𝑺𝒆𝒂 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 // 𝑨𝒍𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒐 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

Ch.4.

Narrator

As the morning sun arose, Giulia was the first to awake. Stretching her arms above her head, her limbs clicked audibly before slumping down at her sides. "Another day of training!" She beamed, swinging her legs over the sides of her bed. She must've forgotten her best friend was on the floor, because she stepped and stood on the sleeping girls stomach.

❈ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ❈・❈ ❉ ❈・❈ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ ❈

(Y/N)

"UGH, MERDA!" I wake up with a start, feeling an uncomfortable weight on my stomach as I practically lurch forwards like I was going to hurl. Opening an eye, I see Giula just standing at the end of my duvet from where I must've thrown her off.

The red head gasps and leaps to my side, hugging me sheepishly while apologising frantically in her native language. "Oh mi dispiace tanto, (Y/N)! And did you just curse? In my PAPA'S house? You know what he's like about that, migliore amico."

Smirking sheepishly, I hug my friend tightly. "Maaybee. Now, you'd better go wake up your friends."

"OUR friends, (Y/N). Our. Me and you." Giula corrects me with a grin, pinching my cheek. Wrinkling my nose, I catch her hand. "Signorina, that's my thing! Now go wake up our friends, I'm gonna catch up on the few seconds of sleep you disturbed," playfully, I push her off of me and slump back down into my makeshift bed. Giula tinkers with the radio on her desk, definitely up to something. "Time for a wake up call!" she exclaims giddily.

"What're you doing, G?" I briefly open one of my eyes.

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Opening his auburn eyes, Luca pushed his body up and stretches out his scaly limbs, yawning and exposing his pointed, fang like teeth. Smacking his lips, he gazed out to the horizon in awe. The morning sun was just peeking over the waters edge as its radiance glittered over the rippling ocean. Boats bob against the waves, nets ready to get their fill of fish. Small water droplets ran down the leaves surrounding his and Alberto's sleeping area.

He gazed down to his still sleeping friend, taking no mind to the vibrant scales that covered his friend's body and the tail that was curled around his leg.

Wait, wait..scales?

Gasping in realisation, he glared at his hands. "Oh no! Alberto, wake up!" Leaning over, he quickly shook his friends arm to wake him up. Opening a green eye, Alberto muttered a 'wha' before sitting up abruptly to see his friend in his usual aquatic form. "AH! The sky's been leaking!" He shouted, gawking at his younger friend. Both sea monsters screamed when the green shutters of the house were dramatically thrown open and a loud, army wake up call sounded followed by Giulia playing an imaginary trumpet while hollering along to the call.

Both boys' oval pupils became thin and the fins on the sides of their head tensed. Luca pushed Alberto out of the tree platform and onto the ground. Thanks to their long, clawed feet the jump didn't damage their legs. Alberto hurried for the back gate, about to shove Luca and himself outside when Massimo reversed through the gate. The pair of them scrambled, tails thrashing behind them as they skid to a halt behind the large tree in Giulia's garden.

Luca rapidly wiped at his scales to remove the moisture, his human skin finally coming through. Alberto just shook himself off, the water dissipating from his skin. "He's watching us again." Alberto elbowed Luca and pointed to Machiavelli who was staring them down suspiciously from the fence.

"Yeah..creepy." Luca pulled Alberto from behind the tree, smiling up at Giulia from the window and waving. Alberto furrowed his brow, expecting to see the other girl to bid them good morning. "Oh! There you are! (Y/N), say good morning! Sorry about her, I may have accidentally trod on her stomach," She looked down at her older friend who was laying on the floor.

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As I hear my name, I kick off my duvets and peering out of the window. "Buongiorno! And G is right, she DID happen to wake me from a lovely sleep by standing on me." I had completely thrown aside my messy hair and somewhat wrinkled pyjamas.

Alberto gives me a smirk. A rather cocky and amused one. "You're wearing that to go fishing today today? A long sleeve? And aren't we practising the Portorosso Cup?"

"Well, signor, these are called pyjamas. Don't worry, we'll get to kick Ercole's ass if I have any say in it." I clasp my fist with malicious intent.

Giula narrows her eyes at me, not entirely happy with my choice of words. "I'd word it a bit differently, but yeah! Now go get changed, Papa is waiting for you three while I work at the pescheria!"

Massimo looks up from where he was standing in the garden. Clearing his throat to get our attention, the towering man spoke once he had it. I was already off by the time he started speaking, so Massimo was talking more to Luca and Alberto. "Go have breakfast and get ready, ragazzi. We cannot work on empty stomachs, can we?"

Luca was the first to speak, fiddling with his hands. "Of course, sir. Thank you." The smaller boy headed into the house, followed by Alberto. I give a thumbs up and turn on my heel, kneeling down to pull my suitcase from underneath Giula's bed to get changed before having breakfast and doing my teeth.

❈ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ❈・❈ ❉ ❈・❈ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ ❈

"How come (Y/N) gets a knife and we don't?" Alberto complained as she walked to Massimo's small boat, stepping foot on the curved wooden surface. "She had done this many times, Alberto. Knives aren't for you two yet, ragazzi." The huge man sits at the end of the boat, making room for me, Luca and Alberto to climb on.

"Whoops, scusi." As I sit, I shuffle right up to the end of the wooden seat to make room for Alberto and Luca. I hold my fishing knife in my hand, stating at it for a moment before placing it on the floor for later. Alberto is squished right up against my side, but I don't mind. He seems friendly enough. "So, you ever done this before? Fishing with literally the coolest fisherman alive?" I rest my arms on my knees so I can look at both of my new friends.

"Well, two cool fishermen, actually. You're the one with the knife." Alberto gently kicked the weapon with his boot, giving me a smile. Luca nods alongside him. "Yeah! That knife does look dangerous though, so you can have that."

I honestly didn't expect such nice compliments. "Oh, thank you! You two aren't so bad, you know?" Gently, I elbow Alberto and give Luca's boot a little tap. Machiavelli settles into my lap, nudging my abdomen and hand impatiently. "Okay, okay.." I mutter, stroking the cat's soft, black and white fur with my hand.

As Massimo starts up the engine, I spot Tomasso's ship passing by us. "Ciao, Tomasso, Giacomo!" I call, waving my hand excitedly. Alberto seems to grimace at the man, like he's seen both men before. His green eyes drift to the scar on his arm, but he shakes it off with a smile, leaning his weight gently on my arm, trying to shift away from the boat passing by. Like my presence was oddly comforting to him.

"Keep an eye out for sea monsters, Massimo! We're all counting on you." Tomasso speaks, tinkering with his fishing nets.

Massimo assures his elderly friend. "Don't worry, I've got my eyes peeled. They won't get away." The large man grabs a harpoon with an especially sharp blade, gazing out to the ocean.

Luca and Alberto gulp loudly, staring at the huge harpoon in worry.

"Are you two, buono, sí?" I questioned, a little concerned from their sudden falter of expression.

Alberto shakes off the facade, trying to look away from the large harpoon. "Yeah, yeah! We're good, we're cool."