how non-writers think writing works: creating a detailed outline and plan, writing each section carefully and weaving in all the different story threads like a master creator, expertly creating a masterpiece with care and precision
how writing actually works: daydreaming that one scene, creating a half-formed plot in a daze all around it, swearing at characters that don't magic themselves into existence, becoming absolutely obsessed with the story for a solid week, it becomes your entire life, you sit down open a blank word document and write approximately two and a half chapters, lose interest, daydream an entirely new idea for a new story, rinse and repeat
Summary: Carlo’s main goal, aside from the obvious when it came to his dysfuncional family, was to make Sophia the happiest person on the planet. If it meant attending a convention full of cosplayers while also parading around in a fancy outfit from a game he had never played, so be it. But not considering it a challenge proved to be his biggest mistake and to save himself from spiralling meant letting a certain person to breach his comfort zone and help him back on the track.
OR
How Romeo met the perfect cosplayer just to get his lofty expectations crushed, but realizing he may be somebody much more to him, given the chance. Potentially also letting Lea win.
Can be found on Ao3.
“The convention? Well, it’s the plan, but it’s not set in stone yet, life’s been busy and all that,” Romeo pulled Spot on his lap, to stop him from parading over his keyboard, and the chat on the stream collectively awwwed. The kitten immediately attacked his hand, but at least it dissuaded it from messing up the stream anymore, like thrice before, when it managed to end it like it was its life mission.
[Discoballuser]: what about the cosplay you still going with the star wars theme?
“Oh, yeah, that one’s definitely a go,” Romeo answered, reaching for his phone to pull out a photo of mostly done costume on a mannequin, showing it to the camera. “Looks rad, right?”
[AllHailSpot]: That yours or Carlo’s?
“That’s my man’s,” Romeo grinned, looking at the costume a bit longer. Perfectly hugging the places it was supposed to hug. Certified.
[xSureJanx]: cuz you go as Lea amirite
“How do you know that?” Romeo faked a scandalous gasp. “It was supposed to be a secret!”
[xSureJanx]: sure jan
[AllHailSpot]: Where’s your man anyway? You promised he’ll be streaming with you ☹
“In the shower right now,” Romeo scratched Spot’s little head once the kitten finally decided it bit him enough and calmed down. “Don’t worry, he’ll come.”
[BroCode]: will he 😉
“Shush, you,” the blond chuckled. Carlo would definitely flip him off if he read that. He could only hope the chat would be fast enough to hide it, since he heard the door to the bathroom opening.
A few seconds later, Carlo emerged from the steamy chamber, a towel locked around his waist, hair still wet, just casually strolling into the living room like he had no idea the stream was running. Another three seconds later, Romeo realized he really had no idea, but it was too late to warn him, and he entered the frame like a paid porn actor getting ready for the set.
The chat, as expected, exploded.
“Love,” Romeo turned around, appraisingly checking him out, and Carlo let out a thoughtful hum while starting into his phone. “I’m already live.”
“Mhm,” the boy confirmed.
Several seconds passed. Carlo was still standing there, typing on his phone. The towel hung dangerously low on his slim hips.
Romeo wanted to go and lick all the remaining water off him.
“You’re in the frame,” he added with badly hidden amusement. “Chat’s saying you look really sexy today.”
Chat was saying a lot more than that, but… yeah.
“Hm?” That finally made Carlo raise his head, and Romeo could almost see the loading icon behind his eyes as he started to take in the scene. His boyfriend at the PC, a wildly running wall of text behind him on the monitor, the green light on the webcam, and he, standing in all his glory, right in the viewfinder. “Wha- oh fuck, I’m sorry!”
He dipped out like somebody shot him, making Romeo bark out a laugh.
“I thought it was scheduled for 7, not 6!” he heard him squeal when he ran to the bedroom to get dressed, he’d assume. “Fuuuuuck.”
“It’s okay, chat really liked it,” Romeo assured him, reading the comments where some could probably qualify for a warning. But then again, wild half half-naked Carlo appearing probably warranted the reaction.
A groan came as a reply, and Spot jumped out of his arms and ran to the bedroom after Carlo. Seconds later, he could hear him cooing at the cat, and all was well again.
Getting the cat was Sophia’s idea. She called it “baby time”, and Romeo could see why – the kitten was like a hyperactive child on five shots of espresso, and they loved it. Carlo even got him a cute collar with a bell, so now they had Christmas cheer every time the kitten moved. Naming him Spot was a given, especially since it was an orange cat, and Carlo didn’t fight it, despite not really knowing why that name in particular.
It took about five minutes for Carlo to finally join him, dressed in Romeo’s hoodie (that was, by now, technically his because he always snatched it before Romeo could even see it being dry from the wash), walking to his chair to hug him from the back and plant a small kiss on his cheek.
“Hey guys,” he waved to the camera, and the chat enthusiastically greeted him back. “Sorry about flashing you earlier. It may happen again.”
The fact that the chat got flooded with please, let it happen again soon made Romeo raise a warning finger, while Carlo just casually took a seat on his lap, like he always did.
It had been three years since they started dating, and two years since they moved in together once they managed to secure a nice, cozy apartment. Up until today, Romeo wasn’t sure how the hell they got so lucky with this place, but since it was 98 % Carlo’s initiative, he decided his lover was either a magician or mafia and simply got things done by a flick of his wrist.
Or maybe it was just a sheer force of his resolution to leave his father’s influence behind – in those three years, Romeo could tell it might have been the biggest driving force he had ever had.
They never officially met with Giuseppe Geppetto. He had seen him in photographs and some videos, but since Carlo did his best to push him out of his life, it would make no sense for them to be introduced to each other. And Romeo had a sneaking suspicion it would be the last day of his life if they ever did, because that man would probably murder him for seducing his son. Carlo claimed his old man did not care enough about him in that regard, but even if he had only seen his son as his prodigy or heir, having a gay relationship surely derailed some of the pristine image he created in his head.
When Romeo told Lea he planned to move in with Carlo a year into their dating, she made a face of disagreement – he remembered that clearly like it was yesterday – before catching herself and only nodding. She never explained that moment, despite Romeo asking her several times, but if he had to guess, she probably didn’t have much faith in them lasting at first and maybe considered the move premature.
Yet, she still helped him with the moving shenanigans, and he couldn’t deny certain sadness over leaving their arrangement (although not her underwear in his drawers or the wars they led over who was going to do the dishes).
“And you think it’s going to be different with him?” she snorted when they were loading the boxes into his car. “That he’ll be happy to do dishes all the time? Or that your underwear won’t mix up? Now you won’t even know if it’s yours or not.”
“Yeah, but at least it won’t be a lacy thong that has to chafe you everywhere,” he returned the sass to her. “And we have a dishwasher. Checkmate.”
“Yeah, so you’ll argue about unloading it after it’s done with the washing, you’re so naïve,” she shot back, but still smiled almost fondly. “It’s just… strange. Not to have you around anymore.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, because it was. They had known each other for so long, he assumed this was how children from normal families felt when leaving the nest. “But I want to be with him so bad, Lea. This year had been hell when I couldn’t see him every day.”
“Ugh, love,” she rolled her eyes.
“And his dad is a dickhead, so he just wants to get away,” he added with a sigh, at which her face softened.
“Hm,” she hummed. “I get that. I hope it works out for him. The distance, I mean.”
