#lewis fic

[greenapricot]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Now Complete!

Title: The last place we left off - Chapter 10 Author: greenapricot Fandom: Lewis Characters: Robbie Lewis, James Hathaway, Laura Hobson, Duncan Hunter (epistolarily) Pairing: James Hathaway/Robbie Lewis, Laura Hobson/Robbie Lewis Rating: Explicit (overall, teen for this chapter) Word count: 3861 (of 40k) Chapter: 10 of 10 Warnings: None

After another round of email back and forth, James does speak to Moody on the phone. Moody makes his disappointment abundantly clear, doing his best to convince James to reconsider resigning, but James won’t be swayed, and he doesn’t apologise. He feels some remorse for his fellow officers’ sake—leaving Oxford CID down an inspector, creating more work for everyone who remains—but he’s not sorry he’s staying in New Zealand. He’s not sorry his life will no longer revolve around dead bodies and 5:00 am callouts and the worst of humanity.

Despite James’ assurance that he is finished with the police and has already put his resignation letter in the post, Moody puts him on an extended leave of absence until he returns to Oxford—In the event that you come to your senses and reassess your priorities in the intervening months. It is gratifying that Moody values his skills as a detective so much that he would resort to such tactics to try to keep him on, but not near enough for James to consider changing his mind.

He has made his intentions clear; if Moody doesn’t believe he’s going to follow through, that’s on him. James may have handed in his resignation before, only for it not to stick, but this time is different. This time, he has a plan and a career change forthcoming. This time, he has Robbie in all the ways he always dreamt of, altogether separate from work. When he’s back in Oxford, he’ll hand-deliver another copy of his resignation letter to Moody, make it undeniably official. But as far as James is concerned, he is no longer a police officer, regardless of whether his name is on the rolls of Oxford CID.

The last place we left off - Chapter 10 on Ao3

[greenapricot]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Title: The last place we left off - Chapter 8 Author: greenapricot Fandom: Lewis Characters: Robbie Lewis, James Hathaway, Laura Hobson, Duncan Hunter (epistolarily) Pairing: James Hathaway/Robbie Lewis, Laura Hobson/Robbie Lewis Rating: Mature Word count: 3166 (of ~36k) Chapter: 8 of 10 Warnings: None

When James and Robbie arrive at the house with their farmer’s market purchases, Laura is there waiting for them.

“Did you have a good morning?” she asks as they come through the door holding carrier bags instead of each other’s hands.

“Yes,” James says, his cheeks heating.

“Indeed,” Robbie adds, colour rising on his cheeks as well.

James ducks his head, smiles at Robbie and takes the bags from him, giving himself a reason to turn away from Laura’s mischievous grin. When he turns around again after putting things in the refrigerator, Laura is in Robbie’s arms. They are smiling at each other, and James feels nothing but fond; not a single pang of guilty jealousy or longing anywhere in evidence.

The last place we left off - Chapter 8 on Ao3

[greenapricot]

The last place we left off - Chapter 5 - greenapricot - Lewis (TV) [Ao3]

Title: The last place we left off - Chapter 5 Author: greenapricot Fandom: Lewis Characters: Robbie Lewis, James Hathaway, Laura Hobson, Duncan Hunter (epistolarily) Pairing: James Hathaway/Robbie Lewis, Laura Hobson/Robbie Lewis Rating: Mature Word count: 4815 (of ~36k) Chapter: 5 of 10 Warnings: None

James’ first thought when he wakes is that he kissed Robbie.

He kissed Robbie.

And Robbie kissed him.

He takes a deep breath, lets the truth of it sink in, smiles up at the ceiling.

Only a hint of light is filtering through the gap in the curtains. It’s early on his second morning in New Zealand and at some point in the near future, he will get to kiss Robbie again. Robbie who is right now asleep in bed beside Laura on the other side of the wall. Robbie who maybe, possibly, would invite James into that bed with Laura’s blessing.

And that’s… It’s hard to wrap his mind around. There are possibilities now where for years there have been nothing but fantasies, there is something to reach for that he may even be able to hold onto once he’s got it. He spent so many years trying to come to terms with the fact that Robbie would never want anything more from him than friendship, sometimes doubting even that. The possibility that Robbie could have romantic feelings for him, that Robbie would want to kiss him, would want more than that. It was a pipe dream, a castle in the sky, an impossibility.

