((Please excuse any inaccuracies and rearrangements of how London looks, we're not native. Did our best!))
Aria
Seren was excitedly packing up a weekend bag of things for the trip to London. They'd managed to get their two days off and she was ecstatically enthusiastic. She wondered what kind of accommodations they'd be able to snag. She hoped they'd be nice... But whatever they got, she was determined to enjoy this.

She tucked her keys into her bag, along with the 'passport' and other documents that were provided, and then admired her shiny new debit card. She'd never had one before, after all. After a moment, she put it away too, then put her bag on, and went to find Rhys.

Pao
Rhys spent all of an hour packing his things; it was only a weekend trip as opposed to a whole week, like Siberia had been, so it took a lot less time this time around. London would be an interesting destination this time of year; he assumed either too much freezing cold rain, or too much freezing cold snow. Either way, there'd still be a lot of time snuggled up in some form or another so he didn't really dread the weather as much as he normally would have.

Once he was all ready he pulled his pack on and headed out, making sure to lock the door behind him before tucking his key away where he had his other important "official" documents before heading up the stairs.

He saw Seren as soon as he hit the main floor, and he broke out into a wide grin. "Hey you," he greeted once they met about halfway, leaning down for a quick kiss. "All good?"

Aria
She grinned up at him, and kissed him back, then slid her hand down to take his. "Hey, gorgeous. More then good. I'm excited." She leaned against him for a moment, thinking she was lucky to have a boyfriend who did not mind being openly affectionate with her. She'd seen too many guys, back home, who would insist on nothing even slightly PDA-ish... No kisses, no hand holding, none of it... in public. Instead, Rhys was just as likely to initiate affection as her, and it made her feel like she was glowing.

"Shall we?" She said. She had on a civilian coat that hung to her knees, with a good hood, and an umbrella strapped to her bag where she could get it if she needed. In the meantime, she wanted to get off the island, cause the coat was rather warm for Deus.

Pao
He chuckled, happy to hold her hand as they strolled out of the dorms. Ever since Atlantis had backed off the island's weather had gradually gone back to its usual, tropical state, so he passed on any sweaters and umbrellas for now, instead keeping them conveniently near the top of his pack in case he needed them as soon as they got through the portal.

"Excited is good," he went on to say, playfully nudging her they way he usually did. PDA was a no-brainer for him; he was happy to show the world the woman that he was in love with, and he didn't really care whether they liked it or not. "Yeah, let's go. Portals are at the lighthouse, as usual."

Aria
She was prepared to cope with the heat, because she wasn't at all sure how cold it would be on the other side, and if they got dropped out in the middle of some back alley without any cover, she wanted to be warm. Sun out or not, it wasn't like she had guns to have out, so to speak, and she'd rather just be a bit hot to the portal. Her thumb ran along the back of his hand as they walked towards the Lighthouse.

"Yeah, it is. The world... we're finally getting started on seeing the good stuff. Rather then like... miles of empty snowfields." She laughed at the nudge and gently nudged him back, an affectionate smile on her face. When they got to the Lighthouse, she leaned on the wall to wait for their portal to come online, not letting go of his hand. She'd only let go if they had to, to pass through.

Pao
It was kinda nice, the way just her touch traced tingles on the back of his hand, and when she nudged him back he couldn't not return it with an equally affectionate smile. "Mlles of empty snowfields was pretty nice, though," was his reply, then pulling her close for a quick little kiss while they waited for the portal. If the techs taking care of their portal had complaints, they could take it up with him.

"If we get miles of rainy flatland, I honestly think that'll be worse."

Aria
She kissed him back, chuckling at his words. "I mean, it definitely was pretty nice. I just got tired of it after awhile. White, white and more white, all the time. I look forwards to something new... Even if it's rainy, it's a city. It'll be totally different. I mean, the only city I've ever been to was San Francisco, and that wasn't... exactly the funnest week of my life." They hadn't discussed it much, but it wasn't traumatic the way the stuff they had discussed was, so it wasn't that important. And thanks to being there, she'd been recruited and was now here with him.

Things could have been so much worse.

"As long as we don't have to hike said miles of it... Like we're near a train station... I'll cope. I'd rather they put us down in the actual city, though."

