Walking down Rome’s streets with Dongwoo as his guide was very relaxing. It was much easier getting around the streets and alleyways with someone who knew them. Dongwoo was so kind and friendly to him, Sungyeol was nearly enthralled by it. He had been nervous that he would be alone in Rome with no friends but Dongwoo proved him wrong in very little time.

Dongwoo was taking him out for some brunch today, since they both didn’t have classes. They were walking there since the streets were usually crowded with cars. Dongwoo walked alongside him comfortably, chatting about whatever crossed his mind. “So,” he started, “did you ever contact Myungsoo?”

Sungyeol could feel his cheeks heat up. “What? Why would I contact him? I’m not interested.”

“Just because you’re not interested doesn’t mean he’s not,” Dongwoo chuckled. “And besides, it’s Myungsoo. I’m surprised he hasn’t come back to stalk you yet.”

“That’s weird. He’s weird.” Sungyeol stared down at his feet as he walked along the cobblestones. “How often does he flirt and date around anyways?”

“Not a lot,” Dongwoo said, to Sungyeol’s surprise. Dongwoo laughed at the evident shock on Sungyeol’s face. “I know, hard to believe, right? He’s only dated a couple times. He’s flirtatious but that’s just how he naturally is. He doesn’t follow someone home unless he’s really attracted to them.”

“Following someone home is already weird enough,” Sungyeol pointed out.

They turned a corner and entered into a small restaurant that smelled of warm bread and herbs. Dongwoo had taken him to a pizza place and the air already smelled beyond divine. The walls were bricks that made the atmosphere feel so much warmer. Sungyeol awed at the wall covered in finely aged wines as he and Dongwoo took some barstool seats. The décor wasn’t very extravagant, rather it was very welcoming and warm. Sungyeol felt at home.

“You’ll love this place,” Dongwoo reassured, “I know the owners. They’re a lovely Italian couple. They helped me settle in during my first couple months of arriving to Italy.”

Just as he finished speaking, an older man came over, clearly ecstatic to see to see Dongwoo. “Dongwoo!” he exclaimed. “Come stai?!”

“Bene, grazie,” Dongwoo replied with a smile.

The man smiled, his eyes crinkling at the edges as he looked at Sungyeol with a friendly smile. “E tu? Come ti chiami?” he said, asking for Sungyeol’s name.

Sungyeol smiled back. “Mi chiamo Sungyeol.”

The man gave him a curt nod. “Piacere di conoscerti.”

There was no other time wasted as Dongwoo ordered some food right away. Sungyeol caught some orders of pizza that were placed. He felt maybe it was odd to be ordering pizza in Italy when they could get pizza anywhere else in the world. Dongwoo must have finished ordering, because the man left very briskly afterwards while shouting towards the kitchen.

“That was the owner,” Dongwoo said. “He’s very chipper. His wife is in charge of the kitchen.”

“He seems really nice,” Sungyeol agreed.

“And I chose these spots because you can see into the kitchen from here!” Dongwoo pointed at the window where they could see the dough being rolled and the toppings being put on. “I wonder who’s working in the back today…”

Sungyeol titled his head and peered into the back room. There were a couple people working there. No one looked younger than about Sungyeol’s age. An older woman, who he assumed to be the owner’s wife, was working nimbly with her skilled hands. Watching them make their pizza was exciting.

However, his excitement faltered when he heard an all too familiar voice coming from the other side of the restaurant.

“Un momento per favore. Grazie.”

Whipping his head to the side, Sungyeol caught a glance of Myungsoo. The Myungsoo waiting on a table. Punching Dongwoo’s arm, Sungyeol bit out, “Dongwoo – he’s here. Myungsoo is here. Working.”

“Well of course, he’s the owners’ nephew.”

“What?!”

Dongwoo pursed his lips in thought. “Though they’re not related by blood at all. Some sort of marriage into the family or something. But they love him like a real nephew.”

“Dongwoo, that’s not the point. Why is he here?!”

“Oh, that’s a good question. He doesn’t usually work this shift. Hey Myungsoo!”

Sungyeol didn’t know whether to smack Dongwoo or not for calling the flirty bastard over to them.

“Dongwoo!” Myungsoo greeted with a smile. “How are you?”

“I’m feeling great,” Dongwoo replied with a grin.

Leaning up against the bar, Myungsoo smiled widely at Sungyeol. “And how have you been doing, my cucciolo?”

“It’s Sungyeol. And I’m fine,” Sungyeol replied curtly. He didn’t wanted to seem flustered or anything. “And you?”

“Bene,” Myungsoo said. His eyes were still boring into Sungyeol’s with a very strong determination. Sungyeol wasn’t sure if he liked it, but it was intriguing.

“What are you doing working this shift?” Dongwoo asked, changing the topic. “I thought you mostly worked in the evenings.”

Myungsoo shrugged. “Normally I do, but I traded shifts with Davide so he could go take his girlfriend somewhere. I’m off in half an hour though if you’re up to doing something.”

“Sungyeol and I were going to visit the colosseum. He’s crazy about architecture, you know.”

“Dongwoo!” Sungyeol hissed, elbowing the other in the rib. He didn’t really know why he didn’t want Myungsoo to find out that he was a total architecture nerd. Maybe it was because he didn’t need Myungsoo knowing more than he already did.

“Is that so?” Myungsoo murmured, turning his gaze back to Sungyeol. “You want to see the colosseum?”

Sungyeol stared at him for a moment and nodded swiftly. “Yeah. I’ve always wanted to visit it.”

“I can take you,” Myungsoo suggested suddenly, his eyes lighting up. “I know the area really well and I can show you around afterwards. Be your tour guide? How about it, cucciolo?”

