Light of my Life (Claire)

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

The months of darkness had slowly begun to take their toll on Griffin. He had gotten used to it to some degree and wasn't nearly as short as he'd been, but he had a hard time adjusting his body chemistry. His wings continued to malt and he continued to grow weaker and weaker. There were days when he didn't want to leave the house or even get out of bed, but he did his best to be strong and do what needed to be done in order to set a good example for his new ward.

Life with Mason was like nothing Griffin had ever expected. He'd always wanted to be a father, and he embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly. Mason wanted for nothing and the two got on well. There were issues now and then with the lad getting acclimated and settling into his new life without his parents, but for the most part Griffin did his best to guide the boy and things seemed to be getting better every day. Things would be better still if the darkness hadn't lasted so very long.

It had taken several months but the dark clouds overhead were finally beginning to dissipate a little. Griffin felt more energized than he had in months, but his body was still weak with neglect from sunlight. The change in weather seemed to have a negative effect on Mason, though. Griffin could see he was getting stronger in all the ways he was, but it was a lot for his little body to handle and he wasn't feeling well lately. That was the worst of it all for the man; watching the already suffering boy suffer further. He was already behind in his studies and this only made it more difficult for him to get back on track. The best part, however, was Claire had for the first time since the darkness arrived, not shifted into her feline form at night while within the city's limits. It had been quite the breakthrough and he imagined that Therians across the city were rejoicing. Griffin gladly let her leave with Cheyenne when the blond arrived unannounced, assuming correctly her sister was over, and insisting the girl go out on the town with her simply because she could. Griffin was happy to let her go enjoy herself and though he was sad she didn't return, he was glad to have received his drunken phone call that she would be spending the night with her sister.

It had been a relatively quiet day at Griffin's home. Claire had returned back to work, but he had turned his job down in order to raise Mason since he was now, technically, a single parent and it wasn't as though he needed the wages he earned at the museum. He messaged her on an off during the day, chuckling at her little rants about his old supervisor or how she tripped in front of a group of high schoolers or how her heel broke and she knew it was because of Cheyenne and now had to walk around in her stockings. Griffin fell more in love with the girl with each passing day and he was glad she remained so patient with him over the last few months. During the day he often neglected her and in the evening he sometimes smothered her. It was difficult finding a balance between doting parent and loving partner, but he liked to think he did an okay job of it, at least part of the time. He could tell at times she was frustrated, but part of him wondered how much that was him and how much was her constant shifting. He knew it was having a toll on her, but with this current change in events he hoped things between them would only go up.

Griffin put Mason to bed early since the boy was still feeling ill. He hoped that along nights sleep and a day with some more sunlight might help him, but only time would tell. The boy was out before Claire came over after work. He'd been looking forward to seeing her all day since Cheyenne swept her away the night before. He wanted the opportunity to sleep beside his girlfriend while she was in human form, something he'd never done. Not the whole night, anyway. She always woke up beside him as the Claire he knew, but to hold her and cuddle sounded too wonderful to pass up. Part of him wanted to take her to the bedroom as soon as she got home! But they would need supper first, something he was steadily cooking.

Finally he heard come in and his heart fluttered with excitement, his wings bristling trapped in their cloth cage. "Hey." He greeted pleasantly as she came in, holding his hands up and away from her so as not to touch her with them as he leaned in to peck her cheek. He still had flour on them from cooking and didn't want to get her messy. "Dinner will be done soon, come keep me company." He pleaded as he turned and headed back into the kitchen, the smell of spices, peanuts and coconut strong in the air and the sound of something sizzling in the pan on the stove. "I'm making pad thai with tofu." He explained, grinning over his shoulder as he went to the sink to rinse his hands clean. "How was work? There's a Riesling chilling in the fridge if you'd like some." He nodded to the fridge as if she somehow didn't know where it might be. "Did you get your heel fixed?"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Behind every dark cloud there is light waiting to shine through. That's exactly what was starting to happen to the city of Scriptor Bay and for Claire herself. They'd lived shrouded in darkness and trapped under the weight of what they were for so long that it was bound to be lifted eventually. If it wasn't then Claire didn't know what she was going to do with herself. Things had been going great with Griffin, they were a bona fide couple, struggling through all the typical problems that couples had but happy nonetheless. There was Mason who was the sweetest little boy Claire had ever met. He had his troubles just like the rest of them but it was nothing too extreme. For someone who lost both of his parents she was surprised he wasn't really troubled.

