italy ♔ a promise lives within you now

[romanticidal]

♬ mia per sempre - josh groban

WHO || Rafael, Buffy [Closed]
WHAT || After months apart, Rafael and Buffy celebrate the end of his tour with a private trip to Italy
WHERE || Italy
WHEN || /truck drives by, blaring horn
HOW || Actionspam.

It hasn't been an easy few months, but then again, it hasn't been an easy few years. Following the night of the Grammy's, Rafael's returned to his tour, aspiring to use his concerts as a chance to try and warn people of the dangers inherent in listening to Blade and company's music, even at the risk of looking like a crazy person. It wouldn't be the first time the world thought it, alright. Meanwhile, Buffy's been dealing with the fallout of what the Mind Master did to Finnick, and by extension, Myri, trying to be there for her friend in every way she can.  It would be easier for both of them if they had each other to lean on through it all, but they had to rely instead on numerous phone calls and memories of one night that finally offered them both some hope just when everything had started to seem more impossible than ever.

They also had the promise of this to look forward to: a planned trip to Italy that Rafael insisted be just the two of them, once he was finally free again.  He's arranged to meet her at the Galileo Galilei International Airport in Pisa, and when she gets out, there's some Italian chauffeur guys holding a sign that says "Summers".  

Comments

[slay]

Tempting, but I think I ditched them at the airport.

[ It comes out peaceful, sort of nonchalant in its own way. The kind of thing she says expecting him to already have realized it. ]

[romanticidal]

Good. This is what I hoped for. [ he softly clucks his tongue, spurring the horse forward a bit to take the lead, banking in the direction of what looks like a worn trail. ] It is what you deserve.

[slay]

[ She actually does a pretty good job deliberately steering Valente to follow after him, guiding the horse with a natural knack. ]

You're sweet. [ Which she knew, but bears mention anyway when he's talking about her deserving nice things. ] It all kinda feels surreal, out here. Nell and Giorgio are great, and this place ... You know, you get so wrapped up in your own life, you forget that this kind of life is real for some people. It's not just a fairytale after all.

[romanticidal]

For some people, it is enough to seek that happy ending. It may be harder for those of us who feel compelled to chase down the monsters. [ he looks out towards the sunset, thoughtful ] But in all stories, it is facing such monsters that one becomes worthy of such an ending.

[slay]

Usually. [ Her agreement is carefully placid, the kind of cool response that deems it an end perhaps for some, but struggles to see it for herself yet. Slayers don't meet good ends. All of them, now ... ] I'm having a hard time seeing the end of the tunnel lately.

[romanticidal]

Something I think we have both wrestled with. [ he glances back at her, outlined by the magnificent colors threading across the sky ] I thought we could both use with a reminder. That such things exist.

Maybe even for people like us. Some day.

[slay]

Careful. [ She gives him an almost squinty look that wavers between suspicion and contentment. ] Keep knowing exactly the right thing like this, and I'm gonna peg you for a mind-reader. [ The smile that steadily turns up her lips confirms her good humor, and she nods, accepting this faith. Bringing her out here certainly has reminded her that it can exist, and the fact that he's still got his eyes on it helps Buffy try to keep hers fixed on that horizon as well. ]

[romanticidal]

[ he smirks, looking down for a moment, before he finally says, with a teasing edge: ] Can you tell what I am thinking right now?

[slay]

If it involves racing, I'm pushing you off your horse.

[ Honesty is important in a relationship. But so is competition. ]

[romanticidal]

Well, to do this, you will have to catch me, no? [ with the most impish grin ever, he wheels his horse around, and shouts: ] The more pressure, they faster he will go, carina! [ with that, he takes off down the trail, not at full speed, but definitely not just a pleasant walking pace anymore ]

[slay]

Wh— Hey! [ Buffy looks down at her horse, SO DISGRUNTLED AND CONFUSED by this turn of events. It's the pathetic countenance of a girl who has no idea how to handle the tools at her disposal, like he's asking her to build IKEA furniture without instructions. Except it's alive, and he did give her instructions. It is, perhaps, an unwarranted look.

