."
--
Scarred for Life--Quil, Claire, Embry
"Aaaghh!!" Quil spun me around when we saw what, or rather, who, was in the kitchen.
"Close your eyes, Claire, close your eyes!" He pushed me into the next room. "Stay there!"
"Oh, come on, Quil, what's the big deal?" I heard Embry's slow voice, coming closer. I shut my eyes as tight as they would go, added another layer with my hands.
"It's okay, he's wearing clothes." I cautiously opened my eyes, taking in Embry's (thankfully) half-clothed form.
"Still not enough, I'm scarred for life." I mumbled.
"What, you no like hot naked werewolves?" Embry cocked his head, grinning maliciously.
"Me only like one hot naked werewolf," I said and Quil chuckled.
--
Naive--Quil, Claire
"You're so naive," I told Quil. "So innocent. So--"
"All right, all right, I got it," he muttered. "So what if I don't have any, uh, experience? I've been imprinted on you my whole li--"
"Not your whole life," I pointed out. "My whole life. Almost. Half of yours."
"Yeah, well, I had other things to deal with." He frowned.
"Don't worry, it's okay. I like it, actually," I murmured as I pressed my lips to his.
--
Whoa...--Quil, Claire
A looming black shape came slowly out of the trees.
Very slowly. Too slowly. Because I could still see his eyes from twenty feet away, and I ran forward to meet him.
He stepped back jerkily. I froze.
"I'm not scared of you." My voice sounded too loud in the still peacefulness of the forest.
His great chocolate brown head bowed, and he folded gracefully to the ground in one smooth movement.
"I love you," I whispered when I settled against his side. He was so warm I had to take off my jacket. Even warmer than when he was a human.
His nose pressed against my cheek as if in agreement.
--
Revelation--Quil, Claire
"Shit. You're a werewolf."
I looked at his nod and laughed. Immediately realized it was the exact wrong thing to do. His eyebrows came together as he frowned.
"No, I mean--oh, Quil." I walked the few remaining steps to him, wrapped my arms around him tightly, buried my face in his chest.
His hands hung at his sides. "You don't care?" He whispered.
This time when I laughed, he knew it was with love, not hate or whatever else he thought.
"Of course not."
--
Hurt--Jacob, Bella
"OW! Jesus Christ, that hurt--fuck! Jacob!"
"If you stop moving I could help you." He grinned at me from the sidelines. I stumbled over to him, tripping again, but he caught me. I all but fell head-first against him.
"Just take some ice, Bells, it'll be fine."
"Sure, sure." I glared at his smile. "You don't even know what it's like to be hurt--and not heal automatically."
"You don't even know what it's like to be a werewolf." His smile faded.
"Yeah, you're right. Like always."
--
Perfection--Quil, Claire
Claire wasn't perfect, Quil knew that. He knew she was too stubborn for her own good, she played her music too loud. There were tons of other things, too.
But he was glad. Because if she were perfect, he would never be able to be around her. It was like humans felt around the vampires.
That's why they were so comfortable together. It really didn't matter.
--
Tada!--Jacob, Claire
Jacob pulled the sheet from--
A shiny, black...car.
"Tada!" He said, glancing at me tentatively. "Like it?"
"It's...uh, great."
His face falls at my unenthusiastic response.
"No, no! I mean, I love it, Jake. Thanks." I hug him tightly. "That's really...um, sweet of you."
"You don't seem too happy."
"No, no, I am. Thanks. It's awesome." I walk up to it slowly. "Are you sure Quil doesn't mind?"
"Are you joking? Why would Quil mind?"
"I thought he thought I spent too much time with you."
Jake shook his head slowly. "First of all, he thought I spent too much time with you, not the other way around. Second, he got over that after...well..." He made a face, and I laughed.
"Sorry you had to...uh, see that."
"That's...really okay. I'm only scarred for life." He sends me a look and sighs dramatically, and I smack his arm.
"Quil has very vivid thoughts," he murmured, staring at me, and I felt my face heat up. "But I phased as soon as I could, don't worry.
"As...soon as you could? And who else was...?"
"Oh, just a few people."
"Jake. You didn't answer my first question."
"Well, we had to patrol...and since Sam wasn't there, no one made him shut up."
"Oh, shit." I couldn't look at him, remembering exactly what had conspired between Quil and me a few weeks ago, after I had that conversation with Jake. "Oh, shit."
