Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mr Birling was not amused. This Inspector 'Goole' if that was even his stupid name had stormed into HIS home and was now accusing HIM of causing the death of a girl he hadn't seen in years. He stood up straighter (because he was straight, definitely) trying to reinstate his authority he would not let this man cum in him get to him. He took a deep breath - he was powerful, he was rich, he could make this man his bitch - he knew the chief constable, they played golf together - HA now he could dominate this 'Goole', besides he had no evidence Mr Birling had anything to do with anything. The fool. (Even if he was a sexy one)

He cleared his throat ready to speak his mind but the Inspector shot him a look. A look that made him stop. A look that made him feel faint. HE knew, THE INSPECTOR knew. He felt bare - his deepest darkest desires had been cast into daylight. Goole knew he was gay, but he wasn't, he couldn't be, even if he wanted to, which of course he didn't (he told himself). The Inspector smirked at him. Birling sighed he had to pull himself together he could not back down - his family, his life, his business was at stake, he needed to get a grip - none of this homosexual nonsense. The next thing you know he would be as bad as those working class sex freaks.

Mr Birling cleared his throat, "How do you get on with our Chief Constable, Colonel Roberts?" Let's see how he can answer that, he thought triumphantly.  "I don't see much of him." Was the short reply. Birling glared at him but it was hard to stay angry for long when he saw Goole's beautiful eyes. "Perhaps I ought to warn you that he's an old friend of mine, and that I see him fairly frequently. Birling was smirking now. We play golf together up at the West Brumley." He held back a laugh now he had the bastard.

"I don't play golf."

Birling stopped - it was impossible - how could the man not play golf. It was very fortunate Goole was attractive otherwise Mr Birling would've gotten rid of him there and then. This was going to be a very long, and if Birling was lucky a very sexual, evening.

Chapter Text

Mrs Birling stood to the side watching her husband flirt obviously with this Inspector. She sighed it had been a long time since she and Arthur had been intimate. No, now was not the time for her maudlin self-pity. Besides it was disgusting, almost as bad as Gerald and that peasant piece of shit Eva. She coughed haughtily settling into her usual cold demeanour and walked straight through the double doors, right up to her husband. "Can I have a word?" She glared at the Inspector.

Mrs Birling dragged him into the kitchen, where she ran into Edna (the useless girl). "Fuck off Edna!" Arthur looked at her questioningly "What is wrong with you Sybil?" Mrs Birling exploded "YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT IS WRONG, YOU ARE WRONG WITH YOUR DISGUSTING WAYS. IT IS FOUL, WE ARE UPPER CLASS INDIVIDUALS AND YOU THINK IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO GO AROUND SEDUCING MEN?!" Mr Birling looked shocked, was it really that obvious he was gay?

A few moments later Goole appeared at the doorway looking rather amused. He smirked at Birling "It appears your wife has discovered our little secret." Mr Birling was panicked, you could see the homophobia crashing over him again, "I like men NO I MEAN I LIKE MEN! NO I MEAN WOMEN I DO NOT LIKE MEN!" Goole raised his eyebrows "The handjob you gave me in the dining room just a few minutes ago tells a different story." Both Mr and Mrs Birling turned red. Only Arthur blushed and Sybil turned an ugly blotchy furious red. "YOU CHEATING SON OF A WHORE, I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WEREN'T UPPER CLASS ENOUGH FOR THIS LIFE! I AM YOUR SOCIAL SUPERIOR!" Mrs Birling was screaming now, the Inspector still looked amused in that annoying slightly arousing way of his, thought Mr Birling - he knew he had made his decision.

Mr Birling took a deep breath, "Sybil for what feels like several hundred years we have been unhappily married and this evening I have come to realise that I have had enough of you, you cold hearted, ruthless and prejudiced bitch. I love this Goole in ways I have never loved you because I never loved you but thats beside the point." Mrs Birling death stared her now former husband, she had never despised anyone so deeply. Mr Birling continued, "I shall be leaving you, this stupid family and my business to pursue a life of passion. Goodbye you lousy fucker." Mrs Birling watched in horror as Mr Birling took the Inspectors hand. The two of them rode away into the sunset on the Inspector's horse (the horse was named Steve) to live a relatively short and unhappy life as homosexuality was still criminalised in 1912.

