zoechandlerarchive

[zoechandlerarchive]

zoë chandler is a twenty-one year old bookkeeper/secretary who has sided with the skeleton boys. people would describe the cisfemale as resilient and fervorous. and when she looks in the mirror their reflection is alycia debnam-carey.

Hey, hi, hello friends!!! I’m Bronny, I’m 22 ( my dumb self forgot i recently turned 22, rip me ), I’m from New Zealand and to say that I’m excited about this group would be the understatement of the century. I was here the first time around and my ass was sO SAD when it dwindled :’( but IT’S BACK!! and my Peaky Blinder loving, obsessed ass can now finally rest in peace. This group really just gave me another reason to rewatch it for the 1394735636th time. But I won’t let myself ramble on forever about nothing and actually get onto what this intro is for.

ZOË CHANDLER, the youngest of the Chandler bunch:

From the moment Zoë was born she was a little terror, always running rings around her mother ( and her father but it depends when he died!! ) and always wanting to follow her older siblings around even when she was too young or not allowed. The girl was a little Houdini, popping up in places she definitley wasn’t meant to be, she definitley caused a lot of headaches for her family and to many around Birmingham.

From the very beginning, Zoë has idolised her older siblings. She completely adores them and there was nothing else in the world that she wanted to be?? She didn’t completely understand what in the world her family did but all she knew was that she wanted to be apart of it. Hence why little Zoë wasn’t far behind her siblings a lot of the time growing up.

She’s gotten into her far share of trouble over the years but she’s always managed to be able to wriggle her way out of it. Though if we’re honest it’s her last name that did it.

But even though she was a bit of a terror, she doesn’t really have a bad bone in her body? The girl is pure heart. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She just had an inquisitive mind and too much energy that she didn’t quite know what to do with. The cheeky innocent smile that seemed to always be on her lips helped make it almost impossible for some to stay mad with her.

As Zoë grew up she became a little more refined. There's always a look of mischief in her eye but she learnt that she had to be a little more subtle about getting what she wants out of life.

Even though she still wears her heart on her sleeve she’s learnt how to be a little more reticent in manner. At least around people that aren’t her family. Her family & friends still get the overdramatic girl sometimes but she usually has a pretty solid head on her shoulders nowadays.

She’s 100% a feminist & would definitley love to be #independent

But she’s only 21........and has only worked behind the scenes in her families illegal businesses in the last year or so and honestly?? She doesn’t really know who she is without her family.

Wants to get into the family business seriously, and somehow managed to weed her way into doing the books for one or two of their businesses. But she is actually pretty clued up when it comes to money and accounts and the like.

She says she’s a secretary if anyone asks though, even if it’s kinda true...she does pass on messages & organises the Skeleton Boys. ( But if they ever manage to get legitimate businesses??? Sign her up for a secretary job ).

She says she wants to get into the family business but she’s definitley not made for the violence that comes with it and that’s probably obvious to her family and even her but she acts like she could do it if she had to.

But I mean....she will 100% fight someone if she has to. She’s small but she’s feisty, hold her back please. She has a little bit of a temper on her, especially when someone is disrespectful to her and her family.

Doesn’t want her brothers especially standing up for her, thinks she can handle everything herself but.......I doubt she has the same effect on people as her brothers do.

This gifset sums her up honestly

She’s honestly pretty heavily inspired by both Ada Shelby & Michael Gray

This definitley got long but I love my kid Zoë so much. I’d seriously love to plot with every single person if possible, I have a few little ideas here, but I am 100% open to brainstorming as well, so if anything catches your eye please don’t be afraid to shoot me a message!! But you can also give this a little like and I’ll come to you!!

I’m heading out for most of the morning, But I will be here on mobile to plot!!!

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ELIAS.

       “ i promise, “  he took her hand that extended out to him and pressed a kiss to the soft flesh. “ now c’mon “  he nudged her playfully and led the way into the main ballroom. it wasn’t long before someone who knew elias or the bolton name found him and started chatting. his hand gripped zoë’s side with a soft, grounding pressure as he introduced her. over the course of the night, it seemed that every person they met were equally won over by her. yet, elias didn’t realize how much the tables would turn until a warning was gripping his waist tightly. 

