Ars longa, vita brevis

A = Attractive what do they find attractive about the other?

You are just in love with Thomas’ compassion, empathy and how can you not. He can spend hours trying to cheer up the people he cares about when they feel down. He always takes time to listen to the other and their feelings. This also means that he is very loyal, he could never give up on a friend (or you) if they shut down because they are facing a challenge. Naturally, he is very much in touch with his emotions and is there anything more attractive than somebody who can express their happiness and also their sadness. He is never embarrassed to tell you if he is struggling with something. His raw vulnerability is a treasure to your eyes, and you wouldn’t trade it for the world. Some might consider this as a weakness of his but to you that the contrary, it is his greatest strength; it allows him to stand out in a crowd of unconcerned people.

Physically you are enamored with his rough and gentle touch. It sounds like impossible opposite, but Thomas manages to combine them. The coarseness comes from years of playing guitar. Feeling his callous fingers against your skin make his touches so real, it grounds you, it reminds you that he is yours and you are his. At the same time, Thomas is always tender in his movement, he is self-aware that his fingertips are not the smoothest, so he hopes to counter that with that absolute softness. Whenever he applies the right pressure while tracing patterns on your flesh, this one turns into fire. This pyre never fails to consume fully, and you just wish to have his hands all over you, to disappear in the ashes of his caress.

Thomas admired how open-minded you are. You are not prompted to judge people. He can’t help but smile whenever you rolled your eyes at a video you are both watching because some people left stupid comments under it criticizing someone else aesthetics, looks, preferences. You tend to consider that as long as the person isn’t doing anything illegal or hurting another being then there are no wrongs in their likings. The way you passionately defend minorities with constructed arguments and still with respect toward the person you disagree with makes his heart swell.

He often gets lost in your eyes and the sparkle in them. The joy igniting itself in your eyes is pretty contagious and a little smile adorns his visage when he catches a glimpse of it. An energy he can’t quite describe but mostly believe is divine, miraculous radiates from you in those moments. The sparkling is by essence so pure and genuine that causing it is like being blessed by a superior entity, to apprehend a celestial paradise inaccessible to mortals.

B = Baby do they want a family? why/why not?

I don’t really feel comfortable making a general point about this here, I just feel like it could be triggering for some people. So, I won’t write it.

C = Cuddle how do they cuddle?

Thomas is a very affectionate guy. He loves to cuddle with you. It appeases him, it like all his stress and problems go away as soon as you are holding into each other. He doesn’t care that much about the position as long as you are snuggled against him. He enjoys being the big spoon since he can lose himself in your hair, kiss the nape of your neck and just hold you tightly against him. He is also always up for being the little spoon. He just feels so loved, cared for, and protected in your arms, it allows him to more vulnerable and he likes that he can be exposed with you without risking anything. When you rest your head on his chest while falling asleep, it just like heaven to him. He is just scared that the loud beating of his heart will cause you wake up. After intimate moments, he dies of happiness anytime you entwine yourselves, facing each other, limbs entangle together. The connection between you is so profound, it is like sharing the mysteries of life together. During the day, Thomas usually rests in head on your laps. You play softly with his hair, earning some hums from him and he closes his eyes in bliss the moment you begin massaging gently his scalp.

D = Dates what are dates with them like?

It really depends. When he is coming back from tour or album recordings, it is mostly programmed dates. Thomas has a tight schedule so, to his despair, he doesn’t have time to take impulsive decisions and he must make sure to plan it in advance. He is most of the time very tired during those times then you generally stay at home and do something cute together.

Thomas had been chaining interviews for the past couple of weeks and though he was coming back home almost every night, he was way too exhausted to do anything. He basically would come back home, take a shower, share the dinner you had prepared if you had time to cook something or just heat some pastas if you were working, and go to bed. It was like living with a ghost, he was physically there but that was it. So, you looked forward to this evening, it was the last days of the promotion of the album in Italie, the band had a lighter day, they would just record one interview for a roman radio station. Thomas had insisted on having a date night with you to compensate the last weeks and fully enjoy your presence. You opted to stay at home, he deserved a bit of rest from big crowd, and you weren’t keen on sharing him with anyone for the night.

He actually arrived home a bit earlier than you had expected. You were in the kitchen checking that you had everything and didn’t need to buy anything for the night when you felt a pair of arms wrapped themselves around you. He pressed you against his chest and you tilted your head so you could see his gorgeous face. You placed a small peck on the bridge on his nose and he smiled contently. “I think I need more kisses” he murmured with a shy grin, and you obliged, turning yourself to face him and deposing small pecks on every inch of his visage except his mouth. This latter formed a small pout when he realized you were going to take all the time in the world before properly kissing him. This boy was sometimes more impatient than a kid, but it was endearing in a way. You finally gave up earlier than you had planned and planted a firm kiss on his mouth. He reflexively opened it to welcome your tongue. He put on hand in the back of your neck and the other on your lower back to push you impossibly closer to him. Yours naturally found their way in his hair and on his chest. You tugged on his shirt as he bit on your lower lips. You eventually broke apart to catch your breath and noticed a visible flush on his cheeks. You still couldn’t believe the effect you had on him after all this time. He gazed at you sweetly and then his eyes fell on the kitchen counter full of different bottles. He let out a chuckle at the number and variety of alcohol displayed. “Are you planning on getting blackout? Because we were supposed to do a little cocktail night, so I thought we would create one or two drinks, not have enough bottles to prepare the biggest party of the year.” You stuck out you tongue at him not having a better reply. “I didn’t know what you would want to do Thomas, so I took a bit of everything so you could do any drink you were in the mood for. Plus, that is entirely your fault, I texted you if you had a preference and you didn’t. And we are still young enough to change careers and become bartenders, so it is a good start to do so!” He laughed at your words as he approached the diverse bottles. As he read the name of every single one of them, you checked on the internet what would be good and not too complicated to do. You listed some ideas to Thomas, and he decided to try a cassis spritz, so very Italian, as you favor an Irish wolfhound cocktail. You put the right ingredient for each of you on the table, the shakers, the glasses.

It was supposed to be simple recipes, nothing to worry about but you somewhat still manage to make a mess of it. You couldn’t pinpoint when things went wrong; was it when he distracted you by tickling you as you where mixing some ginger beer with the ice; or was it when you decided to get your revenge and softly nudged him as he was versing some white wine in his glass; maybe it was when the crème de cassis accidentally broke itself on the floor as he had pinned you against the table side to kiss you passionately. You couldn’t precisely determine the instant the cocktail night had turned into something else, but you weren’t about to complain. Or maybe you would, the following morning when you would have to clean up the kitchen.

Anytime Thomas has some time off, the dates are a whole different story. They are spontaneous, he is not a fan of scheduling things especially dates, they are supposed to be natural, in the moment, a proof of love and planning kills that sort of purity to him. Not to mention that he is a disaster when it comes to be on time and be organized so he avoids making big preparations. He knows that he is able to have booked a good restaurant for you as a surprise and then totally forgot about it until you are already late. It had already happened in the past more than once, even though it created good and funny memories, it was not as amusing at the moment, so he doesn’t want to make mistakes like this again.

