asgardmeridiem | [CLOSED] I would give everything for some hope

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[CLOSED] I would give everything for some hope

Who: Ezio (

sicarius) and Caterina (

canmakemore)
What: After this whole fiasco of a fight thread, Ezio is crawling back to Caterina to check on her, and going to the hospital. Literally.
When: Day 142/143? I FORGET
Where: On the streets
Rating: H for heartbreak, because really, these two.

[Twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes is a long time, especially when it comes to falling unconscious. There's a deadness in the air that stays with you, a time where you insist your body is neither here nor there, neither living or dead. For Ezio, it is something he has grown used to over the years as an assassin.

Well. Somewhat grown used to. No one can truly ever get used to being unconscious.

In the silence of those moments, in the darkness that he swims in, the Italian swears he hears them. His family. His older brother, Federico, joking with him for being an old man and letting age catch up with him so easily. Petruccio, telling him it's fine to sleep, but not for too long. And his father. His father, Giovanni, is pleased and speaks warmly to him.

"Well done, my son. I'm proud of you."

For all moments of hell he has spent in this city, this is one of the very few where he does not regret being here. His mind drifts, endlessly, wondering if there is going to be a point where he'll stop breathing, or continue to just exist here. He wouldn't mind. Mostly. To just lay here in unconsciousness and fade into a black and empty void, welcoming him with open arms and a grin that threatens to swallow him whole.

But he knows better.

"You know what must be done. Go. Be an Auditore."

It's words like that, that make him realize he still has so much to fight for, and so much he has given up, for his family. He is an Auditore. He always has been. No poor decision nor a single statement could ever change that.

"Wake up."

His eyes open, slowly, finally, breath heavily announcing his re-entrance into the realm of the living, and he rolls, the sky above his head greeting him in blues that hurt if he stares at them too long. Ezio can only lay there for a few moments, the pain registering back to his senses, before he finally lifts himself enough to look at his surroundings, and the others around him. Hood down, he can feel the breeze go by, and he sits almost in a daze, trying to refocus on the importance of looking after the others. It's difficult, having nearly spent his entire self in trying to heal Ichigo from the fault of his own blade.

The boy lays right beside him, and a hand gently checks his pulse to find him alive and breathing, even if he's bleeding, still. The wound is clotting up again, thankfully, but it won't stay that way if he doesn't get him to a hospital.

Which causes him to turn his head, eyes looking for another. Caterina. Oh god, she was hurt too, at the beginning of this whole mess.

He tries to move to her, getting to his feet- only to fall back down and hiss in pain. He can't approach that way, so he settles for the next thing that comes to mind, crawling to her, his legs still too weak to carry himself. Given more time, he'll be able to walk. A hand gently brushes against her face as he sits by her, his own leaning in and a worried expression easily readable all over his face. Even his tone carries concern, not even bothered that he's so openly showing such affection towards her. It doesn't matter, really. No one knows them, here and now. All that matters right now is having her respond, and prove that she's still alive and well. Maybe then, his heart will stop racing.]

Caterina. Caterina! Per favore, answer me, mia cara.

[If not, his heart may just stop beating entirely.]

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[She's been semi-conscious most of this time, eyes closed, lying as still as she can on the sidewalk, concentrating on breathing.

Because breathing hurt. When the Hollow had kicked her, he hadn't just cracked a few ribs, he'd broken them completely. And those broken ribs had punctured her lung, which had in turn collapsed.

She didn't know this, all she knew was that her side hurt in a terrifyingly sharp pain that stabbed her every time she took a breath. So even though she could hear the fight going on nearby, she hadn't been able to concentrate on it. She had to focus on breathing.

Slowly. As shallow as possible. Stay calm. Stay calm. Don't go to sleep, not now, not now.

When at last she hears Ezio's voice and feels his hand on her face, that's when she knows it's finally over. Now it was time for the hard part.

When she opens her eyes, the first thing she notices is how worried he is. The second thing she notices is how her heart, which she had managed to calm to a slow rhythm just a moment ago, suddenly skips into a syncopated, nervous beat. Her breath automatically tries to keep up.

She gasps. But gasping on one lung and a handful of broken ribs is not easy, and it dissolves into coughing, which hurts even more.

It's a moment before she can finally get it under control again.]

Cazzo.

[It's quiet, pained, and there's a slight wheeze behind the word that does not bode well for the state of her lungs. But she's alive, and that counts for something.]

[It's a mixture of emotions when she speaks, his heart both glad and close to breaking at the sound of her voice.]

