While Rosetta continued to dwell in the same area as Dino, the caring attitude and strength he displayed only made it harder for her to keep her feelings in check. Unfortunately they could be nearly dashed when she happened to notice something alarming tattooed on his inner left wrist while healing him after their recent sparring session…
"…Dino," Rosetta suddenly uttered, grasping the wrist in question with a trembling hand. "That tattoo…When did you…?"
She trailed off, swaying from side to side as she started becoming light headed. Instead of answering her question the Cavallone boss put her wellbeing first and held her steady to prevent her from falling.
"Never mind the tattoo. Are you okay?!" He asked with concern.
His friend only grabbed his wrist firmly this time and tearfully demanded he tell her about the tattoo once more. Dino gazed at her with astonishment and worry for a moment before looking to the tattoo, which was of a simple small star.
He then blushed and tried to explain. "I, uh…meant to tell you about this one in particular but I could never find the right moment…"
"Now's the perfect time." Rosetta stated stiffly, sounding as if she was ready to snap any second now. "Do you realize what this tattoo could mean?"
Her friend's brows furrowed with slight confusion. "…Of course. I had it done with you in mind."
"How would you explain this symbol then?"
"It's a star, like your birthmark…" he continued slowly, not quite getting the picture.
"And having something like this - on your left wrist no less - puts you in serious danger!" The brunette suddenly exclaimed. "If someone of the Mezzanotte famiglia other than me happens to notice this you could be branded as an imposter and killed!" - she looked up at him with tears forming in her eyes - "Why? Why have you done such a stupidly foolish thing?!"
"Well, that's because…" the Cavallone boss replied steadily, his cheeks going red at the thought of what he was about to say. "Because I love you! All I wanted to show was how much you meant to me. I didn't think it would make you upset."
"Dammit, Dino Cavallone you can be so naïve!" Rosetta uttered while shoving his wrist away from her. "As soon as you get the chance, remove or change that tattoo okay?!" - she then suddenly embraced him - "I don't want you to get hurt, so please…"
From the moment her arms wrapped around his back the blonde was frozen in shock, finding it hard to process what had just happened. Before he could react Rosetta realized what she was doing and pulled away, making him feel a little empty.
"Sorry. Please disregard that. I wasn't thinking straight…" she said while facing away from him.
Dino was shaken from his daze with her apology, becoming serious all of a sudden. "Sorry, but I refuse to." - he instantly realized what her actions could have meant and took a chance - "Rosetta, if you care for me so much does that mean you also…?"
"I shouldn't…answer but it may be obvious to you now…" she replied, looking back at him with red tinted cheeks and a bittersweet expression. "Yes. I have always had these feelings for you, but it doesn't matter now…"
"Doesn't matter? Of course it matters! We share the same feelings for each other!" the Cavallone boss argued with concern. "Why would you think it doesn't matter?"
"Because I'm a boss now, and I'm not allowed to have these feelings for someone who's not allied with my family! If I break this rule, it could get dangerous for us both…"
"Still, we can't ignore this now. What are we going to do with these feelings now that we know?"
The Mezzanotte boss just shrugged, looking dejected. "Forget them and move on…?"
"That's impossible and you know it," her friend told her firmly while gently grasping her lower arms to keep her attention. "Look, I know you can't share any family matters with me and I understand that. I will wait for you to sort out whatever you need to, and once you've figured things out we can be together without any worries."
"I don't want to make you wait. What if it takes forever, or it never gets sorted out?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there but I will wait, no matter how long it takes. I swear on my new tattoo." He flashed his wrist with a somewhat cheesy smile.
Rosetta still had some doubt, but seeing how hopeful Dino was instilled some within her. "Okay, I'll try…for us…"
By the way Dino had the tattoo redone with a trio of roses in various stages of bloom, using the star as a blank space.