Claire felt Jamie's lips tickle her inner thigh as she gripped her pillow tightly with one hand. Her eyes were shut, pinpricks of light dancing behind her eyelids as she let the wave of arousal wash over her. She wanted to pull his hair, make him put his mouth where she wanted it most, but he was taking his sweet time instead, causing her to groan in frustration as he let his tongue trail along her sensitive skin, inching closer to-
She jumped slightly, eyes flying open, as Jamie's movements stilled. Some asshole was knocking on her door.
She let her head fall again, her eyes closing heavily as she urged Jamie to continue.
"Who's that?" he asked, before resuming his torturous, slow trail down her leg.
"I don't know," she mumbled softly, letting her hips jerk slightly to let Jamie know not to stop.
"What..." she felt him breathe hard against her and she moaned. Another knock was heard as Jamie closed his lips around her clit. She felt him quickly pull away again as the knocking continued.
Redwood Seedlings Prefer Full Sunlight by polka_stripes | G | 1474
Louis visits her family home in the redwoods after a wildfire came through and finds more than the forest floor is left exposed.
all of the places i ain't ever been by theamazingpeterparker | G | 10752
Harry takes his dinner back to his bedroom, determined to chip away at his book that he came here to write. He’s not sure what it really is yet but he knows he wants it to be in the countryside, maybe a love story without the distractions of a city or a corporate job or a huge population to get in the way.
Or, Harry rents a room on a farm in exchange for working as a farmhand.
Private Show by musketrois | E | 11274
By now, Rogue was deft at picking someone to come on stage for this act. She was in the habit of picking people who were moderately into the show taking place around them. These people enjoyed their time at the club, but were not regulars and were not stingy with the cash they brought for the performers. Too drunk and they got handsy. Too timid and they sat like a stiff scarecrow the whole time.
or
Louis is a drag queen and Harry has a major crush.
You Get Admission by harrymeth | E | 11943
Right after the interview Louis grinned as they shook hands and welcomed Zayn to the 'team'.
What Zayn doesn't recall is Louis mentioning that having to deal with a right prick was part of the job.
Harry's rude until he isn't, in comes Zayn to literally clean him up.
Like Two Softened Shoes by marie24 | M | 13553
He sets his laptop on the bed, backing away and running his hands repeatedly through his curls. Okay. This is okay. This is fine. This is not real.
Will peeks his head around the door frame.
“Uh, everything okay in here?”
Harry tries to keep his breathing under control. “Yeah!” he says. “It’s, um, everything’s fine!” He can hear himself talking really loudly. Will looks doubtful.
“Are you sure? Because it really seems like -”
Harry barks out a laugh, cutting him off. “Okay! So this is going to sound really strange. But.” He looks at Will, with the same shiny fringe, blue, blue eyes, and sharp cheekbones he’d been writing about the whole last week. He worries his lip frantically between his teeth. “Um. I think I… I think I… wrote you?”
Or, Harry is a writer who gets through his writer’s block by pouring his feelings for his best friend Louis into a character. A few days later, the character lands in his bed, three dimensional and with no idea how to get back where he came from. He turns out to be very inconvenient for keeping Harry’s feelings to himself.
What I've Been Waiting For by styleandsin | nr | 14056
“Have you checked your twitter mentions lately?” Liam asks, almost hesitantly.
“‘Course not, I’ve been busy relaxing.” Louis gives Liam a smile, “Besides, isn’t that your job?”
“Well, I mean... Kind of, but you should check them.”
Louis sighs, “Fine.”
He picks his phone up from the table and takes a scroll through twitter, finding that apparently the book he was carrying on the way out of the airport was visible enough to see in the pap shots, and now his fans are excited. From about three minutes of scrolling and reading tweets he gathers the following: he and Harry share an overlap in fans, a lot of people are thankful for the book recommendation, some people say they ship him and Harry, whatever that means, oh and Harry Styles has seen the photos.
Or, Louis is famous for his singing. Harry is semi-famous for his writing. They're both fans of each other.
The Sound of Love Astounds Me Every Time It Calls by nothing_but | T | 20477
It had been nothing more than maybe two or three hours so far, but Louis was already fed up. Fed up with kind, weirdly endearing Harry, fed up with his little daughter, fed up with this whole journey and mentoring thing that wasn’t going his way at all. He wanted to hate Harry, all right, and so he would, perfect looks, strange kindness, and little daughter be damned! Louis was unstoppable, always had been, and this man certainly would not break him. As always, everything would eventually go the Tommo Way.
