[florence] new rules. [tag; honey]

Was this illegal?

Will wasn't sure. He hadn't taken Honey overseas against her will, he'd just…swung by Honeydukes, told her she needed to come with him and packed her a bag. He had a sister so he figured he'd be okay. Behind him, he dragged a magically shrunken leather suitcase on wheels that bumped along over the well worn cobble stones. It was, of course, a minefield. Kind of like buying flowers for a girl. He'd packed his clothes and hers, opting for some jeans, a few pale tops and a fuzzy jumper to ward off the chilly Autumn evenings for them both. He'd also bought, packed and wrapped a dress in flamingo printed paper. A risky move? Heck yeah but he was balls deep in this relationship now.

"Almost there," Will told the redhead, his large hand covering her eyes as they walked slowly. It probably was illegal, he imagined. To keep the surprise, he'd cast a spell on her. Literally. The charm cast was to muffle Honey's hearing, meaning the crowd noise, the languages and the sound of the fountains were blurred and lessened. The only thing she could clearly hear was him. Thankfully, it was temporary and lasted half an hour, which meant he had around five or so minutes to get a move on.

Their little planned holiday had crashed and burned. Will couldn't get time away, despite hiring an assistant. Everything imploded around him. Honey had seemed fine with him letting her down at the last minute but it still was horribly unfair. He hadn't gotten to see her on a beach, in a bikini, sipping rum from a coconut. They hadn't gone skinny dipping or caused a ruckus, much to his dismay. So, here they were; Florence.

Venice seemed cliché, not to mention it stunk and was overrun by tourists. Rome was too busy. Paris was boring and fussy and expensive. London was grey. Scandinavia was too cold. It was a shame Honey couldn't see all of the white buildings that ran along side the River Arno. Statues and houses and people and museums. The terracotta roof tiles that spread for miles, perfectly Medieval and precise. It was full of little side streets, like a rabbit warren, where cafes and bars and shops were tucked aside. He wanted to climb, up and up and show her the skyline at sunset. He wanted to break into a aristocratic family's palazzo and steal wine and sit on a private balcony.

They passed a clock that chimed, letting him know that it was four in the afternoon. The city was still bathed in the warm Italian sunshine but it was September and the heat was swiftly falling away. They were here for the weekend and he'd told no one. He'd booked a quaint little family run B&B where nobody knew he was here and thus, could not be dragged away. It was small and cosy and he knew no one would bother them there. As much as he liked hotels, they tended to lack personality and warmness and he wanted to spend time in white satin sheets, read the newspaper, get a bit of a tan and immerse himself in the local cuisine; he wanted the damned pasta.

It was a selfish deed, really. He wanted to show Honey off. Will had never, ever met, let alone dated, someone as beautiful and vibrant and downright dangerous. Perhaps this was a couple's holiday. To anyone else, it did look like a young couple was giggling as they tripped down the street, loved up and delirious. Because he was. Will was a pretty rational guy and he'd tried to talk himself out of his feelings. He wasn't sure it was love, no, but he felt strongly about her.

They walked down Via dei Calzaiuoli, the main thoroughfare of the small town, Will's eye on one of the numerous church clock towers. Two minutes. "Okay stay here one sec," he told Honey softly, kissing her on the cheek briefly. "Don't peek." With that, he dashed into the nearest gelateria and ordered one chocolate and one strawberry. They came in a waffle cone, with whipped cream and chopped nuts. Time ticked past and seeing he had thirty seconds left, he positioned her right in front of the Duomo. A huge, sprawling white gorgeous building, the cathedral of Florence that dominated the piazza.

Time was up. All at once, Honey would be hit by the sights and smells of Florence. The noise, the music, the laughter. Will broke into a grin and offered her one of the ice cream cones. "Ta-da," he said, half expecting her to slug him.



@Honey Bea Flume

Their cancelled Caribbean trip had been some sort of a blessing in disguise. She had suggested it during a moment of weakness, when Will literally had her up against a wall, and as the planned day drew nearer she found herself worrying that it was all much too serious much too fast. But then he couldn't get away from work and she had been able to enjoy surprising him from time to time in London, the more-fun-less-serious things she liked.

This was different. He didn't give her much opportunity to object, telling her it would all be worth it and she just needed to trust him, and that seemed easy enough. It wouldn’t have been the first time they had an impromptu rendezvous, but this would be the inaugural occasion she had to bring more clothes to, rather than taking off whatever she had on. She was fine with him packing a bag for her, once again assuming that she wouldn't be wearing anything too long anyway, but she hadn't been expecting the accompanying secrecy surrounding the whole thing. Thankfully it was happening now, not giving her any opportunity to fret about what it all meant and just enjoy the feeling of the weight of his hand across her eyes.

They were walking somewhere, though she had no visual or aural clues to work with. This spell that he had used, however, would definitely be coming in handy later, and Honey made sure to make a mental note of it. The cobble stones were tripping her up, but Will was there to steady her and keep her moving forward with a gentle nudge and laughter mixing with her own. Normally she wasn't one to relinquish control over a situation outside the bedroom, but the not-knowing of it all was getting her heart racing.

"Okay," she responded when he told her to stay put, not really feeling like she had much of an option either way. She smiled at his kiss and did her best to resist opening her eyes, very much wanting to prepare the proper reaction to whatever Will was planning. But she stood there with eyes closed until she opened them in surprise, a deluge of senses coming back to her and bringing everything with them.

She was, undoubtedly, surprised. She caught bits of Italian, maybe Spanish, from a passing couple and she whipped her head around to follow them with her gaze until Will's words drew her attention back to him. "Merlin." She said it slowly, her eyes working up the expansive building in front of them. "Where...?" She trailed off her question, distracted by the sight of chocolate in some form. The woman found her grin and took the proffered cone, dipping her finger into the whipped cream and scooping a bite up and into her mouth.

They weren't anywhere she was familiar with, even with her months spent traveling Europe when she was younger. But that had been years and years ago and she hadn't made it much farther east than Zurich, so that left a lot of options open. "What the hell?" She had a smile on her face and the hint of a laugh on her lips, but she was inwardly panicking. This was something serious couples did. Never mind that she had suggested the trip to the Caribbean before. She had already been planning to go for work and it would have been fun to have someone she knew and enjoyed spending time with. Plus, that had been her suggestion, and one she still had a hard time believing she had come up with.

The small suitcase suddenly seemed overpacked, wherever they were seemed too far away, and Will's happy and handsome face was making none of that matter in the slightest. She threw her unoccupied arm around his neck and pulled him to her, kissing him swiftly and soundly. This wouldn't be serious until one of them made it serious, and she wasn't about to bring that up, not now that she had gelato and a view. "But seriously, what the hell?" she asked again, this time actually laughing as she pulled back the slightest bit, not wanting to break contact with him, and precariously balancing her gelato in her outstretched hand. "I didn't get you anything."

What the Hell?

Instantly, Will's smile faltered and slipped. His blood ran cold and he suddenly felt sick. Like a rollercoaster about to plummet, his heart dropped to rest somewhere that felt like his stomach. Instantly, he panicked and it showed. He'd never been a good liar, none of his family were. Slowly, dread seeped in. It felt like a fat drop of ice cold water was slowly snaking it's way down the length of his spine and the colour drained from his face.