       “ ellie!  is that really you?  mum didn’t tell me you’d be here. “  the voice came from a little brunette girl, no more than ten years old. her name — clare bolton. she was the seldom-mentioned younger sister of elias, her presence a banshee’s cry for a certain mrs. bolton. despite the nervousness that had taken home in his racing heart, he crouched down to clare’s level and gave her a tight hug. he let out a wavering chuckle when he pulled away, smoothing down her hair as he stood once more. he turned his head towards zoë, hoping her familiarity would calm his nerves. “ zoë, this is clare… my little sister.  clarie, you’ve heard bits about zoë, haven’t you? “  he asked, but gave little time for response before he shot the most pertinent question.  “ where is your mum?  or did you come with father? “  however, before clare could answer, elias felt the air around him chill. elizabeth bolton, in all her pride and glory, floated over to them and placed a golden-ringed finger on her daughter’s shoulder. she was dressed as fancifully as usual, in an emerald green gown and golden jewelry. she reeked of wealth and even elias himself felt sick from the stench.

       “ how wonderful to see you, elias. “  was all it took for him to freeze.

    surprisingly as the night progressed, zoë was slowly but surely beginning to feel as if maybe, just maybe, there was a chance she may just be able to eventually fit into elias’ world after all. the majority of people, even if all had some sort of air of arrogance to them, had been far more friendlier than she’d imagined. she couldn’t even begin to find a single hint of judgement in their features even as elias had introduced her. zoë really couldn’t believe the night was close to somewhat enjoyable.

   zoë heard her before she saw her and even when she had, it didn’t take a genius to piece together the familiarities in the young girl’s features and the way elias crouched down to hug her. she may not know much, if anything at all, but there was no denying the young girl was the allusive younger sister. the one zoë had wanted to ask about on many occasions but could never push herself to do. elias’ family seemed to be anything but a happy subject. but as elias introduced her, zoë’s lips split into a large smile and her fingers gave a little wave. she would have said something but as elias glanced back at her, zoë’s smile faded a little. the change of expression on his face seemed minute but it was enough to bring about a feeling of dread in her chest.

      her eyes fell on upon the hand adorned with gold before they rose to meet the face of the woman elias called mother. one look was all it took for her stomach to drop, the confidence she’d slowly built up wavering dangerously on the edge of shattering, the woman was everything that zoë had been dreading coming face to face. maybe there had been some cases where it’d taken a little extra effort for her to win some of the people that had stopped elias, but eventually she’d managed to bring a smile to their lips. zoë doubted that she’d be able to even begin to speak to the woman, not only because her presences was suffocating but because all it would take was a single word spoken for elias’ mother to know zoë was far from belonging to a london upper class family.

    zoë subconsciously moved a little closer towards elias’ side. whether that was a smart idea or not, she didn’t care. she wanted to keep her head held high but she could feel herself drawing inwards and hidden behind the fabric of her dress, her fingers reached out to grasp elias’ both to try and give some sort of comfort and to settle herself. this was a mistake. her coming was a mistake.

[zoechandlerarchive]

ELIAS.

       elias was far from a new party-goer. his childhood, when not cooped up at his all-boys prep school, was spent sipping an allowed glass of champagne while entertaining small talk with his parents’ social circle. he knew how to fake a laugh or a smile, and let people know what they wanted to hear. it was boring  and unexciting, and elias hadn’t planned on going until he heard the news. a mountain of guns and drugs lost in the allerton home.  he had no choice after learning of that, the charity gala not only being a social event but a gang one as well. his invitation extended to a plus one and if his loyalty to cammy chandler made him go, he thought he might as well bring the only person he knew would make it bearable. 

       he loved zoë and it was clear because elias didn’t peep a word about the blood not being able to reach his hand. he knew she was nervous. this was his world, not her’s. he knew she was unsure of this, but elias didn’t know how much so until she pulled him aside. at her words, his face pulled into a frown. he looked her over, the look dissipating into something barely short of enchantment. “ i am very  sure about this, darling. i am not going in alone, and neither are you. “  his hand came to rest on the small of her back as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “ there’s no need to be afraid. i’m proud to be here with you. “  he tilted his head down to her level and gave her a grin, “ now, chin up. you look too gorgeous to stand out here any longer. “ 

      as his hand came to rest upon the small of her back, it caused zoë to gravitate closer to his side and though her eyes had shifted back to the few people that lingered at the entrance, she slowly allowed her full attention to fall back on elias. she hesitated for a moment as her eyes flickered over his features, attempting to find any sort of obvious apprehension in his features that may just be contradictory to the words he said and as she came up empty, she wasn’t sure whether or not the butterflies in her stomach were to do with the impending first appearance in elias’ world or because elias was proud to have her beside him; and maybe that’s all that should matter. did it really matter if other people didn’t think she belonged when the only person that truly matter was anything but ashamed?