OR
Mentoring a newcomer in the children’s literature scene is an offer that Louis Tomlinson, accomplished children’s book author, simply can’t refuse. Especially since it comes with a two-week holiday in a remote luxury hotel and overly generous compensation. What Louis certainly did not sign up for was Harry - young, vibrant, bubbling right over with ideas, imagination, and kindness - radically turning his world upside down.
With These Arms Folded by taggiecb | nr | 21895
Harry Styles is living a peaceful existence in California as a very successful song writer. He has his lake house, and his cat, and his small town existence. That is until he receives a curious email one sunny summer morning, and his life almost immediately gets turned upside down buy a force that's bigger than any storm he's seen outside his window.
Call It True by abrighteryellow | E | 48893
Conscious of the boy’s eyes on him, Harry peruses the menu above, feeling far too distracted to actually choose. “Is there anything you’d, um, recommend?”
“Everything’s good, to be honest. Any flavors you like in particular?”
“I’m not picky. I’ll try pretty much anything.”
“Well, we’ll get along fine then.” Harry’s pulse picks up as Louis leans in, conspiratorially. “Tell you what. I’ll whip you up something, and if you don’t like it, it’s on the house.”
“That…sounds great.”
“Good. What’s your name? For the order, like,” Louis says, eyes quickly sweeping down to the register in front of him.
“’m Harry.”
“Alright, Harry. You wait right here while I work my magic, yeah?”
With dreams of being a successful novelist, Harry’s been working so hard that he almost doesn’t notice the smoothie shop that just opened down the street. But he can’t miss the mysterious, irresistible boy who works there, nor the strange but entirely positive effect his drinks seem to have. Harry needs to know what’s going on and he wants to get close to Louis, though not necessarily in that order.
Well, I have poured over this chapter again and again and I don’t think I can improve it, so here you go! Enjoy! Chapter 8 will follow this week - and it’ll probably be the final one!
************
[Read at AO3]
[Masterlist]
-----------------------------------
Claire had run through this exact scenario a million times, her imagination darting in every direction - what she’d say, what he’d say. How she’d hold her ground, stay angry and indignant, let him know how much he hurt her. Reality was...something different altogether. There he was, like he’d dropped out of the sky, all rugged and worn. He leaned against the wall, looking rather defeated as Claire came up behind him, her jaw tight, eyes still, taking in the sight of him in case he disappeared. She cleared her throat, stopping a few feet from him, and watched him whirl around in surprise. His eyes were wide, oceans of blue, slightly watery and tired.
She looked at the bus pass, still clutched between her fingers, and thrust it at him.
"I think this is yours," she muttered, willing him to take the damn thing out of her hand, but he just stood, stock still. She watched his eyes brighten slightly, though she could tell he was sleep deprived. His eyelids were heavy, and the dark circles under his eyes nearly made her ask if he'd been in a fist fight. She bit her tongue, though, unwilling to say anything else. She worried if she started, she'd never stop.
*** There’s smut in this chapter. I can’t promise it’s good. Feel free to skim if you feel so inclined! All you need to know is: They Fucked, And It Was Good. ***
Enjoy!
---------
Jamie and Claire, having paid the locksmith and retrieved Claire's keys, walked together along the street where their one night together had begun over a week before. Not touching, but close enough that their arms brushed against one another occasionally, they ambled around with no particular goal in mind. Claire had eaten lunch, finally, and now she knew there was a lot that still needed to be said.
She looked at Jamie, then at the clouds. They were still heavy with rain, but it had dissipated briefly. Jamie was in a rather sullen mood, yet she couldn't very well blame him - he'd clearly not had a great week. She nudged his arm, noticing his mind had drifted, his eyes a million miles away.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Mmm... trying to figure this all out."
"All what out?"
Jamie took a deep breath. "I know you noticed - you said I was moving out when you saw my flat?"
Claire nodded, not sure she wanted to hear what she'd suspected already.
"I am moving out - have been for a while. We decided not long after I'd signed the lease that I'd need to move back home, look after things. But, incidentally, I started talking to my neighbor... "
Thanks to @faithperry46 for being a wonderful beta reader!
[Prefer AO3?]
Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3
------------------------
Claire clung to Jamie’s arm as they strolled around their neighborhood after a good meal and little bit of heavy flirting on both their parts. They’d had a couple drinks between them, and Claire was feeling light-headed and slightly silly.
