Summary: "Eli? What are you doing here?" "Taking you to Prom." Eclare. Oneshot.
Disclaimer: Don't own Degrassi. 'Nuff said.
Author's Note: I've written a lot of angst lately and decided to write something happy for a change. Enjoy.
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A Night to Remember
By: Lady Azura
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The walk to Clare's door seemed like the longest walk of his life. With sweaty palms and a racing heart, Eli Goldsworthy took a deep breath in an effort to gather himself before finally ringing the doorbell, and waiting.
As expected, Clare answered the door almost immediately, but looked taken aback when she saw him standing there, dressed in all white and holding a bouquet of roses.
"Eli?" She said, confusion etched across her face. "What are you doing here?"
"Taking you to Prom." Eli answered.
Clare regarded him sadly, crossing her arms and leaning against the threshold. "Eli, I don't… I don't think this is a good idea. We're not even together anymore. I don't want to make things more complicated than they already –"
"I know that." Eli quickly interjected. "But I want our last days at Degrassi together to be happy ones. I don't want us to leave off on a bad note." Clare listened intently, waiting for what he had to say next. Swallowing his pride, he took a deep breath and continued. "What I did a few weeks ago… what I said… was awful. And I am so sorry if I ever made you feel like it was your fault – that you were the problem. You weren't. You aren't. You're… you're an amazing, compassionate, beautiful person, and I'm sorry if I ever made you feel otherwise." He watched as she tried to keep a straight face, fighting back tears. "Please, Clare… if there's anything I can do to make it up to you…"
Clare tore her gaze away, wiping under her eyes as she stepped aside to let him in. Setting the roses down, Eli reached over to cradle her face, staring deeply into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity before Clare mustered a teary smile.
"Let me just… get changed. I'll be down in twenty minutes." She said.
Eli nodded. "I'll wait as long as it takes."
Clare smiled again and made her way upstairs. In the meantime, Eli wandered into the living room and sat down on the couch, waiting anxiously for Clare to finish getting ready. As he peered around, he was bombarded with memories from the past couple of years – from telling Clare about his hoarding to Fitz to getting high with Jake. A flood of emotions washed over him then and his hands began to shake uncontrollably. Squeezing his eyes shut, he counted down from thirty in his head until he was calm again, before letting go of the breath he'd been holding.
"Ahem."
Clare's voice snapped Eli out of his reverie and he looked over to see Clare standing in the entrance to the living room, wearing a flowing turquoise dress that came down to her knees and hugged her in all the right places. Around her waist was a darker ribbon with a flower blossoming out at the side. Her hair was curled and pulled to the side, pinned with a flower that matched her dress and her makeup was simple, but just enough to make her eyes pop and cheeks a little rosier. To top it off, she wore a sheer black shrug and a pair of strappy black heels.
She was breathtaking.
"Wow." Was all he could muster, standing up and making his way over to her. "You look… wow."
"Thank you." She said humbly, her eyes twinkling with mirth as he struggled to find the right words to describe her.
"I, uh, I got you this…" Eli said, finally snapping out of his trance and digging into his coat pocket to pull out a box. He opened it to reveal a white corsage. "I wasn't sure what color to get you, so I just went with –"
"It's beautiful, Eli." Clare told him.
"Really?"
"Really." She held out her hand and let him slide the corsage onto her wrist before glancing down to admire it. "Thank you."
Eli smiled. Once he was finished, he took a step back and held out his arm. "Shall we?"
"Yes." Clare nodded, looping her arm through his and letting him lead her out of the house. She paused to lock the door behind her before they continued down the driveway, only to come to an abrupt halt when she spotted a familiar black vehicle parked at the curb. "Is that –?"
"Yep. Morty." Eli confirmed, patting the hood of his hearse. "Bullfrog got him fixed up a while ago and gave him to me as an early graduation present."
"And you're… okay?" Clare asked uncertainly, pulling him back slightly.
He knew what she was thinking. She was worried that driving Morty would bring back unpleasant memories and make him have an episode. But he was fine. He knew he was fine. He wasn't in that dark place he was a year before, and even with finding Cam's body, he knew he could talk to his dad or his therapist if that darkness ever came back.
"Of course." Eli replied, giving her a reassuring smile.
