When everyone left the house, the light-heartedness that their presence brought, disappeared with them. I felt heavier, I was alone with my thoughts again, something I didn't want at all. I was still looking at the door and kept thinking; I didn't feel as bad as yesterday night, I did not feel the urge to cry, I simply felt odd. I wasn't planning on moving, until I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Are you alright my love?" With a slow blink I focused back on the moment and turned around, meeting Bruno's tender expression. It brought a small smile to my face and I nodded, "I'm..." I pondered a moment, because I was not entirely okay but I was not on the brink of breaking either. "I could be better, but right now I need to take my mind off things, I think? I don't really know what to do with this weird feeling in my guts to be honest." I told him in all honesty starting at him in disarray, hoping he'd understand. The capo wanted to help, but I don't even know what I needed. It was very confusing, but his presence helped, a lot. He nodded in response, letting his hand slide from my shoulder to the length of my arm to take my hand. "With time, it'll fade. I can promise you that." He told me softly before leading me to the living room before sitting down and patting the spot next to him.
"Wait, I have to grab my phone first. I don't know why Mista urged me to check it, but I'll have to charge it first." I explained. Bruno raised a hand to motion me to stop before I even had started making my way to the bedroom. "It's in the kitchen, I plugged it in last night before drawing your bath." I raised my brows in surprised and thanked him before shuffling to the kitchen with quiet steps. Once I had it, I went back to the living room and sat next to Bruno, leaving a little bit a space between us just in case he had enough of me sticking next to him all the time. Hearing him tsked, he let out a huff laugh before pulling me right against him, "Now that you're mine, there is no way I won't want you close to me, amore." He told me confidently, before turning my head his way and leaning forward, stopping just as his lips brushed against mine. "Can I kiss you?" a grin spread over my face, just as a blush did. "Yes, it's least I can do to calm down your urges." I teased him, earning a flustered expression from the raven-haired man before he pressed his lips against mine, his hands on my jaw before pulling away and leaning his forehead against mine with a chuckle. "Now that I know you're tasty, I want to know how you feel." He purred seductively.
I pushed his face away from mine with cheeks crimson red, "Don't say it like that, oh god." Looking to the side, I grabbed the files from the table and put them on his lap, "Work on this and occupy your dirty mind." I said playfully before checking my phone, I had tons of messages on the group chat with Trish and Mista, it seems I had not checked there in quite a while. Laughing lightly, Bruno opened the file whilst talking to me, "It's very much less entertaining to look at this than it is to look at you, cara." He hummed without even glancing my way, he knew I would react so I tried to stay composed. I would have to get used to it, or it was going to be hard to stay around him. So, I didn't response, instead I kept scrolling on the conversation. There were videos I had never seen, some older than a week or so, even a picture of the day I tried to take on Abbacchio. Mista really was a paparazzi, wasn't he? There was the video of my dumb karaoke, god that was a disaster. Something I'd rather try to no remember, yet I wanted to talk about it with Bruno. Know his input about this mess.
Handing him my phone to show him the preview of the video, not playing it of course that would be an embarrassment, I started, "Do you remember that awful moment last week?" Looking up from his file, focused, his expression softened and a smile painted itself across his face. "That was-" he chuckled softly, "Very adorable, your voice was beautiful." He continued but his chuckles slowly turned into a snort, "I'm sorry, I just- seeing how uncomfortable you were up there, I kept wondering why you accepted doing it." He explained before giving me back my phone delicately. "Before I go any further, don't mock me for asking I'm just trying to be sure but like... we're dating, right?" I asked. We never really said the words. Yes, we confessed but I felt like I had to be sure it was still going. I wondered if I could call him my boyfriend from now on, god I felt weird even thinking about it. He seemed astonished by my question before smiling fondly, with a nod. "We are. If that's okay with you, then I'll gladly call you my girlfriend, my partner." His tone was so sweet, I knew he meant it. Letting out a breath of relief, I gave him a curt nod of understanding. "I'd like that," my smile grew as I met his loving gaze, "Amore..." I said hesitantly, but quickly mumbled it sounded strange. Bruno thought otherwise as he lifted my chin, "I love it, call me whatever you like, it'll never sound strange."
Whispering a soft, 'ay' I then grabbed his hand and brought us back to the topic, clearing my throat as unlocked my phone once more. "So, like... I did that stupid karaoke because Mista told me it could be an opportunity to subtly, even though now that I think back on it, it wasn't subtle... at all..." I looked askance, remembering how awkward it had been but then took a deep breath, "Anyway! It was a subtle way to confess. My feelings. To you. Great times really. It was a complete loss of time in the end." I confessed with a dry laugh in the end. I was sitting tailor style, now fully facing Bruno while he sat properly on the couch, his head turned my way. "It wasn't a loss of time, I enjoyed it," he started as he placed a hand on my knee before leaning forward like we were telling each other secrets. "But don't worry, I had guessed before that, that you liked me at least a little bit." He admitted with a smirk before straightening his back as he sat back. I furrowed my brows; I didn't even know how I felt before that stupid moment when he was checking my neck. "That's cocky. You're cocky, I had barely realized how I felt; so it was very embarrassing, ok?" I asked rhetorically as I took his hand in mine and started playing with his fingers as I thought more on the topic. In the end, if I had confessed earlier, chances are that he might have also returned the feelings and we could have gotten together sooner.
