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robynlilyblack · 3 years ago

Text

Poor bunny

Remus Lupin and fem! marauder! reader

[Requested – see request here]

Summary: Y/n doesn’t understand why her friends are lying to her every month, so on one full moon she follows them…

Warnings: swearing, mentions of blood, gashes, scars, everything associated with werewolves and one attacking someone, quite graphic and sad but there is a lot of fluff in thrown in there to balence it out...maybe bring some tissues x

A/n: 5.4k words, reader is a marauder and a rabbit animagus, hence the name bugs (like bugs bunny), I really like this one, super proud of it, enjoy!

Navigation | Remus Lupin Masterlist

You smiled looking at Remus concentrating on the other end of the room. You wondered if he knew how perfect and pretty he was, of course being his best friend for near 6 years you knew that wasn’t true and it broke your heart every time you remembered it.

Sirius, James and Peter had gone to Hogsmeade to get some supplies as Remus was feeling a little tired, while you had stayed to keep him company, and by company you lay on Peters bed, since he had the softest covers, contemplating life while Remus read his book

Your gaze was broken as Sirius sat down on the bed next to you, shifting his legs to lean them all the wall besides yours

He taps your sock clad foot with his own “Hey bugs” he says a little tired, leaning his head on your shoulder

You tap his foot back “Hi Pads” you reply leaning your head on his own

While Sirius and you engage in general conversation, James moves to sit by Remus and Peter goes to the bathroom

Plopping himself down James nudges the boy “Alright moony” he says upbeat

Remus keeps his eyes on the book “Hey Prongs” he greets with a small smile, bumping him gently with his knee

“Got you some goodies” James pulls out a couple of chocolate bars, holding them up

That draws Remus’ attention away from the book “Thank you Prongs” he says placing down the book and accepting the chocolate, as he opens a bit up he lets his head fall into the James’ shoulder

James wraps his arm around him placing a small kiss to his hair, he knew each moon effected his friend differently, but there was a pattern and this one had his friend exhausted and beyond sad. He had stayed up last night with Remus as he cried wishing that he didn’t have to go through it once again and it killed James. He wished he could help more, take away the pain, even take it himself so Remus wouldn’t have to suffer anymore, all of them did…and he also knew you would do the same if you knew

Like the other marauders you were an animagus, a wild rabbit, something the rest of the boy’s thought was rather adorable considering the ‘big bad wolf’ was in love with you. You had found the mandrake leaves and questioned it, wondering if that was the plan for everyone to become one. After much, much convincing from the rest of the boys, Remus was swayed into letting you become one, but under one condition, you were never to know and never to come with. He argued your form was too fragile and too easily hurt by him, which was bullshit as Peter was smaller than you, but they ultimately agreed

James knew the real reason though, it was clear to everyone besides yourself, Remus was in love with you

“Oh yeah” Peter says as he comes back into the room “I got your favourite bugs” he picks up a bag he had set by the door and moving to sit on the end of his bed

Your face lights up, bringing your feet off of the wall and twirling around to face him “Ooo gimmie” you make grabby hands at the boy, making him smile and Sirius chuckle

On the other side of the room Remus admires how happy you look, he loved your smile, loved everything about you. He snuggled into James a bit more, heart longing for you. There were so many times he wanted to tell you, merlin he hated lying to you, but he couldn’t let you know he was a monster. He knew you wouldn’t hate him for it, but he knew you would try to help, maybe get yourself hurt and worst of all, he was terrified you would never love him in a romantic sense once you’d seen him like that

You struggled to open the packet “You need some help?” Sirius holding out his hands but you shake your head

“Thanks Pads…but…I’ve got...ow!” you say strained as you try to rip it open but you finally get it you punch yourself in the process, yelping in pain

Remus sits right up “You alright?” he asks worried, ignoring the amused stare from James

You whine in response

“What happened?” Peter asks, hand on your knee

“I was trying to open it and when it finally gave way I punched my boob” you explain before cupping your right one and falling backwards on the bed, groaning softly as you pout

The boys try not to chuckle “Want me to kiss it better” Sirius wiggles his eyebrows earning your foot waving in his face “Hey!” he laughs jolting his head away

Later that night James, Sirius and Peter were all adding some additions to the map on the floor so you joined Remus on his bed, the two of you munching on goodies

“How are you feeling?” you ask softly, you had noticed he looked off the last few days and figured it must be his illness acting up again

He tenses at the question, you knew he didn’t like talking about it “I’m fine” he assures you

You clasp your hand over his, watching as his body relaxes into your touch “I’m here if you need me” you say, head falling naturally onto his shoulder

He closed his eyes and smiled, he loved these moments “I know…” he laces your hands properly, squeezing it “…I really appreciate you y/n” he confesses, he was almost drunk on tiredness but he knew he really didn’t tell you that enough

You kiss his shoulder “Feelings mutual Rem” you say quietly

It was times like this you believed truly that you and he were more than friends, sure you held the others boys hands, you and Peter would cosy together as a rabbit and rat quiet often, Sirius let you cuddle him as Padfoot when you were upset, and James let you ride him as Prongs…of course the last one Sirius tended to bring up out of context just to make you and James mortified

“I was thinking” you say after a few minutes

He chuckles “Should I be scared” he lightly teases

You nudge your head into his neck “Cheeky” you giggle together “There’s this reading night think at Scrolls and Tomes, free food, drinks and they are bringing a bunch of new muggle books in”

Remus can feel your smile on his shoulder “I don’t know if anyone else besides Wormtail would like that” he admits

You shake your head lightly “I was thinking it could be something for just the two of us” your voice gentle and smooth but inside your stomach was a tizzy

His eyes widened, it sounded like you were asking him out, although if he actually thought about it, it sounded like the way Marlene and Dorca spoke, the way a group couple would ask to spend time alone together

“When is it?” he wonders, heart fluttering at the idea it really could be a date

“Tomorrow night” you say happily until you feel him tense up “Rem?” you lift your head to look at him

His mouth opens but shuts soon after, tomorrow was the full moon, merlin it was just his luck wasn’t it “I’m really sorry but I already have plans” he says sadly, heart physically aching watching the disappointment and sadness wash over in your eyes before it was replaced with your beautiful smile…your beautiful sad smile

“That’s okay” you assure him, it would be silly of you to take that as a rejection, you should have asked earlier “So what are you up to?” you inquire trying to not show the small tearing of your heart

He hesitates “Umm…prank set up” he says, instantly regretting it

Prank set up? What was he thinking. One, you helped them with pranks even helped come up with them, and two, how was that important enough to merit not going with you. He didn’t look at you for a second, when he did chance a look, his heart broke in two, you looked completely deflated and the worst part was you were so nice about it

“What’s the prank…I didn’t know you were planning one?” you ask sadly but with a kind tone, even if you felt so angry deep down.

