Easier said than done

LOCATION | the house
DATE | 4th of May
TIME | Afternoon
ATTIRE | Link
TOPIC FOR | @Lucas xx
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She wasn't even sure how she was feeling nor how she should field. A huge part of her had longed to get back to the OR and do something productive. But Ash had more or less told her that she needed to stay home till things had settled a little. Now Zoe, her grandmother had been around the last three days. Lucas she knew had a hard time making sure everything was running smoothly a the academy, and then with the fact that Victoria had split from Rafael a month ago by now and how hard it had been on Rafael - but also just weird how Victoria had taken a change of heart - both quit her job at the academy and started working for River Turner at the casino, it seemed weird - but anyways, this was also one of the reasons she hadn't yet called Lucas by this soul shattering event that had happened with Mono dying. Also because she knew he had been out on a weekend with his little sister - so she wasn't going to ruin that either. But she had texted him if he would come home earlier, feeling a bit selfish for doing so, knowing Noa needed to spend time with Lucas too. But she just couldn't be in it anymore and she needed him. Even if spending time with her grandmother had been nice, she just wanted her boyfriend home.

Waiting she was sitting on the couch petting Ramsay, Mono's cat that she had been over getting from his apartment before someone would take him away. Making sure to have at least one thing of Mono's she could take care off. The cat however jumped down the second the door opened, and she herself got up from up from her seat. She didn't know if he knew, if Victoria had called and told him, she assumed she knew - but couldn't really be sure. But no matter how strong she wanted to be, the second she looked into her eyes the tears just started running over.

The months since Christmas seemed to have gone by in quite the blur and Lucas felt as though¬ the world moved past him a lot quicker than what he had been able to process. He had simply had to hold on for dear life and let it move.
Moments that he in hindsight should have been more present through or paid better attention to had passed their glory or their sadness without him as his world had shrunk to the walls and halls of the academy. It was a somewhat new world that had opened to him along with the secrets of the ancient building and the heavy responsibility of the many hundreds of students that had enrolled for guidance. Many things needed to change, and the biggest one yet had been a swift change of leadership that had taken a heavy toll on his energy and enthusiasm; so many things that did not work how he wanted it to and the frustration of a constantly fluctuating staff number had slowly but surely run him out on a track of overworking and overpromising. Something he had woken up on the sunny morning of Easter Sunday and wanted to change.
A weekend with his sister had been sincerely needed but it had also made him realize how many other things he in reality needed to do. There was always so much, and he always felt behind. He hadn’t heard from Vic since the breakup and had spent a few extra precious moments with Raf – a reconnection he had sincerely appreciated although stemming from a dark place of heartbreak. Jack seemed to constantly be either busy or simply away too and Cecilia and himself were too busy trying to change the world for the better, to actually catch up.

Luke didn’t like being away from her in general, he had admitted to both himself and his friends more than once. Cecilia had an innate and inherent way of magnetically attracting trouble. Bigger trouble than what Luke could usually mentally deal with, quite frankly. Archangels, Siphoners, disappearances and kidnappings and curses and visions and transformations. It had somewhat rooted a permanent fear for things happening when he wasn’t there, so he had needed no further word than Cecilia’s somewhat uncharacteristical message asking him to come home early. He had simply not hesitated. Nothing in the message had seemed desperate but it had seemed an odd request from his girlfriend, who had seemed excited for him and his trip away. Hit stomach had felt heavy all the way back home but as soon as he saw the dim lights of the living room being on, the normality and feeling of home, loosened the tightness slightly.
He slowly closed the door behind himself, ready to call out her name when the movement of her standing up from the sofa instead made his lips flicker in a small, relieved smile. A small shadow of an animal jumped down and rushed towards him and along with it, the pleasant smell of cat. “Oh, hello Rams,” he greeted cheerfully, the small smile widening considerably as the cat welcomed him with a loud purr, wrapping its tail around his leg. “Hey, Chicken! Cat sitting for Mono, are we?” He muttered with a gentle chuckle before raising his eyes from the floor to –
A puffy, tearful face. The wide smile froze instantly with his entire body for a short second before he managed to shake the surprise off and take a quick few steps towards the now-homely scent of werewolf. His hand automatically reached for the side of her face, gently wrapping around her neck and behind her ear. “Are you hurt?” Worry shot through him as he sent neurological signals through her body, speed-checking that everything was normal and that she was not physically hurt. “Hey-hey, what’s happening, huh?” His voice had turned warm and gentle and hopefully projected a little safety.

