"We're on the train!" Luca squealed, clutching his bag,
"Luca, that is the 15th time you've said that. I counted." Giulia stated, looking up from the book she was reading.
She should've told Luca to bring some sort of entertainment with him, something to occupy himself. Though, she had a feeling he would still be distracted anyway.
"Giulia! I can see the ocean!" Luca tugged on his friends arm and they both admired the crisp blues. They were getting close.
"You can smell the sea salt." Giulia commented, taking a whiff of the air.
"Oh gosh, I'm so nervous. How do I look?" Luca asked, standing up and straightening his white button up shirt. It was his favorite. It always reminded him of being with Alberto.
"That is the 9th time you've asked that. And for my 9th reply- fine. You look fine!" Giulia laughed and then sighed, looking at the way the terrain dipped until the tracks moved away from the ocean and she could no longer see the blues because of the thick trees and overgrowth.
"Aren't you excited to be back?" Luca inquired,
"Of course. I really miss my dad but..."
"You're going to miss Athena."
"I didn't even get go talk to her after the detention thing. Her family took her early out of school to go stay in Greece for the summer."
"Well you will get to see her next semester. And besides, you still have her sweater. Speaking of which-" Luca opened up his brown suitcase, dug through for a few seconds until showing a crocheted-
"What is that?" Giulia asked, trying not sound too insulting.
Behold, Luca held a knitted fabric of multiple colors. He had put some planning into it, but it was his first project and when he had run out of a certain yarn, he would just grab another, despite how odd they looked together. It's shape was odd, it's one arm hole and a full- what looked like a sleeve- was strange.
"It's a shawl. Or maybe it's a scarf? I don't know- I just wanted to make something for Alberto." Luca tucked it back into the suitcase shyly. "I'm really nervous about giving it to him."
"You could give him a pebble and he would love it."
"What, why?"
"Because it would be a gift from you." Giulia answered, taking Lucas hand and they began to walk toward the door of their car.
"Wait- are we here?" Luca stammered, "Wait- do I look okay?" Luca fluffed up his hair a bit and shuffled with the hem of his shorts.
"For the tenth time- you are okay. You do realize that Alberto wouldn't care, right?"
"I know, but-"
The door began to slide open and Luca gulped nervously.
Giulia hopped out, and looked around the train station.
"Come on, Luca!" She motioned for him to follow and he reluctantly got off the train, taking a look around.
Neither of them could see Giulia's dad, Luca's family or Alberto.
"I would think at least your parents would be here." Giulia commented,
"Yeah, that's really odd." Luca replied,
"Ah, well," Giulia shrugged, "We can still head back home. Maybe they just forgot we were coming today."
So they started walking, Luca following Giulia. Luca furrowed his brows thinking to himself how wonderful it would have been if he had just jumped off the train and into the arms of Alberto. How they would spin and kiss-
"Spiulia is back! Along with number two." Ercole appeared, grinning and cocky much to the dismay of Luca and Giulia. He wore the same clothes- aside from his ruined wool article.
"Step aside, Ercole." Giulia said, "We're going home."
Ercole laughed but Giulia and Luca managed to pass him without much further harrassment.
"I know your secret, Luca!" Ercole called after him.
"Secret?" Luca looked at Giulia as they continued walking, "What secret?"
"Probably about you being with Alberto. Ercole isn't exactly the most accepting guy if you can remember what I told you about Athena."
"Right..." Luca replied, nodding slowly. But how did Ercole know about their relationship? Luca knew Alberto wasn't really one to keep things to himself. He was very proud- something Luca admired and wished he could have more of.
Luca gushed a bit to himself about Alberto professing his love to him openly. His cheeks reddened at the thought of Alberto talking about him with other people.
"Are you alright, Luca?" Giulia asked, noticing the amount of color in Luca's face. "Portorosso is a bit more hilly than Genova. We can rest if you want."
"No, no no." The sooner he got to see Alberto, the better.
"Oh~" Giulia grinned, "Guess you're wondering how you're going to greet Alberto, huh?"
"Yeah," Luca replied with a sigh, "Is it weird that I miss seeing his eyes?"
"Alberto does have nice eyes." Giulia agreed with a shrug.
