OneShots For All My Favourite Ships

#3

Sooooooooo, there's this detective book series set in the 1930's which I absolutely ADORE called Murder Most Unladylike, and it's about this really smart English girl called Daisy (imagine a young female Sherlock with actual emotions) and an also smart but more empathetic Watson-kind-of-character Hong Kong girl called Hazel (I actually live in Hong Kong so I really relate to both Hazel AND Daisy). It's meant for maybe 12-14 year olds but has some really excellent LGBT representation (there's like three gay couples every book) and adult themes, and it's FANTASTIC I highly recommend it. Anyway, being the biggest piece of gay trash on this planet, I ship Daisy and Hazel so hard absjsjjdjr so I need to write this fic or I will combust. So here we go, I hope you enjoy it...

This is my new casebook. But it's not really a new case, at least not officially, for the Detective Society. There hasn't been a murder, Daisy hasn't sniffed her way into any kind of trouble yet (we've only been at school a week) and the last fight we had was on the first day when Clementine and Kitty had a spat over who got to sleep next to Daisy in the dorms (I felt rather guilty about this as they could've just slept either side of her, but Daisy insisted that one spot belonged to me and only me, so the argument was partially my fault, but Daisy wouldn't listen). No, this case is for me, Hazel, to investigate by myself. I must say it's been rather boring going without a case for so long, I rather missed all the excitement (until it got nasty of course). I'm sure we would've been on a case by now, no matter if it was a murder or a case of stolen nail clippers, if Daisy hadn't been so distracted lately about...whatever she's distracted by. You see, that's what I'll be investigating. Daisy has been acting so odd lately; she won't even look me in the eye when she's talking, let alone let me touch her or invest in a proper conversation together. It's almost like she's hiding things from me, and I hate it when that happens, so I think it's only fair that I'm allowed my own secret too, and this will be it. I have hidden this casebook inside a secret compartment in my tuck box I got installed this summer when I went to Hong Kong with Daisy with the idea of keeping contraband snacks in it, but they'll have to wait for now. Enough of me rambling, this is a case book, not my diary. Daisy always says a good detective should write down everything that they know, from start to finish, in case they've missed anything, so I better start from when it all began, this weird behaviour of Daisy's.
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I'll start on the last day of the summer hols that we spent in Hong Kong. The weather was blisteringly hot and so humid breathing was almost a challenge. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, so my father proposed I take Daisy down to a beach that only my family know about, in this wonderful little cove. There Daisy and I spent our last afternoon; Daisy is in shape from all the lacrosse and hockey she plays, and of course she has a perfect body and is an excellent swimmer, so she spent most of her time swimming in the bay, only resurfacing for lunch. I look like a squashed tomato in my bathing suit, so I was quite content to sit on the warm sand and read one of my favourite books, Journey To The West in the original Chinese.
"Why are you reading that book backwards?" Asked Daisy as she came in from the ocean, dripping wet, blue eyes shining. I laughed.
"In Chinese we read books like this. The text goes downwards and from right to left." Daisy shuddered.
"I couldn't stand reading like that."
"It's only because you aren't used to it. It's quite alright once you get the hang of it." Daisy sat in the sand beside me and rummaged around my bag, searching for our buns we bought from the bakery. Instead she pulled out an open letter.
"From Alexander?" She asked. I nodded, blushing. Alexander is a very intelligent and rather handsome detective who works with George, another detective, for the Junior Pinkertons in America. Daisy and I met him on the Orient Express a few holidays ago, and well, I immediately had the hots for him, but by the time we saw him the next holiday, he was following Daisy around like a lovesick dog. I don't blame him really, Daisy is one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met, and I constantly question why and how I am still her best friend. Anyway, Daisy was furious when she discovered Alexander and I's letters to each other, and has wrinkled her nose if he as much looks at her funnily. Alexander and I are still excellent friends though; we still constantly exchange letters, and this was another one of them. I am quite over Alexander, but for some reason I can never stop myself from being ashamed whenever Daisy and I talk about him.
Daisy went rather quiet after that and we ate our buns in relative silence. I couldn't help but feel I had done something wrong.
"Are you alright Daisy?" I asked.
"Hmmmm? Yes, yes, I'm fine." She waved me away like she was swatting a fly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes... just know, Hazel, that you'll always be my best friend, no matter what." I was taken aback, and I could feel another blush creep up my neck.
"Uhhhh... you'll always be my best friend too!" I said, cursing my awkwardness and discomfort. Daisy looked at me rather funny a moment, then stood up, wrapping a towel around her, and made her way back up the beach. I stared at my bun. Most of the time I knew exactly what Daisy meant, even if what she what she was talking about was odd, but this time I didn't have a clue what she was on about.
