Title: Hot Mess
Rating: R
Chapter: 13
Fandom: Degrassi: The Next Generation
Summary: Clare uses her womanly whiles to protect Eli. Eclare. Flare. Misfits!
Comments: "Hot Mess" by Cobra Starship.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the idea.
The heart monitor connected to her chest quietly beeped throughout the hospital room as if the sound were to comfort the numb mother-to-be. Clare stared at the muted television propped up in the corner opposite of her; an episode of The Office lit the screen with colors. She had only muted it to ease her nurse's mind, telling him she would sleep with just the light of the television screen on.
Clare closed her eyes, rubbing her small bump of a stomach. She winced slightly at the thought of her child dead before it even had a chance to live; it killed her.
A soft knock sounded on the frame of the open door. "Mary…"
Clare looked up, furrowing her brow in confusion. She swore visiting hours were over. Yet she could not help but smile at the sight of her father.
Randal stood in the doorway, clad in his long winter trench coat, buttoned and tied tightly to keep him warm. His face was red and his breathing staggered. He walked into the room and smiled sadly, placing the single purple carnation on her stomach. He sat in the chair beside her bed, tears dancing in his eyes. "Baby, I'm so sorry you lost the baby…"
Clare's small smile faded as she clutched her favorite flower shakily in her hands. Her eyes went wide in surprise, mumbling, "What are you talking about?"
Randal glanced over his shoulder into the hallway for a moment before looking at her as he spoke, "Your mother said you lost your baby and…" he trailed off slowly in realization, "not to tell you…"
The steady beating increased in sound as Clare's heart stopped, her tears falling from the corner of her eyes as she held her head in her hands to hide. "No…"
"No. No. No… NO!"
Clare shot up in her own comfortable bed, clad in soft yellow and deep purple sheets, her hands flying to the small rise on her stomach. She froze as she sat up in bed, trembling and crying in astonishment. She closed her eyes, sobbing in relief as she held herself in comfort. It was just a dream.
Her bedroom door flew open at the speed of light, slamming into her wall.
"Clare!"
Two pairs of arms flew around her from either side. She just sat there between her two lovers as she shook with tears.
"It's okay. You're okay," Eli's voice sounded soft and tired, but his eyes were full of concern.
Fitz placed a small kiss on the side of her head, rubbing her back gently, as he whispered, "We've got you. Everything's fine."
Clare slowly eased into a relaxed state, her eyes fluttering in exhaustion. She slid out from the grasps on her and laid back in bed. She opened her eyes, staring numbly at the ceiling.
Eli sighed heavily, shaking his head, "Nightmares."
Clare took in a sharp breath at the word, biting her bottom lip. She closed her eyes, assuring in mumbles, "They're not that bad. I'm not standing in the hallway at school bleeding out anymore. It's more… subtle."
"It's still twisted," Fitz stated disgustedly only to have Eli punched him in the bicep.
"Sensitivity training," Eli mouthed to his friend before running a hand through their girlfriend's hair. He leaned down, kissing her temple chastely. "You want us to leave?" he offered.
Clare shook her head lazily, reaching out with each arm, and gripped each boy by their elbow, pulling them down on either side of her. "Don't leave me," she begged softly with a yawn.
When both boys had settled on either side of her, Clare's entire body eased, her eyes shutting in relaxation as she quickly drifted back to sleep.
DTNG
"You've been crying again," Alli stated from where she sat at the bar inside The Dot.
Clare placed the tray on the counter top, rolling her bloodshot eyes at her friend's accusation. "Alli, now is not the time. I'm working. I have like ten minutes until I get off. Can we just save this conversation for then?" she asked, slightly annoyed, as she started to make Alli's latte.
"No," Alli stated factually. "You know what your problem is, Clare."
"I'm pregnant and my best friend lied about being pregnant?" Clare guessed, pouring the hot beverage into a portable cup. She set it down carefully in front the Indian princess.
