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Post by Pietro Antonucchi on Jul 5, 2015 21:48:02 GMT -5
Pietro glanced at the clock: 5:50. Perfect timing. He took off the apron he'd used to protect his clothing, then placed the pasta on the table next to the bread and the salad. Two place settings, two wine glasses, and a candle burning merrily away ... this was going to be wonderful. He stood in the front of the mirror for a minute, straightening his bow tie and his vest, making sure that his shoes were perfectly shiny and the creases in his pant legs perfectly crisp. It seemed very important to look dashing and sexy. After all, they hadn't really had an actual date before.
God, he was nervous. Silly, but true.
He couldn't help stopping by his desk, opening the drawer, and pulling out the ring box. He hoped he had chosen a good ring. It was lavish, of course, but classy like she was. Tonight, certainly, wasn't the night for a ring, but he liked knowing that it was there. It was a sort of comfort to him.
The knock on the door pulled him out of his reverie, and Pietro thrust the ring back into the drawer a little guiltily, as though he'd been doing something terribly inappropriate. He took a moment to compose himself, checked himself out in the mirror one more time, and answered the door with a welcoming smile on his face.
"Good evening, Serafina."
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Post by Serafina Latini on Jul 5, 2015 22:26:49 GMT -5
Serafina was a proper lady - well, mostly - and knew exactly how to dress for an occasion. This occasion in particular was high on her list of priorities, and she found herself spending more time getting ready for this date than for any other event she had ever attended in her entire life. All the car shows she had to attend with her parents as well as other highly elite social gatherings never meant as much to her as this one night with Pietro did, and everything on her person had to be absolutely perfect. It was risky, however, to walk through the professor living quarters all dolled up, so she was sure to wear a long coat to conceal her outfit as she moved through the halls.
Approaching his door, she made a soft knock on the wood and waited nervously for a matter of seconds. She was so very excited, and while she had spent an evening with her lover in his home once before, she had never had a legitimate date with him which caused her stomach to knot slightly. She had been on arranged dates before, but those were forced and left her not caring about impressing the boys she was accompanying. This, though... All she wanted to do was please this man forever.
"Good evening, Pietro," she said with a warm smile as she stepped inside, pressing a sweet kiss to his jawbone after the door was closed. She stepped inside and found his coat rack, where she shed her coat and hung it up - revealing the outfit she had worked so hard at coordinating before looking at the table. "It looks and smells amazing," she said as she looked back to him, finally settling down her nerves enough to actually take in his appearance. Her eyes widened momentarily at just how handsome he was, and she swallowed almost nervously. "Oh... Well, dinner doesn't look half as good as you do tonight, though," she said with a blush.
First Date!
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Post by Pietro Antonucchi on Jul 5, 2015 23:36:13 GMT -5
"Welcome," he offered, voice warm as she entered and he closed the door behind her. Pietro relished the kiss on his jaw, placing a hand on the small of Serafina's back to hold her close as she bestowed it. God, could he be any happier? Could it really be true that, twenty-four hours earlier, he was crying for the loss of her? No man on earth was luckier than Pietro was in this moment.
He turned from closing the door and locking the dead bolt, only to see that she had shed her coat and had dressed to the nines. An ivory dress that showed her lovely collarbone and hugged her curves ... jewelry that matched perfectly and cute little flat shoes ... she was so tiny and it made him feel so large and manly and needed ...
He would bring all the power of the Antonucchis to bear to protect this woman.
"Oh ... wow ... Serafina, you have no idea ... you make me look like a homeless man you picked up off the street." Perhaps it wasn't gentlemanly, but Pietro couldn't help himself: He stepped closer, held her close, and kissed her deeply. "Mmm ... so gorgeous. You put me to shame. ... Well, ah, would you like some wine? Pinot grigio ... it should go well with the pasta. Ah ... I am a little nervous about my cooking. I hope it will be an enjoyable meal."
With that, and feeling like a schoolboy with a blush rising in his cheeks, Pietro moved toward the wine chilling in an ice bucket and poured it into the two glasses. "Please, sit down," he offered with a self-effacing grin, feeling hyped-up and self-conscious.
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Post by Serafina Latini on Jul 6, 2015 0:15:51 GMT -5
The way Pietro stared at her caused her to turn redder than the lips she was currently wearing, but she simply shook her head at his silly words. "I thank you for the compliments, my love," she said as she smiled back at him. "But I assure you that you do not look homeless but rather, ravishing, if I do say so myself." She leaned into him - hands pressed to his chest - as he stepped up and pressed his lips to hers, relishing in the moment before opening her eyes to smile up at him once again.
