A/n: I've finally caught up on prompts! (Maybe, we'll see how long this one takes to be written but let it be said that I started writing on the right day). This prompt was a bit difficult to decide on what to write about but I was planning to do my own take on the Lockwood & Lucy convo of him trying to convince her not to leave which hopefully fits for this prompt.

She was being stubborn and Lockwood hated it.

More than that though, was the fact that he could see it in her eyes that she didn't really want to leave, not for the reasons she was telling him anyway but she was being stubborn about it anyway.

"I still don't understand, Luce. What - "

"You can't change my mind, Lockwood. So please can you not make this more difficult than it needs to be?"

"It doesn't have to be difficult at all. There's a simple solution to all of it and that's to stay. I don't know what I did wrong, but I can change it."

"I've already told you, you haven't done anything wrong, I just… I don't think this is working."

"Well, I think it's working brilliantly - " Lockwood protested, ignoring the looks the two were getting from the other customers at the cafe.

Lucy sighed. He could tell she was running out of excuses she didn't really believe in, but that was good because hopefully with enough time, she'd tell him the real reason why she wanted to leave and he could fix it and she wouldn't have to leave and everything would be perfect.

"I just need some time to myself Lockwood. Strike out on my own and see where things go. Who knows, I might come back someday."

He hated that he could tell she was only saying the last bit for his benefit, a half-hearted attempt to console him.

"Lucy, I don't know why you're leaving, but I'm sure we can work something out. You don't have to go. Whatever it is, I can help you, we can help you, George and I and Holly too. And if one of us is the problem then just tell us and we can do something about it," he pleaded, desperate now. She'd made up her mind and he knew the longer they talked, the surer she became and the less chance he had of doing anything to stop her.

"I'm sorry, Lockwood," she said quietly, getting up. "I should go pack."

"Luce," he said, reaching out a hand to grab her wrist as she turned away. "Please don't. Please don't go." Why couldn't she understand that it was bigger than her just leaving? She was leaving the agency, but she was also leaving him, and he didn't think he could take losing another person he cared about.

And that was what she was. Someone he'd come to care about, deeply. He'd grown used to coming downstairs in the morning to her groggy smile, the rare sunlight shining on her hair and making it glow like fire. The focus and determination in her eyes as they sparred, the way she lit up whenever she managed to knock his rapier out of his hands. The unapologetic, unrestrained laugh she gave whenever George did something she found amusing, or he was just being extra dense. All of the little things that made him love her just that much more, the little things he'd miss most after she was gone.

He finally had one good thing in his life, his life that was starting to look up, and he'd gone and botched that up too. Everyone was right.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice cracking as she gently pushed his hand away and she walked away.

Everyone really did leave him in the end. He was destined to be alone, and he had no one to blame but himself.

It was almost dark by the time he finally found his way home. In the morning, he didn't want to leave his bed to see if it was true, if the cold dark feeling in his gut was right. If his nightmares had been true.

He only had to step outside his room to see through the open door into the attic.

He considered going after her, but he knew that if she wanted to come back, she would. As much as he loved her, he didn't blame her for leaving. It was only a matter of time before Holly caught on and left too, George following soon after. Better to just cut his losses now.

He went back inside his room, and didn't come out again until mid-afternoon. George only saw him briefly then as he headed wordlessly down to the basement.

He didn't come back up until the next morning.

A/n: So I'm a coward and didn't actually write the full convo. Maybe I will one day, maybe I won't. What happened after is more important anyway. Which of course was him wallowing in self-pity for half a day before deciding to go exhaust himself training and proceeding to fall asleep down there, wake from nightmares and start training again.

Stay safe and see ya soon.

- CrowofArcadiaOaks