My scarf looks good on him
After taking their food orders, the waiter leaves them and Alfonso starts talking, “so, let us start by talking about what’s happening in this whole week to unwind. Let’s start with Ricci?”
While Giorgio and Mariella are wondering what’s happening, Martin leans nearer to them and explains, “we will always take turns to talk about anything that happens for that week and what we are feeling about that, to ensure we get a chance to talk it out. Psychological stuff.”
“Well, this week is my first week, and the classes are manageable. I think I will have no trouble in getting perfect grades this semester.”
“Don’t count your eggs before it lays.”
“Tiziano!” Rizzo rolls his eyes and Alfonso turns to Ricci, “it’s good to have the confidence. Keep up the good work. So, what are you working on, Leonardo?”
“Erm, it’s fine so far? Today Professor Larue told me I got the solo part of the dance routine for the competition. I might be practicing harder and everyday from next week onwards.”
“Congratulations, I know you have the talent in you. Just make sure you don’t skip your meals no matter how busy you are, alright?” Leonardo nods and Alfonso turns to look at Rizzo, “what about you? Are you coping with your studies and lectures?”
“Nothing much, and nothing new.”
Alfonso nods and he turns to see Martin, “what about you Martin? Oh, do tell about your meeting with our new friends!”
“I still don’t think they are allowed to join our group.”
“Tiziano-” Alfonso leans nearer to Rizzo and whispers something to him in his ears, making him raise an eyebrow and finally he smirks before he takes out his phone to scroll on something, and Alfonso smiles, “so Martin?”
“Right!” the brunet chuckles nervously and Giorgio is staring at him, making him fidgets a little from the attention he got from the blonde, and he starts, “so, I started this week a little rocky I guess. I was almost late to a 8.30 lecture, bumped into Giorgio here, and lost my phone. Thank heavens Giorgio looked for me and returned it back. We have been getting lunch together, since well- you know me Alfonso, I hate getting meals alone-” Alfonso nods and Martin continues, “and I know Rizzo dislikes my presence in his office during lunch, so might as well get another lunch buddy, yeah? That’s about it for my sharing.”
“Thank you Martin. Giorgio and Mariella, would you two like to join in this sharing session? It’s unhealthy to not let things out sometimes.”
Mariella is biting her lips while contemplating the choices, and Giorgio just shakes his head, “oh, I don’t know about this.”
“The both of you are adopted right? Are your adoptive parents kind to you?”
Giorgio just nods and Mariella starts talking, “no worries on that, since they are already relatives of Giorgio and they are also in the uni-”
The food arrives and Martin grins when he sees Giorgio ordered octopus salad and a tall drink of ice blend chocolate with a huge whopping of whipped cream and he taps on his arm and asks, “you really like chocolate huh?”
Martin loves the way the calm and collected Giorgio blushes from their close proximity, and he is looking real cute due to his pale skin- “yes. I guess you found out huh?”
The brunet grins and Giorgio almost wants to blurt out that there’s something else he likes aka the man in front of him, but of course he didn’t want to read into things too deep just in case Martin is just being friendly with him. Luckily for Giorgio, Mariella herself is getting busy with staring at Leonardo, while Leonardo is busy taking huge bites and Ricci is telling him to slow down.
After they finished their meal, the tables were cleared and Martin grins, “anyone still has rooms for dessert? I want strawberry cake.”
Ricci sighs and he points a finger at Martin accusingly, “you always order strawberry cake! Didn’t you know how to bake one? It’s cheaper to do it yourself-”
“Oh come on, baking a mean strawberry cake needs lots of practice!” And I don’t want to mess up if Giorgio is not around when I am baking. Then Alfonso shakes his head, “Martin, I already ordered ahead, since I know you will always ask for that. What about you two, Giorgio and Mariella? Would you like some?”
“Yes please,” Giorgio agrees in a heartbeat while Mariella just nods. After finishing with Martin complaining the slice is too small, Alfonso pays for the check and Giorgio asks, “how much for our portion? I will pay you back-”
“No need, my treat this time,” Alfonso smiles while Rizzo looks like he wants to open his mouth to disagree, until Alfonso senses his boyfriend’s discomfort and he immediately grabs his chin and leans in for a kiss, making Ricci and Leonardo shouting ‘gay’ at them and Mariella looks a little horrified, and Giorgio glances at Martin who is cheering them on.
“By the way, let me get you both home,” Martin offers and he asks, “where do you guys live anyway?”
“It’s fine, we can get a cab ourselves-” Mariella says and Giorgio smiles and cuts Mariella off, “I would like that. Let me pay for your cab home though-”
“Damn, is it really far? I feel kinda bad for asking you out for dinner here now.”
You can even ask me to go somewhere I hate as long as you accompany me. Giorgio shakes his head and smiles, “it’s actually just a few blocks away though, but Mariella hates walking and I don’t like walking at night since it’s cold.”
“Hey! I’m not a pompous royalty! I can walk just fine.”
“Says the girl who asked for a trip to Paris just to shop as her birthday gift last year.”
“You enjoyed it too, Gio.”
