27

27
ARIA

I ended up joining Sandro and Trigger to the vet's office. It turned out to be a yearly check-up that Sandro had been doing for the past five years at the same trustworthy doctor. It was a cute and quaint place, right on the outskirts of the city. While they were busy, I gave my parents a call and wished them a happy anniversary. I kept the call as short as possible.
It took some convincing from my side that Sandro didn't need to cancel his entire day because of the incident. After a while, he agreed to let Carlo be the one checking out the camera footage and finding out as much as possible.
I mentioned the word 'police' and Sandro gave me the dirtiest look.
It was unbeknownst to me that Sandro had the entire police department in the palm of his hand, and yet, he couldn't stand them. He told me, "As long as you're with me, there's no need for the cops," and I believed him.
Afterwards, Sandro dropped Trigger at some warehouse and I felt a bit sad departing from the little guy. He explained that he didn't have the running space for Trigger's pent up energy and the warehouse had a backyard where his men kept him busy majority of the day.
Soon, we were back in Sandro's penthouse and I was in dire need of a sleep irrespective of how early it was. I yawned, letting myself fall onto his couch.
Sandro did the same, except he was a lot gentler as he settled himself on the sofa. Our sighs were in sync.
"I'm tired," Sandro confessed after a moment of quiet. "And sore. And hungry,"
"Me too," I replied, resting my hand on my stomach as I stared at the high ceiling.
"Sore? You're sore where?" Sandro asked, not looking at me. We were both occupied by the pattern on the ceiling, and it was the relaxation I needed after the day I had.
"Throat," I said, and I heard Sandro choke on nothing.
He turned to look at me, a cheeky and tired smile on his face. I grabbed a pillow, throwing it at him and he caught it before it could hit him. He cuddled it to his chest, his eyes fluttering close.
Sandro was still on his painkillers, and one of the side effects was drowsiness. I had to practically force him to drink one because lethargy seemed to be his worst enemy. I could also tell that my broken door stressed him out more than me.
"Hey, isn't it time for another tablet?" I asked him, and he opened his eyes to glare at me.
He turned to his side, facing his back to me. "No, it's not."
"Sandro..." I drawled, and I saw his body heave with another longsome sigh.
"I can't have it on an empty stomach," he said after a while, and I pursed my lips.
"How about I make us something to eat, you take your tablet and then we can go upstairs into your room for a small nap? It's only three," I said, trying to persuade him. He faced me, and for a second I thought that it had worked until he spoke again.
"It feels wrong going to sleep knowing that someone got into your apartment. It was luck, or faith or whatever you want to call it that you weren't at home, bellissima. I'm really fucking hoping it was just a mistake," Sandro explained, and for the first time – I saw the worry in his eyes. He was also angry, but not an anger that I've ever seen before.
I sat up, crawling over to him and he welcomed me with open arms. I laid my back to his chest, keeping a safe distance away from his skin and his arm comfortingly wrapped around me. I enjoyed the feeling of him holding me.
"I know you're worried, but not getting any rest won't help. At all. You need to eat, sleep, build up your strength and stop being so grouchy," I said, feeling his small chuckle against my back.
"Yes, but-"
"No buts. You said you'll do whatever I ask and I'm asking you to take the day off," I said firmly, and Sandro let out a sigh that told me he'd given in. We stayed like that for a while, just listening to the soft rain tapping against the window.
My breathing steadied, and I felt Sandro's did too.
"What are you going to make us?" Sandro asked, breaking the silence. A grin spread across my lips, and I pushed myself off the sofa to give him a kiss on the lips. He was still pouting when I pulled away, and I leaned down to give him another peck.
"Don't stop kissing me," he murmured, clasping his hand around the back of my neck to pull me down. I chuckled, abiding by his wish.
"What do you feel for?" I asked, my lips staying on his as I spoke.
"I can think of a few things," he whispered, sliding his hands down my waist.
"Food, Alessandro." I made it clear, even when I had the exact same thoughts running through my mind.
I made a mental promise to myself to not act out on my never-ending horniness until he was feeling better. And I had no idea how long that was going to take.
"Food," he repeated softly. "Anything,"
"Alright, I'll see what you have in your kitchen," I said, getting on my feet. Sandro's arm stretched out, a frown on his face as I stepped away from him.