They never really talked about Lea’s ties to Sophia, despite Romeo trying to breach the topic after he got back from the convention, where he found out. Lea admitted Sophia was her sister and the reason she left home had not been her, but she remained tight-lipped about the rest. And Romeo respected her decision and never pried further.
They made a collective decision with Carlo not to tell Sophia at all, for now. And it had been three years already.
Once they moved into their new home, Carlo’s sleeping schedule improved by 100 % and even though Romeo might be biased, he would vouch for it just made him even more beautiful, that full, sexy restfulness. Even when they argued (and it was mostly rare, but not impossible), they still slept together because Romeo couldn’t bring himself to leave Carlo struggling with falling asleep. And it usually helped them to make up anyway, that shared proximity. By the morning, they usually kissed, and when they kissed, they made out, and when they made out… Anyway, happiness, Romeo thought, was Carlo in disguise.
In the first year of dating, they had seen each other sporadically. They called each other daily, of course, video calls and texts and all you could think of, but with school for Carlo and work for Romeo, actually meeting face to face had been very sparse.
But once they finally could see each other after 3 months for the first time since the convention, Carlo almost fainted when he found out Romeo had his last growing spurt and now towered above him by a good 15 cm more.
“What have you been eating?! Fertilizers?!”
“It was the loneliness and craving for you,” Romeo joked, kissing the top of Carlo’s head with much more ease than before. He loved it. “Which means you can’t leave me alone anymore.”
“Yeah, or you’ll be a new Slenderman, holy fuck,” Carlo grumbled, but still latched onto him with a hug so tight he probably spent those three months in the gym instead. “Oh my god, I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you, too, love,” Romeo whispered into his lips, kissing him breathless without care that they were still at the bus stop. “Let me kidnap you now.”
“Please do,” Carlo chuckled, and they didn’t leave their hotel room for two days.
Once they moved in, Carlo started appearing more in Romeo’s online endeavours. He wasn’t a gamer or fiction consumer, but he enjoyed watching Romeo play games and once, when he streamed over discord to do movie night, Carlo appeared in the frame by a chance, just getting something from the living room, and the chat immediately noticed him, frantically pointing out it was P and how the hell was he in Romeo’s home.
“You mean my wonderful boyfriend?” Romeo grinned into the camera because he never told the group, obviously. It wasn’t like he posted his private life or anything; it was mostly just fun with cosplays and games, like a tightly closed community where he acted as an admin and mostly just did this in his free time.
[AllHailSpot]: YOU ACTUALLY GOT TOGETHER???
[Imp451]: bro you pulled him? Congratz!
[BroCode]: what the hell, since when!
“Well…” Romeo started, trying to find the right words to put it as nonchalantly as possible, when Carlo suddenly appeared next to him, leaning down to read the chat.
“Pff, why are they so surprised we started dating?” he asked in amusement. “I mean, have you seen this guy? Who wouldn’t want to?”
[AllHailSpot]: That’s completely fair.
[BroCode]: cuz he’s a nerd and you seem like you drink coffee and read poetry
“Oi,” Romeo huffed while Carlo laughed at that and sat on Romeo’s lap so he could read better.
That was, honestly, how it all came to be. The chat started to demand Carlo’s presence, and when the boy had time, he joined Romeo at most of those streams. They even riled him enough to try playing Lies of P and that became its own thing for at least a month, before Carlo managed to beat it through blood and sweat (and sometimes Romeo’s help with certain bosses. The chat called that bribery, because Carlo always acted ultra seductive when he wanted Romeo to clear it for him).
Eventually, Carlo agreed to attend another convention with Romeo, and they even decided to do a little meet and greet with the Discord server people. To make their costumes Star Wars themed was more of a jest, but Carlo liked the designs of the clothes, and when they talked about it with Sophia, she gleefully announced she’d join them as well, planning to go as Lea (which would make some people in the server sad, Romeo joked).
“Back to the shatterline,” Carlo smiled, looking at Hotel Krat being their destination again while booking the tickets. “The place where you changed my life.”
“And where you changed mine,” Romeo cuddled him closer.
They left the chat call them sickeningly sweet and started the movie instead.
Summary: Carlo’s main goal, aside from the obvious when it came to his dysfuncional family, was to make Sophia the happiest person on the planet. If it meant attending a convention full of cosplayers while also parading around in a fancy outfit from a game he had never played, so be it. But not considering it a challenge proved to be his biggest mistake and to save himself from spiralling meant letting a certain person to breach his comfort zone and help him back on the track.
OR
How Romeo met the perfect cosplayer just to get his lofty expectations crushed, but realizing he may be somebody much more to him, given the chance. Potentially also letting Lea win.
Can be found on Ao3.
[Pianist]: Morning! Slept well?
[BlueFairy]: I certainly did, but what about you? :o
[Pianist]: Yeah, pretty good tbh. All night too, I have a feeling Romeo has some sleeping powder on him or something…
[BlueFairy]: Or he tired you out properly 😉
[Pianist]: He did tire me out, yeah. But it was mutual.
[BlueFairy]: :O
[BlueFairy]: Dish! What happened!
[Pianist]: Well… Some stuff happened. Now we plan to get married. Have about three kids, probably. They are going to be fabulous. I hope they are blond.
[BlueFairy]: I hope you consider me to be your bridesmaid.
[Pianist]: You know. I’m not correcting you.
[BlueFairy]: I’m pretty sure there’s nothing much to correct 😉
[Pianist]: Aren’t you a know-it-all.
[BlueFairy]: No phone call in the middle of the night, no distressed discord messages, Hugo had no calls either… It’s safe to say you had no troubles over there and I’d even bet Romeo didn’t keep his hands to himself either.
[Pianist]: Lmao. You know, he was saying this morning that you’ll definitely suspect him, and here we are.
[BlueFairy]: And? Is there a reason for me to suspect him?
[Pianist]: Mm, yea… I suppose. But I think he wanted to be good for the sake of it. I ruined that effort.
[BlueFairy]: YOU seduced HIM?
[Pianist]: Eeeh, seduced is a strong word… I just wasn’t opposed.
[BlueFairy]: Entering your sex fiend era?
[Pianist]: Excuse me. I just dipped my toes. Doesn’t mean anythi
The phone dropped onto the bed with three small bounces, and Carlo crashed right next to it, his neck being sucked on and kissed while he could barely stifle the moans. Both of Romeo’s hands were under his shirt, Romeo’s shirt, caressing his naked skin like he couldn’t get enough, and once another weight started pressing him down right between his legs, he grabbed a handful of that blond, silky hair and led the offensive mouth to his for a deep, filthy kiss.
It was almost half past nine. They were supposed to leave before ten. But the moment they packed up and got dressed, Romeo had an idea for one more cuddle.
Just a cuddle, he said. Just let me hold you a bit, he said. Hugging him from behind, just softly kissing his neck, nothing too crazy. And Carlo liked it, so why not? He could write to Sophia in the meantime while basking in the attention; it would work out.
It escalated so fast that his comment about dipping his toes only felt like a lie.
“We need to go,” he mumbled between the French lessons, hearing Romeo hum in agreement but making zero effort to act on it. Instead, he stole Carlo’s air again, rubbing against him with no shame, and Carlo just couldn’t find the will to mind and accepted it willingly.
Fuck, was he getting addicted to this? Was his I’m not really interested in sex and dating morphing into I need this man like the air to live? Was it something so uniquely tied to Romeo only? Because the idea of never seeing him again almost hurt him physically.
