Mine Who: Gabe and Claire When: Nighttime Where: Campfire/Tent Warning: NSFW
The day had gone pretty well. Claire wasn't a big fan of long car rides, but when they got to the lake, it had been totally worth it. The land was really spacious, and beautiful, and it didn't take very long for everyone to get their tents up and their gear unpacked. She spent the majority of her time with Gabe, though she'd broken away long enough to hang out with Madock and Jessalyn, and chat a little bit with the other kids that had come with them. She didn't want to be anti-social and give the impression of being a bitch or anything, even if she was feeling a bit self conscious being around people she didn't know very well.
With the sun set and night having kicked in, Claire was sitting around the campfire next to Gabe in a pair of capris and a t-shirt, finishing off a marshmallow she had roasted over the fire. Thankfully she hadn't made a total mess of herself, and she licked the last bit of gooey sugar from her thumb as she set the roasting stick down on the ground beside her. "So far no hokey songs, and no knife wielding psychopath," Claire told Gabe with a grin. "A pretty successful night, camping wise, I think."
"Yeah, the knife wielding psychopath would've pretty much ruined it," Gabe laughed. He'd been enjoying the day so far, spending time with his friends and getting to know those he didn't know as well. Gabe had always been a people person and did fine in groups where he was expected to mingle. Quietly, though, he was glad to have some alone time with Claire, and was looking forward to getting away for the evening. "Want another marshmallow, or are you done for the night?" he asked, setting aside his roasting stick as well. If had any more sugar he'd be bouncing off the walls till morning.
"I've had three," she reminded him with a sheepish smile. "I think I'm done. I'm probably going to be up all night at this point." Not that being up all night would be a bad thing, if Gabe was awake with her. Claire glanced around the circle of teenagers before she looked back at Gabe, her voice a bit quieter than it was before. "Did you want to go for a walk, or something?" She felt comfortable, and she wasn't having any bad feelings about leaving the group, so she was more than willing to do it if Gabe was.
"Up all night can't be all bad," he smirked. There he was, being a boy again. At least it didn't seem to bother Claire, otherwise he'd try to watch what he said and how he said it. "A walk would be nice," Gabe said, and set his roasting stick aside before rising to his feet and offering her a hand. He wasn't worried about leaving the group either, as he figured that people would break off and go back to their tents when they were ready. "Down by the lake?" he asked.
Claire took his hand and stood. "The lake sounds good." She remembered that the last time they were anywhere near water they had... yeah. She flushed at the memory and laced her fingers through his as they started off away from the campfire. "Are you having fun?"
Gabe glanced over her with a curious smile, wondering about the sound of her heart. The lake was innocent enough, wasn't it? Well... not necessarily. There were ways to make it far from innocent. "Yeah, it's good to hang out with everyone, just do whatever," he smiled. "I'm glad I can be here with you, though. Together." Now that they were dating, Gabe couldn't imagine it any other way.
"Me too." And she was. It felt different, being there with him in a category other than 'best friend'. Had he had another girlfriend, Claire probably wouldn't have made the trip, even if she'd been invited. But she definitely preferred this to anything else. And she was equally happy that they were going somewhere private, because she really wanted to kiss him. Beyond just a peck here and there with everyone watching. "Everyone seems to be having a good time. It's nice to get away from town and all the news for awhile."
"It's like none of that exists out here," Gabe agreed. In a way, it didn't. Out in the wilderness, it was easy to forget about all that was going on back home. Their only reminder was the stuff they brought with them and themselves. Gabe laced his fingers through Claire's as they moved farther away from the group. He wanted to do a lot more than hold her hand, but they were sharing a tent, so he figured they'd have the privacy later. "I told Madock what I am," he said. "He seemed worried about your safety, but otherwise okay with it."
"I knew he'd be okay with it," Claire said. "I'm sure he'll talk to me about it at some point while we're here." He hadn't come home yelling and flailing about it, so Claire was sure Madock had dealt with it. It helped that his girlfriend was a werewolf, she was sure. Once they were far enough away from everyone else, Claire slowed her steps and tugged his hand to stop with her. She stepped in front of him with a small, mischievous smile. "Can I kiss you now?"
