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#laurie laurence fanfiction
feyofmay · 8 months
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The Oak Door
Laurie x March!Reader (aka "Ducky") Summary: At a gathering in london, hosted by Mister Laurence, Laurie gets drunk & the reader is forced to take care of him. While assisting him, Laurie attempts to propose, & the reader is everything but happy word count: 3.8k Warnings: ANGST, literally that's it just angst, also a lot of self doubt from reader
This story is a snippet from my longer Laurie x reader story, Foolish, Honest Love on ao3. If you want to know what happens next, you'll find out there ;P
Also, I am taking requests for Laurie x reader drabbles/minifics in my asks!!! :)
STORY STARTS UNDER THE PAGE BREAK
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To say one’s heart & mind works separately is a lie because the heart is an organ that does not think, nor does it hold any greater understanding of what it is. It has no consciousness, yet is unrightfully given the capability to think & know. Nobody truly thinks with their heart or their throat or their liver or their pancreas. When someone says “thinking with their heart” or “thinking with their mind”, they mean thinking with their intuition or their rationality, or thinking with logic or emotion. They create a great divide in thought that, in all honesty, has & will never exist. A black & white. A right & wrong. A sky & sea. Existing between all of these concepts is a great trench, a lack of understanding, that was dug by the hands of men. 
In thinking with her heart, the middle March finds it best to avoid Laurie, &, in thinking with her head, she agrees with her heart. All of this to say, for the past couple of days, she’s both missed & feared the sight of his face. It’s easy to grow distant from someone when there’s no possible way to close said distance, but, when you’re staying in the same residence per the request of his grandfather, it’s much harder to remain distant, both in a literal & metaphysical sense.
Within the lounge, where she resides now, Miss March distances herself from the greater commotion of the gathering, in the dining hall, without being fully disconnected, like a hand is to the torso. The walls are dressed in a tender maroon wallpaper with an eloquent & detailed moulding of marble & gold, replicating greek columns, which act as a trim that runs across the ceilings. She shares the chaise lounge with other guests as they squeeze next to each other, and their skirts overlap like incoming tides crossing over one another. She’s unsure if she's become overwhelmed by all the stimulus or simply unable to sense anything. The air doesn’t carry any distinct scent. Oddly, the space around her smells of the sound of bustling people & drinks swishing in crystalline glasses. Around her is noise & people, & all of her senses confirm that truth in a monotone wave.  Nursing an empty glass, which she had thrown the contents of into a houseplant & plans to hold for the rest of the evening, she sits within conversation between several men & women, an intellectual hive of people that act more like displays for their attire then beings with bones & blood. For them, knowledge is a sport. It’s a trinket to place on your coffee table to try & impress your inlaws. It’s an accessory to tout & best acknowledge in thoughtful hums & inquisitive gasps. 
A man in a matching set of birdseye patterned, taupe slacks & waist drones on about the recent unification of Germany. While Miss March does find the subject, itself, interesting, she can’t seem to hold intrigue in the conversation. Something about the smoke & the long days warping together in England has led her to misplace the inquisitiveness of the young girl who dreamed of moving to Europe & leaving behind the dreariness of subordinate domesticity. While, with age, she’s gained the emotional intellect necessary to process her emotions beyond simply scraping the shallow tide with her toes, she’s also gained the awareness that, oftentimes, the act of digesting her emotions is tiring. She’s learned that the energy used toward emotions is better spent producing something tangible & of worth. 
Luckily for her, Laurie’s grandfather is a man in the know, which means he knew several associates with daughters of varying ages with varying tastes in clothes who were more than happy to lend a dress to a young lady. Over her crinoline skirt & bodice, a dress in a sweet champagne shade is draped across her. The lacy trim, not wanting to melt into the dress, itself, is a muted purple, almost a grey, that wraps around her puff sleeves & the edges of the champagne tier, with a silk white skirt with a lavender sheen peeks out from underneath. Nothing about the dress is loud. She feels much more at home in the fabric, especially after walking around in the daunting mauve dress like a living, breathing cake topper, a piece of decor for her employer to flaunt. For the first time since leaving New England & Meg & Hannah’s trusted fingers, she’d had her hair done by someone other than her family’s servant. The trusted maid of Mister Laurence had offered & promised to not pull too hard on the March’s hair. As the maid braided & pinned her hair, the middle March almost cried. However, it wasn’t due to any pain inflicted on her scalp, as the maid’s touch was tentative & gentle. It was the simple act of being touched & cared for, a touch Miss March had been subconsciously craving for since leaving her home. A touch she had forgotten until reuniting with Laurie in the crowded foyer. 
Touching her shoulder, a soft hand brushes her & whispers a polite ask for her attention. She flutters her eyelashes, shaking off the weight of the dust that had collected on them, &, with the help of the welcomed touch, swims out of the mental fog she had sunk herself into. Her eyes flitter up & meet with the warm sight of Mister Laurence gazing back at her. Whether the strong scent of candle wax, lingering dust on velvet carpets, & forest breeze eminates from him or the memories of his manor in New England that she spent odd mornings & afternoons in, she’s unsure of. However, it’s another reminder of the young girl she tried to comfort & wish goodbye to before leaving for Lancashire.
“Pardon my forwardness, but, Miss March, I must ask you to join me for a brief moment. I do hate to take away from such wonderful company,” Mister Laurence requests, playing the role of the man wise beyond his years more gracefully than anyone Miss March has ever seen. With a curt nod, not even bothering to bid adieu to the people in the room, she lets curiosity lead her as she rises to her feet & wraps her arms around Mister Laurence’s. Ushering her out of the room at the exact speed that is swift without being suspicious, Mister Laurence guides the young lady to a hallway with no prying eyes or wandering ears. His gaze does not hold the anger of a great man who is weighed down by the hubris of those around him, but in his eyes is something deeply paternal & saddened. Around him, an umber waistcoat & slacks with a herringbone pattern remind her more of a bear then a man of business & wealth. However, her judgement may be heavily clouded from growing up under his watchful eye. While his hair used to be a soft salt & pepper, it has faded to a faint white & grey like the shadow of a tree painted on fresh snow during a cloudy evening. For most, with age comes wrinkles that hide within them their growing envy for the youth that’s being wasted on careless & stupid adolescents. Mister Laurence’s wrinkles are like the rings of a tree, lines that prove that he has lived & seen. They’re a promise that, if one is to ask, he will tell the story preserved in every smile line & crow’s foot. Bending down so his lips hover around her ear, she’s immediately washed in the same sincerity that soaks his demeanour.
“Y/N,” he calls her by her first name, a telltale sign of loyalty & unease from the man, “I do hate to put this upon your shoulders, but my grandson is acting aloof-”.
“In what sense?” she interrupts in the classic March fashion, &, used to this speech pattern, he continues speaking over her. 
“And, while I don’t wish to make you pay for his poor decisions, I have an important associate that I do need to impress,” he explains to her as his hand returns to her shoulder, “And you and I are both well aware that no servant is paid well enough to have to deal with my grandson’s… ”
“Stubbornness?”
“...Tenacity.”
Both finish his sentence at the same time & share a gaze that communicates that neither are completely wrong with their wording. Nodding his head to agree with her, he looks away at the hall ahead. No paternal figure wants to admit their children’s faults. To say a truth is to make it known, but to admit a truth makes it tangible. She can feel the glass ball that rolls up & down his throat, ever so often bobbing at the opening to his stomach. Hiding beneath his heavy wool morning coat, his shoulders tense while trying to protect the rest of his body.
“A servant caught him with several other young women & clearly inebriated,” he reveals to her, & the edges of his lips quiver & twitch as they are tugged by invisible strings into a frown. His words dig a hole into her chest. All that remains is her skin, which caves in & sags where her sternum once was. It leaves a tingling sensation where her muscles & bones used to rest. She feels that Mister Laurence is speaking of a different grandson, which she has never met. What happened to the young boy who would treat her childish fears with utmost sincerity? What happened to the boy who made pinky promises seem like the most honourable pacts a man could make? What monster, what man had stolen the skin from him & now wears it as a costume? 
“I’ll confess. I’m unsure of where I went wrong with him,” Mister Laurence slips out between hushed lips, telling his secret to the wind & Miss March. Pausing to swallow his words, she furrows her brows & purses her lips. Swimming in her mind, she can’t think of any words that can comfort him in this moment of vulnerability. So, rather than speaking, she wraps her arms around the older man & hugs him tightly. Surprise washes him over as she squeezes his ribcage tightly, &, for a moment, he freezes as his eyes dart around to try & catch leering gazes peaking around the corner. But they are hidden in the inky shadows of the hallway. With a long exhale, Mister Laurence allows his tension to escape, & he swallows her in his embrace.. 
“You worry about business, and I’ll worry about Laurie,” she comforts him while pulling away, pausing to fix his bowtie, “He’s very lucky to have a grandfather that’s as kind and loving as you.” Mister Laurence smiles at her reminder as the rosy glow on his cheeks alights the hallway for a moment. Each breath they take in the space that they share feels like it fills each corner of their lungs. Nodding to her, a silent show of gratitude, he leads her to an oak door which lays slightly ajar. Holding the nob, he turns back to her before speaking.
“Thank you for your assistance. He’s in here,” Mister Laurence informs her, & he slowly swings the door open. Immediately, the souring scent of wine hits her face, &, as an instinct, her nose scrunches up & a grimace stains her lips. Splayed out on a couch, dishevelled & basking in his own ruin, she sees more of a strange, unfamiliar man than the boy that she knew. She sees a man that will grow to be discontent with his wife, yet who stays for the kids. A man who never really loved his children but is patiently waiting for the fulfilment that comes from acting in the role that society has told him to. A man who will never be fulfilled. A man that has learned that he must settle for what he has, quietly & miserably. A miniscule part of Miss March relishes at the idea that he’d have to learn how cruel the impartial hand of life can be, but the rest of her is well aware that Laurie will never know “enough”. He’d love his wife, even if she loved another man. He’d work to provide for his kids, &, if the wife was never around, he’d raise them all on his own. He’d move mountains to try to find the better side of “enough”. Laurie will love & love because that is Laurie’s nature. He loves wine & women. He loves trekking through forests & acting a fool, even in public spaces. He loves to engage in conversation while in the company of the March sisters, where no sentence is ever finished & nothing is ever truly said but the quiet “I love you” that rattles around in the pauses between words for a quick draw of breath. Laurie loves Jo. Laurie will continue to love, & love will truly be the cause of his death. Yet, Laurie will find a way to love the silent & cold hand of what lies beyond in a way that no person has ever done before. Miss March cannot even entertain the idea of Laurie living a life that is just “enough” because, to her, his company is more than enough. It is good. It is plenty.
That same man has tossed away his vermillion silk tie & waistcoat, leaving him in a starch white shirt that’s a third of the way unbuttoned & hastily tucked into raven black slacks. Closing the door behind her, the click of the door knob alerts him to her presence. However, his verdant eyes don’t move to meet her as he stares through strands of his messy chocolate hair & up at the silver ring that he often displays on his pointer finger. 
“Are you here to scold me, oh my dear mother?” He asks to the wind, acknowledging her existence. Miss March inhales deeply as the beating of her heart starts to drown out the sound of her breath. Clasping her hands together, she tentatively begins to make her way over to the cobalt ottoman that rests near the matching couch. The room is a demure periwinkle with small etchings of leaves adding a splash of muted emerald to the room.
“No, Laurie. Your grandfather asked me to keep you company,” she tries to ease his nerves as she inches closer.
“No, he told you to keep me away from the guests as I am his greatest failure,” Laurie shoots up at her words, sitting up far too fast for his drunken mind to handle. A warbling groan of pain slips out of his mouth as he rakes his fingers through his hair & clutches his throbbing head. At the sight of his agony, Miss March rushes to him &, readjusting his legs, sits on the edge of the couch cushion, right in front of him. With a tender touch, she gently wraps her fingers around his wrists & rubs small circles with her thumb.
“Oh, shush, you’re as much of a failure as I am a dancer,” She teases him with a sympathetic smile. At her words, a small & raspy chuckle escapes his lips &, tilting his head, his celadon eyes, in which the fields of Elysium hide, gaze up at her. Hiding beneath a smoke of anger, she’s able to see the young boy that she grew up with. The young boy that she once fell in love with. He’s scared & small & all the things a child is never allowed to be. 
In this moment, as much as she despises it, she knows she must admit her faults to him & ask for forgiveness. She was cruel & unjust for bringing up Jo with the intent of spitting in his face. She hurt him with the intention of leaving a mark, & she succeeded in doing so. If he doesn’t ever forgive her, she’ll grow to understand. It won’t be an easy process, but loving Laurie has never been anything close to easy. Taking a deep breath, she shoves the racing thoughts out of her vision & looks him in the eyes.
“I apologise for what I said in the alley, concerning your feelings for Jo. I shouldn’t’ve ever used them to hurt you,” she apologises quickly, &, after speaking, immediately purses her lips together & stares at him. She waits for him to scream. To yell at her to get out. To say he hates her & never wants to see her again. To tell her he always hated her. That he only tolerated her for Jo. To say she’s stupid. She’s vile. She’s not worth Jo or Meg or Beth or Amy’s time. She waits for him to tell her the truth she’s been too scared to say to herself aloud. She waits & waits until, finally, his lips part, & he draws a quick breath.
“It’s alright. I was being mean too, and I, truly, do owe you many apologies, as well, ” he replies with a thin smile, replaying the events in his head. Ducky’s stomach squeezes as relief floods her system, & she sharply inhales while attempting to keep some kind of composure. A tight smile graces her features, slipping past her facade of propriety & decorum. 
“I’ve been spending this past year, & some odd months, wallowing in my own melancholy, but,” Laurie pauses for a moment, slouching forward so his eyes are level with Ducky’s, “but I cannot waste away my life being miserable. If money is truly of the highest concern, then marry me.” His words grab her by the neck, shove their long, spindly fingers down her throat, wrench the breath from her lungs, & pry the air out of her. Her mouth falls agape as she struggles to comb through & fully understand what he’s said.
“Laurie, I refuse-”
“You won’t have to work, nor do you have to love me, & your family will be provided for: Beth, Amy, Marmee, everyone,” he prattles on, afraid of the nearing rejection that comes when he stops to breathe. Ducky can’t hear anything other than her own heartbeat & what, to her, sounds like the faint whisper of Laurie’s voice. She can’t even hear herself think.
“You’ll be happy, I promise. Everyday I will spend in honest devotion to your happiness,” he’s breathless as he finishes his speech, &, feeling the walls begin to collapse in on her, Ducky jumps to her feet. Rushing back & forth, in front of her very eyes, are countless memories of Jo & Laurie, of the way it’s always been. Jo loves her work. Laurie loves Jo. Ducky was left to love the footprints Laurie had left while chasing after Jo. 
“Laurie, I, as a woman, must either enter a marriage for security or for love,” she whispers out as her arms wrap around her waist, squeezing her sides tightly, “while you can marry for any reason under the sun, and I will not be an accomplice in allowing you to waste that privilege.” The room grows smaller, the air between them thinner. It’s hard to breathe & her vision becomes a swirl of blues & greens with a spotty pillar of white & black wiggling around in the centre. Laurie stops, & Ducky stops. Neither move. Neither speak. Neither breathe. The walls stop moving, & everything around them fades into their shadows. They are a boy & a girl. A lady & a man, all grown up & yet the exact same as they were the day that they met. While his previous proclamations were loud & steady, the words he speaks next are a promise meant only for his lips & the spirits that hide in peoples’ breaths. 
“But I can give you both, love and security, if you’d allow me. I’ll inherit my grandfather’s wealth, and we could be happy, all of us.”
Clear on his face is the same sincerity that he’s gifted to her in every moment of embarrassment & shame. His eyes stay glued to hers. After waiting for years for him to say these words to her, she can’t help but feel his admittance is fake. That maybe his words are meant for someone smarter, braver, older, & better then she is. His words are meant for Jo.
“No, no, you don’t get to, this isn’t right,” she bites back, walking backwards & grasping for the door knob yet only finding the air between her fingers, “Stop it, Laurie, please.”. He follows her, &, in his drunken state, collides with the furniture, sending his body awry. 
“Yes, yes I can, and we both know it to be true,” he tries to correct her as he raises his hands to grip her forearms. Her shoulders immediately tense at his touch. His fingers crinkle the poofy champagne fabric that delicately floats around her skin.
“You’re acting a fool, Laurie-”
“I can, I swear on my life Y/N, I am able and I am willing and, and content to do so.”
 “-I won’t allow it, I simply cannot,” she continues to ramble on, & her finger tips brush against the cool metal of the doorknob. Laurie opens his mouth to rebuke her statement, but, before he can, her palm flies up & presses against his lips. Covering his mouth with her hand, she shakes her head as her eyes gleam with tears.
“Please, stop. It hurts, Laurie. Please, Laurie, you’re hurting me,” she pleads to him as her fingers curl around the door knob, “I cannot do it. You broke my heart once already. Is that not enough for you?” 
To watch the boy she admires fall in love with her sister, who she’s loved since the dawn of time, was a constant, real ache that left her sobbing into Beth’s chest as she begged Meg to help her & relieve her of the pain, which was an impossible task. After the middle March had left for Europe & caught word of Jo’s rejection in a letter from Beth, she had a heavy heart knowing that the two people who were connected at the hip for all of her adolescence had now grown cold & distant. It was as if she’d heard that the moon no longer followed the sun, leaving the night cold & bleak. All she has done her entire life is labour & hurt for those she loves without question or complaint. However, she cannot look Laurie in the eyes as he slurs out ideas that would’ve sent her younger self spinning & giggling with a maddening joy. She cannot withstand that pain for him. She doesn’t feel happy or sad. Nor is she angry or scared. All that she can feel is the heavy pounding of her heart & a dull ache emanating through her. The pain swallows her mind, &, while her body still remains, Ducky has clearly fled far from the room. She’s racing down the streets in her dress, seeing how far her legs will take her. 
She yanks the door open just before he can reply & heaves her body through, slamming the door shut after her. Leaning her weight against the slab of carved & varnished oak, a few tears trickle down her cheek as she chokes back a sob, not wanting to alert any guests nearby. In her mind, she’s already ran all the way back to New England. There, back in her home, she lies, hiding her tears in Beth’s dress, as her sisters practically cocoon her, protecting her & the fire from the harsh reality of the world that waits outside their loving embrace & on the other side of the oak door. 
i told you it's literally & only just angst... sorry. please like & repost :)
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flordeamatista · 1 year
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April Daydreams
𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 
These are some of the most captivating stories from April
All blogs and daydreams listed below are 18+
You are responsible for the media you consume
Whenever you reblog a fic, you are sending flowers to the writers
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Bucky Barnes
Date Night @justreadingfics
Passionate Negotiations @targaryenvampireslayer
Needy @^
Work it Out @jobean12-blog
Bandaged with Love @^
I Wanna Be Yours @buckycuddlebuddy
Part of the Run All You Want 'Verse @angrythingstarlight
Bumblebee AU [drabble 1, 2] @^
Baker Bucky AU [drabble 1]
Can I Call You, Baby @slyyywriting
Temples To Build @^
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God the Bounty Hunter
Gentle Sin @navybrat817
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Steve Rogers
Daddy Lessons @geminixevans-stan
Time to Run - [14 15] @syntheticavenger
Love Like a Scar @/targaryenvampireslayer
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Nick Fowler
Kiss it better @late-to-the-party-81
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Andy Barber
Sundaze @sunshinebuckybarnes
Down to Business @/navybrat817
Rocky, Who? @astrorogers
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Ari Levinson
E-Vite 4/20 [A New Hire interlude] @boxofbonesfic
Biker!Ari drabble [1] @/angrythingstarlight
Down Again @/navybrat817
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Curtis Everett
Within the Shadows @shadeysprings
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Paz Vizsla
Bold @flightlessangelwings
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Laurie Laurence
Good grief, Laurie @cocoamoonmalfoy
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amnesique · 2 years
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she's not you — amy march & laurie laurence
(modern au)
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pairing : amy march x laurie laurence
summary : after a few good years after breaking up with his ex-girlfriend (amy), laurie comes face to face with the past when he sees her at a table in the cafe where he was having lunch during his lunch break.
maybe marrying one of his employees, after inheriting the family company, was not the best choice that theodore 'laurie' laurence ever made in his life. because now, after barely three years of being married with her, they were on the verge of a divorce because of his wife's excessive jealousy, and he had enough of seeing her at home and hearing her yell at him. there was no need to also see her or hear at his workplace. and he would have given her days off, but the woman would have realized and his situation would have worsened.
so he ended up having his lunch at the cafe, the only place where he would have some peace.
what he didn't know is that his peace would not last very long because behind him, a few tables away, was amy, his ex-girlfriend and his first love.
the girl he once knew, because she was still very young when they had been together, had become a strong woman and a fantastic painter. the latter being due to her husband, fred vaughn, who was a very well-known businessman who had helped her become known in the field. not that it mattered much now. what mattered was that she was there, in the same room with him, with a sketchbook in her arms, making a quick portrait of laurie, without having recognized him.
after hastening to finish the portrait as quickly as she could, because she feared that he would leave and the portrait would remain unfinished, she got up from the table and headed towards his table. when she arrived at his table and recognized his face, she thought she would die of happiness.
laurie was not only the first boy he loved, but he was also a very present person from her childhood. because they used to be neighbors and thanks to him being friends with her older sister, amy saw him very often. he always made her feel happy.