     it took a few moments but finally the corners of her lips tugged upwards as a gentle smile settled the nerves visible on her features, and even if his words may not have been meant literally, her chin tilted up a little. “ you’re proud, huh? ” her smile grew a little as her fingers came up to adjust his bow tie, though the action was more to settle herself than anything else. “ i guess if i can win you over, i could possibly win a few other people over as well—right? ” as her hand dropped from it’s fidgeting with his bow tie, she held her right hand out to him, her features dropping a little once more as she took in a small breath. “ promise not to leave me to fend for myself? ”

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@databreached.

      it wasn’t as if zoë was anything close to being considered a shrinking violet, the girl usually reveled in any social occasion. but a pub in birmingham or even a jazz club in london was far from what she imagined a charity gala to be. sure she’d possibly mixed with a few people who’d be attending but they were hardly people she mixed with on the regular. she usually found herself gravitating to others who where members of her own class, or at least the class she grew up in. but tonight, even if she knew some of the skeleton boys and her family would make an appearance, she was being thrown head first into a world she felt she didn’t belong. because even if the chandler’s were making their way up in the world, she doubted that would matter all that much. this was elias’ world, not hers—she was still a lower class girl from birmingham and she doubted that would ever change. 

     her grip on elias’ hand was near circulation cutting as they stepped through the front door of the allerton’s manor. she may have had second thoughts about attending with elias as the days lead up to tonight but now that she was here, she couldn’t begin to explain the relief she felt knowing she had him beside her. though it hardly settled the nerves that riddled in her. the what ifs were endless. 

    “ wait—wait. ” she mumbled as she tugged elias to a halt only meters before they entered the main hall. her eyes glancing over at the glimpse of the crowd of people mingling just past the entrance way. “ are you sure that this is a good idea? you know—you bringing me. it’s not too late, i doubt anyone will question or care if you show up alone. ”

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ELIAS.

       “ many times you’ve called me an idiot. “  despite the connotation, elias lets out a bellowing chuckle. it was almost odd to him; the juxtaposition of his behavior with zoë and his brothers that were bound to him by crime. he was calculated and indifferent, even cold to most. he was sculpted gold, a wealthy man living in ruin and poverty. but around his love, he became nothing of the sort. she was able to melt him down and mold him into something new that no one ever could. it was apparent his infatuation with her as elias took her bantered insults as flirting. 

       he scrunches his face up in zoë’s hand and lets out a chortle, his arms immediately going down around her waist and hugging her tightly from behind. “ yes, exactly, i had someone to do everything for me “  he jokes, nosing his way into her neck. “ since you’re already making me tea, maybe you could put on a cute little uniform for me, be a proper maid. “  with his suggestion, he pressed a kiss to her neck and lets out a laugh against her skin. his fingers pinch at her sides, hoping to tickle the flesh underneath. 

      “ i knew it. it’s really no wonder you jump out of your skin at the sound of a kettle, probably never heard the sound in your life until you met little ol’ me. ” the smile upon her lips was evident as she spoke, and she allowed her free hand to settle upon his arm that wrapped around her waist. her fingers curled around his wrist as she set the kettle down upon the stove top once more and she would have let herself relax back against his chest had the next words not been uttered. 