"Plus, when did you realize I liked you? Oh, or that you liked me? That's a better question, I'm curious." I shoot questions with a bit too much excitement in the end, his eyes widened as he became a bit flustered. Clearing his throat, he looked to the side with a shy smile, "Not everyone will stay by someone's side all night just because they respect them." His tone was a bit teasing, yet appreciative but I choked on my spit as he said so. He was right though; I was a fool to have been denying my feelings but now everything was all good. "And your feelings?" I poked hesitantly. "Don't laugh, cara. At first, I was protective of you, since I was your bodyguard, I thought it was just that." He started with a bashful smile. "But I had a talk with Giorno- you actually walk in on our discussion but did not hear anything," he chuckled lightly as I tightened my grasp of his hand. "That's when I truly realized how I felt, and I thought it was maybe risky to continue being your bodyguard. Hence why I asked if you wanted someone else, but I hid it behind having nightmares. And well, you know the rest." Bruno finished with a kiss on the back of my hand, but his eyes held a certain intensity for some reason. I paused a moment, in the end we almost realized how we felt at the same time, but it was surprising to learn that he had thought of going away just because he felt something for me.
With a playful smile, I raised my brows, "You're telling me that, if had said I wanted another bodyguard, you would have left? Mio gattino?" he was surprised, was it by the affectionate name or the question, I did not know but he quickly said that he would have complied with my wish although reluctantly. Putting the files to the side, he smirked as he pulled me over his lap in one swift movement. "But I'm very glad you wanted to keep me, or else I wouldn't have this." He drew me closer by placing his hands on my bum which made my face flush red, "You- little- you're lucky you're gorgeous." I scoffed but couldn't help the grin that drew itself on my lips. Faint pink dust covered his cheeks, I loved seeing him flustered. He didn't seem used to be on the receiving end of compliments, which only meant I will see him like this many more times. On the other hand, I didn't mind where his hands were placed, a part of me liked having his large hands all over my body. Leaning forward I brushed my nose against his, I felt bold but not enough to kiss him, or maybe I felt bold enough to not give him the satisfaction of a kiss. "You have stuff to do, I'll let you get busy." I told him teasingly as I leaned forward before trying to move off of him, but he held me in place. "You are far more interesting than paperwork, cara." He tried to lean in for a kiss but I covered his mouth before rolling of off him with a light laugh, which from what I heard earned me a growl from him. "Right. But I also have things to do Bruno."
Surprised by his reaction, I quirked a brow once I was sitting back next to him; by the way he was looking at me, he seemed fascinated by my person. Maybe he was wondering what I meant, "By stuff to do, I mean tell Trish about us- her and Mista they were my support team. To be honest I think Abbacchio was kind of rooting for us too..." The last bit was more doubtful than anything, Leone definitely knew about my feelings for his friend but I was never sure where he stood on the matter. Mentioning this seemed to have brought something in Bruno, something close to enlightenment was on his face. Shaking his head lightly, he started focusing back on his files. I asked him what was the matter, what had brought that reaction from him and he laughed lightly. "Mista was very pushy with me. Not subtly so. It looks like he was on both teams and couldn't wait for us to get together." A breathy laugh escaped his lips while my face burst aflame. Many things crossed my mind, did Mista tell Bruno bluntly how I felt and hoped for the best or was it more of a weirdly not subtle push like- oh god I now understood why he told me to flirt with Bruno, he knew. "That bastard- did he tell you anything weird? I swear to god, if he told you weird shit I'll crawl under a rock and never come out." I rambled, as I started typing quickly on my phone, already threatening Mista but stopped when Bruno talked.
"Of course not, he mostly pushed me to flirt more. Why? Is there something you'd like to mention, before he does it?" he asked lightly, lifting his head from what he was reading. Meeting his gaze, I made a grimace. Did I want to tell him everything I said to Mista and Trish. Every horny thing? Every blatant display of adoration for that man? Every description of his perfect being? Hissing I looked to the side, thinking. "I mean. I could make a list, but do I want to?" I chuckled awkwardly, bringing my index and thumb to my chin in a thinking motion. He laughed lightly, telling me he was curious now and would love to hear what I said to them. But it only made me even more embarrassed. "To be honest, everything was said in the heat of the moment. When you'd be super flirty and all that." I explained in the most composed way I could muster. He quirked a brow in response, "Amore, I've been flirting non-stop since the day you arrived in my house, there is a lot of 'super flirty' in that time span." He said deadpanned, but there was a twinkling in his eyes. I opened my mouth to speak but closed it right away, I had to think before talking. Now taking in what he had said, I was surprised. Squinting my eyes, I gave him an incredulous look. "You have?" I breathed out hesitantly, and it elated a deep laugh from the raven-haired man, which only deepened my blush. Giving me a curt nod, he told me he had indeed been flirting for a moment, and he had not been discreet at all. "That's... it... that explains a lot." I muttered to myself before looking back at him.
Humming a moment, I thought if he had been so obvious in displaying his affection for me, then it couldn't hurt to let him know how bad I had it for him. Right? We were dating... right? "Well if you really want to know, I was all over the place when you taught me tango for the first time. And when you check my neck after Abbacchio's rough training- and I really loved your outfit at the ball, so much I would have wanted to see it on the floor," I said quickly then scoffed at how bad it sounded. My eyes widened when I saw his blushing face, which made me proud for having been the one to make him feel like this but in return it made me feel embarrassed. It was maybe too much? "At this point I should finish laying it all out to be honest, because I feel like I'm going to die of embarrassment." I continued in defeat with a shrug, but I had a small shy smile on my lips. Bruno ran a hand through his hair, did he do that when he felt out of place or maybe, was he bashful? It didn't matter, because, goodness, he was adorable like this. "If I'm being honest, seeing you cook, with your sleeves rolled up is also a big turn- I mean it's also very nice and when you tie your hair?" I cleared my throat to get a hold of myself before closing the topic, with a big sigh I said, "So, yeah that's a lot of things I shared with them, and more." I kept to myself a few things to myself, not wanting to flood him with my... thoughts let's say.