Idiot, he told himself. You stupid bloody idiot. He'd made a mistake. Honey and he had been sort of dating for a good few months now so maybe he'd misjudged the signs as he was prone to doing. Will had been happy to play by her rules. They were having fun and keeping things casual, he sensed that she didn't want to be tied down but it wasn't his fault.

He liked her. He liked her a lot. By some dumbass way of thinking, he hoped him sweeping her away for a romantic weekend might tell her that without having to actually say it. She'd been the first woman he'd really been interested in since Caroline and it was like history repeating itself; Honey was about to break up with him.

"I'm sorry," he told her quickly, still holding the ice creams as his suitcase flopped over backwards behind him and hit the cobbles with a dull thud. He really should have known. Honey hadn't rescheduled time away for the two of them since he had to cancel on her so that should have rung alarm bells. He suddenly looked years younger and his big brown eyes looked impossibly large on his pale handsome face. If anything, he looked like a rather sad puppy who'd been given the wrong food; not upset, just utterly perplexed.

He could see it in Honey's face. He'd accidentally overstepped the mark. Had he come on too strong? Had he misread the signs? Originally, he'd been happy to just do the physical stuff. He was fine with the parameters that they'd set out and he'd been careful not to label her as his girlfriend, despite every fibre of his being wanting to scream it from the rooftops. Someone had let slip to his sister, Arden, that he was seeing someone. She was now on his back about it, too. Honey felt like a girlfriend. She knew how sexy and smart and beautiful and charismatic and unique she was. It wasn't his fault that he was head over heels.

He hadn't realised that he'd been holding his breath until the redhead took her ice cream, the cone of which was cracked as he'd been holding it far too tightly. The smile she gave him didn't settle his nerves. His eyes ran back and forth over her pretty face, flicking left and right, trying to discern her true feelings. He'd just assumed that if Honey was willing to take him to the Caribbean, then she'd be willing to go somewhere else with him, too. He offered her a small smile in return. This wasn't anything new. He could sense a break up building. He probably should take a breath and compose himself but it was written all over his face.

"Oof," Will grunted as he was pulled, slipping slightly as he wound his arms around her waist to steady her. He was careful to hold the gelato-holding hand lower down, as though not to get any in her hair. He breathed a sigh of relief as her warm and comforting scent hit him. She smelt soft, like fresh cotton towels mixed with vanilla. Subtle and comforting. He kissed her back tentatively and softly, bumping his nose with hers affectionately. Someone needed to say something because this felt like no man's land.

His concern was fleeting as he bit his lower lip but replaced it with what he hoped was a confident smile as he shrugged. "I wanted to make it up to you," he told Honey gently. "You know, for cancelling. Sorry I didn't warn you," he added. She was extroverted and spontaneous but only on her terms. "I've never been good at surprises," he admitted, looking crestfallen as one of his large hands rested on the small of her back. "Was this a bad idea?" Will questioned, his large eyes keenly watching her face. She might as well pull the trigger now.

"What?" The writer asked with a frown. "You didn't have to get me anything," he insisted. "That's now how I work. Look," he said with a heavy sigh, taking a step back to put a polite amount of space between them for Honey's comfort. "I like you," he finally admitted, garnering just enough strength to tell her to her face rather than her shoes. "And I wanted to spend time with you, somewhere other and London or Scotland. Not that I don't like doing that," he babbled, his free hand scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just thought you might like it," he finally settled on as he looked around.

He could have taken her somewhere cliché, like Bruges or Brussels for Belgian chocolate but no. He wanted something special and meaningful. "I really like it here," Will admitted shyly. "And I wanted to share it with you. I like the food and the architecture and the museums. You can go on a boat cruise, too," he added as though that might somehow sway her to stay.  "But we can go back if you want," he added hastily, so keen to make Honey feel comfortable. His feelings were stronger than like. Like was such a teenage word but he didn't want to spook her. He didn't want Honey to bolt. He'd do absolutely whatever she wanted him to do. Silently, he prayed that she'd stay long enough for him to show her The Birth of Venus. It reminded him of her.

She thought she had done such a great job of hiding her momentary panic but clearly that wasn't where her talents lied. She shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, shouldn't have just assumed it was anything more than it was, not even for a second, nothing more than a trip and some ice cream. Her face fell as Will's did and she continued biting her bottom lip even as he rearranged his into a smile. Honey would never intentionally hurt anyone -- or at least, not him -- and she was determined to make up for her lackluster reaction."No, you're wonderful at surprises," she reassured him, not loosening her arm's grip from around his waist. Big romantic gestures weren't exactly a staple in their brief relationship, but he certainly seemed like the type.

Honey frowned as Will took a step back, her arms feeling decidedly more empty than they actually were. She let her arms falls slowly to her sides, the quickly-melting gelato making it slightly more awkward to stand there and wait for him to confirm that she had absolutely ruined everything for him. But as he looked at her and finally spoke up, she forgot the apprehension that she had felt moments before at the possibility that he had serious intentions. She probably wasn't wrong in her assumptions; he was so nice, after all, so courteous and caring. All the things she wasn't accustomed to actually enjoying.

But words seemed to come so easily to him. She wished she could return the favor, to put into eloquent terms her underlying fears, how she didn’t want to be vulnerable or give him the chance to hurt her and that somehow that would happen if this progressed any further than what it already was. Yet, despite her reservations and her hesitations, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips as the words ‘I like you’ left his. It felt juvenile, but she liked the sound of it. It took a bit of the seriousness out of the situation.

She wanted him to close the space between them again, much more comfortable expressing her feelings through physical contact rather than anything else. He continued speaking before Honey could gather her thoughts, so she settled on focusing on his face instead. It was such a handsome face; cheekbones for days and a jawline to cut glass, but with those feature-softening dimples that she always loved to kiss. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to spend time with her — who wouldn’t? — and she had to give him credit for his effort. And the more she looked at him, the more she couldn’t help but think that what he was saying wasn’t the craziest thing.

He wasn’t asking her to run away with him, to settle down and start a family with him, just be here with him right now. One of them always had something to get back to, usually something work-related, and even with the added ease of magical travel, the London-Hogsmeade distance made it easy to not worry about any of this until now. But even in just the few minutes of standing there, she was starting to warm up to the idea. It was easy to do without the usual outside obligations influencing her decisions.

“I do like it. And I like you,” she offered finally, one eyebrow raised and her lips curled into a smirk. She still wasn’t sure how to phrase things in the proper way, knowing that she would need much more than a last-minute warning to prepare anything. “I think it was more the unplanned absence from work,” she said slowly, touching on one topic she knew they shared opinions on. Her shop was, like Will’s business was for him, her home, and she had never been this far from home without some sort of solid plan for her return. At least, she assumed she was far. She still didn’t actually know where they were, after all.