Chapter Text

Mrs Birling was still stood in the kitchen, she was struggling to cope with the events that had just happened, she had nothing to live for. Her husband had ran off with that prick the inspector and her reputation was utterly ruined, she might as well end it like that girl. She walked towards the cupboard where edna kept the disinfectant. She hoped it would be painful.

Chapter Text

Edna screamed. Mrs Birling was dead. "OH MY GOD!" Sheila burst into the kitchen and stopped, stunned by the sight of her mother dead on the floor. Her first impulse was to cry yet she wasn't really that sad at the news her mother had passed. She was actually rather amused.

That evening Sheila sat on the sofa in the living room staring off into space (as TVs were not to be sold for at least another decade) when she realised she was quite lonely. Eric was gone drinking again- of course- it was all he did these days. Suddenly she heard a small knock on the living room doors. "Yes, who is it," she called out, unfortunately she had never seen a horror movie before so didn't know this was generally seen as a bad idea. Edna entered cautiously, "Sorry to interrupt Ma'am but I was wondering if you'd like a glass of wine." Sheila stared at her blankly. "Edna." Her brain registered slowly. "Yes Ma'am?" Edna questioned "Are you all right Ma'am?" An idea occurred to Sheila quite out of the blue, "Would you join me Edna? For a glass of wine, I mean." God what would her mother say, she'd only been dead for a day and she was already defying her. "Of course Ma'am" Edna replied and sat down on the sofa across from her. "Please just call me Sheila, class doesn't seem to matter anymore, nothing really matters to me." Unknown to Sheila she had just quoted the ending lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody, yet unfortunately she would never know due to her dying before Queen became big. "Also" she continued hopefully, "You could sit next to me?" Edna walked silently across the room and sat awkwardly beside her, "Yes Ma-Mis-Erm I mean Sheila."

The two of them sat there in an awkward yet comfortable silence, Sheila glanced quickly at Edna and her heart rate increased, she looked away in confusion. What was this feeling, she had never felt this way with Gerald even at the best of times. She turned scarlet Edna was watching her curiously now, Jesus this was awkward. "Should I bring us some wine?" Edna asked breaking the silence. "Yes please" Sheila squeaked "oh fuck" she muttered. "Did you say something?" Edna asked turning around. "It's fine" was the only thing Sheila could think to say as Edna left the room. She was starting to think she had a crush on Edna. What would her mother have said.

"Fuckfuckfuck, oh fuck me" Sheila sighed, why did this have to happen to her. She leaned forwards putting her head in her hands "agggggghhh" she groaned, unfortunately this was the moment Edna decided to return. "Are you sure you're alright?" Edna looked quite concerned now. "Did you ever think my mother was a stone cold, fucking asshole who was to overprotective and obsessed about class?" Asked Sheila. Edna stared at her, was this a trap she wondered vaguely, she still couldn't trust Sheila (even if she was the best of the Birlings) she had seen how much influence her mother had over her. She decided to trust her this time, Sheila seemed upset enough to be able to handle it. "I think your mother was an interesting person." She began carefully. Edna began pouring the first bottle of wine into the glasses. Sheila began laughing hysterically and picked up an entire bottle. Edna opened her mouth to say something but quickly shut it in fear. "BAHAHAHAAHAHH" Sheila snorted, "My mother was a foul, cruel woman and you know it!" Sheila took a long swig from the bottle. "I think my mother died hating me." She said bluntly. Edna was pretty much lost for words at this point.

Chapter Text

A few hours later, Edna was on her second glass of wine and Sheila was on her second bottle. Edna watched in bemusement as Sheila rambled on about utter nonsense next to her. It was probably the most fun she had had in her life so far. Sheila hiccuped interrupting her drunken nonsense and looked strangely at Edna. "You know I... I'm in lo- I love you. I think..." Sheila slurred. Edna stared at her in disbelief, she had always been aware of her own feelings towards Sheila yet to think they may be reciprocated. No. It was impossible Sheila was drunk besides society, the class divide, homophobia none of it would allow it. "I think I should take you to bed." Edna said, "You're gonna need to sleep off that booze." Sheila stammered a reply as Edna took her slowly up the stairs.

When they finally reached Sheila's room where Edna helped her change clothes before half lifting her into the bed and turning to leave. "Wai- Wait stay with me... please?" Sheila asked hopefully. Edna sighed it was going to be a long night, she clambered slowly into bed with Sheila, a moment she had imagined very differently in her mind as Sheila giggled like a toddler up to mischief, wrapping her arms around Edna "I real- really love you." Sheila whispered, Edna pushed her lightly away, "You're drunk, you don't know what you're saying." But Sheila was already asleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Edna awoke to the most horrendous snoring she had ever heard. "Ugghhhhhh." She groaned, stretching her arms above her head. She momentarily forgot about Sheila and whacked her straight in the face. Sheila groaned, oh shit this was gonna be awkward.

