I'll Cover You
Author's Note: I don't own Degrassi nor any other literary or pop culture references. I feel like I'm constantly apologizing for not updating as quickly as I'd like, but again, I'm sorry for the delay. So… this chapter gets a little… heavy, so if I need to change the rating, please don't hesitate to let me know. I feel like I've kept it at T, but if it needs to be changed, I will.
Chapter 8
Crackling
"Come on, Eli, I'm freezing!" Clare exclaimed, her frame shaking slightly as she picked up her pile of clothes from the dock, stepping into her shoes.
"You're too cold-natured," Eli accused as he lazily climbed up the ladder on the side of the dock.
"Ugh, I'm walking back without you," she threatened, turning on her heel to leave.
"Without a light?" he teased, holding up the lantern. Eli laughed as Clare came to an abrupt halt.
"I thought not," he smirked, picking up his own pile of clothes.
Once they were back inside, Clare and Eli each grabbed their overnight bags. Eli showed Clare to a downstairs bathroom, explaining where everything was so she could take a warm shower, before going upstairs to another bathroom to do the same.
Eli couldn't kid himself, he was freezing, and the warm water instantly thawed the chill bumps on his arms and legs. After drying off and putting on some dark plaid flannel pajama pants and a faded t-shirt, he descended back to the first floor. He could still hear the water running in the bathroom where he'd left Clare.
As he entered the living room, he instantly went to work setting up their accommodations for the evening. He pulled an air mattress out of a cabinet on the far wall beside the couch, spreading it long ways out in the large space in front of the fire place before turning on the pump. While the mattress filled itself with air, he set about starting a small fire in the old fireplace. He had just gotten it to really catch as Clare entered the room, smelling of floral shampoo. She wore a pair of brightly patterned pajama capris and a dark blue tank top.
"We're sleeping in here?" she asked, curiously.
"It's not really practical to heat the whole house just for one night, so yeah, I hope you don't mind," he explained.
"Not at all, it's been a long time since I've gotten to enjoy a real fire. My grandparents have a fireplace, but it's one of those gas ones where you just turn on a switch, and bam, instant fire," she answered.
"Leaves a little left to be desired, doesn't it?" Eli joked as he turned off the pump on the now fully inflated mattress.
"Yeah, I suppose. Where are the bed linens? I can start making the bed," she offered.
"In a closet right next to the bathroom you were in."
Eli smiled as Clare set back off down the hallway. Despite their little bump in the road as they were leaving the party, the evening was progressing relatively close to how he'd imagined.
"I got the linens, but I didn't see any pillows," Clare explained as she re-entered the room, setting down a pile of sheets and blankets on the air mattress.
"Oh yeah, my bad, I'll get 'em. They're upstairs."
Eli took the stairs two at a time before entering a small bedroom on the second floor. A large wardrobe stood opposite the door where Eli grabbed an armful of pillows before heading back downstairs.
Clare had already finished dressing the bed when he arrived. They each pulled cases on the pillows before tossing them to the head of the bed. The fire had caught nicely and the light danced off the walls around the room. Eli laid on his stomach across the mattress, facing the fire as Clare walked away.
"Where're you going?" he asked, confused.
"To turn the lights off, silly," she laughed, flicking off the switch.
"Oh, right…"
Clare joined him on the mattress, mimicking his position.
"I love the sound of a fire," Clare beamed.
"Me too. Something about the crackle is just relaxing."
Eli couldn't help but glance at Clare. Even with damp curls framing her face, she was radiant. Turning on his side, and reaching over to her, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, before softly kissing her cheek. Before his lips left it, he could feel the heat of her blush rising to her pale face.
"Always blushing, Edwards," he chuckled.
"I can't help it," Clare replied, her voice barely a whisper as she turned her head, catching his lips with her own.
Eli returned the kiss, chastely at first, draping his free arm across her back. As his hand brushed the skin above the back of her tank top, Clare rolled to face him, placing an arm behind his lower back and pulling him to her.
A feeling of surprise crept over Eli. He hadn't expected Clare to be so forward. As he felt her small hand creep under the hem of his shirt, he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Eli was surprised yet again, when Clare leaned back to lay on her back, very literally pulling Eli's torso on top of her own. She continued to pull him to her, so he carefully moved his legs so that he lay above her.
Clare let out a faint breathy moan as Eli removed his lips from hers, bringing them slowly across her cheek, down her jaw, and to the soft skin in the crook of her neck. As he openly kissed her neck, the hands she'd placed under his t-shirt began to rise, pulling his shirt over the top of his head. Eli felt a gasp escape his mouth as he returned his attention to her neck as he felt her hands caress the skin of his chest.
"Clare…" he whispered.
"Yeah?"
"You… you need to tell me… when to stop," he explained as he kissed the top of her shoulder, pushing the thin strap of her tank top aside.
"I will…" she half-moaned.
Eli couldn't resist the urge to move against her anymore. As he returned his lips to hers, he began to grind his hips against Clare's, reveling in the pleasure this simple act brought him. A loud gasp escaped Clare's lips as Eli leaned on one elbow before letting his free hand slide slowly up Clare's side underneath the thin fabric of her tank top, hesitating just below her breast.
He opened his eyes briefly, taking a brief pause from their kisses, almost searching for permission from Clare. Much to his surprise, she looked up into his eyes, before nodding for him to continue.
With a renewed passion, he kissed Clare with a fire like he'd never kissed her before as his hand came to rest on her breast, his thumb teasing her most sensitive area. A deep moan escaped Clare's lips behind their kiss. Her hands moved from Eli's chest to his sides, her short fingernails digging lightly into the pale skin just above the waistband of his pants.
A sharp gasp fell from Eli's lips as Clare's hands continued to move before one of her hands began to shyly dip just below the waist band of his pants as well as his boxers.
"Clare… you don't… have to…"
The words came out huskily, dripping with lust.
"Just because… I want to wait… doesn't mean… we can't…" The words came out in pieces between their kisses as Clare reached inside his boxers, taking him in her hand. Despite a slight tremble, she seemed sure of herself.
Deciding to even the odds, Eli removed his hand from under Clare's tank top before tugging at the waistband of her pajama pants. Swiftly, Clare pulled her hand away and let Eli tug them down before tossing them to the side. As they fell back into their rhythm, Clare returned her attention to Eli, returning her hand to continue pleasuring him. Eli in turn, ran his hand down to Clare's hips, lightly massaging her inner thigh before caressing her through the thin fabric of her cotton panties.
Eli heard his name escape her lips, as he pushed the fabric aside. A mixture of gasps and moans echoed through the room as they pushed each other to their limit, before Eli took Clare's lips in a final kiss.
The fire continued to crackle as they crawled underneath the blankets and curled into one another.
"Eli?"
Clare's voice came out in barely more than a hint of a whisper.
"Yeah?" Eli breathed into the back of Clare's neck.
"I love you."
Eli's arms tightened around her.
"I love you," he replied, and together they drifted off into the most peaceful of sleeps.
