Author's note: This chapter is finally done! Seems like I've been working on it forever! Hum, little warning: this chapter is mostly a lemon, so expect a lot of sexual content. Enjoy!
Do you remember?
Fourth chapter
Their ride home seemed endless. The two young adults left the Red Lagoon more excited than when they'd entered it. There was a bit of the adrenaline coming from the confrontation with Andrew, but Claire knew it was mainly due to their exploding hormones. And maybe a little bit because of the alcohol…but not that much. It wasn't like they were drunk. Not after only having had one simple drink…
They'd almost burst into her apartment when they got back, the door flying open and scaring Claire's kitten for dear life. The feline had gone to hide itself somewhere for the rest of the night. They didn't even notice as they were too preoccupied to take off their shoes while French kissing.
The second they were done, Steve had pushed Claire against the wall of the hallway, his breathing heavy with anticipation, anxiousness and a hint of sweet alcohol. The girl didn't show the slightest sign of resistance as she let Steve pin her against her wall, lifting her up entirely from the floor, his arms solidly holding her thighs, his lips kissing her own hastily. She moaned with deep hunger when he pushed his hips forward, making their midsections touch in an electrifying way.
"How…how about we take this to my bedroom?" suggested Claire as she broke from their fiery kiss, panting heavily.
"Why? Don't you like it here?" replied the redhead, smirking as he started to lightly kiss her neck. He suddenly stopped when he felt her not moving at all. He then looked at her face and saw that she wasn't joking.
Well, miss doesn't like it kinky, it seems…
"Well, then…"
As Claire was about to wonder what the man had in mind, she was surprised to feel herself being lifted up in the air. She couldn't suppress a yelp of surprise as Steve placed her in his arms bride-style.
"What are you doing?" she asked while looking at him with a deep frown on her face.
"I am your knight in shiny armor, aren't I?" he replied grinning as he started to head for her bedroom like they were a newly-wed couple.
"For a knight in shiny armor, you're not really wearing much protection."
"Well, it's not like I'm gonna need it, huh?" he added when he reached the door of Claire's bedroom.
"I…I mean the armor, you silly…" quickly replied Claire as she suddenly stiffened in Steve's arms.
"Wait…aren't you on the pill?" asked Steve as he stopped on his track, a feet from the bed.
"I am, but…you're…infected, aren't you?" she barely whispered, feeling anxious for the first time since they got back from the club.
"I am not contagious if that's what you're asking," replied Steve smiling back at her, his eyes sad for some reason.
"Then…"
"And I am also infertile, so no worries, you won't end up having mutant babies," he laughed half-heartily. "They made countless tests on me to prove it…"
"I'm sorry…"
"It's fine. At least, I'm alive, huh?" he said right before he threw her on the comfy bed. The girl barely had time to react as she landed on her cushions and her stuffed doll Mollie, a squeaky sound escaping from her lips.
"Hey! What was that for-" Claire managed to say before she found herself trapped under Steve's body. The young man was hovering over her, his hands planted on each side of her face, a dangerous smile plastered on his lips. She could feel her whole body boiling as she stared into his green eyes. Despite the contacts, she could still see the longing in them and that made her react violently in the lower region of her body.
It's really been a long time…
Unsure of what to say or do, Claire stretched out her arms and laced them behind his neck, pulling him down on her, their lips crashing once more, their kisses getting more passionate by the second.
Now lying together in Claire's bed, they had passed the border and Steve took this as a sign to push things a bit further as his hands slowly slipped under the girl's flimsy top, feeling her incredibly hot and soft skin, and finally reaching firm and perfect breasts. Claire moaned in their kiss as he started to slowly massage them, careful to not touch too often her sensitive little spots. The girl squirmed under him and she started to claw his shirt, obviously telling him to take it off. The young man smiled and finally broke their breathless kiss as he stood up on his knees to remove his upper clothing. He was surprised to hear Claire giggling after exposing his bare torso.
"What?" he asked, frowning.
"Oh uh…it's nothing…just that…last time I was in that situation, the guy didn't really have your shape…" she explained, her cheeks as red as cherries.
"Are you saying I'm fat?" replied the man, offended.