     “ elias james! ” she exclaimed, her elbow coming back to dig a little into his ribs. the mere mention of such a thing brought a warmness to her cheeks that she was relieved elias wasn’t in front of her to see. the boy had no shame. “ i swear to g— ” but her threat was cut off mid-sentence as an uncontrollable gasp left her lips as the movements of his fingers at her sides sent her squirming, shying away from his touch.  “ no, no, no, no—”  the words were stammered, a tone of laughter leaking into them, her fingers coming up to wrap around his wrists as she tried to tug his hands away from her sides, an attempt to slip from his reach, as she let out a bout of laughter, “ get off! no tickling, no touching, i’m trying to make tea here! ”

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ELIAS.

       elias was never not zoë’s, and it was clear from the way he softened under her touch. there was always a tightness in his shoulders that extended out to his other muscles, but under her fingertips the tension smoothed out. it didn’t matter how many days or weeks or even months  separated them, she had her fingerprints all over him and elias wouldn’t dare wipe himself clean. there was something about zoë that elias couldn’t find in anyone else. he was always searching for someone that could fill the gaping hole that his parents had punched into him and no one sufficed… except for her.  elias didn’t realize how fervently he had missed her until she was back in his arms and leaving her hot, feather-light touches on his neck.

       “ i love you more, zoë lillian chandler. “  he cooed out, rubbing his nose against hers. he pressed a soft kiss to the tip of it and then her right cheek, almost being able to press another to her lips when the sharp whistling of the kettle startled him nearly out of his skin. “ forgot that was on, “  he chuckled softly. he untangled himself from her but replaced the emptiness in his hand with zoë’s, pulling her in tow to the stove. “ will you make my tea for me?  i can never make it as good as you. “  elias turned towards her with puppy dog eyes and a soft pout. 

     ��finally, a smile broke across zoë’s lips as she let out a small, soft breathy laugh. “ have i ever told you you’re an idiot? ” the words were dismissing but the smile that softened her features, brightening them ever slightly, was enough for anyone to catch onto the fact there was no offense meant but in fact the complete opposite. her chin tilted up slightly as the brush of his lips left her cheek warm, but instead of the kiss she’d anticipated she felt his whole body tense  under her touch as a sharp whistle filled the kitchen. her eyes snapped over his shoulder at the kettle before a laugh of her own mixed with his, “ and you call yourself a skeleton boy. ”

       even if the closeness and warmth was lost as elias moved away, zoë’s fingers slipped into the gaps between his fingers easily. but even that was lost as her eyes met the soft pout upon his lips, her chest tightening for the sight—he really was impossible to stay mad at, as she unlinked her fingers from his. though she brought her hand up to gently settle on either side of his face before squishing his cheeks ever so gently as her nose scrunched up, “ rich boy never learnt how to make his own tea more like—had a maid to do all this mundane shite for you, huh? ” the corners of her lips tugged into a gentle smile before a dramatic roll of her eyes and a forced sigh of annoyance followed as she turned to shut off the heat and pour some boiling water into both teacups. “ knew the offer was too good to be true. ”

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ELIAS.

       elias listened intently, trying to ignore the pang of guilt at the words that were directed at him. zoe was truly the only one who could make him feel that horrid emotion. elias was good at brushing people off, at not feeling accountable for the damage he could cause. but zoe?  she was another story entirely. she had weaseled her way into all the cracks in the mortar that elias forgot to patch when building his walls. she was his weakness, and cammy played into that. no, he let cammy play into that. he was unsure who he was more mad at: himself  or his leader. 

       once he felt a teardrop strike his shirt, elias pulled back and thumbed at zoe’s cheeks. “ no, no, darling… don’t cry. it’s okay, shh, “  he cooed softly into her hair. he could feel his throat close at the sight of her such a mess of emotion, his own voice becoming thick with the precursor to tears. “ i’m sorry, zoe. i’m so, so sorry. i didn’t mean for any of this to happen i… i just—at the first sign of trouble i ran and i shouldn’t have. i love you, god,  i fucking love you, and i don’t deserve you. “  he felt a tear slip out but wiped at it furiously before pulling her into a tight embrace. “ i don’t know what to do either, zo. but i’m here for you and i’ll be with you and we can figure it out together. “

       there may have been a reluctance to close the space between them before, but the moment elias’ arms pulled her into a tight embrace, zoë instinctively allowed her arms to wrap tightly around his torso. her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirtt as her head inched to nestle against the crook of his neck and even if it was shaky she managed to drag in a deep breath. she’d missed him. she hadn’t known just how much until his warmth enveloped her, calming some of the mess of emotions that had hardly stopped cursing through her for months. she adored her family, she knew she had them no matter what, but there were simply some things that they, or anyone else, couldn’t give her as elias gave. she didn’t feel like she was adding weight onto already heavy shoulders.

