Fic: Ghost of Innocence (Eliot/Aimee, PG)
Title: Ghost of Innocence
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1147
Pairing: Eliot/Aimee (pre-series)
Spoilers: None, really. This takes place just before the job Eliot was on in the flashback scene in "The Two Horse Job" 1.03, though.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: Eliot and Aimee love each other, but that might not be enough.
Notes: Written for kissbingo for the prompt "type: butterfly." I was busting my brain trying to come up with something for this prompt, and woman_of_ suggested I do something with Eliot/Aimee. This probably isn't quite what she had in mind, but this is what my angsty brain popped out.
Eliot Spencer fell in love with Aimee Martin when they were both fourteen. He hadn’t known to call it love back then. It had just been a burning deep inside his gut every time he saw her talk to another boy and a queasy stomach and warmth rushing to his cheeks whenever she talked to him.
He had finally admitted that he liked her behind the concession stand at his 9th grade Homecoming game. They’d won the game, and even though he hadn’t played a lick, he’d been swept up by the same passion that had gripped the rest of the team, and he’d planted a wet and clumsy kiss on her. To his surprise, she had returned it, and he’d gotten weak in the knees and maybe even a little dizzy. And he’d realized at that moment that he wanted to spend the rest of his life wrapped in her arms.
From then on, they had become inseparable. Sometimes, they would steal away to the stables and hide in one of the empty stalls so they could make out. They were innocent back then, and kissing in the stables had been scandalous and exciting. He’d kiss all over her face, and sometimes, he’d give her butterfly kisses, and she’d giggle and try to put her hand up his shirt and tickle him on the sensitive part of his abdomen. It was bliss like he’d never known before.
But the purity of youth had given way to the reality of adulthood. Eliot had joined the Army for the money. He had intended to finish his enlistment, come home, and give Aimee the white picket fence they’d always talked about.
That had been the plan, anyway. But somewhere along the way, the dream had become more and more distant, as Eliot realized he’d never be the man Aimee was expecting him to be. That man had died on a battlefield amidst the rubble of his innocence, and in his place was a ghost who didn’t know what to do with himself.
***
Sometimes the ghost would return home to Aimee, hoping she’d be able to make him whole again. And she’d try her best to help him. She was patient and tender, and she genuinely seemed to believe him worthy of her love.
His time away from her was becoming more frequent than his time at home, though. He would often disappear for weeks, eventually dragging through the front door with an apologetic smile and a few new bruises.
Sometimes she would wrap her arms around his body and squish the breath out of him. More often, they’d fight, bellowing loud enough to make themselves hoarse.
This time, it had been a little bit of both, and he counted himself lucky as he lay in bed next to her, breathless from their lovemaking. He rolled onto his side and draped an arm around her waist. “Love you,” he said.
“Love you, too.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here in one piece for me to love.”
He squeezed her tightly. “I’m gonna try and stick around for a while.”
“I’d like that,” she said.
“It’s not that I don’t want to be here, Aimee.”
“I know.” She rolled over to face him and planted a kiss on his lips. “I don’t want to get into this again right now. I just want to love you.”
Pushing him onto his back, she pressed her lips to his chest and kissed her way up and down his body, taking extra time with the small patch of hair on his stomach. She pressed her eye to his stomach, and he squirmed as her eyelashes tickled against his skin. Raising her head, she flashed a mischievous grin.
He could lose himself in this. He wanted to lose himself in this.
***
Four days later, Eliot heard the door to the bedroom open behind him and close with a slam. He didn’t turn to look toward the sound, because he knew he’d find himself facing a pissed off Aimee. Instead, he continued to shove clothes into his duffle bag.
After a few moments, she broke the silence. “Where you going?”
“I have a job,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Shouldn’t take more than three weeks.”
“You just got back,” she said. Her voice was scarily calm. Normally, she’d be yelling and maybe even chucking a candleholder at him.
