Twit Shit: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus

A brush of something unfamiliar against her cheek roused her from her sleep. Since she had settled in her bed, the room had grown considerably darker, and only the remains of the candles she had lit earlier served as light. Cast in complete shadow, Seeley sat beside her; his hood hiding his face, and his fingers gently brushing against her skin. She could see his smile peeking into the light, and weakly she tried to muster her own.

"How long have you been staring at me?"

"Only a couple minutes."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"A couple hours. How's your leg?" he asked; sliding his hand along the natural curves of her body. "Is the medicine the doctor gave you working?"

"Yes," she muttered; sighing in content as his fingers passed leisurely over her bare skin. "She didn't hit me where I was shot, she simply numbed my leg so I couldn't walk. Though, I've regained feeling, and the initial pain has subsided tremendously. I do have quite an ugly bruise on my leg though."

"Madonna," he smirked; leaning down so he could kiss the skin of her side that was revealed by the loose shirt she had obviously stolen from him. "Nothing about you is ugly. Especially when you're wearing my shirt."

"It's comfortable," she smiled; sitting up when she noticed a slightly concerned look pass across his features. "What's wrong?"

"I think we should talk about things..."

"What sort of things?"

"Things involving the unexpected change in our relationship," he said. "Temperance...yesterday we crossed lines that haven't even been drawn yet. I don't want to go back, but, if we just jump into this without a semblance of what we're jumping into...it will end in disaster. I can't lose you...in any sense."

"Then let us draw a line right now," she whispered. She slid her fingers against his cheek, and reached up to push his hood away so she could see the shimmer of light in his chocolate colored eyes. She rose on her knees and crawled closer to him; cradling his face in her hands while his arms came to circle her waist. The soft pass of her fingers through the hairs resting on the nape of his neck brought gooseflesh to his arms, while in a final act of drawing their line, she closed the space between them, and sealed her lips with his. "From now on...there's no going back, but...there are worries I think I should voice."

"Like what?"

"I'm not a fan of titles," she smirked. "And, I don't want us to have huge expectations for this. I believe we would both feel more comfortable, if we just...went with this, instead of planning it."

"At least let me say that you're mine."

"Fine...that's as far as you can go by claiming me."

"I can live with that," he smiled; tightening his hold around her, and bringing them together for another tender, but passionate kiss. "Your father is downstairs. He's worried about you. I fear he's going to run a hole through the floor from all of his pacing."

"Why is he worried about me?" she asked. "My leg?"

"Yeah. He didn't want to come up here and disturb you, but when I walked through the door he thought that if anyone was going to get killed for waking you up, it should be me."

"Tell him to come up here," she whispered; brushing her fingers through the short strands of his hair, before she sat back in her bed. "He won't go back to the guild if he doesn't make sure I'm okay."

"Planning something special that your dad shouldn't be here to witness, hmm?" he teased; sliding his hand up her side as he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"Maybe when I can feel my leg, and the huge, painful bruise molting my skin is gone..."

"Tease," he smirked as his hand rose to brush a lock of her hair behind her ear. He smiled at her one final time, and straightened to step back towards the door of the barracks. With a soft voice, he called out for La Volpe, and soon, her father was stepping through the door, and making his way to her side.

"Il mio angelo," La Volpe breathed out; taking a seat on the edge of her bed, and reaching out to grasp her hand. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Temperance swore; smiling and absently bringing her father's knuckles to her lips. "I promise you. Please, don't worry about me."

"How can I not when you're sneaking out from under my nose and getting kidnapped by Cesare?" he asked. "I swear to the lord Himself, Temperance...sneak out again, and I will have metal forged around our wrists. You will not be able to leave my side."

"I have nothing to run from anymore," she whispered; sparing a glance to the assassin resting against the far wall. They shared a soft smile, and La Volpe followed her gaze, before he nodded in understanding.

"Well, then I suppose that it's your job to keep her out of trouble now," Volpe resigned; standing, as he directed a nod towards Seeley.

"Not a chance," he smirked. "You and I both know I'll need help in that department. A whole army couldn't keep her out of trouble."

"Thanks," she growled sarcastically. "I love knowing how highly you both think of me."

"I never said it was a bad thing," Seeley stated. "In fact, it's very useful, seeing as how we are going after a whole army."

"We both think the world of you," Volpe smiled. "And you know that. And I know that for certain, because of the glances you keep giving to this new found lover of yours. I'll let you get some rest...and Seeley...you should rest also."

"Not a problem La Volpe," the smirking assassin assured. "I will hinder your daughter's rest in no way."

"Good. I expect to see your eyes clear and shining tomorrow, and not red from sleep loss."

"You shall father," Temperance sighed. "I promise. Now-"

"Okay, okay, I get the point," he laughed; reaching his hand behind his daughter's head, and bringing her close enough to kiss her forehead. "I will see you tomorrow bella."

"Good night," she smiled; waiting for her father to leave, before she turned her gaze to her lover, and teasingly patted the bed beside her. "Going to leave me over here all by myself?"

"My sanity calls for it," he assured, even as he stepped forward and rested his hands at either side of her hips. Her hands reached up to rest against his cheeks, and with a gentle, but searing passion, met his lips with her own. One of his hands rose from the mattress, and slid around to cradle her back; groaning when her arms circled around his waist, and pulled him flat on top of her. "What about what you said earlier? Has your leg made a miraculous recovery?"

