#fabrizio

Running across the bridge briskly, you huff as you hand the man the ticket; him looking you over, checking it, and sending you on your way. With an excited laugh that booms off the hallways, you are pointed in the direction of your room, all the possibilities racing in your head. Slowing down as the numbers start to edge nearer to your assigned room, you smile mischievously, knocking on the door with your duffel bag clutched closer to your hip.

You hear some rustling and then a curse, causing you to giggle as the door opens. The man - no, boy - opens the door with a red tint to his cheeks, eyes wide as he takes you in transparently. You clear your throat in order to bring his attention back to your eyes, smile still plastered on your face.

“Hi,” you stick out your hand, “I’m Y/N, and you are?”

Stunned, the boy doesn’t speak for a moment, still staring straight through you. You clear your throat again, coaxing him out of his daze, “F-Fabrizio,” he stutters out with a rich Italian accent.

“Well, F-Fabrizio, you are blocking the door,” you smirk, leaning against the door frame, ultimately forgetting your hand and dropping it. Within seconds, he flies out of the way, still holding the door as he realizes his mistake. You giggle again with the shake of your head, taking in two other boys in the room and choosing the only bed without a duffel bag or some sort of belongings on them.

Clearing his throat, Fabrizio closes the door and turns back around, hands in his pockets. “You can have the bunk if you want.”

“I’m fine with either or, if you want the bunk, you can keep it. I don’t mind the bottom.” Turning around, you acknowledge the other boys, “And, what about you guys? What’re your names?” you smile again, cheeks red from all the excitement.

“I’m Tommy Ryan,” the Irish boy speaks, giving you his hand in great confidence.

“I’m Jack Dawson,” the blonde American speaks up, jumping up from his bed to also offer you his hand, throwing his head back slightly to remove the hair from his eyes.

“Hi again, I’m Y/N Y/L/N,” you turn back to Fabrizio, “And like I said, ‘I don’t mind the bottom.’”

Nodding, Fabrizio sheepishly climbs on top of the bunk bed, nodding at you before turning to face the wall, going to sleep. Snickering, you nod at the boys as well, jokingly saluting them as you take your leave as well.

...

Waking up, you find that Tommy and Jack are already out of the room. Confused, you look towards the window to find that Fabrizio was still there, writing in a tiny notepad. “Good morning,” you call out, slightly startling him.

“Good morning, Y/N,” he says tight-lipped.

“Where’d the guys run off to?”

“They wanted to explore the ship, cause some trouble while they’re at it... Maybe get some food,” he doesn’t look up at you.

“Why didn’t you go with them? Aren’t you friends with Jack?”

Sucking in a breath, he refuses to meet your gaze, “I wanted to stay back with you. I waited until you got up.”

With both your face and his blushing a deep shade of red, you momentarily are at a loss for words, calming just enough to say, “Oh.”

Nodding, Fabrizio gets prepared to leave, embarrassed as he packs up the little book and pen in his pockets. Just before he leaves out the door, you grab his wrist, “Hey, wait. Let me get changed, we can go exploring together,” you offered.

This time, he looks up at you, smiling, “Sure.”

“Could you wait outside the door though?”

“Oh yes, of course, sorry.”

“You’re not gonna leave while I’m not looking, are you?”

“No, I promise,” he says, face stone still and neutral; he was telling the truth.

“Okay, I’ll take your word for it.” Smiling, you close the door with a soft click and listen for footsteps for a minute, then dub it okay to get changed. Settling for a light gown that’s in the best shape, you settle it along your body and curves. 

You weren’t dealt the best hand when it came to money or luxuries or anything of the sort, but you were content with what you had. You didn’t need all those things to be happy; they were all just short-lived, materialistic objects that last only as long as you’ll let it, then throw it all away. Life, however, was different. It doesn’t go away, at least not for a little while. It gave you things no one else could, and led you to one of a kind adventures. Now that, that was just fine with you.

Clearing your throat, you open the door again, and let go off a breath you didn’t know you were holding. He stayed. 

Sticking out your hand, you sarcastically curtsy, “Shall we?”

...

