ELIANO #14
So, I roll him onto his back, not breaking the kiss, and reach for his pants. With one flick, I undo the belt and push the jeans down his legs, revealing the pale skin of his thighs and his shaved groin. I tug his shirt higher, toward his chest, and lean in to graze my lips over his left nipple.
I suck gently, and there’s a subtle, sweet tang on my tongue, milk, just a hint of it, like a promise of something new blooming inside him, new life.
Salt trembles under my touch, his breathing quickening, but he doesn’t pull away.
He arches slightly, offering more, begging for more with that languid, wordless movement.
"Take me, I need this," Salt murmurs, his head tilting back, presenting his neck to me, with the double scar on both of his glands. I wear them too now, and proudly.
Not wanting to prolong this, I part his legs with my knees, settling comfortably between them as he pulls them up, offering me his body.
My cock, already hard and ready, rubs slowly against his entrance, teasing it a little.
He’s slick already, and I slide into him real slow, inch by inch, feeling his tight walls grip me.
I pause for a second to look into his eyes.
His pupils are dilated, the flush on his cheeks rosy.
"You feel mine…" I mutter.
"I am yours."
"And I am yours."
Then we kiss again, deep, while I start moving my hips. Long, drawn-out thrusts, each one pulling us further into this rhythm, with pauses for more lazy kisses.
Salt gasps softly beneath me, with my every thrust, his whole body rippling with every motion, and nonsense words tumble from his lips, "Eliano… yeah… more…" slurred in bliss, like he’s losing hold of his tongue.
He gives in completely, arms wrapping around my neck, pulling me closer, and I sense his energy building, pulsing around me.
We don’t hurry, but the pressure stacks up layer by layer, every push intensifying the primal rhythm between us, the smooth sway of my hips.
Pleasure is teasing me like a spark, rising at the head of my cock and spreading slowly, sweetly. It travels up the length of me, pulsing with every squeeze of his walls, then radiating into my core, climbing my spine in leisurely waves that make my back arch just a fraction.
Salt’s eyes flutter half-shut, his fingers digging into my shoulders, and I slow even more, pulling out almost all the way before sliding back in, savoring the drag, the way he opens for me even more, then wraps me tightly again.
"Not yet," I whisper against his ear, nipping the lobe, playing with his earrings with my tongue, because rushing would steal this from us, this endless stretch of tender time under the open sky.
He whimpers, a soft sound lost in the rustle of grass, as I pause, hips flush against his, my hand sliding down to cup his ass, steadying the little, impatient jerks of his body, begging me to hurry up.
The world narrows to the heat of him around me, the scent of vanilla mixed with earth and sweat.
I start to thrust again, feeling his body yield and grip in turns, the pleasure boiling in him too.
And then, there’s no stopping anymore, the bliss spikes, the ecstasy rolls, as we both come at the same time, moaning, groaning.
He clenches hard, his cum shooting across his stomach between us, and I spill deep inside him, waves of heat turning us into puddles of bliss.
"è accussì piacièvuli… ah, accussì piacièvuli, maravigghiusu… t’amu." (It feels so good… ah, so good, wonderful… I love you.)
Salt arches, grunts, his nails scratching my back, as I let him ride his climax, loving the sight of him, deep in abandonment.
Then I stay connected for a beat before I pull out and settle next to him, pressed against his side.
As if drawn by a magnet, my hand returns to his belly, tracing slowly over that barely-there curve, feeling the powerful vibrations of the life growing there under my fingers.
"Our son."
Salt blushes a little, his cheeks warming like sunrise, but his eyes meet mine with a small smile, intimate, full of that shy joy.
"I will love him, Salt."
"I know."
We just look at each other like that, no words, only that grin spreading between us like a soft wind over the sunny ocean.
◆◆◆
That evening, when a beta brings us dinner, Salt unexpectedly turns on the dusty television sitting in the corner of the room.
As I carry this low-key buzz inside me, I welcome the distraction with a sense of relief.
I have never owned a TV and never really watched television, preferring to have more control over my entertainment instead of passively consuming whatever is served.
Still, staring at moving images feels like a strange kind of mental rest in our situation, where we are essentially just waiting for the hand of fate. These moments work like a small shutdown of the brain.
A moment later, the local news comes on.
And suddenly I see the name Ferro scrolling across the breaking news ticker at the bottom of the screen. The sight of those familiar letters sends a jolt through me, like a mild electric shock.
The anchor, a beta, looks straight into the camera and says, "Breaking news.
Today, a mysterious event involving a member of the Ferro family has occurred.
This well known, wealthy family, long suspected of involvement in numerous semi legal businesses, has suffered a major blow.
Its newly appointed boss, Rocco Ferro, was found dismembered in one of the Ferro warehouses along the coast."
I try to say something, but instead I start coughing, choking on a piece of baguette.
Salt pats my back.
The second reporter in the studio, a young omega, speaks up.
"The Ferro family has been having a rough time lately. Just three months ago, the previous boss, Anzo, was sent to prison, and now his nephew, Rocco Ferro, considered a dangerous successor with a reputation for recklessness, has lost his life in very gruesome circumstances. Something strange is happening within the Ferro family. Is it time for a change in leadership? Perhaps there’s a more suitable candidate? "
I keep coughing violently.
The other reporter responds with a sly grin. "So, who’s brave or foolish enough to take the ‘throne of certain doom’ next?"
"Fuck," I blurt out, finally able to take a breath. "Fuck! Did Ennio do it that quickly?"