"Are you complaining?" she asked as a flirtatious eyebrow rose towards her hair line, and her fingers reached up to unhook the spaulders that covered his shoulder.

"Not at all mio amore," he laughed as his armor was shed away piece by piece, and his rough fingers peeled away the loose fitting white shirt that teasing outlined the curves of her body, and barely hid her skin from his touch.

~*~*B+B*~*~

Sweaty, flushed, and completely sated, the two lovers remained intertwined with the other, their bed sheets and blankets tossed haphazardly around their bodies. Her cheek was rested comfortably against his shoulder, and her eyes were closing leisurely as his fingers brushed through the slightly tangled tendrils of her hair.

"What did you and Machiavelli talk about once you left earlier this morning?" she whispered; absently kissing his chest.

"I informed him, that if we are to win this war, we need some people to actually fight along side us. It can't be just us two. He was a little skeptical about the idea, but once I allowed him to see innocent citizens of Roma cornered and slaughtered for no reason by Borgia guards, he decided that my idea was fitting. I was able to find and save four people from the guards attacking them, and they agreed to join our liberation. I believe that, the more we show them that the Borgia influence is cracking, the more recruits I will be able to find."

"I have a feeling that you're asking me to accidentally set those really tall towers, that coincidentally hold lots of gun powder, on fire," Temperance smirked; rolling onto her stomach, and gently curling her arm across his chest, so her chin could rest upon her hand.

He smiled at her, and reached up to gently brush his fingers down her face. His lips pressed against her forehead, and he chuckled gently at the loving sigh that left her lips. "Baby, if you randomly decide to kill the captain overseeing the tower, and then decide to burn it...there is no way in hell I'm going to be able to stop you in the first place. It would be convenient though."

"Tomorrow, we can go on a walk, while Machiavelli pulls in his information," she suggested. "If we happen to run into something of interest...well then I suppose that is fate just calling for our attention."

"I suppose you are correct," he smirked. "Do you miss home?"

"What?"

"Do you miss Venezia? Do you miss your home?"

"Of course I do," she whispered softly. "I miss Monteriggioni as well. Your villa was like a haven I could only find once in a lifetime."

"I miss a lot of places," he muttered. "And I was just thinking about all the memories I have engrained within me. I want to share them with you...but there is no way we are getting out of Roma anytime soon. I want to know when this terror and bloodshed will end, so we can go on to a more peaceful, and beautiful place."

"Once we get rid of the terror and bloodshed, Roma will be beautiful," Temperance promised. "But, I am a fan of traveling myself. Also, it's sort of a tradition to attend Carnivale if you have ever walked the streets of Venice, and even though the festival is over for this year...I really want you to go with me next time."

"I will. Though, you might actually have to indulge in the festivities, instead of working the whole night. That includes a beautiful dress, which I will buy you, and both of us drinking enough wine that we get yelled at by some sort of government personnel."

"Deal."

"And in return...I want to take you to Firenze. I mean, really take you there. I want you to see where I grew up. I want to show you my past, good, bad, and in between."

"But what if it hurts you too much?" she asked, reaching up to press her fingers against his cheek. "Seeley...I don't want to see you in pain."

"I know you don't, but you deserve to know everything about me. You said earlier that there is no going back...by showing you the past, there is nothing for me to go back to. Once you know everything, there will only be the future."

Her smile flourished brightly, and he mimicked her motion as his fingers brushed against her cheek. "I really like that," she whispered gently. "And, maybe, if you're up for an adventure...we can go to Ireland, and I'll show you where I was born...but it's kinda cold up there, and you wouldn't be used to it."

"I'll get some really warm clothes," he smirked. "Despite all of my traveling...I've never traveled out of Italia, it would be amazing to see the rest of Europa."

"We're creating quite a list," she laughed. "Carnivale, exploring Florence, and traveling to Ireland. Is there anywhere else we should go?"

"I can find assassin work anywhere," he muttered. "So, once this is all over, we can just be a roving couple. We can just roam from country to country. From Italia, to Spagna, Francia-"

"I don't know how well France will work, seeing as how, being friends with Bartolomeo, already puts us on the Baron's bad side."

"Good point...Francia might have to wait."

"Probably."

"I don't know how we got here," he started, looking into her eyes, and reaching to grasp the hand she had resting over his heart. "But I'm glad. I've never before felt so strongly for someone so quickly, and knew that it was going somewhere amazing."

"Me too," she smiled. "I'm so happy, just...being here, and truthfully, I've never met someone I felt so strongly for...ever. I'm not the kind of girl that speaks of the future, because I can never be sure of what will happen, but...with you it's easy. With you a predictable future is a reality, and even though that might sound bad...it's the furthest thing from."

"I love you too, mio amato," he chuckled, smiling when her eyes widened, but then colored with acceptance. "We should probably get some sleep. I really don't want to piss off your dad again. Having his knife cut into my throat...wasn't a fun experience."

"I'm sorry. He's...protective."

"I don't think protective even covers it."

"Then let's not deal with his 'protectiveness' anymore," she laughed; stretching up to kiss him good night, before she turned away from him, and waited for him to follow. She smiled as his hands slid around her waist, and her fingers opened to lace with his own. His lips ghosted against her shoulder, and the second that his nose buried within her hair, and they both took in one full, relaxing breath; they fell to the night, and allowed sleep to shroud them in a tight, warm bond.