They always did this, once a month they would leave you out of something and you were getting tired of what. You stayed quiet though, Remus wasn’t well…or maybe he just didn’t want to go on a friend date

“It’s to do with the boy’s communal bathroom down the hall” he says hoping that ends the conversation and it does

You just nodded after that, heading back to your dorm sooner than usual looking crushed and leaving Remus riddled with guilt

You stuck to your dorm most of the next day, after last night you really weren’t in the mood to hang out with your best friends, so instead you chilled with Marlene and Lily as the latter tried to teach you both how to knit

“Like this?” you say demonstrating to the redhaired girl

Her eyes light up “Yes!” she claps her hands “Perfect you’re my star student”

You grin at the compliment feeling good about yourself before looking at Marlene and bursting out in giggles. Lily follows your eyes and starts laughing as well, both of you about to say something when there was a knock at the door

“Hey…” Sirius says as he enters, extending the syllables before it breaks into chuckles “You alright Marls?” he asks watching as the girl is literally ingulfed in wool

She stops struggling and accepts it, arm and shoulder stuck upwards wrapped in “I’m doing good, Lils is right, knitting is verythreptic” she says nodding, voice laced with sarcasm

“What were you trying to make?” Sirius asks amused

Marlene smacks her lips a little “Would you believe a scarf for my lovely girl?” she says

“A blue scarf” you add to which Sirius starts laughing again at the fact Marlene had every colour but blue wrapped around her

“Need help” Lily holds up some scissors

Marlene shakes her head “Nope I’m perfectly….capab-ble…” she tries to break out but it only gets tighter “Yes please I think I’m losing circulation” she changes her mind and sends a pleading look to her friend

While Lily cuts Marlene out you turn to Sirius “What you need Pads?” you smile at the boy “Also do you like the jumper…I think Rem would suit it” you hold up a half-finished jumper…that Lily totally started for you but you were taking full credit for

He nods “Yes he’s going to love it” and love you more than he does already “I was just sent to give these to Red” Sirius pulls out some chocolates and flowers from behind his back

Lily turns to look, as well as a now free Marlene “Oh my god!” she says excited, practically skipping over to the boy and taking the flowers.

Smelling them, she does a little spin before taking the chocolate

“You like them?” Sirius asks with a knowing smile

“Like them, I love them!” she exclaims with the biggest smile before it drops briefly “Siri please don’t tell…”

“…tell him you love it and him because you aren’t ready” he finishes for her, giving the girl a small hug and kiss to the temple “Don’t worry I’ll tell him you thought it was nice of him as always” he says glancing at you as he finishes and winking

As Lily sits down, completely giddy over her gift you and Marlene turn back to Sirius “So what you guys up to tonight?” Marlene asks

For the first time since he came in you see Sirius’ face falter but he quickly recovers “James wants us to help him with this…ugh…assignment we got in detention, we’ve been planning on working on it tonight for ages” he says quickly before taking his leave

“That was weird…” Marlene notes as the door closes, looking at you confused as does Lily

You nod, heart sinking “It was…I think I’m going to go check on them” you say standing up

“It’s almost curfew so be careful if you go out, out” Lily reminds you

Marlene giggles “Merlin Lils be less of a mum” she says earning a stuck out nose from Lily

“I’ll be fine…mum” you tease grabbing your jumper and slipping it on in case you did end up outside “Oh Marls” you say as you reach the door “If Lily is my mum then are you my wine aunt?”

“I prefer the sexy adopted cousin that you would have a scandalous affair with” she says casually while Lily half chokes on the air

You bob your head “I could see that…maybe another life time” you say blowing her a kiss and seeing her fall back catching it before you leave the dorm

You walked towards the main part of the common room, stopping at the small balcony you saw your friends heading out. You were mad now, Remus had lied to you, so had Sirius and it hurt more than anything. It was like they didn’t even see you as a marauder anymore, for almost two years, ever since you all became animagi, besides Remus who said he couldn’t due to his condition, they had disappeared every month. You didn’t mind if they wanted alone time, guy time or whatever they called it but lying to you to get it was a big no and you were going to confront them

Following them you ended up outside, you saw them heading to the forest but your jeans got caught on some bushes. While freeing your leg you cut yourself, it was tiny, along where the back of your hand and wrist met, but it still bled. You didn’t have time to care about it as you hiked towards the forest, passing by the willow at a safe distance…no way you were going near that thing after you and James and got stuck in it overnight in 3rd year

You hugged yourself as you walked through the trees, it was getting late and cold now. They wouldn’t have gone this far in, would they? Looking up you could see the full moon in the sky, you pouted thinking of Remus, your moon, the boy you loved more than anything, who was also lying to you. Huffing you decided to just go back inside but as you were about to take a step you heard something that made you freeze in complete horror

A howl

You knew there were wolfs in the forest but they didn’t sound like that, those were nice, friendly howls while this was deeper, scarier…it was that of a werewolf.

Looking around you tried to judge if any of the tree were climbable, you paid attention in class there was no way in hell you could out run it and it would catch your scent soon if it hadn’t already. Just as you were about to attempt climbing you heard distant cracking of twigs and patters on the forest floor.

