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It was late October in Italy. The leaves had long since changed their colors; reds, yellows, and oranges dotted each tree. Anna and Giulio had finally been cleared to fly back to their home country after the war in Japan. The small seaside town they had decided to move to provide them with much-needed rest and relaxation.
The Scervino's were a very wealthy family, and now Anna Scervino was the sole inheritor. And even though the young woman could have bought any house that caught her eye, she chose this one. A quaint little three bedroom two bathroom home. It was all stone and mortar, with curved roof tiles, and a large entrance arch. It was surrounded by a stone fence, with moss and vines growing in the cracks and crevices.
Inside the home, warmed by a low fireplace, Giulio sat in a cream and burnt orange colored armchair.
~~~
“Giulio, come feel how comfortable this chair is! I think we need this.” Anna beamed at Giulio, while a very pleased-looking salesman stood nearby.
“Hmm”, He plopped down into the armchair, sinking in slightly “I think you're right.”
Her hands landed on his shoulder, thumbs pushing gently into the muscle there, “We'll take this one.”
“Of course”, The salesman grinned, “ That chair is part of a matching pair, would you like that one too?” The man gestured to an identical-looking chair that Giulio hadn't noticed.
With a confident nod, Anna replied, “Absolutely!”
~~~
Giulio watched patiently as leaves, animals, and people passed by. The chilled breeze stirred up leaves on the cobbled streets, sending them dancing through the air. Anna had left to shop for groceries, taking Giulio's new moped with her. A purchase that had initially disgruntled him, but one that he enjoys now. It's nowhere near as flashy or fast as his old motorcycle, but he supposes that suits him now.
He leaned back into the memory foam cushion, picking up his teacup and saucer, taking a sip of some of the tea they had brought back from Japan.
But, honestly, Giulio should know by now, that nothing good ever lasts long.
Without warning, a sharp pain shot through his left arm, and his mechanical hand spasmed; sending the teacup and saucer crashing to the floor, shattering into dozens of tiny pieces. His right sock soaked up the now lukewarm tea.
A pained whine fell from his lips as he clenched his eyes shut. The pain was overwhelming, forcing his upper arm muscles to twitch. He made himself take deep breaths, each one a futile attempt to soothe the pain.
The pain stemming from his prosthetics wasn't new to him. The first time it happened he had just gotten them fitted and it terrified him, he had thought that maybe his body was rejecting them. But then the doctors explained that it was just his nerves, getting confused by the foreign material they were now attached to.
Slowly, the pain subsided, returning to the usual dull, but manageable, ache. ‘That wasn't as bad as last time, at least’ . The last time it happened, both Anna and Giulio were in their hotel room, in Japan.
~~~
Anna's voice was soft and low as she spoke, “I think we should get a dog. Don't you agree?” Her eyes crinkled at the sides with her smile.
“A dog, really? Have you ever even pet a dog?” Giulio smiled back at her, they were sitting on the couch in their hotel room, thighs pressed together with their closeness.
She flushed and turned her head, “Well, no… But don't they look so cute! We should get a big dog! Like a Bernese Mountain Dog!”
“You want a dog that's that big?” He laughed slightly, “You've really thought this through, haven't you?”
“Of course I ha- Giulio?!” Her voice pitched in alarm as she looked over at him.
Giulio had doubled over in agony, clutching at his right arm as best he could as a drawing out groan of pain left his lips.
“O-oh god-” It felt like he was being crushed by a wall again. The sensation of his nerves and wires being targeted like this was overwhelming. He could hear Anna frantically speaking but couldn't tell what she was saying. He had to reassure her.
“I-its okay”, he coughed out the words, “It's nor- normal.” He hoped she could understand what he had said, because there was no way he could force any more words out. Giulio could feel one of her hands pressed onto the small of his back, the other guiding his head to rest on her chest, the comfort it gave was middling, yet appreciated.
So very slowly, the fire in his nerves died away, leaving behind unpleasant tingling sensations.
“Giulio? What was that?” He could tell she was trying to keep the fear from her voice.
And so, he explained, and with each new detail, Anna's face morphed from fear to horror to sorrow and finally resignation.
“Wil- will this happen often? Is this going to happen for the rest of your life?” She asked, voice shaking.
Giulio shook his head, “According to the doctors, no. It should slowly stop happening eventually, and it should be less painful each time.”
~~~
And they had been right. It had been two months since his last flare-up, as he'd taken to calling them, and he'd been grateful for the downtime, spending it with Anna and their new relationship. ‘She should be home soon, I should get everything cleaned up before then. The less she knows about this, the better’.
It would only worry her.
Then a stab of white-hot pain jolted behind his mechanical right eye.
Giulio's breath left him in a silent scream, his vision went blurry with tears in his left eye. His left hand instinctively flew to his face, putting pressure against the pain. His eye had never given him any problems before, but now it felt as though someone shoved a glowing hot metal rod through his optic nerve. Like fire burning through the wires connecting his eye to his brain.