When the glint of light peeked through the clouds Claire found her spirits lifted. Not only did the darkness seem to be lifting but so did her curse as well! That night while getting ready to shift like she typically did these days, the time of her shift came and went and she remained on two feet with a lack of spots and fur. It was a shock and a relief! And when Cheyenne came barging in it was definitely something to celebrate.

Although Claire wanted Griffin to go out with her and her sister, she knew that Chey wanted to spend time alone and Griffin had to stay with Mason. And if Claire was being perfectly honest, she wanted to spend some time alone with her sister. Naturally they went out partying, drinking into the early hours of the morning and Claire made sure that when they got back to Chey's place that she called Griffin to let him know that they got home safely. She couldn't remember everything that she said on the phone. She was pretty sure she fell asleep before she even hung up, actually.

The next day she borrowed some of Cheyenne's clothes and headed into work. That's when things really went back to normal. She broke a heel, causing her to limp around all retarded until she finally just took the shoes off entirely, a kid spit on her and she managed to stumble over her own clumsy feet in front of a group of teens on a field trip who weren't subtle in how humorous they found her blunder. It was a sucky day but she loved every single minute of it.

It had become such a habit to go straight to Griffin's place whenever she was out that it didn't even need to be asked whether she would be over or not anymore. At this point she had a toothbrush at both hers and Griffin's place along with enough clothes to last a full week.

As she walked through the door she was greeted with a mouth watering scent that she knew to be Griffin's cooking. Her senses were still heightened but she could definitely tell they were growing weaker and she wasn't going to complain. It was such a pain smelling and hearing everything all the time!

"Hey." She heard Griffin as she dropped her purse down on the arm of the couch, moving past it to Griffin with a light hug, her arms careful not to knock against his harness too much. She could see his hands were dirty and quickly backed away so she wouldn't cause him to get the flour everywhere. "Dinner will be done soon, come keep my company." "Whatever is cooking smells good," Claire said and wasn't far behind following after him straight into the kitchen. "I'm making pad thai with tofu." Well that explained what was for dinner. She didn't say anything right away, growing silent and still, listening for any other noises in the apartment but it seemed there was no little one making a peep. Was Mason in bed already?

"How was work? There's a Riesling chilling in the fridge if you'd like some." It was like he read her mind. "I would love some," she made her 'yum' face which was really quirky looking but it was a bad habit she couldn't break, and went straight for the fridge. "Did you get your heel fixed?" She'd been texting him through the day so he got all the major updates from her. "Work was work. You know how it gets when there's a field trip there. Frank hides in his office while Estella forgets" She made little quotations around the word forgets with her fingers, "how to answer the phones and if an exhibit is going up nobody can really move anything because they're too afraid something will break. It was your typical run of the mill days." She pulled the bottle of wine out of the fridge and gave him a big smile that dripped with sarcasm. He'd worked at the museum with her before so he knew all about what a typical day at the museum was like.

"My shoes are pretty much shot. But I had a pair of flats stashed under the reception desk just in case. I mean you know how accident prone I am, I have to have a back up pair just in case. Though I know it's Chey's fault. She wore those shoes last night and she tried to climb up onto the bar it was nuts." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. It was one of those special nights where Chey was able to get Claire to drink without much effort. It would never happen again.

