If Archie had lived, what kind of person would he have ended up with?
Ooh this is a good question, I would like to think that he’d end up with a quiet girl but one who would be there for him to listen to him and she would hold him when he had flashbacks and she would care for him and make him feel safe. She’d have to be fun too, and willing to take a joke because even after the war I do think Archie Lock would be prone to making or playing jokes - he is always a little bundle of light even when his own life is dark because he likes making other people smile.
Frank O'Hagan on a day out with Gennie and Archie in a field mucking about and banter?
I’m crrryiiiinnnngggg
Genevieve picked the delicate white petals from a daisy one by one, twirling the small flower as she did so. She hadn’t been paying attention to what either of the boys had been saying for quite some time and only started to when Frankie said her name.
“Pardon?” She asked, glancing up at him from her rested position, her head on his abdomen. Archie, who was lounging beside Frank laughed at his cousin’s ignorance and Gennie responded by throwing the now completely de-petalled flower towards him with a frown.
“I said, which Shelby brother do you think is most desirable, Thomas, John or Arthur?”
Gennie sat bolt upright then, turning to Frank with an expression of both embarrassment and astonishment - he certainly was being bold. Frank and Archie exchanged a glance and then simultaneously burst into deep laughter. “Francis O’Hagan...” Gennie chastised him, though she wasn’t able to hide the hint of a smile that danced upon her pale lips. “I’ll have you know that none of the Shelby boys are in the least bit desirable to me.”
“Not even Johnny boy?” Archibald Lock smirked, one suggestive eyebrow kinked at the mention of his best friend. Every and their mother knew that Gennie was sweet on John, as he was with her - though no one seemed to have admitted that out loud yet.
“Certainly not.” Gennie folded her arms across her chest and Frank laughed again, sitting up and resting his body weight on his elbows.
“No, no, Genevieve has a point.” He mused, glancing towards Archie momentarily before he spoke. “There are far more eligible bachelors in Small Heath.”
“Now I am old-fashioned. A woman, I consider, should be womanly. I have no patience with the modern neurotic girl who jazzes from morning to night, smokes like a chimney, and uses language which would make a billingsgate fishwoman blush!”
could I ask for a Christmassy John and Gennie oneshot P.s. more Archie pls
CHRISTMAS 1913
She didn’t know it then, but Christmas 1913 would be the last Christmas that Genevieve Lock got to spend with her dear cousin Archie, and in hindsight she was happy that she hadn’t known. She may have done things differently if she’d known, treated him differently - instead the acted exactly as she had done every Christmas before that, she argued with him.
“You did what Archibald?!” Gennie screamed from the top of the stairs. In the front room Elsie Lock and her sister in law Vicky shared a knowing glance - the children were at it again. “Did it cross your mind to perhaps ask me or either one of our mothers whether that would be a good idea?”
“No.” Archie answered truthfully, a cheeky grin set onto his handsome features. The look on his face screamed ‘I know I did a bad thing, but I don’t care’ it was a look he near constantly wore these days and it infuriated his cousin. “I thought i would be a good idea, what with their mum and all…” Archie was stood at the bottom of the stairs now, shouting back up towards his blonde cousin who stood on the top step wearing nothing more than her undergarments and an expression of pure rage. “Besides, don’t you like John.”
“Of course I like John!” Gennie yelled back, instantly regretting it when another smug look plastered itself onto Archie’s face. “He’s your best friend, why wouldn’t I like him.” She added quickly, and Archie smirked again and walked back towards the kitchen - Gennie wished she had something to hurl down the stairs at him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” She asked after him, bounding down the stairs. Genevieve wasn’t finished with him yet. “If you think for a second I’m cooking Christmas dinner for me, you, mum, dad, aunt Vicky and John fucking Shelby you can think again.” She pushed open the kitchen door and stormed in after Archie before coming to a rather abrupt halt.
“…and our Finn, if that’s ok.” John Shelby smirked. He wasn’t discreet in the way he allowed his eyes to travel appreciatively over Genevieve’s frame, she was after all wearing decidedly less clothes than he had ever seen her in and he was a young lad.
“Oh Christ…” Gennie gasped at the sight of John and Finn Shelby stood in her kitchen. They were dressed in their Sunday best, ready for their Christmas meal. “I…of course it’s fine.” She breathed out eventually, her arms instinctively wrapping around her body in an attempt to preserve some dignity.
“We’ll pay our way.” Finn piped up beside his brother. “Aunt Pol gave us two quid each and I’ve ordered the biggest bird from the butcher.” Gennie smiled, she couldn’t help but smile whenever she was met with the youngest Shelby brother - he was so unlike his siblings.
“Thank you Finn…” She nodded at him, before turning to address John and her cousin. “Well, I will erm…go and get dressed, and in the meantime you two can start peeling those.” She motioned towards the basket full of vegetables that she’d set on the table before going upstairs to take a bath earlier.
“Right-o Captain.” Archie mock saluted and moved towards the table.
John took one last look at Genevieve as she exited the kitchen and called out to her just before she left. “Hey, Gennie…Merry Christmas.”
“forget it. you fucking suck.” modern gen and arch
nothing but love for m y favourite cousins
“Archie!” Gennie bellowed from her bedroom, the door was closed and she was practically half way into the back of her wardrobe but she was certain he’d heard her, he was simply choosing to ignore her. “Archibald Francis Lock!” She yelled again, using his full name this time, a special sort of torture usually used only by her aunt Vicky when she was particularly mad at her son, but on occasion used by Gennie, as emotional blackmail.
“What? What do you want.” Archie bounded into her bedroom, a frown set on his handsome features.
“Where’s my black hoodie?” Gennie’s voice came from within her wardrobe and Archie laughed, settling himself down on her large double bed and busying his hands by thumbing through the book on her bedside table - taking a moment to purposely move her bookmark, losing her place entirely.
“You mean my black hoodie?” He corrected, slowing his voice to emphasise his words. Gennie leant back on her ankles, popping her head around the wardrobe door with a frown.
She tossed aside a couple of jumpers, purposely aiming for her cousin. “You said I could have it.”
“Yeah, when you were hungover, on the couch, watching Finding Nemo about three months ago, not forever.” Archie caught the pink fluffy jumper she’d thrown in his direction and held it up against himself, raising a brow.
“Suits you.” She quipped with a small smile. “But seriously though, where is it? I’m going out with John to a bonfire that Tommy’s throwing…something about the Queen, her birthday or something I don’t know. I need to be warm.”
“Oh well if it’s for my boy John…” Archie stood up, and Gennie mirrored his movements, a pretty smile illuminating her features when she realised just how easily Archie was giving in. “Then definitely not, you stole him from me so now you can freeze.”
“I-what?!” Gennie asked incredulously, and was met only with a smirk. “Oh forget it, you fucking suck.” She was about to throw another discarded item of clothing at him but he was already halfway out the door. “Aunt Vicky!” Gennie shouted, and Archie stopped in his tracks - she was pulling the mother card.
“Archie do as your cousin says…” Vicky’s voice floated up the stairs and Gennie folded her arms across her chest, a triumphant smirk set firmly upon her face.
Archie popped his head back into the bedroom and glared. “Oh it’s on Genevieve, it’s on.”
