#shirtless francis drake

[parf-fan]

It has come to my attention that I have enough footage of shirtless Francis Drake to make a compilation.

[rather-impertinent]

The Girl Next Door chpt 11

A/N: it’s been a hot minute since I updated this fic, but now that I am free from the shackles of academia, I decided I wasn’t quite finished with this. This chapter is for Vicki (@hopefulfridays), who has been the loveliest beacon of positivity the last few months, thank you for everything gal!

This fic jumps ahead from the previous chapter by about 2 months, but it could also stand alone as an AU so reading the others isn’t necessary imo. Appearances from like every other character too! Much love xo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soft peachy glow of the morning sun snuck through a gap in the thick hotel curtains. Caroline sighed and checked the time once again, wincing as the harsh glow of her iPhone blinded her tired and hungover eyes.

“It’s just after half-past six,” she announced, snuggling back underneath the covers and yawning widely. “I should probably go before someone catches me coming out of your room,” she pointed out with a chuckle, but made no attempt to move.

“You should probably should,” Dwight agreed, holding her a little tighter. He ran his hand along her smooth back and thought about how lovely the past two months had been. “Did you have fun last night, my love?”

A soft smile graced Caroline’s face – Dwight had only recently started using a pet name for her and although she usually found them vulgar and cringeworthy, she was pleased that Dwight had chosen such a dignified and lovely one. His soft dulcet tones and the way the words rolled of his tongue helped a little, too. “Mhm,” she hummed, cuddling into him more, evidentially abandoning her attempt to sneak out.

Last night was very fun, she reflected. The wedding itself had been beautiful and a lump had even formed in throat as Emma and Sam exchanged their vows, which was ridiculous, of course, since she probably knew them least of all of Dwight’s friends. Though, of course, Dwight’s friends were now also her friends. Especially Demelza. Oh, what fun they’d had dancing to their favourite childhood songs – it seemed Emma had impeccable music taste. And little Geoffrey Charles had asked her to dance. Caroline immediately felt a little awkward as she had next to no experience with young children, but Francis had simply set Geoffrey Charles securely onto her hip and they had danced to a Maroon 5 song. Dwight had elected to dance with little Julia, letting her stand on top of his shoes, claiming that a certain other young man had stolen his dance partner. The bride, having drank more wine than was probably sensible in order to cope with her nerves, only realised near the end of the night that she had forgotten to throw the bouquet. The single female members of the party had all enthusiastically flocked to the dancefloor, all except Caroline, who only made it after an incredibly encouraging shove on the back from Demelza. To her absolute mortification, the bouquet had fell into her arms, despite every attempt to avoid it. Everyone had been very excited for her and Emma came over to tease her about whoever the lucky man would be. Caroline had been so focused on not meeting Dwight’s eye that she had missed the subtle look that Demelza had given them both.

Silently reflectively on last night, too, Dwight smiled softly as he thought of how he and Caroline had comfortably, if a little bashfully, danced to ‘You and Me’ by Lifehouse. It was strange, Dwight thought, how the world could narrow down to two people, no matter how big the surrounding crowd. “You looked beautiful last night, by the way, incase I haven’t already said,” Dwight whispered into the comfortable silence.

Caroline smiled; he had said so, many times. She would definitely have to wear red more often. “You cut a mighty fine figure in a suit yourself, Dr Enys,” she purred in reply.

“Do I?” Dwight asked, feigning ignorance. He had gathered she thought so by the way she practically ripped the garment off his body about seven hours ago.

Caroline shot him a glance but leaned in for a kiss anyway. “You do,” she confirmed, with an suggestive arch of her eyebrow. Before she could breathe out a laugh, Dwight’s lips had met her own, his hand cupping her face. She sighed at the action, he was such an attentive kisser. Taking the sigh as an encouragement, Dwight smoothly pulled Caroline on top of him, half-sitting up so as not to break the kiss.

