I have a mess of stories in my PC... and I know its not an excuse for this being so late, but I thought I put this up already! Sorry! I'll have to write the next chapter soon. Thanks for the many reviews, faves, alerts and silent reading! It's really appreciated!
lol I received a review that really made my day. Thanks! ^^
They laughed until their ribs hurt, but made sure that the misunderstanding was behind them. Alex didn't know what to do; he was too ashamed to even look at her straight in her eyes. A few minutes later, their laughter died down and awkward silence surrounded them.
Claire couldn't take the quietness for long, so she turned on the television. The TV Shopping Network was on, showing a nice and warm fireplace. "Now that I wouldn't mind having right now, it's freezing in here!"
Alex smiled, pointing to her cup of unfinished cocoa. "Then you better drink your hot chocolate before it gets cold."
She nodded, but walked toward her closet first. She took out a big thick blanket that she had brought and sat back with Alex on the couch. After they were both tucked under the blanket with their cocoa on their hands, the cold was the last thing on their minds.
The awkwardness between them seemed to die, but the truth was that they felt anxious. Alex for one was ashamed for the previous events, though he didn't show it anymore. Claire on the other hand didn't pay much attention to that and was worried about him and his reputation.
"Al?" She mumbled barely louder than a whisper. He turned his attention to her immediately. "Do you think I should have done this to you?"
"Do what, Claire?" He frowned slightly, feeling lost. "If it's about my clothes then forget about it, I guess I overreacted."
"It's not that… though that's something else that I shouldn't have done either." She giggled. "But I meant bringing you here. Won't this spread rumors about you?"
"No." He shrugged without hesitation. "It's going to spread rumors about us."
"How can you be so calm about this? I probably ruined what they thought of you by bringing you here…"
"Oh Claire, what's the worse they can think of? It can't surpass what I thought already!" He chuckled, tossing the matter into the wind.
Right now he couldn't worry about what others thought of him; he was their doctor whether they liked it or not, so they'd just have to learn to deal with his actions or simply ignore them. "Besides, they probably didn't even notice us when we left, or did they?"
"Um… no, we came here very late." She sighed, placing her empty cup of cocoa on the floor. "But what about Elli? She probably will notice that you're not there."
"I can't believe that I'm saying this, but relax. I'm sure she knows where I am."
Before Claire could ask, he just smiled brightly as if saying 'trust-me-on this'. She just sighed in defeat, nodding.
"Okay… let's just wait and see what happens."
He yawned and stretched, accidentally pulling the blanket away from Claire. She gasped and pulled it back, covering herself as much as she could. "Do you mind? These clothes weren't exactly made for the cold and I don't want you to see me in them."
"Uh, Claire? I already saw your pajamas! I've been here all morning." He raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on in her mind. 'Short-attention span perhaps?'
"Yeah, but you were too freaked out to pay attention." She smiled, snuggling under the cover.
He just chuckled and nodded, remembering that he wasn't at his best state. "Well that's true."
After dead hours watching soap operas, they were even more sleepy and bored than before. Without much thought they turned off the television, the silence becoming annoying. It was so unbarring that the raindrops could have been mistaken for drums that wouldn't stop playing over and over again.
They actually didn't mind being stuck inside the house under a cozy blanket, simply listening to the weather's melody, but the awkward silence between them was too much. Alex was the first one to talk, looking for a conversation on the simplest thing he could come up with.
"It's… raining." He then sarcastically congratulated himself for such a stupid thing to say.
"Yeah…" Claire knew that he was trying and decided to play along, wanting too some conversation. "How long do you think it'll last?"
"Hm… I'm not sure." He stood up to turn on the TV for the weather channel, but just as he was about to push the 'on' button, everything turned black.
"Ah great, the power's out." Claire sighed, walking to the window. "Those clouds are pretty thick too."
"Really?" Alex walked beside her to take a look himself. "Wow, it looks like night time."
The wind was blowing hard, messing up some fallen leaves. Lightning shone through the heavens, making them jump in surprise. Afterwards, the loud thunder roared like a strong lion on its jungle paradise, threatening everyone who opposed it.