You turned to the direction it was coming from, this was how you were going to die, you knew the marauders would kill you one day but right now wait…marauders…moony…his condition…scars…gone once a month…

Remus was a werewolf, more specifically the werewolf that was going to kill you…oh if you weren’t shitting yourself this would be poetically tragic in some way

Your head snapped to see a large shadow stalk out of the bushes about 50m away, you needed a plan, you couldn’t die like this, he would never forgive himself. It tilted its head at you clearly gearing itself to pounce, you wondered where the other boys were and then it hit you, you could shift, your rabbit self could hide easier

You closed your eyes and focused everything on shifting but your panic was making it difficult, especially as you heard him approaching. You finally feel yourself shifting but it was too late, werewolves attack was in motion and your bunny self was launched into a nearby tree.

Looking around everything was fuzzy. You whimpered, unable to shift back as you were in immeasurable pain, you couldn’t even tell where or what the injury was. As you lost consciousness the last thing you saw was Sirius’ Padfoot form licking your wounds and sad grey eyes staring down at you

James and Peter led Remus off and when they were at a safe distance Sirius shifted back into his normal form, looking down at the injured bunny, the y/h/c fur, little y/c/e eyes staring up at him helplessly before they closed, he knew it was you and he felt like the whole world ended

“Y/n” he was already fully in tears, gently shaking your little body “No merlin please…please you need to wake up” he sobs harder as you don’t move

A series of ‘pleases’ and ‘nos’ left his lips as he thought you were dead, but then he hears the tiniest whine, noticing your chest rising and falling through his tears

“You stay with me” he orders you as he takes off his jumper and wraps you in it, blood soaking his white shirt as he started to run towards the castle “Don’t you dare die on me”

Remus groaned as he woke. When he realised he was already in the hospital wing, he let his head fall back onto the soft pillows. He couldn’t remember a thing, usually he did but on some occasions when he hurt himself particularly badly he would black out the memory. Problem was he didn’t feel injured, if anything there were cuts than usual and that worried him, more so as he only seen James and Peter approaching the bed

He sits up quickly, pain streaking across his chest but he didn’t care “Where’s Sirius” he asks in complete alarm

James and Peters faces didn’t help “Remus…” James says quietly, unsure of how to tell him

“James” Remus says terrified “Where is Sirius” he says the words slowly, a lump in his throat

“I’m here Moons” Sirius says approaching from down the way, looking distraught, shirt covered in blood, eyes raw

Remus’ eyes widen, shifting to get up, clutching his stomach as he sits legs daggling on the edge of the bed “Are you okay?” he asks, unable to stand due to the pain “I’m so sorry…there’s so much blood”

Sirius glanced towards James and Peter, both have tears in their eyes, giving him a look that said ‘this is going to kill him’

“It’s not my blood” Sirius says hesitantly, letting out a shaky breath as he looks over his shoulder to the bed hidden by the curtains

Remus follows his eyes “Oh god” he mouths drops open, chin trembling, he hurt someone, what if he turned them, turned them into a monster too

“Remus…” Sirius starts running his fingers through his hair “She…she…” he can’t bare himself to say it out loud but Remus seems to get it

His heart dropped looking at the curtain, face filled with dread “No” he shakes his head “Sirius please” he begs as his eyes fill with tears “Please tell me she…she wasn’t…”

When Sirius says nothing he has his answer, fully breaking down clutching his chest, his injuries forgotten by the searing pain in his heart

“Re-” Sirius goes to reach out and hold him but Remus pushes by him, shaking his head as he stumbles over to the curtains

He closes his eyes for a moment, breaking heavily before he opens the curtains. He lets out a sob, seeing your tiny little form, you were in your bunny form, battered and bruised

“What…” he turns back to James who has joined him while over his shoulder Sirius and Peter crying into each other beside his bed

James walks over to your bed “She shifted we think” he says quietly “Just…just not in time” he looks at you pained then back to Remus “It’s not your fault, you…”

“Yes, it is” Remus snaps at him, leaning over your broken frame, seeing the gash over your abdomen, blood sticking to your usually soft fur “Y/n” his head collapses into the bed beside you “I’m so sorry” he blubs into the covers, letting out a strangled scream

Remus felt more pain in that moment than every full moon rolled into one. He knew why you were in the forest because he knew what you were like. You knew he was lying yesterday and you followed him, it was his fault, he put you in this position and he hurt you, almost killed you. He heard James say something about Poppy not wanting to shift you back forcibly yet as your wounds needed to heal first, but in better news you didn’t get infected with Lycanthropy

James listens to Remus’ cries for hours, eventually carrying him back to his bed when he passed out from sheer exhaustion. The next morning Remus was told he could go to his dorm but he wouldn’t leave until you had shifted back and mid-afternoon Poppy did just that.

The boys then took Remus to their room and he didn’t leave his bed for the next week, only for the bathroom and one forced shower where James washed him while he just stood there with no tears left to cry. Another week passed and he didn’t leave his bed, even when the boys rushed in and told him you had woke up and you were okay. He was relieved but then pulled the covers over him, readying himself for the love of his life to hate him forever

The first thing you saw when you woke up was Sirius asleep by your bed. As he slept Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore explained to you that two weeks had passed since the full moon. They told you that you would heal but would have permanent scars, one running down chest to your navel and another from just below your right breast to your left hip

When you asked about Remus they told you he was fine in a physical sense but hadn’t returned to classes nor left his dorm room. You wanted to go to him but you couldn’t, you were on forced bed rest until you were one hundred percent. The other boys visited you every day and every day you asked about Remus

“He’s doesn’t want to leave the dorm, hasn’t spoken much”

“He’s blaming himself, he thinks it’s all his fault”

“Still hasn’t left his bed but he’s eating now”

You took that one as a small victory, at least he was eating.

