For Emelia and Richard - 14, 16, 18, 20. (You can pick and choose if you want!)
send me a ship and one of these and i’ll write a mini fic: Accepting
14. things you said after you kissed me:
Act natural. Act natural, I kept thinking to myself as we collided with the bustling crowd of The Floating Market. Door wasn’t kidding when she told me how after all of that angel business, and what with me slaying The Beast of London Below, I would occasionally find myself being tailed by some… Rather shadowy characters to say the least. This was one of those times.– Two men dressed in an almost caricature-esque Noir outfits, complete with the trench coats and all. Of course they had to find me when you were around. Just our luck, right?
My mind was buzzing. My hand clutched yours as you lead me about the Market. I had no idea where we were going, and neither did you, but we had to keep moving. We had to keep going. Keep calm. Act natural. Keep calm. Breathe. Keep going.– Shite. There they come. They don’t seem to see us as they weave their way through the crowd. We’re dead. I whisper to you how I felt like I was gonna be sick and how we had to turn around. But you knew best. You always knew best.
Before I knew it you whisked me off and pinned me against the nearby wall. Your lips pressed against mine. You tasted of apples and wine. I could feel my heartbeat settle as my breathing shallowed. As your kiss deepened my eyelids began to heavy as my curious hands began to wander upon the valley of your back and within the confines of your hair. This was probably the worse time, but it was then I realised…. You were a damn good kisser.
“Okay they’re gone,” you whispered as you pulled your lips away from mine. I didn’t even have time to catch my breath yet. When you turned back to face me I could see that cheeky smile of yours dimple upon your face. It was contagious. I couldn’t help, but smile with you. “Feeling better?”
16. things you said with no space between us:
I couldn’t sleep that night. Despite us being within the safe walls of The Black Friar’s monastery I could still feel my hands shaking. I was alone in my room, but I would find myself looking over my shoulder at each and every sound I heard. I tried throwing cold water in my face, downing glasses of water, and tossing and turning and bed- well, more like staring up at the ceiling- but the voices still echoed in my mind; and whenever I shut my eyes I would see images of Islington, Father Abbess and his contorted smile projected on the back of my eyelids, but most of all I would hear your screams. Your screams were enough to make my heart stop.
I know Friars told me that I took a nasty hit from The Night and that fragments of The Night’s nightmares may still be lodged in the crevices of my mind, and that they will fade in time, but can’t they fade faster? I feel drained. A tiredness runs through the sinews of my muscles. It digs its way into my bare bones with its jagged claws.– I can only imagine what you feel like, having to absorb all of that Night all the while fighting for your life. I can only imagine… I can’t stay here. I had to see you. I had to-
My head perked up at the sound of light knocking on my room’s door. The second I opened it I felt my shoulders relax when I saw you. You looked pale. Paler than usual. Your bright eyes were looking right at me. You parted your lips as if about to explain why you were here, but instead said nothing. It’s alright. I knew exactly why you came over. The nightmares were eating me too. Just then I noticed your lip begin to quiver. A weary smile pulled at the corners of my lips as I tasted my own salty tears. A breathless huff of a laugh escaped you. And with just a look I knew you and I were thinking the same thing: ‘We did it. I thought I lost you, but I didn’t. We did it.’
Closing the gap between us you buried your head into my chest as I wrapped my arms around your slender figure. Within the safe walls of The Black Friar’s monastery we said nothing in the dark. Instead, we held each other for…. I’m not even sure how long that was now that I think about it; held each other for countless digits without a single ounce of selfishness. Your body shivered in my arms. I simply pulled you closer before kissing your hair.
“I love you, Richard Mayhew.”
18. things you said when you were scared:
So… Here we are. After hours of endless bickering. After months of traversing the Underside. After months of endless banter. After months of dancing by the Thames. After months of cleaning up the collections of scrapes and bruises from one another. After months of… everything, you and I stand at the front of your flat. It’s felt like a hundred years.
As the days got closer the thought of you losing any memories of me and London Below continued to pop in my mind. It made my stomach drop and my guts queazy just thinking about it. You always told me not to worry whenever I voiced my fears to you, this one in particular, but now fear is all you had. I could see it in your face with the way you were biting your lip.
The portal would close at any moment. Sunset was almost over. Bells would toll and the night would come, yet you continued to stare at the front door of your building, your eyes wide. You looked at it as if you were about to face a dragon. I called your name, but you continued to say nothing. Time was of the essence. The key given to you by The Friars remained in the palm of your hand. You were clutching it so tightly I thought I saw the tips of your fingers go completely red.
“I-… I can’t do this,” you finally croaked. “I wish we had more time….”
We didn’t. We had three minutes to be exact before the thin barrier between Below and Above would unravel forever.
20. things you said that i wasn’t meant to hear:
“Some warrior he is. Infuriating is more like it!” I could hear you say as you fumed at the shop keeper. I held back, hid behind the nearby wall. I didn’t want to see you and obviously you didn’t want to see me.
“Infuriating?” I could hear the shop keeper ask in confusion. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Richard Mayhew? He’s The Warrior of London Below! He’s the slayer of The Great Beast. He helped The Lady Door banish a fallen angel into oblivion.”
“Yeah? Well I wish he chucked himself in with that bloody angel. Rid us all of his stupidity.”
I could feel my jaw tighten and my hands ball into fists. I heard enough. You were going off on some other tangent now, but I didn’t want to stick around for it. Not caring if you saw me or not, I marched off without even bothering to look back.
