Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Luca or any of the associated characters.

Chapter 5: The Letter

The two friends didn't see each other again for several days. Alberto wasn't kidding when he said he was a busy man, and Luca as well found his time occupied helping his family at the underwater farm. Though they were able to handle the herding and other chores during his absence while at school, they were grateful to have extra hands to do much of the manual labor, such as removing barnacles from the fish cave or rethatching the roofing on their undersea dwelling after a nasty storm sent the bay waters into turmoil. But every other day or so, Luca ventured topside to visit Massimo and Giulia. He loved their company, but admittedly, they were not the real reason for his frequent excursions.

Knowing that his family did not have a true mailing address below water, he had used Massimo's address on his application to the Universita degli Studi di Milano Statale. It was one of the finest astronomical physics programs in all of Italy, and based on his exam results and guidance counselor's recommendation, he thought he may actually stand a chance at admission. But the cost to attend, even if he was accepted, would be very expensive. And Milan was very, very far away from everything he knew—Porto Rosso, his family… Alberto. It would be incredibly difficult and terrifying to venture to somewhere so far away, but on the other hand there was no other program in the whole country that he felt so drawn to go to. He'd loved astronomy from the moment Giulia had first told him that the twinkling lights were not actually anchovies, but rather giant balls of gas and fire burning billions of miles away. And the first time he'd ever looked through a telescope—oh! He could still feel the burning excitement inside him reignite like it was the first time each time he'd looked through a telescope these past five years. Just to imagine how large and infinite the universe was, how many more worlds and galaxies there might exist out in the unknown, absolutely fascinated him. And he might just have the impossible chance of going to study the great unknown with some of the finest minds in Italy.

All he needed was one letter…

So, as he had for every two days this past month, he sat by the town fountain with eyes only for the mail carrier. His chin rested in his laced fingers and his knee bounced like a rubber ball. Dark clouds rumbled a warning overhead. Storms were rare during the summer, but this one seemed to have somehow missed the memo. The usually cheerful, sunny coastline was darkened and grey, casting a dim atmosphere on Luca's already sour mood. Six weeks. It had been six weeks since he'd mailed his application from Genova. He had known it would take a while for the postal service to work its magic, and his return to Porto Rosso and seeing Alberto again had been enough to distract him for a substantial time, but now as the days dragged on his anxiety grew. With Alberto so consumed with work and the claustrophobia of being back on his family's tiny farm ever growing, Luca had nothing to occupy his nervousness.

"Buon giorno!"

A voice from far up the street caught Luca's attention.

"Well, good morning Missus Rossi! You're up quite early, too, little one."

A baby babbled gleefully as the woman responded, "Yes. Little Nicoletta woke us up earlier than usual today. Might as well take the mail in person since I'm already awake."

"Oho! What a little troublemaker!" the other voice responded with a chuckle. "Might be the storm rolling in. Babies are sensitive to that kind of stuff. Here you are, signora. Enjoy the rest of your morning and try to stay dry. Ciao, Nicoletta!"

Luca sprang from his seat to see portly little Signore Giordano, Porto Rosso's mail carrier. He'd been delivering mail for almost forty years and was something akin to the town's adopted grandfather. He hobbled carefully down the cobbles with a brown canvas sack slung across one shoulder.

"Buon giorno, Mr. Giordano!" Luca called, trotting up to him.

"Oh, my – is that you, Luca Paguro?" Signore Giordano squinted his eyes at the approaching figure. "Mamma mia! How you've grown!"

Luca smiled shyly. "It's good to see you again. Anything for the Marcovaldo's?"

"Hmm?" The old man raised his eyebrows. "Ah… let me see…" He gingerly reached into his mail bag and rummaged around a bit. Luca tried his best to hide his fidgeting, counting every second that Mister Giordano spent digging. "I have a few more stops on my route first, but here it is." His wrinkled hand emerged holding three envelopes.

"I'll take these to them," Luca offered, and the old man handed them over. More thunder rumbled above, issuing a final caution to anyone not under shelter. Luca glanced upward. "Will you be okay in the storm, Signore?"

"I have my umbrella." the old man nodded, "Though I'm sure I'd fare better if I had fins like yours in a rainstorm!"

Luca gave him a smile. "Well, take care then. I'll take these right over to Mr. Massimo."

