è sempre lo stesso @alessandrodinatalearchive - Tumblr Blog

BASICS.

full name: Alessandro Michele Di Natale nickname(s): Aless (pronounced ‘Alex’) d.o.b. / age: February 29, 1992 / 29 zodiac: Pisces ( ☼ ), Scorpio ( ☽ ), Leo ( ↗ ) gender: Cis male pronouns: He / Him nationality: Italian sexuality: Heterosexual (Tragically) relationship status: Single hometown: Cantania, Sicily, Italy occupation: Tattoo Artist and Freelance Photographer children: None pets: Stella (Ragdoll Cat)

#srphqintro #about aless

ofeliaortegaarchive:

“Right right, well don’t think yourself special, I sit at lots of strangers tables.” And it was true, she had done it more than once when she had been on her way out of work and had spent a little to long watching people at the restaurant but then she had met him. In all honestly she had been expecting him to have been waiting for someone, stretched out the table as if he had owned it, a long leg poking out from the table giving and indication to his height, his outfit clean and smart, hair done - he’d been date ready - or as she had found out apparently just always ready to go if she had learnt anything. Thinking now it was odd just how clear the image of him was in her head the first time she had ever seen him, had something in her told her to remember that exact point in time without her ever really knowing why? She wasn’t sure - but the smile on his face as he had taken her bet was etched into her face. Had she known these were the stakes she would have upped the anty a little.

“At this point I wasn’t sure you needed an invite.” Her taunt fell, and honestly she was glad for it, there was nothing she wanted more than to go to sleep curled up next to him but if she’d had to ask for that, well that would have been embarrassing on her part. It was like he’d known what she needed without her even having to suggest it to him and here he was. “You’re incredibly cheesy you know that right?” Ofelia hummed with a small laugh as he scooped her into his arms and carried her into her room. It wasn’t the first time he had done it over the summer at this point and she enjoyed it each time but tonight it was far more appreciated. The mere thought of stepping on her feet again was unwelcome given the aches they already felt and she had a whole other day of it tomorrow. Once she was laid on her bed Ofelia reached to kick off the sweat pants she had been wearing, tossing them in the direction of her laundry basket before she rolled over in her t-shirt and pants looking back at Aless who had settled in his side of her bed. “No, I haven’t seen you in days I’ll be awake as long as I can.” Even if it was just laid in bed talking she missed him, his time, his stories as he opened up to her more and more each day. Reaching forward she let a single finger trace down the bridge of his nose. “Mi sei mancata.”

As Aless moved to lay on the side that Ofelia didn’t prefer that he rightfully called his own, he slipped out of his jeans and tossed his shirt to the side, before he pressed his head against the pillows that smelled like her shampoo. They looked at each other for a few moments and he wondered what she was thinking in that moment. Could she tell how delighted he was to be in her presence? Then the single tip of her finger trailed down his nose and he kissed the pad of her pointer finger as he translated easily what she had said, a ridiculous grin forming on his lips. “What lesson did you get to in order to learn that?” Aless asked her softly as he moved to cradle her straight into his chest. There was a collective sigh between them, one that seemed to utter the sentiment of what she had said. She had missed him, and he had missed her. It was as simple as that. Aless took to tracing calming circles on her back, in between kissing the crown of her head and listening to more stories about the happenings of the restaurant while he shared some of weird shenanigans at the tattoo shop.

“We had to put a sign on the door today that minors couldn’t be in without being accompanied with their parents. This one high schooler kept trying to request me and it was just a weird thing.” Aless explained. “I did do a pretty solid portrait on a man today though. He wanted one of his Nonna.” He said the name fondly, feeling the ache of how much he missed his family once more. Though he had the chance to talk to them on the phone earlier as he was getting things ready in her space. “If Nonna had a chance to taste the way you make your gravy from scratch, she would kiss you square on the mouth and I couldn’t do anything to stop her.” He teased. Though it fell upon him then, how easy it was for him to insert Ofelia into future plans. Was it too soon? He didn’t know, but this was a part of him that he didn’t mind sharing, especially with her. Her eyes seemed to flutter here and there, and her body fell slightly limp as if she were fighting the fatigue. “Ti prometto che sarò proprio qui con te. Non ti lascerò.”

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. ofelia ]#006 #summer time series

ofeliaortegaarchive:

This was what she needed. As she stood watching him make his way towards her, Ofelia barely even noted the world around them. Work and everything from the past few weeks felt like they were a million miles away and even the sound of laughter from children further down the beach wasn’t enough to pull her attention away from him as he smiled at her. “Hey I’m tiny but I will have you know that I happen to be a very excellent buoy.” She had hated anything to do with sports when they had been in school but she had been lucky enough to attend a high school that had a swim team, she wasn’t as good at swimming as some of the others had been but when they had all taken a life guard course as part of their class scores she had come in second in the test to hold up their dummies and tread water with them. Luckily she hadn’t ever had to actually test it on a real human being and she hoped that she never had to, but it was nice to know that she was capable even as small as she was in the grand scheme of other human beings. The pounding in his heart wasn’t missed though, she could feel it where his chest met his own and she considered asking for a second if everything was ok but the smile on his face told her that he was content enough and she would let him tell her what he needed to in his own time. There was no point in rushing people to be ready for things - she had long since learnt that.