Claire screamed and hung on to Alex, the noise catching her off guard. He wrapped his arms around her with fast reflexes, ducking slightly. After the short fright, they regained their posture awkwardly. "Sorry, Al… lightning storms make me feel a bit jumpy."
He smiled and shook his head, looking outside again. "Don't worry; it'll be over before you know it."
"I really hope so." She walked back to the sofa, dropping and wrapping herself with the blanket. With a yawn he sat beside her, looking at the ceiling.
"Anything in particular you want to do? I can tell we're going to be stuck in here for a while." He closed his eyes, bending his arms behind his head.
She jumped to her feet and smiled, nodding energetically of a sudden. "Sure! I can really use some help unpacking!"
He raised an eyebrow and looked around, seeing around ten boxes piled up around the house. "Well, I guess that will keep us busy until the rain stops."
…oOo…
Elli woke up later than usual; the coldness of the atmosphere didn't let her break away from her sleep. With a glance of the clock she realized that it was almost noon so she changed into her regular clothes and walked down to the clinic.
"Alex? Are you down here?" She called out, looking for the doctor on his office. She frowned slightly and walked up the stairs again, and then knocked on his door. "Are you still sleeping?"
She opened the door and was surprised to find the room empty. "You… didn't sleep here last night, did you…?"
After looking around the clinic and their house she was convinced that he wasn't home. She rolled her eyes and smiled, sitting on her desk to read a magazine. 'At least he's having fun… about time too!'
…oOo…
"For the last time, where the hell is your cousin!?" A tall woman with short reddish brown hair asked in fury, scaring her teenage daughter. "You better tell me where she is right now!"
"Mom, I don't know!" The younger of the two said, backing away from her mother. "I haven't seen her since she left! I swear!"
"But where did she go!?" Kasey growled, sitting down on her fancy new furniture. "Jill, tell me… if you know what's good for you and Jack, I mean."
"I'm telling you, I don't know!" Tears reached Jill's eyes; she was never good at lying. "All I do know is that she wanted to go somewhere calm and rural."
Kasey sighed and brought a hand to rub her aching head, her view getting attracted by an open newspaper that was on the table. An ad of a farm on Forget-Me-Not Valley was on the front page.
"Calm and rural, hm?" Kasey's tone was softer as a smirk appeared on her lips. "Alright, Jill, I know now what I had to know to begin with…"
The girl took a deep breath and pushed her bangs out of her face. 'Oh Claire, I hope I didn't mess things up right now…'
…oOo…
"Who packs soup with clothes?" Alex chuckled as he took out a can from the box. "You never would have found it in there!"
"Of course I would!" She lied, taking the can out of his hand while faking anger. "I understand my messes."
"Really?" He raised an eyebrow; then he took out of the same box a purple overall.
"Oh! I was looking for that ever since I got here! I thought I had lost it-"
She didn't get to finish her sentence. He was grinning knowingly as he held the piece of clothing in his hand. She rolled her eyes and took the overall, sighing. "You understand your messes, huh?"
"Ah shut it." She laughed, placing it on a box near her mirror. "That's the last of it?"
"Yup." He picked up the empty box and placed it beside the others. "We're all done."
She took a deep breath and smiled. Realization suddenly hit her, causing her to walk to the window slowly. "It's still raining… and the power's still out. We'd better find something to do or else we'll fall asleep here!"
Alex followed her lead and looked outside at the heavens that didn't stop pouring. He was about to agree when he heard a barking outside. After scanning the field he could see the dark figure of Claire's dog near the bridge. She seemed to notice that something was wrong, because she was looking around too.
"Your dog can drown if it falls into the river." He mumbled worriedly after a few moments of silence. She immediately looked up at him and then at the direction of the body of water, spotting the hairy creature.
"I'm on it." Without saying another word she walked toward the door hurriedly. Alex grabbed her arm gently, shaking his head disapprovingly.
"What are you doing? It's almost a storm out there!" She was about to reply when all of a sudden a branch hit the closed door, causing them to jump. "Imagine if you were in the doorway! You could have gotten seriously hurt!"
She sighed and looked outside again, glancing at her puppy. It was wagging its tail as it barked happily at a fish. Claire knew that her puppy was hyperactive, and would probably jump; ignoring the weather or its surroundings. "Claire… don't do it."
