Chapter Text
Luca hasn't been able to have a good rest since.
His mind just couldn't help but constantly bring up his little escapade with Alberto, still unable to process the fact that he was the one who made such an intimate move. Kissing Alberto on the cheek? After he was the one who flirted with him first?! Embarrassing, embarrassing, he bet he looked so dumb when he did.
So why did Giulia think he would ever want to do that again?! Why was he letting Giulia teach him how to flirt?!!
The redhead is pacing around the room, holding up a thick book titled in words too big for Luca to understand or pronounce. Giulia looking super invested, and Luca's there sitting criss cross applesauce on the floor, anxiety filled and questionable.
Giulia paces some more, before coming to a halt and reading a sentence aloud, "Okay, so it says here that the guy is talking sen-sual-ly." She seemed unsure of her own pronunciation. She turns to Luca, pointing a sharp finger, "Luca! Talk like a sensual person!!"
"Why are we doing this?!" Luca squeals, jumping in absolute fear at the finger pointed at him. Giulia huffs, shutting her book,
"Cosa intendi! I thought you wanted to take things forward! I'm helping here." She says, crossing her arms while looking down at her friend in a playful glare. Luca feels heat rise to to his cheeks, he brings his knees close to his chest. "Does it have to be this embarrassing?" He whimpers.
"All great things start somewhere, Luca. How do you plan on winning my brother's cuore if ya don't man up?!" Giulia scolds, slapping Luca's back so he stands ram rod straight. Luca yelps, "N-Non lo so! I don't know!"
"Okay." Giulia sighs, "we can either train you to become a sensually god, whatever that means..." she mumbles, "or we can just improvise! Though I don't have the highest hopes for that, considering what we're dealing with here." She giggles teasingly, finishing by sitting across from Luca, holding her head up in her palms.
Luca's face is still hot. The mere idea of him flirting with his crush, after he kissed him on the cheek?! It sounded so embarrassing already, but the other thought of Luca taking things by the reins himself sounded worst.
Silenzio Bruno
He lets out a heavy sigh, face red and looks straight into Giulia's bright brown eyes. "Sì, okay, let's do this. The first option, I mean." The boy stammers and Giulia beams.
-
Alberto had just got back from another successful fishing trip, by himself, as Massimo had other errands to attend to and he entrusted his son. Alberto gets off the boat, practically stocked with fresh fish caught in his large net. The young man places his gloved hands on his hips, eyeing his work proudly before turning around, expecting his sister to be present with their cart to deliver the fish.
He stares distantly, not expecting Giulia to be dragging the cart with the love of his life in it.
"'Beto! Ciao!" Greets the familiar voice, all gentle and soft and Alberto's heart instantly goes mad.
After what had happened those few days ago, Alberto didn't think he'd still wasn't ready to meet Luca just yet. When Luca kissed his cheek... It was a big thing! It was Alberto's first kiss! He's still trying to process it, his flirting skills had been going downhill super fast, he's just not ready to see him yet!
Alberto stutters before giving out his own weak greeting, face noticeably red if Giulia's snickering was anything to go by. Luca hops off the cart meekly to hug the older, which was a usual occurrence, friends hug all the time! But it felt so different now, and Alberto prays Luca can't hear his drumming heartbeat.
Alberto coughs, trying to avoid his stutter, Giulia is still facing her brother with that annoying grin she likes to pull lately. It didn't make Alberto feel any ease.
"When did you get back? I thought you said you were busy with chores," asked Alberto, Luca gently lets go of him to look up at him with pretty eyes. He laughs nervously, "Yeah, well, Grandma let me visit today. When I got here you were still fishing so I was with Giulia the whole time." Luca explains, giggling again before looking at Alberto through fluffy lashes.
"Why? Missed me, 'Beto?" The younger teased, hands behind his back and leaning forward, like back on the beach. Luca smiled shyly and Alberto wished that wasn't the prettiest thing he's seen all day.
Well, so much for keeping his composure. Luca hardly makes such expressions like that, expressions like the ones Alberto has seen through couples in dramas. Alberto was intrigued by it, definitely, he thought it was attractive. But Dio, Luca, the boy who kissed him on the cheek, making that face?
Alberto was smitten.
