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obsessivestar · 25 days

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'What If It's All A RomCom?' - A Ted Nivison X Reader

{{-Ooooh we gettin' juicy in Chapter 5 folks, next one might be a lil' spicy ;^))). If you wanna catch up on how we got here, I'd recommend starting at Chapter 1 and go from there! All old *AND* new Chapters will always be linked at the very bottom ♡ Thanks so much for bein' here and enjoy! :^) -}}

//General Warnings: 18+ fic, Reader implied to be afab and under 5'5.

Chapter Warnings: Heavy language, implied sexual thoughts ig

Word count: 4.6k\\

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@k-k0129 & @callsign-scully

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Chapter 5: You're Going To Be Trouble.

The rest of that day on set was spent filming a few more scenes with the extras. I found it a little strange at this point that we had filmed almost nothing with some of the main characters. Turns out, some of the extras could only be up here for the first week, so Tanner was getting all of the filming done with them first. It was fine by me, I needed a little break after that first kiss anyway.

God, that first kiss.

We did too much, I know we did, but...I can't say I regret it. Not at all. Ted was a better kisser than I was expecting. Suddenly, I find myself wanting to be one of 'the homies' he claims to smooch up so much. Truthfully, I know I shouldn't be feeling this way. Joseph seems to be cool with the idea of Ted and I fooling around now, but maybe he wasn't wrong before. I couldn't relax for the kissing scene until we were alone, and then I practically jumped on him. Tanner admitted it wasn't what he was expecting, but he liked it anyhow. Still, these feelings are starting to affect my job. What even are these feelings?

They could just be coming from the film, right? What if this isn't real? Or even worse, what if it IS real? Ted seemed to be struggling just as much with that kiss, not to mention all that flirting. Does he feel this tension as harshly as I do? What if we do find some twisted way to sleep together? What happens when it's a wrap on the whole film?

What if we have to part ways?

What if I don't want to?

I lay awake at night, staring up at the ceiling like I had done yesterday, once again thinking about Ted. All of these thoughts are racing through my mind, and I can't properly grasp any of them. When I close my eyes, I just see Ted kissing me. I feel his hands around my waist, I feel his stubble against my fingertips, his lips refusing to part from mine, his implied desire to go further, 'be louder'. I take a deep breath, breathing out through my mouth to calm myself. Even if all I do is kiss the guy for the next 2 and a half weeks, I'll be thinking about it every night. I know I will.

I wake the next morning to the sound of a lot of people moving around downstairs. Many members of the film crew were searching the entire living room. Some had lifted up the sofa, some were looking around the kitchen, moving cameras, practically pulling the place apart. I could see Tanner, Joseph, and Dan were helping out, Joe especially. He seemed upset.

"Is there a fucking bomb somewhere in the house?" I asked with a chuckle, coming down the stairs to walk to Joe. "What's happened?"

"Your clothes are gone." Joe admits with a frown, rummaging through some of the kitchen cupboards. He must've been desperate if he was looking through the kitchen for clothes.

"Uh...no they're not?" I furrow my brows in confusing, gesturing upstairs. "They're...in my room, I just changed."

"No no no no, the ones I brought. Your film wardrobe. They're just--they're just gone." Joe groans, closing some of the kitchen cabinets. Uh oh. That's over half of my clothes for this trip. My personal suitcase was way smaller than the one Joe had brought and had barely a week's worth of clothes in it. We had spent days getting all of those other outfits together for 'Kara', and I was supposed to take it all home when the film wrapped. Everything I was going to wear for the next 2 and a half weeks were gone.

"Alright, we've checked...literally everywhere. I even went outside.." Ted approached Joe and I, wearing a baby blue t-shirt and some brown slacks kept up by a nice black belt. I believe this fit was one of his own. I could tell. Ted had a nice sense of style. "I didn't leave it outside." Joe huffs, crossing his arms as he leans back against the kitchen counter. "It was down here by the kitchen, away from the camera's, in a bag."

"...It was in a bag?" Tanner asks from across the room, stretching his neck out a bit so he could see us. "Yeah, the suitcase I had it in fucking broke when I brought it upstairs last night, so I had to put it all in a bag until our hangers came in." Joe explained, running his fingers through his hair. "I couldn't drag it up the stairs by myself so I left it in here."

Tanner frowned, coming over to join the 3 of us in the kitchen. "What kind of bag?" Tanner asked with a nervous smile, gesturing his hands out in front of Joe.

"I had to throw them in--" I see realization hit Joe like a ton of bricks, his expression changing from frustration to near anguish. "I'm a fucking idiot."

"What?" Tanner frowns again. "You're not an idiot."

"I'm an absolute fucking idiot."

"Why?"

"Tanner?"

"Yeah?

"Did the garbage get taken out today?"

"Yeah."

"The garbage was her clothes."

"...OH..."

Joe places both of his hands over his face and moves his finger up into his hair to pull at it with another groan, a frustrated smile and a chuckle leaving him. I honestly felt pretty guilty, even if I had nothing to do with this. Maybe if I hadn't been the first to turn in for the night, I would've been able to offer to put the bag in my room.

"How many outfits we talkin'?" Ted asks, placing his hands on his shoulders. "Like...10? I think?" Joe answers, shaking his head and swallowing thickly, making an audible 'gulp' noise. "I don't know man--I'm just--I'm overwhelmed. I'm fucking sorry."

"No no, it's okay, we can fix this.." Ted speaks to Joe in a comforting tone, holding his hands out with his palms pointed to the ground. "We're literally 5 minutes away from the city, we can get new clothes, right?" Ted asks, turning his wrists in a little shrug.

"I'm not letting either of you front any of those costs." Joe replied, shaking his head. "Oh, they don't have to." Tanner chimes in, looking at Joe. "I got an emergency credit card literally for when something like this was gonna happen."

"Emergency credit card?" I repeated, furrowing my brows again.

"Yeah, it's got a little under a thousand in it right now." Tanner explained, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his worn leather wallet. "I signed up for it a couple weeks ago just in case we needed it. My instructor recommended it."

Joe and I look at each other and I smile at him. I see a sense of relief wash over his body, but he's still a little reluctant. "Tanner, I--I don't want to spend a thousand of your money because of my fuck up."

"See, that's the best part: It's technically not my money. It's the school's." Tanner smiled, pointing at Joe. "As long as it's related to this film and I can prove it was an emergency, they cover it."

Joe gives a humorous smirk and shrugs. "OK that's different, I'm OK spending your school's money." He chuckles, getting a laugh from Tanner.

After informing everyone to stop the search, the 4 of us have a talk and agree to split up for the day. Tanner and Joe will stay here and take the time to get some of the last solo shots with the extras done and over with, and Ted and I will head out in his Tacoma once again to go outfit shopping. In reality, Joe could've been the one to go with me, but he lied about wanting to watch Tanner be a director. I know he was lying because he winked at me as Ted was busy putting a long sleeved brown shirt on. It was meant to be a little chilly today anyways.

As soon as we stepped out, it was just Ted and I once again.