There was a silence for a moment, before I heard Bruno let out under his breath, "I was not expecting so much," I felt my breath catch in my throat, "But I'm pleasantly surprised, to say the least." He continued, throwing me a side glance as his grin widened. It wasn't a wicked grin, but a sheepish one. I let out the breath I was holding, relieved that it wasn't so bad. "So, even when I wasn't trying to make you flustered..." I finished his sentence, "You would still turn me in a mess, it was hard you know?" I said jokingly as I rubbed a hand on my face, but then started laughing with Bruno. After a moment we calmed down and he took my hand in his, "Don't worry, you would also turn me into a mess, cara-" I interrupted him, surprised, "What? I've never done anything, when did I ever do that?" I asked him in shock as I fixed my eyes on his, determined to know when I had made him feel like this. Smiling mischievously, he shook his head before letting go of my hand and looking back at his papers. "That is for me to know, and maybe for you to find out. I wouldn't want to make it too easy for you, would I?"
I shrugged in response; I was not going to push it. I was not about to give him the satisfaction of giving in to his taunts. "All right then, keep your secrets." I said humorously as I continued typing my message on the group chat, effectively sending it after a few more seconds. Bruno didn't reply, but he had the ghost of a smile on his face then focused back on his paperwork, and that was enough to bring a certain warmth in my chest as I read the messages of Trish. She was telling me I had to call her right away, because, to her, it was not something to talk about over text. She needed the tea, she needed the emotions, everything. Opening my phone record to find Trish's name, I saw Benito's first and something in me clicked, "Fuck- I forgot to tell Benito!" I muttered to myself. I had talked a week ago or so to my zio about coming back to work after all of this was over. But I also remember his resigned tone as he spoke, telling me he had found someone to replace me for the time being. Perhaps he already knew that this was going to happen, that I was, in the end, going to join Passione. Turning towards Bruno, I was worried. I wanted to tell my zio about everything, but at the same time he had to have plausible deniability. And while he knew what was going on, I couldn't just plainly tell him that I was going to join the mafia. "Bruno?" he looked at me with a certain softness in his eyes as he tilted his head to the side in an inquisitive manner.
"Benito... I have to tell him I'm quitting but..." how would he feel when I'd tell him I was just leaving the job he had oh so kindly offered me when I really needed it. Would he be disappointed of my actions? People's opinion shouldn't matter, for in the end I was the one to live through those choices, but Benito was like a dad... I felt like I owed it to him. And joining a gang wasn't the safest nor the most legal job I could get when I had something safe and stable before that. "You can't tell him everything, cara." Gesturing the phone with his hand, he made a motion with his head, "But, call him. You should inform him, but maybe try to stay vague." He told me sweetly as he stroked the back of my head gently, before giving me an encouraging smile. It calmed me. "I'm sure he'll understand." He reassured me. Benito was indeed understanding but I still feared he'd be disappointed. With a sigh, I looked back at my phone and dialed his number, put it on speaker, then waited those dire seconds for him to pick up. Bruno was still looking at me, perhaps waiting to see what I'd tell him, or making sure I did not say too much. The noise of people talking in the background was the first thing I heard, before a familiar and hoarse voice reached my ears. "Alda? Piccola, how have you been? Is everything okay? Are they treating you well?" I could hear the worry in his voice, but also the curiosity. I'm sure he knew they wouldn't treat me wrong, he trusted Bucciarati enough to already have been rooting for him since the day I met him.
Chuckling lightly, I smiled through my own worry and let out a huff laugh. "Everything I great, zio-" he interrupted me and started asking many more question but I had to cut him off, "Wait, wait- before we continue I really have to tell you something, while I still have the courage..." I mumbled the last part, if he kept talking, I would want to act like nothing was going on and I didn't want that. "Are you going to announce you're finally getting together with Bucciarati?" he asked teasingly, it was quickly followed by a hearty laugh. Looking up at Bucciarati with wide eyes, I saw him smile genuinely as he mouthed 'He knows?'. I waved him off embarrassed yet couldn't help the smile on my face, but focused back to my conversation, "Hum, that's another topic. I'm just going to say it," Nervous, I took a deep breath, "I don't think I'll be coming back, to work at Libeccio I mean- if everything goes well, I'll have a... job by Sunday" I had a hard time calling it a job considering the dubious setting in which that 'job' would be taking place. I don't believe I would have to fill tax report or anything as such, but at least it was something interesting and more fitting of the field I studied. And I would be with Bruno. With a long, understanding 'ah', Benito chuckled then hummed a moment, thinking. "I'm sure you can't tell me a lot about that job, is that right?" My eyes widened, in panic I met Bruno's gaze as to ask if I could answer that question. I really did not want to mess it up, he found it pretty funny and told me to go on and answer. "Yeah... but I would love to! God I would love to tell you everything, but I can't..."