"laurie!" she called his name excitedly, not too loudly though, so as not to draw too much attention to them.
being amazed at how quickly he recognized her voice, he looked up at her and when he saw her, a smile spread across his face. "amy!" he answered her in the same way, making her smile even harder.
still excited, amy let her sketchbook on the table and sat on the seat in front of him.
"tell me, what else is new in your life?" she put a hand under her chin and her eyes shone when she looked at him.
he shrugged, feeling his joy disappear when she mentioned his life, but not to spoil her mood, he changed the subject when his eyes fell on the portrait. "is that me?"
she laughed a little awkwardly and wanted to cover the sketch with her hand but he was faster and took her sketchbook from the table, analyzing it.
he pretended to analyze her technique, although he didn't know much about painting or drawing in general. "is it just me or has your technique improved considerably?" he asked her, tracing with his finger the lines she had drawn, when in fact he was remembering the other portraits he had received from her. but he couldn't tell her that. he would have felt guilty for bringing up the past and would not want to confuse her from the path she had, even if he did not know it. they no longer kept in touch as they had done before.
"i guess you could say so." she replied, fiddling with the wedding ring on her finger, as usual.
as he dropped the portrait, his eyes fell on the wedding ring. was she married? why didn't he know that?
"who's the lucky guy?" he couldn't help but ask her, trying to look nonchalant as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and his gaze darting up and down. at her face. at her wedding ring. and so on.
she smiled. he didn't think it would affect him. only a few years had passed. years in which she had heard that he had married, although, now that she had also glanced at the ring finger, she had not noticed any wedding ring.
was he divorced?
"actually, it's really ironic." she said, gesturing with her hands in the air and reaching across the table to recover her sketchbook. he looked at her perplexed, raising an eyebrow, so she continued. "it's fred vaughn. he used to be your friend." she smiled, but he clenched his jaw just barely perceptibly. "actually, as far as i remember you were the one who introduced them to us. am i right?"
she was referring to the picnic she, her sisters, laurie and fred's siblings had a few years ago. and he knew it. only that he preferred to pretend that he didn't.
"it is very possible. however, i do not remember." he could have been an actor because he could lie shamelessly. "a few years ago we had a dispute between our families and since then we haven't kept in touch, but i suppose you know that, don't you?" he challenged her, still looking at her. this time he didn't lie.
"um, yes, he had mentioned something about that." she answered simply, continuing to twirl the wedding ring on her finger. "but you?" now it was her turn to be attentive to him. "i heard that you are married. how is your wife?"
she's not you, he wished he could say. but no matter how much he regretted the day he had introduced her to fred, amy seemed happy with the choices she had made. in the end, that's what matters. isn't that right?
"um," he cleared his throat and dropped his arms by his side, shifting his position in the chair. "we're about to get divorced."
her mood had changed. she felt guilty for asking such a question. she shouldn't have interfered in his life. they were not so close anymore.
"sorry. i didn't know." she hurried to apologize and to seemed preoccupied with the sketchbook, to close it.
"it's ok, you had nowhere to hear that." he replied, giving her a weak smile. "now if you'll excuse me," he began as he stood up and arranged his suit on himself. "i should probably go back to work."
she also got up and put her things back in her bag, at which point he allowed himself to analyze her body, until her gaze landed on him. "no, no, you're right. i should go too." she said, looking anywhere but him. she still felt guilty.
he noticed that she felt guilty, and taking advantage of the fact that he wanted to touch her, he took her hand in his and planted a kiss on her. a simple gesture of politeness that could have gone unnoticed by those around and even by her. "don't feel bad amy, you didn't ask anything wrong." he let go of her hand with difficulty, but he made sure that his facial expression was sincere.
"i'm so glad that i got to see you again." she told him dreamily.
he knew that she didn't mean it in the same way that he meant it, but he couldn't refrain from still saying it. "me too. you have no idea."
she approved with a smile, and arranging her bag on her shoulder and heading for the door to leave, she addressed him for the last time that day. "i'll see you another time, laurie."
she had walked through the door until he answered her, continuing to look in her direction, with a stab in his soul. "i'll see you another time, amy."
he knew what he had to do.
so he turned on his phone as he went back into his car. and once he got to the car and the phone was back on, he called his wife.
"hi, gina, we have to talk. i'll be back at the office in a few minutes."
and with that, until she starts contradicting him again, he hung up and started the car.
there was no point in staying in a marriage if the feelings no longer existed. not that they could exist and be stronger than the ones he had for amy. that was clearly impossible.
in a short time he would be single and he would regret it for the rest of his life that he lost the only woman he ever loved. he lost her to fred.
fred vaughn, ladies and gentlemen!
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imkittyjustkitty · 2 years
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THIS MASTERLIST IS OLD AND OUTDATED, CHECK THE PINNED POST ON MY PROFILE FOR THE NEW ONES !!!!
Little Women Masterlist
— back to main masterlist
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requesting rules — who i write for — what i will and won’t write
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genres ;
Angst : 🌩️ Fluff : ⛅ Hurt/Comfort : 🌧️ Spicy : 🌡️
reader ;
fem!reader : 🌙 masc!reader : ☀️ gn!reader : ⭐ other/neopronouns : ☄️
extra categories ;
Pride 2022 : 🌈 pride 2022 masterlist can be found here
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Jo March
(prompt: love letter) Your Love Like No Other — ⛅⭐🌈
You're in love with Jo March, and really, how could you not be? She feels like home.
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Amy March
Sleepover — ⛅⭐🌈
Just fluffy first kiss with Amy March <3
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Meg March
. . . nothing here yet , feel free to request !
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Beth March
. . . nothing here yet , feel free to request !
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Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence
. . . nothing here yet , feel free to request !
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26 notes · View notes
riordanness · 3 months
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champagne problems — [l.laurence]
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wordcount: 3.2K
warnings: angst
requested: no
a/n: i really love this fic, i spent a super long time on it and it took me ages but i love it so i hope you love it too &lt;3
“Thank you,” I tell my dance partner, another nameless, tasteless, personality-less boy I will never see again. I smile and curtsy, and turn away, as I do every time. No one will ever fill the hole in my heart the way that he did.
I spot Amy talking to Fred, and weave my way towards them. I don’t know anyone else by anything more than name, and it’s awkward. It’s stiff, it’s strange, and it’s uncomfortable. Trying to make friends with these men, men who couldn’t care less about my feelings or my ambitions; just my pretty face and my willingness to marry. Once they discovered I didn’t have my heart in that; at least not anymore, they lost all interest in me.
“Hey, y/n,” Amy greets me, offering me a glass of what I think is champagne.
“Thank you,” I tell her, and take a sip.
“How are you enjoying the party?” Fred addresses me.
I shrug, and try to smile. “It is alright.”
Amy has a sympathetic look on her face. She knows me a little bit too well. All the March sisters do, as well as… him. He knew me better than anyone. Or at least that’s what I thought.
“Laurie!” I laughed, giggling so hard I couldn’t even escape him. His arms caught me tightly, poking and tickling my waist. I squirmed, but the pure joy of being with him was almost overwhelming.
“What?” he teased. “What’s wrong, y/n? Hmm?”
“S-Stop!” I gasped for air, playfully hitting him on the arm. Well, it was a pretty hard punch, actually.
“Ow! Y/n!” Laurie released me and winced, grabbing his arm.
“I’m sorry!” I tried to stop laughing.
He stared at me for a heartbeat, and just as my smile faded, he then grinned. “Gotcha.”
His happiness was infectious. I was smiling again, laughing again, purely and completely content to live forever in this moment.
“Y/n.”
Amy’s voice is a warning, and my brain only hears it a minute after I should. “Hmm?” I ask, glancing up at her. She’s used to my daydreaming, so I assume she’ll just repeat her comment, but Amy isn’t looking at me. She’s staring sternly at the staircase at the entrance of this ballroom.
I turn, and there’s a half moment of anticipation. Who has arrived?
Then, I see him. His wrinkled white shirt, untied bow tie. The glass of alcohol held lazily in his hand. His unruly curls are even more uncombed and unkempt than usual. His eyes are light with mirth and dull from the drink. Two women are fawning over him from either side, and he’s drinking up the attention more eagerly than the champagne.
Laurie.
My breath catches in my throat, and I try to swallow the sudden lump there. “Ah, I see.”
Fred puts a hand on my shoulder, a protective, big-brother gesture. I really appreciate him. No matter how many times I end up basically third-wheeling him and Amy when they go out, he never minds. Amy has told him all about what Laurie did to me, so he decided to step in and try to help fill that hole.
And I love him for it, but no one will ever be capable of making me whole the way Laurie did. And I’m not sure if anyone ever will be able to.
I take a cautious sip of champagne, watching as Laurie drapes himself on a lounge on the opposite side of the room. The girls with him sink to their knees on either side of his body, fawning over the boy.
I don’t care how much expression is visible on my face right now; I can’t do anything but stare in a mix of disgust, disappointment and utter disbelief.
Then, he sees me. His eyes clear a little, they get wide and surprised all of a sudden. He attempts to sit up a little straighter.
I can’t watch anymore. I turn and shove my glass unceremoniously in Fred’s hands, and walk out of the room as quickly as I can manage, heading to the little moonlit garden path I know awaits me outside.
I laugh as Jo tells me about her plans for a new story.
“I want to turn this one into a play,” she adds. “And you should be in it! The main character is just the perfectest part for you to play, y/n.”
I roll my eyes teasingly. “First of all, ‘perfectest’ isn’t a word. And second, you know I don’t act. I’m not going to be any good!”
Jo shrugs. “Won’t know until you’ve tried it.”
I don’t answer, my gaze sliding back to all the dancers on the floor. I wish someone would ask me to dance. But I know no one here other than the March girls. And I can’t exactly dance with Jo. She has a burnt dress and isn’t allowed to dance. Not that she minds; she says she’d rather eat a stick than dance with any of the boys here.
Then, I see a boy with dark curls and pretty eyes staring at me from across the room. I tilt my head, and give a little wave and a half-smile.
He returns it immediately and makes his way over towards us.
“Hello there,” he greets me. “I’m Laurie.”
Jo looks at him. “You’re the Laurence boy. You live near us.”
Laurie nods his head at her. “Miss March.”
“Please. Call me Jo. Everyone does.”
“Jo.”
Laurie then glances at me. “I don’t think I know you.”
I hold my hand out to him. “Y/n, Mr Laurie. I’m friends with the Marches.”
He smiles again, and it’s so pretty my chest hurts. Is this what falling in love is like? Is it supposed to be painful? Supposed to feel like you’re being ripped apart and glued together all at the same time?
I lean myself on the wall outside, my head against the cool stone bricks. My head is pounding, my temples aching.
I didn’t think that seeing him again would have such a strong reaction from me, but apparently even my heart rate still hurts because of him.
I can hear footsteps, but I don’t have the energy to hide my distress from anyone right now. Hopefully whoever it is will just walk by and leave me be.
“Y/n?”
The sound of Laurie’s voice will forever bring me the biggest rush of emotions in the world, but where it used to invite happiness and joy, now entices fear and anxiety and anguish.
I squeeze my eyes shut tight. “Hello Laurie.” I’m surprised at how even my voice sounds. I expected it to come out shaky and distant.
“Hey.” He sounds unsure of what he’s doing. “What’s happening with you?”
My eyes are still closed, and I still have my head against the rocky wall. I shrug one shoulder. “Nothing much, thanks for asking.”
There’s three heartbeats of silence.
Then: “How are you?”
I sigh, open my eyes. “Laurie. Why are you doing this?”
His eyes are unreadable. “Doing what?”
“You know what.”
“Y/n, I…” His voice fades. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”
I give him a hard look. “Sorry? Laurie, this isn’t about what happened all those years ago. I’m over it; I’m over you.” I was lying through my teeth, but I refused to give him the satisfaction that knowledge would bring.
I sigh. “What are you doing, Laurie?” I wave my hand at him helplessly. “Drinking, probably gambling again? Fawning over random girls? Laurie, you’re better than this. And you know it, too. You’re throwing your life away, and I…” I swallow. “As your friend, I can’t just sit and watch. You need to stop this. Go home, go see your grandfather. Stop destroying the little boy he used to be so proud of.”
I turn, and walk away, leaving Laurie out there in the moonlight.
I don’t breathe until I reach Fred and Amy again. They’re laughing and drinking champagne together, but when they see me, the conversation dies.
“Hey, you okay?” Amy asks.
I try to nod, then tears glisten in my eyes and I have to drop. I shake my head, meeting my friend’s eyes. “I’m gonna go home,” I tell her.
She nods in understanding, her eyes searching mine, desperate for answers.
“I told him what he needed to hear,” I say quickly. “But—he still doesn’t know how much it hurts. And it hurts just to see him. It hurts deep in my soul. I—I can’t—“ I have to force myself to take a deep breath, sobs building in my chest.
I leave, Amy’s hand squeezing mine as I go.
I lie on my back, staring at the ceiling as ‘Aunt’ March chatters about how Fed and Amy are soon to be engaged, so I really must hurry and marry soon.
“Are you even listening to me, y/n?” she asks sharply.
I sit up straight in an instant. “Uh—yes of course, Ms March.”
“How many times must I ask you to call me Aunt,” she sighs. “You’re practically family at this point, my dear.”
I smile. “Alright, Aunt March.”
“Very good. Now, as I was saying…”
I zone back out as she talks, my mind drifting instead to Laurie. I truly had thought I was over him, or at least pretty much so. Rather, the moment I saw him, I thought I might explode. Seeing his smile, his eyes, the way he stands, it made all the memories just come flooding back.
“Laurie—“ I call, walking into his room one pretty Saturday morning. “Get up lazy bones. We’ve got things to do!”
The only response is a groan from underneath Laurie’s covers. I sit on the edge and poke at him.
“Come on!” I beg. “We’re gonna be late, you know.”
Laurie’s curls peep out. “Late for what?” he asks groggily.
I resist the urge to giggle. “Late for our adventures, of course. We have a walk planned, and you promised me you’d teach me fencing this weekend, and you have to keep that promise. It was a pinky promise.”
Laurie groans again. “I don’t want to get up, y/n.”
“What? Even to spend time with me?”
“Yes. Go away.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Theodore Laurence, not until you get—up—“ I poke him in the shoulder twice.
“Y/n!” he whines.
I laugh. “Yes, Laurie?”
He sticks his head fully out now, and looks at me. “You’re my best friend, and I love you, but I am not getting up yet.”
I ignore the flutter in my chest and grab his arm, pulling him hard. “Yes you are! I promised your grandfather I’d force you to exercise while he’s gone, and I intend to keep my promise.”
“Fine,” Laurie relents. He allows me to drag him out of bed, and after he’s dressed, the two of us head off into our favourite trail in the woods.
My heart hurts, and my head hurts, and my eyes hurt. I want to get up, go for a walk or something, but I can’t find it in me to do so. So I simply close my eyes and continue to lay face-up along the foot of my four-poster bed.
It doesn’t seem like long at all before someone is tapping my shoulder.
“Sorry, Amy,” I mumble, eyes still closed. “Did I drift off?”
“It’s… not Amy,” a quiet voice answers.
I sit up straight immediately, and come face to face with none other than Laurie Laurence.
“Hi.” He almost says it like a question.
I frown a little, unsure of the nature of this unexpected visit. “Hello, Laurie.”
He winces a little. “Look, you don’t have to say anything. You said plenty last night.”
“You needed to hear it,” I retort.
“I know.” He lets out his breath. “I’ve been thinking, all night, about what you said. You were right, you were right about all of it. I am wasting my life, I’m ruining everything because of one stupid mistake that unravelled it all. And–and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I’ve hurt you, in all the ways that I have. You don’t deserve a friend like me; you never did.”
He stands to go, and for a heartbeat, I think about letting him. But then,
“Laurie!”
“Laurie!”
I see him, walking along the street as I pass on the other side. I immediately break away from Jo, who I was escorting to town. “I'll see you later, Jo.”
She smiles knowingly and shoos me off. “Bye, y/n/n.”
“Laurie!” I call again, running to catch up with him.
At the sound of my voice, he half-turns, double-takes, and then his face breaks into a wide grin, the way he always saves just for me. “Y/n!”
I run right until I’m in his arms. “I missed you,” I sigh into his hair. “When did you get back?”
I feel him smiling. “Only just this morning. I was going to surprise you, but you beat me to it, tesoro mio.”
“Laurie, you know I don’t speak Italian,” I laugh, pulling away slightly to look at him. “I’m not the one who just went to Italy for a year. And don’t use it without telling me the meanings; it’s mean! I never know what you’re saying.”
Laurie has a faint smirk on his face. “Sorry, tesoro mio.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You love me,” he replies easily, and oh, how badly I want to agree with him out loud. Yes, I wanted to say. Yes, I’m head over heels in love with you.
So I do say it. “Yes,” I say, “I do.”
Laurie blinks at me. “What?”
My mouth opens a little, but for a second, nothing comes out. “I do love you,” I say slowly.
Laurie stares at me. “Why?”
“Everything, Laurie,” I sigh. “You’re kind, and beautiful, and you understand me better than even I can. You’re always there to cheer me up when I need that, and when I’m sad, you’re all too happy to give me your shoulder to cry on. You always know exactly what I’m thinking, and feeling, and you always know the right thing to say. You don’t mind my silly ramblings, or fantasies, and you don't care what anyone thinks of you. You’re always the person I want to be around; Laurie, you make me so happy. I love you, Laurie Laurence, and I think I always have.”
There’s silence for a minute, just a heartbeat too long to feel comfortable. All I can hear are the birds in the trees above us, but their songs sound alarming.
Laurie looks away, then at the sky, and finally back at me. His tongue swipes his lower lip in a way that I know is nervous.
“Y/n,” he says, and his tone instantly crushes me. “I—that’s extremely sweet and beautiful and I love you too, but…”
My heart sinks. “But you love Jo.” A part of me had always known, but I’d tried to convince myself otherwise. Clearly, my instinct had been correct.
“I can’t help it!” Laurie tries to justify himself, but he has no reason to. He can’t help who he’s fallen in love with, just as I cannot help falling in love with him. “I love you, y/n, I truly do. You’re my best friend… but the love I feel for Jo, it’s different. And you’re not her. You will never, and can never be her.”
