Dec 25, 2025
Here ya go
MINT RAAAAAAAA
KISS EACHOTHER!!!! | NO! | Help me.. T-T | Hehehhehehehehe
Let Purple do his hair | Fluffy.. | {Purple} {Mango} {Mint} | I like this one a lot
OH MAH GAHHHH I LOVE THIS SM IM GONNA EAT THIS :OOOO ITS SO CUUUTE
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Here ya go
MINT RAAAAAAAA
KISS EACHOTHER!!!! | NO! | Help me.. T-T | Hehehhehehehehe
Let Purple do his hair | Fluffy.. | {Purple} {Mango} {Mint} | I like this one a lot
OH MAH GAHHHH I LOVE THIS SM IM GONNA EAT THIS :OOOO ITS SO CUUUTE
HELLO WHO THE FUCK WAS GOING TO TELL ME RAINE FROM TOH WAS CONFIRMED TO USE THEY/THEM I'M GOING TO FUCKING CRY /POS
𝓢𝓵𝓮𝓮𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓥𝓮𝓷𝓾𝓼 𝓫𝔂 𝓖𝓲𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓮
𝓯𝓲𝓬 𝓹𝓪𝓰𝓮 | 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽: 11.7k 𝓝𝓑: 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓽 𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓾𝓪𝓰𝓮
A/N: biggest thanks to @shepherald for being bb’s italian auntie! ilysm!
Friday, 19 July 2019
It had become a tradition for Y/N to walk to the bakery every single morning. The same one, walking the same way, and getting the same thing. She’d get her croissant, say hi to Marco behind the counter, and try to order in Italian, though she never got it right. However, she loved trying each time. This morning was no different from all the rest. Y/N was humming a song under her breath, smiling at someone she recognised as her neighbours downstairs, and they smiled right back. She walked into the bakery, seeing the old man behind the counter again. He gave her a grin, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.
“Buongiorno, Marco.”
“Buongiorno, Y/N.” He put the handkerchief in his pocket, leaning his hands against the surface before him. “What would you like today?”
“Hmm,” she mused, pretending to be thinking it over as she made her way toward him. “Think I’ll just have my croissant, please.”
Marco got to work, picking up a paper bag and getting her a croissant. “You need to try some Italian food one day.”
Y/N sighed, nodding her head ever so slightly. He was very right. She had been to a few restaurants, but she hadn’t eaten anything but pizza. Though Italy was known for pizza and pasta, she knew there was tons of other foods to try as well. She just hadn’t gotten to it yet. And she needed to. What was the point of being in Italy and not doing anything about it? She needed to broaden her horizons.
“What do you suggest?” She asked, watching as he placed the bag carefully on the counter between them.
“Schiacciata first.”
She furrowed her brows. “What’s that?”
“A type of Tuscan bread. You sprinkle olive oil and salt on top and mix the dough with herbs. It is fantastic.” Marco’s eyes sparkled a bit, talking about baked goods really made him show a brighter sort of happiness.
“Like focaccia?”
His face fell. “You don’t compare food.”
Y/N blinked, nodding her head twice. “Would you serve me that then? Or would I have to go to someone else?”
“I’ll make you.” Marco smiled, all forgotten about Y/N’s comment only seconds earlier. He handed her the croissant as she gave him the euros for it.
“You’re too kind.”
“I don’t wanna lose a customer. I’ll make.”
Y/N laughed at that, shaking her head as she started turning around to leave. “I’ll see you around, Marco.” As she reached the door however, Marco’s voice sounded from behind her again.
“My son is getting married next month.”
She glanced over her shoulder, a bit taken aback by the sudden comment. “How wonderful. In Fosdinovo?”
“Yes, it’s the biggest event in town. Everyone is coming.” He seemed so happy talking about this wedding that his otherwise big eyes looked small behind his tall cheekbones. “He and Carina would like you to come, too.”
This more than anything made Y/N halt a little more. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your son, Mar-“
“-I’m going to be making the cake. You need to come for the cake, Y/N.”
She couldn’t help her laughter. His eagerness for her to come was adorable, and she knew he wanted her to taste his cake so she could give him her opinion – even though she knew next to nothing about food - the gesture in itself was very sweet. If not for anyone else, she would attend the wedding for Marco. On the other hand, it wasn’t everyday you got to go to an Italian wedding. Y/N knew it would probably take her breath away, something she was very ready for already. Her eyes fell to the baker again, and she felt herself sigh heavily.
“Invite Mr Styles, too. He needs to come out of his house.” Marco started busying himself with something behind the counter.
Y/N frowned. “You want Harry to come?”
“Yes,” Marco said, rearranging some baked goods. “Once Mr Styles eats my cake he will be singing around the streets of Fosdinovo till he collapses.”
She laughed again, feeling her stomach grumble as the smell of something sweet and delicious wafted towards her again. “Oh, he won’t be able to resist.”
“Fantastico,” he clapped his hands together, taking the time to stop and look at her for a few seconds. “I will give you an invitation soon.”
Y/N’s hand rested against her stomach, feeling it rumble with another plea for food. “Thank you so much, Marco.”
“Addio.” He waved her off, and she waved back before walking outside into the scorching Italian summer afternoon, ready to walk around the small village once again. She got the croissant out, holding it with the paper bag, and took a bite, savouring it slowly as she just looked around her. The old buildings around her and the feeling of Southern European sun rays on her skin, Y/N knew she was taking it for granted. At the end of next month, she wouldn’t be here anymore. She would be on her way back home to dreary Britain, leaving the cheapest and most relaxed summer vacation she’d ever had.
She got her phone out, snapping a few pictures of the village so she could send them to her mother and Portia. Though her updates of living in Italy had gotten less frequent, she still remembered to send a few pictures every now and again, knowing how much Elaine appreciated it and that Portia was basically living through her right now.
Walking past Ottone Primo, where Gioele’s brother Leonardo worked, Y/N remembered. She saw him taking a fag outside with some of the other employees, giving him a little wave and he gave one back, saying something to her that she didn’t know how to translate. She gave him a smile, he smiled back, and she went on her way. Further on she walked onto the city square, someone playing an accordion somewhere and the smell of something amazing from one of the nearby restaurants. She realised as she stopped, looking at the square she had seen a couple of times in her time living here now, she was really starting to feel at home in this rural Italian village. It was the strangest thing.
Tuesday, 23 July 2019
Wearing the baby blue dress, her grey cardigan wrapped around her waist, her usual light layer of make-up, along with red lipstick, Y/N strolled down towards Harry's house with her croissant in hand. As usual, it was almost too hot out to function properly, and it was even worse now. It seemed that with every painting session, Harry wanted to start a bit later in the day. Y/N tried to understand, try to think of a reason why or what this collection he was painting even was. He hadn't told her anything about it and somehow she doubted he ever would. It wasn't that she needed to know, she didn't want to intrude – no matter the fact that she was the nosiest person alive. She didn't want to cross that line between something professional and personal, a line Harry obviously didn't want to blur. She'd gotten a taste of that already.
