Work Text:
Takes place in the 6-month gap that is canonically between The Whispering Skull and The Hollow Boy.
It would be her bloody luck wouldn’t it. She’d felt a pop when she’d been thrown into that wall, but she had hoped to God that it hadn’t been what she thought. Now that the adrenaline of the case was wearing off, she was certain it had been her underwire. The three of them were comfortably situated in the back of a night cab heading back to Portland Row.
Lucy ran a hand along the underside of her bust and hissed. The underwire in the right cup of her bra was snapped in half. The points were pushing painfully into her ribcage.
“You alright Luce,” Lockwood asked.
“Yeah, sorry. Just a bit sore,” Lucy said, moving her hand quickly.
Lockwood and George shared a glance between them. “You sure? You hit that wall pretty hard,” George asked. Lucy gave her boys a small smile.
“Yeah, just need a shower and a good sleep,” she said.
**
The next morning Lucy huffed in frustration as she surveyed her collection of undergarments. There were 4 regular bras, 2 sports bras, and a collection of old mismatched underwear. Everything had at least one stain on it with ectoplasm being the most represented followed by blood and mud respectfully. The sports bras, old elastic things that had been in her wardrobe since getting her Grade 2 were stretched out and barely provided any support. They weren’t really useful for anything except quiet rest days when she didn’t leave Portland Row. Aside from the bra with the broken wire, that left Lucy with two bras that hadn’t fit in years, one bra that was so old its once pale pink fabric was now a brownish grey.
She reluctantly put on one of the sports bras, feeling how the straps bit uncomfortably into her shoulders. Lucy would be spending the day shopping whether she wanted to or not. At least she had some money set aside in her account, but she wasn’t certain if it would be enough. Preparing for the dreadful day, Lucy dressed comfortably in a pair of workout leggings and a pale blue sweater.
Lockwood and George were already in the kitchen enjoying their tea and toast when Lucy arrived. Both were still in their pajamas, and George didn’t appear to be wearing trousers. Again.
“Morning Luce,” Lockwood said chipperly. George rolled his eyes, focusing on a thinking cloth doodle.
“Lockwood, would it be possible to get an advance on my pay,” Lucy asked as she sat down. Her favorite mug was full of milk colored tea and her egg cup, the king, was waiting for her.
Lockwood looked her over carefully, “Of course. Are you in need of anything in particular?” He was doing that little thing he did sometimes, where it felt like his gaze was raking over her as if trying to solve a puzzle.
“Um, yeah,” Lucy said without elaborating.
George rolled his eyes, “very descriptive there Lucy.” She shot him a glare as she took the top of her egg.
“If its something private, its fine Luce,” Lockwood said a soft smile on his face.
“I’m out of pants ok,” Lucy said rather abruptly. “And given that neither of you can keep a straight face during my period, I figured that you’d not what to know about the state of my undergarments.”
The pair of boys shared a glance. It was like they were expecting her outburst.
“And with that revelantion, I’ve been put off breakfast,” George said, “I’m going to head for the archives. We have that old woman in the corner case tomorrow and I want to be prepared.” Lucy and Lockwood sat in silence watching him go.
“I can take you if you’d like. Use the company card. Since adequate clothing is essential for execution of your duties,” Lockwood suggested quietly. Lucy almost spit out the bit of egg and toast she was chewing. Never in a million years would she have suspected that Lockwood would offer to take her shopping.
“I can do it. Wouldn’t want to impose,” Lucy said, “it’ll probably take me ages anyway.”
“Seriously Luce, let me pay at least. It’s my fault you were thrown into that wall last night,” Lockwood said standing up.
“Alright fine,” Lucy said exasperatedly. “Just let me finish my breakfast first.” Lockwood broke out into one of those million-dollar smiles Lucy loved.
“Excellent,” he said, “I’ll just pop into something more appropriate and be back.” Lockwood disappeared from the room.
As she finished her breakfast, Lucy made a quick list on the thinking cloth under there the sugar bowl normally sat. That way it could be easily hidden from the boys until the cloth was changed.