Pao
He hovered close, eyes locking with hers for a few seconds as he flashed back to the rest of his life where she wasn't there. His life now, comparitively, was a million times brighter. "I'll take rainy city over rainy flatland any day. No mud." He hadn't packed for mud, considering London was a city which meant paved sidewalks and generally no dirt roads unless they went out of the city. Which...it might really depend on where she wanted to go, because other than fish and chips and their keys, he had nothing else on his list.

"I figure it'll be an abandoned section of subway station," he said with a shrug. "Should be fine after a little bit of walking to the nearest functioning station." He clicked his tongue and gestured toward his pack. "I brougth a flashlight, no worries."

Aria
She laughed and smiled up at him, her eyes loving and joyful, because he represented, to her, how amazing her life had become. "Yeah, no, I totally agree. I'm not looking for mud. I hated the mud that I sometimes had to avoid, on the rare occasions it got rainy back... There, when I was walking to school or work." She shook her head a little, refocusing on the now. "So I'm all for staying in the city, where the chances of mud are grately lessened."

She blinked some, and nodded. "Sounds good, if a little creepy, but I'll trust you to help get us out... You sound like you have some clue on how this sort of stuff works. Annnd I think they call it the 'Underground' in London." She teased, just a little, and then pulled his head down for a quick kiss... But was interupted by a tech going "Your portal is ready!"

Pao
"Wicked, so no trips to the countryside or anything?" That helped keep his mood up for the potential of rain and such, though he didn't show that the revalation had that effect on him. Instead he huffed, amused, when she said "Underground" and waved a hand very dismissively. "English may have come from these guys, but to me the accent's kinda whatever."

He was smiling wide, though, until the tech interrupted their would-have-been kiss and he pulled back to turn to them, giving a two-finger salute. "Gotcha, thanks." Rhys turned back and finished the kiss off with a wink before letting her go and gesturing for her to port first, and then he followed her right on through.

Aria
"Not this time, anyways. Maybe during some sort of nice season but... Nope." She chuckled at his comment on the accent, and says "Which one? They have a bunch. I've heard some of 'em can be really difficult to understand." She reached up to catch his hand and squeeze it, amused by her goof.

She chuckled into the kiss, before giving the techs a broad grin. "Thanks, folks... See you in 48 hours." And then she pulled herself off the wall, giving Rhys a bright smile for his ongoing gentlemanliness. She slipped though the portal, and out of his path, before looking around. He had guessed right, they WERE in the Underground, an old, abandoned platform. It was a bit dusty, but she could hear the sounds of humanity nearby, and suspected they'd be able to make their way out soon. She did wonder how they'd get past the gates, though, since they didn't have tickets.

Pao
The Underground was...dusty, he noted with very loud coughing. It'd been a good while since he was anywhere quite as dusty as this, but it was manageable once he got accustomed to it. With a sigh Rhys reached for the flashlight he conveniently slipped into the little pocket for the water bottle, and flicked it on. It seemed old and a bit lazy, but it worked well enough. Quickly he found her hand and pulled her close.

"Just wanted you close, no reason to worry," he said quickly, and rather flatly at that despite his smirk. "As for getting out...we should be able to get out without any problems. It's usually getting into subways that's an issue." New York made for great experience with subway stations, even if what he recalled wasn't quite as fancy as an English equivalent. "C'mon..."

Aria
"All right..." She said, following him, grateful for both the light, his hand, and just him in general. "I'll trust you to keep us from getting arrested. I've never actually been in any sort of subway or underground train system before, honestly." Her fingers twined with his, maybe holding his hand a little tighter then normal, but still very happy to be here. "It'll pick us up from the same spot, when it's time to go home?" She asks, to verify, since this was her first time doing this.

Hmmm her first time taking an actual vacation, and it was with him. That sudden thought brought a smile to her face, and helped her relax in this dark and dusty place. She didn't like it... it was too much like being in the basement at home, but dustier... But realizing something good helped.

