In Hate With You [mlm]

the ending credits

A little over a month has passed since our first date. Dante and I have taken to staying at each other's houses whenever it's Briana's weekend with Ady, and it's the happiest I've felt in a long time. Today is one of those weekends, and a particularly special one.

It is the one Sunday a month, where all of Dante's family - including his extended family - get together for what Ady likes to call, 'Hot Chocolate Day'.

I wake up on a Sunday morning towards the end of November with Dante's arms wrapped around me, and my nose buried in his hair. Outside, the sky is grey; clouds hanging heavy with the threat of rain. Nervousness bites at my skin, sending waves of anxious thoughts through my mind.

I screw my eyes shut, trying to forget what today entails. I've never met Dante's parents before, and meeting them along with the entire rest of his family? Uh oh.

"Are you awake?" The quiet question vibrates against my skin, and I shiver. Goosebumps spread from where his lips trace the shell of my ear, leaving a trail over my shoulders.

"Yes," I murmur, enjoying the warmth he provides as he rubs a hand over my exposed shoulder.

He shuffles over to the edge of the bed to retrieve his phone, accidentally shifting the blankets off me. I roll closer to him, snuggling back into his side. A rough chuckle escapes him, rumbling through his chest.

"It's almost nine am," Dante says, turning to face me. His dark eyes are calm; his hair unruly.

I groan, rubbing a hand over my face, before stretching and preparing to drag myself out of bed. Dante follows my lead, reluctance staining his expression as the cool morning air sneaks along his bare skin.

We work our way through the morning; Dante packs the cakes he made last night, whilst I make us a quick breakfast of coffee and cereals. And by half ten, we're out the door, on our way to Briana's flat to pick up Ady.

Silence surrounds us as we walk through the halls of our apartment block, and Dante smiles at me, lacing our fingers together.

Briana's flat is three floors down from mine, but the outside still looks exactly the same as every other apartment in this block; bright green front door, emblazoned with a golden number '11'.

Dante rings the door bell, his jaw clenching and his grip tightening on my hand. I know nothing I can say will soothe his frayed mind, so instead I try to reassure him that I am there, gently squeezing his hand.

Over the last few weeks, Briana has become even worse; yelling at Dante when he refuses to go on dates with her, setting her mother onto us as we walk down the hallways, accusing Dante of trying to stop her from seeing Ady - the list goes on.

The door swings open to reveal Ady's cheeky grin. She jumps straight into her dad's hug, and his muscles instantly relax.

"Daddy," she whines, as Dante loosens his grip and sets her down. "Hi, James!" She says, happily, wrapping me in a hug too.

Briana comes to the door behind Ady, a scowl staining her face. Her blonde-dyed hair is tied into a messy bun, with strands escaping to hang around her face. I would say she was pretty, if she wasn't glaring straight at me.

"You're picking her up early," Briana mutters. "I thought she was mine for the whole weekend?"

Dante sighs, "We agreed on this a month ago, Bri. I said I had something to do today, and needed to pick her up earlier."

"Sorry, my bad," she snarls, venom creeping into her words.

I slip my hand into Ady's, tugging gently so her attention switches away from her arguing parents.

"Did you have a good weekend?" I ask, crouching down.

"Yep," she smiles sweetly. "Mummy took me swimming, and then we baked cookies!"

"That sounds like fun!" I agree, glancing up at Briana. As horrible as she is to Dante, she is a good mum to Ady.

Dante looks at Ady and I. His eyes are filled with fire, but when he speaks, his voice is calm.

"Are you ready to go, sweetheart?" He asks Ady. She nods, slipping her hand out of mine to retrieve her bag from inside.

I straighten up, eyeing Briana. She doesn't say another word, but she hugs Ady before her daughter can escape, kissing her cheek.

"Have fun," she murmurs, ruffling her hair. Ady grins, taking her dad's hand.

It doesn't take long for us to reach the car, as Ady skips down the stairs, excited to see her grandparents. Luckily, they only live twenty minutes away, so the drive is relatively short as well.

Ady and I insist on singing along to Radio One as we drive, and despite Dante's scowl, I know he secretly enjoys it.