       maybe neither of them knew how to handle the situation they found themselves in. but at the moment, knowing he was there was enough. he was enough. no matter what he said. he had his faults, sure, but so did she. maybe there was at least one chandler that thought he didn’t deserve to be with her, but even if she’d tried to convince herself that she deserved better when things were rough between them, zoë was far from believing it was true.

      it took a few minutes for zoë to calm down enough to reluctantly pull away from elias’ embrace. though it was only seconds before her hands had release their grip from his shirt and came to rest either side of his neck. the tips of her fingers grazing against the nape of his neck. “you do deserve me.” her words were soft and husky as she took in a breath, “you may have run and i may have needed you but—you’re here now and i still need you because—i love you, elias james bolton.” blinking away a few of the last stray tears, she brought a hand to rest upon the edge of his jaw, “don’t leave again.” 

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ELIAS.

     elias’ sad, puppy-dog look widened into a smile at what seemed to be an acceptance to his offer. he knew he wasn’t quite in her good graces yet, but it was a start. so much so, that elias followed her in the house and grasped her hand and tangled his fingers in hers. he brought it up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to it. “ of course, darling. “

       he led the way into the kitchen, the route muscle memory even after nearly two months apart. he rummaged in the cupboard for two cups, two tea bags, and the kettle, going to work on filling the kettle and starting it to boil. elias turned and made his way back to zoe and when he did, he looked down at her with kind eyes and leaned his forehead down against hers. no matter how much time passed between them, elias still felt the same about her. his heart still beat like a war drum in his chest and he still felt the tingle of butterflies in his stomach at the close proximity. he still loved her so much it terrified him. 

       he pressed a kiss to her forehead and brushed her hair back, playing in the strands before speaking. “ tell me everything. talk to me, zo. don’t leave anything you’re feeling out, because if you do it’ll fester and that’s no good. “

      a lingering glance up the stairs was taken, even if she was sure rosie was still asleep she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty leaving her alone, but she allowed elias to led her down towards the kitchen. maybe a moments distraction, some kind of sense of normality, was exactly what she needed. there was only so much she could handle after all and even if things were far from normal between them, elias was one of the very few she could completely allow herself a moment to breathe around. 

      zoë stayed quiet as elias rummaged around in the kitchen, a hip resting against a cabinet’s edge as her eyes followed every movement he made. she could really give him a piece of her mind, make him work for her forgiveness, but his words i’m here now kept replaying in her mind. maybe that’s all that should really matter, the past was the past and it wasn’t as if she hadn’t ever left him without even a single word before. holding anger inside was exhausting and she was already bordering on exhausted.

     by the time elias’ figure moved towards her, the tension in zoë’s shoulders had loosened, her whole demeanour growing softer. all she wanted was to close the small gap that still stood between them and be able to forget everything. but the gentle touch of his lips against her forehead made her eyes slip closed instead as a soft breath escaped her lips. he was warm, solid, safe, and here.

    “i—” the single letter was cut off as her lips pressed together and her eyes dropped to focus on his chest. “everything’s just—fucked, eli. everything. everything’s been different since the war but after rosie—i was terrified during the war that cammy wouldn’t come back, but i thought i’d lost my sister forever. she’s the only person who truly knows what it’s like to be in this goddamn family, losing her was like losing a part of me and then you—i lost my fucking sister, eli, and you left. and for what? to show my brother you trust him? to gain some sort of respect from him? at least when i thought you left because everything was just getting too much for you to handle, i knew it was because of me—god it’s so fucking stupid—it’s so stupid to admit that i’d rather have found out i’d been too much than than to find out that you left because you let my brother convince you that i didn’t want to see you when you know, you fucking know that he doesn’t approve of us being together but you still believed him. you still trusted him over—you still trusted him over me and all i can think about is if it came down to it—would you truly leave if my brother told you to break up with me.”  her words paused as her breath caught. the tightness of her chest becoming too much to handle as she brought a hand up to roughly wipe a few stray tears. “and i’m tired—i’m exhausted—of pretending everything’s fine. that i’m not terrified of leaving rosie’s side in case i go to sleep one night and wake up to find that she’s gone. i can’t lose her, i can’t lose anyone again. i don’t know what to do, eli.”