Taking a bite of her croissant, she walked up the steep stairs to Harry's house, giving the door three hard knocks. She didn't think he would open right away, as it always seemed to be a problem of his. It was like he was constantly choosing to get to the door late to piss her off. Chewing big to digest the bite best as possible, she jumped a little when the door flew open.
Harry stood there, and as usual, there was a certain kind of... nakedness to him. Now he was wearing a pair of blue dungarees, some yellow paint splotches on his right thigh, and one of the straps undone. Did he always have to walk around almost naked? Wasn't he scared of what his neighbours would see through the windows?
Something in his eyes changed as he saw her today, though. They fell straight to her covered up calves. She looked at him, stopping mid-chew. For a few seconds, she was unable to move. Their eyes met again.
"You're wearing knee socks."
She was. She found them hidden away in her suitcase and thought they would be cute with the blue dress, so she put them on. A defined white line at the very top, slightly transparent all the way down to her white Dr Martens, where the sight of them stopped. If it was a huge problem, she would take them off. It wasn't like she was going to keep them on if it would ruin his painting or whatever. All she wanted was to look somewhat cute. Even though the heat was killing her and she was regretting putting Dr Martens on.
"And?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.
Neither wanted to be the first one to look away. So, just staring at one another, they silently challenged the other to give in. Looking at Harry like this however, Y/N noticed the slight trace of gentle freckles over his nose, something she'd never paid attention to before. If you didn't look thoroughly, if you weren't staring at him like this, you probably would have missed it. But just then it was like they were all she saw.
Harry broke eye contact first.
"Seventh rule, don't arrive early."
She remembered the rules he had listed off to her days previous and felt herself roll her eyes involuntarily. "I'm right on time, twat. But," she held a finger up, taking another step down the stairs and away from him. "Don't worry, I'll wait outside till you've had your wank or whatever you're so pressed about me interrupting."
She turned her back on him, sitting down on one of the stairs, glancing out over the landscape that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
"I wasn't wanking."
"It's okay if you were."
"I wasn't bloody wanking."
"Fine."
Y/N ignored him as he closed the door again, obviously going back inside to get himself properly ready. She bit into her croissant again, taking her time and enjoying her delicious breakfast. Italian baked goods hit different when you sat outside in the heat, sunblock smeared on your exposed skin, and a slight layer of sweat gracing your forehead. She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment to the fullest. Until the door behind her opened again, Harry carrying all his stuff out. The sound of him closing his door a little too hard was harsh, carrying his stuff by her on his way down the stairs. He put his easel and canvas down, keeping the rucksack on his back as he stared down the road, clearly looking for Gioele who hadn't shown up yet. It wasn't like the driver to ever be late. Y/N looked in the same direction as Harry, though the sound of an engine roaring wasn't heard.
Instead, she glanced over at the painter, taking another bite of her breakfast. Both the straps of his dungaree were done now, the bare skin that had been underneath them was covered up with a tight white tank top. She realised it hugged him just right, showing off his defined muscles so nicely it took her three tries to swallow her bite. Stop that! she shouted at herself inside her head, he's a fucking knobhead! Don't look at him! But she could not help but to notice his pink Converse. The whole outfit seemed almost innocent, so unlike him in a way she couldn't quite put her finger on. On the other hand, this was exactly the kind of thing the painter could show up in, so she didn't know why she was taking her time checking him out today.
Just as he turned his head, glancing directly at her, she looked away.
"I wasn't having a wank."
"You know," she swallowed her bite. "The more you keep denying it the more I believe you did."
He sighed, looking down at the brown leather watch on his wrist.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I wasn't having a wank!"
Y/N shrugged her shoulders, looking away from him as she took another bite of her breakfast, trying not to snicker into her croissant. Nagging at him like this, pushing every button till he reacted like that, she found it very amusing for some reason. It wasn't nice, not in the slightest, but if they were going to be waiting outside like this, she might as well entertain herself. Swallowing the last of her breakfast, she glanced down the road, looking for a sign of Gioele. However, the red Volvo was nowhere in sight. Harry sighed again, crossing his muscular arms over his chest.
"He might just have overslept." Y/N reasoned, picking at some food she'd stuck between her teeth.
Harry's eyes didn't waver from the street which Gioele should be driving up, like if he looked hard enough, the Italian would show up.
She continued to watch him. "Worst case scenario, we have to drive ourselves."
"You have a licence?"
"You don't?"
Harry looked at her and said, "No."
For some reason, that stopped Y/N from answering. She didn't know why it had taken her off guard or what she had expected when she asked that question, but it had certainly not been that.
"What?" He said, turning his body some in her direction. "Is it bad that I don't have my licence?"
"No, not that," Y/N shook her head slightly. "Guess I just... assumed you did."
"Why?"
"'Cause you normally think everyone above 18's got their licence, don't you?"
"Well," Harry looked at his wristwatch again before glancing down the road. "I don't."
She huffed. "Fine."
Reaching for her little purse, she opened it and got some hand sanitiser out, smearing some on her hands. She closed her eyes, trying to enjoy the warmth of the sun.
"It's not like I don't have a licence."
She opened her eyes again, blinking once. "You just said you didn't have one."
"I can drive a moped."
"Then you have a licence."
"Not the licence."
She sighed, raising her eyebrows. "What's the licence?"
"Car one, innit?"
Turning her attention back to her purse, she closed it. "You can drive something, so I'd say you've got a licence."
Before Harry could retort any sort of answer, his phone buzzed. Quickly, he reached into the pocket of his dungaree, reading the text he had just received. By the way his face fell - slightly parted lips setting into a tight line and brows furrowing slightly – Y/N could tell he hadn't received good news. With a click, he turned his phone on before hastily typing out a reply.
"What?" She asked, wanting to know what was having him in such a mood.
"Gioele is gonna be here in 30. I don't have the time for that." Harry answered, turning his phone off and putting it back in his pocket.
"Then what are we going to do?"
Though Y/N knew by this point that it was rarely like Harry to give a short response when he had been struck by an idea. Taking a grip of his equipment, Harry ran back into his house, sprinting up the stairs two at a time. He flew by Y/N at such a speed that she felt her hair fly everywhere. Plucking some off her lips, she turned around, watching as Harry came out again, now with a pair of keys in one hand and a bigger bag in the other. She felt herself lean against the railing as Harry came jogging down again after closing the door.
"Put this on." He demanded, laying the bag on the cobblestoned road before he ran off again.
Y/N followed him with her gaze, seeing him disappear down a tiny alleyway beside his house. Completely dumbfounded and not entirely sure what the right thing to do was, she got up from where she was seated on the stairs and walked down to the bag, hoisting it onto her back. It wasn't heavy, but she could feel the canvas along with a smaller bag with everything else he might need. As Y/N heard the familiar sound of water moving around in a bottle, she felt herself sigh. She had been stupid enough to leave her water bottle at the flat. Before she could mourn any longer, she heard something that sounded like tyres against cobblestones. And when she glanced over her shoulder, sure enough, there was Harry with a very yellow moped. The Magnolia Vespa shone so brightly in the sunlight that it almost made Y/N squint a little looking at it. Despite it being shiny, she could tell it was old. It was clear, she thought, that Harry rarely got around unless he made Gioele drive him.