As we near their house, the nerves began to itch at my skin. I nibble on my lip, drumming my fingers on my leg. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Ady frowning at me, but she doesn't say anything.

Dante parks the car on their drive, and Ady wriggles in her seat, eager to play with her cousins and drink hot chocolate.

"Don't worry about it; everything's going to be okay," Dante tells me, kissing my cheek before getting out of the car to let Ady out.

I sigh, rubbing my hands across my face. Everything's going to be okay.

When we reach the front door, it becomes obvious how many people are here. Loud chatter emanates from the building, escaping through a few of the open windows. Italian mixes with English - some full sentences, some just the odd word.

Dante doesn't ring the doorbell, stepping inside with a grin growing on his lips. Ady is right beside him, tugging her shoes off and running straight into the house.

"Dante, tesoro!" A small woman comes bustling up to Dante, wrapping her arms around him.

"Mama," he smiles warmly, eagerly accepting her hug.

"Where is your bella?" She asks, glancing at me. Her smile lingers on her face, but is clouded by worry.

"I brought my- James, this week," Dante tells her, glancing at me.

I nod, rubbing at the back of my neck, "Hello, Mrs Angelo."

"Come in, come in." She grins, her face happy and carefree, as she guides us into the lounge.

I was right - it is filled with people. I recognise Enzo at the back of the room, sat beside another man and surrounded by children. Luca is in the curled into one of the sofas, his arms around a woman with dark skin and tightly curled hair.

Everybody is chatting away, some with one eye on the group of children messing around in the middle of the room, others completely oblivious to their playful games.

Dante's mum disappears, and Dante leads me over to sit on the sofa beside Luca and his partner.

Luca is already nursing a cup of hot chocolate, steam curling through a cloud of marshmallows and foam. The woman beside him laughs as he smears whipped cream over his nose. He scowls, and she presses a kiss to his cheek.

"Hi, Luca; hi, Blake." Dante greets them. Luca glances at us, his eyes widening in surprise when he sees me.

"No Briana this week, then?" Dante shakes his head, and a small, pleased smile grows on Luca's face.

"Is Luca being as much of a pain as he usually is?" Dante asks the woman curled into his brother. She laughs, her curly hair shifting as she turns, her gaze settling on Luca.

"You know Luca," she teases. Luca scowls, narrowing his eyes at her. "He's always a pain."

Dante chuckles, "That he is."

They engage in gentle conversation, as Dante asks her about her job - apparently she's a journalist, working in a travel magazine and exploring all over the world - and which countries she's planning on visiting next.

Dante's mum comes over, placing a cup of hot chocolate in my hands. I thank her with a smile, taking a sip of my hot chocolate. Normally I'm not a massive fan - it's either too sweet or too rich, for me - but this hot chocolate is good. There must be something in the de Angelo genes that makes everybody naturally good with food.

I can feel Luca's eyes on me, and I glance up.

"How's the hot chocolate?" His voice is careful, hesitant, and Dante pauses speaking to cast his brother a look.

"It's good. Usually, I'm not a big fan, but this is delicious," I comment. Dante whips around.

"You don't like hot chocolate?" His voice is incredulous, and Luca laughs loudly. I flush. "Your taste buds are so-" he cuts himself off, searching for the right word- "childlike, though."

"No, they're not!" I protest, swatting gently at his arm.

He raises an eyebrow at me, and Blake chuckles, "You're cute like this, Dante."

"Like what?" Luca frowns, his eyes following his girlfriend's line of sight.

"Happy," she explains, her gaze steady as she watches us.

"It's all because of this one." Dante grins, nuzzling into my hair, and kissing the side of my head.

My flush darkens, and I turn away from them, shifting my gaze over the rest of the room.

Ady is playing a game with the man beside Enzo, whilst Enzo watches them with a soft smile. She giggles as she wins, and the man scowls playfully.

Dante and Blake resume chatting, leaving Luca and I to drink our hot chocolate in peace. Within a short while, Dante's mum returns with a hot chocolate for Dante and Ady, and biscuits for everybody.

She sets them down on the coffee table, before settling into a chair next to an older man, - Dante's father? - her lips forming words I cannot hear. He is pale, his eyes bloodshot; the skin around them darkened. He barely moves as I watch him, but she laces her hand with his, and his eyes soften.