Feeling him wrap himself around her, her arms slung around his neck she gave a low sigh, a much more serious sound than the laughter that had been falling from her a second ago. She might not have known it yet, or more accurately they might not have been willing to admit it given the histories they had both been tarred with but anyone looking at the two of them would have been witness to the look of pure and utter devotion from two people as they existed in each other for a moment. Ofelia herself knew what she was feeling in her chest, the tightness right where she imagined her heart to be and people passing by could see as plain as day she was so utterly in love with the man in her arms. Feeling the splash of a wave at her legs Ofelia used the opportunity to pull away from him and drag him in closer though her hands were pulled from him as she tried to keep herself upright. “I’m sorry.” She squealed as water was splashed at her, the woman quick to return the favour before she jumped and prayed that he could catch her, knocking them both deeper into the water as he kept the two of them upright, her legs now wound around his waste. “What if I promise to never let go now?”

Her laughter, the way she squealed as the water had hit her, the enjoyment he could feel in his bones just from being around her, there was no mistaking it, no matter how hard he tried to fight off the feeling he couldn’t. Somehow, some way, Aless had fallen for Ofelia and he found that it was to the point where another day without her just simply wasn’t on the table for him. “Bella mia,” He murmured softly with a chuckle as she wrapped around him, tightly around his waist as he held onto her just as tightly. His heart was beating fast but now he found that it was less from the fear of being in the body of water but now just settling in with these newfound feelings that poured of him. To be reunited with the sun, the waves, everything that made him who he was when he was much younger, the innocence, his own naivety, it all felt like it was rushing back to him, the part of himself that he thought had left him since the past he had endured. He was so grateful at that moment to be lost in the way her smile gleamed even brighter than the glistening water droplets that were on her. Of course he broke the softness of the moment subtly but letting his hands momentarily slip to her backside, but then his hands were innocently splayed across the small of her back. This was a new level of intimacy, of PDA even.

When they had been out in public together before the most they had initiated in was holding hands, a stolen kiss or two, and sometimes even he would spin her around like a dance move. The way she moved gracefully back towards him, peering up at him as if he held everything she could have ever wanted, that look wasn’t lost upon him, and he hoped she could see it written all over his face how much he reciprocated the sentiment. He could feel something lodged in his throat, something he wanted to say to her, but instead he opted to say, “Sei la mia pace. Come hai fatto a rapirmi così facilmente?” Then as he lowered her down slightly so then their foreheads were pressed together, all he could focus on was the sound of her saying his name again, before he said her own, “Ofelia,” He said breathlessly. “Ti rendi conto di quanto mi piaci?”

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. ofelia ]#007

chloeeli-archive:

Chloe helped shove each box onto the cart, each one awkward and hard to grip. She was reminded with each ‘one, two, three’ why she hated moving so much, and she was grateful most of the possessions she cared for most could be kept in a box and a bag. Still, being a little mass of muscle usually meant she was at the top of the list for tasks like this. If it were anyone other than Aless, Chloe would have said no. But, he would bend over backwards for her, so the least she could do was shove some heavy boxes around in return. Seeing as he wouldn’t allow much more than that usually. There were times the fleeting thought of whether their friendship was actually a two way street entered her mind, but she was quick to shove those thoughts away, writing them off as old doubts festered in the darkest parts of her mind from a past she tried too hard to forget. When the final box landed on his apartment floor, Chloe collapsed dramatically onto his couch with a sigh. She could feel the thin layer of sweat that had formed somewhere between box two and box five. “Were you living off cardboard boxes before this,” She asked sarcastically as she took the offered drink. However, she did perk up at the offer. Not that she believed it was Lady Mario, but since this was now code for his mystery prospect, she figured it best to play along. “Is she worth betraying your best friend,” She teased. “No, that’s not my actual question, don’t answer that.” Chloe thought for a moment, looking her friend up and down. He seemed lighter today than she had seen in him before. His jokes more frequent, and laughter almost louder than normal. She couldn’t help but notice it all. “Does she make you happy?” The question came out more deep than she intended, quickly tossing in a quip to throw off the overly emotional bullshit. “Because, I guess I can find it in myself to forgive all other atrocities for that.” She nodded. “Especially if you’re roping me into helping you set any of this up, which I’m sure is what’s coming.”

With the final box in the space, Aless found himself slinking down on the floor as he pulled out his phone to answer some texts and then pull up a menu for one of the local eateries they enjoyed getting food from. He scoured the menu as he took in Chloe’s question. When he moved in, he had a roommate who was barely around and then one day their stuff was just gone. “I mean I kept the cardboard boxes I had for Stella’s entertainment.” He said. That was before he went a little gungho with the items that would keep Stella entertained. The truth was, with his longer hours at the shop, he felt bad having her alone by herself so if she could at least be stimulated while he was away that made him feel better. Aless then passed his phone over to Chloe so that she could peruse the menu, and once they landed on what they wanted, he called the order in before looking at the daunting instructions for the bedframe. The swedish was blurring together and he had forgotten how they were written instructions they were merely illustrations and he had to hope and pray they knew what to do.

Does she make you happy? Suddenly it felt like it wasn’t about the inside joke anymore, and he knew that Chloe wasn’t dumb. Even if he never revealed to her who ‘Lady Mario’ was, she knew well enough that there was someone besides her occupying his time in different ways. He found himself looking at the floor then as he contemplated the question, and was surprised to find that he wasn’t afraid of the answer that he had for her. “It’s still really new to me, but she makes me feel like the world is in different colors or whatever.” He shook his head at how cheesy that must have sounded. “I feel like I could be a better person, that I am one, if that makes sense.”