Grazie dio.

[Obviously she's not all right, but at least she's conscious. He scoots himself closer, trying his best to be by her side, and offer comfort when she's in pain.

It's all he can do right now. He wants to offer a hand and heal her, make this easier, but he can't even walk. If he tries, he'll probably go unconscious again. The thought burns and eats at him, being helpless when she needs him now, more than ever.

He should have known. He should have been there sooner. Now all he feels is regret for having her get into this mess in the first place.]

[Doing her best to turn her attention away from the pain she feels every time she breathes, she looks at Ezio. She frowns and lifts her right hand, gently brushing the uninjured part of his chest. He's bleeding. And. His armor is gone. What happened to it?]

You look terrible.

[haha. it's a joke. because she probably looks worse.

except it's not really a joke because he does look terrible. oops.]

I will be fine.

[A shake of the head, and his hand rests on hers. He's dealt with far worse, and for once, he's glad she didn't see what went on during the fight. He can't imagine how that would have turned out for her.

But there is a smile on his face, and he takes that hand and gently kisses it, before lowering it down again.]

I have had worse.

[She smiles thinly, then it fades.]

How is he?

Edited 2012-09-20 01:22 (UTC)

[He tilts his head a little, but sighs.]

Bleeding, but alive. Unconscious for now.

[Ezio knows Ichigo can't feel the pain right now, but he's not sure for how long that will stay true.]

[She'd sigh, but it would hurt way too much.]

He's going to be moody for weeks.

[GOD SHE HATES MOODY MEN.]

[There's only him chuckling from that.]

Would I be any different, in his case?

[It's a joke.

Mostly.]

[Caterina has run out of banter. She hurts too much. She fixes Ezio with a straight stare.]

No.

[And that is his cue to get moving. Ezio gently lets go of her hand, and slowly gets on one knee...

And nearly falls on his side- but a hand reaches forward into the ground and keeps him there, keeps him balanced, refusing to go back down. He's kneeling, regaining his strength, but not enough to fully walk yet.]

Cazzo.

[He didn't want her to see that.]

[When Ezio stumbles, Caterina involuntarily gasps... which causes a massive jolt of pain and sudden breathlessness. She grits her teeth but can't stop the quiet yelp as she struggles to get her breathing under control again.

Stay calm stay calm]

[They're both a mess, aren't they? Her yelping only makes it worse for him, hand clenching into the dirt as he can only watch her calm herself down.

He hates this. He hates feeling so useless.]

[What a pair they make. Caterina would laugh if it wasn't going to cause incredible pain. Instead, when she gets back under control, she looks over at Ezio, just meeting his gaze silently.

She could say it's okay, but it's not. She could tell him it wasn't his fault, but it kind of was. She could say everything was going to be all right, but she didn't know if it would be.

They were so far from home, probably on the brink of war with people they knew nothing about, and Caterina was in no mood to lie. Not right now.

So she didn't say anything at all.]

[The worst part is, he knows. All of it. And looking into her eyes only drives the point home further.

He has to do something. He has to. They can't stay here, not the way that all three of them are.

So he moves. Slowly, lifting the other knee up to where he can use it as support, ignoring the pain and tiredness that his legs scream at him for using them too soon, and pushing himself up. To stand. To stay standing. His balance is a little skewed at first, muscles refusing to budge until he mentally forces them to, keeping himself upright, but he eventually recovers.

All the while, he's keeping an eye on her, and how she's doing during this entire mess. A hand is lowered to her, finally, offering her a chance to actually get up off the ground.]

Can you stand at all, mia cara?

...I can try.

[Slowly, carefully, she rolls onto her uninjured side and begins to lift herself up on her right arm. Once she's in a mostly seated position, she takes Ezio's offered hand and uses him to slowly stand.

She can stand.

It just hurts like hell getting there.

And it hurts like hell standing at all.

But she can't stay lying in the street. That would be one of the stupider options she could choose.

Still, the tightness in her face makes it clear that she is clenching her jaw against a lot of pain right now.]

[He knows it hurts, and more than anything else, he wishes he could heal her. Ease her pain, even just a little. Seeing her like this breaks his hear the longer they stay out here.

Instead, he sets a grim face and nods. His eyes, however, say everything that he doesn't. Gently, he leads her along, careful not to go too fast, especially since she can't breathe well.]

Good. The hospital is not far from here.

