It had become a semi-normal state of being, for one of them to bring food to the other, after work or patrol. Nights like that had become a quiet comfort, involving take-out, movies, the occasional late evening of paperwork and banter on a shared couch. Evenings like this often devolved into something more, and no doubt this would head that direction with time, if the light touches and legs draped across legs were any indication.
But for now it was still early, and the idiots (Jacob and Serefin) in her phone had found something new to laugh at in a group text, and she had to reach over to silence it entirely, to avoid the quiet buzzing on the side table without even checking to see if it was some kind of emergency.
Evie bumped Sara’s knee very lightly. “Are we entirely sure we can’t go back to the days of written letters? I try not to be too-- in my day about modern amenities, but giving Jacob access to a phone and memes was a terrible idea.”
Evenings with Evie could easily be her favorite place to be most days. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy her work here, but with guaranteed chaos around the corner, it was nice to have a place where she could almost always guarantee a sense of peace to balance that out.
The buzzing was hard not to notice, and Sara glanced up from a report she was reading and grinned as Evie silenced her phone. She didn’t ask, but she could probably imagine who would be sending her constant messages.
Her full attention was given when Evie started talking, pulling the report down on the coffee table next to her. “Considering all communication tends to come in messages and emails, I get the appeal of letters. The only letters people get now are bills and flyers. There’s something about receiving an actual handwritten letter that just sounds nice.” Sara could still remember when she was a kid, and receiving an email instead of a letter was what people became excited about. It was the opposite now. “But you have to admit the instant response when needed is very convenient.”
Well, that put a thought into Evie’s brain, immediately. Her eyebrows went up, and she made a little noise. She hadn’t put a great deal of thought into the fact that people might prefer a more traditional way of communication from time to time - especially someone from a more modern era, like Sara.
“I happen to enjoy the pleasures of writing a good letter, so that’s something I’ll keep in mind. I hope you enjoy a good wax seal.” One with the brotherhood seal, but at least here that didn’t make as much of a difference. “The convenience is nice, though, you’re right there. It’s also nice that I’m able to mute my brother so easily when he’s being annoying. If only I could do that in person.”
Sara arched an eyebrow in response, her mind racing in two different directions. First, the idea of receiving a handwritten letter with a ‘good wax seal.’ It absolutely did sound like something she would enjoy. In this world, and in her own time, it would be a rare gift for anyone to take the time to write one. Everything moved so fast that people just didn’t bother putting in the effort, even if you were someone who typically lived outside of time like Sara did at home.
Second, wax. All the things you could do with wax. “I definitely enjoy good wax.” she said with a suggestive smirk, her head tilting slightly to the side as she briefly let herself imagine the possibilities.
“You know there are people out there who can do exactly that.” it was hard not to grin at the idea of simply being able to mute someone on will. “Imagine how convenient that would be, I can think of a few people I’d use it on.” Most of them were in her own reality, though there were some here. “There’s a few Vallo politicians I’d like to mute on a regular basis.”
Oh, well. There was now a blush blooming across Evie’s cheeks, one that she’d thought she had tapped out months before now, but it still cropped up occasionally. The word usage itself wasn’t unfamiliar to her, but there was still something about going from an era of extremely repressed people - even if Evie had been one of the more radical ones for the time - to this. Blushing still somehow came easy.
It didn’t stop her from countering with a smirk right back, even as she planned out a letter in her mind. For later.
“Jacob and I keep track of all of them, you know. The politicians, budding crime lords, those that hold any sort of power.” She assumed most who were aware of what they did back home knew that, and didn’t mind the added aura of mystery. “Just looking for anything extreme. It isn’t as bad here, obviously, no Templars, just knowledge gathering.” Unless, by chance, someone were to slip under the cracks of the justice system after pulling a sinister stunt. In which case, she wouldn’t want to implicate Sara in any way, and left it unsaid. “But just in case muting needs to be more permanent at some point...”
That little flush of color spreading across her cheeks was nothing short of satisfying, and it was hard not to feel just a little pleased with herself. There was nothing that made Sara think Evie was repressed, besides coming from the time she did. She felt bad for anyone who would try to repress her, but coming from different eras had its advantages at times.
Sara had not been aware of that fact, though she wasn’t necessarily surprised by it. She kept track of some people, largely the ones she had to deal with personally and those who might influence them, but the twins' research was probably a lot more thorough. “Evie Frye, are you offering to assassinate someone for me?” she said is a disbelief that was not at all sincere. Not that she would ever take her up on that. Sara was mostly a reformed assassin these days, she didn’t kill unless she absolutely had to. But sometimes you just had to. “Handwritten letters and assination offers, you really know the way straight to my heart.”
