if tears must be shed, let me brush them away ; eli clark comfort hcs
head empty,, only seer comforting you as you cryā¦.,, ouuueueue eli clark the wonderful man that you are
no established relationship was in mind when i wrote this since iām a huge sucker for friends to lovers, (also bc iām a little embarrassed ??) so i guess this could be read both romantically and platonically! it definitely leans towards romance though since i love,, hjmā¦
Ėā§
eli has always been painfully observant. fitting to his title, heās one of if not the most perceptive survivor in the manor, even without his gift of foresight
noticing ever-so-subtle changes (especially in the people closest to him (you)) is like second nature, so keeping things well and truly hidden from him is next to impossible
thankfully, he isnāt the type to pry even when he tends to know more than he lets on. he respects the privacy of others and their boundaries, so he wonāt step in unless he notices something is wrong or he feels the need to
that being said, something is clearly, very off with you. perhaps it isnāt outwardly visible to the other residents, but little escapes his notice
his comfort starts out small. he doesnāt want to overwhelm you by asking directly, just in case if whatās bothering you isnāt something youāre ready to talk about. heās incredibly patient, so take all the time you need, dear
he sends brooke rose to you first. sheās always enjoyed your company, but recently you notice that she lingers a bit more than usual. she perches on your chair at the table, tipping her head curiously as you turn to look back at her
other than eli, she isnāt too keen on letting people touch her, but for you, sheāll make an exception. run a curled index finger down her feathers and sheāll coo happily, bumping your hand with the smooth part of her beak
in addition to owl cuddles, heāll do his best to raise your spirits in a way that isnāt too telling. maybe he requests a dish he knows you enjoy, but ends up claiming that he overestimated his appetite. would you like to have it? itās no problem, really. heās more than happy to share with you. you always tend to work yourself so hardāyou need to eat well to keep up your energy
he keeps a careful eye on your demeanor during these gestures, noting every reaction (or perhaps lack thereof)
each minuscule expression you show is mirrored and amplified on his own. the tiniest twitch of a smile is enough for eli to break out into a grin, and vice versa. his brows furrow in concern behind his blindfold whenever he sees your eyes flicker away
if he begins to see that youāre withdrawing, closing yourself off, or heaven forbid not taking care of yourself properly, thatās when he decides to confront you. he cares about you so, so deeply. he wonāt let you suffer alone
ideally, he waits until both of you are afforded a quiet moment, but heās not afraid of pulling you aside himself. and, oh, his heart breaks when he hears the tremble in your voice
itās hard not to cry when he asks you whatās wrong. āyou seemā¦ not yourself,ā he says, and despite his open wordage, he already knows. thereās no use in pretending or insisting that youāre okay. if you try, heāll just gently correct you
suddenly, thereās a lump in your throat and the world becomes blurry. resistance breaks and it feels as if everything floods open all at once. his arms are already open for you by the time you fall into him, leaning his head down to gingerly rub his nose into your temple
he mumbles words of comfort to you every once and awhile, but he mostly listens. even if all you can manage are strings of bubbling, incoherent nonsense, he hears you all the same
he uses one hand to rub soothing patterns along your spine while the other cards through your hair, encouraging you to rest against his shoulder. he doesnāt mind that your fingers grip desperately into the fabric of his clothes, or that your snot dribbles onto his cloak. you try and apologize through broken sobs and half-breaths, but he always reassures that you donāt have to
heāll let you cry on him for as long as you need. whether your tears last a few minutes or a few hours, heāll act as your pillar to lean against throughout it all
as you start to calm down, heāll pull off his gloves to begin carefully wiping away the tears still stubbornly sticking to your face. his fingers are cool against your burning skin, thumbs swiping over your cheeks. once heās sure that no more will fall, he reaches to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear
he might not be the strongest guy in the manor, but he still offers to carry you to your room. just say the word and heāll turn around and kneel down in front of you, arms back as he readies himself for you to climb up
if youād prefer to walk, thatās okay too. heāll reach out to take your hand instead, intertwining your fingers with his own. eli makes sure to match whatever pace you decide to take, slowing his strides to your footsteps
by the time the two of you reach your door, sleep is already beckoning you into its embrace. thereās a slight pressure behind your drooping eyes, facial muscles aching from overexertion. you sniffle, but the cold air burns down your nostrils. everything is sore, everything hurts, and for some reason, you feel like crying all over again
you hobble forward when he carefully sets you down (or very reluctantly releases your fingers from his grasp, had you chosen to walk) and blindly reach around in the darkness for the knob. your nose is almost too stuffed to breathe through now, so an odd sound leaves your throat instead. he hears it, of course, and takes a step forward as soon as you manage to push open the door with your shoulder
āā¦i can stay,ā he offers quietly, hand reaching for yours. he catches your wrist just before you pass the threshold, something unspoken being left in between the gap
his grip is loose enough for you to pull away if you want to. eli has always been like that. he always gives you a choice
with a trembling exhale and the slightest nod, you choose him