While you were on bed rest you finished the jumper, knitting a half crescent moon on the upper side of one arm and a carrot on the other with a little help from Lily…okay Lily did it but you helped by holding the wool

Almost three weeks had now passed from the full moon and you were officially allowed to leave. Grabbing the jumper, you went straight to Remus’ dorm, the boys hadn’t told him you would be coming out of fear he would hide from you so when you knocked on the door and there was no response you just let yourself in

Walking in slowly you saw a lump under the covers of Remus’ bed, soft snores coming from it. You approached as quietly as you could, placing the jumper on the bedside table as you took in his appearance. He looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks, eyes puffy and red, chalk white as he lay on his back, head fallen to the side

Slipping off your shoes you sat on the bed, snuggling yourself into his side over the covers “Oh Rem” you nudge your nose with his, hearing him hum but not wake

Your thumb brushed over the area just shy of a new scar on his jaw. You had almost a whole week to think about what had happened, your anger was gone now, replaced with the want…no need to be with him, look after him, let him know you were there and never ever leaving him

You watched him sleep for a bit before you rested your eyes, not going to sleep just soaking up the feeling of being near him when you heard his voice “Y/n?” he asks like it was a question, like he wasn’t sure if you actually existed

Your eyes fluttered open “Hi” you give him a warm smile

His heart stopped, staring at you wide eyed and now fully awake, you were here, really here. He had imagined what you would say to him so many times, he always imagined you crying, shouting, all negative. The only time you weren’t was in his deepest dreams, in those you didn’t know, you weren’t ever hurt and all if this was a nightmare…but it was real and now had to face it.

The smile never left your lips, why weren’t you mad at him? Did you not know it was him, you must have…wait, were you accepting him? But how could you accept and forgive a him after what he did to you?

You see his panic, he wants to run away and you understand why so when he sits up and pushes the covers down with his feet in order to do so you climb over him. He lets out a small gasp as you straddle him, pushing his shoulders down like he couldn’t just lift you up off of him if he really wanted to

“Don’t” you shake your head, a pout on your face

He looks confused “Y/n…” his eyes start to water “Please”

“No” you say firmly, no way in hell were you leaving

For the first time he properly looked at you, you seemed okay, like nothing had ever happened, same bright eyes that held same love as before. You were still his sweet little bunny but he really was the big bad wolf.

In all his years he called himself a monster but deep down he had convinced himself he wasn’t really, that he wouldn’t ever hurt anyone just like his friends and parents said. Now he truly felt like one and he was shamed, utterly destroyed

“Y/n I’m so, so sorry” he breaks down in front of you, his hands moving to clutch onto your own that rest on his shoulders “It’s all my fault, I understand if you hate me, I hate me…I’m a…god I’m sorry” he says pained, tears streaming down his face

You slip your hands out from his tight grip and cup his face “Hey look at me” he shakes his head refusing to look at you “Look at me Remus” he still refuses so you force his face up

He looks at you broken, a shell of himself

“It isn’t your fault” his eyebrows pinch “Listen to me” your hands shift up on his face “It isn’t, you can’t stop what your wolf does on a full moon, you aren’t in control and so it isn’t your fault”

He just watches you as you continue, hands gripping at the hem of your jumper

“I went into the forest, myself at night I…don’t” you stop him from arguing “I put myself in that position, not you, not Sirius, me. I should have waited until morning and asked you, but we can talk about what if’s for the rest of our lives. What if you had told me, what if I wasn’t a bunny, what if you were never turned…and in the end Rem none of that will change anything, so none of that, nothing you have or ever do will make me hate you, stop loving you”

His eyes light at the last part, what kind of love?

“I love you, love you Rem” you answer for him as if you could read his mind

He presses his forehead to yours “I…I love you too” he confesses closing his eyes “Always loved you but you don’t want to be with a guy like me y/n” he pulls back “Even if you aren’t scared of me, which love you should be, I’m not…I’m poor”

“You can be my house husband” you suggest in a light-hearted tone, one that makes his heart flutter, even now you were trying to make him feel better

“I couldn’t have kids” he says sadly

“We can adopt or not have some, we could get a dog but Pads would get jealous” you say and he almost smiles

“I’m like an old man, my bones ache constantly”

You kiss his cheek “So we’ll need a big bath” you assure him

You were never giving up and he knew that

“I’m littered with scars y/n, they're not attractive, they're ugly, I'm ugly” he says

You shake your head, thinking for a minute before you pulled up the hem of his shirt

“What are you doing?” he says a little panicked, cupping your hands “You don’t want to see them, I don’t want you to see them”

“Please Rem”

His face contoured before he nods slowly, letting you pull the material over his head, revealing his chest. He watched your face, there was no disgust, in fact you smiled at it like it was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen

His eyes widen as you grip the bottom of your jumper, grips your wrists quickly before you can do what he thinks you’re doing “Y/n” he asks bewildered

You shrug off his hands “It’s okay” you smile at him before taking off your shirt

Remus looks deep into the room and your heart fluttered at how respectful he was being

“Rem please look” you say fingers gently trailing over his jaw and pulling it to face you

His eyes flicked to your breasts first something you noticed and bit your lip at as you could see the blush and scold he gave himself. He then looked down, face filled with hurt as he saw the scars, fingers moving to trail over where they crossed on your stomach

“I’m so sorry” he apologises once again

You take both of his hands in yours making him look up at you “Remus are these…” you gesture to your stomach “…ugly, do they make me ugly?”

He shakes his head right away “No, you’re beautiful, so so beautiful” squeezing your hands tightly, like he was trying to force his love for you through them into you

You smile “Then...” you slip one hand out of his and trace the scars on his chest “...you can’t call these unattractive and ugly because then you are calling me so”

He lets out a small smile, tilting his head as he looks at you with so much love. How did he managed to find someone as wonderful as you?

