#cabinet of curiosities: pickman's model fanfiction

[imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend]

All Things End, Part 9

:)

Fic Summary: William Thurber is left to pick up the pieces of his nightmare. Reader is a sensitive - a psychic - with knowledge of otherworldly things, and has been drawn to help William.

Characters: William Thurber, Sensitive/Psychic!Reader (F)

Words: 1.4k

Warnings: mention of near self-harm in the past, use of religious language

Masterlist ~ Part 8

(moodboard images found on Google. Please let me know if you are the creator and would like anything removed)

So, William stayed with you until the worried lines smoothed from your forehead and your breaths drew even. Once he was sure you were asleep, he went to the bathroom to finally relieve his nearly bursting bladder.  

He cleaned up your nightgown and underclothes, with pink-tinged cheeks, and put them on the dresser in the room. Back in the bathroom, he pulled the drain from the plug and wiped up the water that had spilled over the edges. There was a rather large puddle on the tiles, and it further hurt William’s heart as he thought about what you’d seen in your vision. You poor thing. He felt truly awful about the things you’d experienced because he knew exactly what you had been through.  

He hadn’t mentioned it to you, but those days back, when Pickman had dropped off a painting at his house and William looked at it after a nightmare, he almost drove his knife into his eye. Luckily, Rebecca had come down and shaken him free of the thoughts, unbeknownst to her. If only he’d been around to stop Joe and Rebecca when their minds had become infected.

William splashed water on his face and looked over his ‘new’ reflection. He realized that he did not miss the moustache. James used to tug on it when he was younger - not extremely hard, mostly out of curiosity on the thing attached to his father’s face. James had been out of that phase for a while now, but his moustache always reminded William of his son. He felt tears burning his eyes at the thought of his son. His poor, innocent boy. He’d done nothing to deserve his fate. Betrayed by the one person who was supposed to protect him all because of Pickman’s wicked paintings.

William had to brace his hand against the sink as he pressed the other one against his forehead. Pained, his body trembled as he tried to fight off his mournful tears for his son. He might not have aspired to be a father when he was trying to become an artist, but he was so happy to have a son once James was born. When James picked up his first coloured pencil, William was overjoyed. He didn’t think he’d be able to love anyone more than he had Rebecca until he held that tiny baby in his arms.  

James was the one person William was supposed to protect. Rebecca didn’t need his protection. She was strong, opinionated, and wasn’t afraid to make herself heard. William never had to fear about her. But his son, he was an innocent. William had wanted to show off the thing he had been working so hard on, and it led to his child’s death. He wondered if he could ever forgive himself. He needed proper time to mourn, but there hadn’t been any. You’d found him before he could really spiral or hurt anyone, and he had just buried his family. William hadn’t really had time to process any of it before he was working with you to try to free his soul.  

William had to splash his face with water a few more times before he felt like he could exit the bathroom. Tonight, he’d do everything he could to rid his soul of the darkness that had attached to him. Then he’d get far away from Arkham and try to start over.

He wondered where he’d go and found himself hoping you’d let him stick around. He wondered why he hoped for that... you were merely a stranger. Weren’t you? But William knew that you were wise, kind, and he saw an innocent beauty to you… and he'd only known you for a few days. He realized he wanted to know you for longer.

Who was William kidding? You'd probably move on to the next person who’d become the centre of your visions and try to help them after you were done with him. That’s what you’d been doing, ever since you’d been on your own, you’d said. What would change that after you’d helped him?

***

You felt much better when you woke up, despite having slept with soaking wet hair. The pillow was a little damp, and you wrinkled your noise before you sat up. Your hair was damp and probably unruly. But you felt good. You stretched your arms over your head and let out a big sigh.  

William was sitting at the desk and turned to look at you upon hearing you stir.

You felt cool air against your chest and realized that your robe had opened slightly. You covered yourself quickly. You weren’t fully exposed, but William had probably seen more of your cleavage than decent. You felt immense heat in your cheeks.

William looked away, probably sensing your discomfort. He got up and gestured to the table. “I went down and got breakfast.”

“What? Why?”

“You needed to sleep.” He said simply.

“But what if someone saw you and the police-”

William interrupted you. “Please, sweet girl. It’s fine. Come and eat.”

You still felt flushed, but you got out of bed and tied the robe more securely around your waist.  You ran your fingers through your hair as you walked over to sit at the little table.

