hoş geldiniz

Ulani looked down at Tom lovingly before turning her attention back to Aria and grimacing, pretending she wasn’t glad to see her friend. “Yeah, it’s my day off, so I figured we both could use some sun,” she said with a shrug as she patted him on the head and put him off his leash so he could run around. “I’ve been… okay. Uh, trying to get back to the dating scene I guess.”

Aria nodded her head as Ulani mentioned the dating life. When Ulani and Aria were just becoming friends, she definitely wasn’t entangled in the love life she had now. They both had their priorities and at that point in her life, she hadn’t met Santino yet. “Oh, yeah? I’m glad to hear you’re okay but... the dating scene? What’s it like now these days?” She asked her. Aria’s dating life was complicated but it was meant to be. She had chosen the reality she was living in and she didn’t mind it. She was glad to found someone like Santino. 

he’s always thought of something more . he’s always wanted what was best for the people that he loved but once he chose this lifestyle it was a bit hard. it was hard to tell her everything when he knew very well that if he told her everything that would put her in more danger than anything else but gwen was a whole different story , gwen was someone that meant so much to him in the past and seeing her in the future was sure to result in some complications and feelings he didn’t how to deal with .

hearing her inquiry he shakes his head ❛ amore mio, sai che non è così. ❜ he confesses with a small smile on his lips as he fills her glass wine ❛ sono un libro aperto con te, cosa vuoi sapere? ❜ he says sliding the knife down the steak and taking a big bite into it . ❛ and as for business , I rather do it here . it’s an old crime family coming from sicilly . they just want to know how I’m handling business all the way from here still , that’s all . ❜

She looked down at the glass as it filled with the crimson red liquid and it lifted her spirits. After long days, all she looked forward to was having dinner with her boyfriend and the relief of what grapes gave her. She was grateful to be in a good point in her life where she could lay back and relax after a long day. It wasn’t always like that for Aria. Her father being a single father while trying to become a highly appreciated scientist in Turkey gave them some hardships. She always had to maintain her composure for her father’s sanity but also her little sisters. They were all dependent on each other but luckily, Aria did well under pressure. 

She grabbed the wine glass again and brought it to her lips as she took a swig. "Beh, chi è lei? Com'è? Cosa sa che non lo so?" she teased him, winking at him. She was genuinely interested in this old friend of his. She put down her glass and rolled her eyes slightly at him, putting her leg over his knees and sighed. “Fine, but, you know how I feel about it, Santi,” she reminded him. She truly hated their lifestyles merging like this. Not because of what they were but because of their own reputations they held. They were both important figures in their lifestyles and they respected that about each other. “Tatile gitmeliyiz, aşkım,” she said. 

“Not all darling, just yours.” Max smirked, his eyes once again scanning over her fine physique. A cheeky laugh left his lips as she compared him to Santino, and he leaned in to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “I don’t think I can grow but I have size in other places that may satisfy you?” He replied mischievously. “You’d love to be my wife.”

Aria smiled up at him as he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Usually, she would feel the instant need to make a man crawl on his knees for her but she felt no harm when it came to Max. They had known each other enough to be comfortable around and she truly did appreciate his efforts and honesty towards her. “How about we save some Max for the rest of these ladies?” she said back and grabbed his arm. “How have you been?” she asked him. 

Harrison nodded in understanding. “Likewise, Dr. Kaplan. Going on walks in the morning has been my exercise now. Tiring, but I’ve got to keep myself motivated,” he answered. “What are you gonna do with those soils? I’m assuming not for decoration purposes?” 

She grinned, looking at her opposite. She always appreciated Harrison. He was a man of goals and she liked witnessing someone achieve their goals. She always wanted a victory for everyone. She shook her head, holding up the small tubes of soil, “I’m here trying to understand the soil resources as they contribute to not only agricultural production, but also their effect on environmental quality and how they are managed for protection of human health and the environment,” she explained with a small shrug. “I guess the education attribution always pops up in every setting,” she said with a small chuckle. 