“Romeo,” he whined, arching into the touches like a hopeless addict, trying to pull on the blond hair to break the spell that held them.
“I know, I know,” Romeo sounded even more desperate, drinking him in like he was drowning – and they already did the horizontal tango yesterday, why didn’t it pass? If anything, the desire only grew stronger.
They had no time to get messed up again. They both knew. The rationality of the situation was right there, pushing onto them with sharp edges of a check-out countdown, but had it stopped them? Not a chance.
Once Carlo felt a hand down his pants, and then the kisses travelled over his stomach, where Romeo pulled up the shirt, and the hand got replaced by a searing hot mouth, he gave up on caring completely.
***
It was Carlo’s idea to go to the con and find Sophia there. The panic he felt yesterday about the coat felt like a needless worry over the possibility of getting more alone time with Romeo, in his hotel room. Because they were staying until Monday, he had a room to himself and a big bed, and… alright, maybe he did enter his sex fiend era.
He could have called Hugo directly. He knew he was allowed to, after all. But even in his now desire-clouded brain, he needed to see Sophia face to face after ditching her so selfishly yesterday. The only downside was Romeo needing to drag his suitcase along with them, but he didn’t seem to mind, and once they got back to Krat, the reception was kind enough to hold it for him in safekeeping.
That way, Romeo had free hands and immediately got them to work while curling his arm around Carlo’s waist.
“Sophia said she’s going to be here in half an hour,” Carlo noted once they were walking through the hallway, looking at his phone. “Want to go to some panel in the meantime?”
“You know,” Romeo swayed them in a different direction. “I have an idea.”
“We’re not having sex in the bathroom,” Carlo said sternly, only to get a wide-eyed reaction from a passing couple. “Uh oh.”
“Good job,” Romeo snickered, and Carlo realized he led them not for a quickie in a public place, but to the big, expensive looking piano in a library area. “But I’m not that filthy-minded, you know.”
“Could have fooled me.”
“Tsss,” the blond nudged his side. “So. Tell me, have I unlocked a high enough level of your affection to make you play for me?”
Somehow, Carlo thought the question was redundant and stupid. Wasn’t it apparent? Their lack of personal space, constant physical contact, the kissing they did on every other corner – was that all just a normal thing for this guy?
Is it just me feeling this way? Is it just… a fling, for him?
“Love,” Romeo’s voice broke the spiral like an arrow. “Don’t get too deep in that head of yours, hm? Talk to me.”
How was it even possible for him to so easily tell Carlo was spiralling? Did it show on his face or…?
“Sorry,” he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Sometimes it’s just… a quick thought and I’m overthinking.”
“I gotcha,” the blond kissed his temple sweetly. “I’m here for you, and I won’t let you go too deep, okay?”
Do I actually love him?
How did this even happen? Or when? It seemed so sudden, to fall so hard. Was it some kind of fate that happened if one meets the right person? Or was Carlo just so easily smitten?
“Okay,” he answered in simpler terms. “You unlocked the highest level, so… you don’t need to worry about any obstacles from now on.”
A genuine adoration flashed across Romeo’s face, so intense Carlo felt it like a hand that squeezed his heart in the most delicious pressure. Before he could react, Romeo grabbed his hands and pulled them to his lips, kissing them both.
“I adore you so much, I fear it might be illegal,” Romeo whispered to his hands, sweetly, almost sickeningly so – something you see when people propose. But here, it had no ring, no kneeling, just a man pouring his heart out to another, who feared it might get him drunk.
“Well, aren’t you sweet.”
“Of course I am,” Romeo rubbed his hands with his thumbs, almost soothingly. “I want to use you as a fan service; I have to lure you somehow.”
“Cheat,” Carlo snorted, but let himself be led towards the piano anyway. If him playing would make Romeo happy, there was not a single reason why he’d have to deny that request.
“You have something specific in mind?” he asked while sitting down on the stool, uncovering the piano keys like a hidden treasure.
Old pianos like these were always somewhat humbling for him, respect-worthy. His first ever concert had been on almost an identical one, and he was only eleven that time. He could still remember it clearly – the enormous auditorium, the stage with the piano in the middle, and him, sitting at it, small and nervous and heartbroken, because his father didn’t bother attending.
Work, he said back then. Do well, he added when leaving through the main door of their house.
His father’s assistant drove him to the concert and sat in his father’s place. At least he clapped for him when the performance ended.
“I do, but…” Romeo scrolled on his phone, finding the piano notes and showing them to him. “I’m not sure how doable it is for you like this?”
Carlo looked over the notes thoughtfully. It was fairly complicated, but not difficult, written in A♭ major and F minor.
„It should be fine,“ he mused, trying out some parts. The piano was thankfully tuned, too. “Oh, it has auto scroll?”
“Yeah,” Romeo leaned against the piano with a smile. “Which reminds me, can I borrow your phone? For the camera.”
“Oh right, your fan service needs,” Carlo rolled his eyes at him, but at the same time, it wasn’t like he minded. He handed him the camera-ready phone to have fun with it and returned to the task at hand to familiarize himself with the piece – it had a nice, melancholic flow, and he had no doubt it came from the game as well.
After a few minutes, he felt confident enough to play it whole and shooed Romeo away from the stool.
“You want a video, right? Make me look cool at least,” he instructed him with a smirk, and Romeo, against his expectation of taking the side angle, stood much nearer to the front, seeing him through the gap between the risen lid and the lid prop. He raised an eyebrow at him in a silent question, but the blond only sent him a kiss, so he decided to play the piece instead.
His fingers glided over the keys with much more ease than he had expected them to, thinking this could contribute to his old man’s plight of him missing his piano lessons while being out here. While the track had been rather short, he still really enjoyed the melody.
The little twirl at the end gave it a nice, hopeful touch, too. It made him wonder what the story was behind this music, and who would be a better source of information than Romeo?
He raised his head from the keys, finding Romeo at the same spot, just clicking on the phone to probably stop the recording, and his eyes were almost misty.
Oh boy. Was it a funeral song or something?
There were more people around them now, apparently lured in by the song, and to his ultimate dismay, the two mean furries from the first day stared at him too.
“You know,” Romeo thankfully approached, taking the distaste away immediately, “every time I think I can’t love you more, you just have to add more absolutely irresistible charm.”
“You’re cute,” Carlo chuckled. “Fangirling over your favourite character playing your favourite song.”
“Damn straight,” Romeo took it in stride, reaching for his phone to scroll for a while. Then returned it to the lid, playing a video called Ballad of P, and Carlo blinked in surprise.
The song was the same, showing a videogame character playing it, dressed in the exact white shirt, just with the armoured hand Carlo hid in Romeo’s suitcase for safekeeping, and… okay, yeah, he could see the resemblance somehow?
“Oh,” he voiced out, looking at the screen until the video ended. “I see now. That… was pretty spot on, I suppose?”
“My wet dream,” Romeo lowered his voice for only him to hear. “And you fulfilled it. In more ways than one.”
Carlo couldn’t stop the shudder heating up his body. The voice immediately reminded him of the hands mapping every contour of him, the hot lips worshipping him, the sweet pain melting into pleasure when filling him, and he was in a public hell right now.
“Ah, there she is!” Romeo’s voice thankfully interrupted that line of thought, and the sight of Sophia approaching them doused him in a cold shower, so it worked out just fine.
“I missed you playing?!” she hurried towards them in her cosplay, looking almost crestfallen.
