I'm not going to lie, this is a long ass one shot. But it's the first piece of smut I've uploaded on here, so I hope the length and all can be forgiven. This takes place at an undetermined time in the future for Eli and Clare. This is sentimental and sappy, but I hope you'll enjoy it just the same.

There was something about his barren chest that couldn't intimidate her if her life depended on it. The sleekness, the way he was toned, but not defined. How her hands craved to slide down his pale skin, her fingertips leaving their mark on previously uncharted skin. She couldn't deny that it was her favorite part of his body, so far. Tonight would push the limits of her comfort, her curiosity. Surely her questions would be quelled, a beast awakening within her. She could already feel it rearing it's ugly and ever-present head.

He quaked slightly, just slightly. He wasn't sure if she noticed, but tried to tense his muscles in a futile attempt to disguise it. She observed him with such a genuine curiosity and interest. It was one he wasn't sure he'd ever been graced with, even with Julia. He'd been so young then, naive, unaware. He'd thrown himself into the passion of those nights spent making love in his bed. But he was fully aware and present for this. He had to be. For lack of a better word, Clare was his baby, his one and only. He would defend her to the ends of the earth, even from himself and his selfish desires.

The instincts that told him to bury himself in her, to apply pressure until she lost it. The ones that made him ache to hear her scream his name, the sound echoing within the four walls of his room. His mind was making leaps and bounds in this respect. He was the only one who was lacking clothes. So far. There was still so much more to come, if he could subdue his need for just a little longer.

She gnawed on her bottom lip, the anxiety slipping, and a need replacing it. That warming, clenching, coiling sensation she'd become accustomed to during their more intense make out sessions was taking home in her once more, but she knew there would be a payoff this time. There would be a way to find solace in it. Indulge it. Eli had promised to take care of her, fulfill her every desire. She had no doubt he would. If anyone could please her, it would be him.

He took a tentative step towards her, hands firmly at his sides. If he allowed himself even the smallest bit of leverage, loosened the proverbial leash even a smidgen, he'd go off. He'd lose himself in the act, stripping it of it's humanity and tenderness. She deserved more than that, and always would. He couldn't spot a sign of nerves on her. It left him astounded. The tables were turned. Her once trembling fingers while he pushed the limits of their bond were replaced with his shivering limbs, the erratic beating of his heart.

She met him halfway, standing in the middle of his room. It almost felt too conspicuous, though they were alone. All alone, a world to themselves. A quiet haven inside his room that once was cluttered by his past, but now only held room for his time with her. He was locked in the present, as was she. No past struggles held weight in the moment, and they wouldn't from that point on either.

Clare smiled, nodding her head to him as her fingertips gripped the hem of her shirt, pulling it off of her own frame in one swift motion. His eyes swallowed her whole, hungrily searching her skin. Every curve, every little bend of her body. The way her bra hugged her breasts, how her stomach wasn't too big, nor too small. Perfect, perfect, perfect. He ached from her perfection, afraid to mar it even if he looked on her for too long. As if his experienced hands and well-used eyes could taint her purity.

She didn't seem the least bit intimidated by his gaze, only bashful. For a moment, she considered covering herself up, but couldn't when she locked eyes with him. He looked like he'd been traveling a very long time, aimlessly. And now he was finally home. He was with his purpose once more. He eyed her like an artist eyes an empty canvas, a writer a clean sheet of paper. With an eager curiosity, a tender comfort. Like she completed him, because she did.

He could have written novel upon novel about her body. How she looked standing before him, the slightest bit of shyness seeping into her stance. How he wanted to coil his arms around her, chase away any bit of hesitancy that lived within her. And that was just what he did. Crossing the threshold between them, he pulled her body to his, feeling her mostly bare skin to his own. It elicited a small moan from him, elated at the small taste of ecstasy.

She returned the sound in her own way, a whimper leaving her as his hands searched her back. There was no need for more context with her bra in between. They'd done this before, however awkward or rushed it had been. But never before had he seen her chest fully bare before him, felt her warm skin melting with his.

Shaking like a leaf in his grasp now, she tucked her head against the crook of his shoulder, a small gasp escaping her as she felt his hands effortlessly unclasp her bra. His hands moved to slide the straps down her arms, but she wouldn't move. The only thing that kept her covered now was his chest against hers. Her heart thudded and threatened to break free of it's confines as he looked down at her. Please, please, it seemed like his eyes were saying. Trust me.