He began to ramble a bit, which caused her to snicker softly. She was nervous, but he was nervous? He had absolutely no reason to be, but she couldn't deny just how endearing it was. "As adorable as it may be, don't be nervous," she said reassuringly. "I'm sure dinner will be absolutely fantastic, so you have no worries." Pinot grigio was one of her favorite wines, which was interesting seeing as he selected it without even knowing that about her, so she slipped into the seat opposite him at the table and looked down at the food he had prepared.
"Pinot grigio would be great," she told him with a nod. "My preferred wine, believe it or not."
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Post by Pietro Antonucchi on Jul 6, 2015 23:01:25 GMT -5
Pietro cracked a grin, looking up from putting the wine bottle back in the ice bucket. "Well, I suppose we'll see if it tastes as good as it smells. I do not cook often ... we've nearly exhausted my repertoire tonight. I hope that isn't too much of a disappointment. But at least I picked the right wine!" He busied himself serving food onto their plates, then finally sat down across from Serafina, smiling as he spread his napkin over his lap. "Well ... buon appetito!"
Pietro watched closely to see whether Serafina found the food enjoyable, and was comforted by the fact that she didn't appear disgusted. That was the part he had been most nervous about, so perhaps things would be smooth sailing from here on out! If he could think of something to say that wasn't appallingly foolish ...
"So, you have mentioned that you are a musician. What else do you like to do?"
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Post by Serafina Latini on Jul 9, 2015 0:46:30 GMT -5
It was almost difficult to believe that someone of Italian heritage wasn't a good cook, for it almost seemed to be programmed into their DNA. Ever since Serafina could remember, she had been helping her mother in the kitchen and learning from her, and her mother had learned from her grandmother the same way, and so on and so on. Some of the recipes permanently etched into Serafina's brains went back about a hundred years, and there was absolutely nothing that needed to be changed. However, the more she thought about it, the more she realized Pietro probably didn't really have time for cooking. He was a member of the mafia, and well... That didn't exactly come with a cookbook.
Napkin draped over her lap, she took a bite of the pasta before speaking again. Her taste buds were delighted by the flavor, and she nodded to him as she finished chewing. "It's fantastic," she told him with a grin. "I think you would make a fine cook with the proper training. After all, if you can pair wines with food, you've got the hard part down."
Now, it was time for small talk, which she realized they hadn't done very much. After all, with the taboo that was their relationship was, how exactly were they supposed to get to know one another unless it was in secrecy? "Well, aside from piano, I really enjoy reading," she said as she pondered other past times she enjoyed. "I really enjoy the snow as childish as that might seem, I have been learning how to cook from my mother since I was about seven years old, and I think you already know that I enjoy the subject of Potions." She winked playfully to him at her last fact about herself before taking a sip of her wine and tilting her head slightly to the side.
"And what about you, my love? Other than being great at teaching."
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Post by Pietro Antonucchi on Jul 9, 2015 21:58:51 GMT -5
This was good. This was the whole point of cooking dinner. They hadn't had many opportunities to talk to each other, so Pietro knew fairly little about the girl he'd fallen for. Each little bit of information felt like something beautiful, gift-wrapped and precious and oh how he just wanted to know everything. Pietro had no worries or concerns; he wasn't probing for something to hold against her. He just had an insatiable curiosity when it came to Serafina.
Fortunately, she wasn't lying. The pasta had turned out well. That was a relief. She turned his question around on him, and Pietro swallowed his bite of food and reached for his wine glass. "And here I thought you just liked the professor," he replied flirtatiously, returning her wink with a bit of a smirk before taking a sip of wine.
"Well, let me see ... I also enjoy reading, as you can probably tell." After all, his tiny apartment was full of books tidily tucked into every nook and cranny that could accommodate them. "I have no musical talent, but I thoroughly enjoy going to the symphony. Or perhaps I could have had talent, but I never found out. My childhood was spent training to ... well ... to fight and to fly, I suppose." Unfortunately, it might be uncomfortable for her to hear him mention combat, but it certainly wasn't a good idea to be dishonest. If he wanted her to trust him, he needed to prove himself trustworthy.
He watched Serafina's eyes carefully for a reaction as he continued. "I used to compete, when I was a boy ... formal dueling, and stunt racing ... do you fly? I love to fly."
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Post by Serafina Latini on Jul 12, 2015 14:02:24 GMT -5
Serafina couldn't help but to smirk a bit over at her lover. He was just as quick-witted as she was, just as intelligent, just as passionate as she was, and it was fascinating to her that she had found such a man to accompany her perfectly. Their differences - she was beginning to see - weren't great enough to outweigh the fact that the two were so disgustingly right for one another. "Oh, trust me, I've loved the professor since before he even knew I existed," she said slyly, a flirtatious look to her lips as she continued to relish in the delicious meal he had prepared for them.
