Work Text:
Lockwood was working late once again. Holly had taken two weeks off because of a vacation with her girlfriend leaving Lockwood to do their paperwork alone since a long time again. And because, the perfectionist he was, he wanted everything perfect, he ended up working late every day this week now.
But it wasn’t just that, but also that he made it Lucy and George’s problem. He was moody and tired most of the day and complained about a backache.
It was the fifth night in a row now, that Lockwood would stay down in the basement at his desk working on and correcting forms, bills and reports. Every night so far Lucy had gone down and told him to come to bed, and every time Lockwood had told her, that he would finish soon, just for him to fall asleep at his godforsaken desk.
Lucy was sick it of it. If she wanted to sleep alone in a cold lonely bed, she would stay in the attic. But every night, she had hoped, that he would maybe come up, so she had slept in his bed. Always alone though. Always cold.
She had decided to try one more time tonight, and if he wouldn’t listen to her now, she wouldn’t either. She still had her bed up in the attic and could always use that.
She went downstairs now, dressed in an old shirt from Lockwood, only to find him in the same place as the last nights. Papers bunched up under his arms and in front of him. His tie hanging lose around his neck and his hair muffled. He was currently bent over a report, scribbling on it angrily.
He didn’t hear nor see Lucy as she entered the basement and made a beeline for him. He only noticed her when he felt her hands slip around his neck. He jumped in his seat a bit but relaxed at Lucy’s touch.
She moved her hands to the front of his neck and tugged at the tie until it was fully loose.
Carefully she removed the tie from his neck then and put it to the side.
“Hi.”, she whispered, and began massaging his shoulders. The knots there felt bad, and the sign that escaped Lockwood seemed to say the same.
“Hello, Luce.”, he answered and melted into her touch. His head fell against her chest and his hand stopped the firm grip on the pencil. For a short moment Lucy was filled with hope, that she would succeed in convincing him to come to bed today.
But that little bubble was popped, as Lockwood separated from her and bent down to his papers again.
But Lucy refused to lose to a bunch of papers the fifth time in a row. She would get him to bed tonight. Maybe she just had to use a different strategy.
With a devilish grin she bent down after him and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. She then proceeded to bury her face in his neck and push soft kisses there.
She felt his reaction immediately. The pen in his hand stilled on the paper again and his neck fell to the side, giving Lucy more room to work. His body reacted to hers like always, even if his mind was stubborn.
She nipped at a piece of skin behind his ears, leaving a mark there.
“Anthony, please.”, she breathed against his skin. “Come to bed.” Normally his first name out of her mouths would do it for him. That usually was the moment his patience or restraint snapped, and he would do whatever Lucy wanted from him in that moment. He would carry her to bed, or simply take her right where they were. He would massage her or take a task from her hands.
But this time his reaction was the complete opposite. He pulled away completely from Lucy and turned around in his chair.
“Lucy, come on.”, he sighed looking at Lucy like a disappointed parent. “You know that I have to finish this. And I can’t just write anything.”
Lucy raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.
“This has to be as detailed as possible, so we can later look up certain details.”
Immediately Lucy’s anger was back again. Was he serious right now? Was he calling her out for wanting him to get enough sleep? Was she losing to a bunch of papers, an uncomfortable chair and dim light?
“Are you fucking serious right now?”, she shrieked.
His eyes widened and he glared at her. “Yes, I am. You don’t seem to get the importance of”, he started, but Lucy interrupted him.
“I understand that this I important, but so is your sleep and your health, or maybe, I don’t know, spending time with your girlfriend.”, she screamed.
“I want you to sleep well. In a bed. Preferably next to me. Sue me for it!”, she added before he could get something out.
Lockwood didn’t show any reaction, just looking at her. While Lucy breathed heavily and clenched her fists, which have fallen to her side after gesturing wildy.
Of course he didn’t react, why should he? He doesn’t see his mistake.
“You know what?”, Lucy asked.
“What?”, while he asked Lockwood crossed his arms in front of him too.
“I don’t care, what you do or don’t do. Sleep at your desk again, don’t sleep at your desk. I don’t care. But don’t expect me to bring you tea in the morning or wait in your bed for you.” With that the turned around and marched upstairs into her room.
Lockwood called something after her, but Lucy successfully ignored him.
He could sleep alone in his cold bed today and for the foreseeable future, maybe he would understand her then, or maybe he wouldn’t, right know Lucy was too mad to care.
She marched up her stairs and slammed the door as hard as possible, pushing the lock in front of the door then.
She fell asleep angry and sad that night. Tears threatening to spill on her pillow.
---
A few hours later, Lucy was woken by a loud knock on her door.
“Lucy!”, George screamed. “Are you up there?”
