A groan parted lips among an outward seep of breath, and Aelita's eyes attempted to fully open, blinking to clear the fuzz from her vision, and processing the sight of Odd, seated just beside her and observing her awakening with calm curiosity.

"Morning."

Head turning upright, her shoulder dug into the mattress as her hand shoved under the pillow, met with a physical confirmation of her pistol hidden beneath her head.

You really can't live without that thing in arm's reach, huh?

"Mmmmorning."

Grunting with amusement from her sleepy drawl, his fingers came together, arms resting on his knees.

"You, um, tried to hug me while we were sleeping.

"Mm."

"I think you woke me up, but you were dreaming hard about something, so..."

Blinking with a whirl of recollection, she stared at him with a moment of fascination.

"I did. Dreamed about my father, on the beach I grew up on... It was wonderful."

"Yeah?"

"I can't even think of the last time..."

Speech halting as his finger carefully brushed a tuft of hair aside from her face, she remained still, not entirely sure how to react to the simple gesture.

"You had a good dream."

Watching his hand retreat to safety, his index finger then pointed at her.

"Cherish your dreams... And they'll always be with you."

"Well... Anyways. I don't know what kind of magic happened last night, but that was the best sleep I've had in a while... Feel like I could just lay here for hours."

"Well, it's eleven fourty-six, and personally I'm starving."

"Wha... Noon already?"

"Almost."

"Shit."

"Let's get some lunch, and then a change of clothing. Then we can lay around and drink the day away in here."

"Ooh, that sounds fantastic." She breathed, pushing herself upright, and rubbing her eyes.

"What about dinner?"

"Not sure... We'll figure that out when it comes to it."

Remaining still as she crawled out of the sheets, plopping onto her feet, his vision remained tethered to the sight of her, padding towards the restroom in a disheveled shirt and undergarments.

"You should make coffee."

Watching her arms stretch outward one by one, only to disappear from sight, his vision then wandered across the room, spotting the stubby plastic of a coffee maker on a counter.

"Working on it."


Sitting by the open window, a mug of pleasantly creamered caffeine in hand, Odd listening to the perpetual thoroughfare in the city street below. Taking a sip from the porcelain, he remained silent as Aelita appeared next to him with reserved footfall, now wearing pants.

"Should be an easy afternoon." Maybe. Hopefully.

"Even easier when we blend in... Give me about fifteen minutes, and we'll go for a walk."

"A shopping walk?"

"Possibly."

"Don't drop too much coin out there."

"Oh hush." She smiled, sipping from her own mug.

"I'm serious. Four figures on a pair of shoes isn't worth it."

"We could buy another hatchback..."

Grinning as he scowled from the thought, she watched with interest as several automobiles fought through the crowded streets below.

Maybe not here, but...

"In that case I'd rather you buy shoes. Its your money anyway."

"And I'll spend it on whatever I want."

"Just make sure to pack light in case we need to suddenly vacate."

Remaining silent, mulling over the thought, separate exhales left their mouths.

"I mean, I know we just got here, but keep it in mind."

"I know."


Donning matching pairs of aviator sunglasses, the duo stepped out into the welcome warmth of midday sunshine, exchanging singular nods before joining the midday crush of the city's populace milling about.

"What's the plan, cattiva bionda?"

Chuckling from her statement, his chin rose, bringing his eyes to the innocent blues of the Mediterranean sky.

"Lunch first... Then we'll wander through the streets of insanely expensive couture."

"...And then we'll find a lower priced store. I'd rather burn my money than blow it on silly foofy shit."

"Not one for trendy fashion?"

"Hell no. I could find fifty cheap shirts I like, and only spend half the price of a single Gucci thing."

"I've bought guns that probably cost less than the clothing here."

"I don't doubt it."

Crossing the cobblestone of the streets for a moment, in what seemed to be a southbound heading, Aelita eyed the street name emblazoned upon the corner sign of an intersection.

Via Senato...