“I have it on video,” Romeo said, handing her Carlo’s phone. “But since you’re here, we can try something else for Sophia?”
“Sure,” he squeaked out, hoping it didn’t sound as pathetic as he felt it did, especially when he noticed her looking him over like a strict mother.
Yes, the shirt was still slutty. Yes, Romeo didn’t spare his neck and his chest, and he left hickeys. Yes, they attempted to cover them up to various degrees of success.
He was grateful when Romeo handed him his phone with a new track called Lisrim – much longer than the one before, and also much harder.
Might have to use the middle pedal for the staccato parts in the right hand…
He managed to tune out their conversation while he tried some parts out, and once he was ready, he shooed them away again.
“I’ll probably mess up some parts on the first try,” he warned Romeo apologetically.
“I’ll still love you to death, don’t worry about it,” the blond assured him with a thumbs up, then probably realizing Sophia was right next to him and let his arm fall back down sheepishly.
Guess it was time to distract her with the song instead.
***
“Oh my god, this is so perfect, send it to me as well!”
Carlo just sipped his coffee while sending both Romeo and Sophia the first video, glad the atmosphere remained peaceful and friendly. They decided to sit down together in the dining room to catch up, and so far, Romeo and Sophia were chatting without stopping.
Good, he thought. At least he had time to come up with a way to tell her about the coat. And to shake off the aftertaste of the furries, who decided to stop him when he wanted to leave the piano, to very grudgingly tell him he was decent.
The fuck he was, for the first time seeing it and playing it, he messed up once, and in his opinion, it wasn’t even that noticeable. Pricks. At least Romeo praised him properly, and Sophia gave him a huge hug full of glee.
“And the cosplay combo is so good with it, too,” Sophia played the video on her phone, smiling to herself. “I love it. Such a great idea!”
“Right? Knew right away I needed to get him into that shirt,” Romeo chimed in, all smiles, and Carlo decided it was the right moment for him to come clean.
“The coat got dirty,” he announced apologetically. “By someone’s spaghetti. But it’s being cleaned right now, and it’s salvageable, I swear.”
“Alright,” Sophia smiled softly. No face-making, no horror in her eyes, no scolding. Just alright. “I got the bottom part of the dress dirty already, too. Somebody’s snack landed right on top. I guess we both attract food.”
“You know, you might be right,” Carlo nodded to that, relieved she took it so well. He caught Romeo’s knowing look, and yeah, okay, he did say there was no way Sophia would make a scene over it, but tell that to his overthinking brain.
“Never mind that,” she switched to a much more serious expression. “Are you two forgetting to tell me something, maybe?”
“Thank you for being so beautiful?” Romeo offered first, smoothly, making Carlo bark out an involuntary laugh. Not because it wasn’t true, but because it just landed so well.
“You’re welcome,” she smiled overly sweetly at him. “Anything else?”
“I hope you haven’t eaten the whole ice-cream,” Carlo shot next, a tease, more like, knowing the dodginess would make her flare up.
“I did, if you must know,” she said sharply. “What else was I supposed to do when my best friend found himself a boyfriend and left poor me alone.”
“Ouch.”
“And on top of everything!” she added dramatically, “is now playing dumb!”
“Yeah, why are you playing dumb,” Romeo joined her with an amused glint in his eyes. “In front of your best friend and your boyfriend?”
His boyfriend. That sounded so crazy to him – he got himself a boyfriend?!
They didn’t establish anything after tonight. Sure, they were gushy and admitted catching feelings, but neither of them said anything about labels and names. Carlo didn’t want to assume, and he could only guess Romeo felt the same.
“I’m emotionally stumped, I apologize,” he delivered in a deadpan voice. “Boyfriend.”
“Mmmmhm.”
It sounded good on his lips. Boyfriend.
His father would have a heart attack.
Honestly, he hoped he would.
“Really, I’ve just wanted to see you,” he turned his attention back to Sophia. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone, though.”
“I know you do,” she dropped her persona and reached for his hand over the table to squeeze it. “But don’t worry. I’m just glad you didn’t end up pregnant.”
Romeo spat out his coffee, and Carlo had a sneaking suspicion she timed saying that exactly at the point when he took a sip.
“Not for the lack of trying,” Carlo played her game, making Romeo sputter even more, then, in panic, trying to clean the mess on the table with napkins.
“Carlo Geppetto, you animal!” she gasped as if she had just heard the biggest scandal on the planet, and Romeo wheezed next to them.
At least it made asking her if they could borrow Hugo’s driving services more suggestive, and Carlo enjoyed every second of Romeo’s reddening face.
He could only hope they’d have many more such instances in the future, together.
Summary: Carlo’s main goal, aside from the obvious when it came to his dysfuncional family, was to make Sophia the happiest person on the planet. If it meant attending a convention full of cosplayers while also parading around in a fancy outfit from a game he had never played, so be it. But not considering it a challenge proved to be his biggest mistake and to save himself from spiralling meant letting a certain person to breach his comfort zone and help him back on the track.
OR
How Romeo met the perfect cosplayer just to get his lofty expectations crushed, but realizing he may be somebody much more to him, given the chance. Potentially also letting Lea win.
Can be found on Ao3.
Romeo always enjoyed kissing; it connected him to his partner in something more profound and intimate than the whole act of sex ever could – which, probably, was funny to some people. What could be more intimate than the literal joining of bodies?
For him, sex meant nothing unless he had already established something more personal with his partner, and getting to know them on a deeper level could be only topped by a kiss. It was a need for a bond, a testament of his own vulnerability and openness that he craved with them, before anything else.
And crave he did, right in this moment, when he pulled Carlo against his body and stole his breath away, just like he asked. With that beautiful, crying face, he cradled him close, neither of them minding the water from the shower still dripping off him, soaking the shirt and the bed linen under. Carlo threw his hands around Romeo’s naked back, fingers tangling in his hair on the nape, and made no protest against being hoisted up on Romeo’s lap, not even breaking the kiss.
There was nothing chaste about it anymore. No small, simple pecks to play around, this was an exploration, an experience, an answer to his call to be loved. And Romeo wanted to give him all the love in the world, in every breathy moan he drew out of him, at every curl of the tongue and nibble on his lips.
He got so sucked up in the revelry, in the proximity of the source of his fever, that it took him a moment to register that they both ground their hips together in the sheer need of more, something Romeo did not expect tonight at all.
It had been two days since they- oh no, oh god, this feels too good- they met, it would be like he took an advantage- is he grinding on me this hard on purpose?! – of him. Carlo’s vulnerable and even cried a little; he shouldn’t-
“Romeo,” Carlo moaned his name into his lips, needy, clutching his back like a lifeline. “More.”
Well, that does it.
Conscience flew out of the window, and Romeo probably even shut the blinds behind it, too.
One tug and he got Carlo on his back, perfectly fitting between his open legs – bare legs? No shorts or pants? Holy shit – and if he thought of maybe holding back somehow, the fact that Carlo imprisoned him with his ankles locked behind his back just completely destroyed that, too.
Wasn’t he just saying he was inexperienced? Nothing to write home about? And now turned into a succubus?
He did not have much space to think about it, given the way Carlo returned his kisses, like a starving man at a banquet, eager to try every dish on the menu. Romeo couldn’t stop himself much either, his hands found their way under the shirt (his shirt, again, like a mark Carlo wore so proudly, and hell, maybe he should be dressing him in his clothes all the time from now on, to drape him in his scent and likeness), latching onto that perfect, grabbable and kissable waist and Carlo moaned into his mouth in appreciation.