Alli frowned, before taking a sip, "Ouch." She shook her head with a swallow of coffee. "You don't have enough fun. You should relax. Go out. Have fun. Let your hair hang out. Take off some clothes…"
"First off, this is a family place; no talk of clothing removal allowed; only the action of said removal after hours, according to Peter and Darcy. And, second, my hair is always hanging out. It's too short to pull back," Clare informed, placing three milkshakes and a cup of water on her tray. Lifting it up in the air, she made her way around the counter to the table she had been waiting on.
"Oh, c'mon, Clare. Be a little dangerous for once! You're one hot girl! The world should see that!" Alli exclaimed in excitement.
Clare's face flushed in embarrassment as she set the drinks down for Holly J, Anya, Fiona, and Sav. She turned back to her best friend, gripping the tray against her side, with a sigh, "I did, Alli. And look where I am now." She placed her hand on the two month change resting on her stomach. "I'm pregnant." She headed back behind the counter, grabbing a damp cloth out of the sink, and wiped down the tray.
"There's a party tomorrow…"
"I'm working," Clare cut her off, putting the tray back while tossing the rag back in the sink. She untied her apron, putting it back in its place on the hanger behind the bar.
Alli frowned, motioning to Peter, "I'm sure Peter will let you off."
Clare shook her head, frowning, "Alli, I can't. I already took three days off because I was in the hospital. I can't ask for any more off until I'm either on bed rest or in labor."
"Peter!" Alli called out, waving her arm in the air daintily, to catch his attention.
Peter sighed heavily, walking over to the two teenage girls, "What?"
"Can Clare, please, have tomorrow off?" Alli asked politely, batting her eyes adorably.
Clare jaw dropped in astonishment at her friend's daringness, exclaiming, "Alli!"
"Sure," Peter shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll call Darcy. She'll gladly help." With that, he walked away.
Alli spun slowly back to Clare, smiling brightly, "You're welcome."
Clare rolled her eyes, running a hand through her hair, with a sigh, "I need those tips…"
"You went into the wrong line of business, then," Alli teased, laughing at her own joke.
Clare's lips twisted into a small smile, crying out happily, "Alli, you're a genius!" She slid her jacket on, rushing out of the grill.
Alli's eyes went wide in alarm, shaking her head, "Clare, no!"
DTNG
Clare stood in the bathroom connected to Eli and Fitz's room, the door shut between the two rooms, as she curled her hair in perfect ringlets instead of her usual disheveled curls her hair had been stuck in for several weeks now. She set the curling iron on the rim of the sink, unplugging it, before finishing off her red lips with a bit of shimmery lip gloss.
Clare bit her bottom lip, tilting her head to the side, her bangs falling in front of her smoky decorated eyes. She could not help but smirk. Perfection.
DTNG
"Dude, seriously," Fitz stated, looking up at Eli from their bed.
Eli glanced up from his book at where he sat at the desk in the corner. "What now?" he asked, rolling his eyes in annoyance. It Fitz was any dumber, Eli would strangle him.
"How did Japan end up getting wrapped into World War two?" Fitz asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
"Actually…" a soft, sultry voice filled the air, sending chills up both boys' backs. "They more or less chose to join on their own accord."
They slowly looked over at the bathroom doorway linked to their room. Their eyes traveled up her body slowly as they jumped out of their spots in the room.
Clare leaned against the doorframe, tugging at the untied tie wrapped around her neck. She was wearing her old school uniform – or what was left of it. She stood in a pair of silver stilettos, heightening her at least five more inches than her natural height. Her blue and white checkered skirt was frayed, signaling that she had cut off the bottom half on her own, and rested mid-thigh. She had left her white, wrinkled shirt unbuttoned, showing off the curves of her lacy black bra. One of her old pairs of glasses hung on the bridge of her nose. She slowly made her way to their bed and slowly backed up to the headboard only to have both boys jump her.
