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la-sorciere-fleur · 7 years

Note

Could I request of fic where the reader just moved to London and knows no one and finds herself in an old pub trying to drink away her loneliness and during closing hours a ghost of Jacob Frye appears. She keeps visiting him nightly and starts falling for the apparition

Thank you for this request, Anon! This is a really unique idea :) and I had fun writing it. I hope you enjoy it.

The Ghost of Whitechapel (Jacob Frye x Reader)

WARNINGS: None

WORD COUNT: 3122

A/N: I had a bit of difficulty deciding how to end this one. I decided to leave it very open-ended, so that the readers can decide on how they’d like it to go instead. Although, I’d be open to writing more for this if there’s a desire for it :)

Your name: submit What is this?

Moving to London had been exciting at first. It was an infamous city with a long history and many different landmarks to visit. You’d visited the Tower and Buckingham Palace, wandered through Westminster Abbey, shopped at Harrod’s and seen a breathtaking view of the city from the London Eye. It was the middle of summer and although there had been typical London showers, the weather had been good for the most part.

Even the simplest of things had been fun at first - you had an Oyster card and could catch the famous London Underground and double-decker buses. There were those infamous red phone boxes everywhere and on a night spent in Westminster, Big Ben glowed like a beacon.

Yes, it was all very exciting until the novelty of it all began to wear off. You’d made a few acquaintances during your short time in London, but none of them could really be called a friend. You began to feel homesick; longing for the comforts of what was familiar to you.

For almost a week you began to fall into a slump. Suddenly, the city wasn’t as fascinating as it had once been and you found yourself spending any free time alone in your new apartment. That is, until one day you decided enough was enough. You’d come to London to start a new, exciting life - you weren’t going to let loneliness get the better of you.

So, on your way home in Whitechapel, you decided to stop into the Rose & Crown pub for a drink. It was already late, but there was quite a crowd, since a football game with two popular teams was playing on the TV. They were fairly rowdy and causing a lot of noise as they watched the game unfold. It was too loud for you, so you ordered a Pimm’s and lemonade before asking if there was somewhere quieter to sit. The friendly bartender suggested that you go downstairs.

You walked down the flight of stairs to an empty room with dining tables and chairs. It must have been the pub restaurant during the earlier hours of the day. There was another, smaller bar down there, with a single bartender polishing some freshly cleaned glasses.

He looked up at you, giving you a short greeting before returning to his task. You sat down at one of the tables, silence falling between the two of you. You ordered a few more drinks as time passed you by, until the bartender explained he was finished for the night, but you could stay down there as long as you liked. You thanked him and continued sipping at the latest drink you’d ordered.

You became lost in your thoughts, making new resolutions to befriend more people in London and stop wallowing in loneliness.

When you saw something move out of the corner of your eye you jumped slightly, turning to see what it was.

A man stood across the room, eyeing you closely. He was handsome, in a sort of rugged way. He had light brown hair, a thin layer of stubble and a strong jaw. His eyes seemed mischievous as they regarded you in the dim lighting and he had a strong, muscular build. He was dressed in odd clothing though, that seemed very out of place.

Yet, it wasn’t his appearance that left you shocked. No, it was the fact that he moved to walk closer to you, before he suddenly vanished into thin air.

“W-what?” You sputtered.

Your mouth gaped open in utter shock and it took several moments for your mind to truly catch up with what you’d just witnessed. Taking several deep breaths, you attempted to calm yourself.

It was nothing. Just your mind playing tricks on you.

Right?

It seemed fate wanted to contradict you as suddenly the man appeared again, an apparition materialising out of thin air. You let out a noise of fright, no longer able to deny the strange phenomenon. Your legs moved on their own, quickly running past the spirit and back up the stairs of the pub. You couldn’t get out of there fast enough, your heart beating wildly in your chest.

***

A few days passed and you couldn’t get the memory out of your head. Sometimes you settled on the idea that you’d simply had too much to drink that night. Other times, you convinced yourself that what you’d seen was undoubtedly real. In the end, you decided that you had to go back and settle the matter once and for all. You made a deal with yourself. If you saw nothing, you would let it go. If you did see something… well, you’d decide on what to do if it came to that.

You waited until it was late at night again before heading back to the Rose & Crown. It was quieter that night and the bartender from the other night recognised you.

“Back again, love?” He asked. “You want the same?”

You nodded with a small smile, constantly glancing at the staircase that led to the lower level. He handed you your drink, exchanging it for your money.

“Is it alright if I sit downstairs again?” You asked him.

“The restaurant and the bar are closed, love,” he explained.

“I just like the peace and quiet,” you told him, hoping that he would accept your answer.

“You can go down if you want to,” he said with a shrug, turning to serve another customer.

You quickly moved to the staircase, moving down to the basement which was only dimly lit. The sun was setting, as the summer days were long, so some light streamed in through the windows. You looked around the room, surveying every inch of it, yet you didn’t spot anyone but yourself.

Sighing, you slumped down into the nearest chair and set your drink onto the table. Once the fright and shock had worn off, you’d actually been excited by the prospect of seeing a ghost. Yet, it seemed that you really did have too much to drink that night. You took a sip of your drink and resolved to the fact that it hadn’t been real and your life would return to being dull and lonely.