It looked like William had already eaten because there was only one bowl of oatmeal on the table. You took it and appreciated the warmth from the porcelain that seeped to your chilled bones. William came over with a cup of tea, then returned with a cup of his own. He sat at the other end of the table.

You looked at him timidly. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He gave you a charming little smile before he slipped his tea.

You ate in silence and when you were done, you went to the bathroom to clean your teeth. You saw that William had cleaned up the tub and floor and didn’t see your clothes. When your teeth were clean you went out to thank William for cleaning the bathroom.

“You didn’t have to clean up in there on my account. I would have done it.”

William waved his hand dismissively.  

“Or tidied up my clothes.”  

William’s cheeks flushed at that. He cleared his throat. “It’s no bother.”

“Well, thank you. I’ll change now.”

William shrugged. “But I think we’re nearly even for seeing each other indecent.” He smirked and you felt a wave of heat flush through your body.

You let out an embarrassed squeak and tried to cover it with a laugh. You went to the dresser where you had put some clothes to hide your burning face from him.

You had to splash some cold water on your face. You couldn’t get this way, not on such an important day. William was flustering you too much. Tonight, you had to face your darkest challenge yet, and you couldn’t go into it with William’s handsome face making your brain melt.

***

It had now turned to evening, and William listened intently as you had gone over the plan with him one final time before you left the inn.  

You needed to bring along all the items you had gone and gotten the day before. The salt, sage, and he had watched you fill a flask with water and say a prayer over it with your rosary in your hand. You had explained to him that it was Holy Water and could be used as a defense against evil.

You had given William his own rosary and crucifix. “I’ll need you to always keep this on your person. And when we’re trying to expel the darkness, you might have to hold it in your hands.” You showed him how you held it. Beads wrapped around your fingers; crucifix presented in front of it all in your fist. Like how he had seen you hold it when you got Pickman’s paintings to burn at the gallery.

He nodded and tucked the beads into the pocket of his trousers.

If everything went according to plan, the beasts would be unable to pass the salt line around the well. The Gateway, you called it. You would expel the darkness from William’s soul and then be able to banish everything from the beasts to the spirits back down to Hell. Then William would brick over the well as you burned sage to cleanse the area.  

Only then would William be freed of what Pickman had brought into his life.

~

Author’s Note: okay I promise, monster fighting in the next chapter!!!! I hope you guys are enjoying this! Are you yearning, yet?

Taglist

@idaofinfinity @kayhi808 @hxneywilde @happyhealthyhobbit @quellmythirst @ellooo0ooo @stressed-chaos @ashlynhasmanyhyperfixations @musicalggirl @russosafehaven @myladydarkling @ana-fortheloveofgod @makemeurvillian  

#william thurber fic #william thurber fanfic #cabinet of curiosities #netflix cabinet of curiosities #cabinet of curiosities fanfic #cabinet of curiosities: pickman's model #pickman's model #pickman's model fanfic #cabinet of curiosities: pickman's model fanfiction #pickman's model fic #guillermo del toros cabinet of curiosities #guillermo del toro's cabinet of curiosities #ben barnes character

[wyrmalien]

THERES ONE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES PICKMANS MODEL FANFICTION BUT ITS FOR THURBER AND JOE MINOT OF ALL PEOPLE. OBSESSED WITH THIS

#went down the ao3 rabbithole. theres only 2 fics in the cabinet of curiosities tag also and the other one is for the autopsy which tracks

[imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend]

All Things End, Part 8

Fic Summary: William Thurber is left to pick up the pieces of his nightmare. Reader is a sensitive - a psychic - with knowledge of otherworldly things, and has been drawn to help William.

Characters: William Thurber, Sensitive/Psychic!Reader (F)

Words: 1.5k

Warnings: description of cannon-typical scary imagery, physical injury

Masterlist ~ Part 7

(moodboard images found on Google. Please let me know if you are the creator and would like anything removed)

You woke up a little before the sun was ready to rise. You were getting nervous for your night, even though it was hours away. You knew you wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, so you thought perhaps you should take a warm bath. 

You peeked over at William, who was sleeping peacefully in the bed beside you. He was probably two feet away from you, but you could still feel the warmth his body was emanating. You wished he was a little bit closer.  

