CHAPTER UPDATE! Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is having a wonderful festive season! This is my Ch

CHAPTER UPDATE! Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is having a wonderful festive season! This is my Christmas gift to you all, hahah! Thank you for all the kind comments I received on the last chapter since I was so out of touch with writing for a long while, it was really lovely to receive those lovely messages! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it!CHAPTER TEN | DINNER DATEARCHIVE OF OUR OWNFANFICTIONCHAPTER SUMMARY:Jamie takes Claire out for the night and gets an answer to one very important question.PAIRING: Claire x Jamie.RATING: Mature.WORD COUNT: 4043.Chapter 10DINNER DATE Claire’s eyes flashed open and within seconds she felt embarrassment flush through her. Last night had been a heavy one, in fact she couldn’t remember half of it apart from blurs and distorted memories.“Oh no…” She whined, curling up in the bed with shame as she thought of Jamie. She could vaguely remember him carrying her, and her giving him a mouthful over it. It had been so long since she had a proper drink that last night she seemed to take the celebrations too far.Sitting up in the bed she realised she was still tangled in yesterday’s dress, which made it all the worse. She stood up quickly to feel the thump of her head aching as nausea floated to the back of her throat. This, she realised, was a hangover.Claire moved to grab her silk pink dressing gown from the dressing table stool, catching a glimpse of her bushy curls that seemed to be even more messy than usual. The sight only made her want to drop beneath the bed covers more and never resurface. But sitting wallowing up here wasn’t going to repair anything. Instead, she made her way downstairs to find Jamie, that was if he was still there and she hadn’t chased him off.Jamie was sitting on the sofa flicking through another of her books, this time it was an old favourite of hers, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. At the sound of Claire, Jamie slammed the book shut immediately, though Claire couldn’t deny she was delighted to see she hadn’t scared him away.Jamie glanced up at her. Her face wore the dumbfound expression of a tired toddler, mouth ajar and eyes heavy from drinking the night before. Her hair stood on end, her curls fuzzed out around her face, resembling a lion’s mane. She clutched at her pink robe, trying to hide last night’s clothes underneath. In truth, she looked a sight, but Jamie still thought her the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.“I’m so sorry.” Was all Claire could muster, feeling the shame and guilt rush through her, she didn’t know whether tears would begin streaming from her eyes or if she’d begin wailing. Thankfully, she did neither.“For what sassenach?” Jamie replied with a smirk, but Claire strode past him, her silk robe sweeping him as she walked to the kitchen.“Was I horrible?” She said, though not looking at Jamie. Instead her hands were searching for the kettle, as she filled it with water. Jamie seen this as a distraction, to stop herself facing the embarrassment that was so obviously eating her up.“Oh I was… wasn’t I?” She seemed to groan with shame as she set the kettle on the stove to heat, after she’d lit the stove with a match.“What’re ye talking about, ye didna murder anybody sassenach!” Jamie said with a laugh, waving his hand as he dismissed her sudden embarrassment. Clearly her memory had returned and she was feeling all the worse for it.“You’re being too nice! If I was a horrible, nasty, wicked old nuisance, I wish you’d just say!”Jamie placed a hand on her lips as she turned to him to quieten her. “Enough Claire.” He said gently, knowing she was giving herself too hard a time over being drunk.“If I or my clan gave ourselves this scolding every time we roused from the spirits, we’d never get anything done!” He remarked. He and many others he knew, had done far worse when drunk, there was no need for her to be torturing herself like this.“You know anything I said- I didn’t mean it. I was stupid with drink, and I’m not used to whisky-”“Enough.” Jamie said finally, though there was no sternness in his tone. “We’ll say no more about it, and I think no less of ye for it.” He concluded, allowing her to go and continue making them both coffee, if anything she definitely needed it right now.“Good… I’d like that.” Claire breathed, brushing herself over as she fiddled in the drawer for a spoon. If he was willing to let it go, she was more than happy to.“Unless of course you’d rather talk about how you danced on top of a table… And sang your heart out with some old gentleman.” Jamie remarked, with a smirk dancing on his lips, intent to play with her a little.Claire’s eyes held both shame and regret that he would even think to discuss this. Inside she was punching herself for making such a fool of herself.“Or the fact ye intended on hand wrestling the barman if he didna serve ye another drink, not to mention what you’d intended to do to me if I wouldna let you drink it-”“Shut. Up.” Claire concluded, making to stand on Jamie’s foot long and hard, so he winced before she let go and he laughed, but Claire didn’t share it.