After pulling out of the driveway, we're once again on the road to head into the city. It's a Friday, so the roads are a bit more packed than usual. At one point we even ran into some traffic, which caused Ted and I to start an out of the blue conversation detailing interesting facts about each other. I had told him a few interesting things about myself, but boy did I feel boring compared to him. He told me all about some of the things he had done for YouTube content, like his trips to the Rainforest Café and Margaritaville with Eddy, his 400mg Nerd Rope incident, when he watched all the barbie movies, all of It. Anything I said, he'd immediately upstage me. But the one thing; the one thing that surprised me about him the most was...

"Your whole name is Theodore?"

I turn my head to look at Ted as he kept his eyes on the road, or more like on the still SUV at the red light in front of us. "Theodore Nivison.."

"Junior, too. I'm the sequel." Ted grins, glancing at me for a moment. "I almost introduced myself to you as 'Theo', actually, but I figured Tanner had already told you about me."

"Oh yeah, that would've made you sound even more like a prick."

"Well, see, I had this idea that I needed to be charming, but now I see you're a fucking wench, so.."

"Wench!?" I start laughing, tilting my head back. This mother fucker. He does not need to be this funny. He can't be handsome and funny. It isn't fair. "You're a fucking tool, Theodore"

"Oh I hate hearing my full name in your voice." Ted cringes playfully. "Don't do that."

"I'm gonna start calling you Theodore now."

"Please, don't. I'll take 'Theo' and 'Teddy', those are fine."

"I thought you didn't like Teddy?" I make my voice sound a little higher and lean my arm against the storage compartment between us, batting my eyelashes at Ted. He turns his head to look at me and say something, but he pauses. Our faces are close again and I think I see him blush for a moment, but he rolls his eyes and turns his head away to look out the front window again. "I don't mind it from you."

"Awe, Theodore! You do care!"

I'm giggling to myself in the passenger seat as the light turns green, adjusting myself so I'm fully seated. Ted gives me playful smacks on the arm before he starts driving again, pestering me to be quiet as he drives. I'm lightly whacking at his hand whenever he tries to pester me, giggling like an absolute fool. I just love messing with him. I absolutely love messing with him.

We drove around for a little bit, trying to decide where to go to get these clothes. We didn't want to spend hours and hours going from store to store and we certainly didn't intend to max out Tanner's card, even if it wasn't his money. Ted mentioned that he usually just goes to Old Navy, so we settled on there. The closest Old Navy was in a strip mall, so we had to find a parking spot and walk around inside for a little bit just to get to it. A lot of the smaller stores we passed by were either completely empty or closed down entirely, yet there were a lot of people walking around just for the food court. Valid.

"You wanna get lunch after?" I ask Ted, glancing up at him as we walk. He's so tall. "You askin' me out?" He remarks with a smirk. "I'm asking if you're hungry. I'm hungry."

"...Yeah, I could eat, but not here." Ted agreed with a little shrug, slipping his hands in his pockets. "I'll take us somewhere better later."

"Not the Rainforest."

"...Alright, but you're no fun."

We spend the entire late morning and half of the afternoon together in that mall. The entire time we're joking with each other and laughing together. It felt like it did on the very first day when we had to get breakfast: little to no tension, just good vibes and even better chemistry. As much as I enjoyed getting weak in the loins by his charming looks and deep voice, I also enjoyed just casually getting along with him. I enjoyed having this friendship

This friendship has A LOT of sexual tension in it, but still, I like being his friend.

I had tried on a TON of clothes at that Old Navy. Turns out, not a bad place to shop. They had some sort of flash sale going on, so we got a lot more than just 10 simple outfits. Even Ted had decided to buy a new shirt, letting me help him decide between a few before we'd pay for our stuff and leave. We took a lot of photos, too. At one point, Ted had completely underestimated if whether or not a shirt would fit me. I came out of the dressing room with it about half on. It barely covered my bra and completely showed my midrift. There was no way I was able to pull it down, I looked like an overgrown toddler. I looked ridiculous, but man, were we laughing about it. At another point, we accidentally took the long way back around to the entrance we came in from, so we passed by a fairly busy Victoria's Secret. Ted sneakily moved over to a full set of pink lingerie and held it up to his body, gesturing over at me with a humorous smirk.

"You're not buying that for me." I snicker, crossing my arms at me. "It's for me, bitch!" Ted remarks with a cringey, feminine lisp, hooking the lingerie back up where it belonged to scurry back to me before being seen. I laughed hard enough for my voice to start echoing across the mall. Everything he did today was making me laugh. Even when we were leaving the mall and I realized Sweet Escape was playing, Ted was making me laugh with his...unique idea of dancing. Maybe he liked making me laugh, I don't know. I wasn't complaining.

We get back to Ted's tacoma just before it starts raining. Ted has to rush to throw all of the new clothes in the backseat before he can get in, some of the rainwater weighing down his tall hair a little as he sits down in the driver's seat and closes his door with a huff.

"Look at us, getting caught in the rain." I grin at Ted, watching as he ran his fingers through his now damp hair. "Yeah, super romantic, I'm sure.". Ted playfully scoffed, starting up his truck to pull out of the mall parking lot. He'd drive a little slower once the rain would pick up, keeping his eyes on the road. This particular drive was quiet, but that changed once we parked by the restaurant we were planning to get lunch at.

"No way am I walking in that.." Ted speaks, taking his seatbelt off so he can relax back against his seat. "I don't think it'll last much longer." I reply, taking my seatbelt off as well. "It's probably just a passing storm. We can just kill time.." I lean forward to look up through the front window, trying to see how dark the clouds above us are.

"That works, got a question for you anyway." Ted spoke, shifting his body a little so he could face me more comfortably. I gesture at him to let him ask his question, checking my phone's weather app to see how long the storm was estimated to last.

"Why couldn't you kiss me yesterday?"

I stop scrolling through the weather app to look at Ted, raising a brow at him with a smirk. "From what I can remember, I had no problems kissing you yesterday.."

"Yeah, once we were alone." Ted smirks at me, tilting his head a little when I didn't give an immediate answer. I stare back at him for a moment before adjusting in my seat to face him more, leaning a bit against the storage space between us once again. "You couldn't kiss me either." I smirk back at him, squinting a little as if to examine him. "You're the one that said you could kiss the--"

"Yeah I know what I said, 'pretty lady' I know. I know." Ted interrupted me, holding his hand up in between us. "I'm asking you, I have my own reasons."

"And what reasons are there?"

"I'm asking you, princess. Don't dodge around it."

"No no no, now you've got me curious."

"I don't fucking care what I've got you, I'm not telling you shit until--"

"You're the one that was supposed to give the tell, Ted."

Ted and I lock eyes once again, my smirk turning into a knowing smile. It's true. All of those nerves? Ted technically started it. At first, Ted was too nervous to give the tell on camera so Tanner wanted us to do a practice kiss. That's where I was personally messing up.

"Why couldn't you kiss me, Theo~?"

Without even realizing, my eyes linger down to his quaint blush toned lips, quickly darting my eyes back up to meet his once more. Did he notice? I hope to god he didn't notice. I had been thinking about that first kiss for nearly an hour last night, but being alone with Ted makes me think about it again. My stomach feels fluttery just looking into his eyes. I have to hold back the urge to giggle anytime he smiles at me. Part of me even wants to kiss him right now.

Ted's silent smirk turns into a charming smile, raising his chin a little.