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ELIAS.

       he wished this time was different and he could take her words with a grain of salt. but elias was far from stupid, even if he acted the latter. he knew that he had given up too easily and ran at the first sign of trouble and that truth made his stomach turn with an uneasiness. “ you’re not too much, zoe. i thought i  had been too much. the way cammy said it… you had to have been there. “  he tried to explain desperately. a frown was etched onto his face with her refusal of his touch.

       her last words shook him to the core, his head tilting down and hanging low. “ don’t say that, zo. “  he brought his hand up to her chin and thumbed over the soft skin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. “ i’m stupid and i’m inconsiderate and i should’ve not given up so easily. you can be mad at me later because i know you and i know you want to talk about all of this. so why don’t we go inside and i’ll make you tea. “  he suggested gently.

       she didn’t have to have been there to imagine just how convincing cammy could have made whatever words that had came out of his mouth to get elias to believe she hadn’t wanted to see him sound. it wasn’t entirely on elias, she knew that. but it still didn’t make anything easier to simply swallow and accept, especially when she couldn’t get the question of who was he really loyal to when it came down to it, her or the skeleton boys—her brother specifically, out of her head. 

      but no matter what ran through her head, or her previous aversion to his touch, she didn’t move away from his second attempt to focus her eyes onto his. she allowed him to tilt her chin upwards, her eyes focusing on his. the held gaze made her breath catch, something she tried to hide by pressing her lips together into a thin line. he was here now. he might not have come when she’d needed him more than ever but he hadn’t stayed away forever, and unlike what she let others think, rosie may be home but the whole situation she and her family were in terrified her. maybe she still needed him as much as she had when rosie was missing.

     “rosie’s in her room.” it was about as good as an invitation inside as she was going to give him and maybe if she hadn’t shifted backwards out of his touch, nudging the door open a little more for him as she did so, it could have easily been taken as a rejection. “if she needs me, she comes before you and tea—okay?”

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ELIAS.

       elias’ brows furrowed for a moment, the confusion across zoe’s features not computing correctly in his mind, but it soon became abundantly clear what had been going on. cammy had played them both like a fiddle. his head fell into one of his hands as he rubbed at his temple. he felt stupid, felt used, but elias knew that cammy was the one who abused his trust. “ if i don’t take his word, what good am i to the others?  we rely on trust, on camaraderie, zoe. if i don’t trust my brothers then there’s no more family. “  

       he wanted to let the anger seep into his veins and excrete from his pores. he wanted to find where cameron chandler was and give him a piece of his mind. but, the look that was painted across zoe’s visage softened him and calmed his red-stained vision. his posture became lax and his hand crept over to hers. “ i’m sorry zoe, i am, i should’ve… i should’ve talked to you. but i wanted to give you your space, i understood it in a way, she was missing, “  he explained, scrunching up his eyes as he cringed at his own words. he knew he was in the wrong to some degree, but admitting it was much worse than the realization. 

       elias knew that zoe would likely want to stay as far away from him as possible, but words weren’t seeming to suffice. he started slow, his hand that grasped hers trailing up her forearm and giving him leverage to take a step forward and bring her into his arms. he inhaled the familiar scent of her and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “ i would never leave you, you know this. i love you, darling, and i’m here now. i know it’s not enough and doesn’t make up for everything but i’m here now. “

      it was evident from the way elias’ fingers rubbed against his temple that he knew just how stupid taking cammy’s word for things was, and zoë couldn’t help but feel as if he deserved everything he felt. he talked about loyalty, trust, that nothing can run smoothly without it. but what about them. she couldn’t help but wonder, the thought was always nagging in the back of her mind, who was he more loyal to? her? or her brother? it seemed at the moment that her brother would always come first. “ what about us? what about the trust we rely on. ” her words came out a little shaky, desperate even. the whole facade of being unaffected by his presence long dropped. “ trusting him doesn’t mean taking his word for the gospel truth, especially when it comes to me. ”

     the pressure of his fingers against her arm, made her want to step away, but no matter how much she wanted to step away, her body betrayed her for a moment as he grew closer. because usually his touch brought a calmness along with it, a much welcomed warmth that she had no hesitation to sink into and a part of her wanted nothing more than to feel some sort of sense of safety; and to some extent his touch melted away the scolding anger but it hardly touched the hurt underneath.

