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Some descriptions of characters that previously existed have been altered to fit the vision of this story. If you are interested in viewing the character reference photos, please view my Pinterest Board (/clairebear_04/like-breathing-but-harder/).
Chapter 10: Quil
It wasn't until the sun was setting behind the trees when I heard the lock on my door retract and the knob turn.
I stood up on the back stair, opening the door to see Claire, her arms crossed over her chest, emerge from the bedroom and lean against the kitchen wall.
The back door shut with a dull bang behind me as I silently approached, aware that I had already said too much as it was.
We stood on opposite sides of the kitchen for a moment in silence, her eyes refusing to meet mine as I shoved my hands into my pockets.
"Claire, I'm sorry," I started, my voice breaking the stillness. "I was wrong."
She didn't respond right away.
"You were safe, you were with Ness," I nodded. "I overreacted," I admitted.
To this, she nodded in agreement, her lips formed a tight line.
"Claire," I begged to see her eyes. "I'm sorry," my chest felt as if it was being crushed from the inside.
Her mouth twisted as she hesitated before meeting my gaze.
"I'm so sorry, baby," I apologized.
"I'm not two anymore," there was a twinge of sharpness in her voice.
"I know," I murmured. I felt as if my tail was between my legs.
"You can't just order me around like I'm in your pack," she spat.
My eyes closed tightly, wincing at her words. "I know," I repeated. It was my turn to feel as if I couldn't look her in the eye.
"Quil why did you feel like you had to say those things to me?" her demeanor suddenly changed from anger to in pain.
At this I paused, thinking it over in my head. "Claire, last night," I started, unable to finish my sentence. "I was so scared," it all came back, flooding my senses. Her scream echoed in my ears, my gut sank in my stomach, the feeling of helplessness overwhelmed me. "I thought I was going to lose you."
She straightened, her arms falling to her sides.
"The whole time I kept thinking, 'what if I can't get there in time?' 'What if I'm not fast enough?' I left you alone, unprotected!" My hands reached out on either side of me, resting my weight on the oven and the countertop to hold me up. My head hung as I stared at the floor. "I don't have the strength-"
"Quil," she murmured, stepping forward.
"I can't lose you," my chest tightened as tears formed in my eyes.
She moved closer to me, taking my face in her hands. She lifted my face to meet hers, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks. "I'm right here," she whispered. "I'm safe, Quil, I'm right here."
My eyes took in every inch of her face as the golden sun lit the room. Her hair fell over her shoulder to one side, little pieces brushing her cheekbones. The tears streaked down her face, like little trails of glitter in the light. Her warm, brown eyes made my body melt.
Her thumbs rubbed the sides of my face as she coaxed me back to her. She murmured, "I love you," barely loud enough for me to hear.
Something in the way that gravity held me down changed, just as it had the day I first saw her. It felt as if her hands on my face were the only thing keeping me on this earth. The same warmth that radiated from the sun filled my body, my arms aching to hold her.
Our lips crashed into each other, like magnets that were held apart being released. Her hands moved from my face into my hair as my tongue met with hers. I heard her breathing change, from calm and even to fast and staggered. My hands reached out to her, one resting on the side of her jaw as the other found her hip, pulling her closer to me.
I felt ravenous. As if I hadn't been able to breathe for days and she was my first breath of oxygen, breathing her in deeply to savor every bit of it. My lips wanted to taste every part of her body as I moved from her lips to her chin, kissing her jaw towards her ear. I heard a moan escape her lips as I kissed the base of her jaw, her hands tugging my hair in response.
It was as if she flipped a switch. Or maybe I just didn't want to care anymore- I had to have her. Suddenly I didn't think about what 'could' happen, my thoughts were consumed by pleasuring her, craving her, ravaging her. I felt addicted to her moans, her ragged breathing, my mouth watering each time she responded to my touch. Every time I kissed, licked, nipped her neck a soft whimper or exhale would push its way out of her mouth, encouraging me more. It was never enough.
"Quil," she moaned.
Something in the way she said my name, as if I, too, was the only thing grounding her made me insatiable. Leaning low as I kissed the crook of her neck, my hands slid down her back, tracing her figure with my fingertips. She arched in my arms, my fingers sliding down to her lower back as she encircled her arms around my neck. With ease, I wrapped my hands under her ass, hoisting her up onto me as I stood upright.
"MMmm," she squealed.
My hands latched onto her upper thighs, feeling her warm skin in my hands. She took the opportunity to kiss my jaw, moaning in my ear to tease me.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I opened my eyes to gaze at her. She paused at this as well, fearing that I would put things to an end. I felt our hearts pounding together, heard our breaths match each other, as I held her tighter while making my way to the bedroom.
Our lips locked again as I blindly kicked in my door, her tongue wrapping around mine as we reached the bed. I laid her down in front of me, taking every part of her body in.
The sunset had turned into dusk, the golden glow turning purple now as the light dimmed. She moved back so that she was propped up on my pillows, her eyes following me carefully as I pulled my shirt over my head, discarding it on the floor. I crawled over top of her, my knees on either side of her outstretched legs.
My hand cupped the side of her face, redirecting her attention from my body back to my eyes. "If we are going to do this, I need you to tell me when it's too much, ok?"