"...I don't think it needs to be said at this rate, does it?" Ted finally responds, his eyes seemingly searching my face. That certainly isn't going to help the butterflies in my stomach, but it's the closest thing I'm probably going to get to a clear answer about Ted's feelings, at least for now.

"Well...I guess we're both disappointments, then." I say, resting my chin on my hand.

"Guess so.." Ted shrugs lightly, keeping his gaze on mine. I glance at his neck before looking at his face again.

"You're going to be trouble for me, aren't you?" I ask in a gentle voice.

"I kinda hope so, yeah." He grins back at me, lowering his chin to fully meet my gaze. "That's what I'm goin' for."

The sun's harsh rays slowly move over to practically light up the inside of the truck, revealing that the storm had finally passed. I wonder what would've happened if that storm had lasted just a little bit longer. I probably would've kissed him. God, I wanted to kiss him.

Ted and I finally exit his Tacoma to go inside and grab some lunch, deciding to dine-in despite knowing we had been out longer than anticipated. I brought this up to Ted, but he assured me Tanner wouldn't care. I'm starting to think Tanner and Joe are trying to set us up. Even as Ted and I sit at our booth and continue to talk casually about ourselves, I get a sense that Ted and I have a timer between us. I don't know what it's counting down to, but either this tension is going to just fizzle out as harmless flirting and we go our separate ways, or it's going to explode in our faces. Yesterday's kiss makes me feel like it's going to be the ladder.

I had a big storm of my own on it's way.

After lunch, Ted and I returned to set with everything we had bought, plus some leftovers for Tanner. Joe and I spent the rest of the evening getting all of the outfits together, making sure to keep them all hung up in my room this time. Next thing I know, the day is over and I'm once again in my room, just looking over social media on my phone. I'm wearing a flowy nightgown to bed tonight with only pajama shorts on underneath, but I'm comfortable, even though it's late. I probably should've put my phone down an hour ago, but it was hard to fall asleep. It sounded like everyone else was out cold, it was dead quiet out there.

Suddenly, there's a knock at my bedroom door.

I look up from my phone, furrowing my brows a little. Who could that be? Joe?

"Yeah?" I ask in a confused tone, resting my phone in my lap.

"Can I come in for a bit?"

Holy fuck

It's Ted.

At my door.

At my fucking door.

"...Why?" I ask, sounding even more befuddled. Ted responds back with something, but I can barely hear him over the door. "Open the door, I can barely hear you."

Ted slowly opens the door, in the same blue shirt he was wearing earlier with some sweatpants on instead and a laptop in his free hand. "Tanner fell asleep in my bed and his door is locked."

"How did Tanner fall asleep in your bed?"

"We were playing Smash Bros on his switch and he--he just conked out, like magic."

As ridiculous as that would sound to the average person, I believed him. Tanner does just fall asleep sometimes. It's funny.

"What does his door being locked have to do with this?" I ask, pointing down.

"Well, I was gonna just take his bed, but I can't get in."

"Uhh-" I let out a nervous chuckle. "You're not fucking sleeping in here, weirdo."

"No, I--keep fucking dreamin', alright? I just need a space to rest my back while I finish this script. I'm sleepin' downstairs."

"Why can't you work downstairs?"

"Because that couch fuckin' sucks. Can I chill here for a bit or not? Like an hour, tops."

I let out an annoyed huff and roll my eyes, patting the empty spot on the bed beside me.

"Thank you." Ted mockingly bows at me before entering the room, closing the door behind him. I scoot a bit further away so he has more room, watching as he sits down next to me and stretches his legs out in front of him, placing his laptop in his lap.

"I don't see how the couch sucks." I shrug, looking down at my phone again. "It was pretty comfortable the other day."

"Oh cool. Can I steal your bed for the night, then? You can take the fuckin' couch." Ted looks over at me with an amusing smirk.

"Oh now you wanna sleep in my bed?"

"Not if you're yappin' in it."

"I wasn't yappin' in it till' you started fuckin' yappin' in it."

"Well now we're both yappin' in it when I need to be yappin' up my fuckin' work, princess. Quit your yappin."

"I'll stop yappin' when you stop yappin'."

"Alright."

"Fine."

"Good."

I let out a huff as I hold back the urge to laugh, but Ted starts laughing quietly, making me start chuckling as well. I shake my head to myself, lightly wiping my eyes.

"God, we never stop, eh?" I chuckled, looking at Ted again. "No, I don't--I don't think we can sometimes." Ted admits with a grin, running his fingers through his hair briefly before returning to his laptop, scrolling through what looked to be a long page of words before moving to the bottom to start typing again. I look back at my phone and smile to myself. I'm so comfortable with this man. It's a little jarring to me sometimes, but I am.

Ted works quietly alongside me for a few minutes. I'm scrolling through Instagram with my audio muted, so the only sounds are Ted's fingers clicking down against his laptop keyboard and the occasional hum that leaves him. After a little while, the clicking stops, and he decides to spark another conversation. Writer's block gets the best of us, I suppose.

"What do you think about filming so far?" Ted asks me, turning his head once again to look at me. I like the way the laptop is illuminating his face. "I've really enjoyed it." I admit with a soft smile, settling my phone down in my lap once more. "I like...how challenging it's been, y'know? I wasn't expecting this to be the easiest thing in the world or anything, but the amount of problems we've had to solve and the anxieties I've had to push through...it's all been fun. I'm having fun."

"Yeah, it's been a ride for sure, so far.." Ted nods at me, lightly licking his bottom lip. "I've liked getting to hang with Tanner and Joe again, I got to meet you, Dan's a little strange at times but I think he's openin' up. I think he's chill. I like this....tight little group we've developed. I like it. Um..."

Ted pauses for a moment, glancing at his computer screen before looking at me again, his eyes searching my face as if he was contemplating something. "Can I be honest for a sec? Just...between you and me?"

I feel those butterflies in my stomach again, meeting his gaze with a gentle blush along my cheeks. He's so dreamy. "Absolutely.." I speak in a soft tone, giving him a little nod as well.

"Who was it that was supposed to be me again? Mason, I mean. Carl?" Ted points at me as he tries to guess Conner's name, shaking his head at himself. "No. Con-Conrad?"

"Conner." I correct him, a giggle escaping me.

"Conner. Thank you." Ted chuckles a little, looking down at his hand for a moment before bringing his soft eyes up to look into mine once more. "I'm...I'm kinda glad he didn't make it up here. No I am. I am glad he...didn't make it."

I'm met with an incredibly genuine smile from Ted, making me smile back with a quiet sigh, as if one of those butterflies in my stomach flew up and out of me. I didn't need to guess what Ted was implying there, I knew. I just knew what he meant, and it was incredibly sweet. Probably might've been the sweetest thing a guy has said to me in a long, long time.

"But don't tell Joe I said that, he'll probably smack me upside the fuckin' head." Ted makes a smacking gesture to his head, getting another flirty giggle out of me. "No worries, I'm great at keeping secrets." I reply with a confident grin.

"Oh are you?"

"100%.."

My gaze lingers on him, my soft smile relaxing as I gaze into his dark, earthy eyes. The lights were off when Ted had initially entered the room, so the only thing really illuminating us were the screen lights of his laptop and my phone, but still, I could take in every detail of his handsome face. His dreamy eyes, the unique curve of his nose, the plucks of his growing stubble, the little moles along his cheek, the small dimples he creates when he smiles, his quaint but inviting lips, the shape of his jaw, all that hair on his head...

