by Serena Light
"We shall see about that, won't we?" Arcangelo chuckled as he walked forward, unbuttoning his blazer as he settled in his seat, starting his laptop before looking down at the filed laid beside him. "Today's work?"
"Yes, sir,"
An impressed look overcame Arcangelo's face as he pulled them towards himself.
"Let's get to work, shall we?"
The day progressed rather smoothly. Everything was getting done within a matter of minutes and with punctuality. Salvatore took it upon himself to read the documents before debriefing Arcangelo about the matter, and finally having them delivered to their destination, signed and stamped. They weren't even a minute late to any meeting. Arcangelo dealt with difficult matters over the phone, paying a visit every once in a while, and exactly at 5 p.m. his nephew and niece came running in with something in hand followed by a smiling Rosalie as she wore a white sweatshirt with denim jeans, her hair pulled into a messy bun.
"Uncle!" The two children squealed as Arcangelo's face lit up with life, standing up, he scooped the two into his arms before peppering them with kisses. "We did baking today!"
"What?" He asked in ecstatic surprise as he stared at the cupcakes in their hand. "No way!"
"Yes, way!"
"Amazing!"
Taking a bite of their cupcakes he just couldn't stop praising them.
Rosalie gave a nod of greeting to Salvatore who smiled back at her as they both silently stood to the side, watching Arcangelo entirely change from a daunting mafia boss to a doting father-figure. He played with them before asking if they wanted to stay in his office to which they had said that were about to take the dogs out for a walk with Rosalie.
"Alright," Arcangelo nodded as he stood up with the two in his arms. "Then let's go wear something warm before I send you two off to a very exhausting activity."
Equipping the two children in fluffy winter jackets, mittens, scarves and hats, he whispered something to them as they giggled. Standing up, he turned towards Rosalie who stood before him in a long overcoat, boots, and a beanie as she gave him a small smile, Arcangelo nodding back in acknowledgment.
"Thank you for looking out for them."
"As I've said before, I get something to do with my time here." She chuckled, patting his shoulder while walking past him and after the kids.
Salvatore watched in amusement as his boss watched them walk away before running a hand over his forehead, seemingly in thought.
"Alright, what's next?"
---
"Cheers!" Men exclaimed enthusiastically as they all clinked their scotch glasses together, huddled around Salvatore who stood grinning with accomplishment.
"Here is to a successful first day on the job!" Salvatore exclaimed as the men cheered in response.
Once he had been dismissed, Salv found himself in the basement bar with Major, Gun, and Hulk, along with Lorenzo, Romeo, and Marcello. The mafia boss did not join for he did not know about this little celebratory party. The men laughed and joked as they refilled their glasses for a second time. Drinking from his glass, Salv glanced around at the laughing faces, catching sight of Rosalie walking away with a book in hand.
"Rosa!" He called out above the ruckus, everyone falling quiet as they glanced towards Rosalie, who poked her head into the doorway, looking at him with a questioning gaze. "Come, join us!"
An uncertain look overcame her face as she seemed hesitant regarding that prospect. Putting his glass down, he bounded over to her with a broad grin as he grasped her hand into his own, dragging her towards the rest of the men as they all welcomed her with warm smiles, one of them handing her a glass of scotch.
"Okay, just one drink." Rosalie relented as she drank with a soft smile.
Soon one drink turned into two, two turned into many. And soon enough everyone was laughing hysterically at the most random of things all gathered around one person or the other before they decided to have a little dance. The music blasting through the speakers as they all were completely lost in their own bubbles.
Roughly around 2 a.m. the men started to receive calls from their wives who were all asking where they were. After another drink, they all departed for their respective houses or rooms.
Rosalie giggled as she stumbled through the hallways, receiving amused glances from the guards patrolling at this time as she just hiccupped and laughed. It took her quite some time to climb the stairs but once she had, she couldn't help but laugh at how everything was spinning around her.
"Shh!" She hissed at herself. "Quite." She slurred drunkenly before stumbling across the foyer.
