Eli inserted his keys into the hearse and revved up the engine. Morty resisted for a few seconds but finally came to life. Eli pulled out of the driveway and made his way over to his girlfriend's house. They were going to Bloomington for the Gothic Fiction convention, it would be a perfect opportunity for the couple to learn new writing strategies and spend some time together.
He could not contain his excitement as he turned off the engine, exited the car and practically ran up the sidewalk towards Clare's house. Eli took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before ringing the doorbell, hoping Clare would be the one to answer the door.
Luck was on his side and a few moments later the door opened, revealing the most breathtaking girl he'd ever seen. Eli still couldn't believe that this girl was his. Everytime he saw her it was like looking at her for the first time, she seemed to get more beautiful everyday. He looked into her blue eyes and it felt like nothing else in the world mattered, this trip was going to be amazing.
She gazed into his eyes and her lips curved upwards into a beautiful smile, "Hey, can you help me carry my bags? I wasn't sure what to pack so I basically ended up fitting my entire closet into my suitcase," Clare laughed, snapping Eli back to reality.
He smirked and replied, "I'll never understand you girls and your obsessive need for clothing, but as always, your wish is my command," he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before grabbing the heavier looking bag out of the two. Clare yelled a good-bye to her mother and skipped down the sidewalk towards Morty to place her bag in the back of the hearse.
She turned towards the passenger side door but before she could take a step Eli wrapped his arms around her waist in a loving hug and whispered, "I'm so glad you decided to come on this trip with me, we're going to have so much fun." Clare looked up at her boyfriend and giggled, "Someone's a little excited for a trip with his parents."
Suddenly Eli's face fell, he stepped back and opened the passenger side door for Clare. She gave him a confused look but got into the hearse. Eli quickly went around to his side and climbed into the vehicle. He started Morty up and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Before he could do anything else he felt a small hand cover his own and he looked up at Clare. She was staring at him, clearly wanting an explanation for his odd behavior.
Eli took a shaky breath and explained, "You see.. my parents, they um- well, they're not coming with us anymore, it's just you and me," he looked away as he heard Clare gasp. He quickly continued,
"I know I promised your mom that my parents would be there but I really wanted this to be something special for you and me, the hotel room we booked has two beds so there's no pressure. If you feel uncomfortable I can book a second room. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I just didn't know how to bring it up."
He heard Clare sigh as she slid over closer to him and placed her hand on his chin, turning his face towards her but he refused to make eye contact with her, "Eli, look at me," she firmly told him.
Eli reluctantly moved his gaze towards those big blue eyes and Clare gave him a sympathetic look. In that moment he knew she wasn't upset.
"Eli, I'll admit I'm a little shocked, and I wish you had told me about this earlier, but that doesn't change my excitement for this trip. We're still going to have a good time. As for the sleeping arrangments, I know you won't try anything.. I trust you." He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and felt a wave of relief flow through his body.
Eli leaned down and gave Clare a short but meaningful kiss, he pulled away but just so their faces were inches apart as he breathed, "Thank you," Clare smiled up at him and adjusted herself so her head was resting on his shoulder and exclaimed, "Let's go!" The hearse was put into drive and they were on their way.
The drive to Bloomington was very pleasant, filled with small talk about their expectations for the convention. Every now and then Clare would steal a kiss from Eli and he'd give her a look that made her blush.
They arrived at the hotel sooner than Eli had expected, their room wasn't ready yet and the convention didn't start for a few more hours. Eli and Clare agreed that they should go out for lunch since they had some time to kill.
The couple found a cozy little diner nearby that reminded them of The Dot back at home. After looking over the menu they each decided to order a homemade burger and fries but opted to share a chocolate milkshake.
Once they were done eating, Clare reached into her purse to grab her wallet, Eli stared at her in confusion and quickly walked up to the counter to pay for everything despite her protests. He came back to the table and smirked as he reached out for her hand, making her blush a deep shade of red, "You didn't have to pay for me you know,"
Eli chuckled and simply answered, "I know. But what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't? Now let's get out of here and head over to the convention. It's opening in ten minutes!"
The Gothic Fiction convention was one of the most amazing events Clare had ever been to, there were so many different booths with different authors who were happy to answer any questions she had and gladly offered her writing tips. Clare was in awe, she adored the entire atmosphere and dragged Eli around for the better part of the afternoon. Eli was happy to oblige, he was enjoying himself as well. Although he wasn't sure if the joy he was feeling was because of the convention, or because of the girl he was with.
Everything felt right. After a semester of being harrassed by Fitz and worrying about his past with Julia, he finally felt free. It was all thanks to Clare, she had stuck by him and helped him through his problems. Without her, he didn't know what he would be doing right now. Eli didn't want to dwell on such morbid thoughts so he brought his attention back to the present, intertwining his fingers with Clare's and the blush that he had come to love so much appeared on her cheeks in a matter of seconds.
Once a deep male voice announced over the loudspeaker that the convention would be closing in fifteen minutes for the night, Clare looked at Eli and shyly said, "I guess we should go back to the hotel now.." Eli nodded and put his arm around her shoulder as they walked towards the hearse.