Caroline’s heart began to race as Dwight began to kiss her breast, but the daylight that now came flooding in through the curtains was a nagging reminder of how long she had spent in his room and how long she had been since she last showered. “Dwight, if we have sex one more time today, I don’t think I’ll physically be able to walk to my room,” she said, half-laughing as she moved off him. Her resolve likely would not last long, so perhaps it was time to sneak off to her room after all.

“Are you saying I’m good in bed?” Dwight teased as he reclined back against the plump hotel pillows.

“I’d be more worried if you weren’t good in bed, what would be the point in dating a doctor if he didn’t even know where the clit is?” she said seriously. Dwight threw his head back, roaring with laughter. Caroline placed a hand over his mouth to quieten him, though found herself giggling too. “Shhh!” she hissed with a grin as he clutched his sides. “People will think you’ve gone mad, laughing to yourself all alone in here.”

A tear leaked from the outer corner of the doctor’s eye and he took a deep breath to calm himself. He looked at Caroline, whose face was mere inches from his own. Her eyes were still remarkably blue, even when cloudy from excessive alcohol consumption, not to mention the dim light of the room. “I will never get tired of your blunt sense of humour,” he vowed, chuckling still. “I–,” he paused, catching himself. Maybe he had gone a little mad. I love you. “I will honestly never get tired of it.”

With a smug nod of agreement as to her own impeccable sense of humour, Caroline released him and stood up, fetching her black strapless bra from the floor and putting it on. Dwight sat up in bed and rubbed his tired eyes, sighing as exhaustion coursed through his veins as the adrenaline began to wear off. Last night had been worth it though, he thought to himself.

Zipping up her dress, and with a wry purse of her lips, Caroline teased: “Well, I hope you don’t miss me too much in the forty-five minutes I’ll be gone.” She bent down to straighten her black, satin heels before stepping into them.

Dwight got up to walk her to the door. “How ever shall I cope in your absence until breakfast?” he wondered aloud, a sarcastic smirk on his face.

The smirk earned him a gentle tap on the arm and a quick kiss. And another. And then another.

Caroline giggled against his lips, feeling the beginnings of his stubble brush her cupid’s bow. “Okay, I really am leaving now. And you need to shave,” she told him with the arch of her bow.

Dwight scratched his jawline and hummed in agreement. “I’ll see you in a bit,” he said with a grin as he opened the door for her to leave.

They both froze immediately at the unexpected sight before them.

Ross and Demelza Poldark stood, if a little drunkenly, in the hallway in front of Dwight’s door with victorious smirks and cocked eyebrows. They high-fived each other enthusiastically before immediately beginning to argue about who had guessed that Dwight and Caroline were in a secret relationship first.

Dwight grabbed his friends by their arms and tugged them into the room and firmly shut the door. “Do you two think you could be any fucking louder?” he hissed at his dearest friends, both of whom wore fixed smiles. “There is a reason we were trying to keep it a secret, but you go ahead, tell the entire hotel!” he invited, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Don’t tempt me because I will,” Demelza warned in a singsong tone. She then squealed and threw herself into Dwight’s arms and then into Caroline’s. “I’m so happy for you both!” She grinned at the couple, her happiness and enthusiasm genuine and infectious. She enveloped them both into a bone-crushing hug once again.

Dwight ducked his head a little, blushing. “Thanks, Dem,” he said a little shyly.

“Thank you, Demelza,” Caroline echoed with a genuine smile.

“Congrats, it’s about fucking time!” was all that Ross commented, though he did look pleased, proud even.

Dwight flashed a smile, before realising that he was standing in front of everyone shirtless and in his boxer shorts. “Thanks mate. Now could all you please get out so I can shower?” he asked rhetorically, leading the three of them to the door.

Ross glanced at Caroline and then at Dwight. “I bet you need one,” he taunted with a suggestive wink.

Redness instantly bloomed on Dwight’s cheeks. Expecting Caroline to be similarly embarrassed, he tentatively glanced at her but was met with an expression of… pride?