Luca giggles again, and Alberto felt intoxicated. The young boy's once flirtatious smile had turned back into his innocent one. "I'm kidding, 'Beto. C'mon, I'll help you carry the net."
Luca skips over to the boat, Alberto watches him, heart eyes and smiling dreamily. Giulia walks over to slap him on the back. She leans in to his ear, "you're drooling, Romeo."
Alberto flicks her head.
-
Luca had trailed along the two siblings with their deliveries, Giulia cycling on a bike while carrying a now half full cart of fish and two pining boys sitting side by side at the back.
Alberto had been giving Giulia knowing looks insisting to leave him and Luca alone, but Giulia didn't bother to excuse herself so here they were, Alberto praying Luca doesn't make any more moves that would potentially give his sister teasing material for the next month.
Giulia is whistling a tune, looking straight ahead and seemingly not giving the boys any mind, to Alberto's dismay.
Luca hasn't been saying much of anything either, he's contently looking at the path trailing in front of them, giving cute warm smiles to locals that greeted the boy as they moved past. Alberto controls his breathing. Yeah. He could do this. Just wait for the right moment and Alberto could smooth talk his way back to the top and everything will be fine. Yeah, nothing to worry about. Alberto Scorfano-Marcovaldo is not going to end up being the nervous one here. He is confident, he is smooth, he is-
"Wow, Alberto. Your arms look so big." Luca blurts out, looking down at Alberto's tan arms in awe, "can I touch them?"
WHAT. WHAT THE HECK. WHAT IS LUCA ASKING RIGHT NOW?! AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY YES????
Alberto goes red immediately, gripping the edge of the cart. He tries to answer, tries to give Luca a clear answer but can only muster a small, "Y-Yeah, go ahead."
Luca smiles happily, taking Alberto's arm and starts to observe closely, rubbing his hands up and down the skin and massaging slightly, trying to feel up the muscles.
Alberto wasn't ripped like the men in swimsuit commercials, but he did get some decent muscle from pulling out heavy nets everyday. His muscles weren't bulging but even Massimo had to admit it was still impressive, especially at Alberto's age.
Alberto wasn't one to show off either, he's only ever flexed in front of Giulia (in a playful way, mostly to threaten her whenever she threaten him) but now Luca is here feeling up his arm at the back of their fish cart and Alberto just wants to grow wings and fly away from this moment.
"You're really grown up, huh?" Luca says, eyes big, "last time I saw you, you were a twig!"
"Hey! I've been having these babies for a long time!" Alberto bites back teasingly, lifting his arm up in an attempt to show off. Might as well redeem himself while he's in this situation. "Guess you haven't been seeing straight, Bello, 'looking at other things?."
Alberto whispers the name, smirking when he sees Luca's cheeks go pink, surprised at the comment. Luca giggles shyly, placing a soft fair palm on top of Alberto's hand, "You're being so cute today, 'Beto. Is everything alright?" He asks, voice whispering back, Alberto believes he was trying to mock him but it didn't make him feel any less flustered. Only then did Alberto notice how close Luca's face was.
The mere scene reminds him of the sunset back at the beach and the next thing he knows Luca is giggling again, voice sounding concern but still amused.
"'Beto! Are you okay? You look like a pomodoro!" He jokes, Alberto's throat hitches then quickly looks away, trying to save himself his dripping pride.
-
Finally, finally, Giulia decides to leave the two alone, saying since she had Luca all to herself earlier she'll let Alberto have some privacy with his friend. Luca gives her another shy smile, agreeing while Alberto had received another whisper, "go get 'em, big guy."
Giulia a light pinch to ear for that, laughing hard leaving an embarrassed Alberto and a puzzled Luca behind. Luca pretends to not know the tension between the two siblings when he clearly knows Giulia had been on Alberto's neck the whole time she was around.
(Luca had actually tried to convince her to not be around either, saying he couldn't possibly flirt with her around, but Giulia had begged him because she just had to see her brother fall apart, to which Luca eventually tiredly agreed to.)
The day dragged by smoothly for the two, Alberto bought Luca gelato, getting blessed with the image of Luca absolutely swooning for him.