I feel like someone has ripped my heart from my chest, stepped on it, thrown it into a frozen lake, and shoved it back inside of me. All I can manage is a nod.
“You should probably tell her then,” I whisper, and I turn to go. I can’t bear looking at him any longer.
That was the last time I’d seen Laurie for a very long time. I’d left for Europe with Amy, leaving Laurie and Jo to have a life together, if that’s what they wanted. Turns out Jo never saw him in that way, and he was rejected by her later that very same day.
I was still amazing friends with all the March girls, and I still cradled my childhood memories close to my heart.
But my heart has never healed. Every time Laurie Laurence was on my mind, it stung like only yesterday. Any day that a memory of those long walks, the silly fights, the hugs and dances, the inside jokes and dumb decisions came to me, I’d break down and cry.
“Laurie!”
He stops at the sound of my voice, turns, and his green eyes meet mine. He stares, waiting for me to speak.
“Don’t leave,” I say softly. “Please. Don’t make the mistake I did.”
He turns to fully face me now. “What mistake?”
I let out a breath. “Running. When someone needed me most.”
His eyes clear in understanding. I missed this about him, the way he’d always know exactly what I meant by everything. I never had to explain anything, because Laurie knew my heart. He always understood what I was trying to say, no matter what.
“Y/n—“
I hold my hand to stop his words. “Don’t say anything,” I tell
him. “You don’t have to. You have never, and will never, be under any obligation to return the feelings I have for you. That’s not your fault, and it wasn’t back then, and I’m sorry that I dropped you out of my life after that day. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when Jo turned you down, I’m sorry I never replied or even read your letters. I—“
“You never read my letters?” Laurie’s voice sounds broken.
I stop. “No. I—I didn’t.”
Laurie looks down, his forehead scrunching together. “No wonder…” he mutters. “You… you had no idea.”
Now it’s my turn to frown. “No idea about what?”
He glances up, his eyes searching mine, for what I don’t know. “I wrote to you, y/n. Dozens of times. I poured my heart out into those letters. I told you how much I missed you, how badly I was hurting over what I’d said to you that day. I—I told you how Jo helped me to realise that it really was you all along. I’ve been in love with you since I first met you, y/n, and I never stopped. I just didn't realise it. But when you never wrote back, I assumed that was your answer.”
“Oh, Laurie,” I whisper, tears in my voice. “I’m so sorry.” A million thoughts are racing through my mind, but one rises above the others.
“Is it still true?”
He hesitates. “That I love you?”
I nod once. “Yeah.”
“It will always be true.”
And for the first time in a long while, I feel at home again.
412 notes · View notes
timhalamet · 2 months
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I saw laurie Lawrence and i got so excited (i see no fics of him even though he’s like the perfect man even if he sucks sometimes.) i’m excited to see your writings <3
the way things go
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pairings- laurie laurence x fem!reader
summary- after over hearing laurie propose to your sister Jo, heartbroken you decide to leave to paris
warnings- angst, not proofread nothing else
'would you do me the greatest honour of making me your husband.'
Laurie's words seemed to replay and echo in the dull hollow walls of your mind. Your heart ached as tears dripped down your face . You were going to tell Laurie you loved him. You thought he loved you.
It was obvious now that you were wrong.
With a hand clamped over your mouth, you muffled the sob threatening to break out from your throat.
What made it worse was that he hadn't proposed to anyone else.
He proposed to Jo.
Anger simmed through you, overtaking the flow of your pain. You had asked Jo if something between her and Laurie had been going on and everytime she replied with 'don't be silly! Laurie's like my brother!' or 'laurie!? What possibly could make you think that!?' and brushed it off with furrowed brows and a disgusted frown.
But that didn't match up with what you had just witnessed.
Through the slightly ajar door, you walked down the hallway of lauries and his grandfather's house, hoping to speak to him only to be met with the sight of Laurie on one knee facing Jo, with a small velvet box holding one of the most gorgeous ring you have ever seen.
'would you do me the greatest honour of make me your husband.'
You held back your sob and flew down the stairs not caring if either of Jo or Laurie heard you.
You ran. Ran till you were in your bedroom, without a second thought, stuffing the rest of your precious belongings into your suitcase, filling it to the brim.
You looked around at your room savouring every inch before hauling your suitcase and down the stairs.
'you're already leaving so early?'
Marmees soft gentle voice called out from behind you, and you sighed turning around to face.
'should I get laurie to help you?'
A weak smile formed on your face, but you knew it was no use. Marmee could see right through anyone.
'no it's alright..I wouldn't want to bother him' your words came out more bitter than you intended to.
Soon without telling Meg, Jo, Beth, or Amy, you walked out of the door.
And to Paris.
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'would you do me the greatest honour of make me your husband.'
Laurie knelt on knee holding the velvet box to Jo.
Jo squealed and grabbed Laurie up, wrapping her arms around his neck.
'its perfect! It's time, we need to go tell the others!'
'wait I need to look presentable' Laurie joked before dusting his clothes off and fixing the rough state of his hair.
The pair soon went to Lauries grandfather and told him the news.
He was ecstatic.
They spent an hour with lauries grandfather, before trampling through the thick mount of snow to tell marmee and the girls.
'is she here?', Laurie asked marmee.
Marmee sadly smiled, 'shes already left to the train station'
Laurie felt his heart drop to his stomach.
'what?'
'shes already left to Paris, if you're lucky the train might not have departed yet due to the snow storm.'
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You sat on one of the benches at the train station, the bell jar in your hand, as you read impatiently waiting for your train to arrive.
Soon the call of your train was made.
You grabbed your suitcase and bag, holding the book with our arm.
As you began to struggle as you attempted to haul your suitcase and bag on the train, you felt arms grab your suitcase and a familiar voice.
'wait!'
You turned around to see Laurie, his hair sticking in all directions, and his face flushed from the snow.
He grabbed your hand and pulled you away from the train.
'what were you thinking? You were just going to leave? Without telling the girls? Without telling me?' his voice was strained and raspy as if he had been screaming.
'laurie I don't have time for this- the train its leaving!' you harshly ripped yourself from Laurie's grip, attempting to chase the train down as it slowly departed, only to be in his hold again.
He held you against his chest.
'youre not leaving. You cant-why?'
You struggled to find your words.
You looked at him million answers as to why. Why? 'why? Really Laurie why? You know exactly why!' you held a finger to him accusingly as you jabbed him in the chest 'you- what happened to us? We were so close. I love you Laurie. That's 'why?'.' Laurie's jaw dropped as you continued. 'i love you and I thought...' your voice trailed off as you swallowed the lump in your throat frustrated. 'i thought you loved me to. And I went. I went to tell you but you already proposed, I was too late. You love her.' your voice dropped with jealousy and anguish.
'what?' Laurie asked his brows furrowed as he bit the inside of his cheek 'who are you taking about? I love you. Only you.'
You were confused. But didn't he propose to Jo? 'laurie I saw you... I saw..but you proposed to jo.'
Lauries faced changed. His eyes widened as his mouth slowly formed into a grin before he started laughing.
'laurie it's not funny!' you exclaim, yet also finding yourself trying to hide your smile, pushing him away playfully.
Laurie grabbed your hands, enlacing his fingers with yours.
'god, i was practicing to propose.' he chuckled ' I was practicing to propose. To you.'
'oh.' was all that left your mouth but it was nothing compared to the whirlwind of emotions in your stomach.
'so what do you say? Will you be my wife?' he asked grinning as his hands revealed a small velvet box holding the same gorgeous diamond ring.
'yes!' you beamed at him, your cheeks flushed as he slid the ring on your finger.
As laurie quickly embraced you, his chin on your head as you wrapped your arms around your torso, Laurie chuckled,
'i can't believe that after all that practicing this is the propsosal.'
'well I guess that's just the way things go.'
a/n I hate this so much but idk if it's just me 😭 I hope it's okay for you guys!
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roxygen22 · 10 days
Note
Sick Timothee with fem reader as caretaker plz ❤️
Thanks to You
Summary: Fem!reader takes care of feverish Laurie
A/N: Decided to write using Timothee's Laurie as the main character because the time period makes fevers much more scary.
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Laure's restless stirring awakened you. You blinked, unable to focus since it was still dark out. You reached your hand out to place gentle, comforting pressure on his arm, as you often did if he was suffering a nightmare, but instantly drew it back in shock. He was putting off more heat than your fireplace.
You grabbed the oil lamp on your nightstand and raised the flame. There was a sheen of sweat blanketing his forehead and chest, though he was shivering like he had been out in the snow. "Fever," you breathed out worriedly.
You jumped out of bed and quickly set to work gathering supplies. You immersed a cloth in water and wrung it out to place on his forehead. You rubbed the herb poultice Mrs. March had shown you how to make onto the soles of his feet and covered them with socks. He shifted his head side to side, mumbling your name.
"[Y/N], [Y/N]," he muttered weakly.
You ran your fingers through his damp curls. "I'm here, my love. I'm here."
"[Y/N]?" Laurie's glazed eyes opened, but they never focused on you.
He's delirious, you thought to yourself. You looked out the window, countenance falling as you realized the blizzard meant you could not send for help. The whole town was snowed in. "You have to get better, Laurie," you stated as you cradled your slight baby bump with your free hand.
He became slightly more alert as the dawn arrived. You took the opportunity to get him to drink some water. He was shaking so much from the throes of fever that he could not hold the cup without spilling. You sat beside him to support his head and hold the cup to his lips. You were grateful to see that at least some water made it into his mouth. Exhausted, he flopped his head back onto the pillow and looked up at you.
"Y-you should k-keep your distance. You d-don't n-need to get sick, too," Laurie said through chattering teeth.
"Nonsense. Who else is going to take care of you, hmm?" You half-smiled, not quite enough to reach your eyes. You wet the cloth again and gently wiped his neck, chest, and arms. "Are you hungry?" you asked when you finished, but there was no response. He had already fallen asleep again. You surveyed the dark purple circles under his eyes and the pallor of his skin.
You rose from your perch by Laurie's side to start some soup for when he woke again. He came to about an hour later. You helped him sit up against the headboard so he could eat. He scowled when you attempted to spoon feed him. "Come on, now. You need to eat something to keep your strength, and I'm sure you don't want to spill hot soup in your lap," you chided. He rolled his eyes and acquiesced. You chuckled. At least he was feeling good enough to give you an attitude.
The food did him some good, because soon he wanted to get up and move around. You helped him to the front room to his armchair. While he read by the fire, you changed the damp sheets. It wasn't long before he was ready to lay down again. The two of you repeated this cycle throughout the day.
When night came once more, the fever ravaged again. You covered him with every blanket in the house and practically laid on top of him to warm him up. The shaking eventually relented, giving both of you a reprieve. You fell asleep sitting next to the bed, holding his hand while your head rested on your arm.
You woke to the feeling of a hand playing with your hair. You groggily raised your head and were greeted by Laurie's smile. "Good morning, my dove."
You smiled at the nickname and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Your fever broke," you said in relief. Tears welled up in the corners of your eyes. "I was so worried."
"I'm alright, thanks to you."
<><><><><>
Masterlist
Tag List:
@croatianprincess
@bluizh
@jindongdongie
@groovyqueer
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pennylanefics · 3 months
Text
The Letter - Laurie Laurence
a/n: this was requested by @riordanness thank you so much!!! i instantly loved this idea the second i read it. i also tried a slightly different format, writing in third person rather than second because i've felt as though i've been struggling with that lately, but i hope you enjoy!
summary: refer to this ask
word count: 7.5k (this is a long one...kind of got carried away)
warnings - mainly fluff, slight angst, probably out of time period here and there, reader uses she/her pronouns
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Falling for your best friend is never an easy thing to go through. Especially when the said best friend is Theodore Laurence.
Laurie and (Y/N) have been friends ever since they were young, being neighbors with each other allowed them to play together every single day during the summer that they were available to, and even during the school year, they’d switch whose house they played at every few days.
They grew up together, experienced big life changes alongside one another, gained knowledge and different skills, and of course, grew into their own personalities. They did everything they could together any chance they could get.
So of course it was inevitable that either one or both would fall in love. And that’s what happened.
On the days where (Y/N) and Laurie would go ice skating on the lake behind her house, her hand tightly in his as he guides her along the outside of the frozen water, their skates clinking as they slice the bit of powder on top of the ice, all she could think of was their hands entwined, how soft his skin is.
On the nights after a full day of ice skating and playing around in the snow, they would go into (Y/N)’s house, where her mother was waiting with two cups of hot cocoa and a couple blankets, they’d curl up and sit in front of the fireplace, giggling, talking about all the fun that they had and making plans for the following day.
On the nights where she was scared to sleep alone, she’d signal across the way to where she knew his room was, he would sneak out of his grandfather’s house and over to hers, and sit on the floor beside her bed and talk to her, or even crawl into her bed with her and just cradle her, holding her as close as he could.
During the moments of doubt where Laurie would wonder if he’d ever be good enough to be what his grandfather expects from him and wants him to be, (Y/N) was there to comfort him and give him any sort of advice she could, holding him as he cried and wiping his tears away with her thumbs, telling jokes to cheer him up.
During the sleepless nights that (Y/N) dealt with, her writing keeping her up, along with the fleeting moments of self-criticism, Laurie was right there by her side, refilling her glass of water and making sure she was taking enough drinks, reassuring her, and even reading what she has written for her.
Both of them unknowingly began to slowly fall in love, those simple moments beginning to mean so much to each of them, special and close to their hearts. However, the yearning was starting to get too much for (Y/N). 
Every time she saw Laurie, all she wanted to do was jump into his arms and kiss him sweetly, blabbering out how much she loves him in a deeper sense than just in a best friend way. It was painful, and she couldn’t do anything about it. Until she came to the conclusion on what to do.
It was a beautiful spring day, the flowers were beginning to bloom bright and beautiful colors, the green leaves were glowing bright after a couple rainy days. (Y/N) and her mother were sitting in the kitchen, enjoying lunch, when Laurie knocks on their door. Her mom answers before coming back with a smile on her face.
“Hey,” Laurie greets (Y/N), a simple white puffy shirt adorning his body, the sleeves buttoned up all the way to his wrists, an unusual sight. “Would you want to join me for a walk today?”
(Y/N)’s expression faltered and she sets her sandwich down. She quickly tries to wrack her brain for some semblance of an excuse.
“Um, I wanted to stay in and get a chapter of my story done,” she says, averting her eyes to her plate, a tell-tale sign she was lying. She had finished that chapter last night, but she couldn’t let him know that.
His expression falters slightly upon hearing her rejection, and he clears his throat awkwardly.
“Oh, okay…um…” He isn’t entirely sure what else to say. She never turns down a walk with him, something was up. “Is everything alright?”
(Y/N) looks up and sighs, hating the hurt and broken look on his face, but she couldn’t do this anymore.
“Yeah, everything is okay. I’m stressed over this one scene and need to lock myself away for now.”
Every time from then on, when Laurie asks her to go on a walk, invites her over for dinner, asks her to come over, anything, it’s met with an excuse.
“I’m feeling rather tired today, I spent all night writing.”
“I’m meeting a friend in town today, I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“I have to deliver something to a family friend.”
Laurie started to catch on to all these excuses, and as time went on, it had been over a month since the two of them had even spent time with one another. It came to a point where Laurie sat in his room, watching her house like a hawk most days, but one day, noticed her blinds were closed. For some reason, this stung his heart more than he expected it to.
Until one day, things change.
Up in her room, (Y/N) hears her mother and father call for her to come downstairs. Groaning, she throws her book down and trudges down the wooden stairs, creaking underneath her socked feet. That’s when she sees Laurie, and she pauses.
Laurie’s heart aches in his chest at the sight, but he puts on a smile on his face.
“Laurie was just telling us some big news and we thought you might want to hear as well,” her mother beams, reaching out for her to join them in the living room. 
(Y/N) slowly walks over to them, taking a deep breath, and offers Laurie a soft grin. He nods a greeting to her and clasps his hands together.
“I wanted to inform you all that I will be heading off to Europe at the end of the week,” he states very strongly, like there was nothing that was going to change his mind. “My grandfather thinks it may serve me well. I will be in France for most of the time, but I will be traveling around, exploring, seeing the world.”
“I think that sounds like it would be a wonderful time, Laurie,” her mother tells him, excitedly hugging him. He hugs her back and his smile widens a little, moving on to shake (Y/N)’s father’s hand.
However, (Y/N) remained in her spot, unable to move, paralyzed with this new information that the man she loves is going away. But then her mind begins to race. Was this her fault? Even though Laurie was grinning at her, she could tell there was a deeper, more painful look he was hiding deep down. 
“Do I get a hug goodbye?” He jokes, reaching out for her, trying to break the obvious tension between them. (Y/N) finally sighs and steps forward right into his arms, tightly wrapping hers around his torso. His hands embrace her back, his large, warm hands bringing her back to the nights where he’d hold her as she fell asleep, making sure she didn’t fall off the bed or couch.
Tears prickle (Y/N)’s eyes the longer their hug lingers, so much that she has to pull away to keep herself from choking up and completely sobbing in his arms.
“I hope you have the best time,” she whispers, stifling a cry that was close to being released. She avoids eye contact with him as she steps back to where she was standing before. The tension between the two of them returns as Laurie stares at her, but she doesn’t even glance at him.
Laurie nods his head and bids a goodbye to the three of them once more before walking out of the house and back to his grandfather’s.
“What was that about? You two used to be so close,” (Y/N)’s father chimes in as soon as the front door clicks shut. Both her parents stare at her, waiting for an answer, but she’s unable to say anything. Instead. she takes off running upstairs and back to her room, where she finally breaks down crying into her pillow.
It was finally happening. Laurie was going away for who knows how long, he was most likely going to meet a beautiful French woman and marry her as soon as he could. (Y/N) starts internally beating herself up over it.
I should’ve told him.
I should have made a move.
I shouldn’t have let him walk away from me so easily.
I should have ran after him as soon as he walked out of the door, begging for him to stay.
The remainder of the night, (Y/N) stayed in her room, spending her time staring at the wall and reading small excerpts from the book she was currently reading. Staring out her window after having finally opened the curtain, she notices Laurie’s bedroom was still filled with light, once it was dark enough out to really stand out.
Getting some ounce of courage, she stands up from her bed and grabs a blank sheet of paper and her quill, walking back over to her desk and taking a seat. She dips the quill into the ink and gets to writing, her tongue poking out with concentration, stealing glances at Laurie’s window here and there, getting out all of her thoughts that she was dying to say to him.
After a while of thinking and writing, scratching things out and even starting completely over a few times, she looks over the final version of the letter and smiles to herself. Exhaustion takes over her so she sets the letter out to dry, sets her quill back in it’s little container, and heads back over to her bed to crawl under the covers.
The following days, (Y/N) avoids pretty much everyone, either staying in her room or another part of the house whenever her parents were out. She didn’t want to see anyone but Laurie, in hopes that maybe, if he comes over to see her one last time, she can take her chance.
But no.
Laurie left quietly in the morning, far before anyone else was awake, so early that the only time she realized he was gone was later that night, after the sun had set and the night was calm, did she notice the absence of candlelight coming from his room.
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As the months go by, (Y/N) realizes the grave mistake she made in withdrawing herself from Laurie. Life was miserable without him, she pined for their late night talks surrounded by her chaptered work and other stories, she wished he could hold her to sleep one more time, but that was all gone.
He was somewhere off in Europe, and she was stuck in Concord. This is her new life, having to live with the fact that she yearned and longed for his love, but she missed her chance and screwed up entirely.
Every night before she went to bed, she’d scan over the letter just to make sure she didn’t leave anything she wanted to say out, and every night, she would end up changing something. Whether that was a single word, or adding something. It got so much that she had to start with yet another piece of paper at some point.
