Chapter 14

The next few minutes were something of a blur. It all happened in such a rush. Prosper's words kept ringing in Scipio's mind, but all Scipio could see was the white of Prosper's shirt. He didn't remember exactly when he'd leapt that short distance between them to bring Prosper into his arms. He just knew that now he was holding him, hugging him, embracing him. He could feel Prosper breathing; he could feel the sturdiness of his body. Scipio took in several deep breaths of Prosper's scent, but it was mostly breathing to calm himself.

"Oh god, I thought you were dead," Scipio breathed out.

"Dead?" Prosper asked. "Why would you think that?"

"… You were adopted by Ida Spavento… who's 15 year old son died in a boat accident shortly after your adoption. I thought it was…. I thought it was you!" Scipio cried without tears. The way Prosper's arms tightened around him made his chest swell in the immense relief and love he felt in this moment.

"No… I'm alive. It's alright, Scip. I wouldn't leave you that easy," Prosper promised. He gave Scipio a briefly tighter squeeze and made them part about a foot so they could look at each other. "Wow… You've grown, Scip."

"Me?" Scipio asked. He cleared his throat to rid his voice of any imagined tears. "Look at you, Prop! You grew like two feet and your voice is so different… I didn't even recognize you! And your hair!"

"I had to cut it," Prosper laughed. "All those curls got in the way on windy days. And look at you! You're even taller than I am! And may I say… extremely handsome. You grew up well… and if I squint, I can even see some of your father in you."

Scipio laughed at the tease. He looked so much like his father it was like he'd been cloned, but he'd gotten plenty of his mother's features… but they weren't as obvious. The roundness of his face, softer than his father's, was from his mom. He had the features of his father, but they were down played by the features of his mother. Prosper really liked it. Scipio was hot. Yet, on the other side of the examination, Scipio was thinking the same thing about Prosper. The orphan had grown up so well, and he had definitely been lifting some heavy stuff because even through his shirt you could see his toned body. Scipio was almost jealous, but at the same time… it was the same Prosper, the one that would stick by his side through anything… and that meant that he didn't have to be jealous. The person inhabiting that body was just another part of himself, so it was sort of like that body was Scipio's anyway… in a weird way.

"How long have you been back?" Prosper asked, slipping his hand into Scipio's and pulling him to the chairs he and Victor used on breaks.

"Only two days," Scipio admitted. "I went home first, but the others wouldn't let me stay. I went to see my father and told him I was leaving and never coming back once I got all of my stuff and my mom's stuff out of the house. Then I packed up the others and bought a house. They're all there unpacking and picking out your room and having a fun time."

"Wow… All that in two days? Sorry I missed it. How did your father take it?" Prosper asked, noting how Scipio hadn't pulled his hand away even though they were sitting already.

"Well he was rather livid, as I expected, but I think the malice died down when I told him mother died, and I didn't stick around to watch after that," Scipio said. Prosper frowned.

"You mom died?" Prosper asked softly. He truly sounded grieved, and Scipio frowned suddenly. He remembered when she died and how he'd cried… but he'd stopped crying then because he'd craved Prosper's words so much. He'd wanted Prosper to tell him it was all okay and to comfort him, but Prosper hadn't been there. He remembered thinking he'd wait to cry until Prosper was around, but now he found no tears waiting… even as he remembered her death, he did not want to cry. Maybe it was the way Prosper was here, alive, and holding his hand. All Scipio knew was that he didn't want Prosper to be like the others who'd comforted him, who'd asked him how and why and what now.

"That's sad… I wish I could have seen her once more. I never even got to tell her….," Prosper's voice faded out and he had a distant look in his eyes. Scipio put his other hand overtop Prosper's so that he was holding the hand between the two of his.

"Tell her?" Scipio urged gently. Prosper sighed and looked down at the hands.

"I told myself that if she ever came back… I was going to tell her I loved her… and call her 'mom' at least once. I wanted to say it before you guys left, but I was scared I would break down and tell you I was going back to the orphanage if I did," Prosper admitted. He looked torn, and he was. He would never get a chance to call her mom like she'd always wanted… and that was a heavy weight on his chest.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Scipio asked. "And what exactly happened? Bo said father kicked you out. Father said you'd wanted to go. What's the real story?" He had to distract Prosper from his melancholy thoughts.