[Now the task is getting down low enough to pick up Ichigo, without falling back over. A pause as he crouches, painfully, where the boy lies, and after the second or third try, he manages to get him in his arms, like a child, and stand back up. It's frustrating, being so weak, but he knows if he pushes himself too early he could send the both of them toppling over into the ground. That's not what they need right now. No, what they need is a healer, and even he can't supply that. What a lot of good an assassino is right now.]

[She almost wishes she could tell him to leave Ichigo, have someone come back for him, but she knows there is no argument she could make to convince Ezio to do so. So she watches him struggle with Ichigo, her face as white as a sheet from the pain and stress.

She hates seeing him like this. She's tired, in so much pain, and she has to see Ezio at his weakest and it's almost worse than the pain because she knows how it must be making him feel.

She can feel herself wanting to cry, as some form of release, but she won't let herself do it. She needs to stay strong, for herself, for Ezio.]

[It is the first time in a long while, since the death of Mario, that he has felt this helpless. Perhaps not as badly as seeing his uncle perish by Borgia hands, but it comes close, and that only sears the wounds into his heart further.

Still, he ignores that, pushes it down, because right now, he needs to get them both to the hospital. That is more important than anything else.

The smile he finally offers her is weary, exhausted, but there. It's a signal that he's willing to get going, walking along at a speed all of them can handle. His feet move forward, one at a time, each step his body saying no, stop. Stop. Stop. But he ignores it, pushes past the limits he has, because he has to take Caterina and Ichigo to safety. He has to. No one else can.

He is going to get them there, or he is going to die trying.]

[All the way there, Caterina makes a point of stopping every now and then. It's partly because she really honestly needs to stop because walking is jarring her injury and making it hurt in a new and special way, but it's also because she knows she wouldn't be able to get Ezio to take a break otherwise.

But, after a long and agonizing walk, they finally make it. At this point Caterina is trying very hard not to cling to Ezio and lean on him, because she is really hurting right now. And wheezing a little. And is altogether not looking good at all.

But they made it. The lights of the hospital have never looked so good.]

[By the time they've gotten there, he's out of breath, panting, body ready to give out at any moment. The lights are a welcoming sight, and walking through the door to see nurses rushing towards them is something he's thankful to see. He ushers them away from him, motioning towards Caterina and the boy in his arms, who are in need of attention much more than he is.

After a few brief statements, Ezio hands them Ichigo, and he and Caterina make their way to another part of the hospital. When the doctor leaves, the assassin visibly slumps against a wall in the room, exhausted. Closing his eyes and clenching his teeth together, he stays silent, to keep from saying anything that would worry Caterina while she's being taken care of. Her well-being comes first, before his own.

But something is nagging him in the back of his mind. A quick check on his bracelet leaves him looking worse for wear, and even after a few moments of silence, nothing changes. Ezio still looks worried. When one of the nurses passes by again, he pulls her over, asking if someone is in the hospital rooms. She only shakes her head, apologizes, and walks off.

Alice is missing.

His hands are clenched and as he tries to stand back up, he lets out a low hiss, body still punishing him for pushing himself this far. It's not ready to move, but he has to. He has to go find her.]

Edited 2012-09-23 23:07 (UTC)

[Caterina has missed none of it. Sitting on the bed, she watches Ezio's entire performance. Unfortunately, he fails at keeping from worrying her.]

Ezio.

[What are you doing. :| ]

[Going to go look for Alice. )8]

Sì?

[He knows she's probably seen him do that entire thing. Damn it. She's not going to like what he has to say next.]

[She is trying so hard to stay calm.]

You need to rest.

[He sighs.]

I know. But Alice is not answering her bracelet, nor is she here.

[She stares at him flatly for a long, tense moment.

She knows what this means.

She knows what he's saying.

Caterina closes her eyes and balls her hands into fists as she tries, very hard, to stay calm. But she is two seconds away from having a breakdown of some kind and this isn't helping.]

Then. We should ask someone. To go look for her.

Caterina...

[He knows. He knows that she knows. That he willingly will go after Alice, despite not being able to walk much at all, to go back out, even though he's exhausted and at the point of collapsing. Even if his body threatens to give out on him entirely.

It's just how he is. He can't leave people behind. He just can't.

A push away from the wall, and he slowly makes his way over to her, eyes both worried for her, and for Alice.]

I can't.

[No. No. Why can't he just... just once be a little selfish? Just once let someone else do the work? Why did he have to be so fucking noble all the time?

She's keeping her eyes squeezed shut because it's the only way she won't start crying.]

Ezio. Don't.