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. chloe ]#003

chloeeli-archive:

“I don’t know, you tell me. I’m pretty sure it’s a shorter list to talk about all the times women haven’t flirted with you in the middle of one of our hangouts.” She was being dramatic, sure. There were plenty of moments where it truly did just get to be their time to enjoy each other’s company. But, she couldn’t help herself. And, she certainly wasn’t sure she wanted him to actually attempt to flirt with her. Mostly because she didn’t want anyone else getting the wrong idea of their already confusing friendship. They were more so siblings than they ever would be lovers, and that’s the way she liked it. But, curiosity did kill the cat as the saying went. She settled back in her seat, waiting for the show to begin. Then, he gave her a once over, an awkward smile, and a shaky question. She couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped her at his sorry attempt. If she ever needed any confirmation that there would never be romance between the two of them (she didn’t) this was it. Her face scrunched up, and she shook her head. “That’s it? A dopey grin, and a voice drop?” Chloe took a sip from her drink between laughter. “Now I really have to wonder how you think you’re the better flirt.” He had the unfair advantage of an accent, and being over six feet tall, but on actual skill, Chloe was sure she could beat his flirting ten fold.

The laughter fell from his lips as he drew away from Chloe, the tremors from his body getting shakier by the second. “That’s all it takes sometimes,” He said in between breaths, he could feel actual tears falling from his eyes as he swiped them away, giving her a playful shove as he settled upon his drink. He shook off her remark though finding himself shaking his head once again. “I think it’s only because it’s you, Chlo.” He said, and usually that could have been taken out of context but he had a feeling that they both understood what he meant. “The reason why you tragically haven’t fallen for me is because you and I are too much alike, wouldn’t you say?” Aless ordered another round of shots and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder to tousle her around. “I’d like to see you try, like with the brunette over there.”

He pointed over, clearly catching the gaze of the woman who’d been staring at their direction. “I can’t tell which one of us she’s actually interested in, so work your magic.” Aless challenged, before he asked the bartender for a menu for the food. “Sharing or you want your own?” He then leaned over again to joke with the woman on his ability to flirt, the doofy grin, the once over, and all he could see was Chloe’s face getting increasingly more confused. “Are you telling me you’ve never used a once over to attract attention?”

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. chloe ]#004

chloeeli-archive:

Chloe raised an eyebrow at that. “Really? This is a long winded thing for you,” She hummed. Chloe had been hearing things about Lady Mario, as she was now named, for weeks now. Just small things here and there, usually jokes to poke fun at her. But, she couldn’t ignore the fact that it was always about her and no one else. Chloe was almost impressed, but it would fade as the cold months came, and this mystery woman turned out to be overly clingy. Aless didn’t do relationships, that much Chloe knew to be true. “Beer, I’ll hate myself tomorrow if I drink anything else.” Perks of her job meant being up a 6 am to train an all too eager business man trying to find a way to deal with his midlife crisis that didn’t involve a sports car. She opened her mouth to say something else when a woman slid in the seat next to him. She cracked her knuckles a little more aggressive than necessary, shooting a look at the woman in question who slinked away. At least someone could take the hint. Chloe tossed him her jacket to fill the vacant seat to hopefully ward off anymore invaders. She almost laughed at the question, not entirely sure if he was serious. “It’s always been like this everywhere. What are you talking about? You attract women like flies to honey.” Chloe eyed him for a long moment, trying to find what every other woman in town seemed to in him. He had always been her best friend, never once had a romantic thought crossed her mind. But, he had also never even attempted to put a move on her. Most of their time was spent competing to be the best flirt in the room, but she was morbidly curious to be on the other end of it. “Flirt with me,” She stated, nonchalant in the request. “I’m curious to know what every woman in America sees in you. Plus, it might keep some of these wolves away.” Chloe shot a warning glance at another brunette that seemed to be working up the nerve to make her own move.

Maybe it was the tunnel vision he’d been under since he’d started casually seeing Ofelia, but he hadn’t paid much mind to the eyes that were on him. Or maybe he had just been used to it by now, but still with Chloe’s analogy he couldn’t help but laugh. “It can’t always be that easy could it?” Aless questioned before he found that her trick in putting her leather coat next to his empty seat had done enough to ward off a group who had thought about making a move. Then Chloe seemed to stare into his soul for an unsurmountable amount of time, one that made him feel uneasy. He wasn’t sure what her question was going to be next, could have been a continuation on Lady Mario, or whatever other ruse he would have to think about, but then, his mouth nearly fell upon. “I’m sorry, you want me to what?” There were a multitude of reasons why Aless and Chloe would never been romantically linked, but one of the main ones was simply because they were far too similar to each other. Did it make people do a double take every time they were together? Probably. But Aless valued Chloe’s friendship far too much to sully it with one night stands or even anything remotely in the realm of romance.

When he looked at Chloe he just saw a beacon of security, someone who had steadied him in the months they had known each other, someone that honestly he considered family, which was why her request left a dryness in his mouth. “Are you sure?” He asked, only confident enough to take it as a challenge. He was sure she wouldn’t be swayed, but he was curious himself to see what it was that he had done to garner the attention. He took a sip from his drink, before he clapped his hands together to slip into the part, pretend he wasn’t already overwise metaphorically spoken for (was he?). He gave Chloe a smile and looked down at her outfit, the tip of her lips and then her eyes, and then back down to the tip of her lips. “Have you been waiting long?” He uttered, his voice an octave lower, but inside all he could feel was a burgeoning laughter trying to get out of him.