“S-shit,” He stammered out, the pain making him woozy as he curled into himself. He tried blinking away the pain to no avail and resorted to squeezing his eyes shut, trying to drown out any unnecessary stimuli.
The room swayed, his body feeling as though it was falling despite his stable position on the armchair. He breathed in deeply, trying to regain his composure, his breath rattling in his chest. Giulio couldn't help the gasping breaths he let out, spittle and tears falling to the floor with each forced exhale.
The pain was relentless and didn't seem to be lessening. In fact, it seemed to be getting far worse as nausea turned his stomach. He forced his body to move, at first walking (if you could call what he did walking), then crawling as he stumbled, landing harshly on his knees. Which only caused more pain to overwhelm his senses. He just barely made it to the bathroom to dry heave into the toilet, he gagged and the contents of his partially digested breakfast mixed with bile left him with a sob. Each jolt of his body just sent more daggers of pain through his eye.
Distantly, over his gagging and the rush of blood in his ears, Giulio could hear the front door click open.
“Giulio! I’m home!” Her voice was cheery and melodious. The redhead could hear shuffling and crinkling, her setting bags down, and her footsteps moving into the living room.
“Giulio!” This callout was panic-stricken.
He managed to form the vague concept of a thought. ‘Ah- she saw the broken teacup’.
More footsteps, this time rushed, getting closer and closer until-
“Giulio!” A hand on the small of his back, rubbing gentle circles there.
The thought of her seeing him this way caused shame to well up in his entire being. He was supposed to be strong, not crying, and bent over the toilet. He was supposed to take care of her, not the other way around. When did he become so useless ?
“Shhh, it’s okay. It’ll be ok, Giulio,” Anna’s voice was so tender, like she wasn't at all disgusted at the sight of him.
She brushed back the hair he didn't even realize had fallen in front of his face. And they stayed like that, for what must have been well over an hour, as the throbbing in his eye slowly ebbed away.
With his head still hung over the toilet, with spit, snot, and tears still dripping into the still water of the toilet bowl ‘Anna must have flushed it at one point’ , he murmured, “‘m sorry, I’m gross.”
Her hand on his back, which had been a near-constant presence, stilled. “Giulio, you're not gross. You are in pain. Here.”
She helped him to sit up properly and handed him a glass of water. He drank it readily, with none of his usual composure, and then wiped his face off on his sleeve. And finally, he could bring himself to look at her, half expecting to see revulsion on her face.
Tender, unwavering love, is what greeted his eyes. An expression that seemed far too fond and kind for someone like him, yet here it was.
Anna reached up and gently pushed back his hair, leaning in close so she could tie it back while staying in front of him. He could smell the citrusy perfume she wore and feel the tempting heat of her body. Giulio wanted to hug her, be enveloped in that warmth. He didn't have to be the one to initiate though, for as soon as she finished pulling his hair into a low ponytail, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, squeezing him tight.
“I’m sorry you had to see me like that. It’s disgusting”
With a sigh, “Do you really think so little of me? Didn't I just say that you’re not gross? You've seen me in far worse states when I would have my seizures.” Her tone left no room for argument.
She stood, and held her hand out to him, “Come on, let’s get you off the floor.”
She carefully helped him to stand, and when he protested that he could do it on his own, she silenced that with a look. With her hand firmly wrapped around his she led him to the living room, having him sit on the couch. With a promise of ‘I’ll just be a second’ , Anna disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with a pair of wax paper-wrapped items.
“While I was getting groceries I grabbed us some sandwiches from that place you like!” Anna’s usual cheer was slowly returning as she presented him with the food.
He wasn't surprised to feel that his stomach was very much in favor of the idea, as it had been thoroughly emptied not long ago. Anna carefully sat next to him, only an inch or so between them, and nimbly tore open the paper on her own sandwich, and started to eat.
Once she noticed he had not moved to open his own sandwich, she said, “Giulio, you need to eat.” Her tone was not that of a suggestion and was more of a command. “It's your favorite, remember.”
He finally managed to give her a real smile, and opened his food up, taking a bite of the colorful array of ingredients. ‘So good.’
Anna just laughed at his expression and continued to work on her food, Giulio did the same, and they finished, Anna just a few moments before him. He looked up to see her staring at him, a soft smile on her face.
“What?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing.” She shrugged, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I just like seeing you let me take care of you for once. Now I get why you liked being my butler so much.”
“Well, Don’t get used to it,” He muttered, but the smile in his voice gave him away.
“I think I will, actually,” Anna replied, Shifting her head just so as to press a kiss to his jaw. “In fact, I think I’ll make a habit of it.”
Giulio couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Well… maybe I’ll let you.”
And with that, he leaned his head against hers, his eyes drifting close as she pulled a blanket over them. Under the blanket he reached out and threaded their fingers together, giving her a gentle squeeze.
And Giulio knew, it would all work out, it had to.