And every time, she wrote Laurie’s name on the front with such care and love, and would smile when it was finished and dried. She would repeat the same process, folding it carefully, and sealing it with his favorite color wax and her personal stamp, as well as some dried flowers.
This time it was going to stay sealed, she promised herself that and was planning on keeping it.
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“How are things for you, Miss (Y/N)?” Mr. Laurence asks her after stepping out of his house.
Since it was a beautiful spring day, she was reading underneath the tree right on the edge of her family’s property, and the older gentleman was leaving to take his daily walk.
“Things are going okay, Mr. Laurence. I got a job at the local library stocking books and that has taken up a lot of my time.” He smiles at her and comes to a stop in front of her.
“And you’re still working on that story of yours? Ready to publish it?” (Y/N) chuckles softly and looks down at her hands, her heart racing in her chest.
“Not exactly. I have put that on hold for the time being,” her shoulders fall a little, and Mr. Laurence sighs a little.
“In due time, you’ll pick it back up,” he smiles down at her before he walks off in the direction he usually walks, leaving (Y/N) alone once more. She tries to go back to reading, but it’s no use. Her mind is filled with thoughts now, remembering why she stopped writing and how she couldn’t exactly tell Mr. Laurence, because it had to do with his grandson. 
She decides to head back to the house for some lunch, she enjoys a sandwich made by her mother on the back porch, taking a seat on the porch swing and looking out at the beautiful lake, surrounded by weeping willows blooming beautifully in the spring weather, as well as wildflowers that her and Laurie plant with her mom every year.
This year, it was just the two of them, and (Y/N) didn’t like it at all. Laurie brought a different sense of fun to it, he was constantly cracking jokes or telling stories, now the only noise was her mother humming some tune or telling her about a family member.
Life was different, and all (Y/N) wanted was Laurie back.
To her surprise, that day came two years later. 
By now, (Y/N) was in her early twenties and preparing for life as a writer, attempting to establish her name, albeit not easily, the owner of the bookshop she works at was more than happy to lend her stories out, even if they aren’t binded properly or fully complete. She loved getting to connect with people who read her work and had opinions or even constructive criticisms.
Life was finally looking up for her, until everything turned upside down once more.
Fall had come around this time of the year, the leaves changing colors to beautiful oranges, reds, and yellows, the crisp, cool air settling over the northeast and bringing a sense of change. Perfect for the change that was coming.
It was very early in the morning, the sun just barely peaking over the horizon, casting the world in a stunning, orange glow, a sunset like any other. (Y/N) was still fast asleep in her bed, her face smushed against the rather thin pillow, her hair sprawled out all over.
Since she was asleep, she didn’t hear a knock on the door, or her mother answer it and let Laurie in, nor did she even hear his attempt at trying to be quiet walking up the stairs and right to her room. Nor did she realize that Laurie walks in, expecting her to be up and about, holed up as he imagined she would be.
Upon seeing that she was still asleep, he feels awkward for intruding. Admiring her for a moment, he can’t help the smile that stretches across his lips. As he goes to leave, he sees a piece of paper with his name neatly printed on it.
His eyebrows furrow and he takes one step and picks the letter up. His finger runs along the smooth paper that his name is written on before turning it over and tracing the royal purple wax seal, being mindful of the fragile flowers adorning it as well.
He wonders what’s written inside, if he were to crack the wax seal and read it, what would he find? Was it a birthday card? A letter detailing how much she hated him? Something she wanted to tell him, like how she found a lover and was to be married in the coming months?
Whatever was in the letter, he decided against breaking the seal and snooping. Carefully, he backs out of the room and makes his way back downstairs to where (Y/N)’s mother begins making breakfast.
As the food starts to come together and the smell wafts through the house, (Y/N) is awoken by the comforting smell of crackling bacon, scrambled eggs, and fluffy pancakes, her favorite. She bolts out of bed and throws on her morning overcoat, something she brings out for chillier fall and winter mornings like today, and sprints downstairs.
But to her surprise, she finds Laurie sitting there at the kitchen table, while her mother stood at the stove, continuing to cook the bacon and flip the pancakes.
“Laurie?!” She shrieks, her hands flying up to her mouth in shock. Laurie can’t help the wide smile that spreads across his face, hearing her voice again and seeing her face, noticing how much she’s grown since the last time he saw her.
Standing up, he opens his arms and within seconds, she leaps into them, wrapping hers around his neck. He tightly holds her close to him, nuzzling his face in her neck and inhaling her scent that he fell asleep to so many nights.
“I missed you,” he whispers into her shoulder, his eyes screwed shut as he tries to keep himself from crying. 
The last few times they saw each other were very tense and not the way he wanted to really end things, so the fact that she was here, in his arms no less, it meant the world to him. And he didn’t want to let go just yet.
“I missed you, too,” she whispers right back, not a second thought to her words. 
Just as she pulled away, her mother just finished cooking the food, and set the last bit of pancakes on the table next to them. 
“Enjoy guys. I will be going around delivering the pies I made last night, so I’ll be back later in the afternoon.” The two bid (Y/N)’s mother goodbye and they take a seat nex to each other at the table, (Y/N) in her usual spot and Laurie at the head of the table, just to her right.
“So, how was Europe?” (Y/N) asks, grabbing a couple pancakes and pouring some syrup over them, also scooping up some eggs and plating them. Laurie does the same for his own plate, grabbing the fork and knife set off to the side.
“It was great, very beautiful. I had a little place in southern France that my grandfather owns, so that’s where I stayed overall. But I traveled all over, to Paris, Italy, Germany, Switzerland.” She raises her eyebrows and grins, taking a bite of her food.
“They must have been gorgeous sites. Did you learn Italian or German?” Laurie smiles to himself and gazes longingly into her eyes.
“Penso che tu sia la ragazza più bella che abbia mai conosciuto,” he gracefully speaks, chuckling softly at her confused expression.
I think you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met.
“I have no idea what you said, but it sounded so elegant,” she swoons a little, melting at the smile he returns, a blush beginning to cover his cheeks.
“Well, looks like you’ll have to learn Italian to figure it out,” he winks before taking another bite from his stack of pancakes. A comfortable silence hangs in the air for a moment as they enjoy the food in front of them, both feeling content and at peace with their reunion.
“Um, I was wondering if you’d…if you would like to take a walk with me? Like old times?” Laurie asks, a little scared to considering all the past few times she turned him down. But to his surprise, she smiles and eagerly nods her head.
“I would love that, Laurie. I want to show you this little deer family that sits tucked away in that little hideaway we cut out in the twigs and brush along the pathway a mile or so down.”
“Oh yeah! The hideout we made to escape our parents because we didn’t want to be away from each other. I remember the day we made that.”
“Me too. Every time I walk past it, it makes me smile.”
Laurie has the urge to reach out and take her hand, it’s so close to his resting on the table, so much that he can feel the warmth radiating from her skin, and it drives him mad. But he stays put, not wanting to overstep any boundaries or ruin things once again.
After they both finish breakfast and a bit more small talk, (Y/N) heads upstairs to change into a daytime dress, something simple but slightly thicker than her summer clothes, a nice cream color of the skirt and a natural brown top; it compliments her skin tone very well, and she has always felt beautiful in this specific piece.
Once she is dressed and her shoes are tied, her eyes drift to the letter she wrote and addressed to Laurie, who is just downstairs at this point in time. Picking it up, she admires her own handwriting and the wax seal, something she’s done for months at this point, and sighs, wondering if she’ll have the guts to give it to him sometime today. Quickly, she shoves it into the pocket of her dress and dashes back out of the room and down the stairs.
“Ready,” she smiles at Laurie, guiding him out of her house and onto the trail that they used to walk. 
It was just like old times, like nothing has changed and like no time has passed. They laughed like they used to, they shared story after story that happened during the time they were gone, Laurie detailing his daytime adventures of riding a carriage through the French countryside, to (Y/N) describing her work at the library and giving him the gossip of well-known people within the city of Concord.
(Y/N) was smiling so much that her cheeks were starting to hurt; but it was a feeling she welcomed, and a feeling that she could never get tired of. Laurie is in the same boat, a light in his eyes that has been dimmed for years at this point, and she could tell.
As the time went by, the wind started to pick up, cooling off the atmosphere from the blinding sun, and (Y/N) just so happened to forget her overcoat, not thinking it was going to be chilly at all. But, since Laurie is so in tune with her, he immediately knows something is wrong.
“Here,” he pauses his steps to remove his coat. Raising his eyebrows, he reaches out towards (Y/N), silently asking if it was okay. When she goes to reach for the coat, he ends up throwing it over her shoulders carefully, making sure it was secured enough to not fall off.
He offers her a soft smile, one filled with love and adoration, specifically for her. He can’t help but think how adorable she looks in his jacket.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, looking down at the ground in front of her as they continue walking on, her hands grabbing hold of the coat around her and tightening it slightly.
They continue walking for a little while longer, goofing off together like they used to do on their walks, before they start to head back, just after they reached the little hideout spot she mentioned earlier.
“Would you like to go into town? I don’t want to, uh, to part with you just yet, I feel like we have lost time to catch up on,” he smiles as he says this, wanting nothing more than to just be with her for the remainder of the day.
And fortunately for him, she agrees right away.
“Great, just give me a moment for Gerard to get the carriage ready and then we can take off. You go inside for a moment to get warm.” (Y/N) chuckles and steps inside her house after watching Laurie walk further and further away straight to his home. Once he is out of sight, she disappears inside and plops down on the couch. After resting for a moment, she fishes into her dress pocket and grabs the letter, thinking everything over.
There wasn’t a moment during their walk that she could have given it to him, or brought that sort of conversation up just yet. But maybe in town would be safer? No. She would have to face the ride home with him in a carriage of close quarters, that wasn’t an option.
Her fingertip traces the seal and she sighs, shaking her head.
“What are you doing, (Y/N)?” She whispers to herself.
A swift knock on her door startles her and she jumps up, immediately shoving the letter into her coat pocket and stands to head back out with Laurie.
“The carriage is ready,” he grins, holding his hand out for her to take. She gladly places her hand in his and follows him to the front of his house, where the carriage was brought around for easy access.
The city wasn’t as busy as Laurie was expecting, maybe because it was an afternoon of a week-day, or maybe it was the clouds that had rolled in on their way into town that had everyone scurrying to seek shelter in case there was rain or any sort of bad weather.
The first stop was the bakery, Laurie getting a regular croissant and (Y/N) getting a chocolate croissant, her favorite. She then bring Laurie to the library, showing him what her usual job is of re-stocking books, taking the ones recently returned and putting them back on the shelves. It was simple work, but she enjoyed it.
As they continue walking along the street, catching up as they’ve been doing, a little jewelry shop catches (Y/N)’s eye, and they step inside for a little to shield themselves from the chilly breeze that picked up.
Laurie follows her close behind, examining every piece she admires.
“Oh, Laurie, look how gorgeous this is,” she gushes, walking over to a counter with a simple green amethyst necklace, a small emerald cut with a silver chain and silver details holding the stone in place. Her jaw was slacked in awe as her fingers cradle the precious stone.
“That is beautiful,” he replies, noticing the twinkle she has in her eyes as she admires it. But upon seeing the price on it, her shoulders deflate and she sighs.
“If only I could afford it. It’s quite a piece, though.” Laurie nods silently and grins at her. He quickly looks to the man behind the counter and nods his head towards the piece, silently telling him to take it.
Just as (Y/N) turns away, her dreams slightly crushed, she spots a friend walking right past the window of the shop.
“Priscilla?!” She shouts, running straight for the entrance to the shop, slipping out just as Laurie turns back around to talk to the man. Acting fast, Laurie hands the man the correct amount of money stated and takes the box that he packed the necklace in.
Laurie leaves after thanking him, making sure to hide the box in his pocket before finding (Y/N) still talking to her friend. He comes to stand next to her, not saying anything and allowing her to have time catching up with someone else.
“Oh, Priscilla, this is Laurie,” (Y/N) finally introduces him after a small lull in the conversation. “Laurie, this is a friend of mine at the library, Priscilla.”
“Ah, so this is the infamous Laurie that she always talks about.” (Y/N)’s eyes go wide with worry, not wanting her secret to be given away, but thankfully, she continues. “She’s told me many stories about how you grew up together, it’s nice to finally meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well. We do have quite a lot of stories from when we were young,” he chuckles, glancing over at (Y/N) and smiling widely. She laughs along with him, her head tilting back with her laughter, a sight Laurie has always loved.
“Well, I have to get back home, but it was nice seeing you, and nice meeting you, Laurie,” Priscilla waves a goodbye to the both of them before dashing off. (Y/N) watches and as she does, she feels a single drop of water fall onto her nose.
“Do you feel that?” She asks, turning to Laurie, looking up at the sky. He joins her and flinches when a droplet of water hits his eye.
“Looks like we should get back,” he says, reaching for her hand and beginning to drag her away, back in the direction where their carriage was waiting for them to return. Laurie helps her step into the cab of the carriage, their laughter ringing out in the start of the thunderstorm.
The ride back for them was quite relaxing. (Y/N) stared out the small window, the rain hitting her face, Laurie watching her with admiration, knowing that if she turned around in a second and saw the look in his eyes, she’d be very aware of his feelings.
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She ends up having dinner with him and his grandpa for the evening, enjoying being back in the house that she spent so many days and nights in, a place she hasn’t been to in so long because it felt wrong to be there without Laurie, especially with how their friendship kind of fizzled out towards the time of him leaving.
But Mr. Laurence welcomed her back with open arms, letting her know she was more than welcome to visit any time. He even invited her back over for dinner tomorrow night, also fitted with an evening of entertainment with her parents and a few others.
When the time came, Laurie walked (Y/N) back home, the rain still falling down from the sky, soaking into the ground to hydrate the dry grass and trees. She used his coat to shield her hair from the rain, Laurie opting to get drenched, as it doesn’t bother him.
They come up to her front porch, chuckling together as they are finally covered from the pouring rain. Standing there for a moment, (Y/N) looks at Laurie and smiles, not really wanting to say goodbye, but she was exhausted.
“It was so lovely to be with you again, Laurie,” she murmurs, worried about how he feels. But when a huge smile stretches across his face, she feels relief course through her body.
“I very much enjoyed it as well. I think coming back was the best decision I have made so far.” A smile slowly tugs at (Y/N)’s lips and she feels her cheeks heat up with a blush. Sure, it wasn’t her that he solely came back for, but she could dream, right?
“Oh! I forgot I’ve been wearing your coat all day,” she realizes just as she was getting ready to head inside her warm home. She removes it from her shoulders and hands it to him, a thankful grin on his face.
“It’s no worries. I think it suits you quite well,” he winks. Again, she gets all flustered and looks down at her soaked shoes.
“Well, um, I better get inside before I get sick, but I will see you again tomorrow night, for dinner.”
“Of course, get some rest and yes, I will be anxiously awaiting for dinnertime to come.”
With that, Laurie turns and trots down the steps before taking off in a sprint back to his home, his own jacket over his head now that he had it back. (Y/N) steps inside and sighs deeply, heading straight up to her room and untying her muddy shoes.
Once she gets dressed in her nightgown and gets all snuggled up under the covers on her bed, she grabs the book she has been reading recently from her nightstand, but something clicks in her head. 
She doesn’t see the piece of paper that has been there for years. Her letter to Laurie.
Panic sets in and she starts to freak, checking her dress that was in a pile in the corner of the room to be washed at the end of the week, but nothing was in her pockets. She wracks her brain, trying to remember the last place she put it, until it clicks again.
Laurie’s coat pocket.
Her actions freeze as she thinks over the day, trying to recall when she put the letter there. Things finally fall into place and she falls to the ground, her knees hitting the wood with a loud THUD. Tears immediately spring to her eyes and she starts to shake, knowing that there was a possibility of him finding it now.
And unfortunately for her, this wasn’t to be dealt with tomorrow, as Laurie knocks on the front door  softly but just loud enough for her to hear. Slowly, she walks down the stairs, trying to be quiet as to not disturb her parents.
Opening the door, she finds Laurie standing there, his hair drenched with rain, as well as his white shirt and black vest. She didn’t have to say anything, since Laurie was holding the letter up, the purple wax seal broken, a clear sign that he read through it. His breaths were heavy, filled with emotion.
The silence is thick between them, both too scared to start the conversation.
“Is it true?” Laurie asks, staring at her, waiting for her to explain. However, she says nothing and steps to the side to let him in, wanting him out of the chilly, rainy night. But that wasn’t what he wanted, as he heads right to the back porch, gazing back at her, silently asking for her to follow him out to the covered porch.
The two step back outside, and instantly realizing that she wasn’t dressed for it, he puts his coat back over her shoulders, bringing her over to sit on the porch swing together. Laurie opens the letter back up and reads over it again, although that’s all he did when he found it, was read it five times over just to make sure he was actually seeing what he thought he was seeing.
A smile appears on his face and he folds the letter and brings it up to his face, chuckling to himself as he notices that she sprayed it with his favorite fragrance of hers. 
“I’ve always thought of our friendship as different. Not in a bad way, but…a good different. I have always thought you were so very special, as in a beautiful person but also special to me, personally. And then five years ago, when we were seventeen, we were at an event together, with a few friends and family, around Christmastime. You ended up falling asleep on my shoulder, and that’s when I realized I’m in love with you.”
(Y/N) stares out at the backyard, getting lost in the rainfall, but listening to Laurie fully, taking in his words and everything.
“It felt so wonderful to have you beside me like that, even though we’ve been in that position before, and even closer, that moment felt different for some reason. I realized that you are all I wanted in my life. I didn’t want anyone else falling asleep on my shoulder, no one else in that room mattered by you. I wanted to fall asleep with you by my side every night.”
This admission makes (Y/N)’s heart race in her chest, and she finally looks over at Laurie, who also stares foreward, seemingly focused on choosing his words. She notices, even in the dark of the night, the slightly pink tint to his cheeks, though she wasn’t sure if that was from the cool temperature or the reveal of his feelings. 
“But then things fell apart. You started acting strange and I figured I was reading signals wrong, that I was misjudging what our relationship was. That you were rejecting me in some way, even though I never voiced my feelings for you. That’s why I moved to Europe. To start new, to forget you, but I found that to be impossible. You were all I was able to think about. Everything I saw, I thought of you. Going to an art museum, I wanted to discuss a painting with you to hear your thoughts. Finding a little bakery and wanting to give you a bite of my pastry. Taking a trip through the French countryside and wanting nothing more than to run through the fields with you, your hand in mine, laughing, with no care in the world.”
Tears were filling (Y/N)’s eyes as he speaks, he was still staring forward and refusing to look at her until he’s said everything he needed to.
“Reading this letter just…brought so many emotions and confused feelings back.”
There’s a pause in the conversation as (Y/N) tries to collect her thoughts before speaking, not wanting to say the wrong thing.
“I love you, Laurie. I do. Everything in that letter is the truth. I didn’t mean to distant myself, but I was scared. I know that is not a good excuse, but I realized I was in love with you too. I took it far differently than I should have because I’ve never felt this way for someone. And I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.” She pauses to take a deep breath, turning her head back to look at the backyard, some parts of it beginning to flood a little due to the amount of rain that had fallen all afternoon.
“But in you pulling away, it made it worse. It ruined it anyway.”
“I know. Believe me, I am well aware of that at this point.” She looks down at her hands, disappointed in herself, and hurt. She was scared of this conversation going south, and things were going to end terribly. “But I would have rather kept you around and yearned for you in private than confess my feelings and lose you. And I got far too in my own thoughts and fear and thinking you wouldn’t feel the same. So I distanced myself. And I know I should not have, and I’m so sorry.”
Laurie takes her words in, nodding along as she apologizes. Opening the letter back up, he reads over it and lets the silence hang in the air for a few moments. His fingers run over the dried ink on the paper, remembering the feeling he got when he read it for the first time, only a little while ago.
