Work Text:
The bell over the doorway to the bakery rings as a customer enters the building.
"Coming!" Sophitia calls out from the back room as she retrieves some bread from the oven and sets it on a cooling rack. When she's done handling the bread, she goes out into the front. "Hello, what can I --" She stops dead in the middle of her sentence, in the middle of the room, utterly unprepared for the sight before her.
The guest has pulled back the hood of her traveling cloak revealing black hair pulled into a ponytail. Metal gauntlets are visible under the edges of the cloak. The warrior woman from Japan smiles. "Hello, Sophitia."
"Taki! Is it really--?" Recovering from her shock, Sophitia crosses the room in an instant, wrapping the other woman in a tight hug. "It's been so long." It seems impossible for the ninja to be showing up so casually on her doorstep like this. But if there is anyone who has the knack for pulling off the impossible, it's Taki.
Taki wraps her arms around Sophitia in return, a hand sifting through the Athenian's long hair. "I was in the area and I thought I would visit. It has been too long. I've been so busy."
When they had last parted, they had promised they would see each other again. But Taki had urgent matters to take care of in lands far to the east, and in general led the most dangerous life Sophitia could imagine. It has been long since they met last -- and so much has changed! -- but not nearly as long as Sophitia had expected or feared. Her head is dizzy with excitement at the unexpected visit.
The bell jangles again as another visitor enters the shop -- Rothion.
The timing is fortunate. Sophitia supposes it is best to tell Taki about Rothion sooner rather than later. "Taki, this is my -- my fiancé, Rothion."
"Hello," Rothion says to Taki, a warm smile on his face.
"Ah," Taki says. Then "Ah," a second time as this unexpected piece of information fully sinks in.
Turning to Rothion, Sophitia says, "And this is Taki, my..." She struggles to describe exactly what Taki is. Her mind flicks back to the time she and Taki had spent together, before she had returned to Athens and before she had met Rothion: the silent, stubborn care that Taki put into tending Sophitia's injuries; the first kisses; the very cautious love-making they had done while Sophitia was still healing. It had been so brief, and it had been over two years since then, but her feelings hadn't gone away. In the end, Sophitia decides on "the person who saved my life. And my former lover."
She and Rothion are comfortable enough with each other that it isn't an awkward thing to say. Nevertheless, it's Rothion's turn to say, "Oh. Oh," as he processes the information. She had mentioned Taki to him before when talking about her travels through Europe and her injuries, but the second bit of information is new.
"Sophitia always speaks highly of you," Rothion says, having fully recovered from his surprise. "I'm glad to finally be able to meet you."
This is a point of asymmetry between Rothion and Taki, as Taki did not know until today of Rothion's existence. But she is good at quickly sizing people up, and Rothion's easygoing, kind-hearted personality wins her approval.
After a while, Rothion heads off to his workshop. But Sophitia is glad the two of them met, glad they get along. There is much to talk about, and Sophitia insists that Taki stay with her, and for as long as a time as Taki can spare. She is not eager, after that first, incredible "hello," to hear a "good-bye" anytime soon. This Taki agrees to, much to her delight.