Drew and Clare sat in his room on a calm wednesday evening. They had been graced with a day of no homework, and were enjoying a few hours of peace together.

And by peace, i mean true relaxation. No television running, no video games; just Drew sitting on a beanbag with Clare on the floor, laying accross his lap, reading a book she had found laying around. Drew didn't read much so he guessed Adam had left it there one day, accidentily, while snooping in his room.

Drew was amazed he had found a girl who could read. Usually he'd be annoyed that he invited a girl over and she now lay in his room reading. But this was Clare. He had no issue with sitting around in complete silence in of his reading girlfriend.

She was different.

He didn't expect anything from her other than simply being graced by her presence.

Clare didn't annoy him with any thing she did. All she did was keep him company, talk with him about basically anything, and read, leaving him sitting in silence with nothing to do.

And who could be annoyed by that?

Well some guys would obviously get annoyed by the last thing, but Drew didn't care. He was just glad to have her here.

Laying accross his lap. Reading.

He looked at her face and she was reading so intensly, she looked like she could kill someone.

Ya gotta love this girl.

Drew shifted in the beanbag chair, suddenly earning her attention.

"Oh, no, sorry. I was to get comfortable. Continue reading", he said with a smile.

Honestly, he could sit there and watch her read all day.

"No, im sorry, i just got really caught up in this book", she closed it and put it down.

"No, really it's fine. Keep reading if you want to"

She giggled, "No, i came here to hang out with you. Im nit just gonna sit here reading forever"

He smiled, "Okay. Well, you can borrow it if you want. Take it home, stay up all night reading under the covers with a flashlight like i know you do"

She chuckled and rolled her eyes, "I do not do that that...all the time"

They laughed, smiling at each other. Once their laughter died down, they continued looking at each other with smiles.

Drew took her hand and pulled her up to sit beside him on the beanbag.

Their faces were pretty close, forcing Clare to look up at his. She found herself lost in thought while analyzing his facial features.

His ivory skin.

His flushed cheeks.

His muscular looking jaw.

His absutely captivating blue orbs.

And his lips.

They completely followed the "what you see is what you get" policy; soft, warm, and inviting.

Drew noticed her looking at his lips and took that as a bell of opportunity ringing.

He leaned in toward her,capruring her lips with his.

It was a nice kiss. It wasn't too short, although it felt that way to him. Clare on the other hand, found every second of her owning his lips as an eternity if paradise. She got lost in the feeling and just the slightest second was pleasing to her.

However, just like Drew, she never wanted it to end.

But, Drew tried not to go too far. He tried to make each kiss special but not TOO special. Clare was such an innocent girl. Even if she wasn't St. Clare anymore, she was absolutely perfect to him. She wasn't like the other girls he'd been with. She was way more special than them all.

So he didn't want to treat her the way he treated them; making out and eventually other things after barely knowing each other.

And he knew he had told her he didn't think they should kiss in fear of her emotions being out if whack and have her end up regretting it.

But, the day after he'd said that... He had almost lost her. And he hated even thinking it.

After that, he knew his feelings for Clare were true. So, he figured a couple of short kisses when they saw each other were no big deal.

Well, at least that's what he'd convinced himself of, because in reality, a kiss from Clare meant the whole world to him.

After they pulled away, Drew almost instinctly wrapped his arms around her as she leaned against his chest.

"What's your favorite thing in the whole world", she asked him.

"This", he replied.

Clare smiled, not looking at him, afraid to ruin the moment.

"What about you?", he inquired.

She blushed.

"Ummm... I would answer that, buuut youre gonna make fun of me"

He chuckled, "Why?...is it dirty?"

"No!", she exclaimed, smacking his arm. They both cracked up laughing.

"Then, seriously what is it?", he asked, re-wrapping his arms around her apologetically.

"Well, there's this aaand...reading?", she answered more as a question than an answer.

"Seriously?", he laughed, "You seriously love reading that much...?"

"Yeah..", she blushed.

"Well,then i guess i should feel honored having 'this' right up there next reading, huh?"