That was true. If Madock hadn't already expressed his worries to Claire, then maybe he hadn't been all that concerned. With her question, Gabe turned to face her, his eyes casting back to the campfire then back to her. Screw them. He wasn't going to let his friends keep him from kissing her. "You didn't have to wait," he told her, arm sliding around her waist as he pulled her against him.
"I'm not sure everyone would want to watch me kiss you the way I really wanted to kiss you," Claire explained. She lifted her hands to slide them through his hair before wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging him even closer to her. She leaned in to capture his lips with her own, pouring several hours of pent up desire into it. At that point she didn't care if someone saw. She'd been waiting to do this since they left Charlotte's.
She was right; the kind of kiss she gave him was the sort that led to other things and Gabe didn't think he'd want to stop, no matter who was around. As the kiss deepened, his hands slid around to grab her ass, to pull her completely against him. He had no desire to break away or stop, save for an eventual need of air. When his hips pressed against hers, Gabe groaned, lightly biting her bottom lip. "Maybe we should go to the tent," he said breathlessly.
Claire pressed against him, deepening their kiss the minute his hands touched her ass. She felt tingly all over, and decided it was a wise idea to wait until they were alone to do that. Who knew that a kiss could do all those things to her body? She loved the way he made her feel, now that she was able to fully accept it without freaking out. She smiled when he nibbled at her lip. "We can go anywhere you want," Claire told him quietly, lifting her eyes to his and pressing her hips back against his when she felt him. "I just want to be alone with you."
"I thought about skinny dipping," Gabe said with a little laugh. "But I-- I think I don't want water to distract us right now." While skinny dipping would surely lead to other things, Gabe wasn't sure he wanted to wait. "You're making me hard," Gabe whispered, squeezing her ass as his hips pressed against her again. "Alone would probably be a good thing... though if we don't go soon, I'll settle for here." He was teasing, of course, except for the fact that he was beginning to get aroused. That much would be obvious to her.
"Maybe we can skinny dip tomorrow night," Claire suggested before leaning in to press her lips to his again. The tent would be much more private. If they skinny dipped, they would start kissing and... doing things. And there was a bigger chance of someone coming around and seeing them. Claire licked her lips when she pulled back again, and she stepped away, taking his hand to lead him back to their tent. "We should probably go back now, or I'll be settling for here too."
Gabe enjoyed being a little daring when fooling around, but he didn't enjoy a show. Being with Claire was something private, and he didn't want to share her with anyone. "Tent then," he smiled, laughing as he hurried with her towards the tent. Hurrying anywhere with a hard on was not something he made a habit of, but he couldn't seem to control himself with her around. Stopping outside the tent, Gabe pulled her close to kiss her against, letting his hands roam as they wished. Reaching to the side, he unzipped the tent, then pulled Claire inside, barely stopping to zip it back up. Now they had privacy, and could do whatever the hell they pleased.
Once she was inside the tent and Gabe had zipped it up, she sat down on her knees and immediately went to pull her t-shirt up and off. It was kind of exciting, and a little romantic, being in such a small, dark space with Gabe. Her heart was pounding in the best possible way and after her shirt was discarded, she held out her hands to him, wanting him to join her. Preferably shirtless too. She just hoped no one came to check on them, least of all her brother. Hopefully everyone knew knocking on tents were off limits tonight.
He grinned as she pulled her shirt off, removing his own as well before joining her on the sleeping bags. This had the feel of that first night, running up to their room to do body shots, except neither of them were drunk. The excitement was there, his heart beating away in his chest, but this time lacked the fear of rejection. Gabe leaned in to kiss her, hands sliding to her waist, then up over her breasts. "I love this bra," he grinned against her lips. "I like it better off though." He wasn't worried about being disturbed, confident no one was that stupid.
A soft, sharp breath escaped her lips when his hands slid over her breasts. Her nipples hardened almost instantly in response to him, and she opened her eyes to look at him, her lips curving just a touch before she reached behind her to unclasp her bra and pull it off. Once it was out of the way, Claire reached out to run her hands over his chest, gliding her fingertips down to his stomach and abdomen. Feeling a bit more confident now than she had before, Claire leaned in to place a kiss against his throat, trailing her lips down to his collarbone.
