Title: Arrivederci

Pairing: Vincenzo Cassano x Hong Cha-Young

Description: Just a sweet moment between Vincenzo and Cha-Young. Think of this as an extended scene of when Cha-Young was in the hospital after being shot. I am neither Korean nor Italian so please correct me if I happen to make any mistakes. I hope you enjoy!


Arrivederci

WriterFreak001


She remembered the sudden explosion of pain… how it radiated from the back of her right shoulder seconds after shielding the Korean consigliere from Jang Joon-Woo's rage… She remembered how her former intern brutally murdered his younger brother, and how Vincenzo tried his best to save him… Then everything afterwards was all a blur… The paramedics… the loud siren… the uncomfortable trip to the hospital… and then nothing… she couldn't remember anything after that.

And then she woke up… laying in a comfortable hospital bed and wearing a cotton, patterned gown with her right arm suspended by a black sling. She spotted a familiar figure in her peripherals, so she angled herself slightly so that she could see him more clearly. Vincenzo looked up for a moment, and his eyes met hers. In seconds, he scooted closer to her and sighed with relief, causing her to smile a little.

His grin grew wider in response before sporting a slight smirk. "I paid for this private room."

He was teasing her; she knew it, but she wasn't amused, recalling the memory of when he was in the hospital recovering from his own injuries. "I paid for your room for ten days."

Her retort caused Vincenzo to chuckle softly. He inhaled a deep breath, and his amusement went away. Quietly, he exhaled and asked, "Does it hurt a lot?"

Cha-Young wasn't sure how to explain it. Instead of answering him directly, she tried for some of her own smart remark. "Now that I know what it feels like… to get shot."

Vincenzo understood the implication. Letting out another sigh, he leaned a little closer and said, "Your muscles are damaged so you can't move your shoulder for the time being." He moved to readjust her sling with care and attention to ensure she was as comfortable as she could be. "Excuse me…. Sorry…." He slipped his hands underneath her arm and swung the blanket over her shoulders.

Cha-Young could see passed his tenderness. "You blamed yourself all night, didn't you?" He didn't answer, so she added, "for what happened…." His eyes grew misty, but he kept silent as he leaned closer to her. She continued. "We were fighting in a war together, and I happened to get shot. It's not your fault." Though he still said nothing, she could see her words touching him in ways he could only express through his eyes.

She broke eye contact and turned her attention to her sling. "Now that I've woken up, don't worry about me," she found comfort in his eyes again, "and go finish the job."

"Okay," Vincenzo nodded gently. "I'll be done within 24 hours." There was a brief silence between them as the reality of Vincenzo's situation became clearer. He glanced downward, unable to make eye contact. "After that," he paused, his fingers fidgeting.

Cha-Young decided to finish his unspoken thought for him. "You'll be leaving." He swallowed thickly but didn't respond. She already knew and understood what he didn't want to voice in words.

Eventually, he nodded.

"Then," Cha-Young looked away as Vincenzo brought his attention back to her. When she could form her thought into words, she met his eyes again. "I guess this is our last night together."

He slowly nodded, confirming the hard truth. "I will keep my promise."

Cha-Young cemented his words to her heart, knowing he wouldn't break his word. Even though she wished she could see him one more time before he leaves, she had to be strong, knowing that leaving right away would be what's best for Vincenzo. "Once you're done, leave immediately without calling me." It was an order. Not a suggestion. Vincenzo looked away; she could tell he didn't want to promise her that. "Do you understand?"

Instead of using words to respond, the Italian consigliere smiled softly and pressed his left palm over the top of Cha-Young's head. He brushed his thumb over her hair, and she willed the well of tears in her eyes not to shed. His palm stopped moving but remained resting against the crown of her head, and he nodded slightly, agreeing to her request.

A grateful smile bloomed from Cha-Young's lips, and Vincenzo continued carefully stroking her hair before moving his hand down to softly caress her cheek with the back of his fingers. "I am indebted to you in many ways," he muttered quietly. He wrapped his other fingers around her limp hand and gently squeezed her palm. "And the Cassanos always repay their debts in full."

Cha-Young chuckled lightly. "From what I here, the Cassanos also like to get even."