Even if Zoe had managed to get her a little outside a few minutes or for a small drive, she had felt stuck in the circle of her own mind driving her insane. Because who would Cecilia be if she didn't go over every possible way this could have been avoided? And after being turned to a werewolf it was like her powers had simply just vanished, so with that she was angry at herself for no longer being able to predict the future - to not have known this would happen so she could have stopped it. Cecilia blinked a few tears eyes while shaking her head a little bit when he asked if she was hurt - not like that at least. Her throat was closing up, as she tried to just ease herself a little bit - just a little bit. She said these words often, and yet her saying it about her best friend. It seemed unreal and she knew saying them out loud into the room would make it true, it would make the fact that Mono was dead the new reality she had to hold on to. He had been killed. "He -" she tried to let the words out, but it was like they just got stuck in her throat. "Mono, he -" Cecilia tried again, really pushing herself all the way to get those words to move past her throat. Cecilia shook head frantically trying to distant herself from the feeling clouding her, hating she was this quiet, like no words could really get past her. "He is dead, Mono is dead," the words finally left her dry mouth, feeling like how her heart just could drop and shatter all over the floor along with her.

The one person who had been here since the first day she arrived in the region, the first person who had become her friend, who had made sure she could pursue her dreams. Mono was the person she always knew she could turn to, even if they hadn't spoken every single day, she'd known that one call or knock on the door and he would be there. Now he couldn't be. Now he was just gone, and it seemed to unrealistic to be in a world where he wasn't a part of it. With everything they had survived, everything she had been through these past years, this was the hardest part. This was the thing she didn't know if she could make it past, losing her best friend. And with being a newly turned werewolf every single pressure of emotion just felt like a trigger about to blow, but from home she just felt useless. She couldn't help anyone from here - she couldn't save anyone.

The confusion and the worry has merged into a solid stone in his belly. Heavy and hard. The little head-shaking did little to soften the feeling; nor did the positive check of her nervous system. A psychological or mental damage was often far more concerning that a physical one, and it took a while before her lips parted to stutter out a few words. Words that made him stiffen up.
If Luke had ever tried to predict the scenario; he would have miserably failed. Never in his wildest dreams had he envisioned this and so it took him a few seconds to fully understand the meek stutter.
He is dead. Mono is dead.
It was all to evident how she had tried to be strong just then, but with the words he felt her shatter in his arms, and the hand that had been placed on her neck loosened for a second as the disbelief hit him.

Luke was not often lost for words but in this second he couldn’t even think. It felt as though fog had clouded his senses while the stutter echoed in his mind. Mono was dead? “What do you -“ Mean. What do you mean, Mono is dead? But he couldn’t say it. He couldn’t make her say it again, and he had heard her the first time. “I’m so sorry,” he managed to whisper, finally loosening up the tense muscles, reaching back to place his hand on the back of her head, so that he could pull her closer and into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Ce. God. I’m so sorry. God, you should’ve called me.”
There were still so many questions yet that was all he could meekly manage. As though he somehow was at fault. The guilt of having been away simmered somewhere inside him too. He hadn’t been there once again when she had needed him. Once again. One too many.
Gently lifting her head to catch her eyes, he felt determined to make it up to her. “He will come back, my love,” he tried half heartedly. “Right? He always does.” And it obviously wouldn’t help on the trauma of losing a great friend, but perhaps still provide some little consolation. Mono would come back. He always did. Right?