"There appear to be two potential candidates," the beta reporter continues. "Both are nephews of Anzo Ferro, Ennio Ferro and Luca Ferro. Two other brothers fled the fortress several months ago in the chaos that erupted during Anzo’s downfall, and their whereabouts remain unknown."
The omega spreads his hands. "My bet is on Ennio. That would be something, the first omega boss, and honestly, I think everyone would welcome the change in energy. We should keep our fingers crossed it’s him.
He’s said to be more of a businessman than a mobster, and the Ferros could really use a new face and some damage control for their shady reputation. "
They talk for a while longer, trading lightly sarcastic remarks about my family on air. Under Rocco’s rule, our business certainly did not grow stronger, and the anchors clearly sense that they can afford this tone now that the Ferros have taken yet another hit.
Because of some weird, hard-to-explain loyalty, I feel kind of annoyed at how they treat my family, and I’m mad at Rocco too for giving people a reason to look down on us, but I shake it off fast, since I’m not really part of them anymore.
Right…?
After one last cough, I clear my throat. For a good minute, I just sit there and stare, and Salt sits beside me, glancing at the screen as well.
"Has it finally ended, Salt? Or is it a dream?"
Salt clenches his teeth. "Honestly… I might be dreaming too. This feels like some kind of miracle."
"Miracle? I was hoping for it so badly. But, please. Repeat it to me like I’m slow. Is Rocco really dead?" I mumble in disbelief.
"I think… yes?" He shrugs helplessly.
"That would be…wow. Libertà, finalmenti! (Freedom, at last!) But I cannot let myself believe it just yet. I need to hear it from Ennio or Luca."
We keep watching the screen.
The reporters show short clips of Rocco at a recent banquet, talking with the city’s mayor.
They present a brief history of my family and repeatedly express hope that Ennio will inherit the position, and also debate whether the Russians, seeing the turmoil within the Ferro family, might try to make a move on its territories.
I listen to all of it in the same dazed state I fell into after speaking with Rocco earlier.
Back then, it was shock tied to events that could have ended our lives. Now it is shock tied to my psycho brother’s death.
I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around it. It hasn’t really hit me yet, as if I’m dreaming, and I even discreetly pinch my forearm because it honestly feels like a fairy tale.
So I keep staring at the screen.
Eventually my eyes start to hurt from the tension, my neck muscles go numb, emotions boiling inside me.
"I have to call. I just have to."
I jump to my feet.
Salt rushes after me.
We head to the call room.
Unfortunately, no staff member is on duty at the moment. But the computer used for calls is still on, unattended.
"Maybe we can make this work somehow," Salt murmurs, scrolling through the recently used applications. "Looks like it’s a system that routes calls to regular phones. Let’s try."
He launches the program.
I quickly type in Ennio’s number and choose audio only, no video.
He answers after ten rings.
"It’s me, Eliano…"
"Sorry, Eliano, I’m a bit busy right now."
"Just tell me one thing. Is it true? Is he really gone, or is this some kind of setup?" I blurt out.
"It’s true. I have to go. We’ll talk later."
"Wait. Ennio, hai u me’ rispettu. Mi mettu sutta a to’ cumannu. Di oggi giuru fedeltà a tia." (Ennio, you have my respect. I place myself under your command. From today, I swear fealty to you.)
"U to’ giuramentu di lealtà è accittatu." (Your pledge of loyalty is accepted.)
The line goes dead.
I push myself away from the table, letting out a deep breath.
Salt stands next to me, staring uncertainly.
I burst out laughing, almost wild, grab him, lift him off the ground, and spin him around with a wide grin.
"Call me a monster, but this might be the best day of my life, fuck! The fear is over, Salt. Do you understand? I don’t have to leave you to kill him, and we won’t have to run anymore. Ennio will be the new capo, or Luca, I don’t know, but neither of them will want me dead. We’re solid."
Salt laughs too, letting out little squeaks as I keep spinning him. Then he suddenly leans in, grabs my face with both hands, and kisses me hard and deep.
"Call it whatever you want, intuition maybe, but for some reason I just felt that a breakthrough was coming. For us. The era of peace! That’s probably why I couldn’t fully panic these past few days. I’ve been walking around with this strange certainty that everything would be okay."
I set him back on the floor.
"And you were right! It will be. It’s all over, all that damn fear. And my accounts? Ennio will give them back, I’m sure of it. We won’t need a loan from Blue. We’ll be able to buy one of those houses and live in that Follow-Up village."
Salt exhales sharply. I see huge relief and joy on his face, so strong that he presses his hands to his flushed cheeks.
"You know what the best part is? I didn’t want to tell you before, not to put pressure on you, but Senu’s house is only ten minutes away by car from that village. Do you get it? That close! I was quietly hoping for this miracle, and it actually has happened."
I notice two tears on his face. I quickly wipe them away, but soon more follow, so I kiss those away too and pull him close.
"Amuri miu, dai…" (C'mon, my love...)
I realize that even though he said he wasn’t that worried, this is a huge relief for him too. The knowledge that our future might suddenly become simply good, safe, and normal for our growing family is a big deal.
"I adore you, Salt. It was killing me that I couldn’t give you a safe life. But fate finally said enough with kicking me in the ass."
"True. Fate’s finally done beating the shit out of us."
We burst out laughing together, grinning like idiots, jumping and dancing in that tiny room.
My twenty-first birthday is a few days away, and I cannot imagine a better birthday gift.
Freedom. Safety. Love.
At last.