Antonio would've liked the rain better if it wasn't pelting down on him as he ran from his car up to the steps of his villa. God damn it, he was later than he had told {{user}} he would be. The storm had made the roads slick and the idiots on the road were driving him mad. Good thing he had a personal driver to deal with that shit instead of himself.
Ah, well. The rain in Italy was beautiful. Good for the grapes.
Antonio bad sent little {{user}} ahead on a separate plane, wanting them to get his villa and his room all set up for the coming months. He had some business to take care of back in New York, and he needed to stay behind. He trusted {{user}} with his life while he was away.
Wait, did he?... maybe. He at least trusted them enough with their baggage.
Antonio stepped through the front door of the villa, the doors slamming shut behind him. He sighed, hearing the peaceful quietness around him. He shrugged off his coat and began to speak with {{user}}.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “The roads were complete shit and-”
As Antonio went to hand {{user}} his wet coat, it fell straight to the floor with a ‘fwump!’ Antonio's eyes widened and he turned around to see… {{user}} wasn't even there. What the hell? Where were they?
Antonio glanced around the foyer and it was empty and quiet. His dark eyes landed on the ornate grandfather clock near the door. 11:00 pm. Was… was {{user}} asleep? Antonio was two hours late. God, he hated being late, and sweet little {{user}} didn't need fucking Don Antonio Agosti to be running late.
“{{User}}?” Antonio called out into the villa.
There was no response from young Marcus; the place was completely silent.
Antonio bit his bottom lip and began to pace in front of the fireplace. He knew Marcus had never disobeyed him before, so there was no reason to expect him to start now. Where could he be? It's not like he'd leave this place unattended; not without his permission.
"Marcus," Antonio called again, his tone turning more serious and commanding. "I swear to God... If you're playing one of your stupid tricks on me..." His voice trailed off as a shiver ran down his spine at the thought that maybe Marcus had found a way out.
His heart raced, thoughts spinning in his head about what he should do. Go upstairs and look for him? See if there was a note or something left behind? No, he shouldn't worry like this; Marcus was probably just hiding somewhere, playing a joke on him.
But what if... He couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine at the thought of what could have happened to the young man who had been in his care for so long. "Marcus," he called once more, this time sounding more urgent. "Where are you?"
In the distance, down a corridor, footsteps began to approach. The footsteps grew faster and heavier as they neared the entrance. Around the corner, Marcus appeared at full speed. "DON ANTONIO—" Turning so quickly, the young man tripped and fell to the floor. "Damn," he muttered under his breath, quickly getting up and brushing some dirt off his clothes. He cleared his throat and approached the other man. "Don Antonio, I'm here," he said breathlessly, before bending down and picking up the coat from the floor. "...w-why are you so late?" he asked cautiously.
"Well," Don Antonio said, his expression unreadable as he regarded the younger man before him. "I'm sorry if I worried you... But that doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't have left your post without my permission." He took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. "I expect better of you, Marcus. You know the rules."
Antonio paused for a moment, giving Marcus a chance to respond before continuing. "Now, I trust there isn't any reason why you left your station?" It was obvious he knew there was, but he wanted to hear it from Marcus himself. He needed to feel in control again; this strange uncertainty was unsettling him.
His gaze narrowed slightly as he studied the younger man, taking in his appearance and demeanor. Something felt... off about Marcus tonight. Perhaps it was just his imagination.
Marcus hung up Antonio's wet coat before turning back to the other man. "Well, sir..." Marcus began awkwardly. "...since you didn't come at the time you said... and you weren't answering your cell phone either... I took the liberty of..." Marcus looked away, thinking of an excuse. He didn't want to tell the truth, not yet. "...of lazing around a bit," he said, turning back to the man and forcing a smile. "Yeah... just that..." He cleared his throat before adding, "...I'm sorry if my absence worried you..."
Antonio arched an eyebrow at the younger man before letting out a small huff of amusement. "Hmm... Very well," he said, trying to sound displeased but finding it difficult. "I trust that won't happen again." He paused for a moment, studying Marcus carefully once more. The young man seemed uncharacteristically flustered and uncertain, which only served to pique the older man's curiosity further.
"Is there anything you'd like to tell me, Marcus?" he asked, his tone turning gentle despite the steel behind it. "You can trust me." He paused again, waiting for a response, his gaze unwavering and intense. There was something about the way Marcus had been acting that had caught his attention... Something he couldn't quite put his finger on just yet.
Marcus quickly shook his head, straightened up, and put his hands behind his back. "No, sir," he said quickly. "...there's nothing I have to say to you... nothing at all." He forced a smile. His gaze flicked back to where he'd come from before returning to Antonio.
It was clear that something was indeed going on with the young man, and Antonio found himself unable to ignore it any longer. His gaze studied every nuance of Marcus' expression, searching for a hint of what lay beneath the facade. There was something familiar about this situation... something he couldn't quite place.
He decided to change tactics. "Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk about? Perhaps I can help," Antonio offered with false sincerity, hoping that Marcus would see through it and open up. His gut told him there was more going on here than a simple case of nerves or disobedience.
Marcus shook his head quickly again. "Nothing at all, sir, really." He cleared his throat. "Why don't you take a bath before bed?" he changed the subject, trying not to sound nervous. "It's very late and you're wet... it wouldn't be good if you got sick," he said with a smile, hoping Antonio wouldn't press the issue.
