return to paradisa

[secondchances]

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[assassino]

"That or I tie you up at the top of some tower just to come up and save you." Joking, mostly. "But then again, you can probably slip out of bindings, too."

[secondchances]

Her grin widens.

"Yeah, but I could conveniently forget how to do it if you're in need of doing some rescuing."

[assassino]

"Mm, talented actress that you are!" He cups her chin in his gloved hand, stroking a thumb along the curve of her jaw. "We'll have plenty to do to occupy the hours."

[secondchances]

"To be dead honest, I'm looking forward to it." Despite being the one eager to get out and explore. "I just want to find some answers to our questions, and then..."

Spend time with him? Well, it's what they're doing now, in a way.

"Be with you."

[assassino]

That's heartening, and deeply so at that. He pets her again.

"We'll get our answers and then spend some lazy time together," he agrees. "Make up for some lost time."

[secondchances]

It's hard not to think there isn't some greater force at play here when it seems to only be the two of them here, of all people. Steph lets herself lean into his touch before forcing them to keep walking, hand still in his.

"That sounds like a dream."

[assassino]

It does, doesn't it? That's been playing at the back of his mind, too, but then again, Paradisa has never seemed to have any rhyme or reason to it. Just things happening at the whims of some god or devil, doing whatever seems most convenient to an indecipherable plan. Ezio has never fancied himself much of a philosopher, but any man would at least wonder.

"If I spot another person, I might just pretend I didn't, to spend more time with you instead."

[secondchances]

"Gee. If only you were this greedy before, huh?" She teases. He set himself up for that one.

[assassino]

"If I see Tim Drake, I'll lock him away in a different tower," he replies, with a grin.

[secondchances]

Steph makes a face. There's a lot of history there, and she has to make an effort to keep up the smile.

"Maaaybe let's not talk about him and accidentally summon him."

[assassino]

He was going to have to come up eventually. Ezio just shakes his head.

"My lips are sealed, then."

[secondchances]

Oh, she knows. It's why Steph is quiet for a moment, the thought process practically audible.

"... and, you know. He's the past. Old news."

[assassino]

He glances her over during that silence. There's a lot of things he could say, or even argue, but they have other things to attend to first. Leave any skeletons in the closet until they've had some time for the shine to wear off.

What he does say is: "He isn't your future."

[secondchances]

"... you're literally the only guy who could pull that line off without making me pee myself with laughter."

Just a bit of honesty.

"You are right, though. It's you. Finally."

[assassino]

Ezio laughs, even if he's used to those sentiments. Women from America aren't used to blunt honesty, or earnest expressions of affection. It makes them all squirmy and nervous and embarrassed to enjoy it, like someone might be waiting around a corner to laugh at them for daring to feel adored.

"Finally," he agrees. "We've both come a long way."

[secondchances]

"Which is why I'm very determined not to waste away in some magical land that's maybe lost all the magic it had."

Her leading theory, thus far.

[assassino]

"Of course," he says. "Though, if the magic is gone... we don't have to waste away. I prefer to think of it as growing old together."

[secondchances]

She laughs.

"Marriage, growing old together... that eager to skip ahead, huh?"

[assassino]

Amused: "I intend to savour every minute."

(Except for the five minute crisis he'll have at some point when he realizes she's aging too and her breasts aren't as firm, or something. Then he'll be back to savouring.)

[secondchances]

"Even when we're breaking our backs, farming, and trying to scrounge up some sort of a comfortable life here?"

Or, you know. Something along those lines.

[assassino]

Ezio does not imagine labour terribly well, but he does imagine Stephanie in a field, hair artfully disheveled, her blouse opened at the top to stave off the heat, and a bead of sweat trickling down the valley of her perfect breasts. That is what will get him through.

"Even then," he swears. "And we can till the fields topless just to entertain each other."

[secondchances]

That gets a good laugh out of her.

"You can be topless. I'm not breaking my back in anything less than the bra I'm wearing today, and some sunscreen. Or a very fashionable hat."

She is a creature of the night, after all.

"Totally looking forward to you all hot and sweaty in the sun."

[assassino]

"I intent to," he says. Might as well, just to fluster her all day. He laughs, though. "Where do you think we will find sunscreen?"

Funny how he remembers what sunscreen is. Probably because he's rubbed it on enough women, and vice versa.

[secondchances]

"Might as well ask me where we'll find anything. We're at the mercy of what's here," she says, though she does remember that sunscreen has an expiry date. Clearly, she's not the outdoorsy-in-the-daytime type.

"Which is looking grim, seeing as no one and nothing has come out to greet us. Friendly or not."

[assassino]

"There could be a lot of that in the castle itself," he remarks. "But in the city..."

There really hasn't been anyone. It's a ghost town.

"We may truly be on our own."