ICARUS - jjba

2 - Returning the Umbrella

     Abbacchio awoke to the blaring ring of his alarm clock in his small apartment. He slapped at the bedside table until he found the clock and shut it off. Abbacchio sat up sluggishly, covering his face and letting out a tired groan. Finally, after five minutes of trying to prep himself to get out of bed, he swung his feet over the edge of the bed and stood up. Abbacchio put on his light purple lipstick and finished getting ready. Once he was finished, he walked towards the kitchen and started fixing breakfast.

     Abbacchio lived in a cheap, small city apartment. He wasn't able to afford anything nicer. The apartment had a shared bedroom and bathroom and a kitchen that connects to the living room. Each of the different rooms didn't have much inside of them, just your basic everyday things. The bedroom was a mess from never taking the time out of the day to clean. The kitchen had dishes and glass bottles sitting around that probably won't be picked up any time soon. The living room hadn't been vacuumed or dusted in ages. The small, cramped apartment was nothing short of a mess. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was home.

Abbacchio started to leave his apartment. As he walked towards the door, he noticed the black umbrella that Bucciarati had lent him. Bucciarati's kind words rang through Abbacchio's mind, "there's no use in letting it get worse. Please, take the umbrella." He still wasn't sure why this stranger even offered him the umbrella. The only reason he could think of was out of pity. Bucciarati probably pitied him. Abbacchio scoffed to himself and grabbed the curved handle of the umbrella. The least Abbacchio could do is give the umbrella back.

Once Abbacchio finally made it out the door, he started walking down the crowded street. The street was full of people enjoying their morning. It was a warm, sunny day with a light breeze. It was quite nice. Abbacchio turned his attention away from the weather and started thinking about Bucciarati. He did say to meet him at night, Abbacchio thought to himself. Waiting that long seemed like a pain. Abbacchio decided to stop by a restaurant to get some breakfast since he didn't eat before he left. Abbacchio stopped at a Napolitan restaurant that he had stopped at before that had happened to be nearby.

The walk didn't take long until he saw the sign of the restaurant. He could feel his stomach growling. Abbacchio hurriedly walked inside, dying for something to, and was greeted by a waiter. They talked for a bit until Abbacchio saw someone sitting alone at a table. It was Bucciarati. The two of them met each other's eyes. Bucciarati smiled and waved Abbacchio over to his table.

"Uh, Bucciarati, I didn't know you'd be here." Abbacchio stammered out, umbrella in hand. Abbacchio reached the umbrella out towards Bucciarati. He took the umbrella and motioned for Abbacchio to sit down.

     "Thank you for bringing my umbrella back to me. It's such a weird coincidence that we ran into each other here." Bucciarati chuckled, leaning his umbrella against his chair. Abbacchio sat down in front of him.

     "I never got to tell you my name last night; I'm Leone Abbacchio. I should be the one thanking you."Abbacchio responded. There was a smile on his face. There was something about Bruno that Abbacchio liked, even though they had only just met. Bucciarati took a sip of his drink and smiled back at him.

     "It's very nice to see you again, Abbacchio, and it's not a problem. I didn't want to leave you out in the rain." Bucciarati grinned. Bruno allowed Abbacchio to order his food. They sat together and ate their food. The two of them enjoying each other's company.  This was the first time in a long time that Abbacchio had enjoyed another person's company as much as Bucciarati's. He was enjoying himself.

     "So, I've been wondering, " Bucciarati started, "Why were you out in the rain last night?" He asked curiously. Abbacchio froze, his expression fell. Why were you out in the rain last night? He wasn't sure if he wanted to answer his question or act like he didn't hear the question. The two of them sat there silently for a bit. Abbacchio stared down quietly at his food, his hand holding the fork frozen. The room felt like there was a sudden chill in the air. Bruno looked at Abbacchio with a confused expression. The expression was gradually growing more concerned.

     Abbacchio decided to speak slowly, "Everything's been rough right now. It was just a bad night." Abbacchio tried explaining. He tried to be as vague as possible. Bruno nodded his head understandably.

     "I understand, you don't have to talk about it until you want to, " Bucciarati smiled, looking into Abbacchio's eyes. Abbacchio turned his head away from the other man's soft gaze.

     " 's fine. Thanks." Abbacchio replied quietly. They both began eating again. Then the conversation slowly became less awkward and they started to talk normally again. The room felt normal again. Abbacchio slowly started to smile again, their eyes meeting. The two of them had a great time together. Abbacchio finally felt like he wasn't alone.

     Bucciarati took a quick look at a clock that was hanging on the wall near them.

     Bruno gasped, "Oh no,  look at the time. I think I have to go, " Bucciarati quickly left a tip on the table and started towards the counter to pay for his meal. Abbacchio's face fell slightly to a frown.

     "Abbacchio, I had a lovely time. I apologize for leaving so soon." Bruno spoke. Abbacchio watched the other.

     "Don't worry about it. I had a great time as well." Abbacchio answered back with a small smile planted on his face. The two said their final goodbyes and Bucciarati left the restaurant. Abbacchio sat there and looked at the empty chair across from him. He felt alone again. He looked down at the floor when he noticed Bruno's black umbrella leaning against the empty chair. Bucciarati smirked to himself and grabbed the umbrella. He stood up and started to go towards the counter to pay for his meal when it turns out that Bucciarati had already paid for Abbacchio's meal. Abbacchio left the restaurant in a delighted mood. He walked towards his small apartment, thinking about Bruno Bucciarati.