Fitz shoved her shirt off her shoulders, kissing the cleavage between her sore breasts while Eli gripped her leg in his hands, laying rough kisses on the skin of her thigh. Clare groaned softly, her body collapsing back on the bed. Fitz heard her begging sounds, lifting his head, and crushed his lips against hers. She kissed him back passionately, her hand fisting his hair. She gasped slightly when Eli sucked the space between her inner thigh and pubic bone, giving Fitz the opportunity to slide his tongue her mouth.
Eli's hand slid up and under her skirt, his jaw going agape against her skin in realization; she had, once again, gone commando. He had just started to slide his finger inside her, when she gasped, consciously kicking Eli away from her lower half and pushing Fitz back from her to sit back. She gripped the headboard behind her, her chest heaving up and down slowly in the air with heavy breaths. She bit her bottom lip, spreading her legs out in front of them, as her skirt rose up to her stomach. "Kiss," she whispered breathlessly.
Eli's eyes went wide in shock at Clare's request. But before he could even come up with a response to tell her no, Fitz's lips were already pressed against his own.
Clare moaned slightly in the background, licking her lips at the sight.
Eli shoved Fitz back, wiping his mouth in disgust before spitting saliva out of his mouth. He glared at Fitz, shouting, "What the fuck!"
Clare's eyes went wide in surprise, her mood dropping. She felt her eyes fill with painful tears, dropping forward to double over.
Fitz wanted to reply to his friend, but instead, crawled over to Clare, wrapping her in his arms. He cupped her face in his hand, tilting her head to look at him, and kissed her cheek. "Hey. You're fine. Eli didn't mean to yell. He didn't mean it, Gorgeous," he whispered comfortingly.
Eli's face soften at the interaction between the two and sighed heavily; while Clare should not have asked him of such a request, he should not have yelled. He moved to sit beside them and nodded in agreement. "I didn't mean to upset you."
Clare turned away from Eli, burying her face in Fitz's neck, as she collapsed into sobs. Fitz scooped her up with a sigh, heading for the door. "I'll be back," he mouthed to his roommate before disappearing into the hallway.
Eli groaned in dismay, banging his forehead against the headboard as hard as he possibly could. Seven more months.
DTNG
Clare slightly bobbed her head to the music as she stood in the Middleton kitchen, clutching her cup of water tightly to ensure no one could put anything inside the liquid. "I'm like the ringleader; I call the shots; I'm like a firecracker; I make it hot; when I put on a show…" she mumbled the lyrics under her breath to herself.
Clare froze at the sight of Eli, lying on a nearby couch. Yet it was not Eli who made her gasp, but the perky blonde straddling his lap with her tongue shoved down his throat. His hands groped at the hips of Jenna Middleton while their tongues battled against each other, their mouths suctioned together in a feverish kiss.
Fury turned Clare's cheeks red, setting her cup of water down hard, as she stormed into the living room. She gripped the back of Jenna's head, digging her nails into the blonde's skull, and tugged her off Eli mercilessly. She shoved the blonde onto the floor before leaning down and slapping a confused, breathless Eli across the face.
"Clare…"
Clare shook her head at him, shouting over the music, "I don't want to hear it!"
She turned away from him, running as fast as she could. She shut the door to the back porch behind herself, hugging her arms tightly around herself as the cold air enveloped around her. She closed her eyes, sniffling softly, trying to erase the image of Jenna on top of Eli from her mind. She shuttered, struggling to stand as her stomach ached with sickness from the thought. She doubled over, vomiting into the nearby bushes.
"Y'know, bulimia isn't the answer."
Clare chuckled to herself, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, as she looked over at KC, who sat on an elongated lawn chair. "It's more satisfying knowing they're Jenna's bushes," she replied, meeting his sarcasm as she took a spot on the end of the chair.
