Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The walk back to Bruno’s apartment wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as the walk to the restaurant had been. Bruno clutched his injured arm, zipped up but still looking like it was hurting. Abbacchio thought about putting an arm around Bruno’s waist while they walked, but the way he looked at him in the park after he’d killed Luca stopped him. He didn’t regret what he’d done; in fact, if he could go back and do it again, he would’ve. If he hadn’t, he probably would’ve phased back into invisibility and struck them in a way they wouldn’t have been able to recover from. 

It didn’t change the fact he wished it didn’t have to be so hard on Bruno. 

Abbacchio followed him up to his apartment without being asked. He’d been afraid that Bruno wouldn’t want him to come up with him, but he didn’t say anything as Abbacchio followed him into the lobby of his building and into elevator with him. The ride up, much like the walk to his apartment, was awkward, with neither of them making eye contact. Abbacchio wasn’t sure if Bruno was ready to be pulled away from the thoughts he’d been lost in since they left the park, so he let the silence linger between them, no matter how much he wanted to say something to ease his pain. Even if those words didn’t exist.  

Once the door to Bruno’s apartment was shut behind them, Abbacchio forced himself to speak. “I should look at your arm,” he said, motioning at Bruno’s injured arm. There was still a gold zipper holding the wound together, shining under the torn and bloody fabric of the once elegant shirt. 

Bruno looked at his arm then back to Abbacchio, pretending like everything was fine. “It’s okay, I zipped it up.” 

Abbacchio hated how much he pretended like things were okay, even when they clearly weren’t. “You know that doesn’t fix everything.” 

“Really, I’m fine, I just need to take some Tylenol and—”

“Bruno,” Abbacchio cut him off, stern but empathetic, the same way Bruno gave orders and talked to his men. “Let me help you.” 

Bruno sighed in defeat and motioned with his good arm off in the direction of the bedroom. “Fine,” he murmured, leading them in the direction of the bedroom. 

Abbacchio found it hard to believe he’d woken up in the very bed he walked past as they entered the bedroom and went into the bathroom. It felt like an eternity had gone by since they’d made out in bed. Not twelve hours later and Bruno was standing in the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom with a stab wound in his arm and Abbacchio with a bloody lip and bruises forming from where Luca had kicked and punched him. He wished they could’ve just stayed in bed. 

"First-aid kit's in the medicine cabinet," Bruno said, vaguely gesturing to the cabinet above the sink as they stepped through the bathroom door. It was bigger than his own bathroom, enough room for them not to bump into each other as Bruno hoisted himself up on the sink counter and as Abbacchio retrieved the first aid kit. Behind them was a shower and a bathtub combo; Abbacchio had noticed that morning how big it was, how nice it would've been to spread out, and soak in it if only given the time.

Abbacchio began to rifle through the first aid kit, searching for the supplies he’d need to clean the wound on Bruno’s arm. It wasn’t the first time he’d cleaned a knife wound before, not even the first time he’d helped patch Bruno up after someone had taken him by surprise, but never had it felt so intimate before. This wasn’t a pour some alcohol on it and slap a bandage on it so we can get the hell out of here kind of situation; there was no impending attack or life or death situation. It was just the two of them. 

“Can you… uh.” Abbacchio cleared his throat and looked from the kit to Bruno. This wasn’t how he’d pictured asking him this for the first time. “Can you take your shirt off?” 

With a sigh, Bruno pulled the shirt off, wincing slightly as he lifted his arm. He tossed the shirt to the floor once it was removed, staring at it with a forlorn expression. “That was my favorite shirt,” he muttered, almost pouting. 

Abbacchio chuckled softly. “Why did you wear your favorite shirt if you knew we were going to end up fighting Luca?” 

Bruno shrugged with one shoulder, still looking down at the discarded shirt on the floor, like staring at it long enough would fix the torn fabric. “I wanted to look nice for you.” 

 “You did… I mean, you do,” Abbacchio stumbled, Bruno’s words catching him off guard. Bruno wanting to look good for him made him feel special. He hated that their first date had ended up this way; they were idiots for deciding their first official date would be the best time to lure out a child psychopath. “You always do.” 

Bruno looked over to Abbacchio, his lips pressed together in something that was almost a smile. "Thanks," he responded. Despite his words, there was a deep heartache residing in each of his words. Abbacchio didn't know what to do to make it go away, or if he even could.

He bit his lip, feeling some of his lipstick scrape off. He’d long since stopped caring about his appearance; he’d been punched and kicked too many times for the state of his lipstick to be anywhere on his list of worries. At least his lip wasn’t that sore; his cheek had taken the brunch of the punch from Luca’s fist.

 “Can you unzip your arm?” Abbacchio asked. 

Bruno nodded and unzipped his wound. The zipper had stopped the bleeding, but it still looked painful. Abbacchio had figured it wasn’t a very deep stab wound from the get-go, and on further inspection he was right, but he still wanted to be careful. If he hadn't been able to catch sight of Luca and pull Bruno away, it could've been a much worse, if not a life-threatening, injury.

He didn’t want to think about that. 

Abbacchio set to work, rinsing the area with water, washing away the dry blood that had congealed on his skin around where the zipper had been. He thought back to his police academy days, the first aid training he’d received (not that it did him any good in saving his partner) and tried to remember the best thing to do with a stab wound, not just the hack jobs they did on the job because there was always something else happening that was more important than proper medical care. 

His police academy days, the first aid training classes he’d taken by the side of a partner whose death he was now responsible for… it all felt like a lifetime ago now as he stood in Bruno’s bathroom. He watched the water he dabbed onto his skin go from a murky red to clear as he rinsed it thoroughly, trying to keep his mind as present as possible. There was no point in getting lost in his thoughts now, or ever if he could help it. 

Once he was satisfied, he took out the antiseptic in the kit and grabbed a gauze pad. He soaked the pad in the antiseptic before looking up to Bruno, still looking despondent where he sat on the counter. Abbacchio gave him a sympathetic smile and placed his hand on his knee for the briefest of moments. “This might hurt.” 

“It’s fine,” Bruno responded, looking back to Abbacchio. He smiled softly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Abbacchio hated how much pain Luca had put Bruno through. He wished that killing him had magically put an end to all the pain, but in his experience, most of the time death just led to more pain. No matter how justified it was. 

Abbacchio began to pat the area with the antiseptic, trying to be gentle as possible. Nevertheless, Bruno hissed quietly in pain, his eyes screwing closed for a second. “Sorry,” Abbacchio said, meeting Bruno’s eyes for a second before looking back at the wound. 

Bruno moved his right hand to rest on Abbacchio’s hip, his left clenched in a fist as Abbacchio continued to disinfect the wound. Abbacchio wasn’t sure if he was doing it to steady himself or because he wanted to touch him, but he didn’t mind either way. He winced as more of the antiseptic seeped into the wound. Nonetheless, he shook his head and gave Abbacchio’s hip a soft squeeze. “Don’t be.” 