Zipping up his duffle bag, he leaned one hand against the nightstand, still facing away from her. “This should be an easy enough job. Payoff might be enough for me to quit working and stay home with you.”
“You could quit now,” she said.
“Aimee, I have to work,” he said. “This is my job.”
Taking a breath, he turned slowly and scanned her face, hoping to find some hint of softness-forgiveness. But she was stoic, her arms folded across her chest.
“You’re not in the Army anymore,” she said. “You don’t have to run off for weeks at a time with no word.”
He stiffened his jaw. “I still got to earn a living,” he said. “Especially if I’m ever gonna give you any kind of life.”
“Then train horses,” she said. “You’re so good with them, and my dad always figured you’d join the business. Or join the police force or something. You used to talk about maybe doing that.”
Eliot shook his head. “I’m not cut out to be a cop, Aimee.”
“You got the skills, Eliot. And they could use a good man.”
“Well, I’m not good man.”
Her face softened a bit. “You are a good man,” she said. “Stubborn and reckless, but good.” She tugged on her bottom lip. “The plant’s hiring. Jimmy Meeker was telling me they need people. I know it’s not the best job, but it’d be steady, and you wouldn’t have to leave town.”
“You been talking to Jimmy Meeker?”
She rolled her eyes. “I do have friends.”
Eliot frowned. “He took you to Homecoming in 9th grade,” he said. “You’re not friends.”
A small grin ghosted across her face. “And I left him crying under the bleachers so I could make out with you.”
Biting his lip, he took a step forward and placed a hand on her cheek. “I love you,” he said. It was all he could think to say, and he hoped it would be enough.
She took in a ragged breath, and Eliot could tell she was trying not to cry. “I just got you back,” she said. “I want to keep you for a while. Is that too much to ask?”
He took her into his arms and held her close, kissing her jawline and letting his eyelashes flutter against the soft skin of her cheek. Then he laid his lips against her ear and whispered, “I’ll be back in three weeks.”
My Master Fic List
***
Author: sheryden
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1147
Pairing: Eliot/Aimee (pre-series)
Spoilers: None, really. This takes place just before the job Eliot was on in the flashback scene in "The Two Horse Job" 1.03, though.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was, Eliot would be shirtless in half the episodes.
Summary: Eliot and Aimee love each other, but that might not be enough.
Notes: Written for kissbingo for the prompt "type: butterfly." I was busting my brain trying to come up with something for this prompt, and woman_of_ suggested I do something with Eliot/Aimee. This probably isn't quite what she had in mind, but this is what my angsty brain popped out.
Eliot Spencer fell in love with Aimee Martin when they were both fourteen. He hadn’t known to call it love back then. It had just been a burning deep inside his gut every time he saw her talk to another boy and a queasy stomach and warmth rushing to his cheeks whenever she talked to him.
He had finally admitted that he liked her behind the concession stand at his 9th grade Homecoming game. They’d won the game, and even though he hadn’t played a lick, he’d been swept up by the same passion that had gripped the rest of the team, and he’d planted a wet and clumsy kiss on her. To his surprise, she had returned it, and he’d gotten weak in the knees and maybe even a little dizzy. And he’d realized at that moment that he wanted to spend the rest of his life wrapped in her arms.
From then on, they had become inseparable. Sometimes, they would steal away to the stables and hide in one of the empty stalls so they could make out. They were innocent back then, and kissing in the stables had been scandalous and exciting. He’d kiss all over her face, and sometimes, he’d give her butterfly kisses, and she’d giggle and try to put her hand up his shirt and tickle him on the sensitive part of his abdomen. It was bliss like he’d never known before.
But the purity of youth had given way to the reality of adulthood. Eliot had joined the Army for the money. He had intended to finish his enlistment, come home, and give Aimee the white picket fence they’d always talked about.
