So just for fun, I turned on the audio description option, and…
Narrator: -[Now, she helps Steven into a harness.]-
You know how hilarious this is? Poor Steven, our favorite socially awkward alter, probably never seen a climbing harness in his life, just stands there, probably gazing DOWN at Layla (who’s being resourceful and crouching down before him helping get this harness up his legs), he’s probably feeling a bit hot under the collar, looks back up, and says,
And pauses. He freakin’ PAUSES. 😂 Steven looks back down, probably realizing that what he said came out the wrong way, and goes,
Layla pops back up, and Steven tracks her movement, never taking his eyes off her face.
Layla grins, likely holding back a laugh herself at Steven’s poor attempt at course-correcting himself.
He can’t take his eyes off her.
Layla adjusts her position, tightening a strap somewhere on the right side of Steven’s harness. Our sweet, lovestruck dumbass keeps watching her.
The narrator continues: -[With two ropes hanging nearby, she leans close to secure the harness.]-
Steven’s just enjoying her presence, I think. Her face is so close to his, and it’s almost like his heart is going a million miles per minute. It’s a miracle he can keep still at all.
Layla comments, “You smell like him.” She pauses, then wistfully adds, “I mean, why wouldn’t you, right?” There’s this little moment where Steven has this sad look in his eyes, because he realizes that he knows how much Layla loves and misses Marc. Perhaps it might feel a little greedy on Steven’s part because while he does want to be with Layla, he understands that he’s a factor in Marc and Layla’s relationship that neither Spector had seen coming.
The narrator goes, -[Layla leans in to kiss him.]-
Which she almost does, but Steven, carrying some of that guilt within him, speaks up before she can kiss him.
“Marc's trying to protect you from Khonshu,” says Steven. Layla’s taken aback. “What?”
Steven explains, “That’s why he’s been pushing you away. He thinks Khonshu wants you for his Avatar, and he won’t let that happen.” Layla looks away, trying to process this new piece of information. She’s downtrodden that this is something else that Marc had failed to tell her. She’s pained on the inside, trying to reconcile her love for her husband Marc and her obvious feelings for Steven. Seeing Layla distressed, Steven, true to his honest nature, tries to bring her some measure of comfort, and says, “It’s alright. I just felt like you should know that.”
The narrator states: -[Turning away, she puts on a glove.]-
Steven sees Layla’s mood souring a little, and apologizes. Layla turns back to Steven and asks him, “Why are you telling me this now?” He’s not too sure why he disclosed this set of information to Layla. “I dunno, I just thought you deserved to know,” he says softly.
Layla finishes putting on her gloves, looks back into Steven’s eyes, and tells him, “Well, it wasn’t his call to make.” A beat. Then, “I don’t need protection. What I need is honesty.”
Luckily for Steven, honesty is one of the hallmarks of his whole being. He’s been nothing but honest from the get go, having nothing to hide or keep away. He gazes at Layla, and sighs. “Yeah, I get that,” he tells her. She preps the climbing rope, and asks, “That’s more of a ‘you’ thing, isn’t it?”
Layla hooks a carabiner onto the front loop of Steven’s harness and secures it with a tug. Distracted, Steven stammers, “What, being, uh… Honesty?”
Layla exhales and, despite her inner conflicts and pain that has settled deep within her, looks up into Steven’s eyes, and smiles. She decides to humor him a little. “Yeah. Being honesty.”
A little pause. Layla and Steven gaze into each other’s eyes.
The narration continues.
-[She smiles ruefully at Steven, who rests his hands on her shoulders before pressing his lips to hers.
Her eyes closed and face tense, Layla returns the kiss, then breaks away. Steven’s lips broaden into a smitten smile.]-
Layla returns the smile, looks into his eyes before she turns away and says, “I’m going to go down…” Into the tomb, she means. All too quickly, Steven agrees: “Okay.” Layla cuts in, “…first.” Smiling, he tells her, “Yeah. Great.”
She continues, “Before I belay.” For some odd reason perhaps known only to him, Steven says to Layla, “Thank you.” She picks up her backpack, which has been resting on a rock this whole time. With both his hands over his racing heart and mind reeling over the fact that he and Layla had just shared this wonderful moment together, Steven stumbles over his words a little. “What’s… what’s ‘belay’?”
Layla is amused. “I still can’t tell whether you’re joking or not.” She chuckles, which brings a little smile to Steven’s face.
The narration continues: -[She clips one of the ropes to her harness.]-
“All right,” quips Layla.
-[She steps onto the edge of the pit and jumps in. Steven looks down after her and smiles… then suddenly punches himself in the nose.]-
“Oh, SHIT!” 🤣