After a couple more seconds Abbacchio dried off the area and put some Neosporin on the area, careful not to cause Bruno any more pain as he rubbed the ointment into his skin. "Lift your arm?"  

Bruno obliged and lifted his arm slowly, allowing Abbacchio to wrap the cleaned wound in a bandage. He wasn’t sure how well he’d done, but it would do for now, and he knew better than even suggesting Bruno get it checked out professionally, even if just by a Passione clinic. If he hadn’t been there, he was likely to have zipped it up and called it a day. 

As he finished, he put the bandages down by the first aid kit, looking back at Bruno. Slowly, he put his hand on his side, running his fingers gently against Bruno’s soft skin. “Are you okay?” 

Bruno chuckled humorlessly and looked up at the ceiling, squeezing his eyes shut for a second. “No,” he whispered. At the very least, Abbacchio was glad that Bruno was at least telling him the truth for once, not lying and insisting he was fine when it was clear as day he was hurting. That didn’t change the fact that Abbacchio would’ve done anything to stop the pain he was going through. 

Suffice it to say, Abbacchio felt awful. He didn't have the words to make things better, he didn't think anyone could have the words to make things better, so instead, he just eased in between Bruno's legs, wrapping his arms around his waist. Bruno settled into his arms, his chin resting on Abbacchio's shoulder as he held onto him tightly. All Abbacchio could do was rub Bruno's back and hold him, pray to a God he didn't believe in anymore that this pain wouldn't last forever.

They held each other for a while, Bruno with his uninjured arm around Abbacchio’s neck, his other hand resting lightly at his side while Abbacchio held him around the waist. Abbacchio could comfortably say that standing there with Bruno, even after all they went through, was the most at home he’d ever felt. He’d never been one for a lot of physical contact; not only did it make him uncomfortable, but he was bad at it. He never knew where to put his hands or rest his head, was never comfortable with someone else’s skin on his unless he was in the heat of a moment with someone he would likely never speak to again. It was different with Bruno. Everything was different with Bruno. 

After a couple more seconds Abbacchio pulled, only enough so that he could see his face. "You weren't Luca, Bruno. I know you saw yourself in him because of… everything. But you weren't him." With a gentle smile, Abbacchio pulled one of his arms from around Bruno's waist to cup his face in his hand. Bruno leaned into the touch as Abbacchio stroked his cheek gently; Abbacchio felt his heart flutter for the millionth time. He didn't know it was possible to be so in love with someone.

He remembered being young and sitting out on his Nonna's porch. She would go on for hours if she was allowed about her husband. He'd died before Abbacchio was old enough to really remember him, but he felt like he knew him enough by the way she talked about him. She told him stories about their first date, the first time he took her dancing, how he proposed, the picnic on the beach where they fell asleep only to be awoken by seagulls eating all their bread… It seemed like the perfect love story. She'd loved him for forty-some years before he died, and even after he’d passed, it was obvious she’d loved him just as much as she had the day she’d married him. 

Once when he was around fourteen, after telling him yet another one of her stories about his Nonno (the one where they planned to drive to Florence but their car broke down before they even got out of Napoli) she'd taken him by the hand and looked him deep in the eye. She squeezed his hand and gave him one of those intense looks that always told him she meant business.

“If you ever find someone you love so much your heart hurts, so much you can’t even contain it, hold on. Forever.” 

Abbacchio felt his heart racing as he stroked Bruno’s face gently. He resisted the urge to scream out that he loved him more than he knew what to do with, that he finally understood just how deeply his Nonna had loved all those years ago. He could wait just a little longer to tell him. 

He snapped back to reality as Bruno nuzzled his cheek gently against his hand. “You can’t blame yourself.” 

Bruno's fingers drummed lightly against his side, just barely grazing his skin. "Deep down I know that it's just… easier said than done."

“I know,” Abbacchio responded, voice gentle as the thumb strokes against Bruno’s cheeks. 

Bruno smiled half-heartedly, but once again it didn’t reach his eyes. “Thank you, anyways.” 

Abbacchio furrowed his brow. “For what?” 

“Being there. Doing what I couldn’t do. My judgment was too clouded. It has been all along. I guess I couldn’t see that… that he wasn’t a kid. He was…” Bruno squeezed his eyes shut again and trailed off before looking back at Abbacchio. He looked as heartbroken as he did resigned. “No matter what I thought I saw of myself in him… it doesn’t matter. He got what he deserved.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t try and talk you out of all this.” Abbacchio frowned as he thought back to that first day with Luca in the restaurant. Everything could’ve been avoided if Abbacchio had stood his ground and tried to convince Bruno that it was none of their business. Then again, when it came down to it, he didn’t know if he would’ve been able to do it. One look from Bruno and he would’ve done anything he asked him, not because he was his boss but because he’d been falling in love with him for almost as many months as he’d been in his gang. There was nothing that he wouldn’t do for Bruno, both then and now. 

“I’m not,” Bruno said, his smile turning into something not quite as depressing. He moved his hand from around the back of Abbacchio’s neck to rest on his chest, playing with the messy excuse of a braid laying across his shoulder. “Everything has been really awful, and I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to shake this for some time but… who knows how long it would’ve taken us to get here if not for… something like this.” Bruno shrugged a little, turning his gaze away and taking his other hand from Abbacchio’s waist, setting both of his hands to work undoing the braid. “I just wish it hadn’t ruined our first date.” 

"It was good up until the end," Abbacchio responded, feeling chills running up and down his spine as Bruno gently wove his fingers through his hair. He couldn't remember the last time he let someone touch his hair like this, if he ever had. He normally ended up slapping people's hands away if they tried to touch his hair (granted, those people were usually Mista and Narancia) but with Bruno, it caused a sense of comfort to wash over him.

Bruno hummed softly, saying nothing else for a couple seconds as he continued to work his fingers through the braid. His fingers were slow and precise, making Abbacchio shiver as his hair slowly fell from the braid in a wavy mess on his shoulder.

“Maybe we won’t get attacked on our next date,” he mused, reaching the top of Abbacchio’s braid. He let his fingers comb through the silver locks, careful not to rake through any stray tangles nested in his hair. 

“I’m getting a second date?” Abbacchio asked. He meant for it to sound teasing, but it was hard to sound anything but dreamy while Bruno had his hands in his hair. 

“And a third if you’re lucky,” Bruno responded, a lilt to his voice as he finished his work on Abbacchio’s hair. As he finished, he dropped his hand from his chest, going to rest on his waist. “That is… if you want that.” 

 “Yeah, I’d like— shit.” 

Bruno had squeezed Abbacchio’s waist as he spoke, just barely, but enough to remind Abbacchio that he had, in fact, been kicked and punched multiple times. Even if it was by a fourteen-year-old, he was still feeling sore. He’d been able to block it out during the fight, and even on the way home and while tending to Bruno’s wound, but now, after Bruno had brought him back to earth with the simplest action of undoing his braid, he was starting to feel the ache again. 

“What? What’s wrong?” Bruno asked, pulling his hand away from his side and sitting up straighter. “Did I hurt you?” 