He slid up next to her, handing her the black helmet that came with the moped, and then positioned himself on it. Y/N just stared at him for a few seconds, not really sure what she was making of the situation. Harry used a few tries getting the ignition to finally roar to life, and when that was done, he looked at Y/N who hadn't moved since he'd given her the helmet.
"We're going to be driving that?"
"Yes, now get the fuck on."
She rolled her eyes, taking a minute to get the helmet on properly. Carefully, she threw one of her legs over the moped, trying to position herself comfortably as she knew they had quite the journey ahead of them.
"You need to hold on."
"Was thinking I'd just not."
"Don't take the piss. If you fall off you're gonna get hurt."
This made her look up at him. She could see his slightly tilted head, glancing at her in the corner of his eye, but quickly looking at his house instead when he saw her looking back. She didn't know why the comment had made her halt, but it had. There was something about it that made her cock her head a little, as if Harry hadn't meant for it to come out like that. Hadn't meant for it to come out like... what, exactly? she asked herself, not knowing what she thought she'd heard in his voice for a split second. Worry?
He looked ahead, taking a firmer grip of the handles. "If you want to fall off, don't hold on."
She rolled her eyes, but it was when she leaned forward to get a grip that it dawned on her that what he was referring her holding onto was himself. Hesitating for a second or two, Y/N grimaced a little, feeling weird about touching the painter as she'd never done that before. Did he think it was weird as well? Or was she just overthinking everything? Why was she overthinking this? She usually never overthought anything.
Slowly she leaned forward, her front flush against his back, feeling the very defined muscles there that was hard against her softness. She wrapped her arms around his waist, knowing that with her terrible balance, she'd never be able to hold on unless she held on tightly. A light sort of spicy smell took over everything, she felt one of his curls against her nose. Yeah, she thought to herself, definitely weird being this close to him.
Harry cleared his throat, clearly thinking the same. "Good."
Turning the handle of the moped, the two of them shot forward, and Y/N yelped a little as she felt her body jerk with the motion. She clung tighter to Harry, feeling herself sink further into him. His hair tickling her nose, strong muscles against her arms, tiny waist between her legs. It was hard not to notice absolutely everything about Harry when she was this close to him. She saw the faint freckles on his shoulders, and how they lead all the way down to his knuckles, tender dots of a slightly tanner colour than the one gracing his skin currently. He seemed soft, like he took care of himself. Something Y/N knew most didn't bother doing, but it felt and looked like Harry put in the effort, though, judging by his personality, he didn't seem like the person who bothered.
Harry just... didn't seem to care. It didn't seem to be something he prioritised. Caring for himself and the people around him. But... his skin was so soft...
She bet he didn't even notice how close they were sitting. How her knees, clad in the white of the tall socks, were pressed against his thighs since she was afraid to scrape them against the stone wall of one of the buildings they were driving by. Bet he didn't notice her moving closer to him as she was a little scared they'd fall off. Bet he couldn't smell her like she could smell him.
The loud roar of a trailer driving by them woke her from her reverie. Instead of thinking about bloody Harry, she kept her eyes focused ahead and tried her best not to think about him.
The drive wasn't long, maybe around 15 minutes tops. They drove along the countryside for a while, like they had done some days earlier when they went to the opening in the woods. The vineyards stretched out on either side of them, the occasional house the colour of the gravel around it. Though the sun was beating down on them like it usually did, Y/N barely felt it. The wind kept her cool. She hadn't felt this comfortable outside in the Italian summer heat... ever. Y/N suddenly started smelling the saltiness of the ocean hanging in the air around them. At first she was a bit taken aback, as the thought of them driving towards the ocean hadn't entered her mind once. But suddenly the blue ocean stretched out before them; majestic and endless and glittering in the sunlight. She let out a small huff, the sight too magnificent not to evoke an immediate grin. Harry moved his head a little as her breath met his jaw. She repositioned herself, trying not to trigger him in any way.
A sign showing they were entering Lerici stood on the side of the road, and suddenly they were driving through another town. This one was a little bigger than Fosdinovo, Y/N enjoyed seeing a bigger horde of people around than the few living in the little mountain village. It was nice, this tiny change. She enjoyed just watching as the town zoomed by, taking in the stone buildings, the locals wearing their swimwear, and kids feeding a cat some gelato. It was an endearing sight of Italian culture she knew she'd never get, had she travelled here with the intent to be a proper tourist.
They suddenly started driving up a hill again, and though the moped struggled carrying them both, it managed in the end. The trees weren't as thickly laid, allowing for a stunning view of the ocean beyond them. And it was here Harry finally stopped the moped. He sat put, glancing over his shoulder ever so slightly, waiting for her to get off first before he did. Removing her hands from around him, she carefully placed them on each of his shoulders before getting off the moped. She took the helmet off before finally stretching her knees, arms and back. It felt good to have a straight back again instead of sitting hunched behind a mountain of muscles, holding onto his waist for dear life.
Harry got off as well, looking out over the view as she placed the helmet on the moped for their trip back. She whistled a little under her breath, not able to stop smiling. This was really not a sight one got to see a lot, and she intended to savour every single little moment of it.
"The bag." Harry said, making her blink as she was once again brought out of her own train of thought.
She sighed, handing him the bag she had on her back the entire way there, and watched as Harry walked closer to the edge of the cliff they had stopped at. Following him, she treaded carefully. Though she had never really been scared of heights, the thought of falling into the ocean from high altitude terrified her. Taking small steps, she got closer and closer to the edge, wanting to get a better look of the ocean. She felt tiny butterflies swarm her entire body once he finally did. It was so beautiful.
"Do you see those three stones?" Harry asked, having sat down on a bigger rock a normal distance away. "The blue ribbon under them?"
"Yeah."
"Sit beside those."
"Which side?"
Harry just pointed while rummaging through the bag for everything he needed. Assuming he meant the side closest to him, she sat down, unsure how he wanted her to be positioned. It took awhile for him to get the canvas out, running a hand over it to make sure it was as smooth as he needed it to be, bushing some lint off, before perching it on his knee while getting all his paint ready. He glanced up at her.
He studied her for a second. "Want your side profile-"
"-Yikes."
"Can your feet point that way," he gestured to his left. "And your back that way?"
She did as he said, making sure she had some of the dress under her bum still. She didn't want to be sitting in the grass and have any kind of insect crawl up her bare thigh. It wasn't that she hated insects, she didn't mind them in fact, it was just that she liked having control of what touched her and chose to take a hike along her body.
"Look at me." Harry said, voice almost a little hushed. She looked at him. "Now at the blue ribbon on the tree behind me."
