Work Text:
Alone in the world. Eliot Hampden was a semester away from graduating. He never had many friends, mostly doing things by himself, but still occasionally hanging out with some Vortex Club rejects. Girls mostly ignored him. Mostly. There was one girl that had given him some light of day. The very girl who had disappeared without a trace just a few weeks earlier. Chloe Price was her name. An angel sent from the heavens, especially for him.
You got that magic in your eyes
This day had been about Chloe. Several of the students, a group centered around Steph Gingrich, possibly the gayest, outest and proudest person anyone at Blackwell knew, had gathered to start distributing and hanging up missing person posters all over Arcadia Bay. Eliot had been invited to join since it was well known he and Chloe had hooked up a number of times. Sacred moments.
Shining wherever you go
Eliot had been glad to help. He’d taken a significant stack of posters and had gone around town handing them out to passersby. It was the right thing to do, of course it was. And he, Eliot, would be more than happy to help find the missing girl, who had turned eighteen that very day. The effort was all for her. Anything… for her.
Through a lover's paradise
He had spoken to her mother, Joyce. She had expressed gratitude for his aid and worried that her daughter had finally followed through on the vow to run away from home that she had made two years earlier.
Joyce’s gratitude was welcome. He remembered how excited Joyce had been when Eliot had first come to the Price residence to help Chloe with her homework, not long after they had hooked up to go see a concert. Eliot had not cared much for the music, but he knew Chloe did, and that was enough for him.
And the homework session had been a resounding success. Eliot felt all warm and fuzzy inside recalling how easy it had been to convince Chloe to do some biology rather than actual homework. Joyce was obviously still oblivious and even the resident douchebag drill sergeant had not caught on. What a way to get your v-card stamped, with the girl of your dreams. Their mutual future fixed in his mind.
Trust every sign when I'm so
A smile appeared on his face, though no one could see it now he was alone in his car. He was driving to the house he had bought after his eighteenth birthday. His parents had won the lottery a few years before and had promised him a sum of money upon reaching the adult age milestone. He had immediately exchanged his dorm room for an actual house, one with a shelter below it. He had blown a fortune on redecorating it. For her. To keep her… safe.
Close to where my heart belongs
He recalled another moment. Chloe had been with him in his dorm room. Back when he was still poor. They had just been to yet another concert, and she had stayed the night. More biological magic. The next morning, Chloe had left the room. Eliot remembered the moment as electric. Flushed wings taut with agony. The agony of them not being together every moment of every day.
Like in heaven
The night had convinced him. She… was the one. But the girl had issues. Unresolved grief. Her father dying. Eliot had voluntarily comforted her, several times now. Making it his mission to help her forget, and to keep her company. He had even been to her father’s grave, vowing to protect her in his stead.
He had noticed she had cut herself, deliberately, repeatedly. Brick and mortar, in the fresh cut grass. Her eyes flashing bright like coins. The dark gods may laugh, but he, Eliot, would not let the ferryman have her.
I could wait night and day
And then this unwelcome girl tried to steal his prize away. This harlot, the DA’s daughter, one of the darlings of the Vortex Club, someone who had it all and could have all she wanted, seemingly taking the one thing away from him that he cared about. Just because she could. But he knew that Chloe was his. Time would convince her too, of his endless love and devotion.
Revenge was vowed, plots were hatched, he bided his time. Gnashing his teeth as ever more pictures of his girl and the evil temptress appeared on his social media timeline. But he was patient, the dish would be best served cold. Besides, his girl would soon realize that the evil temptress was bad news, and that she was manipulating her.
That’s what it had to be. His girl had been tricked into hanging out with the evil temptress. He had been aghast when finding out her hair was dyed blue. What a mistake. Though with time, it would surely be corrected. The evil temptress would bore of playing around with his girl soon anyhow, and he would be right there to rescue her from any potential renewed loneliness. Together again.
Sigh your name when I pray
Then one day, the evil temptress got stabbed at the junkyard, and his girl had raced her to the hospital. The DA and his wife, the temptress’ parents, would also be there. It would give him the opportunity he needed. He would snoop around the DA’s office for anything that could help his plan to get rid of his unwanted rival.
What luck! She was there, too. In the DA’s office! Eliot saw the opportunity to rescue his Chloe from her predicament. Reminding her of the temptress’ evil, malign influence and her manipulating ways. Chloe had said he was lying, and then ran away in panic. But he had seen it, in her eyes. Her cry for help. Eyes don’t lie.
He had recognized the moment. That moment when, the sun is almost there, the sea so welcoming and warm, pooled light smoothing the nodding waves. Shapeless cold infinity conforming to one stark plane.