“No, I’m fine, I’m just sore,” Abbacchio waved him off. “At least I didn’t get stabbed.” 

Bruno didn’t look convinced, staring on at Abbacchio with a growing concern in his eyes. “Are you sure?” 

Abbacchio huffed and straightened up, trying to ignore the soreness in his stomach where Luca had punched and kicked him. He could only imagine how bad his face looked after being punched; he’d done his best to avoid looking in the mirror ever since they got into the bathroom. “You got stabbed and you’re asking me if I’m sure I’m okay?” 

Bruno frowned, crossing his arms across his chest. He winced slightly after moving his injured arm but tried to hide it by deepening his frown. “You got attacked more than I did. You could be bruised.” 

“No, I’m definitely bruised,” Abbacchio answered, putting an arm across his stomach.  

Bruno furrowed his brow and scowled. It was the first time Abbacchio had seen Bruno scowl and found it cute, but he supposed there was a first time for everything. “That’s not making me feel better, Leone.” 

Abbacchio chuckled and put his hand on Bruno’s leg. “I’ll be fine. I’ll just take some Ibuprofen and try not to… I don’t know. Get punched again.” 

Bruno sighed and tentatively put his hand on Abbacchio's side again like he was worried just by touching him he'd hurt him again. "Maybe you should take a bath? Soaking it might make you feel better."

Abbacchio exhaled. "I don't have a bath at my apartment. Just a shower."

“I have one,” Bruno noted, gesturing across the room to the bathtub behind them. 

“Yeah, well… I’m not taking a bath in your apartment and leaving you alone after you just got stabbed on our first date. Nothing about that sounds romantic,” Abbacchio countered. It was a weak argument and he knew it, but he didn’t know what else to say. 

Bruno shrugged slightly. “I don’t have to be alone.” Abbacchio furrowed his brow in confusion. Bruno sighed and tapped Abbacchio’s side gently with his fingers. “And neither do you.” 

Oh. 

Oh. 

Fuck. 

“You want to…” Abbacchio didn’t finish the sentence. He felt his face flush but yet he couldn’t get himself to look away from Bruno to hide it. The idea of taking a bath with him was so intimate he didn’t know what to do with all the thoughts floating through his head. It wasn’t like he hadn’t ever thought of it before, but still, thinking of something so personal and actually doing it were two entirely different things. 

“Unless you don’t want to, then we can just… go lay down, if you want,” Bruno added on quickly, looking away from Abbacchio. He looked embarrassed, his cheeks flushed to match the man in front of him’s. Abbacchio wondered if Bruno felt as out to sea when it came to the whole intimacy and romance thing as he did. They’d only been on one date, for fuck’s sake. 

But then again, he’d never been on a first date with someone he’d been in love with before, with someone who touched him so tenderly he felt like all the shit he’d done, all the shit he’d been through, could all be pardoned if only he could keep their hands resting on his skin forever. 

“I want to,” Abbacchio answered, nodding his head a little. He had a soft smile on his face, still settled between Bruno’s legs on the sink counter. He moved his hand to take Bruno’s, the one that wasn’t currently running patterns into his side, tangling their fingers together in a way he was quickly becoming accustomed to. He wanted it like this all the time, the ability to reach over and take his hand whenever he wanted, just because he wanted to. There was a level of freedom to it he’d never fully understood before. 

Bruno beamed, the first genuine and bright smile since they’d arrived back at his apartment. Abbacchio didn’t think he’d ever get tired of looking at his smile, the way his head tilted to the side slightly, the way his eyes glimmered with joy. He couldn’t believe that he’d brought Bruno that happiness, but he was thankful that he seemed to be able to make Bruno as happy as he made him. He wondered if his grandparents ever had the same anxieties he did, afraid he’d never be good enough for the man sitting in front of him, holding onto his hand like it was something to be treasured. 

Bruno leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of Abbacchio’s nose, chuckling when he crinkled his nose up involuntarily. He slid off the counter, keeping hold of Abbacchio’s hand, before starting to pull him in the direction of the tub behind them. “Perfect.” 

☆

    “This is nice,” Abbacchio murmured against Bruno’s hair, tickling his face as he pressed the occasional soft kiss against the top of his head. Bruno hummed in response, eyes lidded as he lay back against Abbacchio’s chest, looking completely relaxed with Abbacchio’s arms wrapped around his waist, playing with his fingers under the water. “I’ve never done this before.” 

“What, take a bath?” Bruno teased, opening his eyes all the way to look up at Abbacchio playfully. With the hand that wasn’t currently being held, he pinched Bruno’s side gently, causing him to squirm and giggle at the same time. 

“Shut up. I meant take a bath with someone else,” he clarified, going back to holding Bruno around the waist, bringing him closer to his chest. Bruno had protested him being in the back, considering he didn’t want to put any pressure against Abbacchio’s sore body if he didn’t have to, but when it came down to it, Abbacchio was taller and had longer legs. If their positions were reversed, he would’ve been too squished. 

There was also the fact that he wanted to be able to hold Bruno like this, to be able to look down at him and kiss the top of his hair whenever he wanted, but he hadn’t mentioned that. 

“Really?” Bruno tilted his head up a little, resting on Abbacchio’s shoulder. The way he was craning his neck to look at him couldn’t have been comfortable, but he didn’t look like he was too bothered. 

"Unless the baths I took with my cousins when I was a baby counts, then no," Abbacchio deadpanned. Abbacchio was sure his mother still had those pictures in the house somewhere; he reminded himself to burn them if he ever got his hands on them. That was the last thing he needed anyone seeing.

Bruno laughed softly, looking up at Abbacchio with some kind of adoration in his eyes. "Well, I'm glad I was your first," he teased, angling his head to the side enough so he could press a soft kiss to the side of Abbacchio's jaw before returning his head back to lay against his shoulder.

Abbacchio huffed softly, going back to running his fingers against Bruno’s soft skin. Now that they were there, surrounded by warm water and holding onto each other, Abbacchio couldn’t figure out why he’d been so nervous to take Bruno up on his offer to bathe with him. Sure, it had been awkward at first, but once they eased into the water together, once Bruno had leaned back against Abbacchio’s chest and tangled their fingers together, his injured arm hanging outside the tub to keep the bandages dry, everything fell into place.

“I’m taking this isn’t your first time?” 

Bruno shrugged a little. “First time with someone I’ve actually cared about. I think that’s what really matters.” Abbacchio laughed a little louder than he’d meant to. Bruno looked back at him with his brow raised. “What?” 

Abbacchio shook his head, still laughing a little. “Nothing. You sound like my prom date.” 

“Oh, classy,” Bruno teased. 

“In the back of my dad’s truck, too,” Abbacchio mused. It was hard to believe that high school had only been three years ago for him. So much had changed since he’d ditched the shitty music and poor lighting of his high school cafeteria to lose his virginity in the back of a cramped truck to some guy who would break up with him two weeks later. He doubted any of his other classmates had changed so much since graduating high school. 

“So romantic,” Bruno hummed sarcastically, leaning his head back to look at Abbacchio again. “At least yours wasn’t in a laundromat.” 