"Well, I'm sure you would make a fine piano player, so whenever you have the time, perhaps I could teach you to play," she suggested with a smile. He went on to discuss his childhood, and Serafina couldn't even begin to imagine the sort of childhood Pietro had grown up with. Fighting? Dueling? Flying? Serafina hadn't learned to properly fly until her third year - the only thing she wasn't absolutely perfect at scholastic-wise - and even so, she hated every single minute of it. But while her eyes reflected a slight sadness knowing that's the sort of life he had always lived with, she simply shook her head.
"I haven't ever dueled aside from for classes, so I'm sure there are plenty of things I could learn from you," she said in a hopeful tone, taking another sip of her wine. Her face nearly lost all color when flying was brought up, and she cleared her throat before dropping her gaze down to her plate. "Terrified of flying, to be honest. Finally learned how to do it during third year, and after that, never did it again."
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Post by Pietro Antonucchi on Jul 12, 2015 20:30:48 GMT -5
Pietro shook his head, grinning and reaching over to give a quick squeeze to one of Serafina's hands. "I have never forgotten your existence since you crashed into me on your very first day in my class. My most brilliant student ... and then, starting last year, my most beautiful student." Oh, he was a terrible man, but it was so difficult to care about that fact now that he'd discovered the feelings to be mutual. After all, it wasn't his fault that they'd met in such a fashion.
She offered to teach him some piano, which Pietro found incredibly sweet. "I would try to be a good student for you, but I am afraid my fingers are rather ... calloused and unwieldy. Do you think you are patient enough to teach such a brute to play music?" Light banter, another sip of wine ... Pietro took a moment to top off both their glasses. This was going well. This was going very well.
"Oh, trust me, I will make absolutely certain you can defend yourself against any magical attack. How could I overlook such an important thing? We will begin lessons - "
... as soon as we are married ...
" - as soon as possible. ... No, wait, you don't like to fly? But ... but ... oh, Serafina, perhaps someday I will get you up on a broom. We will start out very low to the ground and work our way up."
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Post by Serafina Latini on Jul 12, 2015 20:48:18 GMT -5
His hand encased her own, and she squeezed it in return as a bright, genuine smile infiltrated her lips. How had she ended up with the most perfect man on the face of the earth? Better yet, was she even deserving of him? Probably not, but she certainly wasn't going to argue with his wanting to be with her either. "Well, I was never late again, was I?" She laughed lightly with a shake of her head. "I was so incredibly frustrated with myself that day. And colliding with you certainly didn't help matters."
The concern he expressed for his calloused and unwieldy hands made her snicker softly. "Trust me, my love, I don't think I could ever run out of patience with you," she said with a shake of her head. He topped off their glasses, and she felt the wine begin to go to her head once that second glass was finished. Not intoxicated - not even tipsy - but just feeling extremely relaxed and pleasant. "But I promise that I will teach you, and you will be spectacular one day.
"As for the defense classes, they would be much appreciated since..." She sighed a bit, shaking her head. "Well, since the entire town seems to be at war at this point." She swallowed thickly, nervously, and fumbled the napkin in her lap as flying continued to be a subject. "I can't make any promises on the flying, but I will try," she told him reassuringly. And as they continued with their conversation a bit longer, their meal had finally come to a close.
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Post by Pietro Antonucchi on Jul 12, 2015 21:26:00 GMT -5
"Never late again. Perfectly on time." What was this ridiculous, goofy smile, and where had it come from? Fortunately, Serafina didn't seem turned off by the fact that he was completely head over heels for her ... even though he sometimes felt as though he were carrying on like a lovestruck schoolboy. More wine ... more wine would make him smoother, if anything would.
"Spectacular?" he repeated, disbelief in his voice. "Well, that is quite a promise. It might take a very, very long time. You will be an expert piano teacher before I even approach 'spectacular.'"
A little furrow appeared in his brow when she mentioned the current state of the town. She was right; things had gotten very ugly, and he was intimately involved with the conflict. It was imperative that she learn every possible defensive maneuver, and soon. Pietro leaned forward again, reaching out for both of her hands this time. "I know that things are ... ugly ... right now. But I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety. You needn't worry about being harmed, or forgotten, or left behind. You are a priority, Serafina. Your safety, your happiness ... you are very, very important to me. Put your trust in that. We can begin defense lessons whenever you'd like, all right?"
Fortunately, the conversation took on a lighter tone again, and they finished their meal without any incidents of disgusting food or extreme conversational faux pas. Pietro opened another bottle of the same pinot grigio and then refilled their glasses so that Serafina could relax with a drink while he cleaned the dishes. They would have been easier and less time-consuming if he used magic, but Pietro had a strange fondness for doing some things the harder way. Something about the water and the bubbles was just ... soothing.
