The very first person Scorpius had gone to see after his arrival was Jill. One to check up on his best friend, and second, to get the details of everything he had needed to know. Scorpius was very much into knowing the lay of the land before he ventured into things these days. And so knowing who was where, doing what, and with who, well that was just smart.
Which was why he took his time today heading to the clinic. He’d stopped and picked up sandwiches and coffee, because Carson Beckett would always forget to eat, no matter how long he had been some place. And it was easy enough to find Carson inside the clinic, because that place hadn’t changed either.
“So, when are you going to ask that woman to marry you?” Scorpius asked as he set the bag of food and drinks on Carson’s desk. “Oh, and Hi, I brought food.”
No, getting older had not changed him that much.
~~~
Carson looked up sharply, startled. “Holy…” He knew that Scorpius was back, there’d been no way of missing it, but knowing it and seeing the man were two entirely very different things.
“And why are you interrogating me about Lissa already? I think that’s a new record even for you.”
Because oh yes, he remembered how Scorpius could be. It’d been both endearing and frustrating.
***
There was a scoff from Scorpius while he moved to an actual chair. He’d filled out a bit, and he wasn’t exactly the ‘twink on the desk’ type anymore. “I think I’m actually a bit late on this one. My wedding planning is practically finished.” Yeah, the band on his finger was just plain gold, but the etchings on it sort of glowed with magic.
“How are you, Carson? It’s been a few years for both of us now.” One thing he had been truly happy to find out, was that Carson had moved on, and with someone as good as Lissa.
~~~
“I’m actually pretty okay.” Carson shrugged. “Life’s pretty much uneventful and boring nowadays -- well, mostly. When this place isn’t pulling some sort of demented shenanigans on us. I’m largely always either working or… well, I was going to say spending time with Lissa, but she’s almost as bad a workaholic as I am.”
Which really, really took skill. A lot of it.
“She’ll be thrilled to know you’re back, if she doesn’t already know.” Which, since Jill probably knew, meant Lissa knew.
***
“Yes, I’ve heard about the latest shenanigans, and I’m sorry so many of your friends went home.” It was messed up, the way the dome worked sometimes, but it was something everyone learned to handle in some way or another.
“I’m sure Jill has told her, which means that Princess and I are going to have to drag the two of you away from work a lot more.” Really, no one should work as much as the two of them, it wasn’t normal.
He didn’t even work that much, and decided to point that out. “I run a company, and I even have to take time off.”
***
Carson just shrugged. “That’s one of the dangers of basically working together,” he said. “The sad thing is, we’re better than we used to be. With Adam being out of nursing school, he’s not splitting his focus three different ways. Means he’s able to spend more time fussing at her not to work so much. Which means that she fusses at me.”
He did generally appreciate that about Lissa, though. It was nice having someone that cared enough to fuss. He was pretty sure the woman could make damn near a career out of fussing over people, though.
Honestly, he was surprised nobody had seriously suggested it to her, that he knew of.
***
Scorpius would, given half the chance.
“I’d say that I get to needle Adam about taking time off, but he has the no-longer-a-baby kid, right?” At least he remembered Adam having a kid last time he was here, he hoped this place wasn’t nasty enough to take both the baby and the wife. “Which means he has to take the day off occasionally.”
“Seriously though, how have things been the last few years? Though, it’s been a few longer for me.” He was kind of happy about that, because it gave him a chance to grow up, to settle in being him.
Well, not completely grown up, he’d just found more adult ways to piss off his grandparents.
***
“Yes, yes he does,” Carson said with a laugh. “He’s still got Katie, but Finch was sent back… a bit over a year and a half ago. It was rough on him, but he dealt. It was kind of Workaholic Central here for a while, but really, who was going to blame him? He’s dating someone else now, though. Jill’s friend Alex.”
It was weird how everybody in town seemed to know at least one other person that their friends knew. Then again, not necessarily so weird if you’d been there long enough.
“I’ve been here the entire time,” he said after a moment’s thought -- because where did you really go when you had years’ worth of stuff to fill someone in on? “Both in town and at the clinic. Have to admit, as Jill would put it? I was a hot mess when you got sent back. For a couple months, anyway. Then I started adjusting, which really just means I got gently dragged out to live at the farmhouse with friends.” Something that was fairly easy to talk about now. A good sign, really.
***
Scorpius was glad that people were adjusting, and moving on. It had been pretty easy to find out who had been sent home by this place, but a list of comings and goings didn’t even come close to giving an idea of a person’s mental state. And he had a feeling that no one had adjusted yet from the last go around.
“I can’t say I was much better after I went back, but you know the ones who I was friends with. They let me have my time, and then pretty much smacked me around the head until I started being me again.” Not that they would have been much better, but they hadn’t let him slip too badly. “Well, except Vic, she sort of hates me now.”
