We're never gonna know it all
Like houses we will fall
And break in stormy weather
And be put back together better

Eli watched the numbers climb as he stood in the elevator, his left hand gripping the strap on his messenger bag. He fought off a yawn, rubbing at his tired eyes. He had a long day, as Wednesdays typically were for him. With classes as well as work at Brett's office, he was all too happy when five o'clock rolled around. It meant a break from the marathon of courses and tasks and the chance to unwind with JJ and Lenore in the dorms.

Once the lift approached the seventh floor and the doors opened, he pushed himself off the elevator's wall and stepped out of compartment. Each time he visited the dorms, it made him all the more grateful that he had a place far removed from everyone else. He'd gotten so used to living on his own that it was a bit overwhelming to be greeted by the hustle and bustle of dorm life.

Walking down the familiar corridor to JJ and Lenore's room, Eli stepped out of the way just in time as a guy came barreling down the hallway. From the look of things he was running late as he stuffed papers into his bag. Eli shook his head and continued walking until he reached their dorm.

He let himself into the room, freezing as soon as he saw the scenario before him.

In the middle of the room sat Lenore and JJ, both with bottles of nail polish pooled around them as well as cotton balls. The room smelled strongly of an alcoholic based scent that Eli quickly identified as nail polish remover. Lenore was midway through coating JJ's ring finger.

"We can totally explain this," she said.

"You know what? I actually don't want to know," Eli countered, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

"I actually think I look pretty hot, don't you?" JJ asked, admiring Lenore's handiwork.

"Is this seriously what you guys do when I'm not around?"

Lenore put the cap back on the polish and spun to face Eli who had just taken a seat on her bed.

"We got into a debate over what tones suited him better," she stated.

"And the immediate response is naturally to slap on nail polish. Happens all the time," Eli said sarcastically.

"You had to be here," JJ said, grabbing a new selection and applying it to his pinkie.

"You guys are so weird. Anyway, aside from this train wreck, what have you guys been up to?" Eli asked, removing his bag and dropping it on the ground.

"The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world," JJ cackled. The other two looked at him quizzically. "Oh come on! Pinky and the Brain? You guys' childhoods must have sucked."

Eli rubbed at his temple and shifted against the bed, resting his back against the wall.

"You okay?" Lenore asked, beginning to tidy up a bit.

"Exhausted but fine otherwise. How are you all still breathing with that smell?"

"Sorry, your highness," JJ griped, getting up from his spot on the ground and cracking open the one window in the room before sitting back down again.

Eli rolled his eyes and yawned, running a hand through his hair as his head tipped back against the wall.

"You sure you don't want a juice box and a nap, Goldsworthy?" Lenore teased, rearranging the different shades of polish on the top of her dresser.

"I'm alright. Enough about me though. How are you?"

"Currently avoiding this essay I have to do for my History class. Painting JJ's nails made for one lovely distraction, oddly enough."

"You can still do my toes if you'd like," JJ said in a singsong voice, wiggling his feet.

"Gross," Eli and Lenore said in unison, all three of them breaking out into laughter.

"When's the paper due?" Eli asked.

"Exactly one week from now which means I have plenty of time."

"Famous last words," JJ said forebodingly.

"I'll be just fine. I already have my outline done so all I need to do is fill in the blanks and I'll be good to go," she quipped. "If anyone here needs to stop procrastinating it's you. Last I checked you have Econs homework that's still collecting dust," she sassed, pointing to the stack of books on his desk.

JJ merely waved it off, blowing a raspberry. "I'll get to it tonight, mommy dearest. Eli's here now. We have to entertain our friend."

Eli held up both his hands. "Don't go putting the blame on me. If you do poorly on your assignment, I refuse to accept any responsibility for that."

"Is today National Pick on JJ Day? I didn't see that on my calendar," JJ grumbled. "Anyway, that stuff is boring. I'll torture myself with it later."

"How'd it go on Sunday?" Lenore asked, catching everyone off guard with how random and blunt her question was.

"Oh yes!" JJ chimed in. "Tell us, Benedict Arnold. Was it worth missing out on quality time with us to catch up with Voldemort?"