"...Did you just look at my lips?"

__________________________________

|| Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 6 (smut) || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10 (smut)

#ted nivison x you #ted nivison fanfiction #ted nivison fanfic #ted nivison x reader #ted nivison #ted nivision #youtuber x reader #youtuber fanfiction #jschlatt #chuckle sandwhich

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thelastspeecher · 4 years

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Best Revenge AU - Finally, Some Ford Content

Ford has been suspiciously absent from all of the ficlets I’ve posted thus far in this AU, and while I’ve talked a bit about his role, I haven’t gone too in depth. So, here, for everyone craving some Best Revenge AU Ford, I’m here to satisfy that craving. Finally, some Ford content. Enjoy.

——————————————————————————————

Ford slowly woke up.

Shit. I stayed the night, didn’t I? He sat up. The man he’d slept with the night before was already up and getting dressed.

“Mornin’.”

“Good morning,” Ford said hesitantly, realizing to his horror that he couldn’t remember the man’s name. “Um…”

“I can make ya some breakfast ‘fore I send ya on yer way,” his one-night-stand said. “I’ve got to check in on my sister first; she’s startin’ a new job today. You can find yer way to the kitchen and make yourself some coffee while I’m talkin’ to her.”

“…Okay,” Ford mumbled. The man finished dressing and left the room. Ford hesitated for a moment before dressing as well. He exited the bedroom.

Which way is the kitchen? Ford chewed on the inside of his cheek and turned left. He followed the hallway down to a living room. One corner of the room had a colored rug, baby toys, and a playpen. He said that he lived with his sister, right? Maybe she has a child. Ford wandered into the adjacent kitchen. His jaw dropped. There was someone sitting at the kitchen table. Someone he recognized.

“Holy shit, Stan?!” Ford said. Stan looked up with a frown.

“Hey, keep it down around Junior.” His eyes widened. “Ford?!”

“I- you-” Ford’s gaze landed on the infant in Stan’s arms, greedily drinking from a bottle of milk. “Is- is that your child?”

“Yeah.” Stan rubbed the back of his neck. “…Sorta.”

“What do you mean by-” Ford started. He was interrupted by the arrival of his one-night-stand.

“Oh, I see ya met my sister’s boyfriend,” he said. Stan groaned loudly.

“Lute. How dark was the nightclub where you found last night’s lay?”

“Didn’t pick him up at a nightclub. Found him at the library when I dropped off books fer Angie,” Lute said cheerfully.

“Look at his face.”

“Hmm?” Lute looked at Ford. He paled. “…Oh.”

“You managed to hook up with my no-good twin,” Stan said. The infant in his arms began to fuss. “Aw, it’s okay Junior,” Stan cooed. “I know, Uncle Ford is scary, especially his face.” Ford crossed his arms.

“We have the same face, Stanley.”

“Since Lute didn’t realize we were related when he picked you up, I don’t agree,” Stan said tartly. Ford sighed. “You better get going before you make Junior even more upset.”

“I’m not going anywhere until I find out what you’ve been up to and why you’re holding an infant that you said is ‘sort of’ yours,” Ford said firmly. Stan scowled.

“Lute, kick him out, will ya?”

“No.”

“Lute-”

“I think it might be good fer the two of ya to reconnect,” Lute said. “Don’t you think the lil bean would like an uncle from yer side?”

“He won’t know what he’s missing.”

“Okay, fine.” Lute smirked. “How do ya think Angie would want ya to act under this circumstance?” Stan glared at him. “You know full well that Angie would want ya to use this opportunity to reunite with yer twin.”

“…Fine.” Stan adjusted his hold on the infant. “Why didn’t you come to the kitchen with Ford, Lute?”

“I wanted to check in on Angie, but she’s still sleepin’.”

“Yeah. Since she’s starting her new job, I figured I’d feed Junior.” Stan grinned down at the infant. “He can’t be happy he’s getting his breakfast from a bottle instead of a boob.” Lute rolled his eyes.

“Crass, Stanley.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

“You catch up with yer twin while I whip up some eggs,” Lute instructed, already opening the fridge. Ford walked over to the table and sat in the chair next to Stan. He peered closely at the infant.

“So…”

“So…” Stan parroted.

“What’s his name?”

“Stanley Junior,” Stan said. He frowned. “Well, he’s not really a Junior, since he’s got his mom’s last name instead of mine. But he’s named after me, so we call him Junior.”

“Ah. And, um, how old is he?”

“Four months.”

“Four months? Are babies supposed to be that small at four months?”

“Doc says he’s definitely smaller than average, but that he can probably catch up pretty quick,” Stan answered. He removed the now empty bottle from Junior’s mouth, then burped him. “He’s a good kid.”

“Is he yours?” Ford asked. Stan set the empty bottle on the table. “You said he ‘sort of’ was.”

“If you were anyone else, I woulda left that part out,” Stan muttered. “I hate your guts, but I’m not used to lying to you.”

“Pardon?”

“Biologically, he’s not mine. He’s my girlfriend’s ex-husband’s. But with how bad things got between Angie and Max, she decided not to tell him about Junior.”

That’s a strange coincidence. Didn’t Max Hillcrest at work recently go through a divorce? What was his wife’s name again?

“I was dating Angie, so I stepped up,” Stan continued with a shrug. “And Angie named her kid after me. I’m the only dad this little bean’s ever known. If things go well, I’ll be the only dad he ever knows.”

“Little bean?”

“That’s what Angie called him while she was pregnant with him. It stuck.” Stan smiled fondly at Junior. “Isn’t that right, bud?” Junior giggled.

“You’re raising another man’s child as your own?” Ford asked, his brain desperately trying to catch up with all he’d been told.

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“I love Angie. I love Junior. Why wouldn’t I?” Stan asked, a hint of a bite to his tone. Junior settled in his arms, smacking his lips happily.

“Fair enough,” Ford said, deciding to back off. Some tension left Stan’s shoulders. “Other than dating pregnant women and taking in their children, what have you been doing since we last spoke?”

“You mean, since Pops kicked me outta the house and you didn’t say anything or use your power to summon me in secret at any point for years,” Stan said flatly. Ford opened and closed his mouth a few times.

“…Yes.” Ford cleared his throat. “When we were younger, I remember you wanting to follow in Mom’s footsteps. I haven’t seen any pyro heroes around here, though.”

“Hold up, what?” Lute asked. The brothers looked over. Lute stared at Stan in shock. “Stanley, you wanted to be a hero when you were a kid?”

“Most supers do. And like Ford said, our mom was a hero. I looked up to her.” Lute was still staring at Stan. Stan sighed. “Obviously I didn’t do that, Gucket.”

“Yer mom is a hero?”

“Retired. What’s with the third degree?”

“You understand why that information is important in our line of work, right?” Lute prompted. “Does Angie know?”

“Duh.”

“Why don’t I?”

“‘Cause I’m not sleeping with you,” Stan snapped. “Even though I’m apparently your type.” Lute turned red.