“What’s the worst thing you ever did in school, Jamie?” Claire laughed quietly as they dodged a large rain puddle, Jamie tugging her with him, pulling them ever closer together. Their feet haphazardly hit one another as they stumbled, Claire burying her face in his arm to attempt to regain some composure.
“Well..I’ll have to think about that one, Sassenach,” Jamie responded, drawing out his words in a teasing tone.
“Were you that badly behaved?”
“No...no...it’s just, I’m not sure which story you’d like to hear more. I like to hear you laugh. How about you, Claire - what’s your story?”
“Um, well, at Uni, in the dorms, there was a girl whose parents had, for whatever reason, paid extra so their daughter could have a room to herself.” Claire paused, wondering if he’d find her tale amusing or boring. She gritted her teeth, daring herself to get on with it.
“And…” Jamie prodded.
“And...she had a highly illegal pet rabbit in her room. She was a bit strange, to be honest, a bit of an outcast…” She paused again, eyeing Jamie’s reaction as he found out she was basically admitting to bullying a girl.
“Anyway, so, the girls and I, one night, were gossiping - as girls do, you know - and this particular girl and her rabbit came up in conversation. She was always prattling on about this rabbit of hers, and it could get annoying. I mean, the school had to have known, so why was she getting away with it? So, we girls decided to sneak into her room and…”
Jamie was grinning ear to ear, eager to hear the climax of her story.
“Please tell me you didn’t harm any animals, Sassenach,” he said with mock sincerity. He knit his brow and jokingly gave her a stern look.
“Ahem, no, I am no bunny murderer. We just went into her room while she was away - no one locked their doors - and....took the rabbit.”
Jamie’s mouth was agape and Claire spat out a shameful giggle as she recalled how the girl had found them with the poor rabbit - cage and all - just a few minutes after they’d gotten it into Claire’s room.
“Thankfully we all had a good laugh about it, no arm done. Now, your turn. Go on.” She nudged him playfully with her body, knocking him slightly off balance.
“I had no idea you’re a bunny stealer, Sassenach! I don’t know what to think of you now.”
Jamie shook his head in admonishment, then laughed. He stole a quick kiss, pecking Claire on the mouth. She pressed her lips together, savoring any little bit of him she could claim as her own, and again nudged him to tell his story.
“Why are you looking at me, Sassenach? I never got into trouble at all!”
“I don’t believe you. I just admitted to grand theft! Well, maybe it wasn’t grand, but...you can’t leave me dangling out here on the bad girl branch all by myself!”
“Bad girl, is it?” Jamie stopped abruptly wrapping her in his arms, kissing her deeply. Claire parted her lips, inviting him further. Their bodies aligned, Claire’s arms were buried deep in his jacket, wrapped around his waist as she clung to his shirt. Her knees were shaking, and she leaned in, breathing all of him in. The sounds and street lights around them all but disappeared as Claire felt herself pulled further into the deep.
Parting, they were both breathless. Claire noticed Jamie’s eyes danced with amusement, their blue color reflecting the neon of the shop signs nearby.
“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that,” she said in a whisper, surprising even herself.
Jamie dipped his head to catch her lips in his once more, quickly this time.
“As long as I have, perhaps?” he asked, one side of his mouth going up in a wistful smile. They began walking again, and Jamie nodded in the direction of their building. “Let’s head home. It’s getting pretty late, anyway.” Noticing that they were the only ones out, Claire enjoyed the relative silence of the night, only the occasional dog bark or car passing by broke the magic. It had stopped raining, and the lighthearted conversation had done a lot for her nerves.
She let him pull her along, not wanting him to see her face as she absorbed the word ‘home’. She had a vision of their clothes, mingling in one closet; their bed, duvet twisted and smelling of sex; two glasses of ignored scotch sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch, where they lay tangled, choosing foreplay over alcohol. She shivered involuntarily, finding his hand and grasping it tightly. She briefly wondered why this, with Jamie, felt so natural, so right. She’d seen him just three times now outside of their window chats, and she felt like they’d been like this forever. It was as if she’d found solid ground with him, something true, and she hadn’t realized just how much she needed him. She’d been adrift her whole life, come to think of it, floating around with her Uncle Lamb. Campsites, hotels, temporary lodgings in one foreign country or another. Taught by tutors, she’d never attended traditional school until she decided to go into nursing. She didn’t regret her childhood, but she knew Jamie had a family, had roots. She liked the idea of finally having roots, even tangentially, through him.
