Don't own anything.

Chapter 27: Goodbye France

Claire's POV.

I awoke the next day sore, but happy! I was on Quil's chest, my naked body covering his. I lifted my head from his bicep and glanced around the dimly lit room. At my movements, Quil stirred and fluttered his eyes open.

"Good morning," he smiled groggily.

"Morning," I replied shyly.

He chuckled and sat up to kiss my lips. "You're cute when you're embarrassed," he whispered.

"Shut up, Quil," I jokingly slapped his arm.

He stroked my face and pecked my nose. "Are you okay? Do you hurt?"

"I'm a little sore, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"You sure?"

"Yes, Quil," I giggled, jumping to my feet. My below area ached slightly, as if covered in a bruise, and I winced. I would just have to take it slow today. "I'm going in the shower."

I went to walk into the small bathroom and turned. "Want to join me?" I asked quietly.

He grinned and nodded eagerly. We didn't do anything in the shower except giggle awkwardly and blush. It was strange being so open and naked with Quil, but it also felt very right. This was how we were meant to me and I wouldn't have had it any other way. We dressed afterwards and made our way to the Clearwater's hand-in-hand. Thanks to the warm shower, I wasn't aching as much and could actually walk without limping once we got halfway down the street. When I opened the door Iris rushed over and into my arms at her part-vampire speed while Harry jumped onto Quil's back.

As Iris idly made conversation, I walked into the living room with her to see Aurora drinking tea while she watched over the Black twins, who were playing at her feet. She raised her eyebrows questionably at me and when I nodded, she let out a squeal.

"Babe, are you alright?" Seth asked in amusement.

"I'm fine," Aurora waved it off, grinning widely at me. She put her thumbs up and down to indicate if it was good or bad, I gave her the thumbs up and she laughed brightly. Blushing, I sat on the chair with Iris and watched her color in a horse.

"Come on, Claire," Aurora walked over and took my hand. "We're going to help with Nessie's gardening."

I sent a helpless look over my shoulder at Quil and he grinned at me. Sighing mockingly, I let Aurora drag me over the road and through the Black house. Nessie was planting something in the corner of the small garden as Aurora threw me onto the outdoor seating area.

"Spill." Aurora demanded excitedly.

"It was amazing!" I sighed dreamily. "Hurt like hell, but it felt right, you know?"

"So it worked?" Nessie smiled, dropping her garden gloves onto the table.

"Oh, it worked alright," Aurora snorted.

I smiled. "Thanks for the advice, by the way."

"Our pleasure, sweetie," Nessie patted my hand.

I spent the rest of the day with Aurora and Nessie, mostly talking but we also finished off Nessie's garden. We went back over to the Clearwater's for dinner and I walked over to Quil, my ache to be with him screaming.

"Hey," he muttered as I perched myself onto his lap. "What have you been doing?"

"Gardening," I replied as he wiped from dirt from my cheek. "I'm not very good."

He laughed. "You've got dirt on your neck. How did you manage that?"

I shrugged and put my head on his shoulder, patiently waiting for Aurora and Jacob the cook the dinner. Quil and I had offered to help multiple times, they always refused. After cleaning up the dishes, the only thing they would let us do, we headed back to the room.

Without really thinking, I jumped onto him the moment the door was closed, our lips colliding. He walked over to the bed and sat and I straddled him, only to get a shooting pain down below. I groaned and regretfully pulled away.

"Too sore?" he chuckled breathlessly in my ear.

"Kind of."

He kissed my temple and laid me on the bed. Disappointed that we couldn't do anything, I climbed under the covers.

For the rest of the holiday we didn't get a chance to be together. Our final days in France were filled from early morning until late night with the Clearwater's and Black's, leaving us exhausted once we got back to the room. On Sunday morning we packed—well, Quil packed while I sat on the bed refraining from bursting into tears. I wasn't ready to leave yet, especially considering all the time Quil and I got to spend together here. At home it was going to go back to weekend visits and soon, I would be leaving for Seattle. Not only would I miss Quil like crazy, I was also beginning to get homesick and I hadn't even left. Makah and La Push were all I'd ever known, I loved the small towns to death and I would be leaving them to start a new life. Given, one day I would go back, but with new opportunities coming up all the time, who knew when that would be?

When we had to say goodbye to everyone, I couldn't stop the tears. They fell down my cheeks at an alarming pace.

"We'll see each other soon," Aurora promised as we hugged.

I sniffled into her shoulder and was passed onto Nessie. "Yeah, we'll be over for the wedding," she winked.

I gave a watery laugh, secretly hoping that her comment would come true. "I'll miss you guys," I mumbled as I hugged Iris, inhaling her sweet scent.

"We'll miss you too."