"There's hundreds of people this way alone."

"Must be a popular place."

"On a side street?"

"Obviously."

"Maybe we'll find somewhere to eat."

"Somewhere where the food costs as much as the fashion."

"I sure hope not... I don't splurge on food if I don't have to."

"Well, this time we might."

"Yeah?"

"Might be the only time we're ever here in this city."

Aelita eyed him carefully behind the tinted lenses of her sunglasses.

"Alright, tourist. Just how deep is your wallet anyway?"

"Deep enough to keep me going... What about you?"

"Same, really. Never liked the idea of having money sitting visible in an account."

"I had a Swiss account years ago... Withdrew everything when that whistle-blower shit began and everybody started freaking out about privacy."

"Probably good you did."

"Yeah."

"In this day and age, people like us need to stay off the grid as much as possible."

"Ugh, no kidding. Damn governments worm their way into everything... Let me tell you how often I wonder why I'm not rotting in a prison."

"As much trouble as we've caused, there's bigger problems the EU wrestles with."

"Right."

"Wars, bailouts, corporate corruption, a hideously broken economy and electrical network... Leaves us plenty of room to slip through the cracks."

Realizing they both had confident smiles on their faces, they drew to a pause at another intersection, peering to the right.

"Let's cross here. Head that way."

Moving with a cluster of bag-laden shoppers across the street, the pair split off to the right, heading down Via Sant'Andrea.

"Still more stores... Where do people eat around here?"

"You have to look closely."

"Everything looks alike. Would have better luck finding a place with my nose."

"You might just be onto something."

Eying the blonde and promptly sticking her tongue out at him, her nose rose higher in a search of food.

"I bet there's a place just around the corner."

Mere seconds of walking later, a teasing aroma of baked starches lured the pair's eyes down another street.

"...As I said."

"Smells fantastic."

Quickening their pace, the pair continued a good distance down the new street, approaching a small group of people clustered around an open entrance. Slowing to a halt, Odd eyed a faded yellow sign above the wooden doorway as Aelita peered inside with a lean of interest.

Ristorante Bagutta.

"Here?"

"Here."

"Let's do it."


With only occasional noises of consumption among the restaurant's quaint ambiance, several instances of eye contact ensued, with rises of eyebrows and smiles shooting back and forth between them. Then, while not paying attention, a scoop of salad slipped off of Odd's fork, and Aelita watched with great amusement as he put the empty utensil into his mouth anyway. Then as the moment of realization clicked, she snorted with laughter from his now-priceless expression.

"Eating air, I see."

Saving face, he promptly speared the escapee blob of lettuce and carrots with the tangs of the fork.

"Why, yes. Zero carbs, zero fat, zero anything. Perfect for my diet, you see."

Taking in her continued mirth from his light sarcasm, he then shoved the offending salad bite into his mouth as originally intended. After several chews, his fork then pointed at her half-eaten meal.

"So what made you decide against angel hair?"

"Can't have too much of a good thing."

"Mmm, hm. That's why you try new things, and discover more good things."

"Like this stuff."

"That's still pasta."

"Its different."

Eying her with interest, he hummed with interest, hands coming together above his plate.

"You're different."

"I know. So are you."

"Maybe, but there's nobody quite like you, Aelita."

A vacuum of silence between them ceased any further movements, and his words lingered in the air as their eyes locked together, hearts beating unseen.

I-I mean, in all honesty...

Fruitlessly attempting to look away, neck uncomfortably warm, he remained entranced by the expression of genuine, emotional surprise on her features. Then, finally tearing her attention away, feigning distraction, her lips remained parted as she attempted to look at something else beyond.

There's nobody quite like you either, Odd, but, I'm... I don't... Fuck. I don't even know how to feel or what to think.

Her mouth remained opened, tempted to speak her thought, but she forced it closed instead, finally looking back at him as he poked at the remains of the meal on his plate. Then with the sudden appearance of one of the wait staff, he greeted the waiter with a nod.