Grasping the door handle, she tried to turn it, but her drunken mind couldn't momentarily comprehend how that worked. After struggling with the door for 5 minutes, she finally managed to push it open.
"Ha!" She exclaimed in triumph and she glanced around at the bedroom. "Honey! I'm home!" Rosalie resumed to no one in particular.
With furrowed eyebrows, she glanced around the room, looking for any signs of someone before her ringing ears managed to pick up the faintest of music coming from her right. A grin spread across her face as she stumbled across the expensive clothes in the walk-in closet, standing before the sliding washroom doors, hearing the music clearer now. With a wide smile, she slid open the doors, dramatically standing in the doorway and watched Arcangelo glance up with water droplets running down his face, the water running in the basin as he stood in the steamed washroom, standing naked save for the towel around his waist.
"Hello!" She giggled flirtatiously and she openly ogled at his face, noticing how handsome he looked with his wet tresses messed up, making him look younger. Rosalie's eyes traveled to the tattoo on his broad shoulders, before trailing to his muscled chest, then his defined abdomen, her heart rate spiking and her face flushed with the realization that he was absolutely naked beneath the towel. She licked her lips in anticipation as she tried to look sexy by leaning against the doorway.
A shriek escaped her when the door moved back, forcing her to stumble before regaining her footing. Glancing up, she gave Arcangelo a wide smile to try and cover up her failure as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Turning off the faucet, he grabbed the towel beside him before wiping his face and reached for the small remote with which he turned off the music that had led Rosalie into the washroom.
"Do you realize what time it is?" Arcangelo asked her calmly, watching her walk towards him and trying to look dignified with drunken eyes, ruffled clothes, and messed up hair.
"Do you realize what time it is?" Rosalie asked, punctuating each word with a poke to his chest.
Arcangelo stared down at her with unmoving eyes as she lowered her gaze to where her finger was on his chest, his heat radiating around her with his musky scent enveloping her mind as she swallowed thickly.
"Oh, my." She gasped and flattened her palm against his chest, not even glancing up at him as she slowly slid her hand down his body, a quiet hiss escaping him at the action.
Just as her fingers grazed the soft fabric of the towel, Arcangelo pulled her hand away, the suddenness having her look up at him with flushed cheeks as he stared down at her with hard eyes.
"You are drunk." He stated as she continued to stare at him with a slightly open mouth, her eyes bloodshot and wide as she felt her stomach churn in discomfort.
"I feel sick." She managed to choke out and placed a hand on her stomach, the other one covering her mouth. All of a sudden her eyes widened into saucers as she pushed past Arcangelo, kneeling on the floor and emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet.
Her throat burned as she tried to keep her hair out of her face, before a hand softly gathered all her hair behind her, stroking her back as she resumed throwing up. Her eyes stung as the pungent taste continued to infiltrate her mouth. After what felt like an eternity to her, she sat hunched over the bowl, coughing and gagging with Arcangelo rubbing her back. After she felt like she wouldn't throw up anymore, she sat on her haunches, wiping her mouth with the back of he
r hand as Arcangelo stood up, leaving her to feel the lack of his warmth.
He returned a moment later with a wet towel and wiped her mouth, giving her a moment to recompose herself before walking out of the washroom. Rosalie's eyes blurred with tears as the sudden sensation of nostalgia hit her, wanting nothing more than to be back in her mother's arms again. Sobs wracked through her as she wiped at her face, managing to make out the blurred figure of Arcangelo before her, now dressed in a trouser and a long-sleeved shirt.
Crouching before her, he tucked her hair behind her ear as the tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Everything is okay." He spoke to her gently, Rosalie shaking with her emotions. "Just breathe."
After a moment of hiccupping, she tried to control her breathing as it slowly calmed down.
"That's it," Arcangelo encouraged and stroked her hair. "You'll be alright, no one can hurt you here."
Sniffling, Rosalie stared at him with swollen eyes as he wiped the tears.