For a moment, all seemed possible. All say yes. His heart said yes. Her eyes… said yes. Said… rescue me. He would. With every fiber of his being mustered for action. Rescue… her.
In my heart night and day
Her eyes had spoken to him. The words that came out of her mouth were irrelevant, as she was clearly still under the spell of the evil temptress and her poisonous ways.
Eliot had been ecstatic to find evidence of the DA’s dark doings right there in his office. Deals with criminals, some story about the evil temptress’ real mother. The breakthrough he needed, his opportunity to chase this criminal DA out of town, and thus the evil temptress as well. The gods were kind to him, at long last.
He recalled that fortune must have smiled on him that day, because he had also managed to evade the police that had been called to the DA’s home office by the silent alarm.
‘til you come my way
The scandal had broken, thanks to key documents being leaked to the press by an anonymous source. Him. Eliot Hampden. Doing his civic duty. The DA being removed from office in disgrace. It had taken a bit longer than he had wanted, but he didn’t mind. The main goal had been achieved. No more evil temptress. Back to Los Angeles or whatever dirt hole that family had crawled out of. His girl, safe.
I could wait night and day
Continuing his drive home, Eliot remembered how confused she had been, after the evil temptress’ departure. He had asked Chloe on a date not too long afterwards, but had been left standing there, his invitation ignored. He had understood, she needed time to accept him as her true love once more. It had been true love before, after all. Eliot had been sure of it at the time, and still was.
He would be kind to her. Shower her with all the gifts, attention and affection she deserved. Taking only a little back in return. He would not be demanding. He would keep her safe, as he had vowed. That’s what any guy would do for the mother of his future children, right?
Be the sky blue or gray
He had realized not too long ago that destiny had already decided. He, Eliot Hampden, simply had to act accordingly. And he had. Very much so. She would come around too, soon… probably. But it might take some time. Eliot didn’t mind, he had all the time in the world for her. Patience was a virtue. She would see it his way, in the end.
In my heart night and day
After parking his car in his garage, Eliot entered his house. A house worthy of her. All those other people. They saw her. But then they didn’t see her. How did that happen? All the world had seemed negative and dark to them, when she had disappeared, a few weeks earlier.
He, Eliot Hampden, had secured her that day. She had cried out in his grip. Screaming like a rocket, a rocket trailing fire. He would have preferred to avoid that action altogether, but he had waited long enough for her to come back to him. Patience was a virtue, sure, but Eliot decided that day that fate needed a little help.
A quiet moment where she was wandering alone through the forest, back home from attending a concert at the Old Mill. Her screams heard only by him and some small forest critters, and perhaps a few birds. Quickly spiriting her away. That same night, an accidental forest fire had wiped all traces. And if ever proof was needed of the entire universe being on his side, three days of torrential rain and a storm made sure no one would ever know either of them had been there, at all.
For your love to stay
Eliot descended the stairs of his house towards the shelter. The shelter he had converted into a palace. A palace… for her. He opened the door, then closed it behind him. After putting his keys down on the table, he picked up a package. Then, he walked to the bedroom. And there she was. He had found her.
“I’m so sorry, Chloe my dear. I know what you want to say. But I promised to keep you safe. Those restraints are a temporary measure, I swear. I know you love me, your eyes told me so the very first time we hooked up. We were meant to be. I will give you anything you want. We will be a family, I promise. You are safe here, no one can hurt you, I won’t allow it.”
Eliot sat himself down on the bed, right next to her. With his right hand, he caressed her left cheek. Muffled screams permeated the room. But Eliot ignored them. Time would right all wrong, time was on his side. She would see it too, eventually. But it didn’t matter. He already knew. She was his. Eyes don’t lie.
He recalled one of the poems he’d written for her. “How childish she is. How lovely and how cruel. Her black knife spilling words. And dripping ink”.
Childish indeed. But she was no child anymore. She might be with child, though. Or maybe not. That too didn’t matter. Time was on their side.
“Happy birthday, darling”, Eliot said. He put the package next to the bed, she’d be allowed to unpack it later, or maybe he’d do it for her. Anything… for her…
Eliot felt proud. He looked at Chloe. She was beyond beautiful. She was his now. Forever. Safe from harm. With someone who loved her more than anything. The handcuffs were just an incidental thing. They would go, eventually. But she would not.
He swore to himself that no one would ever hurt her again. And that no one would ever take her away from him again. He would stand his ground if anyone ever tried. She was his everything, his entire being, and now much… much… much more than just another…
… obsession