“Wait.” Ford held up his hands. “Wait. Stanley, am I reading between the lines properly? Are you- are you a villain?”

“Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not,” Stan said. He met Ford’s eyes. “But whether I am or not, you know better than to snitch.” Footsteps sounded. Stan looked over. An exuberant smile broke across his face. “Look who it is! The hot new professor!” Ford looked as well. A young woman stood in the doorway, wearing athletic shorts and a T-shirt she was practically swimming in.

Presumably, it’s one of Stan’s. The woman smiled at Stan.

“I don’t mind it much when ya say it, but I sure hope no one at work calls me that.”

“If any creepy coworkers do, let me know,” Stan said. “I’ll handle it.” The woman grinned viciously.

“Oh, darlin’, ya know I’m fully capable of handlin’ it myself.” Stan grinned back.

“Good point.” He held up Junior. “Junior, say hi to your mama.”

“Aw, he’s too young to talk yet,” the woman cooed. She walked over to Stan, took Junior from him, and sat at the table. “And I don’t know if his first word ‘ll be ‘hi’.” She began to lift her T-shirt.

“Whoa, hey, uh, Ang, you don’t need to whip your boobs out,” Stan said quickly, glancing at Ford in distress. “I fed him while you were sleeping.”

“Oh.”

“Also, we have a guest.”

“Hmm?” The woman lowered her shirt and looked up. “Oh, my apologies.” She smiled at Ford. “My name is Angie McGucket.” Ford felt himself pale.

McGucket?

“Dr. Angie McGucket,” Stan corrected. Angie chuckled.

“Yes, I have a doctorate,” she said. She cocked her head, her eyes boring into Ford. “I’m guessin’ yer Stan’s no-good twin I’ve heard so much about.”

“I- uh-” Ford stammered, still reeling from hearing his ex’s last name dropped so casually.

“Geez, you make it sound like all I do is talk about Ford,” Stan said, rolling his eyes. “That’s wrong. All I do is talk about you and Junior.” Angie laughed.

Angie and Lute do appear to have the same nose as Fiddleford. How could I have been so blind?

“So, Stanford, what brings ya here?” Angie asked.

“I brought him home last night,” Lute said.

“Hmm, that seems out of character fer ya,” Angie said to Ford. She shrugged. “Just goin’ off the stick-in-the-mud that Stan described to me.”

“Why do you keep insulting me?” Ford asked. “This is the first time we’ve met.”

“Maybe, but I also feel like I know ya pretty well,” Angie replied. She bounced Junior in her arms. “Stan took a while to start tellin’ me ‘bout ya, but once he did, he had a lot to say.” She smiled. “Most of it was negative, sure, but some of it was positive.”

“Angie, shouldn’t ya be gettin’ ready fer work?” Lute asked. Angie groaned. “I’ll make ya some nice breakfast while ya dress ‘n whatnot.”

“Ugh. Fine.” Angie handed Junior back to Stan, kissed his cheek, and left the room. Ford coughed politely.

“I, um, I should probably leave,” he said. Lute looked over.

“Ya don’t want to stay fer breakfast?”

“Your sister isn’t the only one who has a shift starting soon.”

“Shift, huh?” Stan said, raising an eyebrow. “Where’s the big shot genius working?”

“Well, uh…” Ford rubbed the back of his neck. “I have been working on my own personal research, but to pay the bills, I’m currently employed as an executive assistant.” Stan snickered.

“Isn’t ‘executive assistant’ just a fancy word for ‘secretary’?” he asked. Ford flushed. “You better get going, then. Whatever doctor’s office you work for definitely needs you manning the front desk.”

“Stanley,” Lute scolded. Ford swallowed his retort.

He’s been remarkably civil, let him be childish for one moment.

“…See you later?” he suggested. Stan froze. “I mean, the fact that we were able to talk without fighting is, I think, a good sign that we can bury the hatchet.”

“Ford.” Stan met Ford’s eyes. “Junior was here the whole time. That’s why I didn’t shout or knock your block off.”

“…Oh,” Ford said softly.

“But…” Stan sighed. “I’m not against making up. Just know that the next time you and I are in the same room, it’s open season if Junior’s not there.”

“Fair enough.” Ford managed a smirk. “I think you’d be surprised by how well I can hold my own now.” Stan rolled his eyes. “Goodbye, Stanley.” Ford leaned over to smile at Junior. Junior stared at him with wide eyes. “Goodbye, Junior.” Junior giggled.

“Bye,” Stan grunted. Ford waved goodbye to Lute and walked out of the house. Beeping sounded from his pager. He pulled it out of his pocket with a sigh. The message made him sigh again.

I swear, I’m the only person who can fix the wifi at work. Everyone else either doesn’t know how or isn’t willing to do one of the secretary’s responsibilities. Ford shook his head. He put his pager away and began the long walk to work. A building full of superheroes and not one of them can unplug a router.

#I've also got another ficlet in the works that involves none other than the legendary Ma Pines herself #but here's some Ford stuff for now. hope it scratches that itch.#Best Revenge AU #Stanford Pines #Lute McGucket #Stanley Pines #Angie McGucket #Stangie Family #Stangie #ficlet #my writing #my stuff #speecher speaks #Junior Pines

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badwolf-in-the-impala · 5 years

Text

~The Edge of Heaven~

Moodboard credit: Myself, @badwolf-in-the-impala. None of the pictures are mine obviously. Only the editing.

Chapter One || Chapter Two ||

A/N: Sorry I suck and took forever to get this posted. I have one too many fics and not enough brain cells to go around lol...anywho, one minor change that I made, after some more writing/character building for James, is I decided on a different Faceclaim for him, so that has been changed in the Moodboard. I decided that Luke Evans ended up being a better fit than Paul Wesley...cause you know, I’m the worlds most indecisive person. But yeah, I’ll stop rambling now. ENJOY! Let me know if you would like to be added to the TAGLIST ^-^. Sorry if this chapter is kinda shitty.

Word Count: 4,669

Pairings: Thomas Shelby x OC

Face-Claims: Emily Rudd as Aurora - ((Luke Evans as James))

Rating: Mature/18+

General Warnings: Spousal abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, violence general Peaky related things...none of which I romanticize, support, or condone by any means.

Chapter Warnings: Controlling spouse. Abuse - physical and verbal. General angst.

--------------------------------------------

Several hours after Aurora and James had returned home from the party, Aurora sat alone in their porcelain, claw-foot tub. Knees tucked into her chest as she rested her chin a top them, trying her best to ignore the throbbing of her freshly bruised left cheek, and the split lower her lip. James’ outburst upon their arrival home having been far greater than she anticipated...and while this hadn’t been a first time occurrence; it was the first one in awhile.

The short drive home had been quiet between the two of them. He was drunk and Aurora could tell by his body language that he was upset with her, even despite his calm demeanor on the outside. But his grip on the steering wheel of their car told a different story. His fingers gripping it so tight, that it caused his knuckles to turn a ghostly shade of white.

Her first mistake upon exiting the car, had been daring to open her mouth in hopes of giving her husband an explanation; and more importantly, to apologize for leaving him while she went gallivanting off around the property with Ada. “I’m sorry abou’ this evenin’, James...really, I didn’ mean to be away for so long while I was with Ada; it was jus’ so nice to see everyone again I lost track of--”

The blow that came from his hand striking her across the face was hard enough to knock Aurora off balance, as it caught her off guard mid-apology. Sending her stumbling backwards as she tripped over the bottom of her dress and collided with the walkway beneath her. The gravel biting into the delicate skin of her forearms and knees, causing her to cry out.