Generally, he is not into fancy dates. Sure, he thinks it is important to celebrate milestone of your relationship in a more elaborate way like inviting you to that very elite restaurant for your birthdays or delivering extravagant bouquets for your anniversaries but it more of an exception. You also tend to prefer your more casual dates, it is less stressful, you don’t have to deal with the anxiety of choosing the right outfit, to act the proper way or to face some stares at you. It is more carefree and mainly leads to impromptu situations that turned to be great memories.

Lazy mornings with your boyfriend were the best. Even tough the term morning might be a bit stretched out since it was past lunch time, but you didn’t have the heart to move, you were too comfortable. You had nestled your head in the crock of his neck, peppering it with little kisses, as he had draped an arm around your waist, gently stroking your lower back. You barely spoke, the city noises as the background music of your little cocoon. You could easily has fallen back asleep; you were just so relaxed. “Do you want to go thrift shopping?” Thomas suddenly asked out of the blue. You raised your head at him a bit confused and he took the opportunity to chastely kiss you. He gave you his best puppy eyes, the one you could never say no to even tough they had brought you problems in the past, like that time you ended up in the middle of nowhere during a particularly cold winter night because Thomas wanted to stargaze in the countryside with you and you caught a flu that forced you to stay in bed for a whole week; or that time you missed you flight to go on vacations because your lover insisted that you had time and was in a mood to get a gelato from a special ice cream parlor. “Yeah, that can be fun, let’s go” you replied happily. You rose to get out of the bed and prepared yourself to go out, but he was quicker than you and put him arms around your stomach and hold you a bit longer against him, not ready to give up on the warmth of the cuddle that easily. “Then it is a date.” He exclaimed cheerfully.

You finally managed to leave your bed and got ready. You strolled in the small streets of Rome to your favorite thrift shop. The walk was full of laughter, glee and poorly sing tunes. You didn’t expect the spring air to be so fresh and you regretted not taking a jacket with you. Chills were running down your bare arms and though you didn’t complain Thomas remarked it. He took off his own coat and gave it to you, he had to insist since you refused not wanting him to freeze because of your own stupidity but he was more stubborn as you and you complied. He was in love with the sight of you wearing his clothes and it was worth to be a bit cold.

You arrived at the boutique after a little detour to get an ice cream, you couldn’t deny it to your lovely guitarist when you were on your way to the airport so there was no way you wouldn’t agree to stop by it now. As you entered, the shop was almost empty, just a few usual customers and you both liked it better that way. Thomas had an idea; you would look for outfits for him and he would look for outfits for you. That was brilliant and a good promise of fun. For ten minutes or so you seriously searched for piece of clothing that would fit him, highlight his figure, in which he would resemble to the sun, dazzling with beauty. You had spotted a black top in lace which was cut-open on the side, this would show his waist tattoo and the thought of this thrilled you.

However, when you realized that Thomas took the ugliest pants you had seen in your entire life, not correctly adjusted, with pattern similar to vomit, you understood that he wasn’t going in the same cute direction as you. If he wished to play, then you would too. You kept the lace top though because you would give anything to see him in that. You surveyed the various aisle inspecting every clothes hoping to find some awful treasures. And luckily you did. You manage to discover a bold yellow top with some fake stains of neon color, it was terrible, and you anticipated that it would be even worse when Thomas would wear it since it couldn’t go well with his pale skin. A large tartan cargo pants with a huge, bleached stripe at the level of the knees was your next choice. You wondered seriously who could design this, and who bought it in a first place. You then proceed to select accessories. A ripped camouflage belt, a bob hat covered in a weird plastic making it like a plastic bag and sunglasses which weren’t that bad but would absolutely not compliment the outfit, were your selection.

Thomas was already waiting for you next to the fitting room, a growing smirk on his face. You were certainly glowing with joy yourself as you rapidly rejoined him. You exchanged the clothes in silence and entered the cabins to get change. You had kept the lace top with you, you wanted to see him in this but with a proper, nice outfit. You weren’t about to waste your little fantasy over this funny game. As you put on the articles your boyfriend had chosen, you truly question the decisions of some brands. You looked silly with those vomit pants, a weirdly dyed tank top which was likely the result of an unintentional spillage of chemicals on it, you had no other explanation for this mess, some pearl earrings shaped in toilet paper and a fluffy pink bag modeled after what seemed to be a vagina however you were not entirely sure that the person who created it had even seen one in her life. The result was strange but in an odd way it wasn’t that bad, you were pretty convinced that a good influencer would sell the heck of this.

You were checking yourself in the mirror, amused, when you heard Thomas knocked at the cabin’s door. You opened it quickly, eager to see what he looked like. You were not disappointed to say the least, he was utterly ridiculous. If the pieces were ugly when separated, together they were hideous. You couldn’t contain your laughter and soon tears were running down your face, your stomach even started to ache from the fit. You couldn’t help, it was too comical. Thomas was also very entertained by his appearance. He had to admit that you had outsmarted him on that one. He snapped a couple of pictures of your outfits to be sure that he would remember that forever and it would be a nice image to watch when he was in a need of a laugh. You teased each other a bit more before calling it a day and changing back into your regular clothe.

Thomas was ready to leave the place when you shyly showed him the lace top and asked: “Actually, I found those and I genuinely believe this could be great on you and maybe, I don’t want to force you or whatever so you obviously can refuse, but maybe you could try it.” He gazed at you with loving eyes, of course he would put it on. The top was indeed very beautiful, and he liked it a lot, he was so glad you had thought of him when you had glimpsed at it. He disappeared for a few minutes and then before leaving the fitting room invited you to close your eyes. You did so and when he told you to open them again, he was standing right in front of you. You mind froze at the sight, there were no words to describe him in that moment, sexy was too vulgar, handsome too feeble, godly not even close to the reality. You could have droll at the sight, and it took you every ounce of strength you had to not fuck him on the spot. He must have observed it because he told you playfully: “I will take that face as a “buy this top immediately, it turns me on””. You hid your visage behind your hands, feeling a bit shameful. He advanced toward you and put your hands away from your face, bending down to your ears and whispering in a mischievous tone: “I really love that aroused face of yours and I can’t wait to be home with that top so we can act out whatever fantasies are crossing your mind right now.”

E = Everything you are my ____ (e.g my life, my world…)

You are the soundtrack of my life

You were at a party with some friends, enjoying some drinks, dancing around. You were blithe, not giving a damn about who could see you and what they would think of you. Thomas was next to you and was sure that Vic would not let him live considering how he was gawking at you. You had to speak a little louder due to the vociferous sound system and it felt like music to his ears. As you giggled at some comments you overheard from Damiano, Thomas felt helpless at the realization that he could never translate into a tune the harmonious sounds escaping your mouth. But then maybe it was a blessing in disguise, he would selfishly be the only one who could enjoy these adorable noises. It made him feel special and unique. He internally grinned at this idea, no other soul would have the chance to hear your humming when cooking, your not very harmonious singing voice as you sing over your favorites music, your delicate voice as you speak to him before drifting to sleep, your ardent tone as you defend something you care about, your little shrieks when he put his cold hands on your bare back, the trembling moans you recite like a prayer in intimate moments… As the realization that all of these composed the marvelous soundtrack of his life with you, he leaned down to kiss your temple, earning a small murmur of content from you, comforting him in the choice of having you as conductor of his very personal symphony.