Like he was made for Romeo, to the tiniest detail. His voice, so sweet in his ears, igniting desire he had never felt before, to conquer completely but also cherish, to own but also give, like a perfect existence crossing his path in a fateful encounter.
No, he was never going to let him go.
And he repeated it into his ear, into his skin, his hair, his mouth, a mantra of worship in perfect harmony with Carlo’s cries of pleasure and pain both, while their bodies moved in sync, as if they could read the other’s mind.
A beautiful cacophony of two fated souls finding their missing piece at last.
***
There was a cat, back in the charity house where he grew up - black, with piercing, amber eyes, picky with food, and unpredictable in nature. The kids’ attempts to pet it at least once rarely bore fruit; it always scurried away or lounged in unreachable places, smugly looking down on them as if in challenge.
Romeo gave up hope of being able to pet it after several unsuccessful tries, and after hearing its legend of not warming up to anybody, he accepted the sad outcome. Until one day – a sunny day, he remembered it clearly like it was yesterday, despite being about 11 – he was sitting on the stairs to the house, just catching the rays of sunshine on his skin, when the cat jumped on his lap, kneaded his thighs for a while like a dough to bake a bread from, and then curled into a ball and slept.
The instant joy he felt that day, oh, to be picked by a black, mischievous cat!
Right now, he couldn’t help but be reminded of the story, with Carlo resting on his chest, hair tickling his chin, their hands intertwined. An elusive little bundle of joy, not comfortable with people, chose him as his haven.
“You alright, love?” Romeo kissed the top of his head, a stubbornly untamed mop of dark brown hair, and Carlo made a confirming noise, planting a small kiss on Romeo’s collarbone.
“Probably ready for another bath…”
That drew a chuckle out of him.
“Tell me about it,” he reached for the blanket, which they managed to kick out of the way, covering the elegant contours of Carlo’s back and butt he had to force himself not to grope. “You did so good, though.”
A groan rumbled in Carlo’s throat, disagreeing with the statement, even though Romeo had been truthful.
“Don’t say that,” the boy buried his face between the crook of Romeo’s neck, kicking his feet under the cover in defiance. “It’s like a job evaluation, good lord.”
“You passed, A+,” Romeo teased anyway, earning another groan and then a bite, which, to Carlo’s dismay, didn’t hurt at all. “You know, for a newbie.”
“Shut uuuup!”
“Especially liked how you moan-,” a hand blocked his mouth to stop the flood of words, and Carlo sat up, legs on both sides of Romeo’s hips, glaring. His neck was starting to show some hickeys, and as Romeo’s eyes drifted lower, to his bare chest, he could see other marks showing as well.
Uh oh.
Well. Hopefully they’d be able to cover it up tomorrow…
He watched Carlo for a moment longer, lovingly committing his form to his memory. Once the boy on top of him raised an eyebrow, he lifted his hands in defeat to illustrate his compliance, which seemed to lower Carlo’s suspicion, and he slowly released him.
He wondered if Carlo knew how funny this whole scene was. Naked as a day he was born, just straddling his hips in an attempt to shut him up – but instead giving him much more fanservice than he probably expected to.
“You’re really sexy when you get mad,” the blond man graced him with his observation point mischievously, and to highlight it, he thrust his hips up, immediately colliding with Carlo’s, making the boy yelp. “Sooo sexy…”
Carlo shuddered above him deliciously, pouring yet another dose of molten lava into Romeo’s body. Despite being almost dead tired and ready to fall asleep in minutes, his desire burned like a freshly lit flame again, and if Carlo meant to continue with his ministrations, he’d know the blunt of it in seconds.
“You’re not fair…” the dark-haired boy whimpered, his legs quivering at Romeo’s sides, and it was so easy to sit up and capture those sinful lips in another kiss, circling his arms around Carlo’s slender frame, and then pulling them both back down onto the mattress.
“Maybe,” Romeo whispered into the kiss, much more languid now. He could tell Carlo was drained as well; his eyes closed in contentment while reciprocating, and while he could feel his desire buzzing under his skin, he quelled it while flipping them both on the side, tucking them under the blanket properly, and let Carlo cuddle right under his chin.
He’d never be able to dream this situation up - and he had quite a wild imagination at times - sharing a bed with this person in particular, after a completely unplanned round of exploring each other’s bodies. In his hotel room, too, the conversation naturally progressed from keen interest to more in-depth revelation, and they both realized they wanted to experience something deeper together.
Carlo, despite claiming to be new to all that, left bite marks and scratches, successfully marking his territory (and he wondered if unconsciously), and while Romeo believed he managed to hold himself back just enough not to overwhelm the poor guy with being too eager, he could never deny losing his mind at each graze of the teeth and pressure of the nails against his naked skin.
Carlo played all his chords perfectly to create a melody they both performed in unison, and while he didn’t want to hear that, Romeo would never pass an opportunity to praise him for it.
It was probably just a minute that had passed, them lying under the covers in an embrace, until he heard Carlo quietly laugh into his chest.
“What?”
“Nothing, you just,” Carlo snickered, “decided to be all seductive and felt yourself up, and now you gotta suffer in silence.”
“Rude!” Romeo gasped, but he couldn’t help but laugh as well at the sheer absurdity of it (and at least it helped to kill the libido, for now). “I’m being considerate here, you know. Thinking of your pretty butt-”
“Think of yours, because once I’m able to walk again, I’m gonna kick it,” Carlo wiggled around, probably in revenge, and Romeo had to still him before he’d wake up the dragon again.
“It’s poking me.”
Welp, never mind.
“Shush.”
More quiet laughter followed, but Carlo eventually settled down, his lips turning up in amusement. Romeo could take that, even while being the butt of the joke. For sight like this? Any day.
He almost dozed off when suddenly Carlo wriggled again.
“What time is the check-out?” he asked, bringing Romeo back to reality that Sunday was quickly approaching. How bleak…
“Oh. I think ten,” he responded unhappily. “Sunday already, huh…”
“The weekend passed much faster than I expected it to,” Carlo hummed under Romeo’s chin, and he could feel how his hand sneaked up to the back of his head, burying into his hair. “Ten is pretty early, though.”
Since it was already around 2 AM, Romeo had to agree. Not like he usually slept until ten, the early rising had been drilled into him through his whole life, but it wasn’t just about the wakeup call. It meant he had to pack up, and packing up meant leaving. And leaving meant… losing Carlo’s immediate presence.
Now, when I have just found him and captured him in my arms.
Sunday was the plan, initially. Friday and Saturday full con presence, then the last day early check-out, pack up, and leave. Not that there weren’t panels he wouldn’t like on Sunday, but the hassle of attending with his luggage didn’t seem like an enjoyable experience.
“Yeah, we thought we won’t be attending the con on Sunday,” Romeo confirmed it with a yawn. “And Monday’s already back to the whirlwind of everyday life, so it seemed like a good idea at the time. Lea has work on Sunday’s evening already anyway.”
“Hmmm,” Carlo’s fingers tangled in his hair, tugging slightly, then untangled again, brushing through. Quite nice. “So. About Lea…”
Romeo let his hand roam over Carlo’s back, humming, enjoying how the boy arched into him almost instinctively.
“Is her last name Monad, by any chance?” That question gave him a pause for a moment, but he returned to the caressing shortly after.
