Chapter Text
Luca has faced many challenges in his life; hiding his identity, going to school, learn math, all of which he had came out victorious. He was a tolerable boy, he could probably handle anything,
but Alberto
No, Alberto's fine, he's his best friend, and while Luca loves him to death in many ways imaginable (while some not quite ready to admit out loud), Alberto's antics have been rather questionable lately ...
Sure, Alberto has always been questionable, but it feels as though he hasn't been feeling like himself lately.
From the moment Luca had stepped foot off the train station; Alberto quickly rushing up to him while calling out his name, arms open wide to give Luca a spine crushing hug. Which had been fine, Luca definitely didn't mind, he missed his best friend so much! And from the way the two had been so excited when they were talking on the phone, he almost expected it.
What he didn't expect was for Alberto to suddenly hold Luca's hand and gently bring it up to his lips, landing a gentle kiss on the top of his pale skin. He looks down at Luca (Dio, Alberto had quite the growth spurt, Luca thought), and gives him a dreamy smile.
Luca went combust.
It wasn't like Luca was clueless to the action, he certainly seen it back in Genova, but it usually happened between COUPLES. Him and Alberto were just friends; unless Alberto had decided on it and didn't tell him. No, that couldn't be it, Alberto didn't know Luca liked him that way! or maybe Giulia had told him without his permission. Either way, he's STILL wasn't expecting it!
Luca could barely get a word out even as Alberto insisted to carry his bags for him, leaving his friend to stand like a deer in headlights. The taller had nudged him to get going, but Luca could only watch him walk away with his luggage.
Alberto walks pass Giulia and Massimo, looking as though nothing had happened. Giulia looks back at her friend, holding in a giggle at his flushed expression.
-
Unfortunately, it hadn't stopped there. One night after arrival, he decided to stay over at the Marcovaldos house offered by Giulia. During dinner, Luca had been going on an absolute rattle about a story him and Giulia were reading in their Literature class. He and Giulia taking turns talking, going on and on. Massimo giving constant hums and chuckles, overall just being happy seeing the trio back together.
While Luca was going on a tangent about a particular chapter, he gave a quick glance to Alberto, just to see if he was catching on, nothing more.
Luca wouldn't say glancing at his best friend was his biggest regret he made that night. If only Alberto's face didn't have to look like ... THAT.
Half lidded eyes and raised eyebrows all while leaning his head closer to Luca's direction as if to indicate he wanted Luca to keep talking. And that painful smirk he's been doing so often now. Luca went from making crystal clear sentences to stammering broken English. Dio, how long has it been? Has Alberto always looked that handsome?? Now, why was he thinking that now?!
"O-Oh, excuse me," he says, pulling his plate closer to his chest, "I'm rambling, aren't I?"
"No, of course you aren't." Alberto quickly speaks up, giving Luca an assuring, confident smile. "Do continue, Luca."
Giulia and Massimo both turn to look at Alberto, who didn't even acknowledge them. He was acting as if he could only see Luca alone,
Luca politely declined to go any further and quickly brought his plate to the sink, doing his best to hide his heated cheeks.
-
Luca hadn't been updated about the current sleeping regimen going on with the Marcovaldos. Ever since Alberto had moved in, Massimo had decided to renovate their home to fit an extra bedroom for his adopted son.
The room was small, as Giulia's room is, somehow Alberto was able to fit all sorts of his findings in it. Some were scattered on his desk, shelves, and very much littered on his floor.
"Sorry about the mess," Alberto had stated, if Luca knew any better he could've sworn Alberto was rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment; an emotion Luca hasn't fully grasped Alberto could muster. Since he was always so sure and confident. That didn't stop the butterflies in his belly from swarming wildly (butterflies, he learnt. He used to describe them as jellyfish). Luca absolutely didn't mind the mess, it mostly reminded him of Alberto's tower.
Besides, Luca thought it was charming.
His features soften, about to tell his friend it was okay until Alberto spoke again;
"Once I realized you guys were about come back to Portorosso , I just couldn't stop thinking about you, you know ? Made me forget to clean my own room," he chuckles, whispering "ragazzo sciocco."
Well, if the butterflies in Luca weren't swarming before, they had definitely gone ballistic now. There was something about that sentence, or maybe it was the way Alberto had worded it; because the moment he heard it Luca almost tripped on a toy train that had blended along with the mess of junk on the floor.
Alberto quickly grabbed his arm to save him from stumbling, "Whoa! careful there, boy." he commented. He helps Luca back on his feet and laughs, "so quick to fall for me, huh chicco?"
Luca eyebrows furrow, refusing to let the heat get to his again because what is with his vocabulary ?! Why did he choose to speak things that sounded so ... sounded like things he'd hear in Signora Marcovaldo's television ?! Luca tries to respond, he really wants to, but the sight of Alberto's dumb smirking had got to him once again.
-
It has been that way for a few days now. Alberto speaking and grazing his skin in such a weird way of intimacy he hasn't been able to function right; and he STILL has no idea why Alberto chooses to do so. Does he not know what his actions have been doing to him?! He could hardly get a word out when his parents had ask about the state of their relationship.
Luca had contemplated about talking to his parents about it, he figured it just make him feel worse. So he went to Giulia. Surely she would know more about this than he does. She is human after all, plus, she's Alberto's sister! If anyone knows what goes on in that brain of Alberto's when Luca isn't around and isn't afraid to tell, it's Giulia.
When Luca tells his story about Alberto's behavior towards him, Giulia wheezes.
"Oh man!" She laughs, "You've only noticed it now?! Oh Luca, ragazzo adorabile, truly. He's flirting with you."
what.
"Flirt...ting?" Giulia nods, smiling to her friend as she rolls her eyes. "Duh,"
Huh, flirting. "Now what the heck is flirting?"