“Yeah, until Jolyne smashed cakes into our faces and we had to clean while getting reprimanded.”
“Can I come along?”
They look at Leonardo and Giorgio smirks, “why not,” and Mariella looks a little conflicted, since Giorgio knows something is up with her when it comes to Leonardo, and the shorter male grins, “okay! Ricci! Alfonso! We are walking them both home first!”
“Are you sure you don’t need a lift?” Alfonso has lipstick marks on his mouth and Ricci passes him a tissue and he starts wiping it, “no worries, it’s just a few blocks away, we can walk. See you guys later!”
“Thank you for the meal again, Alfonso,” Giorgio bows a little and he pulls Mariella’s arm and she does the same, and they got into their separate ways where Alfonso, Rizzo, and Ricci walks back to their apartment which is just a block away, and the other four start walking together. When Martin sees Giorgio shivering a little despite he is wearing a thick pea coat all buttoned up, Martin takes a scarf out from his bag and he wraps it around the blonde’s neck, making him looks at the brunet with wide eyes and red cheeks, cute, “hope this keeps you warm.”
“Thanks. They smell good though,” Giorgio is sniffing the hideous looking orange colored scarf that is thick enough to cover his chin and mouth, and Martin chuckles nervously, “no way it smells good. Ricci often tells me how my laundry smells like fish sometimes, but I swear it’s just my seafood handling class that makes it that way!”
They smell like you, and that’s what I want. Then Giorgio realizes that Mariella and Leonardo are missing, and he turns around to see them trailing behind, where Leonardo looks like he is a nervous wreck, and Mariella didn’t look as good as well.
Martin looks at where Giorgio is staring and he whispers, “Gio, I got a serious question,” the blonde nods when he stares at his dark orbs and the brunet grins, “does Mariella have a boyfriend?”
Giorgio’s face falls instantly and Martin’s heart clenches a little when he sees Giorgio looking like that, “why do you want to know? Do you- like her?”
“No!”
Giorgio tilts his head a little and Martin quickly explains, “it’s for Leonardo. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Leonardo, our boy is crushing hard on Mariella.”
Ah, this must be interesting. Martin grins when he sees the blonde quirks into a teasing smile and he shakes his head, “no. She is single. What else Leonardo wants to know? I know her preferences, her likes and dislikes… I even know her sensitive spots considering she often shouts in the bathroom when she is sharing a bath with our youngest sister.”
“Erm, that’s too much information. But is Leonardo her type?”
“No,” Martin groans but perks up when Giorgio chuckles, “but I think she is crushing on him somehow too. Turn back and see how nervous she looks walking side by side with him,” when Martin turns in an obvious way, Giorgio grabs his arm and he whispers shouts, “not too obvious! What if you are caught peeking?”
“Sorry. But damn, looks like the both of them didn’t know when to confess.”
And for some reason, Giorgio didn’t want to let go of Martin’s arm, and Martin didn’t even realize they were this close. The blonde pouts when he sees the familiar apartment and he stops walking, “we are here. Thanks for the walk.”
“No problem. I’m glad we have dinner together.”
The both of them stare at each other in the eyes standing still, and they turn together when Mariella clears her throat at them, “we need to go. I don’t want to be home after our curfew.”
“Good night Martin. Are you sure you will be alright walking back?”
“Yeah! I have Leonardo. Oi Leo! Let’s go,” with a little pink on his face he quickly sprints and grabs Leonardo, making the shorter man curses from being pinched accidentally by Martin, and they run off a little too fast, making Mariella wonders what’s happening until she noticed the odd fashion piece around Giorgio’s neck.
“Oh?” she giggles and they enter their house after unlocking the door, where the Seiji couple are on the couch watching television together, while Jolyne is watching along and eating some orange slices. The high school teen turns to look at them and her eyes widen when she sees Giorgio’s appearance, and she giggles, “when did you become a fashion disaster? I thought you were a fashionista.”
“My friend lends me this when I shiver from the cold. I’m back, Murai, Jin,” the couple greets him briefly and Mariella adds, “you look ecstatic though, since it’s your crush’s scarf.”
“He is not my crush.”
“Then why do you accept getting wrapped in this? I know you will reject it if it’s from me.”
“Crush?!” Jolyne stands up and she approaches them, and she grabs Giorgio’s shoulders and shakes, “give me the details!”
“Jolyne, don’t shake your brother too hard.”
“I’m going to sleep, I’m tired,” Giorgio finally escapes after Jolyne gets careless on her hold on him when she bombards him with questions that he definitely doesn’t want to answer. After locking his bedroom door, he takes off his coat and carefully unwraps the scarf and places it on his bed, and he is distracted when his phone chimes from receiving a new notification.
GMartinPistols: gud 9 Gio!
And Giorgio smiles when he sends a photo of him laughing at the camera while Leonardo at the back gets into an arm lock by Ricci, where the background looks like some sort of modest looking kitchen, with some laundry hanging or something.
Giorgio: good night Martin
Luckily it’s Friday night, so Giorgio doesn’t mind letting his mind be occupied with the thoughts of Martin.