Unfold

She didn't speak a word to me. Seconds had never seemed to drag on so fiercely, minutes never seemed to be so long. The night's events was slowly seeping under my skin. It was getting under my skin and itching, coursing into my veins, and corrupting everything that I've kept safe. All my emotions, my heart—corrupted. And I was scared. For Clare. For me. For the fall semester. I was fucking scared. I took a look at my hands resting ever so carefully on the sides of the Degrassi parking lot. They were fucking shaking. I put one hand over the other and breathed, carrying it over to my lap. I have never lived in fear. I have never gave a fuck. And tonight, at that moment where I feared my life—Clare's life, I was scared. Now, the moment is over. Just an hour past midnight and I still couldn't find myself to sit in my car and drive home. I found myself just sitting here, with Clare. And Clare—she hasn't even looked at me once. And I needed her more than ever, right now, right here.

"C-Clare." My eyes were straight. Though it'd satisfy me to see her blue eyes, I couldn't. Right now—I couldn't dare look at her straight in the eyes, knowing I've done her wrong. Knowing that I've screwed up. I gripped my hands and swallowed what little saliva forming in my mouth. "Clare, please…talk to me."

Silence. I honestly didn't know what I even wanted her to say. Just wanted her to speak.

My head began to fall. Eyes to the ground; passed my shoes, passed the next few empty parking lots—straight to the ground.

"I don't know what to say, Eli. I'm sorry."

Her voice, although words so full of disappointment, slightly calmed me down. I wanted more from her. However every part of me was scared of what she might say. Regardless I asked more from her, as I always do.

"Tell me what you're thinking. I just need to…I need to know."

"Right now," Clare started, with a voice dripping with hesitant uneasiness, "I'm thinking about how much I should be going home. How my parents are probably worrying about me, and how much I'm probably making them sick to their stomachs because their daughter isn't home."

"You can leave Clare." Although my heart was purely against the idea. I took a look at her, scanning her face—any signs of acceptance to the suggestion. However with her eyes rising to meet mine, there was no sign. She held her hand up at me.

"And then I'm thinking how much I can't bear to sit here next to you, knowing how impulsive, devious and slick you are. I can't stand you, Eli. You promise me peace, you give me the opposite. You are so wrapped up in your own little theory about the world I think you forgot how the world really works. I'm thinking about how much tonight, you disgusted the hell out of me. But you know what else I'm thinking-"

My hands were shaking once again. I gripped them—knuckles white. My teeth began to grit. For her words hit hard and sharp. For I knew they were true. For, even though she was speaking in all honesty, I still felt a small part of myself wanting to defend myself. A small part of myself wanted to speak back with the same amount of sharpness, a small part was slightly angry. Instantly my lips parted. Quickly words began to slip through, I cut her off suddenly. Resistance was never my strong suit.

"Disgusted huh? I was just trying to protect you." I scoffed, my eyes looking the other direction now.

"Really? And how the hell did that work out for you Eli? You were almost killed today. Or did you forget that?"

I hadn't. Every time I blinked, I saw the knife in Fitz hand. Every time I blinked I saw it dash towards me. I didn't need her to know, she was scared herself.

"Why are we sitting here, doing this right now?" She sighed. "Haven't we had enough for one night?"

"Like I said Clare…No one is holding you against your will to sit here with me. You can leave. To your parents. To your safety."

"I wasn't done," she said sharply, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Yeah well, I think you're done now."

"Do you really want me to leave right now?" She looked at me, such hard blue eyes. "After everything that happened tonight. You really want me to leave you?"

Silence. "You're so up and down Eli. I can't stand this."

"So leave."

"Is that what you want, Eli?" Her voice rose to a higher pitch. A pitch that even God himself would be shaking in his own skin.

"Yeah." No. "Fuck off."

"Well," her voice shook. I heard her shift from her spot, footsteps planting lightly on the ground. Her heels making a click as she took a step back. "Consider me gone."

"Good riddance." I stood up, her threat—although scared me, was probably the best for her. Tonight proved it. Tonight, with Fitz holding that knife, with no one but the walls and God watching, tonight she could have died. Tonight I could have died. This was no life for Clare. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve me.

She laughed acidic breaths of laughter. "You're fucking pathetic." She spat. First curse that has ever passed her pink lips. First curse I've ever heard from such a sweet voice. My chest tightened as she turned away from me. I closed my eyes, her two steps echoing in the silence. I turned away from her as well and grunted—my hands over my face, such pressure to turn around was beginning to kill me. For I was scared when I turned around and opened my eyes, she would be gone. Quickly I turned around and noticed she was still close. Feet pushing forward, I got close enough, to be within reach. My hand gripped her forearm. I pulled her back with enough force to enforce some sort of higher level—some sort of intimidation. She looked at me bewildered. The last thing I wanted to do was scare her. I loosened my grip.