Eli could tell from his tone that he wasn't angry or feeling slighted. If anything, it was actually amusing to see how many sharp witted remarks he could make. Lenore and JJ were truly the only friends he cared to make on campus. Their personalities varied from his and yet the three of them complemented each other perfectly.

"Clare was a great reprieve from you clowns, I'll have you know," he laughed. "But seriously, it went really well."

"So are you guys back together or what?" Lenore pressed, brushing a few stray strands out of her eyes.

"No, we're not. We agreed to rebuilding, you know, taking our time with fixing our friendship then going from there."

"Did you two run to each other motion in slow motion after your eyes met across a crowded room?" JJ asked, propping his arm up and resting his head on his hand.

"It wasn't anything cheesy like that, no. It was a bit stiff at first but once we got to the heart of the problem, we were able to decide on what needed to be done."

"Hallelujah! It's about time you two made peace," JJ praised.

"I was hardly a nightmare last year. I didn't talk about her that much," Eli said in defense of himself.

"True but it was pretty freaking obvious that you were still hung up on her," Lenore interjected, taking a seat beside him.

Eli tried hard not to think about the kiss they had last year and subsequently the fact that he never pursued things with her. But that was easier said than done with them sitting in her bed. Pushing it from mind, he continued on the conversation.

"Nonetheless, all of that can be put to rest now because we're back on track."

"Are you seeing her soon? Give us the dirt," JJ whined.

"I'm surprised you're hanging onto my every word about this but I haven't gotten a chance to call her yet. I wanted to the day after but I've been swamped these last few days."

"Why not do it now then?" Lenore suggested, JJ nodding greedily in agreement.

"Uh, okay, yeah."

Eli sat up a bit and extracted his phone from his pocket. He looked into his call history, hitting Clare's number and rising from his spot on the bed. Eli tuned out his friends as he began to pace, finding that he was becoming discouraged with each ring. His heart lurched at the sound of Clare's voice but it was short lived as he quickly realized he'd gotten her voicemail.

At the beep, he faltered for a moment before speaking.

"Hey, Clare. It's me…Eli. You probably already caught that. Um, anyway. I'm sorry for taking so long to call you. This week has been a bit chaotic but I just wanted to let you know that I'm not scheduled this Friday so if you wanted to hang out then, that'd be great. Or Saturday. Those are always free for me. Uh, yeah so…call me back when you can. Bye."

Eli hung up the phone and sighed, looking back at Lenore and JJ who were apparently holding their breath. During some point of his pacing, JJ had taken his spot on Lenore's bed, a pillow crushed against his chest, his jaw dropped.

"Eli Goldsworthy, you are one smitten kitten," JJ said, covering his mouth and laughing.

"Shut it," Eli warned, smacking the palm of his hand against his forehead.

"Oh my god though, seriously. You were all awkward and stuttery. That was fucking adorable. This girl makes you a nervous wreck, holy crap."

Eli groaned and sat on the swivel chair at the desk near him, his head dangling over the top.

"Cut him some slack. It didn't exactly help him much having us gawk at him," Lenore said in his defense, for which Eli was immensely grateful.

"Blah, blah, blah. What are you guys gonna do on Friday or whenever you hang out?" JJ asked.

"I'm not even sure," Eli replied, sitting up straight again. "She hasn't seen much of the city. Maybe I'll take her to a museum. Clare would love that."

"Is this what happens when two writing hipsters fall in love? Fascinating."

"We aren't hipsters. We simply have an appreciation for history and the arts."

"Hipsters," JJ coughed, earning himself a smack on the arm from Lenore.

"I think it's cool and while work is going to beyond boring without you there, I hope you guys will have fun," she said, sincerely though something seemed a bit off.

Nevertheless, it was encouraging to have their support. Since his temporary falling out with Fiona, Eli hadn't been too keen on discussing the matter with her. The more he thought on it, the more frustrated he became. However, the contrast with everyone else in his life made up for her less than receptive response.

Eli could take solace in the fact that he had people rooting for him and Clare, even unlikely sources.

Clare groaned as she looked over her article for class, displeased with what she managed to produce so far. By Degrassi Daily standards it would have been perfect but since coming to Columbia, Clare had grown far more critical of her work.