She set the wine down on the counter and reached into one of the cupboards for two wine glasses, putting them on either sides of the bottle and getting ready to work on uncorking it. "It wasn't too bad of a day though. It was nice to go to work and not feel anxious about getting home and having such a small window of time before changing, you know? I mean I guess I could still change but I don't feel like I'm going to change. Which is good, right?" With her dulling senses and lack of shifting her awkward manners and rambling antics were too coming back. She was going to lose her gracefulness but it was a price she was willing to pay to be able to sleep through the night in a pair of pajamas and not worry about clawing Griffin to shreds.

With a deep sigh she stopped fidgeting with the corked bottle and walked up behind Griffin, wrapping her arms around his waist and flattening her palms against his firm stomach. She loved the way he felt, how cool he felt and his scent. She knew she'd sound like a total creeper if she told him that she liked the way he smelled, so she kept that little tidbit to herself. "I missed you today though. And last night. It was weird sleeping without you around." She'd gotten so used to sleeping near Griffin, practically staying there with him every night. "And Chey snores, I could hear her all the way from the couch." She grumbled before mashing her face into the back of Griffin's shoulder to give him a smooshed kiss.

"Where's Mason? It seems quieter than usual.."

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

"Work was work. You know how it gets when there's a field trip there. Frank hides in his office while Estella 'forgets' how to answer the phones and if an exhibit is going up nobody can really move anything because they're too afraid something will break. It was your typical run of the mill days." Griffin chuckled, his hands now clean as he worked on finishing the supper he was preparing for them. He drained the soba noodles in the sink and rinsed them clean as Claire went on about her backup shoes and how the one's she'd worn that morning had likely broken because of her sister. He had to chuckle, knowing his girlfriend too well, and her rowdy older sister for that matter. Griffin had become more accustomed to the girl and her antics over the last few months, but she was hoping the natural blond would calm down now that the darkness was dissipating.

Griffin was just pouring the noodles into the serving dish when Claire placed the wine on the counter. "It wasn't too bad of a day though. It was nice to go to work and not feel anxious about getting home and having such a small window of time before changing, you know? I mean I guess I could still change but I don't feel like I'm going to change. Which is good, right?" He couldn't stop the smile from spreading over his lips. The last couple of months had Claire acting a little less awkward. Sure, she was still her silly self, but when the shift was approaching she always seemed to ramble less. He could actually tell the difference in her personality now that things were getting back to normal, and she was slowly turning back into the woman he had originally fallen in love with. "Anything's possible I suppose, but it was lighter today than yesterday and it's only a half moon." He explained as he poured the sauce over the noodles, stirring it gently so as not to mash the soft noodles too much. He suddenly felt thin arms wrapping around him, making him stop what he was doing.

Griffin had always been comfortable with the touch of others. Sure, he didn't often have it, but he was quick to hug friends and family and enjoyed the sensation of being touched by another person. With Claire, it seemed almost different. Her touch was different. He felt it inside, in his heart, and he wondered how he had ever survived before she came into his life. She completed him in a strange, cosmic way he couldn't describe and made him want to feel her in ways he didn't completely understand. Griffin turned his head slightly to the side as if to try and get closer to her as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder, one hand coming up to rest upon her arm. "I missed you today though. And last night. It was weird sleeping without you around." His eyes shut at her sweet words, knowing what she meant since he'd felt exactly the same. "And Chey snores, I could hear her all the way from the couch." He laughed softly, his hand finding hers and giving it a light squeeze. "I missed you too." He offered softly, an almost playful smile on his face, hoping he didn't snore.

"Where's Mason? It seems quieter than usual.." Griffin put the spoon down and turned his body so he was facing her, keeping her arms around him and wrapping his own around her small frame. He had finally gotten used to the blond locks on her head, and though he preferred the red he still thought the blond looked nice on her. She could do anything and he would still think she was the most beautiful woman in the world. "He's still not feeling well. I think the changes are making him a little sick. He has a little bit of a cough, too. I think he just needs a couple days to shake it all off, he'll be fine." Griffin explained leaning his face down to nuzzle his nose against hers, his forehead pressing against hers as well. "I hope you're hungry. It's a little spicy." He warned, pecking her lips before pulling away. "The tables set already. Why don't you grab the wine?" He suggested as he moved away from her, bringing the bowl of pasta along with the plate of tofu.

