AUTHOR; Jessa
RATING/GENRE; PG/Fluff
PAIRING/FANDOM; Charlie & Claire/LOST
SUMMARY; Claire dreams about Charlie. One-shot, kinda abstract so bear with me.
DISCLAIMER; Charlie and Claire are products of ABC's LOST. I do not claim ownership over them – I just think they're the best thing since sliced bread.
AUTHOR'S NOTE; This fic was inspired by the song "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer. It's a beautiful song that I listened to on a loop while I wrote this.
Claire dreaded falling asleep these days. When she slept, her dreams were invaded with water and darkness. She was forced into a terrible place where she had to watch him die over and over…
After a long day of tending to her son, Claire couldn't fight sleep any longer. Her eyelids were too heavy and when she laid her head on her pillow made of old clothes, they slid closed. In minutes, she was fast asleep, her breathing even and deep.
There was an odd glow about the jungle as she wound her way through it, her bare feet navigating gently around tree roots and plants. Fireflies drifted about the tree trunks and Claire was vaguely aware that they shouldn't be there but they were too pretty to be denied. Her aqua eyes were everywhere, looking at everything. It all looked so different to her. Instead of something to be feared, the jungle now made her feel safe and warm. She just knew the fireflies were lighting her way to somewhere wonderful.
Excitement built inside her as her feet brought her closer and closer to the source of a tinkling melody. It grew louder as she approached the clearing; she was almost running now, her long white skirt flowing behind her. Her hands pushed aside a huge palm leaf that blocked her way like a door to another room and finally she was there.
And so was Charlie.
He stood in the middle of a flat dance floor that ought not to have been in the middle of the jungle – but there it was. The mysterious glow was more apparent now, lighting his face which was already beaming with a smile. Music sounded through the air, its origin unimportant. He was waiting patiently for her to join him.
Her gaze never wavering from his, she stepped onto the floor. A warm, soft breeze combed through her long hair as she drew ever closer to him. It seemed to take forever to reach him however, the feeling of his lips brushing her knuckles as he bowed and kissed her hand made it worth the wait. A giggle found its way out of her throat but no words passed between them – they weren't necessary.
His arm snaked around her waist and she sighed. He scooped her hand in his, pressing it into his chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world. After that, the music took them. Claire let herself be led around the floor, basking in Charlie's shy smiles and glances. Every now and then he would twirl her around his hand and she would giggle, knowing it drove him wild.
On one such twirl, he pulled her back into his arms a tad too fast and she lost her balance. Of course, he was right there to catch her. She wondered for a second if he'd done it on purpose but all coherent thought was soon lost for now she realized how close their faces were.
His eyes flickered nervously to her mouth but he didn't move; he was leaving it up to her. Seemingly in slow motion, the distance between them became non-existent and their lips met in a sweet kiss. Claire could feel the warmth of his skin as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly to his body, his arms taking a firm hold of her waist again. Smirking into the kiss, he hoisted her several inches off the ground and twirled her around, making her squeal against his mouth.
Finally the kiss ended. She was still up in his arms and he set her back down gently. There was a great sense of loss in her and yet she could not stop smiling. How she wished she could stay on that dance floor forever with him.
Meeting his eyes, she could tell he understood. Her hands were in his again, a forlorn expression on his face that perfectly reflected her profound sadness at the thought of leaving him.
Leaning forward, he put his lips to her ear and whispered, "I love you."
She was about to reply when she was distracted by the sound of a crying baby close by.
The blue tarp that served as the roof of Claire's tent looked black in the dying light of the campfires. From where she lay on her small bed looking up at it, Claire exhaled sharply and blinked a few times. Aaron was fussing in his crib.
Claire rushed to quiet him, all the while humming a soft tune under her breath.
THE END!