“You have no idea how much I love you, appreciate everything you do for me” he cups your cheek with his free hand as his other rubs over your knuckles

“I am pretty great” you admit and he laughs “Although next time you don’t want to go on a date with me, just say, don’t turn into a werewolf and bitch slap me into a tree” you say so playfully and casually he can’t stop the small laugh that sound like a ‘huh’ come out

His nose scrunches up “I shouldn’t have laughed at that” he scolds himself but the smile stays “Why am I smiling, that’s really not funny” he looks at you stunned

You giggle placing a kiss to his nose to which his eyes flick down to your lips and kiss your nose back

“I love you Rem” you say planting a peck to the corner of his lips which he again copies “I’m never leaving you, you’re stuck with this bunny forever, my beautiful” a kiss to the other corner and he copy’s “beautiful” his lips and yours “moon”

After a few seconds you pull away, remembering "Oh" you smile brightly leaning over and grabbing the jumper "I made you this! Well Lily did but helped, look theres a little moon and a carrot and...mhm"

He pulls you in for a proper kiss, unable to wait anymore, the jumper falling from your grip as your lips moving in sync, making up for all of the almost kisses throughout the years

As you pull apart you lean your foreheads together “My moon” you say with the upmost endearment

“My bunny” he returns it with the same sentiment

Thank you for reading 💛

#remus lupin and reader #remus lupin x reader #remus x reader #remus lupin #remus lupin and you #remus lupin and y/n #remus lupin x you #remus lupin x y/n #remus lupin reader #remus lupin fluff #remus lupin angst #marauders era #robynsrequests #marauders x reader

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boogiewrites · 7 years ago

Text

Choking On Sapphires 23

Title & Song: Fever

Characters: Alfie Solomons x Genevieve (OFC)

Word Count: 4800+

Summary: Genevieve is a force to be reckoned with.She’s been intrigued by Alfie since she met him. But where will she draw the line between business and pleasure? The tension that’s growing between them is getting harder to ignore. Both of them showing cracks in their armor of denial. Will they be able to keep ignoring it when forced to work together for a job that requires seduction?

Warnings/Tags: Language. Fluff. Suggestive Dialog.Mentions of past trauma of a violent nature.

A/N: Every chapter of this story will have a song to work as the title and as a soundtrack. Chapter song is Fever by The Black Keys.

Positive feedback is MUCH appreciated! Reblogs, likes and comments feed this artist to write more!

My Masterlist. (Includes Parts 1-22)

He's sitting on a stone bench in the garden, coffee in his cup, sipping noisily and admiring the countryside and sunrise on a lazy morning. He sits up straight and twists, working the sleep out of his body as he takes a deep breath and watches the lavender he gave you move in the breeze, most it now planted in an empty section near the field's edge. The rest littered the garden, bunches of it placed among the low lying flowerbeds, the last bit of it put into a large decorative planter that you'd placed in front of the window in your bathroom. He let’s his mind contently disconnect from the present, his thoughts turning to you.

After requesting to speak to him, your request’s delivery a bit delayed from the mouth of a maid, he’d eventually wander the house to find you. The journey ended many times with him following the sound of your record player. Leaving him standing in the door way to your bathroom as you’re planted deep in the tub. You would greet him with a entirely too casual fluttering of lashes over your flushed cheeks, your hair piled on top of your head in a way that made him wonder how it’d look spread out across bed sheets. The bubbles would mask the surface of the water with its bits of flowers, petals, and herbs scattered throughout the rolling hills of the soft mounds. You set flight to small clumps of bubbles as your pinked lips pursed and blew. If he remembered the sight of you, what you'd asked him on each occasion couldn't be recalled with it. He just recalls seeing you break pieces off and using in your bath and with your little bottles of oils and perfumes. The smell of the lavender he'd bought you slowly penetrated your hair and skin. He couldn't help but feel smug at the thought that you went out into the world smelling like something that you would associate with him.

His thoughts and the near silence of the early morning are broken as he hears hooves. He gazes out, seeing a horse riding over the rolling field that lay before the forest on your land. You're atop the horse, galloping in, your hair bouncing with the rest of you. It had blown back, the long braid loose and messy down your back. The first rays of light just starting to break through the gloom of the morning, he can see the heat coming off you as you slow and dismount. As you approach he see's you're wearing another old fashion choice in dress, this one including a corset. The light white fabric of the sleeves, open front shirt underneath the tight fitting plain bodice. Your layered skirt was gathered up into your lap as you hold it while you rode. He clears his throat, eyebrows rising as he's noticed the garters that hold up your stockings, worn underneath your riding boots. He finds himself quite fond of the look. There was something about the way the worn leather of your tall boots mixed with the soft white petticoat under your fluffy skirt, that roused him ways beyond just alertness. The just slightly darker, but he imagines even softer skin of your upper thighs match the billowing fabric of the skirt, almost distracting him from noticing the tightness of your garters, squeezing your thick thighs just enough to be noticed as you raise up the skirt, giving him a risque glance at you, the shine of silk of your pants as you fuss with the stockings, having wandered from their preferred placement while you rode. His eyes continue to watch you as you fix your skirt, hair, and chest as you call out for the man who works in the barn, the horse's reins in your hands. He decides to cut his morning reflection short to investigate.

"What are you doin' up this early ridin' about?" he asks in a gruff shout as he crosses the dirt path from the garden to the barn.

"Good Morning, Alfie." you say, you scratch your head and mumble to yourself, distracted, walking the horse into the long line of stalls in this side of the barn.

He scoffs and laughs, hands on his hips are you blatantly ignore him. His shoulders still shaking in amusement as you walk farther into the barn, he stands and waits as he sighs and shakes his head at you. --- Alfie has elected to stay outside the barn, getting to watch you walk with a stomping purpose back towards him, rolling your sleeves up over your elbows.

"I was distracted by Essie, I didn't hear a word you said." you say, shaking your head with a laugh as you crack your knuckles on approach.

"Forgiven, dear." he says with a dismissive shake of his head and wave of his hand. "I was inquiring about what ya doin' ridin' around so early." he politely explains again.

"I ride out before dawn to the forest quite frequently," you say, your face and chest flushed, he notices your hair with varied bits of leaf and twig stuck in its soft waves, you reminding him of some sort of forest nymph. "I have a spot for Essie to graze and run while I take off to the woods much like a rabbit, runnin' and jumpin' and carryin' on." you say with an easy going expression, your eyes bright. "Gets the blood flowing, ya know?" you tilt your head and wrinkle your nose. "Keeps me in fighting shape." you nod and raise your skirts as you take a pitchfork in your hand and move towards a stall. "Gotta stay on top of these things for work." you conclude sweetly before you move from his sight into the stall.