How could she deny him any longer?

She stepped away, the garment of clothing falling between him. To her surprise, his eyes didn't fall immediately to her chest. Instead he kicked the bra aside, pulling her to him again. The contact of skin on skin clawed out a moan from the both of them, the sounds seemingly melting into the atmosphere, a symphony of their own.

His lips fell to her neck, his hands beginning to roam more. This was the beginning of his unraveling, and at a certain point, there would be no turning back. She didn't mind though, her body daring to inch closer to his, pushing him over the edge bit by bit. She could see it in his dilated emerald eyes, how they darkened and almost pulsed with every brush of skin and release of breath. It seemed impossible that she could have such a heavy effect on someone as headstrong as Eli, but here she was. He was melting, crumbling, dissipating, not caring to be anything that wasn't under her spell. He felt as if his whole soul was almost gone, sucked in by her and her temptation. For a virgin, she knew a thing or two about building up the desire, and leading him along with it. It seemed to be a natural gift for the curly haired girl, one he found himself thanking the heavens she believed in for.

More clothes began to cover his bedroom floor with each passing second, hands moving and fingers working tirelessly to undo buttons, unzip the dress she wore, fingers hooked in her panties, slowly working them down her alabaster, smooth thighs. She shivered with the sensation of the fabric sliding down, a draft hitting her at her most sensitive area. Now all was there, all for him to survey, and vice versa. The two found that they couldn't take their eyes off of each other. The delay between the sight and the reaction seemed to last centuries, their hands finally getting the hint. He stepped forward, cupping her breasts without concern of pushing the limits anymore. He was on the cusp of losing it all, and in turn, taking it all from her.

Her breaths came out in short pants as he touched her, his fingers leaving trails of fire and tingling torture in their wake. Her body moved to his whim, accommodating for how he gripped her, squeezed her, rubbed her. Her sense of reserve was far off and away, so far gone that she wondered if it had ever existed at all. It had indeed, but her resolve to remain chaste and wholesome was melting before her very eyes, his tender movements persuading her to let it go. To give it up in the most intimate she could. A loud moan filled the minimal space between them as Eli gripped her backside, his hands kneading her ass.

He was running out of patience, and it was blatantly obvious. His erection rested against her hip, throbbing and pulsing every time he met her eyes, mirroring the lust he felt. They were torturing each other now, touching in certain non-threatening spots, ones that surely could be interrupted should one of them prefer it that way. He was so tired of playing it safe though. With a gentle push, he moved her to his bed, climbing on top of her slowly.

A shaking started in her legs, her knees weakening and buckling beneath her as her back hit the bed, a helpless moan leaving her as their bodies pressed flush against each other. She tipped her head back, feeling an animal-like sort of reaction brewing within her.

But beyond that, fear. A mild fear of the unknown. Her virginity was sitting precariously between them, the only barrier in the way of their intimacy. Her hips jerked up to his involuntarily, begging him silently for relief. She didn't even know how to ask, or how to get such relief, but the tugging and burning was getting the best of her. He smirked, thrusting against her in a shallow manner before dipping his head down, taking one of her nipples into his mouth. She responded immediately, arching off the bed, his name spilling from her lips, her hips shoving against his forcefully.

And that was it.

Returning back to her face, Eli met her eyes, a mixture of all-encompassing lust and adoration coming across in his expression. He could have cried, bawled in absolute terror and admiration for the girl below him. She'd taken his heart, his soul, and held it captive. He didn't want either back, content with leaving them with her for safe keeping. But this wasn't about him, it was all about her.

She could feel it approaching, that moment of actuality. Swallowing the lump of anxiety in her throat, she smiled at him with her eyes, a genuine sort of joy shining through in them. It was all the reassurance he needed. There was no regret, no second guessing, nothing of the sort.

Between the two of them, anything was possible. Any sort of magic, happiness, anything at all. They both knew it, and were ready to act on it.

After rolling on a condom with a shaking hand, Eli took his time peppering her skin with kisses, her warm skin greeting him with each peck. Her hands maneuvered on his chest, thumbs trailing over his nipples, down his abdomen. He was perfectly molded to her, she thought. Birds of a feather, puzzle pieces finally reunited after a long and tiresome absence.