"Is everything alright?" Alli asked, looking up from her own assignment to Clare across the room.

"At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I think I'm losing my mind. This article is going to be the death of me."

"Why not take a break and come back to it later? If you keep forcing it, you're only going to wind up hating what you come up with."

"You're right," Clare sighed, saving the document and setting her laptop aside.

"You're a great writer, Clare. Don't put so much pressure on yourself."

Clare smiled softly but she still felt down and out. Alli made a fair point in saying that she was putting too much pressure on herself. But Clare could become quite a perfectionist when it came to her writing. Getting blocks or becoming pessimistic weren't instances that would come over her often. She was by far her toughest critic, never failing to analyze a matter to a fault.

"How are you coming along with your homework?" she asked, needing a shift in focus.

"I'm just about done, thank god. I'm doing my last equation now."

Clare nodded and lay down flat on her back, grabbing her phone off her bedside table. She'd gotten into the habit of casting it aside and putting it on silent while she worked, not allowing for any distractions. It hardly seemed to matter as the one person she wanted to hear from most hadn't been in touch with her since parting ways on Sunday.

While she was sure that Eli would keep his promise and call, a few days with silence made her worry slightly.

Checking the screen, Clare sat upright in a flash, instantly going to her voicemail to hear the message Eli had left. She smiled to herself as she listened to the message, detecting easily enough how nervous he must have been when leaving it. Ordinarily Eli was a bit too cool for his own good, never getting phased by much. Yet in the voicemail, he struck her as shy.

"What are you over there grinning about?" Alli asked.

Clare clutched her phone and sighed contently. "Eli called. He wants to hang out this weekend."

"Call him back now and set something up," Alli encouraged.

Nodding, Clare quickly redialed him, ruffling her auburn curls as she waited for him to answer.

"Clare, hi," he greeted. "I see you got my message."

"Yeah, I did. I was busy doing homework so I missed your call earlier. Anyway, this weekend would be great. I have one class on Friday morning but it's over at ten so I'm free any time after that."

"That's perfect. Do you have a preference for what you want to do or are you open to suggestions?"

"I'm all ears. What'd you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could go to the Museum of Natural History. It's pretty close to your school so we can meet up at eleven or so."

"I've been meaning to visit. I think that'd be a lot of fun."

"Yeah? Great, I had a feeling you'd go for that."

"You know me well. That's not surprising," Clare laughed, biting on her lower lip.

"That I do. Well, I'm sure you still have homework to get through but I just wanted to get in touch. I didn't want you to get the impression that I had forgotten."

"Oh, no. I knew you must have been busy. But I am glad you got around to it," she admitted.

"I'll always make time for you."

Clare didn't know what to say to this. Instead she just smiled and avoided Alli's gaze. Her friend had finished her homework and was looking over at her, undoubtedly curious as to what was going on. After another moment, Eli broke the silence.

"So, yeah, Friday at eleven, I'll meet you at the main entrance. I'll leave you to your homework now."

"I actually don't mind the break. I was just telling Alli about how displeased I am with this article."

"What's wrong with it?" Eli asked.

"I'm not sure, that's the problem."

"Do you want me to have a look at it?"

Clare was brought up short by this offer but appreciative nonetheless. It brought back fond memories of being in Ms. Dawes' class when the two were paired up to edit each other's work. While reproachful at first, the partnership wound up being a blessing in disguise.

"Seriously?" she questioned. "If it's not too much trouble, that would be fantastic."

"Not at all. It's always good to have an extra set of eyes on your work. When you're done, just email it to me and I'll make corrections and suggestions where necessary."

"Thank you so much, Eli."

"Don't mention it. Now get to work, Edwards," he said, but Clare could hear a smile in his tone.

Ending the call, Clare honestly felt far too distracted to put forth any effort to her article. All she could focus on now was how comfortable it felt to speak to Eli again. Already they were falling back into old habits effortlessly. It might not have seemed like much to anyone else but it was a big deal for Clare to see how innate his offer was.

"So, what's the story this time?" Alli inquired, pulling Clare from her thoughts.