After a beat of flustered, girlish panic, she actually takes a beat to listen to him, and puts the pressure on. As it turns out, she ? ? ? is weirdly good at this ?? ? LITERALLY THE ONLY WAY SHE COULD GET A BETTER RIDE CHECK THAN BEFORE. She got a nat 20. How is this happening why are the dice so committed to Buffy being an olympic equestrian. Maybe she's just driven to catch up to him by the power of her indignation or maybe it's a Slayer muscle memory thing. Whatever it is, she rallies Valente forward to a steady gallop, gaining on Rafael. ]

[romanticidal]

[ ♬ a sight to behold - eisley

with a 26 ride check, rafael glances back and sees her gaining, lets out a whoop and kicks it in the ass, hooves thundering along as he actually starts trying to outpace. in a hilarious turn of events, however, she bursts past him, and his eyebrows lift in surprise, broken by genuine laughter as he switches to cheering her on, sounding proud and entertained. the countryside stretches out in front of them for miles around, giving plenty of room for their race to run its course, lost in the exhilaration of the chase, of the occasional bursts of competition interspersed with the stretches of pure companionship.

at some point, the sun threatens to wink out entirely, and it's only then that he would start leading them back towards the barn. ]

[slay]

[ By the time they start winding their excursion down, even Buffy "Endurance of 10 Men" Summers finds her breath shortened, leaving her in the nebulous space between wired on excitement and tuckered out by a marathon like she's never run before.

They guide the horses back to the stables, and as they approach, she swings her leg back over the horse to dismount on the left with more grace than she'd climbed up with (dex 17). She springs to the ground, planting both feet at once with a little bounce to her jump, and takes the reins to guide Valente back into his stall.

She glances over at Rafael when she doesn't think he's looking, an unrestrained, wild sort of joy written across her features. ] I gotta give you credit. It's not what I expected.

[romanticidal]

You are a natural, carina. Valente must think so too, eh? [ he climbs off his own horse, leading it in behind her to start unsaddling. his face is flushed with excitement, the exhaustion of breathless joy a new look on him. ] You may count me impressed.

[slay]

I think Valente just knew to take it easy on me.

[ She turns her attention to the horse, petting her hand over his face soothingly as she adds in a coo, ] Didn't you?

[ After watching him saddle the horses and glancing over to see what he's doing with Foschia, she manages to figure out pretty well how to get the equipment off Valente and packed away so she doesn't just have to stand around uselessly and wait for him to dote on her, score (wis 21).

He was right, of course, about leaving cares behind. And having the weight of the world lifted off her shoulders brings a visible change to Buffy's demeanor; she's loose-limbed and glowing, fully distracted by the task she's set to. She can't (and isn't trying to) recall the last time she'd done something so indulgent for nothing but the sake of it, let alone lost herself in such an escape like she has now. ]

[romanticidal]

I think it is more than just that. [ he watches her finish up with a warm smile, and then moves towards the barn door, waiting for her to join him.

as he walks, he extends one hand back, giving her a small smile that indicates he's hoping she'll take it. ] As in all things, you are an amazing woman, Buffy.

[slay]

Well, I also had a good teacher.

[ She slips her hand into his, twining their fingers smoothly. Raising her other hand, she wraps it around his arm and leans into him, letting out a contented sigh. ]

You're not so bad yourself. [ Contrasting the understated compliment, Buffy wears an unrestrained look of wonder as she watches him. She's loved him for as long as she's known him, but it's only recently that it's occurred to her that the way she pours herself into that love might not have to be unbalanced and one-sided. Now, she can love him as much for the ease he puts her at as she loves him for the man he is. ]

[romanticidal]

Well, si, this definitely did not hurt. [ he smirks down at her as they head back up towards the house, which boasts warm light even amid the darkness swimming in ]

[slay]

Hang on.

