The Outcast

The diner

Damiano had texted Ethan his address, as Ethan had said he'd pick him up. Damiano has told his mother where he was truly going.

"Please, mama, whatever you do, don't tell Jacopo. I love him to bits, but he's so protective and I can't deal with him shouting at Ethan for spending time with me."

"No worries Tesoro," his mother smiled, "I know how sufferable your brother can be sometimes. Go have fun, and let me meet this kid one day, he seems like a true gentleman."

Damiano hugged his mother before running upstairs to get ready. He put on his best leather pants and a see-through top, clipping his favourite choker around his neck and sliding some black gem earrings into his ears. He sprayed himself in perfume and touched up his makeup, combing back his hair and retrieving his combat boots from his closet. He held his matching leather jacket in his arms, and looked over himself for a few moments in the mirror. Damn, he looked good.

He walked back downstairs to kiss his mother goodbye, who insisted on taking a picture of him. He heard the doorbell ring, and opened the door to see Ethan standing with a bouquet of flowers. Damiano cooed, kissing Ethan on the cheek and taking the flowers. Damiano's mother appeared behind him, making short conversation with Ethan whilst Damiano put the flowers in some water.

When Damiano returned at the door, his mother kissed him goodbye again, and waved them off as Ethan started to drive away. "Your mother is lovely." Ethan commented, and Damiano giggled. "She tries her best."

They arrived at the diner, Ethan opening Damiano's car door for him, earning a kiss. They found a table and soon the waitress was coming round with her notepad, asking for their orders. Ethan gestured for Damiano to go first.

Damiano POV

Ethan let me order first, which was a good sign. I used to have a boyfriend, Joel, who always took me here and ordered for me, the same thing every time. A salad. I can honestly say I willingly looked the other way when I saw Jacopo beating him up one day.

"I'll have the chicken burger, please, and for my drink I'll have a strawberry milkshake." I smiled, and looked at Ethan giving him the all-clear to order too.

"The BBQ ribs please, with the extra chips, and a bottle of whisky, for us to share." How did he know whisky was my favourite? Maybe he didn't, maybe it was good intuition. Either way, it made me smile a little seeing somebody that isn't my brother do something for me.

"You never gave me your phone number." Ethan winked at me, and I tried hard to suppress my giggle, but failed.

"Oh, well y'know, giving out my number is sort of a second-date thing. The first dates to make sure you're husband material." I grinned, thanking the waitress when she handed me my milkshake and the bottle of whisky with two glasses.

Ethan's eyebrows raised suggestively, and I felt my smile widen. "But," I continued, "if you're good to me tonight, I'll give you my number at the end." Ethan seemed satisfied with that answer, so we made small talk while waiting for our orders. It felt nice getting to know Ethan, he truly was a fascinating guy.

He liked woodland creatures, and art, and was super good at math. He liked history, however he only liked science when we were doing practicals, such as dissection. I wrinkled my nose at that, and admitted the opposite. I can't stand seeing those poor animals cut apart.

I told him about myself, how I liked to sing and play basketball with my older brother Jacopo, and that my mother takes us on holiday to another country every year. I told him about my pet cat, Bidet, and that I wanted to learn how to drive once I get my own place.

Third Person POV

Just then the food arrived, and the boys resumed comfortable quiet as they ate. They kept making eye contact and blushing, looking back down at their plates. Damiano giggled when Ethan accidentally spilled some BBQ sauce on his shirt.

"Thank you for tonight." Damiano smiled shyly when Ethan was driving him home. "I had a really nice time." Ethan smiled over at him, and said with sincerity,

"You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it, someone as beautiful as you deserves to be treated like a king." Damiano felt his cheeks heat up, and he looked away, feeling butterflies in his tummy and a smile growing on his face.

"So..." Ethan started, a playful grin on his lips, "any chance of your number?"

Damiano laughed, sweeping his hair out of his face. He thought for a moment, before replying, "what the hell. You got a pen?" He grabbed one of the tissues Ethan kept in his car. Ethan held out a pen, and Damiano scribbled his number on it, kissing the end of it with his lipgloss-covered lips, folding it up and giving it to Ethan, who by now had parked outside of Damiano's house.

"Thank you." Ethan smiled and kissed Damiano's cheek after opening the car door for him once more. Damiano giggled, kissing Ethan back, on the nose. Damiano rang the doorbell  and his mother opened it, bundling him into a tight hug upon his arrival.

"Thank you for bringing my son back in one piece, and before his curfew! Impressive." Rosa smiled, laughing when Damiano hid his head in his hands with a "mamaaaa..."

Ethan chuckled, responded with "it was my pleasure Mrs David, have a good night." and got back into his car, driving off into the night. Rosa squealed when they were inside, and practically screamed "TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT, I WANT ALL DETAILS! did you kiss? Did he give you his number? Did he pay? Did you have fun? Is he a green flag?!"

Damiano laughed at his mother's use of Gen-Z language, and happily gossiped with her about it, telling her that Ethan let him order whatever he wanted, that Ethan had kissed him on the cheek and that Damiano had given Ethan his phone number.

"Aww, it sounds like you had such fun! I'm glad darling, he does seem like such a gentleman. Now, you know what I'm gonna say, it is getting late my love, and you have a test tomorrow in Math, so you can't flunk sweetie, I know you want to but I need to get your final grades in for the semester. I love you honey, have a good sleep." Rosa kissed Damiano goodnight and smiled to herself as he climbed up the stairs to his bedroom.