Settling on the couch he decided a video call was probably for the best, at least it was technically face to face that way, and after taking a deep breath started the call. He didn’t know if Cordy would be awake though it was late enough in the morning she should have been if she had taken the night of the first off to give herself a break from the holiday rush. Maybe it would be good if she didin’t answer though or maybe that was the nerves talking.
The first thing Luc would see when she answered was a pile of blankets that her phone slowly moved towards before she peered out from beneath them, blinking away sleep. Her hair was a mess, whisps and curls everywhere as they framed her face and fell across her pillow. Her nose wrinkled as she set the phone down for a moment and when she lifted it again she was wearing her glasses, eyes looking a bit more clear. “Luc? S’everything alright? What time is it?”
“Yea, everything’s fine. It’s almost eleven, didn’t think you’d actually still be in bed.” Mostly because he didn’t keep up with Cordy’s life enough to know what her actual sleep schedule was, if she even had one. “If you want to call back later you can.”
“No, it’s good. If it’s eleven I should have been up hours ago.” She made another face as she pushed herself up, rubbing her hand under her glasses to get a bit of sleep from her eyes. “Stars and stones…. I didn’t think I’d sleep that long. What can I do for you, Luc?”
“I figured after working on new years you’d have taken last night off. Trying to catch up on sleep or have you been out having fun?” He was teasing a little knowing it wasn’t likely she had done anything other than possibly go on patrol.
“Oh, yes, out at wild parties, drinking and making out with boys-- girls too.” Cordelia rolled her eyes as she slid out of bed, smoothing the oversized shirt she’d worn to sleep down while dragging the phone along with her to the kitchen to start water for tea. “I thought I told you that I’d sworn off parties, considering something awful happens each one I go to.”
“You might have been out with Fritz or out keeping an eye on things.” He shook his head, leaning back against the couch so he could reach his tea on the end table. “I did call for a reason though, and not just to bug you about your social habits. I … sort of need your help with something.”
She’d set her phone up on a stand so she could use both of her hands in the kitchen and had pondered asking Luc if he’d mind if she gave him a call right back when he brought up needing her help. Her brow furrowed as she glanced back at the phone after setting her tea canister down on the counter. “I thought you said everything was alright.”
“Everything is alright, promise.” Cordy always worried so he probably should have worded that better. “I sort of …” Reaching up he ran a hand through his hair, not that it helped his nerves any. “I sort of accidentally and then intentionally asked Arin to marry me on new years so i have to plan a wedding and I have no idea what i’m doing.” Everything came out in a rush and he hoped Cordy heard him because he didn’t want to repeat himself.
“You sort of-- what?” She stared at her cousin through the screen of her phone, eyes wide as she processed what he’d just said. “How do you accidentally ask someone to marry you? And then you…. Wait. You’re engaged? He said yes?” She went through a range of emotions from confused to delighted that the two men had figured things out to the point that they were both willing to make that kind of a commitment to each other. “You can’t just talk about this sort of thing over the phone, Luc. Are you coming over for breakfast? Brunch?”
“I at least did a video call instead of just calling you?” She had to give him some points for that at least. “I called him a house husband accidentally and it just sort of snowballed from there and he said he’d say yes if i asked him so I asked him. So yes, we’re engaged.” It still felt almost surreal to actually say it even with a couple days for it all to sink in. “I had breakfast before Arin left to deal with some stuff at school, said it would take a couple hours. So if you have to have me actually in front of you i could do lunchish brunch.”
“I’m afraid that I’m going to insist. It’s hard to make faces at you over the phone while trying to figure out what to eat now that I’ve realized just how late in the morning it is.” A light smirk played across Cordelia’s lips. “See you in about thirty?”
“Fine, yes.” He shook his head slightly. He should have known Cordy would insist but he’d hoped there would be a chance she might not if he did the video call. “Just have to put actual clothes on and tell Arin where I am.”
“You can leave the apartment in your pajamas if it’s not too cold out.” Her smirk broadened. “I”ll make some tea for you in the meantime. See you soon, Luc.” Without giving him a chance to argue or respond she ended the call so she could go about her usual morning routine before throwing on something more than what she’d slept in.
He gave a half hearted glare at the phone when the call ended before pulling himself up off the couch. Heading back into hs and Arin’s room he pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater, not trusting it to not still be too cold, and sent a text to his lover while he was putting on his shoes.
