return to paradisa

[secondchances]

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[assassino]

“Ah, but nearly suffocating is half the fun!”

He grins wolfishly.

“I think you’ll like it.”

[secondchances]

Steph laughs.

"That wasn't my concern, if you'll recall. I just don't want to rob myself of more opportunities involving your mouth."

[assassino]

“You have no need to worry about that!” he promises, and he sets her on her feet again, though he keeps his backed up against the cabinet. “You’ll see. After we eat dinner.”

[secondchances]

"Okay, bye, I gotta go sprint and get some water, be right back!"

She gives him a smooch on the cheek before dashing out. That's one way to get her to hop to it.

[assassino]

Attagirl. Ezio grins after her and then picks up his hatchet. He has a fire to build.

[secondchances]

More careful once she's outside, she heads to where she remembers there being a well. It's when she gets there that she wonders if there's even water in the thing anymore, but one bucket down and they're in luck. It looks mostly clean, too. Boiling should help. She guesses.

Returning, she sets the water down and starts rummaging for something to cook in.

"I have a question," she says as she looks in a cabinet, not asking it right away.

[assassino]

He’s busy arranging the wooden shards of a chair into a pile, but he does glance at her curiously.

“What is it?”

[secondchances]

"Where do you think we'll be in a month from now?"

Just a thought she had on the way back, as the reality of the situation settles in deeper. It's not as bleak as she once thought, but it's not exactly a comfortable life they're going to have here.

comment 666 yee

[assassino]

Ezio contemplates that for a moment, even as he keeps moving around the space with the hatchet, looking for the most woeful piece of furniture to sacrifice. It's not a pleasant thing to think about, at least not in some regards; it's tempting to wipe it all away with jokes about the wild lovemaking and time spent together, but he has never faced a yawning abyss of free time, fettered only by whatever he need do to survive.

Even that reality doesn't sink in so well. His concerns for his self have always been more... cerebral. To say nothing of keeping another person busy, too.

"We will be happy," he replies, finally, feeling a little stubborn. "Our crops will be coming along, and we will be settled in enough to not worry too much about the future."

that assassin devil fellow

[secondchances]

She wondered if he'd joke or put up a front or be sincere. A part of her was hoping for a joke, though as she idly joins the hunt for something to burn before the rest, she realizes she's glad he chooses another option.

"Not to get too dark and serious, but I think we should make some promises here and now, to go forward. You sat me down on the stairs to get out my worries before we got carried away with not-so-shocking revelations, so. We have to make sure to do that now and then, you know? Sit, and talk, and listen."

As she gives herself a moment to think, she gives a wobbly shelf a nudge with her boot.

"If it's really just you and me, that's really different from anything before. You and I always had other people, other friends. I don't want us to end up at one another's throats over stupid crap that bottles up."

he's wicked

[assassino]

Being at each others' throats? A good chunk of him wants to believe that it wouldn't happen. He and Stephanie only ever fought over other people, after all, and if there are no other people to be have, then it will be serene. No ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends, no Borgia, no one to murder, nothing to lie about. And, he reasons, he has never to his recollection had a reason to be angry with her. She is an agreeable sort.

Him, sometimes not so much.

He watches her nudge that shelf and decides, sure, it's a good enough target, so he steps in to cut it up.

"What would there be to fight about, dolcezza? I'm sure we can manage anything."

[secondchances]

"See? That. We can't just gloss over everything. We get along and agree... until we don't. I doubt you can name a single person you haven't had a disagreement or argument with at one time or another, even if it didn't explode. Even close friends get into spats. We just don't really have the luxury of giving one another the silent treatment for a week. So, we've gotta be sure to communicate."

Stepping back, she gives him room, leaning against a wall to watch. Nothing for her to do until there's a fire.

"I'm sure we'll find something to bicker about sooner or later. It could be something normally inconsequential, too."

Stuff gets weird when you only have one person.

[assassino]

He's not entirely sure how to tell her that he generally avoids conflict he cannot solve with his fists or a blade. Drags it out as long as he can, actually –– he and Claudia barely talk for that reason, and even then, sisters are a little different. Brothers, too. With everyone else, the Ezio approach is to simply listen, and then cajole, bring flowers, pretend it didn't happen, or, if truly necessary, change cities.

"I know everyone has arguments, you do not need to explain that to me," he says, lightheartedly. Dismissive, maybe. "I am just saying: we have scarcely had cause to argue in the past numbers of years, that should not change now. If you do not ignore me when you're cross with me, then I won't ignore you."

He starts cutting up the shelf in slow, deliberate hacks.

[secondchances]

She rolls her eyes, this close to arguing with him about this conversation about arguments.

"What I'm trying to say is, we have to make sure we talk, okay? I'm more worried about you than me in that regard."

She talks. And talks. And talks. Sometimes too much, one might say.

[assassino]

"I am an open book," he tells her, and he leaves it at that, finishing up with the shelf. He tosses the pieces into a loose pile and opens an arm to her. "Come here. What has you all worried about this all of a sudden? I'm not going to give you the silent treatment, mia cara."

[secondchances]

"It was just an example," she sighs, but steps in to cuddle up against his side. "I was just thinking that this is going to be a lot of new stuff for the both of us. We're going to be stressed the hell out."

[assassino]

He pulls her in, wrapping that arm around her tight and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"We will be fine," he promises. "It will be easier than you think, with our history."

No need to tell her that he has literally never spent a single day of his life without seeing more than one person.

[secondchances]

"That's the first time anyone's said that to me," she mutters, which is quite telling.

[assassino]

That catches him, washing away any lingering defensiveness at the idea of fighting. His voice falls soft.

"That it will be easier, or that we will be fine?"

[secondchances]

"That it will be easier. But, now that you say it again, I guess both?" She shrugs, not really wanting to get into it despite just giving a whole speech on talking and communicating. At least she realizes how hypocritical it is. And so she keeps talking.

"History doesn't tend to work in my favor with most relationships I have, period."

[assassino]

"Steph," he says, gently. He strokes her hair. "It will be fine. I can promise you that."

[secondchances]

She breathes out, head on his shoulder.

"You're so calm about all of this. From creepy deserted castle to new... whatever we are."

[assassino]

He leans his cheek against the top of her head.

"With great effort," he replies. "But I am glad to be, if it comforts you."

[secondchances]

"You don't have to be. That's the thing. Like I said, you don't need to be all manly provider for me. I can appreciate solidarity in not being entirely calm, too."

But. It is nice, to be taken care of. Shh, don't tell Ezio.

[assassino]

"Trust that I prefer it this way for myself as much as for you," he replies.