"We'll be back one day," Aurora added with a smile. "We're coming back when the kids are older."

"To La Push?"

"Yeah, we've already planned it."

I smiled at them and hugged Harry, running my fingers through his curly hair. Once I had been bear-hugged by Jake and Seth separately and then together, I got into the cab with Quil. I waved until I couldn't see them anymore and slumped against Quil once they were gone. He stoked my hair in comfort, there were no words he could really say.

We got lunch in the airport and then boarded for the plane home. Most of the ride, I slept against Quil's shoulder, his constant heat like a blanket for me. This time we got a cab to La Push, too, which Aunt Emily had ordered for us last week.

"It's going to be hard to get back into the routine," I commented as we drove through Port Angeles.

"My sleeping pattern is messed up," Quil smirked.

"I guess we'll have to find something to tire you out," I whispered.

His eyes darkened and my arms tingled. "Hmm, I guess so."

I leaned up to kiss him, the fire I usually felt when we were intimate roaring despite my jetlag. I hiked myself onto my knees to deepen the kiss, my fingers digging into his scalp. Our tongues flicked out together and I moaned at the taste of him; coffee and spice, how very Quil.

When we pulled up outside Quil's apartment, Quil threw the money at the driver and hauled our things from the back. We rushed to the back of the building, the way people had to get upstairs when the shop wasn't open, and I threw my arms around his shoulders and he dropped our bags. He pushed me against the wall and kissed down my neck, sucking when he got to the place where my neck and shoulder met. I gasped, arching into him as my heart started to race.

Quil ran his hand down my side until his got to my thigh and hiked it around his hip. Sucking in a breath at the feeling of his semi-hardness pressed against my leg, I turned to look him in the eye. He rested his forehead against mine, slowly letting his hand dance to the top of my panties and then to my sensitive spot. He pressed against it and I whimpered, clawing at his back.

"Shit, Quil," I moaned, awkwardly opening my legs wider for him. It was hard given the position we were in.

He took his hand away and I almost slapped him.

Smirking at my glare, he unlocked the door and kicked our suitcases into the shop. He grabbed my hand and pulled me against him for a heated kiss. He shuffled me backwards until I hit something. I squealed lightly in his mouth as he lifted me up onto it. He dropped kisses along my jaw and neck and I looked around and realized we were in the shop and I was sat on the counter.

"Quil," I snickered as his hands ran up my thighs. "We can't do it in the shop."

"Yes we can. We just can't leave evidence," he murmured against my skin.

I found myself nodding as his fingers skimmed along the top of my panties. I was ready for him, more than ready. I was practically begging with my body.

He ran his finger up and down me, from my clit to my entrance. He stopped after the fifth time and circled my bundle of nerves. I withered at the incredible sensations and grabbed at counter until my knuckles turned white.

Pulling down my panties and dropping them onto the floor, he yanked me to the edge of the counter by my hips and let go to fiddle with his jeans. He placed his boiling member at my entrance, I could feel the heat on the inside of my thighs. I buckled into him and whined. At an almost torturous speed, he stretched me to fit him. It ached a little but it quickly turned into pleasure.

"Quil," I sighed, twisting my neck to catch his lips.

He thrust twice and my body hummed. Seeing that I wasn't in pain, Quil bent my legs further until I had to put my arm behind me to make sure didn't fall off the counter. I curled my other arm around his neck as he moved at a steady tempo. The colours of the room twirled together as one big brown blob and I threw my head back, closing my eyes.

"Harder," I growled, feeling silly, but past caring.

"Mm. I love you, Claire," he said through clenched teeth into my ear. I couldn't respond, he had picked up the pace and each of his thrusts were pushing me closer to the release I desperately wanted. He nibbled at my neck and I let out a guttural moan.

I started to meet his movements with my hips, wanting to feel him as much as I could. He reached between us and flicked my clit. That was what sent me over the edge.

I shuttered as I clenched around him, screaming out his name. He followed a minute or so after, spilling his hot liquid into me. He fell partly onto me and I held him, stroking his sweaty hair. He smiled softly and kissed me.

Suddenly, the embarrassing trip to the nurse to get birth control pills I had a few months ago didn't seem as bad.

He pulled himself out of me and I pouted. He jokingly kissed my stuck out lip and pulled up his jeans while handing me my panties. I took the flimsy material and jumped off the counter. Just because he looked so damn cute, I stood my tip-toes and nibbled at his lips. He moved his hands to my ass and squeezed, I squeaked brightly.

"God, I can't get enough of you," he grumbled into my ear.

"Well, it's a good job I feel the same, isn't it?"

He growled and shoved me against the counter, attacking me with kisses.

I smiled to myself, time for round two!

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