Which was a whole different story.
“I’m glad you’re happy. I might have been a bit upset if they had just left you alone.”
***
“Some of the people here are constitutionally incapable of leaving others alone,” Carson reminded the younger man. “You know this. Hell, you’re friends with some of those people.”
Like you’re any better when it comes to the people that matter, Carson?
“On the dubious plus side, at least this place hasn’t had any shortage of interesting things to throw at us while you were gone. There was even a sharknado once. We blame Matt Murdock for that one.”
***
Scorpius would probably need all his fingers and toes to name them all, because there really wasn’t much to do in this town but meddle in other people’s lives. Except maybe survive a tornado of sharks.
“A shark tornado? Seriously? Tell me they were at least edible once they hit the ground, because shark steak is pretty good.” Yes, he was trying to look on the bright side of things, rather than imagine giant sharks crashing through windows and trying to eat people.
“And who had to fish one out of their pool?” That was bound to happen.
***
“I’m not sure if they were edible or not, but I’m pretty sure at least one person tried because face it, that’s just how people in this town are.”
Carson frowned thoughtfully. “As for the shark in someone’s pool thing… I’m not sure, but I feel like yes, someone did have to fish one out of their pool. I’d have to check, though.” But given how that whole mess had gone, he’d be surprised if nobody had. Hell, he’d be surprised if only one person had.
***
“I’ll ask around, it will be a great conversation starter.” Because Scorpius was chatty and liked to gossip in town. It helped him learn about people, and it’s not like anyone was going to bring it to him like they did back in his world.
He reached for one of the coffees, taking a drink while he ordered the thoughts that were racing through his head. “I didn’t remember this place, the people I cared about, when I went back. And I feel like I should apologize for that. I mean, something pushed me to get my head out of my ass and be an adult, but…”
Scorpius trailed off, taking another drink. “I feel like… fuck, you know, I didn’t want to leave, to make things horrible for people, but my life there. It’s good now.” There was a brief laugh then. “Merlin, maybe it just brought me back to apologize to everyone I left.”
Or maybe make him destress a bit from everything going on in his life, he wasn’t sure.
***
“Who knows?” Carson shrugged. “Maybe that something pushing you was you remembering, however faintly. And you don’t need to apologize to me. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled to know that your life back home is good now, I really am. But you don’t need to apologize for that.”
A faint, teasing smile now. “Not to me, at least. To Jill, maybe. She always was adorably attached to you.”
Not wrong, Carson.
***
“Well, I did offer to date her because Castille was being an ass the first time I was here.” Not that it had gone beyond one movie date, but it was still what made them best friends.
“Also, I made it up to her by asking her to help Narcissa with clothes.” Yes, his grandmother and Jill were going to be friends. He was slightly terrified. He would get over it, but still terrified.
“Well, if I don’t have to apologize, I guess I can skip asking you and Lissa over for dinner.”
Yes, he had learned to cook. Or he was going to order out. It was a toss up.
***
“Okay, now, I didn’t say that wasn’t necessary,” Carson said, laughing. “It just doesn’t have to be an apology dinner. I think Lissa and I would both enjoy that.”
Him because it was nice to know that it wasn’t going to be awkward between them, and Lissa because it was going to be the first of oh so many chances to get nosy as all get out. And it was Lissa, so a little nosiness was inevitable, even if she preferred to call it concern for loved ones.
They all called it nosiness. And occasionally fussing.
***
“Good, because even with Narcissa there, it’s too quiet. I’ve gotten used to people being around, and noisy conversations.” And other things, but he wasn’t going to get them here unless the dome decided to be fantastically brilliant to him. He could hope.
He started to say something, but was interrupted by a chime on his phone. Scorpius made a face, then sighed. “Well, we will have to continue this some other time, because I have to get back to work. I don’t know why my bank account couldn’t have come with me so I didn’t have to be a responsible adult.”
Yes, he knew why, but he was going to bitch about it anyway.
***
“Yes, God forbid you have to be responsible,” Carson said dryly, making a shooing motion with one hand. “Go on, you. Go. I’m not going to be the cause of you being late getting back to work -- I didn’t even like being responsible for that the first time you were here!”
It was good to have Scorpius back, it honestly was. No matter what else, the younger man had been his friend. Would still be his friend. But if he expected Carson not to be as much of a well-meaning pain in the ass as he himself was, well, then he clearly didn’t know Carson.
***
There was a laugh from Scorpius as he turned and headed for the door. “Yeah, and here I am without keepers again. The town may weep from the knowledge.” He walked backwards for a moment, smirking.
“Eat, Carson. And I’m not kidding about dinner, I’ll text Lissa at some point this evening.” He would too. Just so Carson couldn’t forget.