"I didn't know you rode." he chimes in, surprised to find you shoveling the contents of the stall into a barrow in the corner.

"What kind of little rich girl would I be if I didn't know how to proper ride a horse?" you say with a laugh, wiping your face with your forearm.

"Is that why you wear a corset to do it?" he smirks and you turn with narrowed eyes and a half smile.

"In part," you say, your eyes looking up for a moment. "When you're plentifully proportioned in such a feminine manner, as I am," you say with a cheeky smirk that compels him to mirror the expression. "You have to have support to ride a horse. Don't want to knock myself out or break my back." you say indifferently.

"I've always thought of corsets as a pleasing aesthetic choice, did not occur they would help in such a way." he beams that cake eater grin at you and you give him a scolding but still warm glance, a heavy sigh quickly follows when you shake your head at him.

"I'm sure there are lots of things you don't know about the reality of dealing with such aesthetically pleasing things." you jeer.

"Also didn't know shoveling shit was something you bothered yourself with, eh?" he asks with crossed arms and a raised brow.

"Well I'm having Winston look after Ess and this was the last chore he needed to be finished before he could leave for holiday, didn't want to keep the man away from his new baby any longer than I already had." you said, he thought he might've heard a touch of guilt in your voice.

"Here, gimmie that ya milk maid lookin' thing." he laughs, holding his hand out for the fork in your hands. You purse your lips at him, shoving the fork further into the hay.

"I am perfectly capable of doing it myself, thank you." you say with a smile but a defensive tone.

"I didn't say you weren't, but I'm a bigger lad than you, eh?" he asks, fingers gripping into his palm for you to hand it to him.

Your shoulders slump and you move to carry what's on the fork into the barrel but one hand slips in your distraction, knocking the metal of the handles of the wheelbarrow, and with the force you exerted to take the heavyweight over, the handle snaps in your hand.

"BAISEUR DE LA MERE!" you shout, one hand immediately covering the other as your shoulder shoves past him quickly. He sees the blood on the splintered handle that rests on the ground now. He hurries after you. You're cursing in anger, your face set in an angry pose that would have been adorable if the anger behind your eyes hadn't been so hot. You see Ess in the far stable, as you trot back to Alfie. "Winston's gone, I'll need to fuckin' clean and bandage this fuckin'-" you let out an angry growl, foot stomping as you bend slightly. "MERDE qui fait mal!" you laugh loudly, madly, holding your hands to your chest, taking deep slow breaths. "Enfer." you grumble as Alfie jogs away from you and you follow less enthusiastically as his loud voice booms across the garden.

"OI!" he booms across the flowers. His tone and word choice reminding you of boys from your school days. "Don't fuckin' see no one. You need me to go? I don't know where it's at but-"

"No, wait I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems-" you explain, not moving your hands apart, afraid to be proven wrong.

"OI!" he yells again, making you roll your eyes with no real annoyance in your face for him, only at the volume with which he announced his displeasure. "Imma go tell 'em." he mumbles out before he moves away quickly. He returns just as fast. "You need to hire girls who know where the fuck things are Genny." he says, annoyance in his voice. You tilt your head at him in question. "She said she didn't know where it was either but she'd go find out and bring it." he rolls his eyes, hands on his hips.

"It's fine. Just help me sit and we'll use this skirt to stop the blood for a bit. I don't feel faint or anything, I think it hurts more than the damage warrants. Lots of nerves in the hand, ya know." you say with a sweet smile to offset your rough words.

"Here, luv." he says sweetly, holding your elbow and sitting you on a stone step outside the barn. "Want me to tear a piece off?" he asks, the hem of your dress in his taut hands.

"Go on." you give permission. You groan as he pries your shaking hands apart, wiping off the non injured one first, setting it down on your dress, his strong hands are so gentle as they move you about the wrist. You can see the cut is near your thumb in your palm. You make a disgusted noise and shake your head. "Bollocks." you mumble with a sigh. He wraps the fabric around snuggly, you wince a bit but beyond that, his touch is like a whisper.

"You'll be just fine, least it wasn't your dominant hand." he's looking towards the house as he speaks, his hands taking yours between his, still holding a pressure to the cut. You were somehow flattered by his knowledge of which hand you wrote with, then you realize you also know his. Your brow would have furrowed if it hadn't already been from pain. You stop to study his hands as he holds yours, his impatient expression still looking over your shoulder. He already had on a few rings at this early hours, they glinted despite the sun not being very high yet. They were so steady against yours, still shaking and upset about the adrenaline rush from hurting yourself. The hand that rets on top, tattooed with a single black crown and slightly fuzzy, its square-tipped fingers caress yours to comfort the non-injured hand. By the time the cold morning air chilled gold starts to warm against your skin, your notice the tick in his eyebrow. Your arms are pushed together by his holding of your hands, your bodies are directly up against each other, arms and thighs almost on top of the other as he'd pulled you to him to inspect you.

"You're going to make me nervous for no reason if you keep acting like this." you insist, eyes wide up at him, your doe-eyed expression catching him off guard as he'd been distracted by your aloof maid's ignorance.

"Uhh.." he stutters out, chin pushing back into his neck. "Sorry luv, that rocks for brains little girl got me frustrated." he says with a sigh.

"Then let's distract ourselves, shall we?" you suggest with a tilt of your head. He gives you a soft nod and smile, turning his attention and shoulders back to you. "Since they are directly in my vision, I can't help but be pulled to ask you about your tattoos, Alfie." you suggest. His head moves in small quick movements in surprise, looking down to his hands.

"Ah." he says with a quick series of nods. "You curious as to why I've got the crowns, eh?"

"How could I not be?" you say with a sweet grin.