“You shut your Goddamn mouth, you useless fucking Whore! Do you have any idea how much of an embarrassment your behavior was too me, tonight?!” James had roared as he stepped over her, raking an agitated hand through short brown locks of hair, sending it into disarray as he began pacing back and forth, like a lion in a cage, as his temper spiraled out of control. Aurora immediately falling silent as she stared at the ground; cradling her injured cheek carefully as the situation escalated. Not trusting herself enough just yet, to try and get back up on her feet.

“Leave it to my fucking wife, to be the one running around, just like old times, throwing herself at any man who’ll fucking pay attention to her like she’s a Goddamn Harlot! You just can’t fucking help yourself, can you?! CAN YOU?!” He scolded.

“I-It wasn’ like that!” Aurora stuttered, trying to defend herself. “If ye’d jus’ let me explain-”

“I know what I fucking saw, Aurora! Are you trying to say that I’m a liar?!” James fumed as he rounded on her, dark eyes clouded with rage; his voice starting to go hoarse from all the shouting. Aurora shook her head in reply, falling silent as James continued to rebuke her for the behavior she had displayed earlier that evening, and more importantly, for her actions of spending time alone in the presence of another man without his permission.

Eventually, James yanked her up to her feet once he felt his point had been made, before dragging her alongside him by the arm into the house, where he abandoned her in the foyer of their home and locked himself in his study with a bottle of whiskey for the night. But not before delivering one final backhanded slap across her face, the one that left her lower lip swollen and split. Filling her mouth with taste of copper as she forced herself to keep her chin up in an attempt to hold back the tears that threatened to fall, as her husband glared down at her for one more brief moment. His dark eyes filled with such hatred and disgust towards her that it made Aurora wish she could physically disappear.

Thus, how she came to find herself sitting alone in the tub. Door locked and the water turning cold, as she patiently waited for the sounds of his incessant pacing to finally cease so that she could sneak off to bed. Knowing it would be better for her to avoid being caught in her husband's presence a second time that night.

So when the house had finally fallen silent, Aurora climbed out of the tub and toweled herself off; brushing out her dark hair and braiding it, before slipping into her silk nightgown and tiptoeing carefully down to the bedroom that she and her husband rarely shared. Pausing briefly outside the door of James’ study, just to be sure the pacing had actually stopped. Finding only silence coming from within the room as she pressed her ear carefully against the door.

Aurora allowed herself a quiet sigh of relief as she turned and hurried the rest of the way down the hallway and into the bedroom...Locking the door behind herself and crossed the room, climbing into bed and burrowing deep beneath the blankets, into the feather tick mattress, as she closed her eyes.

Her quiet, brokenhearted sobs falling on deaf ears as she lay there, silently wondering to herself where she had gone so wrong with her life. The tears that fell from emerald eyes, soaking and staining her pillowcase, as she cried herself to sleep.

The next morning when she woke, James was nowhere to be found in their home, and the absence of his car meant that he would likely be gone until late evening; if he even came home at all. Leaving Aurora to enjoy a somewhat stress free day, filled mostly with unpacking the last of their belongings and organizing her new home a bit more, once she had completed all the chores that needed doing out in the Stables. All the work falling to her for now, as James had yet to hire any sort of help since the move.

Aurora had been in the midst of cleaning up her dishes from lunch when the phone started to ring, and thinking it could possibly be her husband, she was quick to stop what she was doing and answer it. “Turner residence?” She answered in a cheery tone, despite the solemn expression she wore on her battered face.

“May I speak to Aurora, please.” The woman asked politely.

“This is her?” Aurora replied.

“Aurora! It’s Ada!” The voice greeted excitedly, putting a small smile on Aurora’s face almost instantly.

“Hi, Ada.” She chuckled softly. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?”

“Well,” Ada started. “The boys an’ I are still over at Tommy’s, an’ we got to wonderin’, if maybe you and y’er husband would like to come over? Maybe visit over some tea?” The tone of her voice held an air of hopefulness about it, and by the sounds of the scuffle going on in the background, Aurora was guessing that Ada wasn’t the only one listening in on the conversation.

“I don’ see why not.” Aurora glanced up at the clock, noting it was still early enough that a few hours couldn’t hurt. It’s not like James would be back anytime soon and besides, it’s not like he needed to know anyways if he was going to be an absolute dick about it. “Lemme jus’ tidy up a lil’ first and I’ll be over in say, half an hour?”

“Sounds lovely!” Ada exclaimed over the collection of hoops and hollers from Arthur and John that could now be heard in the background. “We’ll see you soon!” And on that note, they hung up.

Aurora was quick to dress; changing into black pair of riding breeches, long sleeved teal blouse and a pair of riding boots. She touched up what little makeup she already wore and tidied her hair up a bit. Tying it up into a half ponytail, leaving the underneath bit down and throwing on a light wool duster, before heading back downstairs where she left a note for James, just in case he should return before she did, explaining that she had gone out for a ride and would be back before supper.

She made sure to leave the note where he would be sure to see it and headed out to the stable to saddle up one of her horses. Settling on a Dapple Grey mare that she hadn’t ridden in a while; the horse more than eager to get out and stretch her legs. Especially after all the weeks of traveling overseas they’d had to endure.

“Settle down, Lady.” Aurora told the animal firmly as she gave her a pat on the neck, calming the beast a bit before Aurora finished doing up the saddles cinch. The horse nickering softly and turning her head to nudge Aurora’s arm, demanding more attention and nearly knocking her over in the process. “Oi, don’ go gettin’ cheeky with me now! I’m movin’ as fast I can, you impatient nag.” The horse gave another snort, turning her head away as Aurora finished up and untied her before leading them both out of the stables. Mounting the animal with ease before steering them down the drive and off towards Thomas’ estate.

The ride took a little longer than expected, after Lady had decided to take them on a little detour across the ditch bank and through some willows. The trip resulting in a broken set of reins, a missing stirrup, and one bruised ego on Aurora’s part. Mumbling under her breath at the horse about having to walk the last two miles of the way, as they reached their destination finally.

“Car troubles?” Thomas’ voice caught her by surprise, making her jump slightly as she turned around to where he was standing near the front door, shoulder propped against a pillar, enjoying a cigarette. A small smirk fixed to his lips after clearly having witnessed her mumbling to herself.

“Nah.” Aurora chuckled softly with a shake of her head as she approached him. “But I can sell ye a horse real cheap, if y’er interested?” She joked; Lady giving an unamused snort as she jerked at the broken rein in her hand, catching Thomas’ attention.

“Rough trip?” Thomas questioned as he pointed to the damaged tack, flicking away the last of his cigarette, one brow raised curiously, as he approached them.

“That would be puttin’ it mildly.” Aurora sighed as the horse bumped her nose against her lower back, pushing her forward a bit.

“Sounds like ya could use a drink then, eh?” Thomas chuckled as he waved over a nearby footman. “Take Mrs. Turner’s horse ‘ere over to the stables.” He instructed the older man who took the reins from Aurora. “An’ have the stable lads fix up the busted tack for her, eh?”