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. chloe ]#004

chloeeli-archive:

Chloe always looked forward to her weekly hangouts with Aless. They had become a staple of her routine, and she could not imagine a time without them at this point in her life. Of course, they had ended up at the town bar this week, for lack of anything better to do. Sometimes, they were there with an intent to drink, but today it was just for the sake of keeping up their tradition. The majority of her friends had been in high spirits as of late, and it was a relief for her. There was nothing more she loved than for the people around her to be happy. As she entered the bar, she was reminded of the only downside of spending time at the bar with Aless: The women. She didn’t fault him for being a flirt, and she couldn’t fault the women in town for fawning over him. With the accent and his appearance, it was a recipe for disaster. But, after months of weekly hangouts, it got tiring. Chloe was not tall, but she was intimidating. Tattoos on display, a leather jacket draped over her shoulder, and muscles on display. Usually that was enough to chase off the girls she didn’t want to deal with, but some of them were bold enough to stare her down. This particular girl seemed to be one of them, Chloe making a point to shoulder check her on the way to her seat. She settled into the seat next to Aless, pursing her lips and shaking her head. “Trouble in paradise, huh? Finding other woman more beautiful than your lover? But, no, thanks. I’ve already burned that bridge.”

Chloe’s off-hand comment had come at him so quickly that he couldn’t stop himself from blushing. Truth was, his eyes hadn’t wandered even for just a moment because he had been so struck and consumed by everything the woman he was presently seeing offered to him. He clicked his tongue against his cheek before he shrugged, “Paradise is still nice and sunny for me,” He said with a grin. It was a vague enough answer, and it was mostly the truth. Things had been better than ever, especially considering he was starting to feel like a better man every single day. “What are you drinking? Beer? Something harder to start? I think they have tapas here too.” He mentioned, before another leggy blonde slipped into the open seat on his left. Her voice sounded like it had been through a garage disposal, her scent was one laden with cigarette smoke, and Aless was incredibly uncomfortable with the entire situation. He brushed her off gently, before looking at Chloe apologetically.

He hated putting her through fighting the people who wanted his attention, and now that he wasn’t presently in the playing field, it was dawning on him how often it appeared to happen, and all he had done was simply exist in the space. He ordered drinks, they clinked their glasses and Aless tried to get closer to Chloe to make it clear he was enthralled in conversation with her, but still they kept coming. “Has it always been like this at this bar?” He chuckled as he shook his head.

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. chloe ]#004

ofeliaortegaarchive:

Life had never been so easy for Ofelia. Ever since she had come home to find Alessandro in her apartment and it had dawned on her that she was well and truly already head over heels - life had just been simple. She wasn’t in love… no love was a big scary word and she wasn’t…she couldn’t be in love with him. But she was smitten, she was incredibly taken with him, she liked him, those things she was brave enough to admit and existing with had proven to be far easier than she could have ever even imagined when she had seated herself at his table for a stupid bet. Of course there was the added benefit of just being closer to work too, at his place she was so much closer to work than hers was, but he was there to help with Frank and he so far hadn’t complained with the amount of clothes she seemed to come with. It was all temporary though, just whilst she worked like this through the summer. But his shelves had had hair care stuff on their and his draws were filled with spare clothes. They were cooped up in their own little bubble, existing together in what seemed like a perfect summer, one she was desperate to cling to. Summer was always filled with more hope, a better outlook and then fall came and life seemed more real - she wanted to make as many memories with Aless as she could.

Why they hadn’t made it to the beach yet she didn’t know, the water was one of her favourite places to be and there was only so much sun left for her to top up her tan, she needed a day away from the world but she still wanted him with her. Luckily he had agreed and in her excitement she had thrown together a basket for them and he was driving them to the beach. Once they were there she might have gotten a little carried away, wasting no time in discarding the lose summer dress she had been wearing to reveal the small white bikini underneath as she raced to the water, ready to just get rid of the last few weeks of stress in the waves. “Alessandro, vieni in acqua!” The chef called through laughter as she caught him watching her, the ends of her hair already dripping from where she had dipped her hands into the water. Retreating back to the edge of the waves she held out her hands. “Mi amor, come swim with me? I’ll hold you the whole time.” She offered as she noted his hesitancy to join her in the water.

The waves hadn’t looked too tumultuous and quite frankly they looked beautiful, but nothing compared to how Ofelia looked with the sun casting over her in her sinfully tasteful white bikini. He had blanked for just a moment and though there was a hollow drumming in his ears from the anxiety he felt about taking a step towards the coast, her voice broke through with the gentle sound of his name falling from her mouth once again, paired with a command in his native tongue. Her laughter was what drew him to take his first step, even as the knots twisted in his stomach, he took a double take to see that a length where they were now there were at least three life guards that were around. But the difference he found was almost earth shattering, he would never put Ofelia in harms way so if something were to happen to her in the water, he wouldn’t turn away and run, in fact he would take the plunge to get her without a moments hesitation. Her hands stretched out to him, so lithe and so welcoming, he took them both in his hands as he drew them up to his lips. Though his heart was pounding all he had to do was focus on Ofelia’s features, the curve of her smile, the giddiness as the waves hit the back of her legs. “The tiniest buoy in all of the coast, attached to me?” Aless questioned as his arms wrapped around her waist.

