Tattooed on my heart

The morning after

Tommaso’s POV -

I woke up feeling a weight and warmth on my chest, I looked down to a sleeping Thalia, her face smooshed and her nose tickling my neck.

Her naturally pouty lips and were now swollen with sleep, traces of the makeup that wasn’t properly removed last night was smeared under her eyes.

I tried to move gently just to realise she has wrapped her thigh on my lower abdomen, her ass sticking out of her long t shirt and her intimate parts attached to my outer thigh.

‘How many trials can a man stand’ I groaned internally.

“Hey, hey.. buongiorno” I whispered to her, she just stretched burying her face more into my neck now I could feel her lips pressed under my jawline, and her body now closer and pushed into mine, my upper arm between her breasts, and the thigh that was casually placed at my lower abdomen was now on my lower part, heat radiated from her lower parts onto my thigh and her ass cover was completely gone.

I grabbed the covers and moved quickly covering her up.

She woke up, groggy and with a hoarse voice she looked up at me and moved away rubbing her face.

“Shit.” She paused and yawned again “How bad was it?”

I looked at her trying to understand the question, how bad was what? The sleep? did she think we had s*x? And it was bad?

“Ummm if you mean sleeping, I slept fine and we didn’t have s*x if that what’s you meant, so I guess it wasn’t bad at all?”

She chuckled “Well since you actually snuggled me through the night I figured s*x wasn’t involved. I meant me, last night? Did I throw up? Make a scene? Blurted out secrets that aren’t my own?”

I laughed lowly “Nothing like that no, mostly you were off balance and fell or fell asleep everywhere, also some numb front teeth were mentioned. Also just to clarify, it was you who snuggled me, and told me to take my clothes off”.

She shook her head “Sounds like a drunk me alright”. Then with a horrified look she touched her hair it was still damp and in a braid.

She looked confused at the mirror in front of the bad “Ok I know drunk me could have NEVER braided my hair” she raised an eyebrow at me “which bags the question, Tommaso Arne, did you braid my hair???”

I was pretty sure I blushed at that “A man of many talents one might say” I shrugged it off, She laughed “oh 100%” she said.

I was about to leave the bad when I realised my friend from down under was wide awake, I covered it quickly, She looked back to me and said “Well, past experiences tell me I need to say thank you for the shower, and please tell me I just asked you to wash my hair..” she winced.

I laughed loudly this time “and here I thought I was special”, she shook her head “you have a beautiful experience you can share with my high school best friend Antonio!” She laughed at that “can I offer you a coffee? My shower? A toothbrush? All of the above? I feel like it’s the bare minimum, also how did we get home?”.

I stretched in her way too short for me bed, and replied “a taxi, and yes please, I’ll take whatever I can get”.

She hopped off the bed, grabbed my wet clothes from the bedroom floor and headed to the shower, she took her wet dress as well “I’ll put these in the drier, I’m guessing you know how to use the shower and the towels are in plain sight, in the closet under the sink there are new toothbrushes just grab one”.

And walked aways. All things were where she said, I brushed my teeth and used the toilet, I turned on the shower and let the water run a bit before I entered.

Thalia’s POV -

Waking up next to Tommaso was surreal. He didn’t have to be this kind to me, I wondered if he wanted more? He didn’t even try anything, but I didn’t remember much just bits and pieces.

He didn’t touch me in the shower, he didn’t touch me in bed, he didn’t even try to touch me this morning.. maybe he didn’t want anything? Was he just polite? Was I that much of a mess? But than why would he ask me if I’m single and do I date men yesterday?

I snapped back to myself as the I pressed the dryer’s on button.

I was many things, and one of those things was very straightforward and honest, well, if I’m not sure I could just ask.

If he was polite I can thank him and move on, right?

I went to my room and cleaned up a bit, my face was full of makeup that I didn’t wash off properly last night.

I headed out of my room and I knocked on the bathroom door, I heard his voice over the running water “Hey, can I come in? I need my toothbrush and toothpaste please.”

“Well I don’t mind turning around but you’d see my bare ass” I laughed “I guess we’ll be even!” I heard him laugh “Come in” he said.

I opened the door to a steamy shower, him just under 2m tall he almost was taller than the shower’s glass.

His hair wet down his muscular and tattooed back, his ass was actually super nice, probably better than mine, I resented that.

“Thank you” I said sweetly “I’ll grab that and be out of your hair”, he sighed “you’re already here, brush your teeth Thalia, it’s 2 minutes, unless my ass is that bad” be both laughed “it’s actually better than mine, I’ll never say it outside these walls, but if I were you - I’d take that”.

“I definitely wouldn’t say that, it would be a lie” he then sighed.

As I was brushing my teeth I moved towards the shower and leaned lightly against the glass wall, I started speaking with the brush in my mouth which I realised wasn’t a smart move on my part, I went to the sink and spat, I came back and said “What I tried to say was, I don’t understand you, can I be honest?” I asked.

“I hope so” he replied, I spat again and quickly washed my brush and mouth.

I leaned back on the glass by the shower door and said “Well, on the one hand you’re giving me low key compliments, asked if I’m single and so on..” he nodded as I spoke and said “Go on..”, I sighed quietly “and on the other hand it’s like you’re not even interested, it’s like..like ufff like I don’t have any effect on you..”

He then turned just his head towards me “what are you talking about???” He exclaimed.

I hurried to reply “It’s totally fine if your uninterested and I misinterpreted things, I just need to know so I don’t keep doing that, I don’t like to wonder” I said plainly.

He shook his head “Thalia, there was no misunderstanding, I thought it was clear when I asked you if you’re single, but we talked business after that and I didn’t want it to become a date, when I do ask you to one it will be better than a cocktail bar with a ditzy waitress, also, please explain no effect?”

I was relieved, I wasn’t imagining things, I explained simply “Well, you never tried to touch me, even when I was half naked. Barely a touch on the back from what I remember, like I repulsed you.”

He leaned his head lightly on the wall “are you serious? Thalia, you were drunk, I would never touch anyone in that state, and you!!! Never showed any interest, so I didn’t want to assume anything, I didn’t want you thinking I tried something when you were asleep. It took everything in me to hold back, I won’t take advantage of a drunk and sleeping woman” he spat out, then he mumbled “No effect on me?..” he sighed “You want me to show you how much you effect me?” He asked calmly.

I gulped silently, “Do you?” He said again this time his voice so assertive it was almost a commend, but still soft, waiting, wondering.

I felt my face flushed with heat, then quietly I said “Yes”.

He reached a hand to the shower door and slid it half open, still facing the wall, he reached his hand out to me “give me your hand..”

I touched his hand with mine, he then grabbed my wrist, took a step back so he was closer to me, he pulled my hand gently towards his front, and placed it on his lower abdomen, above his crotch, he broke the sound of just water running saying “it’s yours to explore if you’d like, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t like, you have my consent to do whatever you’d like.”

I suddenly realised I was holding my breath, I took a deep breathe and started to move my hand down.