Lucy sat up and slipped out of her bed. Why did George have to stream that early in the day? He put on sock and took the few steps down to the door. Right as she wanted to open said door, George screamed at her door again.
“Lucy, are you even alive?”
Annoyed she ripped open the door and glared at him. She was aware she only wore an old shirt of Lockwood, but she honestly couldn’t have cared less in that moment.
“Yes!”, she said her voice sounding as annoyed as she felt. “I’m alive. Something you won’t have the pleasure of saying about yourself, if you don’t tell me why you are screaming like this early in the morning.”
George flustered a bit and directed his look at the floor.
“I’m sorry, Lucy.”, he said honestly and Lucy’s anger at him faded as she woke more.
“It’s fine. Sorry I screamed at you.”, she muttered and rubbed her eyes. “Just haven’t had much sleep, nor a good one, after trying to get Lockwood away from his desk. Again.”
George abruptly looked up and at Lucy. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes and wanted to hit Lockwood with something very hard in that moment. How could he be so stupid?
“I just wanted to tell you that breakfast is ready.”, he whispered and squeezed Lucy’s shoulder reassuring. “Oh, and Holly came back early, because her girlfriend fell sick. She is downstairs.”, he added just as they turned to leave.
Lucy waited for the relief to flood through her, after all that meant, that Lockwood probably wouldn’t work late again, but she realized that she was still mad at him.
Downstairs in the little kitchen of Portland Row, Holly was already setting the table. She looked up as Lucy and George entered the kitchen.
“Good morning.”, she chirped happily and ran around the table to Lucy.
“Hi, Holly.”, Lucy whispered and hugged Holly back as hard as she could without squashing her. Holly noticed and worried immediately.
“What is it?”, she asked loud enough for only Lucy to hear.
Lucy slowly released her and tried to smile. “Nothing really, just missed you.”, she said and noticed herself how she didn’t sound convincing at all.
“Is there coffee?”, she asked weak.
Holly nodded and Lucy started making herself a cup. In the meantime, Holly looked at George questioning.
He, different than Lucy, told her right that second.
“Lockwood has barely left the basement and worked late every night this week. And yesterday, when Lucy tried to get him to sleep, they fought hard…”, he explained quickly to Holly.
She raised her eyebrows and held up a finger.
“So did he go up to sleep, yesterday?”
“Do you see him somewhere here?”
Holly nodded angrily and headed downstairs abruptly despite Lucy and George trying to stop her. But they also didn’t follow her downstairs.
She pushed open the door, causing it to hit the wall. Lockwood, who was once again asleep on his desk, jumped awake and sat up straight.
“What is”, he didn’t come any further, before Holly started screaming at him.
“Are you out of your goddamn mind?”, she yelled. “I leave for one week- one week, and you” she pointed her finger at him like a weapon, “You are so obsessed with being and doing everything perfect, that you spend your nights alone in a basement.”
“I was”, Lockwood tried but Holly glared at him.
“Not your time to speak right now.” Lockwood grew more frustrated but let her go on.
“And to make matters worse, you fight with your girlfriend when she tries to help you.”
Lockwood stood up, wanting to put Holly in her place, but what she said next made him fall back onto his chair.
“Lucy looks like shit up there. She is the strongest woman I know. She wouldn’t even tell me what was going on, I had to learn from George. But she looks like shit, her eyes are red like she has been crying, the dark circles under her eyes show me, that she was either awake waiting for you or worrying about you. But you don’t even notice that. No, you, fucking, scream at her.” Holly stood in front of him now and stabbed at him with her finger.
Lockwood was stunted to silence. Suddenly the papers in front of him didn’t seem as important as before. And his anger at Lucy yesterday didn’t seem as rational was before.
He once swore to never hurt her again. Had he really done so bad?
“Is she really…I…did I really hurt her that much?”, he stuttered.
Holly nodded. “Yes, you did.”
Lockwood fell back and put his head in his hands.
“I’m leaving now, taking care of my girlfriend.”, Holly announced. “But I won’t let you handle reports ever again! Give me all the reports! Now! I’ll finish them!”
Lockwood handed her the pieces of papers and followed her with his tail tugged between his legs.
When Holly and Lockwood arrived upstairs, George was sitting at the table with toast scribbling on the thinking cloth. As Lockwood took a closer look, he saw that George had written “Lockwood is an asshole.”
“Hey, I’m sorry.”, Lockwood apologized to him while scanning the room for Lucy. Without luck, which made him feel worse.
“It’s not me you have to apologize to.”, George answered. And as he caught Lockwood’s look he added, “She is upstairs.”
Lockwood nodded again, “I’m sorry nonetheless.”
“You really fucked up.”
“I know.”