“Um–”

“He’d love to!” Dongwoo exclaimed. “You can take him when we’re done with brunch!”

Betrayed, Sungyeol glared at Dongwoo. Dongwoo already knew that Sungyeol thought Myungsoo was creepy, and now he was agreeing to an outing together? He wanted to smack him silly.

“No, it’s really okay,” Sungyeol tried to reason. “You don’t have to. I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Nonsense, cucciolo. Remember, I always go out of my way for the cute ones.” Myungsoo winked and a shiver ran down Sungyeol’s spine. Whether it was a good or bad shiver, he didn’t quite know. He decided it was bad when Myungsoo walked away while blowing him a kiss.

“What a weirdo…” Sungyeol muttered.

Dongwoo shook his head. “Look, Myungsoo really likes you. I think it would be smart to take advantage of someone who knows the city.”

“Take advantage– Dongwoo, that’s not the point. He’s going to be flirting with me the whole time. You said you’d take me!”

“I also might have accidentally booked a tutoring session after this. I was going to break the bad news to you,” Dongwoo said with some amusement, “but it looks like everything worked out. Myungsoo will take you. I trust him.”

Sungyeol groaned. “I don’t trust him yet!”

Suddenly the owner of the place came up to them, a drink in hand. He looked at Sungyeol pointedly and asked, “Cucciolo?”

Sungyeol turned beet red as Dongwoo nodded and responded, saying that Sungyeol was the cucciolo he was looking for. The man set down a drink in front of him and Sungyeol had the decency to look flattered and surprised. He asked where it came from.

“Mio nipote,” he said with a warm smile.

Sungyeol wanted to smile back. But he knew immediately that the nephew the owner was referring to was probably Myungsoo. He absolutely knew it was Myungsoo when the Italian boy caught his eye and sent him a wink. Sungyeol wanted to melt from all the embarrassment.

He picked up the drink and took a sip anyways.

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“This wasn’t my idea, you know. I wasn’t the one who agreed to this.” Sungyeol huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Myungsoo laughed, walking in step with him. “I know, I know. But it’s fun, no? Going to the colosseum together – what could be more romantic?”

Sungyeol grumbled, “I could think of at least twenty other things.”

The colosseum was crowded. There were bustles of tourists and people looking around and about. Though Sungyeol was thoroughly fascinated by the intricate arches and stone walls, he felt mildly uncomfortable knowing that Myungsoo was here watching him.

“If you’re afraid of getting lost, we can hold hands.”

Sungyeol scoffed. “Thanks, but I won’t get lost.”

Myungsoo pouted. “Are you sure? The cucciolo I met the other day seemed quite lost to me.”

Sungyeol glared at Myungsoo. Myungsoo and his eye-smile and tanned skin and cute grin and smoldering gaze. Sungyeol asked him, “Why are you like this? So flirtatious?”

“Because you’re beautiful, didn’t I tell you that?” Myungsoo replied like it was plainly obvious. “Did you see the way your eyes lit up when you walked in here? I had to bite my tongue to not call you bello.”

Sungyeol flushed and kept walking. He didn’t want to allow Myungsoo to revel in the color he brought to Sungyeol’s cheeks. The flirtatious attempts were irritating but those genuine eyes were doing a number on Sungyeol really badly. Pair those eyes with that sun-kissed skin and that dimpled smile and Myungsoo was just a modern day Adonis. It was too bad Sungyeol hated his obnoxious come-ons.

“Come on, don’t pout on our first date,” Myungsoo drawled, catching up to Sungyeol and whispering into his ear.

“This isn’t a date!” Sungyeol exclaimed.

“Cucciolo,” he sang.

“And don’t call me that! My name is Sungyeol!”

Myungsoo smiled at him and bat his lashes playfully. “You like it when I call you cucciolo, don’t lie to me. You like me, don’t you?”

Sungyeol looked at him in disbelief, smacking off the hand that was on his shoulder. “I’ve only met you a couple times – not enough times to like you. Especially not you.”

“If you got to know me, you’d really like me. I’m sure of it.” Myungsoo winked. “So let me take you out on a date, yeah?”

Sungyeol scoffed. “Where, at your uncle’s restaurant?”

“Oh, no!” Myungsoo said, pulling a scandalized look over his face. “You think I’d take you on a date at a place where I worked? No, no baby–”

“Baby?”

“–I’d take you to somewhere as beautiful as you.”

Sungyeol wanted to say some sort of witty retort but none came to his head. Instead, he found himself saying softly, “Where would you take me?”

The grin that graced Myungsoo’s features was nearly radiant. “I would take you somewhere we could watch a sunset and I would play the guitar for you and only you. Doesn’t that sound nice?” Myungsoo’s hands reached up and swept his hair to the side. “Only if you let me take me on a date, that is.”

Sungyeol bit his lower lip and flushed. “I still think it wouldn’t be worth it…”

Myungsoo took Sungyeol’s hand and brushed his lips on the knuckle of his ring finger. A small gasp left Sungyeol’s lips as he furrowed his eyebrows together and snatched his hand away. “What are you doing?!”

“Cucciolo. I’m going to take you on a date.”

“Hey, what–?”

“Tomorrow, I’m going to pick you up and take you out on a date. And we’ll get to know each other like you want,” Myungsoo said with happiness.

Sungyeol’s eyes widened. “Wait, I didn’t say I wanted to get to know you.”

Myungsoo took his hand and started wheeling him towards the exit. “Come on, cucciolo, I’m going to take you home so you can prepare for our date tomorrow.”

“Excuse me?”

“I would tell you to look good for me tomorrow, but you’re already naturally good looking.”

“Myungsoo–”

“I’ll tell Dongwoo also because he’ll make sure that you meet me outside.”

“Are you two in cahoots?!”