Pao
"Good you're with me, then," he said, mood brightening even more as soon as he said it. Probably also because he noticed that she gripped his hand a bit tighter, which he thought was kinda cute. "And yeah, we gotta be back in two days at around the same time. They're kinda nice and keep the portal open a few minutes longer to count for travel time. We won't get stuck here if we miss it, but it's less hassle not to."

As he spoke the sound of the hustle of city living civilization started to get gradually louder until they emerged on the edge of the exit of a smaller station. Ideal, considering they took a portal and getting attention was not the goal here. "Made it," he said, glancing over with a smile as he tucked his flashlight way.

Aria
She smiled and nods, listening to him talk about it all, following him up and out into the exit area. When they got there, she shifted from holding his hand to moving close enough to tuck herself against him. "Now all we need is to work out exactly where we are, and where we want to go... D'ya think there's an internet cafe nearby?" She asked, as she rested her head against his shoulder. She ignored the looks of some stuffy older British Folks, because her snuggling with her boyfriend wasn't their damn business.

In fact, it made her snuggle in just a little bit closer, because she could, and because he was warm, and because it made her happy.

And because it made them look more scandalized. Stuffy old sorts annoyed her, honestly.

Pao
Rhys welcomed the closeness with a smile, his arm comfortably slipping over her shoulders to give her more room to tuck in if she needed to...which apparently she did, to the apparent annoyance of some passing older folks. He laughed lightly and pulled her in, even kissing her on the temple while the folks were watching. "They speak our language, we could probably just ask," he said, shooting a grin at the snooty old folks before walking off in the other direction.

Once they were out in the open they would find that it was not quite raining, though the gloom was very real. And Rhys loosened up so their position was a bit more casual, if only so asking the first friendly-looking person for directions to the internet cafe was less...awkward.

"So he said...left at this street?" he asked once they were on their way to the cafe already. "Or...was it right here, and left at the next street?"

Aria
She chuckled at the kiss, her eyes glittering with happiness at him, and amusement at the fact that they were both enjoying irritating the stuffy OAPs. She followed him up the stairs, and out, and glanced at the London sky, and the gloom, and sighed, a grateful sound... Gratitude for a cuddly boyfriend, and a nice warm coat.

She sighed again when he shifted to a more casual pose, but understood the need, and didn't argue it. When they found a dude who was willing to stop and give them directions, which she noticed took a little time... Looking friendly to strangers on the street did not seem to be the custom here. Then again, she noticed they tended to seem distant with each other too. Must be a British thing, was all she could think.

She made notes on her phone as the man gave them instructions, and when Rhys asked, she consulted them. "Right, then left, babe."

Pao
Rhys had noticed it took a while to find someone that looked even mildly approachable, but now that they had what they needed he really could have cared less about anyone else except Seren. At her instructions he looked to their right, nodded, and then started walking.

"Thanks," he eventually said, leaning down to kiss her temple again. "How 'bout you lead 'til we get there, since you have the instructions?"

Aria
She chuckled, and gave him a warm smile for the kiss, and she slid in close again, since they no longer needed to look approachable, or to worry about approaching some one. She led them down the instructed path, and finally up to the door of the Internet Cafe in question. She beamed up at him, and said "Time for some finalization of plans."

Pao
He wrapped his arm almost poessesively around her when she tucked in like that, happy to just show off that she was his and no one should maybe get in their faces as they went. Once they made it to the store, though, he smiled warmly and nodded, amused that she was excited about finalizing things. He was, too, just...it was fun to see on her.

He finally let her go once they were inside, for the sake of politeness since she did have to stand at the counter and all that. He waited patiently beside her, glancing around and appreciating the open brick walls and the minimalist style of the place. Very...sleek.

Aria
She mmm'd at the way he held her, perfectly happy to let him show the world who she was with like that. After all, it made it pretty clear he was hers, too. If it kept people from bothering them, that was a definite added bonus. No need to deal with random strangers, just the person she came here to be with.

She gave a soft sigh when he let go, knowing it was necessary, but wishing otherwise. She got them checked in, and assigned to a computer, and walked over to it with him. The options were 'By the minute', 15, 30, or 60 minute segments, though it seemed to imply of one wanted more at once, one should talk to the front desk. She considered, then purchased 30 minutes. She figured that selecting a decent place to stay might take a little bit of time. Once it was up, she popped up Air BnB, and settled back to search, asking "Anything specific you want me to look for?"