Giordano gave Luca a wave as he turned away to trot back down the narrow path toward Giulia and Massimo's home. They likely weren't awake yet, as Giulia was taking time to make the most of her summer break and Massimo was likewise settling into his retirement. Now that Alberto had taken up the mantle of manning the labor side of the fishing business, Massimo could afford to rest more than he used to. Luca rounded the corner and into the Marcovaldo's small stone patio just as heavy raindrops began to plunk, plunk on the stone walkway. He took shelter under the overhang of the doorway, cradling the letters under his arm so they wouldn't get wet. Luca assumed he was alone, but a familiar feline grumble made him turn around.

"Oh! Hey, Machiavelli."

The bulbous black and white cat was curled into a tight loaf and partially hidden behind a flowerpot. He was clearly not pleased about the rain now freely dripping from above. The Marcovaldo's furry guardian would have to wait for another hour or so before his masters could open the door and let him return to the safety of the dry inside, but in the meantime, he reluctantly accepted a scratch behind the ears from his companion. Somehow, Machiavelli's presence made Luca feel a little more at ease as he nervously retrieved the envelopes from under his elbow.

The first was a plain white envelope addressed to Massimo from the local dentist, likely a reminder of an upcoming appointment. The second was addressed to Giulia in shaky cursive from her Great-Aunt Maria. A loopy "Congratulations!" written on the back told Luca that it was probably a very belated graduation card. The third envelope was heavier than the others, wrapped in a fine yellow parchment. It was addressed in clean black ink to:

Mr. Luca Paguro

21 Porto Rosso Square

With shaky hands, Luca flipped over the envelope to see a circular emblem stamped in the same shiny black ink. The image depicted a roman scholar draped in a regal toga holding an oil lantern, a spear, and an olive branch. A series of letters around the emblem circumference read: Universitas Studiorum Mediolanensis. Luca's breathing became shallower. This… this is…

Luca took a deep breath. He slid a finger under the seam and lifted the edge open, revealing more clean, golden paper folded neatly inside. He slipped the heavy paper out of its casing and held it for a moment, feeling its weight in his hands. He paused, fearful of taking the next crucial step. Whatever this letter said, it would define his future for better or worse. If he was accepted, he would be able to attend the school of his dreams. If he was denied… What would his life look like in Porto Rosso? He didn't know.

"Silencio Bruno…" Luca whispered to himself. This was his moment.

With trembling fingers, he flipped open the parchment. His amber-brown eyes scanned rapidly over the first several lines, and he let out an exclamation that made Machiavelli spring upright with a hiss.

"Oh, sorry Machiavelli!" said with a grin. "I didn't mean to scare you. But look!" He held the letter towards the cat. "I did it! I got accepted!"

Machiavelli blinked lazily at the parchment and then settled back into a loaf. Luca laughed to himself, feeling jittery and excited. He had to tell his parents! And Giulia and Massimo when they woke up! And—

Alberto!

Suddenly Luca couldn't contain his excitement. As his thoughts raced, Luca glanced down and got an idea. He didn't want his acceptance letter to be ruined by the rain, but he also wanted it to be a surprise for everyone. He would tell them later, but in this moment, he knew what he wanted to do.

"Hey, Machiavelli – would you do a favor for me?" He refolded the letter and slipped it back into its envelope before gently tucking it under the flowerpot by the enormous cat. "Keep an eye on this for me, will you?"

Machiavelli did not respond. Luca set the other two envelopes well out of the way of the rain and ducked out into the storm, which was beginning to fall heavier now but which wasn't a fully-fledged downpour quite yet. He knew it was a long shot, but maybe, just maybe Alberto hadn't gone into work yet. Maybe the threat of a storm over the harbor would mean he wouldn't be going out at all?

Luca sprinted down the path and through the city. He had to tell Alberto his news. He wanted his best and closest friend to be the first one to know. They had talked about traveling the world together when they were boys, and now Luca was finally being given the chance to start that journey. First, he would travel to Milan, and then who knows where else he might go… Paris? London? Maybe he could even travel to the United States to visit the launch site of Apollo 11, the first space mission that ever sent humans to the moon. In fact, maybe he could one day visit the moon! Haha! The first Thalassino to walk on the moon!

And maybe he wouldn't have to do it alone.

Maybe Alberto would come with him.

