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“You know, you’re so pretty Lucy.”
Lucy felt her cheeks burn as holly brushed powder onto her skin, stepped back and observed her like an artist after signing their painting.
“Yes Hol that’s how a lot of people tend to describe me” she mused, “especially the morning after a night of being chased by raw-bones.”
Holly batted the words away with her hands and tutted,
“I take it back, you’re too sarcastic to be pretty.”
“No- I mean thanks but you’re just saying that because you’ve spend an hour trying to make me look human with all your fancy creams and concealers.” She gestured to the bag of makeup as if it were more foreign than let’s say, a haunted skull in a jar, for instance.
Makeup wasn’t her thing. That’s not to say that she didn’t like it or thought it was stupid- she had just never known how to use it.
Surprisingly, her mother, maternal role-model that she was (there’s the sarcasm again) had never sat down and had that heartwarming coming-of-age moment with her. Had never taught her such things as how to be a teenage girl, let alone a pretty one. Don’t get her wrong, her sisters on the other hand had had plenty of practice on her- smearing an obscene amount of blush onto her face like a dress up doll, in that way that big sisters do, but it wasn’t the same as being taught.
This was warmly reminiscent of those times as a child with her sisters. Except this sister was skilled with a makeup brush -and wasn’t going to pull her hair.
“My mother always taught me that makeup is to be used to enhance the natural features and beauty of the face.” she proclaimed, tilting her head to get a proper look at her work “makeup can’t work magic Luce, if you arent already beautiful.”
The warmth blooming in her chest at the kind words couldn’t be denied, and she managed a small, suddenly shy smile.
“Thanks Hol”
Despite their early differences (boy, oh boy, did they have them) Lucy had grown to appreciate having another girl around. Had grown to appreciate having Holly around. And that wasn’t something she took for granted anymore.
“Besides-“ she paused as if contemplating her next words carefully “you must see the way Lockwood looks at you, even when you are covered in blood and ectoplasm.”
Lucy suddenly choked on the air she breathing and she felt her ears burning at either side of her head.
“W-what?”
“Oh come on! Even that stupid SKULL can see the look in his eyes- Lockwood would think you were pretty even if you became a raw bones yourself!”
I heard that! Don’t think because i’m in the next room i can’t hear that insufferable arse calling me stupid- oh the things i’d say to her if she could hear me- hey Hollyyyyy, how would you like to get garrotted with a coat hanger—
“Lockwood looks at me like he looks at everyone! Like a friend a colleague! Theres no difference between the way he looks at me and the way he looks at you and george.” she cast her eyes downwards, feeling the heat spreading through her whole head, and wishing the floor of the attic would just swallow her up.
Holly burst out laughing suddenly, clasping her slender hand over her mouth,
“Oh-oh i’m so sorry” she wheezed “You two are so, so intelligent but you are so STUPID. So oblivious. Everybody but you can see it. It’s impressive.” She continued giggling to herself as she put the various colourful palettes away into her bag.
When Lucy finally opened her mouth to protest, a familiar dark head of hair caught her eye coming up the stairs and stopped her in her tracks.
“As much as i’m glad you girls are obviously having fun” he announced, bounding up the last few attic stairs,
“Barnes is expecting us at some time this evening—“
He stopped as suddenly as if he was ghost-locked. Rooted to the spot, staring across the room.
His biggest, dashing smile faded as he took the sight of Lucy in, and was replaced by something she wasn’t quite sure she could read.
He wasn’t sure where to begin.
Wisps of curls, some silver, had escaped the updo Holly had expertly constructed ontop of her head, dancing around her face in the soft lighting of 35 Portland Row. Pink tinged her cheeks and oh how her glossed lips gleamed as she smiled at him.
Standing up quickly, as if startled, her hands smoothed down the deep navy silk of her dress, flowing over the contours of her body like the water of The Thames that night they plunged into the icy river. Somehow the breath was forced from his lungs now, as it was back then.
Blue was definitely her colour.
“Lucy… you- your, uuhhhh” Lockwood swallowed and adjusted his bow tie
“You-“
“I’ll just pop and see if George needs help with his tie!” Holly interrupted, dodging Lockwood at the top of the stairs and darting down them.
She left silence in her wake.
Lucy smiled awkwardly, shifting on her feet, searching the room for a distraction from the way he was staring at her, when she noticed that his tie was crookedly bowed. The tension in her posture melted away as she took a step towards him, shaking her head as she said:
“Honestly Lockwood you fight tooth and nail with a rapier and your tie is perfect, how is it that you can never tie a bow-tie correctly.”
She wasn’t entirely sure if he’d even heard her, but before he knew it there she was stood in-front of him fussing over his collar, and redoing his tie.
“And…there! Perfect! Very presentable Mr Lockwood-“
It was only then she realised he was still staring down at her with a flushed expression, his lips slightly parted and breathing softly.
He really was quite a bit taller than her wasn’t he?
“Is everything alright..?” she asked, her expression becoming concerned.
The scent of Lucy’s perfume was overwhelming his every sense. Her hands hovering around his neck, her slight smile as she was looking up at him. And his mother’s necklace he’d just noticed was dangling around her neck. He was finding it hard to breathe with her standing so close actually, but yeah fucking fantastic.
She let out a sudden laugh.
“God you look like you’ve seen a ghost! Come on, you’re the one who insisted we go to this party- something about publicity for the greatest agency in all of London and surrounding areas- or something”
As she started to move past him to leave, a gentle hand wrapped around her arm, stopping her.
“Luce-“
“Hm?” She spun around, eyes glittering up at him like a thousand tiny stars.
I think it’s pretty obvious to say that Lockwood was pretty bad with his words already, so he brushed his calloused thumb over her warm cheek and kept it short.
“So beautiful…”
A rush of adrenaline spiked through her chest as she breathed in, Oh my God maybe Holly was right.
His fingers ghosted along her jaw, tilting her lips closer to his waiting kiss. Her eyes began to flutter shut as she leaned into his touch and—
“COME ONNNN LOCKWOOD, THOSE CANAPÉS WILL BE GONE BY THE TIME WE GET THERE AND I WILL KILL YOU IF I DONT GET A BEEF WELLINGTON!”
…George
“I guess we should get going” she laughed under her breath.
“I guess we should.”