No long, funny AN this time. Haha.

Shout-outs for reviewing- VannHazel, Heart of the Wind 007, KaraD1282, The Cliffhanger Girl.

Chapter title: "I Am Warm & Powerful." Yes, another song from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Now onto the story! (=

Three hours after their little swimming rendezvous, Eli found himself hiding in his bathroom. After they finished swimming, he suggested that they go get some food, but Clare said that she wasn't hungry and asked if they could just hang out at his apartment instead. He couldn't even express how bad the idea was to him… But he didn't want to have to explain it to her when she asked him why they couldn't hang out there. So, like the good old Eli we know, he agreed, even if it would be tough for him to have her in his apartment again.

He looked at himself in the mirror. They were all there; all the signs. Just staring back at him and forcing him to face the truth. The first was that he clearly looked older than Clare, while she would still be considered a child. Facial hair suddenly equals adulthood nowadays, despite the fact that there are 14-year-olds with mustaches… Second, his height would definitely attract some attention. She was a measly 5-foot-2-inches, while his growth spurt had launched him into the 6-foot range. Six-foot-three, to be exact. Third, although it should be at the top of the list, their ages are definitely a problem. He was almost 18, and she would not be 15 until November 30th, which left a little more than 3 months open for him to get arrested. Try explaining all of that to her parents.

"Shit," he muttered to himself. He had to go out there some time. He couldn't just wait until she fell asleep while watching television on his couch.

He opened the door, surprised when he saw Clare standing there.

"Oh, I was just going to ask if you were okay. You've been in there for a while."

"I'm fine."

"That's good. Listen, it's getting kinda late, so I was wondering if I could stay here tonight. I can tell my mom I'm at one of my friend's houses."

That stupid charm…"Sure."

"Great, thanks. I'll text my mom. Oh, and since I obviously don't have any pajamas with me, do you, maybe, have a t-shirt I could borrow?"

"Yeah. Um, you can just go get one from my room." He pointed in the direction on a door that was painted black.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Clare opened the door to Eli's room, then pulled it shut behind her, leaving it ajar. She found his dresser and pulled open a random drawer. Discovering that it held pants, she tested a few others until she found one that housed shirts. She saw various band t-shirts, including a homemade one that sported a logo from Eli's parent's band. She chose a yellow one and changed into it. She was tempted to look around his room a little more, considering she would need to describe everything in detail to her friends when they presented her with a million questions.

But hey, I don't kiss and tell…

Eli was waiting on the couch, a movie already in the DVD player. He steered clear of any scary movies, so he'd have no excuse to have to be a 'hero.' A romantic comedy, ironically, would probably be one of the safest options. Even though the content matter would make his mind go crazy and would produce a billion thoughts he didn't approve of, it would keep them both laughing, hopefully. He'd rather laugh through his troubles than face them head-on.

He heard his door open, but he did not want to look in that direction.

Clare sat down on the couch next to Eli.

One glance at her made him hate the universe all over again. Out of every single t-shirt I have, she just had to choose a short one? Although she does look good in yellow… Damn you, brain of mine! I guess I'm going to have to suffer after all…

The movie proved to work out. That is, until the ending. Why do romantic comedies still have to have the cliché, sappy endings? Eli was sure that was what affected Clare's hormones, for she leaned over and kissed him. It took him a little while to even process what was going on. He pulled away from her, not saying anything for an extended period of time. When he finally spoke, however, he asked her, "Why do you like me?"

"What?"

"Just," he sighed. "answer the question. Please."

"Okay...I-I like you because I can be myself around you. You're really funny, and nice, and cute, and I just...I feel comfortable around you."

"But my age...I mean, after that, you're still willing to risk everything? You lied to your parents just so you could be here. I-I can't even fathom why you'd want to be with someone who—"

She put her finger to his lips. "I'm going to be 15 soon."

"Yeah, in 4 months. I'm turning 18 next month. I could go to jail. Trust me. Prison is not in my plans for the future. I-imagine what my parents would think."

She stood up from the couch. "I'm just gonna go."

"No," he said, grabbing her arm and tugging her back to the couch. "It's past midnight. I'll walk you home in the morning."

She took a deep breath. "Fine." She crossed her arms, sitting back down on the couch. Oh, Alli is definitely not hearing about this. I'll get laughed at for sure…