Well I am absolutely ecstatic about this story now. The first six chapters were basically prologue I think….. Now we're getting to the good stuff!
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(1 week of Leo's absence later)
My swift feet plunged through the sand as I waved a palm frond behind me, covering my tracks, even if they were hardly noticeable. As quickly as I could, I darted across the boulders that lined the lagoon. Palm trees filled to the brim with coconuts lined the beach, making way for the dark jungle. Their large leaves created eerie shadows that looked just like skeletal fingers, reaching desperately for flesh. After the bony palm trees were the dense thickets of the jungle. One could not see father than his own feet were he to try to traverse this dangerous place at this time of night, midnight precisely. The vines seemed to sway to a snake-like rhythm, bending from side to side and twirling around each other. Screeches filled the wilderness, telling old legends of panthers, crocodiles, and monkeys as I began to move faster, frantically trying to reach my seemingly far destination. Small waves lapped the coral reef a little farther than the lagoon in the dark blue ocean, only illuminated by the shimmering moonlight. My pulse quickened, beginning to go into a frenzy from the physical exertion. I moved with a rapid pace, anticipating arrival at my destination. As the glinting waters of the lagoon peeked into my line of sight I surveyed the land, searching for my objective. Then I found him. I had grown desperate lately, fantasizing of him. The few weeks that I spent in the cave surely caused me to develop enormous feelings for the dastardly pirate that I call mine.
When his chocolate eyes reached me, we rushed forward even more hurriedly to meet each other. His rough hand found my waist and twirled me in a circle above the dark sand. I laughed with him, our voices intertwining as I cupped his freckled cheeks in my soft slender hands. "Hello my love," I whisper excitedly to Leo, for I had not seen him in a week.
"Fancy seeing you here," he replied wittily with a gentle smile. Our noses touched in an Eskimo kiss as we stared into each other's eyes, drinking in our appearances. His black hair had become more messy (if that was even possible!) causing his brown eyes to be hidden more than usual. If anything had changed, it was his expressions. The nervous pirate was gone, replaced by a fierce determination burning through his eyes, seemingly daring anyone to come near me. I cherished these rare moments where it was just us, the only two souls for miles.
I trailed my fingers across his muscled chest as I spoke, "When can I stay with you?" Noticing his newly thoughtful face I continued, "Peter keeps making moves on me and I don't appreciate them at all. I just want to be out of this godforsaken jungle and back to the caves. I miss you," the last sentence was a faint whimper. Memories flooded me of Peter and his hopeless advances.
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"Claire? Are you in here?" She recognized Peter's voice immediately and with a heavy sigh, allowed him entry into her tent near the natives' huts. She was seated on her bed, reading Wuthering Heights, a book from her time that was considered a classic. His eyes wandered around the room and then focused on her tight undershirt and tiny shorts that the Mollusks gave her. "Erm…" he cleared his throat suggestively and her eyes widened.
"Is there anything I can help you with Peter?" she asked quietly, drawing his attention away from her figure.
Peter's eyes considerably dilated as he moved a margin closer to her, slowly intertwining their hands. "Yes. As a matter of fact, there is," he replied and cupped her neck, guiding her full lips toward his. Before he could join their lips together, she became obviously disgusted and pushed him away.
"No Peter! I will not! GET OUT!" tears flowed freely down her angry face with flushed cheeks as she screamed at him. Her mind was filled to the brim with reminders of Leo and his sweet kisses trailing across her forehead.
Bewildered, he trudged out of her quarters, only glancing back once with a dejected expression. Claire could have sworn she heard him mutter, "But I love you."
She spent the rest of the day avoiding him and crying in her teepee. Never once did Leo leave her mind. Claire liked Peter in that way also but wasn't ready for her feelings. It would crush Leo, tear her heart in two, and possibly ruin her chances of a better and brighter future.
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Leo soothed me by rubbing small ovals on my back while answering my inquiry, "You can come tonight. All you have to do is grab your supplies and bring them to the lagoon by midnight!" I could hear his excitement growing from the prospect of seeing me every day again. "Just make sure that you leave a note saying what you've done so that way Peter won't come after you."
I felt a smile creep on my face, probably making me look as if I were the Cheshire Cat. Suddenly, a song played in my head reminding me of our current situation. I began to sing it, just for the love of my life. (A/N I know that this song is not from their time but I just felt like they should have this incredible moment where her feelings toward Leo are really shown.)
I was a flight risk, with a fear of fallin'
Wonderin' why we bothered with love, if it never lasts.
I say, can you believe it?
As we're lying on the couch…
The moment I can see it, yes, yes.