"Absolutely", she smiled sarcastically.

"Hmmm...what's your favorite color?", he asked.

"Huh?"

"What, i thought we were playing 20 questions or something", he chuckled.

"Oh, i guess blue"

"To match your eyes?"

"No", she laughed, "like dark blue."

"Oh"

"Yepp.."

"Your turn", he announced.

"Hmmm..."

Moments passed as she pondered what she should ask him.

"What's your biggest regret?", she asked quietly, while thinking of her own.

Drew was silent as his mind was filled with images of the short, long haired, dark-skinned girl. And then of a hispanic, curly-haired girl in the boiler room. Then back to the dark-skinned girl, tears streaming down her face.

Drew hadn't realized he'd been silent for quite some time, now.

"Drew?", she said turning to face him.

"Hm?"

"You didn't answer my question"

"Oh..sorry...um-"

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to...", she offered.

"No, it's fine. I'll answer. Um... I guess my biggest regret was... Cheating on Alli.."

He looked down shamefully, refusing to meet her eyes.

Clare didn't know what to say. All she could do was just look at him with compassion.

He continued, "I cheated on her with Bianca...in the boiler room"

Clare of course already knew all this because Alli had told her of it all. But it was interesting hearing it coming from him.

"I knew it was wrong.. And i did care about her. I just, somehow, put all of those feelings aside and...did that. Because i was selfish..."

Clare put her hand on his shoulder, comfortingly.

"And now...", he continued hesitantly, "she's gone. And i know what i did, happened a long time ago. But, somehow i always seem to find myself thinking that..."

He couldn't finish that sentence.

But Clare knew what he was getting at.

Drew felt himself tearing up, and Clare could see it.

Suddenly, a single tear drop slip down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away, and clearing his throat he said, "So, do you wanna watch a movie or something?"

She looked at him, shaking her head.

"Drew, its okay to cry , you know", she said caringly.

"No, it's not", he retorted.

"Why?...Because crying is weak? I thought you were better than that stupid male pride crap, Drew"

"It's not about the male pride crap"

"Then what is it?"

"Crying-", he hesitated.

"Crying would be admitting that-", he paused when his voice broke, trying to hold back the tears forming in his eyes.

"-that I was a reason that she..."

And that was it.

He finally broke.

Clare took him into her arms once he let out a soft sob. This soft sob was followed by many more.

She held the broken boy in her arms, tracing circles on his back. She began carressing his soft hair.

All this seemed to slowly calm him down, but she could tell that he was still crying.

He held onto her so tight.

All he needed was her. Nothing else could make him feel better.

Clare was his antadote. She just made everything better and all the pain go away. She gave him the one thing he needed.

Hope.

He felt her kiss his hair.

How did she make everything seem so perfect?

She made every moment feel like Heaven, especially when the moment had intended to be a bad one.

His sobs had ceased, and his tears were coming slower now.

Drew just took in the moment, feeling so comfortable with her there.

Drew barely ever cried. And when he did, it would always be in his room, with his door locked, music blasting so no one could hear his sobs. He had never opened up in front of someone like this before. But he was glad she was the one he broke in front of. He knew with all his heart that she truely cared for him. She was the most sincere person he knew and could ever wish for.

He had always expected crying in front of someone to be embarrassing, shameful, weak, etc..(Wow, he never realized how much male pride he really did have).

But it wasn't. It was a relief to finally be able to let out all the hurt to someone who truely cared and understood. Clare wouldn't look down on him and think of him as weak.

She was just there for him, and she took it as a pleasure to be the one comforting him.

That she was the one wrapping her arms around him and caressing his hair.

That she was the one whispering sweet things in his ear to calm him down.

And that he was the one resting in her arms.

And that she, and she alone was the one who could get him to open up about his deepest emotions.

And that she would never judge him, and that she'd always be understanding.

But not because that was her nature.

But, because she cared about him.

And that was when Drew realized,

This was love.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Tell me whatcha think ;)

And if any suggestions for future chapters,... PLEASE LET ME KNOW...

Reviews :')