[ They might not meant for each other, but they can still do this. If she ever feels like it’s going too far towards feelings she can’t reciprocate, or is too scared to go for, then she’ll shut it down. She’d prefer to stay his friend than to hurt him, just by not being who or what he’s looking for. They both deserve better than playing games with each other.
Still, she smiles, her fingers curling around his. ]
It’s probably impossible for you to explain, but. How does it feel?
[ That question makes Derek take pause. It's actually the first time he's been asked and he has to think about it for a moment before even attempting to answer. There are a lot of things that Claire could mean. Does she want to know what it feels like physically to make the transition? Or does she want to know what it feels like emotionally and spiritually? Does she mean after he's turned into the wolf or while he's doing it? ]
Yeah that's a tough one to put into words. Uh...I don't know...liberating. I guess. That's kind of the best word I can come up with that might even begin to describe the whole thing from start to finish. It just feels like freedom. It feels like home.
[ He's really not sure that answers her question at all, but he tried? ]
[ She takes a moment before talking again, considering his words. It makes more sense than he thinks. ]
So, if you could, would you just - be a wolf, all the time?
[ There’s another question on her lips, a burning one that she isn’t sure she’s earned his trust enough to ask, yet. Still - it’s better than not knowing. ]
[ Derek gives her a facial shrug at that, coupled with a matching shrug of his shoulders. It's a good question, he's just never really given it much thought. ]
I mean, I guess not. Technically, I absolutely could be a wolf all the time, if I wanted, and I just haven't yet, so...yeah, I don't know. I never thought about it, but I guess not. Maybe it wouldn't feel as liberating if I didn't come back to human form once in a while, I don't know...
[ But her next question makes him smile. ]
Oh yeah, absolutely. You mean, like, would I take your arm off if you tried to pet me? I'd probably end up on my back. Shockingly, there's a reason dogs like their bellies rubbed and wolves are no different if they trust you enough. I ran into Kara once, accidentally, when I was in that form. She just took it upon herself to pet me thinking I was some random wolf. Turns out, it feels kind of nice being petted, actually, so...yeah. For sure, I'd let you.
[ It's a long-winded and semi-awkward way to admit that Derek feels a lot more open and comfortable with affection when he's in a form where he's confident that affection won't slide into the realm of sexualization. Sex has Consequences, in Derek's experience. That's the part that's scary, not the affection. It's where the affection always eventually naturally leads that scares the hell out of him. ]
That makes sense. It’s like going on vacation, I guess. It feels amazing because for a period of time, it’s like life fades away, but it can’t last. And it wouldn’t feel that way forever, either. After a while, troubles come back, whether you want it or not.
[ It’s unconscious, the way she steps closer. She doesn’t reach out again, but she feels comfortable stepping close, sand shifting under her toes. ]
I’d like to see it. It’s funny, how I think, rationally, I should be terrified of ending up face to face with a wolf, but I think I’d be okay if it’s you.
[ She looks up again, eyes meeting his. Her voice was soft, feeling like the admission was extremely stupid. We’re it anyone else, she’d probably lean in for a kiss right now, but she refrains, not wanting the moment to break again. She isn’t failing him again. ]
[ That's a good metaphor for it, now that Derek thinks about it. It's like taking a miniature vacation. His mind is still there, but he can run free and uninterrupted out in the woods, sometimes with Malia; mostly alone. It's nice because it's liberating and quiet, but he doesn't have to stay that way and hunt his food, search for shelter in the wilderness... It's a happy medium to be able to go back and forth. That way, he gets the best of both worlds.
Derek notices her moving closer but he doesn't move away, he just smiles a little, looking back at her and wetting his lips. ]
I don't think it's funny. You know it's me, you trust me. You know I would never hurt you. I think it makes perfect sense.
[ He pauses again. He considers kissing her and worries that the moment has passed and he's missed it. He chastises himself because maybe it would've been a good time to take a baby step forward. Is the fact that he missed his window for natural progression a sign of his incompetence in the world of dating now that he's in it again? Or is it a sign that it's not supposed to happen right now and that's why he hadn't noticed it when it cropped up; only after it passed him by?
He's thinking too much. The only way Derek knows to stop thinking so much is to do exactly what they're talking about. ]
[ If he asked her, she wouldn't say the moment has passed. The moment, to her, is still firmly built around them, a bubble in which she's a little cold, very naked, but finally enjoying the conversation again, finally getting to dig deeper again. However, even though her eyes flick down to his lips for a second, she doesn't move forward any more, letting him make the decision if he wants to.