Claire just giggled harder in reply. "Far from it…quite the opposite actually. He was quite the average guy…" she said looking sideways, almost ashamed of telling him about her past experience.
"And I'm not?" said back the young man as he tried to look at her in the eyes.
Claire returned the gaze and lifted up her head to kiss him softly on the lips. "Not…really." She then placed her hands on his bare torso and started to caress it lovingly while planting soft kisses on his cheeks, neck and lips.
The man shuddered at her touches. He then felt her playing with the buckle of his belt and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. It was the first time he got that close to a girl. Quite pathetic for a guy of his age, but he couldn't really complain since this was Claire Redfield we were talking about. Claire friggin' Redfield. The girl who had haunted his dreams for so long. The girl he had longed to see again, even to the risk of putting his second life in danger. The girl he had fallen in love with seven years before. The girl, no, young woman, he was still in love with. It had been clear to him back on the dance floor. His feelings for her hadn't changed. They only seemed to have multiplied.
"…you're quite something to look at," she continued, smirking softly. For some reasons, she had stopped playing with his belt buckle and seemed to stare at something near his navel.
"Claire…?" Steve almost felt like laughing, wondering why the hell she was looking at his navel when he understood.
He understood that she was looking at his old – and gruesome – scar, the one created by the wound that killed him back in that cold and damned Antarctic base.
"Steve…that's…"
"Yeah…" he sighed, suddenly not really feeling in the "mood" any longer. He was then surprised when Claire gently touched his scar with the tip of her fingers. A sad expression enveloped her face and Steve was now convinced their making-out session was completely over. But the young woman seemed to think otherwise as she placed herself on her knees at the same level as the redhead. Her hands continued to wander on his torso and arms, one of her hands stopping on his prisoner tattoo from Rockfort. He had tried to remove it in any way he could, but it was permanent. Like his scar, a constant reminder of his past life.
Fortunately, Claire didn't linger too long and even though he could tell she had questions she wanted to ask, about his condition, about his feelings, about the Organization, she had decided to ask the only thing he didn't expect her to:
"So, um…is this your first time?"
There was no need to lie. Not with her.
"What if it is?" he replied, trying his best to look nonchalant as he slowly brought his hands to her curvy hips.
"Nothing wrong with that…I mean…I haven't done it since college, to be honest," she admitted, feeling the heat in her face and in the rest of her body rising.
"You're serious?"
"What, you look disappointed," she smiled as she finally returned to his belt, this time successful at unbuckling it, making the young man stiffen a little.
"N-no…it's just…I would have thought that after all those years…" he managed to reply, his breathing getting heavier as he felt Claire sliding his pants down his thighs. This…we're actually doing it…
"After all those years what? That I would have slept around with many people?" she said back, feeling a bit offended. It was her body that was now stiff.
Steve heavily sighed in response, feeling the need to disconnect himself from her. "No…I would have thought that maybe…you would be married with kids….or at least had a boyfriend at some point," he explained trying to return the situation to something a bit more positive.
"Well, it didn't seem to bother you one bit to know that I was still single…"
"At this moment, but this doesn't mean that in the past…"
"Hush."
A warm finger against his lips stopped him from aggravating their discussion. The same finger that had convinced him to stay with her that night.
"So, the story is that we are both pathetic."
"We are?"
"Yep. You're still a virgin at your age and I didn't get any for more than seven years. That's a bit pathetic, no?" she said and started to laugh as realization hit her completely. And despite how absurd it was and maybe that was the reason, Steve also laughed at the absurdity of their discussion and situation.
"Well, I'm sorry, but I do have the excuse that I was kept inside a capsule for five years," said Steve as he moved forward and completely laid Claire down on the bed, stretching her legs so he would stand over her once again. As she had done to him, he slowly removed her jeans and immediately noticed something on her left leg. A bandage was wrapped around it and it was a bit dark from blood.
"What's this?" he said while lightly touching it. He could tell the blood was still fresh. He could smell it.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a wound I got at the Wilpharma facility…it's nothing bad or any—" she explained but soon got cut off as Steve started to slowly massage it with the tips of his fingers.
"Does it hurt?" he asked a moment after, feeling the girl tremble a little under his touch.