The hotel was nice and overlooked a deep blue river that reflected the moon beautifully. Their room was on the third floor and had a balcony with a perfect view of the river. Like Eli had mentioned, there was indeed two queen size beds along with a couch. Clare excused herself to the bathroom so she could change, Eli quickly took that opportunity to change into his pajamas. He normally just slept in his boxers but since this was his and Clare's first sleep over together, he decided to wear an old Dead Hand t-shirt and some black plaid pants.
Clare walked out of the bathroom just as Eli was struggling to get his shirt over his head. She blushed and put her hands over her eyes and joked, "Are you decent?"
They both giggled nervously and as Eli turned around to look at his girlfriend, his jaw dropped. She was wearing a tight blue tank top and short grey shorts. He wasn't used to seeing this much of her skin, she usually dressed more conservatively. Clare informed him that she wanted to watch tv and made her way over to the couch, motioning for him to follow.
He gulped and walked over to join her on the couch, keeping some distance between them. Clare couldn't help but feel Eli's body tense up when she leaned into him and put her arm around his waist.
"Did I do something wrong?" she questioned, pulling back. Eli immediately shook his head and stuttered as he explained that he was a little nervous and didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.
"Eli, you are too considerate. I feel completely comfortable with you here. Stop worrying, everything's fine." To reassure him, she leaned in and gave him a kiss.
The feeling of Clare's lips on his erased the worry from his mind and he got lost in kissing her. She smiled against his lips and deepened the kiss to his surprise. Clare was kissing him a little more aggressively now and she pushed him down on his back so that her body was hovering over his. This was new for them and Eli couldn't help but feel a little confused by Clare's actions. Sure they had made out before, but never like this.
Eli sighed as he broke the kiss, knowing all too well how easy it would be to get carried away with her. Clare whimpered and gave him a pout that he couldn't resist so he gave her one last kiss before saying, "You know we need to stop. I'm actually getting tired so..."
Clare frowned but understood, they both stood up and she crawled into her bed, staring at him with puppy dog eyes. Eli smirked at her and walked up to her bed to tuck her in. He placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered, "Good night baby, I hope you had a wonderful day."
He turned off the lights, got into his own bed and stared at the ceiling.
"Eli..?" he heard from right next to his bed. He looked to his side and Clare was standing next to him. He asked her if something was wrong.
"Yeah, I'm really cold," she shivered.
"Oh, well do you want me to call room service and ask for more blankets? Or I could start a fire and stay up until you fall asleep.." he suggested.
Clare rolled her eyes playfully and said, "Move over, I want you to hold me."
Eli looked at her in shock, "Are you sure?"
"Eli, you're my boyfriend, it's not a big deal if I want to fall asleep in your arms. I'm cold and I was hoping we could cuddle until we fall asleep."
There was no way Eli was going to refuse her request so he opened his arms and she squealed as she scrambled into his bed. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed in content.
"Eli, I really want to thank you for today, it was.. well, for lack of a better word, perfect."
She turned onto her stomach so she could rest her chin on his chest and whispered, "I love you."
Eli's heart swelled as he pressed his lips against hers, "I love you so much Clare, thank you for spending today with me. Now go to sleep, your mother will kill me if I don't have you home at a decent hour tomorrow."
Clare and Eli laughed as they got comfortable and soon enough Eli heard his girlfriend's breathing become deeper as she fell asleep.
He couldn't believe how perfect everything had turned out. He really loved Clare, and he was overjoyed to know that she felt the same way.
He smiled as he closed his eyes and just before he fell asleep, he realized that he felt, complete.
Eli went to sleep happy and free of worries for the first night in a long time.
Eli awoke in a cold sweat, panting and unaware of his surroundings, his chest felt tight and his right leg was throbbing. After a few minutes of trying to regulate his breathing, he observed the room he had been sleeping in. He was in a hospital bed, there was a cast on his right leg and on the night stand a clock read 4:35am. Laying next to the clock rested a very beaten up copy of the Gothic Tales magazine containing Stalker Angel.
After analyzing the situation for a few more moments Eli broke down and began sobbing as the realization hit him: He had never gone on that trip with Clare. The convention, the hotel room, it had all been a dream. She had broken up with him, he had crashed Morty which resulted in him ending up in the hospital.
"I HATE the hearse... We need to break up... We're not meant to be together.."
It all came rushing back to him and he was shaking uncontrollably as the last phone conversation he'd had with Clare replayed in his mind. He began panicking and screaming for help. Two night nurses rushed in and firmly told him to calm down. Eli continued screaming, "I DON'T CARE HOW LOUD I'M BEING. WHERE IS CLARE? I NEED TO TALK TO HER. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT, I NEED TO MAKE IT RIGHT. GET ME OUT OF HERE."
The two women gave each other a sad look and pinned Eli down as something uncomfortably sharp poked his arm.
"I'm sorry love, get some rest, your parents will be here in the morning," one of the nurses whispered.
Eli tried to fight it, he cried out, "No, I need Clare," but he was already feeling drowsy.
"Fuck, I need to win her back," he muttered before he let out one more cry and then everything went black.