Writing this made me dizzy. Oh my Lord.

Clare's heart was just beginning to slow its pace as Eli shut the door of his hearse quietly. She was desperate to grab Eli's face and just touch him, make sure everything she knew and loved was still here, still hers. Yet every time she looked his way, he simply kept his gaze straight, past the steering wheel, past the window, past the school building even. The look of shock was still etched into his features, and it scared her. It scared her a lot.

Finally, Clare reached over to grab Eli's hand in hers. She gave it a small squeeze, hoping it would trigger a response from the black-haired boy beside her. Yet his gaze remained unwavering and he didn't move a muscle. Clare knitted her eyebrows together and returned her hand to her lap. Taking a breath, she spoke.

"Eli?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, shaky and anxious. At the sound of his name, Eli seemed to snap back into reality, and he turned slowly to face Clare. His face was expressionless; the normally permanent smirk was absent from his face. Clare got the sudden impulse to kiss him right then and there, but the look of sheer exhaustion and stress in his eyes made her push the thought far in the back of her mind.

"Home, Blue Eyes?" he asked, putting the key into the ignition. He didn't look at her as he spoke, and it made Clare's heart ache. She answered him with an, "Mhm," and sat back into the leather of the chair.

Soon, they were driving, taking the familiar route to Clare's house. There was a thick, uncomfortable silence between the two as they drove. Clare twiddled her thumbs in her lap, rarely looking up, as much as she wanted to. Eli kept his eyes on the road, not once making any effort to acknowledge them. Clare knew they needed to talk about this. About everything. Yet here they were, barely willing to look each other as they sat barely a foot apart.

At last, they reached Clare's house. Eli turned the car off and set the keys down quietly. He was still for a moment, as if making a last-minute decision, then opened the door and stepped out of the hearse. He was at the passenger door in moments, and he carefully held it open for Clare as she, too, stepped out of the car. With a small snap, the door shut and the two faced each other, inches apart.

Eli finally raised his eyes to meet Clare's, and her heart soared when he flashed her that lopsided grin that made her skin tingle. His eyes softened as he looked down at her, and she held his gaze like she would a lifeline. He was her lifeline.

"Long night," he stated quietly, not once moving his eyes away from her face. Clare simply nodded, savoring the sound of his voice. The smell of his breath. It drove her insane. "It's past your bedtime, isn't it, Clare-bear?" he asked, holding out his hand. Clare took it immediately and he led her up the brick steps to her front door. Once again they turned to face each other again, still hand in hand. Clare's heart pounded and she had to work very hard to keep her hands from shaking.

They stood there like statues, just staring into each other's eyes. It seemed like hours before Eli spoke again.

"Goodnight then," he said, leaning down a bit to level his face with Clare's. His smell made her dizzy; she had to grip his hand even tighter to keep herself from stumbling. Then, all at once, several things occurred.

Eli's hands were suddenly at her face, bringing it closer to his. They were moving quickly backwards until the back of Clare's head hit the brick wall with a dull thunk. Their bodies were pressed together so tightly that Clare barely noticed the slight shock of pain that made her head throb. And soon, Eli's lips were against hers, kissing her so passionately that she barely knew how to respond. But once it all sank in, Clare was kissing him back, just as hard and fast, moving her hands to tangle them in his long black hair. His grip on her face intensified as he opened his mouth, only to close it again on her bottom lip. The sensation of pure pleasure made its way up and down Clare's body, and she stifled a satisfied squeal.

Clare had the sudden impulse to do many things she decided she'd never even think of until she was married. But standing here, with Eli nearly chewing on her lip, made her seriously rethink the decision.

She moved a hand down from his hair to the belt loop of his jeans, tugging his lower half closer to her. Eli's mouth froze on top of hers, and he emitted a tense sigh. He pulled away from her ever so slowly with a snicker.

"Feeling adventurous, Saint Clare?" he asked, his breath buffeting her face. His hands had made their way down to the small of her back, pressing her closer and closer to him. Their lips were mere centimeters apart as Clare narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on the belt loop.

"Maybe."

With that, she smashed her lips against his again, bringing her free hand to the back of his neck. She felt sweat there, dampening his dark hair. She could feel perspiration beading on her own neck, and just about every other part of her body.

This time it was Clare who parted her lips to let him in. His tongue very carefully trailed her lips, back and forth. She breathed heavily through her nose, never wanting to waste a single moment. If she were to die kissing him like this, then so be it.

At one point, Eli loosened his hold on her and, with his teeth gently closed down on her bottom lip, pulled away. As the feeling of his teeth disappeared, Clare opened her eyes. In the faint light, she could see Eli's face, still twisted with that familiar smirk. She let herself relax against the hard brick wall, breathing as if she hadn't had oxygen for a long, long time.

"Well damn, Blue Eyes," Eli drawled, gnawing on his lip thoughtfully. "Didn't think you had it in you."

Clare made a face before steadying herself and taking a step towards him. Once again, the smell of his breath made her crazy with temptation, but she resisted.

"Goodnight, Goldsworthy."