"Boxes?"

"And the check, please."

"Certainly."

Digging into his pants and fishing out his wallet, Odd's attention remained on the leather folds in his grasp, and Aelita shut her eyes, cheeks burning as she leaned back in the chair.

Dammit. I don't know how to feel? Maybe because this is new, but, how the hell did him saying something simple like that just turn this lunch into awkward silence?

Eyeing the bundle of Euros in his grasp, she promptly retrieved her own wallet, prying it open.

"...Um, I'll cover the tip. You just get the tab."

His eyes rose from her fingers to her face, and she swallowed.

"Alright."

Staring at the arrival of the checkbook on their table, several paper notes silently slipped into the checkbook and one dropped onto the table, and the pair sat back in their respective chairs again, fingers tapping on the table with mildly impatient waiting. With the eventual return of their waiter returned, Odd offered a smile as he calmly exchanged the checkbook for two styrofoam boxes, handing one to Aelita across the table.

After mere seconds of scooping their the meals inside, however, both he and Aelita burst out of their chairs awkwardly, hesitantly motioning towards the entrance and making several heads turn from their gestures. Awkwardly migrating back through the restaurant's entrance, and with a mere moment's pause back on Via Bagutta, sighs escaped their lungs.

That was almost a scene, and... I don't even know what the hell is wrong with me right now.

"Where to?"

Aelita's eyes lowered to the cobblestones around their shoes.

"Shopping. Clothes. Like we said earlier."

"Right. Yes."

Continuing onward, avoiding the eyes of passerby as much as possible, Aelita's hands shoved into the pockets of her pants, squeezing the fabric of the pockets as her heart burned in a lake of fire.

I feel insane. Fantastically insane. I think I know this kind of insane. And I'm pretty sure every time he looks at me with that damn calm smile...

"You feel alright?"

Half of a smile lifted her lips from Odd's voice beside her.

"Nope."

Her mouth then opened as his shut in response.

"...I mean, I feel fine. Not alright."

"Are you sure you liked that pasta?"

Wha... Its not the fucking pasta you... You...

Exhaling heavily as the rest of the words in her mind floated away, a crooked smile tilted the corner of her mouth upward.

"It was fine... I'm just feeling kinda insane right now."

"Hmm... Me too, honestly."

Looking away, listening to their tandem footfall, she shook her head slightly.

I bet you are... Feeling insane enough to go and say I'm incomparable or some shit... And yet I told myself the same thing about you. What the fuck?

Unable to resist a hint of a smile, her hand rose to the side of her neck in a momentary rub.

Yeah. We're both insane, aren't we?


"Now why in the hell would I spend five hundred and eighty euros... On one blouse, and one pair of jeans?"

Followed a scowling Aelita as she stormed out with two bags from prior, cheaper stores, Odd smiled from the thankful return of her normal demeanor.

"Because you got both for one hundred and eighty five."

"Like I said earlier, I hate floofy brand-name shit. They act like they weave gold into their clothing so they can blast the prices up so high... Why does anyone bother?"

She paused, looking at Odd in his newly acquired polo shirt and light dress coat.

"And of course the men's clothing is hilariously cheaper. Mister handsome here has a brand new closet already, and I've barely got a weeks worth of clothes."

Donning his pair of orange-lens aviators, the blonde then handed Aelita her pair of sunglasses.

"It was your idea to go shopping here."

"Yes. And despite the bullshit it was worth it, because we fit in now."

A moment's pause later, her grimace faded as she looked at him.

"I think us newlyweds should drink again."

Mouth perking into a returning smile from the rise of his eyebrow, their eyes met with a flicker of interest.

Yeah, I said it despite the stuff earlier. Whatever the hell even happened earlier...

"The honeymoon isn't over until we run out of wine."

"Or money."

Her eyebrows rose in response.

Yeah right... "I'm about to say fuck wandering around... Some red wine back in the hotel is calling my name."

"Sounds fine to me."

