: AUTHOR'S NOTE :

I got tired of all the untidiness of my account. So, I've decided to combine all my Steve/Claire one-shots. I apologize to those of you that have already read these. I just couldn't stand how strung out everything was. I'll have more Steve/Claire goodness soon.

✿ Pairing → Steve•Claire

✿ Word Count → 792

✿ Summary → What if Steve had actually kissed Claire while they were on the plane ride to the Antarctic? How would it unfold? Be warned. Fluffiness and some sexual themes are ever present here.

【Suspended】

The light is painfully white; the chill of the air is bitter and uncomfortable. Cold weather always bothered him as a kid. Now, it is more of a vague annoyance. His eyes are heavy with sleep, yet the warmth of the lovely creature beside him won't let his mind rest. She smells of sweat, dirt, and the distant odor of decay, but that doesn't mask the pleasant perfume on her skin. He inhales slowly. It's a sweet rainy sort of aroma with a hidden edge of something sharp... something perplexing and thorny. Much like her appearance, the fragrance of her skin is deceiving. She is something you don't really expect. She is headstrong, compassionate, quick to judge, patronizing at times, and beautifully imperfect. She has secrets like him. She's known tragedy like him...

Her movements bring his mind back to the present. As he looks over, she shifts her head away from leaning on his shoulder and moans softly. Dreaming. His eyes roam over her face. Near her right eyebrow, there is a faint scar. I wonder where she got it from, he whispers inwardly. He'd noticed it earlier but she'd been busy telling him about her involvement with Raccoon City.

When she'd spoken of her friend, Leon, and the girl, Sherry, her expression could have easily been mistaken for sadness due to the cruel events that Umbrella had brought upon them, but he'd caught the hidden guilt in her averted eyes. She'd said something about them parting ways and her going to search for her brother, Chris. The way her voice seemed to grow smaller and smaller. She hid it pretty well, but he could still hear it... like a deafening whisper. Had she just up and abandoned them? That could explain why she rushed through the end of her story and why her lips had been marred by a heavy frown at the very mention of their names. Maybe I'm just thinking too much...

Still, he doesn't care. In the beginning Claire had found him as more of an annoyance than an actual help. Hadn't he seen her that way in the beginning, too? He inwardly chuckled at that thought. The one person he'd believed would never betray him... had. Dad... To say his trust was damaged is just an understatement. Claire... she... He swallows thickly. She's so attractive and kind. Despite him not wanting to have to trust someone, he'd tried to show her he could be trusted. A bit of a double-standard... No matter how much he'd tried to show her he was capable of it, she'd never taken the hint... Then... his father...

It was her pity. A sudden anger floods his veins at that realization. I don't want her to pity me. I don't need her to pity me... I want her to...

His eyes fall upon her dusky lashes and travel along the contours of her face. Her cheeks are flush and pink, very much alive and aware of the cold hanging in the air. His cool fingertips itch. I bet it would feel just as soft as it looks. He considers very strongly to indulge the thought, but then something else occurs to him. She's still asleep. His eyes travel to her lips. I wonder...

A pleasant heat pools in his stomach and he immediately feels light-headed. His eager lips part and a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding blows out in a nervous huff. He could do it very lightly, just a taste. She's asleep. They'd hit some turbulence earlier and she didn't wake. She's no light sleeper. He watches her for a second longer. I shouldn't have just left her like that back at the prison. I should have stuck with her. If she'd been killed, it would have been my fault. God, she wouldn't have deserved that.

He is moving before he realizes it, his head tilting and his neck craning to to reach her. Her warmth washes over him and the earlier heat knotting his stomach is magnified tenfold. Desire creeps through his veins like a ravenous hunger. He's no stranger to arousal or attraction to the opposite sex, but he'd never been able to practice what the body craved. In school, his mind focused on track and his studies. Besides, the other girls found him too awkward, too quiet. He'd had one-too-many embarrassing occurrences with them. But, with Claire... Claire is different... on so many levels. There is actually a brain behind the beauty, and spunk to boot. Unlike the other girls, she actually has something to hide beneath that tough exterior. He'd found a boldness he didn't realize he harbored.