He wound through tight streets, passing only a handful of early passersby and mothers reaching to pull their drying laundry off of hanging lines. Large, wet raindrops were starting to fall faster and heavier on the cobbles as Luca's feet danced over them, practically levitating him further and further up the sloped streetways. He felt his heart might burst right out of his chest as he continued on, never slowing, up alleyways he only somewhat recognized from his visit to Alberto's home days before until—just up ahead—he saw it: the tiny, covered alleyway that led to Alberto's apartment. The rain was falling freer now, splashing splotches of green scales onto his skin, coaxing webbing to grow between his fingers and thinning his soft brown curls into slender fins. He practically skipped his way over to the entrance of the alley, ready to crash his way into the tiny doorway, up the too-narrow staircase, and into the home of the one person who—

Luca froze.

The alley was occupied already. Luca could see two figures embracing, shielded from the now pouring rain by an overhang from the neighboring building. They weren't still as if they were hugging or some other such innocent act… they were moving, stroking, grasping each other. A man's head was tucked into the neck of a woman whose long yellow hair was wrapping over both their shoulders in frenzied, unkempt strands. Dark, tanned arms were wrapped around her slight waist, and her blouse was lifted enough to expose a pale cream-colored abdomen.

"It's still early. We could go back to bed," the man's deep voice rasped.

"You rascal," the woman giggled, "You'll be late for work."

"Do you see the rain? Work's cancelled." The man's face was buried deep in her golden curls, making quick work of her neck and collarbone.

She let out a sensual gasp. "Maybe for you, but I need to be at the market stand in half an hour."

"That's plenty of time." He growled suggestively. Her long, milky leg—only barely covered by a short cotton skirt—was hiked high on the man's hip as he learned the full weight of his lower torso into her. Soft gasps and whimpering sounds were escaping the woman as the man continued to kiss her neck, until suddenly his chin lifted, and a mop of dark brown twisted curls emerged into view.

Alberto.

Luca felt prickles all over his body as his skin turned entirely into scales. He felt suddenly unable to breath, caught somewhere between using his lungs or his gills, but it wasn't only the rain that was obstructing his breathing. He felt suffocated by the sight in front of him. He now recognized the blonde woman. She'd been the one he'd passed on the road the other night. And he could clearly see Alberto now, in his human form, still ravaging the young woman so that soft little moans were now escaping her. Luca felt unable to move or run away. He stood frozen, aching, trapped in his own body until…

"H-Hey," the woman said. Her eyes had caught the glimpse of bright green and blue being marred by the blurring rain. "There's a sea person there."

"A what?" Alberto's closed eyes slid open lazily just in time to see a flick of green disappear beyond the edge of the alley entranceway. Luca was already sprinting. He had to get out of there. He had to get to water. As he ran, splashing through puddles, he thought he heard his name over the roar of rain fall but he ignored it. He kept running downhill as far as he could until, at long last, he saw the edge of an overpass ahead. Without thinking, without even looking, he reached the edge and dove. He didn't know how far the fall would be. He didn't even care if there were rocks below… he just needed to escape.

The sweet saltiness of seawater enveloped him in seconds, and at once the roar of the rain fell into nothing but a distant hush. All he could hear now was the gentle swoosh of the waves hitting rocks up above. Finally, he could hear his own thoughts—but he wasn't sure he wanted to. His mind was screaming at what he'd witnessed, and he couldn't quite make sense of what his reaction meant or why he felt so wrong about it. Was it just because he had witnessed something private that he shouldn't have? Was it because of what his parents had said about how Alberto shouldn't be consorting with a different species? Or was it something else…?

"Luca!"

The sound of Alberto's voice sounded miles away, but it was only because it was deafened through the water. He was close. He must've known that Luca had jumped in nearby.

Luca quickly looked around for somewhere to hide and darted into a healthy growth of seaweed just as white cloud of seafoam splashed overhead. As the bubbles cleared, Luca saw him, swiveling elegantly down into the deep water. Alberto's long, lean physique looked even more shocking underwater than it had above on land. His vibrant purple scales sparkled even in the absence of proper sunlight, and his tailfin had grown to an impressive length. He looked even more handsome in his Thalassino form than he did as a human, and that was saying something. Luca ducked deep into the weeds, praying to Poseidon that Alberto wouldn't see him. He wouldn't know what on earth he would say if he was somehow spotted.