But he's probably thinking too much, she can tell, just by the look on his face, the micro-expressions. ]
So you completely control it, right? You still are... you, when you're a wolf?
[ Derek grins a little. That's a fair question, because he can't recall whether he's ever actually stated it in just so many words. Of course she wants to make sure that he's still in the driver's seat even when he appears in the form of a wild animal. ]
Yeah, I'm still in there. I have the wolf's instincts and body, but I'm still in there. I'm still in control.
[ With that, he starts to walk away from her, back toward the beach so that when he transitions, he'll be able to keep his head above water. Midway, when he's sure that he won't be out of his depth anymore, Derek's body starts to transition. It's fairly quick and smooth, fur suddenly appearing where expanses of bare skin once were, and then he's dropped to all fours and appears as the wolf, trotting out of the water and onto the beach, stopping on the sand and shaking the ocean water out of his fur before looking back at her, eyes glowing bright blue. ]
[ Claire watches the whole thing happen before her eyes, under the moonlight, her heart beating crazily fast in her chest. It's amazing, and terrifying, and fascinating all at once, that Derek is even real, a real person in this world she apparently lives in, now. A werewolf, like in so many fairytales and movies she's seen. But real, here, tangible, and waiting for her on the beach.
Claire forces herself to move, trying not to feel self-conscious as he watches her as she wades out of the water, naked as the day she was born. She shivers in the cool air, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around herself before too long, and then sits in the sand close to Derek, her fingers itching to touch his damp fur. ]
Hey, [ she says, soft, as her fingers reach out, curling around the back of one of his ears. ]
[ If there was a way for Derek to let her know how little he tends to notice nudity when not in an explicitly sexual situation, he would, because he can imagine that she must be feeling a little self-conscious, at least, given that he's just standing there covered in fur waiting for her to approach. He waits patiently for her to wrap herself in a towel before she finally addresses him. With this form comes the security and lack of inhibitions, so Derek's large head pushes into her touch, appreciating the tactile sensation.
Glowing blue eyes fixate on her face and if she looks deeply enough, she may see a more attentive consciousness behind them than another animal might have been able to display, because there's a human inside. ]
[ When he pushes into the touch, Claire smiles. She's never been much of an animal person, but. This is not just some animal, this is Derek, huge and dark and impressive. She pushes her fingers through his fur some more, eyes taking him in, entirely fascinated. ]
God, you're beautiful in every form you can take. Doesn't seem very fair, does it?
[ The words hold a hint of a tease. He is beautiful like this, majestic. ]
[ That compliment earns Claire a little huff through his nostrils, amusement there because he can tell that she's teasing, but he appreciates the sentiment all the same. It's certainly harder to communicate when he's like this, but it's actually really nice to be able to trust someone seeing him like this not to hurt him for being able to do it. Claire isn't the type, he can tell; she never would.
The glow falls away from his eyes and they are darker but still full of human understanding as he looks back at her, leaning slightly into her touch again when she continues it. He can't help it; it feels nice. He'll transition back when she stops or if she asks him to, but for now, he's going to let himself enjoy the tactile attention. ]
[ She's not about to ask him to shift back. She likes this, the comfort in the silence, and the implicit trust between the two of them. Sure, she might be doing things wrong half the time with him, but they still have this, the trust. It's something, and Claire wants to enjoy it, allow him to have a good time.
When she gets a bit cold, she slips her dress back on, without underwear - who cares, at this point - and keeps on petting Derek, running long along his flank, back up to his head, running her fingers down between his eyes. ]
[ It's amusing to Derek that she's still worried about being bad at this after he's already had the conversation with her that if she was that bad at it, he wouldn't be here. Additionally, how bad can someone possibly be at petting a docile wolf?
Because he can't speak, Derek moves his head into her touch again before stepping away from her only enough to lie down and roll onto his back. See? Implicit trust. That's something that most people who know him even a little know is something he does not give lightly. She's not sucking it up or he wouldn't still be doing this. It'd be all too easy to shift back, take up his clothes, and call it a night. He isn't. ]
[ She lets out a soft noise when he turns over to his back, offering her his stomach. She might not be much of an animal person but she knows what that means, the trust, the submission. Slowly, she shuffles closer, knees making grooves in the sand as she buries her fingers in his fur some more.