[ text to arin: ] going to see Cordy. She wont let me tell her about our engagement over a videocall.
Once he was dressed and had his things he headed out knowing he could walk to Cordy’s quick enough.
By then she’d gotten cleaned up, throwing on a pair of leggings and a large, loose sweater before seeing to what she could toss together for a ‘brunch-lunch’. She started with cutting up fruit, figuring she could ask Luc for his opinion on some other things once he made it there to join her.
It took him a bit less than a half hour to make it to Cordy’s place and once he rubbed a bit of warmth back into his hands he knocked. He had a key to her place for emergencies but didn’t think it was right to use it unless it was actually an emergency.
She stopped what she was doing in the kitchen, popping a grape past her lips before heading to open the door. She shook her head as she ushered Luc inside. “You know I wouldn’t fuss about you letting yourself in when you’re expected.”
“You would when I eventually forget and just do it and interrupt something.” He grinned as he slid inside, taking off his shoes so he didn’t track old snow and dirt inside. “It’s also colder outside than it looks which probably means it’s going to snow again.”
“LIke what? An episode of television or quiet reading time?” Her brow quirked as she resisted the urge to snort, gesturing for where Luc could hang his coat up like he needed to be told. “Good for you tea’s still warm, then, hm? I’ve also cut up some fruit to nibble on while we discuss lunch options and you can tell me about the engagement while I cook.”
“One day I’m going to come over unannounced when you have Fritz over and you’re going to get annoyed. Even if it takes until we’re forty.” He grinned as he put his coat up and headed into the kitchen with his cousin. “There really isn’t much else to tell you about it other than what I said.” He snagged a piece of mellon before popping it in his mouth.
“Friends, Luc. We’re just friends.” Cordelia shook her head, holding a cup filled with tea out to her cousin so that he could doctor it up to his own preferences with honey, cream or sugar. It didn’t matter how absolutely in love she was with Fritz St James, as long as she still had his friendship that was all that mattered.
“Besides, we aren’t talking about me. We’re talking about you and the fact that you proposed to your boyfriend of how many months? On New Years, of all days?” A lightly teasing tone was in her voice as she redirected the conversation. “Sandwiches, crepes…. Or should I see if there’s still a quiche in the freezer?”
He shook his head while he got his tea sorted, putting a bit of honey and cream into it before taking a sip. He knew they were ‘friends’ but also could tell they both liked each other, probably everyone could. But he also knew both of them had things to work through first so they’d get to wherever they were going eventually. “Not enough months but a whole other lifetime so it counts and I said it was an accident at first, and no i wasn’t drunk, crepes sound best but take effort so maybe a quiche if you’ve got one?”
“I wouldn’t think you’d do something like that-- not while drunk. Neither of you drink all that much.” None of them did. It would have been too busy to fall into a pit in an attempt to escape and never find their way back if they did. “You accidentally proposed to your soulmate and now you’re actually engaged?” She teased him softly as she opened the freezer to dig around.
“Something like that.” He laughed softly, shaking his head before taking a sip of his tea. “We don’t have rings or anything, because it sort of just happened, but we’re actually engaged now. I always thought you’d be the one getting married first.”
When they were younger she would have agreed with him. She wouldn’t have put together a wedding book, or anything over the top like that, but she’d thought a bit about what kind of dress she might wear-- what type of person she might be with. Cordelia had assumed that it would have been for connections of some sort more than love, but that had been so long ago.
“I don’t think that sort of thing is in the stars for me, but I am happy for you and Arin.” She reached over to take hold of her cousin’s wrist after making sure the oven was preheating. “I’m glad the two of you found each other.”
“Never know Cordy. Could just be that it’ll take a while or you’ll find your own brand of happiness.” Having what he did with Arin wasn’t something he’d ever thought he would have. Not that he’d change it for the world but it was unexpected. “I’m glad I found him too. Glad you found him first so I could.”
“Can’t miss something I’m not looking for, right?” Her brow quirked as she directed her gaze to Luc. “And I wasn’t just going to keep letting a friend of ours make bad choices. Best thing he could’ve done was move in with you.” She grinned. “But now you’ve got things to plan, yeah?”
“I wasn’t looking for anything either and look what it got me?” It had been better to sort of just stumble into what they had anyway. “I've been trying not to think about planning things all morning. For all that I usually do wedding photos i have no idea how to actually plan one.”