Hurt Sandro was a needy Sandro, and I couldn't deny how much I was enjoying it.
"I'm just going to the kitchen," I told him, and he dropped his arms while huffing in annoyance. He didn't say anything else as I walked to the pantry. Sandro's penthouse was open-planned, and I could see him from where I stood. He kept his eyes on me.
"Order something," he said. "You're going to take forever,"
"I won't," I assured, pulling out the ingredients for one of my quick and comfort meals. "Don't fall asleep," I said, watching him carefully. His eyelids were dropped low and his blinks were measured. He looked close to falling asleep, but he reassured me with a wave of his hand that he wasn't going to dose off.
"You need help?" he asked, and I was surprised at his offer. I shook my head, knowing that the chances of him collapsing and cracking his skull open were not slim.
It took less than twenty minutes for the meal to be plated and ready to serve, and Sandro finished it within five. He stuck true to his word, staying awake long enough for me to finish up cooking. After he ate, I handed him his painkiller and he gave me an appreciative kiss on the forehead.
We were both fed and satisfied, and Sandro's tiredness increased as the minutes went on. I couldn't help but think about how we were acting like an eighty year old couple. It made me smile, and Sandro asked what was funny. I had no answer for him.
"Let's have that nap," Sandro whispered, cuddling me to his chest and I felt my body succumb to his hold. The tension left my shoulders, and I breathed out a sigh of pleasure.
"Do you want to go to bed?" Sandro murmured in my ear, and it sent a chill over my skin. I nodded, but the both of us made no move to stand up. I chuckled, and Sandro huffed a small laugh. "I can't move," he said, resting his hand on the top of my belly.
"Me neither," I replied, closing my eyes as the exhaustion of the day finally kicked in. From facing my fears with Trigger, to someone invading my apartment. It was too much, and I wanted to forget about it entirely and enjoy the peace that Sandro gave me.
When I first met him, I had no idea that weeks later I would be in his arms with a contented heart.
"I want to go to bed," Sandro almost whined, and I grinned tiredly.
"If I could carry you..." I trailed off, knowing that it was virtually impossible for me to carry him. Sandro laughed at the thought, and finally gained enough strength to push himself off the sofa. I followed, and we both sat up straight. It
took another boost of effort to stand up completely, and Sandro let out a loud yawn. He raised his arms, stretching his muscles and my eyes darted down to his v-line.
Okay...maybe I could.
I shook my head, dismissing the idea. My throat was still sore and there was a slight ache between my legs. After last night, I wasn't completely sure I could handle all of that again.
"Let's go," he said, letting his arm fall onto my shoulders. My knees almost buckled underneath his weight, but I quickly regained my balance and started leading him up the stairs.
"Why do you have floating stairs? Aren't you scared of falling?" I asked, scowling as my sock covered feet slipped on the tiles. I had to try really hard to not fall and eventually we reached the steps.
"I like how it looks, bellissima." He shrugged, and I nodded because I couldn't argue with his taste.
A few minutes later, Sandro and I were taking our clothes off and climbing underneath the covers of his King Sized mattress. He picked up a remote, and the blackout blinds rolled down to cover the window. We were drowned in darkness, even as the winter sun shone high in the sky. It had stopped raining, and the wind simmered down.
I let my head rest on the pillow, hoisting the covers up to my neck as I laid on my side. Nothing else mattered in that specific moment.
I could barely see his face, but my hand reached out and settled on his cheek. He turned his head, giving my palm a kiss and I smiled involuntarily. Sandro fell asleep easily, and once his breathing evened out, I knew he was gone.
I turned onto my back, biting my lip as I waited for my own sleep to grab a hold of me. Just as I thought I was about to dose off, Sandro moaned but it sounded like a complaint.
I opened my eyes, seeing his hand blindly tap the empty space next to him. I scooted closer until we ended up sharing a pillow.
"Thank you, Aria," he whispered, and I struggled to understand what he was thanking me for. I gave him a kiss on his chest, and it wasn't long before I could feel him falling asleep again.
My heart felt heavy, not just with despair but happiness too. Whatever happened, I knew Sandro was going to be there for me. And I knew I was going to be there for him, too.
With that thought, I let sleep take over.