Being on your own for nearly a decade was so lonely. You longed to be touched, to be held. And if you were being honest, it was William that you longed for. Sure, you barely knew the man. But you felt like you really wanted to. You knew he was kind. He had loved his family. Given everything he had been through, he was also very strong. And not to mention, he was incredibly handsome. His eyes made you feel like you were falling into the depths of the earth when you looked into them too closely. The charming streaks of silver in his otherwise dark hair made you want to run your fingers through it. And not that you had any experience, but his pink lips made you want to kiss him until your lungs burned. 

Thinking of him this way had caused your whole body to flush. The gold of his wedding ring caught your eye, and you felt your heart sink. You were horrible for thinking this way about him. He’d just lost his wife barely two days ago, and here you were, longing for him like a damsel in a romance novel. 

You quietly pushed back the covers and started to get out of bed. You jumped when you felt William’s hand over yours. 

“Where are you goin’?” he mumbled, eyes still closed. 

You were frozen. You didn’t know what to say. He must have thought you were his wife. You felt your heart starting to shatter in your chest. “I-I need... it’s me, William.” You managed to whisper. 

His voice didn’t waver. “I know. Are you okay?” He peeked an eye open. 

You swallowed, feeling a thick lump in your throat. “I’m fine. Go back to sleep, Will.”  

“Mmkay.” He squeezed your hand and let his eye shut. He was back to sleep within a few seconds, and you slowly pulled your hand out of his, heart pounding in your chest. You practically ran to the bathroom on your tip toes and when the door was shut you pressed your back against it. 

You covered your bashful grin with your hand even though no one could see you. 

*** 

When William woke to the morning light, the spot beside him was cold. He frowned a little, remembering you getting out of bed earlier. He looked around the room, but you weren’t in sight. 

He saw light shining through the space between the floor and the bathroom door, so he assumed you were in there. 

He rather had to relieve his bladder, but he waited a couple minutes to give you some privacy. You didn’t come out though, and William couldn’t take it anymore so he got out of bed and knocked on the bathroom door. 

He called your name. “If you’re almost finished, I need to use the restroom.” 

He heard a rather loud splashing sound, and you coughing. 

“Are you alright?” he asked in concern. 

A deep breath and a bit more coughing before a hoarse, “I’m fine.” 

There was some more splashing, and William backed away from the door.  

You appeared momentarily, hair soaked, and a bathrobe draped around you. “So, sorry. All yours.” You said, rushing past with colour flooding your cheeks. The rest of your skin, however, looked pale. 

He reached out and grabbed your wrist, stopping you before you got too far. 

“Are you sure you’re alright? I don’t think you are.” William said. 

You looked down at his hand on your wrist, and he let you go. 

You ran your fingers through your wet hair, then pressed them against your cheeks for a moment. “I had a vision while I was in the bath.”  

William saw that there were tears in your eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

You made a noise of distress, and it looked like you were going to fall, so William rushed forward to catch you. He helped move you over to the bed and sat down beside you. 

“Tell me what you saw.” He said adamantly.

*** 

While you were in the bath, a vision took hold of you. You saw a great cloaked figure. He had the face of a goat with burning amber eyes, and marks and hollows on its forehead that resembled a human skull. It had four long horns and four hoofed legs as if they were arms, in addition to two other thick lower legs. Its ribcage was melded with bloody human bones and skulls. You heard a deafening chanting and watched as people shed their clothes and walked toward the Beast to be crushed by its massive hooves. 

This felt different from other visions you’d had. It truly felt like you were there in that moment, the Beast’s eyes burning straight through you. You felt its hot, stinking breath when it roared at you.  

You heard the wretched laughter of the witch in the black dress. You turned and there she was, gliding towards you as if she wasn’t even walking. She grabbed you by the throat and you watched as her face melted and became the decayed version that William told you he’d seen. She forced you to the ground and tilted your chin straight up to the sky. You looked at the ground behind you, and watched as the horrid little creatures with milky eyes scrambled over the bloody earth towards you. Their necks melded straight in with the chest and gut, spikey flesh that swung with momentum. They had long, scraggly coarse hair. Their arms were too long, legs too short. Horrible sharp claws dug into your own flesh, ripping you apart. 

This was fear. 

That’s when William’s voice broke you free from the vision. Somehow, you had slipped under the surface and when you opened your eyes and tried to breathe you were just met with water. You didn’t even know how long you’d been underwater, or how long you’d even been in the tub, but the bath water had turned cold. 

Your neck felt sore, and when you had looked at it in the mirror, there was a bruise across your throat as if you really had been choked by the witch. 