"What else were you thinking, Clare?" She was so close. I could smell her. Her chest was just below mine. Her eyes two levels from mine. Her lips…

"That even though you disgust me," She breathed, her voice slow and gentle now, the sudden change warmed my heart, "I can't keep my mind from thinking that tonight I almost lost you, I was so scared Eli. And because of that, I can't see myself ever leaving you."

My hand lifted from her forearm, no longer fearing she would leave me. She stood there as close as she was when I pulled her here. My hand slowly crept up her arm, to her shoulder, to her neck—to her cheek. Her breath hitched. She was scared however for a completely different reason than I was. For it seemed she was afraid things will never be the same. And I feared things will remain the same, this tension—this…friendship.

"I never meant for this to happen, Clare."

"I know."

"I was just trying to protect you."

"I know." She nodded and lifted her hands from her sides to my cheeks. I dropped mine and embraced her warm and soft hands. I was giving in, becoming engulfed in the way she made me feel. Here—I felt safe. Here, I wasn't so fucking scared.

"Thank you for trying to get to me before Fitz," I closed my eyes and allowed her to just feel me.

"I was scared Eli." Even with my eyes closed, I could imagine the sadness in her eyes.

"I was too." I could feel her getting closer to me. Her breath flowing swiftly off my skin. How close was she? I opened my eyes. Her lips, ever so close to mine—and she kissed me.

She was the devil for doing so. The kiss, soft and light, was everything I needed. Everything to end tonight. Her arms wrapped around my neck our bodies warm against each other. She pulled back slowly. Our eyes catching each other. I couldn't stand to be this close, and not capture her lips with mine. With such ease I lowered my head and our lips began to collide. With much more eagerness and need than the kiss was intended. However she returned the intensity. My hand reached for her waist, the other on her cheek. Her grip on my neck slightly tightened. I could feel my body need her much more than she was giving me. I pushed our bodies closer, I could feel my body begin to overcome hers.

Clare lost her balance, a foot stumbling behind. I followed the accidental lead—I followed until we hit something solid. Until her back was against Morty. My arms slowly pulled her hands away from my neck, massaging her hands and pinning them against my car—releasing her muscles from their tense hold. It was slightly empowering to have this control over her. It was always a thrill to kiss her—to take her away. She pulled away once again.

Her breathing was a level below eratic. My eyes opened and I could see her cheeks red, flushed and her chest breathing slowly but deeply. Her eyes were stuck on my chest. Almost as if she was afraid to look up at me.

"Is this," I leaned beside her check, my lips brushing her soft skin, "Okay?"

"Mmhmm."

Encouraged, I dipped my head lower—kissing her collarbone. "Is this okay?"

"Yes." She breathed out.

"And this?" My tongue traced its way to her neck.

A moan.

I smirked against her skin, taking in her scent as my lips began to suck on her neck, lightly. My hands released hers and instantly she placed them back on my neck. My hands felt up to her sides—the curve of her waist fit a perfect home for my hands to grasp. She slowly tangled her hands in my hair. Such encouragement will be the death of me.

"Clare," I whispered in her ear, "Don't encourage me."

"What if I mean to?"

I nibbled her neck and grasped her waist. She tightened her grip on my hair in reaction, a slight muffle escaping her lips. My tongue traced higher to her ear, I tugged at her earlobe and her breath rushed past her lips.

"Eli." My name had never sounded so sexy. "Eli—maybe, we should go inside?"

I pulled my head to look at her. My favorite blue eyes glazed in lust. I pulled my car keys from my back pocket and quickly unlocked the car. We soundlessly moved into the back seat of Morty. I followed her into the back seat. My body fell over hers as the door closed and we were safely in my car. She looked at me, flushed with her bottom lip in between her teeth.

"Is this?" I lifted my hand over her cheek, and settled her down—her back laying down and mine towering over hers. "Is this okay?"

I could feel her legs open and my body slipped in between, the clothes causing the barrier between us was causing my blood to boil in the most lustful way. Her lips parted before she answered me. She nodded. "Yes."

So there goes my One - Shot at the aftermath of All Falls Down Pt. 2 :D I'm such a sucker for a Eli & Clare fan fiction.