Well this is, first off, dedicated to all of you who read my last one-shot and left me all those incredible reviews! Thank you so much! I'm so glad I got such a great response! I wrote this for all of you after thinking about Clare and Eli during the Romeo and Juliet scene...it gave me ideas, and this is what came of that. I can't help feeling like Eli's a bit out of character, but that may just be because he's trying to play Romeo? I don't know. Please review and tell me what you think! Also, there's an important note at the bottom from me, so please check that out!
She liked it. Eli looked to Clare and smiled in relief: their English teacher liked their Romeo and Juliet assignment. "It's good. But I can't help wondering what happened before the final scene. How about this, Miss Edwards, since you seem to like to make things up as you go along," she shot the poor girl a look that said I-mean-business. "Explore the balcony scene. Think about how it could end differently, how it could change to course of the entire play, and film it. I'll even be willing to give you some credit for all those days you have skipped my class."
Clare's face looked guilty while Eli just shrugged. Adam smiled at their teacher. "Sounds good. When do you want us to have it in?" he asked.
"By Monday would be good. Film it this weekend or whenever you have a chance and bring it in. I'll be interested to see what you figure out." She smiled to herself and sent the trio away to brainstorm the scene.
Clare's stomach wrenched around as if she were on a rollercoaster and she smiled to Eli upon reaching her desk. Her brain screamed in elation, knowing how romantic the balcony scene was, while her heart raced just thinking about the first (and, to her dismay, only) kiss they'd shared.
Adam sighed when he plopped himself into his chair. "Well I'll leave the two of you to discuss the scene."
Clare looked at him, shocked. "Why aren't you going to help?"
Adam stared at her like she'd grown and extra head. "The balcony scene is between Romeo and Juliet."
Clare nodded. "But I have an idea. Since we can make this end however we want," she turned to Eli. "Maybe we shouldn't make them star-crossed. Maybe, Romeo convinces Juliet to go away with him, and they sneak away and never have to worry about their families again."
Eli thought about that. "But wouldn't that cause their families to go to figurative war against each other? They'd be furious and blame each other for their children's sudden disappearance."
"What if Romeo and Juliet only escaped long enough to get married? Or at least consummate their love for each other. Then they'd return and announce their love for each other, and their families would have to accept each other."
"Or we could change the context of their characters," Adam suggested. Clare and Eli both turned to him, waiting for him to explain further. "Well what if Juliet's parents just didn't approve of Romeo? You know, like, what if they thought he wasn't good for her?"
Clare saw where Adam was going. "You mean, translate it to our lives." She looked at Eli. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."
But Eli was already shaking his head. "It's a great idea." Clare looked at him skeptically. "Think about it, Clare. I'm always telling you that you need to make it personal. What kind of English partner would I be if I didn't set a good example?" He smirked.
"Um, a normal one?" she replied. His grin grew and he laughed.
"What say you, faire maiden? Shall we try?" he mock-recited and waited for her answer.
Clare shook her head. "I have a very bad feeling about this, but I suppose if you think we can pull this off…"
Eli smirked and held out his hand for her to high-five. When she didn't, he picked up her arm and high-fived his own hand with hers that he controlled.
Adam started the recording and whispered "Action."
Eli, in his black attire, leaned against a tree, picking aimlessly at his fingers. "So her parents think I'm not good enough for her?" he asked, his tone slight angry and very defiant. "It doesn't matter," he said, looking up at the camera, determination in his eyes. "If Juliet wants me, then she's the only thing that matters." He looked up when Clare sat down at the picnic bench in front of his tree, her back to him.
She pulled out a book and began to read. Eli's face softened infinitesimally. "Look at her. She's a bookworm and intelligent. Loves to write. She has a great future ahead of her. But by some miracle of fate, she's found me, and I her, and, really, that may be all that matters. Not that I have a shady past, not that she has a bright future, but that together we are happier than apart."
Clare set down her book and turned to look down the street on her left, at all the happy families and people. "Oh, Romeo, who cares if my parents don't like you? Who cares what my parents think? It seems foolish and wrong to give up on love, simply because two people tell you "no." How could I unlove you, now that I've felt what it's like to be with you? Those two people are wrong, and if I have to sacrifice my ties to them, so I no longer call them parents, then, to be with you, I will."
Eli smirked and crept up behind Clare, placing one of his hands over her eyes and his lips right at her ear. "To deny your parents would be an awfully big deal." His lips ghosted over the skin of her neck and she sighed his name.
"Romeo, to deny my parents would be nothing if I could be yours." She wrapped her fingers around his hand and pulled it away from her eyes, standing so they were face to face. "Say you'll take me. Say you want me to be yours for the rest of time and I'll go with you. I'll follow if you'll lead me."
Eli pushed hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "If you are sure you want this, then I will do everything I can to make it happen."
Clare pulled herself closer to his body and looked helplessly into his eyes. "Romeo, take me as I am, and I will no longer be the girl I'm expected to be." He kissed her lips then. A short pressure and then he pulled back to look into her eyes, but that was all it took. Clare pulled him back for another kiss and another again.
When she pulled back, Clare was out of breath. "Juliet, come with me, and you will be able to leave this world behind." Their faces were still so close together that their breath mingled, and Eli's words nearly got swallowed up by the sound of Clare's heavy breathing.
She nodded to his request and folded herself into his arms. "I'm ready when you are," she whispered. Clare, try as she might, couldn't keep the grin off of her face as she stayed in Eli's arms. She closed her eyes, and even after Adam yelled, "Cut!" she refused to move.
Only when Eli cleared his throat did she blush and step back. "Sorry," she said.
Eli smirked and brushed the pad of his thumb across her cheek where the pink was just starting to fade. "Do we need to do another take?" he asked mockingly.
Clare blushed harder and ran to Adam to check the tape. Eli smirked and followed behind at a walking pace, knowing there would be plenty of time later on to make her blush even harder.
Clare's mind buzzed around again. This time, it screamed, How's THAT for a kiss? "Eli has rocked my world," she whispered. Adam looked up at her and she blushed. "Nothing, never mind."
He shrugged and said, "We should be good to go. We can edit it tomorrow if you want. Tonight, how about a movie and my place?"
Clare smiled and said, "As long as it's not—"
"A Haunting in Connecticut looks good," Eli commented, coming up behind Clare and putting his hand on her shoulder.
"—a horror movie," she finished half-heartedly. She sighed while Adam high fived Eli after telling him he had the movie at home.
"Are you coming, Clare?" Eli asked, already twenty feet away from her. Clare looked around, as if expecting someone to still be standing next to her. She shook her head as if shaking away whatever had distracted her and rushed to catch up to the two in front of her.
On Monday, their English teacher was elated to see their movie. In the end she excused the trio from any work not done during their truancy.
I hoped you liked it! Well, now for the important note! I am taking requests for EClare oneshots! If there's something you think I should write about, or a scenario that you think would fit this pairing, send me a PM and tell me your idea and I will write it and dedicate it to YOU! This is my first time doing something like this, but I'm excited. I'm also thinking about writing a series of "Letter" fanfics with this pairing, i.e. they write letters to each other. I don't know...let me know what you think! Thanks so much for reading!
Em =]