Abbacchio raised his brow. “Really? A laundromat? How the hell did that happen?” 

“The first team I was assigned to had a laundromat as a front. When I was sixteen there was this guy who I was kind of… I don't know. Things were weird and tense with him. We were always at each other’s throats and… after a job that was just the two of us, we went back to talk to our boss. Afterward, he left us alone to finish up some paperwork, and one thing led to another, and…" Bruno waved the hand that was leaning out of the tub a little. “You get the idea.” 

It was another reminder of how different their teenage years had been. Abbacchio nuzzled his nose against Bruno’s hair, holding him a little tighter around the waist; he hated that there were so many things he’d missed out on because he’d been all but forced into joining the mafia before he was even a teenager. 

“It wasn’t that bad, though,” Bruno continued, stopping his idle playing with Abbacchio’s fingers to hold his hand tight against his stomach. “Not very romantic, but not that bad.” 

"To be fair neither was the back of my dad's truck," Abbacchio added on, not wanting to dampen the mood with his own guilt-ridden thoughts. "He accidentally kneed me in the stomach while we were trying to get situated and then ended things like two weeks later."

Bruno laughed and brought the hand he’d be holding up to his mouth, kissing his hand softly. Despite the warm water, Abbacchio felt a chill run up his spine, Bruno’s lips tickling his skin as he kept them pressed against his fingers for a couple seconds longer than he’d expected him to. Abbacchio was starting to think that his goal in life was to drive him mad with gentle touches and soft kisses. 

“He sounds like a dickhead,” Bruno finally said, lips still pressed against Abbacchio’s fingers. 

Abbacchio let out a breath, a little heavier than he’d meant to. “It doesn’t matter now,” he said, sounding more serious than he’d meant to. Abbachcio didn’t think he had the words to convey to Bruno that no one could ever mean as much to him the way he did, so instead he just let his eyes linger on the man in front of him, savoring every second his lips ghosted against his fingers. 

Bruno pulled his lips away from Abbacchio's fingers, only to twist his body between Abbacchio's legs to lean up and press his lips against Abbacchio's. It was soft and sweet, even if the angle was uncomfortable for both of them. Abbacchio let his hand fall to Bruno's side, holding him in place as their lips slid against each other at a languid pace. Abbacchio could understand why Bruno had done this before; it was warm and comfortable, intimate, and domestic, in ways he’d never expected.

Bruno pulled away after a second, looking up to Abbacchio with wide eyes and parted lips. If he hadn't looked like he was about to say something, Abbacchio would've been tempted to push back in, to kiss him again until neither of them could breathe. As it was, he waited for Bruno to speak, letting his hand fall down to rest just below Bruno's hip.

“I meant what I said in the park,” Bruno said, sounding a mix of nervous and sure. “I love you. You don’t have to say it back. I know it’s early, and we’ve only been on one date, and things have been really insane this last week, and—” 

This time, Abbacchio did lean back in to kiss Bruno, water splashing out of the tub with how quickly he moved in to press his lips back to Bruno’s. He didn’t hold anything back, slipping his tongue into Bruno’s lips and kissing him with everything he had, harder and more passionately than he’d ever kissed anyone in his life. Bruno’s initial surprised gasp was lost in his mouth, turning into a soft moan as Abbacchio tugged him closer, desperately trying to get as close to him as possible. 

Bruno broke the kiss for only a second, quickly moving in the tub so he was on his knees in front of Abbacchio. More water splashed out of the tub, but neither cared, not as Abbacchio let his legs fall flat so Bruno could straddle them, nor as they let their lips slide back together, Bruno’s fingers quickly finding Abbacchio’s hair to card his fingers through. He winced as he moved his injured arm, but that didn’t stop him from continuing to grasp at the silver locks running through his fingers. 

Abbacchio moaned softly as Bruno tugged his hair, either intentionally or unintentionally he didn’t know, but he didn’t care. “Your arm,” he managed to mutter between kisses. “Be careful.” 

"I'm okay," Bruno murmured against Abbacchio's lips, tugging his hair slightly before Abbacchio had a chance to refute. This time Abbacchio was sure it was intentional, but still, he wasn't complaining. He let his head fall back against the wall of the bathroom behind the tub, let Bruno crowd into his space, and continue to kiss him hot and heavy until he felt like he couldn't see straight.

Abbacchio pulled away after a bit, still holding on tight to Bruno's waist. He hadn't realized how tight he'd been holding onto him until then, so he loosened his grip a little, looking up at Bruno, his face still hovering above his. Not for the first time Abbacchio realized how gorgeous Bruno was, his blue eyes shining as he stared down at Abbacchio, patiently waiting for him to either speak or surge back in for another kiss.

“Just so you know… I love you too. I have for a while,” he finally said, uttering the words he wished he could have said in the park. Still, here with Bruno in his lap, naked and holding onto him as they splashed water all over his bathroom was a pretty good place to say it too. He chuckled airily. “I’ve never said that to anyone before.” 

Bruno smiled brightly, his whole face lighting up as he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Abbacchio’s lips again. Abbacchio thought he could melt into him, spend the rest of his life there and never move; he was certain all he needed was this contact between him and Bruno. Despite how monumentally shitty most of the past week had been, Abbacchio would’ve gone through it all again if only to end up there with Bruno. 

“I haven’t either,” Bruno admitted when he pulled away, barely an inch away from Abbacchio’s mouth. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.” 

Abbacchio felt his lips curl into a smile, leaning back up to press his lips back to Bruno's. It was soft and sweet again, Bruno's right hand coming down to cup his face while the other stayed tangled in his hair. Abbacchio didn't know how he'd ever let anyone else touch or kiss him before, not when Bruno kissed him like he was the only person on earth, like he needed to kiss him the same way he needed oxygen.

They continued to kiss, sweet at first but soon returning to the desperate pace they’d set earlier. Bruno eventually dropped his hand from Abbacchio’s face, falling to rest on his shoulder, moving to graze his thumb against the hickey he’d left on his neck that morning. Abbacchio had the feeling that as long as their relationship lasted, he was going to have to get used to turtlenecks and covering hickeys up with concealer. 

Of all the bruises he’d gathered throughout the day, that one was definitely his favorite. 

Abbacchio pulled back, panting from the lack of oxygen and refusal to pull away from Bruno’s lips unless he had to. He was already half-hard from making out, which he blamed entirely on the fact that they were both naked and pressed against each other. In his defense, he wasn’t the only one in that situation. 

“Do it again,” he muttered, leaning his head back to allow Bruno access to his neck. 

Bruno hummed a content chuckle, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to the bruise that already existed. “Don’t complain when you have to cover it up tomorrow.” 

“Who said I was covering it up?” he asked, glancing down at Bruno. For once he was sure the flush on his face couldn’t be blamed on anything but him; he took that as a win and leaned his head back down, holding tight to Bruno’s hips as he went to work sucking and biting at another area on his neck. 

