❝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 ⋆⋅✧⋅⋆ (the cure)
𝐒hock encompassed her entire being, clouding her mind and blocking her from being able to process the image before her. It shouldn't have been real. Theodore stood at her door; his coat draped lazily over his shoulders, dark curls a tangled mess, and tie missing from his blouse that remained half-buttoned exposing the pale skin of his chest. The smell of liquor radiated off him in such strong waves it left a sting in Judith's nostrils as she breathed. The smell of crisp spring air was long gone, having been overpowered by him and if that wasn't an indication alone that he had been drinking all night, the bottle of wine in his hand sealed the deal.
"Theodore?" She asked, her own confusion twisting onto her features. It was much too late for him to just show up unannounced and if he was here for Amy, he had missed her by a few hours now. "What are you doing here?"
His brows were pulled together in confusion as he stared at Judith, his eyes unfocused as he examined her figure. His lips were stained red, pupils enlarged with intoxication. It were as though he was trying to depict whether she was a figment of his imagination or reality. Then his lips lifted in a familiar smile, one Judith hadn't seen since they were children. It was like she was suddenly sucked back into time and for the first moment in a long while, she didn't see Theodore before her. She saw Laurie. "Jude." Her name fell breathlessly from his lips, as though the word alone brought him an immense amount of joy.
The irregular kick to her heart was enough to pull her back into reality. It felt dangerous for her to leave her gaze on him too long. As though he would suddenly become an enigma so contagious that he would acquire the ability to strip away her thoughts and leave her heart in a fluttering desire for more. "I was with others," The words sounded slurred as they tumbled from his lips in his feeble explanation as to why he had shown up at her step. His eyes continued to search her face, his smile seeming to grow as he struggled to find his voice. "They left."
Judith scoffed at his poor excuse. Whether she wanted it or not, she knew what would happen next and the thought of it was enough to free her mind of whatever trance it was on the brink of slipping into. Annoyance replaced the jittery flutter of her heart as she stared blankly at him. "I can't imagine why," She sarcastically remarked. She couldn't send him away to stumble into danger. The nearest hotel was a fifteen-minute carriage ride from her childhood home and an even longer walk. Theodore was certainly in no right state of mind to trudge through the hike there and it was too late in the night for her to hail a carriage for him.
Cursing her heart for caring, she grabbed onto his arm and pulled him unsteadily into the threshold of the home. "Come." She encouraged at his reluctance to let her lead him. "It's too late for you to travel. You will sleep here."