“Fucking right,” Caroline stated confidently. “And so do I! You’d think he was a footballer with that stamina, not a doctor!”

Ross burst into peals of laughter as the three of them entered the hallway. He casually threw an arm over Caroline’s shoulder as they made towards their respective rooms. “You know, Caroline, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” Ross said philosophically.

Dwight couldn’t help but smile softly at the sight before him. “I hate you both so much,” he called after them. Demelza shot him a sympathetic, but genuine, smile over her shoulder. He closed the door with a sigh, a shake of the head and an irremovable smile.

Almost an hour later, freshly-shaven and suitably-dressed, Dwight arrived downstairs for breakfast. The dining room was quiet, naturally, given it wasn’t even eight o’clock yet. His eyes searched the room for a familiar face, and he noticed Demelza’s fiery curls sitting at a table near the back. Making his way there, he passed Morwenna, Drake and Joy having breakfast together at a small table. They exchanged warm smiles and Dwight blew a quick raspberry on Joy’s cheek before promising to catch up with the Carnes later.

“Morning all,” he greeted as he pulled out a chair to sit down. “How are we all this morning?” he asked with a chuckle, feeling he already knew the answer.

“I think I might actually fucking die,” Francis groaned roughly, staring miserably at his untouched scrambled eggs on toast. He pressed the heel of his hands to his forehead. “Elizabeth, why did you let me drink so much?”

“I drank a bit too much myself,” came Elizabeth’s hoarse reply. “I’m starting to feel a bit better now that I’ve eaten though. You should have some toast, Francis.”

Francis shook his head firmly at the mere thought of consuming food. His tired, half-shut eyes met Dwight’s. “How are you, mate?”

“Surprisingly fresh,” Dwight admitted. “It’s amazing what a shower can do!”

“Amen to that,” Ross echoed, cutting a hash brown in half. “I feel completely sober and fresh after a shower. How are you doing, love?” he asked Demelza, who always suffered from terrible hangovers.

“Okay,” she said cautiously, as though trying to convince herself. “I think I’m just tired. I’ll probably go for a sleep in the car on the way home.”

“Mummy, when we go home?” Julia asked as she ceased eating her bowl of cheerios.

“Soon, my lamb,” Demelza answered, cutting into her poached eggs on toast.

“When?”

Demelza sighed wearily. “In a few hours, sweetheart,” Ross elaborated. “You can play with your cousin for a while,” he offered, glancing over to Drake and Morwenna’s table.

Julia seemed very happy with this offer and resumed silently eating her cereal and colouring in her new colouring book, which had been the most incredible distraction both last night and this morning. Demelza made a mental note to google the creator of colouring books and lay some flowers at their grave one day.  

“Morning everyone,” Caroline greeted evenly as she entered the dining room. Her face was fresh and make-up free, her hair tied loosely into a messy bun and she wore a fleece and some black sweatpants.

“Oh, my God, that looks so cosy,” Demelza gushed with envy, now wishing she had brought her favourite loungewear with her. 

Caroline briefly wrapped her arms around herself, giving herself a quick hug, enjoying the soft fleece of the sleeves against her bare arms. “It is.” She pulled out a chair opposite Dwight and reached for a bowl and some fruit. 

A teasing smile spread across Ross’ face. “Doesn’t Dwight have a similar one, too?” He wondered aloud between mouthfuls of his breakfast being silenced by an under-the-table kick from both Dwight and Demelza. 

“Perhaps my incredible fashion sense has infected you from across the hall,” Dwight offered casually, shooting a teasing look at Caroline.

She tossed her hair in retort. “You wish, Dr Enys,” she scoffed lightly. “I got it in a vintage shop a few weeks ago, actually. Regardless, I think we can all agree I wear this look better,” she said as she stabbed her fork into her fruit salad. 

Dwight masked his smirk with a bite of toast - he knew full well it was, in fact, his jumper. He had been wondering where it had gone just last week. Their eyes met and she winked at him. 