Evie raised an eyebrow, a confident one that could tell secrets if it so wished, but she just tilted her head instead. “I would never implicate you like that,” it was honest, but only to a certain degree. Keeping others out of their messes had always been important to the Fryes. Back home, it was Freddy, Ned, Clara.. Here, it was the ragtag family they’d adopted along the way.
She wasn’t reading the book resting on her lap, but it gave her hands something to fiddle with. “If I had known that was the way, I would have made a point to offer it long before now. Two things I’m very good at, whereas the other romance options are very hit or miss.”
“I’d hope at this point I’d be able to keep myself from being implicated.” At least in her days with the league she had been more than capable. Things became more messier when she joined with the legends. In Vallo it would be even more complicated. It was so much bigger, so much more complicated. Her lips turned down in a slight frown the more she thought about it. “Or maybe I couldn’t anymore. At least in my current position.” It wasn’t something she had stopped to consider, and hopefully it never had to be brought out of the hypothetical.
Figuring out Evie and romance had been an adventure. Was still an adventure. It wasn’t until the fight club when Evie had kissed her that Sara had really understood there might be a chance of something between them. “There are some people who would consider letters a staple of romance, and the assination keeps it interesting. I’d say you’re doing well with the romance options.”
Evie didn’t like that frown, and mirrored one of her own as she watched Sara’s face closely. Politics, of course, never helped things, but it was always nice having someone that could be trusted willing to do them. “Could always be a team up, should the opportunity present itself.” Should one really need killing, she left unsaid.
Doing well with the romance options brought the blush back, faintly. She didn’t get nervous, really, and yet still found her stomach fluttering itself to an annoying degree. “Would you go as far as saying certain terms of endearments could be used-- for example, girlfriend?”
Dear God, at this rate of saying things, she was going to owe Jacob an apology for every time she teased him for being bad at this.
“Luckily it’s all hypothetical. I’m sure we’d get creative if needed.” Not all of the people local to Vallo were happy with the presence of the Outlanders, but it hadn’t led to anything too serious. There was no one to look at for blame anyway other than Vallo itself. This was never a conversation she’d have with anyone at work no matter what occurred anyway.
Sara saw where this conversation was going immediately, and how Evie was going about it made her grin. Direct and to the point was usually how Sara liked to handle most things, but especially relationships. There had been no classification put on what was happening between the two of them so far, though she had not paid an ounce of attention to anyone else since that night at fight club. “I definitely think you could go as far as to use that, yes.” she said with a slight nod of her head. “I’m of course open to other terms if girlfriend isn’t your favorite. We’re from different times, so how do you feel about the term babe?”
Evie huffed out a laugh, but was already bringing herself across the couch easily. She dropped her book gently on the floor next to them, before finishing her path. She ended up hovering over Sara, matching that grin with one of her own. “Babe. I’ll pass, unless you have an extreme fondness for it. In my time, we would have just been female companions.”
But her time was outdated and liked to pretend same-sex relationships didn’t exist if it involved women. Friends. That had been preferable to an Assassin already keeping her eyes down, at least. “Lover?” Evie followed that up with a quick kiss. “Partner, significant other,” Another kiss. “Any of those would be acceptable to me.”
Her grin spread into a smile when Evie discarded her book on the floor and made her way across the couch. Relaxing back on the couch, she reached one hand up to gently tuck a strand of Evie’s hair back, brushing her cheek gently with her thumb as she did so.
She had several thoughts on the idea of referring to Evie as her female companion, none of which were particularly positive, but her train of thought was diverted with kisses and other much more appealing suggestions. “I could get behind those.” she agreed, moving for a third kiss. “Anything but female companion. File that one away for me along with babe for you.”
“Perfect,” Evie murmured, going in for another kiss. It was easy to get lost in Sara, especially with the conversation being warm and welcoming, putting her anxiety at relationship titles to ease. She looked softer than normal when she leaned back just a little. “Consider the title stricken from the possibilities, and put somewhere with other Victorian Era terminology that’s incredibly outdated.”
And all manner of other victorian airs she could do without. Especially here and now, with her attention currently as suspect as it was. There was a pause, another kiss, and a grin. “Bedroom?”
Thoughts of how they and others would define their relationship were already slipping from her mind. How could she possibly focus on anything else other than Evie, those kisses, and what was going to come next? Sara would have been all too happy to keep going exactly where they were. But she had a point, the bed did offer more space, and more possibilities.
Sara sighed, someone frustrated she would have to get up, which would require Evie to do the same. But she nodded in agreement. “Bedroom.” A grin spread across her face as she started to get up when Evie moved. “Maybe later tonight we can discuss the other uses of wax.”