Abbacchio moaned softly, holding tighter to Bruno without meaning to, even harder when he tugged his hair again slightly. He knew it was Bruno’s intention to drive him crazy, and he was willing to let him. He would’ve laid in Bruno’s tub forever, turning into a living prune, if it meant Bruno kept kissing, biting, and sucking bruises into his neck. If not for the fact he knew the younger boys would’ve never let him live it down, he would’ve considered actually not covering up the marks Bruno was making on his neck, if only so Bruno would have to remember leaving them there every time he as much as looked at him. 

Besides, there was something appealing about being marked up by the man he loved. There was a part of him that wanted everyone who looked at him to know that Bruno had taken time out of his day to do that to him. That Bruno loved him. 

Bruno kissed his way up the side of Abbacchio’s neck, stopping once he got to his ear. To Abbacchio’s surprise he bit down softly, causing him to moan and accidentally dig his nails into Bruno’s side. He didn’t have time to apologize or even feel sorry for it, before Bruno spoke, his voice low and husky. “You know, if I had a bigger tub, I’d blow you right here.” 

Abbacchio bit back a moan. “I don’t think that would be very good for your arm… with the bandages and all,” he muttered, focusing on the sensation of Bruno running his fingers through his hair. 

Bruno hummed, his hand falling from Abbacchio’s shoulder to rest on his chest. “I suppose we’ll just have to get out, then,” he murmured, thumb gently running alongside Abbacchio’s nipple. 

“You’re the one who wanted to do this in the first place,” Abbacchio pointed out, nails digging in a little more. The way Bruno huffed slightly made him feel less guilty about accidentally clawing at his hips before; he seemed to like it just as much as Abbacchio liked to have his neck mauled. “I’m sure there’s something we could figure out in here.” 

Bruno smirked, his blunt nails scratching down Abbacchio’s chest. “Well, I figured you’d want to fuck me, so…” 

"Jesus Christ," Abbacchio muttered, pushing back forward to press his mouth to Bruno's again. He was done teasing and playing with him; if that's what he wanted, he wasn't about to tell him no. He could feel Bruno smiling cheekily through the kiss like he knew he'd driven Abbacchio wild once again. In his defense, he'd brought up the very thing Abbacchio had thought about more than he was willing to admit during his late nights alone.

“Is that a yes?” Bruno asked, still smirking down at him. He wasn’t lying that morning; he was a tease. Not that Abbacchio was complaining. 

Abbacchio pushed him gently, trying to get him off his lap so he could stand up. “Get out of the damn tub, Bruno.” 

☆

They were still soaking wet by the time they made it to bed, Abbacchio immediately straddling Bruno’s hips as soon as his back hit the bed. Bruno’s hair fell behind him like a halo around his head, making him look angelic, while Abbacchio’s dripped water down on Bruno’s chest. Bruno didn’t seem to mind, reaching up to card his fingers through Abbacchio’s hair, pulling him in again so they could kiss once more. Abbacchio felt his heart drumming inside his chest with each second they kissed, with the way Bruno bit his lip gently before darting his tongue inside his mouth. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this,” Bruno murmured against Abbacchio’s lips. Abbacchio took that moment to drop to Bruno’s neck, giving him a taste of his own medicine. He knew his suit would cover it, but he had enough time to make his way to Bruno’s chest, to leave marks all along the cutout above his tattoo. Bruno moaned softly and dropped his hand to Abbacchio’s shoulder, holding tight as Abbacchio sucked a spot close to where his own hickey was. “Every time I looked next to me and saw you sitting there, grumbling about something or trying not to smile at something Narancia said—”

“Please don’t talk about the kids while we’re about to have sex,” Abbacchio cut him off. 

Bruno rolled his eyes and shoved his shoulder slightly before letting his hand fall to his back. “My point was every time I looked over at you, no matter what you were doing, all I could think about half the time was getting you alone so you could fuck me.” 

Abbacchio hummed, licking over the spot on Bruno’s neck before moving down his chest. “At least I’m not the only one who thought about it.” 

Bruno moaned breathily as Abbacchio began to press kisses to his chest, his nails running up and down Abbacchio’s upper back. As much as he wanted to fuck him, at the same time Abbacchio felt grateful that there was no rush. This wasn’t a quick fuck or a casual hookup, this was something with someone who he was in love with. Someone who was in love with him. The ability to take it slow, to tease Bruno and drive him as crazy as he’d driven him, was a luxury Abbacchio was beyond grateful for. 

“What did you think about?” Bruno asked, moving his injured arm slowly behind his head so he could rest his forearm between his head and the pillow underneath him. 

“Mostly fucking you,” Abbacchio answered, straightforward as he moved to the side, gliding his tongue across Bruno’s nipple. Another airy moan came from Bruno’s lips, but nothing more, so Abbacchio continued. “Sucking you off while you tried to finish paperwork. Or while you were on the phone.” 

Bruno made another breathy noise, nails digging into Abbacchio's back. "Anything else?" he muttered, looking down at Abbacchio with lust-filled eyes. Abbacchio smirked and kissed down his stomach, forcing Bruno to remove his hand from his back, instead grasping onto his long hair.

“Fucking you in the backroom of Libeccio where anyone could walk in, blowing you under the table while you’re in a meeting…” He pressed a kiss to Bruno’s navel, right near his piercing. It looked so pretty against his tanned skin, the deep blue color almost matching his eyes. Abbacchio was almost glad he hadn’t known about the piercing until that week; if he had, he was sure it would’ve plagued his every thought. “But anything I could’ve imagined is nothing compared to you right now.” 

Bruno smiled, his cheeks flushing again. “Leone…” Abbacchio kissed down his body more, down past his navel to his thighs, completely ignoring Bruno’s dick and paying attention to his thighs instead. “ God, you’re so gorgeous,” Bruno said, his fingers tangling further in his hair. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pictured you like this.” 

Abbacchio nipped Bruno’s inner thigh gently before looking up to him. “What? Ignoring your dick? Teasing you?” 

Bruno rolled his eyes. “You’re an asshole. I incorporated it into my fantasies.” 

Ever one to live up to his reputation, without another word, Abbacchio moved from Bruno's thighs to wrap his lips around his dick without a warning. Bruno let out a sharp whimper, his fingers tugging Abbacchio's hair; this time, Abbacchio was sure it was out of surprise. Either way, he wasn't complaining. Normally, he didn't like it when guys thought they could touch his hair just because he was sucking their dick, but this was Bruno. He actively wanted him to tangle his fingers through his hair as he pulled him apart piece by piece with his mouth. 

“ Fuck,” Bruno groaned, his grip on Abbacchio’s hair growing tighter. Abbacchio smirked the best he could with the tip of Bruno’s dick in his mouth, sinking down just slightly more. He didn’t have much of a gag reflex, but he wasn’t focusing on getting all of Bruno in his mouth at the moment, regardless. He was enjoying watching Bruno squirm as he ran his tongue on the underside of his dick, bobbing his head just barely. 