Without hesitation, my zio answered in a joyful tone, "I had guessed this would happen, don't worry I have you covered." It wasn't dismissive in any way, no, he was smart, so I'm sure he had planned it since I moved to Bruno's house. "It doesn't change anything, don't worry. You are still welcome here anytime- maybe invite your sweet friend Bucciarati. Speaking of which, how is it going that love life of yours? Have you finally decided to be true to your heart?" I knew him full well, and while he was trying to help me come clean with my feeling, it felt like he was teasing me, playfully of course. I clicked my tongue upon hearing his words and replied, with Bruno's intense gaze burning holes in my head, "Jesus Christ zio, don't- I- we-" letting out a breathy laugh, I shook my head behind the phone. "We have started dating very very recently." I beamed, although shyly. A throaty and happy laughed resonated on the other end of the phone, "Good, finally! I was wondering when I'd get a phone call about it. Bucciarati actually came by last Tuesday to ask if, when it came down to it, he could date you. That's very old school, but of course I said yes. I knew you liked him ever since you saw him, piccola." A wide grin spread across my face when I noticed how flushed Bruno was when Benito's words came through the speaker. I mouthed, 'really? You asked him?' and he nodded, his face now a decent color as a small smile drew itself on his lips. "I would have never thought he'd do that. A bit patriarchal, but sweet." As much as it was destined for my uncle, I was smirking at Bruno at the same time, making him understand I was talking to him too.
"He's a respectable man, and very handsome too. Never mind his background, he's a good man. Of course, if he treats you badly, he's a dead man but I'm sure he'll be an angel." I laughed loudly at his threat; I knew he couldn't do much to a Capo but god it was funny to hear him say it and mean it. "I'll be sure to tell him, but you're right he is a good man. And very handsome too." I threw Bruno a playful glance, which only widened his bashful smile. Benito on the other hand only chuckled softly, "If I recall you had said he would be the death of you, for being... mh what were your words? Ah yes! Illegally hot, was it? 'must be the reason why he joined the mafia' because it was a crime?" he quotes me jokingly, but I had indeed said that the first night I met them. Not to forget I had also said I meant it in the most platonic way possible, while it was possible to find someone attractive without having feelings, I did develop feelings in the end. Breathing out a loud, 'ok' with some finality to it, I cut the speaker, "Anyway! That topic is closed, please don't embarrass me anymore than necessary." I scoffed, amused. Benito laughed some more but then told me he had to go, adding that the restaurant wasn't going to run itself. Telling him it was fine, we then bid each other goodbye, promising to call soon to talk some more when we'd both be free and hung up.
I let my head fall back on the couch with a heavy sigh, I was so relieved that my uncle wasn't disappointed or mad in any way. I closed my eyes a moment then quickly opened them back when I recalled what he had said, "You asked him to date me?" I asked Bruno, bewildered by what I had been told, yet not shocked? An elegant laugh escaped his lips as he, not so subtly, changed the topic, "I did, but I heard you called me illegally hot. And that was the day we first met, yes?" He pushed some more as he leaned over while placing the files to the side once more. Tutting him, I grabbed his jaw not too strongly, "That's nothing! You asked Benito, to date me!" Stressing the last word, he just licked his lips before taking my hand in his and putting it back on my knee. "I guess, part of me thought he would refuse and it then would be the only thing stopping me from having you. Perhaps I hoped he would, to avoid getting you mixed in all of this. But I am happy he did not refuse, very happy." He admitted in a low tone as he looked askance before his sapphire blue eyes met mine with a certain glint of joy. It seems Bruno was keen on others' happiness... but his? Not so much. It was sad. It was sad to think such a beautiful man could have, maybe, been happy earlier but stopped himself from being such. I have no idea what I did to deserve this so called 'selfishness' of his, but I was glad to have it. I was glad he allowed himself to want me. "You moron. You deserve so much and yet you forbid yourself from wanting!" I told him a bit too strongly.
Bruno gawked at me a moment, as if I had physically hit him with my words, then he let his gaze wander from my eyes to my lips, then back to my eyes. "For once, I'm the one at loss of words." He stated with a curl of his lips as he let his head down in an almost sheepish manner. "Ah shit- sorry I just-" Clasping my hands over his face, I was blushing madly at how bold I had been a moment ago, "Please tell me when you want things? From me, I'll definitely be embarrassed at first but I promise I'll try. That is if it's not too inappropriate in the moment, like I don't know... a whole making out session when-" I was interrupted when he inclined his head face up towards mine, lips parted lightly before meeting mine with what I could sense was, ironically, want, need. Parting away to breathe, I leaned back in the kiss willingly as we shared another long and heated kiss. His hands slid under my shirt but stopped at my waist, still I gasped at the feeling of his cold, soft hands on my bare skin. "I will, I promise." He breathed against my lips before pecking my lips one last time and pulling away. I had not realized I had closed my eyes until I had to open them, as cheesy as it sounded, he had taken my breath away and I had no idea what to do. I hummed; a bit dazed. "Good. Yep, good." I gave him a nod then gasped 'fuck' when he moved his cold hand to the center of my lower back, a smirk displayed on his arrogant face. "I can start right now, there is a lot I want right now." He purred sensually with a gentle squeeze on my hip.