Aria looked around at her office, staring at the clock absent-mindedly when her phone began to ring. As she turned around, a knock at her door echoed and her assistant came in with folders and papers basically spewing at the seams. “Headmaster Kaplan, they sent over all the files from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. I’m sorry for such late notice but they said you have until tomorrow to come back with thoughts,” her assistant said in a worried tone. Aria looked down at the stack and shook her head, letting out a large exhale and nodded. “You got it, push back my schedule tomorrow and I will stay up all night seeing what our competitors have to offer,” she said and gave her a smile. Her assistant nodded, leaving the area and Aria went to check her phone, marking her time to go but also missed calls from Hayden. What could this be about? 

Pushing the call back button, she compiled her things and made her way out of the university. “You rang?” She said on the other line. “What’s wrong?”

Aria loved getting to indulge in her research. She had been spending a lot of time at Mt. Olympus Park but she always enjoyed a change of scenery. This meant so many new results and hypothesis for her to test out. Buttoning up the other side of her overalls, she knocked on the door of her destination waiting to meet the owner of her new location. She even had brought a new plant to meet the stranger with. Aria was one about leaving impressions. Looking at the stranger before her, she smiled wide and put her hand out, “Dr. Aria Kaplan, a pleasure to meet you,” she said. 

gwen was more than just a friend . she was family . she was the last memory that he had of his mom and she was part of the life before the craziness and all, it was hard to describe his feelings for her but it was different and what he felt for aria was a whole different feeling. aria was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with but it was all too much at once and he wanted to move on from this topic.

❛ um I don’t think you know her, principessa.❜  he hums as he places another piece of steak into his mouth and washes it out with the wine. he knew that she wasn’t going to drop it, once something peaked her interest, she was like a bone with a dog, trying to bury a bone. ❛  well you had quite of a busy day didn’t you ? ❜  he comments with a small smile on his lips as he looks at the brunette before him. ❛ I saw mad today , he had a lot to say about you . ❜ he lets a chuckle escape his lips as he shakes his head biting down into the asparagus on his plat ❛

I’ll be here tomorrow the whole day . I have some business to take care, so if you can be out most of the day it would be great . ❜ he didn’t like it when he handled his stuff and she was here, her being here wasn’t something that he enjoyed. ❛ sai che non mi piace quando sei qui, meno le persone che faccio affari conoscono te meglio è. ❜ it was one least person that he had to worry about putting in danger

Aria’s eyebrows furrowed as he brushes off her question. Now she really was going to poke him for an answer. Whenever Santino avoided her questions, there was a meaning and the only way to get it out of his thoughts was by pestering him. Not many could get away with it but Aria did. She didn’t care about his reputation and what he came from– she just viewed him as her soul mate.  She put a piece of broccoli in her mouth and her eyes drew to his lips as he spoke to her. Another thing she didn’t like was when he brought his business into their home. She had a reputation to uphold around the island and the last thing she needed was people tp ve whispering around her. She didn’t like it when her name was being tossed around without her permission. 

She grabbed the wine glass by its stem and finished her glass. "Non mi parlerai di lei?,” she questioned him, pushing the glass by its bottom indicating him for a refill. “Do you have to meet here tomorrow? You know how I feel about our house being used for i tuoi affari, aşkım” she said to him. 

Ava was sitting upside down on her sofa, head hanging off the edge, legs over the back all while she read a book. This was pretty normal for the therapist, she could never get comfortable reading and ended up in odd positions. She was just finishing a sentence when her phone rang, its flash almost blinding her and she dropped her book. She cursed as it fell closed; she’d have to find her page again after the call. Reaching out she snapped up her phone and saw Aria’s name and frowned, it was date night. Why the hell was she getting a call. “Ari?” she said as she answered, “Whoa whoa whats going on?”