I can see it now.
Do you remember we were sittin' there by the water,
You put your arm around me, for the first time.
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter,
You are the best thing that's ever been mine.
Flash forward and we're takin' on the world together,
And there's a drawer of my things at your place.
You learn my secrets and you figure out why I'm guarded
You say we'll never make my parents' mistakes.
There I trailed off, staring into his dark eyes. When I saw a tear trickled down his face I began to panic, spluttering words out, "Leo-what-umm-huh?" My incessant babblings ceased when he pressed his now salty lips against my quickly moving ones. Our mouths moved in unison as his hand pressed into the small of my back, pressing me ever closer to him. This continued for the next minute, both of us battling for control. Eventually Leo won and he pressed me down onto the grainy sand, causing my curls to fan around my face as we kissed furiously. We only broke apart so we could breathe ragged breaths. "Wow," I whispered while gasping for air. I had missed him. A heavy sigh trembled through my core as I reveled in his presence. This young man was my confidant and even in the short month we spent together I trusted him with my life. No one had ever made me feel like this in my entire life, safe and secure. Maybe it was partially for this reason that I fell so hard and fast.
"I only have one word for you Claire, perfection. That song encompassed everything I have ever felt towards you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Leo declared this with determination and then he leaned towards me again to join us through our mouths. His confession took a moment to register, but when it did, my heart clenched. I loved him, but I also felt for Peter. Everything was confusing to me, I couldn't think properly!
Before the kiss Leo was planning could happen however, a small hiss was heard reverberating through the midnight air. A pair of emerald eyes was witnessing the scene below him with fury in their depths. Unable to see my intentions in my eyes, only hearing Leo's revelation, he lost all control. "NO!" he wailed as he shot down from the sky, not even pausing to draw his weapon. The boy, Peter, was barreling right for the distinctively male figure on top of me, legs extended to deliver an especially vicious kick to Leo's abdomen, which was right where my ribs would be. A gasp whistled through my lips and I flipped Leo over me, pinning him as Peter kicked my ribs, sending me spiraling through the air into the lagoon. A cry of agony escaped my full lips as I flew through the air, crashing into the warm waters with a massive splash I didn't know my slim body was capable of.
"THAT WAS CLAIRE, YOU BASTARD!" I could hear Leo screaming in what seemed like a desperate rage as he apparently sprinted across the sand to me. These were the only things I could process with my rapidly fading vision. Blackness overtook me, gracing me with numbness from the immense pain radiating through my skinny body. Only one realization overtook me, 'Peter found out… Oh shit.' My eyelids fluttered shut closing me off from the world until I woke up, if I ever could again.
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(Leo's POV) *Surprise surprise!*
Just as I was about to kiss her, Claire became horrified. You could see it in the depths of her eyes; very faintly her breathing sped and her palms became slick across my face. Then with a strange despair, she flipped me over onto the sand forcefully. In one last moment, her clammy hand caressed my cheek and I became terribly confused. What in the bloody hell is going on? I thought, my brows creasing across my forehead.Just then, a green clad figure with blood red hair hurtled over us, kicking her in the ribs and sending her twirling with a horrible limpness through the sky. My heart wrenched as I realized that Peter was the dreaded assailant against me, but in his fury collided with Claire instead. I sprang into action, leaping from the sandy grave that imprisoned me. "THAT WAS CLAIRE YOU BASTARD!" I screamed, my voice cracking from the pressure I put into those words. I hardly took notice of his sunken, horrified face as he dropped to his knees beside her in the lagoon, wailing uncontrollably. The shadows from the gaunt moon began turning him into a creature of darkness, no longer the prided spawn of the island; but a horrible disgrace after harming such an innocent girl as Claire. My feet only carried me to Claire, my steel cable holding me to the ground. A string of the most horrid profanities left my mouth as I sprinted at what seemed like the slowest pace possible toward her unmoving figure.
When I finally reached her, I noticed that she was unconscious already. Partially glad that she wasn't feeling any pain whatsoever I found strength to drag her through the warm water away from that monster, Peter Pan. My darling Claire would be okay, she had to be. I began to sprint towards help, away from that piss poor excuse for a hero whose tears turned the ocean an unnatural crimson.
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Surprise surprise! Leo's POV was quite fun, I might try that again! Anyway, I thought that their midnight meetings alone were too good to be true so I added a little confrontation on their parts. So we leave off with Claire seriously injured, Peter broken, and Leo desperate. Fun fun! Sorry for not updating in like, FOREVER but I had tons of school work, as I'm sure you all understand. Thanks for reading, as always! *Lagoon seashells to all reviewers!*