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]

[ Hair knotted in a messy bun at the top of her head, Buffy makes her way down the airport ramp, oversized duffel bag hefted in one hand. Ever the light-packer (all that running away that she doesn't remember, probably). She cuts through the crowd, successfully catching sight of the sign (spot 27) and hurrying over through a mass of comically taller bodies. ]

Ah, that's —! [ She makes her way over and smiles. ] That's me. [ It's a wide-eyed, slightly dopey smile, and it flags after a moment. ] … Do you speak English? Summers, Buffy. Is me. — Uh. Wait, hang on. I've got this. [ She wrangles one hand into her purse like she's going for gold in gymnastics. After a moment, she produces an English-Italian phrase book. ]

[romanticidal]

[ vaguely good dreams carry them into the next morning, where they share breakfast with the rossis, casting each other small smiles across the table as they chat breezily about things that don't involve the fate of the world.

rafael has more presents hidden up his sleeve for them all, which he deliver afterward, and they take their leave after warm goodbyes, nell and giorgio both promising buffy she is always welcome back, and nell giving rafael a knowing smile as they load back into the car.

where they're off to, he still hasn't said, but they've been driving for a couple hours at least ]

[romanticidal]

[ dinner is amazing, the food perfect, and rafael seems just as content to casually flirt his way through each course, every bit invested in apparently crafting her the perfect romantic evening. he tells her stories from the tour, about dealing with burt, fans, the crazy security measures, things he left out of his phone calls. conversation is easy and natural, and it's afterward that he mentions that he's bought them tickets to a show at the same venue where they first met. as they approach, he looks up at the building with a nostalgic grin ] It has been too long since I last saw this place.

[romanticidal]

[ buffy's awoken eventually from where she's been drifting through vaguely pleasant dreams to the sounds of shuffling not far from her. when her lashes peel open, she'd see rafael getting dressed on the other side of the bed, a black button down shirt still hanging open as he threads a belt through the loops of his pants, his back to her. he reaches into the suitcase and draws out a pair of holsters, runs his thumb across the leather of them thoughtfully - still doesn't notice she's awake. ]