The hour had grown late and Claire finished off the remaining hot cider in her glass, focusing on the warm, cozy feeling it left behind. Throwing her caution to the wind tonight, she lost track of time, and the last thing on her mind was what time she planned to be up the next morning.

"Wow, you remember that too, right, Gray?" Karen laughed, leaning across the table with a snort. "Ann must've come here and pretended not to notice that we cut off her braid."

Ann took a heavy drink from her own glass and shook her head, laughing. "Yeah, Dad didn't buy that for one second. I really didn't mind shorter hair, except that I couldn't pull it all out of my face. I wore a hat to keep my hair out of my eyes."

"Ah, the year of the beanie," Rick said nostalgically with a chuckle. "And that braid was stuck in that tree for the next few months!"

Claire felt a warm hand squeeze hers and Cliff leaned in to whisper to her. "Wanna get out of here?"

His warm breath in her ear made her go a bit limp, the round of silly stories suddenly sounding a lot less interesting than the alternative. Popuri had already left a while ago, so Claire reasoned it wouldn't be too rude to leave the party. "Uh-huh…"

They caught the eye of Karen, who said nothing but gave them a hint of a smirk and a wink as she gave them silent permission to leave. Noticing that the others were in rowdy conversation, Cliff's gaze flicked over them before quietly standing up and offering her his hand. He slightly cocked his head toward the stairs, wordlessly asking if she'd like to go there.

Claire nodded, accepting his hand and leaning into him a bit as they quietly made their way up. Her heart felt a strange combination of giddiness and relaxation, and all of the activities from the day flooded her mind. Cliff was staying. He had an income now. While it was happy news she had been dying to hear, it was a lot to take in. Claire gave him a kind smile as he opened his bedroom door for her, turning on the light and gesturing for her to head inside. She immediately kicked off her boots, eager to relax.

He quickly followed suit, removing his moccasins and leg wraps. "Long day, huh?"

Claire untied and ruffled her hair, letting it run through her fingers and down her back as she sighed. The blue flower Cliff had tucked into her locks earlier fell loose and she placed it carefully on the table. "Definitely." She unfastened a couple of buttons on her flannel shirt, inhaling the scent of the room. Smoked fish, dried herbs, clean laundry, and a hint of machine oil and coal – Cliff's room. A smile spread across her lips.

Upon seeing her get more comfortable, Cliff removed his bracers and outer hide tunic, the sheer joy in his heart leaving him warm. He returned to her, silently throwing his arms around her in a deep embrace.

Neither of them could think of words for the moment; they were simply happy to be in each other's presence and took comfort in the fact that they weren't going to be torn apart.

Claire buried her face into the crook of his neck. "Never leave me," she murmured, the tears threatening to come as she stroked the fabric of his cotton undershirt.

His fingers gently stroked the nape of her neck as he realized just how much his potential leaving had torn her.

I really was a monster…

"Oh, Claire…"

She held him tighter with an ache in her heart. "Promise."

He let go of her and instinctively held out a pinky, unable to shake the image of his sister frowning at him with wide blue eyes. He wouldn't let her go – never again. "I pinky promise."

A smile played at the corners of her mouth. "You understand the seriousness of this vow?" A light chuckle escaped her lips, chasing away the lump that was threatening to form in her throat.

"Do you? No giggling now." A grin spread across his face anyway. He didn't realize just how much he had been dying to say it. "I pinky promise I'm not going anywhere."

"You're not going anywhere," Claire echoed, a peaceful warmth filling her heart as they wrapped their fingers around one another's. They stood like that for a moment, lost in each other's eyes. The nightmare of his potential leaving already felt so far away.

His voice sobered. "I won't leave your side, Claire. Ever. I realized you're far too important to me for me to ever do that." All of the things he had been through and the ways he had changed – he would be a fool to credit himself for all of the positive changes in his life. One driving force had definitely been her smiling face and gentle heart.

And perhaps the gods weren't completely against him, either. It was a lot to take in, and he wasn't quite sure if he still believed it…

She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him close, a little drunk on the feeling his words had released. "Good, because I wouldn't let you leave even if you tried. I'm not leaving you, either."