“Knowing the two of you? You do something simple-- small guest list, favorite foods, soft music. Nothing over the top. I can’t imagine the two of you at the sort of wedding my mother’s parents would have planned.” She smirked, stepping away so she could get her own cup of tea.
“Yea I’d prefer something small. Less chance of something happening.” Everyone knew big parties in Destiny City had a habit of getting crashed no matter how many precautions you made.
“The best way to keep someone from crashing a party is to have it where no-one else can go, you know. It would be easy enough to tell my parents that you decided to elope if you wanted to have the wedding at one of our other homes…”
“None of us are ordained and how could we even get that many up there?” He didn’t know what the limit for taking that many people with them would be. Since either he or Arin would have to do it. “Plus can’t really get a photographer, catering or music up there.” He grinned.
“I’d have to ask Fritz. I know he ferried a number of people up there when we were all exploring the library. Maybe the Cosmos makes exceptions for special events?” A soft smirk touched her lips as she leaned back against the counter, taking a small sip from her own cup of tea. “Photographer might be difficult to explain, but… I think Arin knows a DJ, doesn’t he?”
“He might, I’m not sure.” He took another sip of his tea before setting down the cup for a moment. “Plus we haven’t even decided if we’re getting married on the beach. We haven’t decided anything other than we’re getting married.”
“Deciding to tie the knot in general is an important first step before planning anything else.” She laughed, setting her cup of tea down so that she could move around the kitchen again, placing the quiche in the oven and setting the timer once the oven was preheated. “Would you like the fruit over there to snack on?”
“You know if you had asked me a few years ago if I ever thought I’d get married I probably would have laughed at you. And yes fruit.” He ran a hand through his hair again, tipping his head up to look at the ceiling for a moment. “All the wedding photography I do and I’d have never really thought I’d be on the other side of it.”
“You say all of that like you really think you and Arin are going to have a typical wedding.” The conversation flowed easily between the two of them and it was easy enough to pick up the traces of amusement lingering in the tones of her voice. “Not saying you can’t have that if that’s what you want, but you’ve never been much for crowds or too much attention. Recitals were more than enough people with eyes on you.”
“No I’m sure we’ll both prefer something small though I still might require it being something formal just so I can see Arin in a suit.” He still didn’t know much of what he wanted out of the wedding but he knew he wanted their ‘family’ there at least.
“Well, once you figure it out I’m sure my parents would be willing to help out with the cost of things. I know I’ve been doing what I can to keep distant from them, but…” She wasn’t sure her mother would actually forgive either she or Lucien if they didn’t let them help.
“But if we don’t tell them they’ll likely never forgive me or you.” He knew that enough to know that even if they didn’t come to the wedding they would want to know it was happening. “Not that I think they’ll really believe it but.” He grinned, picking up a piece of fruit to pop in his mouth.
“They will if there are photos, which you just seemed to say there would be since you mentioned being on the other side of wedding photography.” It would be interesting to see just how picky Luc would be about that, or whether or not he had any ideas for which one of his competitors he might be interested in hitting up for the task. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think I could picture you in white-- easy enough to imagine Arin that way, though.”
“That’s cause he already dresses up in white half the time so he’s practically there. Not sure he’d want to for this though. Might both be in black?” That was something else he’d have to talk to Arin about. Weddings really did have too many details. “I don’t think I’d want to not have pictures. Even if we didn’t do them on the actual day and just did some staged ones.”
“Something the two of you are going to have to talk about. Should I get a notebook so we can start jotting things down?” Her tone was teasing, but she could very easily get a notebook off of the coffee table. “You’re alright with this, though? No shock? No second thoughts?”
“I don’t think I need a notebook just yet but that’ll probably be a thing.” At least it would be if they wanted to keep everything organized and straightened out. “Little bit of shock but I think that’s mostly the fact that he said yes. I know Arin’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
“So you’re surprised he said ‘yes’?” She leaned back against the counter, holding her tea in her hands before taking another sip. “I don’t know why. It’s pretty obvious that he’s head over heels in love with you.”
“Because I still can’t believe he’s head over heels for me either sometimes? I’m not exactly the sort of person who someone’s supposed to fall for.” Even if Arin argued with him every time about that it was still hard to get over sometimes.
“I think you’re too hard on yourself, Luc, especially since Arin’s had a thing for you in both parts of his life here in Destiny City.” Sometimes she envied Luc that. There had been one constant thing in his life since the start of this all; something, someone, to judge just how far he’d come along with how far they’d come together.