F = Feelings when did they know they were falling in love?

For as long as he can remember Thomas always had a crush on you. He always liked you and hoped for a long time to date you. Before even dating you, he liked everything about you, the way you were supportive of the band entering the X-factor competition, the silly jokes you told him before some stressful concerts, how you sent him every day a recap your lessons during the recording of the album so he could juggle his musical career and his exams, all the time you willingly spent explaining again and again stuff he didn’t get about a lesson… He knew pretty early on that he liked you more than a friend. However, it took him more time to realize how strong and deep his feelings were.

He concluded that he loved you and not just liked you a couple of months after he had finally gathered the courage to ask you out. He was away, in Paris, for the European tour of Il ballo della vita. As he visited the city, he couldn’t help but think about you and how it would be with you by his sides. At every restaurant, he wondered what you would order, what comments you would do during an exhibition, in which shops you would enter, with which monuments you would fall in love… He couldn’t help himself and it is not that he didn’t like the city however he thought it would be better with you. That is when it hit him. His life is simply better with you, the food tastes better, the museums are funnier, the landmarks more beautiful, all the city in the world are missing you and when they are not grace by your presence then their interest decrease in his eyes. He struggled to not blush when he understood how gone he was for you.

He hesitated to write you a text explaining his true feelings, it was vital for him to talk about it with someone and well it seemed to him that you were the most appropriate person. He eventually rejected this idea; he couldn’t declare himself to you per text that would be kind of lame and cringe. Also, he desired nothing more than to see your reaction by himself. Sure, he supposed that you would probably not return the words since there are important and big and you were not dating for that long so in his mind it was clear that your own feelings for him were less intense. He was okay with that, he didn’t mind, you had all the time in the world to feel love for him. He just wished to make you feel treasured and by telling you how much he cared about you, he hoped to be able to do so. He promised himself that he would reveal it to you as soon as he arrived back in Rome.

In the meantime, he felt like he was going to explode, he had to share his feelings with someone. As he was pacing outside of the hotel the band was staying at, enjoying a smoke while imagining a trip to Paris with you, he heard some steps behind him. He turned around and he recognized Ethan welcoming face. Thomas lent him his lighter and decided that he was the perfect victim to hear his internal turmoil. Poor Ethan literally spent hours in the cold, having to listen to Thomas nonstop babbling about you and regretted his idea to go outside to relax with a cigarette. That day he cursed you a little because even if he adored you, he really had other plans for that night. Well at least now he had some material to make fun of the lovesick puppy that was your boyfriend the next time that he would annoy him.

G = Gentle are they gentle? If so, how?

Thomas is super gentle with people in general so you can easily imagine that he is even gentler with you. He is generally careful of your feelings and listen to you when it is needed. He has no problem acknowledging his mistakes and apologizing when necessary. He is so soft anytime he touches you, you often have to remind him, especially during intimate moments, that you are not made of glass and won’t break under him. He laughs at it and tries to be a bit rougher but then during the aftercare he will be the sweetest, the most tender boyfriend ever, making sure you are okay and doing anything he can to make you feel loved.

He learnt at your contact that it was necessary for him to be gentler with himself. He tends to expect a lot from himself, and he is his biggest critic, he always finds some negative details in anything he achieves. You do your best to show him that he should not be that intransigent with himself, it is normal to not deliver at 100% all the time, no one can do that without having a mental breakdown. It is a quite long process for him, but he feels that with you by his sides the path to the success is a lot more reachable, your support gives him the boost he needs.

H = Hand/Hold how do they like to hold? how do they like to hold hands?

You don’t hold hands a lot in public. Thomas is generally a very private person and he felt more comfortable when he doesn’t have to fear for potential paps. But in the coziness of your home this is an all-other story. During the first weeks of your relationship, he would avoid holding your hands, he was too insecure about his callous fingers and anticipated that the feeling wouldn’t be agreeable. You had to tell him that you actually loved it however he was still a bit hesitant. So, to make him understand that you truly meant it, you would often reach for his hands while watching a movie, cuddling… You would slowly traced patterns on the back of his hands, his knuckles, on his palms, on his fingertips. After that you would grab his wrist and sweetly kissed every inch of his hands and then keep them interlocked with yours. As soon as he got the message, his behavior totally shifted. He, now, takes every opportunity to hold your hands in his. You are dancing in your living room, he grabs your wrists and moves with you; you are eating, he lazily puts his hand on the top yours; you are reading, he laces loosely your fingers together; you have a bath together, he embraces you in his arms and rests his palms on the back of your hands; you are intimate, he will quite strongly put his hands on yours to ground himself in the moment, to be sure that this ecstatic sensation is real. He somewhat always finds a way to touch you, it brings him a form of peace and ease. He is the happiest when you are the one initiating the holding, it soothes him, and he just feels loved.

I = Impression first impression/s

Thomas had first met you in high school, a few months before X-factor, during a party thrown by some common friends. You were casually talking to some of them when he arrived, late as usual because he had never been able to be on time for his life. He walked toward your small group to say hi to some of the guys you were hanging with. Out of politeness, he also greeted you. Your friends introduced you to each other and discussed briefly with him. After that he joined other people and you both went on with the night. A bit later, you were outside, enjoying some fresh air. You were sitting on the ground, your back against the wall of the house, eyes closed. So, you were a bit surprised when you felt someone sit next to you, it was him, the late guy from earlier. He opened his pack of cigs and asked you if you wanted one which you nicely refused. He was about to light up his own when he enquired if the smoke would be bothering you, but you didn’t mind it. After that you remained silent for the time he was smoking, you didn’t know each other, and you had no idea about what to say. He admitted to you, years later, that on his side, he was too freaked out to talk, he had found you very charming earlier on and wanted to know you better, but he was way too stressed. He had lighted his cig in hopes that it would spark a conversation and since it did not, he was glad it gave him an excuse to not speak. He was battling with himself to find the right words, to start a discussion, he was so desperate that anything would be welcomed. “You want to be a musician, right?” you eventually questioned, trying to break the silence that was slowly becoming unbearable since you realized that he wouldn’t say anything. When those words left your mouth, he thanked all the gods and divine entities he was aware of. His reply was a bit rushed and awkward, which you believed was because of the alcohol, but it managed to start a relatively good conversation. After a while you decided to go back in and separated your ways but not before exchanging your Instagram. From the corner of your eyes, you observed him dance his heart out on the dancefloor which made you internally chuckled. How a guy could be so introverted around new people and yet so extraverted when it came to dancing in big gathering, was a mystery to you. He was really some special kind of boy, wasn’t he? As he was moving to the rhythm of the music, he was filled with excitement over the fact that he had spoken with you for like an actual hour, that you were very cool and that it wouldn’t be too creepy or weird if he slides in your DMs.

J = Joker are they into pulling pranks?