She shrugged, her gaze flicking back to the large building behind him for a brief second before refocusing on him. “That, and the fact that you haven’t told me where we are. ‘Fraid I’m not a walking atlas.” She took a step towards him, taking his empty hand in hers. “I want to stay.” She stretched up on her toes to kiss him quickly. “I go to London specifically to see you and I like most places more than London, so…” she trailed off as she took another look around, giving his hand a squeeze.

All the other things could wait to be spoken aloud. It was at least a small step in his direction, not bolting back to Scotland, and the more she stood there with him, the more comfortable it was starting to feel.

Then his heart restarted.

Will sucked in a quick breath of cool Autumnal air and he felt it sting the sides of his lungs. He'd stood frozen, surrounded by glamorous Italians wrapped in thick coats to ward off the chill as the fallen leaves seemed to dance around them. He always did this, though. He got things wrong. Honey's intentions had been pretty clear and he'd been careful to keep things as casual as he could but sometimes, he made the mistake of feeling and he felt guilty.

As misguided as he was, he didn't think this was a bad idea. His heart was in the right place but the execution had always been a bit iffy. Finally, Will managed a smile that made his pink cheeks dimple. "You do?" He asked with a lopsided grin at her confession. "You can tell me again if you want to," he joked. He liked to think that Honey thought of him as a little more than a traditional friend with benefits. They'd been hanging out for months and he wasn't seeing anyone else at the moment. He'd been careful to reign things in. He wasn't a particularly modern man. He seemed to be confused at the notion that a modern woman may be dating a number of different men and while the thought stung, he had no right to be jealous over how the redhead spent her evenings and with whom.

Work? "Bollocks," Will swore as he winced. Work. Of course. Duh. Honey couldn't just shut up shop for a few days and jet off to the Continent willy-nilly. Wordlessly, he reached out and wrapped a napkin around the cone of Honey's ice cream so the sticky liquid wouldn't mar her pale fingertips that he liked so much. He'd always been a practical man and he often did little things like that without even thinking.

"Sorry," he replied, showing genuine remorse in his sheepish smile. "I'd forgotten all about that. Talk about bad timing," he added with a playful roll of his eyes. Will had always been skilled at self depreciation as a way of easing tension. After all, he was usually the cause of all the problems in everyone's lives.

"I'm not very good at this, am I?" The writer asked with a smile that he hoped came off as raffish but actually looked vaguely terrified. "We’re in Florence," he explained, nodding at the cathedral and the white buildings that looked bright in the setting sun. Looking back, he should have bought Honey a warmer dress. The magenta-burgundy colour of the dress would look so bright against her pale skin and fiery hair but the short skirt and the off the shoulder detail would not match the nippy weather. She could also hate the dress, so that was a bit of a worry.

The light touch of Honey's hand seemed to bring him out of his stupor as he looked over at her with another smile, this one a little more sure. Will curled his fingers around hers and dropped his head to kiss  her gently in return. "Thanks," he whispered to her softly against her lips as he kissed her again. "For not thinking I've completely lost my mind." The hotel was booked for the weekend but he wouldn't put up a fight if Honey wanted to go home tomorrow or even tonight. Being romantic wasn't exactly practical.

With a wiggle of his hand, the suitcase shrunk once more, now looking like a rather innocuous overnight bag on wheels. It was partly for ease to navigate the cobbled streets but mostly for Honey to be settled. A night away sounded less alarming than a weekend away for his friend. Friend? Where they friends? That seemed to be a bone of contention and one that he now was not willing to dig back up. He wanted Honey to be his girlfriend but he had a sister and so, was skilled at picking up little vibes. They'd been spending time together for months and Will was ever so slightly nettled at her resistance to make things official. Though in fairness, it wasn't Honey's fault. He hadn't asked her.

"I hate London too," Will confided to her in a stage whisper, as though afraid the universe would here. He was touched that she'd make the round trip to see him and now, he wondered if they should make a plan to meet somewhere in the middle, considering both thought the capital was a bit shit.

He had ideas now. It all depended on how willing Honey was and how long she wanted to stay. Will wanted to take her to dinner. He knew a quiet place run by a hefty and chatty man called Giovanni who was a friend of his grandfather's. Tucked down a side street was La Dolce Vita. It was warm and friendly, with authentic dishes and music and candlelight. It had a view over the River Arno if they climbed to the rooftop. He wanted to take her to this little place, near the centuries' old monastery where monks made perfume. He wasn't expecting Honey to wear it or change her existing perfume but they could make one together and whenever she smelt it, it'd remind her of here.

"Hungry?" He asked Honey, keen to get her back onside as he lead her down a less crowded street and away from the crowds. "Thirsty?" There was a lot of wine available to them here. "Or we can pop back to the hotel so I can ditch this," he said, indicating the bag. He was very careful not to insinuate that she stay with him. He was very aware not to spook her. He could do it himself and be back in less than five minutes. "It's just that I bought you a present," he added. He made a mental note to charm the dress with some warming spells. "And you need to try it on first."

Honey’s smirk softened into more of a genuine smile as she nodded once. “I do like you.” She sighed before laughing, finding it much easier to admit the second time. She was still more accustomed to expressing how she felt through her actions, but Will’s methods weren’t too terrible. But more importantly, of course she liked him. She wouldn’t spend any sort of time with him if she didn’t like him in some form. She had thought that was rather obvious, but she had no problem being more explicit. There were other things she would rather be more explicit about, but that would have to wait until they were off the street, unfortunately.

“No, really, it’s fine,” she reassured him with a laugh. She would never admit it, but she did probably need the weekend away from things. “Why bother hiring people if they don’t have to work every once in awhile?” Plus, it wasn’t a Hogsmeade weekend for the students and there was plenty of inventory to keep the shelves stocked for the days she would be gone. She would need to send at least a few owls every couple hours to check on things, make sure nothing was broken or on fire, but even that level of constant checking was a step down from the usual attention she paid to the shop.

They would just have to find something else to do to keep her mind off of work and she was fairly confident they could come up with something.

She merely shrugged to answer his question, the smirk back on her lips as she took careful licks of her gelato. It was good; not spectacular, but Honey had no doubt that she was extremely biased towards any chocolate that didn’t come from her own kitchen. “Right, of course,” she said with a nod, finally taking her eyes off of Will and having another look around the city, backtracking on earlier admitting she wasn’t sure where they were. She still preferred Scotland and had never been very skilled at playing the tourist, usually finding herself spending hours in local food markets trying every free sample in a quest to find the perfect flavors to bring back to Honeydukes.

But she was also sure that if she really wanted to, she could be the perfect tourist, again using Will as the main distraction to keep her focus off of work. Kissing was a good start in her plan to distract herself and she frowned when he stopped. She really shouldn’t be disappointed that he seemed to have plans for them, perfectly content to continue standing there pressed up against him as the gelato slowly melted, but she couldn’t help but play through multiple scenarios in her mind to get him to find an abandoned alcove with her.

She finished her gelato quickly as they walked, eager to free up both hands in case she needed them for activities. Their first kiss had been in a somewhat crowded pub, so Honey had some semblance of an idea how open Will was to public displays of affection. But they had also never been anywhere new together and she wanted to give it an honest try before writing off the idea completely.