"I can't just stay here!" She frowned, gasping as Goli walked closer to the river's edge. She pulled away from his grasp and rushed out of the door, ignoring Alex's calls that followed her.
The wind outside was pretty strong, causing the trees to shake and the leaves to dance on their unlimited freedom. She rushed to her little dog and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him out of danger quickly. Before she could sigh in relief, she noticed a bit too late that the floor was slippery and started to fall inside the body of water. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting to feel the splash of the water against her skin.
To her surprise, none came. She opened her eyes and saw Alex there, holding her wrist tightly as he pulled her out of the river's dangers. His black hair got messed up by the wind, dancing around as if it had a life of its own.
He wrapped an arm against her shoulders after they were both out of danger worriedly as he asked if she was okay. She only nodded, looking up at him in shame.
"Sorry for running away like that…" She scratched the back of her head nervously, taking out a leaf from it. "I just couldn't let Goli get… you know, in trouble like that."
"Don't apologize, silly." He sighed, petting her head softly. "At least you're both alright."
She smiled and looked at her puppy with a fake frown. "Next time I'll let you try your swimming skills…"
Alex chuckled and got up, then offered her a hand. She smiled and accepted, getting up from the muddy soil. "Let's get dried up before we catch a cold…"
They both rushed back inside where it was nice and warm; perfect for contrasting the harsh cold that the spring rain had brought to the village. Claire raced to get a towel, wrapping herself from head to toes. Alex looked at her quietly for a while on the doorway, staring lazily at her dripping form.
"Do you want one?" She asked with her back still facing Alex. He didn't answer, so she turned around in confusion. "Al…?"
"Oh… erm… yes please." He snapped back to reality in a flash, taking the towel gratefully. His onyx black eyes were focused on the floorboards as he thought about their current situation. He always liked to analyze every moment, and this one yelled at the heavens that it was too close. "Can I… ask you something?"
"Of course." She noticed his strange behavior and walked beside him, grabbing his cold hand. His eyes looked up at hers, getting greeted by the window to the endless ocean of her pure soul.
"Claire, take better care of yourself."
To her it sounded like something any doctor would tell her if they were in Al's position, but to him it was one of the most sincere requests he ever asked for. He said it wholeheartedly, his eyes begging for her to take it seriously. His insides warmed up as soon as she smiled, nodding and shaking her messy blond locks across her pale face.
"Alright." She took a deep breath and looked at him, showing her pearly whites shyly. "I don't think I could get in bigger trouble than the one I've been already, though."
"I'm serious." He sternly looked at her, worry clear on his features. "I can't imagine what would've happen to you if I wasn't here with you!"
She looked down at her feet and nodded softly again. Honestly she knew that he was worried, and now that he mentioned it, it was a scary thought. "I'm touched that you care so much…"
"You're my best friend, Claire." He admitted quietly, his heart thumping fast on his chest. He raised her chin softly, helping her eyes searched his. When both views made contact, it felt as if fireworks exploded on their insides, causing butterflies to fly freely on their bodies.
"You're my best friend too…" She smiled, closing her eyes softly.
He felt as if her skin was pulling him closer, getting him just a few inches away from her. Their noses brushed against each other softly and their lips tingled happily in anticipation, but before they could get any closer, the lights came back on with a loud and startling sound.
They backed away and looked at the floor awkwardly, feeling shivers on their insides. Alex coughed softly and then dried his face with the towel in his hand. 'What was I about to do?'
She closed her eyes for a second, getting over the initial shock of what would've happen if the lights hadn't come at that precise moment. She breathed in deeply, still able to snatch a bit of his scent. His voice interrupted her trance, making her feel a bit upset. "Well… erm… I guess we can watch TV now that the power's back…?"
She looked at him with a bit of disappointment, but nodded anyway. "Let's check the weather channel first."
And so they did, finding out that the out-of-season storm was coming to an end. They felt great relief at those news and found themselves talking about weather abnormalities. This not being such a broad topic, they returned to watching soap operas until the rain completely stopped.
Alex was the first to notice that the day had started to clear up; being the one who was still awake. He looked at Claire's sleeping form, who managed to find her way to his chest. Honestly, he felt better with her so close, it felt right.
