"–ke up, –hine."
Hearing a soft voice in my dream I sharpened my ears to hear it clearer.
"–ing –fast."
Groaning at the muffled sound, I focussed even more. However, instead of hearing it again, I felt a tickling feeling on my tummy. Not liking it, I tried to slap away the cause. Only it was more of a weak tick than a slap.
"Sharon, we're going to miss breakfast if you don't wake up…" I heard this time much clearer. The voice belonged to Valentino.
Squinting my eyes a little before fully opening them, I saw him look at me with a soft expression.
"Good morning, Sunshine." He smiled, just before he pecked my lips.
Sunshine. That was a first and I couldn't help to laugh a little.
"Being smooth this early already?" I laughed softly as I slowly sat up. "Morning to you too, Valentino."
Combing my hair with my fingers I looked at the analogue clock on the wall. It was ten past eight.
"I thought breakfast ends at ten." I deadpanned as I glanced back at the man lying next to me.
"While your sleeping face is lovely, I'd rather see you awake." He replied with a loving smile.
Not knowing how to reply, I looked away and laughed softly at his cheesy words. It was embarrassing to hear that I had a lovely face when I sleep, even more, because I watched him sleep only hours before. I couldn't help it, he woke me up in the middle of the night because he used me as some kind of body pillow. Thanks to that I saw his adorable sleeping face in the semi-moonlit room. He looked so peaceful, despite that he was so downhearted just before we went to bed. During the competition he messed up big time. One clumsy accident after another. Nonetheless we received the first prize, apparently the judges and spectators thought his clumsiness was an incredibly cute act.
"Why are you smiling?" I heard him say curiously.
Looking back I saw his face right next to me and I flinched back in surprise, only to feel his arm behind me.
"Well?" He asked as he closed in.
Gazing into his alluring eyes I saw curiosity, love and sensuality. My heart pounded faster in my chest and I felt myself being pulled in. Just when I was about to touch his lips, I felt a teasing grin creep up.
"Because…" I whispered, still gazing into his eyes. I could feel his breath on my lips and it was hard not to give in.
"Because…?" He whispered softly as he slightly tilted his chin.
"Because… you're adorable."
"…"
Dino froze in place and I grinned victoriously at my accomplishment. Giving him a small peck, I slipped out of his arms. I knew very well he did not like it when I called him adorable. According to him being adorable does not fit the image of a mafia boss, and he is right about that. A mafia boss should not be adorable, however, that still does not change that I find him adorable at times. I also do believe that Dino likes it secretly, though I doubt he would ever admit that.
With both feet on the carpet I heard him chuckle, "You always say that, don't you?"
Looking over my shoulder, I saw the half-naked man leaning on one arm as the other was in his hair. The sight was very stimulating, and I just smiled smugly before I went in the adjacent bathroom. Walking towards the sink I took my toothbrush and toothpaste. Squeezing the blue substance on the brush I started to clean my teeth. While brushing, I walked out to check the clothing in the suitcase Dino, or his men, pre-packed for me. Thanks to the extremely short time interval between work and our flight, I could not pack my own luggage.
As Dino opened the curtains to let the morning sun in fully, I kneeled down in front of the red suitcase. Clicking off the safeties I opened the lid, but slammed it back immediately after. Feeling myself choke on the toothpaste I half ran back to the bathroom to spit out the minty paste that was about to go in my windpipe. I absolutely did not expect to see a bright red lace bra on top of everything else.
"Sharon? What's wrong?" I heard Dino call out from the bedroom.
Not be able to answer him I rinsed my mouth and looked in the mirror. My face was almost as red as the piece of lingerie and I started to wonder who pre-packed my suitcase. I was sure it was not Dino, because there is no way he could feign innocence just like that. Turning on the faucet I splashed my face with cold water, trying to reduce the hotness in my face. A few seconds later I heard a loud thud in the next room. I guessed that Dino had probably tripped, but I still wanted to make sure that everything is okay.
After turning off the tap I grabbed a towel and poked my head around the corner. I saw the man sitting in front of the red suitcase and to my surprise the lid was open. Feeling the heat return, I frowned slightly as I walked past the perplexed blonde. Closing the lid I looked at the flustered man on the floor. Seeing him avoiding eye contact I smiled wryly. At least this confirmed that he did not pack the suitcase.