He is not into pulling pranks, probably because it needs a level of attention, carefulness, secrecy, and organization that is not willing to put into that, preferring to put efforts in more meaningful things. However, this boy can be a chaotic mess and will bring you with him in his fun anarchy. In winter, if you go out together, you can be sure that at some point you will end up with a snowball hitting you and some snow in your hair. You are standing next to a pool, very bad idea, Thomas will push you in the water with him. You are baking, well the kitchen will soon turn into a battlefield with flour everywhere. And you can’t even be mad at his silly antics, he is just too cute when he is smiling of joy because of them. You just avoid being close to him when he is with Vic, and they are in a mood for chaos. You don’t want to be the victim of their choice and gladly let Ethan be. This latter doesn’t seem affected by their mess and mostly stay impassive, silently judging them which never fails to amaze you and make you laugh.

K = Kisses how do they kiss?

Like the hand holding, it very much depends on the situation. Like you never go for a full make out session in public, keeping those for your bedroom. Thomas is a huge fan of the forehead and temple kisses and will provide you with some at any given chances, you rest your head on his shoulder, he gives you those kisses because he can; you are getting ready in the morning, he gives you those kisses to wish you a beautiful day; you are focused working on your computer, he gives you those kisses to relax you. The tender nature of those held a special place in your heart. He only gives you those when you are alone though because he doesn’t want to share those gentle moments with anyone around. If you are hanging out with friends or at a party, he mostly kisses your wrists, he doesn’t even realize he is doing it. it such a reflex for him that the first time Damiano pinpointed it, Thomas straight up denied doing it that regularly, claiming that the singer was exaggerating, it was a rare occurrence. It took him Vic, Ethan, and your words to finally acknowledge that maybe he was doing it a lot more than he thought.

On your part, you worship his freckles and could spend hours kissing them one by one. He especially appreciates it when you do it in the morning, when he is barely awake, still groggy and he gets to gain consciousness thanks to the small peck you leave on his shoulders, collarbone, nose, cheeks… The nose-to-nose kiss is one of your favorites, it is intimate, soft, and overall whatever reason you have to kiss or touch his nose is good.

L = Love who says I love you first?

Thomas did. After realizing during the tour that he loved you, he was counting down the days until his return to Rome. He was making himself sick about this, the mix of excitement and angst was bad for his own mental state. He was moodier, irritated by the length of the tour, he was always happy to perform, he lived for that feeling on stage, but all the emptiness in between drove him crazy. All those lost hours, he could have spent them with you. But no, he had to be in that stupid slow bus. He was so frustrated, it weighed down on all the band. He talked to them less than usual, refused to go at some parties that Vic had subjected, he slept even more than normally believing that it would make the time fly faster.

At first, Damiano and Vic thought that maybe he was going through a rough patch with you, and they did their best to cheer him up. But soon Ethan disclosed the truth, everything with you was perfect, even beyond that and he was only bothered to not have you by his sides now that he was aware of his own feelings. The singer and the bassist looked at each other, too stunned to speak. It could only be a joke right, he could not act like this if he was in love, what would it be if one day your relationship ended. Ethan seemed relatively serious when he told them, and he was not prone to play tricks on those particular matters. They couldn’t understand the boy’s reaction and were quite content to learn than Ethan was as astonished as them. He also highly advised them not to make fun of the guitarist about that, it would sour his mood even more if that was possible. Obviously, the other two decided to go against those wise words and as soon as Thomas was awakened from his afternoon nap, they ran to him with a little smirk on their face. He immediately knew that the two meant only troubles, so he did his best to ignore them and not let them speak to him. That was useless, they were determined, and he couldn’t anything when they were in the mood for chaos. He picked up his phone to scroll absentmindedly while they would spill their dumb comments. However, he was caught by surprise when he heard your name, he did not think they would have figure him out. He actually wanted to ignore them, so bad but he couldn’t. Their snarky remarks about his so-called dumb behavior were getting under his skin, of course they would not get it.

That is when he lashed out. He angrily stormed out of their view while cursing them loudly and fumed even more when he noticed that in a tour bus there weren’t many places to hide from people. He was raging in the seat he had found when a notification popped up. It was a message from you, and it brought a smile on his face. His anger came down as quickly as it had gone up. You exchanged some texts and eventually you called each other, just to catch up better. You were blessedly unaware of the scene that had just happened in the bus. As you asked some news about the others, Thomas quickly evaded the question. You insisted wanting to know Vic had finally bought the pair of boots she had talked about at least one hundred times since her last visit in Berlin. Thomas had no other choice that to recount you the dispute with the other, blatantly omitting to explain the reason of the teasing and of his out-of-proportion reaction. You listened to him closely and even though you got it, the stress of the tour (or at least you believed it was due to the tour) had taken the best of him. You advised him to apologize to the other, yes, he could be mad at them but that was no reason to curse at them and be a dick. As those words echoed his mind, he felt in more in love with you. You were his pillar, there to ground him, to reason him and a good advisor.

After the end of the call, he had mixed feelings, he was happy that he had you on the phone, your voice soothing him, clearing his thoughts but he felt bad for his behavior, and not just from this afternoon but also from the past days. He rushed to Vic, Damiano and Ethan who stopped their chatter as he arrived. He didn’t know if it was because they were talking about him or because he was not welcomed in their circle after the outburst. They didn’t had time to open their mouths that he was already apologizing profoundly. They nodded as he was expressing his regrets. When he was finished, they smiled at him, assuring that it was okay, everybody could be on edge during the tour, especially with the adding stress he was feeling related to his future love confession. So, he was forgiven but he had to promise to try to act a bit more normal, cheerfully, and not spending all his days alone, sleeping, and bitter.

The following three days were back to usual. Thomas was himself again even though the other still noticed that he was counting down the hours before your reunion. It was cute in a way, but it broke a bit of their heart. He looked very lost, not unhappy but not fully enjoying his touring experience. They discussed about it with Leo worrying about their friend when Leo came up with a plan. Thomas would be beaming with joy at the surprise.

As the band arrived at the Nochtwache concert hall in Hamburg, Thomas immediately went backstage to relax and tune his guitar. The other asked him if he wanted to grab a drink at the bar of the relatively small place. He thanked them but refused their proposition which made Vic sighed, this boy would not help them with the plan. Well, too bad for him, it was his loss, not theirs. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally went to play. Thomas was paralyzed in the middle of the stage as he discerns you in the middle of the crow. How could he had missed you, you looked like an angel within mortals, he had no words to describe how beautiful you were. As you gently smile at him, he regained his breath, he hadn’t even notice that he was holding it. He returned a bright grin at you unable to contain his joy, it took him all his strength to not put down his guitar to run down embrace you. He played with every fiber of his body during the set, he wished to make you proud, and he adored your little dance moves, that gave him even more envy to play for you, because it was it, he wasn’t playing for anybody else in the room, only for you, it was always for you in the end.

