A/N Thank you, Thank you, Thank You for reading/reviewing. Really makes my day. Own Nothing.
"Oh simple thing where have you gone? And if you have a minute why don't we go
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go"
-Somewhere Only We Know, Keane
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"Ok I deserve that…I'm just not sure how you knew it was me.."
Clare's eyes widened staring at Eli standing about ten feet away in the clearing, pouring rain enveloping his frame. He approached slowly and stopped as Clare folded into herself wiping tears with the back of her hands.
"What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?"
"Honestly...I wasn't trying to find you," Eli glanced at Clare's crumpling face, " I mean I went to your house, but I realized I didn't want to hurt you anymore," Eli paused fishing out the scrap of paper with difficulty due to the weather and brandishing it about haphazardly," I just wanted to go somewhere…"
"Do you remember when we found this place?" Clare interrupted.
Clare blushed; it had been so long ago in the very start of their relationship. Eli had jokingly told Adam he had stolen her innocence or some other absurdity before it became the site of Adam's grand scheme to woo Fiona. She chuckled. How many things had changed, and staring up at an increasingly soaked Eli, how much had stayed the same. Eli noted the blush and took advantage to come closer, but then stopped suddenly.
"Come here?"
"What?"
"Come here?" Eli said louder, though he was only about five feet away now the storm was picking up momentum and thunder filled the air.
"I..I can't" Clare shouted back. She wanted to, every part of her willed her body to move but her mind, recalling every other chapter of her romance novel with Eli forbade it.
"I can't meet you all the way Clare, you're going to have to come here."
Clare looked at her hands, stained with dirt from the rocks she had been hurling earlier. This whole situation was so ridiculous. How could she be so obsessed with a man she had until recently been able to push away into the corner of her mind?
She shoved the bangs from her forehead and peered up at him from under the stone arch with a quirked eyebrow. "Why?"
"Clare, I need you to come here."
"I can't, Eli. I don't even know what's happening here, but I know this is all insane."
Eli's shoulders slumped. He shoved his hands as easily as he could into his front pockets and began to walk slowly backwards. It was simple enough he reasoned, if she couldn't make a five foot walk, than she certainly couldn't make the effort it would take to try and salvage something workable from this mess. He felt a normally rare sting in the corner of his eyes as tears threatened to fall. She had torn him apart before, he could survive it again. This time he wouldn't let a Sara in his life. No point in ruining anyone else's happiness…again.
The pivot was a little more difficult with the gathering puddles muddying the ground, but recovering from a stumble Eli began to walk away. The sky crackled violently above him and for a second he felt the universe acknowledge the pain.
When her arms encircled his waist turning him around to face him Eli was partially convinced he was hallucinating.
"I'm here. I'm here…." Clare panted slightly.
"I've always wanted to kiss you in the rain," Eli murmured pausing before swooping in to conquer Clare's gentle mouth. "You're beautiful," he whispered. Clare flushed and pressed against him tightly.
"It's cold."
Eli wrapped her tightly into his arms. Gently he lifted her chin up and began to press sweet kisses against her forehead, cheeks, and nose.
"Every inch of you is absolutely perfect."
"I would hardly say perf-" Her lips were captured by a gentle tug as Eli attempted to draw her in to another dance. She felt her breath catch as a hand slithered up her back and began to peel her heavy, wet sweater off.
"msorry" Eli muttered against her lips as the sweater hit the dirt.
"I don't care," Clare pulled way as she peeled Eli's jacket off, for a moment she stilled, peering into the eyes that had always been able to break her apart.
Green met blue as white struck against a gray background as some silent contract was sealed.
Eli's hands slid under the thin shirt that clung against Clare's back as she pushed against him, pressing his back against a crumbled remainder of a stone wall. He shivered feeling the rough rock through his v-neck. He pulled back for a moment, trying to calm his erratic breathing. He let his fingers trail down the frail arms of Clare before looking back at her face searching for any signs of hesitancy. Her lips were swollen, her eyes wide, and her breasts heaving. Within a second his hands were back on her. Eli assaulted her mouth as his hands grasped her breasts. With a moan, Clare arched into him while removing her hands from his neck. She stepped back and stripped her tshirt off of her trembling body.