Clearing up my throat I held out my hand as I glanced away, "A-A lesson not to peek into a woman's belongings." I tried to say light-heartedly, though my voice cracked. "Anyway, shall we just forget about that… piece of undergarment?"
There was a silence before I felt his hand in mine, "Y-Yeah…" I heard him stutter.
Glancing back I saw him still looking down and after hoisting him he let go of my hand and turned around, "I need the bathroom…" He muttered before he strode to the next room.
When the bathroom door closed, I let out a sigh and opened once more the lid. Taking out the bra I felt the fabric, it was nice and soft. The embroidment was of high quality and I could not help to be in awe. At one glance you could tell it was a high quality piece. Looking through the rest of the clothing I found a matching hipster. As I looked at the undergarment pieces, I felt my womanly side surface. I wanted to wear them. Even if it was just to feel the fabric on my skin. So putting my ear on the bathroom door, I listened. The shower was running, and I knew this was my chance to change.
Quickly I undressed myself of my top and shorts and put on the red fabrics. Looking in the mirror I checked myself and once more the heat returned in my cheeks. Usually I wear white, black or grey, so the red was really different. It looked sexy. When I was about to unhook the bra, my fingers stopped. Despite that it looked nice, it was also very comfortable. It didn't feel like it was just for 'show'.
I was not sure for how long I stared at myself, but when I realised that the shower was not running anymore, I panicked. Deciding that it was too late to change undergarments, I grabbed a pair of jeans of the suitcase and quickly put them on. For some reason I felt embarrassed at the thought of being seen in underwear, while it was not much different from my sleeping wear. My sleeping top was just a bit longer. As I fished out a sea green singlet and a brown blouse, I spotted a matching pair of brown flats. After buttoning up the blouse, I took out the shoes and closed the lid of the now infamous suitcase. Just when I was done, a knock was heard from the other side of the bathroom door.
"Sharon, can I… ehm… come in?" I heard Dino from the other side.
The man I heard behind the door sounded so different from the man I heard when I woke up. He sounded so… shy and I could not help to smile at it. I mean, he even knocked.
"Of course." I called out as I sat in front of the makeup table.
As I applied cream on my face I heard the bathroom door open and in the mirror I saw him walking out with a troubled expression. His hair was still slightly wet and for some reason the combination of those two made him incredibly irresistible. Feeling my heart thump faster, I could only stare at him through the mirror.
"Sorry about that…" He said softly. "I shouldn't have… you know…"
It took me a few seconds to register what he had said and I slapped myself with both hands to snap out of the daze I was in.
"I-It's fine." I said as I redirected my eyes back to my own reflection.
My heart was thumping so hard and I had a hard time to get his melodramatic look out of my mind. Hearing him coming closer, I forced myself to look neutral and I grabbed the eyeliner to create my everyday look. As I heard him sit on the bed, I felt his gaze on me, watching me doing my makeup.
A few silent minutes went by and he was still watching me. Even if it was Dino, I started to feel uncomfortable under his watching eye.
"Is it… interesting?" I asked as neutral possible as I applied my second fake eyelash.
Batting my eyes to check the lashes, I suddenly feel a soft touch on my cheek. Surprised at the touch I turned my head and before I knew it, the Cavallone Don kissed me softly on the lips.
"An apology kiss." He whispered, making my heart skip a beat. "You look lovely, Sharon."
The unexpected kiss made me all shy. It was really tender and very loving, and I was at a loss of words.
"A-Apology accepted." I stuttered softly, as I looked down. I couldn't even recall for what he apologised.
Looking in the mirror I saw my crimson coloured face and I felt even more embarrassed. Hoping that my fake glasses would hide my embarrassment, I reached out for them, only to find an empty spot on the surface. When I turned to my companion to ask for them, I laughed.
"Nice pair of specs, Valentino."
On his nose rested my black frames and he was grinning cheekily. Apparently he had taken my glasses while I minded my own business.
"They are a little tight on the sides." He chuckled. "How do I look?"
"Fabulous." I replied smugly.
"You're mocking me, aren't you?" He pouted in return.
"Absolutely." I grinned as I reached out for them.
After putting the frames on my own nose I stood up and hugged the blonde tenderly.
"So what are we going to do today?" I asked after releasing him. I felt a lot calmer after his little stunt and he simply looked at me with his loving brown eyes.
Before I melted again, I walked to the other side of the room to pick up my purse. After checking the contents, I swung the leather bag on my shoulder.
"I was thinking of going to Miracle Land." He said as he got off the bed. "It's an amusement park just outside of Tokyo."
