Chapter 4
Romano loved seeing Antonio cook. The way sweat would drip from his brow, to how he stared intently at a tomato as he diced it, to how he would find time to give Romano a loving glance and a peck on the lips. Yes, Romano loved this.
Romano loved when Antonio finished cooking and he could finally eat whatever delicacy the Spanish man decided to make. Antonio always filled his food with tomatoes, knowing they were Romano's favorite, and Romano would gladly eat every bite. Romano absolutely loved getting to taste new recipes, which were always flawless.
'Can everyone in this country cook?' he wondered.
He didn't have too much time to be stuck in his thoughts though, as he suddenly felt two hands on the bottom of his thighs, pulling him up to sit on the kitchen counter.
"You cook here, you know?!" Romano loudly protested, though, really, he loved getting this kind of affection.
"Oh well, too late now." Antonio said with a shrug as he buried his head in Romano's neck, kissing his way up to his cheeks, and then finally meeting his lips.
Romano loved the smell of Antonio's hair. It smelled like tomatoes, and spices, and like Antonio's wonderful cologne that Romano didn't know the name of. Romano loved running his fingers through the chocolate-brown, wavy locks, and Romano loved the reaction he always got from Antonio when he did this.
It had been another week. In that week, Romano gained new things to tell his parents when they called, not that he would actually tell them about the handsome, older man who made his heart flutter. No, he definitely wouldn't tell them, he decided, not then and maybe not ever. Besides, Francis didn't even really know yet.
Antonio and Romano weren't officially in a relationship. They just kissed and cuddled more than people who were 'just friends' tended to do. Romano tried not to think much of it, but, secretly, it was one of the things that managed to always cross his mind before he fell asleep. He was always scared to bring it up, especially because this new, good thing in his life that showed him love and affection, that Romano wanted to show love and affection to, had just appeared a week ago. At this point, Antonio and Romano were simply testing the waters and seeing if they even liked each other.
Romano definitely liked Antonio, he only questioned if Antonio really liked him. He thought back to their conversation in the garden, about people who either made a person's day or changed their life.
Romano secretly hoped that Antonio was a person to change his life.
After a brief make out session the oven started beeping, telling Antonio that the food was ready. He pulled away to grab two tan colored oven mitts, and pulled the lasagna out of the oven. It smelled delightful and filled the room with a pleasant air. Romano tilted his head back and closed his eyes, just to take in the wonderful aroma. This is how he didn't notice Antonio walking back toward him. Antonio put his hands around Romano's waist and took advantage of the smaller man's wonderment as he passionately kissed his neck. Romano looked down at Antonio with wide, bewildered eyes, and instead of protesting or even saying anything at all, he just softly smiled. Antonio pulled away and returned the gesture; the corners of his eyes turned up and formed creases. Romano loved seeing these creases; they reminded him of how old and young Antonio was, mentally and physically, and Romano also thought they simply made the Spanish man look even more handsome.
"Dinner's ready." Antonio said softly. The smile lingered on his face but his eyes relaxed a bit. His movements became slower as he drew himself closer to Romano, his arms pulling the smaller man's waist to his own. It was as if Antonio was trying to take in every moment of being this close to Romano, or at least Romano hoped. Romano's legs wrapped around the long, toned torso in front of him, and before he knew it, he was being lifted off the table.
Antonio carried him all the way to the dinner table in the small dining room. He gently set Romano down and pulled out a chair for him to sit in. Romano sat and Antonio walked to the kitchen to grab the lasagna. Antonio had already set out the silverware and their plates.
They had a lovely dinner full of nonchalant and fun conversation. Romano loved just talking to Antonio just as much as kissing and cuddling him. He had a deep, warm, and welcoming voice, that felt like an embrace upon hearing it. It made Romano feel like he had been left in the cold for so long, until this voice pulled him to the warmth of a fire. This, over the past few days, became a usual routine. Francis had a brief work trip that sent him back to his hometown, Paris, for those few days, so Antonio gladly had been letting Romano spend time with him. Romano couldn't help but feel like a child still, because if he wasn't with one older man he seemed to be with another, but Antonio never treated him that way. Francis, on the other hand, was turning out to be more of an older brother to Romano, making him feel safe, yet letting him experience adult things that accompanied being of age in that country, but there was also something…protective...about Francis's demeanor. Romano didn't really mind, though, as he could imagine himself feeling very lost in that new place without Francis.