Griffin served the both of them, opening up the bottle of wine when he was finished and pouring them each a tall glass. "Looks like it's just us tonight." He bit his bottom lip, looking almost bashful as he stared down at his supper. "It's our first night together. I mean as people.. all night." His eyes met hers and he still looked a little shy. "I thought maybe we could watch a movie or something in bed, relax.. we can do anything since you're not turning tonight. I've been looking forward to that.. falling asleep with you as you in my arms. I know that's a little silly, but I'm very excited. I was so jealous when Chey whisked you away last night." He realized he was probably sounding clingy and shook his head, "I'm glad you went, though! You needed to spend time with her, and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." His smile was warm, "But I'm also glad to have my turn. You're a popular woman, Claire McLeester." He teased, sipping his wine before putting some noodles on his fork.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Although she already figured, it was nice to hear Griffin say that he missed her as well. Their relationship was nice and open. Well, as open as it could be for now. Between Claire's antics and anxiousness when it came to talking about certain things like... well... everything, and Griffin's innocence there were certain things that never came up in conversation. Like exes. That wasn't something they spoke about and she assumed that was because Griffin didn't really have any exes. Not that she did either except for maybe two or three so it would have been a very short topic. They didn't fight either. When Claire was upset she would rant and rave while Griffin listened patiently, and if he was frustrated over something then she'd return the favor followed by a warm hug. It was nice and it was safe. Just what Claire needed in her life.

Finding out Mason was likely getting sick made the Therian's lips curve down slightly into a mild frown. Poor kid had been through so much.. she tried her best to make him smile whenever she could but sometimes that was a full time job in itself. She never had to cope with the death of a parent but she did know the loss he was experiencing. That kind of emptiness took time to get used to and she didn't want to end up damaging the poor kid by trying to hurry him along.

"The tables set already. Why don't you grab the wine?" After the quick kiss she grinned, slipping her hands away but running her fingers along his sides first playfully. "I'm starving and it smells delicious." Turning she picked up the wine bottle in one hand and scooped up the glasses by the stems between her fingers on her other hand. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," the phrase always sounded funny to her but in her case she wondered if she really could eat a horse on a full moon.

It didn't take long for the pair of them to get settled in at the table, Griffin being the gentleman he always was getting a plate ready for her along with a glass of wine to wash it down with. "Looks like it's just us tonight." What? Mason was just in the other room.. "It's our first night together. I mean as people.. all night." She hadn't even realized that. Since they started dating she'd been sleeping over at his place more and more frequently, sharing a bed and waking up next to him each morning. But she'd also been a four legged wild cat, making this the first night that they would actually get some sleep together as two normal people, minus the wings of course. "Yeah you're right it is.." Claire raised a brow at her boyfriend across the table, taking notice that he seemed a little less confident, almost like he was nervous. Did he not want her to stay over? No, that couldn't be it. He missed her and he sounded excited about it. So why did he look so bashful?

"I thought maybe we could watch a movie or something in bed, relax.. we can do anything since you're not turning tonight. I've been looking forward to that.. falling asleep with you as you in my arms. I know that's a little silly, but I'm very excited. I was so jealous when Chey whisked you away last night." Now it was Claire's turn to shy away, her eyes moving down to focus on a piece of tofu on her plate before glancing back up to him. "I'm glad you went, though! You needed to spend time with her, and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." It was sweet for him to say he was glad she went out with her sister, almost like he thought she would take upset or angry with him saying that Chey 'whisked' her away the night before. He'd never tried to prevent her from going out intentionally and that was good enough for her, he didn't have to try and explain that he was pleased with her choices. "But I'm also glad to have my turn. You're a popular woman, Claire McLeester."