"Hm… Sounds fun." I hummed. "Though I never thought you would be the type to go to amusement parks."
"It's been a while, so I thought why not." He replied as he escorted me out of our room.
"It's sure been a while for me too." I said as I thought back. The last time I went to an amusement park was maybe six years ago. Just thinking back made me excited. "You have to know that I love rollercoasters, especially the real fast ones."
As he closed the door of our room I saw a faint grimace on his face. For some reason I already knew that he was not too fond of them and I chuckled inwardly.
While we talked about the different kind of attractions, we used the VIP-lift to descend a floor to the rooftop restaurant and after a soft ping we got out the elevator, only to see a fairly busy restaurant. Many guests in different clothing styles were having breakfast and some were already having business meetings. As expected of the capital, already this crowded in the morning. As Dino asked for our table, I saw even more guests coming out of the elevator and apparently, two of the three regular elevators were in maintenance. Not exactly efficient I would say.
"Sharon, let's go." I heard Dino say.
"Hm? Yeah…" I replied absentmindedly.
As we followed the nervous waitress, the same thing happened as the previous night in the city. Turning heads and sighs of admirations of the women in the room.
"I should have worn your glasses." I heard him whisper.
"Even with glasses you'll still attract attention." I chuckled softly.
"Are you trying to say that I'm handsome?"
After giving him a small glare, I just smiled. Saying yes would only feed his Mafioso ego and no would be a lie. Seeing my expression he chuckled and immediately we heard the women sigh.
"I hope you asked for a table in the back." I whispered as I sighed inwardly.
Looking at the situation, I started to think this was the very reason why we went on extravagant dates only. People in extravagant places tend to stare less, or at least lesser.
When we got seated the waitress bowed respectfully and left to get the menu.
"So when are we going to Osaka?" Dino asked as he leaned on his elbow. "The tickets are valid till the end of the month."
"It depends on how long you're in Japan." I replied as I did the same thing.
"I can always fly over." He grinned.
"You should give your men some slack too, you know?" I laughed softly. "I'm sure they don't show it, but it's quite tiresome to travel half the globe between short intervals."
"Then come back with me to Italy. When you're not around I feel lonely."
Taking aback by the sudden request, I looked away. I didn't know how to answer. Going back to Italy means that I have to live inside the Vongola castle and to be honest, I was very reluctant to have maids serve me all day again. I liked my small apartment in Namimori, doing my own laundry, my own cooking and not to mention that I had a job, even though it's a part-time one. It was the mundane life I had always wanted. However, living on my own did come with certain conditions as I still amVongola's Princess.
"I'll buy you an apartment?"
"No. Don't even think of buying me an apartment…" I sighed as I leaned of the back of my seat. "The thing is that I have a deal with my grandfather. If I decide to leave Namimori, I have to return to the castle and you know how I feel about… that. Besides, how are you lonely with over five-thousand men around you?"
"You know what I mean…" He smiled softly, but I could tell he was sad. "And I'm sorry. I should have known you have terms to live in Namimori."
"Don't be sorry. I've never told you about it."
The waitress came back with two glasses of iced water and two menus. After she served us she bowed again and left us to give us time to make a decision.
"Anyway, how are we going to Miracle Land?" I asked, changing the subject as I slowly read over the menu. Reading and writing Japanese were still not my forte. I had improved, but it still took some time.
"Hm… Public transport?" The blonde mused.
My eyes stopped at omurice. Glancing up I looked whether he was serious. I had no problems with public transport, but travelling with Dino in public means more attention. When my eyes met his, we both started to laugh.
"OK." I complied in amusement. "But at least wear a hat and sunglasses or something. "
"Why…?" He said as he faked a pout.
"You know exactly why." I teased. "You're an eyesore."
"That hurts, Sharon." He pouted, for real this time, but laughed after. "But we don't have time to go back up after we're done eating. The bus leaves at ten."
"Hm… You sure did your homework." I hummed light heartedly. The way he said that made me believe that he actually has something like a hat and shades. "Give me the key card. I'll get them, it's in your suitcase, right?"
"No, I'll go."
"Just give it to me." I laughed. "I wouldn't like it if you suddenly get lost or something."
The man wanted to say something, but decided not to. "Fine." He pouted again, before giving me the card.
"I'll be back in ten minutes tops and I'll take the spinach eggrolls in case the waitress comes back."