"A little…" she inhaled, her eyes closing at the slightly burning sensation.
"Sorry…" added the man, replacing her leg on the bed. He then slowly crawled over her, the thundering sound of his heart beating resonating with hers. He could hear it so clearly, it was crazy. And for a few seconds, they just stared at each other, their skin tingling with anticipating, their lips wanting more. Neither dared to speak, letting the silence surround them. At last, after what seemed forever, Steve decided to free Claire from the ruby top that was still lingering over her generous blossom, the view making him draw in his breath. She was so beautiful. So perfect despite all the battle scars he could spot on her smooth skin. They were the proof she was a survivor. A fighter. He could feel her gaze upon him as he kept burning her bare splendor into his mind. It would probably take some time before they'd see each other again he thought sadly. But he rapidly put those thoughts aside, it wasn't the time and Claire was clearly growing impatient.
"You're so…beautiful," he hoarsely said as he started to trace the contours of the girl's left breast with warm fingers.
He could feel her tremble again, but this time he knew it was from pleasure. He kept caressing her, his other hand fully cupping her unattended breast, squeezing it lightly and grazing the tip with his thumb. Claire emitted a soft groan and Steve was suddenly afraid that he wasn't doing the right thing. It was silly to think that while he was quite aware from his lover's face that she was enjoying it, but he couldn't shake the feeling that what he was doing wasn't enough.
He continued to caress her chest, his hands now moving up to her neck and down to her stomach, his lips making contact with hers now and then. Claire moaned when he started sucking on her neck. It gave him more confidence to go further as he guided his left hand down between her legs. But before he could do anything, she stopped him.
"Wait…" she said almost breathlessly.
Steve immediately stopped any movement, fearing he might have hurt her. "What is it?"
But instead of replying, the brunette rose from the bed and placed her hands on Steve's broad shoulders. She then gently pushed him upward so the two of them could stand face to face on their knees. She sweetly smiled at him before closing the gap between them and kissing him once more on the lips, her tongue gaining immediate access to his mouth. Steve froze for a second, but then succumbed to the fiery kiss as he replied to it with force, his hands now traveling all over her body. Claire moaned in surprise when he clumsily grabbed her buttocks.
Steve quickly retreated back from her body, looking a bit embarrassed.
"I'm sorry…I'm all over the place…"
"It's okay…just relax…"
"I'm…trying…" he sighed, looking sideways.
Claire smiled in reply, "Let me…", as she delicately took his hands in hers and placed one over her left breast and the other between her legs. The red-head gasped at how warm and damp her undergarment was. He didn't move his eyes from hers as she now placed her own hands over his toned chest. He looked for a sign of approval, but was a little surprised when she started to move on her own, making his hands slowly rub her body. She immediately uttered a soft moan and it didn't take long before Steve caught the reason behind her doing as he started to move his two hands, slowly, making sure to put the pressure at all the right places. The girl shuddered under his touches, her knees bending.
"Ahh….like that…." she hotly ushered as she wrapped her arms around his torso, her face pressed against his neck, her breath hot against his skin. It sent a violent shock down his body and more precisely around his arousal. It was getting more and more uncomfortable. He didn't want to rush things, but he couldn't wait all night. His right hand left the young woman's breast only to bring it under her chin so he could kiss her again. She didn't resist as she let him explore her mouth once more, his other hand now boldly moving inside her underwear, his large calloused but warm fingers tentatively caressing her sensitive flesh. She felt like screaming but she let it die in their kiss. He first let his fingers glide along her folds, and then took the initiative to insert one of them inside, making the girl break their kiss.
"Oh, Steve…" she hastily moaned, her hands now gripping his shoulders.
"So…how…am I doing so far?" he asked breathlessly as he started to slowly move his finger.
"N-Not bad…for a rookie," she smirked, now deciding to take over, her hands leaving Steve's shoulders and traveling down to his boxers. The feeling of his arousal through her palm made her shiver. It was erratically throbbing, wishing to be set free. She could hear the young man gasp in delight the second she started to fondle it.
"You've been holding up all night, didn't you? It must hurt…" she said as she kept on caressing him through the fabric of his underwear.
