Me Llamo Tokio (My Name Is Tokyo) - A Money Heist Prequel

Chapter 43 - La Vita È Bella

The amazing smell of coffee that's making in the kitchen invades my nostrils. I can say that it's going to be a great day just because of this small, but important aspect.
I look through the garden. The entire scenery around is still asleep, not even the birds have started their usual morning chirps and the sun is still hiding under the dark blanket of the night.
Juan comes on the patio, placing a small tray on the table. Through brioches, small croissants and cookies he placed some beautiful wildflowers and I can't stop myself from thinking of that day in Lisbon when he cooked for me.
"Thanks," I say taking a croissant and shaking away the extra powdered sugar on it.
"You're welcome." Juan seems visibly pleased by his arrangent. "I'll go get the coffee."
He disappears back in the kitchen before I get to tell him how delicious the jam filled croissant can be.
Last night was pretty intense, as always, but before that part, we had some fun while trying to sneak in the house without being noticed by Rodrigo. The good news for us were that we arrived before him and his guys. Luckily, when they came too and found the door to our floor locked, Rodrigo gave us some privacy and haven't invaded us. But, the meeting with him this morning is quite inevitable.
"The coffee is served," Juan announces while placing two cups on the table next to the already half devoured tray of pastries.
"These things are delicious!" I tell him while taking a huge bite from a brioche. "I had no idea they had such good stuff in Italy."
"I was sure you're gonna like them," Juan says. "That's why I asked the guys to go to my favorite store that sells them."
"So, you've been here before?" I realize how stupid my question sounds only after I voice it.
"Yes, a few times," he admits.
Obviously he's been to Rome before. For a rich guy like him, probably this was the destination where he was coming to get himself pizza when he was bored.
"It's in my top five favorite cities, or anyway, now is." Juan continues.
"And why is that so?" I ask raising an eyebrow.
"Because now I'm here with you." he replies with his charming smile.
"Not convincing enough." I try to look unimpressed even if, in fact I was. "What are the rest, though?"
"Hmm." Juan is taking a huge break to imitate the fact that he needs a lot to think, only, I know he's just playing around. "Lisbon, due to obvious reasons."
"Obvious." I reply slowly. "You're referring to your childhood memories, right?"
"Silene!" he bursts into laughter. "You really want to hear it, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." I reply sheepishly taking a few sips of coffee and trying to act clueless. "Mind you explain me, Juan?"
"Alright." he laughs. "We met in Barcelona, we made love in Lisbon, we did our first robberies together in Madrid, we're spending our first vacation while working on a big robbery in Rome and we're planning to go to Tokyo in spring. Now you have them all."
"Sounds good." I reply pleasantly surprised. "But, one mention, you've never been to Tokyo, so you don't know if you'll like it or not."
"I go there with you to walk around the alleys filled with cherry blossoms every night. I've seen Tokyo in my dreams better than any images or books can describe it and, let me tell you something else." he looks at me and all I see are his eyes filled with happiness. "I'll love that place as much as I love each and every corner of this world where I'll go with you."
I'm speechless. Juan is a master of the words, I can't deny, but everything that he said to me is true. I know that and I also feel it impregnated deep down into my soul like a ray of light meant to mend all the wounds that I've ever suffered.
I wish I could reply to him, to tell him how much these words mean to me and how much I love him. I wish I would've at least had the time to place my lips on his and whisper a short te amo*, only the universe decided to be ironic today.
"Morning babes!" Rodrigo's voice coming from inside has the unwanted gift of ruining our moment. "You're either awake cause you had sex all night or because you slept early after the entire chase from yesterday!"
I look at Juan and roll my eyes. Our perfect morning is gone now that we'll have to face Rodrigo and his lines. Not to talk about the fact that we'll have to come with a good explanation why we run from them the entire day.
Juan takes his cup of coffee and I do the same too. I'm pretty sure that no amount of caffeine will be able to make us keep up with Rodrigo's energy that early.
In the next moment, we're being caught from the back in a huge embrace, making me almost drop the cup.
"Rodrigo!" both me and Juan scream.
But he doesn't seems to be bothered by us, rather he looks happy that he can snuggle us.
"Gosh how much I missed you guys!" he says and his voice feels really emotional. "I thought I was too annoying with you these days and you're gonna leave. I'm so sorry, babes."
It's hard for me to believe, yet it's true, Rodrigo really missed us and was scared that we'll leave. Now, I feel a bit dumb for what I did yesterday with Juan, not knowing that it can affect Rodrigo's feelings that much, but I can't deny that it was funny and half of me can't regret it fully.
"Man, it's fine." Juan says while disentangling us from Rodrigo's hug. "We has this planned way before you even joined us."
"Ohh, you naughty babes!" he exclaims.
I know he's not upset anymore, he's back to being the old Rodrigo that we both knew and really annoys us a bit.
"Mind if we join you?" he rather states than asks, throwing himself in the closest chair.
"We?" I ask.
"Yes, we." Rodrigo says.
And in that moment Alonso appears holding two cups of coffee. He puts one in front of Rodrigo, then he takes a seat next to him.
"I told you." Juan whispers in my ear.
"You told her what?" Rodrigo says with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"About you." Juan gestures towards them. "I sensed something."
"What naughty babes!" Rodrigo says it again, only this time in a different tone. "Gossiping is a sin. Haven't you learned that yesterday in the Vatican?"
"Oh spare me!" I exclaim.
"You've been following us?" Juan asks.
"Yes, babes." Rodrigo laughs. "We only appeared to spice up your escapade, because you started doing old people stuff, like walk around admire stuff, bla bla."
"You're such a jerk!" I say half joking.
"I know, babe, but you can't deny you didn't like it." Rodrigo says with a wink.
I laugh. He's right. I can't deny that I liked to run away and hide from him and his guys.
"Maybe." I admit in the end. "But how about you tell us about your boyfriend."
"Silene." Juan is looking at me like I have no idea what I just unleashed.
"Just for your info, babe, I know you like him, but I'm sorry, he's only mine." Rodrigo declares proudly. "And for both of you, just so you know. This relationship is tightly tightly closed."
We all laugh. No matter how annoying he is, Rodrigo has the talent to bring joy in every conversation. Sometimes, this serves him as his biggest advantage, because you can't really stay upset on him for too long.
"Oh, yes!" Rodrigo exclaims in the moment when Alonso hands him a small note. "While you guys were busy fucking around the city, we finally put up the pieces together, called Tatiana and managed to make a plan."
"These are great news." Juan says ignoring the first part. "Let's see what you have."