Okie dokie lovely readers, this was a request story for the "shirtless Eli" scene from eclarelover22409. I hope she, and you enjoy it :)

Just one thing though:
When I say 'later' in the story, I mean a fair deal later. Most definitely after Clare has won her case against Asher. I don't go into it in this fic, because that's just too much plot for a one shot, but I just wanted to clear that up.

Thank you to everyone who reads this. I love ya :)

-x-

"Do you want to come over?" he asks, his expression soft and inviting.

"Eli-" she starts, but he bumps her gently as they walk side by side. The play finished hours ago, and they did their round of congratulations and thanks and partying with the rest of the cast and now sleep pulls at their lungs.

"I think you need someone tonight," he says softly. "You had a crazy fucking day."

She would have thought his prelude was to sex a year ago, but now his offer sounds warm and comforting and just like what she needs.

"We could make popcorn. Watch movies? Anything you like."

She purses her lips, pretending to think about it.

"Ice cream?"

"Of course."

She smiles, but then falters.

"Would your parents be okay with that? I don't want to inconvenience-"

He quirks an eyebrow and rolls his eyes.

"Come on," he says, grabbing her hand.

She skips up to his side again, wrapping herself tighter against him.

"Just let me call my mom," she says, fumbling for her phone around their locked arms.

"Which friend are you with tonight?" he smirks, and she bumps her hips against his.

She dials the number and presses the phone to her ear, trying to calm the blissful tremour in her voice.

Eli starts poking her once the call runs over two minutes, and she pinches him back.

"Have fun Clare," Helen says, "and be home by noon tomorrow."

Clare thinks about telling her mom that she was going to stay at Katie's, but her mom doesn't know her friend well enough yet, and Clare wants to avoid the helicopter-mom questions, so she says she's staying at Alli's.

She hits the END button, and quickly texts Alli, Adam, Jake, and Katie. Though she leaves out the majority of the details in the text to her brother, just letting him know she's safe.

"We should get to my place sometime tomorrow," Eli drawls and glances at the phone, his pace practically lethargic.

"Sorry!" she giggles, shoving it back in her pocket.

"And take these back," he snarks, passing her the red roses she gave him. "I have a reputation to protect."

They walk steadily, joking and laughing and slumping tiredly against each other.

-x-

They come home to a silent house, the soft jingling of Eli's keys in the door even sounding loud.

They decide to skip the popcorn, reaching for the ice cream and two bowls and spoons instead.

He enters his room first, seeing her slight discomfort. He offers her a tired smile.

"I don't have pj's..." she states obviously, patting at her clothes.

A smirk tugs at his lips again.

"Here," he says, ruffling through his drawers to pull out a giant t-shirt.

"Thanks," she manages, blushing for a reason she can't quite place.

Seconds or minutes pass, she can't tell.

"I'll go to the bathroom to change," he offers, grabbing some pj's and gracing a hand across her hip on his way out.

-x-

They're pressed together on his bed, completely engrossed in the movie. She apologizes for the spilled ice cream and her sweaty hair, and he feigns disdain, pulling her closer to try and force more ice cream in her mouth.

She laughs and cries at all the right scenes, and he alternates between watching the movie and watching her.

"I'll be there you know," he says, and she stops to look at him.

"I know," she answers softly, resting her tired head on his chest.

"I'll be there in court...when you have to face him...every step of the way."

Her eyes burn with the threat of tears and she holds him tighter.

"I hate him," she whispers.

"Me too," he rasps.

"I got so caught up in revenge," she goes on. "He's all I thought about."

She takes a breath.

"Is that what it was like...for you last year?"

He hesitates. "Yes."

"It's so scary Eli..."

"We did a bit of role-reversal didn't we?" he laughs darkly.

"Thanks for bringing me back," she breathes.

"You've always done it for me. And you brought yourself back."

"You too."

-x-

Sleeping with a boy in your bed, Clare Edwards decides, is...funny.

She is so used to sprawling out on her own bed, free to move and scratch and shiver. But he's here now. And it's not invasive or uncomfortable - just different. He's against her back, his hand in dangerous territory on her breast. But his fingers are against her heart and she sighs. He's warm, so so warm, and she wonders what it'll be like to wake up every morning to him, just for a moment.

