"Where are we going?" Jake asked, his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel. Clare had called, mumbling for him to pick her up and he didn't ask questions. Since she had slipped into his truck, nose red and eyes wide, he hadn't been able to get much out of her and he was beginning to worry. "Clare?"
She came to life, turning to him and her teeth worrying her bottom lip as she sighed quietly. "Can you just pull over?" She spoke, her voice short and so unlike the girl he was used to. They were best friends and had been their whole entire life. Through mud pies and cooties, through dead frogs and childish fights. Through the distance where they kept in touch by snail mail and not once had he never been able to read her until now. But he did as she asked and pulled over, the truck coming to a stop by the curb.
They sat in silence for a moment or two before Clare unbuckled her seat belt and scooted toward the middle, leaning her back against the dashboard so that she was facing him. "Remember that time we went to that party and Wesley made us kiss for seven minutes and we agreed that it wouldn't change anything? And then it kind of just kept happening at random and it was nothing serious?"
For a moment, Jake swears that his heart drops to the pit of his stomach and bursts open because this sounds bad, really bad. He doesn't know if he could handle losing Clare as his best friend and her voice sounds so drained of emotion, he can't read her and he feels lost. "Well... yeah. It happened and... nothing changed?"
Clare shakes her head and tears her eyes away from his for a second but their eyes meet again and he knows what she's going to say before she actually does because he's felt it, too. "Everything changed, Jake."
"What? Clare, it's okay. We can... stop." He means it, really, but as soon as the words leave his mouth he knows that he doesn't want to. He quite enjoys the way her body feels either beneath him or on top of him. The way she blushes when his hands slid along her hips as they kiss. He likes how her eyes flutter and close as he kisses the tip of her nose or her cheek, along her neck or how comfortable they are with this. With one another.
"I don't want it to stop though," Clare admits softly, her cheeks turning red but her eyes stay steady and locked with his. "That's... that's kind of what changed and it's not fair for me to continue on while it means one thing to me and another to you. I can't take advantage of you like that. Of our friendship."
Jake really can't help it when he starts laughing, it happens without warning and Clare shoots him a glare but even that can't stop it coming from deep in his stomach before she's whacking him lightly against the arm with the oh-so-familiar, "Jake!" He finds that he can't breathe now and she sighs, her cheeks as red as his truck. "I'm being serious and you're laughing at me. Fine. I'm going home," She moves quickly to scoot and reach for the door but Jake easily wraps his arms around her waist and drags her gently into his lap so that she's facing him and it sobers him up as they just look at one another.
He doesn't think about it as his hand cups her cheek gently, his palm flat agains this jaw and his thumb brushing along her bottom lip. She doesn't know how to feel about it, about the way he always stirs something up inside of her and makes her feel like she's losing all control she has and it's confusing but she leans into his hand. Jake lets out a chuckle and shakes his head, "Oh Clare, you were never taking advantage of me. Who says I haven't ffelt the same way? That maybe I see you more than just my best friend. More than the girl who reads too many books and steals my covers during sleep overs. It's funny, don't you think? I think I know you better than I know myself. Is that love? Is this love? Am I falling for the girl who used to boss me around and got me in trouble for throwing a dead frog at her?"
"I don't know," her voice is honest and soft. "What does it feel like?"
After that, it's quiet for a few minutes. She watches as Jake thinks it over, as he smiles and even his cheeks turn the lightest shade of red.
"It feels like I can do anything because you believe in me. It's kind of... I feel like I'm not whole when you're not around. And when I look into a room, I always look for you." Her fingers curl in the front of his shirt and he drops his arm from her cheek to wrap it around he waist and drag her closer to him. "Maybe every time I see you, I want to kiss those cherry red lips and look into those beautiful blue eyes that make me feel not so alone. It's warmth when I'm upset and you somehow know and just take my hand and I don't know, Clare. You make it all kind of feel alright, like I'm gonna be okay if you stay there by my side. Like I need you to... I don't know."
Her eyes are kind of wet from unshed tears and she lays her forehead against his, her hands sliding from his chest to sit lightly on his shoulders. "Like you need to what?" She whispers and he can feel her heart against his chest and it's pounding. He wonders if she can feel his. "Like I need you to breathe, Clare. Maybe I am in love with you... are you in love with me?"
She doesn't know how to answer, she doesn't know how to word what she feels for Jake and then her lips are pressed against his and it's needy, it's passionate and kind of sloppy. It's like they're looking for answers in this kiss and then it slows, their lips moving together lightly and lovingly, his hands sliding to slip beneath the hem of her shirt and his fingers drag lightly over her back and she pulls back to look at him. "Maybe." She's breathless and red, her fingers are clumsy as she brushes her fingers through his hair and their whole world is flipped upside down. Where do two best friends go from here?
Clare can't think straight and it doesn't help that Jake's fingers on her back is making her head fill with static, Jake's lips on her cheek and jaw makes her dizzy. "What now?"
Its Jake's turn to pull back now and his hands return to her cheeks, holding her face gently as he shrugs lightly. "I was hoping it meant I could take you on dates, hold your hand more. Maybe more kissing than before and call you my girlfriend. But nothing really changes because you'll still be my best friend."
The grin that spreads across her face makes Jake laugh softly. "Are you asking me out, Jake Martin?" He takes a moment, tucking curls behind her ears and kissing her lightly, pressing her back against the wheel and when the horn honks, they're sent into hysterics and leaning against one another in their laughter but then their eyes meet and Jake nods. "Yeah, I'm asking you out. So, what do you say?"
Clare's eyebrows shoot up and she pulls him in for a kiss and it sure does feel like a yes.
I started writing this at like three am, so my tenses are all fucked up and I'm too lazy to change it. So yeah, there's that. I suppose this is also sort of AUish and fluffy. Hope you enjoyed it!