She was sorry too. Sorry she couldn't have predicted the outcome, sorry she hadn't been out there to save him, or do something. Anything really. There was nothing that really compared to this sense of powerlessness, having your best friend getting ripped from you. It felt so unreal, and a part of her waited to wake up from his terrible nightmare. "I know -- It couldn't," she whispered in a half choked sob, calling would have made it real, too real. Even if she had gotten Ramsay here, it still had felt like dancing between reality and dream, and a part of her had allowed herself to not believe it was the truth.

Then Lucas lifted her head a little up, and her big teary eyes looked into his, and she took a deeper breath in shaking her head a little bit, "no he won't," Cecilia exhaled a little bit, "and if he does its not gonna be him -- it, it will be some version of him none of us will recognize or know," she exhaled letting the air balance over her shivering lips. It wasn't like the curse that was placed on her grandmother and the rest of her family to come back after you died, Mono came back what every 30 year or so, but never as the same person, maybe few things that would remind them of him. "He is gone, and I don't know - I don't know how to feel, its just - empty," Cecilia tried to explain, feeling a little numb from perhaps just having to process it, but how else should she be? One of her greatest friends were as well in the hospital trying to battle cancer, and Cecilia knew very well the outcome wouldn't be great for Nia, and now with Mono dead, she wasn't sure if she could handle losing two good friends so soon. "What kind of cruel joke is it even -- haven't we been through enough already? I'm fucking tired of this, so fucking tired," she sobbed against Lucas' chest, because if there was one place she could put down her guard, it would be right here.

If he does, it’s not gonna be him. Luke winced. He’d known this. Of course, he had known this. Perhaps the confusion had made him project the wish for Mono’s gifts to be reminiscent of that of Cecilia’s family – perhaps he simply was too disconnected from reality at this part anyway. The feeling of the world turning without him came back with the tearful eyes of his girlfriend and the determination he had felt a second earlier disappeared. “I know,” he whispered, hardly able to get the words past his lips. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have –“ He shouldn’t have what? Left her? Said anything? So many things he shouldn’t have done, really, yet somehow always seemed to do. It broke him seeing her like this – more so than losing a friend, because Mono had been just that in the end. Seeing Cecilia like this however, felt like a knife to his stomach. He wanted her pain to stop, but deep inside knew that once again, he could not ensure her happiness even if he wanted to. So deeply.

She spoke his own thoughts out loud then. And he knew for a fact that she had been through enough for several lifetimes. He was no rookie to going through enough but these past few years had been something else. He had once caught himself thinking that perhaps it was the universe playing a cruel joke on them. That this was the price to pay for love. Was it worth it? All of this misery? And could they even survive it?
He gently pressed on the back of her head, wrapping both arms around her so she could fit perfectly into the nook under his collarbone. His own eyes had teared up long ago in helplessness and he lowered his own face into her hair, finding comfort in the homely smell of her. “I know,” he whispered as a repetition. “I know. Me too.”

Just standing there with his arms around her for a moment was enough to feel like the whole thing had just vanished for a moment. Just for a moment. She just wanted to find the comfort in being near him, possibly the best part of her being turned into a werewolf was how his scent just could completely calm every single overworked nerve in her body, so Cecilia just closed her teary eyes and took a sharper breath in, then exhaled. By the end of it she didn't know how long they had just stood there, before they had ended up just cuddling up in the couch. Cecilia had completely lost track of time and the sense of the world around them. Which was odd for the girl who always had to do lists and planners set up for what was going on within the day, week and the following months. Time just stood still for her.  

Maybe it was why she didn't hear the knock on the door, nor reacted to the fact that the door once again opened. It was only because Ramsay jumped down form the window and ran towards the entrance as if he was welcoming an old friend home - which in this case its possibly was. Victoria lifted the cat up the second he almost jumped at her, looking at the couple on the couch, knowing the last time she had seen Lucas - they hadn't really ended on the best of terms. Even so, she wasn't going to stay long, Daisy would pick her up shortly after having dropped some things off for Katelyn at Nigel's right now - she just starred at Cecilia and Lucas, already have forgotten the things she wanted to say. She had just wanted to know if Cecilia was alright, because she knew just who she had lost. "I - I just wanted to see how you were doing," she nodded a bit fighting her own tears that suddenly wanted to come up. But she then shook her head, maybe it was the fact that she could smell that Lucas had been over at Rafael's not long ago that rubbed her in a wrong way, but it made her sit Ramsay down again and take a step back to head out again. Because maybe it had been foolish to convince Daisy that she could do this by herself. "Just forget it, I will go," she excused herself heading to the door. Ramsay complaining to Lucas and jumped up on the back of the couch.