How many blue ribbons did he have? Did he leave them hanging around like this for long? Had someone ever encountered them and wondered what the fuck they were there for? Y/N tried not to chuckle, the sight of someone finding the blue ribbons and looking confused amusing her. In the quietness of the new few moments, the only sound accompanying them was the waves hitting the shore and cliff. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, surprisingly enough feeling very tired. It wasn't that late in the day and she didn't usually nap till at least 7pm. Giving herself a little shake, she urged herself to not yawn or else she would be fucked.
Instead, her eyes fell on the painter who seemed to be done mixing a few colours. His gaze slowly moved to her, caressing her from her Martens, up her knee socks, bare thighs, the way the dress rested against her body, and finally, he reached her eyes. He held them for a few, as if memorising the colour, before glancing down at the palette in his hand. Slowly, silence settled over them. They never had any awkward silences, just ones that didn't need to be filled. It was like neither of them felt the need to really talk, like they had mutually agreed on it at some point that it was fine for them not to share a single word over a longer period of time. It had never been awkward, Y/N realised, which was good. Despite everything, they had this.
"The view is beautiful." Y/N said after a little while.
"You're facing me." Harry reported under his breath, and Y/N huffed.
"Wouldn't it be more authentic if I looked out over the ocean instead?"
Harry didn't answer, just stroked his brush across the canvas resting on his knee, cocking his head a little to the side.
"Fine then." Y/N started moving as it she was going to turn around.
"Don't fucking-"
She started laughing, shaking her head as her eyes met his again. Getting back into the position he had initially wanted her to be sitting in, she gave him a slight raise of her eyebrows, still smiling, before looking at the blue ribbon on the branch behind him.
"You did that on purpose." He said.
"Did what on purpose?"
"You knew I'd be annoyed with you if you moved."
Y/N let out a single chuckle. "You're never annoyed about anything."
Harry only raised his eyebrows as he kept painting, making Y/N laugh even more. She didn't know why, but the fact that Harry himself knew he was easily annoyed and didn't say anything to defend himself on the matter when he so clearly cared what everyone thought of him, it made her laugh. At least on that front, they agreed. Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back between her shoulder blades before she glanced up again. Harry was looking at her, but as soon as their eyes met, he stared back down at the canvas.
Y/N wetted her lips. "Have you seen When Harry Met Sally?"
"Long time ago."
"Well," Y/N started, looking up at a few clouds flying by. "The main characters spark off one another until they finally realise they could actually be very good friends."
Harry didn't respond, tilting his head as he stopped painting, taking a look at what he'd done so far.
"I love films." Y/N went on. "Dirty Dancing, Flashdance, Top Gun, Cocktail, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Footloose-"
"-Are you just naming all the 80s films ever?"
Y/N looked at him, narrowing her eyes a little. "So what if I did? They're all amazing, my favourite kinds of films."
"Not really into movies." He admitted, dipping his brush in more paint before glancing up to study her some more.
"Dirty Dancing will change your mind."
Harry started painting again.
Y/N smiled, clearly having entered a subject he didn't know much about. "What're you into then?"
"Art."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, I know that already. You've got to have other things that entertain you. What do you do when you're not painting?"
She could tell he was giving this thought by the way he poked his tongue out ever so slightly, as if racking his brain for something to say. It wasn't easy to come up with something like this on the spot, she knew, so she didn't blame him for taking his time figuring his thoughts out. In the meantime, she watched him paint, the way his arm moved, how his biceps flexed sometimes, the elegance of his wrists. She quickly blinked a few times, catching herself in what she was doing. She looked away.
"I like documentaries."
"There you go!"
"Especially those that tell you how fucked the world is."
Y/N nodded. "They're amazing."
He glanced up at her, studying her jawline for a few seconds.
"What kind of fucked up documentaries then?" She asked, looking down at him.
Harry started painting again. "Climate change mostly, but I love the crazy serial killer ones as well."
"Oh!" Y/N grinned all of a sudden. "Have you watched Death on the Staircase? It's on Netflix."
"The one where the wife fell down the stairs and they blamed it on the husband's mental health 'cause he was bisexual?"
"Yes!"
"That one was brill."
Y/N bit her lips together as she watched him. "If it's an interesting topic, consider me intrigued. I'll watch anything."
Harry didn't respond again, but Y/N had gone long past caring about Harry responding. She talked either way.
"What else do you like?" She asked.
Harry cocked his head, taking in his painting. "Weird sports in the Olympics."
She couldn't help her outburst of laughter. "Like...?"
"Have you never just turned on the telly to watch the Olympics and some weird spots on? Winter sports you have curling for example, and summer you have modern pentathlon."
She giggled, closing her eyes. "Don't even know what those are."
Harry shook his head. "Few do."
"Do you play any sports then?"
Quiet. But not the same kind that rested between them normally. She opened her eyes, Harry was already looking at her.
"You're going to take the piss." He said.
Y/N furrowed her brows, pursing her lips. "I promise I won't."
Harry just looked at her.
"I promise! Swear!"
He still said nothing, only inhaled sharply.
"Fine, be a bellend."
"I do gymnastics." Harry said along with a sigh, sounding defeated.
Y/N raised her eyebrows, blinking as she tried to digest what he'd just said. They held eye contact for some reason, letting the quiet stretch on. She suddenly noticed how green his eyes looked with nature surrounding him like this.
He started painting again, clicking his tongue. "Knew you'd think I was weird."
She furrowed her brows. "I don't!"
He cocked his head "Then why are you all quiet? You're never quiet."
"Because I was processing!"
He huffed. "'Cause you were taken off guard and you don't see me as someone doing gymnastics."
"That's not it, twat!"
Then the strangest thing happened. The right side of Harry's lips turned upward, revealing the hint of a deep dimple. As he ran his brush along the canvas, painting her as detailed as he could, he sat there smiling to himself. Y/N had never seen him smile. Never seen him happy, she realised. And the ghost of a grin that had taken up temporary residency on his face took her off guard. She just stared at him, feeling her own lips twitch into a smile. Her back straightened up a little and she almost found herself leaning forward to get a better look. The little smile made him so beautiful. No, no, no, she bit the inside of her cheek, don't go there. Don't you fucking go there. For some reason, his grin didn't waver. It stayed on his lips as he dipped his brush in more paint, cocking his head to the side as his eyes followed the brush's trail on the canvas. If he kept on being bloody adorable, she would stare at him in awe for an hour, so she cleared her throat.
"Is that a smile I see?" She teased. "You got a rise out of me, and now you're pleased with yourself?"
He bit his bottom lip, shaking his head without looking away from the painting before him.
"Right then." Y/N said, eager to get the conversation going again. "What're you best at? There's a lot of stuff you can do with gymnastics, innit?"
Harry wasted no time. "Swing bar."
Y/N's eyebrows immediately shot upward. Trying to the subtle, she let her eyes fall to his muscular arms, his broad shoulders and the curve of his slight biceps. The tan he'd gotten did wonders to the outline of his muscles. Stop, stop, stop-
"Explains the arms."
Oh. My. God. Immediately she felt her cheeks heat up. And her blushing got worse when Harry looked up at her. He huffed.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you've been checking me out."
She rolled her eyes. "I have not."
