A Library Romance

*Nico's P.O.V.*

Since I usually walk to work, Adlar drives back to my place later. Rosco is panting happily in the backseat, his muzzle resting on my shoulder. We closed up at 4:30, meaning we’ll have time to hang out before supper. I’m slightly dreading it. Not because I don’t know what to do, but because I’m nervous about what my family will do and say. Especially Antonio, he seems to think it’s his job to tell people embarrassing things about me.

“So, did you ever live in Italy?” Adlar asks.

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

“Well, I just noticed that you have a slight accent. So does Antonio. When did you leave?”

“Um, I was seven when we left, I think. I don’t know, we got here when I was in grade three.”

“Ya, actually, I remember when you and Antonio showed up one day. All the girls were crazy about you guys.”

I blush severely, “You remember me in grade three?”

“Ya, is that a surprise?”

“Kind of, yeah.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, I just never really thought you knew who I was.”

“I’ve always known who you were,” Adlar says quietly.

I tell him which house is mine and he pulls in to the driveway.

“Nice house,” he whistles.

“Thanks. Oh, and I should warn you, my sister Carina has a crush on Edwyn.”

“That’s good, ‘cause he doesn’t shut up about her,” Adlar laughs as we climb out of his car.

I open the door and Adlar follows me in, “Ciao! È a casa qualcuno?”

“Nico!” Ariana screams happily, gliding along the linoleum floor of the entryway.

I pick her up in my arms, pretending to eat her ear and she giggles.

“Nico, are you going to introduce me to this beautiful young lady?” Adlar smirks, kissing Ariana’s hand playfully.

Ariana blushes, giggles, and hides her face in the crook of my neck.

“Ariana, stop hiding, this is Adlar. Adlar this is Ariana,” I say, pulling Ariana’s head out from hiding.

“Hello, Adlar,” she recites politely.

“And hello to you, too,” Adlar smiles.

I let Ariana down and she runs away. I faintly hear, “Mamma, Nico’s home and he brought his boyfriend!”

I blush and Adlar chuckles. So it begins.

Mom appears out of the kitchen, wiping her hands.

“There is my beautiful boy,” mom pulls me in to her chest tightly, “And you bring a friend!”

I can tell mom is about to pull him in for a hug as well. I stop her, “Mamma, this is Adlar; Adlar, this is my mom.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Mammoliti,” Adlar puts out his hand.

My mother laughs and pulls him in for a hug, much to my dismay, “Such a little gentleman.”

I grab Adlar from my mother’s suffocating grip and pull him through the kitchen and in to the living room. Antonio is sitting on the couch with Ariana on his lap, watching Dora the Explorer. Carina is sitting, reading a magazine. She’s wearing baggy, paint-splattered sweats and an oversized Mickey Mouse t-shirt. Her hair is pulled back and her face is covered by a green face mask. Typical. I clear my throat and the three look up. Carina’s eyes go wide, she screams, and then runs up the stairs. Antonio and I burst out laughing and Ariana giggles, although she doesn’t really know why. I flop down on the couch beside Antonio, and Adlar sits beside me.

“Hey, Adlar,” Antonio nods his head.

“Yo, Antonio,” Adlar waves lightly.

“You guys going to Craig’s party next Friday?” Antonio asks.

“Yep,” Adlar says excitedly, “Supposed to be a good one.”

“Deana and Drake are making me go,” I say.

“Why do they have to make you? You love to party,” Antonio asks, looking at me and Adlar out of the corner of his eye.

“Ya, but I work the next day, man.”

“So do I,” Adlar smirks.

“Then you guys’ll just have to run that store hung over,” Antonio chuckles.

“Speaking of which, I need you to buy me a Jack,” I say, handing Antonio thirty bucks.

“Who’s Jack?” Ariana asks, climbing in to my lap.

“Uh, just a friend,” I say, shrugging.

“Is he another boyfriend?” she giggles.

“No and neither is Adlar,” I say slowly, trying to scorn her without him knowing.

She rests her head on my chest, smiling shyly at Adlar, “You’re cute,” she giggles.

“Well you’re cute, too,” he pokes her nose and she giggles, pressing her face in to my shirt.

“Um, wanna go up to my room, Adlar? Play some Smash Bros?”

“Ya, but I call Pit!” he yells, rushing to the stairs.

“Screw you!” I call, running after him.

Adlar is waiting at the top of the stairs for me, unsure of where to go.

“Keep going, third floor,” I tell him.

“I was just kidding, by the way, you can have Pit if you want,” he says.

“Oh, no, it’s totally cool, I got Zelda, she’ll totally kick Pit’s ass.”

“No way, Zelda’s a chick!” Adlar counters.