"…. It happened after you went to bed. Your father came in and told me he was sending everyone away after you left, but I knew what would happen if he sent us all back. We'd all be picked up by random families and lose each other. I didn't want you to come home to an empty house, and I didn't want the others back in the orphanages or on the streets… So I traded my life and best chance to see you again so that they could stay. But look what happened," Prosper said with a smile. "I got to see you again anyway."

"Yeah… It was a short detour," Scipio laughed. "But now that I've found you, Prosper I need to talk seriously with you." And the young Massimo looked the part. Prosper's smile faded a little and he looked seriously back at Scipio.

"Alright," he agreed. "What's wrong?" Scipio shook his head.

"Nothing's wrong," he said. "I-."

"Excuse me!" a voice called. Scipio froze. Prosper's eyes widened and he jumped up. A customer! He gave Scipio a short 'Sorry' smile before he went to see who it was.

Scipio clenched his fists. He missed the warmth of Prosper's hands and he was upset that someone, even a complete stranger, would interrupt them right when he was about to confess! He leaned over to watch Prosper deal with the customer, but he ended up staring at Prosper's ass the whole time. Prosper put a hand behind his back, resting against his lower back and upper butt. It was the hand Scipio had been holding, and Prosper kept closing it like he was trying to get a grip on something.

Luckily, Prosper didn't have to touch any fish with this customer. He gave her the information she wanted, she picked up her own fish, paid, and she was gone. He never used his hand and it stayed there behind his back. Prosper shifted and Scipio was too busy watching his butt and the way his pants moved to concentrate on why. Then Prosper let his hand drop to his side and turned around. Scipio's eyes snapped up to Prosper's face before the other could see where he was looking.

"So-," Prosper called as he walked back in that direction. "Where were we?"

Scipio didn't talk at first. He watched Prosper's face. He watched how Prosper licked his lips in nervousness and then smiled. Same old Prop.

"Do you remember when we were younger… and father used to always get upset because we'd tracked mud in or broken something, and we always swore it would never happen again?" Scipio finally asked.

"Yeah. What about it?" Prosper asked, stopping by the seat but not sitting.

"He always used to say actions speak louder than words… so…," Scipio trailed off as he stood. He looked Prosper in the eyes. Then he blushed and looked at the floor. He ran a hand through his hair in his nervousness.

"Scip?" Prosper asked, putting a hand on Scipio's shoulder. Scipio was about to reply but Prosper's other hand came up and held his chin. Then he was forced to look back up into Prosper's eyes. "Scip?"

The question didn't sound the same. The first one seemed unsure, worried for Scipio. This new one seemed unsure as in not sure if the meaning of Scipio's actions were being interpreted right. It was a suggestive question. Prosper let his pointer finger moved up Scipio's cheek, brushing it ever so smoothly. The young Massimo found it a little hard to breathe. This was the sort of thing he'd done to Prosper years earlier when the other had been sleeping. These gentle touches… Did they mean Prosper really did love him?

"Prosper," Scipio breathed like the name was salvation. Then he moved quickly, grabbing Prosper's face between his hands and kissing him right on the lips. Prosper's fingers jumped and lost their place on Scipio's face, but the one on his shoulder didn't move. Scipio pulled back before Prosper even had a chance to respond.

"Mother made me promise to tell you that I loved you when I got back," he said in a speedy whisper. "So I've told you."

Prosper smiled. Scipio was blushing. How cute. Then the adopted son of Spavento leaned in and set his forehead against Scipio's. He chuckled that smooth, calming laugh, and Scipio let out a relieved breath.

"Isn't kissing a bit much on the first date?" Prosper asked teasingly. Scipio's chest felt swollen and he laughed too.

"This isn't a date. I just died!" he exclaimed dramatically. Prosper laughed at that. He wrapped his arms around Scipio and felt the other return the gesture. They stood like that, laughing softly, until Victor Getz came to see what had happened to the young man who'd come to find Prosper. When he saw them, he cleared his throat loudly, and they both blushed and pulled apart. Victor muttered something about teenagers and rolled his eyes. Scipio laughed and Prosper said they weren't teenagers. They were adults.

"Either way! Now don't take up work time with your displays of affection, Prosper! Man the shop!" Victor ordered, ending the conversation. He walked past them to the back muttering something about 'the lucky one' – the meaning of Prosper's name.

Scipio hung around the shop until Prosper was off. He had nothing to do most of the time, so he mostly watched Prosper work… or watched the way his body moved. Once or twice, Victor had him help move something. Apparently he looked too stagnant just sitting there… staring at Prosper. And that was how the day went from morning to evening.