Sink or Swim - Luca x Alberto

Alberto Is Bad at Hiding Secrets

Alberto's POV

I wake up on the couch the next morning. Rosana is snuggled against my hip, purring with each breath she takes. I reach over and pet the sleeping angel, doing my best not to disturb her.

I yawn and stretch. Why on Earth am I on the couch, anyway? Last night me, Luca, and Giulia were all chilling on this couch, catching up with each other about life and stuff while the adults talked about adulty things. It was like two hours before Luca had to go, and I guess I was too tired by then to head all the way upstairs.

Usually, though, when I fall asleep on the couch, Massimo carries me upstairs to my bed. I wonder why he didn't do that this time.

Shrugging it off, I sit up and stretch my arms out. I really don't want to get up, but the clock has the number twelve on it, which means I've slept too late. According to Massimo, sleeping in until noon is "unhealthy for the body and lazy for the mind". Yeah, whatever, honestly.

I reach down and caaaaaarefully scoop up Rosana with my hands, and eeeever so gently place her on the pillow I was lying on before. 'Cause it's pretty much a law to not wake up a sleeping kitten. Then I throw aside the knit blanket Massimo must have put on me, and head into the kitchen.

Oh, yeah. I forgot Giulia lives here.

"Mornin', sleepyhead!" Giulia mumbles, a spoon between her teeth as she tries to reach for one of the cabinets. She's barely even balanced on the stool she's pulled out. I shake my head at her, smirking a little, then I walk over and open the cabinet with ease. I did grow an inch taller during the winter, so I guess I have that to thank.

I wonder if Luca noticed?

Giulia laughs, seeming a little embarrassed. "Thanks, amico." She grabs a bowl from the cabinet, shuts it, then hops off the stool. "I'm making cereal. Want me to fix you some?"

"Nah, I'm fine. But thank you." I open the refrigerator (guess how long it took me to learn that word) and grab some apple-grape juice. Giulia already has a cup set out for me, so I smile at her and pour some juice in it, throwing a straw in as well. "So how long you been up?"

"An hour, maybe." Giulia continues to make her cereal. "I saw the kitten. What's her name again? Rosa?"

"Rosana," I say, smiling like a proud dad. "And she's the sweetest, adorable-est, fuzziest kitten in the whole world."

"Awww! I love her already!" She squeals, holding the bowl up to her chest.

No one can possibly love Rosana more than me, but I still grin at her.

"Oh, uh...," I say as Giulia sits down at the table, "do you know where Mas is?"

"Hm?" She shoves a spoonful of Crazy Cow into her mouth, making me kind of wish I'd asked for cereal after all. "Oh, he's upstairs in your room," she mumbles out.

"What? Why?"

"I'unno."

As Giulia loses interest in me and starts reading the comics from Massimo's newspaper, I look towards the stairs in confusion. Why the heck is he in my room? Not that I mind or anything, but I have some top-secret stuff in there.

Then my face goes pale as I remember the box of letters.

Tante parolacce.

I grab my juice and exit the kitchen as not-suspiciously as possible, then quickly head upstairs, praying to the fish above that he didn't look under my bed. But once I look in my room, all I see is Massimo clearing up some space on my nightstand. There's some sort of giant rectangle to the right of him, leaning against the wall with a cover over it. Although my chest falls with relief, I'm still really confused. "Uh, hi," I greet quietly.