(Claire's POV)
How does he do that? How does it he makes it sound so simple? For a moment a feel like I've got this all wrong, that Alice and I should just…, and then I remember the work left to do, the people to look after, there's no time for distractions. "You don't understand" I tell him, "It's complicated". He shakes his head,
"No, an apocalypse is complicated, everything else should be easier after that"
I stare at him as the words wash over me, I've always thought about how hard this is, not how easy it is now the apocalypse is over. Maybe it doesn't get easier, maybe we are waiting on something that will never happen? I look away as I think about it, searching the flames as they dance across the smouldering pile of chopped wood, crackling and popping against the silence. Knowing that we will be together eventually is one thing but knowing it might never happen is something else. Without another thought I stand, body aching to find her, my reasons clear in my mind. But Chris. He watches me hesitate, he sees the inner conflict, should I go to find her or stay with him on his first night here. He tells me to go, and I know by the tone of his voice that he means it. As a thank you I leave him my beer, and then head into the darkness towards the house.
It's a short walk between the fields but it's pitch black and silently earie, the only sound coming from my boots against the grass, and my anxious breathing. I have fought to my near death and not felt nervous, and yet, with what I'm about to do I can't seem to control it. I'm about 100 yards from the house when the radio at my hip crackles. I smile to myself, I knew she would see me walking across the field.
"Claire?" her voice comes through clear. I put the bit to my mouth,
"We need to talk" is all I can tell her. There's a pause, she knows what will happen if I come up, but she doesn't argue.
"I'm at the top, front left room, copy"
"Copy that," I put the radio back on my hip and look at the top window where I know she'll be watching me from, and as I grow closer I see her there with her hands resting on the windowsill, her eyes on me.
I open the front wooden door which sits crooked and squeaks as I push it. The house is dark with no electrics, the wood cold and creaky from the draft - there's broken glass windows in nearly every room. I make my way up the stairs, my footsteps echoing off the empty walls until finally I reach the top. I see the open door to the room she is in. I see the flickering candles against the doorway as I step closer. I see her push away from the window as I enter, she turns and looks at me in the dim light, a wry smile appears on her face. I know what she's thinking before she steps closer, I know that we won't be able to stop ourselves now that we are alone.
"Claire, you shouldn't be here," she says huskily. We move closer to one another, meeting in the middle of the empty room.
"Then, you shouldn't have made it so easy" I tell her and offer her a flirtatious smile. Already she's reaching out, her hand is on my elbow, moving down my arm, her fingers brush against mine,
"You wanted to talk?" she asks, and I nod,
"Alice," she's watching me, watching my lips as I speak.
"Uh huh?" her voice hums as her eyes glance up to meet mine. She's doing her best to not kiss me, I decide to make it easier by taking a slight step backwards, naturally I let go of her hand.
"I've been thinking…" I pause, take a breath "about this, about us"
"I noticed" she raises an eyebrow. She's referring to earlier in the day, when I was daydreaming about that night. I feel my cheeks flush, I smile,
"No not that, I mean, yes, but not just sex," now she's smiling, I grin and shake my head to get back on track. "Look, I've been thinking about us, I know we agreed to wait, but we have a campsite, the house, food and goods, I mean, how settled do we have to be?" She stares at me, and I know she's starting to question herself. "What if there's never a right time? I don't want…"
"Claire," she says my name softly.
"…I don't want to look back to realise it's too late. And I'm tired, tired of pretending, tired of making excuses when a guy asks me out. For once I'd like to tell them truth. I want them to know, I want to look at you from across the room and not worry about who's watching,"
"Claire," she whispers my name again.
"…and wake up beside you and not worry about how long it will be until…" my words are silenced by her mouth now against mine, lips gentle, her hands on my cheeks. The kiss lasts a few seconds before she pulls back to look at me,
"Maybe now is the right time?" she whispers into me. I look in to her green eyes, beautiful against candle light flickering in the space behind her. She assures me in that one look that she is serious, and that there is no right time, there's only now.
"Kiss me again" I ask her, and she does, this time her tongue gently makes its way past my lips caressing mine, and she knows by the sounds I am making that it's undeniably arousing. She knows by the way my hands start to pull at her top, my fingers on the rim of her trousers that I want her, not just for the night but tomorrow and always and I don't care who knows it.