------
That was only the beginning. Daisy and I communicated a lot on the boat to Portsmouth without actually speaking a single word to each other. Daisy would open her mouth to say something, then would close it again, and I would think of something to make small talk about in hopes of raising a conversation, and then think the better of it at the last moment. The result was an eerie, uneven type of silence between us, and it was agony. It was as if the usually well oiled clogs of Daisy and I's friendship had seized up and we had difficulty getting them moving again, and with every attempt to restart the wheel got harder and harder to turn.
------
Even Beanie could tell there was something weird going on. She said so the day we got back to school. We were all the the dinner table and for the first time since anyone could remember, Daisy and I hadn't said a word to each other all day.
"I say," said Beanie suddenly, "You two aren't fighting are you?" Everyone turned to look at us.
"No." Daisy and I said in unison. Daisy flashed me a glance which the whole table saw.
That night I could hear Beanie and Kitty whispering to each other, undoubtably discussing the dinner table incident, and I tried to listen in, but their voices were too low. I could tell Daisy was listening too, and she could hear them, I knew, for her breathing hitched, just a little. I sighed and turned over in my bed. An incident this size had last happened when Daisy first discovered I was writing to Alexander, and we didn't talk to each other for almost a month. It appeared the same had happened here, but for no apparent reason. I had no clue why Daisy wasn't talking to me, and I didn't understand why I couldn't bring myself to talk to her. The prospect frightened me. If I didn't know what was causing an issue how could I take the steps to solve it? And that is the reason I have opened this case, to find out what is wrong with Daisy, and fix our relationship as soon as possible, before it's too late.
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I woke up this morning feeling excited. I had forgotten the wonderful feeling investigating something brought, and this time I was investigating something far less sinister with a murder, and with considerably lower risk levels. Daisy would've begun the case by looking for suspects and alibis, but since nothing had actually happened I couldn't go down that route. I decided to have a poke around Daisy's things, to see if she had written something down about it all. I highly doubted it; Daisy kept most of her thoughts locked up in that great brain of hers, but it was worth a shot.
I elbowed my way to the front of the showers queue and got washed and dressed in record time. Slipping out of the showers block, I ran back to our dorm and began to search Daisy's things. I felt a bit guilty for invading Daisy's privacy like this, but my curiosity got the better of me and I dove into her tuck box. In it I found several copies of some of Agatha Christie's recent masterpieces, plenty of different biscuits and a few letters from her brother, but as I had suspected, no sign of any diary that would helpfully pour out all of Daisy's inner worries and concerns. I was very careful to put back everything where it belonged after I finished.
-----
Nothing much happened for the next week. Daisy grew more and more distant and I grew more and more upset. I couldn't even ask her what the matter was because she would scarper the minute I looked like I wanted to say something to her. I once caught her hunched over her bed, at first I thought she was saying her prayers but I saw her shoulders shaking, and I realised she was crying. Daisy never cried. I had seen her cry once before and I promised myself I'd never do anything to see that sight again. But here she was, and I had no idea what to do. So I went downstairs for breakfast.
That was the day the rumours started. I don't know where they came from or how true they were but they were about Daisy. There were many variations and exaggerations about what had happened but they all had one message. Someone had seen Daisy canoodling. The whereabouts of where this scandalous behaviour occurred was subject to great debate, as well as who in fact she had been canoodling with. Some said it had been in the changing rooms with a schoolmaster, some said it was in the stables with the stable boy, but most agreed that it was in a closet. With a girl. Daisy took in all these allegations with much amusement, and no amount of questioning from Kitty or anyone else would make her discuss the matter. I, however, remained deadly silent on the matter. A lightbulb had gone off in my head. All of a sudden I had a lead. A slim lead, certainly, but one that might, just might, lead me to the answer. But I needed evidence.
------
I started my foray immediately.
"Beanie!" I hissed, one evening before we got into bed. Beanie ambled over to me, and I leaned over and whispered some instructions in her ear. Beanie, much confused, nonetheless dutifully went back to her bed. That night I heard her whispering with Kitty. I smiled. The stage was set.
The next morning, I met Kitty in the broom cupboard on the third floor. She folded her arms and stared at me. I perched on the edge of a pile of cloth and took out my notebook.
"Tell me everything you know about the rumours." I said. Kitty laughed.
"So that's what this is about." But she refused to elaborate any further. She detailed all she knew about the rumours, which was a lot. The canoodling incident had happened on the night of the 27th, just before dinner that evening. Kitty personally believed that Daisy had indeed been in a closet with a girl, as I did, but she had one extra tidbit of information I hadn't heard. Daisy had reportedly been seen staggering out of the closet by Carmen Souza, a Spanish girl in the year below. I had another, more solid lead. Feeling rather proud of myself, I went to my day's classes.