“Of course. Right away, Mr. Shelby.” The man nodded as he turned, flashing Aurora a quick smile before leading the horse off to the stables.

“Thank you.”

“Don’ mention it.” Thomas grinned as he looked down at her, though that grin quickly faulted as he took in the bruising on her cheek, as well as the split that adorned her lower lip. Neither of which had been there the night before. He was just about to ask what had happened when the door flew open to reveal Ada, hands on her hips as she glared at her older brother.

“She’s not jus’ ‘ere for you, ya know!” Ada scolded playfully as she started to usher the pair back inside. “I know ya missed her, but ye have’ta share, Thomas!” Aurora gave a soft laugh, watching as Thomas rolled his eyes at his Ada, who’d gone off rambling about the tea getting cold or some nonsense he could have cared less about, as they were dragged along into the drawing room where everyone else sat waiting.

“Jesus! Wha’ happened to y’er face?!” Ada gasped as she turned around to ask Aurora how she liked her tea, finally slowing down long enough to take notice of the injuries.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Aurora brushed it off with a soft laugh as she took a seat in one of the nearby armchairs. “I must’ve been drunker than I realized las’ night...Fell gettin’ out of the damn car when we got home.”

“Ye really haven’ changed a fuckin’ bit!” Arthur gave a hearty laugh in response, making it Ada’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Aye, she always was a touch acciden’ prone wa’nt she?” John joked, kicking his feet up on the table as he settled back in his own chair. Wiggling his brows playfully at her, as he rolled around the toothpick between his lips as they curved upwards into that cocky grin of his that Aurora remembered so well.

“Yeah? Well, tha’ never stopped me from pullin’ yer dumb arse outta the fire, more times than I should ‘ave, now did it?” She shot back with a playful glare, John holding up his hands in mock surrender, knowing she wasn’t wrong.

“Still feisty as ever too.” Arthur commented as the group broke into a fit of laughter, seemingly convinced that what happened to her face had been nothing more than a mere accident...All save for Thomas. Who was more than a little skeptical. The worry in that icy blue gaze of his, more than evident as he approached to hand her a glass of whiskey. Aurora purposely avoiding his gaze as she fell into conversation with Ada.

Thomas remained silent for the most part during the conversations between Aurora and the rest of his siblings. Taking in every detail about her life, no matter how small and insignificant she wrote it off to be. These parts of her life were new and exciting to him and he very much wanted to hear more about them, and in great detail...All of them.

“Do you ‘ave horses?” Ada inquired as she poured herself another cup of tea, trying to keep the small talk alive, while also trying to find out as much about Aurora as possible, without getting too terribly personal; not wanting to pry to far.

“Aye, several.” Aurora nodded as she finished the last of her whiskey. “Most of ‘em stayed behind at our property back in America, but my best few made the journey with us.” She added with a soft smile.

“Wha’ kinda horses?” Arthur asked, curiously.

“Mostly event horses.” Aurora replied. “Dressage, showjumping, tha’ sorta thing. We ‘ave several race horses as well though, tha’ I raised for James back home in Louisville. Some of the best.”

“Well, we would expect no less from ye.” Arthur teased, patting her shoulder on his way by to grab the whiskey decanter from its place beside the hearth. “Aside from Tom, ye always did ‘ave alot’a sense when it came to the horses.”

“Oh please…” Aurora blushed, her voice growing softer as she glanced away at the compliment. Trying to dismiss it as she added, “I was never tha’ good...Tommy was always the better horseman.”

“I beg to differ.” Thomas chimed in, only furthering the blush that tinted her cheeks crimson; making him grin. “Matter o’fact, I bet ye could still out race me any day.”

Aurora was about to argue how that had always boiled down to luck, more than anything else, when a young stable lad came rushing in, clutching his cap nervously as he stood awkwardly in the doorway. Turning several shades of white as everyone in the room turned to look at him at the same time.

“Lemme guess,” Aurora piped up before anyone else could. Keeping her tone reassuring as she addressed the young man, having already made an educated guess as to what this was about. “Lady let herself out of her stall, didn’ she?” The young man nodded quickly in reply.

“We’ve been try’na catch her, Mrs. Turner, r-really...b-but she keeps gettin’ away.”

“It’s quite alrigh’.” Aurora chuckled as she stood up from her chair, motioning for him to lead the way to wherever that crazy beast of hers was currently running amuck. “Tha’ bloody horse is too smart for her own good sometimes.” They were almost to the front door when she noted that Thomas had joined them, giving him a small smile as they made their way outside. Aurora sighing as they watched two more of the stable hands chasing the Grey mare about the yard as she nickered loudly, tossing her head in what appeared to be amusement as she romped and bucked about.

“Oi!” Aurora shouted, her voice catching the mares attention immediately as Aurora stepped down into the gravel of the driveway, one hand propped on her hip, as she gave the horse a rather disapproving look. “Did ye leave all y’er manners back in America? Bloody fuckin’ horse.” Thomas let out a chuckle as he watched Aurora give a sharp whistle, the mare turning and prancing over to her owner proudly; swishing her tail and catching one of the stable hands in the face as she totted by.

“I swear, y’er gonna be the bloody death me if ye don’ knock off this nonsense.” Aurora muttered as she clipped the lead that had just been brought to her onto Lady’s halter, before passing her off to the stable lad from earlier.

“Smart horse ye’ve got.” Thomas stated with a hint of amusement to his tone as he came to stand beside Aurora; watching as the stable hands lead Lady back down to the stables. Aurora shook her head with a soft smile as she glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye.

“Oh, she’s smart alrigh’...” Aurora gave a snort as she crossed her arms. “Bloody horse has cost me more in damages than anythin’ else, an’ she’s barely Four!”

“Does she race?” Thomas asked out of curiosity as they started walking towards the barn. Aurora shook her head in answer.

“No. At least not tha’ I’ve tried. She was meant to be a Show Horse; a jumper, specifically. But the damn Nag’s got the attention span of a nat.” Aurora replied.

“Aye, no wonder she’s bored…” Thomas teased. A slight smirk tugging at the edges of his mouth as Aurora gave him a playful shove; trying to stave off a smirk of her own as she rolled her eyes. “Really though.” Thomas chuckled. “Ye should bring her out to the track sometime. Let’er run. See how she does? Never know, she might surprise ya.”

“Maybe…” Aurora sighed. “Need’ta do somethin’ with her, ‘fore James decides to get rid of her.” Thomas frowned at Aurora’s answer, noting the slight change in her demeanor at the comment. So subtle he almost missed it, as it was gone in an instant as she covered it up with a smile and added, “He’s not exactly fond of wastin’ money on my hobbies.”

“Well, if it ever comes to it, I’d be more than ‘appy to take her off y’er hands for ye.” Thomas offered as they entered into the stables, pausing to give Lady -- who was now tethered in the stable lane -- a scratch behind the ears; the Mare letting out a soft nicker as she leaned into the touch. Aurora gave him a soft smile at the offer.

