“Did they just get attached?” Malik asked quietly.
Altaïr thought back briefly over the past few months. He hadn’t been corresponding very much with his distant cousin once they had both started working, up until recently when he had asked if Ezio would be able to put up with Altaïr and Malik for their holiday to Italy and had received an enthusiastic avalanche of responses in return. Ezio had only recently mentioned meeting an ‘angel’ in an art museum, so… “I think it has been three weeks.”
“Tch.” Malik eyed the pair in question from the doorway of the shop.
Leonardo was trying on a red scarf, blushing as Ezio used compliments as an excuse to keep touching him, and the female shop assistants cooed over them both. Eventually, despite Leonardo’s protests and attempts to offer a credit card, Ezio managed to pay for all the purchases with the connivance of the shop assistants, and they tumbled back onto the street, Leonardo making only a halfhearted attempt to pull away as Altaïr’s cousin pressed kisses to his trim jaw.
“I think you wanted to go to Zegna?” Ezio purred, with eyes only for his lover.
“Oh no, every time we go to Zegna you buy me something, I can’t possibly,” Leonardo shook his head, even as Ezio curled an arm around his waist and propelled him forward.
“Only because you look so good in their shirts, caro mio.”
Behind their back, Malik rolled his eyes as the pair disappeared into the next shop on the Via de’ Tornabuoni. “Perhaps it is an Italian thing.”
“What is?”
“That ridiculous attitude.” Malik peered through the arched window into the store, which seemed to be selling cakes and chocolates. This time, Leonardo was having somewhat more success in preventing his boyfriend from buying him something, though Malik shot the array of chocolates a lingering stare. “Treating another man like a princess. Perhaps your cousin is better suited to courting young girls.”
“Leonardo seems to be enjoying the attention.”
“Pah. I am sure that he is only humoring your cousin,” Malik said dismissively. “Who in the world could endure such saccharine sap?”
“I do not think he is only humoring Ezio.” In the shop, Ezio looked dangerously close to stealing a kiss, perhaps much to the delight of the other customers, who were mostly women. “They are both in love. It is normal.”
Malik eyed him with some irritation. “Hardly. You don’t see us presenting such a disgusting display of public affection, do you?”
“Well,” Altaïr coughed, “About that-”
“What?” Malik glared back at the shop, then at Altaïr, who hastily schooled his expression. “It is a good thing that you are far more sensible than your cousin. I would hate to have to punch you in public.”
“For buying you things?”
“I can buy myself things.” Malik stalked away to the next store on the street, a bookshop. “Get me when those two have finished cooing over each other like idiotic pigeons.”
Altaïr sighed, fishing in his pockets and taking out the small wrapped box of chocolates from DeBondt, picking regretfully at the ribbon, then offering it to a little girl who emerged from the chocolate store. “Here you go, signorina. I think you will appreciate it more than the person I bought this for.”
The young girl stared owlishly at him, then hurried quickly away, turning back only at a safe distance to raise her voice slightly over the traffic. “Madre told me not to take sweets from strangers!”
Perhaps they should have chosen to visit Paris instead…
the gift of giving [1/1]
“Did they just get attached?” Malik asked quietly.
Altaïr thought back briefly over the past few months. He hadn’t been corresponding very much with his distant cousin once they had both started working, up until recently when he had asked if Ezio would be able to put up with Altaïr and Malik for their holiday to Italy and had received an enthusiastic avalanche of responses in return. Ezio had only recently mentioned meeting an ‘angel’ in an art museum, so… “I think it has been three weeks.”
“Tch.” Malik eyed the pair in question from the doorway of the shop.
Leonardo was trying on a red scarf, blushing as Ezio used compliments as an excuse to keep touching him, and the female shop assistants cooed over them both. Eventually, despite Leonardo’s protests and attempts to offer a credit card, Ezio managed to pay for all the purchases with the connivance of the shop assistants, and they tumbled back onto the street, Leonardo making only a halfhearted attempt to pull away as Altaïr’s cousin pressed kisses to his trim jaw.
“I think you wanted to go to Zegna?” Ezio purred, with eyes only for his lover.
“Oh no, every time we go to Zegna you buy me something, I can’t possibly,” Leonardo shook his head, even as Ezio curled an arm around his waist and propelled him forward.
“Only because you look so good in their shirts, caro mio.”
Behind their back, Malik rolled his eyes as the pair disappeared into the next shop on the Via de’ Tornabuoni. “Perhaps it is an Italian thing.”
“What is?”
“That ridiculous attitude.” Malik peered through the arched window into the store, which seemed to be selling cakes and chocolates. This time, Leonardo was having somewhat more success in preventing his boyfriend from buying him something, though Malik shot the array of chocolates a lingering stare. “Treating another man like a princess. Perhaps your cousin is better suited to courting young girls.”
“Leonardo seems to be enjoying the attention.”
“Pah. I am sure that he is only humoring your cousin,” Malik said dismissively. “Who in the world could endure such saccharine sap?”
“I do not think he is only humoring Ezio.” In the shop, Ezio looked dangerously close to stealing a kiss, perhaps much to the delight of the other customers, who were mostly women. “They are both in love. It is normal.”
Malik eyed him with some irritation. “Hardly. You don’t see us presenting such a disgusting display of public affection, do you?”
“Well,” Altaïr coughed, “About that-”
“What?” Malik glared back at the shop, then at Altaïr, who hastily schooled his expression. “It is a good thing that you are far more sensible than your cousin. I would hate to have to punch you in public.”
“For buying you things?”
“I can buy myself things.” Malik stalked away to the next store on the street, a bookshop. “Get me when those two have finished cooing over each other like idiotic pigeons.”
Altaïr sighed, fishing in his pockets and taking out the small wrapped box of chocolates from DeBondt, picking regretfully at the ribbon, then offering it to a little girl who emerged from the chocolate store. “Here you go, signorina. I think you will appreciate it more than the person I bought this for.”
The young girl stared owlishly at him, then hurried quickly away, turning back only at a safe distance to raise her voice slightly over the traffic. “Madre told me not to take sweets from strangers!”
Perhaps they should have chosen to visit Paris instead…
-fin, shortfill, hope you liked!-