After the last song, he didn’t waste any time to jump in the crow to make his way to you. He got a little self-aware of how sweaty he was and how gross it must be when he reached you. He hesitated to hug you not wanting to disgust you. His doubts vanished when you put your arms around his neck and bury your face in his shirt. He instantly held you tightly, never wanting to let you go, his nose was in your hair inhaling a smell he had dreamt of, getting intoxicated just from this. He then kissed every inch of your face earning some squeals and giggles that were honey to his ears. He pecked you lips tenderly, and you huffed, you needed more passion after all these weeks away. The sweet reunion soon turned into a make out session to his bandmates’ despair. After grumpy Thomas, the last they wanted to see was him being horny. To stop these images to make a place in their imagination, Damiano cleared his throat as he passed next to the two of you. “I think you have something to tell her. Also, you have a hotel room just for the two of you so please consider releasing your passion there and not here, traumatizing poor children in the way”. You shamefully gazed around ready to apologize to the parents of some kids, when none crossed your sight, you realized he was talking about himself, Vic, Ethan, and Leo. The irony of it caused a laugh to erupt from you, and Thomas stared at you like you were a goddess. He snapped out of his trance when you directly addressed those words to him: “And what are you supposed to tell me, if I can ask?”. You peeked at your shoes shyly, almost nervously, you weren’t sure if you had made this awkward and if so, you were sure that you were ready to contemplate the discomfort. Thomas put a hand through his hair, biting his inner cheek to convoke some sense into himself. He let out a loud sigh still thinking. He had to see your face when he would say those words, it was a necessity at this point. So, he cupped your visage in his long hands and lifting your gaze to his. He timidly smiled at you in an attempt to relax you. “I love you; I truly do, and I missed you so much during the tour, it drove me crazy, I was probably unbearable to the others. I tried to find a poetic way to tell you this but well I not that good with words and maybe the simpler ones are the best so yeah I love you.” You could feel the heat irradiating from your all body. “Also, you don’t have to say anything, I know it is pretty early in the relationship, so I hope I did not make you uncomfortable and I didn’t make anything weird and if so I...” He was ranting, tumbling on some words. “You didn’t make things weird Thomas it is okay; you are right it is pretty early in the relationship, but we know each other for so long so I guess it can explain why you feel this way so soon.” He nodded, feeling reassured even if these last words were a bit of a blow. He had convinced himself that you didn’t have to reciprocate the feelings but deep down he was a bit disappointed, he had hoped that you were on the same page. “And Thomas, actually it is good that you bring that up, I would probably never have dared myself, but I love you too.” His eyes grew a bit wider, and he was sure he was dreaming. It could not be possible, he must have dreamt or misheard you. He was frozen in place; his brain was mashed, and no coherent thoughts was to be found in his mind. You kissed him softly to emphasize on your sentence and that was enough to deblock him. He held you even tighter than before, giggling like a happy child, while stroking your cheeks, gazing at you pensively, kissing you here and there. “And so, you know, yes you were unbearable to the others.” You chuckled as he buried his face in your neck. “Hugh they just don’t know anything about the internal mayhem of sentiments. But I bet that sooner or later they will be even worse than I am.”

M = Memory their favorite moment together

Funnily enough, even if Thomas loathes to wake up early is favorite memory with you involves a sunrise.

You hadn’t seen each other for almost a month because of his tour and your work, your schedules were clashing. You would call nearly every night and texted throughout the days, mainly silly things that reminds you of the other, a TikTok, a meme, something that just happened to you. There weren’t very important messages, but they were significant for you. It meant than no matter how many kilometers there were between you, how much time differences there were, you still were there for the other. You were present in each other’s life even though you were physically absent. However, it wasn’t the same, you missed Thomas dearly and he was more than impatient to see you again. No calls, no texts were able to replace an embrace, a touch. You had watched all the videos where he appeared that you could found on the internet but that wasn’t enough, his smile wasn’t the same in real life, it was brighter, kinder, more alive. You had slept in his sweatshirt, but the smell had vanished which made his absence even heavier. Thomas had listened in loop to your vocal messages, bothered by the small changes in your voice due to the digital compression of its recording. It wasn’t the same as hearing you talk directly to him, he was losing those almost imperceptible variations in your tone that drove him crazy. He missed deeply the smell of your skin, no perfume, no soap could completely imitate it and he would have given anything just to encapsule this scent.

So, when the tour was eventually over and he could go home he was eager to have you for himself and he swore that he wouldn’t let you leave the house for a week, at least. He needed you, fully, he needed to experience everything again, from your kisses to your coffee, from your little pout when he put something high, so you have to call him to reach it to your shrieks when he tickles you… He refused to let the world burst his bubble of bliss. As the taxi drove him back from the airport, he bounced his legs in excitement. When you had told him that you couldn’t pick him up since he was arriving in the middle of the afternoon and you had a meeting you couldn’t cancel, he reassured you that it was okay. Deep down he was frustrated that he had to wait few more minutes before holding you, but he didn’t want you to feel guilty. You were as annoyed as him by this but there was nothing you could do about it, you had tried but that was not possible, so it wouldn’t be fair to guilt trip you or to be mad at you. The ride felt like an eternity, how could you be so close to somebody and yet so far away from them. The gap between you was decreasing but with every minute away he felt like the distance was growing.

You were in your living room pacing around, waiting for Thomas to arrive. Your meeting had ended few minutes ago and you kind of regretted it since it was a good distraction. You were focused on your work and not on the time passing so damn slowly. Who thought a second could last this long! As soon as you heard the jiggles of the keys at the door, you practically sprinted toward it and opened it faster than the speed of light. And here he stood, gorgeous as ever, in all his grace and glory. You didn’t have any more time to move that you were crushed against his chest, he was embracing you tightly. None of you wanted to break this peaceful moment, it was like two pieces of a puzzle finally finding each other again. Thomas slammed the door shut with a movement of his foot and you laughed in his chest. The echo travelled through his chest, to his heart and this latter clenched at the feeling. A tear ran down his cheek, followed by its sisters and as one hit you, you rose your head to contemplate your lover. Your moved one hand to his cheeks and smoothly brushed the tears away. “I miss you so much” you whispered at him as he taken your hand in his and brought it to his mouth to kiss it. You couldn’t keep your hands of each other for the following hours, loving each other fully, entirely, unconditionally.

Thomas had lazily draped his arm around your stomach, his head resting against your breasts, your limbs all tangled. Your fingers were running down his body, few chills erupting on his pale skin. It was the middle of the night and none of you had been able to fall asleep. You never desired this day to end, dreams were not good enough in compared to the reality. You had lost so much time being away, you weren’t going to lose some more resting. Your boyfriend was quietly recounting to you small details about the tour, everything he had never told you, everything he had already told you over the phone, it wasn’t the same to hear it again when he was by your sides though. It was like listening to it for the first time. He also asked you tons of questions about you, aspiring to know everything he had missed, hoping he could somehow be transported in the instant thanks to your anecdotes. He could picture you sipping on that over-priced drinks you friends insisted on trying, sewing the hole you somehow made in your top thanks to the garage door handle, how you got that you new scar on your knees from falling while running down the street to get the bus in time.