Sheila sat up quickly, her head was pounding with the worst headache she'd had in her admittedly quite short life. She lay back down over wondering what had woken her up. That's ts when she rolled over and saw the horrified and slightly traumatised face of Edna. "What?" She croaked, "Edna?" Sheila gasped and fell backwards "Agh oh shit- What I- We SHIT!" Edna was still staring at her in fear clutching the duvet to herself, mouth opening and closing like an oversized attractive fish. Sheila composed herself nervously,"Did we er-" she began. "No no no, you were very drunk- and you wanted me to stay with you and you also said-" Edna paused and continued carefully, "You said some things to me that you didn't mean because you were very drunk obviously and-" Sheila cut her off "Oh God. Oh Shit." She covered her mouth with her hand. "What did I say?" Oh shit she was fucked, last night was coming back to her now as was the dawning realisation of what she could have said. "Erm you said that- that you were erm inlovewithme." Edna said quickly looking down embarrassed.

Sheila had never been so mortified she stood outside now, having left the situation upstairs as soon as possible, unfortunately that meant that she was left to her own thoughts. Thoughts that were currently telling her to jump off the M6 bridge - unrestricted by the fact it was not to be built for another 46 years.

She decided to go for a walk to try and rid herself of her hangover (this failed) and soon she was walking through the village of Brumley, what would the other residents say if they found out what she had confessed last night. As she walked past the cemetery she saw Eric and Gerald passed out together on the wall, looking as dead as the bodies inside the gates, her mother would be in there soon. She continued her walk with no destination, until she saw a flower stall up ahead. The stall was run by a young woman, evidently one of the lower classes, and was covered with beautiful roses. Sheila smiled a bunch of roses would make the perfect apology gift. She bought a bunch before realising the slight romantic undertones to her idea, she had to get over this lesbianism for goodness sake, there was no way Edna would feel the same as her.

She returned home, yet it seemed wrong to call it that, it was cold and uninviting and she had very few happy memories from that place. As she walked up the long winding path to the door she spotted Edna pruning the flowers ready for summer, she looked beautiful with the sun light shining on her hair. Edna glanced back slightly creeped out at Sheila's continuous gaze. Sheila shook herself out of it and strode quickly towards her suddenly embarrassed. "I bought you some flowers- to apologise for my erm actions last night." Sheila turned away which was unfortunate as she missed the gleeful look on Edna's face. The useless lesbians.

Chapter Text

After the awkward moment in the garden with Sheila, Edna had sprinted upstairs to her small attic bedroom to quickly stuff the flowers she had been given into a chipped glass vase, that had been kindly gifted to her a few christmases ago as an afterthought from Mrs Birling (RIP). She grinned it was obvious her feelings for Sheila were reciprocated yet Edna thought it would be more amusing to let Sheila struggle for a bit, especially if she was given even more gifts.

By 6pm that evening, it was obvious Sheila was trying to avoid her so Edna decided to make tea; she couldn't eat what she wanted just yet... She made lasagna.

Later, she knocked on Sheila's bedroom door "Yeah" Sheila grunted through her hangover. "I made lasagna. Do you want some?" Edna asked hopefully. The lock on the door clicked open with a click and Sheila stood before her. Sheila looked just like normal Sheila, only if normal Sheila had been dragged through a hedge backwards and hit over the head with a mallet. "Yes please" she said quietly. Edna brought her downstairs like she was helping her elderly grandma with dementia, only Edna didn't have a grandma because she was poor.

Sheila gasped as she walked into the dining room, it was decorated beautifully, THERE WAS EVEN A TABLE CLOTH, the roses she bought Edna stood proudly in the centre of the room and the lighting was pink and almost intimate, it was homelike.

As they sat down to eat, the tension between them seemed to dissipate - it was like they had been friends (more than friends) their whole lives. They chatted casually between each other speculating on where Gerald and Eric were, until Edna brought up the night before. "Sheila there was something I wanted to say to you." Edna started. "It's about last night..." Sheila ate a mouthful of lasagna staring down at the table. "I feel the same way." Edna concluded.