"That's better," Gabe grinned, laughing softly as his fingers found her nipples. The more he saw of her, the less he understood why she was so embarrassed of her own body. He loved her curves, the way her breasts felt in his hands. She had hips, and a waist, and an amazing ass. And he couldn't stop touching her, not when she felt so good to touch. Gabe tilted his head to the side, making it easier for her to get to his neck as he whispered in her ear. "I wanna taste you again." He wanted a lot more, but that would have to do.
The way he touched her did things to her body that was simply indescribable. She was already hot and wet between her thighs, and Claire felt that familiar, unfulfilled ache beginning to rise inside of her all over again. She wanted him. Badly. All of him. Claire shivered at the sound of his voice in her ear, and her body flushed pleasantly at his words before she brought her lips back up to his. Her hands fell to the button and zipper of her capris and she fell back away from him onto the sleeping bags to push them off. "If I'm getting naked, you have to too," Claire said breathlessly.
Gabe could tell she was turned on, just by her scent, but he liked the feel of her against him so much more. If she thought he was going to protest, she was wrong, as he began unzipping his jeans just as she moved back to strip off her capris. "I was planning on it," he said, helping her tug them off as soon as his jeans and underwear were discarded. Crawling up her body, Gabe pulled down her panties, loving the feel of her bare body against his own. This would be the part when he planned on going down on her, but leaned down to kiss her instead. He craved that contact, her lips on his, and the feel of her pressed against him as he laid his body upon hers.
Claire loved it when he kissed her. The minute his lips met hers, her arms came around him to hold him to her. She felt a bit of desperation mixed with her desire, but she didn't rush through the kiss they were sharing just to get to the other stuff. Instead, she kissed him slowly, softly. Instead of pent up arousal, Claire poured affection and unspoken words into it this time. Her leg slid up his to his waist, and she could feel him against her body, hot and hard in all the right places. Whispering his name, Claire opened her eyes to look at him, wishing she was better at verbalizing her thoughts.
This kiss was different than the rest. Gabe could tell, even if he wasn't sure how. The desire was still there, the desperate need to be with each other, and yet he was feeling something that hadn't been there before. He didn't know what it was until he met her eyes, his heart pounding at the way she said his name. "I trust you," he whispered, kissing her again as his eyes shut. There was a part of him that knew it didn't matter whether he waited for the words or not. She already had his heart and mind, regardless of the body's lacking bind.
She thought those words were just as good as the other three. Because a part of her had doubted it for awhile. If maybe he didn't want to be with her because he couldn't trust her feelings for him. Maybe it was just paranoia on her part, but it felt reassuring to hear him say he did trust her. Claire kissed him back passionately, her hands moving over every inch of him that she could reach. She slipped her legs around him, her heels resting at the back of his thighs. She just wanted to feel him, and touch him and know he was there and not going anywhere.
Gabe ground against her, groaning as he felt his body align with hers. This was it, what he'd wanted for months now, and yet he couldn't cross that line without knowing if she was ready, or willing, to make that kind of commitment. In every talk they'd had, they'd talked about waiting. Gabe could think of a ten good reasons off the top of his head, but not one of them seemed to hold a candle to the fact that he wanted Claire. "Tell me we should stop," he gasped, lips against hers. He needed a reason to hold back, since his own didn't seem to be enough.
She was pretty sure she was trembling beneath him, but it wasn't because she was cold, or nervous. It was more of an anticipatory thing. She ached for him, every nerve ending was acutely aware of him laying on top of her, skin on skin, lips against lips. Claire had to wonder if this was still some kind of trick, or dream. She would wake up any second and none of this would be real. Good things never happened to her. She still didn't understand how Gabe could want her when he could have anyone he wanted. But he did want her, and god, she wanted him too. Claire slid her hands over his sides and up his back slowly. She was sure he could hear her heart about to thump its way right out of her chest and Claire slid her nose against his before pressing another kiss to his lips. "I don't want to stop," she whispered, knowing exactly what she was saying, but it felt right, and like it was meant to happen. There were no feelings in the pit of her stomach telling her it was a bad idea. No feelings that told her she needed to stop. Everything was... good. Beyond good.