She's already figured out that he annoyingly takes all the covers, and occasionally bumps his bony knees against her thighs, and she knows that some nights she won't be able to take it. But that's part of sleeping and sleeping with someone isn't it? Sometimes it isn't passionate or romantic - it's a promise. That the same irritating, wonderful person is going to be beside you every night.

She falls asleep and dreams of summer.

...

He wakes up at the sound of her breath catching.

It's the eighth time that night he's woken up, and it's starting to piss him off. Especially when Asher is a constant face in his dreams.

But she breathes again, a steady in and out, and he has to smile.

His fingers flex against her rhythmically, testing her skin.

He's not used to this kind of softness.

He can tell that she's not fully relaxed, likely thinking of something. Always thinking of something.

He wonders how long it will take till she'll let herself meld into him. Even in sleep, she's kind. Trying to adjust her position so he'll be more comfortable. It doesn't take much; his body is against hers, that's comfort enough for a lifetime.

He knows his limbs are jagged against hers, but every time he's startled awake, he finds his edges softer.

He kisses the back of her neck, just once, before drifting off.

later

"Oh my God!" she whisper-yells, shaking him awake. His eyes flutter and he groans, turning over on her bed.

"Eli!" she screeches as quietly as she can. "It's 8:30!"

His eyes snap open. "Shit!" he growls with extreme morning voice, ripping the covers off himself. "In the morning?"

"No," Clare huffs, exasperated. "At night when the sun's out!"

"Cute," he quips, rolling off the bed to grab his jeans.

"Hurry!" she demands, already dressed except for her shirt. "You need to leave!"

"Most girlfriends make pancakes," he pouts, tripping while putting on his socks, but falling to the ground with catlike grace.

Clare's glare nearly burns a hole right through him, though he can't be mad seeing how panicked she is.

Every time he sleeps over, they set the alarm for 6am so Eli can sneak out without Helen or Glen seeing him - an obvious cause for certain death on his part.

Clare's parents know that they're dating again, and Eli is grateful that they've welcomed him with careful, yet welcoming arms, so he and Clare do everything to ensure that their nightly adventures won't be found out.

But one thing led to another, and now that he thinks about it, his phone definitely died last night and he should've asked Clare to set her alarm but she did that thing with her mouth and how was he really supposed to remember anything after that-

"Eli!" Clare squeals, adjusting her hair in the mirror and bouncing anxiously on her feet. "I love you, but you need to get out of here!"

He feels extremely amused that she doesn't want their nighttime visits to end just as much as he does. A warm blush adorns his face as he remembers.

"You're nervous," she says so quietly, it sounds like the wind.

"I'm sorry," he says like a fucking idiot.

"You're shaking," she marvels, reaching forward to touch his naked chest curiously.

"So are you," he says lowly, tightening his grip on her.

She moans softly, and his breathing quickens.

He guides her legs open gently.

"Tell me if I hurt you," he begs as he moves his hand between them.

She nods her head.

"Am I hurting you?" he breathes, pressing his lips to her neck.

"Shut up," she smiles, gripping his hair.

"Are you okay?" he asks, moving slowly. "Does that feel okay?"

She utters yes and moves her hips.

He's terrified to look at her, to mar her beauty.

"Eli," she whispers, and she's never felt like this. Her body can't figure out what to do with him so full inside her, so she arches underneath him, begging for release.

He's panting and she's hurting but it's beautiful and she loves it.

"I love you," he soothes, though he looks sorry. "Clare, I love you."

And she kisses him with the words she can't say.

And finally his eyes meet hers with nothing but certainty.

"I love you," she vows.

The next time it happens, she's lying on his bed, her feet over his shoulders as his mouth works. She wonders where he learned to do that with his tongue.

Many times after that, they're in his room, her on her knees.

The veins in his arms twitch as his chest snaps up and down, his breathing erratic.

"Hey kiddo, what do you and Clarabelle want for dinner-HOLY FUCK!" Bullfrog bellows as he frantically tries to shut the door he burst through.

"Jesus Christ, Bullfrog!" Eli yells, trying to cover himself and Clare who's screaming because of his cum that shot into her eyes.