He bit his lips together, studying her legs for a few seconds, taking his time to get the shape of them right, before he started painting again. Y/N let out a long breath.
"You wish I checked you out. That's what it is."
He raised his eyebrows before mumbling, "You were the one who brought up my arms."
"Jesus bloody Christ." She averted her eyes from him, staring at the blue ribbon instead. She couldn't even look at him now, he'd pissed her off. For some reason, he knew all the right things to say to get a rise out of her and it was so annoying. So, instead of concentrating on him for another second, she focused her attention on something else. The silence really did settle between them this time. Harry busied himself with the painting and Y/N glanced at the ribbon, and when that got boring, she let her eyes wander the landscape around them. Listening to the ocean behind her, smelling the salt in the air, feeling the sun on her skin. Yes, she was most definitely very glad she'd put sunblock on today.
Slowly but surely, the lack of conversation and action, the quietness lulled Y/N into a light slumber. Her head fell to the side, resting slightly on her own shoulder as she closed her eyes, intending on just relaxing for a few minutes. Hopefully Harry wouldn't notice her drifting off. And if he did, all he had to do was wake her up again. So, thinking that she was in the clear, she focused in on the relaxing sound of the waves below and the slight breeze cooling her down. Her breathing got heavier and heavier, she felt herself slowly drift off.
For some reason, she blinked her eyes open ever so slightly, hearing Harry shift in his seat on the rock. She didn't really register what was going on; halfway conscious, halfway to dreamland. For some reason, one thing stuck out to her. Harry sat completely still. And when she lifted her eyelids slightly, she saw him looking at her. This wasn't the painter looking her, this was Harry. But before she could think more of it, her eyes fell shut and she was taken off into dreamy unconsciousness.
A small whimper.
She woke with a start. She didn't know how long she'd been sleeping for, didn't know what day it was, didn't know why she was there. But then she looked over at Harry who stared at her frowning, obviously asking her what she just jumped for. Quickly, Y/N looked around her, as it was clearly not Harry she'd heard in pain. He looked about as confused as she felt. She didn't know how she'd heard it or why it had woken her up from her nap, but it must've been a sound to disturb the peace around them. How Harry hadn't heard it, she didn't know, but she chose not to ask. She sat up a bit straighter, intent on finding whatever had made that sound.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, sounding defeated.
"I heard something." Y/N answered, craning her neck.
"What?"
"I don't bloody know, so shh." She held a finger to her lips, though her back was now to Harry so he couldn't see her. But he did as she said, surprisingly enough. When she told him to shut up, he did. Both listened intently, wanting to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. It was quiet for a few more seconds as they listened out for whatever, but Y/N knew Harry didn't have any patience at all, and though she didn't either, this was just one of the times when she did. She heard him moving about behind her, getting into position to finish the outline.
Another whimper.
Y/N stood from the ground now, looking around them. Now, Y/N noticed, Harry had completely stopped what he was doing, looking in the direction of some of the woods surrounding them. She glanced in the same direction. A cat. Not quite a small kitten, not quite a grown adult. The grey striped creature looked at the two of them, meowing ever so slightly, and Y/N instantly recognised the sound. And she instantly knew something was wrong when the cat started limping toward them.
Hunching down, Y/N reached her hand out for the cat, not making a single sound or sudden movements in fear of scaring it away. Slowly, the little thing got closer to Y/N, wary of the creatures before them they didn't recognise. As the cat neared her, Y/N immediately started thinking about what could be wrong with the front right leg. Maybe the little one had something stuck in their paw pad, or maybe a slight muscle strain. Or maybe it was lameness. Or if it was an ingrown claw or a broken bone, Y/N knew she couldn't possibly help the cat out here. She'd have to get them both to a vet where she'd be able to properly help.
"Hi, love," Y/N cooed. "You okay?"
The cat sniffed Y/N's hand, and while letting it stroke itself against her, letting it get comfortable with her, Y/N noticed how the little one refused to lay any sort of pressure on its foot. Something was definitely very wrong. Gently, Y/N started petting the cat she soon found out to be a her. Noticing her inability to walk fast and the obvious small calls of pain, Y/N made a mental list of the different things that could possibly be wrong. Carefully, Y/N tried to pick the cat up. However, the cat yelped, jumping away from Y/N who made small 'shh' sounds to calm her down.
"It's fine, baby, it's fine." Y/N mumbled, reaching her hand out so the cat could approach if she wanted to again. "What's happened to you, huh?" The cat stroked itself against her again.
"Y/N, stop bloody petting a stray cat."
"Harry, she's hurt."
Y/N caressed the creature, smiling a little as the cat started purring, closing her eyes as Y/N scratched her lightly. Discreetly, she looked over her shoulder at Harry. He was already watching her, a slight furrow to his brows.
"Do you have a blanket or something in your bag?" Y/N asked.
"Why?"
"Do you?"
Harry inhaled, sitting up straighter. "Yes."
"Can you get it while you call Gioele? He needs to come here and pick us up ASAP."
Harry's eyes fell to the cat before he dared meet Y/N's eyes again. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why are you ordering me around-"
"-Oh, for fuck's sake, Harry." Y/N hissed, knowing that if the cat hadn't been there, she would've probably screamed her lungs out at him. "Why do you question everything everyone's doing? I'm just trying to help a bloody cat!"
The two of them stared at each other. A sinking sensation appeared in her belly, her heart dropping a little. This got him to shut up, mouth falling open a bit as if he couldn't quite believe she'd just said that. And to be honest, Y/N couldn't either. Though she had talked back to Harry, she had never interrupted him or properly cursed him out. However, she had not been able to stop herself now. She wasn't doing this for her personal gain, - to be fair, she rarely did anything for her own sake, she always went out of her way for everyone else – this was for the cat. Their eyes hadn't wavered. Y/N didn't know why they hadn't looked away; why Harry hadn't said something stupid back to her.
But he suddenly placed the canvas on the ground, leaning it against the side of the rock, before he started rummaging through his rucksack. Y/N glanced down at the cat again, running her fingers through her soft fur.
"You're gonna be okay soon, babe." Y/N whispered, sure that if Harry heard her, he'd let out one of those huffs he always did when he found something weird. But he did no such thing. Instead he walked over to her, handing her a towel, and didn't say a single thing. Y/N took the towel and gently put one of her hands under the cat's chin and the other behind her hindlegs, lifting her carefully off the ground and into the towel. Y/N wrapped it around her slowly, making sure to give her small pets of encouragement along the way so she wouldn't grow frightened. Straightening into a standing position, she made sure the cat was okay before looking over at Harry again.
He was watching the cat. His eyes were hooded, a sort of shadow in them she'd never seen before. Y/N didn't know what was going through his head. She so wanted to know what he was thinking. Suddenly, their eyes met, and Harry's lips parted. Was he about to say something? The clouded expression he'd worn seconds earlier disappeared. His green irises seemed to have grown a shade lighter now that he was up close.
