Always everywhere ~ Wuthering heights
Heathcliff x Fem!Earnshaw!Reader
Description; In which you always lived in the shadow of your older sister, but only one person seemed to see you, for you.
Warnings; Attempted sexual assault. mentions of abuse, kissing, mentions of alcohol, child mistreatment.
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Growning up in Wuthering Heights was bad enough, that was, without even mentioning your family situation. The northern moors the weather was unforgiving, cold and miserable, and so was your home. With no father, a dead brother and a drunk for a father, you had only your older sister Catherine, or Cathy to keep you entertained.
However Cathy was unfortunately the most selfish person you knew, and worse, she was completely oblivious to it. Her cruel comments had left you in tears while she’d calmly walk away.
Your father, known only to you as papa, and the housemaids and servants as Mr Earnshaw was a drunk and a gambler. Every night he would go into town and return during the night. He drove both you and Cathy away, but he had always favoured her. Perhaps it was because she looked like his late wife. Who knows, all you did know, was that he despised you.
However one night, your father had loudly stumbled in. It had woken you from where you slept in your bed. The moon shun through your window, and she swallowed, crawling under your duvet for comfort, for you were nothing but a ten year old girl.
When you heard your father yelling at someone and tables clashing you had assumed your father had brought a woman home. Though at this age you did not understand why it is that he did that, you heard awful sounds when he did.
This time, once your father’s door closed you heard little, and so drifted back to sleep. The next morning you were rudely woken by Cathy barging into your room ordering you to rise and dress at once so the two of you could play.
However when you did, and peaked your small head out of your door, you heard Nelly and Zillah discussing that Mr Earnshaw had brought home a young boy last night, a beggar on the street.
Sneaking up to her father’s room, you saw it to be empty. You opened the door and swallowed, looking around but seeing no one.
“H-Hello? Is anyone there?” You asked quietly.
Hearing a small noise under the bed you swallowed, getting down onto your knees to look under. Before you could see, a hand grabbed your arm and tugged you under. She screamed in surprise, but the boy had covered your mouth with his hand, to muffle the sound.
Eventually, after staring at each other he pulled his hand away. You swallowed, staring at the boy, who seemed around two years older. “It is alright, he is downstairs….he will be off the ale by now” you whispered softly.
Though the boy had never responded, it was clear that your soft words had calmed in down. You looked down to see his hand linking with yours as he trembled. The two of your stayed like that for a few more minutes, while you had told him a few things about the Moors, about yourself, and about who lived with you in Wuthering Heights.
He never did reply to anything you had told him under that bed, but as you told him of how you and Cathy liked to play in the rain by the Rocky Mountains while Joseph or Zillah would chase after you he’d smiled from the idea of freedom.
When your gotten him to come through the house with you, Catherine immediately found the both of you. You saw the glint in her eyes when she saw the boy and it saddened you. You knew like everything else in Wuthering Heights, Cathy would want him as her own little plaything to entertain her.
When she had brought the two of them downstairs, her yellow hair moving as she walked quickly. She dragged them both into the small kitchen where the maids and your father were.
“Ah, Catherine, my darling I see you have found the boy” The hungover man sighed.
“Indeed papa! What a delight indeed, we needed another person to play with, me and (y/n)! What a bore my sister becomes after a few hours” Cathy laughed but it only made you blush in embarrassment.
As your eyes stayed at the ground you felt someone’s hand link with yours and you looked up to see the boy now holding your hand making you smile softly.
“Ah…my other daughter. Do you think him suitable to stay here? He was a beggar a man was discarding. I told him, you cannot throw a child on the street, no sir! I took him, am I not charitable” The man boasted.
However you only looked up at the boy making your father scowl “I said, am I not charitable, daughter?”
She swallowed, quickly whipping your head up to look at your father “Of course father”
“Can I keep him father, dress him up as I like” Catherine said smiling at you smugly, assuming your father would agree to anything she said.
“Let little (Y/N) guide this boy in our house” Mr Earnshaw replied making you and Catherine look up in surprise.
“What?! But!-“ Catherine scoffed.
“Enough, daughter. I pay Nelly to raise you properly yet still you remain rude and disrespectful. Perhaps this will teach you a lesson, you do not speak back to your father”
“He is just a boy!” Catherine scowled before storming out of the room making Nelly hold back a laugh of amusement.
“A boy indeed, what is his name?” Your father asked then.
“He does not like to speak father” You replied softly and shyly.
“Oh no that will not do, you must teach him”Your father nodded.
There was a beat of silence until your father spoke again “What is his name I ask?” He repeated.
“I think…..Heathcliff, after my late brother…or-or not…” You suggested shyly.
