"Forever?" I asked, searching his eyes for some kind of answer to reassure my anxious mind.
"Forever," he whispered back. And we smiled, relieved, as if that one word was some sort of guarantee, a contract made between us and the universe.
I walked up to the window sill on a late September morning, finding snow to be replacing the wood. Grabbing my camera quickly, snapping a photo of La Push's first snow grinning down as I move down the stairs to open the door, snow was probably one of my favorite things to document.
Passing Emily as I run outside, I move out towards the tree's, knowing these pictures you would think you'd be able to reach out and touch.
"Claire Young where are your shoes?!" I hear from the porch and I look down, realizing I did run out in only socks. I move back into the house, content at the pictures I got. Grinning as I hear a door slam, looking over at Quil walking up I'm quick to snap a picture before running up and hugging him close.
It's been a month, a really, really good month with Quil Ateara. Most mornings I would wake up in his arms, but Emily didn't like the idea of me staying over constantly. So before he went to work, and I too school, he'd come over to see me. I kiss him gently, not even caring that Em was right there.
"Quil bring her inside before she get's pneumonia." She says making him look down at my shoeless feet. With a wide grin he picks me up like a child before carrying me inside. I don't realize how cold I was till I made it back into the warm home. I move towards his chest even as he puts me down.
"Your always so warm all the time, it's annoying."
"Someone's gotta keep you warm, barefoot in the snow." I huff up at him before pulling my camera between us.
"Had to get pictures of the first snow." I say simply before moving towards the kitchen table. Joining Sam, Layla, and Tyler. I watched as Layla ate her toast like the most sloppiest kid ever. Laughing at her as I wipe her mouth off.
"Bonfire's tonight Claire." Quil says. I nodded drinking down my orange juice.
"I'm very aware Quil, it's been every Friday since I've learned to stare." I say batting my eyes at him. He gives me a glare, followed by a wink as he bites into his bacon.
"It's a date then." He says making me spit out my orange juice laughing.
Quil drove me to school, something he did every now and then, making extra sure to get out to open my doors before a big smooch that usually got a lot of stares.
"Hm, is there any reason your going late to work just to drop me off Quil?" I ask wrapping my arms around his neck. He looks away grinning.
"I am just making sure you make it here safely, is that so hard to believe?" I lean up giving him a quick peck on the lips.
"It sure is, I've come to the conclusion it's an ulterior motive to make all the boys at this school know I'm off the market." I say tracing my finger over his t shirt. His face shows surprise like he'd been caught, but soon replaces it with his usual calm face. Leaning down to kiss me, in the exact moment as Blake walked by as he did each time. I pull back just as he deepens the kiss, shaking my head.
"I'm not a chess piece Quil." I say seriously.
"Claire." I shake my head, fully realizing even though it was funny to watch him be jealous; it also wasn't healthy.
"They know who I am with Quil, do you?" I asked searching his face. He brings his closer, thumb moving gently over my cheek.
"Your with me. Way too beautiful, way too right all the time, but your with me no matter what." He seals that statement with a kiss, one that takes any aggravation away so swiftly it should be deemed immoral.
"Hey, oh, oh my God." Is all I hear as I walk out of the shower to find Colin practically running from the room. I laughed, at the closed door before going into my closet to get some clothes on. It was around 7 and the bonfire was going to start in just a bit, a bit meaning roughly 10 minutes and I was running late.
I take my time, Emily and the others already left me to go on my own. I pull my outfit on before opening the door to find Colin leaning against the door. I grin as he brings his eyes up and down my outfit.
"You look nice." I let out a laugh as he walks into my room. I sit at my vanity to brush through my hair. He clears his throat.
"I um, they all said you were running late so I thought I'd run late with you." I nodded.
"Is Quil there?" I asked. He nods his head looking up at the new photos on my wall, grabbing hold of the one of me and Quil.
"He's waiting on you, but I'm thinking that might be why your late." I shrug turning around in my seat to face him.
"I just want to keep him on his toes." I say with a grin. He laughs.
"So your happy?" He asks so simply. Happy was a word that carried a lot with it, there was always a wide variety of explanations for it.
"For the first time, I don't feel like," I stop meeting his eyes. "I don't feel like I'm completely lost."
"You were never lost Claire. You just have never known the fine line between love and hate. It made you, harder to get too." It was like he was trying to make me cry tonight, I feel tears brim.