He abruptly turned around, bringing his phone out to call Gioele. The phone conversation wasn't long, only a few Italian words spoken back and forth before Harry hung up. Instead of sitting back down on the rock to paint, Harry remained standing. He looked at the cat, fiddling with his fingers.
"She's gonna be okay. I just need to check up on her somewhere with proper equipment." Y/N explained, scratching under the cat's chin.
Harry merely nodded, still not able to look away. For some reason, Harry being this worried about the cat did something weird to Y/N's heartbeat. She tried to ignore it.
"So you know Marco? The baker?" Y/N started.
Harry met her eyes.
"He invited us to a wedding."
He frowned. "What?"
"I'm supposed to get the invitation tomorrow, I think."
Harry inhaled, keeping his mouth open for a few seconds as he contemplated this. "He... invited both of us?"
"Yeah," Y/N nodded her head. "Said I should bring you, that you needed to taste Marco's cake."
Seemingly seriously considering what Y/N had just said, Harry put his hands in his pockets. "Marco said that?"
"Yes, sir." Y/N answered. "You don't believe me?"
"Not that, it's just..." Harry trailed off, biting his lips together as his eyes screwed up into an even deeper frown.
Before she got the chance to ask him what was wrong, the cat started moving restlessly in Y/N's arms. Instead of holding her tighter, Y/N let her squirm a little. Once she'd settled down, Y/N started scratching her again, making sure everything was okay. They stayed like that, calming each other down, and though Y/N wanted to stretch, as sitting on the ground had really done her back dirty, she had to stand as still as possible for the sake of the little kitten. And like that, silence settled over them once again, Harry's unfinished sentence settling like weed in the air around them, its roots choking them both.
It wasn't that Y/N expected Harry to open up to her. She wasn't expecting him to tell her every little thing going on in his life, or to trust her with his heaviest secrets. She simply just wanted him to not think she wasn't curious. When he said stuff like that, or when he talked about Salvatore the way he did last time, or his encounter with that man in the alleyway, it made her think. And when she was thinking, she started overthinking. He made it easy for her to think the worst, and by this point she'd just about thought of every possible outcome to Harry's past. Why was he acting like Marco, or anyone for that matter, wanted him at a wedding? A huge town happening? He didn't even know who was getting married.
Gioele pulled up no long after, shouting something in Italian and waving at both of them. The loud motor made the cat restless again, eager to jump out of Y/N's hands and limp back into the woods.
"We're going somewhere I can do a check up on you, baby," Y/N said, scratching the cat lightly. "It's fine, don't worry."
The cat didn't stop squirming. Cooing and petting her best she could, Y/N did not manage to calm her down.
"Hey, hey," Y/N said, feeling the cat's claws through the cloth. She'd have to sterilise those small wounds later. "Don't worry, mate."
And out of nowhere, as if sliding straight out of a dream, a hand came into view. It ran its fingers through the cat's fur, immediately soothing her. Y/N knew who it was, but she was somehow scared to look up and make it all very real. She watched his tattooed hand scratch the cat behind the ear, the cat's eyes closed, and she quickly started purring again. The tenderness of his fingers, the effortless elegance of his movements, it made it seem like he was making the act of petting cats in discomfort into a new artform. It was soothing to watch.
She wasn't herself when she looked up at Harry. He was standing so close to her; she could smell his cologne again. The sun hit his brown curls just right, looking like locks of pure gold, a bright halo shining around him. Every single one of his features lit up, all small imperfections melting together to make something perfect. The mole on his cheek, the small scar just underneath his left eye, how his right nostril was a little bigger than the other. Close like this, she noticed absolutely everything about him. The rest of the colours of the world seemed dull in comparison to Harry right now. And as quickly as she thought that, Y/N mentally stomped on her own face.
Harry took a step away, letting Y/N walk forward toward Gioele's car. As he stepped away, she got the sun in her eyes again, the familiar stinging so not welcome. At the sight of the cat in Y/N's arms, the driver quickly got out, opening the door to the backseat for her. Y/N was about to get into the car when the cat starts squirming again, meowing and clawing at the towel. Gently, Y/N started cooing again, trying to calm her down once again. However, with both her hands occupied, it was hard to pet her, to let her know it was all going to be alright. The cat just had to be still for a few seconds more and she'd be in the car where she could scratch her and make her comfortable again. Just a few seconds more and the two of them would be on their way to the nearest vet so Y/N could help her. But it didn't seem the cat wanted to get into the car. Y/N tried to reposition her, but that only made the cat let out a squeak that made Y/N flinch.
Suddenly, the hand was there again, petting the poor cat once again. It worked like magic, because she relaxed instantly, Y/N feeling the claws that had been dug into her skin disappear. She let out a breath.
"Get in the car." Harry said, voice low. At first Y/N thought he was talking to Gioele, but when she looked up at him, he was looking right back at her.
Y/N blinked. "But she's just gonna start squirming."
"It's alright."
And so she did as Harry told her to, bending her head down as she sat down in the car, getting comfortable in the seat. Repositioning the cat again, she watched as Harry removed his hand again. But the cat didn't seem to have any of that, immediately trying to get out of the towel now that she wasn't being calmed down.
"Move over."
Though it was a command, the words were soft, as if he could've whispered them into her ear in a completely different scenario. What the fuck are you doing right now, Y/N thought to herself, hating that she'd started thinking of Harry this way. He's a twat, he's a twat, he's a twat-
"-Y/N."
She scooched over to the other side of the car, feeling her mouth fall open as Harry followed her, joining her in the backseat. She felt his leg flush against her own, the dungaree against her bare surface. Their entire upper arms touching, sweaty skin against sweaty skin. The entire position made Y/N a tad dizzy. And it really did not help the fact that Harry was leaning over, scratching the injured cat to keep her relaxed. Y/N felt the exact opposite of that cat. She felt everything and was very much not relaxed. The car was so small, and she'd have to stay this close to him till they were at the vet. Who knew how long that could take.
Suddenly her eyes fell on the situation beyond Harry, at everything he was leaving behind. But Gioele stepped on the gas, driving as fast as he could. They left absolutely every single thing behind. Quickly, she looked over her shoulder out the back window, suddenly feeling very panicky.
"What?" His voice was a whisper, the small word leaving his lips like a simple puff of air that hit her jaw, sending a storm of goosebumps up and down her back.
"Your..." she started, swallowing thickly before looking down at the cat in her arms. "Your moped."
"I'll get it later."
She hated that he sounded like he wasn't faced by the close proximity at all.
"What if someone steals your painting?"
Looking up at him, she realised once again how close they were. They might have been close earlier when he helped calm the cat down outside, but this... this was close. She felt his hot breath against her lips, in her nose; felt his eyes on her like there was nowhere else to look in the car; felt everything too much. He was... so handsome. So incredibly good looking. There was undoubtedly sweat along her hairline and cupid bow, but she literally could not reach up to remove it right now. She was unable to move, not only because of the cat, but because of Harry.
"Don't worry about it." He said.