[ She tugs his hand gently as they approach the side of the house, and she turns away to look out at the dusky reflection of the sun where it has settled behind the hills. It casts a reddish-purple shadow on the horizon, inching up into a darkening sky. ]

Can we stay out here for a few minutes? The stars should be out soon. [ Away from her troubles though she may be, she'll always be as much a creature of the night as the monsters she hunts, and she's itching to see it settle in, to make the most of even the quiet moments in-between while they're here. ]

[romanticidal]

[ he follows her gaze, taking in the natural fresco, before squeezing her hand warmly and nodding ] ... Of course.

[slay]

[ Confirmed: Tuscany still feels like a fairytale after sunset. The novelty and excitement of the day don't dim as the last of the light fades off the horizon, pouring only out of the villa at their backs. She rests her head against Rafael's shoulder, watching the stars slowly pierce the black curtain overhead. Just a few, at first, but before long, they're spreading like blinking strings of Christmas lights.

In the quiet of the moment, it's easy for her to step back and realize how grateful she is to Rafael for sharing this with her, how lucky she is that he brings warmth and hope into her heart. Though he says she does the same for him, gives him strength, she can't help wishing she had anything similar to offer. Whenever he comes to visit her family, bless their hearts, it's always darkness and death. Hardly heartening; she can see why Des had to step away.

Instead of letting herself get mired in that sentiment, she just focuses on the appreciation she feels for Rafael bringing her out. And as the darkness sets in permanently, a slew of bright lights winking at them from a blanket of black, she turns to look up at him instead of the stars. ] I could get used to this.

[ Whether she means his company or the landscape remains to be seen. Instead of clarifying, she turns, ready to step back inside with him. ]

[romanticidal]

[ his eyes have riveted up on the stars as she speaks, and while her words bring a faint smile to his lips, he looks fairly lost in his own thoughts. ]

Whenever you want, we can come here. I know there may not be much time, with what lies ahead of us, for such things, but I wanted you to know... that we could.

[slay]

[ Retirement's never been a picture she can paint herself into. Old age and fat grandchildren and daytime TV just feel ill-at-odds with what she is. Slayers don't retire, don't live past 25, don't move out to the country to focus on their families. She's willing to bet if she asked Robin, she'd be able to guess how he lost his mother.

But nobody said anything about Slayers being at odds with weekends off. There's less suspension of disbelief required in her smile now. She keeps her hand laced in his, raising her other to brush through his hair fondly. It affords her a moment of thought before she nods. ] Thank you.

I can't explain how much — [ It's everything, plain and simple. Every life experience she has that means anything is with the Knights—or it was, until now. The Veil stole everything else she might have been. Stole L.A., and Sunnydale, and Angel, her friends, her parents. High school, college if she'd ever gone. This is the one glimpse at a life outside of the battle she's got. She can't adequately verbalize the significance of that, what it means considering who she is. ] … Even if there's not time, just knowing the option's there, waiting for us. That's enough.

[romanticidal]

[ he turns to look at her, the light shadowed on his face, but she can clearly see how glad of her words he is, how much he was hoping for them, or hadn't even dared to hope for them. he doesn't say anything for a long beat, just studying her, before he finally adds quietly: ] I did not know how you would take all this. If you would still-- [ wherever he was going with that, the words fall off into nothing instead, and he takes a different route ] I was hoping that after this, you might accompany me somewhere else as well.

[slay]

[ When he first speaks, Buffy affords herself a wry moment's wondering that he could imagine any scenario where she wouldn't follow him right off the ends of the earth. But perhaps she's just getting too comfortable with this intuition he's managed to sport since the Grammys, instead of bearing in mind all the time it took before he fully processed what she felt for him.

Instead of drawing up any commentary on how obvious her willingness to follow is, she instead surges straight past it all. ] What'd you have in mind?