Written for the January Timeless Contest, for prompt 2. There's just one thing Lucy wants for her birthday…
There's just one thing Lucy wants for her birthday and it's not to go to the past. She wants to celebrate her birthday on the right date and in the right time and not like New Year's and Christmas, which were both celebrated in the past. Time travel is making her head hurt. Her mother is traveling with Emma now and she sits in the lifeboat, having just returned to 2018, praying they'll both stay in the present tomorrow.
"Lucy?" Wyatt snaps his fingers infront of her face. "You with us?"
He unbuckles his harness and begins working on hers.
"Ma'am?" He asks when she doesn't respond. "Where'd you go?"
"Sorry," she apologizes with a smile. "Just thinking."
"About?" He asks.
"Nothing."
Wyatt grins. "Your birthday tomorrow?"
Lucy laughs. "How did you know?"
Wyatt shrugs. "A little birdy told me."
Lucy turns and glares at Rufus. "You promised me you would keep that a secret!"
Rufus only shrugs. "No secrets among the time team."
She cannot argue with that. She can't even explain why she didn't want Wyatt to know, but she thinks it has to do with knowing he would want to celebrate and make her feel special. All she wants to do is sit at home alone and drink a lot of wine. That means there are two things she wants for her birthday: to stay in the present and be alone and drink.
She thinks that's probably three things. Her seatbelt is undone now so Lucy stands and almost trips over the layered dress as she walks to the entrance. She grabs the material and holds it up so she can swing a leg over the doorway. Rufus watches on in amusement because it's so easy for him in his long pants and shirts. Maybe if she did trip she might hit her head and be unconscious for all of tomorrow and she could pretend her birthday just never happened this year.
But Wyatt won't let it happen. His hand takes hold of her elbow and he supports her as she lifts her leg over the step and she's both thankful and annoyed because she can do it herself but his touch is nice.
Agent Christopher listens to their post-mission briefing and when it's done she sends them off to get changed and go home. Lucy doesn't wait for Wyatt or Rufus, she just walks fast towards the changing area that houses all the clothing, grabs her clothes, and changes quickly in the locker room. Wyatt and Rufus are nowhere to be seen when she comes out, and she hands her costume to the attendant and walks away. She gets into her car and leaves.
Birthdays used to be fun but she used to have her sister and mother. Now Amy is gone and her mom is working for Rittenhouse and is the enemy. She goes to her temporary apartment, that's in the same building as Wyatt's, and draws the blinds. She pours a glass of wine and sits on her couch, the TV on low as she half-watches some late-night show. She doesn't know what it is and she doesn't care. It's only on for the distraction.
When she hears knocking at her front door 10 minutes later, Lucy freezes and sits very still, holding her breathe and hoping whoever it is will go away. Whoever it is? She laughs. It's obviously Wyatt.
"Lucy?" He calls. "You home?"
It's 12:01am and he's going to have their neighbors waking up soon. He knocks again and she sighs and stands up. She opens the door and glares at him. "It's late, Wyatt."
He looks at the wine glass in her hand, and then lifts up his own hand and shows her the bottle he holds. "Happy Birthday."
"Come in," she says with a sigh.
He walks in after her, only pausing to grab another glass from her kitchen on his way to her couch. He sits beside her and pours himself a glass from the wine he has brought. When she drains her own glass of wine he refills hers too.
"You weren't yourself today, Lucy," Wyatt says to her. "I saw it in the past, and Rufus told me about your birthday. I know you think you don't have any family because of what's happened to Amy, and with your mom now working for Emma, but you do have family. You have me and Rufus, and Jiya."
She is quiet as he talks, drinking her wine and listening. He's right of course. She thinks she doesn't have family, but he's also right saying she has her team. She just thought they wouldn't be with her today too, because her family has a habit of disappearing or turning their back on her when she needs them the most.
"You're not alone, Lucy."
"I know," she says softly.
Wyatt places his glass down and reaches for hers. After she passes it he puts it down beside his and then takes her hand and squeezes it gently. "I hate seeing you sad."
"We'll fix everything, right?" She asks. "Somehow I'll get my sister back, and my mom won't be who is she is now."
"I promise." He squeezes her hand again.
She looks into his eyes and she believes him. He tugs her forward and she goes willingly. His hands cup her face, like he did in the 30s, and he whispers, "Happy Birthday, Lucy," again before leaning in and kissing her. She kisses him back. He tastes like wine. He kisses her until she feels light-headed and isn't sure if it's the wine or lack of oxygen from his kiss. It started gentle but as she realizes this is what she's needed for a long time now the kisses get more demanding, and her hands get demanding too and find their way under his shirt. He hums happily at her touch and pulls her onto his lap by her hips.
Kissing Wyatt Logan, Lucy realizes, is actually the one and only thing she wanted for her birthday.