“Aye, well, she seems to like ye well enough, so I’ll have’ta keep that in mind.” She replied, leaning up against one of the empty stalls as she watched Thomas inspect Lady closely; mentally noting things about the horses build, height, and temperament as he circled her slowly. Giving Lady another pat once he had finished, before walking over to join Aurora.

“She’s still growin’, but no doubt tha’ she’d take right to the track. Especially if she loves to run.” Thomas admitted truthfully as he lit a cigarette, taking a drag before offering it to Aurora, who accepted with a smile before taking a drag of her own, wincing as she was reminded of the cut on her bottom lip.

“Helluva fall ye must’ve taken, eh?” Thomas frowned, shifting so that he was standing in front of Aurora now. Watching as she averted her gaze, exhaling a trail of smoke from the drag she had taken; cheeks tinting crimson out of embarrassment as she fidgeted with the cigarette between her fingertips.

“Aye, well, I never was very graceful...” Aurora tried to brush off the question with a laugh, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of crimson as Thomas’ fingers gripped her chin lightly, tilting it up as he inspected the bruise on her cheek. His thumb ghosting along the curve of her lower lip gently, the sensation causing a shiver to run down her spine.

“Hardly how I remember it…” Thomas stated with a frown, though his expression remained soft as his blue eyes glanced up from studying the split on her lip. Aurora swallowing almost audibly as she glanced up finally, green eyes meeting his. The still burning cigarette she held between her fingers falling briefly forgotten; their gazes saying more in that small window of silence, than words could ever begin to cover; Thomas about to speak, when Aurora startled at the chiming of the stables clock, noting that it was well past Five in the evening as she glanced over her shoulder with a frown.

“It’s late...I should be gettin’ back.” Aurora said softly, clearing her throat nervously as she took a step back, ashing the cigarette between her finger before taking a final drag and passing it back to Thomas as she stepped around him to re-saddle Lady. Thomas giving a nod as he finished off the smoke, grinding out the last of it with the heel of his shoe before lending her a hand. Bridling the mare while Aurora finished doing up the cinch, before giving her a leg up and leading the pair out of the stables and up to the driveway. Checking thoroughly over the bridle, as well as the stirrup, to insure they had been properly fixed before letting her be on her way.

“Thank you for havin’ me.” Aurora thanked him, her smile seeming a little too forced as she glanced down. “And do give y’er family my apologies for havin’ to cut my visit short...But, perhaps we can get together again soon.”

“Of course.” Thomas gave her a nod as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, taking a step back as Aurora urged the horse forward, stopping a few feet away to look over her shoulder as Thomas called after her.

“Rora?” Aurora’s expression softened hearing him use the nickname that she had grown so fond of, when they were children.

“Don’ be a stranger, eh? Y’er always more than welcome ‘ere.” Aurora’s smile grew a little as she gave him a nod, urging Lady forward again as they exited the driveway. Giving Thomas one final wave before taking off down the road at a Canter...Silently praying that James would not be home yet.

Aurora was thankful that James’ car was still absent from the driveway upon her arrival home. Heading straight into the stables where she untacked Lady and returned her to proper stall after giving her a quick grooming, followed by feeding her, as well as the rest of the horses before returning to the house where she started on dinner -- a meal of Mutton, fresh baked bread, and potatoes. As well as unpacking the last half a dozen or so boxes that she had been working on earlier that day before Ada called.

It was well past Ten in the evening before James returned to their home; Drunk, as Aurora had suspected he would be. He barely spoke a word to her upon his return. Simply ordering her to bring his dinner up to the Study, and in a timely manner, along with a bottle of Irish Whiskey from the cellars.

Aurora did as instructed, without question, just as she always did. Making sure the meal she had prepared hours before -- a meal that she herself hadn’t even touched -- was re-heated and fixed up to his standards, fetching the bottle of whiskey and a glass, before ascending the stairs to James’ study. Aurora paused briefly in front of the solid oak door that lie closed in front of her, swallowing around the thick, dry lump that had formed in her throat, before raising her hand and giving three sturdy, sharp knocks -- More sturdy than her trembling hands felt, at least.

“Enter.” Was the only response she received, prompting her to carefully balance the serving tray as she reached down and turned the doorknob carefully, stepping inside. She placed his dinner carefully on the cleared area of his desk, specifically designated for his meals, beside him. The silence that hung between them thick, and very unsettling. It put Aurora on edge, but she managed to maintain her composure as she clasped her hands neatly in front of her. Not daring to move from the spot where she stood, until he had dismissed her from his presence.

And as if he could sense the nervousness that rolled silently off of Aurora, as she stood silently, just behind his chair; James made a point to draw out the dismissal she so desperately waited for. Praying that if he chose to speak, that he would ask her about anything other than what she had done all day.

“Mutton, again?” James questioned her, not even bothering to look up from ledger laid out before him as he studied it closely. Making notes here and there. Aurora shifted uncomfortably as she cleared her throat, nodding even though James wasn’t looking at her to see it.

“Yes…” She answered softly. “I haven’ been able to do the shoppin’ yet, an’ it’s all we had left--” Aurora stopped abruptly as James raised his hand to silence her rambling before she could continue on anymore.

“Take the car tomorrow morning and do whatever needs to be done.” James stated flatly. “The shopping, see about hiring some help…” He continued, retrieving a key from his pocket and unlocking the second drawer to his right, where he pulled out another set of keys and stood. Slowly, he made his way over to the safe that sat in the corner. The safe that he’d had made special, just before their departure to England. Two turns of the key counter clockwise, one turn clockwise, followed by one full rotation, also clockwise. That released the heavy cast iron cover that shielded the dial of the safe.

Clockwise, 32...Clockwise, 18...Counter Clockwise, 53...Clockwise, 15...Click, and the safe was open.

Pulling out a stack of money he counted out more than enough than would be needed for the shopping and hiring of some staff to help around the property. Tucking the rest of the money safely back in the safe before closing it, spinning the dial, and replacing the heavy cast iron covering. Turning, James crossed the room to tower over Aurora. Her first instinct to avert her gaze to the floor, her heart skipping a beat as his calloused fingers came up to grip her chin, forcing her gaze up to meet his dark brown eyes. A frown gracing his thin lips, as he carefully traced a thumb over the mark on her left cheek; trailing it down across the split that adorned her lip before allowing his hand to fall away entirely.

“Use whatever money is left over to buy something nice for yourself...I have an important meeting tomorrow, I’m not sure what time I’ll be finished. Perhaps you should visit that friend of yours, what was her name? Ada! … Maybe inquire about some work. Leave me her number and I’ll ring you when I’m finished. Understood?”

Aurora nodded as she took the money he held out for her to take. Tucking it safely inside the pocket of her apron before looking back up at her husband, carefully studying the hard to read expression he wore.

“You’re dismissed.” He added. Turning back to his desk where he took his seat and returned to looking over the ledger. Leaving Aurora to make her way to the door, trying not to appear too eager to escape the study, when his voice caught her attention again. Aurora turning to acknowledge him as he spoke her name.

“And Aurora? You would do wise to stay away from that Thomas fellow. Am I clear?”

Aurora’s heart nearly stopped beating entirely as she gave a nod, clearing her throat nervously as James straightened in his chair, arching an eyebrow sternly as he awaited her answer. One that came with a forced smile of sincerity, before she closed the door behind herself.

“Of course, Love.”

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