FLASHBACK
Laurie enters his room and slips his coat off, hanging it up on the rack right next to his door. He reaches on the inside to grab the box with the necklace out, but also makes sure to check his other pockets just in case he left anything in there. To his surprise, he feels a piece of paper in one, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
When he realizes what it is as soon as he pulls it from his coat, he freezes, not sure what to do with it. But then he gets the idea that maybe (Y/N) put it in there for him to find. So, does that mean she wants him to read it? It must…right?
Going against his better judgement, he breaks the wax seal and opens it slowly, pausing to close his eyes and take a deep breath. His eyes scan over the writing, some words still scribbled through as she changed it last minute.
Dear Laurie,
You have just told me you are leaving for Europe at the end of the week. I hate feeling as though I have caused this, why would you go when you’ve always been by my side for years? So, I am writing this note as a way of getting out all of the feelings that I have, with no repercussions of any. Laurie, you are the most wonderful man I have ever come to know, you love with your entire heart and everyone you meet is like a friend to you. I have fallen so deeply in love with you, so much that it hurts. I yearn and I long to be yours, but fear that would ruin what we have right now, or had once. So I have stayed silent. And in my silence, I have distanced myself, to shield myself from the pain. But I have to say, this is far more painful, knowing you are leaving and will find a woman to love, a love that I dream of. A love with you. A life with you. It has always been what I’ve wanted. Not this. Not distance of thousands of miles and so many hours away. I will miss you, and everything that we shared. But I will never stop loving you. No matter what.
Love, 
(Y/N)
PRESENT
Laurie gently traces the last few sentences of the letter, a small grin back on his face as everything finally settles in. He looks over at her, folding the letter back up and shoving it inside his coat.
“I have something for you as well,” he murmurs, his hand remaining in the pocket and producing the small, black velvet box, a slight shake to his grip as the nerves set in. She stares at him, wondering what he has, and when he finally clicks open the box and hands it to her.
She gasps in shock, her hand flying up to cover her mouth, in surprise.
“Laurie…” she whispers.
“I noticed how much you were eyeing it, and knew I had to get it for you. Can I…?” His voice trails off as he motions to her neck. He carefully removes the necklace from the box and turns her slightly so that he can set the necklace around her neck, clipping it to secure it.
She looks down at it and smiles widely, the gem perfectly resting above her racing heart.
“This is too much, it was so expensive,” she tries to reprimand him.
“It is no issue, I wanted you to have it, you deserve to have pretty things.” Her cheeks heat up at his words and she sighs, looking down at her hands.
“Listen, I really am sorry for the way things went.”
Laurie, being cautious of his actions, tilts her chin up just slightly so that she can look into his eyes.
“How about we put it behind us and start a little bit before where we left off,” he offers. “Forget everything that happened months before I left. Like old times, but…no more hiding our feelings.” She softly smiles at his offer and takes a hold of his hands, squeezing them gently.
“I like the sound of that. Can I ask of one thing as well?”
“Of course, of course.”
“Kiss me.” 
Laurie takes no time to think about her request and presses his lips to hers, his hand cupping her cheek and holding her close. The two get lost in their own little world, every single feeling they’ve had for each other coming to a boiling point and spilling out, both being unable to control their actions any longer.
Which is why the kiss lasts for minutes, making up for all the lost time that was spent yearning after each other in silence, for the two years that he was gone, everything. Their hands explore each other’s bodies, (Y/N)’s hands going to Laurie’s hair, and his hands running up and down her back and resting on her sides, his thumbs tenderly rubbing her hips.
When the kiss finally ends, he rests his forehead against hers, their breath mixing together in the chilly, rainy night.
“That was everything I’ve dreamed of,” Laurie whispers, moving his lips over to kiss her cheek. “And so much more.”
“I feel the same way. Staring at your lips every time you spoke, wishing I could kiss them all night. Wanting them…all over me.” Laurie blushes and giggles at the suggestive comment from her.
“Well, we now have all the time in the world, mon amour,” he whispers, kissing her once more and cradling her face again. “The rest of our lives, even.”
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lunatiqez · 4 months
Text
“INTO THE NEW YEAR” — Theodore “Laurie” x March Sister!Reader
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IN WHICH . . . you and laurie have a mutual pining, but it is unknown to one another until he invites you to a walk on New Year’s Eve.
NOTES . . . i need to get back into writing, so what better way to do it than my hyperfixation ?! i love timothee and i love laurie sm. anyways, you can defffff see my meg bias in this fic. she deserves the world. happy new years!!!! heres to a great one 🍾.
WORDCOUNT . . . 1.9k
THANK YOU TO MY LOVES @lu-vin-it & @lemkay-luminary FOR PROOFREADING!!!! I LOVE MY BEST FRIENDS SO MUCH!!
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“No one ever loved anything quite as much as you do,” Marmee would say as she caressed your cheekbone, lulling you to sleep. You were 7 then, and you had just got done crying because you weren’t allowed to keep a baby bunny you had found in the garden.
Everyone had always called you ‘peach,’ reminiscent of the fact that peaches were sweet and soft— just like you. You were pretty sure your childhood friend, Laurie, was the one to start it, but Amy claims it was her idea. You were the only March sister with a nickname that isn’t some variant of your real name.
“Peach!” Marmee called from the kitchen. You buried your head under your pillow, as you were too tired to respond to your mother.
“Peach!” she called again. You still didn’t respond.
“Y/N March!” finally shouted the woman, sounding irritated. You shot up and groaned.
“Coming!” You yelled back, the sudden use of your voice making your head hurt. You grumbled some more as you tossed the covers aside and dragged yourself down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from your eyes.
“What?” You asked, yawning, “Why call me down so early?”
“It’s nearly 10, Peach, we let you sleep in.” Meg responded, as she chuckled to herself. You whined and sat down beside Meg. Marmee placed your plate in front of you and you all began eating. As you all conversed and enjoyed your breakfast, there was a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it!” Amy said as she practically jumped out of her chair and sped to the door. She opened it with a smile. You all wondered who it was until Amy spoke again.
“Laurie!” your sister cheered, giggling as a familiar voice greeted her.
“Hey, Amy! How are you?” Laurie asked her, bringing her into a hug and as he kissed her cheek kindly. You smiled at the boy’s presence. Truth be told, you had the slightest—no, biggest— crush on him. Not that you had ever told anyone.
“Oh, I’m great Laurie! How are you? It’s almost New Year’s!” Amy bombarded Laurie with words as he chuckled and responded to her chats. Then, she turned back to the dinner table.
“Marmee, can Laurie come in? Please?? We’re almost done eating anyhow!”
“I suppose, but only if you girls help clean the house afterwards.” Marmee agreed as she cut into a piece of sausage on her plate. Amy grabbed Laurie by his hand and led him into the living room.
The two of you shared a grin as you stood up to greet him and brought him into a hug. He held you tight against him, making you both snicker. He smelt of a musky, cedar-like scent that drew you in. It made you stick your face into the crook of his neck.
“Let’s go on a walk tonight, huh Peach? For the New Year?” he suggested. You pulled out of the hug, your hands still rested on the boy’s shoulders. You looked towards Marmee for her approval. She thought for a moment and nodded slightly.
“Can I come??” Asked Amy, Jo answered with a quick ‘no,’ saving you the trouble of having to reject your younger sister. Amy stared at you as she pouted. All you did was shrug.
“Sorry, Amy. Maybe next time?” You gave her a half-hearted smile as she slouched. Then, you turned your attention back to Laurie.
“11 tonight?” You nodded.
Laurence then stayed for a while longer, he talked to all the girls until around noon. When the boy left, you all went upstairs to your room. Amy and Jo began their usual passive-aggressive arguments and Meg sat on your bed and crossed her legs. She rested her hands on her knee and gave you a certain look. A look that she would only give you if she knew something was up.
“What?” you asked her innocently.
“You know what,” she said, elongating the “o” in “know”.
“No, I don’t know what. What are you looking at me for?” You repeated yourself. Meg rolled her eyes and smirked.
“Laurie? A walk? On New Year’s Eve?”
“..Yeah? So what?”
“So, it’s clear that he likes you!” By this time, the other girls had stopped bickering and were listening to the conversation.
You furrowed your brow. “No, no. Laurie sees us as friends, and friends only. That’s all. Just friends. Nothing more.”
“Oh come on, Y/N! Did you see the way he looked at you?” Meg exclaimed, you looked around to your other sisters for support.
“It did seem a little romantic,” Beth chimed in. “Even Marmee thought so.”
“Unfortunately, I have to agree with Beth.” Jo said, as she placed her hands on her hips and leaned her weight onto one foot. “It was— interesting. Seeing you two interact. There was definitely some tension.”
“But—“
“I don’t see it.” Amy interrupted, her arms crossed.
“Please, Amy,” Meg said, getting her to stop before she even started. Amy rolled her eyes and walked around the room, now uninterested.
“Y/N, he likes you! A lot!” Beth said.You continued to shake your head.
“Don’t think we haven’t noticed you, either. We know you like him too.” Jo sat down beside Meg and leaned towards you.
“What?!” You exclaimed, as you tried not to be so obvious.
“Mhm, we saw that hug. Don’t even attempt to deny it!”
“I—“ You started, but you couldn’t finish your sentence. “Have I really been that obvious?” You asked. Your sisters shared a look that made your mouth gape.
“Really?! I thought I was being discreet!”
“It’s not that big of a problem, Peach,” Meg assured you. “I mean, it’s about time you find a man that interests you..” She said with a slightly cheeky smile.
The five of you talked for a few hours more and went on with your day, until it was 10PM and Meg decided you needed to get ready.
She brought out your nicest evening dress, as she took her time to iron it carefully. Jo insisted on fixing your hair, but you refused due to the ‘Meg Incident’ in which Jo fried Meg’s hair clean off in an attempt to curl it. 10 minutes before a soirée.
Finally, by the time you were done, it was 10:45 and you sat on the couch, anxious as you waited for the arrival of Laurie. It was another 10 minutes before he knocked on the door. You looked at Meg and she nodded reassuringly. Then, you stood up and walked to the door. You opened it and there was Laurie, looking as handsome as ever. He handed you a bouquet of gorgeous flowers, consisting of your daisies, petunias, daffodils, and other bright colored flowers
“Oh, Laurie!” You gasped at the beautiful assortment. “Thank you! I love them!” You brought him into a hug, smiling widely.
“I knew you would. I remembered how you said that you liked these.” He chuckled nervously. You looked back at Meg, who gave you an “I told you so” look.
“Well, we should get going.” Laurie said. The two of you said your goodbyes and walked out the door.
When you got outside, you looked at each other and giggled like children. You walked in silence for a while, too nervous to say anything. You had a volcano of butterflies in your stomach ready to erupt at any moment.
Laurie led you to a quiet, peaceful spot and the two of you sat down by a small stream surrounded by gorgeous willow trees. Laurie laid on his back in the middle of the trees, a perfect view of the sky showed. You laid next to him and placed the flowers delicately aside. The two of you talked before silence fell again. It wasn’t awkward, though. It was a nice, comforting silence.
“It’s clear out tonight,” said Laurie, as he looked up at the bright stars. You followed his gaze towards the sky.
“I love stars, they’re so beautiful.” you said with a dreamy sigh. Laurie looked at you with a fond glint in his eye and smiled.
“Kind of like you.” He tried to say confidently, the darkness of the night thankfully masking his pink cheeks. You felt the butterflies finally explode as you tried to find something to say.
“The stars? Like me?” is all you could utter out, and it sounded more rude out loud than it did in your head. “I mean— thank you, Laurie. That’s really nice.” You kept your eyes glued to the sky, as you avoided any sort of contact.
“Of course.” Laurie said. He sounded slightly defeated, as if he hoped to hear something more out of you.
“Laurie, what time is it?” You asked him. He pulled a pocket watch from his vest pocket and squinted, letting his eyes adjust in the darkness.
“11:56,” He replied. “Almost New Year’s.”
“Really? It’s been that long already?” You asked him, as you sat up. He sat up with you. The two of you were parallel to each other with your knees tucked into your chests.
“Y/N, what are your plans for the future?” He asked you.
“Um, well..” You thought for a moment. “I want to move to the East Coast. Where it rains a lot. I want to raise a family and have a little cottage with a horse or three. Maybe a dog. I just want a family, I think. What about you? What do you want for your future?” Laurie paused.
“I don’t care where I am in my future. As long as…” He stopped, confusing you. You rested your chin on your knees and waited for him to continue. “As long as I’m with you, Y/N.”
“What?” You asked quietly, feeling your cheeks and ears burned in delightful shock.
“I said I want you in my future. All I want is you. All I’ve wanted is you, Peach.”
“Laurie.. I—“ He unintentionally cut you off.
“It’s killing me how bad I’ve wanted to tell you this.” He reaches for your hand and holds it. “I love you so much Y/N. I waited and I never complained because— because I want you to love me, Y/N. We can live out your future and I’ll do anything and everything in my power to make sure we live happy, and we can have the family you want, and I’ll get your horses and your dog and—“
“Laurie! Laurie..” You stopped him from rambling on, making sure he paid attention to you. “Laurie, I love you, too. I’ve loved you for a long, long, long time. I just— I thought you saw me as a friend. I thought you saw me like you did Meg— I never thought you could ever love me.”
Laurie sighed in relief and cupped your face in one hand. “I have always loved you, Y/N.”
Your eyes found each other in the dark and you pressed your foreheads together before you kissed each other gently. The kiss slowly got more passionate, more longing. When you pulled away, Laurie checked his watch again. It was 12:00AM.
He chuckled and squeezed your hand. “It’s 12. We kissed into the New Year.” You laughed as you squeezed his hand back.
“Did you really mean what you said? About the horses and the dog?” You asked Laurie with a smile.
“I guess I need to keep that promise, now, huh?”
“You definitely have to keep that promise now.”
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hiddleswiftt · 8 months
Note
I love your fics and I saw you wanted ideas so here I am. I thought maybe you could do a Taylor inspired fic for Laurie with Love Story maybe with like a ball or something?
ooohh! yes! I’ve been waiting on a laurie fic request for a while now!
maybe with another march sister reader??
(tumblr deleted my first draft so i have to re-write!)
LOVE STORY (INSPIRED BY THE TAYLOR SWIFT SONG “LOVE STORY”!)
laurie laurence x march sister (fem) reader!
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description - you have been friends with laurie (along with your sisters) since his mother passed away. laurie was the lonely boy who was living with old mr laurence who lived opposite the march house, and ever since he started hanging around with you and your sisters, you’ve started to have feelings for him. six years later, you are travelling around europe with aunt march as her companion whilst you are studying and completing your acting classes. you and aunt march are invited to a ball in paris and someone in particular is on the list for you to dance with for the night! - i tried to make it similar to amy and laurie’s story but the reader wanting to be an actress rather than an artist like amy!
you’ve always loved laurie. always.
even when he had feelings for one of your older sisters josephine (or jo).
you’d be the one sitting aside, especially during your eldest sister meg’s wedding, while you watch jo and laurie dance. amy would reassure you that you’d be okay as you sit with her and beth (as she continued to struggle slightly from trying to get better from scarlet fever).
when beth got scarlet fever, laurie was always around for you. when you found out about it, jo and meg told you to stay with aunt march until beth is well again.
“i don’t want to say with aunt march! id rather catch scarlet fever than stay with her, the poodle and the parrot!” you’d wine as you put your head between the pillows of the couch while laurie would insist for you to stay with aunt march.
he was very persuasive, but in a kind way.
he wouldn’t tell you to do something if you didn’t want to. but this was serious. the spread of scarlet fever was serious. it wasn’t a joke anymore. you just about understood that.
laurie told you he’d come and see you, and you suggested for him to bring either the carriage or the phaeton, which he did, just to make you happy.
whenever laurie came to see you, you’d be dancing dramatically (as you would usually) wearing aunt march’s feathered things. you’d smile at him when you realise he’s been standing at the doorframe of the room watching you.
you’d show him things such as aunt march’s wedding ring (which you told him that she was too fat to wear anymore - he’d snigger at you quietly when you said this), the golden bracelet that was for the only child she ever had (until it died unfortunately…) or perhaps anything else you had found amongst aunt march’s house while she was napping.
you would show laurie the will you’ve written, since you thought you’d be the next to die to scarlet fever. laurie sat with you in confusion.
“from y/n m/n march, this is her will and testament for those that may die after her,” laurie read, “for my sister jo, i give her my..”
in this case the list went on.. and on..
laurie looked at you, “y/n.. you’re not going to die! you’re not even sick!” he tells you, trying to reassure you that you were going to be fine.
then you look across to him, and slump down next to him, “i know.. it’s just a precaution! i will some day.. we all do!” you tell him.
there’s a silence between the two of you. then you finally pluck up the confidence to ask laurie to write something else on your will.
“laurie? i have one more thing for you to add?” you ask him, “i want all my curls cut off to all the men who had loved me!”
you seem a little dramatic, but laurie laughs at you slightly and quickly scribbles it down on the will for you.
“if you want to look horrific in your coffin, y/n, go ahead!” laurie tells you, laughing as he finishes writing your comment on the will.
TIME SKIP -
it had been a year since and you had been travelling around europe with aunt march as her companion, while you completed and studied your acting classes.
you and aunt march were set to attend a ball in paris! you had changed a lot since you left home so aunt march suggested that you should start looking towards marriage now that you are properly of age now.
you had met a man named fred vaughn back a few years ago (he’s a friend of laurie’s) on the lake one summer. aunt march suggested for the two of you to marry, but you were unsure, and you thought that you wanted to make your own match.
you arrived at the ball venue in paris. you looked stunning. one of the best dressed probably..
as you entered the venue, you were given a card which included 6 men that wanted to dance with you for the evening.
you glanced at the names on the card briefly (except for the first - which you headed to first).
gregory lance - the first gentleman on the list. wants to dance “the saraband” with you. so you headed towards him for the dance.
as you quickly got through each dance, you finished your fifth finally. you said goodbye to david molesey - who was your fifth dancer, and looked down to your card again to find your sixth and last dance of the night.
you looked down to spot a familiar name on your card.
‘6. theodore laurence - lancers’
you smile and start to look for laurie, not realising that he was already staring at you from the doorframe of the room.
you smile at him and you decide to meet each other half way.
you hug him straight away, trying not to let you or laurie ruin your look of the night. “laurie! what are you doing here? i thought you were in london with your grandfather!” you said, smiling at him.
he smiles at you, completely in awe of you of how beautiful you look, “well.. i guess i am needed here just incase you need anything, y/n march!” he said, “and you look so beautiful! i almost didn’t recognise you!”
you blush a little and slap his arm softly, “yeah yeah.. what have you been up to, laurie?” you ask him, “anymore of the gambling and the drinking?”
he laughs slightly, “no.. no.. none of that recently, y/n!” he tells you, then you remember something that didn’t do laurie any good recently.
“im so sorry jo turned you down, laurie.. im so sorry.” you tell him, looking at him, making sure he’s okay.
laurie looks back up at you, “don’t worry.. im not..” he said to you, smiling at you and taking in the view of you, then he remembered that you both have a dance together, “miss march? may i have this dance?”
laurie takes your hand in his, leading you to the middle of the room to start the dance. you nod at him, “one often does at a ball, laurie laurence..” you tell him, giggling at him a little.
he smiles at you, as you both walk and start the dance. the dance has become more easier for you both.
you remember when you were younger, probably about five years ago, you and laurie were stood in the laurence house dancing. beth was playing the piano, meg was constantly flirting with mr brooke and jo and amy were giggling at you two while we continued to step on each others feet as you both danced.
oddly it was the same dance that were to start dancing at the ball just then. it was a familiar feeling that you hadn’t seen or talked of in a long while. the nostalgia rushed back to you both immediately.
it felt just right.
as the music and the dance stopped, there was a sense of something between you two.
you invited laurie to talk with aunt march and a few others. a lot of aunt march’s friends thought you and laurie were married!
you just shut your mouth and didn’t say much after that.