Pao
Rhys followed her to her assigned computer and leaned over the back of the chair, chin resting on her head lightly as he blinked at the computer screen. It was an odd angle so the colors were off and he couldn't really read anything, but he trusted her judgement. "A place with a tub, maybe?" he suggested as he lifted his hands to her shoulders. "And one where we'll be on our own. Would rather not share any kind of living space with other people..."

He was all about PDA, but freedom to do whatever they wanted without the potential of someone accidentally walking in on them doing whatever was a luxury he was willing to spend a bit extra on. Not that they did much, but all the same.

"How much do you think that'd cost?"

Aria
She smiled a little, as she surfed the options available, her free hand sliding up to rest on one of his. She set filters for what he suggested, to the extent she could. "Damn, can't filter for a bathtub, only a hot tub, and I don't want to know how much THAT might run in London..." She murmured. "But at least I can filter for private spaces only..."

She would prefer the privacy herself, even if all they did was make out. Having private time with him was always high on her list of priorities, so she didn't argue at all. She began to eye prices at his question, thoughtfully, unintentionally tapping his hand with her fingers as sthe thought about what they were showing.

"Probably between 250 and 400, since it's 2 nights, leaving early on the last morning? Depends on how picky we get." She was glad they got leave in 24 hour blocks, honestly.

Pao
It was the small things she did that caught his attention at times like this. The murmuring and tapping as she focused...he found it extra adorable, and he couldn't help but smile, lean down, and give her a kiss on the cheek. "That sounds totally reasonable," he said, eyes now on the screen. He spotted one that looked alright, listed at the middle ground of 325, and he pointed with his free hand.

"What about this one? We don't need a huge space, just a private one, and navigating the English 'Underground' won't be that hard."

Aria
She opened it in a new tab, and looked it over. It was one of the ones that had a tub, so that was nice, and it had a real bed, rather then a fold out... She beamed and said "Perfect!" She'd have nodded too but with his head on hers, that would be more then a little awkward, if not uncomfortable for them both. She hit the book now button, then began digging around for her debit card, which she'd put in a pocket.

"Let's get this set up, then we can use the rest of the time I bought to find a good fish n chips shop, and then map out where to go..."

Pao
"Tell you what," he said as he borrowed the chair from the empty computer station next to them and took a seat, scooting her out of the way. "I'll book this and you start mapping?" Not that he gave her much of a chance to say no since he started typing in his information already. Or at least, what was in his provided documents.

"You've got a better idea of what's here to look at anyway. My only request is maybe other good food stops to hit while we're here." Rhys shot her a grin and finished up typing before hitting enter, and once the confirmation page came up he printed it out.

Aria
She blinked as he took over, surprised, then laughed and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "You are a goof, my dear." She gazed at him lovingly, then added "I love you... and you're spoiling me." She shifted her chair so that she could lean lightly against him once he was done, and took back over.

She searched out the best fish n chips shop, and planned the day so that they'd go there for lunch, visit the Bridge and the London Eye, then see the Tower, before heading back to the area the Air BnB was, with a stop at a well reccommended pub right near by for dinner. "Shall we go get checked in and drop our stuff off, then get started?" She asked, glancing back at him with loving eyes as she printed out the plans. "We can work out tomorrow tonight, since the apartment has wifi, so we can plan stuff on our phones."

Pao
"Still your goof that loves you, and loves spoiling you when he can," he shot back, his grin a lot wider as she leaned against him while planning. It was comfortable so he stayed put, watching as she planned out their day with a surprising amount of efficiency and expertise. Either she'd been looking things up since before they decided to take the trip, or she was just that good...in either case, he was grateful, and once she was done he turned and gave her a smooch.

"Sounds good. Still against putting off our workout, but since it's vacation and not work I'll let it slide." With that he stood up, holding out his hand in case she wanted the extra help. "Let's go, then."

Aria
She laughed and sighed, standing up, accepting his hand with gratitude. "We can still get our run in at least, tomorrow morning? But we'll be doing a lot of walking, there will be stairs we can't avoid... The apartment is on the 3rd floor, and they don't have a 'lift', it said, which I believe means elevator... I know it's not our usual, but..." She didn't want to miss out... They had but 48 hours.

