A/N: Hey Eclare fans! So Degrassi starts in like 5 weeks...still over a month. Gah, I hate these long breaks. But anyway, here's a random separate oneshot. I know I need to update Don't Touch Anything with the last prom chapter, but that's just not going well right now, so here's this instead.

Kind of rated a T+, depending on how you look at it.

Enjoy!

Better Than Midol

Clare groaned and rolled over, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them tightly. She had missed school the past two days on account of her period giving her such bad cramps that she could barely walk to the bathroom. Two hours prior, she had taken some Midol, but it didn't seem to be helping. Normally her period only lasted for four or five days, so she would only have to stick it out for a day or two longer.

There was suddenly a small knock at her closed door, and it opened, her mother stepping into the room in her business suit.

"Clare, are you feeling any better?' Her mom asked tentatively. In response, Clare moaned and rolled over again, clutching her stomach as she looked at her mother through half-lidded eyes. Helen frowned.

"Well, I have to work late. Are you sure you'll be okay here by yourself?" Clare nodded weakly. Her mom continued. "I left you some food downstairs in the fridge if you want some." She made her way over to Clare's queen sized bed and leaned down, pushing her hair aside and kissing her daughter's forehead.

"Feel better, alright?" Clare gave her a small smile and pulled the covers up to her nose, closing her eyes. She heard her mother's footsteps leave the room and the door close behind her. Now, hopefully, Clare could get some rest.

Today was the second day in a row that Clare had missed school and all that she had texted Eli was that she wouldn't be there.

He was going to get to the bottom of this.

Directly after-school, Eli drove to Clare's house and parked Morty in her driveway. He stepped out, straightening his black tie before walking up to her front door and knocking on it. Usually, Clare came right to the door when he knocked, but the door didn't swing open even after he waited a few minutes. Frowning, he rang the doorbell and waited for another five minutes, but Clare still didn't come to the door. At that point, Eli decided to use some old-fashioned tactics.

Climbing through the window.

He went around to the back of Clare's house and began scaling the giant oak tree that grew past her window. After carefully climbing it(his Converse were probably not the best shoes for this job) he peered through Clare's window and saw her figure curled up in her bed. He rapped on her window and she opened her eyes, sitting up a little and wincing. Heaving herself out of bed, she padded over to the window in her striped socks and opened it, immediately going back to her bed and flopping onto it without so much as a 'hello' to Eli. He came inside and went over to her bed, moving to sit next Clare, who was whimpering softly while in the fetal position.

"How are you feeling?" He asked quietly. She moved her head into his lap and he stroked her hair, his fingers raking across her scalp.

"Not good," she murmured, groaning.

"Anything I can help with?" She moved her head in his lap and he took that as a no. "Can you at least tell me what's wrong?" She moved her head again. "Why not?" Clare suddenly clutched Eli's bicep in a vice-grip and moaned in pain. He frowned as he looked at her; it hurt him to see her like this.

"It's personal," she whispered, her eyes squeezed shut. As he rubbed Clare's back in circular motions, he thought. She had been fine a few days before; or at least, she hadn't told him that anything was wrong. He glanced at her nightstand and saw the Midol.

Ah. So that's what this was about.

"Clare?" She whimpered. "Are you on your period?" Her eyes snapped open.

"How'd you know?" She asked him, her voice so low, he had to strain to hear her.

"You have Midol right next to me." Clare pursed her lips and closed her eyes again, sighing. "You know, you could have just told me."

"It's always awkward talking to a guy about that."

"I could've helped." Clare's lips curled up into a small smile.

"As much as I like to think you're Superman, I doubt you could help with this."

"Are you sure?" She nodded. "Alright then, it's a bet."

"Hm?" Eli could tell that Clare was thoroughly confused. He smiled at her and scooted over, pulling her on top of him so that she was stretched out. "Eli," she whined. "It hurts when I lay like this."

"Just give me a couple minutes, alright? You'll feel better, I promise." Clare followed his fingers with her eyes as the skimmed across her stomach and touched the waistband of her shorts.

"Eli…" He brought his lips close to her ear.

"Just relax. Trust me." Clare took a deep breath and let Eli's fingers continue on their path. They slipped under her shorts to her abdomen, and with two fingers, he began to rub in slow, small circles. Clare closed her eyes and sighed.

"How does that feel?" Eli asked her, his breath tickling her ear.

"Good," she breathed. He continued his ministrations, except now, he applied the slightest bit of pressure.

"Ah!" Clare gasped. Her pain tolerance was especially low during her period and she already hurt enough. "Eli…" He distracted her from the discomfort by licking and kissing her neck. Clare could feel that familiar heat pooling between her legs and hoped that Eli wouldn't notice.

He kept doing this, adding varying amounts of pressure and moving in different motions, until his fingers withdrew all together. With a final soft kiss to her neck, he stopped and handed her the bottle of Midol.

"Here," he said. "Pop another one of these and you should be golden. Did I help?" Clare rolled off of his body and turned to smile at him. She almost felt no pain at all.

"Yes, you did. Thank you Eli." He pulled her into his chest, hugging her.

"Sure thing Clare. Anything for my blue-eyed beauty." They laid there together for a while, Clare's pain now only a dull throbbing in her abdomen.

"How'd you learn that?" Her voice suddenly cut through the silence.

"Huh?" Eli hadn't really been paying attention. He was too busy trying to restrain himself from jumping Clare; her scent was intoxicating.

"How did you learn to do that?" She repeated. Clare's ear was pressed against his chest and she could hear his heart speed up.

"Julia," he said simply. It disappointed Clare a bit to know that he had done the same thing to other girls, but she understood. Julia had been his girlfriend after all. Eli shifted, releasing Clare and hopping out of the bed. She watched him as he headed towards the door.

"You're not leaving, are you?" She asked him. He shook his head, his dark hair flopping around.

"No. I'm just getting some water. Do you want some?" She nodded and smiled at him.

"Please."

"Try not to cry while I'm gone." He flashed a smirk at her and disappeared.

From this, Clare came to one conclusion.

Her boyfriend was amazing.

Reviews would be lovely! :)