He could do this, he took in a breath and closed his eyes. Ofelia’s hands felt warm around his shoulders, her forehead pressed against his and there was a sudden calmness that overtook him. This was his favorite place to be, with her wrapped up in him he could accomplish anything, and when he opened his eyes again to peered down at her eyes that looked encouraging, full of life, Aless decided to live out his own alongside her. He nodded then as he walked with her just enough to have his ankles submerge in the water. The scent of the sea salt, the warmth of the water, it welcomed him as if to say it had missed him, and god he hadn’t realized how much he had missed it too. Another wave came by, brushing up just enough to hit his waist and the sound of his own laughter fell, “What happened to holding on to me, you completely let me go!” He said boisterously, splashing water in Ofelia’s direction.

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. ofelia ]#007 #summer time series

chloeeli-archive:

She made a face at the mention of romance, but nodded. Italy was a bit of a pipe dream on her budget, though she supposed there was no better way to get her first experience out of the country than with her best friend. She had to wonder what it would be like to go home to such a large family, all loud, boisterous, and eager to chat. Even if they were pushing her down the aisle towards a person she could have no romantic connection with if she tried. “That could be fun. I could finally see your street legal motorcycle skills, too.” Chloe’s incredulous look gave way to something more nonchalant. “No, sorry. But, hey, you were the ones craving those meatballs. Made your bed, you know?” She still felt her pocket to see if one had magically appeared in there at some point. They reached the bed frame of choice, and the box was far too small for the size of the frame he had picked. It was going to be heavy. Her mind wandered to the several flights of stairs they were going to have to take this up at some point, and she let out a sigh. Still, she got into position on the other side of the box, squatting down and getting a hold on it. Chloe followed his lead, and lifted, arms strained under the weight of the box. Still, she shuffled it onto the cart, and dropped the weight with an exhale. “The next thing you pick has to be so much smaller than that.”

He’d gotten the bedframe, but now he needed the nightstand and of course he was going ahead with the cat tree for Stella because she deserved it. Box after box, he and Chloe heaved it onto the cart until he was sure there wasn’t any room for Chloe to ride along in. The rest of the conversation had died down about Lady Mario and the lessons she’d been taking with Ofelia, though his palms were slightly sweaty thinking about the fact that his best friend had been growing closer with the woman that he’d actively been seeing. Everything with Ofelia was still incredibly brand new at this point and the last thing he wanted to do was put Chloe in a position where she might end up having to choose which person to side with, so his silence felt like a way that he could be less of a burden to her.

They’d run into an issue when going back to his car to get the boxes in, they all nudged in enough but with the fault of him not being able to close his trunk all of the way. He had to barter for some cords to tie them to his bumper and the drive back to his apartment was a blessing as the boxes hadn’t fallen out in the freeway. Once he parked, he made sure to get as close to the door as possible as they would have to make several treks up three flights of stairs with each box. The combination of the steps, the weight of the boxes, and making sure they pivoted in time, when they finally got the last box up, Aless looked at Chloe apologetically. “Okay, you have permission to ask me one thing and one thing only about this Lady Mario fiasco,” He joked, before he grabbed for a beer in his fridge, one that she had definitely earned. “I’ll grab us dinner too, my obvious treat.”

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. chloe ]#003

ofeliaortegaarchive:

“Beh, considerami sorpreso.” The small woman muttered as she looked up at him, still if she was honest, trying to hide the surprise at the fact he had shown up for her. He had shown up and he was standing her like it was the most simple thing in the world? Had her bar become that low or was he just that amazing? With her history she figured it was likely to be a combination of both and when she wasn’t so exhausted she would make sure she found a way to thank him. “More than ok.” Her confirmation followed his question and she pressed a kiss to the side of his lips before vanishing to where he had instructed. It took her a while to even get in the bath as she sat on the toilet and had a moment to herself as she looked at what he had drawn for her. Aless had taken one of the worst parts about her day and just like that he had made it everything she could ever ask. Once she was clean and dressed in something more comfortable, the shirt she had slid into the same one he had lent her weeks ago now but there was just something about it that was a comfort all on her own she reappeared feeling some what more human.

Joining him at the table she felt herself falling for him all over again as her eyes landed on the food and she shook her head. “Where did I find you?” She asked quietly as she reached out to cup the side of his face from where she could reach now that she had settled herself close to him. The place she normally took up was too far away and given she would have skipped out on food just to crawl in bed with him if it hadn’t smelt so amazing, this was much better. Using the hand that wasn’t rested on him as if she needed to feel his touch, Ofelia took her spoon and took her first sip of the stew, a hum following at the mix of flavours he seemed to have gotten so good. She might have been the chef but Aless could hold his own and she adored it. Once her bowl was finished and she had told him about the drags of the day and the fact that it seemed more was in order she lifted her wine glass to her lips once more, her gaze flickering to Frank who was back on the couch asleep. “Do you have to go or can you come to bed with me?”

He briefly eyed the t-shirt she was wearing, noting how it felt on her frame a bit baggier than usual until it dawned on him that it was definitely one of his. He would have said something coyly but he found himself being surprised by the way her hand tenderly cupped his face, her question a bit confounding in the moment. Aless turned so then his lips laced right into her soft palms, tracing as many kisses as he could get in, before she withdrew to try some of the stew. “If I recall correctly, I was minding my business and you decided to sit down at my table and forced me into a bet.” He chuckled. Thinking back to the day they had crossed paths, it was a fact that when he was searching she fell into his path, easily as if she had meant to be there. The conversation flowed just as easily as it did then, only he never could have bargained that while they were betting on whether the mystery couple would make it past date one, they ended up being the ones who’d seen each other again and again.