Backtracking through a steady procession of people on the sidewalks, the pair began anticipating another wasted evening in a wandering of thought.

"...I mean, we won't even have to go anywhere for supper. Can just choke down this leftover pasta, and we're good to lube up our brainlobes some more."

"Lovely."


Opening the door into their hotel room with a shove, Odd stood aside as Aelita shuffled in, only to drop the armload of shopping bags onto the floor. Attention flitting aside as Odd walked past, she watched as he twisted a bottle opener into the cork of a bottle of wine, prying it out with a *THOOMP*.

"That Pinot noir again?"

"Yes. Should probably finish it before cracking open another one."

Swiftly shedding footwear and setting her sunglasses aside, she swiped her hand through her hair and stepped up next to Odd as he poured a glass.

"For you."

Fingertips grazing each other as she accepted the glass, she rotated in place and took in a mouthful of the dark red beverage.

And now... Yeah. Bed. Sure.

Wandered over towards the remade bedding, undoing her holster's belt with her free hand and dropping it on the nightstand, she pried her Desert Eagle out with a shove, holding and inspecting the hefty pistol in her dominant hand as she swallowed the gulp of wine.

Seeing the shift of the mattress as Odd sat himself on the side of the bed, setting his own glass upon the opposite nightstand and taking his shoes off, she studied his backside and short blonde hair with momentary interest.

"Feel like watching TV?"

"Hell no. We'll just get a recap of the past week."

Looking away as he sat back, reclining against the bed's headboard, the glass in hand tilted against his lips.

"I'd rather just lay here."

"Me too."


Nearly an hour later, Aelita lay flat on the bed next to Odd, her glass sitting entwined in her fingers, empty.

"Some people figure out their purpose in life right away... But here I am, twenty five... Twenty four years old, and I still don't know what the fuck I'm doing here."

Looking up at Odd, making sure he was still listening, she waited until his eyes found hers again.

"I was shoved into this ugly world to do something, right? Cause sometimes I wonder if my, uh, career, was what was supposed to even happen."

"Do you... Think its your destiny?"

"God I hope not. Who the hell would want to live like I have?"

His brow narrowed briefly, unseen by her.

"You never know. Maybe someone put you to the challenge on purpose."

"Well I sure didn't ask for it."

"Me neither. But we forge our own paths, and we do what we can, while we can."

Both of them sat in contemplative silence.

"You know, Odd, every time I think about things like this, I end up wondering why I'm not dead yet."

He reached over and tapped her empty glass with his, producing a *clink*.

"Me too."

Staring at the ceiling in a numb glaze, a hefty exhale pushed through her nostrils.

"What time... Is it?"

Forcing coherence into his vision as he searched for the clock in the hotel room, Odd squinted at the position of the minutes of the circular face.

"Eight fifty... three."

Her eyes shut, and she rolled over, pushing herself upwards slightly.

"Starving... Where's that pasta...?"

"I'll get it."

"Nooo, i'll..."

Pausing, and then flopping back down onto her back as he escaped the bed much quicker than her, she simply lay still as the mattress shifted again.

"...Okay."

Listening to the shuffle of a backpack's fabric, he then returned, handing her one of the boxes and a fork in exchange for her glass, and she shoved herself upright into a sitting position, only to stare at the box in her grasp in a momentary stupor. Fumbling with the foam latch with an initial struggle, she then brought the plastic fork in her grasp to the folds of the container, prying it open with a snap of splitting foam.

"There. Stupid thing."

"You okay there?"

A giggle escaped her mouth from his query as he seated himself on the bed beside her.

"Yes, I'm... Yes."

Looking at his lap in a realization that he had also grabbed his own dinner, she glanced back and forth at their meals.

"Um, can I try yours?"

Watching as her curious green eyes flitted up toward him, he responded with an eventual nod.

"Sure... If you give me yours."

Thrusting the box onto his lap, and then gingerly accepting his, she pried the lid open with success, peering closer at the contents within.