You were clutching at the neck of the bathrobe, hoping William hadn’t seen it as you recounted your vision through your tears. He had a light hand on your back, and it spread a comforting warmth through you. When your tale was done, you buried your face in your hands and sniffled. 

“I’m so sorry you had to see that. That’s like what I’ve been experiencing though.” 

You raised your face and wiped your eyes. William put his hand on your wrist suddenly and pulled. 

“What happened to your neck?” He asked incredulously. 

“It’s from the witch.” You said, trying to cover it back up. 

William cursed before he let go of your wrist. “This is my fault. You shouldn’t be here. This never would have happened to you if you didn’t come here.” 

“William, you must stop with this. I came here of my own free will.” 

“You shouldn’t have.” 

*** 

William remembered when he had awoken with his shirt in tatters all those years ago after dreaming of the witch. He hadn’t been harmed physically, unlike you.  

If you weren’t here trying to help him, this wouldn’t have happened to you. 

You sighed in frustration. “Please, Will. Stop. I want to help you.” You sounded defeated. 

“I’m sorry.” He said softly. 

“I’m fine.” 

He looked at you. You were still pale and looked exhausted. “I think you should get some rest. Especially if we’re still going to Pickman’s place tonight.” 

“We still need to go tonight. I only received that vision because... whatever that was is trying to scare us. Me. But we can’t let it.” 

William nodded. “Okay. Then please, get some more rest.” 

“Surely, you’d like some breakfast first. Let me go get some.” 

“No, I’m fine. Go back to sleep. Please.” William said. 

“My stuff’s still all in the bathroom. I should go clean it up.” 

“Sweet girl, if you don’t go back to sleep right now, I will tuck you back under the covers myself.” 

You looked at him in surprise but didn’t argue further. You got up and pulled the covers back so you could crawl beneath them. William helped bring the covers over you anyway, sitting at the edge of the bed. You turned so you were on your side, able to look at him. 

“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?” You asked gently. 

William’s heart felt like it would burst at the innocent question. “Sure.” 

You smiled and settled yourself against the pillow once more before you closed your eyes. 

~

Author's note: Okay, things are going to get real in the next chapter. Is the reader breaking hearts, still? ;)

Taglist :

@idaofinfinity @kayhi808 @hxneywilde @happyhealthyhobbit @quellmythirst @ellooo0ooo @stressed-chaos @ashlynhasmanyhyperfixations @musicalggirl @russosafehaven @myladydarkling @ana-fortheloveofgod @makemeurvillian

Part 9

#cabinet of curiosities: pickman's model fanfiction #pickman's model #cabinet of curiosities: pickman's model #cabinet of curiosities fanfic #netflix cabinet of curiosities #guillermo del toro's cabinet of curiosities #guillermo del toros cabinet of curiosities #cabinet of curiosities #william thurber fanfic #william thurber

[imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend]

All Things End, Part 6

Hello! Writer's block has been conquered. Exam is over! Yay! I'm going to try my best to finish this story :)

Fic Summary: William Thurber is left to pick up the pieces of his nightmare. Reader is a sensitive - a psychic - with knowledge of otherworldly things, and has been drawn to help William.

Characters: William Thurber, Sensitive/Psychic!Reader (F)

Words: 1.9k

Warnings: use of religious language, fainting, canon-typical gore mentioned, allusion to self-harm (for the purpose of a cruel cliff hanger) 😈 

Masterlist ~ Part 5

(moodboard images found on Google. Please let me know if you are the creator and would like anything removed)

You explained to William what you thought the best course of action would be to try to expel the darkness from William’s soul. You hadn’t ever done anything quite like this before. Never had you experienced someone’s soul being haunted like William’s was. Most of the time, it was a house or an object that had a spirit or darkness attached to it. So, you weren’t certain that this would work, but you were praying that it would. 

You told William that he mostly just needed to be present and would probably have to fight off some visions and that you would be doing most of the work. You would build a salt circle around the well in Pickman’s basement to prevent anything evil from getting out into the world. You and William would have to be standing in the circle for when you tried to detach the darkness from his soul, which you would do by getting him to drink Holy Water. William could then remove himself from the circle while you tried to send the spirits back to Hell, God-willing. Then you would have to try to seal off the Gate. You weren’t sure how that was going to work quite yet. 

Most of this relied on God, and your prayers. You had faith that He would protect you, as He had up to this point. You didn’t know what else you could do. You didn’t tell William that, though. 