“Back again?” A silky smooth voice commented from behind you.

You nearly jumped out of your skin from the fright. Turning around, your eyes widened when you spotted the apparition eyeing you with curiosity.

“Y-y-you can talk!?” You exclaimed, spinning around to face the spirit properly.

“Of course I can talk,” he scoffed.

You took a moment to calm your nerves and gather your thoughts.

“But… but you’re a ghost,” you said. “… Aren’t you?”

“So?” He retorted. “There’s no law saying ghosts can’t talk.”

“Oh my god,” you breathed out. “I’ve finally gone mad.”

“I’m quite real love,” he chuckled. “I assure you.”

“But… but how is this possible?”

“What do you mean?”

“How am I seeing you?” You asked. “Why me? Surely, if it was this easy to communicate with ghosts, it’d be a well known fact by now.”

“Not necessarily,” he reasoned. “Besides, I’m stuck. It wasn’t meant to be like this.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You enquired.

“Doesn’t matter,” he brushed off, moving closer to you. “Go on then, love, what’s your name?”

“…. Y/N,” you said with some trepidation. “And yours?”

“Jacob,” he replied.

“I can’t believe this is happening…” you muttered to yourself.

“Neither can I, to be honest,” he agreed. “You’re the first one to ever actually see me. You took me off guard the other night, to be honest.”

“I took you off guard?” You exclaimed. “You’re the one who just appeared out of thin air!”

“Yeah,” he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”

Another moment of silence fell between the two of you as you attempted to process everything.

“Y/N?” He asked, causing you took look back up at him. “You okay, love?”

“Yeah…” you replied. “It’s just a lot to take in.”

“You’re telling me,” he gave a wry smile. “I’m the one who’s been stuck like this for nearly 150 years with no one to talk to. Thought I’d go mad.”

“150 years!?” You repeated in shock.

“There abouts,” he shrugged nonchalantly.

“That’s crazy,” you breathed out. “I definitely would have lost my mind by that point. It must have been really lonely…”

He studied you carefully and you grew awkward under his gaze. Up close, you could see the hazel colour of his eyes and they seemed to see right through you - as though you were the apparition and not the other way around.

“Why were you down here all by yourself?” He asked.

“I only just moved here,” you told him defensively. “I don’t know anyone yet.”

“So, you’re lonely too,” he murmured quietly to himself.

He was quite perceptive, it seemed. You observed him in silence; his image wasn’t necessarily transparent and in certain lighting he could have appeared to be just an ordinary person. However, when he was fully exposed in the light, you could see that he wasn’t entirely solid either. Curious, you reached out, before remembering yourself and retracting your hand. You glanced up at him, ashamed, but he only gave you an amused smile in return.

“It’s fine,” he said. “I’m curious too.”

“You’ve never tried to touch someone before?” You asked, surprised.

“No, I have,” he explained. “But none of them could see me. In almost 150 years, you’re the only one.”

“I still find that very hard to believe,” you whispered.

“Yeah,” he shrugged in agreement. “But it’s the truth. Go on.”

He gestured for you to continue and so you reached out again to touch his hand. Much to both yours and Jacob’s disappointment, your hand went right through his, as though it wasn’t there at all. However, you did feel something.

“Do you feel that?” You asked, looking up into his eyes.

“Yeah…” he breathed out.

“It’s like a warm, tingling sensation,” you said and he nodded in agreement. “Weird…”

You both got lost in each other’s gaze, equally overwhelmed by the progression of strange events. Jacob had spent so long without human interaction and was incredibly grateful to just have someone see him again, let alone converse with him. As for you, it was hard to believe that such a phenomenon would happen to you and Jacob was oddly enough the first person you felt you’d truly connected with and relaxed around since coming to London.

“How did you end up like this?” You asked softly, your curiosity overcoming you.

He looked away, breaking your gaze with a sigh.

“It’s a long story,” he said evasively.

You immediately picked up that he didn’t want to discuss it, so you decided to let it go.

“I’m sorry,” you apologised.

“It’s fine,” he said, unfazed.

The old clock in the basement chimed and you suddenly realised how late it was. You had to be up early in the morning, so you turned to Jacob regretfully.

“I really should get home,” you told him.

He eyed you with a sense of reluctant acceptance and nodded. His eyes held so much loneliness that you wanted nothing more than to continue sitting there and getting to know him. But life had other plans for you both.

“I’ll come back soon - maybe even tomorrow,” you said. “Will you be here?”

“I can’t really leave, love,” he said with a cynical smile.

You wanted to ask him to elaborate, but thought better of it.

“I’ll come back,” you assured him. “I promise.”

“It’d be much appreciated,” he chuckled.

“Well, goodbye then, Jacob.”

“See you soon, Y/N.”