Her closeness shook him from his thoughts and he let out a delighted chuckle, relaxing into her. In their mirth, they tumbled over onto his bed together, the mattress creaking loudly as Claire let out a yelp in surprise. She quickly dissolved into giggles as he pulled her closer to him, and they both immediately fell silent, a little unsure of where to go from there. The two lay on the bed together, their arms wrapping the other's torso while their eyes locked once more, and their breaths were nearly panting in excitement.

She had never lain down beside a man in his bed before, but she found it was comfortable. This was Cliff, after all. He was safety, he was tenderness, and he was her very definition of genuine kindness. Still, she found herself a little unsure of what she was expecting. Had she essentially asked him to be her lover? Shouldn't she have asked something like that more formally? Had he accepted? Did he even read into that question that way? What had she even originally thought of it as she asked? What was supposed to happen now? Her head was spinning.

Cliff's mind was reeling with thoughts as well. Was he taking advantage of her because they were both tired right now? Had he been too bold to state that she was so important to him? Did she think that his idea to pinky promise trivialized the pain she had gone through earlier when he was planning on leaving town? Maybe he needed to convince her in some other way…

"How are you feeling?" His voice broke the silence.

She buried her face into his chest and grinned. "Happy."

She felt the vibrations as he let out a soft chuckle. He gulped; something about the moment felt so perfect that he couldn't help himself. He removed her hand from his shoulder and brushed his lips against her knuckles, giving them a gentle kiss. He swallowed, his face burning. "Y'know… when I think of happiness… my mind keeps coming back to you."

"Cliff…" Her voice was muffled as she gasped into his chest, holding him tighter. His words made her swoon a bit. "You're my happiness, too…" She was so overjoyed that she could cry.

Cliff's eyes snapped open and he found himself trembling with emotion at her declaration. They laid together in silence for a few minutes when he slowly sat up and looked deep in thought. Claire's heart began to pound in her throat; had she done or said something wrong? She pulled herself into a sitting position and he turned to face her, his eyes searching hers desperately as he nervously balled his fists on his lap. It was apparent something was on his mind. The young woman was about to ask what was wrong when she noticed that his gaze had moved to her lips as he slowly leaned in toward her.

"Claire, I…" His voice trailed off, unsure of how to finish his sentence.

She could feel her face getting hot, and she saw that he had stopped moving. Cliff simply looked up at her for a moment, and his eyes were etched with a combination of longing and nervousness. It was then that she realized he was silently asking for permission and she found herself looking at his mouth desperately as well. Claire could feel his warm breath on her lips and her skin prickled with goose bumps. She met his eyes again with a pleading stare; the tension was too much… She slowly closed her eyes as he gathered up his courage and their lips met.

Claire didn't know if it lasted for seconds, minutes, or hours – all she knew was she didn't want it to end. Nothing in the world felt sweeter than those shy lips pressed against hers. They were each other's happiness. He wasn't going anywhere, and Claire took comfort in this notion. She could feel his mouth turning into a slight smile as he leaned into her a little more, stroking her cheek with quivering fingers. She wondered if he was thinking the same thing. Claire noticed how gentle Cliff was with her, and she felt like her entire body was going to melt. Their eyes fluttered open and they smiled at each other as the kiss ended. Claire's heart continued to pound. His face was so red, and his eyes were such an intense blue in contrast…

"W-wow…" His voice was breathless as he bashfully ducked his head. He gulped, looking back up at her with wide eyes. "I've wanted to do that for a very long time," he finally admitted, taking her hands in his.

Claire could feel that her face was easily just as flushed as his. "Me, too." She felt his posture relax a bit and stole a glance at the lips she had just touched with her own, a deep satisfaction settling in her heart.

His fingers brushed lightly against her forearms as she let out a breathy sigh, relishing in the lovely sensations. His touch made her skin wake up and she got a fresh case of goose bumps along her arms. Their eyes met and the affection in Cliff's gaze left Claire a bit paralyzed. This was a very different experience with the lights on. He leaned in and she allowed her eyes to close as his lips lightly brushed hers, giving her but a shy ghost of a kiss. It left her with a delightful shiver run up her spine and her eyes slowly opened to his smile.

"How are your hands feeling?" he asked softly, giving them a squeeze. His voice was mellow and dreamy; it soothed her.