"Why don't you wash your face then go and get changed into something comfortable, huh? How does that sound?" He asked her gently, pushing the hair from her face as she couldn't bring herself to look at him, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.
"Okay." She croaked before sniffling.
"Ok." He nodded before standing up and leaving her to wash her face.
Struggling to her feet, Rosalie splashed cold water on her face before looking up at how blotched her face looked with her hair resembling a bird's nest. In a futile attempt, she tried to settle them before going into the walk-in closet.
Seeing it vacant of Arcangelo's presence, she turned towards the racks of clothes and seeing formal suits before finally finding more casual wear folded on the shelves above her. Reaching up, she grabbed one of his shirts before stripping out of her clothes. Pulling it over her head, she stared at how she got drowned by the size of the grey t-shirt.
A sudden yawn tore through her with her eyes growing heavy with sleep. Stepping out of the closet, she noticed Arcangelo standing by the window, staring out at the view as Rosalie quietly went and lay down on his bed. Curling up into a ball, she lay on top of the covers, her gaze on his back before they drooped to a close, allowing her to promptly fall asleep.
Turning around, Arcangelo heaved a breath at seeing Rosalie curled on top of his covers. Exhaling, he knew he didn't have a choice before pulling the duvet over her, watching as she shuffled before cuddling into the comforter. Tucking her hair behind her ear, Arcangelo momentarily loomed over her and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Sighing quietly, he lay down on his side of the bed, getting under the covers before turning off the lamp which illuminated the room.
He momentarily lay in the dark when he felt Rosalie shift beside him, shuffling closer as she curled into his side. A small smile overcame Arcangelo's lips as he knew all that he would tell her when she came to.
Oh, how he would enjoy tormenting her.
Chapter XI: Hangover Mornings
Rosalie did not fare well in the morning when consciousness brought her out of her drunken haze. Her eyelids weighed a ton as she tried to recall how to open them, her mouth tasted absolutely repugnant as the vileness had her almost gag with her stomach churning in unease. A desolate moan slipped past her chapped lips as she wrapped her arms around her abdomen in hopes to relieve some of the tension, a momentary relief.
That is until she comprehended the musky scent infiltrating her nostrils, warmth like none other enveloping her as she felt the gentlest of movements' millimeters away from her.
With great difficulty and a pounding headache, Rosalie managed to crack open her eyes, her vision blurred until it cleared after a couple seconds of rapid blinking, her eyes hurting due to the limited sunlight that streamed in through the cracks in the curtain. She didn't quite understand the view before her in her hangover condition, staring at a patch of skin with dark hair at one end. A quiet hum escaped her as she reached up with trembling fingers.
Gently she touched her fingertips to the skin before her, the person groaning in their sleep as their shoulders hunched.
Rosalie held her breath in panic as the person muttered something. The most distinctive voice reaching her ears and piercing through the discomfort of her condition.
"Arcangelo,"
With a choked throat, and hammering heart, Rosalie shuffled away from him, moving slowly so not to wake him, fear and anxiety consuming her as her mind raced with the memories of last night. Her face flushing as she stumbled out of the covers, her feet finding solid ground as she didn't tear her gaze away from Arcangelo's back.
In her haste and attempts to stand, her knees buckled beneath her, forcing her to fall to the ground with a gentle thump due to the rug beneath her. With languid joints, Rosalie pulled herself up, holding her breath as she shuffled to the door in the dimness of the room.
Silently pulling open the door, she squeezed out of the space, closing it shut behind her. Stepping away from the door, Rosalie gasped for air, suddenly aware of the fact that she had been holding her breath from the moment she realized she had been pressed against the Mafia Boss's back. The realization of him being shirtless had her look down at herself, heaving a breath of relief at the fact that she was – in fact – clothed. Placing a hand on her chest, she felt the way her heart hammered against her ribcage as she felt her insides fold in on themselves, the drinks of last night being able to stay down.