There was a lot not being said, all of it wrapped up in the rush of emotion, desire, and longing. It was possibly irresponsible and foolish, but Gabe didn't want to stop either. He was about to go further, when it occurred to him that they had more to think about than him being bound to her. He'd been so focused on that fact that he'd almost forgotten there were other concerns to keep in mind. Gabe reached out in the dark, his fingers fumbling in his bag as he continued to kiss her, finally coming back with a condom. Maybe she was on birth control, but they hadn't really gotten around to discussing it. They were going to have to talk afterwards, but that was then. This was now. Gabe pulled away, kneeling so that he could roll the condom on. It had been a while since he'd done this and never with quite this much anticipation. Settling back upon her, Gabe kissed Claire deeply. This was it. He loved her, trusted her, and prayed she would tell him now if she had any doubts.
Claire took a deep breath when Gabe pulled away to put on the condom he'd grabbed from his bag. She felt anxious, scared and excited, all at once and she didn't know which emotion to settle upon. She didn't know what was going to happen afterward, only that it had to be good, right? They had kept talking about waiting, but maybe that because it felt like the proper thing to do in their position. Only she didn't really understand why. They knew one another inside and out. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else, and she was pretty certain that he loved her. Why did she have to scare herself away from that? For once she needed to just let go and stop overthinking, overworrying and overanalyzing every little thing that came her way. She trusted Gabe and she knew he wouldn't be doing this if he didn't want to be with her. Her arms wrapped around him when he came back to her, her thighs parting to rest on his hips. Kissing him with a hint of desperation, Claire wished she could verbalize the things she was thinking, but she felt like if she talked now, she would somehow ruin it. The moment was too perfect to chance that.
When there was no request to stop, hold up, or wait, Gabe took that as a green light. All the reasons they shouldn't do this paled in comparison to the fact that they wanted to, that they were willing to trust that the other would be there for them, no matter what lay ahead. Gabe wanted to tell her how he felt, but words didn't seem enough. The way he touched her, his lips on hers, hand trembling at her hip as he slid inside her, hopefully conveyed the message. "Claire," he gasped as his hips slowly began to rock against hers. This moment was everything he'd hoped for, everything he'd dreamed of, and more. It was better because it was real, no longer just a fantasy that seemed forever out of reach. Gabe knew he could be a romantic, yet it'd been years since he'd felt anything that even compared to his feelings for Claire. Being with her now, he knew he'd made the right choice in his heart, no matter what his head tried to tell him.
She felt a little tense, only because it had been so long since she'd had sex and she was suddenly afraid that she would be so terrible at it that Gabe would regret everything immediately. But all those worries began to dissipate when Gabe pushed inside of her. She gasped and lifted her hips to his, pulling him in deeper. Her hand lifted to the back of his hair, her fingers twining in his hair as he moved against her. She knew she had to be quiet, since there were other people around, including other weres, so she bit her lip to muffle the moans that threatened to escape. She had known it would feel good, but she hadn't known it could feel this good. Claire's free hand ran down his back to grip at his hip and she began to move with him, wishing she could kiss him but she didn't think she would be able to breathe if she did.
Gabe, unfortunately, was not all that quiet. On the other hand, he really didn't care. If people heard them, let them be jealous. He wasn't of the mind to be shy at the moment, his focus completely on Claire, rather than the world around them. "You feel... so good," he said between gasps, his hips moving faster as he began to find a rhythm. It had been a while, since he hadn't gone this far since Chrissy, but this wasn't the kind of thing Gabe forgot. The realization that Claire would be the last girl he was ever with sent a shiver through his body; he'd thought it would be a lot farther off before a thought like that excited him. He hummed in approval as her fingers slid into his hair, and cupped one breast with one hand as he began to suck and nip at the other. This would be good for her, that he would be sure of.