All of a sudden, there is a noise of a car pulling up on the drive. Dante's mum frowns, her eyes drifting around the room, numbers forming on her lips.

She meets Dante's eyes, and his muscles tense.

"Everything okay?" Luca asks, watching the exchange between his brother and his mother.

"Everybody is here," Blake answers for Dante, her gaze watchful.

Dante makes a move to stand up, but the door is already slamming open. The room falls silent as we take in the woman at the door. Ady's eyes widen, and I catch Enzo wrapping her hand in his.

"Hello, everybody; lovely to see you all," Briana greets the room, before her eyes fix on Dante. "Why wasn't I invited?"

Dante flinches, and opens his mouth to apologize. She cuts him off.

"We've always come to your family gatherings together, and now you decide to bring one of your sleeping buddies?" She glares at me, and my fists clench.

"He's not one of-"

"Yes, he is." Again, she cuts him off, gesturing at me. "Look at him – he's practically a child; he breaks down when anybody speaks to him. He can't support you!" I breathe through my nose, forcing myself to look away from her. Enzo meets my eyes, his expression gentle. Don't listen to her, he mouths.

"I don't care if he can 'support' me or not!" Dante shouts, frustration echoing in his voice. Ady flinches, shuffling closer to Enzo. He rubs a soothing hand over her shoulders.

"What do you mean?" She looks genuinely confused, and for a moment, I feel sorry for her.

"I'm in love with him," he admits, his words quiet. My gaze darts to his face, examining the honesty there.

"Speak up, Dante. You know what we've said about muttering," she scowls, her tone condescending. The back of my neck flushes with anger, and I grit my teeth.

"I said, I'm in love with him," he repeats, louder this time. Dante's mum smiles, despite the chaos being wreaked by his ex-girlfriend.

"But you're supposed to be with me," she says, disbelief clouding her voice. Her words are quieter, calmer, and Dante stands up to lead her from the room.

As he nears her, she backs away from him, retreating out the door. But then-

"Ady, darling, are you coming?" Ady stiffens, unwilling to follow her mother. She looks to me, her eyes frantic.

"Bri-"

"It was my weekend, Dante. If you aren't going to let me stay, at least let Ady come home with me," she asks, her eyes filled with faux-innocence.

He weakens, ready to give in, and a small tear slips down Ady's cheek. I get up, moving to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Dante. He frowns at me, and I give him my best attempt at a smile, before turning to Briana.

"You need to leave," I say, stepping forward.

Her eyes narrow, "This isn't your house. You can't tell me to leave."

Suddenly, I feel two people standing behind me, and somebody's hand rests on my shoulder.

"Briana, ma bella, do you want to talk outside?" Dante's mum asks, her familiar smile gracing her face.

Dante sags, leaning onto my shoulder. I slide an arm around his waist, holding him up.

Reluctantly, and with a last glare towards me, Briana stalks outside.

"You didn't have to do that," Dante murmurs.

"Yes, I did." He startles at the volume of my voice. "I don't care if she saved you, she does not get to push you around!" I tell him, my words firm.

Enzo chuckles from behind me. "I like this one," he tells Dante.

"I told you he was feisty," Luca agrees, only to be a shot a glare by Dante.

A small hand slips into mine, and I look down to see Ady.

"I don't want to go with her," she says, her cheeks wet.

"I know," I reassure her. "It's okay. Your daddy won't let her take you if you don't want to go."

Dante kneels down beside her, wrapping her in a hug. Concern stains his face, but at least they're both okay. I take the opportunity to turn to Enzo, eyeing the ring encircling his finger.

"Why do you, Luca and Dante have matching rings?" I murmur, my words quiet.

He watches me for a second, before explaining, "They were Luca's idea. We fell out with Dante when he was struggling, and..." he hesitates. "We wanted to remind Dante that we were still brothers, even though we disagreed. We didn't want him to rely on Briana," he makes a face.

I nod, my eyes tracing over Ady and Dante.

"I hope you stay together," Enzo tells me. "I think you're good for each other. Make each other happy."

"Thank you." A smile grows on my lips as I watch them. "I hope we do, too."

Only time will tell if moving here was a good idea, but things certainly look promising.