[Because he is an Auditore. Because he is an Assassin. And because, more than anything else, he owes it to the world. For the times he could not save his family, for the times he could not be his best, for the times he was a failure and had to watch almost everyone he knew die. He will give everything he has, everything he is to keep the ones who are alive safe, and taken care of.

His hand comes up and gently brushes her cheek, trying to wear a smile for both their sakes.]

I have to. Could you stay here if you knew I was in Alice's position?

[She wouldn't. She knows she wouldn't, and she knows he knows it. And if she were in Ezio's place, she'd probably be doing the same thing.

When she realizes she can't hold back the tears anymore, she doesn't even bother keeping her eyes shut anymore. She just looks at him, eyes welling up from pain and exhaustion and stress, and gently catches the front of his shirt in one hand.]

You don't know where she is. You can barely even stand.

[Tears from her is a surprise, but in this case, he can't blame her. She's frustrated, upset, and in pain. Him saying he has to go out again must be horrible, like a knife jabbing into her heart.

Gently, he leans forward, to where his head is against hers, eyes closed. Softly, almost as if he's afraid of breaking her:]

I will bring her back. I will be fine, mia cara. Ti prometto.

[She's not sobbing, at least. Sobbing in this case would lead to very bad things in regards to her ability to breathe. Still, her breath hitches and skips uncomfortably as tears slowly roll down her cheeks. She lifts her head up to meet his, and when his eyes close, hers do too.]

I will hold you to that.

Then I will be sure to keep it.

[He may be a man of many things, but one thing he does not do is break promises. Opening his eyes, he wipes away her tears and smiles, kissing her forehead as an effort to calm her.]

Shhh, non piangere. I will be back soon enough.

[She will try to pull herself back together, but it might be a while. A kiss on the forehead and a promise to be back soon, while very good things, are not enough to calm her down completely.

When a nurse walks in to check on Caterina, she pulls away from Ezio slightly. Catching the nurse entirely off guard, Caterina kisses her, then turns back to Ezio.

She looks at him carefully for a moment, eyes still teary, and then she kisses him. It's not like most of the other times they've kissed. It's not lustful and passionate. It's gentle. Emotional. And more vulnerable than Caterina has ever really let herself be with Ezio.]

[He doesn't have much time to say anything before she looks at him, and that kiss causes him to go breathless. He has always been the one to woo women and to flirt, to cause their hearts to nearly pound out of their chests when he looks at them. But Caterina has a way of getting beneath his skin, knowing him much more intimately than anyone else, and it surprises him each and every time she can break through all his defenses. Only Cristina knew how to do that before, before he lost her.

...He doesn't want to lose Caterina too.

It pains his heart to know that as much as he loves her, as much as he wants this to work, both here and back home, it can't. He can't. If something were to happen to her, like how she was attacked by Hichigo now, and she were to die? He could never forgive himself for what happened. Never. It would be like tearing a hole out of his heart and insisting he continue living as he bled out slowly, painfully. Ezio has lost so many already. He cannot afford to lose her.

His kiss in return is just as gentle, quiet, not bothering to cause her to be lost in the moment. It's a simple saying for something he cannot speak, for fear of her slipping away.

"Yes, I love you as well."

His reputation and his life as an assassin will never let him live a life of peace, he has known that for years. But for once in his life, he wonders if he will ever find happiness with a woman who will know him as well as he hopes to know her.]

[It's not a revelation. They just don't talk about it, and probably never will. Still, Caterina has never wanted to say it more than she has now.

But she doesn't. She won't.

Because it must never be.

She's never regretted it before. She's never had to.

But now, she does.

So, before it gets to be too painful, she gives the energy she took from the nurse to Ezio and gently pulls away.

She's silent for a long moment, just looking at him.

Then, finally,]

Go.

[He takes a moment longer and keeps his forehead to hers, and then slowly pulls away, fingers lingering on her long enough to at least heal a little of the pain she feels. Now partially restored, he knows he can find Alice.

He steps back, offering a gentle smile for all her efforts, and for the ones he will soon enough give back for others.]

I will be back soon, mia cara.

[Another wordless look, one from him this time, and he leaves, footsteps echoing in the hallway, until he's gone.]

[She watches him go.

Once he's away, she wipes her face, takes as deep a breath as she can manage (which is slightly easier thanks to Ezio), and closes her eyes for a moment.

She steadies herself. She looks to the nurse and then looks away again.

He'll be back.

He promised he would.

She won't worry.]

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[CLOSED] I would give everything for some hope

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