Project Shady

Connection

When the film ended Marshall expected Clara to start talking, but to his surprise when the end credits came to a close, there was silence. Confused he turned his head to see Clara was near enough invisible snuggled underneath the blanket. He rolled his eyes at her form as her chest rose a fell while she breathed. Not knowing if she was a heavy sleeper or not he made sure the movements he made next were subtle and silent because he didn't want to wake her by accident because he also didn't know if she was grumpy when woken up either.

Every loud sound he made had him whipping his head around to see if he'd woken her up, but thankfully nothing caused her to wake from her slumber. Although he had hoped she had because it meant he wasn't sat around bord flicking through channels on silent, while he figured out if he should go off to bed and leave her on the couch or pick her up and take her upstairs. The second option would most definitely probably wake her up and the first one might make her angry for him leaving her. He was at a crossroads stuck between two choices.

However, his decision seemed to be made for him because out of the silence came the shrill sound of a mobile ringtone and it wasn't his. The scene that unfolded before him was something he had never witnessed before, the second the sound reached his ears Clara sat bolt upright and grabbed the phone that she had left on the coffee table. To anybody watching it seemed as if she hadn't been asleep at all, her movements weren't sluggish and she looked quite animated during the conversation she was having with whoever had called her.

''You ok?'' He asked after she'd set the phone down, watching her as she ran her hands over her face in frustration.

''Yeah, it was nothing don't worry about it,'' Clara's reply came out of her mouth in a mumble. She really hoped Marshall didn't ask any more questions because the conversation she had just had was far from fine, in fact, it worried her to no end.

The person who had rung her had been Rose and she seemed all of a flutter because she'd tried to ring Joe. The main word in the sentence being tried because he hadn't answered or replied to any texts. Obviously, it could be because he was working, but Joe always responded even if he was in a death like situation, he was superglued to his phone.

''You sure, who was it?'' Clara turned her head towards Marshall raising her eyebrow questioing him as to why he wanted to know, ''it just looks like you're worried about something,'' the comment made her inwardly curse she really needed to work on concealing how she was feeling from her face, that was her biggest weakness.

''Rose was just worried about a guy and now she's made me worried. That's it,'' Clara responded before adding after a small pause, ''that's all I'm telling you, in case you didn't get that.''

''Right no more questions starting to figure out you don't like that,'' Marshall leant forward so he was looking right at her, he even shifted on the sofa so he was a lot closer to her that he had been all night. He was so close to her now that she could reach out and touch him without straining her arm.

''Or maybe I just don't like nosey people who can't mind their own business,'' she shot back tucking herself back underneath the blanket again.

''Well excuse me for trying to be a nice considerate person. I'll just go back to not giving a shit,'' he threw back at her, not moving from his position.

''Thank you that would be much-appreciated cheers,'' Clara then stood up letting the blanket fall back down onto the sofa behind her, ''now if you excuse me I'm going to, whoa,'' Marshall cut her off by standing up and grabbing her arm to stop her leaving.

''Are you fucking kidding me. Do you not care about how people treat you or are you just oblivious to everything that doesn't take Sherlock to figure out,'' Clara furrowed her brows not internally sure what he was trying to say. He saw her expression and sighed kissing his teeth as he thought about a better way to say what he wanted.

''Look, Clara, I...'' but his explanation was cut short as two people's loud yells from outside draw both their attention towards the front door.

''Why don't I get it and tell them your busy,'' she suggested.

''Wouldn't they think... oh,'' he smirked, causing her to roll her eyes.

''Don't get any idea's that it's actually going to happen, you got me,'' she added shaking her finger in front of his face.

''Don't get any idea's that it isn't happening ,'' he shot back and Clara just scoffed making her way out of the room towards the front door.

''Yo finally, fucking thought you were dead. Wait who the fuck are you?'' The man stood next to Denaun was the one doing the talking and because he made no move to explain to the other guy she decided to hit back at him.

''Who the fuck are you?''

''Nate, where's Marshall? Aye bro who's the chick, she's hot,'' he squeezed past her and in through to the living room before Clara could even open her mouth to respond.

''Who?'' She then turned to Denaun to ask the question, hoping to get an actual answer from him.

''Marshall's little bro. We saw the news, Nate rung me and we both thought we'd come and make sure he was ok,'' he replied and Clara opened the door to let him in, while the rather loud conversation between Marshall and Nate started up.

''Nice to know my safety is valued just as much.''

''Shit, I didn't mean it like that I mean if you weren't here I would have asked Marshall how you were,'' Denaun quickly stated.

''You don't have to pretend, it's ok,'' she replied before allowing him to give her a quick hug. When they pulled away a voice called out from behind them.

''Oh so you're D's girl.''

''Nate you idiot,'' Clara quirked her lips into a smile as Marshall hit his brother in the back of his head.

''I'm Marshall's assistant before you make any more stupid comments,'' Clara told him, but it seemed he still didn't quite understand.

''Is that what they call themselves now. Look don't waste your time Marshall don't give a shit.''

''Ok that's it get out,'' Marshall ordered shoving his brother in the back to get him to move.

''What did I do?'' He mumbled underneath his breath as he shuffled towards the door.

''More like what didn't you do,'' Denaun grumbled under his breath before handing the keys to his car over to Nate so he could stay for a little longer.

''Look man I'm sorry, I had no idea he'd.''

''It's fine just you know to make sure when he's sober that he apologises,'' Marshall requested. Denuan nodded before giving him a hug and a final goodbye directed at Clara before he finally left.

''I'm sorry,'' Marshall stuttered out taking a few tentative steps towards Clara. He wasn't sure how she'd take being insulted by his brother since he basically called her a hooker.

''Hey don't be, I've been called worse trust me and he was drunk. let's just leave it at that,'' Clara responded and Marshall took her understanding as a signal to move closer to her.

''Ok, but for the record, he wasn't wrong with one thing he said,'' Marshall was now so close Clara that she could feel his warm breath fanning her face.

''Yeah and what was that,'' she teased, moving closer to him placing her hand gently on his arm.

''That you're hot,'' Clara was too caught up in trying to tease him that, it took a while for her to register his soft lips connecting with hers, by then it was too late and she had given into him, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her.

One thought crossed her mind over and over again, but for some reason, she didn't listen to it.
'What the fuck am I doing,' was ignored again and again as the kiss deepened.