26. Antonio
Antonio
Lucky was sitting with his legs in the pool when Antonio came downstairs. He could hear the soft conversation as Lucky spoke into his phone, Teague’s deep voice filtering through. It was early, a rare grey morning with thick clouds threatening afternoon thunderstorms.
He busied himself with coffee. Two cups, matching ceramic mugs with marbled glaze like ocean spray.
Milk, sugar, a dash of cinnamon, it felt like the kind of day that needed spice to warm the heart.
All the stress of yesterday lingered in the cloying scent of smoke and the tightness in his throat when he swallowed. The hot beverage helped.
Antonio braced a hip against the counter, watching Lucky from his view of the pool. His curls were puffed up around his shoulders, messy from sleep. He was wearing one of Antonio’s shirts.
Waves of longing crashed over his head.
He wanted this every day. He wanted to wake up to Lucky existing in his house, wearing his clothes, sharing his life.
Foolish thoughts rolled around in his brain. Thoughts that put even their constant assurance that fast fit them to the test. Thoughts that involved rings. Antonio rubbed a hand over his face, willing his heart to settle down before he did something stupid.
Lucky ended the call with a soft goodbye, placing the phone face down on the stone edge of the pool. That was enough of a signal for Antonio to make his presence known.
He padded out to the pool, feeling the sticky humidity settle onto his skin. “Coffee?”
Lucky’s shoulders stiffed for a moment before his head lolled back to look at him.
He held his hands up, accepting the mug carefully.
Antonio put his own down on the stone before joining the omega in dangling his legs in the pool.
Lucky held his mug with two hands, staring out beyond the back yard and out over the cliffs the district was named after towards the endless ocean. She’s dark and moody as the sky.
Antonio just sat there for a moment because words felt like a precious commodity he must ration. Or maybe it’s the moment that feels fragile and priceless in a way he couldn’t afford.
“They are giving us first dibs on the land at the base evaluation price.” Lucky murmured into the edge of the mug, closing his eyes as he took a long drink. Antonio swallowed slowly, letting the coffee sear his tongue just to give himself a moment.
“How much?” Because moments and words might not have an actual monetary value, but land does.
“1.2 million.” The number is hardly a whisper, like the taste of it is bitter.
He holds the mug so tightly, Antonio thought the handle might snap.
“We can’t afford it. They know that. It’s a gesture of good will but it’s not enough…
it was never going to be enough. A symbolic gesture, a month to try and raise funds for an amount they know we can’t reach.
For what? To stop everyone from being so angry? ”
He absorbed the words and the accusations that linger in the sticky, suffocating humidity.
“When I joined the SAR team, there were only four other volunteers besides Mateo and I. Two of them were older women who founded the team because they had lost children in the horrific floods from years past and no one was around back then to even pretend to help. Not in an organized way. But we had no funding.” Antonio looked at his reflection in the water pool.
“I always wondered how the SAR unit grew…” Lucky took the topic change for what it was, shoulders slumped like he was anticipating a pep talk he knew would go nowhere.
“This is my childhood home, I think I mentioned… Though renovated and updated.” Antonio gestured behind him, “My mother comes from a wealthy family. Old money in Spain. When my grandfather realized I would not be coming to her home country, and when he learned I had found a project to dedicate myself to, he granted me a significant sum of money. If the island couldn’t afford to finance the SAR team, and if money was truly the thing holding us back… I knew what to do.”
He squeezed Lucky’s shoulder, “And I know what to do now.”
“What…?” Lucky’s brow furrowed before his jaw went slack, “You can’t possibly…”
“It’ll put a hole in the budget, but I have some ideas for refilling that. I’d like to make a donation to the Marine Center, if your father won’t mind?”
Those bright blue eyes he adored go misty with tears. He barely had time to set his mug aside before Lucky threw himself into his arms. Lucky doesn’t ask if he meant it, doesn’t even bother pretending not to want this gift.
“Thank you.”
A flurry of things happened after Antonio’s suggestion.
He had to call the trust, his mother, and Mateo.
The latter simply because they were joint partners in the SAR team and moving this amount of money out of the budget needed to be done with his friend’s consent.
He was immediately laughed at by Mateo and told to do “Whatever your little rich boy heart desires, we’ll fill the hole down the road.
It’s not like you’re draining the account. ”
Half was still a big number…
The reassurance helped. He felt a little less crazy speaking to Mateo about it. His friend would have told him if the plan was stupid.
From there, it was easy. He gave authorization to move the funds, and it would take a little time to transfer but there wasn’t anything else to do. A simple fix for a solution that had haunted them every step of the way… Antonio felt awkward accepting Teague’s thank you call.