"We're going to the museum on Friday."

"You know, these little hang outs are already sounding an awful lot like dates."

"Dates? No, it's not like that. Eli and I have gone to museums together in the past and while those were dates, this is different. It's strictly a hangout, nothing more."

"Uh huh, sure."

"We're taking this slowly, Alli. You know that."

"Oh no, I do know," Alli said. "But I also know that you haven't stopped smiling for the last five minutes when just moments before you were stressing out big time. It's that Eli magic. I know that look."

"Eli magic?" Clare chuckled. "What on Earth is that?"

"It's Eli's ability to say two words and suddenly get you feeling as if you're on cloud nine."

Clare shook her head lightly but couldn't refute Alli's claims.

"You guys may be taking your time but it's clear where this is headed. I don't know how long you all are going to wait but anyone with half a brain can see it a mile away," she said importantly.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself here but I know you're right. He said we were on the same page so it's just a matter of when he's ready to make things official."

"Knowing him, it'll be sooner rather than later. Eli's always been crazy about you."

"And I've always been crazy about him too but we agreed to take it one day at a time. It's so hard not to get excited though."

"You should be able to enjoy that. Not many couples are as resilient as you two are. Some would just cut their losses and give up," Alli lamented.

"I don't ever want that to happen to us."

"It won't, believe me. You guys may fall apart but you never fail to come back together eventually."

Eli stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he walked to the museum. It was crisp outside as they were in late October but it hardly mattered to him. It was undeniable just how much his heart was pounding knowing that he was about to see Clare. While he was adamant about them taking their recovery period serious and slow, the year apart made it so that he was starved for her company.

He continued walking up the block, marveling at the great size of the museum. He'd been there countless times since coming to New York last year but it was still as remarkable as the first time he'd been.

The stairs leading to the front of the building were grand but scarce with people. A few clusters were strewn about but spotting Clare in it all was a simple task. She sat with a book to keep her busy as she waited. Eli shook his head lightly before scaling the steps.

"You're a dead giveaway with your head buried in a book," he said in lieu of a formal greeting.

Clare looked up and smiled demurely, bookmarking her page and standing up.

"Well, I had to pass the time somehow. I always wind getting to places early," she grumbled, shaking her head.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"No, you're on time. It's my fault for being worried about travel time," she laughed.

"I used to be like that when I first got here but you'll get the hang of it," Eli assured. "So, shall we?"

Extending his hand towards the entrance, he let her go up the stairs before him. From the moment the door opened, Eli's ears began to buzz with the chatter that surrounded them. Beyond the teller was a clear shot of the inside of the museum.

Getting their tickets, they joined the throng of people, Eli looking quickly to Clare to see her reaction.

"I can't believe I put this off for so long," she remarked, tilting her head up to see the large dinosaur skeleton in the atrium.

"Let's not delay any longer then. Where to first?" Eli asked, consulting the map.

"This looks nice…The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life? Maybe we can do that after we have a look around this floor? And then after that go to the planetarium theater? "

"As you wish."

The pair began exploring the ground floor, Clare fishing her camera out of her bag and snapping a few shots of displays she found to be interesting. Eli could have watched Clare in action all day as she zipped from hall to hall, raising questions and reading every sign she crossed paths with. Her intellectual side was something that Eli had always been drawn to and today's agenda only added to it.

He was sure anyone else would have grown tired after an hour or so but not Clare. It took her three hours before deciding it was time for a break.

"It's two already?" she exclaimed, looking at her watch. "I'm so sorry. I made you miss lunch."

"It's alright. The cafés here aren't going anywhere. And besides, you looked like you were having too much fun to interrupt."

Placing a hand on her stomach, she laughed. "Well, my rumbling stomach tipped me off. Can we grab a bite now?"

Walking up the staircase from the third to the fourth floor, it wasn't hard to notice just how much more subdued this floor was in comparison to the others they'd visited all day. Passing the Hall of Advanced Mammals, they headed for the café. They searched the menu as they joined the line, placing their orders when they were up.

Picking up their trays, they got a small table that sat two, overlooking 77th Street. Eli watched Clare as she peered out of the window, her expression blissfully content. When he felt as if he was staring too much, he busied himself with his burger, taking a bite out of it.