You had decided that it was best that William lay low for at least a day. His house, which had been discovered to be burned down with two fresh graves in the backyard, had most likely led to suspicion about William. With the police uncertain about his whereabouts, William would become a person of interest, if not the primary suspect. All you had seen in your vision was the police standing at the smoking remains of William’s house, and a photograph they had confiscated. It was a family picture, but Rebecca and James had been burned away or covered in soot, and only William remained visible in the photograph. 

Indeed, William had been the one to end Rebecca’s life, but she had been damned ever since she laid eyes on Pickman’s painting. And there was nothing he could have done to save James. You hadn’t had any visions about William’s friend Joe, who had been shot by William once he realized there was no saving him. But Joe was bound to be discovered soon enough. Even though you’d gotten rid of the gun, you were still worried. Joe was connected to William, having been long-time friends and colleagues, so you didn’t doubt his name would come up for Joe’s death too. Again, William had killed Joe, but no one would understand that he was trying to show him mercy. William Thurber was an innocent man, but the police wouldn’t see it that way. 

You needed to gather some materials before you and William headed down to Pickman’s basement to free his soul and close the Gate, which you decided that you would do tomorrow night. William would have to stay in the room while you went out. You were a bit worried about him, but he said he understood that this is what needed to be done to free him of this darkness. 

“Would you like anything while I’m out?” You asked William after you tightened the laces of your boots. 

He was staring out the window with his hands in the pockets of his trousers. “No, thank you.” His voice sounded far away. 

“Are you sure?” 

He broke his gaze away from the window. “Yes. You have enough to do, sweet girl.” 

The endearment made you flush. “Okay. I will see you in a little while.” You left the room and paused outside the door briefly, hand pressed against your warm cheek, before you left. 

*** 

William couldn’t believe how little your plan actually involved. Some salt, whatever holy water was, and some prayers? That’s all you had? He didn’t know what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t that. Did you really know what you were doing? He was putting his life - his soul - in your hands. And no doubt, this was dangerous for you, too. 

Was he putting his trust in the wrong person? He ran his fingers through his hair. No, he’d seen what you did with the paintings. You’d gotten them to burn when he and Gabriel couldn’t.  

Your journal was on the desk and it caught his eye. You said that you’d written down your visions and things like this that you’d experienced before, and William’s curiosity got the better of him. He needed to know what kinds of things you’d done before and if you were out of your depth now. 

He grabbed your journal and sat down in the chair by the window and opened the leather book and skimmed through the pages. He admired your handwriting before he began to read. 

***  

It had taken you a little longer than you expected to gather what you needed. You first got William his own rosary and crucifix and had them blessed by the priest. You knew the prayer to bless Holy Water, so you didn’t bother the priest with that. You also had to go out of town to an apothecary to find some sage. You then had to wait to get a big enough bag of salt so you could make a circle around the Gate. 

Carrying it all up the stairs in the inn to get to your room, you were damp with sweat. You fumbled slightly with the key but managed to open the door. When you did, you saw William asleep in the chair by the window. You didn’t think much of it and turned to close the door. When you turned back around you saw that your journal lay open, face down on the ground. You realized that William wasn’t just sleeping. 

You quickly put down what you were carrying and went over to him. You knelt down at the side of the chair and put the back of your hand against his forehead. His brow was damp. You grabbed his shoulder and shook it gently and squeezed his thigh with your other hand. 

“William!” 

He woke with a start, sitting straight up in the chair with a shuddering gasp. It startled you, and you fell back onto your butt. 

You watched in bewilderment as William caught his breath. Once he had settled, his rested against the back of the chair and ran a hand over his face. He finally looked at you, and then leaned forward to try to help you. You pushed his hands away and grabbed your journal before you stood up. 

“You read my journal.” You said coldly. You closed it and wrapped the leather strap around it.  

“I-I’m sorry. I wanted to know-” 

“Wanted to know what? Something that you couldn’t just ask me yourself?” You stuffed your journal back in your bag. 

“I wanted to know what kinds of... things you’d dealt with before.” 

You whirled around angrily. “So, why not wait to ask me instead of breaking my trust and invading my privacy?” 

He stood up. “I only read your previous case entry and what you’d written about me.” 

“That doesn’t matter! You still shouldn’t have done it.” 

 William stepped closer and it looked like he was going to apologize again but you cut him off before he could speak. 

“I came here to help you, William. Did you think I was lying?” 

