Clare knocked rapidly on the door of Eli's apartment that his parents had surprised him with after their trip to New York. The two teens had been surprised, to say the least, but were relishing in the idea of Eli having a place of his own, and quite enjoying the ability to come and go as they pleased. It also gave them a place to keep Palahniuk, who was growing rapidly. Tonight, however, was special. They had spent most nights watching movies at Eli's new place, but Clare wanted to surprise him and mix it up a bit. So, she had called Cece and gotten a copy of the keys to Eli's car, and was currently standing before his door with a blindfold, ready to attack as soon as he answered. The door swung open, and before Eli could react, Clare leaned in for a kiss, using his distracted state to wrap the blindfold around his head. He scrambled to take it off, but she stilled his hand with her own. "No peeking, Eli! I'm taking you out for a surprise tonight, and I want it to be special. So... this way, mi'lord," she giggled, grabbing for his arm and swiping the keys from the inside of his door so she could lock up. She looked back at the boy standing blindfolded in the hallway and laughed at the fact that he was still smirking in spite of it, and placed a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth, teasing him slightly. Taking him by the arm again, she loaded him into the elevator and steered him towards the parking deck. "Clare, how are we supposed to get there if I can't see to drive?" he asked, genuinely concerned. "I'm driving your car, silly!" she announced, and laughed as he visibly paled at the thought. "Come on, it won't be THAT bad... I managed Morty, didn't I?" "Clare, as far as I know, Morty is the only thing you've ever driven. I have a right to be frightened for the state of my car!" he exclaimed, batting around in thin air in an attempt to find her and steal his keys back. "You're a wuss, Eli," she said, and promptly opened his door for him, pushing down on his shoulder to get him in the vehicle. His protests continued as she walked around to the other side and started the engine, wheeling out of the garage as smoothly as possible.
After about 20 minutes of driving, Eli had finally stopped worrying about the state of his "baby" and began to pester her about the destination. "Are you sure you won't tell me where we're going? Because I don't really trust you, Edwards. You're sneaky." She rolled her eyes at him, taking a right into the forest, and he gripped at her thigh as he felt his car take on the new terrain. "This was not part of the bargain, Clare! You're supposed to take care of my car, not defile it! If it's scratched, you're in so much trouble..." "Calm down, Gramps. We're here," she announced, cutting off the engine. He reached for his mask, but she swatted his hand away again. "You're staying here while I set a few things up, okay?" Eli settled back into his seat, folding his arms across his chest and grumbling. Soon enough, Clare opened his door and pulled him out of the car, leading him over to an unidentified spot. She took his mask off, and as his vision adjusted, he heard the soft sounds of acoustic guitar fill the air. "Clare... are we at our abandoned church?" She sat down on the picnic blanket lined with tiny tealights, and nodded. "Happy three month anniversary, Eli. I wanted to do something special."