"Sometimes, I just dream about drowning in them. Drowning in green grass and just-"
"Why don't you save your poetic verses for Alberto." Giulia laughed nervously, getting a little weirded out.
They reached Giulia's house and the red head pushed the outer gate open.
"Huh, I don't hear anything." Luca said, shuffling behind her.
"I can't believe they forgot about us." Giulia said, a bit annoyed.
Giulia opened the door and flicked on the lights-
"Surprise!" Everyone was there.
"Giulia, how do I look?" Luca whispered harshly to her.
If Giulia replied, he didn't know. His eyes were now focused on the bright grassy eyes across the room. The eyes that reminded him of the hills- of being free.
As Giulia's father and Luca's family greeted her, discussing a school and concern about grades, the two boys never took their eyes off each other. Both hesitating to be the one to move forward first. Both wondering what would be an appropriate greeting to give someone you haven't seen in so long. Any movement was stopped- breathing, simple little things. As if those little things could cause the other to just dissappear.
Alberto finally took a step forward. Luca smiled and also took one. Their slow steps turned into a short sprint and they latched onto one another.
Luca couldn't breathe- he couldn't speak- The smell of Alberto was amazing. It was overwhelming how wonderful it was hold him. Alberto smelled like sea salt and delicious pasta. Then Luca's stomach growled and he stepped back, rubbing the back of his neck apologetically as he killed the mood.
"We made food!" Massimo exclaimed, bringing out the pasta.
Luca's grandma cheered, "Give me a good helping. This one," She pinched her daughters cheek, "Won't even let me get sea cucumbers anymore."
"They're not good for you, ma. Remember your blood pressure."
"Back in my day, we didn't have blood pressure. I know what's good for me. And besides, grandma needs to live her life."
"Grandma?" Luca asked, sitting next to her- Alberto on the other side of him, "You got your blood pressure checked?"
"This new human technology. The only human thing I need is this man's cooking." She smiled sweetly as Massimo gave her a plate. "Thanks, hun."
Giulia and Massimo sat across Luca and Alberto. In front of Luca's grandma sat her daughter and son-in-law.
"So, Luca, how was school?" Luca's mom asked,
"It was fine." He replied, "You know how it went- I told you in my letters."
"I know sweetie. It's just different with you here."
Luca's eyes went wide for a second when he felt Alberto's hand intertwining with his and giving a soft squeeze of agreement underneath the table. Luca didn't even realize that he was biting his lip until he caught his moms eyes. She was waiting for a response.
"Well- it was great! We did projects and I learned a lot."
"We're very proud of you, son." Luca's dad said.
It was wonderfully strange, sitting next to Alberto and eating pasta. It felt strange to now have peace of mind from seeing someone that you know was there. Luca was half expecting to wakeup from some cruel dream and not even be halfway done with the semester.
"Is it just me or is something different about our house?" Giulia asked, eyeing the place between mouthfuls.
"Actually, yes," Massimo said, "I have built another room. It's for Alberto." He quickly gave him a warm smile, refilling some plates with warm pasta.
"Surprise...!" Alberto said rather shyly, avoiding eye contact with Giulia.
Giulia didn't understand why he seemed worried about her opinion. Didn't he know she cared deeply for him? Giulia got up from her chair.
"I think that's wonderful." She stated simply, giving Alberto a hug before returning to her seat.
Alberto seemed a bit taken a back, nearly dropping his fork and stammering an apology immeadietly. He kept his head down as another conversation at the table started, not wanting anyone to see the tears in his eyes. Then when he was sure no one was looking, he arose from the table, placed his plate in the sink and went to his new room.
So much for spending the day with Luca.
"Alberto?"
Of course he followed me.
Alberto tried to smile. Sure they had shared their tears with eachother but they were tears about eachother. This was very different.
"Ciao!" Alberto chirped, his voice cracking,
"Alberto..."
"I'm sorry. It's not fair that I'm like this when you and Giulia just got back."
"It's okay. I want to help."
"I-I don't think it can be helped."
"You would be surprised." Then Luca, suddenly feeling very brave, kissed the crying Alberto, a soft hand on his tanned face.
"I do feel a bit better," Alberto laughed, "But I need to face my problems."
Luca watched attentively as Alberto took in a breathe and spilled.