“No! No, I’m just terrified! You’re telling me that my soul is in your hands! And all you’ve got on your side is some salt and God’s word?! You don’t think I’ve prayed before? That never helped me. It didn’t do anything when I was suffering.” William said in exasperation. 

Your shoulders had been shaking a little, but they were starting to settle. You crossed your arms over your chest tightly. “I really wish you just asked me, William. My journal is private.” There was more than just cases in there. It also had your dreams, your feelings... it wasn’t for eyes other than your own. Even if he hadn’t read more than he said, he still betrayed your trust.  

His eyes were somber. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have read your journal. I just needed to know how well prepared you were. I lost my family. I lost Joe. Even Pickman, he’s been lost to this. I’m terrified. For me, and you.” He admitted. 

Your brow furrowed at that sentiment. “Me?” 

“Yes! You’re so young. And you don’t even know me. And you’re going to be risking your life for me!” 

“This is what I do.” You said simply.  

“Why? Why would you do this?” He asked desperately.  

Your voice was shaking as you said, “Because I have nothing else.” 

*** 

William felt absolutely terrible for what he had done. He regretted reading your journal the moment you’d caught him. And hearing what you just said, he felt even worse. He felt deflated, standing there as a few tears slipped down your cheeks. 

“I told you, William, that I have nobody. There’s nothing else for me.” You sniffled and wiped your eyes. You squared your shoulders. “I’m good at this. I’ve helped people. And I’m going to help you.”  

William didn’t know what to say. He just kept standing there like a silent fool. 

You grabbed your bag. “I’m going to get us some food.” You put your hand on the doorknob, and before you left you said, “Please, don’t leave the room.” 

William grabbed for the chair and sat down heavily. He was so ashamed to have hurt you this way. Another reason he regretted reading your journal was that it had brought up a horrible feeling and had made William pass out. He went to the case entry before what would have been his and read that, and then he wanted to know what you had written about him. As soon as he started reading your account on him, he felt like he was right back in those horrible moments.  

He could see the wretched witch dressed in black, he could feel her sharp nails swiping across his chest. He could smell blood coming from the abomination of a feast on her table, he could hear the music he had heard from that dream. But worst of all, William just imagined himself back in Pickman’s basement, surrounded by fire and his horrid art before he watched that beast drag Pickman’s body down to Hell where it had come from. 

He had to stand up now and go over to the sink in the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. He looked at himself in the mirror and hated what he saw. A man who had so much fear. A man who had hurt the one person he could trust right now. A man with no family and no home. He saw a straight razor on the vanity and picked it up. He pulled out the blade and stared at it hard before he looked back in the mirror and raised the blade to his skin. 

~

Author’s note: I will accept the title of Devil for now, for that cliffhanger 😈

I'm honestly mostly writing this for two people and they know who they are because they hype me up the most! ❤️

🕊️

Taglist:

@idaofinfinity @kayhi808 @hxneywilde @happyhealthyhobbit @quellmythirst @ellooo0ooo @stressed-chaos @ashlynhasmanyhyperfixations

and please tell me if this is annoying you - @marvelmusing and @billyrussohaven and I'll stop tagging you, lol :)

Part 7

#all things end #william thurber fanfic #cabinet of curiosities fanfic #guillermo del toros cabinet of curiosities #cabinet of curiosities: pickman's model #netflix cabinet of curiosities #pickman's model #william thurber fanfiction #cabinet of curiosities fanfiction #pickman's model fanfic

[imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend]

All Things End, Part 7

Sorry about that last cliff hanger 😌

Fic Summary: William Thurber is left to pick up the pieces of his nightmare. Reader is a sensitive - a psychic - with knowledge of otherworldly things, and has been drawn to help William.

Characters: William Thurber, Sensitive/Psychic!Reader (F)

Words: 2k

Warnings: mention of fainting, brief mention of blood, brief use of religious language

Masterlist ~ Part 6

(moodboard images found on Google. Please let me know if you are the creator and would like anything removed)

You felt a little bad for not really checking in on how William was feeling after you had found him passed out, but it was his own fault for reading your journal without permission. Obviously, your recount of what he told you was going to stir things up in his mind. The fool, you thought in dismay.  

You had gone for a little walk to try to clear your head before you went back to the inn and asked for some bowls of stew to bring up for you and William. It was practically dinner time, and you hadn’t had nearly enough to eat today.