It shouldn’t be possible, this is not the sort of thing that happens to James Hathaway. But there was no denying the look of love on Robbie’s face last night, the tenderness of his touch. The way Robbie kissed him, held him.

The last place we left off - Chapter 5 on Ao3

[greenapricot]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Title: The last place we left off - Chapter 7 Author: greenapricot Fandom: Lewis Characters: Robbie Lewis, James Hathaway, Laura Hobson, Duncan Hunter (epistolarily) Pairing: James Hathaway/Robbie Lewis, Laura Hobson/Robbie Lewis Rating: Mature Word count: 3863 (of ~36k) Chapter: 7 of 10 Warnings: None

Sunlight is filtering through the closed curtains when James blinks awake, proper fully bright sunlight. Apparently, the cure for jet lag is Robbie Lewis. They fell asleep curled up together, James’ back to Robbie’s warm chest, Robbie’s arm wrapped around him as he pressed gentle kisses between his shoulder blades. James can’t remember the last time he felt so content.

The other side of the bed is empty now, blankets mussed, a dent in the pillow where Robbie’s head had been. An echo of his night with Duncan, but James and Robbie have so far only done the sleeping part of sleeping together.

Through the ceiling, the faint sound of two sets of footsteps is audible; Robbie and Laura are both up. James tries not to read anything into the fact that Robbie is upstairs with Laura, not still in bed with him, and rolls over to pick up his mobile from the bedside table. He hasn’t touched it since he turned it off after yesterday’s regrettable conversation with Duncan.

He switches it on to a flurry of buzzing as text after email after missed call after voicemail comes in. Three emails from Moody, two missed calls, a voicemail, and a series of increasingly concerned texts from Lizzie. Shit. With everything else, responding to Moody had been the furthest thing from his mind.

The last place we left off - Chapter 7 on Ao3

[greenapricot]

The last place we left off - Chapter 6 - greenapricot - Lewis (TV) [Ao3]

Title: The last place we left off - Chapter 6 Author: greenapricot Fandom: Lewis Characters: Robbie Lewis, James Hathaway, Laura Hobson, Duncan Hunter (epistolarily) Pairing: James Hathaway/Robbie Lewis, Laura Hobson/Robbie Lewis Rating: Mature Word count: 2959 (of ~36k) Chapter: 6 of 10 Warnings: None

After dinner, they end up on the sofa in the same configuration as the night before; James in the corner with Robbie next to him and Laura on Robbie’s other side. Tonight, Laura doesn’t switch on the telly, she curls her legs under her and turns sideways on the cushions, facing them with an expectant look.

“So,” she says, eyebrows raised as she sips her wine.

Despite the conversation he and Robbie had on the path earlier, James isn’t any more prepared to talk about this now than he was last night. He sighs and picks up his glass, gives the wine a couple of swirls, then takes a sip. It is the same delicious local Pinot they had yesterday, bright and fruity but not too sweet. He sighs again.

Robbie rests his hand on James’ leg just above the knee, gives him a squeeze. “Go on, lad.” His tone is gentle, encouraging. James looks down into his glass again and moves a fraction of an inch closer, pressing his thigh to Robbie’s.

“We don’t need anything from you,” Laura says, also gentle, also encouraging, and James is grateful while also wishing he could get himself to spit it out already without needing so much coddling. “This is about what you want. If you want things to stay as they are, that’s fine with us.”

Trouble is, things as they are are already not as they are.

The last place we left off - Chapter 6 on Ao3

[greenapricot]

The last place we left off - Chapter 4 - greenapricot - Lewis (TV) [Ao3]

Title: The last place we left off - Chapter 4 Author: greenapricot Fandom: Lewis Characters: Robbie Lewis, James Hathaway, Laura Hobson, Duncan Hunter (epistolarily) Pairing: James Hathaway/Robbie Lewis, Laura Hobson/Robbie Lewis Rating: Mature Word count: 2885 (of ~35k) Chapter: 4 of 10 Warnings: None

They take a different path back to the car, a longer trail that loops closer to the sea, lingering over the view, holding hands when the trail is wide enough to allow it. It feels right in a way few other things in James’ life ever have, as if this, of all things, is where he was headed all along, though he couldn’t see the way through all the twists and turns.

