luca didn’t get this—he didn’t LIKE it. what the hell was happening? he felt as though he had just gotten whiplash from everything that just happened, and it happened so fast. it was almost as though emiliano was cinderella who needed to get back before the clock struck midnight or else the horses would turn into mice again … only, this didn’t feel as enchanted as the fairy tale did. it was cold, bitter and the promise of a happy ending was no where to be found on the upcoming pages. it was becoming more apparent that luca had did something wrong and he wanted to make it right but—he didn’t even know where he went amiss. though emilianos attitude did seem to shift again he asked him the question about his scar … the others words only made his heart break more and his eyebrows furrowed as his grip on the other finally loosened up. did luca mistake there to be something between them that the other hadn’t? luca felt as though he had just been slapped in the face and as much as he wanted to say something—anything—nothing was coming out of his mouth. what was he even supposed to do? suddenly, he realized how cold the ocean really was and the heaviness of the waves that crashed into him. luca was quick to follow after the other as he made his way to the shore, practically running and having his underwear on backwards from wanting to catch the other before he left. no, he didn’t want to spend time with emiliano’s ‘ annoying ‘ cousin, and no, spending the night at the others apartment when god knows it probably smelled like bleach and old food wasn’t his top choice … but he did want to stay with emiliano … and if he were being honest, his want to stay with the other was bigger then his dislike for their apartment “ emiliano look—“ . luca made his way to stand in front of the other, reaching to place his hands on his shoulders to slow and stop him as he looked at the other with a pained and concerned expression, his clothes only haphazardly thrown on. “ if i did something to offend you or made you uncomfortable then from the bottom of my heart, i am sorry. hurting you was the last thing that i intended and i’m so sorry, i’m sorry for putting my nose into something that’s none of my business. but i just want you to know that i care about you and that i’m here for you. i want you to know that you can tell me anything and it will only make me love you more … and will all due respect–“ he moved his hands to cup the others cheeks, bringing him closer to his own face. “ you have no right to tell me what i will or won’t do, baby. so now, i will drive you back to your apartment and —- stay with you. i will wrap my arms around you and not say a word and i will be okay because i will be with you and that is enough for me if that’s what you want. ” luca spoke rather quietly and firmly, fully believing every single word that was coming out of his mouth.
EMILIANO COULDN’T DENY THAT he felt like a shitty person for pushing luca away like that. he knew that he didn’t mean any harm and was probably just curious, like most people were, but he was very defensive about all his scars, and that was just a scar that luca had seen, compared to all the others he had that were hidden away. the brunette was aware of the fact that his scars bought on questions, questions he had no intentions of answering. he wanted to keep that part of himself buried because it depressed him to no end, the fact that his own parents, the two people who are supposed to love and accept you when no one else does, well... didn’t. they disowned him and sent him here, they wanted nothing to do with him, he was the family embarrassment, and that honestly hurt him more than he would ever let anyone know. not even his cousin, his best friend, was aware of how much of an impact his parents had on him. of course he liked that luca was so caring and compassionate, but he knew it wouldn’t last long. the italian male had a tendency of pushing people away after what had happened to him – he didn’t want a relationship after everything he’s lived through, and he hoped luca knew that. of course he was cute, and hot, and sexy, and emiliano liked kissing him more than he would probably ever admit, but he simply wasn’t ready. without much hesitation, he starts walking, sand getting into his shoes, and it’s not long before luca is coming right after him. he wants to push past him when he stands in front of him and places his hands on his shoulders, but his words make him think about it twice, and he refrains. he sounds so sincere and genuine, and honestly? his words just make him feel terrible. of course he didn’t mean to be a dick, but he was honestly just terrified of falling in love again, and it scared him because he could definitely see himself falling for luca, and falling hard. suddenly, his expression softens as luca’s hands cup his cheeks, eyes boring into his. “i...” he trails off, unsure of what he was even going to say. when he says ‘love you more’, he’s honestly stunned, left completely quiet for a moment, blinking several times. “look, you didn’t do anything wrong. i just... i do this. a lot. i’m sorry.” he says, continuing to walk, but now walking alongside him. his apartment was a few blocks away, so driving definitely wasn’t necessary. he enjoyed walking too, it cleared his mind of many things. “it’s okay luca, you don’t have to drive me. it’s just a few blocks away. i walk here all the time. it’s really relaxing.” emiliano informs him, smiling softly. maybe luca wasn’t such a fan of walking like he was, not everyone was about that life. honestly, he was just hoping his cousin was asleep. he definitely didn’t want luca to deal with that. “i want that... if that’s what you want. i mean, i’m just hoping my cousin is asleep. i don’t want you to meet him and have to deal with his shit, but i do wanna cuddle with you.” he knows he shouldn’t, his mind is screaming at him not to, but he reaches for luca’s hand, and intertwines their fingers as they’re walking. oh no, he definitely doesn’t want to be with him, but his hands are so soft and they fit in his perfectly, and he really just wants to hold it. they’re almost there too, one more block left. he knew luca would probably hate their decorations, and he knew his cousin definitely hadn’t cleaned up, but he wasn’t ashamed. it was home after all, they just lived different lives.