“Erm, I’d invite you inside, Sassenach, but I’m afraid you’d be bombarded by an interrogation of sorts. My nephew is staying with me at the moment. I-”
“Oh, your nephew? He’s alone right now?”
“Yes, he’s 19 - perfectly capable on his own, except when my sister decides he’s gone and gotten into trouble. I get the task of straightening him out. Or something. I don’t know how much I help, but I try.”
“That’s nice of you. I’m sure he appreciates it.”
“Well, he appreciates the ability to escape home once in a while, anyway.”
“Well, we can just go to mine then. I don’t live far away,” Claire joked. “I think I may even have some whisky stored away somewhere.” She rubbed her chin, trying to picture where that dusty bottle was hiding. It had been a gift from Uncle Lamb one Christmas, and she’d never had the occasion to open it. Why not now?
-----
Sipping her drink, Claire watched Jamie, his strong jaw clenching slightly with each sip. She watched his movements as he set the glass down on the side table, careful not to make any noise. They’d both been rather quiet, like the night was made of glass, and neither of them wanted to shatter it.
Claire watched as Jamie took a slow sip of his drink, savoring the flavor. She watched as his tongue darted out past his lips, only briefly; she found herself mesmerized by his movements, even down to the way he kept tapping one finger on the glass as he held it in his hand. Claire knew she felt awkward and gangly, unsure of what to do with her arms, her hands, her legs. She felt like she saw some of that in him, too.
She took a fortifying sip of her own drink, and then set it down on the table in front of them. With a clink, the glass hit the hard wood table top, breaking the silent reverie.
“So...I must say, it’s been awhile since I’ve had a, er, date up here.”
She wasn’t sure why she was bringing up past lovers - she certainly didn’t want to get into a conversation about it with him, but she wanted to say something.
“I’m afraid my flat is entirely female free. I’m no good at this, myself.”
“No good? I’m enjoying myself, if it makes you feel better. I could turn on a movie? Or some music?” She ran a hand through her hair, trying to decide which option would be better, when she felt him grasp her wrist and pull it away from her face. He kissed the inside of her wrist, sending shivers down Claire’s spine.
“Well, I suppose we don’t need music…” she trailed off, lulled into a calm by Jamie’s soft touch on her delicate skin. He moved closer, and she felt his leg meet her own on the couch. He leaned in while she was looking down and they cracked heads, both jumping back slightly, holding their heads.
Claire laughed easily, some of the tension broken.
“See? I told you..” Jamie remarked, rubbing his forehead.
Claire, trying her luck, leaned towards him this time, catching his mouth with her lips, the kiss quickly evolving into a more desperate one as Jamie pulled her onto his lap. His hands were in her hair, and she quickly pulled one of his arms down to the hem of her shirt, inviting him to touch her bare skin. The heat of his hand was a warm balm, juxtaposed with the goosebumps that formed along her torso. He, at first, spread his palm along her back, stroking up and down, their lips still fiercely together, neither of them willing to part.
Jamie began trying to undo her bra, and Claire groaned, frustrated at the one she’d chosen. It was a difficult one to unclasp for whatever reason. As he struggled, Claire sat up and reached behind her, awkwardly getting it undone for him.
“Damn thing, sorry,” she whispered, and she decided to discard with her bra and sweater all at once, leaving her vulnerable slightly shivering in the cool air. Jamie pulled her back down, wanting her mouth on his again, and he kissed her deeply while he grasped one breast in his hand, bringing his fingertips to her hard nipple. Claire immediately wanted more, as she felt the tell-tale heat pool between her legs.
“Can we go to the bedroom?” She mumbled, reluctantly pulling away from him once more, yet eager to get more comfortable. Jamie tugged at her legs, and Claire straddled him before he lifted her, her legs wrapping around his waist as he stood. Their denim pants were an irritating barrier, and Claire rocked against his hips as he walked, keeping her lips on his neck, just below his ear. He didn’t stumble, easily making his way to her bedroom, where he gently laid her back on her pillows and followed her down.
Claire immediately went to the button of her pants, unclasping it, her zipper following suit. Jamie lifted his hips as she wriggled out of her pants, and he pulled them down and off her ankles. Pulling his shirt over his head, Claire gave a small gasp as their torsos met, bare skin on bare skin. It was nearly enough to send her to the edge, but she fought against it as she fumbled with the button on his jeans. She was still in her knickers - thin cotton with small rosebuds - and after Jamie had discarded his pants, she felt his fingers glide to her inner thigh. Tickling up to the edge of her panties, he hooked a finger around one side and pulled them down, leaving Claire entirely naked.