"A little stiff," Claire admitted. "I'm not used to that motion of using those clippers. How about yours?"

He gave her a wry smile, flexing the muscles in his hands and fingers. "Same, but I'll manage."

"I know you will." She gave his hands a soft massage and her lips turned upward, lightly squeezing his fingers between hers. She was thrilled that their contact felt so comfortable and natural. While her heart was still pounding from his kisses, there was a serene sense of deep joy and calm washing over her. "Did you ever think you'd be harvesting grapes and making wine for a living?"

His soft chuckle sounded like music as his eyes locked onto hers. "No, but I didn't think I'd ever meet someone as special as you, either. I guess life can be full of pleasant surprises."

She blushed deeply, lowering her eyes demurely as she was shocked at his candid words. "Very pleasant," she agreed, butterflies fluttering about in her stomach.

He threw his arms around her and they sat for several minutes in silence, soaking in the moment. As time passed, they relaxed on the bed in each other's embrace, taking turns rubbing each other's tired hands and fingers as they lay side by side. A quiet, but happy contentment surrounded them, and Claire's eyelids felt heavy as she stifled a yawn. Cliff pulled her a bit closer in response, resting his chin on the top of her blonde head, his tired eyes sliding shut with pure satisfaction. She was warm and she smelled faintly of sweat and lavender. The heavy weight lifted from his heart, and the young man silently thanked the gods, losing consciousness as he felt her slow, rhythmic breathing in his arms.

Cliff awoke to the sound of Gray plopping onto the mattress on the other side of the room, the bed creaking. Claire's soft, muffled moan further dragged him from his sleeping. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he realized his earlier conversation and activities with her hadn't been a dream after all. His pulse quickened in exhilaration at this, and he couldn't help but give her a hug in his joy.

She let out a small hum of confusion as she slowly blinked in the dark, trying to catch her bearings. "Oh, we fell asleep, Cliff. What time is it?" she slurred, curling up against him for warmth.

Her snuggling felt lovely. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, earning a small gasp from her before turning his head toward the alarm clock on the far side of the room.

"It's one-thirty." Gray's alert voice from the other side of the room pulled Claire into a more conscious state, her face blazing as she realized they weren't alone.

"How are you feeling?" Cliff asked softly.

Claire closed her eyes, her head spinning in her fatigue. The past sleepless nights had taken a toll on her body and she almost felt ill. "I'm really tired. I just want to sleep for the next week."

"Stay the night," he murmured, snuggling back down against the pillow.

"I'd love to, but…" Claire could feel the heat rushing to her face. Her eyes flicked over toward the vague outline of Gray resting under his covers. "Uh…"

"We both know it's just going to be innocent sleeping," he whispered soothingly, wrapping an arm around her. "Besides, you can sleep in Kai's bed if you want to stretch out." The small twin bed they were sharing was a tight fit for the two adults.

"That might be good. You've got a big day tomorrow," she whispered with a smile. She hugged him and brushed her cheek against his. "Sleep well."

"You, too." He gave her one last squeeze before stretching out with a yawn as she stood up.

Claire padded over to Kai's vacant bed, pulling the blankets back with a yawn of her own. Her eyelids began to ache as she crawled into bed, exhaling in relief. Despite the creaky mattress, it was much more comfortable than her lumpy cotton bed at home.

"Good night, Claire." She heard a soft whisper to her right.

A smile spread across her face as she snuggled against the pillow. "Good night, Cliff." She immediately enjoyed her choice to have more space, stretching the muscles in her arms and legs with contentment.

The cushion under her head smelled vaguely of the musky cologne she associated with Kai, along with the scent of coconut sunscreen. Summer. Gentle waves lapping over the shores. Shell hunting with Karen. Rock skipping with Cliff. Dancing on the beach with a young man who would never leave her side. His soft lips on hers as they melted together… Her thoughts drifted into dreamy, floating piles of sea foam.

Claire was tugged a bit back into consciousness at the sound of the bathroom door opening.

"It's all yours," she heard Cliff whisper. "Ah, she's still asleep?"

"Uh-huh. I'd imagine she can sleep well now that you're staying. What time you gotta be in again?"

"Ten-thirty."

