Hey guys! This is just a little one shot that MirrorSparkles1234 kind of inspired me to write (only I refused to tell her that because it's fun to make her suffer). Anyway, it's set just after the end of Monday's episode after Arthur finds Zosia drinking in Albie's.
Hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think! :P
"She - she adores you, and you knew that, but you did it anyway." Arthur picked up his broken figurine, leaving Jesse heavily thinking over his actions. Zosia was practically falling asleep against the door frame as the intense amount of alcohol she'd indulged began to take over her body, when her flatmate walked over to her, taking her gently by the arm and leading her caringly out of Albie's.
Arthur sat the very inebriated young woman down on the cool wooden bench, having to lean her weary body back against the bench as she threatened to topple over sideways into a bundle of sleep. Whilst keeping a hand on her shoulder he quickly managed to flag down a nearby taxi with his free arm and heaved her up on to her feet, with one hand around her wrist and the other arm tucked snuggly around her waist he guided her carefully up the step and into the back of the black cab. As he reeled off their address to the middle aged taxi driver he failed to notice Zosia curl her legs up to her chest, burying her head in her knees until he heard muffled and pained sob come from beside him.
"Oh…urm Zosia" Arthur addressed her cautiously, "are – are you ok?" His question was met with a sniffle from the emotionally drained woman and a muffled,
"I'm an idiot Arthur, I –" another painful sob was wrenched out of her and she collapsed into him, warm tears seeping through his shirt, soaking his skin.
"Hey shhh, you're not an idiot Zosh. It'll be ok, you don't need him." As the woman next to him continued to sob, completely distraught, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gently hugged her for the remainder of their journey.
On arriving back at their flat Zosia woke up feeling groggy and just wanting to curl up in bed for a week or two. Arthur gently supported her, holding her forearms, to help her out of the taxi and left her leaning, slightly off balance, against the wall of their porch-way. He turned back for a moment, just to pay the driver, but on turning back around he had to jump forward quickly to catch Zosia as she slipped sideways in a drunken, sleepy trance.
"Woops!" he exclaimed as he steadied his friend by her shoulders, "Come on, let's get you inside and sat down before you fall over."
Sitting Zosia carefully down on the sofa Arthur suggested, almost ordered
"you just sit there for a moment and urr – and I'll make you something to eat." Zosia clumsily curled her feet round onto the sofa and turned herself around to face the kitchen, mumbling,
"I don't want anything Arthur. Unless it's got vodka in it I just want to sleep." Arthur bit his lip, trying to decide the best course of action, he decided to text Dom.
'Dom, we've got a problem, can you get home soon? - A'
As he busied himself placing bread in the toaster and boiling the kettle he felt his phone vibrate in his breast pocket.
'On my way. Heard about Zosh from one of the nurses. Just try to sober her up. Be home soon - D'
As Arthur cautiously walked back through to the lounge, holding a tray containing two slices of toast, a cup of coffee and a huge bottle of water, he smiled to himself as he found Zosia curled up, asleep on the sofa.
"Zosia" he gently shook her shoulder after placing the tray quietly on the coffee table. "Look you urr – you can't sleep there, you need to sober up." Zosia groaned and turned around to face him, her face tear stained with tracks of black mascara. Arthur gently sat her up, supporting her with a hand on her shoulder, before handing her the steaming cup of coffee, "here, drink this. Be careful though it's – it's still quite hot…probably." Even in her drunken state Zosia smirked at the fellow junior doctor.
"Damn it!" Arthur suddenly exclaimed, coming to a sudden realisation. Zosia raised her eyebrow at him and her forehead creased as she shot him a confused look. "I left my limited edition Napoleon in the taxi" he sighed, "maybe I can phone some sort of lost and found or…do you remember which company it was?" Arthur turn to look at Zosia as she placed her cup down on the table, her brown eyes were brimming with tears "oh gosh, no of course you didn't sorry" Arthur babbled awkwardly, praying that Dom would come home soon.
"I'm sorry" she squeaked apologetically as a tear spilled over and slid down her soft face. Arthur then slowly sat down next to her and tried to comfort her,
"It's not your fault, how were you supposed to know I'd forget it?" At this she continued to cry more and through her tears explained
"No I mean – I mean for your Napoleon thing, you wouldn't have left it if it weren't for the fact you were looking after me. It – it wouldn't even have been broken if it weren't for –" She stopped suddenly as she looked at her flatmate, her eyes still swimming with tears. "Were you angry at me for going out with him?" she queried, unable to even say his name. Arthur went to open his mouth before she continued. "Of course you were, I mean – I – you thought we had something really special didn't you? You wanted the whole relationship thing… Arthur I'm so sorry, I don't mean to be so heartless, I just –" she stopped as emotion and alcohol overtook her mind again and she began to sob into her flatmate's arms.
"It's alright Zosia" he tried to calm her down, overthinking in his mind how to express his real feelings for this woman. Before he could say anything he was interrupted by the click of a key in the lock and the front door opening to reveal Dom looking slightly forlorn.
After an hour or so of Dom doing what he does best, giving Zosia a pep talk about how she 'doesn't need men', and the pair slowly sobering her up she began to drift off to sleep again in Dom's arms.
"Hey come on you" he encouraged, shaking her gently, "even with your figure, between me and Arthur we'd still have a bit of trouble carrying you to bed." She smiled sleepily at her friend as he pulled her into a sitting position and the pair, on either side of her, got her onto her feet.
Once they finally got her into bed and Dom was gently pulling the crisp white duvet over her exhausted body, she wearily reached her arm out towards the doorway where Arthur was stood awkwardly.
"Arthur" she mumbled "stay with me? Please don't go." After muttering and babbling his way through some half-assed excuse he was forcefully pulled into the room by Dom's arm and looked up to see him raising his eyebrows and winking at him. Dom smiled as Arthur sighed at his childlike behaviour before quickly leaving the room and cheekily saying,
"Night guys, don't stay up to long, you've got work tomorrow remember" and closing the door behind him.
Arthur stood awkwardly for a moment before Zosia shot him a look which he could only just make out in the dark, and he quickly and clumsily undressed before crawling into bed. She didn't hesitate to shuffle up closer to her colleague and rest her head drowsily on his shoulder, causing Arthur to instinctively lay his arm loosely across her hip.
"I really like you y'know Arthur Digby" she murmured quietly. He grinned to himself through the dark before replying
"I really like you too Dr March."