“Florence, actually,” he answered drowsily. “Why?”
“She kinda looks like Sophia’s sister,” Carlo dropped a bomb casually, making him freeze.
Sister?
Was that why Lea kept on hiding from Sophia? Because she was her sister?!
“What the hell,” he rose on his elbow, feeling the need to have this conversation face to face, and Carlo did the same, but with much less urgency. “You sure about that?”
“I wouldn’t say sure,” the dark-haired boy gave it a one-shoulder shrug. “I’ve never met Lea in person before. I’ve just seen pictures of her on Sophia’s desk, and I feel like we’ve talked about her a few times, but… well, it seems like a sensitive topic, so I didn’t want to poke into it.”
Maybe… it made sense?
“I see,” Romeo mumbled thoughtfully. “I mean. She did seem to know Sophia, when I showed her the photo of you two. It kinda checks out?”
“What are the chances, huh,” Carlo flopped onto his back. “Two sisters, reuniting at a convention.”
“I wouldn’t say reuniting,” Romeo did the same, “since they didn’t really meet.”
“Bummer.”
“Well, Lea did her hardest not to,” the blond man offered a piece of knowledge Lea bestowed upon him. “Maybe they had a bad fallout?”
“Think it was more with the dad, rather than Sophia herself,” Carlo shared his treasure trove in return. “He can be strict sometimes. Set in his ways and all that. Fathers, right?”
“Possibly,” Romeo stared into the ceiling, noting a small spider web in one of the corners. Luck in the home, some people said. “Can’t really relate.”
“Dad wasn’t present?” Carlo turned his head towards him, eyes searching, and Romeo returned his gaze with no intention to hide anything.
“Dad, mum… Grew up in a children’s home. Some foster care… but mostly just the institutions,” he shared easily. Any hard feelings were long gone; he came to terms with not having parents back when he was a kid. Instead, all the other kids were his siblings, and he mostly enjoyed his time there. Sure, it had some bad apples, but Romeo never had too big of a problem that couldn’t be dealt with.
“Oh,” Carlo breathed out. For a second, Romeo dreaded the pity this statement brought in people; he didn’t want Carlo to have the same aww, poor you view of him, when it was anything but. He grew up just fine; the lack of parents didn’t leave any lasting effects on him.
Though maybe he was just lucky.
“How was it?” He didn’t anticipate the question, if he wanted to be honest. But it beat any other pitying statements, so he took it with a small smile.
“Loud and busy and full of kids you had to share stuff with,” he cut the story of his childhood short, for brevity, not feeling the need to share any gripes or hardships. Carlo was a smart boy; he could surely imagine that nothing is always sunshine and rainbows. “Mostly, it had been fun. Not always, but when is that ever?”
“Touché,” Carlo turned back to his side, facing Romeo with a smirk. “What a fine specimen it created, too.”
“Damn, smooth.”
“I try,” the boy lay his head on his arm, still gazing intently at his partner. “So now you live alone?”
“I live with Lea,” Romeo noted how Carlo’s eyebrows shot up. “Platonically,” he added, for good measure. “We’re friends.”
“I’m not saying anything,” Carlo raised his free hand, but nodded anyway. “Must be nice to live with your friend.”
“Weeeeell…” he drawled, and at Carlo’s curious look, sighed dramatically. “You try to live with a girl, man. Her clothes are everywhere! Once I found her underwear in my drawer, too. The bathroom is full of products I’ve never even seen before. I suspect that she eats them. There’s no way she needs that many.”
“Pffff.”
“I mean it. It’s chaos!” he hammered the point relentlessly. “But still. She’s great, she brings pizza sometimes too, so she gets brownie points for that. Usually, it balances the rest out.”
“I’d love to hear what she has to say about living with you,” Carlo stabbed his finger right between Romeo’s pecs, and Romeo grabbed it before he could retreat and playfully bit the offender.
“I’m the best roommate you could ever ask for, trust,” he nibbled at the finger a few times, then licked the tip of it. Carlo let him, but his pupils undoubtedly dilated. “You should try me out.”
“Name one bad habit you have there, then I might believe you,” the boy finally retracted his hand, much to Romeo’s dismay. “Best roommate sounds like a scam.”
“Hm. I tend to be too awesome…” Romeo offered, earning a snort of laughter. “How offensive, not to trust my word only, without any other sources.”
“Right?”
“Well, I guess I tend to leave dirty dishes around,” he admitted one eventually. “How many points are deducted for that?”
“Hmm. About two, I think it’s manageable,” Carlo played the game with him. “Not putting down the toilet seat would cost you more.”
“Hah, Lea would throw me out if I ever did that.” But then again, he never left it up before either. You learn to be much more considerate of others when living in a large household, if nothing else.
“Fair,” the boy agreed. “You do sound promising, in that case.”
“I do, don’t I,” the blond teased, reaching for the elusive hand again, just to press a kiss into Carlo’s open palm. “And? What about you? My first guess was that you lived together with Sophia.”
“Nah,” Carlo shook his head and let his hand be imprisoned for now. “I live with my dad. Kind of. He’s mostly away, so.”
A certain disdain in Carlo’s voice didn’t make it hard to guess that the relationship probably wouldn’t win any prizes.
“Just half a year and I’ll be free of there anyway,” the boy added sullenly, and Romeo squeezed his hand tighter, to stop bad memories consuming him any further.
“Planning to move out?”
“Hell yeah.” A sigh. Then another. “My old man is… well. He cared about mum, but not about me, really. Unless it fit his business at the time, showing off his prodigy of a son.”
“Don’t say that,” Romeo said, shuffling closer. “At least you have a family still?”
“Ah,” Carlo sent him an apologetic look. “Yeah, I'm sorry. Talking about this is insensitive-“
“Oh no, no,” Romeo quickly stopped him. “I didn’t mean it like that. But you know. Families are still precious; it would be a pity to completely doom it?”
“Sometimes blood being thicker than water doesn’t apply, no matter how you label it,” Carlo liberated his hand again, just to bury it back into Romeo’s hair. “I tried really hard to be what he had wanted me to become. I’m past that phase now.”
And who would Romeo be, telling him not to abandon his only family when he knew nothing of the situation? He could have been living with a tyrant up until now, saying things like give him a chance would come across as brutally tone deaf.
“I hear you,” he lowered his voice softly, bringing their faces close again, and when Carlo gazed at him expectantly, he placed a gentle kiss on the awaiting lips. “And you don’t need to pretend anything in front of me.”
Summary: Carlo’s main goal, aside from the obvious when it came to his dysfuncional family, was to make Sophia the happiest person on the planet. If it meant attending a convention full of cosplayers while also parading around in a fancy outfit from a game he had never played, so be it. But not considering it a challenge proved to be his biggest mistake and to save himself from spiralling meant letting a certain person to breach his comfort zone and help him back on the track.
OR
How Romeo met the perfect cosplayer just to get his lofty expectations crushed, but realizing he may be somebody much more to him, given the chance. Potentially also letting Lea win.
Can be found on Ao3.
[BlueFairy]: SCANDALOUS!
[BlueFairy]: And illegal! I’m speechless!
[BlueFairy]: 😉
[Pianist]: He’s scared shitless now, cuz he thinks you’re going to send an assassin to kill him :’D
[BlueFairy]: Haha!
[BlueFairy]: Or not haha… does he have a reason to be scared?