She tore her eyes away from him, feeling her heart pick up to an abnormal speed. Clearing her throat a bit, she bit her bottom lip before saying, "Sorry for getting mad earlier. About you always questioning everything." She knew she shouldn't have snapped at him, but she had been so pissed off in the moment. The cat's life was on the line, and Harry not choosing to listen to her had really gotten to her in the worst way possible. If she could've taken it back, she would've. But she couldn't. All she had to do now was beg for forgiveness and hope Harry wasn't fuming about it all.
Harry inhaled slowly, "Don't apologise."
This made her look straight up at him again. His eyes hadn't wavered from before. Once again, she felt like she couldn't move. Had he really just... had he really... just told her not to apologise?
"I shouldn't question everything. You're right."
Had he always had freckles strewn elegantly over the bridge of his nose? Had he had that slight shadow of a beard along his jawline earlier today? Had his voice always been this silky smooth? She was realising this all so quickly, it felt like the car was driving double the speed limit and in constant circles. He was agreeing with her. He realised she was right. He gave in.
"You're..." he paused, as if he was realising what Y/N was. Slowly, he blinked, mouth opening a little wider, eyes on her still. "Right."
The words hung in the air between them for a long while, neither sure what to do next. But Y/N felt the cat move around in her arms, so she quickly looked down, only to notice Harry wasn't scratching her anymore. As soon the cat started complaining, Harry petted her again, receiving a soft meow and satisfied purring.
They stayed quiet till they reached the vet. Y/N was only too aware she was touching Harry the entire way, feeling him beside her. Every bulk of his body, the hairs of his arm against hers; so close that their breathing started synching up. For a short period of time, Y/N tried to stop breathing for a second so she could stop them from synchronising. However, they fell straight back into it, so in the end, she just gave up.
Harry was the first one out once they were at the vet, opening the door for Y/N so she could get out without difficulty. She said a quick thanks before making her way inside, walking straight up to the desk. There she told them she was a veterinary student from England and she had to check up on the cat she'd brought in, she was scared she'd a broken bone. The veterinarians talked amongst themselves in low Italian voices, glancing over in Y/N's direction every once in a while. She knew they were discussing if they should let Y/N do this or not, as they didn't know for sure if she actually was a veterinary student. But she continued to cling to the kitten, stroking her fur, and cooing that everything would be alright soon.
"Dice la veritá." Harry suddenly said, making Y/N, veterinarians, and the cat all jump. "É una veterinaria.Deve aiutare questo gatto; lo ha già controllato e sa cosa fare adesso. Lasciatela aiutare."
Y/N frowned, mouth opening to say something to him, but she stopped herself when one of the veterinarians walked forward. In a quiet, very accented voice, she said, "Come this way, Signora."
Y/N gave her a smile, throwing a quick thank you in the direction of the rest of them before following the one down a corridor. She could hear Harry saying something to the veterinarians, his voice faint as she walked further and further away from him. The walls were white, the whole building looking very clean, just like you would imagine a hospital to be like. Sounds of animals and other chatter came from all sorts of angles, and suddenly, even though she’d never been there before, Y/N felt at home. She hadn’t realised just how much she’d missed working with and helping animals till now.
For some reason, Y/N heard a third set of footsteps, not just her own and the other nurse’s. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Harry following close behind, taking a quick look over his own shoulder before staring ahead again. Y/N looked away, rather focusing her attention on the vet who was showing them to a room. But she couldn’t stop trying to conjure up a reason as to why Harry would follow them. He obviously had to get back to his painting and everything they’d left behind, why was he coming with? Y/N could truly never fully wrap her had around Harry. No matter how hard she tried. All Y/N was able to compare him to was corn-starch goo. Upon impact, he would harden up and not let you in, but if you treated him with care, he would eventually be easier to handle. She wrinkled her nose a little, the memory of getting corn-starch goo stuck in her hair as a kid creeping into her mind.
“It’s most likely a bone fracture.” Y/N said. “We need to do an X-ray.”
The other veterinarian nodded, leading them down another corridor before opening a door. They sedated the cat and when she was asleep, they proceeded to do a quick X-ray. There Y/N saw what she already kind of knew: a broken bone. However, it wasn’t as bad as she initially thought, which made her let out a sigh of relief. They let the X-ray and walked on to another room where Y/N could place a cast on her foot.
The vet opened another door, giving Y/N a little smile before they both entered. Harry went in with them, closing the door firmly as Y/N placed the small cat on the table. She went straight to work, not wasting any time. It didn’t take long to apply a cast, and since she’d already been taught this and done it about a million times, she knew perfectly well what she was doing. She gave the sleeping cat a little pet, hating to think that she might’ve been in pain for a day or two without anyone noticing. Y/N hadn’t even thought about the cat maybe being a stray, or if she had an owner. And if she did have an owner, how did Y/N reach them? The cat didn’t have a collar with any sort of information on. After this, she’d have to make sure the cat was taken care of for the next six weeks. It needed change in bandages, food, care… This was a whole mess.
The veterinarian said she had to leave as she had an appointment coming up, and Y/N told her it was fine, she could do this fine on her own. Then it was just the three of them again; Y/N, the cat, and Harry. Y/N’s attention was on her little patient though, so she quickly forgot Harry was even in the room. It was only when he’d move closer or move in the slightest bit that she’d remember he was still in the room with them. That he’d come all this way and wouldn’t let the cat out of sight till he knew she was alright. Y/N straightened, stretching her back as bending over like she was doing right now was a pain over a longer period of time. She looked in Harry’s direction, only to find him already staring at her.
He held eye contact, eyebrows twitching slightly as he took her in. She didn’t know what he was doing, but the intensity of his glance made her cheeks heat up. Just anyone watching her work, seeing how serious she was about the wellbeing of little helpless animals, made her feel both uncomfortable and weirdly proud of herself. She liked showing off, but there was a thing called showing off too much, meant in the worst way possible.
She looked away, focusing on the little foot again. However, she was unable to get Harry’s powerful stare out of her mind. He was right there, watching each of her tiniest movements, and she was all too aware of it.
She tried to make herself think about the cat. What was she going to do about the cat? She’d have to bring it back to Fosdinovo and care for it, but she didn’t have any cat essentials, had never had a pet in her entire life. The thought of taking care of her and then having to most likely give her away when she was leaving in August, broke Y/N’s heart. She knew she was going to get attached to this cat now. Spending money on food for her, toys, maybe a leash so Y/N knew she wouldn’t run away to Lerici where they’d found her. She was either keeping the cat with her till she was leaving or finding the owners herself. Or both. She was most definitely going to do both. That was if she had an owner at all.
Suddenly, Harry’s phone went off, making both of them jump.
“Sorry.” He mumbled under his breath before swiping his thumb across the bottom of his phone, pressing it to his ear.
He started talking in Italian, so Y/N zoned out, instead focusing her attention on the bandage that she was finished perfect soon. The European shorthair was still fast asleep, blissfully unaware of what she was going to wake up to later. Y/N gave her a gentle pet again, knowing that though she would have a hard time disciplining and taking care of a cat this summer, she’d grow to love the little bugger an immense amount.
Harry suddenly hung up, inhaling sharply. “Gotta leave.”
