Disclaimer: I disclaim!
A/N: Hello! New fic! The plot bunnies are at it, it seems. ^_^; I'm planning to do a series of drabbles on Quil and Claire. So it's pretty much anything goes. This one was fun to write, so I hope you guys have fun reading it.
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Push-ups
"I don't ever want to grow up," Claire declares in a tone much too grim and final for an eleven year old. Underneath her, Quil pauses in the middle of a push-up. He can feel a smile tugging at his lips. Oh, he can't wait to hear this one. He resumes his push-ups, careful not to dislodge the girl lying on her back right on top of him.
"'Cause growing up's stupid," Claire fumes, right on cue. "It makes you do stupid things, like wearing make-up and wearing skirts and being mean to your little sister all the time." Quil can almost see the little pout on her face. So it is Sandra, again. He thinks of Claire's older sister, who turned fourteen a few months ago. Still not saying anything, he brings his body close to the floor, then slowly presses up.
"And then you start saying the stupidest things," she rages on. "Like how you can't make mud pies, or—or play basketball this afternoon, 'cause you just did your nails," she continues, disgust evident in her voice. Quil hears the hurt, too. Sandra is growing up, and she's leaving Claire behind.
"And you know what's the worst part of it, Quil?"
"No, Claire-bear, what is?"
"She said—she said it's going to happen to me too, soon!"
"Who did, sweetheart?" Quil stills for a moment as he feels her turn around so that now she's lying on her stomach. Her huff ruffles the hair draped on the back of his neck. When she settles, he starts pressing up again.
"Sandra. And that's not all she said," she mumbles to his back.
"Well, what else did Sandra say, Claire-bear?" He feels her bury her face between his shoulder blades and shake her head.
"It's too horrible, Quil!"
"All the more reason to say it then, yeah?"
"Well…she said that when it does happen to me, I—I can't hang with you anymore," she whispers sadly. She wraps her arms around Quil's neck and squeezes tightly.
Quil doesn't break his pace, but he almost does. So many things are starting to change in Claire's world, and he wants nothing more than to protect her from all the pain and heartaches her new world will bring. "Claire, honey, I want you to listen to me. Are you listening?" He feels her nod to his back. "I want you to know that you can take all the time you want growing up, you hear me? And it doesn't matter if you start doing that tomorrow, or in the next hundred years, 'cause I'll always—always—be there right by your side. Got that?"
"Yeah…got it. You're the best, Quil." She gives his neck another squeeze. He sighs in relief, glad to hear the sunshine back in her voice.
That's right, he thinks to himself. Claire can take all the time in the world to grow up, and no matter how long, no matter how difficult, no matter how painful it will be, Quil will wait for her.
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A/N: Leave a review, you guys. Constructive criticisms are appreciated. Belated Merry Christmas! ^_^
Luff,
smells like citrus