A girl, A boy, and a graveyard

Grenadier Guard

Lockwood POV
956 words

🎵Don't hold your breath
forget you've ever saw me at my best
Now bite your tongue, it's too dangerous to fall this young 🎵
- Night shift by Lucy Dacus

Like i said, we didn't speak after that, it was only when we had all departed for sleep. George was in his room either doing something weird with the skull or reading. Holly had gone home. I was still awake of course, sat in the library, reading some shitty magazine i wasn't even focused on. I heard the familiar footsteps of fuzzy socks and struggle to be quiet. It was Lucy. She manoeuvred down the stairs, dodged the creaky floorboard and made her way to the kitchen. I heard the kitchen light switch on and the sound of the kettle boiling followed. I sighed, i wanted tea as well and it would be a waste of electricity to wait till she leaves and boil the kettle again. Hesitantly, i put the magazine down, stood up and crossed the hall towards the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen it was brighter, warm electric light cast a ray of gold over the table. She was stood at the counter, her back to me, dressed in a blue and white striped fuzzy jumper. Doing something with a pan.
I awkwardly closed the door behind me, stretching in my shirt.
"Lucy.. look, this job gets out of hand, we all know it does. I've gotten a concussion, you've sliced your arm, George had cracked his glasses. Not to mention we have technically killed one of the most famous business men to get rich off the Problem, and have burned down an old ladies house, multiple times. But that is what our job is, dangerous, its nothing new. But.." at this point i had crossed the tiled kitchen floor and stood shoulder by shoulder to her, looking at her, auburn hair flowing in the way of her face. Slowly, she had turned to look at me, holding two eggcups.
"We can go carefully... i promise. So just, what I'm saying is.. don't give up on us.. don't give up on me."

I had finished, that was my piece, that was it, that was my marvellous speech i had waited three days to perform, and now i waited for her response. I couldn't take staring at her any longer, my whole body felt weak before her, i hung my head in silence.
"Grenadier Guard, or Policeman?" That simple question stirred something within me, i looked up, she was closer this time holding out the eggcups, her hands so close to my chest.
"Grenadier Guard." I answered.
"Okay, but if George comes down here and sees you using his eggcup i'm not responsible for the consequences." She shrugged, staring up at me. I slowly smiled, watching her soft brown eyes, her short lustrous auburn hair.

Then she whipped her head back around to face the counter, putting the eggcups down. I leaned over and opened the cupboards, getting out two mugs. "Tea?"
"Earl grey." She answered cooly.
I nodded and got out the box holding all the earl grey pouches. I knew exactly how she liked it, i knew how she liked most things, her orange juice without pulp, her tea light with a lot of milk and two spoons of sugar, her hot chocolate with cream on the top and strawberries sliced around on a small plate next to it. Her crisps salt and vinegar. I knew her so well and in that moment, all i wanted to do was forget all of that, forget all of our problems, and lay there happily by the fire in the library. But no, because this was her last night with me, this the last time i will ever be with her, and i had go and mess it up.

"I'm sorry." There could have been a robber standing there behind me and not startle me, i could have dropped the mug i was holding and not jump, George could have came in here with a knife in his back and my blood would have kept the same temperature. But when i heard Lucy say the words i had always dreaded her saying, when i had heard the sniffles and tears fall onto the countertop, my blood ran so cold. I was by her side in an instant. "Lucy, don't be sorry. Please never apologise to me."
"Sorry." she laughed weakly, her head hung low, her hair covering her face. I placed my hand below her chin and lifted her face to look up at me.
"I'm so sorry Lockwood, for everything, for giving you that concussion, for starting that Poltergeist on us, for bickering with Holly, for-"

But it was my turn to surprise her, it was my turn to cut her off.

The darkness outside the window was a world away, all that mattered at that moment was cheering her up. the top of her brown hair illuminated from the ceiling light as if she wore a golden crown.

I held both her cheeks, pulling her face towards me and kissing her deep. We stayed there for a moment, in the small kitchen. So close, her hands on my arms my hands cupped her face. Till i pulled away, and wiped her tears. She hugged me, her hands on my back and my hands by her waist.

"Lockwood.." her voice shook in my ear.
"Yes?" I muttered in her shoulder.
"What is this? What are we doing?" I could hear the fear in her voice.
"I don't know, but it's okay. New things don't have to be scary, right? we'll go carefully... Please, Luce?"

All of a sudden she pulled away, wiped her eyes.
"I need to think about this." And that was it. She left with no further words. Leaving me stood there, in that lifeless kitchen, with two teas and two unfinished eggcups.