There were a lot of things Romano could have guessed he'd be doing on the weekend, but carrying his cat to the vet wasn't one of them. He drummed his fingers on his steering wheel as he drove, sparing a moment to glare at the animal.
He didn't hate animals, just maybe this particular one. It was a cat, brownish-orange in color but with a lighter patch on it's head. This cat was virtually useless, and all it did was eat and sleep. It wasn't even friendly, it lashed out at the slightest disturbance. Romano still had a few faint scratches on his arms from the times he'd tried to at least befriend the animal. A few of his friends said the cat was the reflection of himself, but, he refused to believe he was that bad.
The cat was curled up in it's crate, emitting a low growl whenever Romano went over a bump. It hissed, and he sighed. "Oh, shut up, mostro, we're almost there. Besides, you're the one who's taking up my day."
Romano parked his car in front of the building, lugging the cat crate into the office. The place was crowded, and noisy thanks to the variety of animals. He walked up to the front desk, and after standing there for a few minutes, went to sit down. As he looked around the waiting room, he discovered there was only one open chair, which was nestled between a large dog and a parrot. He gave a slight sound of dismay, but accepted the chair, keeping the cat cage at his feet.
Romano learned two things while he was sitting there. The dog had no sense of personal space, and the parrot knew it's ABCs. The dog, while friendly enough, decided that it would rather sit on Romano rather than next to him. As for the parrot, it knew its letters of the alphabet and missed no opportunity to scream them into Romano's ear.
One by one, people got up with their pets, and escaped the noise through a door and into the actual clinic. Even the parrot and dog left eventually, Romano was left tapping his foot and waiting to go in.
At last he could get up, and he all but sprang to his feet, picking up the cat crate and carrying it through the door. The room he entered was almost empty, but it was clean. There was a table in the center, and a few counters behind it, as well as a sink. There was a chair for him to sit in, but he didn't get the chance to before the veterinarian came in.
"Hi there!" He spoke, and Romano turned, greeted with a sunny smile. "So I hear your cat isn't well, what's wrong with the little thing? Oh, and can you let them out and set them on the table for me?"
Romano blinked for a moment, and then nodded, kneeling down and opening the door. His cat tried to shoot out of the crate, but he blocked her exit, picking her up and setting the animal on the table.
"Um, well, she isn't eating. I switched her to canned food after she wouldn't have the dry but Bellina still won't eat." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck.
"So Bellina is her name! That suits her, she's such a cute little thing." The vet spoke in a peppy, airy tone, going to the cat and humming cheerfully. "So she won't eat. Alright, I'll take a look. I um- it's Antonio, by the way." He turned to Romano, his gaze lingering for a moment before he returned to the patient. Romano sighed. "Yeah, okay. Um..It's Romano." He offered, and Antonio nodded with a breezy grin. "Your cat isn't the only one with a pretty name."
Bellina curled right up to Antonio, and even purred a little. She held still for him, letting him examine her without a problem. Romano watched, feeling both surprised and a little betrayed.
"So! Roma, I-"
"Romano."
"..Romano, right, sorry, I found her problem. It's nothing serious, she just needs a little tooth pulled. But it hurts for her to eat so that's why she hasn't been. We can take care of it." Antonio smiled at him, and he rose a brow.
"I..guess, if that's all.." Romano rubbed his arm. Antonio beamed.
"Don't worry! I'll make sure it isn't too expensive, I wouldn't overcharge someone as cute as you…r..cat." Antonio chuckled, the slightest bit of nerves tied to the sound.
Romano rose a brow, looking at him for a few moments before nodding his head in agreement. "Fine. Whatever you need to do, I guess."
"Alright, Roma!" Antonio hummed, and Romano decided to let the name slide. Just this once.
And then he was waiting again, this time without a cat to keep him company. He had an empty cage at his feet, and he tapped his foot on the tile floor, the heel of his shoe making a sharp clacking sound.
When Bellina came back, she was a limp lump of fur. She was still drowsy, and for once didn't try to claw Romano as he put her in her cage. He made his way to the front desk, and just as Antonio had promised, he hadn't been overcharged. In fact, the price seemed pretty low. He paid his bill, and then picked up the cage, going to the door.
As he opened it, Antonio opened the back door, leaning out and waving to Romano. "I hope I see you again soon!"
Romano rose a brow, tilting his head to the side. "..You want my cat to be sick again?" He asked, though the ghost of a smile made it's way to his lips.
Antonio blinked, a blush rising to his face. "No! No, not that, I mean- ah, I'm sorry. Goodbye, for now, I guess." He waved.
As Romano left, he found himself glancing back at the clinic. He shook his head. So what? There was a vet he sort of liked and who'd said goodbye. Of course he'd want to see him again, the more often he came by, the more money he'd pay. He wasn't special. Rolling his eyes, he put Bellina in the passenger side, getting behind the wheel, going home.
Still, his cynical view didn't stop him from tagging along with his brother's boyfriend when one of his dogs got sick. And Romano would be lying if he said the way Antonio grinned from ear to ear when he saw him didn't make him feel just a little special.