“All right, all right sassenach, I’ve had my fun!” Jamie laughed again, returning to the living room. Claire followed, setting down his coffee before sitting in the sofa, cradling her own in her hands before taking a generous sip.“Jesus H. Rossevelt Christ that’s good.” She muttered to herself. Jamie stood by the fireplace, resting a hand on the mantle as he stared at her, making her uncomfortable.“I was thinking…” Jamie said with thoughtfulness. “I was thinking I should treat ye to something nice. But I’m no gonna tell you what it is.” He looked at her then, with a mysterious twinkle in his eye and a daring smirk on his lips.“What? The only thing I need treating is this headache.” Claire said, reminding herself to place a wet cloth on her head to ease her pain as soon as she’d finished her coffee.“Just you make sure you wear something nice… I’ll be back later.” Jamie said at once before he strode from the living room and left through the front door.Claire was dreary eyed and sleepy still, she glanced up to stop him but he was already gone.“Wait- where are you going?” She stood up to see him leave out her front gate through the window. “You’re coffee…” Her eyes found the cup on the side table where she’d left it. Not so much as a sip stolen from it’s contents.Claire sat back down again, with no energy to annoy herself over what Jamie was up to, she was too busy suffering from the night before. Claire’s eyes flashed open and she felt her jaw ache from the position she was laying in. Peeling herself off the cushion her head was balancing on, stretching her arms in the air with a moan.Evidently, she had fallen asleep. Her eyes flashed to the clock on the mantle to discover it was past five and Jamie was still nowhere in sight. Claire only hoped he hadn’t ventured too far and got lost. Nevertheless, she decided to shake it from her mind for now, her mind was now set on taking a bath.Claire filled the kettles and some pots, allowing for them to boil as she went to fetch the tin bath from the small walled yard out in the rear of the house.Struggling with taking it inside, she eventually got it placed in the living room, in front of the fire which was usually lit. But for early May this was unnecessary. The coolness of Spring was vanishing, replaced by the sweltering heat of early Summer.Drawing the curtains, Claire filled her bath with hot steaming water and added some of her soap flakes to make the water turn a cloudy white. It would be great not to have to be rationed on her soap and shampoo and everything else for that matter, now that the war was over.Stepping in, the heat flushed her skin a bright red but she welcomed it. Laying back she felt the hot water melt away all her aches and pains. Her body gave into the delightful comfort of the bath, and within moments the heat made her lethargic and sleepy, but it was a warm feeling of contentment, one she hadn’t felt in so long.Claire washed away the mangled dread of last night, shampooing her mane of curls so now she resembled a wet shepherd dog who’d escaped out into the rain. She felt clean and warm and happy, the sleep had helped her head and the sickness that threatened to escape through her mouth. She finally felt all right again.Laying her head back and closing her eyes, Claire didn’t hear the front door opening, nor the living room door for that matter. She was abruptly brought back to reality by the deep notes of a panicked Scotsman.Her eyes flashed open and she jumped to find Jamie staring at her, hand on the door knob. His face flushed a deep red as his eyes darted everywhere, but thoroughly unable to ignore the obvious.Claire’s face too went a deep scarlet and she flailed about in the water, trying to find something - anything- to shield her modesty.“Get out!” She shouted with loud, staggered embarrassment, and Jamie thankfully caught himself and vanished through a slamming door.Claire jumped from the bath, soaking and wrapped a waiting towel about her body. Shock fading from her fast. Her wet form sat down on the sofa and she brought a hand to her mouth to muffle the contagious laughing that escaped, unable to believe what had just happened.Drying herself, very quickly and without care, she slipped on her silk night gown, before she sheepishly opened the living room door to find Jamie stood there. The two said little as they awkwardly passed each other, Claire glad to escape upstairs and settle on her bed, to laugh some more. But this time she didn’t bother muffling it, she laughed loud and merrily.An embarrassed Jamie heard her from downstairs, and her laughing made him feel less uneasy about seeing her that way, and he smiled, shaking his head at the foolishness of it all. Claire’s curls seemed to dry fast in the warm May heat. Her hair stuck out with a little frizz, but otherwise loose, easy curls. She fixed the front of it away from her face with clips. Jamie had said to wear something nice, but during the war almost all of her lovely outfits where distributed to the war effort. There was one, fitted pencil dress she had kept back though, for some rare occasion. Mostly when Frank had returned and they would resume their life together and indulge in life’s luxuries as they once had. She felt a cold pang in her heart when she thought of him, a man she had all these hopes and dreams with, and how easily she had cast them all aside for a stranger.Roused from thought, Claire stored those guilt ridden concerns to the back of her mind and put