You walked carefully up the stairs to your room. You realized that it would be difficult to open the door whilst carrying two bowls of steaming food. This door was not on your side today. It would have been easier if William didn’t have to hide away in the room, but alas, these were your circumstances. You used your foot to knock on the door. “William, will you open the door, please?”  

There was no response. You leaned your ear toward the door to listen for any sound behind it, but there was none. You kicked at the door again. “William?”

Still nothing.

You haphazardly stacked the steaming bowls and pressed them against your chest to free one hand so you could unlock the door and open it. You pocketed your key and set the stew down on the little table.  

William was nowhere in sight. “William?” You called again.

The bathroom door swung open and startled you slightly. William was wiping a towel over his face, and it had some blood drops on it.

“Are you alright?” You asked in concern.

William lowered the towel and your eyebrows shot up. He had shaved off his moustache and the stubble that had started to grow on his face. He looked five years younger. He looked very handsome. You couldn’t stop a soft Oh from slipping past your lips

“Just a couple of nicks.” He said.  

You cleared your throat and nodded. “I brought some stew. Best to eat it while it’s still hot.”

You went over to the table and sat down. You pulled your bowl in front of you and picked up your spoon. You tried focusing on your food, but you felt hyper aware of William now that you’d seen him clean shaven. You were flustered by his good looks but didn’t want to let anything on.

When William came back out of the bathroom after washing his face, he sat beside you silently and ate his food. He ate quickly and was done before you but didn’t say anything until you were finished eating as well.

He said your name gently and you didn’t have it in you to not meet his eyes.

His eyes darted back and forth between yours for a moment before he spoke. “I truly am sorry for reading your journal. I regret that I’ve hurt you. It was not my intention, but it was a foolish action, nonetheless. I hope you can forgive me. I give you my word that I will not do anything like that again.”

You bit your bottom lip before you released it with a sigh. “I appreciate your apology, William. And yes, please, if you ever want to ask me about anything, just ask me. If I don’t want to tell you, then you need to respect that, too.”

“I will.” William said immediately. “You’re here to help me when you don’t have to be. I appreciate it, more than you know.”

“Okay. You are forgiven, William.” You said pointedly.

He took your hands in his, and the action surprised you. “Thank you.”

***

William was so utterly relieved to have been given your forgiveness. He had taken your hands and thanked you, and he saw a blush spread across your cheeks. He let you go, not wanting to cause you any discomfort.

You cleared your throat. “How are you feeling?”

“Me?” He asked dumbly. He felt great to have patched things up with you.

You bowed your head slightly. “You passed out earlier.”

“Oh.” It was his turn to clear his throat. “I’m fine. I just saw...” He shook his head, trying not to bring those images back up. “I remembered things from the past. And more recently, too. But I’m fine now.”

“Good.”

“Were you able to get everything that you needed?” He looked over at the little pile of things you had gotten from your outing.

“Yes, I think so.” You seemed to hesitate, so William waited. “Well, there’s one more thing that I actually haven’t figured out yet.”

“What is it? Can I help?” William asked.

You looked down and fiddled with your hands. “I don’t quite know how we’re going to seal up the Gate – the well – after we’re done.”

“I thought you said you knew how to close it.” William tried to keep his tone light.

“I figure I can with some kind of word of God, but I want to be certain that it is sealed. Does that make sense?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t really understand any of this.” William said defeatedly.  

“I think we need to physically seal it.”

“Like, with bricks? Concrete?”

“Possibly. I think that might actually be best. I just don’t know how we’d go about doing that.”

William swiped a hand over his now clean-shaven face. He hadn’t been completely without facial hair for a while. It made him feel younger. He mostly shaved to change up his look. He’d been known for his moustache for a while, so if the police were going to start looking for him, he didn’t want to be so easily spotted.

“Okay. I might be able to get some supplies, but I’ll need a hand.”

“From who?” You asked him.

“Gabriel, my assistant from the gallery. He already offered me to stay at his place when he saw the way I was yesterday. He’d probably be able to help.”

“Are you sure you can trust him? What if the police have already questioned him about you?”

“He’s a good kid. He’ll give us a hand.” William said confidently.

You were eyeing him skeptically, but all you said was, “All right.”  

“He expected me at the gallery today. I might be able to catch him still, if we go now.”

You looked as though you were debating it but eventually nodded. “Okay. But put on a cap. I don’t think it’s a good idea for anyone to see you, even in the dark.”

William did as you said, grabbing the hat that he presumed you had gotten him. He put it on his head and grabbed his jacket. It was a bit dirty, but he didn’t really care. “Ready when you are.”