In the early dawn, soon before the sunrise, he repositioned himself, sitting in the middle of the bed. He grabbed your wrists and invited you to sit in front of him. Your bodies were only lightened by the dim light of your lamp, creating a strong contrast, highlighting your figures like they were the center piece of a painting. Thomas brought his fingers to your face and gradually traced all your features like he was about to draw them. He wished to remember them forever, to be able to depict them precisely in his mind at any given moment. As the sun rose, the shadows created by the solar star on your visage were dancing, progressively changing, generating new nuances in your face. Your lips looked fuller with more light, your nose thinner, your eyes more tired from the lack of sleep, the natural sunlight revealing your dark circles. He was in love with every single tiny variation. He would remember this instant until his death and would treasure it sincerely.

N = Nickel do they spoil? do they buy the person they love everything?

Thomas spoils you but more with love, affection, compliments, cuddles. Sure, if you need something or really want something he will gift it to you, just to see you smile and happy. However, he is a firm believer that the best presents are not necessarily the fanciest or even material and you completely agree. You are grateful when he buys you something expensive, but you also feel a bit uncomfortable. You never dare to ask for anything too costly, you don’t want him to think you are with him for the money. He repeated you hundred of times that he knows that but still you can’t manage to request for anything too luxurious.

In any cases, the best things he ever offered you, that pleased you the most, that made you felt loved, valued, and cherished were not lavish. The personalized board game around your relationship he spent months creating for your anniversary completely blew your mind and made you melt. It was the cutest idea ever and when you opened the gift wrapper and realized what was inside, you cried of joy. That made Thomas freaked out a bit, not sure of why you were tearing up that much, doubting his choice. You hold him tight and told him it was the most thoughtful gesture someone did for you and just to see you this happy and emotional turned this moment in one of the best of his life. Sometimes when he is away for a longer time because of the tour, he creates self-made calendar to count down the day. Every day, you have to open a small box which can contain pretty anything related your relation. Sometimes, it is a love note; sometimes, it is a silly picture of you, sometimes; it is a coupon for a cuddle to use when he comes back; sometimes, it is your favorite candy… You never told him but under your bed, you have a big cardboard in which you preciously keep everything contained in the calendars. You treasure it more than any other thing and when the distance gets to overwhelming, you open it and go through the various stuff until you feel a bit better.

O = Orange what color reminds them of their other half

You associate Thomas with a soft but profound shade of purple. This color embodies Thomas perfectly. He is the most creative person in your circle, always working on his music. He also knows so much about his art, it is impressive. The way he uses his knowledge of the history of rock music, of the different guitars, of many albums and combines them to create something new, profoundly marked by the essence of music and yet innovative never stops to amaze you. Since he grew up in a quite religious background and used to go to church every Sunday as a kid, it is no surprise that he could be described as somewhat spiritual. He always manages to find the right words to open other people perspective, show them new perspectives. He is also so soft in a way; he has such a gentleness in his words and actions.

To him you are a vibrant shade of blue. You usually think and reflects a lot, especially in your relationship to avoid hurting Thomas without meaning it. You are well aware that words that are said or on the contrary left unsaid can cause damages and that is why you like having time to ponder. You also place a high value on communication. To his eyes, you are probably the smartest person he ever met. It doesn’t matter to him that you achieve high studies or not, that doesn’t mean anything about your capacities. He is astonished by your mind, how you reason and your vivid imagination. He loves your emotional intelligence and thus trusts your judgement.

On another note, he would forever recall that summer night you spent in Rome before starting dating and associates it with the color blue. He couldn’t sleep and he shot you a text, hoping you were awake, he really wanted to see you. He was more than happy when you replied within minutes and agreed to meet him, unable to sleep yourself. He recalled every aspect of the walk to your place. The weather was too warm even for the season, a certain dryness was filling the air making everything electric. The city lights were too bright, dazzling him but at the same time the sensation was appreciable, like chasing the sun. The people were intoxicated either by alcohol or by that feeling of being alive that you can only get when you walk at night, with friends, babbling about nonsense that will be lost in time and space, not thinking about anything else than the moment. He quickly reached your doorstep and you opened. You were a vision in the night, luminous, beaming, solar. You let him in and made himself at home and he blessed the universe that you parents were away for the weekend. As you reached for the TV remote to shut it off, he noticed your blue nail polish. He asked you if you could maybe put some on him praising the color and how he hoped the color would fit him like it did for you. Deep down, he was just desperate to have something of you to hold on, even something that would vanish as easily a matching manicure. At least, for few hours, he could pretend that this was more than a detail. He could never get enough of your tender gesture as you apply the nail polish, of your frown as you focused to not spill some over. You then proceeded to put some music on, carefully choosing a playlist that would fit the mood and that he would enjoy. You were quietly humming some ELO tune and he was tempted to tell you to put that song on, but he wasn’t keen on breaking that moment of pureness. He genuinely liked the playlist you picked up and he felt special, you cared enough about him, you had closely listened to him to get what would please him. He started dancing goofily and you just looked at him, giggling at his antics. He grabbed your hand to encourage you to follow his lead. And you did, moving freely without any care for the grace or the coherence of your movements. The dim light of your living room was highlighting your face and he could have kissed you on the spot, in retrospect he wished he had so you would not have lost so many times not being together. But he could not rewrite the past. He tried to believe in your theory that if you had kissed then your entire history would have been different, maybe for the best or maybe for the worst. However, he still had his doubts about that. Has was pretty sure that your love was stronger than some butterfly effect. The rest of the night went in a blur, you just danced for hours until you collapsed from tiredness on your couch. Thomas made fun of you for not having enough energy to resist the temptation of sleeping and you grumbled at his words, even though he never correctly discerned what you had said in between your yawns. He eventually sat on the couch next to you and you used his laps as a pillow. He smoothly caresses your hair until you fall asleep. He silently and tenderly let go of you to go back home. As he stood, he felt your hand on his and a bright smile grazed his features when you told him he could stay and that he was a very comfortable pillow. He laid down next to you hesitantly, scared that the position was painful for you. You reassured him and almost instantly felt back into Morpheus kingdom. Thomas, on his side, didn’t sleep much that night, to occupied staring at your face, mentally scowling himself for being such a creep but unable to stop. When you unconsciously moved closer to him to be warm, he promised himself that he would do anything to relive a night like this with you.

P = Petnames what pet names do they use?

Thomas mostly calls you by your name, he enjoys the sounds of it and whenever he pronounces it, it anchors him, it proves him that you are his. Sometimes, he will use your most common nickname, but it is more when he needs to quickly call for something. Most of the time he avoids regular petnames, they are too usual, anybody can name their partner “honey”, “sweetheart”, it is not “unique” enough, he wouldn’t not make you feel as special as you are to his eyes. He likes the idea that your relation is yours and just yours and not comparable to another so by using such names, he believes that he would lose that in a sense. Thus, he also doesn’t employ the Italian ones such as “mia cara”, “amore mio”, “Gioia mia”, “tesora” and all the others.

The only exception is when he is jealous, it is not a customary occurrence because he trusts you and he knows you would never do that to him. But when he notices someone flirting with you heavily, despite your clear disinterest, he arrives next to you, rests a hand on our lower back, kisses your temples and asks his “stellina” to introduce him to the person you are talking to. It is usually enough to pass the message.

Q = Quaint what is their favorite non-modern thing?