Clare stared at him for a moment, trying to determine whether or not he was putting on a brave front, before nodding. "Okay. I believe you."
Eli's smile grew as he opened the passenger door for her.
"Your chariot awaits, M'Lady."
Clare couldn't help but smile as she climbed inside. Eli followed suit, adjusting the rearview mirror before sparing her a glance.
"Ready?" He asked.
"Ready." Clare replied.
Eli grinned before starting the engine and pulling out of the neighborhood.
.
.
.
Everything about the décor screamed enchanting, like something straight out of a fairytale. From the pastel-colored drapes hanging from the ceiling and walls to the twinkly lights and masquerade ball masks handed out at the door, their normally dull and boring gymnasium had been completely transformed into something truly magical. Fiona and Marisol had really outdone themselves, Clare mused as she took in her surroundings from her place at the punch table.
"Clare!" A voice snapped the brunette out of her stupor and she glanced over to see Alli approaching, Dallas right behind her.
Alli looked absolutely stunning, wearing a gorgeous red dress that accentuated her curves and frilled out at the bottom. Her hair was done up and bedazzled with matching jewels that seemed to intertwine with her braid.
"Alli, you look amazing." Clare told her friend.
"Don't I?" Alli grinned, twirling around before coming to a stop in front of her. "So do you. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
"It was… kind of a last minute thing." Clare said sheepishly. "Eli showed up and convinced me to come."
Alli nodded slowly. "I see…"
"Please don't try to talk me out of this, Alli." Clare begged her quietly. "He wants us to leave on a good note and I do too."
"Fine. But if he strips down and acts like a jerk again, he'll be answering to my manicure." Alli said, holding up her nails for emphasis.
Clare grinned lopsidedly. "Thank you."
In the background, the song changed. Dallas, who had been sipping on some punch, nudged his date. "Come on, Bhandari. Let's dance."
Alli laughed and nodded, giving Clare one last smile before venturing onto the dance floor with Dallas. Moments later, Eli appeared beside her, holding two cupcakes.
"Want one?" He offered. "They're really good. Lineup's huge though and Adam's hogging the chocolate fountain."
"Thanks." Clare said, taking the chocolate one with white frosting and biting into it.
They stood silently for a few minutes, just taking in their surroundings. On the dance floor, Clare could see Alli and Dallas grinding heavily; a few feet away, a small crowd had formed around Bianca as she moved her hips to the beat. Drew was among them, whistling and cheering his fiancé on. Clare rolled her eyes at her future Student Council President before turning her attention elsewhere, spotting Jake and Katie making out by the bleachers. She quickly tore her gaze away.
The music soon slowed down, and Clare was surprised when Eli held out his hand to her.
"Care to dance?" He asked.
"Uh, yeah, sure." She said, taking his hand and letting him lead her onto the dance floor.
As he placed his hands on her hips, Clare wrapped her arms around his neck and began to sway gently. Around them, other couples – Jenna and Connor, Mo and Marisol, Fiona and Imogen – started to come together. It occurred to her then that this was her first ever slow dance with Eli. Vegas Night had ended in disaster, as had the following dance. She'd attended the last Prom with Jake as her date, and that one had ended with Adam getting shot, so it hadn't exactly been a pleasant experience either. But this one? Nothing had gone awry, at least not yet. People were genuinely happy. She was genuinely happy.
Looking up, Clare found herself staring into Eli's green eyes, and smiled warmly at him before laying her head on his shoulder. She felt Eli pull her closer and kiss the top of her hair, and practically melted into him, letting him take the lead.
"This is nice." He murmured.
"Mmhmm." Clare agreed quietly.
"I love you." He said, reaching up and brushing his knuckles against her cheek. "More than anything. I'm sorry for messing this up."
"Stop apologizing." Clare mumbled against his shirt. "I've already forgiven you." She lifted her head to look him in the eye. "I love you too. I always will."
Eli smiled at her. Clare smiled back, before leaning up and pressing her lips to his.
.
.
.
They decided to head out a half-hour early, before the rush of students eager to party it up at the Torres house.
"I have a surprise for you." Eli told her as they made their way towards Morty.