Steve drew in his breath as he felt himself getting to the edge. In reply, he moved a little more rapidly between the girl's thighs, making her emit a heated moan of pleasure.
"Not my fault, princess…" he started, his hot breath against her right ear. "Wearing those clothes you wore…should be illegal…"
"Poor thing…why don't you remove what's left then?" she chuckled, tugging at her black panties.
The red-head took a moment to contemplate the view, Claire Redfield in all her naked beauty, minus the flimsy piece of clothing hanging from her lovely hips, her hair still pulled in a loose ponytail. Her muscular stomach was rising rapidly; the tips of her breasts were hard and had this lovely rosy color. He still couldn't believe it was happening.
"You don't have to tell me twice…" he smiled as he took her in his arms and undid her ponytail much to the girl's surprise. He watched her hair cascade down her shoulders and back. It was longer than he thought. Claire stared back at him, cocking an eyebrow.
"What? I always wondered how you looked with your hair down," he replied in defense as he now moved his hands down to her undergarment.
"Satisfied?"
"Very," he whispered as he let himself go down on the bed, his lips kissing her breasts, her stomach and then reaching her midsection. He grabbed the black fabric and slowly slid it down her legs and allowed the brunette to completely remove it. He could hear her breath getting heavier, her heartbeat increasing in pace. The fact that she was that excited to do this with him thrilled him entirely.
He stretched back up to face her again, placing his hand down to her warm entrance once again, letting his fingers do the magic work, a bit more intensely that time. Claire immediately reacted, her back arching as she let a loud moan escape her lips. She had grabbed his shoulders to steady herself. And unexpectedly, and almost harshly, she grabbed the young man's underwear, and slipped it down to reveal his aching arousal. Steve gasped as the fresher air of the room made contact with his bare skin.
"Does it feel better?" asked Claire as she placed her hand on his toned stomach. He was surprised at how she could speak so clearly, her whole body was vacillating under his caresses.
"Y-yeah…" he managed to reply as he felt her hand slowly descending on his erection, her curious fingers lightly touching the tip and then the entire length. He kept looking at her in the eyes; she was smiling, obviously enjoying torturing him like that.
"And…how about that?" she added as she fully grabbed his sex with her hand. The young man loudly grunted, amazed by the way it felt. Her hand was so soft, yet her grip was strong and tender at the same time.
"It's…great…" he uttered as he tried to continue pleasing the girl, but the task was getting harder and harder as she started to rub his sex quite vigorously.
"C-Claire…if you keep doing that, I'll…"
As he said those words, the brunette immediately stopped, but kept her hand around him. "Oh, we don't want that, do we?" she whispered in his ear as she slowly pushed her body against his so he could lay down the bed, her straddling him.
"You don't mind me taking the top, I hope?" she then added as she slowly started rolling her hips against his erection.
"Uh…no…not at all…" he gasped out, feeling himself reaching an orgasm quite rapidly.
The young woman took a moment to look at him, his chest rapidly rising, his Adam's apple moving in anticipation, his parted lips craving for more of her kisses. He was alive. He was truly alive; she had no doubt about it now. And the hot flesh pulsing against her right inner thigh told her that a certain part of him was also quite alive at that moment. And it needed attention.
Claire smiled at that as she positioned herself, her back arching, her long hair falling down, caressing lightly Steve's pectoral. She could hear him chuckle softly at the touch. She then leaned forward and met his lips with her own while she took his throbbing sex in her hand, leading it slowly to her warmth. The young man gasped as he felt himself entering the brunette, her tightness almost making him lose control.
"Oh…" he moaned against Claire's mouth.
"How is it? Want to go deeper?" purred the girl, her breath extremely hot against his face. She had placed her hands on his shoulders and he could now feel her going all the way down. In a second, he completely disappeared inside her.
"Ahh, Steve…" she whispered while closing her eyes. She had stopped moving and both were now standing still, savoring the most intimate contact two people could have.
"You okay if I start to move?" finally said Claire after a few seconds, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"Hey…I'm not that lame to come at the first-" started the redhead who was soon cut off by feeling the girl on top of him moving up her body, depriving his arousal from her incredible warmth. He then hissed loudly as she slowly went down. He could really sense an orgasm coming up. That was bad.
