Victoria, Rome, late February, 2022
4:00 AM
The shaking that comes along with the plane's landing wakes me up from my restless, uncomfortable sleep before the plane stops so I can finally get off the aircraft and meet my best friend on the other side of the airport. Deep, intrusive thoughts have eaten up my mind, making me fall into the deepest spiral during what seemed the longest flight. My eyes haven't left the small window I had on my left as I thought about every way possible of my choices going wrong, of failure chasing me as it has done before, coursing my trust in fate.
I walk through the tunnel that connects the plane to the airport among many other people that have chosen the same destination I was convinced to choose too – Rome.
I bring my coat closer to my body with one hand, while dragging my suitcase with the other, walking tiredly through the crowd. I make it through the doors that separate me from the people that are expecting their loved ones, families reuniting, wrapping themselves up into tight hugs after being separated by other country's borders are heartbreaking for me to watch.
I look around for Thomas, running my sight though every corner of the waiting area, yet he's nowhere to be found. I pull my phone out of my pocket and shoot him a text but he doesn't see it, so I go out before pulling my pack of cigarettes out of my bag. I take one out and light it, still looking around the darkness illuminated by the lights coming from inside the airport.
After a brief waiting period, I see Thomas running in agitation towards the doors, not spotting me with his gaze.
"Thomas!" I call his attention and immediately put out my cigarette, turning my whole body towards his direction.
"Oh, my God!" He runs to me, "I'm so sorry, I fell asleep while waiting and..." he hurries to speak, but I don't let him get to the end.
I cut him off before he gets to finish his apology, "Hey, Thom! It's okay, you arrived just in time," I let him know, closing my eyes as I'm letting myself get embraced by my best friend.
"I missed you, sorellina," mumbles him quietly, making tears spring from my eyes.
"Me too, It's been so long," I almost sob, but manage to contain myself; no hysterical crying is welcomed at 4 in the morning in front of the longest row of taxis watching us.
"C'mon," says him, breaking apart from the hug and grabbing the handle of my suitcase, "it's freezing cold out here."
I follow him to his car, and get in, once we find it after he unlocks it. He goes to place my luggage in the truck and then proceeds to sit in front of his steering wheel and drive us to what I'll have to call home for a while.
The drive is a silent one, except from the low rock music he played in the background. I don't know if it's the tiredness in me speaking, but this kind of tranquility I haven't felt in a long while. A sense of calmness rushes through my body, making me relax completely and realize that I don't have anything that's holding me back anymore. For a brief moment, all my worries seem to freeze.
"How was your flight?" Asks him suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence that has formed for some time now.
"It was okay, nothing out of the regular. You know the usual, the crying baby, the snoring person next to you," I reply in a joking tone, getting a chuckle out of him.
We spend the rest of the ride having a casual conversation, he explains to me how I shouldn't worry about anything, and how he'll take care of everything that needs to be done around the apartment. Turns out he's still messy, but became a decent cook, so no worries about setting the whole building on fire. I enjoy the rest of our chat, laughing from time to time when our yawns transmit from one of us to the other.
When we arrive, he pulls up in front of his building, quickly getting out of the car to then repeat his previous action of opening the trunk to take my luggage out. He locks his car and rushes to open the entrance to the block and then to the elevator which takes us to his floor. I watch the key entering the lock and twisting to get the front door to crack open.
"Home, sweet home," says Thomas when the door is fully opened and I step inside so he can lock it back up.
He has recently moved into a nice, medium sized apartment, in the heart of Rome, tastefully decorated according to what he likes the most. I look around the living room that connects to the small kitchen through a wooden door, the retro style is what he has always liked the most and I'm proud to see him living in a place that reflects his personality and taste. I spot in the corner of the room the record player I gave him for his birthday a couple of years ago and I almost get emotional at the sight of seeing it here after such a long time.
"C'mon," He guides me to the guest room, taking my belongings too so he can leave them next and onto the bed. "This is your room," smiles him excitedly, pulling a set of sheets out of the closet and leaving them on the bed.
"There are towels in there too. Make yourself at home, sorellì," says my little brother in a caring tone before helping me dress the bed with the fresh sheets. After we're done, I thank him and he announces that he's off to bed, leaving me to go to sleep too. I take a moment to get changed so I can get under the covers. I start to think and smile at how much of an effort Thomas must've put into cleaning and preparing everything for my arrival and my heart warms at the thought of having him to support me through my most difficult times. Tonight, all my bad thoughts seem to be quiet so I fall into a deep, tranquil sleep for the first time in months.
7:04 AM
The sun rises, bringing another cold morning within its last winter month, a new set of grey clouds cover it. The first light of an early morning isn't what makes me jump from my sleep, but the bell that's ringing frenetically. It looks like Thomas' tiredness gave him the most profound sleep, since he doesn't seem to hear the insistence of the person behind the front door.
I drag myself out of the bed and run towards the door, the ringing getting more and more persistent and more and more annoying.
"Oh my God what's wrong with you? It's fucking 7 in the morning!" I ask annoyed, the door flying open to find a man standing in front of me.
"Who the hell are you?" Asks him, looking behind me, making me turn around too, Thomas standing behind me now too.
"What do you want, Dam?" Inquires Thomas, rubbing his eyes with his index and thumb of his right hand.
I step aside, still looking at the man that was hiding behind the door. He's wearing a white tank top, paired with some dark, black suit pants. His chest and arms are adorned by numerous tattoos and a burgundy rosary is hanging onto his neck. His hair reaches his cheekbones and the trajectory of my eyes follows his features now; his face structure, a memorable one – dark eyes, thin lips and a shaded trail of a beard.
"I just came from the club, I brought a chick over and I'm out of condoms," says him all rushed, checking me out with his gaze, too. "But I guess you've used them with your new bitch already," he smirks at me and then winks at Thomas.
"What an asshole!" I curse at him annoyed but Thomas holds me back, putting his arm as a barrier in front of me.
Thomas takes a condom out of his wallet and hands it to him, "Don't talk about her like that ever again," he tells him in an angry tone, closing the door in his face.
YOU ARE READING
Runaway | Damoria
Fanfiction"How long is it going to take for the battle inside of ourselves to be over?" That's the question she kept asking herself just before her battle was over, as another one begun.
