#im off to go write fic about it because i have Felings about these three

[brainrotallthewaydown1312]

I need to talk about this right here for a second.

When I first got into Lockwood and Co, it was cot3 propaganda that convinced me to actually watch it. Specifically, I saw a lot of people talking about the subtext and some people debating if there was some intentional coding. I knew very little about the show except that it was ghost detectives and that there were a lot of people talking about this polyship. And as I watched, I definitely saw it. I quickly got invested with the ship too, but I realized early on that it was not purposeful subtext. It was definitely there if you wanted to read it, but it hadn't been written in on purpose and it wasn't really canon. Which is okay. I don't need all my ships to be canon, and I really enjoy the dynamic the characters all have either way.

But then I got to the last episode. And listen. I'm ace and arospec. I am all for big professions of platonic love and platonic love saving the day. And I'm also all for multiple readings of everything being valid, especially when it comes to the readings of character relationships and dynamics. But the way the whole catacombs sequence plays out first with just Lucy and George and then with Lockwood when he gets there, I legitimately can't understand how to read that besides them being in romantic love.

First you have Lucy's speech. And this one I do like multiple readings for. I get seeing this as relating to romantic shipping, but to me, it feels like someone who is stating their love for someone and that love could be any context. But the way she does it is so important to me. She gets right at what he felt bad about and told him why it was wrong and asserted that he is important to her, and then reinforced it with logical context instead of more emotional details. Because he needs evidence to believe something, and she knows that about him. She knew exactly how to say it to him so he'd hear her.

For me, the next important thing for what I'm talking about is when George runs to her after she passes out from ghost visions. He is still bound, but he gets to her so quickly, and he gets so close to her. He is so desperate for her to be okay. The way he talks to her. The way he huddles into her space like he wants to scoop her up and hold her. How he says “it's me, I'm here” showing that what she had said sunk in because he wouldn't have thought that a comfort before and now he does. How when her eyes pop open, he visibly relaxes for a moment before remembering where they are. The way they huddle together, shielding themselves from the danger. There is something in all of that that just feels like there is something unexplored that they are finding between them. It feels like this is a moment where the stakes shifted from where they had been. Not higher or lower, but different.

This feels reinforced by the conversation they have when Bickerstaff is ghostlocking them. The way they both apologize. How desperately they both mean that apology. How they are accepting their fate, grateful to have their lives tangled together. How they are still so close together. Again, I can still see multiple readings for this bit.

But then Lockwood gets there.

And he saves them. Because of course he does. And he has his dramatic moment because he's Lockwood, and he can't get by without one. And this happens

The way they both run to him as he falls. The way he catches them. How they all slide together perfectly.

The way they crowd into him. The way George is crouched below Lockwood even when he falls. The way Lucy is purposeful but careful with his arm. How she leans into him and her hand on his stomach.

The way Lockwood is so defeated here but still looks at Lucy like she is his hope. How she says “we won't let you” not “I won't let you” or anything else. We won't let you.

The look on George's face. George's ragged breath and the way he is crouched against Lockwood. The way he is staring into Lockwood's soul.

The way Lucy looks at George here. The way she confirms the decision to make this a moment for all of them. The way George's eyes shift, but not away from Lockwood. The way his voice tears from his throat when he says “never.” The way he pushes up into Lockwood, trying to get even closer, even when they were already pressed together. The way Lockwood looks like he is accepting something new in this moment as he understands how much he is cared for by both of them.

I just don't understand how this could be read without the implication of that shift happening. All the other moments of subtext are passable with other reads. But something about this specific moment with the three of them on the ground in the catacombs. I don't know how this could be anything but them being in love and sort of each realizing for themselves the extent of that.

I think what makes it so difficult to wrap my head around other readings for this moment is watching George here. At his desperation and fear and the way he shoves into Lockwood at the end there. Because it's an obvious locklyle moment, but Lucy made the effort to include him. And he was ready to be included. And he was so desperate for them all to make it out so that it wasn't too late for him to realize he was loved too. And that little push really sells it for me.

And I know that it makes sense for the character beat that George is at and as follow up for the scene leading up to it between George and Lucy. But even with that context, it feels like this specific moment only makes sense if there is something non-platonic growing between all of them.

And like I said, I know that cot3 is not canon. And that it wasn't being written for in either the show or the books. And I'm okay with that. But I have no idea how to categorize this scene in my head knowing that, because I am incapable of seeing this scene any other way.