Lucy’s shopping:
- 2-3 new bras
- 2 new sports bras
- Pants
The door to the kitchen opened as Lucy was placing her places into the sink for washing up. “Ready to go,” Lockwood asked.
Lucy smiled, turning to face him. “Ready….” she trailed off. There was Lockwood, outside of his normal suit and white shirt. He stood there in a pair of dark jeans and a black cable knit wool sweater. Lucy had never seen him look so casual in all her life.
“Something the matter,” he asked a cocksure smirk on his face.
“No, just haven’t seen you out of a suit before,” she said matter-o-factly.
“I can go and change if you like,” he said, smirk breaking into a large toothy smile.
“Its fine, lets just get this over with,” she said heading for the coat rack.
While it would be pleasant enough to walk to the high street, it was still early spring and a chilly day at that. Lockwood likewise grabbed his long coat on the way out the door.
As they walked, Lockwood loosely linked their fingers together, sending a tingle up Lucy’s spine. The silence was comfortable, allowing both to enjoy a little bit of normally and quiet in their busy world.
Nearing the high street, Lockwood steered Lucy down a side street. “But the shops,” Lucy said confused.
“I know a place. Trust me,” he said. Lucy had never turned down the street before in her months at Lockwood and Co. It was cute, filled with boutiques and little cafes.
Lockwood pulled Lucy towards one of the small shops, gold lettering on the window proclaimed it – Ms. April’s Fine Lingerie. Lucy stopped at the window. The shop seemed dark, like it wasn’t actually open.
“I don’t’ know about…” Lucy started.
“I just told you to trust me, didn’t I,” Lockwood asked opening the door and pulling Lucy inside.
The shop was beautiful. It had peacock blue walls accented with brass and gold. The counter was white marble with the shop’s logo behind it.
A rubenesque woman with red hair in a black poodle skit and 1950s style sweater looked up from her magazine.
“Mr. Lockwood, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Back for more pajamas,” she asked, “and who is this beautiful creature you’ve brought?”
“Anthony please, April. I’m ok on pajamas at the moment. This is Lucy Carlyle. She’s in need of your skills today,” Lockwood said. April gave Lucy an appraising once over. Lucy shifted nervously under her gaze.
“Laura,” she called to the back of the shop.
“Yeah,” a northern accented voice called from the back.
“You want to do a fitting, it’s for Lockwood,” April said. The sound of heels clacking down the narrow back hall drew Lucy’s gaze.
A shorter thicker set woman had emerged from the back. She was dressed in what could only be described as a vintage glamour dress. The black satin-like dress featured a wrap top that displayed the top of the woman’s blood red bra and gathered into a draped skirt collecting at one hip to form a leg slit.
“Why hello Anthony,” she said smiling. At her belt a silver broach held several chains connected to a pair of scissors, a lipstick, and a few other bits. “We just got the most fabulous pair of black satin pajamas in. My husbands been raving about them for week.” April and Lockwood shared a chuckle at the statement.
“This is Lucy Carlyle. Looks like she’s in need of a fitting,” April said gesturing to Lucy. Laura smiled wide.
‘Well welcome Lucy. You ready to come back, or would you like to look around first. All the bras are kept in the back, but our lingerie, pajamas and other goodies are out here,” Laura said.
“Let’s get this done,” Lucy said quietly.
“Alright then, follow me on back. Anthony, feel free to look around while she’s in there. If there’s anything you want her to try let me know,” Laura said leading Lucy back to the fitting rooms.
Lucy stepped through a black velvet curtain into a glamorous dressing room. A silky robe hung from a peg on the back wall. The entire side wall was covered in a burlesque dancer damask wallpaper.
Laura entered behind Lucy. “So what are you looking for today,” she asked.
“A few everyday bras, a sports bra and some underwear,” Lucy said honestly. She was still nervous but being out of Lockwood’s hearing eased it slightly.
Laura nodded looking Lucy over. “Are you an agent too, like Anthony?” Lucy nodded.