***

William’s Massachusetts accent flustered you almost as much as his newly shaven face. You had grabbed your own jacket and you followed William out the door. He had his hat pulled down as low as it could go, but you did your best to make sure there was no one around when you and William walked the streets. He led you to the gallery and produced a key from his pocket.  

You hadn’t been inside William’s gallery, only outside and in the courtyard. It was nice inside. You’d never seen anything like it.  

“Let’s go find Gabriel.” William said, breaking you out of your thoughts.

You followed him down the hallways and to a small office. There was a young man in there.

“Gabriel.” William said.

The young man, Gabriel, stood up. “Sir! I’m glad to see you’re okay!” He peered behind William to look at you. “Who’s this?”

“This is a friend.” William said. You merely offered a smile. “Gabriel, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Uh, anything, sir. But I should tell you, the police came ‘round today. Asking me if I’d seen you.”

“What did you tell them?” William asked. His voice was serious. “I need you to tell me exactly what they asked and what you said.”

Gabriel recounted his conversation with the police. They had asked him if he had seen William, if he knew where William might be if not at his house. Gabriel said that he merely answered their questions but did not volunteer any other information. He said that he saw William yesterday at the gallery and hadn’t seen him since. Gabriel said the only places William would ever be these days were at the gallery, the club, or at home.

He did not tell the cops about William coming back to the gallery and the things he had mentioned about his home and family being gone. He did not say anything about being ordered by William to burn all of Pickman’s work, and thankfully the police didn’t see the scorched earth or pile of burned wood in the courtyard. If they had, it definitely would have made things worse.  

“With Mr. Minot recovering and you not showing up, I kept the gallery closed.” Gabriel continued. “After the police left, I went out to the courtyard and tried cleaning up the best I could out there. Ended up having to cover it all with dirt Looks better, at least. Anyway, have you been ‘round to see Mr. Minot? Is he doing okay?”

You had noticed Will stiffen at the mention of Joe, so you subtly put your hand on his arm to try to calm him.

William cleared his throat. “Uh, thank you for doin’ that for me, Gabriel. No, I haven’t seen Joe. Yet.”

“Maybe I’ll stop by tomorrow.” Gabriel said.

You saw William’s skin pale, so you cut in. “I heard what happened to Mr. Minot. I think it’s best he rests a couple of days.”

Gabriel nodded. “Right, that’s probably a good idea.”

You smiled encouragingly at him.

“So, what’s the favour, Mr. Thurber?” Gabriel looked back to William.

“I need you to get a delivery of bricks and mortar to this address.” William reached into his pocket and pulled out a paper with Pickman’s address on it. “It just needs to be dropped outside the door, by tomorrow night.”

“Uh, okay.” Gabriel said. He accepted the paper.

“New project.” William lied.

“Gotcha. Anything else?” Gabriel asked with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s all. Listen, Gabriel. I appreciate all the work you’ve done for me and Joe. I’m thinking of bringing you up as a partner soon, ya hear me?”

Gabriel’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Will said. “I think you’re ready to step up.”

“Wow, sir. Thank you.” Gabriel said sincerely.

“Just... don’t tell the cops you’ve seen me. I don’t need them buggin’ me while I'm in the works of a new project. Okay?” Will said, hand on Gabriel’s shoulder.

Gabriel nodded dutifully. “You’ve got it, sir.”

“We should go,” you said.  

William turned around. “Yes. I’m counting on you, Gabriel.” William said, backing away and pointing his finger at Gabriel.

“I won’t let you down, sir.”

You and William left the gallery and began walking back to the inn. “Did you mean what you said about bringing him on as a partner?” You asked him.

William smiled faintly. “If there’s anyone I’d want to handle the gallery, it’s him. With Joe gone, and what’s happening to me... I’d want Gabriel to be in charge. I don’t think I’ll be able to stay here, once this is over. The cops will be on to me eventually. I gotta get outta here.”

“I don’t think that’s a terrible idea.” You admitted.

Will sucked his teeth. “Yeah.” He said it as a sigh.

The rest of the walk was in silence. When you got back to the inn, you looked over at the bed. You then looked at William, and he was looking at you.

“Still okay with sharin’ the bed?” He asked.

You tried to fight the flush creeping across your cheeks. “As long as you don’t mind me pulling at the blankets.”

William just responded with a grin.

~

Author's note: idk about you guys but I'm excited :)

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Part 8

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