Claire jumps as a knock echoes from outside her bedroom's window. Her laptop slams shut and she jerks the covers off her legs in a hurry, her fingers hooking under the window and lifting it up.

"It's a bit late, don't you think, Romeo?" Claire teases. Jim laughs and makes a hand motion for her to move back. "It's never too late for a visit, m'lady." He responds. Claire backs up out of his way and he slips into her room silently, an act he's mastered after countless times of showing up outside her window.

His foot slips on the edge of her window seat when he puts pressure on it and he yelps, a loud thump following him crashing to the floor.

So, maybe not so silently.

"Sshh!" Claire shushes him, a hand over her mouth to try and stop her laughter. "My parents are sleeping." Jim laughs and sits up to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Heh, sorry. Guess there's a first time for everything, huh?" He says. Claire rolls her eyes and leans down to kiss his nose.

"Get off the floor, you dork."

"Oh... yeah."

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Jim sighs peacefully from his position on the couch, a soft pillow under his head and his feet stretched to the other side. Steve had been particularly hard on him today at school, and then afterwards he trained in Trollmarket.

To say he was exhausted was an understatement, both emotionally and physically.

His eyes closed and he leaned his forehead against the cushion of the couch, relishing in the quiet of his home- until the door opens. If he wasn't so tired, he'd look up to see who it was, but there were only a few people who would walk in without knocking, so he didn't find staying in his comfortable position on the couch to be harmful.

The door closes and footsteps stop on the end of the couch. Jim cracks open one of his eyes before blinking in surprise at seeing Claire standing near the couch. "Claire?" He calls, but she doesn't answer. Her face is pinched in concern and annoyance. She shakes her head before nearly diving into his arms. He lets out an, "Oomph-" at the impact but wraps his arms around her and pulls her tighter against his chest. "Are you okay?" He asks.

"I am now." She responds simply. Jim rolls his eyes and rests his head on her hair, the brown strands tickling his nose. Claire pushes her face into his neck and they stay there, taking comfort in each other's warmth and presence. Eventually Jim feels himself drifting back to sleep, like he had originally planned before Claire showed up. "We're talking about this... later." He whispers. "Okay..." Claire responds and her breathing quickly evens out in sleep, Jim following shortly after.

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Claire laughs and puts her hands on Jim's chest to push him away but he stands his ground, his hands cupping her cheeks. "Stop!" She cries, but he only gives her a lopsided grin. "Aw, where's the fun in that?" He teases. She pouts and bats her eyelashes in fake sadness and Jim tuts at her.

"You know that's not going to work on me, Juliet." He says. Claire rolls her eyes. "It was worth a try." She admits. A lock of brown hair falls in front of her face and she moves to blow it away but Jim's hand stops her. He carefully grabs the hair between his fingers and places it neatly behind her ear before his hand traces down to rub her cheek. "I love you." He says, his blue eyes shining.

Claire places her hand on his and smiles. "I love you too." He leans forward to kiss her nose, then her cheek, then her forehead- "Jim, stop! Not this again!" She starts laughing as she had before, her hand returning to push against his chest but Jim places his hand on hers and pulls it away, their fingers intertwining as he finally kisses her on the lips.

"Sorry," He says, but the grin on his face says otherwise. "I just love all of you too much." Claire smirks. "What? And I don't love all of you?" She counters. Jim opens and closes his mouth before he laughs, his cheeks growing red. Claire releases his hands and cups his face.

"My turn."

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Jim takes a deep breath outside Claire's door, his hand hovering over the polished wood. He shouldn't be doing this, but he feels like he's going to suffocate from nervousness and excitement. If he doesn't, he'll probably faint at any moment. Claire's better at handling things like this than he is— she always has been.

He pushes the door open and Claire yells in surprise, turning around and jumping at Jim to shield his eyes. "No, Jim! What are you doing in here? It's bad luck!" She cries. Jim laughs and kicks the door closed with his foot before prying Claire's hands away. "Wow..." He gasps.

Claire blushes and takes a few steps back, her hands pushing imaginary strands of hair out of her face. Her hair is done up in a bun- white flowers stuck in her hair like a halo. She's wearing a silky white dress, the fabric just barely brushing the ground and reflecting the light spilling from the open window.

Jim's blue eyes find her brown ones and they're shimmering with tears. Claire blinks away some of her own and laughs lightly. "Don't- don't give my that puppy dog look, " She says. "You're still not supposed to be in here." Jim opens his mouth but no sound comes out. Instead his face splits with the happiest smile she's ever seen and he rushes forward to grab her around the waist and spin her in circles, her arms wrapping around his neck.

He sets her down and nuzzles her hair. "You're so beautiful." He sighs. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" Claire smiles and rests her head on his chest- listening to the sound of his heartbeat, something she's clung to for years. It's strong and healthy now, the beat steady underneath her ear, but she'll never forget the times it hadn't been.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Claire repeats, adding emphasis on the word, 'you'. Her arms tighten around his neck and she sighs happily.

"I love you, Jim Lake Jr."

"And I love you, Claire Nuñez. My wife."

"Not yet-"

"Oh, we've only got a half an hour to go, I think I can start calling you my wife."

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