The bed on her right side squeaked and she fluttered her eyes open. Cliff was dressed sans one of his usual hide tunics, a bath towel resting on his shoulder. He ran his fingers along his freshly-shaven jaw line. A bit of soap-scented steam escaped the bathroom. Gray was headed toward the bathroom door with a pile of clothes in his arms. She blinked heavily and rolled onto her back, propping herself up with her elbows.

"Ah, good morning." Cliff's cheeks turned rosy at the very sight of her. He gave her a warm smile and began drying his hair with the towel. He paused when he saw her sit up further, the blankets slipping down to reveal her rumpled work clothes. "Sleep alright?"

She gave a heavy nod, stretching her arms over her head with a yawn. If she was completely honest with herself, she could use a couple more hours of sleep, but at the sight of his smiling face, she felt a burst of energy.

"You must have, because Gray knocked his alarm clock off his nightstand, yelling and swearing at it and you slept through the whole thing."

"Really?" Her voice squeaked and sounded very groggy. She quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment, running her fingers through her hair to smooth it down.

He gave her a grin. "Yeah. You must have been really tired, too." He let out a sigh as he blotted his wet hair with the towel and sat on the edge of his bed. He ruffled his hair under the towel and hung it on the corner of his bed frame. "I slept solidly for the first time I can remember in a very long time, and I've already been out to check on Cain." Claire watched him carefully brush out his hair. His locks nearly reached the middle of his back and looked a bit darker as they were still damp, leaving small wet spots on his cotton undershirt. He turned toward her, eyes glittering. "I feel… really good today."

Claire sat up further and pulled herself into a seated position, pulling her knees to her chest. "I think your first day is going to go wonderfully."

"W-well, that, too, I suppose…" He shyly looked at her, wringing his hands. His eyes flicked toward the bathroom door. The sound of the running shower could be heard beyond it. "I, uh… I don't have to leave right away or anything…"

Claire could feel her heart accelerate. "Y-yeah…?"

His eyes were drawn to his hands as he nervously rubbed his arms. "Uh-huh…" He cleared his throat. "Well, if y-you don't mind, I thought we could… spend a little time together."

Claire stretched out her legs and pulled the blankets off of her lap. "S-sounds nice," she squeaked. The fluttering in her stomach started up once more and she could feel her heart pound. "Y-you mean like last night?"

He said nothing, but he nodded, his ears turning red.

She hadn't taken much time to process the night before since she had awakened. "I… liked it," she admitted, standing up, her giddiness commanding her to walk over to him. She wasn't exactly sure what to do with her hands, and she fussed with her fingers. "Being so close to you and knowing you're not leaving."

She took a seat beside him and he wrapped his arms around her. "I loved it," he murmured into her hair.

His hugs were friendly and energetic, and Claire found herself giggling with delight as she returned them. He smelled of fresh patchouli soap, and it reminded her of their shopping trip ages ago back in spring. She was momentarily embarrassed at the fact she hadn't washed up yet, brushed her teeth, or fixed her hair for the day, but his soft chuckles free from the shackles of fear and doubt made her shame fade immediately. She focused on her breathing, attempting to steady it. While there was a sense of lighthearted joy, she also had serious thoughts on her mind. How could she confirm her questions about their discussion the night before? "So… you and me?" she asked, her voice muffled by his cotton undershirt.

After all of this time, all of the agonizing over her feelings and finally accepting them, all of the wondering about how he felt about her – it all came out as an awkwardly childish and flippant phrase. Claire bit her tongue in regret. She had wanted to say something beautiful, something that would take his breath away and leave him with stars in his eyes. Instead she had clumsily said it while sporting bed head, wrinkled clothes, and most likely morning breath…

She could feel his heart hammering as they broke off the hug. "M-me and you?"

While Claire felt silly for her behavior, she realized all hope was not lost; she had gotten some sort of response out of him. "Y-you're… going to stay by my side, right?" She held her breath.

The young woman didn't have to wait long for a response. He held her close once more. "I always will. I'm not going anywhere, remember?" She could feel him gulp. "A-after all… w-we make each other happy, right?" He stumbled over this second sentence, quickly averting his eyes as his face flushed with color.

