TW in the description
Thank you to candykale (rare.candykale.art) for the amazing image!
Alberto POV
Alberto barely got any sleep that night. No matter what position he lay in, it hurt. He rose extra early, taking longer than usual to dress with the brace on one wrist. He walked into the kitchen and started making himself an espresso. Footsteps sounded from the hall, and Luca walked in, rubbing his eyes.
"Good morning." Luca yawned. "I'm surprised to see you up so early."
"I couldn't sleep," Alberto said, pouring both of them a cup. "Is Giulia coming?" He asked, holding a third cup.
Luca laughed. "I've never seen Giulia get up by herself anytime before noon. For school, either her mom or I had to drag her out of bed."
"Sounds about right." Alberto chortled.
"What are you going to do today?" Luca asked, taking a hot sip of espresso.
"Well, I'm no good at the Pisceria with a busted-up wrist," Alberto said, waving his brace in the air. "And the doctor said I couldn't swim either. If I do the Change, it'll mess up this brace."
"Do you want to come to the hills with us?" Luca asked. "Giulia and I are going to pick berries for a pie. She said the best black currant berries grow just on the other side of the hill."
Alberto frowned. He knew very well that there were no berries up there. And he didn't want to be a part of whatever Giulia was planning.
"No, I think I'll pass." He said, already feeling ten times worse.
"Oh right." Luca said, "You're probably too sore to hike. Sorry."
"No, it's not that," Alberto said, waving his hand. "It's just that I don't want to end up a third wheel."
"What do you mean?"
Alberto threw his hand in the air. "Agh, I don't know!" Just thinking about those two going up in the hills alone made him angry. His chest started to do that tightening thing.
"We can stay if you'd like." Luca offered.
Just then, Giulia burst into the kitchen at a run.
"C'mon, guys, we gotta hurry!"
"Hurry for what?" Alberto asked, trying not to let his sour mood show through.
"The race, of course! We had to reschedule it for today!" She grabbed Luca's half-finished espresso and downed it in one gulp. "Let's go!"
Alberto opened his mouth to protest that she just stole Luca's espresso, but Luca cut him off.
"Alberto and I are going to stay in today." He said quickly before things could escalate.
"What?" Giulia said, putting on her shoes.
"Alberto is still hurt, and I promised Massimo I'd watch him today."
Giulia groaned loudly before racing out the door. After hurricane Giulia passed, they both relaxed.
"Did Massimo really ask you to watch me?" Alberto asked, going to make Luca a fresh espresso.
Luca smirked mischievously. "No. But I knew it was the only way I could stay in with you."
Alberto laughed. "You sneaky devil."
They spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon hanging out in the living room. They watched TV for a while. Then Luca brought out some of his school books and showed Alberto fun illustrations of the planets and solar systems. Alberto thought that the biology textbook was the most interesting. He liked all the illustrations of exotic animals.
The sun was dipping back down when hurricane Giulia returned, banging open the front door loudly. She collapsed on the couch, exhausted.
"Whew! Finally over." She said with a sigh.
"How did the race go?" Luca said, putting away his books.
"Absolutely amazing! A little girl named Isabeta won. She ate that pasta faster than Alberto on Trenette al pesto day!"
"Hey!" Alberto said indignantly, but she ignored him.
"What have you guys been up to?"
"Nothing really," Alberto said, reaching back for one of the nature books.
"Oh!" Giulia said, looking from Luca to Alberto. "In that case, do you think you could help get dinner started? I'd like to to be ready when Papa gets home."
"Sure," Alberto said, standing and walking to the kitchen. Luca came up behind him when Giulia spoke again.
"Actually, Luca, I need your help with something. Can you come over here?"
"Oh - okay." He said, setting the glass bowl he was holding back down on the table.
Alberto watched him disappear into the hallway.
Luca POV
Giulia led Luca into her room, closing the door behind them.
"What do you need?" He asked, looking around.
"Weeeeell," she took a deep breath. " I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Oh," Luca said, surprised. Why did they have to come to her room to talk?
"I've wanted to say it for a while. You know how we pretty much grew up together?"
"Yeeeaaah?" Luca said, not sure where this was going.
"And how we have gotten really close over the years?" She continued pushing the words out faster. Her face was so red it nearly matched her hair.
"What are you trying to say?"
"What I'm trying to say is..." She threw her hands in the air and spit out the following few words fast. "I like you! There I said it!" She finished her voice shaking at the end.
Luca stood confused. "Well, I like you too, Giulia."
"No, no, I don't think you understand." She stepped closer, closing the distance between them. In a much quieter voice, she said, "I like you, Luca. Not in a friendship kind of way."
Luca's eyes widened as he took in her meaning.