MINI TIME SKIP -
you decided to have a break and walk outside to get some air on the balcony. it was getting slightly too warm in the building so it was good to escape for a few minutes.
you didn’t notice laurie behind you, so it shocked you for a moment.
“y/n? are you alright?” he asked you, finally catching up with you and standing next to you on the balcony.
you smile up at him, “yes.. yes.. im fine.. i just needed some air..” you tell him.
you notice two boats on the ocean near to the venue, as you both stood on the balcony. the boats were close together. laurie caught you looking at them, and swiftly looked back at you to admire you.
“those boats are pretty close together.. as if they are on the same path..” you mumble to him.
laurie smiles and takes your hand in his. this gets you to look up at him. “y/n.. are we on the same path?” he asks you.
you suddenly look from the boats to laurie, who had now taken your hand in his. you looked into his eyes. you both knew exactly what you wanted.
“i guess we are, laurie…” you finally admit, as you start smiling at him.
you both stand and admire each other for a couple of seconds, then laurie begins to hold your waist, now leaning into you slowly.
as you both continue to stand on the balcony, you and laurie lean in together for a slow but passionate kiss.
you bring your hand to his cheek, and continue to kiss. the two of you felt alive at this point. more alive than you both have ever felt, ever.
you knew you should’ve told him how you felt years ago, although laurie was in love with jo at the time. gladly, you didn’t think that was the case anymore.
laurie loved you. and you only.
you loved laurie. and laurie only.
you both moved away from the kiss, laughing and sniggering still as if you were still children. you both knew that you weren’t children anymore, since time and your childhoods have gone so fast, and you both had nothing you could do to change that.
you were just happy in the moment. the moment you were continuously picturing for years. you never thought it would ever happen, but here you both were. in that moment together.
you notice something different about him that you didn’t see before.
“laurie. you grew out your hair!” you say, playing with it a little.
laurie laughs at you slightly, “i guess you could care for it?” he says, now looking at you.
you smile at him happily, “always, laurie… always!” you say, kissing his cheek.
suddenly someone with a letter on a tray walks to you and laurie. you pick it up swiftly and open it, making sure laurie stands by you though it, as you think the letter could be what you think it could be.
you read the letter. you were right.
you stand next to laurie and sob into his arms.
“it’s beth…” you say as you put your head into his chest, letting laurie hold you.
you let laurie read the letter. it’s from marmee, clarifying beth’s death.
you weren’t as close to beth as jo was to her. but you did have your fun times. especially that same moment when you, laurie and your sisters were in laurence house together, as beth played the piano while you and laurie would attempt to dance but instead you’d be treading on each others feet.
although you and beth weren’t as close as her and jo were, she still was your sister.
it was as if you planned out her death, as if you planned out your own with the will you wrote and told laurie about a few years ago.
MINI TIME SKIP -
it took you a couple of days to get through beth’s death. you were still in paris, you told marmee you’d come home as soon as possible.
you had a mix of feelings about what could be happening between you and laurie and thoughts of beth, and the fact that you weren’t there to support her when she was dying.
you stood on the balcony of the home you were staying in with aunt march. aunt march wasn’t doing so great herself either. she was falling ill now.
laurie came to see you that same day. he wanted to talk about the relationship you had but he was unsure whether you were okay to talk about it after hearing about beth’s passing.
“i keep remembering that will i wrote when beth had scarlet fever..” you remind laurie, as you both stand together.
“you bequeathed me a plaster horse, if i remember correctly.” laurie thought, as he looked at you.
“i had my death all planned out.. all rehearsed in my mind…” you say, trying not to cry, “i had beth’s all rehearsed and ready too… thought it would.. tear me open.. or burn me down like a house. but now im just frozen!”
laurie took your hand in his again. “ill come and see you everyday, y/n…” he says, admiring you but also making sure that you’re okay.
you look up at him, slowly twiddling your thumb with his, “promise me?” you ask.
he looks at you again, watching you twiddling your thumb with his, “yes.” laurie told you, now reaching into his pocket for something.
you wonder what he was looking for, so you decided to look out at the view from the castle balcony.
it took him a few seconds to find what he was looking for. he brought a black box from his pocket, and showed it to you.
you turned back to him and looked at the box. you were stunned.
“so.. y/n.. could we make it last forever?” he said, opening the box to reveal the engagement ring inside.
you were taken by surprise that laurie wants to marry you. you smile widely, and nod at him, letting him put the ring on your finger confirming your engagement.
MINI TIME SKIP -
you and laurie were on their way home from your long trip around europe with aunt march. aunt march had briefly found out about your engagement to laurie before passing out, and being taken home with aunt carrol and her daughter florence, who had been your other company before laurie arrived.
as soon as you arrived home, laurie helped you out of the carriage to find meg, marmee, father, amy, and jo (slowly) running out to greet you both.
marmee (with her good eye) noticed a ring on your finger. funnily enough, it wasn’t the same ring that laurie gave you a few days ago. it wasn’t the engagement ring.
you smiled down at the ring, and then looked back up at laurie.
“that’s not an engagement ring!” marmee says, realising something.
you and laurie smile at each other as you notice marmee admiring your ring.
“it’s a wedding ring!” marmee says, pulling you into a large hug and kissing you on the cheek, while father shakes laurie’s hand to congratulate us both, and to thank him for marrying you.
you smile at your mother again. “i cant quite get my glove over it!” you laugh, then moving to laurie to give your ‘husband’ a kiss on the cheek.
MINI TIME SKIP -
the hustle and bustle around the march house after yours and laurie’s return and the surprise of your marriage spread amongst the house. especially to mr laurence (laurie’s grandfather), who had told him to go abroad after jo turned him down.
you were happy. both of you were.
turns out that jo was falling in love with the professor she met at the boarding house in New York. she arrived home a week after yours and laurie’s return after being out in town and the professor was waiting for her.
you knew she was in love with him. jo knew you had always been in love with laurie.
you kindly persuaded jo to tell professor bhaer how she felt about him, and from soon after that, all your sisters and yourself were in love.
you all sat together, you and laurie at the piano as laurie played and you rested your head on his shoulder, meg and john with kitty and minnie, marmee and father and finally jo and bhaer.
it just fitted together so perfectly.
please don’t copy my work! <3
(let me know what you think of this fic by giving this post a like, follow and a comment!)
— h4uerkings
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feyofmay · 9 months
Text
The Righthand Man
Laurie x March!Reader Summary: Assisting in making the costumes for Jo's upcoming show, Y/N, who is love with Laurie, is forced to spend time with Laurie, who is in love with Jo. Angst ensues. word count: 2.8k Warnings: Fluffffffffff, all platonic, angst, reader gets called "Ducky"
This story is a snippet from my longer Laurie x reader story, Foolish, Honest Love on ao3.
Also, I am taking requests for Laurie x reader drabbles/minifics in my asks!!! :)
STORY STARTS UNDER THE PAGE BREAK
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A trickle of syrupy scarlet begins to pool and form a bubble on the tip of the young girl’s finger. However, the sight of blood does not squeeze even a squeal out of her. Rather, all she does is sigh and place the finger between her lips. Between her lips, a row of pins rest beside her finger like a line of spiked fences, a warning to wandering souls. With her free hand, she guides the loose fabric to curl around her waist. 
“I must be the prettiest. I am the princess,” her younger sister declares like true royalty as she remains still under the middle March’s touch. Humming in agreement, she pulls her finger from her lips and leads the needle down a familiar trail. Although the house is always a little bit of a mess, in the most recent days it has grown into a beast of its own. Pieces of fabric are strung about everywhere, and loose pages of noted and edited scripts cover the floor as a gray and white layer of snow in autumn. A sheen of dust and the stink of old paper and musty fabric smothers in the autumn air. Without a knock, a boy enters, carrying the autumn breeze on the edges of his footsteps. Lost in her work, the middle March doesn’t pay any mind to anything outside of the glimmer of her needle as she works to avoid the wrath of her younger sister. If the needle is to even brush against her skin, the younger March will inform the whole neighborhood of the atrocity her sister has committed. Adorning a heather gray wool skirt, of which some other sisters have surely worn in seasons past, her heather purple bolero pinches around her collar and floats over her white collar shirt and black bodice. 
“I’m sure you will-” She begins, speaking around the pins in her mouth.
“Ducky, how’s the costume coming along?”
“- be. Just don’t paint the fabric without asking me first again,” Ducky continues while their older sister speaks around her. Like a knight in battle, the eldest of the three forces through the chaos of their home.
“Jo, you better have removed the part where I have to kiss a toad!” the youngest of the present sisters yells out to Jo. Ducky places her palm against the youngest’s stomach as a way to calm her and tell her to refrain from moving.
“Amy, you have to stay still, or I’ll poke you,” Ducky reminds her before returning to sewing the draping robin blue fabric. All of their conversation overlaps and forms a symphony of dissonant harmonies.
“I’m nearly finished with Amy’s, and all I have of Meg’s is final fittings, she’s putting hers on right now -” Ducky begins as she begins looping the thread into itself, forming a knot. 
“Perfect, we’re just behind schedule!” Jo continues her own tangent while she stations herself besides Ducky and begins to digest Amy's appearance.
“- and then all I have left is to make your jacket, and figure out Laurie’s ensemble, and I’m unsure what you want for me, regarding ‘my part’ in the show, itself,” Ducky trails off as she picks up her scissors and frees her needle from the taut thread caught in the knot of Amy’s dress. A heap of  tulle the color of a robin’s egg and a mellow baby blue silk cascade from underneath her beaded white bodice like a waterfall. Hours and hours have been spent on beading the bodice, alone, and, with sweat, time, and a minimal amount of blood, the middle March has managed to piece together the costumes for Jo’s newest and best show. 
“You’re going to be the wise old witch who lives in the forest -” Jo starts to fall into her tangent as she waves her hands. In her right hand, the newest version of her script resides.
“I’m only acting because Marmee’s done getting involved in your shows,” Ducky confirms.
“- Well, yes, but that doesn’t make your role any less important,” Jo reminds her as Ducky rises to her feet and brushes off her skirt. Blood rushes into her legs and feeling finally slips back into her feet after sitting for hours on the rickety wooden stool. As the teen boy discards his jacket, Jo is alerted of his presence and her attention shoots over to him. Rushing over to him, her arms shoot out to greet him. 
“Teddy!” Jo shouts when she’s engulfed in a hug. The two prattle on in a quick back and forth of banter and quips, and Amy waddles off to the mirror so she can properly admire herself. Leaving Ducky all by her lonesome, she sets down the pins between her lips and straightens up her makeshift sewing station. As she collects the spools of thread that had attempted to escape the nest of odd bobbins and spools of an assortment of colors of thread, she can't prevent her eyes from glancing over at the teen boy who’s attempting to swallow Jo in a hug. While she’s too young to wade deeper into her own emotions, she’s perturbed by the small pest named Envy that nips at the walls of heart. She’s not mad, not angry at either her sister or the boy, but she wants to be hugged like that. She wants to be seen & touched with the same feeling of “I feel you, and, therefore, I know you”. For a brief moment, the stories of far fetched courtship and romance are a faint taste on the tip of her tongue, real and tangy. Seeing her younger sister and being old enough to swim in the depths of her own feelings, the eldest March strolls over as a wreath of wisdom hangs around her head. With a knowing gaze and sturdy smile, she bends down so her lips are the same height as Ducky’s ear.
“Do you think he’s handsome?” she whispers to her younger sister as her words bubble up into a giggle. Ducky’s head shoots around to look at her older sister. A similar shade of red to the wound on her finger soaks into her entire face. Her nails dig into her palms, and her chest shutters from the pounding of her heart.
“Shut it, Meg!” she mutters out while gathering the last bobbins and placing them back into the small heap of thread. Laughing over the embarrassment of a young lover, Meg presses a hand against Ducky’s shoulder before gliding over to assist in admiring Amy’s dress by the mirror.
“Ducky, what have you planned for the right hand man to the hero, the protagonist, of my tale?” Jo enthuses as she rushes over to the younger sister’s station. Scooping up a pile of concepts and measurements all messily scrawled across different sheets of paper in looping, unfocused handwriting, the middle March digs through the loose scraps of paper until pulling out several ideas all scribbled on with a stick of graphite and colored pencils. Jo leans over to peer at the drawn figures, and the teen boy mirrors her movements. Sketched onto the paper in coagulating shapes, a drawing of a man clad in a puffy nectarine orange jacket in gold trim and forest green waistcoat dawns the garments over a pair of orange slacks in a matching shade and white high collar shirt with a forest green and orange striped cravat. 
“Perhaps the costume will make up for the fact that you can’t act,” Jo quips out as the two gaze at the young girl’s sketches. Teddy whips his head around to glare at the elder sister as she begins to leap away. Never does Jo simply “walk”, rather, her spirits carry the heels of her weathered leather boots just an inch above the physical Earth. To Ducky, Jo is beyond what any human can promise to be. After all, no mere human of flesh and blood could survive carrying the weight of tenacity and creativity like her sister does. Jo flings her body around and contorts it like a hanging rag left to dry in the wind, and the taupe skirt of her dress wrings her as she flips around to face Teddy.
“You wound me so,” he replies with a filling smile. Jo’s hand flies up to smack Teddy’s forearm. 
“Good, make use of that anguish in scene fourteen,” Jo quickly snips back as she starts to float away with the spirit of genius, her true paramore, “Now, stand here and do whatever Ducky tells you to do without any complaint.”
“What if she stabs me?” Laurie whines while he finds his place where Amy had recently stood before him. 
“I don’t want to hear any of it! You most likely deserve it, anyways,” Jo declares before rushing away to join her two other sisters by the mirror. A squeal of delight leaves Amy’s lips as she scampers away, chasing a distant thought that rattles around in her head.
“I’ll paint my shoes to match!” Amy giggles as she rushes off, leaving the two other sisters to follow her in quick pursuit. With a small smile, Ducky attempts to silently apologize for her sisters’ behaviors.
“Never a dull moment, eh?” Teddy eases her with a knowing glance, and she shares the look while flipping to a blank page in her notepad. Grabbing her measuring tape from around her neck, the middle March brushes back a few strands of hair that had escaped from her makeshift updo, kept together only by a single piece of loose, pale pink ribbon. Lightly gripping his forearms, her fingers sink into the billowing fabric of his watery gray shirt. 
“I’ll need to take your measurements. If I touch you in any way that’s discomforting, let me know,” she explains to him as she guides his arms up to extend out like a child’s when they’re pretending to be an airplane. The tips of his fingers brush against the fading cream and pink flowers that orner the sage green background of the wallpaper that, over the past years, has been dented and scraped from calloused yet tender fingers of youth. Nodding in reply, he stands stalk still as she wraps the measuring tape around his arm before jotting down the measurements in her small notebook. 
“Jo told me that you're some sort of expert seamstress,” Laurie informs her, speaking to try and swallow the silence that the two of them are sinking in. As the tips of her fingers brush against his, a pursed smile tucks itself into her lips. 
“I’m nothing close to that, but I do sew,” Ducky corrects him while she slips the tape around his neck, continuing her work. 
“Is that your big dream? Jo will be a writer, Meg will act, Amy will paint and Beth plays, and you’ll sew?” he asks with a sense of genuine inquisitiveness, tilting his head back as she leans in to better see the faded numbers, leaving about a hand’s width of space between his face and hers. However, as she’s consumed by her work, she isn’t sent awry by the lack of distance between the two. Whispering the measurement to herself, she ushers back to her notepad and copies down the digits, pausing from the conversation to focus on her craft. 
“No, no, that’s Jo’s dream for me,” she admits while shuffling to loop the tape around his bust. 
“Well then, what will you be?” Laurie continues as he raises his hands above his head to allow Ducky to reach around him comfortably. She pauses for a moment, both engulfed in her work and unsure how to answer his question. Tendrils of sunlight begin poking through the window as the sky starts to fade to a rusty hue. 
“I’m not quite sure,” she begins as she turns to copy more digits before adjusting the tape to next measure his hips, “Far. Free, not depending on any man to live how I want to.” Listing off her floating aspirations, Teddy gazes down and watches her precise fingers whisper a secret against the rippling powder blue, silk fabric of his waistcoat.
“What about you? What’s your dream?” she swings the question back to him, and he’s slightly taken aback by her forwardness. Often entranced by Jo and her wild acclaims of the future, he’s yet to think about what it is that he wants. Pursing his lips, the boy considers several archived visions of an ideal future that he’s contemplated in the past. 
“Well, I want to marry a woman. I want to spend my days free from tutoring, content to do whatever I please whenever I’d please. Maybe I’d settle down and put my musical talents to some use, as they’re the only talents my grandfather thinks has worth,” Teddy admits, and, as he discusses his aspirations for his future, a dull ache washes over Ducky, and she’s faced with an answer that’s unfamiliar to her. When her sisters are faced with the question “what do you dream?” every single one of them has a secret truth that is inlaid in the very foundation of their mind. They dream of safety. Of a home that is good enough, and a husband that is kind enough. Of a life that is fulfilling enough. They dream of the brink of enough, of simply a little more than bearable. A man can dream of happiness, but a woman only hopes for enough. Only has Jo honestly strayed from this path, as even Amy, with age, begins to share the three other March’s mindset. Jo continues to strive for greatness, and Ducky can do nothing but admire her for it.
“I sincerely pray for a safe and speedy recovery to any woman who falls for your ‘charms’,” Ducky retorts, and, for a second, her own tone reminds her greatly of Meg. The eldest sister always spoke with a sense of grace and intellect that Ducky found surreal. How could one speak like a bubbling brook flows? For a moment, as the words dribble out from her lips, Ducky is filled with the same rush of ease that she often feels when Meg is teasing Jo. As if called on by a greater divinity, just as Ducky finishes her measurements, Jo and Meg rush back over, with Meg sporting a new, oily black mustache painted onto her face. 
“Teddy, come quickly,” Jo commands to her companion, snatching his arm and dragging him along before he has time to digest her words. There’s no goodbye or reply as he follows behind Jo like a puppy on her heel. As he’s hurried away, Ducky’s eyes linger on his stumbling frame as the timid smile from her lips falls. The middle March begins to curl into herself as the eldest ushers across the dining, over to her sister. Meg rests her cheek against the side of Ducky’s head as, with her embrace, she shields Ducky from the world’s eye. 
“Ducky, tell me plainly and you mustn't lie. Do you fancy him, Teddy?” she asks her younger sister, but both of them already know the answer without speaking. Closing her notepad, Ducky doesn’t even glance up at her sister as she presses her weight into her older sister’s frame. The younger March curls up into her sister’s embrace and folds herself into the young girl that used to hide in Meg’s nightgowns as shrieking thunderstorms raged through the night.
“It doesn’t matter how I feel. He’s already in love with Jo,” she mutters into her sister’s chest as she wallows and wades in her own misery. Of course he loves Jo, who couldn’t fall in love with Jo? When she’s basking in the light of her own flowing talent and erudition, everyone falls in love with her. Jo is everything every mother never wants her daughter to be, and, in that right, she is what every mother prays her daughter becomes. She has never changed and, yet, is constantly born anew with each day. Never a lady, but yet an adult, wise yet naive to the weight of the world, everybody is in love with Jo, and this love holds no romantic intention. Rather, it is a deep well of devotion to a person that fills a lover’s stomach and renders one completely whole. To love someone entirely is to find peace within yourself and be content with one’s nature when in the presence of the one you love. So, in this manner, Ducky is entirely in love with Jo.
“It matters a great deal to me how you feel,” her older sister reminds her while strands of Ducky’s hair begin to curl around and hug Meg’s finger, “I’ll always want to hear about your feelings, no matter how large or pointless they may seem.” Silently, the two of them bask in each other’s embrace, and, without a word, Ducky knows her older sister understands her emotions inside & out. In her arms, she feels protected from everything, come snow or hail. In her arms, she is safe to be a young, scared girl.