There were very few things Abbacchio was sure about himself, but one thing he knew for sure was that he was good at sucking dick. He chalked it up to practice, and the fact that he enjoyed it so much, even more than having his own dick sucked most of the time. Adding Bruno into the mix just made the sensation ten times better, watching the way he squirmed and moaned underneath him. 

“ Fuck, ” Bruno muttered, head falling back against the pillow once he removed his arm from underneath his head, letting his arm fall back behind his head. “You’re too good at this.”  

Abbacchio said nothing, just slowly took more of Bruno into his mouth at a pace that had to be agonizing for Bruno. Truth be told, he could have laid there with Bruno’s dick in his mouth for ages, enjoying the sensation of something filling his mouth up as he lay there speechless. It was another thing he’d thought of before, his head laying in Bruno’s lap with nothing to do but hold his dick in his mouth for as long as he’d let him, but he hadn’t thought to bring it up until he’d actually gotten Bruno into his mouth. He’d bring it up later when Bruno wasn’t a mess underneath him, whimpering as Abbacchio continued to swirl his tongue around his dick. 

Abbacchio continued to suck him off, bobbing his head up and down what he’d taken into his mouth as of yet. He wrapped his hand around the base of Bruno’s dick, causing another soft moan to come from his lips. After a couple seconds, he completely pulled away, pressing a kiss to the tip of his dick as he did. “Still think I’m an asshole?” 

“Not nearly as much,” Bruno groaned, panting softly where he lay. He looked so gorgeous, spread out with one hand tangled in Abbacchio’s hair and the other clenching the blankets behind him. Abbacchio chuckled and sat up, jerking Bruno off slowly as he moved back up his body to lay by his side. “You have to stop if you don’t want me to come right now,” he muttered, eyes lidded as he turned to look at Abbacchio. 

“Who says I don’t?” he asked, running his thumb alongside the tip of his dick, still wet with his own saliva. 

“Well I want to come with you inside me,” Bruno huffed, sounding like he was trying to stifle a moan. 

Abbacchio chuckled and removed his hand from Bruno’s dick. “Anything for you,” he whispered in his ear, pressing a kiss to his cheek, his nose, and then his lips. They kissed again for a couple moments, Abbacchio rolling back on top of Bruno, pinning him down on the bed. “Do you have—” 

“Nightstand,” Bruno cut him off, already knowing where he was going with the question.  

Abbacchio reached over to the nightstand to the left of them, quickly finding what he needed before settling back in his position between Bruno's legs. He took a moment to admire how perfect Bruno was, lying underneath him, ready for anything Abbacchio was willing to give him. He'd imagined this moment so many times, but none of those fantasies lived up to reality.

He smiled softly and leaned down, pressing a sweet kiss to Bruno’s lips. “I love you,” he said, not able to hold it back anymore. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to let a day go by where he didn’t tell Bruno he loved him. He was well aware he was turning into a cheesy love cliché, a part of a couple he’d once have scoffed and rolled his eyes at, but things were different with Bruno. He deserved to know how much he was loved, deserved to be kissed and held and touched in all the ways that made him feel as special as he was. 

Bruno smiled sweetly, his hand coming up to rest on Abbacchio’s cheek momentarily. “I love you too, Leone.” 

Abbacchio didn't know what else there was to say, so he pressed a soft kiss to Bruno's forehead before sitting back up between his spread legs. He'd done this part before more than he could count but never had something felt so intimate and special as it did with Bruno. He'd never been a hopeless romantic before, but being with Bruno made him imagine a life outside of shaking down business owners late on protection money, hunting down stand users, and running away from a past he wished every day he could forget.

He went to work, coating his fingers in lube before slowly starting to finger him, leaning back down to press kisses to his neck, face, lips, anywhere he could while he moved. Bruno’s mouth hung open slightly, a multitude of soft moans and whimpers escaping his lips the longer Abbacchio moved his finger inside him, more so once he added a second. 

“ Fuck ,” Bruno whispered, head fallen back against the pillow. “No one’s ever made me feel this way.” 

“You must’ve had some really bad sex in the past, then,” Abbacchio joked, scisssoring his fingers just to watch the way Bruno’s hips jerked up and to listen to the noises he made. He knew for a fact he’d never get tired of this. 

Bruno shook his head, a little too aggressively. Abbacchio was so focused on fingering him, adding a third before Bruno had a chance to elaborate, he was barely paying attention to how painfully hard he was. He was so caught up in making Bruno feel good, in seeing how many of those soft whimpers he could get out of him, he’d almost been able to forget about it. 

“No, I mean that… fuck… you just… you make me feel good,” Bruno managed to get out through soft moans. He was a lot less eloquent when on the verge of getting fucked, apparently. “I’ve never had sex with anyone I’ve been in love with, or ever really been in love, so… fuck, you know.” 

Abbacchio hummed softly deciding to stop teasing and torturing Bruno with his fingers. “No pressure, huh?” He moved between Bruno’s legs again, removing his fingers from inside him finally. 

“I just meant—”

“I’ve never really been in love before either,” Abbacchio cut him off, opening the condom and sliding it on. It was the first time he’d touched his dick the entire time they’d been in bed, so he couldn’t help the soft moan that came from his lips. He took the lube in his hands and started to squeeze more into his hand before looking back at Bruno. “Just with you.” 

Bruno smiled softly. “No pressure.”

Abbacchio chuckled, getting into position. “No pressure.” 

Bruno wrapped his arm around Abbacchio’s neck, his injured arm coming slowly to grasp for Abbacchio’s hand. Abbacchio gave it to him, letting him tangle their fingers together next to Bruno’s head, right before he started to push inside him, slow and steady. Bruno’s head fell back against the pillow again, moaning as he dug his nails into Abbacchio’s back. Abbacchio felt lightheaded, moving at a snail’s pace as he got settled. Bruno’s legs moved, wrapping around Abbacchio’s back, almost pushing him further into place. 

After a moment, he was face to face with Bruno again, fully inside him but not yet moving. Bruno smiled beneath him, his hand rubbing his back softly. “Hey,” he said quietly, looking somewhere between blissed out and lovesick. 

Abbacchio laughed softly, feeling that same drumming in his chest again. “Hi,” he responded, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips, soft and sweet, just for a second. “Ready?” 

Bruno hummed something that didn’t quite sound like a yes, but wasn’t exactly a no either, his hand still rubbing a nonsense pattern on Abbacchio’s back. Bruno looked as content here as Abbacchio had, laying between Bruno’s legs with his dick in his mouth. Abbacchio wouldn’t have minded laying there forever either, if not for the fact that he was painfully hard and wanted nothing more than to see what Bruno looked like when he came. 

“Babe,” he murmured, the pet name coming out without him really meaning it to. Bruno didn’t seem to mind, though, continuing the gentle pattern on Abbacchio’s back. “You ready?” 

“Yeah,” Bruno answered, nodding a little. “Yeah, fuck me. Please.” 

Abbacchio did as he was asked, pulling most of the way out before thrusting back inside Bruno, setting the pace slow at first. Bruno rocked his hips up to match his thrusts, pulling Abbacchio back down so he could press their lips together once again. The mixed sensation of Bruno’s lips against his, moaning into his mouth as Abbacchio moved his hips, made Abbacchio’s stomach warm. He never wanted to leave the bed, wanted to stay there in that space with Bruno for as long as humanly possible. 