"I got 'em after the war." he declares after a deep breathe before he elaborates, indulging your curiosity of him." The story starts before 'at though." he says shaking his head, brow low, face looking out towards the garden, being lit by the sun as it rises over the hills. Your eyes float across his handsome features as he speaks in his animated and captivating way when he tells stories. "'Spose me scrappin' and fightin' about as a boy was the true beginning," he says with a shrug. "But boxin' was where it became more than something that kept me occupied in my free time at school." his stare moves to meet the one you'd been giving him. You notice the sun picking up the yellow flecks in his blue eyes as he speaks "I's a touch good at it, yeah?" he says with a wrinkled nose, nodding over at you.

"I can imagine." you say looking up at him, your heart thumping at the thought, your adrenaline fading, your posture slumping with your shoulders as he continued to speak.

"After the war I knew that weren't what I wanted to go back to. But it did certainly help save my arse more than a few times." his eyebrows raise in emphasis. "I was a Captain, right? 'N as it came to pass you have to fight your own when you're fighting others sometimes." his nostrils twitched slightly in a tiny tell that tells you the memories could still bother him if he let him. "Whether there were words or drink or just bein' fuckin' stir-crazy, we'd brawl," he says as if it's common knowledge. "With my position, there were many names I'm sure they called me," he lets out a huff of a laugh. "But the ironic usage of righteous fists in the insults they would whisper behind my back were always my favorite," he says in a whisper, nodding his head at you. "Somethin' about it." His eyes narrow and move away from you, darting about the garden again. "Even said in such hateful ways you can't help but feel a certain respect in the title. I ended up fightin' when I'd drink too much for all the wrong reasons, but I'd win every time." he turns his face back towards yours, you make sure to lift up your half-lidded eyes. "Not a brag so much as a fact." he nods sincerely, face set softly to sell his point. " Wasn't exactly clean fighting, as you might be able to imagine." he almost mumbles, frowning slightly for a moment before his eyes twitch again and it disappears.

"I can." you say quietly to show you're listening. You notice you've been biting your lip and change this fact as soon as you realize. You hate to admit you'd let yourself get flustered at the power that came off him as he told his tale. The thought of him bare-knuckle boxing and then the number of men he'd been victorious over admittedly had done something for you on a deeper, darker, more animalistic level.

"I don't like to dwell on the memories from the war but that dunnit mean they're all useless." his words start high pitched and more to a deep rumble as he speaks, he looks down at his hands." I got myself out of the mouth of hell more than once with the help of these fists." the slightest hint of pride in his voice. "Seemed proper to remind meself of that." he gives that funny little face, his exaggerated frown when he wants to show his support for his point. "And to warn others I can send 'em back to their makers by my own judgment." he adds, a tilt of his head, his voice back to soft." 'N remind me that I still have yet to meet mine." his voice was growing more gritty as he continued sharing.

It hits you hard how dark and powerfully sexy his words were feeling to you. "That story is far much elaborate than I could've imagined. I can't help but be terribly interested when you speak to me of yourself in such ways. I love knowing what darkness motivates you." your lashes look long as he can't help but think they're batting up at him, your head tilted towards his earnestly as your too close, wet pouted lips stay ever so slightly parted as your eyes move quickly from his lips, back up to his face. He wasn't imaging the flush to your chest, was he? The usage of such sultry words makes the darkness you speak of stir just slightly within him.

"I've seen your paintings, Gen. You don't fear the darkness in the same way others do." he shakes his head just slightly, looking down at you with a question in his eyes and voice.

"Same as you?" you clearly bat your lashes up at him, your lips parted just slightly, still distracting but set in a different pose than the last time they'd stolen his attention. He doesn't know if you mean to come off so seductively but you do nonetheless. As you lean forward to speak to him, he looks away, his peripheral vision aching at the noticing of how your breasts heaved when you slumped your shoulders to speak closely with him.

"Certainly seems so, yeah?" he gruffs out, eyes lowering to your chest as you look out the garden with a thoughtful smile and a nod.

"You know I'd thought of getting a tattoo before..." you say in a light-hearted way, glancing down at his hands. He lets out a sudden, high pitched scoff.

"Now why the hell would you go and mark up a gift from god like 'at?" the words blurt out, sounding like a disciplinary scold, his face turned up in an expression of pure confusion and perhaps even disgust at the suggestion. The red reaching his face as his clumsy and boarish delivery of the words hits him. Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the delivery of his opinion, you fight back a patronizing smile and choose to speak softly to counteract his knee-jerk reaction.

"Well," you say with a half smile, looking off to the side to nothing in particular. "I'm quite fond of them on men so I thought I would be fond of them on myself as well." you say with an entirely mischievous smile, he knows you've seen the crack in his calm facade in reaction to your feminine charms. You see his eyes, although skilled at not getting caught looking at you in ways he liked to pretend he didn't, grasping at the chances you give him consciously, and not, to look at you. In particular your breasts. Which were, in his defense, very distracting to a fan of the female form such as himself and in this corset nonetheless. The compliment isn't missed by his hungry mind as you watch his Adam's apple bob up and down.

"You don't need no further decoration, luv. Believe me." he recovers in a gruff tone, his head swiveling about and not meeting your eyes. You can't help but be endeared to his boyish behavior. Getting his feathers ruffled over you getting hurt so simply. His opening up to you, the fumbled words from his suppressed impulses your body sent his way; a big, grown man like him getting flustered over some cleavage was for possibly the first time in years you can recall, was something you found yourself getting turned on by. It seems you did have a soft spot for weak men, but the catch was, the weakness had to be you. ------------------------------------------------------------------============================================== It's another slow Saturday morning, Alfie sat in the study putting the papers away on his desk. He hears a high pitched squeal from you from the front door and he carries himself with a jog to the sound.

You've got your arms wrapped around Tommy's son, Charlie. He's on your hip and he's very weakly defending himself from your assault of kisses to his round little face. "How is Auntie's little gentleman? Look at you gettin' so big! I could eat those chubby cheeks right off your face!" you baby talk him enthusiastically, making 'nom' sounds and blowing raspberries on his face as he laughs and squirms. Tommy is closing the door behind him as Alfie rounds the corner, he's laughing quietly and smiling as Charlie tries to answer questions.

