I laid still as Claire's head made my chest her pillow. Her arms were wrapped around my waist and I felt at ease with what the two of us have been through the rest week.

Or was it a day? It still confuses me how that stuff translates to the present.

I listened as the rain pelted against the window with ease as I toyed with the material of Claire's old Hamlet sweater as my right arm sat behind my head. I was so used to sleeping on hard surfaces that it was the best I could do to feel comfortable enough to sleep within my old bed. I blamed the fact that I was so used to only getting five or so hours of sleep if I was lucky as to why I had awakened from such a short amount of rest.

Doesn't help that when I was in school I got about four hours of sleep on a good day.

I chuckled lightly to myself as I took a chance to look around my room. My mother kept it the same as it always was. I thought she would have replaced it with a nursery, but I guess she decided to turn the old spare guest room into one for the children from the Darklands. She did add dark out curtains to the window though. I could understand the addition to the room since there was the whole half-troll scenario we went through. It was difficult enough to walk while the sun rose behind me. If it weren't for Claire's help and Toby's reassurance, I would have had a mild panic attack from the heat that pelted my back.

Well, my reaction is valid with how not even a week ago in Camelot I was nearly turned to stone by the same sunlight within mere hours of arriving in that time period.

I shook my head just the slightest as I tried to get the idea out of my head.

I swear with everything over the past year, I'm going to need a lot of therapy. Or at least a new outlet besides Trollhunting.

Just the thought of Trollhunting caused a frown to present itself on my face.

I felt, bare, without the amulet. It had been my guide in my darkest moments. Since I found the object, it had shown me the best and the worst parts of me. It showed me who I truly was as well as what I could be. It was my crutch at times. It reminded me of my destiny. Reminded me of why I was going through what I was at the time. But now, it's gone and I felt as if a piece of me went with it.

I smiled as I heard Claire mumble in her sleep as her head burrowed a little more into my chest.

At least I have her. Through everything, she was there right beside me. From escaping the Darklands to becoming a half-troll, she held my hand through it all. I have no clue what in the world did to deserve her, but I'm thankful all the same. If it wasn't for her and Toby, I would have fallen apart through all of this. If not from my battle with Bular, then the Darklands. If not the Darklands, then from the Eternal Knight.

I could have been so lost if it weren't for them. Especially with how Claire was willing to leave her whole life behind to join me on guiding the trolls to New Jersey. I was still trying to get used to the whole half-troll thing. My senses were heightened, my body was a lot less exhausted than I was used to, and my mind was still trying to wrap around the idea still. I got accustomed to it rather slowly, but there were moments I would feel completely lost. That I didn't know who I was anymore.

"You need to get some rest, Jim." I looked down with a smile as I saw one open hazel colored eye looking back up to me.

But whenever I was lost, Claire was always there to find me again.

"I did." I brought my hand up to brush my fingers through her hair. I knew she didn't care for her hair since it grew out. The long dark strands would always block her vision or get in the way when we were training, so she went with tying it up in a small bun almost always when we were traveling to New Jersey. Yet as I sat there and toyed with the hair she let pool over her shoulders, I found her as beautiful as always. She brought her head up so her chin rested on my chest as she looked up to me completely. She hummed for a second in reply before actually speaking.

"And you slept for what? Four hours?"

"I think its literally impossible for me now to sleep any longer than that." This got a chuckle from the girl as I brushed her hair back once more.

Even after fighting in a war in a time period way before our own, it is still probably the softest thing I have ever felt.

That or the fact it is the first soft thing I've encounter since becoming human again and I'm just getting used to feeling stuff like this again.

"To be honest, I feel the same. I've been trying to force myself back to sleep but it alludes me still." I chuckled at her as I brought my arm down to wrap it around her waist once more.

"Alludes you, huh? I don't think we spent that much time in Camelot, did we?" She gave me a halfhearted glare as my small laugh only continued. "Hey, don't look at me like that. You said it."

"Eres un idiota. Pero eres mi idiota." I smiled as she unwrapped her arms from my waist to place her hands on both of my cheeks.

"I'm only an idiot for you."

"Really? I thought you were an idiot all the time." I watched as a smirk appeared on her face as she pushed herself up a little. I felt the humored look of my face from before fall as she spoke though.

"That's a little uncalled for, don't you think." I placed my hands on her waist as she leaned in to place her forehead against mine.

"All is fair in love and war, mi amor." I smiled as her lips pressed themselves gently against mine. Even after several kisses, I could still feel my heart pound in my chest as our lips moved together in their small dance. It was gentle and sweet, but it caused sparks to fly within my mind and stars appear in my eyes. After what felt like minutes, we pulled apart from one another to see the other smiling like a fool. I took my right hand and reached up to tuck away the loose hair behind her left ear like she always did when we were in high school together only to be rewarded with a large smile from the Latina laying on top of me. The small action causing three little words to dance around in my mind.

Come on, Jim. She said them to you how many times since you transformed? You can't even count it on both hands and you have ten digits now! Hell, she even made sure to say it when she found you in the Shadow Realm. You know you feel the same, so why are you hesitating? Just say it! It's not like something terrible is going to happen if you say-

"I love you." I watched as Claire stiffened within my grip for a moment while I started to already mentally panic.

Fuck fuck fuck. What did you do?! Look at her! What were-!?

My mind shut off as I felt her lips capture mine once more. My eyes went wide for a second before they fluttered shut instinctively. Yet as soon as the kiss started, she pulled herself away and buried her head into my neck.

"I love you too, Jim." I smiled laid my cheek on the top of her head while her arms wrapped themselves around me once more. "But we should try to get a bit more sleep." I hummed in reply as my right hand toyed with her Hamlet sweater again. This caused her to giggle softly at my reaction as I felt her tilt her head to place a quick kiss to my jaw. "Goodnight, mi amor."

"Sweet dream, Claire." Slowly but surely, I felt her breathing become steady as I continued to hold her close as I felt my eyes close on their own accord.

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.

I chuckled lightly at myself as I felt myself drift lowly into sleep once more.

Wait. Didn't I poke fun at her for using my lines last time? Well, it doesn't matter I guess. Just as long as she's still here.

I felt myself smile like a fool as I didn't give it any more thoughts before I allowed the wave a slumber to take me with ease.