A small cafe in Paris, Monday Evening
A small, out of the way little cafe. Where the food was good, but not the best. That, or course, would change as soon as plates were set down in front of the pair. Perks of dinning with a retired Prince of Hell.
Lucifer sat back in his seat, eyes closed for a moment as he simply listened to the regular bustle of the city. So much noisier than Fandom, but still holding that peaceful quality.
Wilson had never been to Paris. Canada and England yes but not Paris and so he was looking around himself with eager curiosity. The age of the buildings all around them, the unique architecture, all of the history seemed to hold his rapt attention and he was more than content to enjoy the companionable quiet while studying the scenery around them.
"Enjoying the atmosphere?" Lucifer asked, a dry amusement coloring his voice as he raised an eyebrow at Wilson.
Turning his attention back towards his dinner companion, Wilson smiled and picked up the small bottle of sparkling water he'd ordered. "I've never been here before, it's interesting to see a city so much older than anything back in my own country. Fascinating to think about actually."
Lucifer glanced out at the city as well, not quite feeling the same sort of awe as the mortal. "Really? Perhaps a bit more travel would do you good."
"You mean besides trips to the Underworld, the Mansion of Silence, Lilim strongholds, sacred mounts and new creations?" Wilson said with a slight lift to one corner of his mouth.
"Well," Lucifer replied, smirking slightly. "I would hope such trips wouldn't spoil traveling to places in your own world."
Turning his head to look back out across the city, Wilson's expression fell into a certain somber pensiveness as he traced the line of a building across the street with his eyes.
"I think that was unavoidable from the minute I realized what Aziraphale was," he said quietly, eyes coming back to Lucifer. "Nothing's ever looked the same since and while sometimes I miss the blissful ignorance, I don't think I'd go back and change any of it."
Lucifer hummed thoughtfully, still looking out at the city. "Such knowledge shouldn't interfere with enjoying this all."
"I wouldn't say it interferes," Wilson said thoughtfully. "Just that it makes me look at it with different eyes than say that couple over there."
He nodded to a pair of obvious tourists who were chattering excitedly about what looked to be an upcoming visit to Notre Dame.
Glancing over at the pair, Lucifer looked them over, as if reading something about them. "They aren't so different from you. The light only becomes a problem if you allow it to."
"I imagine there will be times when it's a burden just as there will be times it's a joy, such is simply the nature of life," Wilson said after a moment's reflection. "Anyway, long story short, I've never been here but it is beautiful. Amazing to think of something man made being around for so long, having seen to much and it's all still here. Puts things into perspective."
Lucifer smiled, well the edges of his lips curled up slightly, which was the closest to a smile as he got in public. "I can only imagine so." He took a sip of wine and looked over Wilson closely. "It must be interesting to see things as such."
Turning his attention back to Lucifer, Wilson grinned softly and arched a playful eyebrow.
"I'm surprised you can't feel it," he said, since he realized he had to have been vibrating with a subdued sense of wonder and awe; an intense sense of curiosity and perhaps a certain wistfulness, a certain desire to just keep ... exploring, to not go back.
"It is quite a different thing," Lucifer replied, good humor not fading despite the slight sense of loss. "The feeling is a bit more detached."
"Well, I'd be happy to sit here and chat at you mentally but you usually swat me with a rolled up newspaper when I do that," Wilson said with good natured playfulness.
Lucifer gave him a look of mock offense, completely deadpan. "Well, perhaps if you did not act as if you were an excited puppy..."
There were perhaps lewd, inuendos he could have responded with but instead, Wilson fought back a laugh and turned on his best 'puppy eyes'. The expression he used to turn Phale into a pile of moldable angel goo when he wanted something from the Guardian. Not that he expected it to work with Lucifer, well ... not like he was using it for any reason, except for the fact that he gave good 'puppy eyes'.
Yes, Lucifer was quite sure it might work on others. Sadly, he just wasn't one of them.
"Do you have something in your eye?" He asked teasingly.
Wilson snorted lightly and turned off the 'puppy eye' charm. Laying his arms across one another on the table, he took a moment to enjoy Lucifer's teasing and then grinned.
"So, why the sudden desire to be here in Paris? Not that I'm complaining mind you, I wish we could stay for a bit."
Smiling still, Lucifer looked back out at the city. "I am going traveling soon."
Why did those words suddenly seem to cast a pall over the meal?
"Ah, going to be gone long? Do you need Phale to keep an eye on the Nest for you?"
"For me?" Lucifer asked. "Not long at all. But I dare say it might be long for you."
"I was afraid that was what you were going to say," Wilson said quietly, reaching once more for his sparkling water.
Lucifer looked down slightly, watching Wilson's movements. "My retirement has only just begun. I have yet more to see."
It shouldn't have been any sort of surprise, a part of Wilson had to niggle that he should have been expecting it. It just seemed as if time had been too short and that there was still so many things he'd wanted to share with Lucifer.