    her head angled away from his touch as she swallowed the lump that had gathered. “ do i? ” the words came out far quieter. “ because it seems like all it takes is for my brother to say the word and you’re gone. i needed you two months ago and i waited weeks for your knock to come but it never did. you never came. i thought it was because you decided it was all too much, that i was too much—but maybe now it would have been better if you had. ”

[zoechandlerarchive]

ELIAS.

       elias knew weeks and months could either change someone or leave them just the same. zoe’s case was the former. when the door cracked open, he saw the afternoon light glint off of those ocean eyes that threatened to melt him with their white-hot fury. even despite her stony gaze, he managed a small smile just hearing her voice. it was sweet and honeyed, even when it held contempt and his full name rather than a nickname. “ lucky i am, “  he jokes, leaned against the door frame, “ but i know hell hath no fury like a chandler woman scorned. we both know you’d do more damage than the whole lot of them. “  

       he studied what little of her face peered out at him. after his joke ended, so did his cheery facade. his face fell and he even dared to rest his hand on the doorknob. “ i know you don’t want to see me, as cammy made that abundantly clear so long ago. but time for searching and mourning is over. she’s home, zo. now you have no reason to not want to see me. of course, unless there’s another reason i’ve not yet become aware of. “  

      it should have brought a smile to her lips. it would have once brought a smile to her lips, she would have even gone as far as adding some quick-witted comment. but his joking manner only heighten the growing anger rising within. months had passed and here he was, joking. at least he had the sense to know her brother’s weren’t the biggest threat to his safety at the minute. if only looks could kill.

     she studied him intently, not daring to allow her features to shift even in the smallest of ways as he moved closer, the placement of his hand forcing her to adjust her grip slightly in preparation in case she had to resort to slamming the door in his face. something she wouldn’t be opposed to at all. but the words he spoke caught her. they forced a crack to break across her features as her brows knitted together, her eyes flickering between his—not want to see him? as cammy made abundantly clear? nothing he said made any sense. there may have been times she’d bordered on hysterical when rosie was missing but she had been clear headed enough to remember she’d never once even hinted about not wanting to see elias. 

    the confusion caused her grip on the door to slacken, allowing it to drift open a little more—just enough for her to slip through easily. “ what? i—cameron told you i didn’t want to see you? ” it shouldn’t really be a surprise to her, she knew cammy. she knew the lengths he’d go to. but even so, elias believed him. elias might not have left but she wasn’t sure if knowing he’d taken her brother’s word as the truth was worse than thinking he’d simply left. “ and you didn’t even attempt to try and talk to me? you took his word for it?—i thought you left me, elias. i needed you. ” 

[zoechandlerarchive]

ELIAS.

@zoechandler

       the steps of the chandler house were familiar for varying reasons. elias and them first became accustomed when he was a bright and young piece of fresh skeleton meat. they become even more familiar with each other when he would skulk up them to meet a certain miss zoe chandler under a waning crescent mood. this time he stepped up the cement, he held a guilty look on his face even before zoe had the chance to look at him. he rapped on the door three times; one long knock followed by two short to signal his arrival. he did this so zoe would be first to the door, rather than another chandler. 

       “ zo… i know you’re in there. it’s me. “

       her head wouldn’t have even lifted from the book she was mindlessly flipping through if it hadn’t been for the following two short knocks that sounded after a single long knock. the echo of the familiar code forced her eyes to snap up to the front window, a heaviness settling in the pit of her stomach. for weeks she had been holding out hope to hear those three knocks against the front door but when she’d wanted, needed, them the most, they’d never come. he’d never come. though her reaction was instant, she hesitated for a moment. hoping someone else might just beat her to the door, even if she was the only one home bar rosie, or he’d give up just as easily as he had months ago. 

      but no footsteps came. his voice was the only thing that broke through the silence of the house. go away. she wanted to yell the words but only a sharp breath came out as she discarded the book onto the couch and pushed herself up before slowly inching her way closer to the door. the heaviness in the stomach growing with every step.

     as her fingers grasped the door handle and opened the door just enough for her features to show through the slither, she forced her features stoic in nature. though it threatened to crack the moment her eyes fell on him. what she would have given for this to have been months ago. 

     “ you’re lucky my brothers aren’t home— ” or at least just one in-particular,  “ what do you want, elias? ”