“Always.” She was a proper chocolatier and baker, constantly hungry despite having just eaten a rather large gelato. But the word ‘hotel’ piqued her interest much more than the prospect of fresh pasta ever could, especially after the word ‘present’ left his lips. And on top of all of that, he was handing her a reason to take off her clothes (not that she needed one in the first place, but she appreciative all the same).

There were a lot of people, a lot of commotion, a lot of things to distract her attentions away from Will, but she kept finding herself focusing on him, eager to not ruin the weekend already. Or again. Either/or. One hand pointed excitedly at the various things displayed in various windows, Honey unable to stop herself from comparing the confections she was seeing to the ones she made back home. Her other hand had managed to find his larger one and intertwined her fingers with his, absentmindedly tracing her thumb back and forth across his forefinger.

The walk to the inn was thankfully rather short; Honey needed to prove just a little bit more that she was happy to be here with him. But Will was proving harder to distract than usual, focusing more on opening doors and ditching suitcases than Honey would have preferred. She would be damned if she didn’t try to kiss him, squeeze him, or touch him in some fashion whenever possible, not minding that they weren’t quite out sight of everyone else.

The room itself was filled with warm, afternoon sunlight, and Honey wasted no time between Will setting down the suitcase and wrapping her arms around his waist. It was much quieter than it had been on the street, though the open window was still letting in a breeze that was just shy of being pleasant. “Is,” she paused her question to fit in a kiss along his jawline, “room service,” another pause and another kiss, “out of,” one more, “the question?” Now that they were here, she really didn’t want to go back out. Still, she hadn’t forgotten about the present he had promised, but there were other, slightly more important things to attend to. That, and the more time she spent doing this, the less opportunity she would have to talk and ruin things.

Will wasn't really a modern man and it was clear in everything from the way he spoke, to the way he dressed and to the way he viewed the world. He wasn't one for casual flings or off the cuff trips. Everything about him screamed "old man" and yet, here he was, in Italy with a beautiful woman who'd just admitted to liking him. He didn't do this. Since Catherine absolutely destroyed him, he'd become jaded and disenchanted but then Honey exploded onto the scene with  her red hair and her bright lips and her naughty sense of humour; there was absolutely no way he had any chance of not being dragged into her hurricane.

Honey's personality was clearly rubbing off on him. Will wasn't one to ditch work and escape to the continent but her zest for life had set some bells tinkering in his mind. He was rapidly approaching thirty and he didn't have time to be sat at his desk, being boring. His company had just signed a new writer, a talented Russian poet. Some of the man's work was emotive and touching and downright beautiful but he didn't know the redhead well enough to know if she was into poetry.

Oh good, she was hungry.

Will's frazzled nerves had settled somewhat as they wandered down the cute little streets. He had a plan. He'd wanted to wine and dine her and maybe go on a walk. He wanted to just get away, from London and Scotland, from work and from people so they could just be. He wanted to know more about her. Will wanted to know about her family and her hobbies, her favourite food and colour. He wanted to find out about their differences and explore any way of bridging the gap. Now was not the time to say that he might be in love with her, nor was it the place to ask if she wanted to spend Christmas with him. It might be too much, too soon.

"Oh, this is nice," William declared gently with a smile as he turned and closed the door behind him. The bed was large with clean crisp linen and a lovely view out of the window. Hastily, he stashed the suitcase away and slipped the room key into the back pocket of his trousers, ready to leave again.

"Oh, hello," the taller man said with a laugh as Honey draped herself around him. He followed suit as he draped his long arms around her neck, effectively shielding her from the breeze as it floated in. His large hands slid slowly down her back as his big brown eyes slipped to a close, the hairs on the backs of his arms standing on end as she placed feather light kisses along his jaw bone. He didn't hear really what she was asking but in that moment, the answer would have been yes to absolutely anything.

Honestly? No. Room service was not out of the question, lest of all she was doing this. With a wiggle, his coat was off and on the floor and with a practiced flick of the wrist, his scarf soon followed as it sailed through the air. Will's hand cradled Honey's face as he kissed her swiftly, one hand sliding through her silky hair to hold the back of her skull while the other arm scooped her up off the floor. Without wasting time, he flopped backwards onto the plush mattress and took her with him.

His fingers peeled off her coat and he let it fall limply to the floor as they travelled purposefully up her arms, all thoughts of a romantic rendezvous going out of the window. Will wiggled a little, frowning in confusion as something felt painful against the small of his back. "Ow," he whispered, frowning as he broke the kiss to reach behind him and pull out the offending object; he'd accidentally squashed Honey's gift.

It was wrapped in grey paper and had splashes of colour, in the form of fluffy pink flamingos. Buying clothes for someone was always a bit risky but she did like her replacement jumper. It was a little like the blind leading the blind when it came to dress shopping. He didn't know Honey's size but he had an idea, due to how many times he'd unzipped them and so, he'd tried his hardest. If it didn't fit, he could do some quick fixer-upper spells. He was going to go for something easier but he wanted to take her out and he was confident that his pick would look incredible on her.

Pink cheeked, he offered her a grin. "That's your present," he told Honey distractedly as he strained his neck to kiss her once more, the room service menu falling onto the floor. "Maybe they have pizza," he mumbled into the warm skin of her neck. The exclusive reservations he'd made for dinner were in twenty minutes but he'd rather be here.

Will was easily distractible. Or, more preferably, he was hard to distract but she was all the better at bringing his attentions elsewhere. She lost her scarf as he shed his, careful not to break contact with him, shimmying awkwardly one-handed out of things. She was much better at expressing herself without words and was more than pleased when Will lifted her off the ground, sweeping her feet out from under her.

He was two steps ahead of her, helping her out of her coat, wiggling as she made herself comfortable on top of him, fitting herself to him almost too perfectly. She sat up quickly as he pulled away, or as much as he could while pinned underneath her, offering a hurried, “Oh Merlin, sorry, did I --” she paused her apologies as Will produced a package (though not the one she was honestly hoping for) and she had to stop and wonder where he could have possibly been hiding it.

Despite being interrupted from more important things, Honey still had priorities, and gifts were certainly one of them. “Oooh.” She sat up a tad straighter after taking the box from him, holding it up to her ear and giving it a little shake before tearing off the paper happily, but not before letting out another “Oooh,” at the cute wrapping.

She fumbled with the box almost long enough to grab her wand for assistance, being slowed down by Will’s continued kissing and talking. Honey returned a kiss quickly before returning her focus to the present, finally getting the box pried apart and the tissue paper pushed to the side. The fabric looked lush, a lovely burgundy color, one of Honey’s favorites. She liked the attention that the color brought to her hair.

Tossing the box aside, Honey held the dress up in front of her, effectively hiding Will from her view. “I love it.” She pulled it to her chest, beaming down at Will as his face reappeared. “I love it,” she said again, leaning down to kiss him and reassure him that she really did love it. She enjoyed dressing up, enjoyed having places to go while looking extra nice, especially if that meant that Will would be looking extra nice as well, at least putting on a tie, which could come in handy later.