"Of course," Wilson said, turning the bottle gently in between his fingers. "When will you be leaving?"
With the bond still there... time was meaningless. "Very soon."
"Right then," Wilson said, swallowing and reaching to fiddle with his fork. After a moment, he took a breath and looked back out across the city. It had lost much of it's charm.
"You know, I always wondered why people insisted that Paris had the worst bathing facilities. I guess in buildings that narrow, you don't have much room for a bathroom."
"It's the sewers," Lucifer replied dryly.
"Ah," Wilson responded and then he ran out of conversational gambits for the moment.
"I have not brought you here with the intention of this being an unpleasant occasion, James." Lucifer told him, lifting his chin slightly as he watched the other.
Wilson blinked and tilted his head curiously at the Adversary for a moment, before he shifted the silverware at his place setting.
"You brought me here and told me you're leaving, Lucifer. It will take me a few moments to react to that news," he said softly.
Lucifer clucked his tongue disapprovingly, taking a sip of wine. "And yet you looked as though I said I was leaving forever."
"How can I know you're not?" Wilson said with a quirky little smile. "I mean, certainly it would not be forever for you, that is an immeasurable amount of time but time can be measured against the span of my existance and there is no way you or I know what that time will bring. So there can be no promise that it's not forever by that measuring stick."
Wilson shrugged gently and stopped fiddling with his silverware.
"In the mean time, I just take a moment to mourne and let go of all the things I was hoping to share with you this year. Aziraphale's 'birthday' the holidays ... teasing you about being so kind to me last year when we first met," which basically translated into getting to celebrate that anniversary. "I know I should not have been surprised but I guess I'd hoped there would be more time and ... I'm going to miss you."
There might have been the smallest bit of warmth felt over the bond, something similar to their encounter in the snow.
"And you will. Another time."
Wilson nodded, trying to bring his brain around to that sort of thinking. After all, he'd dealt with Phale leaving, a couple of times from a week to a year, this shouldn't be so hard.
But it wasn't easy either.
"So, what plans did you have for this evening?" Wilson asked.
"Plans?" Lucifer cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "I had not had anything particular in mind. Dinner, perhaps a stroll around the city..."
"A stroll would be nice," Wilson agreed, looking back out across the busy street and thinking it would be the best way to truly see Paris, rather than simply flocking to a variety of the normal tourist spots.
Standing up, Lucifer waved his head, causing the server to forget they were ever there. "Shall we?"
[[OOC: NFB due to distance. To be continued in the comments...]]
Lucifer sat back in his seat, eyes closed for a moment as he simply listened to the regular bustle of the city. So much noisier than Fandom, but still holding that peaceful quality.
Wilson had never been to Paris. Canada and England yes but not Paris and so he was looking around himself with eager curiosity. The age of the buildings all around them, the unique architecture, all of the history seemed to hold his rapt attention and he was more than content to enjoy the companionable quiet while studying the scenery around them.
"Enjoying the atmosphere?" Lucifer asked, a dry amusement coloring his voice as he raised an eyebrow at Wilson.
Turning his attention back towards his dinner companion, Wilson smiled and picked up the small bottle of sparkling water he'd ordered. "I've never been here before, it's interesting to see a city so much older than anything back in my own country. Fascinating to think about actually."
Lucifer glanced out at the city as well, not quite feeling the same sort of awe as the mortal. "Really? Perhaps a bit more travel would do you good."
"You mean besides trips to the Underworld, the Mansion of Silence, Lilim strongholds, sacred mounts and new creations?" Wilson said with a slight lift to one corner of his mouth.
"Well," Lucifer replied, smirking slightly. "I would hope such trips wouldn't spoil traveling to places in your own world."
Turning his head to look back out across the city, Wilson's expression fell into a certain somber pensiveness as he traced the line of a building across the street with his eyes.
"I think that was unavoidable from the minute I realized what Aziraphale was," he said quietly, eyes coming back to Lucifer. "Nothing's ever looked the same since and while sometimes I miss the blissful ignorance, I don't think I'd go back and change any of it."
Lucifer hummed thoughtfully, still looking out at the city. "Such knowledge shouldn't interfere with enjoying this all."
"I wouldn't say it interferes," Wilson said thoughtfully. "Just that it makes me look at it with different eyes than say that couple over there."
He nodded to a pair of obvious tourists who were chattering excitedly about what looked to be an upcoming visit to Notre Dame.
Glancing over at the pair, Lucifer looked them over, as if reading something about them. "They aren't so different from you. The light only becomes a problem if you allow it to."
"I imagine there will be times when it's a burden just as there will be times it's a joy, such is simply the nature of life," Wilson said after a moment's reflection. "Anyway, long story short, I've never been here but it is beautiful. Amazing to think of something man made being around for so long, having seen to much and it's all still here. Puts things into perspective."