No matter the motions, it didn’t stop her from being overjoyed for her cousin that he’d had that as well. He’d lost enough in his life early on that it had hardened him against a lot of the smaller joys she’d gotten to enjoy. It was good to see him able to take pleasure in things now.
“It’s still weird to think he had a thing for me when we were in school too given how not nice I was to him sometimes.” He and Rik had been friends, but like all of his other friends at the time it was a in a very loose sense of the word. The fact that Arin still liked him after everything he’d done was a blessing he’d thank the stars for. “And I wouldn’t have any of this if you hadn’t saved him and asked me to come back.”
“Because you were hopeless and he was a lost cause and those two things tend to go hand in hand with one another.” Cordelia smirked as she stepped away from the counter, turning so she could catch a glimpse of the timer she’d set on the stove. “You were also kind of cute for a gangly nerd.”
“I looked like I was a preteen, hell people still think I’m in highschool half the time.” It wasn’t fair at all that he hadn’t really ever grown out of his ‘baby face’. Everyone else seemed to think it was great. “Also are you sure I’m not still a lost cause?”
“Well, you might still be a lost cause, but maybe not the same kind as you used to be, Lucy.” She was grinning as she snagged a pot holder to get the quiche out of the oven, checking it before setting it on top of the stove to cool slightly.
“You know I hate it when you call me that.” He rolled his eyes before finishing off his tea. He filled the mug again so he could heat it in the microwave for another cup while she got out breakfast.
“You know I hardly ever call you that anymore.” She made a point to not call him that whenever anyone else was around, at the very least, and she tried to make it a point to only do so with good nature. “Would you like a bit of salad to go along with the quiche?”
“No thanks, I think the quiche and the fruit will be good.” He dropped a tea bag into hsi mug before taking it over to the table. “You usually only call me Lucy when you’re trying to nicely poke fun at me.”
“As opposed to calling you Lucy to be a playground nightmare, since we’re not seven anymore?” She laughed, shaking her head as she reached for a knife to cut two slices from the quiche. She plated it for each of them before bringing it to the table along with two forks. “Basic brunch is served.”
“You did like to be a nightmare when we were seven if I recall.” He smiled as he took his plate with a quiet thank you. The quiche smelled delicious and he was looking forward to digging in. Breakfast had been pretty early so something between then and when Arin had time for lunch was good.
“I was a princess. Honestly, though, from the memories I’ve had of times long past, I don’t think I was much different this time around as a seven year old as I was back then.” Cordelia snorted softly, picking up her fork to dig into her breakfast.
“Princess who was going to do whatever she wanted and anyone else's opinions be damned?” He grinned before popping a bite of the quiche into his mouth. “You might have to give me the recipe for this. Don’t think I have one for a quiche quite like this.”
“It’s from one of the grocery stores, actually. I’ve picked up a few things that are easier to toss together, or just into the oven, last minute.” She waved her fork in the direction of the oven for emphasis, ignoring the commentary about their childhood (past and present) for the time being. “I can let you know where I got it, at least.”
“Would be useful. With Arin starting classes again it will be nice to have something we can throw together quickly in the morning.” Sometimes dragging themselves out of bed was a bit harder just given how comfortable it could be. Usually they could throw something together but premade things that actually tasted good were worth it.
“YOu mean you’ve managed to get him to do something for breakfast in the morning that doesn’t involve a blender?” Her brow quirked. “I thought he was king of the protein smoothies.”
“If he’s making breakfast it’s pretty much protein smoothies or shakes. But if I cook or we’re both up we’ll make a proper breakfast.” If there were things that could be heated up easily arin might be more willing to make a proper breakfast more often.
“Good to know he hasn’t changed that much after moving in with you.” She smirked before finally focusing some of her attention on the food in front of her.
“I do have to admit he makes good smoothies either way.” He grinned, picking up his tea. He hadn’t intended on spending the late morning with Cordy but it was good to see his cousin and better when there wasn’t something else going on that brought them together.
They chatted idly over brunch and she managed to drag a bit more information out of him about New Years and the proposal, reassuring him along the way that nothing about the wedding itself had to be more complicated than either he or Arin actually wanted it to be. They had time to plan it, at the very least. Some people stayed engaged for months, others years before they jumped into the ceremony. One thing they had an abundance of, while also having not enough at all, was time.
skye starrfyre