Claire had long since forgotten about where they were. All she could think about now was Gabe. How he felt inside of her, the noises he made. She found absolutely nothing wrong with the thought that he would be the only person she would be having sex with for a very long time... possibly forever. How could she care when it felt this good? God, she was having sex with Gabe. Her best friend. And it was fantastic, exceeding her wildest fantasies. And she'd had quite a few since he moved to town. "Gabe," she moaned, arching up against him when his mouth closed over her nipple. Instinctively her legs tightened around his waist and she began to thrust her hips up against his. She could do nothing now but ride the wave of ecstasy coursing through her and try to keep breathing. His name was a soft mantra on her lips and she could already feel that familiar, delicious pressure beginning to build inside of her.
He loved the way she said his name, the way she moaned and arched and let the rush take over. He groaned as her legs tightened and thrust harder, feeling himself draw closer to the edge. He'd never known how to imagine Claire as a lover and found she was better than anything he'd ever imagined, intense and passionate and just as drawn into the moment as he was. He'd been a little afraid, before they'd been together, that she would be shy, but she was nothing of the sort. Once more his mouth moved to hers, stealing little kisses between breaths when he could, though there was barely air to breathe. Gabe swallowed hard, trying to hold off, wanting this to last longer. The least he could do was wait for her, make sure she came before he let himself go.
She supposed had it been anyone else, Claire would have been more shy. She was self conscious about her body, and her ability to be good at sex, but Gabe made her feel beautiful, which was one of the reasons she was there with him now. It was nothing he had to say. It was just the way he touched her, or looked at her. She wasn't used to that, but she found she wanted more of it every day. Claire lifted her head to kiss him passionately, moaning loudly against his mouth as she reached for that release. He continued to push her to the peak with every thrust of his body. Claire clung to him, rocking her hips firmly and steadily against him until finally, everything went white behind her eyes and she cried out, her body tensing as she finally fell over.
When she tightened around him in climax, that was all Gabe needed to get there himself. He moaned her name, hips jerking as he held her, his body shuddering with release. Gabe held nothing back, breathless when his body began to unwind and in no hurry to move off of her. His hand slid up her side, now aware of the thin coat of sweat covering both of them, but it was something he enjoyed, his scent mingled with hers. Gabe opened his eyes and kissed her neck, then her jaw, then lips, pouring the love he felt into that kiss. His hips ground slowly against her and he smiled softly. "Mine," he whispered.
The way he moved inside of her when he came only heightened Claire's own pleasure. Her lips were parted in a soundless moan and all she could do was lay there, amazed at the way she was feeling. She'd had sex before and it had never been like that. Ever. She sighed contently when he began to kiss her neck, and slowly her legs loosened and fell away from his waist. When he kissed her, she ran her hands through his hair, enjoying the tingling sensations that bubbled to the surface all over again. She licked her lips and smiled softly at him. "Yours," she murmured before cupping his face gently. "And you're mine."
"Mm, yes," Gabe grinned. He liked that thought more than he ever thought he would. Though he'd always been slightly possessive, he'd never quite appreciated the sentiment in return. Now he found he rather enjoyed it, especially coming from Claire. Slowly, he rolled them over, putting her on top. He felt himself slip out of her in the process and, since wearing a used condom wasn't exactly something he enjoyed, he reached down and removed it, tossing it aside. That out of the way, he was free to snuggle as he liked. "I'm glad we waited," he said, half teasing, half telling the truth. He was glad they hadn't done that the night they were drunk. He wanted to remember their first time completely sober.
Claire grinned, trying to refrain from giggling when he rolled them over. She honestly thought she might have been freaked out afterward, given what they had just done. And what it meant, but she felt too good right now to worry about it. Claire pressed her lips against his jaw, still smiling. When's the last time she smiled this much? "I'm glad we waited too," Claire said, teasing back. She set her hands on either side of him and lifted herself up so she could look down at his face. "It sort of feels like we've been waiting a lot longer than we have." She had liked him, deep down, for so long. And apparently he had liked her for the past few months. That could be why she felt like they hadn't really rushed.