She kept her hand in his, leading him out the door. She might not have known the details before, but when trying to make sure she was able to balance her schedules and having time to jog and even breath a little, she'd learned how to schedule and plan with the best of 'em. She had needed to. She pulled out the directions she'd gotten that would take them to their lodgings from here, and led them to another nearby underground station, and got them tickets for the ride.

Pao
The brunette hummed in thought for a moment as she led him along, only half paying attention to where they were going because he trusted that she wouldn't get them lost. With the life they led before Deus, not getting lost was a necessary survival skill. "If we're gonna be moving then we'll just catch up when we get back to the island," he eventually said as they passed through the entry gates at the station.

"An hour's a lot of time when we've only got 48 to spend, so I'll work it out for us when we get back."

Aria
She gave him a beaming smile over her shoulder at him, and got them through the gates and down to the platform. After a fairly short ride on the train, and a hop to another line for 2 stops, they were off the underground and walking the short blocks to where they needed to meet the owner of the apartment.

It didn't take long to get the keys, and inside, either. She set her bag on the bed and pulled out the things she needed to carry, and a small purse she'd packed to carry them in, then moved her bag out of the way, and turned to smile at him.

Pao
Things moved pretty quickly once they got on the train. As he expected, Seren led him along just fine, and dealth with the apartment owner as well while he sort of just greeted them politely before falling silent. When they were finalyl upstairs he dropped his pack and opened it up, grabbed a smaller pack and shoved the flashlight, an umbrella and a jacket before closing it up and slipping it on.

He waited for her to finish, and when she did he reached for her and pulled her close, giving her a slow and loving kiss. "London, here we come," he whispered. Smiling, he pulled away but still held her hand as they headed out. "Where to first, babe?"

Aria
She blinked and kissed him back, arms sliding around him until he pulled away. She laughed, happily, at his whisper and squeezed his hand. "Lunch, then exploring. Fish and chips time, finally!" She sounded eager, and guided them to a small hole in the wall shop that had reviews all over the internet. "This place is supposedly THE one to go to for the best fish n chips... And I think..." She pointed at a nearby shop. "That sign says they do keys..."

Pao
Hole in the walls were almost always the right places to stop when touring, so when she led the way to one, and for fish n chips, he was grinning practically from ear to ear. He followed her finger though, and blinked at the nearby shop she was talking about. Sure enough, there was a sign that had some text and a giant key on it.

"Nice find, babe," he said, looking back at her and still grinning. Once they were in line he stood behind her, hands settled at her waist as he looked the menu over. "Think we need to get anything besides fish n chips?" he asked, his hands eventually finding their way into her front pockets as he leaned against her.

Aria
"I did my research as best I could, so I'm glad it worked out." She leaned back against him, taking a slow, deep breath of the smell of the frying foods. She leaned her head back, against his shoulder, not in any rush at the moment. "Mmmm... Probably something to drink? I bet it's greasy and salty, so... Liquids are good. Other then that, I have no idea."

She glanced down, when she felt his hands slip into her pockets, her brows raised for a moment, amused by it. She didn't mind, it just surprised her how free he was with his hands on her at times. It wasn't particularly inappropriate, however, despite what some OAPs might think, so she just slid her own hands in to rest on his.

Pao
"I'm probably just gonna do water, keep hydrated since we'll be doin' a lot of movin' around," he said, blinking still at the menu. The line inched forward and he sighed, finally peeling his eyes off the menu and turned his head to give her a kiss on the cheek. Again, PDA was really not something he shied away from. "I'm gonna guess..."

He tilted his head a bit so he had a better angle to see her face, and as a result his hair sort of flopped to the side as well. Still he was smiling, eyes narrowed as he tried to guess what drink she would want. "Tea for you?"

Aria
She mmm'd and nodded, thoughtfully at his words, her hands giving his a gentle squeeze as she eyed the menu board for the moment. She leaned her cheek into his kiss, and turned to look at him some as they moved forwards, listening to his guess.

