Fireflies {DAMIANO DAVID FANFICTION}

SEVEN

I was lucky enough to be hired on the spot. My first day was about a week ago, and I'm already adjusting well. It's a steady flow of customers, but there's enough of us where it never feels overwhelming. I thought for sure I'd be confused with the various drinks I am expected to make, but we keep a cheat sheet behind the counter for situations just like that. I thought I'd be a master of drinks, knowing all of them, but I just use the sheet. It's too much brain power to remember everything. 

I spin around, handing my customer his drink and wishing him a good day. Business has been slow today, but enough to fill the tip jar. I lean against the counter, wiping the sweat away from my eyes as I take a moment to breathe. My face burns with the heat of this shop.

The bell above the door chimes, signaling another customer has entered. I wipe my clammy hands on my apron as I mutter my greeting. "Welcome to Lucciola, how can I help you?"

My eyes take in the figure of Damiano standing a few feet away. He's dressed in black shiny ensemble, hair tousled, likely from the wind outside.

"Bella, what are you doing?" he mutters, rushing towards my counter. He reaches across towards me. "Bella, bella, no."

"Damiano." I sigh. His hand lands on my forearm, warm fingers wrapping around my skin. "Damiano, what?"

"What are you doing here?" he asks. His eyes travel up and down my body. I'm painfully aware of my coworkers looking on, soaking in the situation. I silently hope for another customer to enter the shop, but it doesn't happen.

"I...I work here." I swallow. He immediately shakes his head.

"No, bella, you can't. Not..." his eyes glance to my stomach. "Not pregnant you can't."

I pull my arm away from his grasp, immediately turning to my coworkers. "I'm going on break." I say. I don't even give them an option, punching out and dragging Damiano to a secluded table in the back corner.

"Zola, you cannot be working here." he says as soon as we are seated. "I...you can't do this."

"I don't have a choice." I say. I try to keep my voice low so that my coworkers cannot hear, but Damiano doesn't seem to care as he shakes his head.

"What is it? Is it money? Bella, I'll give you the money. I don't want you working. You shouldn't be on your feet like this."

"I don't want to rely on you for money. That's not what this is about."

"It's not relying on me if I'm offering, okay? Please. I don't want you working."

"I can't just sit at home all day." I say, almost laughing. "Damiano, I'll go insane."

"I'll find something for you to do, okay? Please. Just don't work. I don't want you to be on your feet, I don't want anything to happen." he's exasperated. I'm sure he feels like I'm not listening to him, and I am, I just don't like what he is saying.

"You were literally just asking me to get an abortion. I thought you didn't want this." he groans at my words, head dropping into his hands.

"I don't know what I want, okay? But we don't have a choice but to just...take this. And as long as you're pregnant with my baby, you aren't working."

"Fine." I sigh. "Fine, I'll quit."

His eyes light up in some sort of excitement. "Thank you, Zola. I'll-"

"I'm not finished." I interrupt. "I'll quit if you tell Corina. I know you haven't done that yet. And let's be honest..." I point to the window next to us, where Rome bustles on the other side of the glass. "How long can we keep this secret anyway?"

"I'll tell her, I'll tell her." he sighs. "I just don't know how."

"That's for you to figure out." I shrug. "You had no problem fucking me, now you have to deal with the consequences."

"I know, I know." he sighs. "If I promise to tell her, will you quit for me?"

I swallow. As much as I don't want to, I do understand Damiano's point. This is as much his child as it is mine. I have to respect the fact that his opinions are equally important here. If he's offering to take care of me, I can't really pass that up.

"Yes." I sigh. "I'll quit. But if you don't support me, don't keep up your end of the bargian, I'm getting a job again."

He outstretches his pinky finger towards me. "Consider it a deal." he says.