Reunion among the Roses

[Feliciano Vargas]

Words: 618

Tags:@marcopolo

Notes: Sorry this took so long!

Feliciano strolled down the street, pulling his coat closer about him as he passed through the crowd unnoticed. It never ceased to amaze him. When a person had so much blood on their hands, surely others would be able to tell, surely others would sense that something was, some insistent feeling that warned of danger. And yet, that never seemed to be the case, at least not so far as the Italian was concerned. Feli continued to freely wander the streets of London, a wolf traveling among sheep. He frowned at the thought and picked up the pace, as though he could leave that uncomfortable truth behind him. Besides, he didn’t have time for such musings, he had one last thing to do.

He was far from the only assassin to have rituals. Angelo had even encouraged it during Feli’s training, explaining that it helps to find something to do that gives you closure—to find some way to put your completed contracts behind you. Yes, many people in his profession had rituals, but even among them, Feli’s was a bit more unusual. And Angelo had not been pleased.

“You’re going to get yourself caught, doing something so foolish. What killer orders flowers for the family?!”

Feliciano knew the man was right. Knew he was putting his secret, his very life at risk for something so paltry. It was foolish. He knew it—knew no amount of flowers could replace the life that had ended at his hands, and yet… it was the only way he could sleep at night once the adrenaline had abandoned him and the reality of what he had done sank it. But, if he was going to do something so foolish, he could at least be smart about doing it. Luckily, London had no shortage of flower shops so he never had to worry about anyone picking up on the pattern.

It didn’t take him long to find his newest shop. It was a small and innocuous thing, nestled cozily between a coffee shop and a woman’s boutique and if Feli hadn’t been specifically looking for such a shop, he probably wouldn’t have noticed it. He paused in front of the window, casting a curious eye over the displayed arrangement. Impressive… whoever did those was clearly no amateur. The subtly, the careful selection of complimenting and contrasting colors and shapes, Feliciano couldn’t help but crouch down, appreciating the flowers like one might a work of art. Even the flowers appeared unique, with colorations that Feliciano had never seen. It was almost a shame that he wouldn’t be able to use this store regularly; there was just something so soothing about the arrangements...

Finally the London’s winter made its presence known, with a blustery gust that tore right through his coat and put an end to his street-side admiration of the shop. With a sigh, he straightened, smoothing out the wrinkles in his coat before entering the shop. It smelled just as heavenly as it had looked and Feli closed his eyes, letting the scents and the warmth of the store wash over him, quickly dispelling the chill of London. He opened his eyes and quickly spotted an employee behind, his back turned to the Italian. Feliciano stepped forward, smiling brightly. He hoped his presence would be enough to alert the man, but he remained turned away, clearly focused on his latest arrangement. Feliciano was almost loathed to interrupt him, but he only had an hour before his next shift and he couldn’t afford to be late again.

“Ve… Excuse me, sir?” He said softly, hoping not to come off as rude. “I’m sorry to interrupt you. I was hoping to order some flowers.”

made by MISSO for KAT

[Deleted]

Winter had never been Marcello’s favorite season. Sure, it had its benefits—pretty snow-capped mountains, snowball fights, the change to cuddle up next to someone all warm and cozy by the fire to share a cup of cocoa or something. But it was cold and the Seborgan would much prefer to soak in the sun than freeze to the bone. Especially in this new setting he’d found himself in.

It seemed like if there wasn’t some drizzle in the forecast, then a ‘lovely’ blast of chilly wind would take its place and rightly freeze any part of the skin it touched. Well, at least it wasn’t entirely in the dead of winter yet…that was definitely not something Marco was looking forward to experiencing here in London…again. That’s partially why he had taken to dragging a small heater into the shop with him as he worked. Unfortunately, he couldn’t exactly crank up the heat in the shop without it affecting the flowers (they had to be kept nice and cool, after all, to keep from wilting), but he could at the very least set it beside him as he worked on a few arrangements and attended to the one or two customers that this season brought in. That, he supposed, wasn’t so bad.

