THROUGH A FRACTURED EXISTENCE, TO THE RHYTHM OF ETERNITY.

[bitemark]

IL MATTINO

Il Mattino is an Italian cafe sidled between a bookstore and a jewelry boutique in small but popular business district, just a downhill walk from the local non-denominational Christian church and residential area. The ocean is less than a ten minute drive away and within view in the distance. The area is cool even when the sun is at its apex at noon with a tinge of sea salt in the breeze.

The cafe itself is medium-sized with plenty of light let in with the large storefront windows. The decor is simple, but accented with key decor with wheat centerpieces and plants. There are some trinkets that are displayed that may look out of place, like atop the charging counter there's a sliding puzzle painted in pink, orange, yellow, blue, purple, and all shades in between.

The cafe specializes in coffee and brunch, though pastries are sourced from local Italian bakeries in downtown Little Italy.

While the establishment has two floors, the cafe takes up the ground floor. There is a yard for some reason, but that's because there are four dogs. They're kept separate from the cafe to make sure patrons are not disturbed, but people are free to go outside to pet them. Reviews have mentioned the owner lives on the second floor and the dogs' names are Harold, Olive, Vera, and Rocco.

DRINKS ✦ FOOD ✦ all sorts of pastries available

Comments

[chrysanths]

[ OKAY

Adolphe grabs onto Jacopo's shoulders to gently bit firmly seat him down on the couch. He does this despite the glass of water on one of his hands. Sorry about the extra sudden movement. ]

Stop that.

[ Though he's slightly red in the face as he sighs. It's fine. Don't look at him. It was really that look from earlier. ]

Stay put. Here. Drink some water.

[obdure]

[ DON'T LOOK AT YOU? Don't look at him, either. His face is a lot redder than before, but he's forced down on the couch when he had wanted to leave through the door.

He's not sure if his head is spinning from suddenly standing up to being forced back down or from the insane thing he just said. Very tempting to make another try to leave, but...

Downs the whole cup of water. Will this fix him? Seconds later, he's thinking about bolting again. It did not fix him. ]

[chrysanths]

[ He studies Jacopo's expression for a bit, as much as he can in those few seconds before going to retrieve a plastic bag. Here's your barf bag.

But did he leave when Adolphe left to go get it. ]

[obdure]

[ He is very flustered and purposely rubs the bottom half of his face to cover some of it.

Thank you for the bag. He hasn't left. He's still here. ]

[chrysanths]

[ The fact that Jacopo is still flustered is mentally taking him out. Just a bit! Adolphe tries not to look at Jacopo's face for too long, but he eventually has to. He can be a rude shit, but look... sometimes you need to look at someone when you talk to them. ]

... Do you want to wash up and go to bed? I have a feeling that you'll need the rest more than I do.

[ aka the bed is yours, don't fight him on this, etc ]

[obdure]

[ SHOULD HE NOT BE FLUSTERED? He's going through an emotional rollercoaster wondering if this is just an awful nightmare. He covers the lower half of his face first, only showing familiar knitted eyebrows that tell there's definitely a scowl here... Cheeks and ears still visible and bloomed red in color.

His face feels hot, so he ends up covering his whole face with his hand. What was the point of looking at him while talking to him now? ]

I can still check into a 24/7 motel.

[ Sure, he was a bit drowsy earlier, but now he's so wired. It would be impossible to sleep. ]

[chrysanths]

[ The redder Jacopo gets, the more Adolphe thinks that... it's really endearing. He snaps out of it when Jacopo mentions the motel though and he just. Sighs. ]

Enough. Go to your room.

[ You're grounded. Dogs, please help him. ]

[obdure]

[ Normally, he'd give an irritated look and a small bite back of a response to being scolded like a child, but instead he sulks. Like a child, a disheartened one with many worries at that.

All the dogs are gathered here today, sensing they're needed, and look up at Adolphe while Vera noses Jacopo a bit. What do you need them to do?

By the way, instead of going to his room he starts getting comfortable on the couch and also faces his back toward them. The role reversal. ]

[chrysanths]

... Jacopo.

[ He sounds so exasperated. ]

[obdure]

[ Small muffled "g'night" in response because he has pressed his face into the back cushion, hoping he will stop being red.

The dogs watch this like what will happen? Where are we sleeping? Olive will take the plastic bag to put it on the coffee table, though. ]

[chrysanths]

[ Adolphe frowns and watches Jacopo's back for a moment before standing to pick Jacopo up bridal style. ]

Okay, everyone. Follow me.

[ To the dogs. Jacopo doesn't get a say. ]

[obdure]

[ Oh, he squirms a bit before grabbing onto his shirt or shoulder because suddenly he doesn't want to fall. It's the image of a cat who is ready to angrily yowl. ]

Adolphe.

[ WITH SUCH KILLING INTENT, but the dogs all softly bark happily as they follow!! ]

[chrysanths]

Jacopo.

[ He replies very evenly as he goes inside the bedroom and places Jacopo on the bed and puts the blanket over him. Do not attempt to escape. ]

Good night.

[obdure]

I'd rather you carry me like a sack of potatoes.

[ Grumbled quietly as he's carried in, looking away the whole time. Embarrassing.

