secondchances | return to paradisa

“Va bene,” he agrees. Ezio puts out a hand to take hers, to pull her to him. “And for what it is worth, I think you would make a devoted wife.”

She takes his hand and moves in close, kissing his cheek.

"I'm glad you think so. And it's... really sweet, I think, that marriage is important to you. I didn't know."

He pulls her in even as she moves close. He chuckles a bit under his breath, too. “Sweet” is a new one, but it sounds nice.

“I know my conduct may not always declare it, but I’ve always wanted to be married.”

Disgustingly sweet.

"To a strange but very cute girl from the future that moonlights as a crime fighter?"

“Perhaps I did not imagine that part,” he admits. “I could not fathom she’d be this beautiful.”

"Flattery is one way to get me to say yes, just so you know," she teases.

“I intend to flatter you every day for the rest of our lives,” he replies, sliding a hand up her side. “You never told me much about your parents, you know.”

"For a reason. Mostly because of my dad. I never knew where to start: the criminal activity, the putting us into the poorhouse, trying to throw acid into my face, me trying to choke him to death with a chain, his "fake" death and only coming back to drug me..."

Not the best role model, clearly, or example of what a decent human person should be.

"My mom stayed with him way too long when he was in and out of prison and being a general waste of air, but I think if she could do it again, she'd do it differently."

He idly runs a knuckle along her side as she talks, slow and soothing, but his attention is solely on what she’s talking about. It hurts his heart to think of all the ways she has struggled and suffered, and it makes him want to spoil her even more.

Ezio cups her cheek gently.

“You’ve had a difficult time, dolcezza,” he says. “I can promise you, your mother will be glad to see her daughter treated so well.”

She smiles at him.

"Yeah? Treated so well by who, exactly?"

“None other than myself,” he replies, firmly.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm."

She taps his chin with her index finger.

"Would your mom approve of me?"

That’s a funny thought. Honesty is best, however.

“I believe so, but I have never met any mothers, so I cannot be certain..”

Steph snorts.

"My mom would uh, probably be concerned. Strange, older Italian guy kinda... weird."

“Younger men are fools,” Ezio assures her. “Your mother would find me suitably handsome enough to be worthy of you, and any other doubt would be laid to rest by my family’s finances. I am also very charming.”

She bursts into laughter because... well, he's probably not wrong.

"So you'd just need my acceptance. Huh."

“Would your mother ask for more than that?” he asks, grinning. “I would do anything, after all.”

"Probably not. She'd probably be wondering how I managed to catch a guy like you, but... I think anyone would have that question."

He's too hot.

“Nonsense,” he insists. “Your beauty and kindness far eclipses mine; any would be shocked that I could marry so well.”

"Look at you, talking like I've agreed to anything!" She laughs again.

Ezio’s smile doesn’t quite fade, but he does raise an eyebrow.

“Would you prefer I carry myself with the possibility that we will not be together?”

"Nah. It's just funny. But I guess I'd be insulted if you were like that, after all this time."

Now that the signs are crystal clear and all.

Ezio takes her face in one hand again, his thumb passing idly over her cheek.

"I have no cause at all to pretend our future together isn't set in stone," he tells her.

"How about because nothing in this place has ever been set in stone?" Just saying, but she does try to somehow make that playful, giving his forearm a playful smack. Totally helps.

"Apparently not even the magic. Which might actually mean we're set in stone here, in a way, but that just makes my head pound."

“We could argue that until we lose all our breath,” he replies, teasingly, and he leans in for a swift kiss. “It brings me no suffering at all to assume things are well until proven otherwise.”

(no subject)

secondchances - 2020-07-22 20:50 (UTC) - Expand