"Afternoon, Alfie." Tommy greets the man as he approaches, they share a mutual pat on the shoulder.

"It is." he gruffs out, looking at you as he speaks to Tommy. "Didn't know you were coming in today, mate."

"He's here on business and surprised me with this little man." you coo affectionately, bouncing the boy around.

"Well, I knew you'd want to see him. He likes driving around in the new car anyway." he shrugs slightly, hands in his pockets.

"Business, eh?" Alfie asks, looking back at Tommy.

"Don't be nosey, Alfie." you say, walking towards them both. "If you need to know, you'll know." you say with a non-threatening smile. You give Charlie one last smooch before handing him off to Aggie. "Shall we get the business over with so we can all enjoy each others company?" you suggest in a politely enthusiastic way. "I've got an adorable godson to spoil if you don't mind." you say matter of factly as you walk towards your office. ------------------- You're sitting on the front of your desk as Tommy speaks to you of a job proposition. A nouveau riche man, coat-tailing on a politician cousin has been throwing his weight around on the wrong people. Literally on girls that work for Tommy and figuratively with his drunken rants that begin with "Do you know who I am?". Tommy didn't go into specifics but he didn't have to.

"I had heard words spoken of the man but until the girls brought him to my attention I didn't think much of it. Once they told me what he had done to them, and rumored to have done to others, I knew you were the woman for the job."

That's all he'd had to say. He could ve lead with that and shook hands and been done honestly. Tommy knew a lot about you. He knew more about you than any other Shelby. More than Polly and even more than Arthur. After jobs in years past, you had spent the occasional very drunken night together talking. It'd all start with a drunken blurting out of something about Grace. You'd both be left raw and the stories just came tumbling out. As much of a pain in the arse he was, he had always kept your secrets. And of course, you'd kept his. So from these quiet confessions, you cathartically purged previous pain of your lives. Spoken into the flames of a dying fire, your pouring and drinking to kill that pain still very much alive.

Because of the nature of the stories told, he knew you preferred to take on jobs that required murder if you thought the person deserved it. Due to the nature of this man's crimes and your stories told, Tommy came to you when he found out a man causing trouble had harmed women because he knew you'd say yes. You had yet to fail him on a job and he was noticing that Alfie was also catching on to how much your allegiance was worth. This didn't bother him in the slightest, he honestly wanted to encourage it. The thought had crossed his mind more than once that if you and Solomons were to join forces, that would mean mutually assured loyalty of Solomons through your orders. He'd only ever known you to be, and frustratingly so at times, a loyal person to those you loved, and as much as you claimed not to like him, he couldn't help but think you counted him amongst those you were loyal to. He didn't see this as changing anytime soon, and you wouldn't let Alfie harm him if you had any control over it, and he suspects a woman like you would certainly have control over a lot of things in a relationship.

So this power hungry pig was known for his fondness of burlesque starlets. It would be easy to get him alone for the purpose of seduction. The man thought he was clever, thinking that dancers couldn't possibly be threats. He'd send his men away, except his driver who Tommy said he could have taken care of with no work needed on your behalf.

"And where will this be happening? You don't own a bar with a stage." you say, holding your hand out to ask for an explanation.

"That's why I wanted the meeting here and on a Saturday afternoon." he says with a subtle smug smile and you nod.

"You want to use Alfie's club," you state, lips pursed, looking at the door, wondering if the bugger was eavesdropping. "You want me to go grab him or ask him later?" you sigh out, swinging your head back towards Tommy.

"I'd actually like to speak to him alone first if you don't mind." he says in an indifferent way. You sigh and stand.

"If he'll speak of business on Shabbat." you say sarcastically with a closed mouth smile.

"He's not trying to sell you that holy routine is he?" he shakes his head, eyes rolling but an amused look on his face.

"No, but I do find his hypocrisy and blasphemy highly amusing." your chuckle shakes your shoulders as you leave the room to send Alfie in. ------- After being informed to the situation, the plan and the inquiry to use his club to do it Alfie sits back in your chair at your desk, hands on his stomach, shoulder hunched and brow low, clearly hesitant.

"I've kept the place quiet so far mate, best not mix things up right now. Not with the way the politicians are actin' skittish after our last job." he says, his face less tense but still unhappy.

"This man's cousin will not mind him gone. I'll clean it up. I just need a controlled environment." he offers, shrugging his shoulder. "Since Genevieve would be in a reasonable amount of danger with this rather large and strong man alone, I thought you might prefer to be around if anything did not go according to plan." he offers in a voice that is too still and calm to not make Alfie's eyes narrow at the man in offense to his assumptions of him.

A "Hmph." of consideration was the only response given to him for using you as a means to appeal to his emotions. He wasn't sure how he felt about the man's boldness to suggest he'd care about such a thing. Even if he was exactly correct in his presumption.

"If I know I can trust the owner of the establishment and the men in it, that lessens the probability that something will go awry significantly," he states with an easy going nod, presenting the attempt at persuasion and using you as a piece of the negotiation. "And we both know we can trust her, eh?" he offers, leaning forward with a nod of his head towards the door.

"You'll clean it up?" he asks, fingers tapping together in front of his face. "I just gotta give you a place for her to dance and 'ats it? You handle all the planning and dirty work?" he leans with his elbows on the desk.

"Every bit of it." he says convincingly.

"You got them political connections now, dontcha? Running for office and what not." he huffs out a laugh. "This a job for 'em?" he asks, tilting his head. "A favor among the aristocracy?" he lets out an amused breathy chuckle.

"Not exactly, no. It being at your club should bring no suspicion to you with the ends I have tied up." he says with a subtle purse to his lips, head tilting back at the man to show he wasn't backing down.

"So ya just use me place and ya payin' me? Is this what I'm to take away from this?" he asks, hands out in question.

"Yes, Alfie, that's what I'm offering." he states very matter-of-factly.

Alfie spits in his hand, Tommy follows suit as they move to open the door to include you in on the conversation.

Pt 24 Every So Often

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