Lovers in October

SEVENTEEN

A N T O N I O

The violin case banged against his legs as he sped up his steps, one after the other climbing the stairs like the elevator was obliterated out of existence. But waiting for it to come, open its doors to let him in and then close them again seemed too slow for the rapid beating of his excited heart, anxious to hear the potentially great news that weren't even about him.

Mary-Kate's door seemed like a mile away from Antonio as he walked up to her apartment, not even knocking before going in. Mary-Kate's Christmas tree was already half-way up, spreading out the branches so the tree can look as full and as real as possible.

Mary-Kate smiled to him fondly as she took another branch in her hands, giving him an innocent kiss before continuing with her previous job, leaving Antonio full of anticipation by the door with his violin case still clenched in his hands.

"Well?" Antonio spoke up, breathing heavily from his running, abandoning the case on the floor. "Did you get the solo?"

Mary-Kate looked up slightly as she swayed on her feet, pretending to be in thought. But soon she cracked and looked back at Antonio with the brightest of smiles, throwing the branch carelessly behind her. The flying branch that should have been attached to the tree headed right towards Clayton's forehead and hit bullseye, making him yelp in surprise.

"I got the solo!" Mary-Kate squealed, jumping into Antonio's open arms with excitement matched by both.

Antonio swirled her around as he let out a happy laugh, squeezing her tightly in a bone crushing hug that somehow didn't feel tight enough. Not once did he feel this much happiness for an achievement that wasn't his, his lungs ready to escape his ribs and his heart nearly at the point of exploding. Incredible pride was overflowing from every pore of his body, and he wanted to show her just how much he had stored in him for her.

"I've been waiting to tell you all day." Mary-Kate laughed as she moved away and back towards the tree, a little bounce in her step, inviting Antonio to join the rest.

Antonio nestled his case on the couch to keep it from accidentally falling, Mary-Kate glancing at the case with curiosity that peaked Antonio's at the same time. He watched her ponder something to herself before moving her eyes away, his tongue itching to ask more about it.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Antonio asked, bending down to take a branch to assist in the build of the Christmas tree.

"Oh it's nothing, I just remembered the time I tried to learn the violin. Which went horrendously bad, may I add." Mary-Kate laughed to herself before she continued, "The only reason I even wanted to learn was so I could play Fairytale by Alexander Rybak, but soon gave up when I realized I do not have instrumental skills whatsoever."

Antonio chuckled and kissed the top of her head before he reached up to attach the top branches, leaving everyone else to focus on taking the decorations out of freshly shipped boxes all the way from Australia. But his mind was nowhere near the green tree, his brain working overtime to piece together a plan that was starting to come together inside his skull in a glorious manner.

"Maybe I can teach you." Antonio suggested, watching Mary-Kate shake her head with a smile.

"It's cute to think that you can." Mary-Kate chuckled and gave him a fleeting kiss, walking towards the box that contained the decorations to start bringing the tree to life.

The tree was slowly getting covered with colour as the decorations were being hung on the branches, the white garland waiting patiently to be unravelled and then wrapped around the tree once the rest was done, the angel for the top waiting right next to it. Antonio hummed while he stretched to hang some on the top, smiling every time he would catch Mary-Kate's eyes locked on him.