The side of KC's mouth quirked into a half smile, "Glad you still have a sense of humor to cling to." He pulled the vodka bottle to his lips, taking a long swig. He knew he had been giving her a hard time, but he still offered her the bottle, knowing she was having a tough night just from looking in her pain filled blue eyes.
Clare gave him a small smile, taking it from him, and took a small swig. She took in a deep breath, shuttering from the burning sensation and the cold as it snowed lightly around them. She blinked, bringing her knees up against her chest to keep herself warm, while touching her slightly protruding stomach.
KC quickly removed his leather jacket, sliding it over her shoulders, "You shouldn't be out here without a jacket in the cold while you're pregnant."
Clare looked up at him, giving him a gracious smile, while pulling the coat tighter around her small frame. She nodded, mumbling, "Thank you." She bit her bottom lip as their eyes met.
KC leaned in towards her, whispering softly yet firmly, as he inched closer to her, "I'm gonna kiss you." With that, his lips pressed against hers, yet Clare did not fight him this time. Instead, she gently pushed her lips back against his, their fingers intertwining together playfully.
KC's free hand slid across her hip, pulling her up on his lap to straddle him. She pulled her head back with a gasp as his hips ground up against hers. She looked down at him in astonishment as he tugged off her thin leggings, ripping the purple fabric in two. He leaned up, crushing their faces into an agonizing kiss, pulling Clare even closer to him. Her bruised lips throbbed as she frantically kissed him in return, her hands roaming his sturdy arms carelessly. His hands removed his jacket from her shoulders before he pulled back from the kiss to throw away her lime green t-shirt over the banister and into the snow. He ran his hands across her body, making sure every inch of her was bare skin.
Clare leaned down to kiss him again, only to have him slide her onto her side and into the chair. She looked up at him as he slowly got up from where they were while grabbing her clothes from their places across the porch and snow. He smirked down at her sadistically, holding her clothes to him, "Later, Saint Clare."
Clare did not even wait for him to be gone before she started to cry, shuttering uncontrollably from the cold enveloping her naked body. She gasped as the soft snow slowly covered her pale skin. She bit her bottom lip harshly, closing her eyes to clear her mind.
"Clare! Oh god, Clare…"
Clare opened her eyes and sighed in relief at the sight of Adam as he sat her up carefully, wrapping her up in his coat. "Adam…" she groaned, numb from the cold.
Adam shook his head, scooping her up in his arms carefully. "Not now. We'll talk when we find Eli and Fitz, okay?" he assured, shushing her, as he carried her into the house to get her out of the cold and to search for Eli and Fitz.
DTNG
Clare lay in Eli and Fitz's bed, cuddled up under the covers, still shivering slightly from her low body temperature. Alli ran her hand through Clare's icy red hair as if to comfort the pregnant teenager. Clare bit her bottom lip to stop herself from a string of sneezes only to no avail. Her lips were a soft purple, almost lavender, color; her cold skin was a ghostly white. She had not stopped shuttering since Adam had found her.
"Its okay, Clare," Alli whispered soothingly for what felt like the millionth time that night. She had routinely checked the covers to make sure Clare had not been bleeding out from the extreme shock thrust upon her baby.
Adam walked in, two cups in his hand – one of tea and another coffee. He slowly walked over to the girls, handing both mugs to Alli. He sighed heavily, taking a seat at the desk in the corner. "How's she doing?" he asked softly.
"Not too good. She's still freezing…" Alli replied while she placed the mugs on the nightstand. She pulled back the covers, grabbing onto Clare's arms securely to pull her into a sitting position. But when Clare whimpered, tears developing at the corner of her eyes, Alli let her go. She shook her head, "Clare, c'mon. You need to drink your tea. You'll warm up faster."
Eli walked into the room, his eyes full of regret as he watched Alli struggle to move Clare. He hesitated, wanting to help, but knowing where it would end up; in another fight with Clare.