For obvious reasons, Thomas undeniably loves vinyl turntable, the actual old ones. He was a bit upset when he learnt that his parents used to have some when they were younger but got rid of it when the CDs were emerging. He was on cloud nine when you gifted him one for his birthday, he jumped at your neck, took you in his arms and turned around, not caring about his friends and family weird looks. He could finally after years of waiting listening to the Black album, Appetite for destruction, Houses of the Holy on a real old record player. After years of ranting, anytime he could and for hours, about why he had to find one, he was now ranting, anytime he could and for hours, about why the sound was noticeably better and why he was thrilled that you had given him one as a present.

You never expected it to bring new tradition to your relationship, but you were both glad it did. Now, every weekend you are together, you listen to an album and dance to it. Whenever, one of you travel, you must bring back a vinyl from an artist of the country you went to. It is a great way to discover new music, expand your horizons. For birthdays and other celebrations, you have to find for the other a cheesy, kind of bad vinyl as a joke gift.

R = Rainy Day what do they like to do on a rainy day?

If it is just a slight rain, Thomas will insist on going out with you. Growing up in Rome, he had observed that the only time the city was almost empty, and you could thoroughly experience it was when it was raining. So, that is how you always end up outside, strolling around, discovering the city under a new angle. Even if at first, you weren’t entirely convinced by his idea, preferring to avoid being cold and wet, you are now wholly charmed and sometimes you are even the one you propose to go out. As you are walking, there is a huge probably you will halt to play in the rain like children, jumping in the puddles, splashing each other. On your way back home, one of you will hum a song softly at first but then you will sing it together louder and definitely dance and fool around. As a result, you will be wet and once you are at your place you will take a warm shower hoping you won’t catch a cold but if you do, you don’t regret, the lovely, funny time together is worth a running nose.

When the rain is pouring hard outside, you stay in. Thomas works on his composition, he is inspired by the nature, the way it unleashes, the sounds of rain against the pavement, your windows, the violence of the thunder… Usually he remains a bit in the room that you had turned into a studio to fully be focused on his guitar. After a while, he looks for you and joins you either to show you what he has come up with and have your opinion or if he wasn’t as productive as anticipated he wants to recharge his inspiration and you are his best muse.

When he is done with arranging his music and you are with what you were doing, you do some skincare and haircare together. Thomas doesn’t care that much about the effect of the masks on his skin, hair, he doesn’t even remember what it is supposed to do as he washes it off. What he cares for during this routine is that you pamper him, and he can do the same. Watching you delicately prepare the different ingredients for the masks, mixing them methodically with your little frown of concentration is something he lives for. He had snapped so many pictures of you like this, finding you way too irresistible. The feeling of your touch grazing against his skin as you meticulously apply the mask on his visage, massaging him to make it penetrate his pore is the closest thing to what domestic happiness is. He can’t resist you when you smoothly brush his hair and spread on your concoction on them, stroking his scalp, playing with his ends of his hair. He is fond of your chuckles as he attempts to be as careful as you when it is his turn to put on the mixture on you. Your skin against his fingertips, your smile as you observe him, your sighs as he caresses you are enough to freeze any coherent thoughts, it is just you and him and he can’t never get enough of this. The shower you take together to wash off the masks is the highlight of his day. There is nothing sexual, it feels much more intimate and tender. He is fully exposed to you, and you are fully exposed to him, and this is so perfectly magical, enchanting, nothing can compare to the closeness when you help each to shampoo your hair or wash your backs. It is a form of vulnerability, openness to the other that made his heart burnt with devotion. There is not a time when he does not repeat you how much he loves you, he chants those words like a prayer, says them again and again like a glorious psalm. It is the closest he ever feels to religion because he is living something truly divine.

S = Sad how do they cheer themselves/each other up

As Vic, Ethan and Damiano pointed it out, Thomas is the best to cheer people up, it is like a second nature. He is so caring, and he would do anything possible to make his loved one happier, especially the person he loves the most.

When you are sad, firstly, and maybe obviously, he listens to you, what you have to say, how you feel. He doesn’t interrupt you, he let you let go of all the emotions, the sorrow, the anger boiling in you. He holds you close if you need it, rubs your hands to console you as you speak. He wants to fully understand what is happening, the reason and the degree to which you are upset. Even if, he is silent, you know that you have is full attention, he often shakes his head to show you that he is listening. However, he does it more out of habit, with time you had learnt that his lack of words wasn’t to ignore you but to let you openly express yourself. When you are finished, he might ask some questions about the situation to be sure he has grabbed all the implications and not do a mistake when he will uplift you and advise you later on. Thomas also always enquires on how he can help, what you want him to do. You can request whatever you want in those moments, he does everything possible to satisfy your demand. He understands that it is important to acknowledge that no one handle sadness, anxiety, stress the same way and has the same reaction, some people want to be left alone and need comfort from afar, some need constant presence and acts of support, some just want to be heard. His goal is to cheer you up so the last thing he wishes is to force you to do something that can work on somebody else but actually would make it worse for you. Then, his actions totally depend on you and what you crave.

However, he still has some tricks to earn a smile from you. He leaves several love notes in the house for you to open, some are just cute love messages, others list the reasons why he firmly believes you are brilliant, some contains ugly drawings that are so bad they cause you to giggle… He, moreover, insist on spending quality time with you. He puts on hold what he is doing just to share a moment with you, he doesn’t care if you go for a walk, watch a movie, cook, he just spends time with you and only you, his phone off to focus exclusively on you. Then he is adamant that you must cuddle, for scientific reason, according to him it will comfort you. You can’t say no to him, especially not to such a proposition, and you usually end up napping, snuggled in his arms as he compliments you every other minutes. He also plays you some of your favorite tunes, the melody soothing you. After you had calmed down, he takes time with you to discuss deeper the reason why you are down and what you can do on a long run about it. Thomas has a lot of empathy so you generally consider him as a good advisor, plus, he can see a new side of the problem and help you to find solutions. His ability to listen to you, take time for you, understand you and counsel are the things that make him the best to cheer you up no matter what, no matter how hard the situation is for you, how much you struggle.

T = Talking what do they love to talk about?

This one is kind of obvious, but Thomas loves talking about music, actually he lives for that. He adores telling you anecdotes about the albums you listen to, and he can babble for hours about the composition of a riff. Sometimes he is scared that this will bore you to death, but you are truly very entertained by what he is saying and usually asked many questions on the topic. You don’t always care deeply about how a bassist created a line for a precise song however you are just captivated by the passion that emanates from your boyfriend. From the wild movements of his arms to his slightly quicker pace of talking, from the way he bits his lips when hesitating to his slight frown when he recounts a story known to be tragic, everything he does is hypnotizing. He very rarely mentions the band and himself when talking about music. He is too shy to bring that up and doesn’t want to seem like he is too arrogant, full of himself. He likewise respects other musicians too much to even dare to compare himself to them. Nevertheless, the few times he explained to you his songs, how he came with his solo, you fell even harder for him. It is like opening the door of his profonde thoughts, discovering a new side of him and nothing is better for you than exploring Thomas’ creative process as he jolly described it to you.