“I didn’t do it for the gratitude I just…” He stumbled over his words, speaking to the man he admired yet realizing he didn’t do it simply because he cared about the island or the turtles or even the guilt of Lyrica Beach.
“You did it for Lucky. That’s as good a reason as any.” Teague’s voice was warm.
“I don’t want him to feel pressured, this isn’t anything other than a gift.” Antonio let the words tumble out in a rush.
For his efforts, he got a hearty laugh from the other end of the call, “I think he’ll just see it as proof that he picked someone with the same values as him. And someone who sees his work—his passion—as something important. Don’t think so hard, just be proud of yourself.”
It took several seconds of swallowing to work out a “Thank you” before he ended the call.
Antonio found Lucky in his bedroom, which was quickly becoming their bedroom from the drawer of Lucky’s things and the toiletries in the bathroom.
He stopped in the doorway to appreciate the scene.
Lucky was pulling up his swim bottoms, the curve of his ass so beautifully on display it made his mouth water.
“Done with your calls?” Lucky asked, lips curling in an amused smile as he caught Antonio’s eyes in the mirror.
“Yeah… yeah.” He cleared his throat, “Everything is set. The money will clear in a few days and then Teague will handle the rest.”
“Feels almost too simple.” Lucky gave a small laugh, shaking his head. He changed out of his t-shirt into his tankini.
“Going for a swim?” It still looked like it was going to rain.
“Thought I should put the pool to use, move my body in some way. You just changed the game by dropping a bunch of money and I feel…” Lucky shook out his hands like he was trying to shake off a feeling.
Then he cleared the room to bury his face in Antonio’s chest. Antonio wrapped his arms around Lucky.
“It’s overwhelming, right? All that stress and we get away with writing a check… Feels anticlimactic.” He was rewarded with a huffed almost-laugh.
“Come swim with me?” Lucky tilted his head up, like Antonio could ever say no.
By the time they were both changed and outside, the sky was heavy and dark.
He could taste the rain in the air, but Lucky looked utterly unbothered.
The omega dove into the deep end with ease, swimming like a fish beneath the wobbling surface.
Antonio eased himself in, laughing as Lucky breached the water with a splash that sent droplets into his face.
Two seconds later, the sky opened up and rain fell in fat droplets. Lucky’s laughter was bright, sparkling over the hiss of rain as he tipped his head back. Antonio’s hands found Lucky’s waist.
“You remind me that every part of this island is perfect!” He raised his voice over the pounding rain, laughing heartily when Lucky threw his arms around his neck.
“It’s Paradise!” Lucky sank fingers into his hair, pulling him down. It was a release. The rain, the water, Lucky’s lips on his. Everything slotted into place, washing away all the worry and replacing it with bright relief.
This kiss tasted like winning.
Three weeks after Antonio cut the check, the council insisted on a symbolic show of handing over the land ownership documents to the Marine Center.
Lucky asked him to be there. Teague went all out, inviting local reporters, doing a photo op, and even giving all the council members enamel turtle pins.
It was every bit the victory lap it should be.
“And none of this would be possible without Captain Antonio Saavedra.” Lucky spoke into the mic, clapping his hands as Antonio was all but shoved to the front by Jack.
“Really not true.” Antonio laughed, ducking his head.
Lucky gestured to the mic encouragingly, “Please, say a few words, you’ve earned the podium.”
Most of him wanted to shy away. He still didn’t enjoy speaking to large groups or accepting praise for things he felt were a responsibility…
“I don’t think I’m the one deserving of praise, not where it really counts.
” He squeezed Lucky’s hand before the omega could interrupt, forcing himself to face the crowd.
“But, while I have the mic, I do actually have some thoughts.” Antonio tried to organize the lines in his head.
“In the years since my father’s corruption was brought to light, there is no denying the success of the resorts in Lyrica Beach.
That doesn’t mean we have to approve the methods.
In the long run, our island’s future is something that should be stewarded by the will of our sailors – our people.
I was a child when everything happened, but I carried guilt over the loss of those beaches as if it were my own burden to bear.
When the chance came to save Playa del Tesoro, it was a very easy one to make. ”
He looked at Lucky, at Teague, and then out and the people gathered for the ceremony. There were new friends, SAR members, and Mateo all gathered, all clapping.
“Paradise is home to a diverse group of people, animals, and plants. I think she’s at her most beautiful when we all work together.
I want to continue protecting her, and I hope everyone on the island continues to think of new ways to make Paradise prosper.
” Antonio pulled Lucky into a hug that quickly turned into a group effort as the Wilde family swarmed him.
This was everything he ever wanted and more.