Fitz pushed right past Eli, going to Clare's side, and rubbed her back, coaxing sweetly, "Hey Baby. C'mon." He slid his arms under her armpits, pulling her up against the headboard. She willingly moved for him as he took a seat beside her, wrapping her up in his arms. She leaned into his warm body, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open momentarily only to close, her body shaking from the work of the action. He held out a hand and Alli passed him the cup of tea. "Momma, you need to take a sip," he whispered softly, rubbing her back with his free hand.
Clare let out a long groan as she inched around, her back pressing against his chest. Her body went lax against his as if broken in pieces, but they all knew she was only exhausted.
Fitz brought the mug to her lips and slowly fed her a drink. Once the hot beverage hit her tongue, Clare shook in surprise, gasping and then choking on the liquid. She leaned forward, coughing back into a normal breathing pattern. He rubbed her back gingerly with his palm and kissed the back of her neck, encouraging her to continue drinking.
"Maybe if she holds it she won't choke."
Everyone, except Clare, looked up at Eli, who still lingered in the doorway. His idea seemed simple, but no one was willing to admit that they did not want to try it with Clare's physical and metal states. They all just looked down, away from Eli, as if to hide.
Eli rolled his eyes, getting up on the bed, and crawled over to Clare. He cupped her cheek in his hand, tilting her head to face him. "Clare…" he called out softly to her.
Clare forced her eyes open and shrugged him away from her. "Don't touch me, you whore," she muttered bitterly.
"I know you hate me right now, but you need to try to hold your tea, okay? You're just going to keep choking if you don't and that's kind of counterproductive," Eli informed, dropping his hand to her thigh and rubbed her soft, frozen skin to comfort her.
Clare's eyes flared with anger as she finally found the strength within her. She looked up at him, shouting, "I said, don't fucking touch me, Elijah!"
Eli shook his head, leaning in closer, and nuzzled her neck with his own while running his hand slowly up her side. This caused Clare to scream, but it was quickly muffled by her sobs. She hit him hard in the chest with her fist. He snapped up straight in shock, his mouth hung agape.
"Don't put your diseased hands on me, you whore," Clare spat, forgetting the group of people around her because all she could see was Eli. "Did you sleep with her?" she asked skeptically, struggling not to cry.
Eli frowned, his heart being torn in two, "No, Clare, I…"
"You kissed her. You made out with her. You know I hate her. She took KC from me…" Clare started to mumble a small rant under her breath.
Eli cut her short, scoffing, "Didn't take long for you to go back to him anyways, did it, Clare?"
Clare shook her head in disbelief, sighing, "He left me in the snow, naked, Eli. As if to freeze to death; embarrassed, confused, and exhausted. I wouldn't have been drinking with KC if you didn't have your tongue down that home wrecker's throat."
Eli blinked, trying to figure out where to start with her repercussion. "Hold on. You were drinking?" When she bit her bottom lip, he punched the bedding below them. "Dammit, Clare! You're two months pregnant!"
Alli and Fitz had slowly inched off the bed and gone to stand by Adam, watching the charade between the two lovers. "Maybe we should…" Alli started, slowly heading backwards for the door.
"No!" Clare shouted, snapping her head towards the three.
"Clare, you're sick. You need to calm down," Adam sighed heavily, sincerely concerned for his friend's wellbeing.
Clare rolled her eyes, her cold cheeks burning red with anger, as she struggled to pull herself to her feet. "Fuck you guys. Taking his goddamn side," she mumbled, wobbling as she stood on her own only to fall onto the floor on her knees with a gasp.
Eli jumped from the bed to capture her in his arms only to find Fitz had already scooped her up. His eyes were stone-cold, disappointed in both Clare and Eli. Clare buried her head in Fitz's neck as if to hide from Eli, her arm wrapping around his shoulders to help support herself.
"Now is not the time," Fitz stated softly before walking away and carrying Clare down the hallway to her own room.