jumping forward | vic

[Deleted]

@victoire

janurary 2025

to say that teddy had been shocked when he'd read the words in the prophet, was an understatement. so vic had up and gotten married while, he read the words and did wonder for a second if it was a fake story. it did seem like it could be but there was really no way to tell. even though they'd gone their separate ways it hurt to think she'd married someone else to soon, just a little but he'd get over that. he could have easily left it alone but he didn't want to. from the words in the article it wasn't something that he felt vic would want in the papers, and why would she? he knew that people wanted to know details of their former minister or a member but they didn't really have the right to it. either way, he didn't think there was any harm in dropping in to see her, they were still friends after all. he left his place and arrived at hers not five minutes later, the paper still in his hand and a bottle of fire whiskey tucked under his arm. he knocked on the door and it was only a few moments after that it opened. "should i congratulate you? or commiserate with you?" he said as he held up the paper for her to see, just in case she hadn't already.

[Deleted]

Vic wasn't ready to talk to anyone about this. She had woken up to the news and panicked. Her and Jim had talked, sure, and they were going to fix this... but it was just a lot to take in right now. Especially since her team members had freaking destroyed a valuable artifact and she was still dealing with the stress of what to do with Dom, Andy and Finn after that. She was lying on her couch, Dom wasn't home - thank goodness, just brooding. She didn't do herself up today, which was rare for Victoire. When she heard a knock on the door she jumped so fast she almost smacked her knee against the coffee table. "One second!" she yelled, forcing herself to straighten up. Brushing her fingers through her hair, she opened the door. When she saw who it was and heard the immediate words that came out of his mouth... seeing the paper... she paled. "Ted-Teddy. Hey, Yeah, no. Come in," she stepped aside for him to enter.

Teddy had seen her in every level of distress so she didn't really care that she looked a little dead. In fact, he had seen her almost dead when she was sick last year. "No, it's... it was an accident and now it's everywhere," she sighed, shutting the door behind him. She bit on her lip, pursing them to the side for a moment as she studied his body language. "You're not happy."

@edward

[Deleted]

@victoire

janurary 2025

when the door opened, vic looked a mess. teddy wasn't surprised actually. he stepped through the door when she said for him to come in. it took everything in him not to drop the paper and the bottle and wrap her in his arms and hold her till she told him to let go. it's what he would have done when they were kids and more than likely a few days ago, but now she was married, he wasn't sure. he followed her eyes and her gaze and he looked down at the bottle in his hands but it was her words that snapped his gaze back to her. "hey no." he said, stepping forward so he could put what he was holding down on the nearest safe surface and he closed the gap between them, resting his hands on her upper arms lightly.

"if you're happy, i'm happy." he said, his focus on her face. that was the only truth that mattered in that moment. if vic was happy. he didn't care who she was with, so long as it was good for her, she was happy and she hadn't married a dick. it might have hurt him just a little but it was a pain he was more than willing to put up with for her. "are you okay? you look like hell." he said softly as he softened his face, concern showing through even though he was trying hard to hide it.

[Deleted]

He repeated her 'hey no' statement, which she thought was a joke for a moment, but his tone was confusing. He set down the bottle and resting his hands on her arms. But then he spoke that if she was happy he was happy, but she could see that look in his eyes... gods, she wanted nothing more than for their relationship to be simple for one minute. He asked if she was okay, saying she looked like hell. She shook her head, biting her lip a little, "i really like him, ted, I just... it's a weird circumstance. and now royal is all upset with me, more than he already was, and odette..." she shook her head again, "you look good," she said firmly. She let a small smile form on her face and moved her hands upward to clasp onto his elbows so they were holding each others arms, "i don't want you hurting too."

@edward

[Deleted]

@victoire

janurary 2025

his face softened a little when she said she really liked him. he could tell that she meant it. he'd spent years listening to her voice, looking into her eyes and getting to know her tones, the way her face looked and the way her eyes shone just slightly when she was telling the truth, even if she looked like she'd been dragged through the ringer. "if you like him, that's all that matters. you know that. royal and odette will come around ..." he said, thinking back to a simpler and somewhat happier time for them. "they love you too vic, you know they do."

he didn't know how upset they were, it had been a little while since he'd spoken to royal after everything and like everything else in his life he'd pulled back a little, trying to keep his focus on work so life was slightly easier. he felt her hands grasp his arms and he looked at her once more. "it's going to hurt a little... and maybe finding out from you and not in the paper might have helped slightly" he told her truthfully, mainly because he knew he couldn't lie to her, she'd seen straight through him. "but i mean it vic. if you're happy then i'm happy for you. got it?" he said as he squeezed her arms lightly.

[Deleted]

He said if she liked Jim that was all that mattered and that the others would come around. She nodded, frustrated still. "I know they do. And you know I love you," she said, knowing that she didn't have to specify what kind of love at this point. They had tried so many times and now their relationship was stronger than ever, sort of, and in a very different way than she had with anyone else.

He said that it would hurt a little, but that finding out from her first might have helped. "In my defense... I didn't find out... or rather, remember until the paper was posted," she admitted. She started to pull back on his arms, taking steps backward to bring him further inside. "What about you? What's going on?"

