A/n: Just finished rewatching the tv show for the first time after reading the books and there were some scenes in the last couple episodes that made my mouth drop just because they make so much more sense now that I know what happens later (no thanks to Netflix) so I guess it's good that I'm writing this one today. Even if I'm what four days behind now?
Anyway, I think we can all agree that there was no other fandom or idea I could have done this for given these prompts, so obviously this is going to be the Winkman scene from the show with plenty of Lockwood whump (hopefully idk how this will actually go lol).
They saw the young boy at the same time, but they both had very different reactions.
Her first instinct was to hide, which she did, but it was evident that there was something wrong with Lockwood's self-preservation skills because he did the absolute opposite and walked towards the child, forcing her to do nothing but watch it play out. If they were to be caught, it was better if only one of them was instead of both. And since she was apparently the only one with any kind of common sense, it would have to be Lockwood who would be caught, if he was, which she very much hoped he wasn't.
Luck didn't favour her, it seemed. Mere minutes later, she watched as Lockwood was dragged away by a madman's wife having been shocked with a cattle prod by the same woman. She waited until they were out of sight before she let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. The decision of what to do next was a difficult one, but she ended up continuing on her quest to find the mirror.
It had been going well, until that damned boy - Leopold if she remembered correctly - just had to come and lead his parents to her. The cattle prod had come back out and… actually, come to think of it, Lucy didn't remember much of what happened right after. Which did make sense as she had passed out for a bit, only to wake up to see Lockwood tied to a wooden chair, with who knew how much electricity being jolted through him.
They'd managed to get out of that situation mostly unscathed all things considered, by some miracle, but the second they were out of the building, and down another street, they slowed. Glancing beside her, she saw that Lockwood was breathing quite a bit harder than he should have been.
"Lockwood," she gasped out, her own breath coming in pants but because of the run. Lockwood, however, was in excellent shape and should not be struggling to breathe after such a short jog. "Lockwood, you okay? That was quite a nasty shock you seemed to have gotten there." She tried to keep her voice as calm as she could but her worry still managed to bleed through.
He didn't seem to notice. He didn't answer, just leaning against the wall beside them and gasping for air, not seeming to find it or be able to keep it in his lungs. She straightened up, properly concerned now. As much as she wanted to shout, tell him, "I can see the danger, it's written there in your eyes," and berate him about his death wish and what she'd not been supposed to hear back in that terrible room, she searched his eyes instead and only saw… nothing. Gone was the danger - for now, at least, since she was certain it'd be back - but in its place was just a distant, far off look that concerned her more than anything.
"Lockwood?" She asked again, still earning no response. "You in there? Or have you gone off with your common sense and basic self-preservation skills on their vacation too?"
She waited, the seconds ticking by but he just leaned his head back and closed his eyes instead of answering. It was something though, so she once again let it play out, wishing she just knew what was going on inside his head.
How had everything gone so wrong, so fast?
What had started as a simple meet-up with an informant had turned into a heist-gone-bad. Though he supposed he had no one else to blame but himself. Which only pissed him off more.
See, on a normal day, he'd have been all for it. A night of danger, and adventure, two things he lived for. Or… well, you know… the opposite. But problem was, this night was different. Why? Because of Lucy, of course.
So much had changed ever since Miss Lucy Carlyle had walked into their lives, including him. He'd known from the second she'd appeared at the entrance to the living room that she was different, not like any of the previous candidates for an assistant. There was something special about her, and now that he'd spent a little time with her, he came to know that he'd been right, in more ways than one. She was a great asset - meant in every good way possible - and a great addition to their little agency and family. Not only that, but she'd grown on him, and he'd found himself liking her more each day.
Having her here changed everything.
The old Lockwood wouldn't have cared at all about the dangers of going to get the mirror back from a dangerous relic dealer. He would have been all too ready to die in the attempt. It was just how he was, albeit for his own reasons. Reasons Lucy did not know, and reasons that Lucy turned upside down as she had almost everything else in his life.
The old Lockwood would have been happy to die, but the new one? The new one had someone else to look after now. And hadn't that been one of the reasons in the first place, that Lockwood had wanted to die? Letting someone in, letting them down?
When he'd been strapped to that chair, he'd assumed that Lucy had gone, made the smart decision and left him there. But she cared too much. She'd stayed, and apparently found where the mirror had been hidden too, but then she'd been captured and brought before him. Before that, it hadn't mattered if he'd lived, died, been tortured, or left to rot. Because she'd have been safe, and he'd have been dead.
Then Adelaide Winkman had tossed Lucy in front of him and complicated everything. He couldn't have died then anymore, because otherwise they might have hurt Lucy. He had to make sure she was okay before he died. The one thing he'd tried so hard to avoid; worrying about who'd be left if he died. He'd said things then, desperate things, all too willing to sacrifice himself.
Lucy wasn't supposed to hear those things. Lucy heard those things. Lucy was supposed to be safe and instead she'd saved him because she wouldn't just let him die. He supposed he should be grateful - and part of him was - but part of him… part of him hated it. Hated her. Because now he couldn't just die, she wouldn't let him, she didn't understand but he couldn't just tell her could he? Now he had someone who he'd unwillingly let in to his heart, and who he didn't want hurt by anyone and least of all himself by dying but it seemed that now he could hurt her by being alive too. There was no winning.
He loved her and he hated her for it. He wanted to live for her but he'd die for her.
It was all so confusing! And on top of it all, everything hurt! God, it hurt. That stupid electrical chair had hurt more than he liked to admit and he couldn't even deal with it right now because Lucy was here, looking at him all concerned for him, and they couldn't afford to do that in this moment in case Winkman came after them.
He just needed time to think. Time he didn't have. A few seconds of peace, a few seconds to catch his breath and he'd be fine. The brick behind his head was rough and cool and he tried to focus on that instead of the eyebrows on Lucy's face which were drawn together in worry, for him. He didn't deserve it, he didn't deserve her, but he had her. So he needed to protect her. She was too special - to him or otherwise - for him to let anything happen to her.
A shout sounded nearby. He opened his eyes, meeting Lucy's. Her eyebrows relaxed, her face now determined as she glanced back towards where the sound had come from. She must have seen the change in his eyes, and she acted accordingly.
The moment was over, and they were back on the run.
A/n: Somehow not as whumpy as my usual fics but still plenty of angst there. It's funny; I usually write whump quite well imo but the second I need to do it for an actual event-like thing, all my skills have escaped me.
Anyway, this would have taken place between them escaping and before Lucy confronts him about his death wish so it is not a replacement for that scene, just a bit of a precursor I suppose? Idk, take it however you wish though it would be slightly canon-divergent ig. Whatever. If you liked this, or you just like Lockwood angst in general, as soon as Whumptober is over (or maybe sometime during if I get the time and motivation) then expect a few more of these fics from me. I've got plenty of ideas from the books and the show ready to write so we'll see how it goes.
Until then, stay safe and see ya soon.
- CrowofArcadiaOaks