With a speed she did not know she possessed, Rosalie sprinted down the staircases, rushing down the hall and hurtling into the nearest room before throwing herself into the conjoined bath, retching and gagging as the contents of her stomach emptied into the toilet bowl.
Once she was sure she wasn't going to throw up again, she leaned back, heaving heavy breaths as she put a hand against her forehead, feeling how warm she felt. Struggling to her feet, Rosalie splashed cold water on her face, noticing how red her eyes looked and how much her head hurt. Looking back into the room, she had to thank the lord that it was empty. She already had too much embarrassment to deal with to add forced entry onto that list.
Rosalie's face flushed as she recalled how she had tried to flirt with Arcangelo, and then even went onto shamelessly run her hands down his chiseled body. She had the good grace to cover her face before she tried to compose herself.
After ensuring she wouldn't hyperventilate, she made her way out the room and walked towards the main lounge, seeing how the sun hadn't even risen yet. Rosalie pattered across the cold marble flooring in an oversized t-shirt as she made her way from the East wing to the second floor of the south wing, where her room resided. Rubbing her bare arms, she walked into her room before stripping to take a shower.
By the time she was getting out, she could hear the estate coming to life outside her door. Pulling on black jeans with an emerald green sweater she somehow found the strength to brush out the tangles in her hair before she pulled on her shoes.
Stepping out of her room, she had to wince in pain at how loud the voices sounded and stung her head, the brightness of the morning not helping her aching eyes and palpitating brain.
A soft groan escaped Rosalie as she shielded her eyes while slowly making her way downstairs. The limited amount of people at 6 a.m. in the morning were making a ruckus and it was all too overwhelming for her as she pushed open the kitchen door, surprised to see the blinds pulled down but relieved to see yesterday's party just as hungover as she felt.
"Morning," she managed while making her way to the freshly brewed coffee pot, being responded with various groans and grunts of pain.
"Breakfast?" Major groaned from his place beside her.
"I'm not really hungry..." Rosalie admitted as she sipped the coffee.
"The best cure for a hangover is a good breakfast." The unambiguous voice spoke from behind her as she froze in her place. "Why do you think everyone is eating?"
Looking around her, she noticed him to be right, as every single man either had food on their plates or s
omething to eat in their hands as they all slowly mustered their strengths to chew.
"Don't be shy," He continued with a sly tone that held knowledge as she swallowed thickly. "Grab a croissant. Salv, hand the lady a croissant."
With a moan Salvatore pushed the tray of freshly baked chocolate croissants in her direction as she picked one up, biting into it as she had trouble swallowing it.
"Once you guys feel relatively better, feel free to join me for the day's work." Arcangelo finally stated as he walked towards the door, Rosalie momentarily looking up and noticing him to be staring directly at her. His ice blue eyes coaxing all of the dark secrets from her soul, forcing the air out of her lungs. "Don't forget to stay hydrated."
--
The day went at a relatively slow pace as Rosalie found herself cooped in her bedroom, curled into a ball as all she wanted to do was eaten by the floor. For some unexplainable reason, whenever she was outside, Arcangelo would find her and drop hints of last night, forcing her to stammer and blush before she would rush away with an excuse of having something to do or having heard someone calling her.
She wanted nothing more than to avoid all this embarrassment and cursed herself for acting so rash and doing all that she did.
A sudden knock on her door had her sit up in surprise. Jumping to her feet, she opened the door, half expecting Arcangelo to be standing there, but seeing a stranger's face before her.
"Come," He spoke gruffly as he started to walk down the hall, leaving her to stand bewildered in her doorway. "Ms. Allegro, please come,"
Uncertainly, she stepped out of the room, timidly following after him as he led her down the foyer. She kept her gaze down until they suddenly stopped before a large set of double doors.
"Please wait in there."
Looking up, she watched the two guards pushed open the doors, revealing the sunroom in all its grandeur. Various flowers and potted plants lines against the three glass walls. A long table standing in the middle of the room as Rosalie was entrapped by the diversity and liveliness of the flowers and their colors.