Please comment & repost, & check out the whole fic :)). If you want me to add u to a taglist, lmk, & please send any laurie x reader drabble/fic requests my way!! I'd love to hear y'alls ideas! Have a lovely rest of your day, friends! &lt;3
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anxiouswriter0 · 29 days
Text
i don't care | Laurie Laurence
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Inside one of the rooms of the march residence lay the feverish body of one of the sisters, to be specific, (y/n) March.
the girl might have contracted an illness due to the strain she had been under in recent days. for a moment, her sisters and mother were terrified that perhaps (y/n) had contracted scarlet fever, but luckily that wasn't the case. although she was taken care of by everyone, (y/n) didn't agree with being looked after. it's not that she was stubborn (or maybe she was), she just didn't want her sisters to stop attending to their activities to take care of her.
lying on the bed with both arms behind her head, resting on the pillow, and with a thick blanket covering her from the waist down.
trying to rest for the umpteenth time. but this time (y/n) managed to close her eyes completely.
but suddenly, soft knocks sounded behind the door. (y/n) reluctantly turned her head towards the door. as no one entered or even asked, she rolled her eyes, closed them again, but... the knocks sounded again.
—Jo, if it's you, don't worry, I'm fine, okay? —(y/n) spoke hoarsely.
no one responded.
—Jo? —(y/n) asked without even looking, as she didn't even have her eyes open due to the exhaustion she was feeling.
the sound of the door being opened, along with the echo of boots resonating on the wooden floorboards, filled the room. the small "creak" of the door closing gently was all that could be heard, as if the person entering the room wanted to make as little noise as possible, but the sound of their boots on the wood gave them away. (y/n), who still had her eyes closed, could hear every step, softly echoing in the room, approaching. Until at one moment, they stopped, and (y/n) felt the weight of someone sitting down beside her bed.
opening her eyes slightly and trying to visualize who it was, although at first everything seemed blurry, (y/n) gradually began to recognize the facial features of that person.
—Laurie? —she asked, astonished, as the person smiled gently.
—What are you doing here? —she asked, confused, but with a noticeable discreet smile.
—Jo told me you were in bed, so since everyone had their turn to visit you, I felt like now it was my turn to do so, —Laurie joked, eliciting a small smile from (y/n).
—But putting that aside, how are you feeling? —he asked, changing the subject.
—Do you really want to know? —(y/n) asked, as Laurie nodded in response.
—Terribly indebted to them, —(y/n) blurted out, making Laurie laugh. —You should have seen them coming in and out of the room. I couldn't sleep with the sound of their shoes echoing on the floor, the door opening and closing, and please don't make me remember the sound of their desperate voices. for a moment, I felt like I was dying, —(h/c) laughed, while feeling Laurie rub her hand over the arm that was extended behind (y/n)'s head..
—But amidst all the chaos you're telling me, I see that you're doing well, —he said, rested her hand on the other end of the bed, beside the girl's body.
—Tell my sisters, —said (y/n), placing her arm over her eyes.
at that moment, a small silence filled the room, but oddly enough, it wasn't uncomfortable as some might have expected.
however, that silence and atmosphere were interrupted when (y/n) felt fingers glide over her cheek, the thumb tracing her cheekbone delicately. this caught (y/n)'s attention, causing her to remove her arm from her eyes.
—What are you doing?— she asked
—I'm looking at you, —Laurie joked.
—How silly, —(y/n) murmured, although she regretted it a bit when she noticed Laurie's sudden serious expression, with his head pointing towards the ground. With some effort, she managed to sit up at least, placing her hand on Laurie's shoulder to get his attention. —I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...—
—Don't worry, —Laurie interrupted, —it's not that —he murmured softly at the end.
—Then what is it? —(y/n) asked, confused.
with that, Laurie let out a long sigh that (y/n) could hear. she watched as he turned his gaze towards her. suddenly, Laurie shifted on the bed and slowly extended his hands, taking (y/n)'s hands in his. this gesture made (y/n) nervous due to Laurie's sudden actions.
—(y/n)...— he began, but the realization dawned on (y/n) about what Laurie might say.
—Laurie, no... don't do it, —interrupted with a disappointed voice, pulling her hands away from his.
—What? Why? —Laurie murmured, trying to take (y/n)'s hands again, but she kept them out of his reach.
—Because I know you love Jo, —(y/n) affirmed, noticing Laurie's surprised expression. —I know, —she murmured at the end.
(y/n) turned her gaze away, avoiding Laurie's eyes, while all he did was take the girl's hand again.
—Please, (y/n), please listen —Laurie murmured as he gently caressed her hand. —You're right, I love Jo... but the love I feel for you is different, —he affirmed with determination. With his other hand, he gently held (y/n)'s chin, turning it so their gazes met.
laurie noticed how tiny tears streamed down (y/n)'s cheek. tenderly, he slid his thumb over her eyes, wiping away every trace of sadness he found.
—I mean it, —he murmured. —Why don't you believe me?—
(y/n) shook her head.
—I don't know, —she said between sobs.
—then let me show you. Let me show you that I'm serious, —he murmured, moving closer to she, their faces just inches apart.
laurie, being so close, could feel the warmth emanating from her. he could have joked that perhaps was embarrassed by the moment, but he chose to remain silent, not wanting to ruin the moment.
laurie tenderly held (y/n)'s face in his hands and began to kiss her gently. he started on her cheek, then moved up to her temple and placed another kiss, moving on to her forehead and then to the other cheek. as he did so, he noticed (y/n) starting to giggle. emboldened by the joy of the moment, laurie ventured to give her a sudden kiss on the tip of her nose, eliciting even more laughter and a warm feeling in his heart.
however, at one point, laurie stopped, fixing his gaze on a place he hadn't kissed yet.
(y/n) noticed and warned him.
—If you get sick, Laurie, I'm not going to take care of you —she said, staying just inches away from him.
laurie could only smile as he let his lips meet hers. In that moment, it didn't matter if he couldn't get up tomorrow. All that mattered to him in that moment was what they were sharing.
they both pulled away in search of air, although they kept their foreheads together. In that small space between them, the rapid beating of their hearts resonate like a shared echo of intense emotions.
—i don't care —murmured laurie.
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↳ Note: I made this little one-shot a long time ago and I never could finish it, I always had it as a draft. Also, I saw that the theme of the 'little women' had already gone out of style. So, I didn't want to upload it.now i want to cry ↳ p.s: I just noticed that this has a lot of (y/n) and a lot of Laurie. :D I'll try to improve and not to put so much (y/n).
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the-amazing-simp · 2 years
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Laurie’s Beloved | T.L.
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📝 Title: Laurie’s Beloved
📚 Requested: Yes/No
✍ Summary: After losing a bet to Jo, Laurie has to write a letter to you. But what happens when you find the letter and think it’s for someone else? | 1.3k
“Jo, please I’ll do anything else.” Laurie begged as Jo held a triumphant smile.
“Rules are rules, Teddy. This is what you agreed to.” Jo reminded him.
“Please Jo, have mercy on me.” He pleaded, giving the girl a look.
Jo shook her head, “Nope.”
“Now what’s all this fuss about?” Meg asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Teddy won’t keep his part of the bet.” Jo said.
“Meg you have to help me!” Laurie said, walking to the eldest March sister.
Meg raised a questioning brow, “What’s his part of the bet?”
Jo smiled, knowing she had found an ally, “Since he lost the bet he has to write a love letter to his dear Y/N. Only now, he refuses to.”
A small smile reached Meg’s lips, “Well Laurie, a deal’s a deal.”
Laurie glared at the both of them, “You’ve got to be joking! I swear all of you are teamed up on this.”
It took him a week to finish the letter. Not because he found it hard to pour out his feelings for you. But because he wanted to find the right, the perfect words to express just how much he loves you and how much you mean the world to him.
“Happy now?” He asked, handing the fresh letter to a beaming Jo.
“A bit.” She cooed as she read the letter upon Laurie’s request to improve anything that would embarrass him - especially grammatical and spelling errors.
“What do you think?” Laurie asked nervously as the silence grew, “Is it bad?”
Jo shook her head, giving him a smile, “Surprisingly, it’s rather wonderful. Did you have some kind of poet write this?”
He furrowed his brows, “No. I wrote that myself.”
“Hm.” Jo hummed, giving the letter another look through, “There’s only one thing missing then.”
“What’s that?” Laurie asked.
Jo’s smile seemed almost wicked, “To give it to her.”
Once she had uttered this words, she stood up and dashed in the direction of your house.
Fear started to run through Laurie’s veins as he chased after Jo.
But, Jo was faster than him and arrived at your door within minutes.
She quickly rapped a knock on your door, clutching the letter behind her back while Laurie stood by the side, horrified.
Just as his luck was getting worse, you were the one who opened the door.
“Hello Jo.” You smiled, “What brings you here?”
“Meg just wanted to make sure that you’ll make it to tea this weekend.” Jo returned the smile.
You nodded, “Tell her I would never miss it for the world.”
“I definitely will.” Jo said.
“How about you Laurie? What brings you here?” You asked, leaning against the doorframe.
The heat immediately rose up to the boy’s cheeks, being winter - it would’ve made sense. But the snow wasn’t what caused it.
It was you.
“Uh, n-nothing.” He managed not to trip over his words, “I just accompanied Jo.”
Jo chuckled, “Definitely true. Anyway, we’ll be going now Y/N/N. See you on the weekend.”
You nodded, lips still holding that wonderful smile that managed to make Laurie weak in the knees.
Once the two of them were far enough from your house, Laurie frowned at a laughing Jo.
“You do not have a right to give me a heart attack like that.” He deadpanned.
Jo made a face at him before handing back the letter, “She deserves to know how you feel. But, mark my words Teddy, if I do get tired of your pining, then I’m really giving it to her myself.”
Laurie rolled his eyes at her, “Fine.”
“Damn it.” Laurie cursed under his breath as the two of you made your way to the lake, since it had been frozen over it would be a great day to go skating.
“What’s wrong?” You asked.
“I forgot my gloves in the study.” He said.
You gave him a smile, “I’ll go get it. It’s on your desk right?” 
He nodded, “You’re an angel, you know that.”
“I know.” You called out, walking back to his house.
Making your way up to his study, you immediately spotted his gloves on the desk. Picking it up, you were about to get back to him when you noticed a folded piece of paper on the side.
You didn’t mean to be a snoop, but Jo had always said that you were sometimes too curious for your own good.
Looking around to find the study empty, you picked up the paper and unfolded it as your eyes started to scan over the words written in Laurie’s handwriting.
To my beloved,
I don’t know how the poets do it. But I find it hard to find the words to describe how much you mean to me.
Because you’re perfect. Therefore, I want to make this letter as perfect as you. 
I have loved you ever since I’ve know you. I couldn’t possibly imagine a life where I’ve not known you.
As cliche as it is, you’re the best thing that has ever happened to my life. 
You always occupy my mind. Your laugh, your smile, your twinkling eyes that give the stars a challenge. Not to mention how kind and sweet you are to everyone that comes your way.
If you don’t return my feelings, that’s okay. I won’t hold that against you because as much as I love you - I also cherish our friendship. I’d rather remain friends than lose you all together.
But if you share them, know that I’ll always do everything in my power to make you happy.
All my love, 
Laurie. 
How you wish that you were the one the letter was addressed to. But you knew deep in your heart that Laurie would never love you back as much more than a friend. The letter was obviously addressed to-
“Hey! What’s taking you so long?” A familiar voice echoed from the hallway, “Did some kind of desk monsters get to yo-“
Laurie stopped in his tracks once he entered the study, walking in on the sight of you with his letter in hand.
“Did you read it?” He asked, bracing himself for rejection.
“Yeah.” You nodded, “When do you plan to give it to her?”
Laurie furrowed his brows, “To who?”
“Jo. Obviously.” You answered.
His confusion deepened, “Why would I write a letter to Jo?”
“Oh I don’t know.” You said sarcastically, “Maybe for the same reason you wrote the letter for her in the first place.”
“Now that’s just unfair.” Laurie argued.
“What is?” You asked with a scoff.
“That you’re accusing me of writing the letter to Jo without giving me the chance to explain myself.” He said.
“That’s not unfair Laurie!” You countered, “You know what is? It’s the fact that I’ve loved you my whole life and I’d just be content to stand aside and watch you fall in love with my best friend because I want you to be happy. Even if it’s not with me.”
Laurie stood there, jaw slacked as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard, “You love me?”
“Yes Laurie.” You said, finally putting down the damned letter, “Practically my whole life.”
He was silent for a moment, “What makes you think that the letter is for Jo?”
You scoffed, “The way you look at her Laurie. The fact that you’re always with her. Even a blind person can see just how in love you are.”
Laurie shook his head in protest, “But Y/N/N, the letter isn’t for Jo. It’s for you.”
It was your turn to be confused, “What?”
He walked toward you, tapping the topmost part of the letter, “I called you my beloved because I remember when you would tell me about the romance novels you would read and how you would swoon when someone calls their love interest ‘beloved’.”
You giggled, “I can’t believe you remembered that.”
Laurie smiled, “I remember everything about you.”
He then brushed a stray strand of hair behind your ear, “Since you do return my feelings. Can I kiss you?”
“I would certainly leave you freeze if you don’t.” You smiled.
tagging:
@magicchai, @mendesxruel
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cauliflowertree · 1 year
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laurie laurence—all i want to say is i love you.
laurie laurence x fem!march!reader
summary: romance novel confessions.
word count: 1.1k
fanfic no. 043.
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laurie laurence always had a pleasant time with the march sisters—he considered them family, if he could so bold as to say so. but as he grew older, the other sisters began to notice a slight show of favouritism for the third sister, y/n. soft but lively in temperament, she seemed his perfect match. and they didn’t mind so much, for laurie was still very attentive to them, and they observed they would make a very fine couple should they choose to be.
he hadn’t thought he was quite so obvious with his silent affections, but he could not deny his countenance greatly altered when with her, though often he did not realise unless it was teasingly pointed out by someone else who had observed this alteration. let them tease, he thought, it mattered not to him.
he had quietly pined after the favourited sister for many months now, elongated, he felt, by the winter season which seemed to last many weeks longer than usual, which often forced him back home in the early evenings where his lack of company was greatly felt by y/n and the other march sisters.
but when summer finally absorbed spring’s showers, he was greeted with the adoring sight of y/n reading novels in her garden once more. from his window he could see her quite clearly, often getting distracted from his studies which could infuriate poor mr. brooke. laurie was never the most attentive nor obedient student, which was only exacerbated by this consuming infatuation he could not shake, nor did he want to.
as much as his love for y/n tormented him, it was the reason he found himself so eager to greet the day in the early mornings, the cause many of his smiles and happy moments. but as much as this was true, she was also the cause of many sleepless nights, reprimands from his tutor and grandfather for not paying attention and confusion in his life.
despite this uncertainly imposed upon him, as soon as his classes had ended for the day, he headed to the march household—he could wait no longer to tell y/n the truth about how he felt; the uncertainty must come to an end.
meanwhile, oblivious to the plan laurie was hatching, you basked in the soft sunlight while reading a romance novel you’d bought from town with all the money you’d saved up recently. it was a delightful read, though you were nearing the end already, having only started reading it a day or so ago.
“you pierce my soul. i am half agony, half hope,” you read aloud, feeling your heart pound in your chest, wondering what those words would sound like coming from laurie’s lips.
theodore laurence had a hold of your heart from the day you’d met, and thus far, he had not relinquished his grip for a moment. you were a little too shy to admit your fondness for the boy, but would accept in a heartbeat if he were to confess he felt the same way first. it was a difficult predicament, for the dread came in knowing there was a chance you would never know if you did not ask.
“‘would you, in short, have renewed the engagement then?’ — ‘would i!’ was all her answer; but the accent was decisive enough,’” you continued to read, feeling the butterflies in your stomach fluttering as you the confession upon the pages unravelled.
“‘good god!’ he cried. ‘you would!’”
so enraptured in your novel, you hadn’t noticed laurie creeping up on you from your garden gate, smiling gently as he watched and listened to you read another novel from your extensive collection.
“what are you reading this time?” asked laurie when he was close enough.
“oh! laurie, you startled me,” you laughed, clutching your chest.
“i apologise, fair maiden,” he bowed in jest. “is it shakespeare’s sonnets again?” he asked, nodding to the book in your hand.
“not this time, the author is a woman from england,” you replied, elated with the knowledge it was a woman’s words you were devouring page by page.
“is it a novel?”
“yes, a romance novel,” you sighed happily. “it is fast becoming one of my favourites. oh, laurie, it’s utterly splendid!”
laurie sat beside you in the grass, fiddling with the green blades beside his feet. he listened to you talk fondly of this new novel you had fallen in love with, talking endlessly of some anne elliot and a captain wentworth.
“what is it?” you asked suddenly, feeling very self conscious of the intense stare from laurie’s eyes and his boundless silence.
“i’m in love with you,” he whispered without hesitation through a smile, almost in disbelief that the words had left his lips so boldly.
“what?” you scoffed, for such a declaration was not easily comprehended in the circumstances in which he had revealed it to you.
“all the while i have known you, i have been in love with you,” replied laurie, feeding off the courage he had unwittingly found. “i do not care that you talk too much, nor that you stay up too late reading by the dwindling candle light. i love that your hair is unkempt and that as soon as someone pays you a compliment you become bashful. i could not think of someone better to love. truly, i could love no one else but you.”
it was as if you were in a romance novel of your own, and the protagonist’s love interest was finally admitting his feelings in the last chapter of the book, letting its readers breathe a sigh of relief alongside their protagonist who had been waiting just as long to hear the words finally spoken.
“have i upset you?” asked laurie when you did not respond.
“no!” you cried. “you have only surprised me,” you laughed. “do you truly mean it, laurie!?”
“of course i mean it, dear y/n,” came his gentle response, which elicited a bright grin stretching across your lips as you tossed your novel to the ground, throwing yourself against laurie.
“i have been in love with you all this time too,” you revealed, hovering over his lips and revelling in the sensation of his arms snaking around your waist and over your back.
laurie could not speak, only match your joyous smile as he let the words you had spoken sink into his heart, down to the very bottom where he endeavoured to hold them forever.
he wetted his lips, lifting his chin up cautiously, to which you matched his actions before pressing your lips to his delicately—a chaste first kiss that neither of you wished would end. but you had all the time in the world for the number to grow and grow beyond count.
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requested by anonymous.
🏷 @sw34terw34ther @imabee-oralizard @mad-elia @velvetcloxds @natashxromanovf @ell0ra-br3kk3r @uwiuwi @goodoldfashionedluvergirl @krishavania @innerloverpainter @locke-writes
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haaam-guuuurl · 1 month
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Little Women Amy x Laurie Fake Dating Modern AU
Theodore Laurence and Amy March run into each other in France, after years of not speaking.
The not speaking thing wasn’t their fault, though, not really. But Laurie and Amy’s sister Jo, who’d been his best friend, had a big falling out a couple of years before, after he told her he loved her and she told him she didn’t. Consequently, Laurie took upon himself a March embargo, determined to completely forget about Jo and anything that could remind him of her, which included her family.
Which is a shame, since he’d been quite close with the March sisters, and came to regret not keeping in touch with Meg and her husband, his good friend John, and their new babies, as well as not being there as Beth got sick, and no longer seeing Amy, whom he’d started to be real friends with as well.
So, the contrast of denying himself their presence and suddenly being completely surrounded by Amy almost overwhelms Laurie, but as it turns out, he’s nothing but happy upon seeing her, as well as relieved.