As they stood there, wrapped around each other, Lucas found that his heartbeat slowly matched hers. The repetitive rhythm that so seemed to tie them together; once again through tears and heartbreak and helplessness. Her hair would be salty and wet just like his chest would be, and his heavy heart made it impossible to ever manage to move away from the sofa. It was long since they had sat like this. Quiet and empty. And it was a feeling Lucas had hoped would never happen again. To anybody really, because was there really anything worse than feeling empty? He would rather feel the pain. It made it real. It made it possible to react to and handle and deal with but this just felt like walking through fog. Slightly clammy and with that white cloud that covered the world and dulled the sounds and the feelings and the –
What was that?

Luke lifted his head cautiously. The cat had noticed too; jumping down from wherever it had sheltered to walk towards the door that opened without a second warning. He automatically turned slightly, pressing Cecilia a little further behind him in some form of protection from whatever appeared from the door and – it did smell remarkably like. Victoria? His mind momentarily blanked once again; surprised that she would come here unannounced but more so by her own surprise. As if she had not entirely expecting him to be there. He felt immediate heat in his cheeks. However, they had left things those weeks ago had not been his proudest moment, but he was also still sore from the defeat and the let-down he had felt from the unpleasant encounter.
Her face made him lower his shoulders. Teary eyed and broken and he realised that Victoria had lost a friend too. Of course, she had. The anger and embarrassment and mix of whatever else confusing emotions he had felt for a second disappeared. He gave a gentle squeeze to his girlfriend before his legs reacted without him thinking, and he pushed himself up from the comfort of both Cecilia’s arms and the cushy sofa – wide eyed and confused but more than anything, feeling a blossoming love for someone he considered a sister, and the want and need to help her too. Whatever else could he do? “Vic? Vic!” He felt out of breath already and halted after only taking a few steps towards her; torn between comforting Cecilia like he had done moments before and going after his old friend. “Vic? I – I’m sorry. Stay?”

Cecilia looked towards Victoria who more or less was already out in the entrance despite Lucas calling out for her, "just go after her," Cecilia assured Lucas it was fine. She wasn't going to break by him not being here for a second, instead she dried her own tears and got up and headed to the kitchen, at least so she could prepare a cup of tea or two. Even if she wanted nothing more than to reach and take a quick glass of wine to just dull the heaviness of emotions of the day. But she couldn't keep on doing that every time she felt like things were too much, it was a bad habit.

Victoria stopped in the entrance for a second and closed her eyes for a moment. "Don't apologize, you have nothing to apologize for on this matter," she mumbled a little bit, shutting her eyes a bit tighter for a second and then exhaled, before turning around, while still backing out of the house, because even so - maybe Lucas did deserve to know who had killed Mono, not knowing if it would give him some sense of what had happened. And by that also letting Cecilia know it wasn't the vampire hunter life that had killed her best friend. "Daisy is going to pick me up again soon, I just wanted to see how she was doing," she licked her lips a little bit. Knowing by the fact that Daisy was coming to get her, it meant something was off. Well Victoria had been friends with Dion and Cassian longer than she had with Lucas, and after the mess Anthony had made, she had been staying at Cassian and Daisy's. "Anthony killed him -- He killed him right in front of me you know, " she folded her lips a little trying to stop herself from reacting too much, because the memories of that night still very much haunted her mind. And well of course he didn't know, but he knew now, "then he killed me too, but here I am, so, and I'm fine, I'm just - it's a lot."