"It almost seems too good to be true, Quil and I, almost seems like I'm going to wake up tomorrow and it all be gone." I say truthfully.
"You deserve this Fireheart, more than anyone I know do you deserve to be happy. But I want you to know you had it in you all along to make yourself that kind of happy, Quil just awakened it."
We got to the bonfire right when Billy was in the middle of the story, I move by Emily but soon I'm searching for Quil finding him across the fire. No one would ever know the feelings I carried for him, the complete and utter devotion to a life filled with Friday night bonfires and a Quileute man I was completely in love with.
"Hey I was worried about you." Quil says as he makes his way over after the first story. I move closer, taking up his personal space instantly.
"Kiss me like you missed me." I say before leaning in to his tender kiss. It's cut short like always when two sillouhouttes appear out of the corner out of my eye.
"Never thought I'd see the day, Claire giving a boy a chance." I huff but don't let go of Quil as I turn around, his arms following to wrap around me.
"Quil I think Jake needs you for something." Leah says not looking at him as she grins down at me. Leah reminded me of an Amazonian woman, she was built tall and firm reminding myself that must because of her wolf gene.
"Why'd you make him go away?" I whine as I already missed the warmth he carried on this cold night.
"We just want some girl talk, see how you two are adjusting to the change?" I snort.
"What change? We're the same we always been, except we kiss a lot." I say simply.
"Jake and I didn't know how to do the transition at first, from friends to lovers. Leah can be the better candidate at giving a guy a run for his money." Eff said grinning over at her. Leah rolls her eyes shrugging.
"Took me a minute, thought Claire would put up more of a fight honestly."
"He makes me feel like I can breath in this town, why would I refuse that?" I asked, I can't ignore the side glances they give each other.
"Just don't get pregnant Claire." Leah says before turning away. I follow the biggest laugh bellowing out of me that had everyone looking.
We joined the others as Billy announced the second story was beginning. I made it my mission to join Quil wherever he was, missing the heat. He grins as I make sure to brush my shoulder with his as I sit.
I lean my face towards his immediately, letting him feel my nose that's nipped by the cold. He moves his arm around me at that, my hip to his.
"What'd they want?" He asks already knowing it was some girl talk about us. I lean in to his ear, if no one knew us they'd think we were attached at the hip.
"For you to not get me pregnant." I say cheekily as I know his face is red without even looking. He huffs at me, I lay my head on his shoulder. I could simply die here maybe.
"You know." He begins, looking at the fire," you make it really hard for me not to fall in love with you."
I don't raise up to look at him, instead bringing his hand to mouth in a sweet kiss. "Me too."
I was driving home from the grocery store the next day, taking the rainy and snow covered roads of La Push wasn't fun. I frown as I see a truck on the side of the road, a blue Ford I knew to be Toby's.
I look to see him with his hood popped, smoke clearly filling the air. He doesn't glance up till I'm rolling down the window.
"What'd you do?" I ask grinning. He let's out a light laugh before his hands on his hips. The body language of men to tell me their frustrated.
"I don't know honestly." I get out to see in fact that something was smoking and I'm not even sure what any of these parts mean. I quickly call Jacob, asking him if he can come fix it.
"He says he's busy but we'll drop the keys off at his house." Toby hesitates at my invitation to let him in my car but finally get's in.
"Why the hesitation?" I ask while cranking the heat. Being out there for a couple minutes being almost unbearable.
"I don't know, your not exactly fond of me." He says with a wince. I nodded agreeing.
"I'm not, doesn't mean I can't help." I say grinning over at him.
It takes a bit of a drive to get to Jake's, Toby and I sit in silence till I finally break the ice.
"I bet you hate not being able to play football." The wolves couldn't do any physical sports anymore, no time and too much strength to not go unnoticed.
"It's probably the worst thing from this change." He says truthfully. "But it did a lot of soul searching for me also."
"I've changed a lot." He adds looking over at me, I don't respond. Toby was my friend before he got into high school. He let football and asshole friends define him making me almost hate who he was. We pull into Jake's but he doesn't get out.
"I mean the whole wolf thing was crazy at first, but now I love it. Got better friends, I can throw a football easily 10 yards." He says proudly. I laugh at how impressed with himself. He gets out to drop the keys as I wait for him.