Aria huffed as she slouched on the couch, she hated hearing the dial tone. She didn’t like waiting during urgent moments. She needed some sort of comfort now. Bouncing up off the couch as she heard the female’s voice on the other line, she exhaled and let her body land against a wall. “Oh, thank god!” She exclaimed as Ava questioned here. “Ava, he’s not here tonight. This is the first date night he’s purposely missed!” she yelled through the phone. “Also, how are you? Are you okay? It’s Aria. Hello,”

Wes was just leaving Supernova, Nova still inside locking up – and like always he waited for her to get into her car and drive off before he actually left the premises for the night. So he was leaning on the door of the winery humming a tune to himself as he watched Nova’s car, she always came out the back door and if he didn’t watch closely he didn’t always see her get in. It was the one location people could find him at 10pm at night. He would always make sure Nova was on her way. So when he heard another voice from nearby say his name his eyes snapped over and a smile appeared. “Aria.” he said, “My lovely, how are you?” he asked holding his arms out wide to bring her into a hug. 

Aria grinned as he widened his arms for her. She slowly made her way into his arms when she stopped herself, grabbing onto his hands instead. She rubbed his knuckles, looking down at their feet and looked back up at him. “I’m ok. I could be better. I’m here to talk to you,” she said, licking her lips. “Did I catch you in the middle of something?” She said, looking around. She was mindful of people’s time and didn’t want to intrude when least needed. 

“Yeah, you’re right. You were always a weird one,” she said with a laugh as she looked around before letting Tom off his leash to play. “I was just making sure Tom and I got some exercise and sunlight, I guess. How have you been?”

Aria shook her head and smiled down at Tom. She hadn’t seen Ulani in a while and she was delighted to see the sight of her, “Well, Tom looks like he’s soaking it all up. It’s been a couple beautiful days in Icaria,” she exclaimed, looking up at the sky in happiness. “I’ve been good. I’m back good, for now at least. How about you?” 

he leans down and kisses her tenderly on the lips. the height difference was a big difference and yet he lets his lips longer a little bit longer than usual and he pulls away as he watches her pull away and scroll through her phone ordering what they were going to order. he makes his way to their bedroom, changing into some sweats and a long sleeve he makes his way down the stairs ❛ it smells delicious ❜  he confesses as he joins her at the table and awaits the food as she serves him.

he grabbed the fork and knife and began to cut into the steak . taking a bite of the steak that was almost bleeding red , it baffled him how well she knew him and how he liked things . ❛ niente molto, principessa. ❜  he muses to her as he takes a sip of the wine ❛  I passed by the tattoo shop . the guy has some real nice things and I might have a new venture for some business which is good . ❜  he confessed and he didn’t know if he should tell her about gwen but he does it anyways.

❛ I also met someone that I used to know back home. a childhood friend . ma a parte questo nient'altro, che mi dici di te.  cosa hai fatto amore mio? ❜  holding that she wouldn’t ask about gwen anymore.

She nodded her head, listening to him. Sliding her knife into her salmon, her ears perked up about his childhood friend. She knew Santino extremely well after being by his side for the past six years, even when they both got busy, they always remained in communication. She was interested to hear more about someone from his past, especially from Italy. Santino was fairly new to the island, and Aria had been on and off of it since she was a child. She was surprised he ran into a familiar friend. 

“O si? Chi è l'amico d'infanzia?“ she questioned him, picking up her glass of wine. He seemed to want to move past the subject but she was genuinely interested, something she always would be towards anything in her life. She viewed life as a constant hypothesis, always needing an answer. 

“Me? I had to do budget and funding meetings for the University. We’ve been getting a good amount of enrollment for the next school year, and then I want to Mt. Olympus to continue my research on the soil in that area when it rains, which it has been a lot in Icaria,” she caught herself rambling and shook her head. “But– that’s it. Nothing too crazy,” she said, putting her hand on his leg as a form of comfort. 

See, this was a good day for a walk in the park with Tom, finally meeting up with a close friend to catch up. After the whole Minotaur debacle, she was glad to have more free time to herself, the gods knew Tom appreciated more of the attention. She had not been prepared to see said close friend on all fours, scrambling with vegetation and soil. “I’m just going to pretend I have no idea who you are and walk the other way.”