He's so dark, he could be an oil spill, and Claire is fascinated, feeling the rapid beat of his heart against his ribcage. She feels like maybe she shouldn't, but she leans in anyway, pressing her ear to it, the thumping loud and steady, the fur soft against her skin. ]
[ Derek hasn't actually spent this long in wolf form in the presence of someone else. The first time he'd done it at all, it had been with Kara and it had been an accident; she'd come upon him when he'd been out on a run and she'd just approached him and started petting him, so he'd had to pull back and transition out, not wanting her to be unaware of what she had actually been doing.
This is different and it's strange, but it's also kind of nice, because this way, they're communicating non-verbally and sometimes, for Derek, that's actually more powerful; he's not as good at talking, sometimes, as Claire has almost definitely noticed.
Derek takes a deep breath, letting it out in a contented sigh through his nostrils when she rests her head against his chest to listen to his heart. He can hear hers without reciprocating the action but it's nice to hear that it's not erratic with uncertainty, or worse, fear that he'll turn on her in this form.
He waits patiently, comfortably, until she sits back up before getting almost grudgingly back to his feet again and then lowering himself into a sit as he looks back at her, studying her expression and trying to gauge what she might be thinking and whether he ought to stay like this longer or transition back out; whether the latter will shatter this sort of moment of bonding they're sharing when he's feeling less inhibited because he feels safer when he's embracing this part of himself than he does when he's hiding it in the human form. ]
[ When they're sitting, face to face, Claire doesn't do anything but look at him for a long time, not wanting to say anything, break the silence and the understanding between the two of them right now. Instead, after a long while, she reaches out again, cupping his bottom jaw, not holding in any way, a finger stroking along the jawbone.
If he wants to change back, she'll take it. If he wants to stay like this longer, she'll also take it. She genuinely doesn't have words, right now, and all she can think of doing if he does change back is lean in, hold and touch him as a human as she did when he was a wolf. ]
[ For a little longer, Derek just looks back at her, leaning into the way she holds his muzzle. It's a nice feeling, he hardly wants to lose it. But then, he really can't stay like this forever, especially since he can't really talk to her.
So he takes a couple of steps back and transitions back out, getting to his feet at the end of the transition by reflex only to lower himself back down after snatching up a towel to wrap around his waist, clearing his throat as he moves to kneel in front of her. ]
Thank you for not being afraid. I think most people would've been afraid.
[ Claire's heart is beating a mile a second when Derek changes back, kneels in front of her. Her eyes are wide, and the smile that blooms over her face is a little hesitant at first, but she allows it to grow, reaching right back out to cup his jaw. ]
That was... amazing. Honestly. I'm -
[ She knows he can hear her heartbeat but she still reaches for his hand, pressing it to her chest, cradling it between her own hands. ]
I know we're. Exploring what this is, and taking things slow and all, but this? This is how I constantly feel around you.
[ It's a rush, basically. So different from everything she's always known. Fascinating, and terrifying, and amazing. Her words are soft, honest, an edge of embarrassment to them, but he deserves the truth. ]
[ Derek's eyes flicker to his hand as she places it on her chest, before returning to her face. He can already hear her heart racing, but it's interesting to additionally feel it beneath his fingertips when she does that.
His own heart is picking up speed, adrenaline coursing through his veins because he hasn't ever shown someone this side of himself on purpose when he wasn't about to maul them — and, in his defense, Kate deserved that; he should have killed her for burning his family alive, it's just that he doesn't have the heart of a murderer and he couldn't do it. It's strange and exciting to be intentionally showing someone the part of himself he typically holds so close to his chest and for her not to be frightened or disgusted, but to be awestruck hits Derek hard.
Her words surprise him a little. He's taken aback by her admission that this is par for the course for her when they're together. Mostly, he's surprised that he never noticed it before, because he probably should have.
And, because he has no words; no clue where to even begin to respond, in spite of the fact that they're both only clad in towels and she's probably freezing in this weather, still all wet, Derek takes that as another sign and he's not going to miss his window this time. Instead, he gives in to impulse, leans loser, and kisses her. ]
[ It's been a night of surprises, for Claire, and turns out, getting to see Derek as a wolf isn't the last one. She truly doesn't expect him to lean in, and even less to kiss her. She moves both hands still holding onto his to her knee, cradling his fingers and not looking to make him touch her. She barely moves, waiting a second before returning the kiss, just wanting to make sure he's not about to change his mind, but when he doesn't she pushes back, eyes sliding closed.