He closed his eyes for an instant, snuggling his nose against her soft and messy hair. It smelled just like wild berries, wrapping his senses and dancing with his mind. He made a great effort to stay awake, watching as a man on TV followed a woman with a wedding ring on his hands. They had fought over something, so she didn't pay attention to his pleads to forgive him and to stay for a little longer.
He yawned and was about to give in to sleep when the news flashed into the screen.
"We interrupt this program to inform that the storm is almost out of the way, and that many have been injured on the southern area." The newsman said as he pointed at a map behind him. Alex could see their small island that was a bit to the north of where he was pointing and got rather worried. What if a villager got injured too? It was his responsibility, and here he was, enjoying a nice rest with Claire.
He sighed and shook her shoulder softly, not getting a response from the sleeping beauty. "Claire? Wake up, Claire…"
She yawned softly and turned to him sleepily. "Al? What's wrong…?"
"Come with me for a second…" He didn't want to worry her, so he took advantage of the fact that she was still half asleep and dragged her to the bed. After tucking her in carefully, he picked up his clothes from the floor and walked to the door. He looked back once with a little smile and then walked outside, where faint sunrays tried to find their way across the clouds that still covered the sky.
It was now that he realized how chilly it really was outside. He shivered while he looked at the mess that was now Claire's farm. "After all her hard work…"
With a sigh he walked towards the clinic slowly, paying close attention to his surroundings to see if he could spot anyone that needed his help. A few showers fell from the skies on his way back, getting him wet from head to toe.
When he finally reached the clinic, he opened it quickly and rushed inside. Elli was sitting behind the counter finishing a list of medicines that they had to order. She looked up at the drenched man and gasped worriedly. "Alex, what happened to you?"
"I'll explain later." He said trembling. "Right now I just want to take these clothes off."
"Of course, I'll cover for you in case anything comes up while you bathe." She nodded understandingly. "Take your time."
Alex walked up the stairs as fast as he could; ready to take a nice and warm bath. Elli raised an eyebrow as she stared at his back. 'Why the heck was he wearing so little clothing on the streets?'
A few minutes later, Alex found himself under the heat of his shower. He smiled and closed his eyes, getting lost in the scent of his shampoo. It smelled just like Claire, fresh berries mixed with vanilla. With this thought in his mind he opened his eyes suddenly.
"I have to stop thinking about her…" He sighed, letting the warm water splash on his face. Even though he said that, he couldn't help but imagine how life would be if he lived with Claire. Things would surely be different from his routine, his life would be happier. "Get a hold of yourself, Alex!"
He frowned and finished with his bath, trying his best to shut off his thoughts. He managed to distract his mind with worries of the villagers, but then he remembered that they were the only reason he wasn't in the farm.
He took a deep breath and placed a hand on his head. "I'm not going to stop with these thoughts, am I?"
His mental argument came to a stop as soon as he surrendered and decided that if his thoughts rebelled against his common sense there was no way to stop them. In the mix of memories and a pinch of imagination, he somehow remembered the worry that washed over him before his recent shower. This made him hurry to get dressed and then caused him to run down the stairs.
"Did anyone came in, Elli?" He asked anxiously, looking over at his assistant.
She had a calm expression on her features and shook her head. "No, doctor. It seems that they're no injured villagers after all."
"That's a relief…" He sighed, bringing a hand toward his head. "If you need me I'll be in my office."
"Alex?" She called after him shyly. He peeked from his door with curiosity.
"Yes?"
"Is it okay if I ask where you spent the night?" She raised an eyebrow and giggled as soon as she noticed his nervousness. "I was worried."
"Well, I-I'm alright, and that's what matters." He laughed nervously, knowing that she wouldn't be convinced with such a simple answer. She slowly crossed her arms with a mischievous grin on her usual sweet –looking face. "Fine. I was at the farm."
She giggled and nodded, picking up some papers on her desk. "That's all I needed to know."
"Elli, don't get any ideas." He said sternly before returning to his office. "I mean it!"
He sat on his chair and stared at his ceiling with a slight frown. Today was definitely a day to remember, a day out of the ordinary. He didn't know why, but even though it was out of the usual, he came to like it. 'Oh Goddess… what is wrong with me?'
Hehe, I like Elli in this chapter.