The Arcana-Head Canons and Oneshots

Comfort (Julian)

Trigger warning(s): Alcohol(slight alcoholism because we all know how Julian is), self deprecation, and depressive thoughts on Julian's side.
Reader pronouns: she/her
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Julian's POV
My hand is wrapped around the handle of my salty bitter, the condensation of the cup rolling down onto my gloves hands. I sigh and let go of the half empty drink and lay my head down. I run my fingers through my hair and rest my forehead on the palm of my hand. I struggle to believe that I haven't been caught yet from how out in the open and obvious I've been lately. I think this, and the door of the tavern I always seem to find myself in, swings open and a feminine figure walks in. Most people who come in here are regulars, so I sit up and look at the woman, who to my surprise looks lost and confused, almost like she is looking for someone. I notice that she also somehow at the same time she has a look of determination in the way she holds herself. I finally get a glimpse of her face face and realize it's my love, who I have been trying to stay away from to keep safe. I don't remember my past, but I know I am a bad man and that I can't put her in danger. The gorgeous woman looks at me and her eyes widen, and she smiles slightly at the sight of me. My face flushed as I stare into her beautiful eyes, I love her more than anything, but she can't be mine, she needs to be safe for me and be with someone better. She is still standing across the tavern our eyes still locked, neither of us moving. I move my drink to my mouth and finish the last of the liquid, trying to avoid her. But in the corner of my eye I see her move towards me.
Your POV
I walk through the crowded bar towards Julian, I notice the amount of empty glasses around him and sigh, I never should have let him leave after he 'broke up' with me. "So this is where you've been for the past two days..." I think this to myself as I make it to the table he was hunched over at. I sit down across from him and move the empty glasses to the other side of the table, and I gently take one of his gloved hands, which was resting on the table and hold it in both of mine. I hold his hand up to my cheek and his palm opens up against my face. "I've been worried sick about you..." I say this quietly, and he looks at me, his eye wide and his mouth open a bit. "But, I told you that you should stay away darling..." I roll my eyes and moves his hand away from my face and take his other hand. I hold both his hands in my own. He holds my hands on his and rubs his gloved thumb over the top of my hand. "I told you a million times, I wouldn't leave you. I will make sure that you are found innocent at your trial. I love you too much to let you be alone or killed ..." he moves my hands to his mouth, and kisses the tops of them softly and I smile but feel an overwhelming feeling of dread. "Ilya, you're going to do something stupid aren't you?" I ask this, saying what I think is needed due to this feeling of dread in me. "I think you need to stay away from me, I can't let you get hurt because of me." He lets go of my hands and I look at him moving my hands so they are crossed in front of me. "Well I don't mind getting hurt, I would go to the end of the earth and back for you. Besides I'll get hurt anyway, no matter if you're with me or not, but I always dust myself off, and I'd rather get hurt knowing I'm not alone too." He looks surprised at my response and I stand up and walk to his side of the table, I rest my hand on his shoulder and smile down at him. "Come on, let's get out of here, you've had to much to drink." He nods and stands up, he rests his hand on top of mine, which I respond to by holding his. I keep holding his hand as we walk through the bar, and I help him walk through the streets, his body resting slightly against my own as we walk into my shop undetected by the law. I walk him over to the sofa and he lays down, his feet hanging far over the end of the sofa due to being to tall for it. I move a seat closer to him, sit on the chair that is now next to him, and I hold his hand to provide him some comfort. "Sleep Ilya, I'm here and you need it, you look like you've been through hell." I say this and he laughs a bit and smirks at me "I know you're here darling, how else would I still be around without you." I shake my head a bit, partly because I knew it was true there is a very good chance that without me he would be dead. "You're to sweet Jules, but you need to take better care of yourself. I'm surprised you didn't poison yourself with how many salty bitters you had at your table." He runs his other hand through his hair removing his eyepatch in the process. "I suppose I do, maybe I will for you my darling, and I'm not poisoned because the bartender started going lighter on the pours." I smile and lay back in the soft chair, letting go of his hand. He removes his gloves and grabs my hands again, I take them and kiss Julian's hand right on his murders mark before taking a deep breath. "Good night Julian, I love you." I say this and he hums a bit in response. "I love you too my darling" He says this before we both drift into a comforted dreamless sleep.
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Original A/N: guess who got back into the arcana? Yep, it's me obviously, I'm gonna try and post more on here, both this story and others, more often again!
Original word count: 848
Originally published: July 15 2021
Rewritten: July 25 2022
Rewritten word count: 1100