Elizabeth took a sip of orange juice, frowning and wincing when she realised it had bits in it. “Caroline?” she said across the table. Caroline looked at her, her eyes curious. “I went by your room last night, but you didn’t answer.” 

“What time did you knock?” Caroline asked smoothly, while Dwight inwardly begged his ears to stop burning. She reached for a slice of toast from the middle of the rack and began to butter it. 

Elizabeth contemplated Caroline’s question for a moment. “Around midnight, I think. It wasn’t like you to leave a party so early, so I just wanted to check if you were okay,” she explained with a gentle smile. 

“Aww,” Caroline said, genuinely a bit touched by the gesture. It was really quite lovely to have friends. “That’s so sweet, Elizabeth. But I’m fine, I was fine, just a bit hammered. I was probably just fast asleep.” 

“Or not...,” inferred Ross quietly under his breath, which earned him a glare from Dwight. 

“Stop it,” he hissed in warning, meeting his best friend’s eyes. 

Ross simply chuckled and continued eating his mammoth sized cooked breakfast. Dwight’s stomach swirled uneasily. He couldn’t understand how people could eat such greasy food so early in the morning. Toast, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter, and Dwight could easily polish away an entire loaf of bread if he wanted to. 

“Unca Dwight?” Julia piped up, her hazel eyes round and innocent as she looked at her unofficial uncle. 

Dwight looked at her expectantly, a soft smile on his face. “Yes, sweetheart?” He took a bite of buttery toast. 

Julia broke their gaze to resume colouring in a fox, which happened to be purple and green and resembled an alien as opposed to a mammal. “Do I get to say ‘aunt Cawoline’ to Cawoline now?” she asked with a casual innocence. 

Silence fell across the large table. Demelza’s eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open slightly, Ross attempted to stifle his laughter, Dwight had seemingly turned to stone and Caroline stared at her bowl of fruit with undying interest. Perhaps a two-year-old cannot be trusted with a secret after all, Demelza mourned guiltily.

“What’s this?” Elizabeth asked eagerly, loving to hear a bit of gossip. “Caroline? Dwight?” 

When neither of them answered, Ross announced, with unbridled glee at the day’s turn of events, “Dwight and Caroline are a couple.”

“Awww! Congratulations, that’s so lovely!” Elizabeth gushed. “Isn’t it lovely, Francis?”

“Spectacular,” Francis mumbled, his spinning head resting on his folded arms as he stared at the pine of the table. 

“What’s spectacular?” Drake asked as he approached the table, having heard Elizabeth’s excitement. 

“Dwight and Caroline are together,” Demelza chimed in with a bright smile. 

“Nice!” Drake commented as he grinned at them both and beckoned Morwenna over. 

“So I guess we are just telling everyone now,” Dwight said quietly, laughing, blushing. 

“Is that a problem, Dr Enys? Are you ashamed of me?” Caroline challenged him. Her expression was the epitome of nonchalance and teasing but there was a hint of seriousness in her eyes. 

Dwight smiled softly. “Of course not,” he murmured sincerely, holding her gaze.

Retching noises came from the direction of Ross Poldark. “Eugh. I feel like I’m in a teenage romcom,” he taunted. 

“As you can tell, Ross is the epitome of romance and I am a very lucky woman,” Demelza joked to the breakfast table, causing a chorus of laughter to echo in the large room. 

“What’s all the commotion about?” asked Morwenna with a smile as she came to stand beside Drake, with little Joy sitting peacefully on her hip.

“Caroline and I are seeing each other,” Dwight explained, a bashful blush appearing on his cheeks. 

Morwenna looked at them both with such a genuine grin of excitement that Caroline immediately felt ashamed for the bad feelings she had briefly harboured towards the young woman. She also lamented that Grey’s Anatomy boxset she had thrown away out of spite that day. “Aww, that’s lovely. We must congratulate uncle Dwight, mustn’t we, my love?” she told Joy, moving round the back of the table to give Dwight a quick kiss on the cheek. 