"It's okay, Claire, really. I don't think of you...uh, differently."
"Yeah. Yeah, sure," I muttered as I saw the look in his eyes. That told me he was lying.
Oh, shit.
--
Perception--Quil, Claire, Jacob
Quil was very perceptive (at least when it came to me). And when he dropped by Jake's garage, saw my red face and Jake's slightly abashed one, he knew what we had said.
Well, most of it.
He glared at Jake.
"What?" He asked innocently.
"Nothing. What did you do to her?" He changed his mind mid sentence.
"Nothing--just embarrassed her a bit. It's okay. She's over it. Aren't you?"
"Not really," I muttered. Not even close.
--
Distance--Quil, Claire
Distance was always a problem with them.
There was no way he wanted her to go to college, but he swallowed it, not letting himself take away her chance to make something of her life.
Claire never thought of going. She wouldn't have even if she had never met Quil. She hated school, more than most people, and there was no way she would go when she had a choice.
And anyways, what she wanted to do didn't require going to college.
"So...when are you leaving?" Quil asked tentatively, even though the suspicious absence of acceptance letters and plans was a little bit...suspicious.
"Leaving?" Claire repeated blankly. "Leaving to where?"
Quil blinked, tried not to look at her, because he didn't really want to remind her...even though, he tried to tell himself, how could she have forgotten?
"College, of course."
"College? I thought I told you I'm not going?"
Quil shook his head.
He voiced only the objections he was supposed to, but then took her into his arms and was so glad that she made her own decision--to stay...
--
Let Your Hair Down--Emily, Claire's mother (Sarah)
"Sarah."
"Emily."
The sisters stood at opposite sides of Emily's kitchen, glaring at each other across the linoleum.
"You can't stop them now," Emily told her sister. "Once you start, you can't stop. Especially them."
"Have you seen--"
"Yes, I've seen them together, and that's enough for me. Only fifteen years, Sarah, Quil never once hurt her. What makes you think he'll start now?"
"She was crying, Emily. Because of him."
"Because she misunderstood. The second he knew she was in pain, he went to her, told her everything. You can't deny that."
"I can't deny anything."
--
Kiss--Quil, Claire
Claire loved kissing Quil. It was like nothing she'd ever felt--and she'd kissed her share of guys.
No, not like anything. The way his hands burned and his lips...and what those hands and lips did to her--
She probably shouldn't be thinking about this in English class.
--
Cliff Hanger--Quil, Claire
Claire threw down the book. It hit the floor with a crash.
Quil spun around. "What the--oh."
"I hate cliff hangers," she muttered. "What do they gain from it? Come on. People are still going to buy their friggin book. Actually, no one buys them anyways! They just get them from the library! Ugh!"
In her distress, Claire didn't see the irregularity of the floor, and she pitched right forward into Quil's arms.
"Right. Well." She struggled to get up, straightening her shirt, which had ridden up dangerously high.
Quil's lips trailed along her neck, up to her lips, and she soon forgot all about the stupid book.
--
Poor Choice--Bella, Jacob, Edward
The second she turned away from Jacob, lying in his bed, Bella Swan knew she made the wrong choice.
But she couldn't go back. What if she was wrong? She couldn't hurt him again.
Then it was Edward's arms around her as she sobbed, and she sobbed for a different reason. She longed for the warm arms and warmer lips and--
Weeks passed, and plans were made.
Edward told her again and again, don't do this if you don't want to. You always have a choice.
She told him she couldn't do it. He was disappointed, of course, but reassured her that she can still live a long and happy life, he won't care if she gets old--
That's not what I meant, she said, her heart breaking as she did so.
Before he understood completely, she was in her car, her old, almost-breaking-down truck, but she loved it anyways. It was slow, human, real.
Like Jacob. Minus the human part.
--
Game--Jacob, Bella
"Is this just a game for you, Bella?" He said loudly when he saw her and she explained.
"No, no, no, Jake, not a game--"
"It sure seems like that, coming and going, back and forth, I can't live with that! you know that!"
"I know, Jake, I'm sorry, no more back and forth, I promise."
"That's what you said last time," he snarled, turning away from her so she wouldn't see his fists shaking.
"I know, I'm, sorry, I thought--I didn't want to hurt you--"
"And of course this doesn't do that. Not at all." He wasn't in the mood for sarcasm. "I had dealt with the fact of no Bella, Bells."
"You don't have to."
"I did, though."