"I am very glad that dinner turned out well," he remarked as he set about washing the dishes. "No, no ... you sit. I will clean. I am the host, after all."
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Post by Serafina Latini on Jul 12, 2015 22:37:48 GMT -5
Their conversation turned rather serious as his hands stretched forward and took her own. Serafina's eyes stared intently across the table and into his own as she listened to the protective words the man was speaking to her. She couldn't help but to smile at just how important a role she seemed to play in his life, and she slowly lifted each of his hands to her lips - placing a gentle kiss to each one of his knuckles. "I have no doubt in my mind that I will be safe with you," she said with a shake of her head. "But I promise to learn from you soon. I should know how to properly defend myself, after all. Because asking you to be at my side twenty-four-seven just isn't practical."
He set to getting up and cleaning the dishes, and she sighed softly as he rejected her help in tidying up. "Alright, my love," she said softly, stepping over to where he was standing at the sink and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Such a fabulous man, and she wanted to do something a little... Well, special for him. "I will be right back. Just going to freshen up," she said with a smile, stepping away from him to disappear into the bathroom.
Only a matter of minutes later, she returned in a completely different outfit from before. She was much more comfortable now and stepped up behind Pietro who was still washing the dishes. She snaked her arms around his midsection and took the plate from his hand, setting it down in the sink so that she could turn off the water. "We can worry about those later," she said in a low, sexy sort of tone. She then put her hands on his shoulders and turned him around to face her, wearing a silky black robe with lace accents.
Uh oh!
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Post by Pietro Antonucchi on Jul 13, 2015 0:23:37 GMT -5
"As much as I would love to be at your side twenty-four-seven ... you are right, it is impractical. Fortunately, you are capable and will learn defense easily."
He took a sip of wine, started doing the dishes, and then gave a smile and a nod when Serafina went to the bathroom. Pietro grinned to himself, humming a random tune under his breath as he scrubbed the dishes and then set them aside to dry. He hadn't been awkward or domineering. He hadn't gone strangely silent, which sometimes happened when all he could think of to discuss were mafia matters. He hadn't botched the meal. All in all, Pietro had avoided making an ass of himself, and that had been most of his goal for this first actual date.
He was lost in these self-congratulatory thoughts, and didn't even hear her return over the running water and his own silly humming. He momentarily stiffened when her arms came around him - his deeply engrained reaction to being surprised - but allowed the plate to be removed from his hands and the water to be shut off. Pietro turned around with a grin on his face ... which quickly slipped away when he saw what she had changed into.
For several moments, his jaw was literally hanging open. These weren't typical everyday undergarments; this was lingerie and she looked incredible. He gave her the once-over as his hands dropped to her hips to pull her flush against him. "Serafina ... " he breathed, dipping his face down to meet hers, "you ... wow." Then he was kissing her, a heated, open-mouthed kiss that skipped all the pleasantries because ... well ... she had skipped the pleasantries.
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Post by Serafina Latini on Jul 13, 2015 1:20:27 GMT -5
There was little surprise to Serafina's face as Pietro gawked at her outfit with a wide open mouth, but it still caused her cheeks to flare up ever so slightly. After all, she was a confident young woman, but this man just made her absolutely weak in the knees. "Sorry to surprise you," she apologized quietly, noting the tensing of his muscles when she had wound her arms around him. That probably came with the mafia training he was conditioned with, she could only guess, so she wouldn't take offence.
His hands gripped her hips and pulled her to press against him, and she smiled into the kiss before slipping her own tongue into the embrace. Her hands drifted up to the back of his neck, rubbing soothingly at the back of it as her body leaned into his. God, she loved this man more than anything else in the world.
...She would be his wife some day.
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Post by Pietro Antonucchi on Jul 13, 2015 22:07:33 GMT -5
"Trust me, it was a pleasant surprise," Pietro replied, feeling the heat start to rise in his veins. He couldn't resist letting his fingers go to the tied front of the robe, dispensing with it quickly and letting it fall to the floor. "Oh ... darling," he breathed as he lifted her up to sit her on the edge of the already-cleared table. Hips between her legs, hands roaming over the soft skin of her torso, Pietro dove right back into kissing her. Every movement was full of hunger, tongues and lips and hands and hips pressing together and fire in his veins ...
God, how he wanted to take her fast and hard and right here on this table.
He let his lips wander downward, kissing her neck and her collarbone, pressing his face against the tops of her breasts as one hand wandered to her inner thigh and squeezed. Firm flesh under silky skin and so much heat.
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