He readied himself at her entrance, already feeling some resistance from her body. She would fight him off initially, it was only natural. Her body would repel him, registering him as an invader. He would be patient though, putting his own overwhelming desire aside until she was ready.

Right as he started, a pulling began within her, a tearing that quickly became more than she could stand. She squirmed beneath him, torn between wanting to run and wanting to push into him more, just to get past this part of it. It would only be a short while longer, she reminded herself, a few tears escaping her eyes and falling down the sides of her face as she averted his gaze from him. This was supposed to be love, but she couldn't look at him. He looked conflicted, torn between his own pleasure and her pain. But if anyone deserved such pleasure, it was him. She needed to give him this, everything in her body made her sure of it, even the pain. She breathed in deep, influencing her own system to relax, to stop tensing beneath his weight.

Eli's head lowered to the crook of her shoulder, kissing her gently. His body began to shake once again, a mix of need and fear filling him. Each kiss said an apology, for hurting her. For stripping her of this one small, intangible bit of goodness she possessed. He felt like a monster, watching as her expression twisted into one of pain below him. It made him wonder if it was worth it at all, but then she began to buck beneath him, cringing just slightly at the sensation. She wanted to persevere, to see this discomfort through until it was replaced by whatever was supposed to follow. She felt like such a novice, but then Eli began once again, meeting her thrusts with his own shallow ones.

His jaw clenched, holding back a strangled moan that dangled from his tongue, a growl of appreciation welling up inside him. Once she whimpered out his name, it all came spilling forth, his hips rocking into hers more steadily now, both exchanging panting breaths that said nothing except yes, yes, yes.

He worshiped every inch of her skin, every bit of her that was touching every bit of him. Eli locked his eyes on hers, amazement coming across his features as she smiled and said his name once more in a way that she never had before. In a way that made his chest collapse, the air leaving his lungs at once. It dawned on him about the millionth time that she was his, he had earned and wooed her heart, swayed her better judgment to fall for a mess of a man like him. How he ever came to be so lucky, he'd never know, but that thought process was lost on him as their movements progressed, the pace picking up, the air in the room warming up with their shared body heat.

The cries that left the both of them were ones of desperation, an undeniable hunger for release, for an ecstasy they could both reach together. She began to writhe beneath him, her back arching off the bed just slightly in an attempt to get more of him, as much as she possibly could. He filled her entirely, her body stretching and working around him. She squeezed her eyes shut as her walls began to clench around him, the boiling coming to the surface. This would be the first time she'd ever released in front of Eli, more so, with him inside of her. There was no time to be bashful about it, her moans growing louder and somehow more beautiful with each moment. He growled out, burying himself in her again and again and again, his hands lowering to grip her hips. It was all a flurry of moving bodies against one another, a pressing need urging them on forward. Right as the cry of satisfaction rang out in his ears, he reached his own peak, his bed squeaking and rocking as he rode out his orgasm.

And then a collapse, a complete loss of energy or care for anything in the world besides each other. She folded herself into him, not caring that they were both covered in a sheen of sweat. A dull ache persisted between her legs, but it was drowned out considerably by the tingling that remained from when he was inside her, almost as if he was still there. Lifting a hand to her head, Eli tucked a curl behind her ear, wiping her moist forehead with the back of his hand. In the aftermath of all they'd done, she embodied a genuine beauty that he couldn't summon the correct words to describe. He was a sorry excuse for a writer in that moment, stumped by her charm, her demeanor, her undeniable beauty.

Fatigue invaded the pair of lovers shortly after, especially Clare, who still felt overwhelmed by the experience. But one thing was for sure. Not a trace of regret could be found within the girl, only a lingering sense of adoration for the boy before her. The one who had stolen her heart and everything that came with it long before this moment. Rolling over on her side, she let herself fall into the dreamless slumber, his arm tucked around her securely all the while. He could feel her breathing peacefully in his grasp, and for once, it seemed as if he'd finally given her something back. Be it a night of nothing but love, or the serenity of resting together, he'd finally returned the favor she'd done by saving him when they first met. She would never comprehend the magnitude of her actions, but that was just as well. For now, he was content to watch her sleep, far too fascinated with the rising and falling of her chest, the light sounds of sleep she made as she drifted father and farther.