Nomads

Chapter 24

Three hilarious movies and countless packages of junk food later, the atmosphere in the house had changed considerably. Bruce had come in halfway through the first movie and ended up staying for the other two. Both men had relaxed, so much so that they were even joking with each other a bit.

Mara couldn't help but smile as she saw that her plan was turning out to be a success. Now all she needed to do was to get the men talking to each other more openly.

As the credits to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" rolled, Mara turned to see her boyfriend and his uncle playfully arguing over which of the movies they'd seen was better.

Biting back a grin, Mara made her move. "You guys seem close," she mused, causing both of them to look at her.

"You think so?" mumbled Luca, clearly beginning to build his walls back up.

"Well, yeah. You guys are really similar, too. I know for Luca it takes a bit to warm up to someone, but if you keep trying he opens up." She smiled at her boyfriend, shifting a bit closer to him before looking at Bruce. "He talks a lot about you, Mr. Bruce."

"He does, does he?" Bruce asked unsurely. "I'm sure there's not much to say..."

Mara shook her head, grinning at Luca who was silently begging her not to open up a can of worms. "He tells me how grateful he is to be living with you. He was glad that he didn't have to live by himself and that he'd have family to talk to." She chuckled, noticing Luca's face turn red before looking at Bruce (who also looked somewhat embarrassed and very shocked). "He may not show it much, but he really looks up to you and appreciates all you've done for him. I'm not surprised that you're surprised, though. Luca sucks at talking about his feelings."

"I'm not that bad–"

"Yeah, okay. Sure."

"I'm not–!"

Mara giggled as he began to protest, glancing down at her phone to see that it was ten already. "Oh, gosh. It's gotten pretty late."

Luca stood, stretching languidly before holding his hand out to her. "Come on, I'll take you home."

She took his hand and let him help her up. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Bruce. I hope you get all your work done in a timely manner."

Bruce nodded distractedly, "Yes, yes. Have a good night. Drive safely."

Mara waved as Luca practically dragged her out of the house.

They were getting settled in the car before he spoke. "What was all that about?"

She grinned, buckling her seatbelt before turning to him and answering. "When you get home, your uncle will wish to speak with you. I'll bet you ten dollars that the conversation you have will take things a step in the right direction for your relationship with him."

Luca wrinkled his nose as he pulled out of the driveway. "How? You made me sound like a sappy baby. He'll probably just tell me that I'm too emotional if he doesn't ignore me completely like he usually does..."

"Wanna bet? Ten dollars says you're wrong."

"You know what? You're on. You're crazy to make a bet that you'll obviously lose."

There was a pause. "Aren't you gonna ask me how I'm so confident he'll talk with you?"

Luca chuckled, rolling his eyes. "How are you so confident we're gonna bond when I get home?"

"Because, Luca. Your uncle is just like you. He probably thinks that you're avoiding him, or that you just want your space. And I made sure to clear that misunderstanding up in the most unobtrusive and subtle way I could think of."