“Ok, that definitely helps. To start if you could take off your sweater and bra. I’m going to take a measurement for your band, and we’ll go from there ok,” Laura explained.
Lucy pulled off her sweater and sports bra, embarrassed at the state of her clothes.
“Don’t worry dear. We see it all in here. No judgement, nor pressure,” Laura said seeming to read her mind.
“Now, Miss Northern Girl, hands on the girls and hold um high for me.”
Lucy chuckled as she held her breasts up, suddenly more at ease around this boisterous lady. Laura wrapped a measuring tape around her ribs and checked the number. Laura stepped back then and examined Lucy’s torso. Lucy dropped her breasts allowing them to hang au natural.
“I’ll be right back,” Laura assured her, swishing through the curtains. Lucy pulled the robe from its hook, wrapping it around herself for a little warmth and comfort.
Laura reappeared with a lacy black bra in her hands. “So, this is a test bra. To make sure we’re on the right track with the fit.”
Lucy nodded tentatively. It was the fanciest bra she’d ever seen. Laura unhooked the garment and proffered it to her.
“Just get the girls in, and I’ll do the rest,” Laura assured her, stepping behind her. Lucy slid the garment up her arms, situating the underwire beneath her breasts. Laura reached for the ends of the band securing it around Lucy’s back.
“Alright, I’d like you to do a swoop and scoop,” Laura said. Lucy reached into the bra and adjusted each breast. Once she was done, Laura tightened the straps and stepped around to assess the fit. Lucy, who always hated seeing herself in the mirror was captivated. She looked like a proper girl.
“How does it feel,” Laura asked surveying Lucy’s form.
“A bit snug around, but not uncomfortable,” Lucy said, running her hands over herself, “And my shoulders don’t feel like their on fire.” Laura smiled nodding as she touched the center over Lucy’s sternum and assessed the cups.
“Good. We want the band to be snug, but never suffocating. Its what provides the support. If your straps hurt, you can loosen them a bit, but if it feels like all the weights in them, you’ll need to adjust the band to get a better fit,” Laura explained, “ I’m happy with this fit, so we’ll stick in this range for now. Do you like this one specifically?” Laura asked.
Lucy nodded, “Its not something I picked for myself, but its really comfortable. Can’t see it being a work bra though.”
Laura let out an unexpected little chuckle. “This bra is from one of our more premium brands. They make it with agents in mind. The underwire is a steel alloy for strength and a bit of flex. Theres iron and silver threads woven into the embroidery, and the band is reinforced lycra for long lasting support.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. She was so used to the old hand-me-downs at home and Jacobs, she’d never realized that perhaps clothing could be engineered in such a way.
“I’ll put this one aside for you to decide on later. I’m going to pop back into our store room and see what else I have for you,” Laura said leaving with a flourish.
Lucy looked at the tag of the bra and gasped. Of course, the gorgeous item was £150. She hadn’t expected to spend more than that for everything she needed. While she waited, Lucy gave herself a pep talk. She’d never spent any money on herself, and undergarments were something that was an absolute necessity. If Lockwood was willing to pay, why not splurge on herself a little. She had some money saved up from working with Lockwood for the last year to help supplement. She couldn’t let him spend that much on her. As he’d said, there were a number of debts hanging over Lockwood and Co that needed to be paid.
Laura returned; her hands filled with hangers. Nearly every color under the rainbow was represented between the bras and panties. As Laura carefully hung the items, Lucy gazed in wonder. But it was the final item in Laura’s hands that took Lucy’s breath away.
It was an exquisite cobalt blue bodysuit. The body seemed to be a swimsuit like fabric with lace and satin panels. There were little lace cap sleeves that hung off the golden hanger. The back mostly open save for a bra band across the middle.
Laura’s smile widened as she took in Lucy’s reaction. “Anthony has great taste,’ she said off handedly. Lucy’s eyes widened. Lockwood had picked that out for her.
