Harbinger Of Glory

Vittoria had the pin between her teeth and both hands in her hair when the intercom sounded.

She took the pin out, tried to secure the bun with it, felt it slip, and gave up on the whole arrangement as her hair fell back around her shoulders.

She set the pin on the dresser and walked toward the door, slowing herself down in the last few steps because she had been moving too fast and was a bit out of breath and didn’t want to show too much eagerness.

After a moment, she opened the door to find Leo standing there with an easy air about him, and before she could decide to do so, the corners of her lips rose.

He raised a hand. ”Hi,” he said, and came in past her.

Vittoria stepped aside and then turned to close the door, but when she turned back, he was right there, his face leaning a little bit down but right up in hers, which caused her to lean back a little involuntarily.

”What,” she said, wearing a smile that was not entirely innocent.

Leo looked at her for a moment and then leaned away and kept walking into the apartment.

”How is my girlfriend doing today?” he said, from the direction of the living room.

Vittoria stood against the door for a second with her hand still on it and her thumping heart before she followed.

”Are you going to keep doing that?” she said.

”Doing what?” Leo said, already on the couch.

She walked over and sat beside him before she grabbed his hand and slipped her fingers through his.

”Where do you want to go?” she asked, not pressing on the earlier question since she knew it would be futile.

Leo looked at her.

”Shouldn’t I be asking you that? You’re the native.”

”You’re Italian too.”

”Barely.”

She considered this and then said, ”Do you want to just stay in? Order some food, watch something. I can introduce you to some Italian cinema.”

At that, Leo raised an eyebrow.

”Wouldn’t Italian culture be better experienced outside?”

Vittoria rolled her eyes before looking at him, demanding an answer.

”Why not,” Leo finally said.

Vittoria clapped once and moved to stand, and then didn’t because Leo had her hand and was pulling her back down beside him.

She made a sound that was somewhere between a squeal and a protest.

”Where are you going?” he said as he leaned closer and closer.

”My phone,” she said, pressing her free hand to his chest.

”And don’t do that. You said I wasn’t good for your heart, but you’re not good for mine, too.”

That made Leo laugh before he nodded in a direction.

”Your phone is right there.”

”I didn’t know that when I was getting up.”

She reached across him for it and then paused and turned to look at him, still leaning over.

”I’m getting food delivered.”

”I’ll cook,” Leo said while shaking his head.

She looked at him, raising a brow while Leo doubled down.

”I’ll cook. We can go get groceries.”

Something moved across her face at the word groceries, a slight stillness, and Leo looked at her.

”You know what groceries are, right?” he said.

The look she gave him could have curdled milk.

And then he understood what the actual problem was, and the look of realisation was followed immediately by a smile.

”I thought you said it was exciting,” he said. ”Your city, your world, all of that.”

”That was then, and I said that because I was excited at the prospect. Not that I actually wanted to go through with it,” she said.

”Plus, you’re my boyfriend now,” she muttered, but Leo still caught it and that made him smile.

They eventually settled on getting the groceries delivered to them.

Leo took over the kitchen after that as he went about it all while Vittoria hovered or did things of that sort.

There was no other word for it.

She stayed close in, pestering Leo and kept finding reasons for him not to sack her.

She leaned against the counter and watched him work, and when he moved, she moved with him slightly, and at some point, her arms found their way around him from behind while he was cutting something, and she rested her chin on his shoulder.

He kept cutting without comment, which she took as permission to stay.

She stole a piece of whatever he was preparing, and he moved the board away without turning around.

She stole another from a different angle, and he moved the board again before turning to her.

”You are not a cat,” he said.

”I’m hungry,” she said, against his shoulder.

”Just give me ten minutes.”

She stayed where she was after that until the food was done, which got her all giddy again.

The food was good, which she mentioned more times than he could count over the course of the meal, or her meals.

Afterwards, they ended up on the couch with a film on the television that neither of them really focused on, and at some point, the distance between them on the couch became less.

And then after a moment, there was none.

Vittoria leaned into him while Leo had his arm around her, but none of them really watched what went on.

”How are we going to do this,” Vittoria said, ”when your season starts?”

Leo was quiet for a moment as he’d also thought about that.

”We’ll have to figure something out,” he exhaled and pulled her closer, enough that she shifted her position against him.

”But for now.........”

He stopped, which made Vittoria look up at him, but when she did, he kissed her, leaning forward slightly when he felt her straining her neck to meet him and closing the gap so she didn’t have to.

When he pulled back, he finished the sentence he had left in the air.

”Focus on me,” he said quietly. ”And let me focus on you.”

Vittoria looked at him for a moment, then she got up onto her knees on the couch and leaned over him and kissed him again, properly this time, with both hands on his face and her hair falling forward while Leo’s hands found her waist and held her there as the film continued unwatched behind them.

The day went on just like that, with the two enjoying each other’s company and at no point did Leo suggest leaving and at no point did Vittoria suggest he should.

By the time the city outside had gone dark and the apartment had settled into the particular quiet of late evening, they were on the couch still, bundled together like two people who have run out of reasons to be anywhere else with Vittoria’s head against his chest and Leo’s chin resting lightly on top of her hair.

He hadn’t planned to stay, but he did.

And somewhere in the late hours, they both fell asleep, wrapped together on the couch like this was how they always spent their evenings.