[Pianist]: Not in particular. He’s nice, he paid for dinner, he’s a good kisser and said he wants to court me, so I assume he’s some sort of vampire too. I mean, that sounds kind of cool?
[BlueFairy]: Courting you, how… old-fashioned?
[Pianist]: Right? Well, it’s cute in a sense. A guy who’s so much into consent and stuff.
[BlueFairy]: AS HE SHOULD BE.
[Pianist]: Mhm.
[Pianist]: How is it on your end? All good?
[BlueFairy]: I got myself a big bowl of ice-cream and decided to watch Legally Blond, I think I’m good 😊
[Pianist]: Your tummy will hurt.
[BlueFairy]: Oh no, what am I going to doooo!
[Pianist]: -.-
[BlueFairy]: Stop worrying and enjoy your evening. Or courting. Or… what are you two even doing, when you’re chatting with me?
[Pianist]: Well, he’s trying to get rid of some insta stuff shenanigans, I guess he runs a fan account or something, idk. I went for a shower, then decided I wanted a bath instead, so I’m lying in the bubble bath and texting you 😉
[Pianist]: Wondering how patient he’s going to be, and if he’s going to come here eventually or sit it out.
[BlueFairy]: Since when did you turn into such succubus? You never liked sex stuff.
[Pianist]: D: Who’s talking about sex! Who even taught you that word! I’m gasping!
[BlueFairy]: Are you not talking about sex?
[Pianist]: Idk? I mean. I just kinda wanna know what’s gonna happen. What’s he gonna do. It’s intriguing, he’s the first person I don’t mind touching me. Like at all.
[BlueFairy]: That so :o
[Pianist]: Even kissing was pretty nice. And I never enjoyed kissing before.
[BlueFairy]: I know. That’s why I’m surprised.
[Pianist]: Might be THE one. My Mr. Big.
[BlueFairy]: Hm. Wonder if he is big. I mean. Mr. Big.
[Pianist]: SOPHIA! Lady does not entertain such thoughts.
[BlueFairy]: Then don’t put them in my head!
[Pianist]: Don’t blame me, tssss.
Carlo almost dropped the phone into the bathtub when the knock came, and only barely managed to save it from drowning. With a sigh of relief, he plopped it into the pile of his clothes and allowed Romeo to enter the bathroom, who did that with surprising ease - no stammering, no coy looks, just a confident entrance. If the roles were reversed, he’d never be able to act so nonchalant, more likely it would set up an immediate combustion.
“Oh good, I was afraid you’d drowned,” the blond man leaned against the door frame, without even a polite attempt not to ogle – although not much could be seen, since the bubbles covered most of the water surface Carlo was hidden under.
“That would be cruel,” Carlo smiled sweetly at him. “You’d get jailed for murder.”
“I’m glad you think of me even in your possible death,” Romeo rolled his eyes, but somewhat fondly. He was still dressed in his cosplay, only the shoes were missing, and seeing him like this, in the doorway, posing like a Zara model, Carlo couldn’t help but think his parents created something far too pretty for his own good.
“Of course, would hate to see you behind bars,” Carlo propped himself against the edge of the bath, leering. “Your ass would never survive the night.”
“How sweet of you.”
“Mhm.”
They entered a bit of a stalemate, one would say. Carlo couldn’t deny a certain anticipation for what could come, because somehow, despite his previous not exactly enjoyable experiences in life, he felt major excitement coursing through him every time Romeo touched him. The kissing made his toes curl, and every wandering caress of Romeo’s hands over his body, let it be the waist, the sides of his neck, or his face, introduced a new swarm of butterflies into his stomach, making him lightheaded and breathless.
Yet despite their undeniable interest in the other, no immediate sheets-tousling and no frantic make-out happened once they reached their destination. And maybe that made Carlo even more charmed by this man than before. Romeo made no attempt to hide his obvious attraction; he told him so boldly on many occasions with barely any filter on, and yet he approached the situation with infinite patience of somebody trying not to spook his prey.
Which, in one way or the other, Carlo probably had been. But not in a bad sense?
They kissed almost obscenely before, too. But even though they reached the hotel pressed together like they couldn’t wait for the doors to close, Carlo felt the nervous fear bubbling inside of him the closer to Romeo’s room they had been – and even though he was pretty sure he hid that well, he had a feeling Romeo still could tell and accommodated him. Offered him a shower first with no pressure, no hands in inappropriate places, no sudden advances, instead he gave him his shirt to change into and told him cheekily not to drown.
And Carlo, a bit dazed from it all, loved it.
“You gonna stand there for the rest of the night?” he decided to push it a little, his mind finally calm again, ready for another dose of excitement.
“You want me to?” Romeo inquired. Carlo shook his head. “Alright.” He took several barefoot steps closer, but not close enough for Carlo to reach him.
Tease.
“Closer,” Carlo said with a pout, and Romeo’s lips curled in a smile. Taunting, playful. He took one more step forward. “Closer.”
One more step. Carlo pushed himself up and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him next to the bath. Romeo must have expected it, since he didn’t even waver, and with grace kneeled in front of the tub like he meant to do that all along.
“What a forceful fellow you are,” he still said with humour, and Carlo splashed him with water, hitting him in the chest and his chin. The deep V-cut of the red shirt he still wore obscured the water trail like an ad for dubious erotic sites, and Carlo had to force himself not to follow the droplets with his eyes.
Who would have thought this could be so sexy?
“That’s what you get for being a tease,” he masked his wandering gaze with an eyeroll.
“And what else do I get?”
Well, what else would that be? Carlo felt his heartbeat quicken when leaning forward, planting a small kiss at the corner of Romeo’s smiling mouth. Then to the other corner. Soft, careful, and attentive, enjoying the low, rumbly hum every time their lips connected.
Wait, was it a good hum or a bad hum?
Maybe it was too slow for him? He must have been used to much more experienced partners, right? Could it bore him – if not now, then eventually? Because even though Carlo was curious and probably also ready to conquer some of his baseless fears if he could, it never meant Romeo would enjoy the same pace or support the learning experience.
“Hey,” the blond man spoke, alerting Carlo from his spiralling thoughts, his voice soft. “You’ll get all pruney if you stay in the water all night.”
“No way.”
“Like a raisin,” Romeo added, his hand taking Carlo’s in, thumb caressing his already wrinkly fingertips. “See?”
“What, is that not sexy to you?” Carlo joked back, and his breath hitched when Romeo kissed his fingers one by one.
“Everything about you is all I’ve ever wanted,” he mumbled into Carlo’s hand, kissing his palm, then the pulse point on his wrist, a small, short pecks traveling up his bare skin to his elbow where he finally let go, just to return to Carlo’s face, kissing his forehead, his nose and then his lips. “Like a dream come true.”
“That’s so corny,” Carlo giggled almost hysterically between short kisses, feeling the curve of Romeo’s smile on his lips.
“My one and only,” Romeo continued, “my beautiful prince,” a kiss, “my soulmate” a kiss, “my-,”
“Aaaaa, stoooooop!” Carlo scrambled to press his hands against Romeo’s mouth, and despite it being so terribly clichéd, he couldn’t stop the redness creeping into his face. Romeo’s eyes were laughing, very much aware of what effect it had on him, completely dissolving any kind of unwanted thoughts Carlo could have.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” he gently removed Carlo’s hands from his mouth, squeezing them reassuringly before letting go. “Water is lukewarm already, that can’t be nice.”