"Huh….you were saying?" smiled the young woman as she closed the distance between their bodies, her lips now kissing his neck.
"G-give me a minute…and I'll be fine," replied Steve as he embraced her, enjoying the feeling of her full firm breasts against his chest. He never could have dreamed that he'd be here with her, savoring this moment.
When he could finally feel his arousal lose a bit of its enthusiasm, he gently lifted the girl up so she would hover over him. They gazed at one other once more and when Steve saw the devilish grin on Claire's face, he understood he was in for one hell of a ride.
And without saying anything, she started to move, more quickly this time and Steve thought he would never survive the night. The feeling was incredible and indescribable. It was like having jolts of warm lightning pierce your whole body. He then realized that his eyes were closed and when he opened them he witnessed the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
Claire Redfield on top of him, her long reddish hair flowing with the movement of her body, her round breasts bouncing lightly at each stroke, her face flustered, and her mouth slightly open, letting out wonderful moans and gasps of pleasure. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined her like that. Keeping control was getting harder and harder as the young woman kept increasing the pace, her hands now holding his shoulders for support. Engulfed in his own pleasure, he brought his hands to her buttocks, holding them firmly and putting more pressure on the penetration.
"Oh, god..!" loudly moaned Claire as she threw her head back, feeling herself reaching her peak, Steve's manhood getting harder by the second. He would also come if she didn't stop. And as much as she wanted to let everything go, to experience that pure bliss, she sharply stopped moving, making her partner groan in utter dissatisfaction.
"Sorry mister knight…I don't want it to end now…" she panted while smiling at the confused man.
"Do…do you know how much of a tease you are… right now?" he managed to reply, also panting heavily, clearly feeling his sex on the verge of exploding. He then thought he was done for when the girl removed herself from him.
"Will you ever stop complaining?" she said playfully as she rolled on her back, patting the mattress right beside her. "I'm giving you the chance to take the lead for once," she finished, giving him the sexiest smile.
Steve stared at her for a few seconds, unable to move, unsure of what to do next. She was basically offering herself to him. Completely. But he wasn't a fool. She certainly had something in the back of her mind. But she was offering and Steve found that he couldn't refuse that kind of invitation.
Still smiling at him, Claire watched the redhead slowly rolling toward her, his whole body radiating warmth. And then, tentatively, he caressed the side of her body, her right breast, the curve of her hip and the beginning of her tight. And sneakily his fingers moved directly to her womanhood, causing her to loudly moan, her hands gripping the bed sheets around her.
The young man just returned her smile as he placed his body over hers. She gasped at the extra weight, but it was also comforting and the feeling of his almost hairless skin and hard sex excited her beyond imagination. She couldn't wait; they were done with foreplay for the night.
"Come on…" she whispered as she longingly caressed his muscular back and arms.
"Impatient, are we?" he simply replied as he removed his fingers and slowly positioned himself. Unlike her, he didn't want to be a tease and he swiftly entered her, his knees and heart immediately weakening at the contact of her incredible warmth.
"Ah yes…" she gasped out as he was fully inside her, their bodies glued together, their heartbeat in unison. They were a whole now and Steve wondered if he ever felt that content in his entire short life. He then slowly started to move but was quickly stopped as the girl held his arms firmly.
"What is it?" he frowned as he stared down at her. For some reasons, she looked embarrassed as she was looking sideways when she finally replied:
"Can…can you remove your…contacts?"
Of all the things she could have told him in that situation, he never expected that request.
"My contacts? Why?" he chuckled as he tried to read her expression. He then felt her tightening around him which made him gasp in surprise.
"Don't tell me…they turn you on?" he then said, baffled. The young woman kept avoiding his gaze as she bit her lower lip and shyly shook her head. Her fingers were now making circles on his back.
"Well, well…you're surprising me here, Miss Redfield, I have to admit," he replied as he pushed himself a bit from her body so he could remove them.
"Oh shut up…" she playfully whispered back as she finally returned her gaze on his face, watching him taking off his contacts confidently with the tips of his fingers. He then paused when he realized that their casing was in his pants.
"Fuck this…I'll wear sunglasses tomorrow…" he said as he placed the useless accessory on Claire's night table.