Eli held his breath. Before him stood the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and for some reason not only was she near him but she was undressing. Clare's shirt fell with a thick thud to the ground. Her skin flushed self-consciously.
"…no."
Clare swallowed loudly, "pardon"
Eli shook himself, " I mean no, never ever think you're not the sexiest person who has ever lived…I got distracted by…" Eli stopped and instead reached to drag her flush against him. Once again he trailed his lips against the column of her gentle neck bruising the skin there, hoping to show the world who she truly belonged to. Clare moaned breathily and dragged the bottom hem of his black shirt slowly over his back. She let it fall against her own t-shirt on the ground. Above them the lighting crackled and Clare jumped.
"We should get inside," Eli muttered half-heartedly as he continued to press kissed down her collarbone and top of her breasts. He slowly folded the right bra cup over so he could drag his lips across her nipple. His teeth began to tug gently on the tender flesh.
"Eli..." Clare whispered.
"I know inside. whole" Eli responded pulling away. He grunted as Clare pulled him back so forcefully they fell over.
"Ugh," Eli shook his head spreading water and dirt over Clare.
"Eli!" Clare laughed, trying to rub the dirt off of her stomach.
He dragged his nose from her navel, through her cleavage up to her lips. "Maybe if you don't want to get dirty you shouldn't play in mud."
Clare rolled her eyes and slowly unhooked his belt. Pulling it out of his loops she watched as his eyes widened.
"..C..clare."
"...please Eli.."
Eli felt his knees quiver, it was lucky he was already on the ground between her legs because had he been standing he would've already fallen on the ground begging her to let him continue touching her. He looked into her eyes as she continued to writhe against him, throwing his belt over her shoulder. He caught his breath again, "who the hell possessed his Clare,"
His hands ripped her bra over her head much to her surprise as she shrieked while his mouth encircled her hardening nipple.
"Eli…" Clre breathed.
Eli began to work the nub between his teeth while slowly unbuttoning her jeans. The button slipped free and despite his mouth's successful ministrations he felt his hand still over her pants. Clare continued to moan loudly and buck against his mouth. As much as he wanted it, there was something about going further than above her pants that sent Eli into panic mode. He had no idea how this had even happen and he didn't want to mess it up by pressing too far.
Clare looked up through half closed eyes, confused by both his stilling and why she was half naked in mud with her ex-lover.
"Not like this," Eli pulled back and brought Clare up with him. He retrieved her now soaked and dirtied shirt from the ground and pulled it with difficulty over her top. He did the same with his own shirt. Clare's eyes narrowed in confusion and slight hurt.
"What-"
"Clare. I am in love with you. I'm not trying to have sex with you in the middle of a forest tonight and then act like we found some closure. I want you to tell me we can make this work somehow, I want to kiss you until we fall asleep…preferably somewhere dry and I want sex with me to not be this regret you have next week," he paused and continued before Clare could talk," I know you think this is insane and you're probably right, but in one week you've turned everything in my life upside down and made me...well me, for better or worse, again. I want that all the time and I want it for keeps. I'm not letting you in if you're just going to walk right back out my life again once we leave town…"
Eli exhaled deeply. He hadn't talked that much at one time in longer than he could remember. He felt dizzy, like he was drunk or had been up for way too long. Everything was the clearest and most confusing it had ever been.
"I'm not promising you forever," Clare began gently," I don't want to make some promise I can't keep. I can promise you I've never stopped loving you in all this time, and I don't think I could ever stop. You're not going to be regret ever. The only regret I would ever have is if I let you walk away again. Eli, what if you didn't come back to me the next time?"
"Not possible."
The rain continued to pound around them as the two stood shivering.
"Have faith in me?" Eli murmered pleadingly.
"I never stopped," Clare responded gently with a kiss.
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A/N Reviews make you taller! {nottrue}