He gave his girlfriend a gentle tug in appreciation of her selflessness in the matter. Cecilia had advocated for Luke to try to contact the other shapeshifter more than once, and he knew that she had not entirely approved of the stubbornness that his broken heart had provoked. It was different seeing her there in front of him, of course, and most of the built up anger and unfairness vanished with the wind that arrived through the open door. Her back was turned but she had stopped in her tracks and Luke had to clench his fists to keep himself from placing a hand on her shoulder.
He lowered his shoulders as she turned around and loosened his clenched hands in defeat. Of course he had something to apologise for. They all did, he thought, and yet he couldn’t in the moment think of what on earth for. He missed her. He really did. Even if he didn’t approve of how she had handled things. Even if he couldn’t support the choices she had made. He missed her.
I just wanted to see how she was doing. Luke nodded in silence, tasting the bitterness on his tongue. A taste he had to rid himself of before replying. “Yeah. I - thank you. That’s good of you.” Had this been months ago, his heart would have been warm and fluttering at the prospect of his friend and girlfriend getting along to such a point where they would check up on each other. But now all he felt was a little empty. He didn’t know how she was. Not fine, obviously, how could she be, but he had no idea how to fix it. And deep inside he probably knew that he couldn’t. Not really. Not this time.

The next words made Luke’s apologetic face close up and harden. What the fuck did Anthony have to do with this?! “I - Vic, my God, I’m so sorry. How -“ He didn’t get any further before she dropped the bomb. More than shock or pain or sadness he felt a wave of utter confusion. Was she joking? Was she playing with him? Her eyes were a jumble of emotions. Surely she couldn’t fake that, could she? “I’m sorry?” He muttered, for once genuinely not sure he had heard her right. Breathless was an understatement. He felt boiling hot raising to his cheeks. “Wha - sorry - what do you mean you’re fine?!” His voice reached a high pitch and cracked slightly at the end of it. “What do yo- Vic?! I swear to God! Does this have anything to do with the inflammable duo of d - I - I thought you said they were protecting you?!” Out of breath he could only stare at her with slightly parted lips. “What business did Mono have with Anthony? You - Vic, please, you can’t just come here an drop a bomb like this and then leave - what happened? You’re staying with Daisy? Are you safe?” So many questions exploding from his mind that it made him dizzy.

Victoria took a sharper breath in, held it as if her life now depended on it. All the questions echoing in her mind, making her shake her head a little bit, almost not able to peel one away from the other, and she had to actively slow the speed of her brain with risk of melting down. "Just shut up for a moment, please just shut up," she almost begged while running her hands over her face. "Linus and Francis had nothing to do with this, stop accusing them of everything- this was all Anthony and Anthony does stupid shit because he can," she pointed out lashing her hand out to the side. "Anthony showed fucking up, and dragged me back to Southside so it would look like it was my own fault, Mono just tried to stop him and paid the fucking price," she almost choked on the next sob, not wanting to feel angry, but she felt angry - at the situation, at Anthony at herself - who wouldn't feel some sort of survivors guilt after this? So, she closed her eyes and took a deeper breath in and with the back of her hand she removed some tears. "I'm safe. Okay, Cassian and Daisy are keeping me safe, and I will be okay -- at some point," she exhaled a little again.

It was overwhelming to tab into the happenings, as if she should know how to deal with all of these emotions on top of the event playing in her mind like white noise. "I'm going to stay with them, and find out where I go from there -" she confirmed and nodded to convince herself. Victoria had a plan to get back to the casino, but patience to recover was most important - and that was at least something she knew.

Linus and Francis had nothing to do with this. Luke physically rolled his eyes at the statement, shaking his head with the same movement. In his heart he couldn’t help but think that had she stayed at the academy this would’ve never happened. What a sad price for her to pay for her false sense of freedom. Also in Luke’s humble opinion no one ever really did ‘stupid shit just because they could.’ If there was no ulterior motive so be it, but there had to be at least an explanation.
“What’s being done about Anthony then, Vic?” He asked demandingly of her, staring at her in disbelief. She had died?! Surely, he had to do something now! “Jack told us to stay put, but that’s getting really fucking hard let me tell you that much.” And it had ultimately killed Mono too. Way the hell was happening in Southside?! He unconsciously moved a hand to scratch the back of his upper arm where a washed up tattoo still prided his skin.