“Now…” He mumbled softly, cutting an eye over to the back to ensure his employer hadn’t fallen asleep again. The old woman had a habit of falling asleep around this time instead of ensuring the supplies were in order in the back—and it looked like that was going to have to be Marco’s next task since he could see a head of peppered hair nodding off. He shook his head and chuckled to himself with a grin. “Poor thing’s probably exhausted already…” Not that she really did much, but… with her health and this weather, doing anything was a bit much. At least he was there to help her around the shop, and thankfully, it wasn’t a huge establishment and he had the chance to laze off here and there. It was nice being able to simply relax and go at his own pace.

…and not have to worry about any M-16 missions.

Heh… Yeah, that was definitely a benefit; not having to do anything until he was actually needed. Apparently nothing had been so extravagant that they had called for the sleeper agent, but Marcello definitely wasn’t complaining about it. The less muck he got dragged into the better, really. He could use all the free time he could (in between the theatre gig and this florist position) to try and sniff out Ciel--if she really was here. He absentmindedly toyed with a carnation that he had been putting into an arrangement and furrowed his brows lightly at the notion. Perhaps this weekend he could amble around town and see if he could pinpoint a haunt that might have attracted the woman. His thoughts suddenly turned to how exactly she might have changed and if she’d even remember him. Marco wondered how his former fiancée would even react if she saw him. Given how women tended to be with those sorts of things, it could range anywhere from good to absolutely dreadful.

The small ding of the door’s chime barely registered as he pulled himself out of his thoughts and plucked out a more wilted flower and replaced it with the one in his hand. The rejected flower found a new home behind his ear as he let out an appreciative hum and shifted the bouquet of white and red carnations aside in order to scribble something down on the card the client had ordered.

“Ve… Excuse me, sir? I’m sorry to interrupt you. I was hoping to order some flowers.”

Marcello’s brow lifted in curiosity at the peculiar accent—he really only had heard it back home, but it was rather refreshing to hear an Italian voice after so many years. His lips curled into a warm smile as he set the card down and turned around to greet the new patron, who certainly seemed to be one of the more polite ones. “No interruption at-a all, amîgo!” He beamed and turned fully to regard the other man, his hands moving to rest against the counter and help hold him up. “What-a kind o--” he cut himself off as he looked into the man’s face.

There was no mistaking it. It may have been years, but one thing was certain: the other hadn’t changed much at all. Sure, the man had a deeper voice (which was why Marco hadn’t recognized it right off the bat as his half-brother’s), and he looked a bit more filled out now, but his features really had hardly changed at all. His head spun for a moment, blanked out, and then tried to click back on to process what was going on. It was mildly surreal, yes, but the Seborgan rarely forgot a face, and to see this one …right here…right now.

“Feli…?” Marcello’s faltered smile picked up into a more nervous grin as a chuckle of disbelief escaped his lips. If this wasn’t Feliciano, but a double, he’d simply excuse himself for the mistake and get back to business.

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OoC: Don't worry! This is probably the last I'll get to post until finals are over on December 12;; orz

[Feliciano Vargas]

Words: 491

Tags:@marcopolo

Notes: not much to go on... sorry...

Feliciano couldn’t respond at first, feeling like he’d been blindsided with a mallet to his temple. “Marco….Marcello, is that really you?” Even as he spoke, Feliciano knew the truth. His half brother had certainly shot up since he’d last seen him and he’d certainly grown into those beautifully vibrant green eyes of his. He had no doubt that Marco turned plenty of heads with that warm smile and tousled hair. He’d thought about his half brother a lot since their last meeting, wondered what he had been up to—if he was happy. He’d even brought him up in conversations with Nonno, only to be side stepped. As he got older, Feliciano realized why his grandfather had been so hesitant to reconnect Marco with the rest of the Vargas family. With two members prominent in the police force and a third with questionable ties, there were plenty of enemies gunning for their family. It was just safer not to be tangled up with the Vargas name.

And yet, here Marco was, standing no more than two feet away from him. Judging by the look on his face, Marcello was just as shocked to run into family as Feliciano. There was a terse moment, the half brothers sat in silence, gaping at each other like a pair of fish. Finally, Feliciano shook his head to dispel the shock and replaced it with a brilliant smile, his original reason for entering the shop long forgotten. His little brother was there, was actually tangibly there. “Marco! I can’t believe you’re actually in London! What brought you here? It certainly wasn’t the weather.” As if to prove a point, the wind picked up, rattling against the windows. He rocked back and forth on his heels, debating his next move. He knew what he wanted to do, he just didn’t know if he had a right to.