"Oh!" He sputtered. "Oh...I..."
"I just want to know if you feel the same way!" Giulia pressed, stepping even closer.
"Well, I..." He didn't know what to say. His mind was a panicked mess.
"Well?" She stepped so close their noses nearly touched. "Do you like me back?"
She was too close. Way too close. Without really meaning to, he stuck his hands out, pushing her away. He quickly spoke at the hurt look on her face.
"I... I'm sorry Giulia." He breathed. "It's just you said that so fast." He scratched the back of his head. He had never been in a situation like this before. Let alone with Giulia!
"I'm just.. not sure.."
"It's an easy question!" She said, her voice growing sad. "Yes or no."
"It's not that easy, Giulia, you're very special to me and- "
"YES OR NO!" She said, her voice in a half sob.
"No!" Luca answered fast. He instantly regretted yelling. "Giulia, I didn't mean to..."
"Just get out!" She said, turning from him.
"Giulia, please-"
"I said out!" She shouted.
Luca turned and walked out the door. He ran straight to his room, locking the door behind him.
He didn't notice Alberto standing at the front of the hall, having heard it all....
~.~.~.~.~
Alberto POV
Alberto couldn't believe what he had just heard. Giulia's words still rang in his ears.
"I like you."
He shook his head. Of course, he had seen this coming, but he didn't think it would go this fast. Giulia wasn't hiding her affection for Luca. Even thinking about it made Alberto angry. He ended up prepping for dinner himself, but that was probably for the best. He didn't think Luca or Giulia wanted to be bothered right now.
Massimo returned late that evening. Alberto apologized that he couldn't be there to help with the Pisceria. But Massimo just laughed and patted his shoulder.
"Non preoccuparti, Alberto."
It was just the two of them for dinner. When Massimo asked, Alberto just said that Giulia and Luca had a fight and didn't want to come out. He didn't dare give any more details than that.
Massimo grunted and said, "You kids are still young. You will figure it out."
Alberto helped clear the table then left to his room. Night had fallen. Alberto opened his window so he could hear the ocean. The moon was reflecting off the waves. He wondered how Luca was doing. After a few more minutes of pondering, he decided to cross the hall.
He knocked on the door.
"Come in." A small voice called.
Alberto opened the door to see Luca huddled on the bed with a blanket pulled over his head.
"Oh, Alberto, it's you." He said, dropping the blanket over his shoulders. "I'm sorry I didn't help with dinner."
"It's ok; Massimo and I handled it," Alberto said, taking a seat next to Luca on the bed.
Alberto didn't want to say anything first. He was scared to admit he had been eavesdropping. Finally, Luca spoke.
"So...um. Something happened. And I don't know what to do."
"I know," Alberto admitted. He didn't want to make Luca relive the entire scenario to explain it to him. "I heard outside the door. I didn't mean to listen."
"Oh," Luca said, turning his face away. "Then you know what happened." He started to sniffle. "I don't know what to do."
Alberto put his arm around Luca's shoulders.
(Credit to candykale (rare.candykale.art) on Instagram)
"It'll be ok." Then he felt that feeling familiar throbbing in his chest he quickly let go.
"Did I do the right thing?" Luca said with glassy eyes.
"That depends," Alberto said. "Do you like her?" The question hit him harder than he expected. He found he was scared to hear the answer. Just imagining it made him want to leave and never come back.
"No! I mean, yes, but... she is like my sister. I can't...think of her that way."
"Then you did the right thing," Alberto said with finality. "It would have been worse not to give her a straight answer."
"Maybe," Luca said worriedly. "She just looked so hurt. I never imagined that she felt like that."
Alberto huffed a little. Luca really was oblivious.
"Hey," Alberto said, getting an idea. "Let me show you something."
He was going to save this for later but now seemed a good time. He stood on Lucas's bed and unlocked the window. As he expected, Luca hadn't bothered to open it yet. He threw open the window revealing a large tree branch leading to a brand new treehouse.
"What is this?" Luca asked, surprised.
"It's our new hideout!" Alberto said with a 'tada' motion. "It's even better than the last one. Come look."
He stepped out onto the thick branch and walked over to the planks of wood he and Massimo had nailed to the tree. Instead of one level like the last one had, this hideout had two levels, one of which was covered with a tiny makeshift roof. Tarps were tied up on all four sides of the roof. So that if it rained, the tarps could be pulled down to make a rainproof house. Alberto had hung lights all around it, giving it an inviting glow.
Luca sat down under the roofed portion and leaned back.
"This is so cool."
"Thanks! Took forever to build, though." Alberto said, lying down, avoiding his hurt wrist. He didn't expect Luca to lie down as well, their shoulders nearly touching.
"I could stay out here for hours." He sighed.