"Is it painful, shifting?" I ask him. He shakes his head.
"At first, now it's like second nature I desire to do it each day." I nodded.
"Is it worth it though? The wolf thing worth the danger?" I know deep down I wish Quil was just a man, a man who didn't have to fight ungodly beings and I knew was safe all the time.
"Some see it, like Hallie, as a curse. Colin doesn't know what to think about it. Brady accepts it fully just like me. I mean, their are days when we want to fully give up and it's hard." I nodded following along.
"But most of us, our imprints, they help us. I mean Brady got Hallie soon as they shifted. Something I haven't gotten yet but can't say the idea of it doesn't keep me going." I frowned at his rushed statement as we pull into the driveway.
"What's an imprint?" The one word sticking out to me, not understanding what that had to do with them. Toby doesn't answer as he seems shocked himself at his statement.
"Toby?" I asked. He's looking incredibly like a deer in headlights.
"It's um...it's nothing important really." I squint my eyes suddenly wondering why Toby's acting like he's backed into some corner. As he get's out of the car the burning wonder begins to fill me.
I didn't get to see Quil because right after work that day, he was going for patrols till midnight. It was Saturday night though, meaning I got to spend the night with him.
"Be careful driving this late Claire." Emily tells me as I walk past her to the door. I nodded giving her a small smile. She hands me some leftover dinner for him.
"I hate how long they stay out there." I say my smile turning into a frown.
"Yeah, but when you finally get to see him after that long day, it's all worth it." She says grinning at me.
I went over to his house around 10, letting myself in. Finding myself more comfortable here than anyone else. I light the fire and watch the clock, finding the tv entertainment as I try to keep myself awake.
A sound of the door opening brings me from falling asleep I stand up walking around the couch. Seeing Quil's form and I'm suddenly wide awake.
"Hey baby." I say cheekily. He walks forward, in all his shirtless glory in long strides. Grabbing my sides, pulling me into him. I try and squeeze out of his arms after a minute, but to no avail. I laugh when he finally lets up.
"You shouldn't have stayed up." He said frowning at the clock that read 12:30.
"I don't mind, you hungry?" He nods immediately making me laugh again as I go into the kitchen to heat up his food from Em. He follows behind me, I lower my eyes to his toned chest then right back up to his dark eyes. As I move from my spot, the microwave is already going off.
I get his plate of spaghetti and mashed potatoes out. It's doubled the amount but perfect for Quil's appetite. I wash as he scarfs it down from the counter as I sit down on it. Laughing as it's disgustingly all over his face.
"Your so messy." I say scrunching my nose up. He narrows his eyes and as he swallows his food, pins me down by my hips as he rubs his chin on my cheek.
"Quil!" I scream as I push him off of me. I give him my best glare as he tries to move forward to apologize.
"I'm sorry doll...come here" I shake my head, he moves forward still as I move to jump off the counter. He let's me but follows as he keeps begging me back.
"Doll...c'mon I'm sorry baby." These little nicknames making my heart flutter but I keep walking towards the bathroom. He finally get's a hold of me, spinning me around causing me to lose my breath.
Then as unexpected, he leans forward missing my mouth and moves his tongue up my cheek. "Sorry." He says but I'm just surprised he did that.
"You licked me."
"Yeah want me to do it again?" He asks wiggling his eyes brows in a playful way.
"My boyfriends a dog." He grins tilting his head down more as we're standing close as ever.
"Say that again." I look at him confused.
"Boyfriend. I want to hear it one more time." He says, I move up kissing his pizza sauce filled lips before leaning back to whisper, "My boyfriend."
After Quil finished up we went up to his room for bed. I waited as he got out of the shower on his bed, legs crossed and wide awake. He walks out this time with a shirt on to my disagreement.
Whatever fantasy I had when I was younger about the perfect man I realize now that Quil shares all the same attributes. I just never pieced it together till now.
He moves onto the bed, instant rush of heat to my cheeks when he takes notice of the oversized t shirt and sweats I wore. It being his from another night when I stole it.
"My shirt looks good on you." I smile before laying down on him. Their was never any shyness or insecurity with him, I was completely and utterly sure with him. I almost let the night end just like that, knowing he needed sleep and I did too. But the nagging from earlier, what Toby said bothered me.
"Quil?" He responds in a 'hm' sound telling he was almost asleep.
"What's an imprint?"