"I have to bring Alli here soon," Clare said thoughtfully, glancing back at him. "She'd get a real kick out of all of this, especially the science portions."

"Maybe next weekend if you two aren't busy. It's close enough to your school and you made it just fine here on your own. At least you know you won't get lost," he teased, recalling a bit of their talk from Sunday.

"Don't laugh. Getting lost in this city is terrifying."

"It's a lot easier to navigate than most people realize. I'd be lying if I said there weren't several different cases where I had no clue where I was going. But the more you go out, the easier it'll be. And you've got me now."

His last sentence made her eyes widen but she downplayed it, casting her gaze down at her sandwich.

"You'd be up for the dubious task of being my tour guide?"

Eli shrugged. "I wouldn't mind. It'd mean more time spent hanging out and giving you and Alli more options on places to check out."

"In that case, I'd be crazy to turn down the offer. Thank you," she said, ripping off the wrapper on her straw and inserting it into the lid.

"Don't mention it. Do you have plans after this?"

"Um, no. I was just going to head back to campus…unless you want to keep the day going?"

Eli popped a fry into his mouth and nodded. "Yeah, well. I haven't been to Central Park in a while and seeing as though we're right next to it…I thought maybe we could go for a walk. But your feet must be tired from doing so much of that today," he quickly retracted.

"No. I'd love to. I haven't gotten to this side of the park yet and to be perfectly honest, I'm having a great time with you."

"I'm glad I got the day off. This beats the hell out of shelving and ringing up books all day."

"I was meaning to ask, how long have you been working there?" Clare inquired, picking up her sandwich and eating.

"Since my first semester actually. It just started as a way to get some extra pocket money and then when I realized how much I wanted to live off campus, I started saving up. Then I got my second job and that couldn't have come at a better time."

"You have two jobs? How are you managing school plus work?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "You must work yourself into the ground."

"It can get tiring at times but I love what I do. I work for Brett. It's mostly fetching coffee and assisting really but I couldn't turn it down. Plus the pay is nice."

"The Brett Barnett? The one you couldn't stop talking about during your senior year?"

"I was terrible back then, wasn't I?" Eli chuckled, biting into another fry. "But yes, the very same. I kept in touch with him and either he saw my persistence as a good thing or he merely took pity on me, but I got selected for the internship."

"It was all the hard work you put into your short. He must have seen something special in you."

"If it weren't for you I wouldn't have gotten that second chance to impress him. So I suppose I should be thanking you yet again for helping me out on the redo," he said.

He thought back to the short film he'd done in his senior year with Clare starring in it. The film depicted their concerns over the pair having to go their separate ways once Eli left for New York. It felt all the more ironic when two months later Clare called an end to their relationship but Eli chose not to focus on that now. The whole premise was the fear of letting go but here they were now coming together once more in spite of all of that.

"All I did was follow cues on set. I can't take credit for the finished product."

"Clare, my first video was literally the worst project I've ever done in my life—and that includes stuff from grade school before I got a real handle on any of this," he joked. "Believe me when I say you saved the day. You always do."

Once again his own statement brought him back down memory lane, recalling a bittersweet memory with Clare. During the time of Love Roulette, he'd been so broken up over the end of their relationship while left trying to come to terms with a newly diagnosed mental illness. As always he took to his writing as a means of coping. His first take on the play had painted her in a negative light, as a villain of some kind but it couldn't have been further from the truth. As he knew, and later shared with her after redoing it, she was the hero.

"I'm always happy to help," she said simply, though Eli could see the wide smile she tried to hide behind her sandwich as she ate.

Clare was as modest as they came and it was one of the many traits he liked about her.

"Seeing just how busy you are, it makes me feel very lucky that you're taking the time out to see me," she continued.

"I gave you my word that I'd work on fixing our friendship. Even after a day with you, it feels like no time has passed," he reflected.

It was a candid confession but something he couldn't overlook. All the heartache that had ensued post-breakup could be forgiven easily enough. But Eli knew they had to give themselves time before jumping back into a relationship. It was more than enough to have gotten confirmation from her on Sunday that she still wanted to be with him ultimately. With that knowledge in mind, he would do his best to be patient and set up the foundation properly.