“Fuck you! Zelda’s the shit!”

I show Adlar in to my room, something I’d only dreamed of, but in a totally different way. I walk in and turn the TV and Xbox 360 on. Adlar is wandering around my room.

“Nice calendar,” he chuckles.

I turn around quickly, blushing. The calendar is pretty well all half-naked dudes. I rub the back of my neck, stuttering, “Uh-um, D-Dee got me that for a joke on New Year’s.”

Adlar laughs, posing like the January guy. He leans against the wall and places his arms over his head, biting his lip.

“You could be a model, dude,” I say, trying to act casual.

“Whatever,” Adlar scoffs, jumping on his back on to my bed.

Oh, God, the bed, my mind screams.

“Time to kick your ass,” I laugh nervously, throwing him a controller and sitting on the bed.

We played for an hour. I didn’t even realize how long we’d been there for until Ariana came in to the room, jumping up and down.

“Nico, Nico, it’s taco time, bring Boyfriend!” she yells shrilly and then jumps out.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” I yell after her, “Sorry, Adlar, but my family seems to be hard of hearing.”

“S’okay, let’s go eat, I’m fucking hungry,” he stretches.

I can’t help but notice the slight showing of skin and the light furring of blonde hair that is his treasure trail as his shirt rises. I avert my eyes quickly and lead Adlar down to the dining room. The rest of the family is already sitting at the table. Except for Ariana, she’s still bouncing. I take my usual seat beside her.

“No!” Ariana shrieks, hitting me, “That’s Boyfriend’s seat!”

“For the fiftieth time, he’s not my boyfriend!” I say loudly.

“He’s not yours,” Ariana stands with a hip cocked and her hands resting on her hips, “He’s my boyfriend!”

I can’t help but laugh. I surrender and move over. Ariana grabs Adlar’s hand and pulls him in to the chair.

“So, Adlar, you’ve already met my mom and dad, Carina, Antonio, and Ariana. The others are Belina, Donato, and Paolo. And Naked Girl!” I exclaim.

“Actually,” Naked Girl smiles, “It’s Kim.”

“Hi,” he waves.

Rosco shuffles over and lies down on my feet with a groan.

“Eat, Adlar, you too thin,” Mamma says as we all begin to make our tacos.

I glance over at Kim and she smirks, mouthing the words, ‘He’s cute’. I blush and smirk back. Ariana is fidgeting in her seat. She always does that when guests are over.

“Are you hairy?” she asks through a mouthful of food.

“What?” Adlar chokes on his taco.

“My brudders are really hairy. It’s like everywhere!” she says dramatically, spreading out her arms. “Even Carina, but she takes care of it!”

“Ah!” Carina shrieks and Antonio puts an arm around her shoulder, trying not to laugh.

Adlar doesn’t answer and Ariana doesn’t ask again. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Belina making kissy faces at Adlar. I lean behind Adlar and whisper to Ariana.

“Hey, you know what Boyfriend would really like?”

“What?” she asks excitedly.

“If you threw a spoonful of sour cream at Belina.”

“Okay,” she giggles, putting a hand to her mouth.

“What was that about?” Adlar asks in my ear.

Ignoring the shiver that runs up my spine, I reply, “You’ll see.”

One second later I watch as a glob of sour cream flies through the air and hits Belina on the cheek. She shrieks and throws one back. Except for she has horrible aim and it hits Adlar instead.

“That was my boyfriend!” Ariana yells throwing another and hitting Antonio. Antonio hits me and I hit Donato. Soon it turns in to a full-fledged food fight. Food is flying everywhere and mamma is shrieking at us to stop.

“Fermare!” Papi yells and the room becomes silent.

We all take a good look around. Food is stuck to the walls and on the floor and on people. Then everyone is laughing. After a few minutes we eat what is left and mamma insists on washing all of our clothes right away; even Adlar’s. So I take him back to my room and fish through my closet, looking for something he can wear in the meantime. I find a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt I think will fit him. I change in to ripped jeans and a white wife beater.

Heading back downstairs, I see that Antonio has put in Paranormal Activity and is waiting for us to come down. Kim is now in a pair of Carina’s sweats and Antonio’s wife beater. I sit down beside the cuddling couple and then Adlar sits beside me; I pull my feet up from the floor.

“Why are you sitting like that?” Adlar asks.

“Cause I can’t have my feet on the ground when I watch a scary movie. It scares the fuck out of me.”

“Okay,” Adlar chuckles.

Halfway through the movie and I’m already freaked out. There’s a really loud banging noise and I scream, grabbing on to Adlar’s hand. After a few seconds I realize what I’ve done and let go. Something else happens and I whimper.

And then all I can feel is Adlar’s hand holding mine.