Claire found a comfortable spot against the crook of his neck. His cool, damp hair felt nice against her burning cheeks. "Very happy." She rested her eyes as they relaxed against one another, listening to the birds outside. "Remember our promise to do that?"

His hand cradled the base of her skull and their eyes locked. "Yeah."

"I know you're going to be busy with your new job, but… I want to spend more time with you again." She was aware of her selfishness, but she realized she didn't care in that moment.

He pulled her closer with a hum of agreement and she stifled a happy cry at how marvelous it felt to be in his arms. "I'll always have time for you. You're special to me, Claire." The words easily tumbled out of his mouth as he reveled in their closeness.

His words rang clearly like a bell and her breath halted for a moment as she let them soak in. Dizzy and delirious with joy, she struggled to remember to breathe. She broke one arm free of their embrace and gave his cheek a stroke. He flinched a bit, his eyes popping open in surprise for a brief moment before relaxing once more, placing his hand over hers.

"You're special to me, too, Cliff. After all, you're my happiness."

She was thrilled that her disheveled state didn't deter Cliff from gently pressing his lips against hers. He had a little more confidence than the night before, and the thought of him remaining by her side made her go limp.

Things were indeed changing, but sharing her heart with him was something she found that she was rather looking forward to. She was becoming more comfortable working the land, she had made wonderful new friends, and she had found someone that was special to her. Whatever it was all preparing her for, she wasn't exactly sure, but for the first time, the concept of the unknown didn't feel quite as terrifying.

Author's Note: Ahhhhh! To quote Cliff, I've wanted to do that for a very long time!

Well, here we are! My massive updating mission, Project Pucker Up, is complete! I poured my heart into this and I really hope I was able to do this couple justice. The story is by no means finished, but I will be slowing my production of chapters, as I had been churning them out at a breakneck speed to release this specific one on this specific day.

Why's that, you ask?

Bust out the party poppers and confetti! Someone is ten years old today! (As of August 2018!)

The Shy Newcomer, that is!

Today marks the ten year anniversary of when I first published this story. I haven't been writing it solidly for ten years straight, but I picked it up from a hiatus a couple of years ago and started from scratch there, with only three barebones chapters and a handful of trope-y pages to go on.

This is so much more than a simple hobby of writing fan fiction for me. When I started writing this again, I was in a dark place, and I was struggling to find happiness in my life again, something that brought me joy. In so many ways, I have a difficult time speaking. I'm painfully shy, socially awkward, constantly struggling with self-esteem, and I have a hard time expressing myself. Writing as opposed to speaking has always been easier for me. I turned back to writing to find myself, and dusted off this little number. I'm still astounded at what it has turned into in the past couple of years. It's about so much more than Claire and Cliff finding their way in the world and finding each other. So many of their experiences are shaped by my own fears and challenges I have gone through as I struggle with my depression and bipolar disorder.

As satisfying as it is to finally write a genuinely romantic scene between these two main characters, the most rewarding thing about writing this story has been messages from and friendships I have formed with the readers. Helping someone through a rough patch in their life, helping improve someone's relationship with others, helping spark inspiration for someone with a dry spell in their artistic growth… I am honored. Yes, these are just words, and just a silly fan fiction some people would insist, but I am constantly amazed by the power that words can have. And I am truly humbled that they were able to touch another heart.

That is why I want to write.

In so many ways, Claire is me. Cliff is me. Karen is my best friend. These characters are so shaped by the people I know and love that this fan fiction has taken on such a personal tone with me. I never expected it to be what it is now.

This frequent updating lately and completing "Project Pucker Up" has been an exercise for me to see if I could set a goal for myself and stick with it. I chose something that gave me joy to do, and I really feel that I have learned a lot about myself as a writer and a person in these past couple of months.

I'm aware I'm not normally this candid in my author's notes, but I really wanted y'all to know and understand that your support for this story has really changed my life. Maybe you wrote a review. Maybe you followed/favorited me or gave me kudos. Perhaps you dropped me a private message just to say hello. Or maybe you drew fan art based on this story. Maybe you helped bounce ideas around with me. Perhaps you consoled me when I was hurting and honestly thought about giving up and deleting this story (several times). Maybe you befriended and supported me, cheering me on with each new chapter. Maybe you read along silently.

I truly appreciate you all.