That had been the plan, anyway. But somewhere along the way, the dream had become more and more distant, as Eliot realized he’d never be the man Aimee was expecting him to be. That man had died on a battlefield amidst the rubble of his innocence, and in his place was a ghost who didn’t know what to do with himself.
***
Sometimes the ghost would return home to Aimee, hoping she’d be able to make him whole again. And she’d try her best to help him. She was patient and tender, and she genuinely seemed to believe him worthy of her love.
His time away from her was becoming more frequent than his time at home, though. He would often disappear for weeks, eventually dragging through the front door with an apologetic smile and a few new bruises.
Sometimes she would wrap her arms around his body and squish the breath out of him. More often, they’d fight, bellowing loud enough to make themselves hoarse.
This time, it had been a little bit of both, and he counted himself lucky as he lay in bed next to her, breathless from their lovemaking. He rolled onto his side and draped an arm around her waist. “Love you,” he said.
“Love you, too.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here in one piece for me to love.”
He squeezed her tightly. “I’m gonna try and stick around for a while.”
“I’d like that,” she said.
“It’s not that I don’t want to be here, Aimee.”
“I know.” She rolled over to face him and planted a kiss on his lips. “I don’t want to get into this again right now. I just want to love you.”
Pushing him onto his back, she pressed her lips to his chest and kissed her way up and down his body, taking extra time with the small patch of hair on his stomach. She pressed her eye to his stomach, and he squirmed as her eyelashes tickled against his skin. Raising her head, she flashed a mischievous grin.
He could lose himself in this. He wanted to lose himself in this.
***
Four days later, Eliot heard the door to the bedroom open behind him and close with a slam. He didn’t turn to look toward the sound, because he knew he’d find himself facing a pissed off Aimee. Instead, he continued to shove clothes into his duffle bag.
After a few moments, she broke the silence. “Where you going?”
“I have a job,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Shouldn’t take more than three weeks.”
“You just got back,” she said. Her voice was scarily calm. Normally, she’d be yelling and maybe even chucking a candleholder at him.
Zipping up his duffle bag, he leaned one hand against the nightstand, still facing away from her. “This should be an easy enough job. Payoff might be enough for me to quit working and stay home with you.”
“You could quit now,” she said.
“Aimee, I have to work,” he said. “This is my job.”
Taking a breath, he turned slowly and scanned her face, hoping to find some hint of softness-forgiveness. But she was stoic, her arms folded across her chest.
“You’re not in the Army anymore,” she said. “You don’t have to run off for weeks at a time with no word.”
He stiffened his jaw. “I still got to earn a living,” he said. “Especially if I’m ever gonna give you any kind of life.”
“Then train horses,” she said. “You’re so good with them, and my dad always figured you’d join the business. Or join the police force or something. You used to talk about maybe doing that.”
Eliot shook his head. “I’m not cut out to be a cop, Aimee.”
“You got the skills, Eliot. And they could use a good man.”
“Well, I’m not good man.”
Her face softened a bit. “You are a good man,” she said. “Stubborn and reckless, but good.” She tugged on her bottom lip. “The plant’s hiring. Jimmy Meeker was telling me they need people. I know it’s not the best job, but it’d be steady, and you wouldn’t have to leave town.”
“You been talking to Jimmy Meeker?”
She rolled her eyes. “I do have friends.”
Eliot frowned. “He took you to Homecoming in 9th grade,” he said. “You’re not friends.”
A small grin ghosted across her face. “And I left him crying under the bleachers so I could make out with you.”
Biting his lip, he took a step forward and placed a hand on her cheek. “I love you,” he said. It was all he could think to say, and he hoped it would be enough.
She took in a ragged breath, and Eliot could tell she was trying not to cry. “I just got you back,” she said. “I want to keep you for a while. Is that too much to ask?”
He took her into his arms and held her close, kissing her jawline and letting his eyelashes flutter against the soft skin of her cheek. Then he laid his lips against her ear and whispered, “I’ll be back in three weeks.”
My Master Fic List
***