"I can go--"
"No!"
--
Make-up--Quil, Claire
"Claire, you look beautiful how you are. You don't need that."
"Don't start on the 'you're only fourteen you're too young to be using make-up' bullshit, Quil. And why are you here anyways?" I glanced at his reflection in the mirror in front of me.
"Your mom told me you were in here. And I wasn't going to say that. Even when you're a billion years old you won't need make-up."
"Okay."
"You can at least pretend to take me seriously, you know."
"Why? A grown werewolf telling me I'm beautiful--a grown werewolf who--never mind."
"That's not fair. Who what?"
"Why isn't it fair?"
"You know why, you said it. I don't age. Anyway, who what?"
"Nothing."
"What?"
"Don't do that to me."
"Who what?"
"Leave me alone!"
--
Leaving--Jacob, Leah
"Don't go." I beg her.
"I have to, Jake."
"No you don't. You could stay."
"I didn't know that staying was the opposite of going, Jake. Please. Let me go."
"You could stay. With me."
Leah blinks. "Why would I stay with you?"
I hesitate. "Stay with--stay being my beta, Leah, please. I need you."
"I hope you mean that you need me to help you keep the boys in line. I'm really hoping you mean that."
"Yeah, I mean that, but...I also just need you, Leah, because I just--I..." My voice fails me as my heart speeds up painfully. "Don't go," I whisper.
"What about Nessie?" Leah frowns, knowing what I meant.
"What about Nessie? I don't care, Leah, just please...I'm begging, Leah, and you know how I feel about begging."
"I'll stay if you give tell me why you want me to and if you give me one good reason."
"Because I love you."
--
Rain--Bella, Jacob
I stare out at the pouring rain blurring the windows of Jake's garage.
"I think it's growing on me, the rain," I say to no one in particular. But, of course, there being only person in earshot, he's the only one who hears. Obviously.
"That's good," he says distractedly.
--
Flood--Quil, Claire
"You know how I hate you picking me up?"
"Unless we're making out. Then it's okay." Quil rolled his eyes, and I blinked up through the rain.
"Well, yeah, okay. But anyways. I think now might be an exception."
"Why?"
"Because I'm freezing, wearing flip-flops and a t-shirt, my jeans are soaked to my knees, you are warm, and the rain is coming down in sheets, and there's about a mile long lake going back to either of our houses...enough reasons?"
"I think it might be convincing." He swept me up, holding me against his warm body. I shivered.
"Cold?" He started walking across the 'mile long lake.'
A few seconds later, I said, "You know, I think I might have to take back what I said. I don't think this should be an exception."
"You want me to put you down?" He looked doubtfully at the water on the ground.
"No. There was an 'unless,' Quil, that you so thoughtfully reminded me of."
--
Fire--Quil, Claire
The opposite of water, I reasoned, was, closely enough, fire.
Which Quil epically failed trying to start when he set me on my feet, threw me some dry clothes, and kneeled in front of the fireplace.
Five minutes later, he declared all was lost.
I told him I really didn't care, because he was the closest one could get to fire, and anyways, I preferred him instead. Anyways.
He smiled sort of shyly, which was unlike him, pulled me to my feet, brought me to his bed. I crawled in most willingly, and he ducked out of the room.
Lying there, smelling him on the sheets, I couldn't really not want him. Um. There.
I padded out to the hall. He was sitting on the couch, staring at the non-existant fire.
"You know, Quil, your blankets really can't be compared to you. And aren't you cold?"
"Cold? Me?" But he got up, led me to his bed again.
"And I'd be awfully lonely here without you." Really, how long could it take for him to get my not-so-subtle hints?
He sighed, crawling in after me, kissing the top of my head. "Of course, Claire. I wasn't staying out there forever, you know."
--
Hot Chocolate--Emily, Claire
"I really like your hot chocolate."
"I know."
"Have you ever tasted Quil's?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Embry tried to warn me, but I didn't listen."
"Yeah, same with me. I think he gave up after that."
"There's no one else to poison."
--
Patience--Quil, Claire
Quil knew it would take patience. He didn't mind, as long as he could see her, as long as he could--well, seeing her was usually enough.
Until, of course, she was older. Just like Sam told her, now, not only did he want to see her, but he wanted to touch her. Badly.
It almost hurt, when she was so close, and all he had to do was reach out an inch or lean forward and--
He really needed to stop thinking these thoughts when he was around her.