“We’ll save it for last love. Now come on, this Yorkie wants to see how fabulous you look in these,” she said motioning to the items.
“You’re from up North too,” Lucy asked.
“Indeed, us northern girls have got to stick together,’ Laura said. She was pulled in a very simple bra from its hanger. Compared to the black lace, the beige mesh wasn’t as exiciting, but Laura explained that it was from a company in Poland. It was a perfect workhorse of a bra that would be amazing for work. It also held some of the same anti-visitor technology as the first bra: silver impregnated fabric, steel underwire, and was allegedly stain resistant. They continued through the bras one at a time, taking a moment to assess the fit of each garment and Lucy’s opinion. Some were resounding hits: a full coverage green lace with a j-hook for racer backing, a black mesh with straps that crossed across her cleavage drawing your attention to it, a polish dark blue lace balconette, a green and black sport bra and a nude plunge with j-hook. Others ever immediate nos: the grandmas ballet pink full coverage bra, the mauve that made her look sick, the neon green t-shirt bra.
At her request, Laura had also pulled in a variety of underpants, some matching the bras she’d liked and other basics. Her favorites were a line of breathable mesh pants that would be easy to wash in dark colors that would resist stains.
With her pile of possibilities growing, it was finally time for Lucy to try the bodysuit. Laura grinned as she pulled the delicate garment off its hanger and helped Lucy into it.
Situating it on her body, Lucy looked at herself in the mirror and gasped. Laura’s eyes were shining over her shoulder as the last hook was secured.
“Holy shit,” Lucy said.
“Looks like it was made for you,” Laura agreed. The bodysuit hugged her figured in just the right way, drawing attention away from her soft stomach and focused the attention on her broad shoulders and chest. The satin side panels must have created some kind of optional illusion, making her waist look smaller than it was. The lace sleeves glanced off her arms, adding a little bit of movement to the picture. The high neck opened to a small slit across her chest. If she moved just right, she was such someone would get an eye full of creamy skin. The back was much simpler, just the stretch material until you reached the bottom. The entire bottom was a soft delicate lace that hugged her curves and showed that hours of rapier practice paid off.
Lucy had never felt beautiful before. She was always the dumpy girl in the background. But this made her light up and feel like she was ready to conquer the world.
“Do you want to show him” Laura asked innocently. Lucy couldn’t take her eyes off herself in the mirror. Before she had a chance to respond, Laura had pushed her from the fitting room.
“Anthony! Lucy has something she’d like to show you,” Laura called.
As Lucy walked toward the main part of the store, Lockwood slowly came into view. He was chatting pleasantly with April at the counter, a small white mug of tea in hand. Lucy was amazed at how relaxed he looked in that moment and so un-Lockwood. He turned to see her and stopped dead.
“You look a-maz-ing,” April said looking her over. “Great choice Anthony.”
Lucy burned under Lockwood’s gaze. It was as if she was ghostlocked, unable to move or speak. It reminded her of the first time they’d met in the sitting room at Portland Row. That moment in which they seemed to be mutually sucked into each other’s orbits unable to look away.
“You look great Lucy. You should definitely get that one,” Lockwood said after April gently prodded him out of his stupor.
“I’ll think about it,” Lucy said, suddenly very self-conscious.
When she returned to the fitting room, Laura helped her out of the beautiful garment.
“Any ideas what your final picks are going to be,” laura asked. Lucy shook her head.
“Never had this much choice before,” she said. Lucy was already loathing the thought of putting on her old sports bra again.
“Well, I’ll leave you to make some decisions then. I’d suggest at least three bras and one sports bra if that’s in the budget today. Anything you may want but can’t commit to, we’ll put on your wish list. That way we know what you like when you come back in or if you send someone looking for a present our way.” Laura’s eyebrows were wiggling suggestively as she slid from the dressing room.
Lucy slid back into her clothes and began to look through the various pieces. In the fitting room’s litte chair she began to mass her wants in it. Down went the five pairs of mesh pants in various colors, the nude plunge, the nude mesh, the black mesh, the dark green lace, and the sports bra. She looked longingly at the black lace bra and its matching boy short. They would have to go on her wishlist along with the blue bodysuit.