"You have others at work?" asked the brunette as she slightly moaned when the young man moved back his body over hers. He only nodded in reply and Claire sucked in her breath when she caught a glimpse of his golden eyes. In her dimly lit room, they were glowing, almost like the reflecting eyes of a cat. And yes, they did turn her on and she had no idea why, but the more she stared at them, the more she wanted him.
Steve understood it clearly. She was erratically pulsating around him, silently begging him to move. She would never say it and they both knew it. He went down on her and kissed her fully on the mouth, gently at first and when he started to slide in and out of her, she unexpectedly assaulted his lips and tongue, making him groan in raw passion. He could accept the pain if it meant he could please her as much as he wanted, any way he wanted. That encouraged him to go faster, his hands now firmly grabbing her breasts. She emitted a series of hot moans that brought him dangerously to the edge. He decided to slow down, but the young woman immediately grabbed his rear, forcing him to keep going at the same pace.
"D-Don't stop…" she panted as she wrapped her legs around the redhead's torso, increasing heavily the penetration and driving both lovers to the edge, Steve first, his whole body tensing as he took in the orgasm, and then Claire who bit the neck of the young man to prevent herself from screaming.
And for a few seconds, neither moved, enjoying the feeling of their warm bodies so intimately close.
"Do you think we woke up your neighbors?" finally said Steve, breaking the silence.
"I'm sure it pleased Miss Thompson," replied Claire, trying to keep a straight face. He could see she was on the verge of laughing.
"Who's that?"
"My neighbor on the left. She's been teasing me about being single ever since I moved in here…so it wouldn't surprise me if she'd been listening to us the whole time, eating popcorn," explained the girl who finally burst out laughing.
"You joking! She must be like those crazy cat ladies who spend their afternoons watching sitcoms and waiting for their prince charming to take them away," replied Steve who also started laughing.
"Hush! Don't say that! But yeah, it's mostly the case…" replied Claire, making her best to stop her giggles. But her reply increased Steve's laughter and she found it impossible to suppress her own.
It lasted a few minutes, but it felt like eternity to Claire. How she wished things could remain that way. But she wasn't naïve. She knew by the morning, Steve would have to go his way and who knew when they'd see each other again. She felt a strong pressure on her chest at the thought and found her longing for the man doubled.
She rolled a bit on her side so she could face the redhead. She then let her right index slowly caress his chest and stomach, going steadily down until she made him gasp with a wicked satisfaction.
"And what do you think you're doing?" asked Steve as he also rolled a little so he could look at her in the eyes.
"Oh, I don't know… abusing you, maybe?" she grinned back as she started to caress him slowly, and then gaining a bit of speed, making the young man moan.
"Claire…"
"You know…" started Claire as she suddenly stopped her ministrations and placed her body on top of Steve's.
"We have at least seven years of catch-up to do…"
"That's a lot…" replied Steve, cocking his eyebrow and lifting his hands to her hips.
"Exactly…so how about we continue working on that?" she grinned as she led him inside her once again.
"I…have no objection at all," grinned back the young man, seeking her lips and letting her engulf him with pure bliss.
Claire woke up the next morning with an incredible feeling of completeness, satisfaction. It took her a while to understand the source of that state. Her legs ached. A lot.
She scoffed with amusement and turned to her left, expecting to see a young redheaded male by her side, but what she saw turned her blood cold. Beside herself, the bed was empty.
No…
Did he leave already? Or was what happened the last night just a dream? It couldn't be. Not when her legs were still shaky and her skin a bit damp with sweat. Her bedroom also had the distinctive scent of love-making.
Last night was real, but where's Steve? Did he really…?
She could almost instantly feel tears coming to her eyes, but she then heard something in her kitchen, some clanking sounds.
She stopped breathing for a few seconds and could positively hear someone moving around in her kitchen and that put her at ease right away. Swiftly putting on her red bathrobe and the corny rabbit slippers her brother gave her a few years ago for Christmas, she timidly walked out of her room and into the kitchen.
And there he was.
Steve was occupied fetching some ingredients in her fridge. He didn't seem to notice her.
"Good morning," she finally said, heading toward the kitchen counter, curious about what he was doing.