It's still chaste, in most ways, and Claire smiles, feeling warmth in her stomach, forgetting entirely that she's still damp, and it's not exactly summer, too busy enjoying the company, in a completely simple, uncomplicated way. ]
[ Derek chooses to do things the way he does them because he wants to make sure that he isn't going to set himself up for failure or heartbreak...or worse. Claire has been more than patient with him and he can feel her continuing to be just that, when she waits to return the kiss.
He finds himself smiling into it a little, when he deepens their kiss just slightly. The last thing he wants is to go overboard, because he doesn't mean to lead this somewhere he's not really ready for it to go just because they both happen to be pretty damn near naked still, but he can't help kissing her a little more deeply; it's been a long time coming, by now, anyway. ]
[ Even in their current undressed state, Claire would never think that this moment would lead to sex. Not with someone like Derek, who has been way too slow, careful, protecting himself all the way through every single interaction. He's been opening up, too, bit by bit, piece and piece, and Claire is immensely grateful for it, but she's not naive. He's not going to switch on a dime, just because of a kiss.
And that is fine by her, too. She reaches up with one hand, fingers curling through his stubble gently, letting the warmth of the kiss reach all the way down to her toes. There's no rush, right now, like the two of them are caught in a bubble on this beach, just a moment in time that doesn't have to change the rest of their lives.
Claire's the one that pulls back first, laying a couple of brief kisses over his lips before she presses her forehead to Derek's, humming out a content sigh. Then, she chuckles, soft, as he hand moves to curl around the back of his neck. ]
[ Claire is the one to break the kiss and Derek opens his eyes slowly to look back at her, a little grin tugging up the corners of his mouth with amusement at her comment. Her fingertips feel nice against his skin; he's always secretly been a very tactile person.
She's earning trust slowly but surely. Claire would have his full trust by now if Derek wasn't such a broken, wounded man at this point in his life. But she's getting there and her patience is always appreciated. ]
I gotta give you a reason to want to keep spending time with me, don't I?
[ He laughs a little, eyes shifting down sheepishly before he looks back at her and shrugs impishly. ]
[ She laughs, dropping her head, the tips of her hair wet and hanging around her face. ]
It sure is an adventure.
[ Because she never knows what to expect. She never knows how far she can push or if she shouldn't on this particular day. But at least, she knows that he likes her, and that this isn't either of them forcing themselves through awkward moments because they don't know how to say no. This is more than that, and Claire appreciates it a lot.
Taking a deep breath, Claire looks back up with a crooked grin, before a shiver runs through her body, obvious, leading to goosebumps all over her arms. ]
no subject
Still, she smiles, her fingers curling around his. ]
It’s probably impossible for you to explain, but. How does it feel?
no subject
Yeah that's a tough one to put into words. Uh...I don't know...liberating. I guess. That's kind of the best word I can come up with that might even begin to describe the whole thing from start to finish. It just feels like freedom. It feels like home.
[ He's really not sure that answers her question at all, but he tried? ]
no subject
So, if you could, would you just - be a wolf, all the time?
[ There’s another question on her lips, a burning one that she isn’t sure she’s earned his trust enough to ask, yet. Still - it’s better than not knowing. ]
If you turned, would you... let me touch you?
no subject
I mean, I guess not. Technically, I absolutely could be a wolf all the time, if I wanted, and I just haven't yet, so...yeah, I don't know. I never thought about it, but I guess not. Maybe it wouldn't feel as liberating if I didn't come back to human form once in a while, I don't know...
[ But her next question makes him smile. ]
Oh yeah, absolutely. You mean, like, would I take your arm off if you tried to pet me? I'd probably end up on my back. Shockingly, there's a reason dogs like their bellies rubbed and wolves are no different if they trust you enough. I ran into Kara once, accidentally, when I was in that form. She just took it upon herself to pet me thinking I was some random wolf. Turns out, it feels kind of nice being petted, actually, so...yeah. For sure, I'd let you.
[ It's a long-winded and semi-awkward way to admit that Derek feels a lot more open and comfortable with affection when he's in a form where he's confident that affection won't slide into the realm of sexualization. Sex has Consequences, in Derek's experience. That's the part that's scary, not the affection. It's where the affection always eventually naturally leads that scares the hell out of him. ]
no subject
[ It’s unconscious, the way she steps closer. She doesn’t reach out again, but she feels comfortable stepping close, sand shifting under her toes. ]
I’d like to see it. It’s funny, how I think, rationally, I should be terrified of ending up face to face with a wolf, but I think I’d be okay if it’s you.