For a while, you’d walked side by side with Fabrizio around the ship, hardly speaking. You just assumed he was shy, or unwilling to get out of his own head, encouraging you to spur him further with jokes and soft nudges.

What you hadn’t known, though, confused you when none of it was reflected off of the exterior of his body. He was truly way too hard to read and seemed as if he wanted to be anywhere but with you.

For, on the inside, Fabrizio was anxious. It was like love at first sight when he saw you, and now he has you all to himself for the day. You were truly gorgeous. You seemed mesmerized and content with everything; you took in every detail, person, or thing that was displayed on the ship. One in a million, if you’re so inclined.

Noticing as the air seemed to cool as the sun started to go to bed, you slumped against a rail, enjoying the scenery. “You can go back to the dorm if you’d like. I believe I’ve dragged you along long enough,” you say, not looking at him willingly.

“Why would I do that?” he asks, leaning against the rail beside you, watching the sunset as well.

“I feel I’ve dragged unwanted company,” you sigh, “I am a bit much sometimes.”

Facing you now, Fabrizio grasps your jaw to make your eyes meet his, “Not at all. Sei un raggio di sole, Cara.”

“I’m sorry?” you laugh, caught off guard.

“Sei un raggio di sole, Cara; You are a ray of sunshine, Dear,” he smiles, blushing lightly.

“Oh,” you blush scarlet, looking down. “Why didn’t you just start with that?”

“I was observing,” he smiles, eliciting a laugh from your chest.

Punching him lightly, you both turn back to watch the end of the show, the stars now wide awake and glittering.

“Well, if that’s the case, I have one more place we can visit and then you’re free to go, Good Sir,” you giggle.

“Lead the way, Cara.”

...

Stepping down the old, rickety stairs of an abandoned below deck, your shoulders and muscles easily relax to the booming warmth of lights, laughter, music, and cigarette smoke. My people.

Through the thick mass of people, you make out the two familiar forms of Jack and Tommy, smiling as you wave to them; returning back to your individual tasks. 

Taking Fabrizio’s stiff hand, you giggle, pulling on his arm and swinging him into the mass of sweaty, dancing bodies. “Just loosen up and move with the rhythm!” you scream over the music, indulging in the partnership of a man swaying his hips beside you.

For hours, you danced and swayed. Drank and smoked - only a little! However, the pinkish tint in your eyes refuted your claim. Over time, you watched as Fabrizio had grown into his own skin, playing drinking and card games with the boys in your dorm and even a little dancing with many girls your age.

In your buzzed haze, you would have to admit to yourself that you were a little jealous, but this is what you wanted; he went out of his comfort zone and indulged in the moment.

An Irish jig flipped the once pumped-up American music, encouraging the onlookers and people to clap as they form a big circle around the center of the dance floor. One by one, couples and friends would run into the middle, doing a little dance and hop off. 

Jack, accompanied by a ginger-haired broad run into the middle, asking for him to hold her drink as she lifts her dress up to her knees. Slowly, she raises with socked feet unto her tippy toes. Exceeding the normal limit, she stands atop the tips of her toes, screaming out and falling down after an impressive amount of seconds.

Laughing, Jack takes her hand as the crowd cheers, a new couple bounding in, while they go off to dance along the sidelines again. Catching Fabrizio’s eyes, his narrow in on yours, shaking his head in a blurred panic.

You ignore his uncertainty, running into the middle and pulling him in from across the floor. Together, you take arm and hand, doing a swift 4-step. “I knew you could dance!” you laugh, swaying with him as a price would his princess.

“Only with you, Cara,” he smirks, swooping in to catch your lips in his, stopping all movement altogether.

The crowd cheers once more and you can distinctly hear Tommy’s thick, Irish accent whoop above all others. 

Pulling back with tinted cheeks, he grab your hand. Smiling with such adoration, it takes Fabrizio’s breath away, pulling you out of the crowd and up those same steps you’d came from initially. You look at him with adventurous and naive eyes, only focused on him. 

Bustling through the crowd, you edge up the stairs just as another couple slowly steps down. There was a young woman about your age, pulling a much taller, sophisticated brunette begrudgingly along with her.