The man jumped a bit and turned around, a look of surprise and embarrassment in his face.
"Jesus! You scared me," he replied, almost dropping the eggs on the floor.
"Wow and I thought you had enhanced hearing and all."
"Normally yes, but I don't know…I feel a bit distracted this morning…must be something to do with a certain girl and a crazy night," he grinned back at her, deposing the eggs and checking if something was missing.
"A crazy night, huh? In a bad or good way?" she asked, understanding now that he wanted to make some pancakes.
"In a good way! You have no idea what this meant to me…I never had this much fun in…forever," he said, staring at the mixing bowl. He suddenly seemed sad, almost on the verge of crying.
"Steve…" whispered the brunette, tenderly putting her hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry! I thought about making some pancakes, is that okay with you?" he exclaimed back, hiding the sadness from his face.
"Sure, I didn't know you could cook though," she smiled back, watching him starting to mix the ingredients.
"Haha, well, it's pretty much the only thing I can cook," he chuckled. "Go sit down and you'll be able to taste Steve Burnside's marvelous pancakes!"
"As long as you don't poison me, boyo," giggled back the woman, taking place at the table and watching him work. She took notice of his every move, of the way he looked at his pancake cooking in the pan with utter concentration (in the daylight, his golden eyes looked almost normal, honey-like), how his lips were pursing, how the muscles of his forearms were flexing. She wanted to remember everything, because she knew he was going away that morning. And she had no idea if they would see each other again. The thought made her heart ache painfully.
When Steve was done cooking, they ate with gusto – Claire wondered if her ferocious appetite was due to all that "exercise" from the last night – and talked about anything they could think of. It was jovial and Claire was grateful for it.
After they were satiated, Claire offered Steve to take a shower before leaving. He teasingly asked her to come with him, but she kindly declined saying that her little shower wasn't big enough for the two of them.
He was done so quickly that Claire didn't have time to think about what was going to happen next. When she saw him gathering his things, which was barely anything, she realized that he was really going away. Leaving her side once again.
He had put on his jacket and was now waiting by the door, obviously unsure of what to say, what to do.
"Claire…"
"I know: you have to go…"
"You know I'd stay, but…I can't…" he whispered, looking down.
The young woman slowly approached him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly.
"Will we see each other again…?" she whispered, trying her best to not cry. It was so hard now that she was living the moment she dreaded the most.
"Of course we will…I just don't know when…" replied the redhead, hugging her back.
"You can't tell me this…not after showing up like you did last night," said the woman, looking at him in the eyes.
"It wouldn't be wise to meet again soon…and we would have to meet somewhere else. It would be too dangerous if I come back here."
"I get that…so what's the plan?"
"I will contact you in four weeks…don't be surprised, it will probably be a coded message; I can't take too many risks."
"How will I know it's from you?"
"Oh, you'll know" he winked back at her, managing a weak smile.
"Steve…"
Claire didn't know what to say and was somehow thankful when Steve kissed her tenderly. That was what she needed the most. Promises, you couldn't count on those. She learned her lesson back in 1999. But, that kiss and all that it represented, she could hold on to that. She could hope.
Hope that she could taste those lips again. And again.
She could feel his mouth tremble against hers. Instinctively, she pulled his head and deepened their kiss, never wanting to let go.
It was hard to break up, so hard. But it had to be done. Both knew it.
"I have to go…"
"I know…" whispered Claire, biting her lip hard.
The young man turned around and opened her door. Before he could step outside, she stopped him. Steve mentally cursed; it was already hard enough for him to leave her behind. If he was staying there a minute longer, his determination would crumble and he didn't know what would happen next. Nothing good anyway.
"Claire…" he said, a warning tone in his voice.
"You forgot to put on your sunglasses," she smiled at him.
Oh. Steve smiled back and searched his pocket for the shades. He then walked away.
Claire stepped out of her apartment and watched him go. She had the sudden urge of running after him, but she restrained herself.
"Steve! Just so you know: I won't wait for you forever! Seven years was already too long!"
The man didn't look back. He just kept on walking and Claire couldn't blame him because deep down, she knew that behind his sunglasses, he was crying like she was.
To be continued.