Giulia laughs again, "Aw, well, flirting is like, doing those ... lovey-dovey stuff! To someone you like so they can like you back!" Giulia says, crossing her arms, "get it? All the things 'Beto has been doing to you?" She grins, wiggling her eyebrows.
Luca stares as he tries to process it, soon coming to a conclusion and he could care less if his face was turning into the ripest of tomatoes right now. He puts his palms against the heat of cheeks and tries not to cry.
(Not from being sad, obviously, poor thing was too overwhelmed.)
"Wait!" he cries, "how can you be so sure? What if he just found a new way to treat his friends? Yeah, that could be it too!"
Luca's voice is cracking again. Oh, Giulia is enjoying this too much. These dumb, little gay fish boys she loved so much to tease. "Luca, c'mon."
Giulia rests one arm on top of her knee, leaning her face against her palm and quirks her head to the side slightly, raising her eyebrows. "You and I both know that whatever he's doing to you is beyond 'just friends'," quote unquote, she smiles at Luca again, who's eyes had gone as wide as saucers, looking hopeful, "I'm his sister, I've literally seen him sit down with my dad to watch Italian dramas. 'Probably where he got the inspiration from honestly." She finishes, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, giving him a light shake,
"He has it bad for you, Luca. Trust me, go tell him how you feel and see how he'll react." Giulia states, suddenly grinning mischievously, "I wanna see it too, so give me a heads up, yeah, amico?" She nudges her friend, no shame present whatsoever.
It was Luca's turn to roll his eyes, though he took Giulia's words to heart.
He'll have to play fire with fire on this one. Oh, how embarrassing.
-
"Luca!"
Luca turns away from the sun kissed sea, facing his best friend who was rushing to him by the shore. The vibrant sunset rays making Alberto's tan skin look glowing, which made him look so much more handsome than what Luca had already thought. Argh, the joy and pain this boy brings him.
"Oh! Ciao, 'Beto!" Luca replies, fully turning towards his friend. Alberto stops in front of him and pants from running. Luca lets out a voice of concern, to which Alberto scoffs at.
"Oh, don't worry about me, bello. Going back already?" He says, confidently, as smooth as always. Luca flushes at the statement and smiles sweetly. "I'm afraid so, 'Beto."
Alberto frowns, only for a second, before getting down on one knee, taking Luca's hand as he did back at the train station.
Laying a soft kiss, he looks up at Luca with absolute adoration. Not like Luca knew what that looked like, but Dio, Alberto gazed at him as though he had seen something beautiful and Luca was trying to get used to the idea it was him all along. The sunrays didn't help at all, only making this scene even more intimate than it had to be. Luca isn't complaining, absolutely not. How could he? After what Giulia had told him, he couldn't stop smiling down at the handsome boy holding his hand. Still very much filled to the brim with embarrassment; his embarrassment being embraced into his smile.
"Then, I hope you make it back safe," Alberto says, voice becoming slightly deeper putting Luca in a trance. Luca blushes, eyes squeezing shut as he giggles shyly. When he looked down at Alberto again, he had the most proud grin plastered on his face, practically basking in the lovely reaction Luca was giving him.
Luca knew he had to do something about that; as much as he could love the slapable face Alberto was pulling right now, he loathed. It wasn't fair only Alberto had to turn him into this stammering, walking cocoon mess.
Luca hums in appreciation at Alberto's statement, pulling his hand away. Alberto's gaze follows the hand that suddenly pulls him by the collar, the action catching Alberto off guard entirely. He blinks once, Luca's face is right in front of his, their breathing being the only thing separating the two. Luca thought he could almost hear his and Alberto's, out of sync, heartbeats. Alberto's face heats up at the sudden shift, Luca staring back with half lidded eyes and a small smile.
Alberto stammers, "L-Luca ...?"
Luca goes in for the kill, closing his eyes as he repays Alberto a soft kiss of his own, right on his cheek.
wow.
Honestly, Luca had never imagined himself being the one to initiate such intimate things. Trying to convince himself this was all his doing now, what a ride, he thinks. He pulls away, watching red bloom over Alberto's tan cheek, Alberto's eyes drifting to the distance behind Luca, clearly lovestruck. And Luca couldn't help but giggle to himself, Alberto looked so funny!
"Carino," Luca teases, letting go of Alberto's shirt to boop his nose. Alberto only stares back at him, shoulders tense and face beet red. He watches Luca walk backwards, the small waves of the ocean behind him slowly crashing around his legs, revealing a gradient of blue green scales in their wake. Alberto watches in awe at the sight before him, the pretty boy he had held turning into a beauty of his true form. He's still trying to process the kiss he received. A sudden splash of sea water crashes into his face, causing the slight appearance of purple scales, Alberto flutters his eyes again.
"Stop staring! That was so embarrassing y'know ..." Luca whines playfully, giggling and Alberto has the painful need to join him, swim him home; stay with him… but his father is expecting him back, he shakes his head back to reality, calling out, "You'll be back tomorrow right?!"
Luca smiles, face pink and nods. Luca waves a now webbed hand to his friend. Lover ? Boyfriend ?? Right, he had no idea what he and Alberto were now.
That's okay. He can come back and talk to him about it later. He has the whole summer after all. And why does it matter what the two were? As long as they're comfortable and happy, the two should be able to work it out.
Before Luca could fully dive into the sea, he hears a familiar voice, an extra voice he recognizes too much as Giulia, who is racing to Alberto.
"Oh my! Little Romeo got his first kiss! So proud of you, fratello!"
"Stupida! How long were you spying?! Weren't you lectured about this?!!"
Suddenly Luca didn't feel as confident. His face bursts into many shades of red, trying not to cry on the way back.