[ r ] Homecoming (Fiona & Lucien)

[Nuxaz]

When Fiona had found out that Lucien had returned to Destiny City, she was flooded with a mix of emotion. At the forefront of it all, was her happiness and then, her concern. She hadn't kept in contact with him after he had left for a variety of reasons but through Cordelia knew that he seemed happy and in the end, that had been all that matter.

And now he was back and she was almost overjoyed if it didn't mean that he was potentially putting himself right back in the thick of things.

But she had missed him and thought of him often enough that when she'd gotten the message, she'd asked if they could meet up, as Fiona and Lucien. It had taken some time to figure out when and where they could meet up, between whatever he had going on and her busy schedule but she'd made time in her schedule for it.

They'd picked a cafe, one that Fiona was familiar with and trusted, that had come up while he'd been gone and it was there that she waited for him in a large sweater and leggings, hair pulled into a ponytail, idly drawing concept sketches for her home project. Every time the door dinged open or closed, her head shot up and her blue and green eyes looked for the familiar face instinctively.

grymoire

 

[Nuxaz]

This time when the door dinged, Fiona saw the person she'd been waiting for and a smile blossomed across her face as she stood from her seat at the booth she'd acquired for their get together. The shop was small, but homey and few students populated the nearby tables, furiously working on whatever final prep they had.

She crossed the cafe easily, unable to help herself as she gave him a once over. Was his hair longer than the last time she'd seen him? She couldn't remember.

Stopping a few feet away she exhaled slowly, like too many things had come rushing towards her and she needed a breather. "Long time no see stranger," she said, fondness in her voice. It'd been years, but there he was. "Can I get you something?" She cocked her head towards the small line at the counter.

grymoire

 

[Nuxaz]

Time looked like it had served them both well and she felt herself relax after she finished her quiet examination of Lucien. They were the same height now, especially since Fiona was wearing boots rather than heels, and he looked as if being out of the city had been kind to him.

She was glad for it.

"Okay, let's get you some coffee," she said easily, stepping over to the line as she fished her phone-and-wallet combination out of the front pocket of her sweater. "Do you want something to eat too?" She had eaten a scone earlier as she'd waited, mostly because it calmed her nerves and she'd arrived far too early, afraid she'd miss him.

"So..." she paused, unsure of where to go from here. Too much time had passed and she didn't know what to expect anymore. "Done with school finally? It's - It's good to have you back Lucien," her voice was softer and when she said his name, she turned her cheek to face him. Even softer she said, "I missed you."

grymoire

 

[Nuxaz]

"I don't mind," she countered, shrugging as stepped forward with the line. "Yeah? What'd you get your masters in?" She asked, honestly interested and wanting to catch up on all the things she missed in his five years of absence. She herself hadn't finished school, but she didn't voice that. Not yet.

They could talk about her later.

"I could have tried harder to reach you," she said, taking what she felt was her fair share of the blame. "I left the city for a while too. Spent some time with my parents back in France, maybe a year or two after you moved?" It was hard for her to remember exact timelines anymore.

Especially when she considered the memories she experienced from both her past and a future she hoped no longer existed.

Finally it was their turn and she greeted the barista with a warm smile. "Just a grande nonfat vanilla latte for me and whatever he wants please."

grymoire

 

[Nuxaz]

The barista keyed in their order, writing on the cups carefully before telling Fiona the total, to which she slid them her card without pause. "I don't know much about that kind of history," she admitted, tucking hair behind her ear while she waited for her card to be returned to her.

Signing the receipt, and leaving a tip, Fiona nodded at the table that still had her sketchbook splayed across it. "I'm - I'm really proud of you, if that means anything." Because she was immensely proud that he'd decided to finish school and that he had.

"Staying in contact is hard," she offered, sliding her card back into it's rightful spot and stepping away from the register so that they could help the people behind them.

"When I was with my parents, I didn't keep in contact with anyone. Mostly because there was so much work to do and - " she hesitated, because a part of her was ashamed that she'd turned her back on DC at all. "I needed to figure myself out. Hard to do that sometimes when you've got history creeping over your shoulder. But, what matters is that we're here now and we can catch up."

grymoire

 

[Nuxaz]

"You went and got a degree while I took up my parent's business and switched majors. I think you're coming out on top Lucien." The good news was that while she had changed majors, to nursing, Fiona's previous major, entomology, had some of the same prerequisites so not all of her time had been wasted.

The switch had been for practical reasons, but the redhead knew that she'd enjoy the work. Especially if it meant saving her friend's lives in a pinch.

"Cordy means well," she said softly, looking down at the plastic lid of her coffee. The cup was warm in her hands and while she wasn't particularly cold, it was reassuring and welcomed. "She'll come around."

At least Fiona hoped she would.

"Yeah, the last year or so's been wild." It was hard to keep track of everything that had happened, what was still happening. "He's doing better, your friend. He's lucky he had Cordy." Fiona didn't know if she would have done the same thing if she'd been in the other woman's shoes.

"That's not even the craziest thing that's happened to me. The universe is a strange place Lucien."

grymoire

 

[Nuxaz]

Fiona regarded Lucien quietly, processing his words and the weight they might have held. She didn't know what she would have done in Cordelia's place, but it was likely the same course of action. Especially when she considered her overall campaigning for purification and the avenues she sought to develop for it.

"He deserved a second chance," she said quietly, eyes narrowing as she tried to gauge his reaction. "I knew him, before the whole club fiasco. He'd been wanting to change even then." Or at the very least, started to want from what she had gauged.

"Nursing. With all the disaster perpetually striking the city, I figured it was a good move."

grymoire

 

[Nuxaz]

For a while, Fiona was quiet, playing with the lid of her cup as she considered Lucien's words. "Have you seen him since you've been back?" That would be the first thing she needed to know before she tried to dive too deep into things.

"He's lost a lot of time, Lucien." Her voice was quiet, considerate. "Starting over isn't as easy as you're making it out to be." She didn't know first hand but she remembered enough of that messed up future to remember what had happened with Aaron.

"Nurse Fiona," she quipped back, offering a gentle smile. "I thought so. We need someone who can do medical work in a pinch. Why not me?"

grymoire