"I think it's cause, in a way, we've been together for a while," Gabe said, his fingers gently running over her back. She hadn't been dating anyone, and he'd been doting on her, pining for her, and the only difference between them and other couples had been the lack of physical attraction. Sometimes he wondered why he didn't see it sooner, but then he didn't think he'd been ready for it. After Cynthia had died, the last thing he'd wanted was love. It hurt too much to think about such a concept. Then he hadn't known what he wanted, and when he really started to think about it, it had turned out to be the one who'd been with him for years. "That whole separate room thing? I hope it's only for appearances, cause I don't wanna spend a single night without you."
Yes, in a way they had been. Only it had been without the physical couple-y things like hand holding and kissing. And sex. Claire couldn't believe how everything had changed so quickly. "Are your instincts kicking in already?" Claire asked teasingly, leaning over to press a kiss against his lips. "But yes... appearances. I don't think I want to spend a night without you either." In fact, she was pretty confident that she didn't. She knew the moment they got back to Scarlet Oak, she was going to drag Gabe and Madock out to look for a place. Claire settled down on top of him, resting her head on his chest. "I really thought I would... freak out when this happened."
"You mean the ones where I want to protect you and be with you every second of the day?" Gabe asked with a little laugh. He didn't know what it meant to take a mate, but he knew what Claire made him feel. "If that's part of my instincts, then yes. And we can always make one room look like it's used. Maybe we can go back and forth. Get good use out of both beds," he smiled. He was sure that would drive Madock nuts. His fingers gently caressed Claire's back, brushing down over the curve of her ass. "I'm glad you're not freaking out," he said with a soft smile. "I thought this would scare me... I guess that's just another form of freaking out, but I'm really just so... so happy. More than that." More than he had words for.
She smiled again and lifted her head to press a kiss against his jaw. "I am too." Maybe she would freak out a bit later, given the monumental decision the both of them had just made, especially after deciding to wait over and over again... but right now everything was just perfect. She found she kind of liked his instincts, even if she wanted to assure him she didn't need protecting. "As long as your room is messy when my mom comes to visit," Claire said with a small laugh. "She won't believe it's being used at all if it's tidy and clean."
"I'll have to go in and mess it up," Gabe grinned. "I'm a pretty clean person." He'd always been good about having things picked up, but since being bitten he was even more a stickler for clean. Dirty dishes, dirty clothes, anything that smelled got washed. While he didn't mind his own scent, he was sensitive to the idea that other people might... even if their sense of smell didn't even compare to his. "Sorry about earlier, with the condom story," Gabe said, remembering. "I was trying to distract people and it was the first thing that came to mind." Nor did he think they'd be sleeping together, no matter what people thought.
Claire's eyes had closed, as she felt completely relaxed, laying there on top of him and listening to the vibrations in his chest as he spoke. She didn't think her mom would be visiting all that often, but hopefully she would call ahead when she did. At the mention of the 'condom story', her lips curved in amusement. "It's okay. I understand. That had been sort of an awkward situation after the song and dance ended." It had been mildly embarrassing, but nothing to get upset over. "Would have been better if you and Ransom had started dancing and singing. Or maybe just howling at the moon or something."
Gabe chuckled softly, his chest shaking with the sound. "I don't know that Ransom and I are close enough to pull something like that off. Now, Madock I could probably have pulled into some kind of song and dance, but nothing really jumped to mind, you know? Except for Kumbaya, which Charlotte specifically asked me not to perform." He doubted she'd have had a problem with it at that moment though. Anything to take the focus off the awkward moment. Gabe closed his eyes as he continued to stroke her back, closing his eyes. "I never thought I could feel this happy," he said softly, somewhat in wonder. It still felt like he should be freaking out, but the night was too peaceful, maybe, or perhaps it just wasn't necessary.
"Madock's a total white boy," Claire murmured, her voice thick with amusement. "He would just flail about if he tried to dance." Though honestly, her brother could dance, but it was her job as sister to make fun of him regardless. She lifted her head enough to rest her chin on his chest so she could look at him. "I'm happy too. And... I really didn't think it was possible... at least not for me." Even if her life was full of regrets, she certainly wasn't going to regret this. "It's kind of funny, with as much as we talked about this and knew we should wait... when I'm with you, I just don't... feel like we need to. It's weird, isn't it?"