Aria shook her head, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. She pushed herself off the ground and dusted off her body. “Hey, don’t act like this is out of character,” she said, cocking her head. “What are you doing around here?”

MOODBOARD:  Aria + Santi (@ofbloodmoney)

Harrison chuckled and smirked at the woman. He adjusted his weight and his crutches to face her. “Well, it’s kind of hard to ignore a beautiful woman kneeling in front of me, Headmaster. That’s what I call you now, right? Or can I still call you Aria?” 

She laughed and pushed her hair out of her face, smiling at her opposite. She nodded, giving him a salute. “Headmaster works, or, Dr. Kaplan in this setting,” she corrected him. “It’s nice to see you, Harrison!” She said, lifting herself off the ground. “I would give you a hug but I’m covered in dirt but hey, it’s been a while. What have you been getting yourself into these days?”

he enjoyed when they had conversations like these. he wasn’t one to open so quickly and yet here they were, even if they argued this is how they would end their night most of the time. he’s had to accommodate his life to the people in it . he’s never known how hard it is to make a relationship work because he’s never had to try , he’s never wanted more with anyone , he’s not wanted to me more until she showed up in his life and made a whole mess of it. ❛  my drunk talking ? ❜  he can’t help but let a small smirk paint his features as he links his hands with hers ❛ sei la cosa più bella che abbia mai visto in vita mia ❜  

❛ I don’t want to seem like a child asking for validation . I don’t need reassurance that he’s better because ——— clearly he isn’t . I mean look at me . ❜  he teases her gently as his thumb runs across her lips and he admires the beauty that she is . ❛ e ti amo fino a quando il mondo non si sgretola intorno a noi e anche nell'aldilà ❜  he lets his finger caress her face and he’s never liked to talk about his lifestyle with her because it’s not her to deal with but just himself . ❛ nothing that you have to worry about, baby girl . ❜  he reassures her and lets his lips crash against her softly once again.

he nods his has as she warned him not miss date nate and he lets his fingers dig into her hair . kissing the top of her head ❛ I promise you . ❜  he reassures her with a kiss to her lips and nods once she offers to start date night a new and he simply nods his head ❛ I would really love that, come here . ❜  he says as he stands up and grabs her so that he is towering over her ❛ thank you for being so understanding ——- thank you for being the only person who has kept me sane all these years  ——— l'unica persona con cui voglio passare il resto della mia vita  ❜

She wrapped her hands around his waist, looking up at him. She loved this view more than anything. He was immense compared to her and she felt like he was her own personal bodyguard. As he spoke, she nodded softly, placing her head against his beating chest and rubbed his back. “Qualsiasi cosa per te, aşkım,” she responded, pushing herself up on her toes and attempting to kiss him. Aria let go, rummaging around for her phone. She was grateful their date night hadn’t been completely ruined. While it wasn’t her favorite one, she was glad he was going to stay home and spend the night like they always were supposed to. Finding her phone, she brought it to her ear and ordered from a familiar spot around the area, smiling over at him as she got them their food. 

She picked up their wine glasses, pouring more as the doorbell rang and received their food for them. Aria settled well into the traditional role of serving her man, even though, she would never become a housewife. She had done it for her father and sister, and took up the motherly role towards Santino, as well. Placing his plate and fork down in front of him, she shimmied up next to him as they began to eat. 

“What’d you do today, prestante?” She inquired, in between a bite. 

Max had been standing there for a good couple of minutes when Aria fell over, and a deep chuckle left his lips. “Not a problem, it’s just me. I was just admiring your stunning ass as you bent down to collect your samples. Tell me you’re ready to run away and elope with me?” He smirked, offering out his hand to help her back onto her feet.

Aria shook her head at the familiar face. Obviously, it was Max. He always had a way with... words. She let out a small laugh, grabbing his hands and pulled herself up off the ground, dusting off her body from the dirt. “Do you admire everyone stunning asses as they collect soil samples or...?” she inquired jokingly. “Not yet. Maybe when you’re Italian and 6′ ft 4, I would gladly be Aria Armstrong,” she teased.