“You feel so good,” Bruno moaned, his lips still brushing against Abbacchio’s.

Abbacchio wanted to say it back, to say something other than just let breathy moans escape his mouth, but Bruno didn’t give him the chance, pushing their lips back together as he moved his hips little faster as Bruno’s kisses became more desperate. He’d stopped rubbing his back, moved on to running his nails down Abbacchio’s back, sure to leave scratch marks the next day. 

Abbacchio could only imagine what he looked like, blissed out and kiss bruised, hickeys along his neck and scratch marks all over his back. More than that, he wished Bruno could see how good he looked, eyes nearly rolled back as Abbacchio fucked him, his lips parted once Abbacchio pulled away. He was the most beautiful thing Abbacchio had ever seen; he couldn’t believe that he’d chosen him, of all fucking people, to love. He felt so beyond lucky. 

“I’m not gonna last long,” Abbacchio muttered, the pace of his thrusts growing in speed. 

“Me neither,” Bruno responded, though Abbacchio figured that. He looked pretty far gone before Abbacchio had even started fucking him. “ Fuck. Touch me. Please.” 

“I am touching you,” Abbacchio teased, slamming inside him once more. “I’m touching a lot of you.” 

“I hate you,” Bruno groaned, sounding more desperate than before. “Leone, fuck, please. Touch me. I want you to make me come.” 

Abbacchio couldn’t be an asshole after hearing those words. He moved the hand that wasn’t still tangled with Bruno’s to snake between them, taking Bruno’s dick in his hand. Bruno moaned at the touch, bucking his hips up. The mix of Abbacchio thrusting inside him and Abbacchio’s hand wrapped around his dick was sure enough to send him over the edge; Abbacchio was sure he wouldn’t be far behind him. 

“Come on, baby,” Abbacchio whispered, forehead pressed against Bruno’s, fucking him faster than he had yet. He was dangerously close to coming, the sensation of moving inside of Bruno, his body pressed flush against his own colliding together. “You look so pretty like this. Fuck. I’ve wanted this for so long.” 

Bruno moaned, legs tightening around Abbacchio’s waist as he slammed inside him and jerked him off in unison. “Yeah, yeah… me too,” he managed after a second, nails digging into Abbacchio’s back as he thrust inside him. “Come for me,” he whispered, voice sounding far gone, lost in pleasure. 

Abbacchio could barely manage to nod before he felt his orgasm wrack through his body, making him shake and moan as he tried to keep his hips steady. It was only a couple seconds after when Bruno came, all over Abbacchio's hand and their stomachs. He looked so gorgeous, his head thrown backward, his lips parted, making the most beautiful noises Abbacchio had ever heard in his life. Abbacchio didn't know how anyone could ever see Bruno like this and not fall in love with him.

After a second of recovering, Abbacchio pulled out and removed the condom, tossing it into the wastebasket next to Bruno’s bed. He was sticky and sweaty, but not in the same way the summer sun made him feel. He was content and warm, his stomach fluttering as he turned his head to the side to look at Bruno, the hand that had been on Abbacchio’s back now resting on his forehead. 

“You with me?” Abbacchio asked, reaching to his right to rest his hand on Bruno’s bare stomach. 

“Yeah,” Bruno answered after a second, his head turning to face him, smiling contentedly. “That was… really good.” 

“Better than the laundromat?” 

Bruno laughed sweetly before rolling over so he was laying on top of Abbacchio. He didn't care if the weight of him on top of him made his bruise sting a little, he enjoyed having him there, enjoyed being able to wrap his arms around his waist, and lean up to press a soft kiss to his lips.

“Better than the laundromat,” Bruno confirmed once he pulled his lips away. He moved his hand up to brush through Abbacchio’s hair, smiling down at him with the most loving smile Abbacchio had ever seen in his life. “I love you so much.” 

Abbacchio felt his chest tighten. He’d never get tired of hearing Bruno say those words. “I love you too.” Bruno smiled and leaned back in, their lips sliding together lazily with no goal in mind. After a couple seconds of gentle kisses, Abbacchio pulled away, looking up at Bruno. “Can I ask you something stupid?” 

“Ask away, amore mio," Bruno responded, going back to running his fingers through Abbacchio’s hair. They hadn’t done a lot of actual bathing while in the bath, just laying together and soaking in the water… and a lot of making out. Abbacchio reminded himself to ask Bruno if they could shower later, ask Bruno if he would wash his hair for him. 

“Should we put a label on this?” he asked, fingers drumming absentmindedly on Bruno’s back. 

“Do you want to?” Bruno asked, his voice soft and sweet. 

Abbacchio bit his lip for a second. “I haven’t… had an actual boyfriend in a really long time. Like, since before…” he trailed off. He hated having such a huge landmark in his life, hated that his life had such an obvious before and after. 

“I know, honey,” Bruno said softly, allowing Abbacchio to continue to speak without having to spell it out. For that, Abbacchio was grateful. 

"It's just been a while. And never with anyone I cared about as much as I care about… love… you,” be continued. He felt like a stumbling idiot, turning his head to the side so he wouldn’t have to look at Bruno while he tripped over his words. He didn’t even know why he was making such a big deal of this. “But… if you want that. Then so do I.” 

Bruno leaned down, pressing his lips against Abbacchio’s cheek. “I want that,” he answered, sounding completely sure of himself. “That’s all I’ve wanted for some time.” 

Abbacchio let out a breath of relief. “Me too.” 

Bruno chuckled and let his head fall down against Abbacchio’s chest. Abbacchio could comfortably say this was the happiest he’d ever been in his life. He wanted things to stay like this forever, just the two of them pressed together, able to forget about everything but themselves for whatever amount of time they were allowed. 

☆

    “I still can’t believe Luca was behind all this shit,” Mista said through a mouthful of pizza, staring on at Abbacchio and Bruno in confusion. Number five was hovering above him, somewhat patiently waiting for him to offer up a bite of pepperoni from the pizza. “I mean… shit, the dude musta been an aspiring actor or some shit."

“Nah, I believe it,” Narancia responded, sticking his fork into his fettuccine. “There was something off about that guy.” 

Fugo raised his brow, shooting a half glare in Narancia’s direction. “There’s no way in hell you picked up on anything.”

“No, I did!” Narancia tried, looking up from his pasta to make eye contact with Fugo. “There was something weird about him! He was too… I don’t know. Desperate. And he dressed weird.” 

“ You dress weird,” Fugo grumbled before taking a bite of his soup. 

"Says the guy with holes all over his suit. What's that about anyway?" Mista teased ribbing Fugo in the side lightly. It wasn't the smartest move, considering Fugo looked about half a second away from blowing a casket anyways; he was in one of his moods where the smallest things would anger him, even more so than on a normal day.

“Alright, enough,” Bruno cut in before things escalated. “I’m just glad everything’s done and over with. We have more important things to do than worry about the past.” 