Tucked in, he just glares at him... Then bundles into a ball with the blanket. Rocco and Vera hop onto the bed, leaving the two dogs looking up at Adolphe expectantly. ]

[chrysanths]

I'll keep that in mind for next time.

[ He says quite dryly, wondering if this would help Jacopo feel less embarrassed. He thinks that but he reaches over to gently pat Jacopo's head with his good hand, then proceeds to pet the other dogs too.

He is going to tidy up the living room and go to sleep on the couch. Adolphe thinks that Jacopo didn't mean to blurt that out, so he will leave the decision of what to do about it to Jacopo the next day. ]

[obdure]

[ He tenses at the sudden touch because obviously he can't see, but instantly melts after. It's easier to accept when he can't see him and vice versa. Here's to whatever attempts to sleeping he'll try tonight.

Harold and Olive whine a bit that Adolphe isn't joining, but they understand the mood is weird. They follow him along the house and sleep with him near the couch when he finally rests.

Morning comes... It is Sunday... And obviously Jacopo is going to sleep in quite late, but Rocco and Vera nudges the door open to greet everyone else in the living room. Bork bork. ]

[chrysanths]

[ Adolphe gets up at a normal time unlike other mornings and gets off the couch to feed the dogs. Breakfast time. Then he stretches and does his morning routine quietly despite the slight hangover that he feels. He readies a cup so that Jacopo can drink more water when he wakes up.

It's a peaceful morning. ]

[obdure]

[ I am happy for you, Adolphe. The morning is peaceful with just him and the dogs who have come to unconditionally love him. They feast their morning grub, then whine at him to give them attention.

Around noon, they balefully stare at the door because they'd like to frolic outside in the yard downstairs.

Eventually, Jacopo will wake up, sluggishly do his morning routine except it's afternoon, and quietly appear whether Adolphe takes them out of not... Sometime in the middle of the night, he changed into some lounge clothes, but in spite of that still looks weary around the eyes.

He gets himself a cup of water... Sees this other cup of water... Looks at his own cup of water... Does math that this is probably Adolphe's full cup of water, so he shouldn't touch it. ]

Morning.

[ Like usual, except he has a massive hangover. ]

[chrysanths]

[ unconditional love from dogs... he's happy about that. That's why he lets them out into the yard so that they can frolic. ]

Morning.

[ It's the afternoon. He glances over and... oh. ]

That cup is for you.

[obdure]

[ IT IS THE AFTERNOON... He blinks slowly as he processes the other cup is also for him. How nice. ]

Thanks.

[ Hovers around it if it's in the kitchen, or if it's in the living room he will take a seat on the couch on the side closest.

He sips the cup of water in hand as the silence stretches. For him it feels like forever, but maybe it's just been a minute. ]

About... Yesterday.

[chrysanths]

Yeah?

[ He says that first, before letting his mind catch up with what that really means. It means they'll have to talk about what happened last night unless Jacopo feels like swerving topics last minute.

But Adolphe will take this as a gesture that Jacopo actually does want to talk about what happened the day before. ]

[obdure]

[ Dear god, they have to talk about last night is hitting his hangover after those words left his mouth.

If they weren't basically living together, Jacopo would have glossed it over and added some distance so things could go back to normal. ]

You... Must feel uncomfortable—and I'm sorry for blurting that out. I had a lot of alcohol, but that was still out of line.

[ He wanted this place to be safe for Adolphe, so it weighs on him that he might have destroyed it. Rubs his face, ashamed all over again. ]

If you wanted to leave and never see me again, I'd understand. I can help you find a place.

[ This really escalated to assumptions, but he's prone to doing that. ]

[chrysanths]

[ It's a lot, yes, but Adolphe finds it frustrating for some reason—oh. Right. It's being assumed that he feels a certain way. He can't hold it against Jacopo though. He understands... kinda. ]

If I wanted to leave, I would have already left while you were sleeping. But I didn't. So I'm fine staying here. I know that you know better about things too, so I'm not worried about it.

[ ... ]

But me? Really?

[ It still feels surreal. ]

[obdure]

[ Adolphe's words are supposed to assuage the feelings of uncertainty... And they do, but it's hard to not feel nervous and frazzled over a secret he meant to keep in for a while rolling out so unceremoniously. Even with Maria's encouragement, he didn't have intention for it to be soon.

Reassured, yet still ashamed and embarrassed is a good summary. He finishes his first cup of water and reaches for the second, keeping his eyes anywhere else in the room. ]

Is it really so surprising...

[ Grumbly. Perhaps

he had a crush for a while

and had been hiding it for a while,

but also did everything he could to hide it.

Okay, maybe it is surprising? While he thinks his poker face is very good, he doesn't know if someone could see through him. Maria did, very easily. Ugh. ERGHHH. ]

I—suppose... I was also surprised. [ Swirls his cup of water just to do something like a restless idiot. ] When it happened.

But... Yes. You.

[chrysanths]

[ Adolphe is very surprised, because Jacopo did indeed hide it very well. He didn't suspect a thing. It's surprising, because it's not like he didn't have feeling for Jacopo as time passed, even though he started to gradually work his way through the feelings whether they were of friendship or something more. He was

But he's also surprised that it's still him. It's him? Why? He can't fathom it. He could never fathom being loved like that by anyone. ]

... I'm not sure what to say.