His hand slipped briefly into her own, he easily drew it up to lace another kiss to her knuckles. Could she tell how touch starved he’d been for her? Then he listened to the drags of her day, how hard she’d been working for the restaurant and how she hoped for a reprieve soon but it felt like no end was in sight. He shared the same sentiment, especially with the influx of clients who were lining up to see him for the fall, discussing how he was essentially booked up well into next year. The money would be good, but what mattered to him was figure out how to juggle his time, and then with the renovations coming soon, he had to figure out how to work in a space that wasn’t his own. When she’d finished, Aless brought the dishes back to the sink and did his best to tidy up in her oasis. Her question had him canting his head to the side, “I’ve got nowhere else to be if you’re inviting me,” He said with a grin. He’d blown out all but two candles, taking them to the nightstand in her bedroom, then once they’d said goodnight to Frank, he scooped her up into his arms. “You’ve been on your feet for too long,” He began, before he plopped her right into bed, the plushness of her bedding feeling like a dream. “It’s okay if you pass out immediately, I’ll be right here,” He teased.

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. ofelia ]#006 #summer time series

where: Hometown Bar with: @chloeeli-archive

Another week had passed which meant the titular time where Aless found himself hanging out with Chloe, the routine they had had for months now that they both swore they would never taper off from unless one of them had fallen seriously ill. Ofelia, who had been staying at his apartment unofficially, had a longer shift and so he let the chef know he would be out, not any later than usual but that he’d see her before it was time for bed. He chuckled softly to him as he slipped his phone into his back pocket, what was this new feeling or knowing she would be here waiting for him? Or perhaps even just already succumbing to sleep from the long day. How had he had someone to come home to?

He didn’t dwell on the moment for too long before he set off to meet Chloe at their agreed upon location. The local bar was a scene that they frequented plenty of times. Sometimes it was just convenient location wise, other times they had some sorrows to drown, today they were meeting in good spirits or at least that was what he had hoped for before the women in the bar seemed to be bold enough to try to interject on their one and one time. “I’m sorry, you want me to what?” Aless addressed one such woman who had tried to take Chloe’s seat that he had been saving. He caught a glimpse at the woman walking towards them, “Unfortunately my plans are sealed for the evening, darling.” He said apologetically. Not before she slipped him his number. He shook his head as Chloe took her seat beside him, sharing a hug with her before he followed suit. “Do you want this number? Way cuter than Lady Mario.” He teased.

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. chloe ]#004

ofeliaortegaarchive:

The feeling in her stomach was still fairly new to her. In more recent weeks it seemed to have made an appearance more than once but before Aless, before this she was confident that she hadn’t felt this way. Not when someone else had slid a ring on her fingers, not as she had gotten ready to spend the rest of her life with him. Did the man currently taking up space in her apartment, in her time, in most of her waking thoughts if she was honest, have any idea how much he had flawed her with just being? God she hoped not because she was nervous every time she was around him and if he happened to not feel the same it would be embarrassing as hell and no doubt she would send him running for the hills. Get it together Ofelia, the woman scalded herself but as she looked back to Aless the tightening in her chest was back and she knew - she was head over heels, well and truly, screwed.

“You know this is more than make sure the cat hasn’t destroyed the place right?” Ofelia asked with a laugh that probably gave away how tired she really was, didn’t matter how tired she was though because she couldn’t stop herself smiling as she wondered closer to him kicking off her shoes and leaning closer to press her lips to his as they met. Fingers wondered to pet Frank for a second, pressing her lips to the top of his head next. “You ran a bath too?” What the hell had she done to deserve anything like this? “Will the food wait if I take a bath first? It smells amazing but I need to get that kitchen smell off of me before I devour it.”

Her question fell and all he could do was grin. “Volevo farti una sorpresa.” He replied simply. That and he had missed her, senselessly. The scarier part was it’d only been a few physical days since they’d seen each other in person. Their texts had been regular on the hour, sometimes there were voice notes of encouragement, other times there were selfies in between, but nothing could compete with seeing her in person, even if it looked like she was able to allow her to be swallowed up by a random hole in the ground. “You’ve been working so hard, bella mia, the least I could do was try to take care of you. Is that okay?” Aless questioned. Before he backed up to allow her passage through to the already tailored bath, nice and warm filled to the brim with bath salts for her aching joints, and scents that would allow her to unfurl from the clamor of the day. “The stew is simmering,” Aless acknowledged, “So however long you need to take.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead then, his eyes glancing towards her bathroom. “Now go, we’ll be here.” He assured her.

Aless settled then in to looking around her dwelling to see what else he could do to help tidy up. Eventually he heard the drain from the bathroom emptying and the sight of Ofelia coming out to change into comfier clothing signaled for him to get two bowls, two spoons, and two glasses for a new wine from her collection. He sat in his normal seat and found Ofelia taking one closer to him rather than across the table. He laughed softly as he poured her a glass of wine. “You look refreshed,” He commented, before he presented his beef stew. “Another Nonna recipe, let me know how you like it.”