She’s safe, he reminded himself, urging his body to cool the heat he felt in his cheeks. She’s safe now. “Good,” he muttered, and although not as powerful as his other words, he meant it very sincerely. “Good. They’re good people.” He nodded along with her, trying to convince himself that her words had calmed his nerves when they very much hadn’t. “Okay,” he agreed mellowly. “You know; you can come here anytime you want or need, yeah?”

His demanding voice made her shake her head with a few fast swings to the side, "I -" she stopped by running her hands over her head letting her fingers run through the big brown curls, "I don't know - and it scares the living shit out of me Luc," Victoria confessed with a voice on the edge of cracking over in frustration from the terrifying ocean of emotions that kept coming in with larger waves than she imagined. "And what would you do? Huh? Walk up and knock on his door and give him a piece of your mind? End up dead too, because that will make everything go away?" she blinked a two tears out that ran so smoothly down her cheeks. It couldn't fix anything to go after Anthony, he was too powerful, they needed powerful people. Maybe she should reach out and ask Linus and Francis - even River if there was something they could do? "But we stay put for now, okay? Please, for me, just stay put," she looked at him with an almost begging expression. Landon and Cyrus were still her insight guys to whatever happened in Southside, and Lucas poking around could in danger them, and everyone around him if not careful.

They’re good people, even if she knew he meant it with all good in mind, she couldn't help but feel the judgement towards the other people whom he clearly categorized as bad. "You sure? I've pretty much convinced myself at this point that you hate who I am now," she asked rather softly with a sad smile. It wasn't even about who she was now, because she had always been this person - it had just been a while since she had come out to play. Felt forced up in a tower she now had broken free from, this was just another battle on the road to her freedom. Getting herself back.

”You have so little faith in me, Vic; do you honestly think I have a death wish?” His eyebrows furrowed as he regarded her cautiously. Her voice had an edge where she could possibly either break or explode  and he wanted neither of those scenarios in a moment like this. What would you do. He had had enough time to reflect on their last meeting; excessively so in fact, because some of her former words had hit home and really dented some of the strong foundation he had built himself up around. It didn’t hurt so much anymore though. This new life that he had built and created and cared for was not something he was ashamed of - not anymore at least. Not since their last argument had lead him to lose his cool and engage in a fight. The bruises had stained his body for longer that he had liked, and the hole it had left in him healed slower still. “You have a lot of people on your side,” he reminded her. “You should have more faith in what that means.” Together he was very sure that they could do something about this Anthony. He might be a Sinclair but he was only human, and Victoria had powerful people around her that were smart, cunning and clever and if they worked together they could do something.

Her pleading eyes and begging words however signalled otherwise.
Luke’s eyes left her and found the rough asphalt beneath them. He nodded to make sure she understood that he wouldn’t do anything stupid on his own - that much had changed about him. He had too much to lose to be reckless.
His eyes flicked back up very quickly, opening up in some surprise at her words and the nod turned to a head shake. The softness in her voice made him need to draw a sharp breath before he felt able to reply without a shaky edge. “Oh Vic,” he muttered, mirroring the sadness. ”You’re family; of course you’re always welcome here.” She was. He would give her his house without hesitation, and more than that if she needed. Bitterness was not rooted within him though it still stung and her harsh words still echoed in his mind - much like his words might do in hers. They had truly never fought, and perhaps that was why it had felt so heartbreaking this time around. ”Here and at the Academy,” he repeated, making sure she knew that there was a place for her if she ever wanted to come back. ”Always.”

