Chiara Rose

sette

hello my sweet children, enjoy the chapter! leave some comments along the way to let me know how you're feeling, muah muah

tw - mention of abuse and body image issues

Chiara's POV

"Why do they look like that?" A deep voice asks from somewhere in my room, bringing me out of my very peaceful sleep.

"Why wasn't I invited to the sleepover." Another voice asks, and as my brain slowly wakes up, I'm able to identify that voice as Bruno. I also become more aware of the heavy arm that's currently draped across my face. I panic for a whole half a second before I remember the way I fell asleep last night.

Gi had barely left my room, and then Carlo was in my room. In my bed. With his laptop in between us. We ended up watching Iron Man 2 together, and it was nice. I didn't feel awkward, and he didn't push me or ask weird unnecessary questions. We just watched the movie.

And then when the movie ended, Carlo very awkwardly asked if he could sleep in my room. It was cute how awkward and nervous he was, but I appreciated it. It meant he respected my space and realised that he couldn't just waltz in here whenever he wanted.

He fully planned on sleeping on the couch, but I felt terrible and insisted he slept in my bed with me. And surprisingly, the thought of it didn't terrify me, if anything him being in the room with me is the reason I didn't have a nightmare last night.

But at around midnight, I did discover that Carlo starfishes. We fell asleep at opposite sides of the bed, but at some point, Carlo migrated over to my side and stretched his limbs out as far as they could go. I had a foot digging into my thigh, and an arm spread across my waist. But it still didn't freak me not out.

And clearly, Carlo's also a cuddler, and at some point, last night he snuggled his face into my right shoulder, and his arm has since moved from my waist and is now lying across my face.

"They don't look too comfortable, Carlo's arm looks like it's suffocating Chiara. Can she even breathe under there?" Another voice asks, and I think that's Enzo?

"It's called cuddling, Enzo. Why don't you cuddle me like that?" Bruno says, and I can basically hear the pout in his tone. I can also hear the sound of someone being slapped, but it sounds like the back of someone's head being slapped, not a face.

"Ow you cagna, per che cazzo era?" Bruno screeches, and based on the sigh I feel against my back, he wakes Carlo up. Also based on Bruno's tone, he's the one who got slapped. Presumably by Enzo.

(bitch, the fuck was that for?)

"We're 17-year-old men, Bruno. We don't cuddle." Enzo scoffs, which is then followed by another scoff from Bruno. Gosh, these people do a lot of scoffing.

"Toxic masculinity at its finest," Bruno mutters under his breath, and I can hear Enzo start to talk, but they're cut off by Carlo grumbling. And he moves his arm off of my face, which means I can finally breathe normally, thank fuck.

"Nice one segaioli, now you've woken them up." Giacomo says quietly, but sternly. And at the same time, Carlo starts grumbling loudly from behind me.

(wankers)

"What's going on?" Carlo grumbles, and I use this time to also open my eyes. Which I partly regret, Bruno, Enzo, Rocco and Gi are all standing by my bed. Rocco's busy on his phone, but the others are looking at Carlo and me. Enzo just looks confused.

"Breakfast is ready if you two are ready to go down." Bruno says softly. And I thought Carlo would protest, go on about how he just woke up and isn't going to be ready for breakfast straight away. Well, at least that's what I'd say. But he doesn't do that, instead, he sprints out of my room, probably heading straight for the dining room.