***

It was odd and you didn’t honestly know anybody who would understand it, but your time in the basement of the Rose & Crown with Jacob became a highlight in your daily life. It was hard, because you couldn’t tell anyone about this incredibly interesting man you’d met, since none of them would be able to see him - let alone accept the fact that he’d been dead for almost 150 years. The staff at the pub already thought you were strange enough, always coming to their pub and sitting alone in the basement. There had even been one incident where one of the staff members had come downstairs while you were with Jacob.

Of course, they couldn’t see your ghostly companion and were confused as to who you were talking to. You had recovered quickly, explaining that you’d been talking on your phone. However, Jacob didn’t help matters at all. He relentlessly tried to make you laugh while the staff member was down there, making sly comments and jokes. Once the two of you were alone again, you had scolded him.

“Jacob!” You’d said. “That isn’t funny!”

“Lighten up a bit, Y/N,” he had laughed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was you who’d been stuck here for so long.”

“Why here?” You’d enquired hesitantly.

“Don’t worry about that, love,” he’d said. “It doesn’t matter.”

Slowly over time, you found yourself becoming more and more attached to Jacob. It was a strange companionship, yet somehow it just felt right - for both of you. Despite the odd circumstances of your relationship, you connected to each other well and it seemed natural to spend so much of your time with him. It wasn’t simply that you pitied his circumstances or that you liked the novelty of having such a rare interaction - no, it was much more than that.

You genuinely liked him and cared for him. He brought a lot of happiness into your life and you found yourself loving the time you spent with him. Even though you’d begun to make friends in London, none of those friendships could even come close to the relationship you had with Jacob. It was special and unique.

***

“Busy day?” Jacob asked as you walked down into the lower floor of the Rose & Crown.

“That doesn’t even cover it,” you let out a small laugh before sinking into the closest chair.

“You look tired, Y/N,” he observed. “You should go home. You don’t have to come here.”

“It’s not an issue,” you insisted. “If anything, you’ll help me unwind after a very long day.”

His lips quirked up into a small smile as he regarded you with interest.

“It’s not boring?” He joked. “Spending time with an old man?”

“I’d hardly call you old, Jacob,” you retorted with a roll of your eyes.

“I’m older than your granddad, love,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but you’re young,” you reasoned. “You don’t even act old.”

“I guess that’s one perk in this,” he laughed.

You let out a chuckle of your own, mulling over his words.

“What was it like back then?” You asked. “To live in the Victorian era?”

“That’s what they call it?” He asked. “Figures…”

You waited patiently as he considered your words and the answer he would give.

“It was exciting in some ways,” he told you. “The world was changing - revolutionising, really. But at the same time… there was a lot of corruption and poverty.”

“Not much has changed in that aspect,” you sighed. “Some would even argue that it’s gotten worse.”

He didn’t say anything in response, but from the look on his face, he didn’t seem to be all that surprised by your words. You took the opportunity to study him closely. In this lighting, he could have just been an ordinary man and you allowed yourself to briefly imagine what that would be like. How different would your relationship be if he was just like you - living, breathing and solid? He was incredibly handsome and charming. You could easily see yourself falling for him under different circumstances.

Your thoughts began to run wild. How would it feel to touch him - his skin against yours? He looked well built and quite muscular. How would it feel to have that large, hard body against your own? And those lips… how would it feel to kiss him? Would his lips feel soft, contrasting with his coarse stubble? Would he kiss you slow and deep? Or rough and passionate? Would his hands explore as you kissed? Or would he simply hold you to him?

You became so wrapped up in your thoughts that a faint blush appeared on your cheeks. Jacob frowned, wondering what had caused you to suddenly become so quiet.

“Y/N?” He asked, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Hmm?” You hummed, trying to rid the images from your mind.

“You okay, love?” He asked, clearly amused by your odd behaviour.

It was a purely instinctual action, from a time long passed, as he reached out to take hold of your hand. Yet, this one, simple action from him brought you right back to reality. Of course, he couldn’t actually touch you, but you felt that strange warm, tingling sensation. You panicked, confused by your own thoughts and the reasons behind them. You avoided Jacob’s gaze and pulled back, moving to stand up.

“A-actually…” you murmured. “I really should get going. It’s been a long day.”

You turned your back on him, heading for the stairs.

“Y/N!” He called after you.

Yet, you ignored him, needing to be anywhere but there. Your own emotions overwhelmed you and although you tried to run from them, it was no use.

You didn’t have to imagine what it would be like to fall for him. It had already happened. In any other circumstances, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. Even if he didn’t return those feelings, you could have moved on. However, these feelings you’d developed were hopeless.

Jacob wasn’t an ordinary man - he wasn’t even alive. You would never be able to kiss him, make love to him, let alone actually touch him. Your feelings were doomed before you even began to understand them. You felt a great wave of helplessness come over you at the situation. It was an impossible love - even before you knew of his own feelings. You stopped outside of the pub, leaning against a wall and letting the cool night air wash over you.

You’d fallen for a ghost and there was nothing you could do about it. Though, for the time being, you weren’t sure if you could face Jacob. You were afraid he’d see right through you.

Not knowing what to do, you decided to return home and sleep on it. Your emotions were in disarray, making it unlikely that you’d find solutions any time soon. You walked away from the pub and from a very bewildered Jacob, leaving him to his loneliness for now.

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