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My last class of the day was gym. On a fantastically rare occurrence, we weren't playing hockey, or lacrosse. Instead, we were running. Running on the school track during winter isn't ideal, even by mid-September the ground has turned to a dirty mush of leaves and mud. I missed Hong Kong where mud ceased to exist and winter weather was far more comfortable. Still, running was better than being run over, and I was almost grateful for the distraction it would bring. The class immediately went for five rounds around the school. Daisy and a few others set off at an unbearable pace, and I just waddled around at my own speed. I was on my third lap when I heard Daisy come up behind to lap me. Silently, I moved to the right to let her pass. I listened to Daisy's breathing get closer and closer, and the thought struck me that I hadn't looked at Daisy, not really, for three weeks. And the irresistible urge rose within me to turn and have a glimpse of my best friend. I quickly flicked my head around to get just a flash of her. The image that I saw was one that I'd never forget. Daisy, in her gym uniform, had let her hair down at the back as she ran, and her blue eyes shone brightly in the cold. Her cheeks were flushed and she had shrugged of her jumper, her muscular arms were on show for the world to see. Something stirred inside me that at the time I had thought I had never felt before. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped a little. She was beautiful. She was stunning. I'd never seen Daisy look more ruffled, and the effect on me was profound. My eyes locked on to Daisy's and- I stepped on a log, and with a cry of pain I fell in the mud. I heard Daisy stop next to me.
"Are you alright Hazel?" Came Daisy's voice, worried and anxious. She knelt next to me, and I looked up at her, the tips of my ears going red with more than just the cold.
"I'm fine Daisy." I responded carefully, trying to stand up and collapsing back into the freezing mud again.
"Well clearly not, I think you've twisted your ankle." Said Daisy matter of factly. "Here, let me help." Her hand snaked around my back and under my shoulder, and she pulled me up.
Leaning on Daisy, we both staggered back towards the gym rooms. Daisy cheerfully informed our gym mistress that I needed some ice, and just like that I was out of gym. As soon as we entered the changing rooms, I looked up at Daisy and smiled,
"Thank you," I whispered, giving her a squeeze. "I missed you." Daisy tensed up, shot me a stiff, "You're welcome." And exited as fast as possible. I was left standing there, alone and sad.
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Carmen Souza was a tall and strongly built fifteen year old, with a mass of dirty blonde curly hair, freckles and big green eyes. She was pretty, I admitted to myself as I pulled her aside after lunch the next afternoon. She looked nervously at me, as if she was in some sort of trouble.
"You saw Daisy Wells come out a closet on the night of the twenty-seventh?" I asked her, eyebrows raised. Carmen immediately went a dark shade of red.
"Yes...ah... she was with some other girl. I didn't get a good look at her face. But I saw Daisy, I can't mistake those blue eyes for anyone else's." Despite her thick accent, her English was perfect. I leaned in closer.
"What exactly did you see? Where did you see her? Are you sure she was with another girl?" Carmen went even darker red,
"Are you her girlfriend?" She asked quizzically. I blinked very quickly for a few moments.
"Yes." I said hurriedly and in a low whisper, "But don't tell a soul!" Carmen looked ashamed.
"Daisy never told me she had a girlfriend." It was my turn to be confused.
"Pardon?" Carmen dropped her head in shame.
"I did not see Daisy canoodling in a closet."
"What?" I gasped.
"I was in the closet with her." And all of a sudden everything was painfully obvious to me. All the weird behaviour, her refusing to look at me, her grudge against Alexander. It all made sense. I was filled with such a great bursting joy that I felt like I could run a hundred more laps and feel like I'd only gone on a short walk.
All that was left was to confront Daisy.
-----
A few days later, I lay in bed, listening to six sets of steady, even breathing and one set of quick, very uneven breathing. It was driving me around the bend. I squinted in the dark to check my watch. It was just after eleven. I suppressed a groan.
All of a sudden I heard Daisy stir in the bed next to me, and get up. Her movements were very quiet and slight, even as I lay there, completely alert, I still had to strain to hear her footsteps. The moment I heard the quiet creak of the door being shut, I moved to follow her, with considerably less grace than my predecessor. I knew exactly where she was going.
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Daisy stood by the third floor broom cupboard and tapped her foot impatiently. I checked my watch. It was eleven thirty-four now and that meant Daisy's... companion? Whoever it was- was four minutes late. I smiled. Perfect. Stepping out of the shadows I walked over to Daisy.
"Evening Daisy." I said dryly.
"Evening Watson." Daisy replied, without a hint of concern as to why I was there. Then she did a double take. "Hazel?" She hissed, "What on earth are you doing here?" I laughed.
"Looking for you, of course." Daisy looked mildly panicked.
"Ahhhh, could we talk about this later, Hazel? I've got an appointment in a few minutes."