“Forget room service,” she waved off her earlier idea. She wanted to show off her new dress, wanted Will to be able to show her off. It was only fair. She was an independent woman who wanted to be acknowledged for her hard work and accomplishments but damn if she didn’t love the superficial aspects of existing every once in awhile. Setting the dress on the bed next to them, Honey pulled her sweater up and over her head, throwing it casually behind her, willing to let Will have something to at least look at before she put the dress on. She was considerate, after all, and knew that anyone would be disappointed to have her swap so quickly from wanting to stay in to wanting to go out.

She rolled off of Will and onto the bed beside him, kicking off her boots and lifting her hips to pull off her jeans with practiced ease. She stood up swiftly and offered a hand to help Will to his feet. One kiss later and she was reaching for the dress again, stepping into it, pulling her hair forward to clear it from the zipper, which she offered to Will as she turned her back to him, looking back over her shoulder at him.  “I hope you packed shoes that will match.” She smirked, almost hoping that he hadn’t actually packed anything for her so they had another reason to stay in.

But she could tell, without even glancing at her reflection in a mirror, that the dress was doing her favors, that Will had gotten things right, once again, and other people deserved to see her in it.

Will offered an incoherent mumble at Honey's apology, shrugging it off as his hands slid into her silky hair in an effort to bring her even closer to his body. He pouted as the redhead moved away to take the box, already missing the familiar warmth she provided. He was already cursing his insistence that he give the gift to her now. It could have waited twenty minutes.

Trying to hide a laugh, the writer wiggled his hips a little to cause her to wobble. He didn't want to interrupt her as she shook the box, finding her sudden innocence overwhelmingly adorable and he felt another swift rush of affection towards her. As she struggled with the wrapping, Will wasted no time as he placed a smattering of kisses along her neck and behind her ear, his arms coming to wrap around her tiny waist; he regretted giving her that present.

He grinned quickly at her reaction. Honey really didn't have any idea how nerve wracking picking out a gift for her truly was. He'd bought it as a thank you, for agreeing to come to Italy with him, for being way too cool for him but most of all, because that colour really made her shine. "Good," he said warmly, the dimple in his left cheek appearing as Honey looked like she was having a good time. He leaned up slightly, his hands behind him on the mattress as support to take both of their weight to kiss her back, letting out a soft whine as she left him again.

"Really?" Will asked distractedly about the offer of room service, distracted by the removal of her jumper and as always, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. As if on autopilot, his large hands reached out and slid their way up the curve of her spine. It wasn't really his fault, though. She was the type of girl with the type of personality that he just wanted to touch. It didn't have to be sexually. It could be anything from this to holding hands or just a brief brush of the shoulder. He might as well be a sitting target for her.

He rolled over to face her, head propped up by an upturned palm as she watched her undress and made absolutely no movement to help her put her new dress on. Will pouted. He took her hand and swung his legs around the side of the bed to sit on the edge of the mattress. "You look beautiful," the taller man said with a soft smile, his chocolate brown eyes warm as she blinked at her. In the infrequent moments with her that he got to catch his breath, he wondered what he'd done so right in a previous life to end up with her.

Shoes? Shit.

His smile dropped. He honestly hadn't thought that far ahead. Will had a sister but Honey and Arden had wildly different tastes. With her back to him, he opened the bag and with what he hoped was a subtle wave of his wand, transfigured a pair of socks into a pair of black suede high heels. Wearing a confused and slightly panicked expression, he held one shoe up for her to see. "Black goes with everything, right?" Will enquired as he scratched the back of his head before sighing and getting his clothes out and ready.

His own wardrobe had been a bit of a last minute idea. He was much more concerned with getting Honey's dress perfect that he'd just thrown a suit into his bag. Will dressed quickly, eager not to keep his date waiting. He wore suits often but nothing particularly smart, apart from this one. Classic cut and fitting like a dream, he fastened up his jacket and tweaked the collar. He meant to pack a tie but being the moron that he was, he'd packed a dickie bow.

His lithe fingers twisted and turned the length of fabric easily to form the bow, like he'd done it a hundred times before. Will brushed his hair with his fingers to try and style it or, at the very least, make it look like he hadn't just rolled around a bed. "How do I look?" He asked Honey quickly as he adjusted the cuffs of his crisp white shirt. It was an easy fix. If it was too much, he could take off the bow tie. He was very, very British and he did not posses the same sort of easy yet bang on trend fashion of his continental counterparts. He was far too uptight for that sort of thing.

With a smile, he reached out and laced his fingers with hers as he closed the door behind them. By now, night had descended on Florence. Gone were the tourists as the golden street lights cast their glow across the River Arno. "I've got a little detour first," he told Honey as he draped an arm across her shoulders and tucked her close. With ease, he lead her down the twisty-turny lanes and they walked further away from the city for another ten minutes before climbing a number of steps higher and higher.

At the top of the stone steps was a small basilica and whilst beautiful, he paid it no attention whatsoever. He'd never been inside before but he was more interested in something else. "Okay. Close your eyes," he told Honey and without waiting for permission, he covered them with his hands as he shuffled behind her slowly. There was no on around and they were completely alone. They still had a few minutes to get to his restaurant of choice but he wanted to show her this first.

"Tah-dah," Will replied as he dropped his hands to reveal a view. The view would have been nice at sunset but he'd been…distracted. He placed a kiss on Honey's shoulder gently as he hoped the warming charms he'd put on her dress were working well. "Hungry yet?" He asked. Will rested his chin on the top of her head as his arms around her in a backwards hug. "Pretty, right?" Had he been any good with words, now would be the time to use him and he mentally kicked himself. Arkadiy Malenkov had actually written him a sonnet (with gentle pressure) that he was supposed to recite to her and he'd left it in his suitcase. Something about roses? Oh dear.

“Thanks.” Honey returned his smile. He was never shy with the compliments, but she always looked forward to the next one. She gave a little turn, enough to flare out her skirt, stopping to give herself a good once over in the mirrored closet door. Tilting her head towards Will’s voice, she nodded. “Everything.” She reached out and took the shoes from him, giving them a quick look before perching on the edge of the bed, taking her time to slip them on her feet so she could devote plenty of attention to watching William undress.

She leaned back, propping herself up with her hands, letting out a low wolf whistle, doing it again as he put the finishing touches on his own outfit. She supposed she could have used her time to work on her hair or makeup or anything beyond putting on a dress, but she was much too invested in her current activity to bother.
“Positively dashing.” She smirked at her own lame joke as she stood up, closing the few feet of space between them, straightening out his tie just a smidge. Honestly, if it required less work, she would be more than willing to undress him, already wanting to ditch her plan of going out. She swooned hard for a man in a suit. Plus, the tie would come in handy later.

She didn’t protest the detour, still marveling at how warm she felt, resigning to crediting Will and his body heat. She welcomed the arm around her, maneuvering herself just a bit so she could slip and arm around his waist. She probably would never walk like this on any other occasion, but knowing that it was just the two of them, looking remarkably good together, definitely improved her outlook.