Well, it wasn’t exactly Eden anymore, he had to admit. He watched as Romeo stood up and grabbed a towel from the shelf, white and big like in almost every hotel, and unfolded it for Carlo to step into.
Which would be him fully naked.
Alright. It escalated quickly, but why not? He wasn’t a blushing maiden, after all. And he sure as hell didn’t have anything Romeo hadn’t seen before on himself or any other guy.
Hopefully.
He stood up abruptly, and Romeo engulfed him with the towel before there could be even a sliver of chance the blond man seeing anything, wrapping him like a burrito. And just like that, he grabbed Carlo under the knees and around his back and carried him princess style out of the bathroom, while Carlo would deny any possibility of him letting out an unmanly shriek at the manhandling.
He got unceremoniously dropped onto one of the two beds in the room with a soft oof, and Romeo left for the bathroom again just to bring the shirt Carlo was supposed to change into.
“Fuck, I’ve wanted to say you should buy me a dinner first, but I guess you did that already,” Carlo wriggled in the towel cocoon, trying to free his arms, while Romeo put the shirt next to him and smirked:
“I’ve covered all the bases, pretty boy.”
“I’m impressed.”
“As you should be. Anyway, I’ll be right back,” Romeo disappeared in the bathroom again, but before he closed the door, his head peeked out: “If I don’t return in 10, call a fire brigade.”
“What? No trust in my life-saving skills?” Carlo gasped dramatically.
“And miss a sexy, shirtless firefighter?”
“How dare -,” he took a breath, but then imagined the firefighter calendars and had to admit, no, it wasn’t a bad request, actually. “No, never mind, you have a point.”
Romeo shot finger guns at him, like a damn child, but it made Carlo snort, so maybe they both just had an immature sense of humour.
Once he heard the water in the bathroom running, Carlo reached for another borrowed shirt, though this time much homier and with less fear of ruining it accidentally. It had “I’m not responsible for what my face does when you talk” slogan, which made him cackle, and was a size bigger than his usual – but then again, everything kind of was when it came to Romeo.
The only thing that was missing was briefs. Which he left in the bathroom.
At least the shirt is long enough…
He just had to get them later, he mused and looked around the room instead. It had been smaller and less, as one would say, posh than they had with Sophia. Half-opened wardrobe in the corner showed some neatly hanged clothes peeking out, and a suitcase stood next to it. Just one, as was also the unmade bed Romeo dropped him on, which meant his friend really had left.
Carlo frowned to himself, trying to recall the face of the woman in the bathroom. In his distress, he might not have been exactly accurate, but he’d swear this Lea looked like the Lea from Sophia’s family photos. But wouldn’t that be the most cliché thing ever, two sisters reuniting at the same convention, cosplaying the same game?
He wanted to ask Sophia, but he knew Lea had always been rather sensitive topic for her, so he kept it to himself, for now. But if anything, Romeo should know, right? They were friends after all.
In his contemplation, he completely missed when the bathroom door opened, until he felt a dip in the mattress in front of him, startling himself at the sudden proximity of the blond man next to him.
“Thinking about the immortality of a cockroach?” If Romeo noticed his reaction, he didn’t comment on it. “We just must accept their superiority. They’ll one day rule the Earth.”
His heart was beating so fast. If it were a bell, they’d be deaf already.
“Cockroach overlords?” he played into it to force himself to calm down again, but it was difficult under Romeo’s intense gaze, not to mention from so close. The blond, damp hair framed a serious-looking face, the droplets of water were trailing over his bare chest and only stopping at the towel that hung dangerously low on his hips, and it equalled a recipe for disaster.
Carlo could feel himself swallowing hard, and Romeo’s eyes followed the movement of his throat before returning to his face. He could see how it mostly focused on his lips and licking them in response was probably too bold a taunt.
He didn’t even mean to do that; it just naturally happened, like when you want to help yourself from going mad from chapped lips. Just in this case, it was his thoughts.
“You okay?” Romeo asked in a low, deep voice that went straight to Carlo’s heart.
“Mhm,” he managed to force out, although he probably lied. The nervousness grew so strong he felt like shattering into pieces, just to escape it.
“Carlo.” His name sounded so sweet from this man’s lips. Like a spell that meant to bewitch him, capture him, make him lie down and take what was coming to him.
A tender touch on his cheek sent a shiver down his spine. Nothing was happening, but it could be, and his brain was already in the middle of an overload, both expecting and fearing the intense stimulation to come.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the lingering caress that travelled across his cheek to his mouth, pressing on his lower lip until they parted.
“I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do,” he heard from up close – much closer than before, somehow, but he kept his eyes shut. “You don’t need to be scared.”
“I’m not scared,” he dug out of his gut, a bit of a lie, maybe, because the fear of the unknown still held him strongly in its clutches. “Just n-nervous.”
“Okay,” Romeo’s voice sounded calm and collected.
Was he already thinking Carlo was too much hassle? Why wouldn’t he, right? What was Carlo even thinking? He might have looks, but he was still him, a broken and unsocial kind of guy, like night to Romeo’s day, why would he think that could work?
Why-
A touch of lips on his own screeched the broken record to a halt, like a car crash. For several seconds, after his brain initiated a reboot, he very slowly loaded the sensation, and once it took far too long, he opened his eyes again, immediately peering into the blue that hypnotized him.
“There you are,” Romeo smiled, sitting so close to him that they could share a bar stool, probably, and his hands took Carlo’s face in between them, like something precious and fragile. “You keep disappearing into that head of yours. You know you can talk to me about anything that bothers you, right?”
Carlo didn’t know, but he could feel like he could. Not that his overthinking brain would allow him, but his heart felt safe and content, and maybe… it could be enough for now.
“You sure you… um. Want this?” He couldn’t help but gesture to himself like a robot, his movements chopped and mechanical. “I’m not… you know. Experienced. And I’m pretty sure it won’t be anything to write home about-,”
“Carlo,” Romeo interrupted him urgently. “There’s nothing that would matter. No fears, no experiences, nothing. You are you, and I’m me. This is just us. Nobody else from the past, nothing you need to know or think you should do. Alright?”
Was that alright? He was saying that now, but…
“And I mean it,” Romeo insisted, rubbing soothing circles into Carlo’s skin. So pleasant. “Love, I fell for you the moment I met you.”
“Bull,” Carlo laughed quietly. “You just liked me for my looks.”
“Mmm, yeah,” the blond man agreed with a chuckle. “Isn’t that a part of it? How you bewitched me.”
Carlo avoided the gaze in shame, recalling their first unpleasant conversations he did his hardest to keep that way. It felt like forever ago.
“But you were funny. And cute. And your apology made me laugh,” Romeo’s hands slid down to Carlo’s wrists, caressing them like a frightened animal. “And that’s when I knew.”
Carlo looked back up, capturing his gaze again.
“You knew what?”
“That I’m not letting you go ever again,” came a reply that made him almost cry.
Romeo gently wiped the tear away.
Alright. It made him cry.
“What can I do to make you feel better?” Romeo whispered, his whole presence the biggest gift Carlo could get. There were no sacrifices needed. No hardships, no sleepless nights, no desperate attempts to be better, to be likeable, to wear a mask that could finally be the right one so somebody would love him.
“Kiss me,” Carlo said. Because that was all he needed to be sure. All he wanted to be sure. To just drown his insecurities in endless love, even if it was a lie. If it was just for tonight.
Please love me, for me. The messy me, the bratty me, the insecure and antisocial me.
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