“Ve… Marco, can I… maybe… get a hug?” He fiddled with the sleeves of his coat. He certainly didn’t have the right to ask for anything from his half brother, he certainly hadn’t done anything to ingratiate himself to the younger man. But then the other boy smiled and all worries vanished. Without worrying about the repercussions, Feliciano quickly rounded the counter to pull his half-brother into an exuberant hug. “Marco! I missed you so much! I never would have guessed you would be in London! And in a flower shop, no less! But… but it suits you! All of this, it really suits you!” He swept a hand over their cheerful surroundings and looked back to Marcello, eyes crinkled fondly. Even after all of his missteps and screw-ups, it was nice to know that at least one of his family wasn’t embarrassed or dismissive of him. Maybe…. If he was very very lucky… he might actually have someone who actually wanted to be family. “So!” He clapped his hands excitedly. “Tell me everything! How did you get here?”

made by MISSO for KAT

[Deleted]

“Ha… It-a wouldn’t be anyone else, I-a don’t suppose, fratello,” a sigh of relief escaped Marco’s lips. It was indeed Feliciano and not some vivid (and tangible) mirage standing before him. Marcello rung his hands and swallowed as another smile brightened his features. “God, what do I do, it’s been years…” Normally he’d be quick to engage, but this meeting caused him to freeze again as a few bittersweet considerations floated through his skull.

Feli was really the only member of his father’s family that he had kept in touch with or was close to when he was younger. The two of them, whenever Marco was allowed to visit, would at the very least play with one another while Mama and Nonno watched, but as they grew older (and in part due to Marcello’s new responsibilities to the Monacan Royal Family and then later to the Agency) they became more distant. It particularly pained the brunette to recall that while the phone calls and meetings with his older brother had remained semi-frequent up until their teenage years, the calls dwindled and became sparser as they were older until there was no contact at all. Marcello partially blamed himself for that, but at the same time, he couldn’t afford to just up and call family anytime he wanted when he was on a job that had been the case for the following years. And that’s not to mention the fact that Marco himself had to change numbers several times, lost a few, and had forgot a few more. Who’s to say Feli hadn’t experienced similar? Especially if he was traveling—and considering the fact that the older Italian was in London right here and now, it was safe to assume that may have been the case. Still, Marco kicked himself for not calling at least once or twice during the holidays or sending a letter or two.

As Feli finally spoke up, breaking the silence between them, his smile broadened to the point where his dimples were clearly visible and he gave a bit of a chuckle. However, inwardly, he swore; of course Feliciano would ask something like that. After glancing to the rattling windows and back to his brother he gave a mild shrug. “Definitely not-a the weather—but hey, at-a least the girls here aren’t that bad right?” he gave Feli a wink and shook his head. “Naw… I-a just needed to-a get out e travel for a while and ended up here. Kind of like ah… finding yourself or-a something, right? It’s pretty small back home after all.” He hoped that was suitable enough answer.

He was about to continue when Feli spoke again. Tilting his head to the side and furrowing his brows a bit in confusion, but still with a warm, welcoming smile. “Don’t-a be ridiculous you don’t-a have to –ach!” The arms wrapping around him cut off whatever he was about to say and drew out a small grunt, but Marcello didn’t mind it at all. He closed his eyes for a moment and curled his arms right back around Feli’s shoulders in turn and gave him a small squeeze as he patted him on the back. He’d missed this sort of affection and the feeling it brought—of being cared about and actually belonging to something and being wanted. That was unfortunately a bit of a struggle he had had growing up as the bastard of the family, and sadly it was also his (father’s) family that held it against him the most. Fortunately, that hadn't truly affected how Feliciano treated him.

“I-a missed you too, Feli—and you’re telling me! I love-a this little set-up; it kinda reminds me of home and mama, sci? A-and you’re about the last person I-a would have expected to-a come walking through that-a door, but look at you!” he pulled back, keeping Feli at arm’s length, hands on his shoulders as his gaze washed over the other, taking in just how much the other had grown as well. It was funny, Marco thought, seeing Feli like this and imagining him as the chubby faced toddler he used to go on play dates with. “You-a look really great, fræ, really.”

