By the Bridge and One Crowded Hour (Mature) by dweomeroflight

[oceloty.livejournal.com]

Fandom: SPOOKS (MI-5)
Pairing: Ruth Evershed / Harry Pearce
Length: 2 shorts, 6000 words total
Author on LJ: dweomeroflight
Author Website: Fic masterlist

Why this must be read:

Series after series, Ruth and Harry would almost, but not quite, get together. What was it keeping Ruth and Harry apart? This duet of stories explores the idea that it wasn’t abductions, explosions, or bad timing, but Ruth and Harry themselves.

Both stories are AU for series 10 but reflect (and improve upon) all of the characterization that went it. One story shows how just one choice (on both of their parts) could have brought them together; the other shows the Ruth coming to terms with the road not taken. Both stories make Ruth and Harry’s fate seem inevitable and intrinsic to the characters.

Ruth and Harry might have been star-crossed, but the fault was not in the stars, but in themselves.

Excerpt:

She was the perfect housewife; watered the plants, played foolish games with Nico, gutted the scaly fish that she knew George brought home especially for her, opened the wine and polished the glasses, got down on hands and knees and scrubbed the villa tiles. George never knew how much effort it took to do even those things at first. In a land of sunshine, of paradise, she diagnosed herself with depression.

With each kiss on the cheek, each bear hug, each night spent in George's warm bed, things seemed better, happier, it felt less dangerous to feel joy and the depression passed. She would smile rueful smiles when she cooked dinner, drink a little too much wine when she was left alone for too long, but it was a life, a real life and in the end she had grown to love it.

By the Bridge

One Crowded Hour