on the deep red dress. It fit her form perfectly and ended just below her knee. Her neck was bare, but around it she wore a delicate gold chain, while her face had a light dusting of make up and a deep red lipstick to match her outfit.Leaving the bedroom, Claire almost felt nervous. It had been a very long time since she had been out of blood stained work clothes, and when she did get the opportunity, she was hidden away in bulky jumpers and frumpy skirts. But tonight she was herself again, and in truth she felt embarrassed and bare. Deep down she recognised these feelings as being in love again, those first pangs in your heart that made you feel nauseous and on edge, but it was a welcomed feeling of daring excitement for what was to come.She had found Jamie where she had left him. He was standing in the living room, waiting for her. Her wore a pair of cream trousers, dressed with a white shirt that had two buttons undone at the top so just the flickers of his red chest hair could be seen. He also wore a deep blue jacket that seemed to make his eyes shimmer and seem even more blue than they had before. His red curls were slicked back only slightly, so that one broke free and waved on his forehead. The sun shone through the window and danced on his jaw where the inklings of a red stubble was returning. He was a vision and Claire could feel her breath stop when she could appreciate just how beautiful he really was.But Jamie seemed to feel the same way about her. His eyes traveled from her black heels, up her bare legs and over the curves of her hips and bosom, up her long delicate neck to rest on her sweet, soft face, where two golden eyes stared at him with a shy exuberance.“You look… beautiful.” Jamie said with a staggered pause, the words that had filled his head a moment ago, vanishing, leaving him speechless.“You don’t look too back yourself.” Claire replied with a delicate smile dancing on the corners of her lips. She entered the living room, eager to know their destination.“Where are you taking me?” Claire asked.“You’ll see.” And Jamie took her by the hand and led her from the house, and the two walked in the warming dusk of a Summer’s evening.***Claire recognised the place he was going immediately. They had entered the Royal Mile, a place famous in Edinburgh for it’s rich history and old winding streets with gruesome tales. It was flocked with tourists usually, but things had been progressively slow since the war.Jamie took her inside a little restaurant called The Royal Mile Inn. The minute they entered Claire was hit with an old musty smell of beer and age. It was a charming little place with booths, backed with green leather seats. The walls where covered in mirrors and old advertisements for whiskies and ales. Claire could see why Jamie found charm in the place. It wasn’t unlike something found in the eighteenth century, apart from the modern amenities.“I canna understand this.” Jamie said as he glared down at the menu, after they had been seated.“What?” Claire asked, eyes glancing up to see his confusion.“Where I’m from, an Inn would just serve ye broth or a stew. How on earth do they have all these things to choose from?” Jamie was like a dumbfounded child.Claire laughed, understanding that while they did have establishments such as these in the eighteenth century, an inn was seen as more of a board house, where one stayed over night and the menu was very slim in comparison to this.“Just order something.” She said, deciding that some things where better left unsaid. She didn’t have the energy to begin explaining menus to him right now.Jamie had a large slab of steak served with chips, while Claire had opted for some grilled chicken and potatoes.“I don’t believe it, sassenach- and fried ye say?” Jamie was twisting a chip around on the end of his fork, unable to believe that it was just a cut and fried potato.“Yes, you can do quite a lot with a potato.” Claire replied, humoured that something so simple could get him so excited.“It’s crunchy… I quite like it…” He said as he shoved three more into his mouth, eyes alight with how delicious they tasted. Claire laughed again, wondering what other customers would think of Jamie, bemused by the twentieth century.Dinner had come and gone. Jamie had demanded a large slice of chocolate cake for dessert while Claire settled on some apple pie. When they had finished, the bill had come to be paid for. Claire asked graciously for it to be brought down, before digging in her purse to retrieve some money.“What’re ye doing, sassenach?” Jamie asked with alarm.“Paying.” Claire said, seeing Jamie’s concern. “Look, I know you don’t…” She felt the need to lean in and whisper. “I know you don’t have any… legitimate money. I don’t mind.”“But I took you out, to treat you.” Jamie said, digging his hand into the inside breast pocket of his jacket to pull out a large wad of money, to Claire’s amazement.“Where did you get that?” Claire seemed to hiss, her stomach churning fearful of what he’d had to do to get such a large sum“I ken what a pawn shop is Sassenach…” Jamie said, counting through the dozens of notes. “I went in and sold my dirk.”“You did what?” Claire said with astonishment.“Aye, the man said it was a verra rare artifact…” Jamie’s eyes flickered up to Claire with a smirk on his face and she smiled back, but it was more sincere.