[ She looks up again, eyes meeting his. Her voice was soft, feeling like the admission was extremely stupid. We’re it anyone else, she’d probably lean in for a kiss right now, but she refrains, not wanting the moment to break again. She isn’t failing him again. ]
no subject
[ That's a good metaphor for it, now that Derek thinks about it. It's like taking a miniature vacation. His mind is still there, but he can run free and uninterrupted out in the woods, sometimes with Malia; mostly alone. It's nice because it's liberating and quiet, but he doesn't have to stay that way and hunt his food, search for shelter in the wilderness... It's a happy medium to be able to go back and forth. That way, he gets the best of both worlds.
Derek notices her moving closer but he doesn't move away, he just smiles a little, looking back at her and wetting his lips. ]
I don't think it's funny. You know it's me, you trust me. You know I would never hurt you. I think it makes perfect sense.
[ He pauses again. He considers kissing her and worries that the moment has passed and he's missed it. He chastises himself because maybe it would've been a good time to take a baby step forward. Is the fact that he missed his window for natural progression a sign of his incompetence in the world of dating now that he's in it again? Or is it a sign that it's not supposed to happen right now and that's why he hadn't noticed it when it cropped up; only after it passed him by?
He's thinking too much. The only way Derek knows to stop thinking so much is to do exactly what they're talking about. ]
...do you want to? See me change, really?
no subject
But he's probably thinking too much, she can tell, just by the look on his face, the micro-expressions. ]
So you completely control it, right? You still are... you, when you're a wolf?
[ Her nod is eager, enthusiastic. ]
I'd love to.
no subject
Yeah, I'm still in there. I have the wolf's instincts and body, but I'm still in there. I'm still in control.
[ With that, he starts to walk away from her, back toward the beach so that when he transitions, he'll be able to keep his head above water. Midway, when he's sure that he won't be out of his depth anymore, Derek's body starts to transition. It's fairly quick and smooth, fur suddenly appearing where expanses of bare skin once were, and then he's dropped to all fours and appears as the wolf, trotting out of the water and onto the beach, stopping on the sand and shaking the ocean water out of his fur before looking back at her, eyes glowing bright blue. ]
no subject
Claire forces herself to move, trying not to feel self-conscious as he watches her as she wades out of the water, naked as the day she was born. She shivers in the cool air, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around herself before too long, and then sits in the sand close to Derek, her fingers itching to touch his damp fur. ]
Hey, [ she says, soft, as her fingers reach out, curling around the back of one of his ears. ]
no subject
Glowing blue eyes fixate on her face and if she looks deeply enough, she may see a more attentive consciousness behind them than another animal might have been able to display, because there's a human inside. ]
no subject
God, you're beautiful in every form you can take. Doesn't seem very fair, does it?
[ The words hold a hint of a tease. He is beautiful like this, majestic. ]
no subject
The glow falls away from his eyes and they are darker but still full of human understanding as he looks back at her, leaning slightly into her touch again when she continues it. He can't help it; it feels nice. He'll transition back when she stops or if she asks him to, but for now, he's going to let himself enjoy the tactile attention. ]
no subject
When she gets a bit cold, she slips her dress back on, without underwear - who cares, at this point - and keeps on petting Derek, running long along his flank, back up to his head, running her fingers down between his eyes. ]
You let me know if I suck at this, yeah?
no subject
Because he can't speak, Derek moves his head into her touch again before stepping away from her only enough to lie down and roll onto his back. See? Implicit trust. That's something that most people who know him even a little know is something he does not give lightly. She's not sucking it up or he wouldn't still be doing this. It'd be all too easy to shift back, take up his clothes, and call it a night. He isn't. ]
no subject
He's so dark, he could be an oil spill, and Claire is fascinated, feeling the rapid beat of his heart against his ribcage. She feels like maybe she shouldn't, but she leans in anyway, pressing her ear to it, the thumping loud and steady, the fur soft against her skin. ]
no subject
This is different and it's strange, but it's also kind of nice, because this way, they're communicating non-verbally and sometimes, for Derek, that's actually more powerful; he's not as good at talking, sometimes, as Claire has almost definitely noticed.