Not many people actually know it, but Thomas is absolutely unhinged when it comes to fashion. Most of the time, it is assumed that he likes it since it is a part of the visual identity of the band and that actually Vic and Damiano are more into fashion than he is. But this is a huge mistake. Thomas can literally speak for hours about a piece of clothing. You probably heard a thousand time the reason why he chose this outfit for this occasion and that outfit for that occasion. You don’t even have to follow what happen during the fashion weeks, to read Vogue, you are kept informed by Thomas. Even if it can be too much sometimes, you feel lucky that he mentions it so much with you. You know that he pretty much only discourses on this topic with people he deeply trusts so you are one of the happy few and you are glad he relies on you enough to bore your ears off with it.

U = Unencumbered What helps them relax?

As cheesy as it sounds, you help him relax. When you are by his sides, your mere presence is enough for him to loosen up. If you observe that he is particularly stressed, even when he denied it, you gave him a massage. It is always a hard negotiation, he pretends he doesn’t need any, that he is okay but as soon as your hands are on his back, he feels that the tension in his shoulders is decreasing. Even when he is fully relaxed, you continued a bit enjoying the instant, loving his satisfied hum and occasional whines. In between touches, you depose kisses to the nape of his neck, his shoulder blades, his spin, and you are fond to admire the formation of some goosebumps on his skin. When you are away, he will just watch some videos of you he has on his phone instantly calming down. If he is very anxious, he texts you or calls you if he knows you are free, the sound of your voice helping him to clear his head.

V = Vaunt what do they like to show off? What are they proud of?

Thomas is proud of many things. Firstly, he is pleased that he had turned his dream into a career, that his musical skills allow him to live his greatest desire. He is honored whenever he meets fans, especially younger ones, that tell him they start playing guitar or creating a band thanks to him. It never fails to astonish him anytime somebody calls him gifted, lists him as one of their hero or writes him a letter to explain that the music he made had save their life. He is also satisfied of the different relation he has in his life. He was able to choose the right persons to compose his inner circle, people who support him no matter what and are here for him, people who care about him as a person and don’t try to take advantage of him, his fame, his wealth. Naturally, he is extremely full of pride at your relationship. He had never believed he could have built something so beautiful with someone. He was always scared at first that you would have enough of him because of his personality, his job, his booked schedule… But you stayed through and through, you never been anything else than understanding and caring. He is delighted by the way your relation is solidly based on trust, communication and support and he loves it anytime someone see you as a couple goal. Finally, he is proud of you as a person. You are kind, smart, loving, pursuing your dreams, never compromising your values. Even when you are faced with failure, you move on, you try again, you didn’t give easily on what matter to you. He is content anytime you are recognized for yourself, your capacities, your achievements, your qualities…

W = Wedding when, how, where do they propose?

Thomas will propose you when you both feel ready to get married. Of course, you had discussed the topic several times in the course of your relationship, but you were too young or too busy or simply you didn’t want at the time. Though when he realizes it is the natural next step for you and you both are comfortable with the idea, he will ask your hand. Your boyfriend is a very private person thus the proposal and wedding are going to be almost casual. He is also scared that a big declaration that could be photographed by paps, spread on the internet, commented, over-analyzed would freak you out.

For the proposal, he still wishes to be thoughtful. He comes up with the idea of a scavenger hunt around Rome. This starts with a simple internet link advising you to go at a small restaurant you often eat together. From there you collect clues leading to other places holding a special place in your heart giving you new clues leading to new places. Every hint is wistful and adorable. It sheds a new light on the city you are living, appreciating the role it plays in your relationship. Rome isn’t just the décor where your love story takes place, it is a character in itself. Your bond wouldn’t be the same without some streets, some shops, some cafés, some ice cream parlors, some monuments, some restaurants… The hunt finishes in your shared bedroom, where you find a velvety box hidden inside of your drawers. The container is empty when you open it but when you turn around you are meet with the sight of Thomas on one knee with a stunning ring. You throw yourself in his arm, making him fall as you repeat “yes, yes, yes.” You naturally keep all the evidence he had concealed in your secret carboard box.

The ceremony is relatively simple, nothing too extravagant, you don’t need anything excessive, just the right man, to be surrounded by your loved ones and to have fun. The wedding takes place in a quiet secret and remote place, you don’t have many guests, only the ones who matter, the atmosphere is laid-back. The highlight of the night is to witness Thomas dancing so happily, he is always charming whenever he is on the dancefloor, but there, overwhelmed with joy, he is a sight to remember.

X = Xylophone What’s their song?

Let faces it, this man is obsessed with Led Zeppelin, he talks about them all the time, on any occasions. You often joke that you can’t find many interviews where he doesn’t mention them at least once and you like to say that the real love of the guitarist is Jimmy Page and not you. So, naturally you associate him with a song of the band, and which tune can describe your shared love better than “the rain song”? Absolutely none, it is just a sweet ballad for your sweet boyfriend. When he learnt that you couldn’t help but think about him whenever you listened to the song, he beamed with joy. He was crazily excited, and it was probably one of the best compliments you ever gave him. Vic, Damiano and Ethan certainly heard this billions of times since he mentions it whenever he can, and he can do it a lot, especially since he creates opportunities in conversations to place it. He was literally grinning hard, thrilled, and jumping enthusiastically when he realized that you had put it as your ringtone whenever he was calling you.

Y = You the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

you are the string to my guitar

When he first told you that after a few glasses of his favorite white wine, you raised your eyebrow in confusion. If you could understand all the words separately, you were not able to fathom what he meant. Thomas was expecting a whole another reaction from you, a bright smile, a faint blush, an awkward laugh but clearly not the puzzled silence welcoming his confession. Because it was what it was for him, a romantic love declaration, probably not worthy of Shakespeare but good enough. You opened your mouth, but no words left it. You had grabbed from his slight pout that you were supposed to reply something to this, however you could not think of an appropriate response. The last think you wanted was to say something wrong that would offend him even though at this point you wondered if any words would be worse than your silence. You eventually managed to verbalize your incomprehension, insisting it was the wine that was certainly clouding your mind and train of your thoughts and that was not that his sentence lacked sense. He chuckled at your cute and bad attempt to reassure him on his choice of words. “Have you ever tried to play guitar without strings?” he asked you. You shook your head in a no. “You probably realize by now that it is a pretty impossible task.” You nodded attempting to understand where he was going. “Well, that is the same with me, I can’t function properly without you.” You let out a loud laugh at this and so he would not be hurt by it, you rapidly added: “Thomas I don’t know how your mind works sometimes, but that is the loveliest thing someone has ever said to me. And I mean it, it is far stretched in the sweetest way possible. And so, you know, you are the” You spent some seconds thinking on how to complete your sentence as Thomas was slowly turning into a flushing mess, hiding his face against your chest. “And I don’t really know how to finish that because obviously I’m not as good as you are at cryptic love declaration. So sorry I will have to use the plainest, clearest words ever and tell you that I love you, Thomas, with all my heart.” You put a strong emphasis on his name to mark that you could say that to him and only him. He rushed to kiss you fiercely and you immediately kissed him back, embracing each other, proving that one plus one was equal to one.

Z = Zebra if they wanted a pet, what pet would they get?