"Ooh, a surprise?" Clare teased, swinging her heels around in her hand. She'd taken them off sometime after their second slow dance, when her feet started to hurt. "And what, may I ask, is this surprise?"
"You'll see." Eli chuckled.
"So many surprises in one night." Clare giggled.
"Hey, I'm trying to make up for being a jerk here." Eli told her.
"I think you won me over with the cupcake." She joked, poking him playfully.
Eli smirked at her before taking out his car keys and opening the back of the hearse. When Clare peered inside, she saw that blankets and pillows had been laid out and were covered in rose petals. She threw the dark-haired boy an amused look.
"Rose petals, Eli? Really?"
"What? Too cheesy?"
"Very cheesy."
"Aw, and here I was trying to be romantic. Remind me to never read Sizzle Teen's advice column ever again."
Clare laughed before climbing into the back of the hearse and making herself comfortable amongst the blankets and pillows. Eli followed suit, closing the trunk door behind him and turning on the light above them, then flopping down beside her.
"So… what now?" Clare asked.
"It's your call. I could take you home." Eli offered, finding her hand and lacing their fingers together.
Clare glanced down at their hands for a moment before looking back up. "I'm not sure I want to go home just yet."
With that, she leaned over him and captured his lips with hers. Eli responded immediately, reaching up and cupping the side of her face with his free hand while the other found her waist. Smiling against his lips, Clare shifted closer, clutching the front of his white dress shirt as she tilted her head slightly to deepen the kiss. Coaxing his mouth open, she managed to elicit a moan from him as she massaged his tongue with her own.
As the kiss became more hungry and desperate, Clare's fingers began working on the buttons of his shirt. Once it was open, she smoothed her hands over his heated skin, causing Eli to shiver before he broke the kiss and met her gaze. She didn't have to say anything – the fire in her eyes said it all, and after giving him a reassuring nod, she sat up on her knees with her back facing him, and peered over her shoulder.
"Unzip me?"
Eli's heart began to race and his fingers shook uncontrollably as he unzipped her dress, exposing beautiful, creamy skin as the material pooled around her waist. He swallowed hard when he saw that she wasn't wearing a bra, and licked his lips as he watched the girl before him shimmy out of the dress until she was left in nothing but her underwear. Unable to control himself, he leaned forward and kissed her bare shoulder while caressing her soft stomach before moving up to cup her breasts. Clare Edwards had been blessed, he thought to himself as he kneaded her gently, relishing in the soft sighs that passed through her lips.
"Oh, Eli…"
Just hearing her say his name like that was almost enough to make him lose it, and at this point there was no way she didn't know the kind of effect she was having on him. On cue, Clare turned around in his arms to face him, giving him a small smirk.
"You, Sir, are wearing too much." She teased, keeping her eyes locked on his as she brushed her hand against the hem of his pants, making his stomach flutter in anticipation.
Eli's heart hammered as she popped open the first button, then the second, then the third until finally slipping her hand inside. A choked noise erupted from the back of his throat as she wrapped her hand around him for the first time, his eyes wide in shock. He hadn't expected her to be so forward, especially during their first time. They'd done a little over-the-clothes fondling before, but that was really it.
It was strange, having him in her grasp. He was hot and hard. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, exactly. She wasn't exactly shocked by his size though – not after catching a glimpse of him during his streaking incident. Then again, it wasn't like she had anything (or anyone) to compare him to. Her and Jake had never crossed that threshold, and now thinking about her step-brother in such a way made her more than a little queasy. Meeting Eli's gaze, Clare gnawed at her bottom lip and gave him an experimental squeeze, causing him to whimper and jerk his hips. Deciding she was doing something right, she began to move her hand up and down his length, listening to his strangled moans and watching his face contort in pleasure as she did so.
"C-Clare… Clare… fuck, Clare… stop!"
Clare seized her ministrations instantly and quickly withdrew her hand.
"What? Did I do something wrong?" She asked.
Eli shook his head, fighting to catch his breath.
"No, I just… I didn't want to… finish like that." He told her, smiling weakly before pushing her back onto the blankets. A small smirk tugged at his lips as Clare gazed wide-eyed up at him. "Your turn."
"My turn?" Clare repeated in confusion, watching him slide down the length of her body until he was settled between her legs. She barely had any time to react as he made quick work of her satin panties and spread her legs before – "OH GOD!"