Derek takes a deep breath, letting it out in a contented sigh through his nostrils when she rests her head against his chest to listen to his heart. He can hear hers without reciprocating the action but it's nice to hear that it's not erratic with uncertainty, or worse, fear that he'll turn on her in this form.
He waits patiently, comfortably, until she sits back up before getting almost grudgingly back to his feet again and then lowering himself into a sit as he looks back at her, studying her expression and trying to gauge what she might be thinking and whether he ought to stay like this longer or transition back out; whether the latter will shatter this sort of moment of bonding they're sharing when he's feeling less inhibited because he feels safer when he's embracing this part of himself than he does when he's hiding it in the human form. ]
no subject
If he wants to change back, she'll take it. If he wants to stay like this longer, she'll also take it. She genuinely doesn't have words, right now, and all she can think of doing if he does change back is lean in, hold and touch him as a human as she did when he was a wolf. ]
no subject
So he takes a couple of steps back and transitions back out, getting to his feet at the end of the transition by reflex only to lower himself back down after snatching up a towel to wrap around his waist, clearing his throat as he moves to kneel in front of her. ]
Thank you for not being afraid. I think most people would've been afraid.
no subject
That was... amazing. Honestly. I'm -
[ She knows he can hear her heartbeat but she still reaches for his hand, pressing it to her chest, cradling it between her own hands. ]
I know we're. Exploring what this is, and taking things slow and all, but this? This is how I constantly feel around you.
[ It's a rush, basically. So different from everything she's always known. Fascinating, and terrifying, and amazing. Her words are soft, honest, an edge of embarrassment to them, but he deserves the truth. ]
no subject
His own heart is picking up speed, adrenaline coursing through his veins because he hasn't ever shown someone this side of himself on purpose when he wasn't about to maul them — and, in his defense, Kate deserved that; he should have killed her for burning his family alive, it's just that he doesn't have the heart of a murderer and he couldn't do it. It's strange and exciting to be intentionally showing someone the part of himself he typically holds so close to his chest and for her not to be frightened or disgusted, but to be awestruck hits Derek hard.
Her words surprise him a little. He's taken aback by her admission that this is par for the course for her when they're together. Mostly, he's surprised that he never noticed it before, because he probably should have.
And, because he has no words; no clue where to even begin to respond, in spite of the fact that they're both only clad in towels and she's probably freezing in this weather, still all wet, Derek takes that as another sign and he's not going to miss his window this time. Instead, he gives in to impulse, leans loser, and kisses her. ]
no subject
It's still chaste, in most ways, and Claire smiles, feeling warmth in her stomach, forgetting entirely that she's still damp, and it's not exactly summer, too busy enjoying the company, in a completely simple, uncomplicated way. ]
no subject
He finds himself smiling into it a little, when he deepens their kiss just slightly. The last thing he wants is to go overboard, because he doesn't mean to lead this somewhere he's not really ready for it to go just because they both happen to be pretty damn near naked still, but he can't help kissing her a little more deeply; it's been a long time coming, by now, anyway. ]
no subject
And that is fine by her, too. She reaches up with one hand, fingers curling through his stubble gently, letting the warmth of the kiss reach all the way down to her toes. There's no rush, right now, like the two of them are caught in a bubble on this beach, just a moment in time that doesn't have to change the rest of their lives.
Claire's the one that pulls back first, laying a couple of brief kisses over his lips before she presses her forehead to Derek's, humming out a content sigh. Then, she chuckles, soft, as he hand moves to curl around the back of his neck. ]
Always keeping me on my toes.
no subject
She's earning trust slowly but surely. Claire would have his full trust by now if Derek wasn't such a broken, wounded man at this point in his life. But she's getting there and her patience is always appreciated. ]
I gotta give you a reason to want to keep spending time with me, don't I?
[ He laughs a little, eyes shifting down sheepishly before he looks back at her and shrugs impishly. ]
no subject
It sure is an adventure.
[ Because she never knows what to expect. She never knows how far she can push or if she shouldn't on this particular day. But at least, she knows that he likes her, and that this isn't either of them forcing themselves through awkward moments because they don't know how to say no. This is more than that, and Claire appreciates it a lot.
Taking a deep breath, Claire looks back up with a crooked grin, before a shiver runs through her body, obvious, leading to goosebumps all over her arms. ]
I should probably - get dry and warm.
(no subject)