"I was hoping that was a mutual feeling. I know we're taking things slow and it might be too premature to say but I really do feel as if I have my friend back. That's honestly what I've missed the most."

"Me too. So many things happened over the year but I couldn't share any of it with you. Adam got an earful," he laughed, trying to make light of the situation.

"I expect a full review of everything over time."

"Don't worry. You'll be begging me to shut up before long."

They finished their meals shortly after and cleaned up after themselves before leaving the museum's café.

"Is there anything else you wanted to check out before we go?" Eli asked, adjusting his jacket that was draped over his arm.

"Hmm, let's see," Clare said, glossing over the map in her hand. "Just the gift shop. I want to get something for Alli."

"We can go one floor down. The main shop has three floors."

"How many times have you been here?" she laughed. "Yes, very good."

Opting to take the elevator since the doors has just opened; Eli held his arm to keep the doors from closing back.

"Often enough to have most of this place memorized."

He stepped aside to allow a group of children and their chaperone to get off on the fourth floor before getting into the compartment after Clare. As they arrived on the third floor moments later, Clare headed off for the gift shop, referring to her map to navigate. Eli let her go, not bothering to stop her mission to point out that he remembered exactly where it was.

The shop was brightly lit and filled with people milling about. It would have been somewhat tolerable if it weren't for a child having some sort of tantrum over not getting a toy dinosaur they wanted. Clare looked sympathy to the kid's plight but the high pitched wailing grated on Eli's nerves. Mercifully the parent removed their child from the store, leaving behind the waning sound of sobs and screeching.

"What did you have in mind for her?" Eli asked conversationally, looking up at the different shelves and stands around the large shop.

"I'm not even sure but it should be something interesting."

"We might be here a while," he laughed, continuing to search.

"Oops?"

Eli rolled his eyes playfully at the innocent face she made and walked down one of the aisle to see something that would suffice as a decent gift.

"Why not a plush animal or something sickeningly cute like that?" Eli asked after a few moments, picking up a stuffed seal.

"It should be more scientific than that," Clare said.

Eli made the toy bow its head. "I think you're hurting its feelings."

"You stop that right now. You're actually making me feel bad for hurting an inanimate object's 'feelings'," she groaned taking the toy from him. "It is awfully cute though."

"You should get it then and save yourself a lifetime of guilt for not purchasing him."

"You're cruel. Surely you must know that. I'm here for Alli, not me," she said resolutely, setting the seal back on the shelf.

"Tell you what. Why don't we split up and make the rounds? We'll meet at the checkout downstairs in ten minutes."

"Okay, good plan. You stay up here and I'll check the next floor."

Eli watched her go, making sure she was out of range before snagging the seal off the shelf and walked to cash register. As all gift shop items were, the seal was overpriced but the cost didn't matter to Eli. Keeping a hold of his purchase, he made good on his deal of the bargain and resumed looking for a gift for Alli but nothing really struck him. To be fair, his talks with Alli had been limited over the years but all the same even the knowledge he did have on her didn't seem to be enough for the task.

After ten minutes were up, Eli headed down to join Clare. She already had a gift shop bag in her hand as she waved him over.

"What'd you get?" he asked.

"A few faux minerals that I'm sure she's going to decorate her desk with and a cosmos poster. But what did you get?" she countered, raising a brow.

Eli merely smirked and began walking away, leaving her to chase after him as he made his way towards the exit.

"Come on, tell me," Clare insisted.

Reaching into the bag, he took out the seal, wiggling the flipper.

"Call me a softie but I caved. It's the eyes that got to me."

"Eli, I can't believe you bought it," she laughed. "What are you going to name it?"

"What do you mean what am I going to name it? You don't honestly think I bought this thing for myself, do you? It's yours."

Clare's smile grew wider as she reached out and took the plush from him, holding it to her chest.

"You didn't—,"

"Have to, I know, but I wanted to. This little guy needs a name still by the way."

"Thank you so much. But he is actually a she and her name is Cecelia."

"Cecelia? As in Cece for short? I will never be able to look at my mother the same way now," he joked.

