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Alberto breathed in the bittersweet smell of the coffee in his hands, bringing it up to his lips. The cup was warm, making the pre-existing heat from the Portorosso sun even hotter. But Alberto didn’t mind, taking a long sip.
“I don’t get how you can drink it black.”
Alberto looked up to Luca, who was sitting opposite to him from the small, circular wooden table they were sharing. He had his own cup, but it didn’t look like he’d yet touched it. Luca had offered to buy him coffee when he finished his deliveries, and Alberto was more than happy to take him up on the offer. He noticed Luca’s freckled nose crinkled as he drank slowly from the cup.
He snorted. Luca’s presence made something in his chest light up. Why couldn’t it be summer all the time?
“I don’t know how you can even taste the coffee with all that stupid stuff you mix in there.” Alberto shot back, reclining in his seat.
“At least mine tastes good!”
Alberto hooked his fingers around the handle of the cup, holding it out to Luca expectantly.
“Won’t know until you try it.”
Luca raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve had black coffee before, Alberto.”
“Yeah, yeah, just do it.”
Luca took the cup hesitantly from Alberto, closing his eyes as he raised it to his lips.
Luca’s eyes popped open at the taste of the unexpectedly sweet liquid. Alberto felt the corners of his mouth involuntarily quirk up.
“This isn’t black coffee.”
“I know.”
Alberto wished he was able to capture the confusion that was on Luca’s face and keep it with him forever.
“You’re always telling me how you won’t kiss me because I drink my coffee black,” he shrugged, “some things are worth more than coffee.”
Luca turned pink, looking down at the forgotten cup in his hands. They’d never kissed. Alberto had developed this habit last year where he would see what kind of reactions he could get from Luca when he said certain things. Almost like an experiment. His best friend was a delight to mess with.
“You have got to stop saying things like that, people will start getting the wrong idea.”
Alberto stood up from the table, grabbing back his own cup and gulping down the rest of it. The hot liquid felt uncomfortable rushing down his throat, but he didn’t want to waste it. Alberto didn’t really like the sweetness of the drink, but if it got this kind of hilarious reaction from Luca? It was definitely worth it.
“Maybe, but I won’t.”
Luca huffed, staying in his seat. Alberto had to get back to work.
“See you at dinner, amore mio.” Alberto whispered, batting his eyelashes obnoxiously. Luca said nothing, continuing to look down at his cup, his face still rose-colored.
The Silent Treatment. Nice.
—
When Alberto came home that night, the dinner table talk was almost nonexistent. Giulia would say something every once in a while, and Alberto would try to crack a joke, but Luca wouldn’t say anything.
He twisted his fork absentmindedly in the pasta.
He then heard the grating sound of a chair moving across the kitchen floor.
“Thank you for dinner, buona notte.”
He watched as Luca stood up from the table, ruffling Giulia’s hair before walking up the stairs. They creaked overhead. Alberto could see there was a lot of food still on Luca’s plate. That wasn’t like him to leave an unfinished meal behind.
“Hey, Alberto?” Giulia whispered, knowing Massimo could hear them all the same, “Go check on him will ya’.”
He nodded, shoveling the rest of the pasta on his own plate into his mouth. He thanked Massimo for dinner before heading up the stairs after Luca.
When he reached Giulia’s room it was strangely dark, the only light being the moon pouring in through the open window. He could see the hideout from here. Luca was laying facedown on his cot on the floor, the blanket discarded somewhere Alberto couldn’t see.
Alberto sucked in a hesitant breath, shuffling slowly to the window. His eyes rested on the ocean.
“Hey, Luca, you up for a swim?”
—
The breeze outside had grown crisper as he walked down the dock, he knew Luca was behind him as the wooden boards creaked almost rhythmically.
“Hey, Luca?”
“Hm?”
He was quiet for a beat, pivoting to look at Luca in his eyes.
“Are you mad at me? About that whole coffee thing?”
Even though it was still very dark, he noticed color coming to Luca’s cheeks.
That was it then.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable or something, I was just joking.” He swayed awkwardly, “You know how I am.”
Alberto watched as Luca fidgeted awkwardly in his place, noticing him pulling at the hem of his shirt. Luca then gazed up at him, eyes glassy.
Luca took a deep breath before speaking.
“Can I kiss you?”
Alberto’s eyes widened, his green eyes meeting Luca’s brown ones. Luca’s face was a deep red, almost the color of his eyes when he was beneath the water. His mind raced before settling on the only possible conclusion. So, Luca was gonna be teasing him this time. Alberto could roll with that.
“Sure.”
Alberto held back a snort as Luca approached him. He felt his face start to heat up from the closer proximity, but he knew this was just gonna be Luca getting close to his face and then most likely pushing him into the water or something. He knew he kinda deserved it, so there he stood.
Luca’s hands cupped the sides of his face, weirdly tender. His brown eyes slowly closing as he leaned in close. Alberto closed his eyes as well, bracing for the cold embrace of the salty ocean, sighing deeply.
Then he could feel the strange sensation of Luca’s lips on his, and it was like a moth drawn to a flame.
His hands wrapped tightly around Luca’s waist, bringing him closer to his body. He needed more of whatever what was happening, teasing was off the table. Luca sighed into the kiss, giving Alberto access to everything. They stood there on dock for awhile, under the stars and surrounded by the sea. Enjoying the moment.
Alberto then tasted something, bitter but sweet on Luca’s tongue.
It was almost like coffee. Black.
Luca knew what he was doing to him. He wouldn’t be able to drink coffee without thinking of Luca’s lips on his.
He pulled him in closer trying to get more of that flavor before they finally had to pull apart to get air. Alberto held him close to his chest, relishing in the feeling of Luca’s hands grabbing onto the fabric of his shirt.
“You taste like...” Alberto started breathlessly.
“Do I taste like coffee?”
Alberto chuckled softly, tightening his hold around Luca. Never wanting to let go.
“Better than coffee.”