"Luca!" Alberto tried again. He swam around in wide circles, even once passing dangerously close to Luca's hiding spot, but he didn't see him. "Luca, if you can hear me, I'm sorry for whatever you saw!" His voice sounded anxious, and he continued to swim further out so that Luca had to strain to hear what he said. "Listen, I just want to know that you're alright. That was a pretty far jump you made!"

Luca scrunched lower into the weeds, hugging his knees and tail tightly to his chest. Alberto sounded worried, but he couldn't bring himself to emerge from his hiding spot. He felt too overwhelmed by what he'd seen, and he didn't want Alberto to know how much he'd seen… how much he'd heard.

"Please, Luca!" Alberto sounded desperate now. But he was coming to realize he was alone out in the water. Luca must've already disappeared deep into the harbor. With a frustrated groan, Alberto gave his tail fin a hard flick that sent him soaring towards the surface while Luca stayed small and hidden in the seagrass. He watched Alberto's figure grow smaller and smaller in the distance until he disappeared beyond the edge of sight. Only then did Luca slowly swim out from his seclusion and sit, exhausted from everything that had happened, on a soft, algae covered stone.

What is wrong with me? He thought, rubbing his hands through the tuft of fins on his head. Why couldn't I just swim out and talk to him? In truth, Luca felt depraved, like he had invaded his friend's privacy in a very intimate and inexcusable way. He felt… dirty by what he had witnessed, but also, he was fascinated by it. They had been locked in a world all their own, experiencing something Luca never had before… Things like sex and attraction had simply not bothered Luca in the past. He'd watched his friends and classmates—even Giulia—develop crushes and attractions with one another over the years, but Luca was never a participant in such experiences. He'd always felt that his identity as a Thalassino was too much to risk getting involved with anyone else, and so he kept to himself and hung out only with Giulia, who he thought of much like a sister. He'd never felt so much as an inkling of special interest in another person, but now he was flooded with a deluge of unfamiliar feelings. Confusion at how much Alberto had changed in his absence, anxiety about how to act around him and what to say, sadness at not being able to see Alberto as much as he wanted and also relief at not seeing him because of the nervousness he already felt… and Jealousy. Jealousy at the blonde-haired beautiful woman that he now felt in competition with… because she now occupied Alberto's interest when Alberto was his best friend and he'd waited years to finally be with him again.

But there was more than just jealousy eating away at Luca… it wasn't only that he felt he'd lost his friend… there was a deeper, more enraging feeling beginning to spill out of him: Envy. He was envious of that woman… he wanted what she had, whatever special quality she possessed that made Alberto want her…

And suddenly there they were… the thoughts that Luca had been denying himself for weeks, perhaps years. Thoughts of Alberto not wanting some blonde-haired, blue-eyed human woman but instead wanting… him. In his mind's eye, Luca saw once again the two figures embracing in the covered alleyway, only this time Alberto's strong, tanned arms were not wrapped around the blonde woman. They were wrapped around Luca while he was now pinned to the stone wall with Alberto's hot, hard body pressing into him. He imagined Alberto grasping his hair in his hands and kissing Luca with his hot mouth. He imagined the panting, whimpering sounds were escaping from his own lungs and not some stranger's, while his hands clutched greedily at Alberto's lean, muscular figure against him. It was everything he wanted. It was all he wanted.

No… Luca thought. The images flooding his mind faded back into the blue-grey expanse of the water around him, and he clutched himself as though he might be violently sick. No…! What could he possibly do now? How was it possible that he had… feelings for Alberto? Not just any feelings but… romantic feelings—sexual feelings? He'd never felt this way about anyone… man, woman, or sea person before… But why did it have to be Alberto? It simply wasn't fair! Why couldn't he have these feelings for someone—anyone else? He had only two options now, and neither ended well. If he told Alberto the truth, he would surely be disgusted and refuse to be his friend anymore… but if Luca hid these feelings away to preserve his friendship, then he would have to subject himself to self-torture in order to keep his secret.

But what choice do I have…?

Luca sat for a long while as the water crashed overhead. And as the storm slowly enveloped the harbor, he allowed himself to cry. At least while he was submerged, his tears would just become part of the water around him, and they could be a secret kept between him and the sea itself.

Thank you for your patience between uploads. Life has a funny way of getting too incredibly busy sometimes.

Until next time,

Olly