Lucifer smiled, well the edges of his lips curled up slightly, which was the closest to a smile as he got in public. "I can only imagine so." He took a sip of wine and looked over Wilson closely. "It must be interesting to see things as such."
Turning his attention back to Lucifer, Wilson grinned softly and arched a playful eyebrow.
"I'm surprised you can't feel it," he said, since he realized he had to have been vibrating with a subdued sense of wonder and awe; an intense sense of curiosity and perhaps a certain wistfulness, a certain desire to just keep ... exploring, to not go back.
"It is quite a different thing," Lucifer replied, good humor not fading despite the slight sense of loss. "The feeling is a bit more detached."
"Well, I'd be happy to sit here and chat at you mentally but you usually swat me with a rolled up newspaper when I do that," Wilson said with good natured playfulness.
Lucifer gave him a look of mock offense, completely deadpan. "Well, perhaps if you did not act as if you were an excited puppy..."
There were perhaps lewd, inuendos he could have responded with but instead, Wilson fought back a laugh and turned on his best 'puppy eyes'. The expression he used to turn Phale into a pile of moldable angel goo when he wanted something from the Guardian. Not that he expected it to work with Lucifer, well ... not like he was using it for any reason, except for the fact that he gave good 'puppy eyes'.
Yes, Lucifer was quite sure it might work on others. Sadly, he just wasn't one of them.
"Do you have something in your eye?" He asked teasingly.
Wilson snorted lightly and turned off the 'puppy eye' charm. Laying his arms across one another on the table, he took a moment to enjoy Lucifer's teasing and then grinned.
"So, why the sudden desire to be here in Paris? Not that I'm complaining mind you, I wish we could stay for a bit."
Smiling still, Lucifer looked back out at the city. "I am going traveling soon."
Why did those words suddenly seem to cast a pall over the meal?
"Ah, going to be gone long? Do you need Phale to keep an eye on the Nest for you?"
"For me?" Lucifer asked. "Not long at all. But I dare say it might be long for you."
"I was afraid that was what you were going to say," Wilson said quietly, reaching once more for his sparkling water.
Lucifer looked down slightly, watching Wilson's movements. "My retirement has only just begun. I have yet more to see."
It shouldn't have been any sort of surprise, a part of Wilson had to niggle that he should have been expecting it. It just seemed as if time had been too short and that there was still so many things he'd wanted to share with Lucifer.
"Of course," Wilson said, turning the bottle gently in between his fingers. "When will you be leaving?"
With the bond still there... time was meaningless. "Very soon."
"Right then," Wilson said, swallowing and reaching to fiddle with his fork. After a moment, he took a breath and looked back out across the city. It had lost much of it's charm.
"You know, I always wondered why people insisted that Paris had the worst bathing facilities. I guess in buildings that narrow, you don't have much room for a bathroom."
"It's the sewers," Lucifer replied dryly.
"Ah," Wilson responded and then he ran out of conversational gambits for the moment.
"I have not brought you here with the intention of this being an unpleasant occasion, James." Lucifer told him, lifting his chin slightly as he watched the other.
Wilson blinked and tilted his head curiously at the Adversary for a moment, before he shifted the silverware at his place setting.
"You brought me here and told me you're leaving, Lucifer. It will take me a few moments to react to that news," he said softly.
Lucifer clucked his tongue disapprovingly, taking a sip of wine. "And yet you looked as though I said I was leaving forever."
"How can I know you're not?" Wilson said with a quirky little smile. "I mean, certainly it would not be forever for you, that is an immeasurable amount of time but time can be measured against the span of my existance and there is no way you or I know what that time will bring. So there can be no promise that it's not forever by that measuring stick."
Wilson shrugged gently and stopped fiddling with his silverware.
"In the mean time, I just take a moment to mourne and let go of all the things I was hoping to share with you this year. Aziraphale's 'birthday' the holidays ... teasing you about being so kind to me last year when we first met," which basically translated into getting to celebrate that anniversary. "I know I should not have been surprised but I guess I'd hoped there would be more time and ... I'm going to miss you."
There might have been the smallest bit of warmth felt over the bond, something similar to their encounter in the snow.
"And you will. Another time."
Wilson nodded, trying to bring his brain around to that sort of thinking. After all, he'd dealt with Phale leaving, a couple of times from a week to a year, this shouldn't be so hard.
But it wasn't easy either.
"So, what plans did you have for this evening?" Wilson asked.
"Plans?" Lucifer cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "I had not had anything particular in mind. Dinner, perhaps a stroll around the city..."
"A stroll would be nice," Wilson agreed, looking back out across the busy street and thinking it would be the best way to truly see Paris, rather than simply flocking to a variety of the normal tourist spots.
Standing up, Lucifer waved his head, causing the server to forget they were ever there. "Shall we?"
[[OOC: NFB due to distance. To be continued in the comments...]]