Amy March is as bubbly as he remembers, even though she’s older, and accordingly more mature. She’s not as dramatic, he thinks, and seems to be more careful of what she says and how she moves. For a second, he reflects on how the innocence and freedom of childhood is truly gone, if Amy, the youngest among them, is now a grown woman, but mostly he marvels at the adult she’s become.
Amy, for one, is ecstatic at seeing Laurie again – he’d been severely missed in the March household, and while Jo had been annoyingly vague about what had happened between them, they got the gist of it, and gave them the room they needed to process it all.
Amy always thought it was unfair, though. That just because he and Jo had a fight, that no one else could be in contact with him either. Sure, they’d been best friends (which they’d never missed a chance to remind the others of, always going off on their own lone adventures), but Laurie had at least been friends with them, too. But they weren’t allowed to say anything, and Laurie became a ghost, vaguely somewhere across Europe, but as good as dead for Jo March, and so as well for the rest of them.
Finding him in France, though, leaves no room for Amy’s grievances, or her insecurities. They were friends, it’s clear now. They are friends. They can have their own relationship, independent of Jo, and she’s so happy to have her friend back, to have back a piece of home that’d been missing for long.
They become almost lifelines for each other in the foreign country. Laurie has his contacts, and Amy has made friends in the art course she’s taking there, but the two quickly become inseparable, almost as if making up for all the time they lost not talking - she fills him in in all things March; he regales her with tales of his gap year misadventures. And a misplaced piece of the universe rights itself a little bit.
So, when Amy needs an reason to refuse a date with Fred Vaugh – an old acquaintance, here on business, whom yes, she’s admittedly been flirting with for the past few weeks, but whom she can’t, in good conscience, actually go out with, because while he’s perfectly nice and respectable, he doesn’t actually do anything for her romantically, and wouldn’t that be leading him on? – Laurie’s is the first name to pop into her head, and is, she thinks, a perfectly valid excuse. Well, valid, with a few tweaks. Namely, saying that he’s her boyfriend, as opposed to the far truer, yet less usable, boy friend.
When she explains the situation, Laurie finds it weird. Then funny. Then, given the opportunity to act out the role at a party she knows Fred will be at, downright hilarious. Amy would be furious at him for making fun of her situation, if he didn’t manage to, at the same time, make a convincing enough showing that Fred leaves her alone. And, she has to admit, it is pretty funny.
It hadn’t been anything more than that, really. Shortly after, Fred went back to London, and the whole thing was simply a lark between the two friends, notable only because Laurie starts referring to Amy as a heartbreaker.
It only becomes a thing a couple of months later.
Amy has since returned home, her summer course over, and spends the first weeks of Autumn in Massachusetts, prepping for her final school year, looking after Beth as she waits for test results about her remission, babysitting the twins for Meg, and avoiding telling Jo about her summer, since she’s not quite sure how her stance on Laurie has shifted (or not) in the past few years.
This becomes apparent when Laurie calls her, a few weeks into the semester, to cash in.
Apparently, Amy has inspired him, and Laurie is returning to the US as well. Seeing her has made him realize he misses home, and, admittedly, his grandfather has been on him about what is an acceptable amount of time for a gap year. This decision prompted him to reach out to Jo. They talked, for a bit, and mostly everything was fine. Great even, and signs pointed to them being able to return to their friendship after all! Until Laurie had the brilliant idea to tell her he’s dating her sister.
Amy, which she feels he deserves, promptly laughs in his face when he tells her.
He says he’s completely and totally over Jo, he is! (Amy maintains a healthy skepticism about this, but lets him go on) It seems that Jo had been looking forward to seeing him again, but adamant that her feelings hadn’t changed, and hoped he’d finally moved on. He’d made assurance after assurance, but the only way he could think of to truly prove it was to tell her he was seeing someone – which isn’t completely a lie, as he had dated other people in the meantime – only to then pop out Amy’s name when Jo asked about it – which is completely a lie.
Here is where Amy questions his reasoning, since he could have said literally any other name beyond Jo’s baby sister’s, and how could he think she’d take that well, and Jo was going to think she’d kept it from her, Laurie, did he have any idea how furious she will be when she sees her at Christmas??
But Laurie maintains that Amy owes him for Fred Vaughn – which has her rolling her eyes every time he mentions it, because c’mon, that was nothing like this – and that she’d been the first person he’d thought of – which does warm her heart a little – and who else could he rope into a fake relationship who could understand the whole thing with Jo?
“Fake relationship” stops Amy in her tracks.
Apparently, Laurie has a plan. A whole plan.
Amy tries to explain that all her lie had demanded of him was going to cool party. Laurie doesn’t see the relevance. Amy wants to yell at him through the phone.
Laurie will be arriving in Massachusetts shortly before Amy’s winter break, giving him only a while to face Jo on his own (and hopefully mend some bridges), at which point Amy will return home, spend her break cuddling with him by the fire – “Is that really so bad, Ames?” – convincingly enough that Jo sees he has completely moved on. Come the New Year, Amy will return to school, and eventually they’ll break the news of their uncoupling, stating how they’re better as friends, and everything will go back to normal.
It’s so easy!
Sure.
It starts off not easy at all, when the very next call Amy receives is from Jo, demanding to know every single detail of her relationship with Laurie.
For all intents and purposes, Amy is pretty proud of her performance, actually, given how little time she had to prepare. She thinks she manages to sound convincing yet apologetic, explaining how they’d gotten close in Paris and had been keeping it low-key because they weren’t sure where it was going yet, plus the long-distance while Amy went back to the States and Laurie stayed in Europe, not to mention his previously chilly relationship with the rest of the family (a not-intentional, but also not-untrue dig at Jo, there, which Amy isn’t sure she gets or not). She talks about how she totally intended on telling her when they knew it was serious, but Laurie totally blindsided her by telling Jo so soon. The best lies, Amy finds, have a little bit of the truth.
“So it’s serious?” Jo asks, and Amy hesitates for a second. A serious relationship. With Laurie. Faking a serious relationship with Laurie.
Her heart does a weird little twist she isn’t sure comes from lying to her sister, the anticipation of the scale of the performance she’ll have to give when they’re all together, or something else entirely.
“I guess.” she settles on, and promptly puts it out of her mind. There’s no point in spiraling for the intervening weeks, she tells herself, even if she does get progressively more stressed out as the semester ends.
When she does get home, though, it’s all so familiar, her anxiety just vanishes.
She’s missed her family. As close as they’ve always been, it’s always been tough being away from them all for months at a time. As soon as she walks through the door, it’s all hugs and smiles, and she feels nothing but welcomed.
And, admittedly, despite everything else, she’s missed Laurie, too. He’s already there when she arrives, like he’d told her he’d be, and Amy doesn’t even think about it before hugging him tightly when she sees him. It’s been ages since they’ve been together in person, after all, and this after months of spending every day together. No matter what else is going on, she just missed him.
It’s only when Jo chides at them to “break it off, lovebirds” that Amy remembers, and hopes her resulting awkward smile/grimace is seen as embarrassment for being with her “boyfriend” in front of her family, instead of regret over her every decision of the past few months.
Other than that, though, it ends up being not too bad. As much as Amy is loath to admit it, Laurie wasn’t too far off in his plan. They don’t have to act that lovey-dovey, just sit together at gatherings, hold hands once in a while, talk amongst themselves for a bit. It’s actually remarkably similar to how they’d behaved nearly every day in Paris. Amy hadn’t even thought of it as romantic, though, not until now, when the contrast of how they used to be, in their childhoods, is so apparent.
Her family’s reactions aren’t so bad either. Dad makes a joke about Laurie having to watch himself from now on, but since it’s been well established how much he loves him and the Laurences, it’s never meant as nor taken seriously. Marmee attempts to have a talk with her about their relationship, but Amy manages to abort that pretty quickly. Meg looks at them like she wants to say something, but doesn’t ever actually do it. Beth, bless her, just tells her she’s happy for them. And Jo makes a few comments here and there, which almost get to Amy, until she reminds herself that the whole purpose of this thing was for Jo and Laurie to get their friendship back.
And it even seems to be working. Since she’s been home, Amy’s watched Jo and Laurie joke around, argue and play off each other almost exactly like they did when they were kids. She can’t bring herself to talk about it with Laurie, but he hasn’t said anything to indicate otherwise, either, not that it was going poorly between them, nor that it was going in any other direction at all.
She’ll admit she was skeptical, when Laurie explained his plan to her, and that a large part of it was because she wasn’t ever truly sure if Laurie was really over her sister, as he claimed. He’d seemed so in love with her, before. And he’d been so heartbroken, when she’d rejected him. A small part of Amy wondered if he wasn’t just saying all of this for show, and if, once he saw Jo again, his feelings wouldn’t come rushing back. Amy does hope not. Even if she had her doubts, she wants for Laurie to be over Jo, really. She never did think they be very good together, is all. And she doesn’t want them to go through that heartbreak again.
If she watches them closely, just to try and see if there’s anything in Laurie’s eyes beyond friendly affection… Well, she’s just looking out for him, isn’t she? For both of them, really, or even for all of them, because everyone’s been excited to have the March and Laurence families together again, and another big emotional fight is the last thing they need.
And if she’s a little relieved every time Laurie notices her there and comes over, slinging his arm over her shoulders, or giving her a peck on the cheek… Well, that’s not really anyone’s business, is it?
It all goes fine, though. Jo and Laurie are perfectly friendly, not a hint of romantic drama nor icy coolness between them, and everyone’s happy through the holidays, and no one’s seemed suspicious of Amy and Laurie at all.
Amy’s all but forgotten about the plan and her anxieties over it, until it becomes all too real right on top of her.
Literally.
On Christmas morning, after they’ve opened their presents, and once Laurie and his grandfather have joined them for breakfast, Amy’s just greeting him, like she’s done every day, when Beth pipes up.
Amy hadn’t realized. She hadn’t been there when they decorated the house this year, even though their decorations haven’t changed in years.
As it always has been, right in the middle of the archway that separates the kitchen from the dining room, and right on top of where Amy and Laurie are standing, is a sprig of mistletoe.
It’s not even a big deal. Beth is the only one who noticed, and then Jo, who turned to look at them when she said it, but everyone else is busy, no one is really paying attention to them.
Yet, in Amy’s mind, this is maybe the worst thing that could’ve happen.
Mistletoe. Of course there’s mistletoe. How could she not have remembered the mistletoe?
Laurie seems as dumbstruck as she is, but he recovers quickly. They’re supposed to be a couple, after all. Couples aren’t supposed to be completely terrified by the mere notion that they kiss.
Amy only has time to register that it’s happening before it happens. Laurie inches his face closer to hers, and Amy doesn’t move away, doesn’t say anything. She meets him when he reaches her, and they kiss.
Laurie only intended it to be a chaste kiss, anyways. Something tangible enough for the others to not get suspicious, but light enough as to not make things uncomfortable, threading the needle to slip under the guise of them not wanting to kiss in front of their families.
It was supposed to be a chaste kiss.
It’s not that.
It’s something else entirely.
Before he knows it, not only has Laurie stepped closer into Amy’s space, but his hands have come up to her cheeks, and Amy has responded by placing hers on his waist. His eyes are closed, yes, he can’t see the room surrounding them, but all of a sudden he isn’t even aware of it. The only thing he’s aware of is Amy.
It’s so familiar. She’s Amy. He’s known her almost all their lives. They’ve been close for most of that time, have seen each other in all sorts of ways, have touched each other numerous times, they’ve shared friendly kisses and teasing ones, they’ve even kissed under the mistletoe before, a simple kiss on the cheek, when they were very little, after which Amy had blushed furiously, and Jo mercilessly made fun of them for the rest of the day.
But it’s also so new. He’s never been this close to Amy. Has never touched her like this, has never known what her lips tasted like before now. Peach chapstick. It should all be so simple and familiar, and Laurie should just let go and pretend it was nothing, but it isn’t and he can’t.
He has no idea how long they’ve been kissing, when Meg and John’s twins barge into the kitchen, crashing into Amy and Laurie and sending them almost flying apart. Jo “oooh”s at them teasingly, but it’s quickly forgotten about, in the bustle of the twins’ arrival, and the adults trying to get everyone to sit down and have breakfast.
Except that Laurie can’t forget about it. He can’t stop thinking about it, in fact. He can’t even make sense of it. He tries to catch Amy’s eye, to try and see how she’s feeling, but she won’t meet his. Is she being glib? Did it really mean nothing to her at all, just a fake kiss for their fake courtship? Or is she totally weirded out, unable to meet his eye? Could she be just as lost as he is?
The rest of the day passes by quickly, almost in a blur, and before he knows it, goodbyes are being exchanged, everyone headed back home for the night.
Amy’s barely looked at him since the kiss, but he tries one more time to talk to her before they leave.
And though she does look at him, this time, and smiles, gives him a quick hug goodbye, even, she’s gone before he can barely say anything.
She clearly doesn’t want to talk about it, then, so Laurie decides to try his best at putting it out of his mind. It was a kiss. So what? A great kiss, yes, but that was that. It was part of a plan. His plan. A plan that went great, even. Him and Jo are friends again, the Marches don’t hate him, and all they have left to do is explain they decided to break it off, in a few weeks. That they tried, but determined they were better of as friends. Him and Amy. Friends. Because that’s what they are.
Except that friends don’t think about each other for as long as Laurie starts finding himself thinking about Amy that week. Friends don’t wonder what it would have been like if they’d kissed any other time in the past couple of days, or if they’d been alone when they had, or wondering about any scenario where Laurie could have kissed Amy again, or for longer. And friends probably take each other’s calls, too. Which Amy hasn’t done since Christmas Day.
While Laurie understands she could perfectly well be busy, which would be a logic assumption from her curt text responses saying just that, Laurie also knows how it feels like to be brushed off, and it quickly becomes obvious she’s just avoiding him.
He wants nothing more than to talk to her, be near her again, something in the back of his mind desperate to be with her. It’s like seeing her in Paris after all those years set something off in him that can’t be satisfied, and it was only made stronger by that goddamn kiss.
But he won’t push her. He hopes she isn’t mad at him for the whole scheme, it is possible it was more taxing than he’d anticipated, after all. She’s probably weirded out by the kiss and needs some space. Okay. Space. He can do that. He won’t push.
He does count down the days until he sees her again, though.
Namely, at the Laurence’s New Year’s party, a week later.
Though Amy hasn’t explicitly stated she’ll come, the Marches have all been attending for years, and while there have been exceptions granted for illness, or work, Laurie sees (hopes for) no reason for Amy not to attend.
He’s already planned out what he wants to say, how he’s sorry for the whole thing, how he understands if she feels put off by him, how he just wants the two of them to be okay, and they never have to mention anything about the whole mess ever again.
Of course, though, as soon as he sees her, walking through the door after her sisters, the first that comes into his mind is how he wants to kiss her again.
Instead, he turns right back around and gets a drink.
He spends the next hour telling himself to get it together, that it’s just Amy, and he’s being ridiculous, and only then goes to talk to her.
Amy is reticent about being alone with Laurie, but also knows she’s avoided it for as long as she can, and they really should talk.
It’s not like anything will happen, right? Just because they’re alone, and Amy’s been thinking about the kiss since then, as well as basically everything that happened over Christmas, it doesn’t mean anything will happen when she actually talks to Laurie, other than just that. Talking.
Aware she’s trying way too hard to convince herself of this, Amy follows Laurie, becoming determined to push all of her internal doubts and bubbling feelings to the side and just have a talk with her friend. They’ll clear the air, he’ll tell her how the kiss meant nothing and will never happen again, and they’ll be back to normal. Friends. As it should be. And anything Amy might be feeling that’s clearly been brought on by the nostalgia of being home and not having been in a relationship in a while and not at all by this new-found closeness with Laurie and inability to pay attention to anything else when he’s near, it will all just fade away.
When they’re alone, he does apologize for his scheme and how maybe it went too far. He thanks her for going along with it, but that he never meant to make her uncomfortable, and he probably didn’t think it through as he should have, and if she wants, they can just come clean to their families right now.
Something in Amy melts a little. She’s not mad at him, not really. The fake relationship thing was weird, sure, but in the end, she gets it, and if things can be good between all of them in the end, then it was worth it. It was all maybe a bit more than she’d bargained for, but that doesn’t really matter does it? It’ll all just go away.
She also predicts that telling everyone they were lying now will just make things worse and more confusing, so Amy tells him she appreciates it, but there’s no need, they’ll just lay low and stick to the original timeline.
They both leave the room feeling better for having hashed it out, but still a little disappointed. It’s been agreed. They’ll just let the next few weeks go by, and that’ll be that. Back to normal, and no possibility for anything else. Great.
The rest of the party goes well, as light and fun as it can be. And if Amy and Laurie barely leave the other’s side during it, well, to anyone else, they’re supposed to be in a relationship, right? That’s normal. Beyond even that, they’re friends, it’s totally okay! Just like before, Amy squashes any feelings, even part of her is telling herself to enjoy it while it lasts.
Either way, when Mr. Laurence announces to the party that it’s only a couple of minutes till midnight, of course Amy and Laurie find themselves next to each other.
The panic from their first kiss is gone, and a certain inevitability remains over them. Well, of course this would happen. Of course, as a couple they’ll be expected to kiss at the stroke of midnight. When they turn to each other, Amy’s prepared to shrug it off like just something else they’ll have to do – she does not want to be caught off guard again – but finds Laurie already looking at her, a slight smile on his lips, and she can’t help but mirror him.
When the clock strikes midnight, cheers go up around them, but Amy and Laurie are oblivious. This one doesn’t even start as a peck. For all her distancing herself from it, Amy leans into the kiss fully intending to savor it this time. And for all his denial over it, Laurie does the same.
Before long, Amy’s hands are reaching up into Laurie’s hair, and his arms are circling her waist. One kiss turns into two, then three, as they slowly disentangle themselves to get some air.
Amy feels lightheaded, her body against into Laurie’s, their foreheads pressed together and her eyes still closed. She can’t push it away this time. She wants to do that again. She wants to kiss Laurie forever, if that’s even possible. She just wants Laurie.
She doesn’t feel able to say anything right now, but Laurie beats her to it.
He says he’s been wanting to do that again since the last time, and Amy can’t help but agree.
She opens her eyes, sees Laurie, looking at her like he’s just had some revelation of his own, and Amy wonders just how long they’ve been headed here without realizing it. Before Christmas? Since Paris? Maybe even before that? Either way, standing here now, it feels inevitable. Her and Laurie, it’s just… It’s fitting. She doesn’t want to let go.
Amy drops the pretense.
“What are we doing, Laurie?” she asks, softly,
“I don’t know” he answers. “Do you want to stop?”
She shakes her head no, and he smiles.
“Can you just…” Amy adds. She needs to make sure. “This isn’t… It’s not the plan, right? It feels, different, at least for me, so just tell me, Laurie, is this still about that? Is it still about Jo, about getting things back to how they were?”
Laurie shakes his head, already interjecting as soon as Amy finishes speaking “No! No, it’s different for me too. It’s not… It’s certainly not about Jo. Amy, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you in days. Actually, probably years. I don’t want things to go back to how they were. Not if they can be better.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Amy can’t help but smile brightly. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you either. This feels… I don’t know what it is, but… Better, yeah. Better’s good.”
Laurie’s grinning right along with her, and he has, frankly, waited long enough, and dips his head to kiss her again.
When they finally separate, Amy asks “So, you still think we should go tell our families we’ve broken up?”
Laurie laughs, the whole plan he’d concocted feeling like a lifetime ago. “Well, maybe not right now. Or in the next few weeks. Or years. I don’t know, how about we just see where this goes?”
Amy grins. “That sounds good, yes.”
The two kiss one more time, blissfully unaware of the party going on around them, the Marches and Laurences and other guests toasting, and celebrating, and awaiting the New Year unfolding in front of them all.
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riordanness · 4 months
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alright i have too many wips which one do you want me to finish and post first
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