“So you’re into blindfolds. Noted.” She smirked, taking his movement as the opportunity to shift just the slightest bit backwards; being closer by a fraction of an inch made all the difference. She enjoyed the weight of his hands on her eyes and she bit down on her bottom lip as she waited for the surprise that was sure to come. It was this sort of simple spontaneity that Honey appreciated. She rested her hands on his, tracing his fingers lightly with her own.

His hands dropped and she opened her eyes. It took her a second to realize that the view was the surprise, but once she had wrapped her mind about it, her smirk softened into a smile, breaking into a small laugh as she felt the tickle of his beard on her shoulder. “Like ya wouldn’t believe.” She was hungry, sure, but she was starting to think less and less that she was hungry for food, the closer that Will was.

“So lovely,” she agreed with a nod. She wasn’t really focusing on the in front of her, however, too focused on replaying the events of the day, the hand-in-hand strolls around Florence, the weekend away together. She could picture what they looked like, standing there like that, her back pressed into his chest, his arms wrapped around her. They must look like a proper couple to any passerby, and for the first time in recent memory, she didn’t seem to mind. It was only them in Florence, like they were the only two that mattered.

Surely it couldn’t be that hard to replicate these feelings back in Scotland.

Honey turned to face Will, stretching up to kiss him. “This is perfect.” Typically, she would reserve those words and only apply them to things she was creating, still using them sparingly, ever the perfectionist. He was certainly shaping up to be what she wanted and what she didn’t know she needed. A breeze rustled her hem but she didn’t feel it, warm in his embrace. She was letting herself get carried away by the moment.

Taking a baby step back, she withdrew her hands and smoothed down the front of her dress. “Food. I really think there should be food.”

Dashing, she'd said. He let out a snort of laughter and rolled his big dark eyes playfully; not to offend her but to tell her that he understood the joke. He liked that she was comfortable enough around him to tell dippy jokes and have a laugh. That was all he really wanted, for them both to be themselves. In response, he squeezed her hand before he laughed, properly this time. "Maybe," he said in a gentle tone at the comment about blindfolds. "We'll have to find out later on."

There was a brief moment of clarity when Honey had traced his fingers. Florence was quiet so high up and he had the opportunity to really look at her. While she was distracted by the sprawling view, Will fell silent. She didn't have red or ginger hair, she had copper, Titian, russet, any other poetic term. It was obvious how beautiful she was but she was bold and funny and smart and feisty and witty and vibrant and a visionary. She was cool and creative and sassy and warm and soft beneath her edges.

Will felt like he was in a bit of a freefall. People didn't "fall in love", they had to make the decision to jump. He had an inkling that his feelings for the redhead were pretty damn strong but it took for them to be alone in a quaint Italian village for everything to slot into place; he was absolutely head over heels for Honey Bea Flume and he didn't give a shit who knew.

Out of habit, he ran his large hands up and down her arms to keep her warm before shirking off his jacket and draping it across her shoulders carefully. "Yeah?" Will asked with a slow grin. High praise indeed. At her kiss, he dipped his head, snaking his arms around her waist easily. His fingers pressed into the small of her back, the action gentle but hinting at other activities he might like to be partaking in. He'd never done this with a woman before. Honey was changing him but in the best possible way. He was less stiff and uptight, less concerned about deadlines and more open to new experiences. He'd even eaten Thai food with  her and that had been an experience in and of itself.

"Great," he said briskly as he folded Honey into his chest and placed a kiss on the top of her head. He knew that he didn't need to splash the cash to impress Honey but that didn't mean he didn't want to. She was successful and financially secure in her own right but he did want to take her out. If this was the first time she'd been here, he wanted her to leave with pleasant memories. All of the food here was good, from high end to single slices of pizza down a back alley.

He really wanted to go on an exploration with Honey but he'd sensed her trepidation at staying over and didn't want to push it. Will had been so caught up in her and everything that she was that he'd forgotten she had a business to run. He wasn't the impulsive type.

"Watch your step," he warned her and he held her hand delicately to guide her down the cracked and uneven steps, down to the cracked and uneven cobble stones. He couldn't picture Honey anywhere else but Scotland. It suited her well. He still hadn't gotten her Christmas present yet so he was sort of using this first couple's away trip to gauge her reactions to things. Maybe he couldn't take her away again without prior warning. He was banking on her stopping at shop windows and voicing things that she liked. If it all failed,  he'd just give her his original gift idea; handmade vouchers for massages or other activities from him.

The well worn cobble stones and wrought iron railings were shining in the reflections of the old fashioned street lamps as they walked down the unfamiliar streets. It wasn't long before they crossed a large piazza and found themselves at a restaurant. Will was always told that, when abroad, he should eat where the locals ate.

There was a small outside courtyard, filled with red and white chequered tablecloths and gardenias. Lit tea light candles flickered in the darkness. The restaurant was small, sandwiched between centuries old lopsided buildings as the soft sound of mandolin music drifted over the square. Unlike London, the pace of life wasn't rushed. It was slow and peaceful and they could be completely alone.

"Guglielmo!"

William turned around and found himself embraced in a bear hug by a squat, balding man in a flour covered apron. "Oof," he had time to reply before wrapping an arm around his waist and giving an affectionate squeeze back. "My boy!" Matteo exclaimed, holding him at arm's length before hugging him again roughly. "You are home! You did not tell me, no? And you are so thin!" Matteo exclaimed, poking Will in his ribs so hard, he let out a grunt of pain and doubled over.

"Hi Matt," he wheezed, one hand on the shorter man's shoulder as he tried not to keel over. "This is Honey, my girlfriend." The word slipped out. Sensing an opportunity for more cuddles, he turned to Honey and gently kissed the back of her hand in a much gentler fashion. "Ah! Que bello," he replied with a wide and toothy smile. "You must come inside. Quick! Before you catch your death!" Matteo left, leaving the door open and Will with his hands on his ribs, trying to breathe. "Ow," he managed to say as he straightened up. "That's Matteo. I published a cookbook of his a few years ago and he thinks that he owes me," he said, his handsome face creased in pain as he coughed. "That was a fairly light greeting, come to think of it."

From inside, he could hear Matteo announcing Will's arrival and he winced again. "We could go somewhere else?" He asked, sounding hopeful before he realised the best food in Florence was served right here. He placed a comforting hand on the small of Honey's back as they walked forward. The air inside was warm and smelled faintly of garlic. Long and dimly lit, the main body of the restaurant stretched deeply. "I'm trying to hide from Rosaria," he told Honey in a stage whisper as he shrugged off his coat and hung it on the back of his chair before he sat down. "The blood runs hot in that family. She's sixty seven but she's pretty sprightly. If she asks you if you want a glass of limoncello, say no. It's home made and it tastes like lighter fluid."

She took Will’s hand in her own, entwining her fingers with his, letting him help her across the uneven stones, glancing sideways every now and then, not even thinking about trying to hide her smile. She was pretty sure she was genuinely enjoying this, walking hand-in-hand down the streets of Florence, looking positively coupled. She was almost disappointed when they arrived at Will’s restaurant of choice, but quickly changed her mind once she caught a whiff of garlic and her stomach took a happy turn. It was what she pictured when she imagined Italian cuisine, down to the tablecloths and tea lights.