"What you want is to finish working on what Giorno gave you." I told him off quickly while moving his hands from my body before placing them back on his knees. The smile that graced his lips sent flutters in my stomach, "You'll be the death of me, my love. But fair enough, I'll finish this first." He said, defeated as he went back to his paperwork while I texted Trish that I would call her in a few minutes. I had moved outdoor to make the call, to not disturb Bruno now that he was focused, and had a lengthy conversation about how the confession went down. I had to sum up all that happened at the ball too, since Mista had only send a message that said 'IT'S FINALLY OVER! THEY ARE TOGETHER' then nothing else since he had passed out. She was of course happy for me, but she was also very worried about my state of mind considering what happened last night. I had to reassure her I was going to be fine, but she said I should definitely come up to her if I had any trouble, or if I needed relationship advice. "Relationship advice like uh." I chuckled nervously and she pressed hesitantly, asking me if I had any question at the moment. "I don't... At some point, when I'm comfortable... enough... and it might be soon I don't know... We'll have sex, you know? With Bruno... " I started unsure. I facepalmed at how dumb it sounded, but Trish told me to gone on. I could hear she was smiling on the other end of the phone but not in a mocking way. Leaning on the wall outside, I let myself fall down and crouched on the floor. "But like, how would I know what he likes? Shit, what I like even... And I'm not ashamed of my body or anything, but I'd like to... be comfortable naked around him before having sex you know? Ahh, I've never been with anyone, I have no fucking clue what to do." I sighed, desperate by my current situation.
I heard the pink-haired woman hum a moment; she was thinking. Perhaps she was not going to be able to advise me and I would be all alone in this stupid mess I put myself in, in the first place. "You're both mature, and I'm sure Bruno is ready to take things slow." She started as a matter of fact before continuing, "The key is communication. So, as embarrassing as it is. Maybe you could tell him you'd like to get comfortable first? Or you can get in your underwear first, and tell him you don't want to do anything just get used to be with him like this." She suggested. It made sense, but as she said: it's embarrassing. I shouldn't feel like I couldn't tell him things like this, and he was sensible... "I'll try this tonight, or tomorrow. Soon, for sure." I said with a laugh. Trish chuckled but continued, "As for what he likes and what you like, well. Once again, ask him. Try new things! There's a lot of things you can try in bed you know, and like Mista said, I'm sure Bruno is kinky as hell. He'll have a lot of things to try out." She couldn't hold back her laugh as she said it, neither could I. Mine was more an embarrassed one, while she truly found it hilarious. I wouldn't be surprised if he was wilder in bed, he's already pretty into marking me and it's only the beginning. "The worst part is that you're right. God, I'll die if I ask him all this." I heard her said 'of course I'm right.' Before someone else's voice echoed behind her. I couldn't distinguish was the voice said, but it seemed important since when it died down and she spoke quickly.
"Sorry babe, I have to go, my manager needs me. But hit me up with anything, I'm now officially your counselor." She laughed lightly after saying so, and I thanked her from the bottom of my heart for listening to love obstacles. She told me I shouldn't thank her since it was super entertaining, she said it in a mischievous tone of course and after bidding me goodbye, she hung up. Looking at the screen, I was surprised when I saw that our phone call had lasted a bit more than forty minutes. Most of the times I had to talk to someone on the phone, it was either very brief conversation, or the longest was about fifteen minutes; But I hadn't realized time had flow so fast, talking with her was nice and to be honest, while I knew everyone from the gang was nice, it was so refreshing to talk with another woman. With a slap of my hands on my knees, I stood up from this painfully uncomfortable position was in and made my way back inside without a word. As I walked back to the living room, I thought back on what Trish had said. How was I going to tell him what I'd like to do? Or rather, what words should I use to ask him? And if he's okay with it, what do we do tonight? Do we just keep our evening as usual, or do we do something different? Argh, it's nerve-wracking! Fuck, even my heart is beating faster just from thinking about it, I thought anxiously. Once I joined Bruno, I plopped back on the couch in silence, not wanting to disturb him, and started doing some research online.
I really hesitated a moment before typing, like an idiot, 'things he might like' and that was the beginning of an endless spiral down stupid websites that all mentioned the same things. And yet, I had read almost most of those that appeared on the first page of results, and opened lots of tabs on my phone about other things. One of them being a list of kinks, along an online test to know what kind of kinks one might have. I read a long time, a very long, until I heard Bruno's voice close asking me what got me so focused on my screen. Pressing the home button, I locked my phone quickly and turned towards him in a matter of second, "Nothing. Reading. Informing myself, you know. News." I spoke too quickly, it wasn't natural, it was shady. He knew it, I saw it when he quirked a brow as he put the files back on the low table. "Is that so?" he hummed a moment, then his gaze softened. "It is one way of getting your mind off things. But maybe you would like to watch a movie?" he asked gently. Good, he hadn't pushed more and had dropped the subject. But as I stared into his eyes, I felt bad for not telling him. There was no need to hide him stuff, and he might think it's something bad. "I wasn't reading news. I was searching embarrassing stuff- that I will talk to you about in due time, like tonight?" After that I muttered something before I was cut off by Bruno's beautiful laugh.
"You really can't lie, can you?" he asked quietly. He grabbed the TV remote before facing me once more, a huge smile on his face. "I could lie! Just not to you, because... I don't know, your eyes. And my moral compass." I grumbled the last part, whilst grabbing the remote from his hand with a huff. I don't know if what I had said made sense to him, but he chuckled and let me take the remote as he spoke, "That is interesting to know. I'll be looking forward to tonight then, in the meantime does a movie sound good, amore?" Fuck him for being so great, at this point I made friends with the butterflies that were in my stomach every time he was nearby. Breathing out a soft, 'yeah' I handed him back the remote to let him chose while I patted the spot next to me for Timo to come next to me on the couch. The dog's ears perked up and he jumped off his spot to then curled up next to Bruno without even a glance my way. "I see how it is, someone got preferences." I said jokingly before crossing my arms over my chest with a huff. And here I thought little Timo had taken a liking to me, I couldn't blame him for going to Bruno's side but my pride took a hit for sure. The dog didn't even react, instead he placed his head on his master's lap and went back to sleep. "So do I, don't worry." Bruno told me lovingly as he leaned in for a tender kiss before resuming his search for a movie. I stood there frazzled. After a few seconds, I got hold of myself and scooted closer to him, thinking that I wouldn't mind kissing him a lot more. We had barely gotten together that I already wanted more of him, more of his addicting kisses, more of his touch. Fuck I was a goner.