By the time they make it back to the house, footsore and hungry and content, Laura is there waiting for them.

“You talked,” she says from the sofa when they come through the door. James is about to ask how she knew when she nods at their hands. He looks down to see his fingers twined with Robbie’s; he doesn’t remember taking his hand again after they took off their boots. Somehow in the past few hours, holding hands with Robbie has become automatic, easy, something he does without thinking.

“Sorry.” James lets go of Robbie and steps away.

“Don’t be.” Laura smiles, putting her book down on the sofa and walking over to them. “Good talk, then?”

“Aye,” Robbie says. James nods.

“I’m glad.” She rests her hand on James’ arm, smiling up at him—not unlike the way she did in the airport two months ago when she thanked him for encouraging Robbie to come to New Zealand with her in the first place. “What have you decided?”

The last place we left off - Chapter 4 on Ao3

[greenapricot]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Title: The last place we left off - Chapter 2 Author: greenapricot Fandom: Lewis Characters: Robbie Lewis, James Hathaway, Laura Hobson, Duncan Hunter (epistolarily, but not in this chapter) Pairing: James Hathaway/Robbie Lewis, Laura Hobson/Robbie Lewis Rating: Mature Word count: 3262 (of ~32k) Chapter: 2 of 9 Warnings: None

“How was Shetland, anyway?” Robbie asks when they reach a level section of trail wide enough for them to walk side by side. “Besides being less pointy than here.”

“Pleasant.” As soon as the word is out of his mouth, James realises he isn’t sure how to describe his time in Shetland without saying more about his state of mind after Robbie left than he’s ready to reveal. “Beautiful in an understated way. It felt like discovering something, being let in on a secret.” James shrugs. “Being there was calming, the wind and the landscape, it felt…”

Robbie looks up at him and James doesn’t know how to continue the sentence, to put to words the strange freedom he’d found walking alone across the moors and along cliff edges, doing things only at his own whim. Walking the Camino had been different, he never found the peace there that he found in Shetland, possibly because he had too many expectations of what he should find. In Shetland, he’d had none and he’d found just what he needed.

“Another pilgrimage?” Robbie asks. Two years ago, James would have taken that as a dig, an admonishment, but now he can see it’s nothing but what it is; Robbie’s genuine curiosity about what James has been up to since they last saw each other.

“The first one wasn’t a pilgrimage either,” James says, but there’s no bite to it.

The last place we left off - Chapter 2 on Ao3

[greenapricot]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

I've been working on this, the sequel to Lead me wild to dark roads, on and off for more than 3 years and I'm so happy to finally be at the point where I can start posting. Featuring my two favorite things to write, detailed descriptions of landscapes and forcing emotionally stunted English men to talk about their feelings.

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Title: The last place we left off - Chapter 1 Author: greenapricot Fandom: Lewis Characters: Robbie Lewis, James Hathaway, Laura Hobson, Duncan Hunter (epistolarily) Pairing: James Hathaway/Robbie Lewis, Laura Hobson/Robbie Lewis Rating: Mature Word count: 5213 (of ~31k) Chapter: 1 of 9 Warnings: None

“When you were in Shetland?” Robbie glosses over the fact that James has admitted he had a fling with a man. But then, if Robbie knows how James feels about him, he must be aware of a few other things as well.

“When I got your email,” James looks up at Robbie, casual as he can manage, though it’s a struggle not to smile at the wide-eyed, incredulous look Robbie’s giving him.

“The day before yesterday?”

James gives up trying to suppress his grin. “Yeah.” If the hug in the airport hadn’t been worth thirty hours of air travel, watching the contours of Robbie’s face as he pieces together what James is saying would be.

“But you’d have to…”

“I came here directly. I was on a walking holiday.”

“You cut your holiday short?”

James shakes his head. “Extended it, actually. Bit of a last minute decision. Sent Moody an email from Heathrow and haven’t looked at my work inbox since, but I can’t imagine he’s happy with me.”

“James,” Robbie says, concern colouring his voice. “Are you all right?” His hand moves on the table as if he’s about to reach for James, then stops. He picks up his coffee mug.

“Yeah,” James replies reflexively. He meets Robbie’s still concerned gaze and lets the love he feels for the man wash over him. “I really am. More than I have been in a long time.”

The last place we left off - Chapter 1 on Ao3