Tumblr's FicWeek | LUTTEO

won't you hold my hand? cause i don't wanna walk alone anymore

DAY TWO: "You're afraid that you'll lose me in big crowds so you always hold my hand but now you just hold my hand when there's only, like, five people around and I'm getting very suspicious"

Hab°it: an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.

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🌙

The first time it happens she thinks nothing of it.

They're in the annual summer fair, it's the beginning of the summer holidays, a Friday and the crowd reunited at the food court is almost as big as a small country (not really, but she could swear half of Buenos Aires is there) and she just knows she's gonna get pushed around if she doesn't hold onto her friends.

So she takes Nina's right hand on her left one, nodding to Gastón to grab Nina's free hand and without any hesitation she offers her right hand to Matteo, who looks so caught off guard, weren't she so hungry for fair food she'd have laughed at the incredulous look on his face.

He halfheartedly complains the whole way to the hotdog stand ("what are we? Little kids?") but both him Gastón make a great shield from the pushing and pulling and don't let go for a second. When they reach the stand, she immediately drops Nina's hand, and notices that neither her or Gastón had let go of each other's hands.

She, however, fails to notice she's still holding hands with Matteo, too.

🌙

Three days later, Matteo and Gastón invite them to one of their senior friend's birthday party (yes, they do have more friends) and you'd think the guy was a big name celebrity or maybe the president, because the quantity of people there was enormous.

If Nina kept second-guessing their decision before, after they arrive she makes sure to tell her how uncomfortable she feels with such a crowd in a small space (the dude's house was a pretty big mansion, but with so many people it definitely felt anything but) so she agrees to find the boys, say thanks but no thanks, and leave.

After fifteen unsuccessful minutes of trying to find them, Nina just can't handle it anymore and says she'll wait for her outside. When another ten minutes pass, she's about to give up altogether and just text Matteo her apologies, she spots him. He's walking out of one of the many doors connected to where she is (the living room? The play room? She doesn't even know anymore) and as if it were magic, he stops talking to Gastón and another guy, turns his head in her direction, and spots her too. Matteo's smile could only be compared to one of a little kid's on Christmas morning, and it made her heart flutter.

He calls for Gastón's attention, and when the boy finds her too, he looks in her direction but his eyes don't stay on her, they're too busy trying to find Nina or any hint that she's with her. The frown on his face stays intact while both of them walk to her, bumping to one or four people on the way.

"Where's Nina?" Gastón's practically yelling when he has her close enough, and she's quick to tell him she's not feeling comfortable here. When he ask where she is, and gets her response, he's gone and lost in the crowd. She unconsciously grabs Matteo's hand before she takes a step into Gastón and Nina's direction, but is stopped when Matteo doesn't follow her step. He just stands there, looking at their hands.

"It's so we don't get lost." She almost drops her hand from his, but Matteo tightens his hand on hers fast enough to stop her from doing so.

Shaking his head at her confused face, he says, "let's go, delivery girl. I bet Gastón got lost already."

🌙

It isn't until the third time that Matteo initiates it.

They've just finished this round of this year's International, and they can't find their friends in the sea of people gathered around them. He takes her hand to guide her through the crowd, since he is taller and can see over most people's heads to find Tamara and everyone else.

They find Nina and Gastón with Jim and Yam first, and the girls couldn't be any less subtle if they tried, their jaws almost touch the ground when they notice where her hand is. Gastón, being Gastón, makes a joke and winks at them, gaining Matteo's middle finger in response.

Next to find them were the Rollerband plus the Chic girls. Ámbar and Simón couldn't hide their surprise either; both turning their heads to their exes, matching looks of confusion on their faces. She could only shrug when Simon got close enough to ask her what it was about, and she mindlessly notices how Ámbar asks the same to Matteo.

He doesn't answer her, but keeps walking until he's lead her to her parents and Tamara, who immediatly embrace them with congratulations.

Matteo doesn't let go once.

🌙

Holding Matteo Balsano's hand was pure warmth.

It wasn't even that his hands were physically hotter than hers (even though they were) but the actual feeling she'd get every time she had her hand secured in his could only be described as warmth.

The feeling traveled from her chest to her tummy, her cheeks and all the way to her own hands (she was sure her hands had gotten sweaty more times than she'd like to admit) and it was the best feeling ever.

Sweaty palms and all.

After the first three times, it'd gotten the point where the crowd just wasn't an excuse anymore. One of them would take the other's hand for whatever reason ("my hand is cold" was her most used one [it wasn't a lie really, because her hand did get cold]) and even after that, they'd keep them together just because.

Matteo wouldn't even question when she reached for his hand. He'd continue doing anything he was doing before, be it talking to someone or just looking at his surroundings. He'd ocassionally look down at her and smile, or squeeze with the slightest amount of pressure, but nothing out of the normal.

When had it even turned into their normal? She didn't know, but she loved it.

"Do you mind?"

She hadn't realize she had spaced out on him while walking to the Roller after school, and she woke up to see him holding up their intertwined hands. His eyes looked pretty serene, but she knows him, and could see the hidden worry behind them. So she smiles at him.

"No, not at all."