Honey had assumed they wouldn’t be running into anyone they knew here, had maybe been using that knowledge to make herself a little more accepting of the situation at hand. She dropped Will’s hand as he was pulled into a hug, taking a step back in case they toppled over from the enthusiasm. Watching with wide eyes and a bemused smile, Honey did her best not to laugh when Will took the greeting surprisingly well, all things considered.

She would later congratulate herself for not letting her smile falter as she was introduced as Will’s girlfriend. Of course that’s what he thought she was, even though they had never explicitly discussed it. Still, it hadn’t shocked or upset her quite as much as she had assumed she would be. This had happened before with other men and she usually took that as her cue to politely excuse herself from the relationship. But something about this time was different and she was beyond frustrated that she couldn’t pinpoint the reason: maybe it was being Florence or that she didn’t want to cause a scene in front of someone he knew or that he had gone along with her comment on blindfolds earlier. But the most likely, and frankly most shocking, reason was simply Will, in general, and that being his girlfriend wasn’t the end of the world that she was expecting.

Her smile widened as the other man greeted her in a much calmer fashion than he had greeted Will. “Grazie mille,” she replied, using up the entirety of her Italian vocabulary in one go. She arched an eyebrow as she turned on Will, suppressing a laugh as he massaged his injuries and explained their relationship. “Seems totally reasonable to me,” she reasoned with a smirk, finally closing the space between them to offer her not-meant-to-be-helpful assistance by wrapping her arms around his waist. “No, if that was how he says ‘hi’, imagine what you’ll get from him if you try to leave.”

She gave his side a quick squeeze before letting go of him completely and stepping into the restaurant, heading to the table they were being wildly gestured toward. “Right, of course,” Honey agreed with a grin, glancing around the room for anyone that looked like they could fit Rosaria’s description. She wanted to order the lemoncello right away despite Will’s suggestion to do otherwise. She settled into her seat, the two chairs at the small round table having already been moved so they were more or less right next to each other, giving her the perfect opportunity to rest one hand on Will’s thigh as the other slowly traced the rim of her wine glass.

They hadn’t been given any menus, but Matteo had returned swiftly to reassure them they didn’t need any and that he would start bringing dishes as soon as they were ready. She seized the few moments of privacy they were afforded when Matteo went to fetch them ‘the perfect bottle of chianti’ to turn toward Will and offer him another smile as she squeezed his leg. “So, I know I might have flubbed it a bit earlier, but,” she gave his leg another squeeze as she convinced herself to not break eye contact as she tried to be uncharacteristically serious. “I am really happy you brought me.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Against my will,” she added with a smirk, leaning in more so her lips could brush against his ear. “And against my Will later,” she straightened up and offered him a week, knowing that by now he had spent enough time with her to not miss her meaning.

“But seriously,” she started again, hoping she hadn’t once again ruined things by not being the most serious. “I love it. I guess it’s good that I’m your girlfriend now.” She hadn’t meant to bring it up, but the thought had been sitting at the tip of her tongue since the word had left his mouth a few minutes ago. Leaning into his shoulder with her own, she finished with a, “I love that, too.”

The comment about him leaving made William visibly wince. He knew the scenario. He'd say they were leaving, then they'd have another glass of something thrust into their hands. There would be a lot of reminiscing, hugs and forceful suggestions that they come back really soon. But he knew that deep down, he loved it. His upbringing has been fractured and he still harboured a lot of anger towards his parents for their poor treatment of Arden but he was trying to get over it. He slotted into Matteo's family easily.

"Maybe we can sneak out?" Will joked half heartedly but really meaning it. Honey's arms around his waist had him centred once more.

The restaurant was busy and filled with the happy sounds of laughter and clinking wine glasses. He didn't realise but this was one of his favourite places. He didn't like the attention but he liked the feeling. It was much warmer than London. The food was infinitely better. He opened his mouth to insist that any wine was fine. Like France, even the cheap bottles were good but Matteo had disappeared, arms flapping back into the kitchen.

Honey's warm hand on his thigh made his toes curl but he offered a soft smile, turning towards her as she did to him. Flubbed? "Oh, no you didn't," Will was quick to assure her, his dark eyes wide with concern but she wasn't finished. He hadn't meant to call her his girlfriend, it has just slipped out. Like his body was on autopilot, it rejected labelling her as a friend. They were friends but they were more. He didn't want to start policing himself and he offered the redhead a relieved smile.

"Yeah?" The writer asked, his hand coming down to rest across the top of her much smaller one. He gave a laugh and rolled his eyes, leaving his hand on hers as she closed the gap, his free hand resting gently on the small of her back. It felt like fireworks pinging across his body and his heart swelled. Being called her anything felt like a massive achievement. She could have called him her laundry man and he'd be flattered, too.

Thankfully, Honey had addressed the elephant in the room. His first instinct was to apologise before he realised that he didn't want to. Will hadn't wanted to force her into anything and they were taking things slow. They sometimes spent the night at one another's homes and maybe an afternoon but not like a week or anything. Italy had been their first trip away together, despite being together for months and months. He was happy but he'd always had a lingering need for security. He liked being part of a couple and he liked being with her.

Turning towards her again, he smiled slowly, his face lighting up. He reached across the table to touch her elbow very gently. "Does…that mean I'm a boyfriend?" He kept his tone light but he hadn't been a boyfriend for a long, long time. Things felt different now that the shoe was on the other foot. It was scary and exciting and he'd wanted Honey to be his girlfriend ever since they ditched that cooking class but being a boyfriend felt wildly different.

It was hard not to look too self-satisfied as Honey leaned into his shoulder. He reciprocated by draping an arm across the back of her chair and kissing the top of her head automatically. "Phew," he laughed, diffusing things with humour as he was so prone to do. She said that she'd loved it. He hesitated before managing to talk himself out of going one step further and spilling his guts. This was a major milestone and he was happy, he didn't need to push things further along.

The overriding feeling he was experiencing was relief, tinged with giddiness. He wished the restaurant was better lit so everyone could see his big fat grin. Will had his reservations but, yet again, Honey had surprised him. He was a thinker, a planner. In his last relationship, he'd gone too far, he'd pushed too hard. Alison was nothing like Honey and he was so pleased. Spontaneity was a new thing but even his work colleagues had noticed his happier demeanour. He was less stressed, he slept more, he seemed more carefree and that was all to do with her. He hoped they'd last but even if they didn't, Honey had changed him and he was thankful.

Will dipped his head a little, managing to catch the corner of Honey's mouth before he jumped as a bottle of red wine was placed between the two of them. Matteo was standing there, grinning broadly as he poured two glasses of the red wine, his eyes keen as they flicked back and forth between the pair. Will flushed quickly as he slid his hand down Honey's back, desperate to keep a hold of her. She was a calming influence and she had no problem telling him when he was being a dick.