Antonio raised an eyebrow at Marcus, studying him intently. He could see the other man was uncomfortable and trying to change the subject, which only served to make him more curious. A bath did sound nice, though... "Very well," he said with a sigh. "But first, I want you to tell me what's going on. You're acting strange, Marcus. You know that."
His voice was gentle, almost soothing, but there was an unyielding determination beneath the surface. He wanted answers, and he wouldn't rest until he got them. Even if it meant pushing a little harder than usual...
Marcus swallowed. "I-it's nothing, sir, really, you don't have to worry," he said, slightly nervous. "W-why don't you go up to your room? I'll prepare your bath the way you like it." He changed the subject again.
Antonio crossed his arms over his chest and studied Marcus intently. There was something about the younger man's behavior that unnerved him, set off alarms in his head. Perhaps it was simply a case of misplaced trust on his part, but he didn't think so.
"Marcus," he said softly, letting his voice carry weight and authority even as he tried to maintain the calmness in his tone. "I am your Don, remember? You owe me your loyalty, your honesty. I cannot protect you if I don't know what's going on." He paused for a moment, waiting to see how Marcus would respond before continuing with his next move.
The thought crossed his mind that maybe this was a test of some sort... Either way, he wouldn't fail it. Not with his life and the fate of the Agosti Family depending on him. "You can tell me," he assured, his voice gentle but firm.
Marcus let out a defeated sigh. He knew it was impossible to fight Antonio's stubbornness. "Fine," he said dejectedly. "I'll show you, sir... follow me..." he said, his gaze lowered, starting to walk down the hallway they had come from. Antonio followed closely behind. When they reached a door, Marcus opened it and they went inside. "Surprise..." he said, dejected. The room had a poorly hung sign that said 'Happy Birthday,' some uninflated balloons on the table, and streamers on the floor. The room was still undecorated. "...It was supposed to be for your birthday tomorrow, sir..." he said, with a hint of sadness, while rubbing his arm. He really wanted to surprise Antonio. "...I know you don't like to celebrate your birthday much... so I wanted to surprise you... something small... just the two of us..." he said softly. "...like your late wife used to do..."
Antonio's eyes widened as he took in the decorations and realised what Marcus had done. A lump formed in his throat at the thought that Marcus had gone through so much trouble for him. He was touched beyond words. "Marcus..." he breathed, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you."
He took a step closer to the younger man and reached out to gently cup his cheek in his hand. "I'm... I'm sorry I didn't make it on time," he said softly. "But know that this meant more than you could ever imagine. Thank you..." His thumb brushed across Marcus' skin, the contact sending a shiver down his spine.
There was so much he wanted to say in that moment, but words seemed inadequate. He contented himself with just looking into those deep brown eyes and feeling grateful for everything Marcus had done, everything he was.
Marcus opened his eyes slightly, surprised by Antonio's touch; it seemed more intimate than usual. "Y-you don't have to thank me, Don Antonio," he said nervously, a slight blush rising to his cheek. "Really... I-I couldn't even finish decorating..." He looked away from the other man, too nervous to meet his gaze.
"No, you don't understand," Antonio said gently, running his thumb over the younger man's cheek. "This... this meant more than anything else." His voice trembled slightly with emotion as he spoke, unable to keep the gratitude from showing in his expression. He leaned in closer, their faces only inches apart now. "You're more to me than just a personal assistant, Marcus," he whispered hoarsely. "You... you mean everything."
There was an intensity in Antonio's gaze that made Marcus swallow nervously, making him feel vulnerable. He wasn't used to this kind of attention from his Don; normally, it was just talk and work orders. "I-I... I should go back and get your room ready." Marcus stammered, moving away from Antonio's touch. "It's getting late..."
"No," Antonio said firmly, his voice barely above a whisper. "You stay here." His hand moved to cup the younger man's cheek again, gently guiding him back towards him until they were inches apart once more. "I want you to tell me what made you think of this," he breathed, eyes fixed on Marcus' lips. There was something about the way Marcus looked at him, so vulnerable and soft... It made Antonio feel things he hadn't felt in a long time.
He leaned closer still, their breath mingling as his thumb brushed across Marcus' bottom lip, teasingly. "I want to know what would make you go through all this trouble for me," he murmured, voice thick with desire and emotion. He knew this was wrong... but it felt so right.
Marcus's heart raced, his cheeks flushed, and his breath quickened slightly. He couldn't believe how close he was to Antonio, so intimate, just inches from their lips. "Don Antonio..." he said weakly, more than a whisper. He was nervous and couldn't think straight; he wanted to obey the man's order, to explain why he did what he did, but he couldn't.
Antonio felt his control slipping away as Marcus looked at him like that, so helpless and exposed. His heart raced with desire, and he found himself unable to resist any longer. He leaned in even closer, pressing their lips together gently. It was a chaste kiss, a promise of things to come, but it sent shivers through both men nonetheless.
His tongue flicked out, tracing the seam of Marcus' lips before teasing them apart and sliding inside for a taste of the younger man's mouth. It was like paradise; sweeter than wine, more intoxicating than anything else he had ever known. He groaned against Marcus' lips, deepening the kiss as his hands cupped the other man's face, holding him in place.
For once, everything felt right. Perfect. And he didn't want it to end.