It wasn't like she hadn't realized by now that she had a lot of people who would wage war for her if she just asked for the help. But Victoria never wanted anyone to die because of her, that feeling pressing on her chest because of Mono had tried to help her - had died because he wanted to help her. It wasn't a feeling she wanted to get used to.
Victoria felt her shoulders dropped a little bit, because for some reason she felt like she was dancing on threads so thin when it came to some of her friendships. Or actually only two of them. Victoria didn't even know if her and Rafael ever could get back to that friendship they had in past. She held her breath a little and licked her lips a bit, that he also mentioned she could come back to the academy if she wanted to. Just giving him a small nod. "I appreciate it," even if she knew she wouldn't return to the academy, it was nice to know she could. That she hadn't pushed too hard.

"I -" for a moment she thought about telling him about the things that she had uncovered lately. The fact that the mother who had raised her wasn't her biological mother, the fact that she had learned she was a product of some alpha who just took who and what he wanted without consent to it. One could say Victoria had been dealt a crappy hand at the moment. There was a part of her who always knew she could tell Lucas everything, and yes they could fight. Perhaps she could fight him even worse than she could Rafael, but Lucas was family, which meant she had felt safe enough to push a little extra. "I'm sorry," her voice cracked a little bit. "There has just been a lot," she took a sharper breath in looking up for a second trying to slow down the tears that wanted to push through from the pain spreading in her chest.

Was it truly any wonder that he felt so flat? People around him were breaking and he seemed almost too empty to take it all in. Empty and un-empathic. What in the world had happened to him for it to feel like this? So detached?
He could only nod, knowing that she at least had listened to his words and seemed to understand the sincerity behind them. That was good enough for him, he thought, and a stark contrast to their last meeting where words had flown above their heads and only rooted afterwards, if at all. His eyes found the concrete floor of the pavement, turning his focus onto his steady breathing. There was, he realised, not much more to say. He had explained that she was always welcome; words he meant but wasn’t sure would lead to anywhere. He could still not fully accept the circle she had become a part of now; people he could not support and people he could not agree with. He had changed too much to ever accept such way of life again.

There has just been a lot. Luke found his eyes flickering and his gaze heading back towards the door to where Cecilia was. “A lot,” he agreed. “Yeah, there has been.” His eyes found hers again, eyebrows furrowing in confusion at the change in her face. She was crumbling before him and he was stood there, staring at the floor, too wrapped up in thoughts to have noticed. “Oh, Vic,” he muttered, sighing in defeat before closing the gap between them. “Come here, you.” Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her in, hoping she would allow the hug.

The embrace was a like a warm blanket wrapped around her shoulders, trying its best to remind her what security was like, warm and comfort it was so alluring to just say: fuck it all, and return to the life others said she had left behind. Victoria closed her arms around him, leaning her cheek against his chest. Not because she was going to let him try and save her from the life she had chosen, she stood by her choice to be at the casino. Because she believed it was in that direction her life was headed, and she knew sometime in the nearest future the two would come to argue further about just that. However right now, she just stayed in the embrace letting him comfort her for the time being. Because she needed it, even if she couldn't figure out if she found comfort or not by the remains of Rafael's scent on him. Perhaps it just set her thoughts running in places she didn't want it too. "I'm going to be okay," she whispered in a lower sob and held her breath for a while, just a little while.

He wouldn't push it. He knew he was needed inside where Cecilia was, once again, on her own and most possibly in a somewhat similar state to Victoria, but there was no way he was going to push it. She so very clearly needed a hug - a comforting, homely one, that was, and he would never dare let go until she was ready. Truth be told, he had needed it too. With her at a distance and the turmoil in the group of people that he had come to regard as his closest family, he had felt uneasy and without ground, but with her arms around him, he could almost feel like how it had all used to be. Before everything had turned to chaos.
"Yes you are," he replied, managing to sound calmer than he felt. The past few hours had been a lot of non-verbal communication, feeling empty and hugging people he loved who were breaking. Perhaps the emptiness had made him feel so numb that the nerves had gone away and left him - well - calm, almost.
As they stood there, his shoulders slowly lowered and he found his mind emptying with the golden afternoon sun warming his back until her sobs had calmed and the moment passed. He slowly nudged her, gently pushing on her shoulders so he could look at her face.