Plates of salad, bread and olive oil were placed down, along with a hearty clap on the back from Matteo that sent Will shunting forward into the table. "Fucking hell," he grumbled, flushing red again as he straightened himself up. "I swear I'm trying to be romantic," Will wheezed as he frowned. "I hope you find weaklings attractive," he joked lightly, sensing Matteo was lingering close by and he offered a thumbs up in hopes of dispersing him.

With expert fingers, he dipped the bread into the little bowl of olive oil and chewed. "So," he said to Honey briskly as he lifted his glass. "To Italian evenings and lurking restaurateurs," he proposed cheerfully as he clinked his glass against hers. Suddenly, there was a loud cry of "Bacio!" from somewhere and he had a bloody good idea who was heckling him.

“Yeah.” She heard herself reaffirm her statement, happy that he didn’t ask her to repeat herself. She had meant it, she was nearly certain, but that wouldn’t make admitting it again any easier. Smiling, Honey bit her bottom lip as Will proposed his next question. It all sounded a little juvenile, boyfriend and girlfriend labels, like when she had reassured him she liked him earlier that evening, but it was certainly a place to start.

She nodded, shrugging it off like it wasn’t one of the biggest confessions she had made in years. “If you want to be.” She didn’t read into how she didn’t actually repeat the word ‘boyfriend’, waiting for him to take it a step further. They were already in Florence, she had told him she like liked him, had said she loved being his girlfriend even though she wasn’t sure if she had considered the notion before.

But the warm feelings accompanying the admission were awfully nice. Maybe all the reservations she had about getting serious with someone were just because she hadn’t found the right someone. Isn’t that what her mother had been telling her all along?

She settled into him, laughing when Will did. She could almost forget that she still wasn’t sure where they were, had no idea what to expect with the evening, hadn’t even thought about Honeydukes in at least ten minutes. But the cozy spell was broken as Matteo reappeared, bottle of wine in hand. She straightened up, the hand on Will’s thigh the only remaining bit of contact. The wine poured out red and Honey opened her mouth to ask for something a little less… terrible. But she shut it quickly again, assuming this wouldn’t be the best time to speak up about how sweet she preferred her wine to be. Something told her they wouldn’t appreciate the comment, and she had already done so much in so little time to ruin what Will had planned.

Picking up her glass, she took a sip as Matteo encouraged her to do so, smiling and offering a small “Mmm,” sound before he would disappear. It was not Mmm but she just hoped it would get better the closer she got to the bottom
of the bottle.

Matteo was back almost as soon as he had left and again she held her tongue when a salad was set in front of her. Will knew, of course, that she was more of a cliche candymaker and less of a vegetable eater, all salads included, but it seemed like Matteo was keen to show off in every fashion. Instead she smiled, holding back her laughter as she patted Will on the back. “I think you’re doing just fine.” She let the weakling comment slide by, leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek.

“So,” she repeated, lifting her own glass, scooching closer to him just the tiniest bit. “Italian evenings and lurking restaurateurs,” she agreed with a laugh, clinking glasses. Honey took another sip of her wine, willing it to not be as dry or bitter as her last mouthful but coming up disappointed. She was still reeling from the wine when the ‘Bacio’ request was made. She didn’t speak Italian, but it was near enough to French that she had a hunch what she needed to do. This was one part of being Will’s girlfriend that Honey was pretty good at. She leaned in, whispering “We can’t disappoint the man handling our food, y’know.”

She set her glass down and closed the space between them, her free hand on the back of his neck and pulling him closer. It only lasted a second or two, but Honey was sure that was plenty long enough to distract him thoroughly. Pulling back, she smirked as she picked up her glass. “Plus, maybe there will be dessert.” She took another sip of her wine, this time anticipating the flavors, and it was almost tolerable.

Honey pushed the salad around her plate with her fork, more for something to distract her from kissing Will more rather than having any actual desire to eat it. “So what other surprises do you have planned for us?”

This felt nice.

Nice to be here, nice to be warm, nice to be spending time with her. Will hadn't expected this. He hadn't banked on Honey coming into his cooking class and giving him a much needed shake up. He hadn't meant to take her to the pub, let alone rip her dress off half way up his staircase. Honey had tipped his world upside and shaken him so hard. A breath of fresh air that had honestly changed his life. "Yes please," he answered her with a grin. He couldn't lose her. Not now, not ever.

There would be food, too much food for him to handle. His stomach was still in knots, from both the adrenaline rush and trying to make sure Honey was happy. She still hadn't given him an answer about the hotel room but he didn't mind. If she decided that she wanted to go back to Scotland, he would, of course, escort her.

Salads, pasta, bread, wine, cheese. They all came in succession, pausing only when Will gently reminded Matteo that he was allergic to seafood and if possible, not to bring any. The look of dismay on the older man's face was extreme. There was prawn linguine that William had no qualms would be amazing. But if Honey wanted seafood, he wouldn't stop her; he'd happily take the allergic reaction and possible breathing difficulties for her.

"No, of course not," Will agreed with a solemn nod of his head. He flashed her a smile before he breathed her in, sugary and cinnamon. He kissed her back, dimly aware of Matteo clanging what sounded like a frying pan. Cheers from the family, a smatter of applause and though his Italian was rusty, Will managed to discern Matteo's wife admonishing him. "Maybe," he said warmly, reaching out a hand and briefly touching her lower lip with his thumb affectionately. "I'm pretty sure we can skip right to it," he found himself assuring her, figuring they could package it all up and use magic to reheat it later.

They'd already had gelato but not the good old fashioned kind. Not proper tiramisu and panna cotta and semifreddo. Will was halfway through his pasta when he decided he'd much prefer ice cream.

Will stalled. In actual fact, he hadn't really planned anything beyond this. He'd tried spontaneity and he wasn't sure it was his colour. The hotel and the surprise was as far as he'd thought but he wasn't going to tell her. As far as his girlfriend was concerned, he was going to be the perfect gentleman. "Well," he began, pulling his wine glass back towards him. "I was thinking, we could go to the top of the Duomo?" He blinked. "Really pretty but maybe prettier in the daytime," he mused. Besides, he'd already shown her one vista this evening.

He'd wanted to take Florence to a little place called Lover's Corner. It was about fifteen minutes away on the outskirts of the city in a gorgeous luxury villa, now turned hotel. Picturesque and beautiful, he soon remembered that it was a popular spot for proposals and he'd swiftly dumped cold water on the idea. While he'd be lying if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind briefly, it was too soon. Honey Dasher sounded nice.

"And I want to take you across the Ponte Vecchio," Will said with a smile, his enthusiasm for architecture bubbling over and he squeezed Honey's hand gently. He wasn't ashamed of it and he'd be the first to tell her that he had a crush on all things Medieval and made of stone. "And to some bars. And a vineyard," he added with a dimpled smile. "And take you shopping because souvenirs are great," he gushed. "And while that dress is beautiful," Will said softly as he reached out a finger and delicately eased the strap down Honey's shoulder just a little. "I can't help but feel that it's hiding a masterpiece."

Then, a sudden thought struck him. Like a lightning bolt, Will was suddenly crystal clear. His dark eyes widened as he wiggled in his seat, turning to take both of Honey's hands in his much larger ones. "Let's break into the Uffizi."