A gentle melody reaching my ear, I looked up and noticed Bruno was humming the same tune that was going on at the same time on the screen. I heard him a bit louder since he was closer to me, and I believe I swooned, at least internally. Looking back at the screen, from what I had gathered in those first few minutes, I came to the conclusion that I had no idea what the movie was. Which is why I asked in a soft tone what the movie was. It seemed old and the story seemed to be happening in the South of Italy, a while back. "Il Postino, it holds a special place in my heart. That is if you'd like to watch it, of course." I don't know why, but I loved the idea that he wanted to share something he loved, with me. No matter what movie it would be, I wouldn't mind watching it as long as he was with me. And since it was his favorite, I'll be sure to pay extra attention to it. "Let's watch it, yes," poking his side a bit playfully I smiled genuinely, "I love it when you hum or sing, feel free to do that a lot more." I told him gingerly, he looked at me with surprised eyes before looking back at the movie, his cheeks redder than they had been a moment ago. While embarrassed, he still pulled me closer as he intertwined our hands together. From there on, we where focused on the movie. The only times we spoke, well mostly I spoke, was when some characters spoke a dialect specific to this part of Italy and I had to ask Bruno for the translation. Otherwise, we just watched in silence, minus the usual reactions one might have while watching a romantic movie. May it be surprise, shock or second-hand embarrassment. Around the end of the movie, I felt a weight on my shoulder. It seemed the reason we didn't speak much was also because one of us was dead tired.
Perhaps it was for the best, that way he didn't see the way my eyes teared up at the final scene of the movie. Come to think of it, we had gotten up pretty early considering the time we went to sleep, I was also exhausted but I blamed it on being in a depressing mood, so I understood why he had fallen asleep. I grabbed the pillow from my right and put it on my lap before delicately moving his head on the pillow, that way I could at least most the upper part of my body. Since there was no way I was going to move before a while, I pulled out my phone to continue my researches. However, I paused a moment when I unlocked my phone as my eyes glanced at Bruno's sleeping form. He was so pretty, even when asleep... I could perhaps immortalize this moment? I debated in my head a moment before deciding that, yes, I was going to take a picture of his pretty person. As I did, I immediately regretted it when the flash turned on; I shoved my phone quickly against my chest to cut the light off, unfortunately it was too late as his eyes fluttered open with a tired groan. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." I whispered sheepishly while running a hand through his hair in hope he'd fall back to sleep. And he did. He closed his eyes just as fast as he opened them. As he slumbered back, he moved his legs onto the couch and slide an arm under the pillow to get more comfortable. Going back to my task was hard, I had this urge to run my hands in his hair, instead I opted for one hand in his hair and the other on the phone.
At this very moment, I felt at peace. So much, I almost forgot I had to talk to a threatening mafioso in a few days. I was still curious of whom they'd send with me, as I wandered about the internet for more embarrassing information, I kept losing focus when my mind drifted off to the trial. A lot could go wrong Sunday, even more knowing how Risotto had reacted the first time we met. He knew I was part of the plan, I could see it, yet he still dared lay a hand on me. If he was ready to act without a care in the world for repercussions, anything could go awry when we meet. No, I'll make it go well. I can get along with anyone, I don't care if he's tall and threatening, I was part of the famiglia now, I thought with determination. The gut feeling remained, but I ignored it. Shaking my head, I concentrated back on the screen as I let my hand roam absent-mindedly to Bruno's cheek. I flushed upon reading something about powerplay, it reminded a lot of the way Bruno reacted when I called him capo and the more I read about it, the more I didn't mind the idea. Of course, I would have to find a subtle way to mention it, without seeming excited or nervous. I wrote it down on the notes on my phone, where lots of things had been listed. I almost dropped my phone when I received a message from Giorno, why would he text me? I had his phone number, but how did he get mine? It read, 'Hello, it's Giorno. I got your number from Mista. I just wanted to inform you that Fugo will be the one going with you on Sunday. He will be able to give you some of the knowledge you might lack of, for now. And also, will be less hot-headed than Narancia, for what it's worth. A car will pick you up in the morning, then you'll both be off to the hideout. -Giorno' Nodding as I read his text, I chuckled lightly at how formal his text was.
The whole message looked like something a boss, for any job, would send. It was also very funny that he signed his name, even though he had introduced himself in the first sentence of his text. I quickly replied that it sounded good, saying I'd be ready in time not to worry. Closing the messaging app, I wrote down another note on my phone, where I typed most of the information, and question to ask later to Bruno. Like, what should I wear Sunday? As futile as it seemed, I didn't want to send the wrong message, and still wanted to be at least serious yet not too casual. For the next twenty minutes, I tried to think of how the trial could go down, what I would say, what that tall asshole would reply. Of course, in my mind it went smoothly, just like when you were in the shower and you kept replaying an argument you had with someone, except in your wise shower thinking you have the upper hand and the perfect comebacks. It was just like that, but I was very much aware it wouldn't go so smoothly, I had to know more about him to try and guess how he would react. The feelings of lips on the palm of my hand brought me back to reality, Bruno had woken up from his short nap.