Mista shrugged. "Still, sorry you had to deal with that shit. I mean… a stand of invisibility? Shit."

“Yeah, I should’ve been there. I coulda tracked him down with Aerosmith,” Narancia added on. 

“We did fine on our own,” Abbacchio answered, trying to keep his voice nonchalant. It was easier said than done, considering Bruno’s hand had been resting on his inner thigh for the last twenty minutes. 

“I’m sure you did,” Narancia murmured, a slight smirk on his face as he took another bite of his pasta. Abbacchio kicked him under the table, causing him to choke on his pasta; it was worth the sideways glare he caught from Bruno. 

"What's important is that it's over," Bruno said, squeezing his thigh slightly. His fingers were resting right alongside some of the bruises he'd left on Abbacchio's thighs sometime between last night and that morning; Abbacchio was sure he was doing it intentionally. All Abbacchio wanted to do was go home and wash off the concealer on his neck, hiding the numerous marks Bruno had left for him just so he could let him run his fingers over them again.

As it was, sitting there at lunch surrounded by their juvenile teammates, there was no way in hell he was going to let them go uncovered. Narancia, of all fucking people, was already onto them. 

“Still, sorry you had to deal with this shit,” Mista continued. He seemed none the wiser of whatever was going on across the table from him. “It had to be a pretty shitty week.” 

Bruno shrugged a little and looked over to Abbacchio, a small smile painted across his lips. God, did Abbacchio wish they were alone so he could kiss him again. It didn't matter if they'd spent the entire night and most of that morning either kissing, fucking, or just spending time in each other's space, he didn't think he would ever get tired of being near him. If not for the fact they hadn't even begun to discuss clueing in the rest of the team to the fact that they were dating, he would've leaned over and kissed him right then and there, regardless of the smug smile it would surely bring to Narancia.

“I don’t know,” Bruno said, his fingers drumming gently on Abbacchio’s thigh. Abbacchio took a chance and let his hand drop to his lap, tangling their fingers together under the table. “It wasn’t all bad.” 

“You guys are being weird,” Mista noted, brow raised as he stared across the table at them. “Did Luca hit you on the head or something.” 

Fugo stared at them for a second then let out a gentle sigh. He sounded too exasperated for his own good. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered, pushing himself up from the table. 

“What?” Mista asked, following Fugo with his eyes. “Where are you going?” 

“None of your business,” he snapped back at Mista, even though he was very obviously headed in the direction of the bathroom. He sent a look at Bruno and Abbacchio, trying their best and failing to remain inconspicuous. “All I’m saying is it’s about fucking time.” 

Narancia slammed his hands down on the table in excitement. “I fucking knew it.” 

“You didn’t know shit,” Abbacchio snapped, tempted to kick him under the table again. “Can it.” 

“I’m so fucking lost, dude,” Mista muttered, looking back and forth between Abbacchio and Bruno, Fugo, and Narancia. “Can someone please clue me in.” 

“Figure it out on your own.” Fugo rolled his eyes and started to head off in the opposite direction. “I’m sure you’ll walk in on it soon enough,” he muttered under his breath.  

Abbacchio groaned and pulled his hand away from Bruno, putting his head in his hands. Next to him, Bruno was chuckling softly and smiling, moving his hand from Abbacchio’s thigh to rest on his back, rubbing a gentle circle where scratch marks from the night prior happened to be. It wasn’t that he wanted to hide his relationship with Bruno, hell, he would’ve gone outside and yelled to the world that he was in love with him if given the chance, but he knew what would come with the three younger boys knowing about them. Every time they were alone on a job, every time they were even a fraction of a second late, every time they were as much as looking at each other, there would be teasing directed at him. 

It was a small price to pay, Abbacchio figured.

Mista blinked at Abbacchio and Bruno. It wasn’t normal for Bruno to rub someone’s back in the middle of lunch, much less Abbacchio’s. It was even more abnormal for Abbacchio to let anyone touch him without snapping at them. 

“Oh shit!” Mista jumped up in his chair slightly, either excited, surprised, or a mix of the two, Abbacchio couldn’t tell. “Holy shit, are you two…? Holy shit! ” 

“I walked in on them kissing the other day!” Narancia exclaimed, almost like he was proud of himself. 

“You did fucking not,” Abbacchio snapped. “That was… shut the fuck up. ” 

"Alright, everyone calm down," Bruno said through a laugh, his hand still resting on Abbacchio's back. "Just because Abbacchio and I are together doesn't mean anything has changed. I'm not playing favorites, I want you all to know that. I'll tell Fugo as much when he gets back."

“I mean, you are playing favorites a little,” Mista said, shrugging slightly and taking another bite of his pizza. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be sleeping with Ab—”

“I need a cigarette,” Abbacchio cut him off, standing up from the table and glaring down at Mista. 

Bruno stood up alongside him, pushing his chair in. “Me too,” he said, not sharing the same glare that Abbacchio was still sending across the table. 

At their departure, both Narancia and Mista started to waggle their eyebrows at them, making a show of it, clearly trying to get under Abbacchio's skin. He wasn't pleased with himself that he was letting it work. "I'm not above kicking either of your asses if you piss me off about this," he grumbled, grabbing Bruno's hand and pulling him off in the direction of the back alleyway outside the restaurant.

“Whatever you say!” Narancia called back as Abbacchio started off in the direction of the back door, leading the alleyway behind the restaurant. Narancia didn’t sound at all intimidated , but then again, Abbacchio hadn’t really expected him to; it was hard to be all that intimidating when he’d stomped away with his fingers tangled together with Bruno’s. 

Bruno just chuckled at the exchange, following behind Abbacchio until they were outside. “That went about as well as I expected it to,” he said once they were outside. 

Abbacchio dropped his hand and reached inside his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. “They’re such assholes,” he grumbled. 

“They’re teenagers. They’re supposed to be assholes,” Bruno pointed out. 

“ You’re a teenager, Bruno. You aren’t an asshole.” 

“For like three more months,” Bruno clarified through a warm laugh, the smile on his face making his voice sound happier. “Besides, I’m glad they know. It would’ve sucked to pretend. We still have to be professional and all, but…” Bruno shrugged slightly. “I don’t know. It’s nice not having to hide. Being able to reach over and hold your hand when I want, or… kiss you when I see you. I want that.” 

Abbacchio held the unlit cigarette between his fingers, staring on at Bruno with a warmth in his heart. “God, Bruno, I love you so fucking much it’s insane.” 

Bruno laughed, his whole face lighting up as he took a step closer to Abbacchio, wrapping his arms around his neck, inching closer to his lips. “Do you really need to smoke right now?” 

Abbacchio glanced down at the cigarette in his hand. The thought of lighting it instead of leaning in and pressing his lips against Bruno’s was the most disgusting thing he could think of. He flicked it to the ground, not even caring that it was a perfectly good cigarette. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Bruno’s lips, hands moving to rest at his waist, holding him close to his chest just as he had the night before. 

"I've been meaning to quit for a while anyway."