La Serenissima

Wouldn't Have Minded

It was the night of the St. Valentine's Day Ball; and it had been so much fun he wanted to go back and do it all again. Bringing his little notebook just in case, Austin hadn't reached for it all night to write anything down and part of him was kind of glad about it. Talking with Santo just hours before he left to meet the Nicoletti's, Austin got the notion that he would be bored out of his mind - and that was hardly the case. If he wasn't dancing with Ally, he was dancing with one of the other daughters, or even just with the guys.

On top of the dancing, there was a dinner and it was making him salivate just thinking about it now. There were drinks that he was afraid to try at first, but after the first sip, wanted more and there were more Italian conversations going on than he was used to. There was a costume contest, where the family came in third place, and many single girls trying to pry him and the other 'thorns' away from the 'roses', but he didn't and was glad Ally was by him to tell him to stay and translate everything. He was even glad she was there when he wanted to tear off his Bauta mask because no one actually tells you that it itches.

The whole night? He remembered asking her midway through a slow dance if there was a chance to take it off. There wasn't. All she did was nod and apparently, that was all he needed to go on. Austin kept his mask on throughout the entire evening; throughout every slow, fast and group dance there was. The only time he was allowed to take it off was for dinner and drinks. Ally had warned him about Gianna being sort of a dictator when it came to the balls. The night had to be a certain way and in return, the family had to act a certain way too.

It comes from Silvana, Ally told him, explaining that she got it from her mother too. The Nicoletti's supposedly thought of themselves as almost royalty...and to some extent they were. Ally knew better and now, so did Austin. They still did as Gianna asked though, because on this night, it was fun to think that they were royal. He had a feeling they'd be acting like that at the next event too.

Now, five hours later from when he arrived at the old palace, he was leaving, but not without the girl who invited him. It was two in the morning and they both had to actually work the next day, but he didn't care. So, after promising her dessert and warm coffee from Santoli's, Austin had buried her hand in his and placed it inside his cape's hidden pocket to keep it warm. They warmed up a bit inside the small cafe, before Ally followed him back to his place instead of hers. He hadn't expected her to accept the invitation of coming back to his apartment, as hers was closer to the cafe, but he wasn't actually against it either.

"I hope you're okay with a bit of a mess," he confessed, making sure she was getting up the four flights of stairs behind him okay. The dress she was in took up most of the stairwell and he was thankful no one else was even attempting to exit. Not that they would - it was past three in the morning now.

"I'm sure it's not messier than my actual room is."

"I haven't seen your room, but I'm a guy," Austin reached for her hand, getting her safe on the landing he was waiting for her at. "One more flight."

She looked back at him, grabbing the layers of her dress again. "That's what you said two flights ago. I'm starting to think you're just leading me to the roof and making me jump off the top."

"You jump, I jump," he called back to her, reaching his door faster than she did. Austin pulled out his keys, unlocking each bolt that the door had just as she reached the top step. "Remember, I warned you."

Ally let out a little laugh, the soft white wrap around her shoulders moving slightly over them. "Just open the door."

Austin did as she asked, and let her go ahead, not going to even bother to try and clear a path. He had warned her and he was also pretty sure her dress would clear one for her as she entered. It honestly wasn't as bad as he made it out to be. Sure, there were piles of songbooks and crumpled up balls of paper in every corner of the living area, stacks of records from Guisto he still had in his possession by the portable record player he borrowed from Santo and newspapers that were making a nice little home all over his dining room table that he never used; but other than that, the place was still looking good. He was just thankful he actually did his laundry the other day, because if she had come over then, it would've been a whole other story.