Y/N looked up at him. “Oh?”
“My painting and the stuff I left behind on that cliff.” Harry said, gesturing behind him with a slow nod. “Need to get it before someone else does.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Something in his eyes shifted as he held her stare, a delicate blink doing something to his features that Y/N thought softened his expression a bit. Inhaling slowly, she continued to hold his gaze, waiting for him to leave. And when he finally broke eye contact, turning around and walking out the door, Y/N felt stupid she’d waited for that moment to happen, as if she’d wanted it to. Slowly, she turned her attention back to the cat, finishing the bandage.
Wednesday, 24 July 2019
Y/N had decided to call the little one Viola. Getting home to Fosdinovo the following day, Y/N had gone out to get everything she needed to make the little one comfortable in her temporary home. Viola had a hard time getting used to her cast, meowing a whole lot and taking some time settling before going to sleep. But once Y/N and Viola found a comfortable position to cuddle in, they stayed that way till morning.
To let Viola get used to walking around outside with the cast, Y/N put her on a leash. The leash was attached to the cat’s pastel pink collar, fitting perfectly around her little neck. Putting on some comfortable clothes, Y/N and Viola went on their first ever walk through Fosdinovo. Viola struggled at first, meowing and stopping to get a break, refusing to stand on her leg still. Y/N would bend down and give Viola a little encouragement, and then the two were on their merry way again.
As always, the sun was shining, though that day brought on a few clouds, leaving the little mountain village in shadow from time to time. Y/N would appreciate the small breaks from the sun she was able to get. It wasn’t that she hated the sun, she just hated the sweating that came with it. And how it was hard to breathe if it was too hot. And the way she always had to squint in sunlight because everything was so bright it hurt her eyes.
Turning the corner to walk up to her usual bakery, Y/N stopped dead when she almost bumped into someone. She gasped a little, holding a hand to her heart while giggling at her own reaction. As she looked up at the person she had almost knocked over, she locked eyes with a set of very familiar ones.
“Salvatore.”
He gave her that charming smile of his, the black stubble along the lower part of his face was much more prominent now, his matching hair a perfect mess. God, Y/N inhaled sharply, he’s so bloody fit.
“Y/N,” he retorted. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“You’re never at the bakery.” She reasoned, making him chuckle. Her heart let out a very dreamy sigh at the sound.
“No, I have had…” he sighed. “Had a lot on my plate recently.”
She tried not to frown. “Sorry to hear that.”
“No, no, don’t be.” He shook his head. “Anyway, what are you up to?”
She smiled, gesturing down at the little cat beside her, meowing up at them. With her pink collar and leash to match, she looked so cute Y/N could squeal. Having spent as much time with Viola as she had over the last 24 hours, the idea of being stuck with this little cuddle ball the rest of the summer delighted her a whole bloody lot.
“Ahh!” Salvatore’s lips broke out into a huge grin, he crunched down so he could pet her. “Who’s this?”
“That’s Viola. Found her injured on a hill yesterday, so I put a bandage on her leg, and now I’m taking care of her ‘cause I don’t think she’s got an owner.
Salvatore looked up at her. “That’s kind of you.”
Y/N’s cheeks heated up again, she broke eye contact. “Couldn’t just leave her to fend for herself. Plus, the cast needs changing, she won’t remember her vet appointment on her own.”
Again, Salvatore laughed, looking down at Viola who sat beside Y/N, clearly not in the mood to be petted right then. Salvatore stood again, meeting Y/N’s eyes. She couldn’t stop thinking about how handsome he was. He was so ridiculously handsome. She was blushing just looking at him.
“Do you and Viola have any plans today?”
Y/N shook her head. “Not really, just walking around.”
“Do you think Viola would mind me walking around with you?”
Yeah, she could most definitely not fight her blush now. Why was it so hot in Italy? She needed a fan. Something cold to drink. Maybe throw herself into a freezer. Regaining consciousness, Y/N nodded her head at Salvatore.
“Think she’d like that very much.”
Salvatore grinned, stepping aside so they could walk on. “Amazing.”
Y/N bit her lip, looking down at Viola when she started walking, the cat following suit instantly. She meowed, looking up at Y/N, clearly uncomfortable with the cast still even though she knew how to work it now. Giving her a little scratch behind the ear, Y/N picked her up, holding her so that the cast wouldn’t be at an awkward angle. Viola meowed again, clinging to Y/N’s tank top.
“You two okay?” Salvatore asked, eyes on Viola who had just settled down.
“Yeah, think she’s just tired.”
“Ahh,” he reached over, ruffling Viola’s fur a little. “Hope she can get some rest while we do the walking.
Y/N smiled, looking at Salvatore’s hand among Viola’s stripes. Made her think of another, much more tattooed up hand, doing the exact same thing the day before. She blinked, willing the image out of her head. And the second she locked eyes with Salvatore again, it did. Why did he have the dreamiest eyes in the world?
Salvatore continued to pet Viola as he spoke softly, “Have you heard of Biagi?”
“No.”
“It’s an ice cream place not too far away from here,” he said, smile widening. “Could I take you there?”
He wanted to take her for ice cream. Salvatore had just asked if she wanted to have ice cream with her. Oh my God oh my God oh my God. Y/N’s smile broadened with Salvatore’s. “Yes, you can.”
Salvatore bent down as if he was about to talk to Viola. “You want ice cream, Viola?”
Viola shrunk away, taken off guard by Salvatore’s closeness. Y/N laughed, biting her lip as she looked at Salvatore again, way closer now than he had been before.
“Think she wants ice cream as well.” He said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Good thing we’re getting ice cream then.”
Salvatore gave her a quick wink before he started walking backwards. “Good thing.”
NEXT UPDATE: Sunday, 22nd December 2019, 9PM GMT
big thanks to my lovely beta readers!
💙 @aileenacoustic 💙 @emotionally-imbruised 💙 @fromyourstrulyh 💙 @harryisadogperson 💙 @harrysthighles 💙 @mellowstyles94 💙 @toolazymyguy 💙
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SHIRO WHAT
OKAY i saw your taako cosplay a while ago and got into taz recently bc of it and i just finished balance and AHHHHHMYGOd anyways thank you ily
THIS IS A SUPER LATE REPLY AND YOU’VE PROBABLY CONSUMED EVERY SINGLE MCCELROY CONTENT IN THE WORLD BY NOW BUT thaaaNK YOU omg i am so touched that my cosplay helped you find taz!!!!!!!!! im so honored !!!!!!!!!!! asfjafjhsjkfsa thank you so much ily
I was in a quickplay match and on defense our Genji kept complaining because we didn't have a tank or a healer and yet THEY NEVER THOUGHT TO SWITCH (sorry I'm just salty)
i feel you
today a teammate left and we had four defense characters and one healer (me, or was i the tank i forgot)
literally the four defense heroes starting from hanzo and ending with torbjorn, that defense section was looking very gray in the middle
guess what the player who joined picked
that’s right, they picked pharah
:D
IM GETTING KITTENS SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!