@edward

[Deleted]

@victoire

janurary 2025

he did know that. he'd always known that. even when they'd gone their seperate ways that love hadn't died. it had changed, shifted but it was still love none the less. she was still one of the first people he wanted to talk to when he felt down, one of the faces he wanted to see when he needed cheering up and one of the people he knew would always be there for him to lean on if he so needed. that's what their love was now and he didn't think he could live without it still. "do you think rita gets paid more if she writes articles that hurt us?" he said as he glanced down at the paper.

she'd written a few pieces about him and the people that he loved and no matter how thick you tried to make your skin, it still hurt. he moved with her when she pulled him forward, further into the house and he shrugged a little. "well i've suddenly found myself with a full bottle of whiskey and no one to drink it with?" he said with a small smile spreading onto his face. he did have a feeling this would be a conversation that went better with alcohol.

[Deleted]

He asked if Rita Skeeter got paid more to write articles that hurt and Vic chuckled, happy for the emotional release. "Yeah, yeah I do. Harry can attest to that," she agreed with a laugh. That made her head hurt, thinking about Harry... Teddy said he had a full bottle of whiskey and no one to share it with and Vic smiled, looking down at the paper and gently pulling it from his hands, if he'd let her. "I think that sound lovely. Put on that record we like," she half joked. She couldn't even count the nights they spent just being together. Listening to music, watching the stars, drinking, eating, relaxing... there was safety here, there always would be.

@edward

[Deleted]

@victoire

janurary 2025

he knew he'd made her feel slightly better when he heard her laugh. there was still a long way to go but it was a start. he couldn't remember an article that rita skeeter had written that hadn't left him angry or hurt. he knew it drew readers in but did they care about the people being written about? probably not. he released his grip on the paper as she pulled it from his hand, not wanting to hold onto it a moment longer. it had given him all the information he needed anyway.

"as you wish." he said softly with a soft smile, mavouvering around her carefully so he could go put on the song she was talking about. it had been one of their things, stretching out in the living room, listening to music and drinking and talking. since they'd been kids, he and vic could talk for hours about anything. it had been the bane of family get togethers but it had been a blessing through some pretty rough times. "this one?" he said as he set the bottle down on the table and put the music on, keeping it soft enough that they'd be able to talk over it, if she wanted to.

[Deleted]

"As you wish," he said, moving to turn on the music. "This one?" he asked, and she nodded. She instantly felt her entire body relax, which was kind of frustrating because... well, relaxing meant not holding back her emotions so tightly anymore. She felt her eyes fill with water a little and she closed her eyes and... laid down right on the floor. She closed her eyes, letting the soft music wash over her. A tear or two slid down the side of her face and she sighed, bringing her hands up to cover her eyes. "Do you ever feel like... everything is always completely fucked up and there's nothing that can be done to get things in order," it started out as a question but fell into a phrase instead. She shook her head slightly and reached a hand straight up into the air. "Where's that whiskey?"

@edward

[Deleted]

@victoire

janurary 2025

he heard the music start to play behind him and the familiar song did make him feel a little bit better. until he watched vic just .. seem to shut down and lay on the floor. he tilted his head slightly for a second before he grabbed the bottle of whiskey from where he'd put it and he crossed to where she was laying and he sat down next to her, crossing his legs and facing her head. he sat in line with her hips and he rested a hand on her thigh, just above her knee. "only every day." he said honestly. he didn't talk much about what he felt. he wasn't a very open person, he much preferred hearing about other people and what they were going through.

it was easier to give advice to people rather than receive it from people, it's not that he didn't want to listen, it's that he knew there were people out there that deserved the help more. but he'd always been able to let his guard down a little with vic. she was one of the few people he let see into him. he rubbed his hand down her leg in a comforting way before he put the bottle of whiskey into her outstretched hand. "right here."

[Deleted]

He sat next to her, which didn't surprise her at all. Everyone was always there to support her when she was a mess. And wasn't she always a mess? She used to be the most well put together person in the world... no, that was a lie. Even during that time she was secretly sleeping with Sebastian in between pining for Teddy, Royal, Odette. She was always a mess, she wasn't just getting worse and words at pretending. She felt his hand on her leg and that made her breathe a little easier. She nodded when he said 'only every day', but didn't respond right away.

He placed the whiskey in her hand and she opened her eyes, gripping it and propping herself up slightly on one elbow to take a swig at it. A bigger swig than one usually should take with whiskey. She looked over at Teddy and shrugged. "I hope we can be best friends, Ted. If that's too hard for you, I get it. But maybe someday." she set the whiskey down next to her and leaned forward to place her hand on top of his, "you know what I mean?"

@edward

[Deleted]

@victoire

janurary 2025

he watched her as she sat up to take a swig of the whiskey and though it was more of a gulp than a sip, he didn't judge her. he could never judge her, it would be hypocritical for one but he knew she was going through a lot. he could always tell when she needed a shoulder to lean on and he was always going to be there to offer her one.

"wait, you mean we're not?" he feigned a look of shock on his face before he smiled softly, leaning forward and he took her hand in his, holding onto it a little tighter than he normally would have. "i know what you mean." he said as he let her hand go and he rested his elbows down on his knees. "but you're stuck with me victoire weasley. sorry."

[Deleted]

She smirked at his 'wait, you mean we're not?' comment. Same old Teddy. He took her hand too and held it tightly, saying he knew what she meant. They separated their hands and she settled into her seat across from him. She feigned a sigh, "well, I guess there are worse people to be stuck with," she commented with a little laugh following. She took another, smaller sip, of her whiskey and laughed again, "here's to us, Vic and Teddy, Tedoire, if you will -- always being there for each other no matter what," she held up her glass.


@edward (let's wrap this up and do a new one!)