The way his hair flopped made her lips curve into an amused smile, and she wanted to reach up and play with it, but at the same time, her hands were warm in her pockets. "Mmm tempting but... No, I'm actually going to get a bottle of water myself. Easily portable, not easily burnination by accident time."

Pao
Her amusement passed on to him, though he wasn't sure what it was about; he just watched her curiously, nodding when she said she'd just go with a bottle of water instead. "I always advocate water anyway," he said, finally turning away and looking ahead as it was their turn next. Unfortunately he had to unwrap himself from her so they could step up to order, grab their bottles and step aside.

"Babe," he said, glancing out at that key sign again. "Why don't I go get our keys done and you find us a table? Shouldn't take long, right?"

Aria
She smiled and nods, then sighs when he unwraps from her, because necessary as it was, she really did feel her best when snuggled into him. She took their order number, and was going to loop her arm through his when he made the suggestion. She mmm'd thoughtfully, eyes distant as she weighed the pros and cons of it, then finally she nodded. "All right, just a sec." She dug into her little purse, and got out her keys, then handed them to him, before taking the waters.

She leaned up, kissed his cheek, then walked over to the tiny seating area. There was just one little table left, so she snagged it. It was awkwardly placed, but she kind of liked it... There was only one bench, so they'd be sitting next to each other, and the other side was against the wall. The only thing she didn't like was the fact that it meant her back was to the world.

Pao
The trip to get the keys was as quick and painless as any trip to a key maker could be, and with a rather curious conversation that was entirely one-sided on the shopkeeper's part. Rhys made it back in time to hear their order number called, pick it up, and join his beautiful girlfriend at the table. He set down the tray and sat beside her, smiling as he handed her, her original key and the spare to his old dorm.

"The guy went on and on about the first time he moved in with his girlfriend 'some years back'," he said, snorting at his very sad attempt at a British accent. "Dude was old though so I dunno if 'some years' was supposed to be thirty years or more."

Aria
She looked up and beamed at him when he came back, and then hooked her key, and the spare, onto her key ring, then tucked them both away into her purse. She then eyed the tray as she listened, the hot and greasy food making her both hungry and a little nervous. She'd never had it before, how did one eat it?

"Mmmm well it's probably nice for him to reminsice about the past, even if you were probably thinking 'Don't caaaaaaaaaaare'... Unless I'm wrong?" She teased him lightly. She was glad he was back, because frankly, she felt nervous in this big city alone. Being with some one who had grown up in one made her feel safer, and that it was him? Well, she felt safest next to him anyways, so it was a nice compounding feeling of being safe.

Pao
The teasing was met with a smirk and he took it like a good sport. He kinda like it when she teased him, actually, the reason for that being a crossed between the tone she used or her cute expressions, but also because it came from her. And he loved her and everything about her, lighthearted ribbing included. "It was kinda neat to hear, actually. He said there's an adjustment period and that it takes a lot of patience." He glanced over and smiled that bright smile just for her. "I think we can handle it, though."

Normally he would eat this by hand, but the grease and the steam looked like it was fresh out of the fryer so he grabbed a fork and cut a small piece up. "You try it first?" he asked as he handed her the fork. He would have offered to feed her but there were dipping options, and he didn't want to ruin her first bite by assuming he knew which one she wanted.

Aria
She nodded thoughtfully at that, considering the statement. "Well we kind of figured that, though, Right? I mean, all changes take an adjustment. Given some of the ones we've had to deal with, I suspect you're right... We can handle it." She rested her head on his shoulder, smiling happily.

She blinked, and looked at the array of options, before deciding to try it plain at first. She took the fork, and nibbled at the hot greasy fish. She found herself mumbling "It's really good!"

Pao
Rhys gave a nod and when she took the fork just watched her for a moment, love and adoration swimming in his gaze. He smiled at her reaction and picked up his own fork, cutting up a small piece and taking a plain bite as well. "Oh, yeah it is..." he soon echoed. In the back of his mind he did find a bit of relief in knowing that he'd also packed mints, because greasy fish breath was not ideal for kissing.