He finally let his hands fall from the other’s shoulders to tug at his sleeve instead. “Come and-a sit with me! It’s not really busy so we-a might can chat in the break room for-a a bit and I can tell you and-a you can tell me how you ended up here,” his tugging ceased as he suddenly remembered why Feliciano had come in the first place: flowers. “If-a you have time that is? I-a don’t want to keep you from a date or something.” His eyebrows raised in amusement as he lightly patted Feliciano’s arm, teasing him. He wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the flowers were for some bella his brother had managed to woo—with those looks and that smile, hell, it would have been easy.

Now that things were moving and they were speaking, Marcello had no intentions of letting it slow down. No, this felt just fine as it was: talking and joking like they’d only been apart for a few days instead of several years. Or at least that’s how it felt to Marco now that he had gotten past his initial uncertainty and shock—he could only hope that Feliciano felt similar. Regardless, he wasn’t keen on letting the mistakes and squabbles of yesteryear interfere with the here and now—that was over and done with and it wasn’t as if Feliciano had ever truly done him wrong.

“So, what-a do you say? Are-a you up for it--,” the doors and windows rattled a second time from the frigid gusts outside. The disturbance caught Marco’s attention before he returned it to Feli. “Or-a do we need a rain check?” He added swiftly, “We-a have a small heater if you wanna warm up some. I mean if-a you do have to go somewhere—don’t want you to-a freeze though.” Really, he didn’t want the other to just disappear back out into the streets after such a brief encounter—he wanted more time with his sibling and he was willing to try and persuade the other to stay a bit longer using one method or another.

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OoC: Sorry about that..my fault orz. And more apologies for the wait--December has not been a nice month for me.

[Feliciano Vargas]

Words: 473

Tags:@marcopolo

Notes: I finally did it!

True. Feli wasn’t exactly “free” to go traipsing off, he vaguely remembered his boss using some pretty scary words the last time he’d arrived late for his shift. But… but this was his brother! One of the only ones in his family to actually seem happy when he appeared on their doorstep. Lovino rarely addressed him anymore—unless it was to scold him about getting his life together… And Nonno…. Feliciano swallowed painfully at the thought of him. He hadn’t really been able to face him properly for years and Nonno didn’t seem all that concerned about seeing Feli in return. He supposed he should be glad for that. The last thing he needed was someone who knew him so well asking questions. Feli shook his head slightly and focused on the family standing before him. His boss would understand! And if he didn’t… well… Beck had saved his job before.

“Are you kidding?! No date is more important than my family!” He punctuated his statement with another hug. Luckily he and Marco seemed to have the same philosophy when it came to physical contact and Feli relished the feeling of hugging someone who didn’t tense uncomfortably. “Not that I had one anyway…” He blushed slightly thinking back to a certain pair of blue eyes, of broad shoulders, before shaking his head again. He really had to stop getting so distracted before Marco thought he was insane. “I just need to give you this order, and then we can go grab some food and catch up!” He beamed, rubbing his hands together for warmth. “I’m starving! I’ve been running errands all day. Is there any good places to eat around here? Like a café or something? It doesn’t have to be fancy… Oh but… are you allowed to go with me? I guess you would need to watch the shop…” He slumped slightly, reality raising its ugly head once again. Feli might be assured in his job enough to skip out for dinner, but what about Marco? What if thus was his only job? He’d feel awful if he was the reason Marco lost it.

“Ehh… but if you can’t leave I don’t mind staying here! Maybe… maybe we can order something to be delivered. You must be hungry too! Working so hard!” He beamed at his little brother. It was amazing how strongly his Vargas blood shined through, there was no doubt he was family. And Feli was just so relieved to have any family in his corner. It had been so lonely lately, though Feli would rather die than admit that to anyone. Most of all his little brother. No, Feli was determined to be the brother Marco could be proud of.

“Just tell me what you’d like? We’ll do whatever! I’m just so happy to have found you again!”

made by MISSO for KAT