Euphoric. That was the only word that came to mind as Eli's tongue worked wonders on her, plunging in and out of her. His hands gripped her thighs, holding them open as he went down on her. Eyes rolling to the back of her head, her fingers weaved their way into his dark locks and gripped them tightly, torn between pushing him away and pushing him closer. As he continued to devour her, she couldn't hold back the gasps and moans bubbling from the back of her throat, her back arching and her heels digging into the floor of the hearse until finally she felt something inside her explode, and she swore she saw stars.
Slumping back, her entire body quivered as she came down from her high and she watched through lidded eyes as Eli sat up, his mouth glistening with, well, her. If she hadn't still been coming down from mind-blowing pleasure, she would've been embarrassed.
Eli's eyes darkened as he took in the sight of the flush-faced girl in front of him, still recovering from her orgasm.
"You taste amazing." He told her.
Clare threw him a frustrated look.
"Eli, I want you. I'm ready. I've been ready for a long time and I swear to God if you reject me again, I'm going to murder you." She said breathlessly.
He smirked at her and quickly leaned down to claim her mouth. Clare moaned as she tasted herself on his tongue. It was tangy and weird but strangely erotic and she found herself getting turned on by it. Eli pulled away, looking positively smug at her reaction before shoving his pants down and finally freeing his erection. She couldn't help but stare, thankful that he was too busy fishing for a condom to notice. At long last, he found one in the glove compartment and tore open the wrapper before sliding it over his member.
Making herself comfortable on the blankets, Clare licked her lips in anticipation.
It was finally happening.
"Ready?" Eli asked, positioning himself between her legs.
Clare took a deep breath to gather herself and nodded. "I'm ready."
Eli smiled and captured her lips in a sweet kiss as he slowly entered her for the first time. Beneath him, Clare's entire body went rigid and she whimpered painfully against his mouth, clutching his biceps tightly as she adjusted to the foreign sensation. Once fully sheathed inside her, Eli pulled back and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly.
"Yeah." Clare ground out. "Just… give me a minute."
He nodded and she shifted, trying to make herself comfortable and wincing when a sharp sting tore through her. She continued to wriggle and squirm until finally her body got used to having him inside of her.
"Okay," she murmured.
Eli kissed her forehead and, resting his weight on his elbows, he pulled out of her only to swiftly push back in. Clare's nails bit into his flesh, but the pain was nothing compared to the fire building in is groin as her walls clenched and unclenched around him. After a few minutes, Clare relaxed and rolled her hips up to meet his, sending jolts of pleasure coursing through both of them. Eli closed his eyes, his breathing growing shallow. It had been years since he'd last had sex. He didn't know how long he was going to last. He felt like a virgin all over again.
"Eli…" Clare sighed, her eyes fluttering shut as he moved. "Oh, Eli…"
Her moans were music to his ears, urging him to keep going. Picking up the pace, he wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing their bodies even closer. Clare's breath hitched and she tossed her head back, reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair. An animalistic growl erupted from his chest as he drew closer to his peak, and he buried his face in the crook of her neck to stifle his moans. With one final thrust, he fell over the edge, clinging desperately to the girl beneath him as his body shuddered and jerked before finally slumping forward in exhaustion.
"Oh, wow." Clare breathed, still toying with the hairs on the nape of his neck.
Eli smiled tiredly against her skin before lifting his head weakly. "Good wow?"
"Very good." She assured him.
He chuckled before sitting up and slowly pulling out of her. Clare winced slightly, grabbing a spare blanket to cover herself with while Eli discarded the used condom before joining her once more.
"Room under there for me?" He teased.
Clare rolled her eyes and he laughed before crawling under them and snuggling close to her. Clare sighed contently, laying her head on his chest.
"Thank you." She said quietly. "For everything. Tonight was better than anything I could've ever asked for."
"You mean that?" Eli asked.
"I mean that." Clare confirmed.
"Good. I'm glad." Eli said, draping his arm over her. "And whatever happens… just know that I'll always love you."
Clare smiled and closed her eyes. "I'll always love you too."
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FIN
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And there it is. Eclare Prom Sex. I hope you guys enjoyed. Please In the meantime, I'm going to bed.