Her haul in hand, Lucy made her way to the front of the shop. Looking around at the pieces on the walls, Lucy saw things that would warrant a return trip when Lockwood wasn’t with her. There were robes, nightgowns, regular pajamas, and more.
“Found some things then Luce,” Lockwood asked assessing the damage to his credit card balance.
“Everything I needed,” she confirmed placing her items on the counter. In a separate pile, Lucy carefully placed the black set and the blue bodysuit into a separate pill, “those are for my wishlist.” April nodded beginning the process of ringing Lucy up and tagging the various items.
“Quick bra care reminders for you. Red marks and indents are going to be normal. Breaking in a bra is like breaking in a new pair of shoes. If you can’t make it a whole day in a bra, that’s ok. Switch them out. Laura hooked you on the first set of hooks today, start then and move the hooks in as the bra gets loose. When you get to the tightest set of hooks, the bra is dead, and you’ll need to come back for new bras. Biggest thing will be to hand wash and air dry using a lingerie specific detergent,” April said.
“Specific detergent,” Lucy asked confused. What was wrong with regular soap?
“Yes! Normal laundry detergent is too harsh for these fabrics. If you need detergent, we sell one. Its called SOAK. We love it because you literally soak your items for 15 minutes, pat out the excess water then hang dry,” April said indicating a small candelabra on the counter, “We carry in a six scents and an scentless depending on your preference.” Lucy examined the small bottles trying to ascertain the scents with.
“Yuzu’s my favorite Luce,” Lockwood offered. She reached for the orange bottle and opened it for a sniff. A light citrus scent that she’d come to associate with Lockwood reached her nose. Placing it back carefully, Lucy picked up the light purple bottle, lavender, and immediately put it back. The scent of lavender permeated every part of her work life, she didn’t need her undergarments to smell like it too. Next she picked up a bright yellow bottle, Pineapple. It smelled of the topics and sweet fruits. Maybe it was too sweet. She turned to the grey bottle, Lacey. It smelled too much like home, like her mother coming home from a shift at the hotel. Fig didn’t seem right, so Lucy picked up the last scented bottle, Celebration. It was floral, but not aggressively so. It reminded Lucy of Norrie and the best days of spring.
“This one,” she said. April reached behind her to grab a full size of the pink bottle.
Laura stepped behind the counter to help April finish wrapping up and scanning the items.
Lockwood’s card was already out and ready. Lucy dug into her pocket searching for her own card.
“And the total is £640.21. How did you want to split that,” April asked.
“Just put it all on my card. Lucy can pay me back for it,” Lockwood said handing his card over. April swiped the bit of plastic and waited.
“But Lockwood, I can pay for some of it,” Lucy instated, just a little too late. April was already handing the card back to Lockwood and passing a large black bag to Lucy.
“It’s a business expense remember,” Lockwood joked, “and I think you left your card at home. So, lets head that way, shall we?”
Lucy reluctantly took the bag and followed Lockwood out the door.
“Have a great rest of your day, and see you soon,” Laura and April called to the pair as the door closed. A glance passing between the two of them.
“Lockwood,” Lucy asked as they headed back to Portland Row.
“Yeah Luce,” he inclined his head toward her.
“How did you know about that place,” she asked. It seemed like April and Laura both knew him, but he’d never mentioned it before.
“Oh right. April’s an old family friend. She and Jessica were mates. When she started the shop, Jessica was one of her first customers,” Lockwood said matter-o-factly.
“Well thank you for taking me,” Lucy said with a small smile, “that was much more fun than what I’d planed.”
**
Weeks later, Lucy stumbles in from a long night hunting an irritating Cold Maiden haunting a flat share in Islington to find a beautiful maroon box stamped Aprils Fine Lingerie sitting on her bed. Inside is the blue body suit, a red rose, and a handwritten note.
How about dinner? – Anthony