❝There is a fine line between love and lust. So tell me, Theodore, on which side is it you stand?❞
- in which Judith Almeida falls helplessly for the one she proclaims to hate most
(Fem oc x Theodore Laurence)
(Little Women)
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𝐈'𝐋𝐋 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 ⋆⋅✧⋅⋆ (cold realities)
𝐉udith sat at the bay window in her bedroom, the rain pattering against the glass with a harsh thump as the water was forced to break its desired formation and spread in a disarray against the surface. Her head rested against the glass despite the cold chill of it against her skin. Her dark chestnut hair was matted and stuck to her cheeks under the wetness of her tears. Her eyes had been tinted red and her cheeks swollen. Her bottom lip trembled viciously, daring to collapse at any given moment and let free the thrashing cries of utter anguish behind it. Her body rocked back and forth as though it were charging up for some kind of explosion. Tears rolled down her cheeks in a steady stream, showing no signs of stopping as the ache within her heart increased to the point of no return.
She would not be able to stop what was coming.
A strangled sob pushed past her lips, the start of her breaking. Her mind screamed at her to stop. To suck it up and build walls around her aching heart. But this was too much too fast. The sob that had been sitting on the tip of her tongue all day suddenly erupted free. Anger and anguish coursed through her veins all in one with such ferocity it was all too much for her to handle. She cried gut-wrenching sobs so heavy that they shook her entire body. Her hands had bawled into fists and her nails dug into her skin as a way to try and get a grasp on her emotions but her efforts were futile as her entire heart was poured out for anyone to see.
Amy, who had just descended the stairs to meet her carriage waiting to take her to Fred's estate, overheard the wails of grief. The sound alone was enough to nearly bring her to tears but it was walking into Judith's room that made her eyes gloss over. She sat in darkness at her bay window, the only light being the glow of the full moon in the night's sky. Aunt March had long retired to her chambers leaving Amy to be the only person to tend to Judith's wounds.
"Jude?" Amy asked, a frown pulling heavily on her bottom lip as she stepped through the doorway and into the room. The sound of her sobs didn't let up, not even with the embarrassment of being seen in such a way. She was helpless to stop the tides from crashing over her even now. "Oh, Jude," Amy spoke sadly as she moved to sit on the edge of the ledge beside her. Her arms were quick to wrap around the brunette, pulling her from the window to rest her head on her shoulder instead. "What is it, my dear cousin?"
"She signed me off into marriage." She wailed, her body shaking with sobs as Amy gently rubbed her shoulder, her other hand grasping onto Judith's.
Shock encompassed Amy's features as she looked down at Judith's face. Her brown eyes had been sealed shut as she pressed her head into Amy's chest. "W-what?" The blonde asked, disbelief holding strong in her voice. She knew Aunt March wanted Judith to marry in a timely matter but she never would have expected this.
Amy felt the tears begin to well in her own eyes as Judith cried into her. Her hand smoothed her brown hair down as she kissed her forehead. "She signed me into marriage," Judith repeated, her voice sounding so broken. "I tried to be content but it was so hard. I-I can't fight anymore. I l-lost." Amy hugged her closer, unsure of what to say or do but knowing Judith appreciated her just being there to hold her as she cried. She wasn't sure how long she sat there but she didn't move even a hair until Judith's sobs quieted into small hiccups.
"It's going to be alright, Jude." Amy soothed as she lifted her hand to wipe the tears from the brunette's cheeks. "One day, everything will work out and you will be happy."
"I'm trapped, Amy." Judith's voice was barely above a whisper in fear it would break again.
Amy's frown only deepened, "I would feel the same way. You will learn to live with it and it will get better." She wished she could tell her something different but the reality they lived in defied all other options. It was by no means the answer Judith wanted, but it was one she had to hear.
"I don't want to," Judith pathetically protested. But her fight was over and she lost the great war.
"I know you don't," Regret laced the words as they fell from the blonde's lips, "But you will." She peeled her eyes open to meet Amy's somber gaze. "You are strong, Judith. You will overcome these wounds." She kissed her forehead once more as she smoothed down her hair.
"Are you going somewhere?" Judith asked when she noticed Amy was wearing her shawl. Guilt began to weigh on her heart for having kept her for so long. "I apologize for having kept you."
"Nonsense," Amy dismissed Judith's guilt with a firm shake of her head. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here."
Judith's frown pulled even heavier. "Don't toss away your fun for me."
"This is where I want to be. Right here with my best girl." Amy softly reassured as she hugged her even tighter.
But the brunette shook her head, "Go have your fun, Amy. You've already done what you can for me." Amy opened her mouth to protest but Judith sat up out of her embrace, mustering the best smile she could as she adjusted the strings of Amy's shawl to fit tightly to her once more.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Amy's eyebrows had been raised in questioning, her tone serious as she asked her question.
"Go," She confirmed with a nod. "I'll be okay. I promise."
Amy nodded before engulfing her in one final hug. "I will be back tomorrow." She said before pulling away, "Are you sure you..."
A small chuckle escaped Judith's lips at the blonde's stubbornness, "Go," she encouraged with a small push.
"Okay. Okay." Amy nodded before turning to leave she stopped in the doorway, sparing her one last glace before saying, "Remember what I said, Jude." And with that, she walked out of the room to make way for her carriage.
Judith spared one final glance out the window before wiping her wet cheeks. She forced herself onto her shaky feet and made her way to her desk where she lit a candle for light. She sat on the stool before it and grabbed a piece of parchment and her quill from one of the drawers. She would have to tell the others of her soon-to-be engagement though she would spare them all the horrid details surrounding it to spare them of her heartache. She wasn't sure how long she sat there writing to the members of the March family but she was down to her last letter, the one that would be sent to Jo when she heard a faint knock at the front door.
Her brows pinched together as she looked out of her room into the hallway. It was much too late for someone to be knocking on her door. The staff of the house had all retired for the night and the candlelights had all mostly been blown out. There shouldn't be anyone there unless Amy had forgotten something. Yes, Amy. It had to be her.
Judith rose from her desk and walked out of her room to the foyer where she stood before the door. She worked out a witty remark in her mind to say to the blonde before raising her hand to the silver handle, twisting it to reveal who stood on the other end. Though much to her surprise. It wasn't Amy at all. Her smile instantly dropped and her eyes widened in disbelief as she took in the dark figure before her.
