I'll Always Choose You #Watty's2023

20. Gio

I watched as Nico and Mr. Gray reacquainted themselves after so many years apart. There was a shine to Nico's eyes that made him incredibly beautiful. It was filled with so much happiness that I felt my eyes sting with unshed tears. Knowing that Nico had a parental figure in his life made me wish I had the same thing. I had no family on my mother's side as she was an only child while my father had a younger brother who died in a car crash when Cam was still an infant.

Cam is the only family I had left. His mother died of cancer six years after her husband, leaving Cameron an orphan of both parents. He came to live with us before my parents and sister were killed. I raised Cameron though I made sure to tell him the truth when he was old enough to understand. There are days when he'd call me Dad but it's rare. Before Nico came into my life, I had made a promise to Cam, to our parents, that if I had to choose between saving Cameron or the gang, that I'd always choose him. And I won't go back on my word. Both Nico and Cam are my family now along with the gang.

"I can't believe how much you've grown since I last saw you," I heard Mr. Gray say and looked over to see Nico smile, "you're Mama and Papa would be so proud of you, as I am,"

"I'm still trying to process the fact that I'm in front of you after all these years," he responded to the older male's comment making said male smile, "I thought I was alone."

"But you're not alone," Mr.Gray said as he looked in my direction making me raise a brow and he smiled, "you've got a good man beside you, Nico,"

"I know," Nico answered as he looked at me, "he's been such a blessing in my life, Uncle Mickey. He's been protecting me since we met."

"Even though you, young man," he said looking at me and I raised a brow making him smile, "regardless of what you do for a living, you have watched and cared for Nico and I can't thank you enough."

"He's one of the best things to have happened to me in many years," I replied and he searched my eyes and face for any sign of deception but then looked at Nico as he saw nothing but the truth.

"Uncle Mickey," Mr. Gray looked away from me and back at Nico when he called his name, "I'm lucky to have met him when I did because we wouldn't be here right now, talking after so many years."

Mr. Gray smiled and nodded, "I hope that you continue to look after him, Mr. D'Angelo,"

"Until I die," I replied making Nico look over at me and I smiled, "he will always come first before anything else,"

"I'll hold you to that, young man."

********

"So what do you want to get for dinner tonight?" I asked Nico as we made our way back to the Den after spending the majority of our day at Mr. Gray's office.

Michale Gray, had a touch of the Brad Pitt about him. His hair was Achilles-gold and coiffed to perfection. His eyes had the same startling clarity as a mountain stream and the lineaments of his face were in perfect proportion to each other.

He seemed moulded from a different cast as he had an androgynous look uncommon to most people. Lacquered and enamelled by the sun, he radiated energy and brio. His mountain peak cheekbones appeared chiselled into shape by a master craftsman. They were of such sharp contours, it looked as if they were sculpted and pared to perfection. With eyes as bright and spellbinding as lode stars, they bewitched all those who fell under his steady gaze. They were a-sparkle with mirth and shone like two eternity-blue jewels enwrought in snow.

Saying he was handsome was an understatement because he was much more then that, he was very attractive but he could never never win against Nico.

"Gio?" I blinked at the sound of Nico's voice calling my name. I looked over at him to see him raising a brow, "it's green," I looked to the light and sure enough it was green and behind me, I heard honks and shots from the drivers.

"Shit," I cursed and press on the accelerator making the car move again, "sorry, I didn't realize I had spaced out,"

"It's alright," He replied and saw him picking at his sweater before he timidly asked, "can we get Italian?"

"Yeah," I replied reaching over to take his hand in mine and glanced over for a split second to see his face got a light pink as he ducked his head with a smile, "what were you thinking of getting?"

"Um, pizza?" He replied though it came out as a question making me smile 

"Perfect," I replied as I made a right turn toward the nearest pizzeria instead of heading to the Den which Nico noticed, "We'll get the pizza before heading home."

"Can we make one instead?" He asked and I raised a brow, "I've never made one and wanted to try my hand on making homemade pizza,"

I hummed and made a U-turn and made my way home instead. "I haven't made homemade pizza since my parents died." Mom and Dad always made pizza on Friday's since it was a tradition they and made way before they had me and it went on until they were killed. I haven't made one since not even when Cameron asked me to make one.

Maybe, just maybe, Nico was sent to help me get through the pain of losing my parents and sister.

He doesn't even know it yet, but he's been such a breath of fresh air since losing my family and I have a feeling that they, from the other side, placed Nico in my path all those months ago when we ran into each other at the café before I headed to the office.

"Can you tell me about them?" Nico asked as we reached the familiar road that would lead to the mansion. "Sorry, I-I didn't mean to pry."

I glanced over at him to see Nico looking at his lap where he began to fiddle with the sleeve of his oversized jumper, "Don't apologize"

"I don't want to bring up sad memories," he said and I shook my head with a smile,

"You won't. They're not sad memories, Nico, they're happy ones, I assure you." I said and he bit his lip but nodded, "I'll tell you all about them as we make our pizza, how does that sound?"

"Sounds perfect."