"Ah," Vincenzo's eyes brightened. "Which reminds me…" He backed away and cracked his neck before rotating his dominant arm.

"What're you doing?" Cha-Young didn't like the way he was warming up his arm. "We didn't make any bets recently…"

"No, but as I recall," the consigliere smirked, "I barely tapped your forehead after our first bet, and you nearly knocked me off my feet after our second bet. I think it's only fair if I get a do-over." He pulled his middle finger backwards and aimed it towards Cha-Young's forehead.

"You wouldn't dare strike a woman down when she's already injured!" Cha-Young protected her forehead with her uninjured arm. Vincenzo shrugged in response as he continued to practice his finger-flicking. "Fine," she caved as she moved her arm away, still considering her pride, "just get it over with. But this one flick will even the scale."

Vincenzo smirked as she clenched her eyes shut, waiting for her impending doom. She could feel the warmth of his fingers as they hovered over her forehead, preparing to strike, but his finger never touched her forehead.

In its place, were his lips, pressing firmly against the space above her right eyebrow.

"Hmmm…," Cha-Young relaxed against the hospital bed, "if this is your version of a forehead flick, I actually don't mind losing bets all the time."

Vincenzo chuckled against her forehead and lifted away but still hovered over her, unwilling to leave so soon. "At least your humor is still intact." He was back to caressing the top of her hair again. "Stay safe, okay?"

"You too," she sought comfort in his eyes. "Make sure my shoulder injury wasn't done in vain."

The consigliere cracked a smile. "I won't."

"And after you leave South Korea, once you're safely home, find a way to let me know, okay?" Cha-Young had already lost so many people since her father's death. "I need to know you're safe." She couldn't bare the thought of something happening to the man she may or may not be in love with. "Promise?"

Vincenzo nodded. "Promise." He glanced at his watch and sighed. "I need to go now."

Cha-Young inhaled a deep breath and let out a shaky one, knowing he was right. He already wasted too much time with her; he needed to finish the fight once and for all. "Catch those bastards and make them pay for everything they have done."

"I will." He stood up quietly and straightened his Boolralro suit coat before pushing the chair away from Cha-Young's hospital bed. "The doctor said you should be good to go home in a few days after resting. Once fully healed, you will need to start physical therapy. I paid for this room in advance so you shouldn't be billed for its use. Your medical expenses have also been covered." He opened his wallet and pulled out a credit card. "Use this for your physical therapy bills. It's a prepaid card that has plenty of funds to cover your expenses. Once your physical therapy has been paid for, use it on whatever you want until you've maxed its limit."

"You don't have to do that…" Cha-Young could definitely afford a lifetime of expenses now that she has the thick stack of gold hiding in her home.

"Trust me, I do. It's a small price to pay for you saving my life." Vincenzo loosened his tie a little before fixing his cufflinks. "I've arranged for Nam Joo-Sung to sit with you after I leave. He should be already on his way."

"You're stalling," Cha-Young noted the small subtleties he was attempting in order to stay as long as he can before leaving. "You don't have to."

Vincenzo reached down and squeezed her hand with care. "I know."

"Until next time," Cha-Young didn't want Vincenzo to leave any sooner than he did, but she knew they were only delaying the inevitable.

"Yeah," a smile played on his lips. "Until next time."

Vincenzo's hand slowly slipped away from hers, and the warmth was instantly lost. She watched him as he slowly walked closer to the door, hoping he wouldn't turn back and see the tears that were finally falling down her cheeks. Halfway to the door, he stopped in his tracks, and his hands clenched together as if he was trying to control his demeanor. He muttered something in Italian underneath his breath, but she couldn't understand what he was saying to himself. Then, without warning, he spun around on his heels and marched back towards her, and, without hesitation, grasped her face in his palms and firmly kissed her hard on the mouth, not holding anything back.

If she could, she would wrap her arms around him to keep him from leaving too soon, but the kiss was over almost as soon as it had begun. It wasn't very passionate, just quick and desperate. Just enough in case it was goodbye forever. "Arrivederci, mio amato," he mumbled against her lips before capturing a brief kiss once more.

And then, just like that, he was gone, and her lips started to tingle from his absence.

She closed her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh, hoping they would meet again soon.

"Arrivederci."


WF001: And that's it! I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot. :)

Please review!