“Thank you.” Claire said, placing a hand on his, moved by his kind gesture. “I’ve always wanted to see Edinburgh.” Jamie said as he walked hand in hand up the Royal Mile with Claire. “Who’d have thought I wouldna have seen it in the eighteenth century, but the twentieth.” His eyes gleamed at her.“Well I doubt much as changed.” Claire commented. “Edinburgh is one of the oldest cities in Britain. I think if you had of seen the Royal Mile in the eighteenth century, you’d find it near enough the same.” The cobbles underneath their feet only certified that fact.“I suppose it’s like… stepping back in time.” Jamie said, with a toothy grin at Claire before he glanced up the length of the mile. It was filled with shops that sold scarves and tartans as well as a variety of places dedicated to selling authentic Irish whisky. There where people gathered in small groups, walking along with maps in their hands and pointing as they were being escorted on the many different tours. Jamie found many people where dressed in grey wigs and beautifully tailored eighteenth century suits, but Claire had to explain to him what a reenactment was and how they were merely tour guides, dressed up for authenticity. And through it all came the thrilling, bright notes of a bagpipe being played in the center of the mile by a man in full Scottish regalia.“Sassenach!” Claire heard Jamie call as she was glancing at some tartan skirts on a window display. She turned to find Jamie already scrambling into a souvenir shop, eyes wide with wonder as his tall, large form knocked and rattled the stands in the small, cramped shop. Claire followed him, unable to understand what had got him so excited, and then he lifted it.In his hand was a postcard, with a beautiful image of one of the many Scottish castles.“That’s it.” Jamie said with certainty. “Lallybroch.”Claire heard the amazement in his tone as he recognised the home he had spoke so fondly of. Claire knew the castle, she had never visited herself, but there were countless tours to it and pictures over Scottish brochures. Now though, it went by the name of Midhope Castle.“It’s called Midhope Castle now.” Claire said, posting to the small name etched on the bottom of the card.“That’s odd…” Jamie said, but it didn’t dampen his smile any, or the wonder on his face.“I wonder if it’s still owned by Frasers, surely Jenny would’ve taken it on…But then she would’ve married…” Jamie said to himself, his mind already lost in thought.“We can visit it, if  you’d like?” Claire asked, and Jamie almost dropped the card.“What?” He said, his eyes suddenly filling with shock.“Yes, I don’t think it’s far outside Edinburgh, an hour’s drive maybe.” Claire said, trying to think of the many road signs directing her to Midhope Castle in the time she’d been in Edinburgh.“Ye mean it, sassench?” Jamie asked, like a child afraid of getting their hopes let down.“Of course.” Claire said, turning to him now with full attention, a gentle smile on her lips. She was more than happy to take him to see his home, even if it was only for a short visit, it was the least she could do. The two had returned home just as the sun had finally sunk in the sky and the sky was a deep shade of blue. The summer’s heat hung in the air, making it muggy and warm.“I had an amazing time tonight…” Claire said finally, walking into her living room and standing by the mantle. Her face bore a wondrous happy smile that she doubted would fade any time soon.“As did I, sassenach.” Jamie replied, walking up to her and placing his hands about her waist and drawing her close.For a moment he pressed his lips against hers, breathing in her sweet smell. She smelt of honey and vanilla, fresh and clean from the soap she’d used to wash earlier.Claire drew back to look at him. His eyes were such a deep shade of blue, like the ocean and like the ocean, they were mysterious. Claire wondered what was lurking beneath the beautiful blue depths.“There was something more… I wanted to ask ye, Claire.” Jamie said, and suddenly he seemed bashful, unable to meet her gaze as he struggled with words.“What is it?” Claire asked, her face now full of worry.“I meant to ask ye earlier… Well, I’ve wanted to ask ye the moment I laid eyes on ye…” Jamie said, fighting with himself now, as though the words were teetering on the edge of his lips but he couldn’t bring himself to say them.“I dinna ken what’d ye would say… If ye would think me a fool… But I can’t fight it anymore.”Claire was growing more concerned now, panic was apparent on her face as she wondered what on earth could be troubling him so. She felt her heart beat faster, urging him to say the words he longed to say.“What?” Claire urged.“Will ye be my wife Claire?” Jamie said, the words bursting from his lips as he glanced up to meet her gaze.Claire felt her heart thud in her chest for an entirely different reason now. She hadn’t known Jamie long, he was practically a stranger to her. At least, on normal terms. But nothing about this had been normal. From the moment she had laid eyes on his rugged form in that hospital bed, there had been a draw to them both, like two magnets ready to snap together, unable to be parted. Her husband was lost to war, and the time in between she had filled with Jamie. Was it right? Did she truly love this man before her? T -- source link

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