But it was still good, so he moderated his bites, alternating dips and soon settling on the classic tartar sauce. "Fish n chips in London," he chuckled after taking a sip of water. "Never thought I'd ever leave NYC, to be honest, never mind making it all the way to almost the other side of the world."

And then he gave her a sidelong glance, smile soft and affectionate again. "Then again, also never thought I'd wind up with as sweet and beautiful a girlfriend as you."

Aria
She smiled softly and took another piece, trying the vinegar and salt, and then a few others, before settling on the same choice as he did... old fashioned Tartar sauce. She mmm'd happily, resting her head on his shoulder a little as she ate,. When he spoke again, she listened, a soft smile on her face.

When he complimented her, though, she looked up at him with loving eyes, her cheeks pink. "I wonder if anyone who knows you would ever think you had a romantic side to you, before now..." She gave him a sweet smile, though, and slipped her arm through his. "but given that, you are pretty damn sweet yourself, and drop dead gorgeous to boot. Who knew I'd ever get so lucky as to have you to see the world with?"

Pao
He reached up, brushing his fingers along her pink cheeks for a second, another sight that often had him falling for him all over again. At her words he couldn't help but laugh and give a shrug, scrunching his nose up at that sweet smile of hers. "I think a lot of them thought I wasn't interested in relationships or sex," he said, scooting just a bit closer when she slipped her arm through his.

His cheeks turned a bit pink as well when she complimented him in turn, and he playfully wrinkled his nose. "Whoever knew, I guess we should thank 'em by sticking together."

Aria
She tilted her head, and smiled a little at the fingers along her cheek, and nodded. "I can't blame them... At first, I honestly thought you might be ace, but was more then happy to realize you weren't." She tilted her head a little, to kiss his fingers for a moment, then shrugged. "You are good at hiding yourself when you want to."

Seeing him blush was always a delight to her, however, and she chuckled softly, leaning to kiss one pink cheek. "Sounds good to me. I have no plans to go anywhere you're not, certainly."

Pao
He raised a brow, amused by her first-impressions take on him. The kisses remedied whatever small bit of bruised ego had happened because of it though, and he sighed. "It's a practiced skill," he said with a proud little nod. "But no secrets from you anymore, so that's just for everyone else's benefit I guess."

He gave her a nudge, playfully as he gave a soft smile with that kiss. "Same. Except maybe if work drags me away."

Aria
She chuckled softly and rested her head back against his shoulder, going back to eating the greasy food as she listened. "Good... I have no secrets from you, either, babe, after all." She finished her portion, and just rested against him, happily full of the greasy but tasty meal.

"And of course. We can't exactly plan for work on that level, sadly." She shrugged, and sighed, putting it to the side so as not to spend time worrying about him, or being seperated for work. "Beyond that, I plan to spend more of my time with you."

Pao
It was hard to grumble against work considering it saved him from his old life, and now it also allowed him to meet Seren, but thinking about how dangerous it all was made it incredibly tempting to grumble anyway. And it separated them for however long the assignments were, too, which was an extra bummer. But. With a sigh and another bite of the tasty, greasy food he let the thoughts simmer.

"Same," he responded, resting his head gently on hers for a second. "As long as you come home to me when you're back on the main island, I don't think I can complain all that much."

Aria
She smiled quietly at his words, eyes closing in comfort as he ate, just happy in his presence. "Home is where you are, as I've said. Returning home is the same thing as coming back to you." She snuggled in, her lips turned up in a sweet smile. "In the meantime, we're here together and don't have to worry about it."

She opened her eyes again, and watched him eat.

Pao
He smile at that, glancing at her again and giving her an equally sweet smile. "Same for me," he added quietly, but then left it at that. There was no need to add too much more, he felt, so he finished eating in happy silence--it was all of three bites, so not long at all. Once he was done with his water too, he leaned over and gently bumped his cheek to her hair.

"So where to first?"

Aria
She sipped her water, giving a soft, contented hum of happiness. It was good to know he felt the same, every time she was remined. It left her feeling safer and happier, knowing she'd entrusted her heart to the right person. When he bumped her gently, she finished the water, and pulled out her printout.

"Off to the London Bridge... the current one... and the Eye, after." She stood slowly, and stretched, then held her hand out to him.