Looking down at him, I smiled fondly as he grabbed my hand and kissed the inside of my palm once more. "Ciao bella." He breathed against my hand with a tired smile on his lips. Bringing his hair back, out of his face I stared at him lovingly, "Hi. Are you comfortable?" I asked lightly, it took him longer than usual to response, perhaps was it because he was sleeping deeply until now. "I am." He simply stated with a sleepy grin before sitting up and stretching. I'll admit I ogled. Now I was allowed to do it without an ounce of shame, so it was only natural that I did. Yes, he was only stretching, but the way he rolled his shoulders, and god his neck; I felt like a vampire for a second with how long I stared at his neck. This man was a work of art, and I hope he felt like it. "I did not expect to fall asleep, I'm sorry cara." He apologized sincerely as he stood up and kissed the top of my head. I was about to protest but he continued, "It seems I'm so at ease with you that I let my guard down easily." He then brushed his hand over my cheek before unbuttoning half of the buttons of his shirt casually and making his way to the kitchen. Just as I was getting used to his touch, he'd go and to that? How could I not blush with the intense look in his eyes as he did that? Fuck. "Do you really need to show off like this?" I asked jokingly as I followed him to the kitchen, he laughed lightly in response. "As surprising as it may sound, I am just very warm. Why, does it bother you?" it was his turn to be playful, as he said so I looked at his chest a moment before meeting his mischievous gaze.
With a shake of my head, I scoffed before passing by him without even glancing at him. Feeling a rush of confidence for no reason, I spoke boldly, in hope of getting a reaction out of him, "Nope. I like it a lot. Because you're gorgeous." I felt a dumb smile make its way to my lips as I opened the fridge and continued a bit to suggestively, "But then, I just want to touch you all over. And we don't want that, do we, capo?" I turned around with the bottle of juice in hand while closing the door, and almost dropped the bottle when I hurt my elbow on Bruno, whom was towering over me with an unsettlingly calm expression on his face. "You're playing a dangerous game," he grabbed the bottle from my hand and set I aside before lifting me off the ground by placing his hands on back of my thighs and setting me on the counter, positioning himself between my legs. Leaning close to my ear, he purred "But I'll let it slide, because we need to start preparing dinner. And while I'm hungry for a lot of things at this very moment," he gave me a once over before changing his demeanor entirely and letting a polite smile grace his lips, "Food is very important, wouldn't you say, cara?" I was speechless. Let me be blunt, I was reduced to a mere puddle of a mixt between arousal and pure embarrassment. The type of embarrassment that was intrinsically linked with getting what you asked for, at the price of your dignity. Unable to handle his intense gaze, I looked to the side and hummed in approval, but it wasn't enough for him. Taking hold of my jaw delicately, he turned my head to face him, "Use your words, my love. You use your pretty mouth so well when you tease me."
I raised my brows in surprise. On one hand, I had unleashed this, I knew by calling him capo he would turn into that more dominant beast, but on the other hand, I was surprised by his choice of words. It made my heart beat faster, and not the poetic kind. The dirty kind. "Yes." I replied. He quirked a brow in response, what more did he want? "Yes, sir." I mumbled, my face flaming red. It was his turn to be surprised, his mouth open in O shape, he closed it right after. His mouth curled into a smile as he tried to hold back a laugh, "I was expecting 'yes, it's important' but," he scoffed as he stepped away and let me hop off the counter, "It's just as good. Come on, let's begin." After that, the rest of the evening was spent in a blur. It was relaxing, and we chatted quietly, maybe even tiredly so. We were both in this mood of after party, when the day is just slow and feels like cotton. It was a strange way to describe it, but it was the only way that made sense. Once we were done eating, it was still pretty early, probably 9pm or so. It was the perfect opportunity to mention the topic I had talked about earlier with Trish.
As we climbed the stairs, I called his name hesitantly. He stopped at the top of the stairs, eyeing me curiously. Meeting his expressive blue eyes, my determination faltered. "What is it, is something wrong?" I did not mean to worry him. Shaking my head lightly I ran a hand through my hair nervously. I should just lay it all out, just yep. Lay it all out. Once it's out there, it's out there. Not my problem. I can do that. "After thinking about it a long time, and maybe talking about it with Trish- not 'maybe', I did. I talked about it with her, that's why I'm having this discussion right now. We brainstormed, kind of, it was a long conversation to be honest so-" Since I was rambling, Bruno let out a shaky laugh before cradling my face in his hands, stopping me in my zest. "What do you want to ask me, Alda?" Not the name, god. My name sounds so good coming from his mouth. Pulling myself together, I calmed down and resumed, "I am aware we're going to have sex. Don't get me wrong, I am okay with that, definitely okay with that. But I also don't want to shy away from you, the moment you look at me naked." It was way harder than I thought it would be, but I was almost done, and Bruno wasn't looking at me like I was crazy. Au contraire, he was gazing tenderly at me, nodding at what I was saying. "So, I have an odd request, maybe it's too early in our relationship for this. But you know, we've been sleeping together for a while, so at this point I thought why not..." focus, stay focused, don't lose track of what you're saying. "I'd like to get used to being less... dressed, around you. Maybe, I don't know, try if I'm comfortable enough in my underwear... or stuff like that. Unless you don't want-" he shut me up by kissing me softly, it felt reassuring, even more so as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
Pulling away, he smiled. "Anything, anything that will help you be more comfortable I'll do it. You request is not odd, it's sensible." He let go of my face before taking hold of both of my hands in his. Letting out a sigh of relief, a nervous smile made its way to my face as he led us to his bedroom and closed the door behind us. "Here," he placed my hands on his shirt, "I'll let you undress me- of course if that would help." Good, I wasn't the only one nervous. I chuckled before starting unbuttoning the remaining buttoned buttons. I wasn't shaking or anything, I had seen him half naked many times, and yet I couldn't help but feel the intimacy, the tension, between us. Once I had finished with his shirt, I crane up to smile at Bruno timidly before helping him shrug off his shirt. I let my hands brush along his arms, feeling the warmth of his tanned muscle body, as I reached his hands, I moved them to the hem of my shirt. "Your turn." I breathed out. My breath caught in my throat when I felt his finger graze my stomach as he helped me out of my shirt, I raised my arms to help him pass it over my head then let them fall back to my side. I noticed he kept his hands to himself; he didn't dare touch me, that's why I grabbed his hands once more and brought them to my body. "Touch me, please?" It was the only push he needed, before he let his hands roam slowly over my hips, up to my ribs then to my back. He then placed his hands on my shoulders before brushing slowly up to my jaw and looking at me longingly. Every place he touched felt like they had been set on fire, but at the same time they were left freezing cold once his hands left my body. It was a strange feeling, but I wanted more. "Thank you." He said it with so much emotion, I had no idea why he said it but I let him.