"It's the perfect name because it's a seal, get it?"

Eli opened his mouth to speak before closing it shut and trying again.

"That is without a doubt the cheesiest thing I've heard in my life but oddly enough, it's quite clever. I'll give you that," he laughed. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Walking down the steps and to the street corner, the pair waited for the light to change before crossing the road and to the entrance to Central Park West. It was a little past three thirty now as they entered the park. Given the time of year, the grounds were covered in different colored leaves; a burst of oranges, reds, and yellow surrounded them. Eli drew in a breath of the crisp air, his hands burrowing deep within his pockets as they walked quietly.

He kept his eyes ahead but every now and then he'd steal a glance at Clare. Twice he caught her doing the same, the two of them looking away and not making mention of it.

"It's so beautiful here this time of year," she said conversationally.

"You should see it during winter. It's incredible. The skating rink gets extremely popular, as you can imagine."

"Can we do that one day?" she asked, peering up at him.

"Ice skating for me equates to public embarrassment but sure, I'll take you."

"I can teach you how to skate. It'll be fun."

"For you, yeah. But I'll spend the better part of the evening with my ass on the ice," Eli laughed.

Clare shook her head and giggled, sighing softly as she clutched Cecelia to her.

"Okay, my feet are starting to hurt again. Break time?" she suggested, walking over to a bench and taking a seat.

"Why do we always find ourselves on benches?" Eli queried as he sat beside her, unable to stop himself from saying the musing aloud.

Clare's expression grew thoughtful and Eli could only imagine that, like himself, her thoughts were become overrun with memories.

"I remember that first time perfectly. Skipping school and all."

"To do classwork no less so that loses the effect of rebellion," he added.

"It was still reckless for me. I used to be such a good girl before you came along."

"I pride myself on turning you into a badass. It didn't take much effort at all before you were giving me a run for my money. Matching piercings and talk of tattoos on the first date? You were a whole new person," he laughed.

Clare smiled fondly, her mouth twisting to one side as she looked down at the seal, running her fingertips along the soft material.

"That was one of my finer nights. But back to this bench business," she said in a faux serious tone. "I made a fool out of myself that day and you backed out of it. I looked like a maniac."

"The whole point of the exercise was to get you to stop worrying about what other people thought. You wound up writing a killer essay afterwards, if memory serves."

"That still doesn't erase the fact that you chickened out. You owe me."

"Pardon me? Don't tell me you've been holding a grudge this whole time."

"You bet. 'Not your style', such a poor excuse," she huffed.

"It's the truth. And besides, that was eons ago. We can just forget that happened," Eli retorted, having a hunch as to where this conversation was going.

"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one who left people terrified. Like I said, you owe me; this is long overdue. We have to settle the score."

"Whatever happened to an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind? I don't think Gandhi would be too pleased about this revenge seeking mentality you've got."

"You'll say anything to get out of this, won't you?" Clare said in amazement. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about what other people might think. I am mistaken though, right? The big bad Eli Goldsworthy couldn't possibly care."

Eli jokingly glared at her and stood up at once. He felt odd standing there, awkwardly coughing to clear his throat. Clare sat back, thoroughly enjoying the sudden change of events.

"Now I want you to scream. At the top of your lungs," she instructed.

"You're getting a bit too much pleasure out of this, Edwards."

Clearing his throat once again, Eli gave a feeble scream to which Clare booed. "You can do better than that. Off you go."

Eli squared his shoulders and closed his eyes, unleashing a loud scream. He could feel Clare's hand over his mouth after a few seconds, the sound of her laughter echoing in his ears.

"We're even, we're even," she chanted, removing her hand and still laughing as she looked around.

Eli did the same as well, seeing the strange looks and mutters he got from people passing by but he couldn't have cared less as he focused his attention back on Clare. Her bright blue eyes shimmered in the sunlight that struck her face, her cheeks colored with a pink hue from the fit of giggles she'd fallen victim to.

"I paid you back with interest. Central Park trumps random street in Toronto," he quipped. "Now that we've got that settled, let's resume our walk, yeah? I'm done making an ass out myself for the day."