She watched as he took her in; his eyes shone brightly, arms trembling as he lifted one hand and, licking his lips with a hard swallow, he let one finger make its way slowly down her torso, past her navel. His finger found the hard bud of her clitoris as he began making circles, driving Claire entirely out of her mind all at once. Her hips jerked involuntarily, and she lifted her head slightly and eyed his cock, still encased in his briefs.
“Not yet. Let me touch you, too,” she breathed, reaching between them to put her hand into his waistband, grasping his cock. She felt him shudder as his lips found hers again. She quickly tore off his last bit of clothing and stroked him briefly before pulling him down, placing him between her open legs.
“You sure?” he whispered, settling into his position as she lifted her hips slightly in invitation. Biting his lip, he kissed her once, moaning slightly into her mouth as their bodies trembled in want.
Claire could only nod her head before reaching down and helping him to enter her, the creak of the bed making Claire smile slightly as she felt him begin to thrust his hips, slowly at first. She savored the friction, and let a hand dance in his hair as she kissed him deeply, her other hand making its way between them to touch herself, intensifying her pleasure. She watched as Jamie’s eyes shut, his forehead against hers as he began to go faster, and as her eyes fluttered closed, the spark that had been dancing between them for the last couple weeks grew into a flame, engulfing them both in one breath.
Claire grasped the duvet, riding the waves for as long as she could as Jamie’s hips jerked, his lips crashing into hers once more. She almost immediately wanted more, but allowed him to clamber off and lay to her side to catch his breath, her heart hammering.
She looked over at him, smiling. It had been rather short, but she hadn’t wanted to wait any longer. Still trembling, she leaned into him, her head on his chest. She figured they had all the time in the world now to perfect, to experiment, to feel that again, and again. She smiled again, her face buried under his chin. Jamie brought his arms around her, but kept quiet. She could feel his heart beat beneath her cheek, and revelled in its steady thumps. She barely noticed as her eyes fluttered shut, his pulse lulling her to sleep.
She dreamed of tangled blankets and Jamie’s rough hands roaming her body.
----
Claire woke with a sharp jerk. Light was streaming in, her curtains open to the morning outside. She squinted at the light, feeling slightly like a vampire, and clambered out from the covers. Noticing Jamie’s absence, she smiled, and throwing a shirt over her head, she headed from her bedroom, expecting to find him there.
Instead, she was greeted with the still artifacts of her life - the couch, their glasses still on the coffee table; her small dining table and four chairs, and the kitchen - empty and unused, as usual. She paused, standing still, then walked back through her bedroom to the washroom. That, too, was empty.
She looked around her room for some sign, some proof that last night had, in fact, happened. She could feel the pleasurable ache still lingering between her legs, and she knew, deep down, that she’d not dreamt it. But where was he?
She grabbed her phone, checking for messages. Nothing.
Walking to the kitchen counter, she finally saw a hastily scribbled note in Jamie’s messy hand.
Claire,
I had to leave.
I’m sorry.
Will talk soon.
xx, Jamie
Claire’s jaw dropped, the letter fluttering from between her fingers. She quickly ran, threw on some pants, and dashed out her door barefoot. The cold morning air turned her blood to ice as she dashed up the stairs to his front door. She knocked, thinking surely that he’d be there. That perhaps he simply had to work this morning, or had to check on his nephew.
There was no answer, and Claire, hugging herself in the cold, slowly ambled back to her apartment, confused and shivering. She grabbed her phone again, dialing Jamie’s mobile. She held it to her ear, hearing the incessant ringing as she got no answer.
She looked at the phone, puzzled, and if she was being honest, a bit hurt.
Had she done something last night? Oh God, she thought with horror, had she drooled on him, talked in her sleep, kicked him?
She sat on the couch, unable to figure out what to do. Emptiness crept in, and she felt tears stinging her eyes as she fought back, unwilling to cave to her own misery.
Well, after I recover from my quick vacation (JFC I am exhausted!), an update to Instruments of Flight is first on my agenda! Look for it later this week, assuming I have enough energy to stay awake to write at night!
Guess what, though? My two kiddos are starting summer camp next week. This means three sweet, uninterrupted hours four days a week for me to write like craaazy! I am so excited! I plan to be super productive, so lots of updates headed your way for (hopefully) all three of my WIP!