"I'm glad it's your turn too. And a movie sounds super. There's still some popcorn left, right? In the pantry?" Her brows knitted and she nodded her head slowly up and down a few times as if needing confirmation from him. "We can make a bowl of popcorn and throw in a movie and hopefully watch it too." There was nothing that sounded better than a movie in bed. And if she didn't shift then they could curl up together, eat popcorn and really relax. She picked up her wine glass and tipped it in the air slightly in Griffin's direction like she had a toast prepared. "I'll drink to that," she said with a laugh before taking a short sip and setting the glass back down. "And although I had fun with Chey I would have liked to just stay inside last night. But better late than never, right?"

Almost as if on cue the girl's stomach began to growl, her hand moving to cover her stomach and pressing gently against it almost like she expected it to help make the funny noises stop. It was enough to get her to pick up her fork and start into her food. "I bet this is just as good as it smells," she said before taking the first bite.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

"I'm glad it's your turn too. And a movie sounds super. There's still some popcorn left, right? In the pantry?" Griffin felt excited and anxious for some reason. Why would he feel like that. Slowly he nodded, thinking popcorn sounded like a fine idea and confirming that they did, in fact, still have some. Popcorn was one of his favorite snacks, and he liked putting different toppings on it with Mason. There was something nice about having the boy around; he made things more fun, but definitely more difficult. "We can make a bowl of popcorn and throw in a movie and hopefully watch it too." Why wouldn't they watch the movie if they were putting it on? He supposed they would probably end up talking or goofing around, maybe kiss a little. He'd never been able to kiss her before bed before.

Claire lifted her glass to him and tipped it as if to offer a toast, and he did the same. "I'll drink to that," she said with a laugh before taking a short sip and setting the glass back down. Griffin followed suit, mimicking her. "As will I." Griffin was content with the relationship he had developed with the girl, and felt strongly that tonight there was a reason to drink, a reason to celebrate. Soon he would have loads of energy and would be able to fly once more, and Claire would be able to spend the night without shifting. "And although I had fun with Chey I would have liked to just stay inside last night. But better late than never, right?" He wondered if she meant that completely or if she was saying it to make him feel better about being alone last night. "It's good for you to go out now and then. You should enjoy this time in your life." He reminded, showing his age a little. Just then Claire slid her hand over her stomach and Griffin was about to ask if she was okay when he realized it was because she was just hungry! "I bet this is just as good as it smells," she said as she took her first bite and Griffin couldn't help the smile on his face. "I hope so!" He waited for her approving reaction before taking a bite himself, pleasantly surprised with how it came out. He would need to make sure to put a plate away for Claire to take to work and for Mason to try at lunch tomorrow.

Dinner was spent enjoying each other company and chit chatting. Griffin genuinely enjoyed Claire's rants and was amused with the things she said concerning work. Her facial expressions only added to his amusement. After dinner was done Claire helped Griffin clean up and after the dishes were cleaned and set in the dishwasher the pair headed back towards Griffin's room, careful to keep quiet so as not to disturb the slumbering child as they went. Once there Griffin went ahead and pulled his sweater off over his head and sat down on the bed in his t-shirt and jeans. Normally by this time Claire would be starting to get ready for her shift and they would rush to finish their conversations, but tonight seemed relaxed, knowing that no shift loomed overhead. This was how it was supposed to be. "Should we put our pajamas on now?" He asked, almost unsure what to do with the woman now that he had more than thirty minutes with her. They could do anything! "It seems so early still." The clock read 6:26 and he pursed his lips. "We could play a game if you'd like? Or we could watch that movie now." They watched plenty of television and movies over the last few months at night since there wasn't much else to do when your companion was an over sized house cat. Sometimes he would read to her and other times they would call it an early night out of sheer boredom. His eyes were on hers but he was still taken aback by her beauty. Looks weren't necessarily that important to Griffin when it came to a partner, but he was certainly glad that Claire was the whole package. There was adoration in his eyes as he looked up at her, a tiny hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "There's Scrabble or Boggle or.. there's that Wii I got Mason? I don't really know how to play any of the games." He laughed and shrugged, figuring Claire might if she wanted to play. "Anything you want.. it's your first night a free woman again!"