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. ofelia ]#006 #summer time series

where: Coastal Beach with: @ofeliaortegaarchive

It shouldn’t have been as easy as it was to slip into this routine with Ofelia, but it had been all in the same vein. Work had been especially taxing on the woman and so naturally Aless tried to offer her an alternative that would have made her commute a little easier. ‘Why not just stay here if you’ve got those big blocks back to back? Frank can come too.’ The moment the sentence had left his lips, he remembered looking into her doe-like brown eyes, a mixture of worry and nerves taking him over until she had smiled broadly over at him before making it disappear with a simple kiss. She hadn’t necessarily said yes outright, but slowly cardigans of hers took up room in his living room, in the laundry room there were dirty chef jackets, an ungodly amount of hair ties had been strewn about his bathroom (while also making a troublesome toy for both Stella and Frank), but despite the breach, Aless felt rewarded with the warmth of her body that had cradled into his own. Nothing about this was anywhere near a trick that had been in his playbook, in fact everything about it was eerie, something he had felt before but not like this. Her sleepy features had been illuminated with the light of the moon presently, Stella and Frank had curled up together perched on a cat tree that Chloe had helped him assemble. He was tired but a part of him worried about what he would miss if he shut his eyes, not wanting to waste a moment that he had with her. This continued on for days until finally Ofelia had suggested going to the beach on one of her only actual days off. Whether or not the restaurant would manage without her was a different story, but today she wanted time for just time them near the water.

Aless didn’t have the heart to protest, and soon enough she was packing them a cooler of food and drinks as he sorted out a beach bag with sunscreen, towels, with a beach umbrella in tow. The drive hadn’t been long, but the parking was somewhat of a nightmare, but the closer they’d gotten to the destination the more Ofelia seemed to hum in delight. It was easy for him to follow her onto the path where the white sand seemed to glisten just as much as the water had. There were screams from children playing in the waters, whistles from the life guards who had been posted, and though he stood frozen, all it took was the touch of her hand on his forearm, guiding him to where she wanted to set up for the day. She’d chosen an area that was close enough where the sea salt was palpable, Aless had set up the blanket, perched the umbrella, and looked at the horizon, could she notice his hands were trembling a bit. Then, out of nowhere, she had taken a run for it towards the coast line, letting the water splash up to her hip all while she screamed in delight and beckoned for him. Alessandro had never sounded sweeter coming out of anyone’s mouth than hers. God, when had he fallen for her? He was all in.

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. ofelia ]#007 #summer time series

ofeliaortegaarchive:

Closed Starter for Aless | @alessandrodinatalearchive

They weren’t dating, but Aless had taken her dancing the second that she had asked when he had wanted to know when he could see her again. She wasn’t his girlfriend, but Ofelia had booked them into an Italian cooking class just to watch the horror on his face as he had tried to correct the cook when they had been trying to make the pizza. They weren’t intoxicated with each other, but she had lost count of the hours they had spent falling asleep on the phone on the nights they couldn’t be together. Ofelia wasn’t in love, but she had lost count of the amount of times she’d had to watch the same episode of New Girl because watching him tangled on the couch at 3am was more fun for her than watching the TV. Aless wasn’t smitten, but they had spent a drunk afternoon swaying in her kitchen to country music that her neighbours had complained about as she had baked him a fresh set of BBQ ribs to give him a little taste of Texas. It wasn’t serious, but Ofelia did still have scrape marks on her knees from where Alessandro had spent the whole weekend trying to teach her how to skateboard before he had given up and just pulled her along as she stood still. They weren’t official, but the staff at work knew him by name and had stopped questioning his presence after hours whilst the two of them made their way through the list of cakes that had brought them together in the first place.

They weren’t dating. And she certainly didn’t need him, but the memories of him speaking Italian was her new favourite sound. The warmth of his chest was her new favourite place to exist. Mozzarella tasted a little bit better when she caught it on his lips. The feeling of his kisses on her neck was her absolute favourite sensation.

They weren’t dating. And she certainly didn’t need him, but maybe she did? At very least she wanted him and she had begun to rely on having him around more than she would cared to admit. That much had been proven as she had text him and asked him to check in on Frank, telling him where the spare key had been stashed as she rounded out her 14 hour day in the kitchen. Just the fact that he had agreed to check in on him when she wasn’t around had floored her enough but she she opened to the door of her apartment the woman found herself pausing, eyes widening as she took in the image in front of her. The man, that she was most certainly not dating, was curled up on her couch with her cat. There was a pan of something that smelled gorgeous on the stove and her favourite candles were lit waiting for her. Whatever this feeling was she wasn’t sure, but all she think about in that very moment was - just like that, she was all in.

“Hi…”

When will I see you again? He had asked her, and she replied with the next available day and the task she wanted to do. He hadn’t gone dancing in so long, but keeping in rhythm with her felt just as natural as how they had fallen into each other. She dazzled him in ways that he couldn’t keep track of anymore, all he knew was there was a brewing feeling in the landscape of his heart, seeping deep under his skin, skin that Ofelia had grazed upon time and time again. Days that had been filled with monotony had changed into vibrancy, even on days where they simply sought out each others company in the form of laying together on a couch after a particularly taxing day. How was it that this woman had managed to make a home in the crook of his chest? How did his arms wrap around her like they were meant to be securely around her for as long as they could possibly stay there? He was laughing so much more these days, blushing twice as hard, and growing more mesmerized at what the chef had offered to him. Her tenacity when she wanted to try (and failed) at learning to skateboard, her boldness in taking him to an Italian cooking lesson when he could have just instructed her for free in the privacy of one of their homes, her generosity when it came to encouraging him to get out of his own comfort zone. But she didn’t even know that that was her impact on him.