At the end of the night, Antonio and Romano walked to Antonio's tall, old, wooden front door. His whole house seemed to burst with life with its vibrant colors and, seemingly, hundreds of paintings on the wall. It was a beautiful, chaotic, yet flowy, and, somehow, organized mess. It reminded Romano of a lot of the things that he adored about Antonio.
The two men stood at the door, with the plaque above it that Romano couldn't quite read yet, and looked into each other's eyes before speaking.
"Are you sure you can make it home okay?" Antonio caringly, softly, asked.
"Si. I will be fine, I always am."
"Well then, I guess this is until tomorrow?" Antonio asked.
"Si."
Antonio then placed his hands on Romano's chin and tilted it upward. He looked deeply into the smaller man's colorful eyes until placing a kiss on Romano's right cheek, then his left, then on his lips. He quickly pulled away, too quickly for Romano's liking, and gave Romano one of his infinite smiles.
Romano quickly arrived back to his and Francis's apartment, and yes, he had gotten into the habit of calling it his, fore he had never felt more at home then he did while staying there. Francis still wasn't back, but Romano knew that he would return in a few hours, or, at least, that's what Francis told him earlier that day (when Romano's buzzing phone woke him and Antonio up from their extra-long siesta together). In the meantime, Romano decided to clean the place up a little. It hadn't gotten that dirty, because Romano had been spending most of his time at Antonio's, but Romano still dusted and vacuumed the floors. He then got in the shower and had just began putting his pajamas on when he heard Francis entering the door.
"Romano! I'm home!" Francis walked in and looked around for the younger man. When he didn't see him he yelled again, "Romano, where are you?"
"I'm right here!" Romano came running in the room in just his white wife-beater and boxers.
"Oh, zhere you are!" Francis then walked over to Romano and threw his arms around him. "I've missed you! Have you been doing well? I'm so sorry I had to leave! I…" Francis stopped mid-sentence when something caught his eye. He pulled back and gave Romano a knowing smile.
Romano then straightened his clothes a bit and looked at Francis, a bit shocked, and he wondered if he knew. "I've been well." Romano finally said.
"Oui. I can tell." Francis said, and then walked away. He grabbed a bag off the kitchen counter, that Romano hadn't noticed, and handed it to him. "Zhis is for you."
Romano's eyes then widened. "You didn't have to do this." He finally said.
"Oui, but I wanted to, and it'z nothing much."
Romano opened it and saw that it indeed was much. It was a camera, a nice camera at that. It was dark black and shiny, with a ginormous lens, many complicated buttons, and a black, leather neck strap to match. It was beautiful, and it looked very expensive.
"Why did you get me this?" Romano asked.
"Becauze, I've noticed how much you like to look at zhings, observe what's around you. I figured you could take some lovely pictures here."
"Thank you." Romano simply said.
"De rien." Francis said.
They grabbed a bottle of wine and sat on the sofa. Ever since that first night that Romano drank with Francis, it seemed to become part of his nightly routine. They never drank excessively, but Romano had to admit that he liked the taste of the red drink, and the way it felt when it made its way down his throat.
"So, how was your trip?" Romano asked.
"Tres bein! I mean, the work was quite boring, but seeing Paris again was amazing!" Francis dreamily said.
"Do you ever think of moving back to Paris?"
"Non! Non, of course not! I love Paris, don't get me wrong. But, zis is my home. I don't see myself living anywhere else, even Paris." Francis passionately said; his accent got thicker as the sentence went on and more wine settled into his body.