"I- do you ever just worry that you're going to wake up? Like all these good things are happening that you have never had before and-"
Alberto starts sobbing. Luca tried to hug him but Alberto holds up a hand.
"I can do it." Alberto says, taking another breathe.
So they sit on Alberto's bed. Luca still watching and waiting for when Alberto will need comfort.
"Massimo has been so kind and amazing to me. Your parents! Your parents are kind of like my parents now too. And you and- And now Giulia? I was half expecting her to be annoyed with me being her brother now. I thought the charade was going to end but..." Alberto sighs, taking Luca's hands in his own. "I am not saying I doubt any of the love I am being given or anything like that but- I haven't done anything to warrant any of tha-"
Lucas lips crash into Alberto's. Alberto is extremely taken aback by Luca's forwardness. If anything, he thought that oncr he got his feelings together, he would be the one to make the first move but Luca had made a move twice.
And he was not stopping.
Alberto's hands shuffled awkwardly on the sheets as Luca kissed his mouth and cheeks before bringing his hands to his lips as well.
"I always wanted to tell you this. And I never got to." Luca breathes deeply, watching Alberto's shallow breathes as well. "After you told me "You got me off the island," I should have reminded you what you were doing for me. You went to my parents. You argued and convinced them to let me go to school. You fought for me, Alberto. You expanded my world. You set me free. I should have told you that sooner. How can I not love someone as selfless as you?"
Alberto nearly cackled at the word, "What?!" He gasps for air, grabbing his stomach and laughing. "I'm the selfless one? I guess I should thank my lucky stars that you weren't here for when I ran away."
"You ran away?!" Lucas eyes go wider with worry.
Alberto regrets bringing up the incident- even though he kind of saw it as a joke- in spite of Massimo's best efforts to show that Alberto's life did mean something. But even while he regrets Luca hearing this, he still laughs.
"That's not funny." Luca says,
"I know." Alberto says, still chuckling.
"Don't treat your life like a joke, Alberto."
The room is completely quiet. Luca quietly gasps at what he just said. Alberto looks at the floor shamefully, pressing his lips together. As much as he wants to retort, there isn't anything to retort on. Luca was not being mean. That was a very sweet thought but the wrapping paper just seemed shitty.
"Alberto-"
"Don't apologize." Alberto says, "You're right. I know you are right. It's just hard for me now to. And I want to take my life seriously. I want to. I really do. And I will make an effort to."
The two lie back on Alberto's bed. Their hands interlocking.
Out of the corner of Luca's eye, he can Alberto smiling smugly.
"What?" Luca asks,
"I'm so glad I pulled you out of the water." Alberto says, rolling on top of Luca and giving him a kiss.
Luca accepts it, humming and smiling all the way. His hands wander on Alberto's arms and shoulders.
"You know," Luca breathes for a quick moment, "I feel like an idiot for writing that I had grown a whole inch while you've-"
Luca eyes Alberto's upper body. He had toned a lot and Alberto had a growth spurt too that made growing one inch nothing to write home about.
"Don't sell yourself short." Alberto goes back to kissing him. "I have to admit something though,"
In-between kisses, Alberto moves down Lucas face.
"I was getting jealous of you gaining all this new information, and I thought to myself, reading wouldn't be that bad-"
Alberto moves down Luca's neck.
"I just read some things and know some things. I'm not ready to try any of them but knowing them- it feels powerful."
Luca laughs, props himself on his forearms and kisses Alberto on the side of his neck.
"Hey, guys, Dad is bringing out some cake if you-" Giulia froze before trying her best to not react to the two boys kissing eachother. She retreated in a silent reassurance that she wouldn't show that she just walked in on something somewhat intimate but her eyes screamed other wise.
"Do they not want cake?" Alberto and Luca could hear Massimos muffled voice.
"Not this kind." Luca's Nonna joked slyly,
"Ma!"
"What? I'm just being supportive."
Alberto was trying hard not to burst out laughing while Luca buried his face in his hands.
Author's Note:
Holy shit, I just started my first semester back and I lost my car keys. Then I was sick for 5 days. Then I realized a guy from my choir class likes me and I do not like him at all. To top it off, today we had two "Christian" guys parading hate signs about all of us going to hell.
What a great first week.
❤🧡💛💚💙💜
https://youtu.be/gHqCMnl4YzE