"Well, it's all yours. I built it outside your window specifically for that reason."
They went quiet for a while.
"Do you want to be alone?" Alberto asked, sensing it from Luca. He didn't know how, but he always seemed to understand what Luca was thinking.
"If that's ok," Luca admitted. "Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind."
"No, that's fine. Enjoy the hideout." Alberto said and climbed back through the window.
He felt guilty for it, but he was relieved. At least Giulia had her answer, and Alberto didn't have to feel sick every time he watched them together.
~.~.~.~
Neither Luca nor Giulia came out of their rooms the following day. Alberto sighed.
"Guess it's just you and me today." He said to a very old Machiavelli. The cat was in his final years, sleeping most of the time, with lots of grey on his face. But he always seemed to have enough energy to yowl anytime Luca came too close. He always disliked Luca for some reason.
Closer to lunchtime, Alberto heard a door open. Giulia walked out, then, seeing Alberto, raced out the front door.
"Giulia, wait!" Alberto called, running after her.
He chased her just around the corner, where she stood huddled alone in an alley. When she looked at him, he could see her eyes red from fresh tears and her face was pale.
"Giulia, I..."
"What? Here to make fun of me? I'm sure Luca told you everything." She said, sniffling.
"No! Luca didn't say anything. I heard through the door." Alberto said.
"Ha," she said, "So you spied on us."
"Giulia, listen. I just want to help."
"How can you help?" She said, her eyes threatening tears again. "You don't know what it feels like. You don't know what it's like to have a crush on someone for a whole year then get shot down." She sniffed and wiped away the tears from her cheek.
Alberto didn't say anything. It was true. He didn't know how a lot of those things felt. He didn't want to.
"Besides," She said, "Luca wouldn't want to be with someone like me. I'm too much for him."
"That's not true," Alberto said. "Luca has never said that. I think....I just think Luca sees you the way I do. Like our sister."
She didn't say anything.
"And as my sister, I care about you a lot. I know Luca does too. It's just - different." Alberto said, trying to get her to understand his meaning.
She wiped her face one more time before saying, "Yeah, I know. And I'll always still care for him. I just need to learn how to care for him in a different way."
She straightened and continued, setting her face with a strained smile.
"And I can't lose the two of you. You're part of the family now. It'll be a little awkward for a while, but I'll get over it." She said, still trying to smile.
"That's the spirit!" Alberto said. He walked over and hugged her, patting her on the back.
"Okay, okay, don't smother me, big brother!" She said, teasing. "Anyway, Luca will just have to deal with me interrogating anybody he brings home one day. They better be perfect for him."
Alberto hesitated. "Ye-yeah. I guess."
"I mean, you're his best friend! You'll definitely be his best man at his wedding." She mused on.
Alberto didn't say anything.
"I mean, can you imagine Luca dating!" She laughed. "It's kinda funny if you think about it."
"Giulia..." Alberto said, feeling the hollowness in this chest expanding.
"It's going to be so awkward if he brings somebody over!" She went on, not noticing Alberto.
"Giulia, please don't say th-"
"Oh my gosh, and what if they start kissing and stuff in the living room! I don't want to walk in on that."
"Giulia, just stop it, ok?" Alberto said, letting his anger get the best of him.
She arched an eyebrow, "What is your problem?"
"I just.. don't want to hear about all that," Alberto said, looking at the cobblestone street.
"Why not? It's eventually going to happen. Might as well get used to the idea." She pressed on.
"I don't want to. I can't even imagine it." But Alberto could. He imagined a faceless figure coming in and taking Luca out of his life. He began to feel sick.
"What's your problem-" Giulia started to say but stopped mid-sentence.
She stood staring at Alberto with squinted eyes. Alberto could see her connecting the dots in her head.
"Giulia don't." His voice full of emotion.
"Wait. Don't tell me." She gasped and put her hands to her mouth, new tears building up again.
"Giulia, don't say it." Alberto knew what she was about to say.
"You.. you like Luc-"
"Don't say it!" Alberto pleaded.
He knew it—the tightness in his chest, the thudding of his heart. Somewhere deep down, he knew what it was. His feelings for Luca. But hearing it out loud made it real. And if it was real, then he would have to face those feelings. And he...wasn't ready for that yet. He couldn't risk losing Luca like that.
"No, that's not it," Giulia said, taking a step back. "You don't like him. It's something much deeper than that, isn't it?" She let out a small sob.
Before Alberto could say anything, she turned and ran down the street. He was left standing alone, feeling empty.
Word Count: 2,760
Italian Translations
Non preoccuparti - Don't worry
Authors Note:
Hope you all loved this chapter as much as I loved writing it! As always if you have any suggestions please comment below!
- TaraZamir
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