Romano smiled at this. They sat for moment in silence, just enjoying their wine and sensing the heat that was Spain at night. It was hot and stuffy, yet, for some reason, Romano couldn't help but visualize this as his home, too. Not just Francis's apartment, but Spain itself. It made him think about seeing the hot, Spanish sun every day, the artwork in the streets, the smiling people…and all these thoughts led him to one resulting picture of one person, Antonio.
"Francis, you write romance novels for a living, don't you?' Romano asked.
"Oui." Francis simply answered. A part of him wondered where this was going.
"Then, why are you single?" Romano asked in the nicest way possible, because he was simply, genuinely, wondering. In that moment, he reminded Francis of a little kid, questioning the adults that are part of their lives, wanting to simply understand something about the elder's life that he simply couldn't wrap his head around.
Francis smiled. "I am single becauze I haven't found ze person to spend the rest of my life with." He paused, then a look of concern appeared on his face.
"Iz that mark on your neck a reason why you are asking?" he kindly asked Romano.
"What?!" Romano quickly became weary of his neck, trying to find whatever Francis might've seen. He finally spotted a giant bruise on his collar bone that he knew was from his day with Antonio. He desperately tried to think of something to say to Francis, but before he could, Francis began talking again.
"I see you haven't been lonely after all." Francis smiled. "May I ask who, mon ami?"
"It…it was…um" Romano looked down, not sure what Francis's reaction would be with him making out with Francis's best friend. He was a bit scared to look the older man in the eye.
"It was Antonio," Romano softly said.
"Aw, I figured." Francis simply said, again, with a knowing smile.
"And you're not mad?" Romano carefully asked, still a bit shocked by the other's reaction.
"Non, of course not! Truth be told, I saw it from ze beginning."
"Oh well, thank you."
"But I don't think zhat's what we were originally talking about. You want advice, oui?"
"…yes, actually." Romano quietly, uncertainly said.
"Well zhen ask away!" Francis happily declared.
"Ok, well, the thing is, I think…I know I really like Antonio, I just don't know if he really likes me, or not. I don't want him to…to just want to make out with me, you know? And, I know he's a great guy, that's why I really like him, but…" Romano stuttered, uncomfortably, along. He had never opened himself up like that, and he felt so…exposed. Luckily, Francis didn't seem to mind at all.
Francis put his hand on the smaller's shoulder and gave him a comforting look. Romano couldn't help but think of how much of an older brother Francis really was to him in that moment.
"Don't worry, mon ami. You are wonderful, and I know Antonio seez the same. You 'ave come into both of our lives like a ray of sunshine. You would never expect it, especially from him, but, before you came he seemed a little…like he waz going through zhe motions. He would use his amazing smile all day, every day, and it became ze same. No other emotion, just zhat. We both would both wake up, go to work, and get ready for ze next day. You came and reminded us of ze city we live in, of what it iz like to be young again. I zhink if zhere is any 'esitation on Antonio's part then it iz because of some crazy zhing that's running through 'is mind, nozhing to do with you. Just give 'im time, but not too much. Sometimez, I'm afraid, you have to pry it out of poor Antonio, mon ami."
"Thank you." Romano finally said, very grateful for Francis's words and acceptance. Francis then stood up, about to go to bed.
Before he left the room, Francis turned back to Romano, as if remembering something. "Oh, and Romano?"
"Yes?"
"I 'ave concealer zhat'll match your skin tone zhat you can use to cover ze spot on your neck. And, az someone who cares about you very dearly, I must stress being careful with zhat kind of thing," Francis said the last part as he gestured to Romano's neck.
Romano's eyes widened. 'Had Francis just insinuated that he thought Romano had sex with Antonio?' Romano wondered. Romano certainly had not, and didn't know if he was ready for that kind of thing, especially since he didn't really know where he and Antonio stood. So many thoughts echoed through his head as he made his way to his bedroom.
'That's it, tomorrow I will ask Antonio about all of this.' Romano thought to himself, unable to stand the suspense any longer.
"Bonne nuit!" he heard Francis tell him from across the hall.
"Good night!" Romano called back to him, thankful to have him as a 'big brother'.