They walked around the town for a bit. Alberto finishes his cone first leaving Luca to finish up his. Luca notices Alberto's empty hands, casually looping an arm around one of them and clinging to him while his other hand held his cone. Alberto jumps, quickly looking at Luca, who is just not paying any mind and is just licking his food as if this whole touching thing was a normal occurrence.
While Alberto is absolutely loving the physical contact between the two, he gets a distant tease from the town's children playing at the fountain center. He does his best to ignore it, and he successfully does so, eyes being stuck on the pretty boy by his side. He smiles dumbly, feeling pretty relaxed now.
The two boys made their way to the docks, Luca's arm still around Alberto's as they walked.
"You're getting pretty confident lately, huh Bello?" Alberto teases, "holding my arm like that."
"Trust me, I'm going crazy right now." Luca blurts, clutching harder against Alberto's arm, Alberto feeling him tense up, "Sorry, 'Beto. I've probably been super embarrassing today."
Alberto's eyes widen, surprise at the sudden confession. He didn't know why Luca was being honest now, he only figures that since the two were alone. Darn, Giulia, making Alberto's crush all pent up like that. Luca continues to awkwardly eat up his cone, he's avoiding eye contact with Alberto now, to which Alberto will not be having.
"Hey," Alberto halts, causing Luca to get startled. Luca stops and turns to the boy who is now on one knee, chin raised high and cupping Luca's hand in his own. Luca doesn't stop himself from blushing at the sudden position. Luckily no one was around, or Luca would have cried right there.
"Luca Paguro, la perla più bella del mare, you don't have nothing to worry about." Alberto assures, green eyes looking straight into pretty brown ones. He didn't think he would be participating in his own word vomit,
"If anything, I should be the one embarrassed. You have no idea how many times I keep asking myself if I'm making you cringe or making you fall for me, and all the times you've been looking at me with those pretty eyes of yours... I've probably made myself look so stupid, huh? But I push those thoughts away, silenzio bruno, and go for it," Alberto puts one hand into a fist,
"right now, Luca, I've never been more embarrassed in my entire life, so I'm just gonna put this out there while I can," Alberto looks down, hand squeezing Luca's tightly almost concerning the other (though he was equally trembling).
"Luca Paguro," Alberto takes a deep breath, filling Luca with anxiety. The younger shuts his eyes tightly, the suspense killing him. Honestly, what could it be? Was Alberto gonna ask to be his boyfriend? A mate?? No. That couldn't be. Maybe Alberto was just gonna call this whole thing off. He even said this was embarrassing, oh, Luca shouldn't feel disappointed, maybe Alberto would just-
"will you marry me?"
Silence washes over the two, until it didn't;
"M-M-MIO DIO, A-ALBERTO! YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT!!" Luca cries, red taking over his pale face, tears in his eyes at the overwhelming embarrassment flowing through his body, he takes his free hand to cover whatever pride he had left. Alberto finally realizing what he said too, his hands quickly covering his mouth in shame as he turns away from the other blushing boy, repeating rushed apologies.
The two boys stayed that way for bit, just trying to compose themselves while teasing the life out of each other, a nice bicker between playful whines and laughs and again, Luca is so glad nobody else was around or else he's not sure if he'd ever be able to show his face to the surface again.
After some time they've calmed down, dangling their legs at the edge of the dock. Hand in hand, this time Alberto was leaning against Luca like the other did at the back of the cart. Luca is smiling in exhaustion, Alberto looking down at the water to avoid eye contact, seemingly still hasn't moved on from that moment.
Luca notices his distressed, giggling lightly and rubbing his arm, Alberto tingling at the touch.
"Y-You know, Alberto. I wouldn't mind..."
Alberto tenses up, "No, no- don't finish that. Don't ever bring that up. Ever."
Luca laughs, hugging Alberto closer, "I promise, but I just wanted to, tell you, that I... would... marry you... Ah! But when we're older okay!"
Alberto curls up in embarrassment, hiding under Luca's arm along with a shameless toothy smile. "S-Sì, Luca. Okay,"
Luca smiles, staring off to the distance before calling Alberto's name. The taller looks up from his friend's arm, perplexed and expecting the worst until Luca pecks his lips. Quick and shy and just perfect.
"You're so dumb." Luca comments. Alberto flares his arms around in protest and and Luca smiles, coming to an understanding why Alberto liked flirting with him so much.