"Aw, give him some credit," Gabe laughed, though figure Claire was just picking on Madock as any twin should. When she spoke again, he looked into her eyes and brushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ears. He wasn't going to argue that happiness should be possible for her, since she was saying she'd found it. It was far better than putting herself down. "It was a mental thing," he said. "We're both smart. We wanna protect our hearts. But compared to what we feel... waiting just felt like we were trying to put off a good thing for no reason." And he knew there were reasons, but they just didn't seem to matter.
That was pretty much what she had thought and she rested her head back down, her ear pressed against his chest again. "I guess you can't always plan for these things," Claire said, closing her eyes again. "I think that I over think things too much... try to find the logic in everything. The rationality. I think sometimes you just have to let go of that kind of stuff and feel something rather than try to think about it. And I don't want anyone but you... I don't think I ever will." Claire paused and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. She didn't want to get mushy on him. Claire wasn't the mushy kind of girl and it made her cheeks flush. "I'm happy," she said simply, since that seemed to sum it all up.
Gabe hoped she'd always feel that way since he knew, without a doubt, she was all he'd ever want. It was weird, almost frightening, but undeniable. He had plenty of time to get used to it, and he was sure the fear part would fade with time. It certainly didn't bother him; Gabe just didn't think he'd come about finding a mate so easily. "I am too," he whispered, gently kissing her lips. Happy didn't quite cover it, but it would do. She knew the rest from the words they didn't say, but felt.
Claire slipped off of him to lay beside him, her arm slipping over his waist as she released a small sigh and pressed herself up against him. "I think I'm feeling too lazy right now to put on any pajamas." But she felt self conscious about sleeping naked. What if someone came by and opened the tent? "Are you going to sleep naked?" If he was, maybe she would. He had a great body, so she definitely didn't mind seeing it. Or snuggling up against it.
It hadn't even occurred to him to put on clothes, preferring to sleep naked at this stage of the game. "Yes," he grinned, his arm slipping around her as they made themselves comfortable. "I was kind of hoping you would too." He grabbed one of the blankets and pulled it over them, even if he wasn't really cold. It was just nice to have some cover. "Less to take off you in the morning if we want to do that again," he snickered, kissing her once more.
Blankets were okay. Blankets would at least cover her up if someone came by. She settled comfortably, a smile playing at her lips as she closed her eyes. "Good idea... because I think I'm going to want to do that to you again soon." Claire paused for a moment, her lips forming the words she really wanted to say, but still felt scared to voice out loud. Instead she pressed her lips against his skin. "You want to teach me to jet ski tomorrow?"
"Mmm... yes," Gabe said, smiling. "We can jet ski... and have sex in the water... and hike... and have sex in the forest..." He laughed. "You know now that you've let me, you're gonna have trouble keeping me away, right?" While teasing, it was also true. It had been a long time since he'd had sex and now that he'd found his mate he felt a bit like... like a newlywed. Like they should try every place in sight, so long as they didn't get caught.
Claire chuckled softly against his side and shook her head. "I've woken a beast," she murmured. Not that she minded. Having sex with Gabe anywhere and everywhere wasn't something she was about to turn down. "We can have sex anywhere you want." She didn't really think he was serious, but... you never knew. "You might have to borrow some of Charlotte's condoms," Claire teased, trying not to laugh too much.
Gabe laughed softly and shook his head. "Naw, gotta use those as water balloons," he said. Now he was even more thankful that he'd brought some of his own along. He supposed the chance had been there, in his mind, even if he hadn't thought they were ready for it. He knew they both wanted it; he just hadn't realized how much. "I can't think of anything better than waking up beside you," he said sleepily.
"Me either." She ran her hand over his chest, sighing as she closed her eyes again. She was tired, and she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was too. She yawned a bit and stretched before wrapping herself around him. "Night, Gabe."
"Night, Love," he whispered and kissed her on the forehead before letting himself start to drift towards sleep. He hadn't realized just how very tired he was until then and he passed out with ease. It didn't even occur to him that he'd forgotten his ear plugs, though the sounds of the forest and the beating of Claire's heart were soothing enough that he didn't really need them anyways.