As soon as the name left your lips the boy looked up with a smile, seemingly very approving of your suggested name. “Ah, Heathcliff…yes. Yes you may teach him to speak up indeed, and Joseph shall teach him how to work here. In return he may get a hot meal, and he can sleep upstairs in the stable.” With that your father left.
As the maids followed after him to clean up the mess he had made when he’d returned last night you and Heathcliff were left alone.
The boy, he had still been holding your hand spoke to you for the first time “You are the prettiest girl I have seen”
_
As the years passed, you turned fifteen, and Heathcliff was almost eighteen. Your brown hair had grown longer than before, and your body had matured slightly. The two of your still played like children though you were almost considered a woman.
You liked to chase each other in the rain, like you and Cathy used to, this time though it was a friendship, not Cathy dragging you around like her pet and being cruel to you. She had married the new neighbour, Mr Linton.
Your father had become worse, drinking during the day, crueler to you now that Cathy was gone out of the house. You feared him even more than you did when you were a little girl.
It was your father’s birthday, and you and Heathcliff were late to supper. You had spent hours playing outside in the rain. He had warned you that your father would be mad, but you wanted to get away from him.
But now you were late. You were practically trembling behind Heathcliff as you both walked into the kitchen. It was only slightly lit, by a few candles.
Your hands clung to one of Heathcliffs arms as they stood before your father. “Come out from hiding, girl” your father spat.
You swallowed but stepped forward. Your eyes went to your feet in fear. “Look up you fool”
You looked up at him “Are you trembling? Why do you fear me, I care for you, do I not?”
You swallowed back the tears, fearing what was to come “Yes father…forgive me”
“Sit then” Your father slurred, some of his wine spilling onto the floor as he help his cup with a loose grip.
You swallowed, sitting obediently. However when Heathcliff went to do the same your father yelled “Not you! You animal! I should never have brought you home! Useless, only for the work I keep you! Out with you!” He yelled making your flinch.
Heathcliffs jaw clenched in anger. He stared at you until you nodded for him to go, wanting him to stay out of trouble. He reluctantly left, his eyes staying on you until he left, closing the door.
“Thank god that animal is gone. You ought to stay away from him daughter. I thought you could mold him into a gentleman” Your father sighed, gulping down the rest of his wine.
“He-He is a gentleman father” your small voice croaked.
Your father gaze sharpened as he slammed his cup down making you jump in your seat “Is that cheek you give me, daughter?”
As he stood and began to walk over to you, you nodded your head no vigorously “I-No father, forgive me!”
Your father smiled in satisfaction, placing a hand on your chair. “Of course not, my daughter would do no such thing”
As his hand reached your shoulder you bit your lip to trying to hold in your tears. You could smell the alcohol on him.
Your throat tightened as his hand began to move down your chest, until it reached your covered breast making you jump out of your seat “Father! What…what are you doing?! You cried in fear, taking steps backwards.
He only scowled, following your steps to reach you again “you remind me of your mother..quiet..obedient” he said, his hands grabbing your hips harshly and turning you to push you against the table.
You screamed, tears falling down your cheeks. However as soon as you felt his hands on you, you felt someone pull them off. Turning quickly you say Heathcliff yanking your father off you.
He began to punch and kick the old man while you stood there afraid. Your arms hugged yourself as you watched Heathcliff attack the man “Heathcliff stop….i want to go” You cried.
Heathcliff, who had blood on his knuckles, stared down at your father with a dangerous look in his eyes. “Go near her again old man, and I swear I shall see to it you will reside with the worms in the soil” with that he kicked the man’s side one last time began leading your out of the room.
_
After an hour of your crying in his arms, Heathcliff had finally consoled you enough to hold you in his arms without you breaking down. You lay on his bed in the stable. It was a comforting place for you.
It was Heathcliff as a place.
Your head was on his chest, your eyes closed and your breathing slow. Heathcliff that you were asleep. His hand played with the ends of your brown hair that cascaded down your back.
He whispered sweet nothings in your ear. Until he suddenly said “I love you, more than day and night combined, and in death my love shall haunt your very being”
Your eyes opened then and his lips parted slightly, as he had only confessed his love to you believing you to be dreamily happily.
Though you did feel as though you were dreaming.
“Forgive me I…..I..” Heathcliff whispered.
You only stared up at him in shock, before lifting your head off of his chest. “You love me?….”
He met your eyes and nodded “More than I can begin to express. Ever since you found me under that bed my heart has been yours…that you must know”
You smiled fondly “Then you in return must know…I love you entirely too much for my own good. You are my soul and heart personified Heathcliff” you admitted in a passionate whisper.
Heathcliff did not waste another moment, and leaned in to connect your lips. One may believe the kiss would be rough. He was a rough young man, raised in hatred.
But when it came to you he grew soft inside.
He pulled apart only to whisper “I belong to you only”
You smiled with tears in your eyes “And I you”
_