"What did you get anyway?"

"...I don't even remember."

"Okay."

Swiping a forkful of the food onto her fork, and then into her mouth, a period of contemplative chewing resulted in a shrug and swallow.

"Well its good so... Yes."

"Yours is good too."

"Remember what I said earlier? Leftovers, and lubed brainlobes."

"Whatever's left of my brainlobes."

"Right."

Finishing the meal with voracious swiftness, she set the box on the nightstand, blinking as it chose to fall off and land on the floor below instead.

"...Clearly."

Her head turned to him, and after a few contemplative expressions, she started fumbling with her shirt.

"Not sure why the hell... But warm as shit right now in Paris..."

Halfway up her arms, the shirt paused, and her eyebrows furrowed, distractedly noticing Odd's sky-high eyebrows.

"Are we... We're in Paris, right?"

He shook his head, interested and amused by her confusion.

"We're in Milan. Italy."

She blinked, her eyes going down to her skirt with a yawn.

"Damn... Way off."

Kneeling upright onto wobbly knees, she elected to slide her pants down along her legs instead, shoving the garment down onto the bed and awkwardly freeing it from the rest of her legs. Halting Odd's chewing as he eyed the womanly figure beside himself, aroused by her carefree removal of clothing, she cast the textile aside onto the floor.

Um... Hello.

Inspecting her undergarments, and then Odd's helplessly fascinated expression with a moment of inebriated realization, she sunk down and sat on the bed, folding her legs and produced a fantastically curious smirk, further capturing his attention.

"Mmm, tell me, mister Della Robbia..."

Heart racing from the purr of voice, his previously busy hands remained still on his lap.

"...Do you like what you see?"

Leaning towards him, putting an arm down to keep herself upright, his expression attempted a balance between a blush and a helplessly open mouth as she drew teasingly closer.

"...How could I not?"

How could I not like this sexy ass body in front of me...?

The mutual thought bloomed, and their eyes locked together fiercely.

Either the wine is doing this, or... God damn, what is even happening right now?

The lock broke apart, and their attentions slowly diverted after several unsober blinks, leaving them both burning with desire as the moment reluctantly faded.

Inhibitions, and... Whatever the hell else is going on inside of me. Maybe I should just... I don't know.

Exhaling, flushed with a swirl of drunken emotion, Aelita tugged and wrestled with the mess of sheets on the bed, brimming with reluctance as she sidled into a prone position next to him.

"I'm, um... Kinda tired... Gonna sleep now."

Hand sliding along to the edge of the mattress, she squeezed the edge of the bedding with great force.

God dammit...

"Good night, Aelita."

"Night."

Eyes clamping shut in a grimace from his faintly pained voice, her mind spun with self-persecution.

What the hell is wrong with me? Is there something I'm afraid of? Am I afraid of him? No. Stupid. You're just not sure. Right? Not sure about what would even happen... Didn't you see the face he was making? He must want me pretty badly... Probably couldn't believe his eyes. Drunk ass me losing clothing next to him. What the fuck. At this rate it should be so easy... With neither of us sober, and yet I'm still on my guard, or something.

Her eyes opened as he turned off the nearby lamp, and shuffled under the covers.

And here you are, climbing into bed with me... And nothing's happening besides sleeping. What the fuck? Are we both just this damn awkward? I mean, we're friends out of circumstance, but to think neither of us have really done anything... Maybe he has. I don't know, but...

Feeling the radiating warmth of his presence, her heart raced from a sudden switch of imagination, playing a variety of intimate fantasies in the darkness.

...Ohhh god.

Her cheeks warmed against the cool pillow beneath her head.

We should do something. Maybe a few things. Maybe when we're not running and hiding... Or maybe just say fuck it. Maybe just fuck me. Yeah. Something like that. Sooner or later... Maybe sooner.

Resisting a very real temptation to roll over, her heart ached heavily.

No. Later. When I'm not shitfaced, and we're not in a stupid situation.