Joy melted into Dwight’s shoulder for a hug before Dwight then manoeuvred her to rest on his knee, where he encouraged her to practice standing up. The baby stretched an arm out across the table in Caroline’s direction. “Oop! It looks like someone’s got her eye on your watermelon, Caroline,” Dwight pointed out with a laugh as he bounced Joy lightly on his knee. 

“Well, she’ll just have to look elsewhere because it’s mine,” Caroline said seriously, to which everyone laughed. She glanced at the baby, who was admittedly almost too cute to believe, with a degree of unease as the infant stared back at her. Caroline had almost no experience of dealing with children or babies and had no idea how to communicate with them. Should she give Joy some of her watermelon? Can babies with so few teeth even eat watermelon? Horace isn’t allowed. 

Caroline’s glance flickered to Morwenna. “Can- does she- should I give her some?” 

Morwenna smiled and shook her head slightly. “It’s alright, she’s just eaten,” she answered softly, moving to take her daughter from Dwight. “Someone is just being greedy!” she cooed, tickling her tummy. 

The rest of the morning went smoothly, almost the entire wedding party electing to stay at the breakfast table to chat, which resulted in many hastily packed suitcases and rushed showers. 

Dwight Enys 10:45am 

Ready to check out? X

 Caroline Penvenen 10:47am 

Almost! You haven’t seen my earrings, have you? Xx

 Dwight Enys 10:47am

Yeah you left them in my room, I’ve put them in my bag xx 

 Caroline Penvenen 10:48am 

I hope you wrapped them nicely in something, they’re Chanel!! If they’re broken you owe me a new pair Dr Enys xx

 Dwight Enys 10:48am

Well it’s a good thing I know how to harvest organs then xx 

 Caroline Pevenen 10:49am

You’re such a geek xx

I’m outside your room btw, I require your assistance with my massive suitcase x

 Dwight locked his phone and grabbed his own small suitcase, tapping all of his pockets in search of his room key on his way towards the door before remembering that he put it in his wallet. He opened the door and sure enough, Caroline was standing there and had put on her signature pink lipstick since he last saw her. He stared at her for a moment and she smirked at him, as though able to hear his thoughts. He then regained his cool and mocked: “does milady need help with her luggage?” 

Caroline rolled her eyes theatrically but failed to contain a smile. She curtsied in reply. “Yes, please, thank you, Sir,” she teased, her tone overtly prim and proper. 

~~~~~~~

Caroline sighed heavily as the beautiful manor house grew smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror of Dwight’s car. “I wish this weekend didn’t have to end.”

Dwight smiled as he turned the radio down a notch, before joining in her in a somewhat sad sigh. “I know, me too. It was lovely,” he glanced sideways at her, taking his eyes off the road long enough to note the smile in her eyes as she looked at him in agreement. “It doesn’t have to end, you know,” he continued, not aware of the words coming out of his mouth. “I mean, the weekend has to end, but the loveliness doesn’t: you could just come with me to all the future weddings I get invited to – and any other events.”

“Is this a proposal?” Caroline taunted mischievously.

“What?!” Dwight spluttered, nearly veering off the road. “No! No, no. No, it’s not,” he stammered, his hands gripping the wheel. “I- I just meant that it might be nice if you wanted to do something like this again. It’s fine if you don’t – completely fine – it’s up to you, I was just saying– shit, I’m sorry you must think I’m–“

“Dwight!” Caroline interjected, laughing tenderly at how tongue-tied he’d become. “I was joking.” She put her hand on top of his, which gripped the gear stick, and squeezed it for reassurance. “I’d love to – do something like this again, that is,” she added pointedly, her lips curved into a gleaming smile, her eyes laughing at him.

He chuckled and smiled warmly at her. The world narrowed down to the feel of her hand on top of his. He noted that her bare left hand rested comfortably on her thigh.

One day, Dwight thought wistfully. But for now, her company, the soft hum of the radio, the morning winter sunshine and the warm, companionable silence that filled the air between them, was all that he needed