Work Text:
It was a rather rare occasion when Jim and Claire truly got a moment for themselves that didn’t involve chasing down a rogue troll or avoiding detention. But here they were, both at the site of their first dance, on borrowed time thanks to Toby, who agreed to cover for them for a few hours while they snuck away into the woods. Jim took a deep breath as they watched the evening sky fade into tones of purple and pink as the sun began to set.
“Man, do I have a whole new appreciation for the sun now. I missed this,” he sighed.
Claire took his hand and hummed in amusement. “And I missed this. I missed you.” She turned to face him and their eyes met, and Jim smiled. One hand slipped out of hers and around the middle of her back. He gently pulled her closer and their foreheads met. Jim’s gaze fell to Claire’s soft, pink lips and he leaned in, eyes closing. She followed his trance...until an idea struck her. She put a finger to his lips.
Jim’s eyes fluttered open, confused for a second when Claire giggled and whispered, “I...actually have a better place in mind...for this.” She hoped he wouldn’t see her flushed cheeks in the setting sun’s warm glow on their skin.
The young trollhunter blinked and failed to notice his own face reddening as he stuttered out a response. “Oh-oh, y-you do?” Jim chuckled and cleared his throat. “Well, um, lead the way.”
Claire’s face lit up and she practically dragged him as they ran to a part of the woods that Darcy told her about the night before. A tree that many young couples have frequented to confess their feelings or make out away from their peers.
Jim nearly bumped into her when she slowed to a stop after spotting it a few feet away. “We’re here,” Claire breathed.
“Uhhh...you brought me to a tree.”
Claire rolled her eyes. “It’s not just any old tree, silly. Look here.” She brought him closer to the trunk and he noticed the carvings of several initials in its bark, some with crudely drawn hearts around them. He recognized Toby and Darcy’s and tucked a mental note away to bring it up to his best friend later. Claire’s voice broke his train of thought.
“I thought we could add ours to to it.” She smiled sheepishly and looked up at him. “Y’know make it official.”
Jim smiled and took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “Funny, it sort of feels like it already is.” He immediately backpedaled. “Not-not that I don’t want to, it’s just—oh, what am I saying,” Jim groaned with his hands over his eyes.
Claire laughed and lowered her boyfriend’s hands to kiss his cheek . “I know, you dork. I just thought we could...make some memories here.” She bit her lip. Jim smiled, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. He held her cheek.
“We can definitely do that.”
Claire’s eyes shone with warmth and something deeper, stronger, that was growing in her heart. Before she could place it, Jim pulled the amulet from his pocket and said “For the glory of Merlin, daylight is mine to command.”
His armor appeared in a swift, blue flash and the sword materialized in his grip. He raised the tip of the blade to a bare spot on the wood and etched ‘JLJ + CN’ into it. A smaller hand rested over his own, and their eyes met. In silent understanding, together, they somewhat in-sync traced a heart around their names
Jim released his armor and put back the amulet. Claire touched the surface of their work. She turned to her boyfriend and snaked her arms past his shoulders to bring him closer and play with the hair at the base of his neck. Jim’s ears grew hot as he tensed up. Her face was inches from his when she spoke softly, her warm breath on his lips.
“Shall we get back to...why everyone calls this...the kissing tree?”
And then he understood. Not from any explanation, but because her lips were on his a second later. First gentle and sweet, then slowly escalating into passionate and a little desperate as the sky dimmed overhead and stars appeared between the clouds.
Both missed several calls from Toby who had run out of excuses for their absence.