"You're gonna be okay," he repeated, and turned his head towards his house; nodding to himself. "So is she." It was after all Cecilia that Victoria had come to check up on in the beginning. He wanted to make sure that the Shapeshifter knew that Luke would be the for the newly turned werewolf and that she wasn't alone.
"I should go back, Vic." It was a low and regretful mutter, but he had been away from Cecilia for days and he had every faith that Daisy would take care of Victoria for now. "Be careful okay, it's all I ask of you." Be careful with these people in a world like that.

Victoria exhaled, trying to fill herself with calmness enough to be able to go back now. Because as he said, he had to go back. Cecilia needed him. And she could hear the car getting closer, making her turn her head towards the road where she could spot Daisy's car coming closer. "Yeah you should," she exhaled, then nodded. Victoria managed to chuckle a little bit, "I'm always careful, it's the rest of the world that's the problem," she joked, then shaking her head a little bit - was it too early for jokes? "Talk to you soon - okay?" She hoped at least, then taking a few steps back, as Daisy parked, rolling down the window. "Train leaves now Vic," she announced then lifting her hand up and waved to Lucas with a bit of a bigger smile. Victoria then made a small salute and dried her eyes before skipping towards the car and got in next to Daisy, so they could take off towards Grounds of Lily.

Cecilia had possibly heard most of it, or seen it from the window. Making her way towards the door so she could meet Lucas half way, knowing it was a while since him and Victoria had talked. It was hard when a person you were that close to suddenly changed paths and you weren't sure if you could follow them no matter how much you wanted to. "You okay?" She asked as soon as Lucas had returned inside, leaning a little against the doorframe.

Luke followed her gaze towards the end of the residential road where their dainty house was placed. Her humour managed a meeker smile than a truly sincere one; and knowing well that her defence mechanism was to joke, he couldn’t exactly shun her words with a harsher realism that clearly stemmed from the worry that he felt towards her. Because although he felt somewhat better – the awkward silence was gone, after all – he was still endlessly worried about the path she seemed to go down. Especially after what had just happened to her. At least he trusted Daisy despite not knowing her all that well, and so the familiar green doe eyes provoked a lighter smile still. He raised a hand to salute the Banshee before turning back to Vic to give her a determined nod. “Talk to you soon.”
He followed the car until it disappeared behind the houses and placed his hands in his pockets to take a moment to himself; absorbing and processing the information that had been thrown at him like an explosive missile.  
A short moment was then also all he allowed himself before he drew a large breath, hoping to fill his lungs with courage and wisdom more than oxygen.

Closing the door gently behind him, he forced himself to lower his tense shoulders before facing Cecilia, but when he turned around, she was leaning against the doorframe and had probably heard everything – her new hearing was still something he had to get used to. “I think so,” he replied, not entirely sure of the answer, but thinking that it would be sufficient for the time being.
Luke reached out for her hands, drawing himself towards her in a fluid movement to be closer to the comfort of her smell. Her eyes were puffy from crying and he wondered if she felt the same odd sensation of numbness as he was experiencing. “How about you? Anything I can do to make any of this easier?”

Cecilia took his hands and let herself closer to him, and exhaled a bit. Despite of everything she was just happy that it seemed liked the two had talked even if she sensed that they still didn't see eye to eye. Now, Cecilia had never had a friend who suddenly had turned around and argued because they were different places in their lives. Of course she had had people leave her behind because they felt trapped by their past; Lucas himself included. So, perhaps it was just hard to see your friends not being able to follow you where ever you went, that even if he loved and adored Victoria. They just didn't want the same things in life anymore. That had to hurt.
Cecilia shook her head a little bit, "I don't know really. I don't know if there is anything that will make it easier, but there is nothing more I can do than, just take it one day at the time, right?" She tried to pull a smile for comfort and exhaled a little bit deeper. "But ice cream and cuddles on the couch doesn't sound so bad either," she cracked a light laugh by her confession.