He was never known to seeing any of the women he had gone on dates on more than once or twice. But Ofelia had changed that rule and flipped it on its head. Were they dating? Were they casual? Were they simply enjoying each other? He could have argued for all of the above, but he wouldn’t dare utter it, nor would he dwell on it for a second too long. All that mattered to him was that there was a routine in his life now that intertwined with her, whenever she needed him he would answer the call and he was sure she would have done the same for him.

But with the summer rush steadily taking over, he was physically seeing her much less due to her 14 hour shifts at work. To supplement the lack of time, he found himself being thankful to hear her soft voice on the other end of his phone, even more so grateful that no matter how tired she seemed to sound, her lyrical laughter was always just the same. The way she told him that it was okay to miss her, almost made his heart skip a beat, but what made his grin spead was when she confirmed she missed him just as much. That was why when Ofelia had texted him to check in on Frank for her as she did her third 14 hour shift in a row, Aless of course agreed but with a surprise. She’d been working so hard and he finally had enough time in his schedule where he could afford to take the time to stay around her place for the evening with nowhere to go the following day. It was easy finding her spare key, letting himself into the apartment that he now knew like the back of his hand. Frank always greeted him with enthusiastic meows and today as he juggled paper bags with ingredients, he could only chuckle as he said, “Let’s make her something special tonight, yeah?” With the spezzatino simmering on the stove, Aless eventually found him on the couch with Frank curled up onto his chest, their attention was drawn to the sound of her door opening and with the back drop of her favorite candles being lit, he took in the vision of her. Finally. “Hello,” He said with a chuckle. He got up carefully from the couch, carrying Frank with him in his arms to greet her. “You look exhausted,” He said, a bit concerned. “Do you want a bath or dinner first?”

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. ofelia ]#005 #summer time series

ofeliaortegaarchive:

“I know but you have to prove your worth for something.” He had done plenty of that last night, and again in the bath and she didn’t doubt that he would be able to prove it again later if she challenged him to but it was easier to have someone else to do all of the thinking whilst she got to flutter around and taste everything that was in reach of her. Introducing Aless to Joan had been, still flustered from the words that had been whispered in her eat she had tried and failed miserably to describe Aless as a friend and instead she had confirmed that he was something indeed before the woman had proceeded to spoil the sleepy angels they had in their crates with them. She had watched as Joan had looked Aless up and down before giving her a wink as the male had taken a second to glance away at their list and she had stilled a scoff pressing her fingers to her lips. It was surprising this man didn’t have a bigger ego or he at very least did enough to hide it from her in the time that they had spent together. With ease she slipped into his side and she found it odd how easily he seemed to slip into this space with her. She normally found the market so refreshing and peaceful, a place to clear her head and she had never really allowed anyone into that space with her but with Aless? It was like he hadn’t even realized there was a door to make it through, he had just been there with her and it felt so god damn normal. Feeling eyes on them Ofelia came to a still for a second, catching one woman in particular who she had noted a few times through the morning - her gaze ever so slightly more envious than others. “Non sarebbe una tua fan, vero?” The woman whispered as she moved to wrap an arm around her neck, chest resting with his own. It should have sparked jealousy in her she supposed, but it wasn’t like she was blind - even the first night she had sat herself at his table at work there had been people looking at him. Right now though? Right now he was her’s and just having him for a moment felt like it was going to be worth it, even if she didn’t get to keep him. “ Si, per favore portami a casa ” Nudging her nose with his once more she pulled away with great reluctance as she settled herself back into his side to they could head back.

The unwanted gaze that fell upon himself and Ofelia almost made Aless’ jaw tighten just a bit. He definitely recognized the woman who now seemed to be staring daggers at them, and all he could feel was a mixture of confusion and indifference. He’d barely went on a singular date with the woman yet somehow she seemed to have a weird possessiveness over him. “Definitely not a fan, bella mia.” He murmured softly to Ofelia, “If anything I’m pretty sure she wishes she could strike me down where I stand.” A soft chuckle fell from his lips as he thought about it again, it was certainly a bullet that he had dodged, especially as he felt the softness of Ofelia’s hand resting on the nape of his neck. It felt secure, safe, warm, something he’d dream of later more likely than not. “If you ever see her near your job, get her escorted out yeah? Non voglio che ti succeda niente.“ The softest nudge of Ofelia’s nose against his own, had Aless pressing a tender kiss to the crown of her head, eventually they made it back to her apartment, setting Stella and Frank free from their soft crates though they immediately went to perch and sleep from their walk. He helped Ofelia with washing the fruits she had bought from the market, stealing bites from the food and kisses from the chefs lips. This was turning out to be a very dangerous routine, but one that Aless wouldn’t have minded falling into. As night fell and work looming, Aless could feel for the first time a sort of reluctance as he stood by Ofelia’s door. “As much as I would love to stay, your apartment is too far from my job.” He joked. Truthfully if he hadn’t had so many big pieces that would have required him to be in top form, he would have stayed and continued to exist in their bubble. “When can I see you again?” He found himself asking, before he dipped down to kiss her once more, as if he wouldn’t get the chance again.

#[ interactions ]#[ stories. ofelia ]#004

maneater420

#[ musings ]#[ ft. ofelia ]

antidxte

alessandrodinatalearchive

@ofeliaortegaarchive

#[ musings ]#[ ft. ofelia ]

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