"Holy shit, is she okay?" Bullfrog blunders, and Eli roughly pushes him out, cursing all the while.

A phone call to the pharmacy later,

("What do I say, what do I say?"

...

"Hello, yes, umm, I got some, umm..."

"Cum?" she mouths to Eli, placing her hand over the phone.

"Ejaculate," Eli offers.

"Yes, ejaculate in my, umm eye, and it really stings, and my eye is really red and I don't know, are there any drops I can take to help?")

They couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the day, the slightest look from the pharmacist setting them off. And of course with a few jokes made in typical parental Goldsworthy fashion at dinner, no one could stop the tears flowing from their eyes.

"Clare," he says lowly, slipping into his shoes and out of his reverie.

"Yes?" she snaps turning to face him, and she lets out a giggle of laughter, angry at herself for not being able to maintain her poker face.

"Do you think I can get my shirt on with no hands?" he asks dryly, his hands laced behind his head, his arms up.

"You really must be obsessed with death because if my mom finds you in here, she'll literally kill you."

"I'm sorry about taking your daughter's virginity," he mocks, leaning over the bed and looking determinedly his shirt, his arms still locked behind his head. "It won't happen again."

"What won't happen again?" Helen's voice cracks from the doorway, and Eli snaps up again immediately.

"Mom!" Clare shouts. "The door was shut!"

"It's my house," Helen utters fiercely. "Be quiet young lady."

"I-" Eli starts, but Helen cuts him off.

"What won't happen again?" she asks again, venom in her voice.

"Our CPR lesson..." he tries, his tone sheepish.

"Your CPR lesson?" Helen says incredulously, as if she's daring him to say it again.

"Clare and I were participating in a very safe, very loving CPR lesson and I was just about to show her some Heimlich maneuvers, hence my shirtless-ness, so that she won't choke...ever again..."

Clare puts her hands over her eyes, wincing.

"Eli?" Helen clenches her jaw and teeth. "Get out. Now."

"Yes ma'am."

He throws his shirt over his head, looking down to hide his smile that Clare wants to kill him for, but before he leaves he looks to Helen.

"It was all me, Mrs. Edwards. I'm sorry. Blame me, not Clare."

"Out!" Helen snaps, and without another word, he makes his way out of the room, gently tapping Clare's ass for encouragement. She knows he's going to wait outside her house around the corner, and she's already desperate to escape and go meet him.

"Sit down," her mother hisses.

"Mom-"

"Are you sleeping with him?"

"Mom!"

"Are you?"

"That's none of your business!"

"So long as you live under this roof, it is."

Clare can't stop her angry words.

"So what if I am?"

Helen regards her daughter furiously.

"Well. Are you two being safe?"

Clare's mouth falls open in shock; she'd been expecting a smack.

"Y-yes...yes," she affirms quietly.

"Good." Her mom lifts her chin haughtily and then turns to walk out.

"What?" Clare manages, not sure whether to smile or tell Eli to run for his life.

"I said," Helen continues, "I'm glad that you two are being safe. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask me. Okay sweetie?"

And before Clare can give a reply, her mom nods once, and makes her way downstairs.

-x-

"You're alive," Eli's voice rumbles as she jumps around the corner.

"You're dead!" she shouts, running towards him. But he's quick and laughing, and it takes her a full five minutes to catch him.

"Fat chance I'll sleep with you now!" she warns.

And now she's running from him, but she's not fast enough and he grabs her and pulls her down, making sure he cradles her from the fall.

"Since when does Dr. Doom act like the protagonist in a romantic comedy, trying to seduce a girl to make her magically forget his jerk-like behaviour?" she scowls down at him, trying to squirm out of his hold.

"People do crazy things when they're in love," he smirks, locking their legs together.

"If you think that line is going to work on me, you have got another thing-"

He kisses her until she can't breathe, his hands desperate to hold every part of her.

She starts giggling and he can feel the laughter brimming in his lungs, when she punches him in the stomach.

"That's for your smart-ass remark, you idiot," she smiles as he hisses in pain. "And this," she breathes, bringing her lips to his once more, "is for everything else."

Oh, I have a soft spot for this one :) Review?