"I'm aware." I responded coolly.
"I beg your pardon?" Asked Daisy, much confused.
"You were set to meet Carmen Souza in the first floor closet at eleven thirty today." Daisy gaped at me.
"Who-who told you that?"
"Carmen herself." Daisy looked like a rabbit caught in a trap, because that was exactly what was happening. "Daisy," I said softly. "If you liked girls you could have just told me." Daisy's face was expressionless but the bobbling of her throat gave the game away.
"Why should I have told you?" Asked Daisy stiffly. "You wouldn't have understood." I put a hand on Daisy's arm.
"Of course I would've." I said quietly. She jerked her arm away, and said more forcefully,
"No you wouldn't. And no, you don't." Tears were beginning to prick behind Daisy's eyes. "You're too busy writing to Alexander or some other boy you've fallen in love with." I stared at Daisy.
"Daisy." I whispered. A tear rolled down her cheek.
"No!" She cried, "Don't you 'Daisy' me. Do you have any idea how much you mean to me Hazel? When you went moony eyed for Alexander I could hardly bear it. At the time I thought it was just because I didn't like sharing you, but I quickly realised it was much, much worse than that. When Alexander came after me that Christmas holiday I could see how much it meant to you and I wanted to hurt him Hazel, because who would come after me when you have Hazel Wong willing to give up anything for you?" The tears were coming fast, strong and bitter now. "And this summer- this summer I couldn't hold it in any longer. I knew if I said one more word to you, one more word, it would all come pouring out and that would be it for us. And I'd rather you be confused and hurt and in total oblivion while I distanced myself from you than unable to look me in the eye again, because that's exactly the sort of person I am-"
"For god's sake Daisy, get to the point." I snapped.
"I love you Hazel! Can't you see? And I don't care about Carmen Souza, or any of the other ones one bit compared to you!" I opened the closet door and shoved Daisy inside. "What on earth are you doing Hazel?" Asked Daisy impatiently as I flicked on the light. I snaked one arm up Daisy's back so my hand rested on the nape of her neck and pushed her towards me, and our lips met. Our kiss lasted barely a moment, but I wanted to frame the look on Daisy's face when I pulled back. It was the look of utter shock.
"But...but..." she stuttered.
"You idiot!" I said, crying as well now. "Of course I love you! How could you ever think I didn't?"
"I thought you liked boys." Said Daisy, brows knotted.
"I can like both boys and girls!" I almost yelled. There was a silence. "Well," I said more softly after some thought, "boys and a girl." And tiptoeing, I kissed Daisy again. This kiss lasted considerably longer than the previous one, and my head felt quite light and dizzy. "Call yourself a detective?" I asked Daisy.
"I know." Said Daisy, looking quite ashamed. "Though to be fair to me you never showed me any sign."
"Neither did you." I retorted, "I had to open a whole new case to chase you down and figure out what was going on."
"You did? Is that how Carmen told you I'd be here?"
"Of course. I even interviewed suspects and everything." Daisy looked impressed.
"Excellent work Watson. Another successful case for the Detective Society."
"Excuse me?" I laughed, as we exited the closet. "What did you do?" Daisy spread her arms,
"I was the case." I shook my head, smiling.
"Whatever you say Daisy, whatever you say." We were outside of the dorm. Daisy looked down at the floor.
"I know if we do this, it won't be easy, and how we feel isn't at all legal, but would you consider..."
"Being your girlfriend?" I asked. "Of course, Daisy." Daisy smiled at me with more warmth that I'd ever seen come from her. I beamed back. At that very moment we heard footsteps.
"Who's there?" Asked a voice curiously. We shot back into our dorm, me first, then Daisy.
"Did anyone see you?" I asked Daisy as we lay in our beds.
"Can't be certain Watson. Whoever it was they had a flashlight."
"Hmmmmm." I hummed thoughtfully. "'Night Daisy."
"Goodnight Hazel." Then after a few minutes when she thought I was asleep, "I missed you."
------
The next morning at breakfast, Kitty brought her porridge and toast over to the table, plonked herself down, and looked extremely pleased with herself.
"Your nighttime adventures continue I hear, Daisy." She said triumphantly, "You've been spotted on another of your midnight strolls." I choked into my toast. Kitty's head snapped towards me.
"Hazel? Do you know anything about it?"
"Not at all," I said to Kitty, "I'm just as surprised as you are." Kitty looked from Daisy, to me, then back to Daisy. We were still sitting apart as to not raise suspicions. Our table was deadly silent as they watched our every move. I managed not to look at Daisy. Beanie looked thoughtful.
"I think this is what my mother calls 'sexual tension'."
My toast went down the wrong way again.
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I'm so emo for these two icons, they probably won't be canon but idgaf (said every gay shipper ever).