I brought him closer by hooking a finger on his belt. I asked his permission before going further, maybe he would like to stop at just our shirts but he did not. He undid his belt to help me and fuck, was this part more embarrassing. It was completely different than the time I had undressed him when he was passed out. Fortunately, he was wearing dress pants instead of jeans; with one pull, they fell to the ground after I unzipped them. I kept my gaze off his boxer, as I straightened my back to look back at him. He grinned shyly before putting my hands on his lower back, sliding them to his derriere. I flushed red at his action but let out a chuckle, "Yes, you have a nice ass, but I am fonder of your hands." I confessed, before giving a squeeze to his bum, earning a light laugh from the mafioso. Moving my hands to his chest, I grazed his tattoo. I will always find it intriguing; I had no idea why he had done this design but I loved it. Remembering I was still dressed, I looked back at him with a sheepish smile. "Wait, it's skinny jeans. It's not- it's hard to take off wait." Unzipping my pants, I started taking them off, balancing myself on one foot. Did I ruin the mood? Yes. But it was okay, because I felt comfortable for now. As I balanced myself on my other foot, I lost that said balance and fell to the bed with a thump. I let out a surprised laugh but didn't move, fuck that, the bed was too comfortable.
He feeling of my legs being lifted, Bruno helped me off the remaining parts of my jeans then brought my feet back to the bed. I rolled to my side of the bed and let him join me without a word. As he slithered in bed, he had his back against the bed head and was staring at me adoringly. Peeking from behind my arms, I smiled then lifted myself up before moving my hands to his lap, asking quietly if I could sit. If he was surprised, he didn't show it, instead he gestured for me to do so. My heart was ready to bounce out of my chest, at any moment I could be gone with how nervous I was. As I sat on his lap, I grabbed his hands and put them on myself once more. "Do I have to beg for you to touch me?" I asked in fake-confidence but my crimson red face said otherwise, it earned me a scoff from Bruno before he brought me closer, dangerously so. I was now straddling his hips, but once again, it was only awkward if I made it so, right? "I will always want to touch you," he purred in my ear as his hands started traveling all over my body. I gasped at his touch, and leaned against his head as he started kissing my shoulder up to my neck where he had already left a mark. "Bruno, are you-" I gripped his shoulders tighter at the feeling of his teeth grazing my skin, whimpering as I moved a hand to the back of his head to take a fistful of hair. My body was on fire, I could feel everything, it was tingling all over and it felt nice, I felt good. A weak moan, closer to a groan, escaped my lips when I felt something between my leg- oh, oh.
"Bruno, love." My breathing uneven, I pushed his face away from the crook of my neck and looked at him with a gaze that hopefully made him understand what was going on. His stare wasn't fully feral, yet, but he was getting there. And for both of us, we should stop here. "Che c'è, amore?" he breathed while I tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. "We should probably calm down, mh?" I said calmly before letting my eyes fall down to his crotch before going back to his face. He understood quickly, and helped me off his lap quickly. "I'm so sorry, amore. I got caught up, I was not going to-" cutting him off, I grinned reassuringly, "I know, I know. We got caught up in the heat of the moment." He nodded before standing up, sending me an apologetic look before walking to the bathroom, carefully closing the door behind himself. Seeing him in this position, I felt a certain pride at being able to turn him on with just this. Some part of me thought it was perhaps just a coincidence, but hell no, I was responsible for this.
Once he was done, he joined me back in bed but he seemed reluctant in getting closer to me. As he turned off the light, I scooted closer, "We're good. At least, now I know what you meant when you said, I would 'turn you into a mess without, ha... trying.'" I wasn't feeling sleepy after what had happened, but I was still going to try. Just maybe, maybe I would fall asleep in his arms, if he got over it. With a curled-up smile, he spoke in a low tone "You are unbelievable, come here." He opened his arms wide, and I embraced him without a second of hesitation. "I am not immune to your charm, not that I wish I was." he said softly as he planted a kiss on the top of my head, "But let's try to sleep, if you'd like we could do this again tomorrow. Minus the last part." I chuckled at his words, then hummed in agreement before closing my eyes and getting comfortable. We both drifted off to sleep pretty quickly, the exhaustion of the previous day having caught up to us. Soon I would have to meet that tall capo, and goodness was I not ready for that.