He licks his lips apprehensively. He wanted to know those clandestine secrets, the ones only she would know...

Her breath dances over his mouth and her bangs tickle the bridge of his nose. She's so close. What if she wakes up? What if you never get a chance like this again? He'd caught her gazing furtively at him a few times in his peripheral vision, but he never made it obvious he knew. The hint of interest in her eyes wasn't any mystery to him. She might even respond to his kiss. The thought of her wrapping her arms around him, carding her fingers through his hair and tugging earnestly... needing... He sucks in a quivering breath. How would her body feel pressed so snugly against his, her chest heaving with every eager moan... her breasts, so soft... silky smooth skin. How would that skin taste?

His body shivers as his lips meet hers in a light kiss. He remains frozen for a moment, unsure whether to continue or pull back. The electricity generated by the simple brush of her mouth; his heart pounds in his chest, the adrenaline coursing through him like a runaway train. His body screams for him to push forward and for her to respond, but he remains still for a moment, letting the new feeling wash over him. It's euphoric and unknowing. No turning back now.

He slowly begins to mold his lips to hers, shyly exploring the tempting curve of her mouth. It feels so invading and wrong to be doing this, but, at the moment, he doesn't care. His imagination runs wild with images of her pulling close to him, her lovely figure open to the curiosity of his eager hands. The smooth feel of her breasts... the blissful exploration of something further down.

Steve's fantasy is suddenly rocked as her lips move beneath his. His eyes snap open and he finds her gazing at him. It feels as if someone has dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over him and he pulls away instantly. "I'm so sorry, Claire. I didn't..." He runs his fingers roughly through his hair, making sure to avoid her eyes. "I... ummm... I shouldn't have done that... I mean... I'm... sorry."

The silence is long and seems to stretch into forever.

"Steve..."

"Umm... Claire—I am… really sorry about… that."

What she does next startles him. She giggles. It's such a cute and attractive sound. "Well…" she smiles. "Is that your first time kissing a girl?"

He blushes and looks away. "… Yeah…"

She raises an eyebrow. "Hmmm… Well, I think that you need a lot of work..."

His head jerks back to her, hurt clear in his eyes. "Yeah… well…"

"You didn't let me finish, Steve." She pronounces his name slowly, almost teasingly. "What else I was going to say was... practice makes perfect." With that, her lips crash into his.

She's… actually kissing me…

His heart dances in his chest, an excited and uncontrollable rhythm. He gasps in surprise as her tongue drags along his lower lip, requesting access. He obliges her and she explores every inch of his mouth. I got much more than just a taste. He moans fervently as her hands find their way around his neck and into his auburn hair. She pulls possessively at his fiery locks and bites down on his lower lip. He inhales sharply as his hands rapidly find their own way around her in a hungry embrace.

Then…

She pulls away, her breathing labored. "But… we really need to practice this at another time."

His erection is no surprise to her considering she is now in his lap, but he swallows the desire back down and locks it away. "Yeah… you're right…" His eyes evade her but he won't release her from the embrace.

"Hey, Steve…" her voice is tender.

He looks back at her, his expression unsatisfied.

She chuckles. "We are going to get out of here. That's a promise. My brother will come. He will find us and get us home safe."

"I hope you're right…"

Her smile is genuine as she disentangles herself from him. "I am. My brother doesn't comprehend what 'giving up' means. It's in his nature to succeed at whatever he does."

Steve rises to his feet and walks to the window. "Well, I do hope he gets here."

It's a step forward. He really does hope Chris gets to them… He glances back at Claire and finds her staring down. His eyes follow hers and he blushes again.

She giggles non stop and slaps his arm good-heartedly. "And, we can get back to that later, too."

Steve glares playfully at her. "We better. What you did was just… You're a total tease."

She raises her eyebrows. "Would you have rather me slap you for kissing me… while I was asleep?"

He bites his lip. "Well, you got me there… and, no."

She crosses her arms, her smile contagious. "Alright, then."