To Make It Short

Story by Perrin Wolfbrother on SoFurry

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#36 of Roman Life

Ale and Valerio are enjoying a nice afternoon, when....


_Hey everyone!

Here's another chapter of my ongoing series! After the dramatic turn of the event, we have to see how the characters react to them. I wasn't sure to do that twist, but it seems you don't hate me (too much) for it so.... Hope you will leave a comment, a fave or a vote for this chapter icon_biggrin.gif_

Thank you my love, iconGritou:, for always being there and for coming here in two days!

"PORCO DUE1 ALE, STOP SCORING!" The lean lupine cursed the rottie, smashing the buttons of his pad furiously, desperately trying to get past the defences of his players to reach the other end of the field.

"I am trying to, but it's sooo hard!" The muscular canine taunted the other, chuckling at his demeanour. Sure, Valerio wasn't the most posed fur even in calmer situation, but it was fun to watch him turning in a swearing, almost drooling maniac thanks to a game.

"COME FAI2!? I MEAN, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE FIFA: " Vale shouted almost at the top of his lungs, springing on his feet like that would help him through the action, in stark contrast to the other dog, who was just lunging lazily on the couch.

"Talento naturale3. Or just the fact my job requires lots of delicates movements with the fingers." He answered truthfully with all the easiness of the world, always keeping an eye on the game to catch the right time and score again.

"YOU KNOW WHERE YOU SHOULD STICK THOSE FINGERS RIGHT NOW, BASTARD!" The lupo continued, his whole concentration focused on the TV screen, so tensed that the rottie almost expected his muscles to snap.

"Sorry buddy, not my thing." He jabbed back automatically, knowing full well what the other had implied. Inside his head he hoped that the pup didn't do that often around Luca, maybe using such slurs, even without thinking and because everyone did, might be a tender topic for his best friend.

"DAI, DAI, CAAAAZZZZOOOOOOOO4!" The light-colored fur groaned, throwing his arms to the air, when he just shot the ball too high, completely missing the football goal. He could have easily taken advantage of the younger male's distraction and snatched the ball again, but the minutes were rolling to the end of the game and that would have been too mean of him.

"COME ONE, COME ON, RUN FUCKERS, RUN!" The other encouraged his virtual players, oblivious of what the Rottweiler hadn't done, trying as hard as he could to lessen the game between his team and the Roma of Ale.

"YES, YES, YEE-NOOOOOO!" Vale roared his defeat when the fatidic three whistles announced the end of the game, the miniature people running around to the lockers while a board showed the highlights.

The image of the wolf so depressed, a paw almost throwing the joystick away, his tall ears flattened in defeat while their owner growled madly was just too amusing for the restorer, even more so considering that the cause was something as trivial as a game of FIFA. He tried hard not to laugh in his face, but the giggles just escaped his muzzle, increasing in volume until he was openly laughing.

"Cosa5?" The lupine growled, eyes shooting daggers at the chuckling canine, his white teeth poking under his lip.

"Eeeheheh, well, no one told you that you are funny when playing?" The rottie gave him the short version, regaining his composure as much as he could, straightening up a bit.

"There is nothing funny in being so utterly defeated...." The wolf pouted, his ears returning to their erect status while he seated once again on the couch.

"Awwww povero cucciolo6, come here to papà7!" Ale exclaimed, attracting the young student in a bearish hug, his meaty arms encircling the much thinner frame of the lupine.

"I-am-not-that-much-younger-than-you!" The trapped canine protested in huffs, air being extracted from his lungs by the hug, while his paws tried effortlessly to push away the muscled friend.

"But you are still a pup in need of comfort. Who needs comfort, who? Yes, you do!" The short-clad male adopted the tone he usually used when playing with a feral dog, or just met a cute little pet. He was a sucker for those critters, melting inside in front of them in a heartbeat; he was way past talking offence if someone remarked his behavior, he just embraced it.

"I-am-not-let-me-go!" Vale said again, though it was clear that he was chuckling because of the silly treatment. He might play cool and such, but he was still a very simple ragazzo8 who enjoyed silliness from time to time.

"Whatever makes the pup happy!" The rottie granted, unlocking his arms and letting the other free, pleased that he had managed to turn his frown in a smile. "Wanna have the rivincita9?"

"Oh God no, three games are just enough for me!" He refused, shaking his paws in denial.

"But it was your idea to play FIFA in the first place, and it is your game...." Ale taunted him, remembering how eager the lupo had been to play once he had produced it out of nowhere, as if he was a magician.

"Please, don't remind me that..." The wolf groaned, his fingers busy with the gamepad while inputting the commands that resulted in the disc being spit out by the PlayStation 3.

"How down fall the prideful..." He jabbed once last time. "Wanna play something else? Or watch a movie? We have downloaded some pretty ones!"

"I want to see The Avengers again, I love that movie!" The lupo asked, almost bouncing on his seat for the excitement.

"And that you shall have. Go on the videos, it should be in the T folder." He let him take control, putting away his pad. He got himself more comfortable, planting his ass more firmly on the pillows, and preparing himself for two hours or so of continuous snark and action.

"I heard that the director did Buffy L'Ammazzavampiri10." The wolf said, while going through folders in search of the right file.

"Sure he did. But you should be too young for remembering that series!" Ale pointed out, after quickly calculating how old the pup had been when the series was on air.

"Luca let me watch it with him, and recorded it once Italia 111 put it so late at night." The canine reminiscence, letting out a victorious bark when he finally found the movie.

"Naughty lupi. You shouldn't have been exposed to that much violence and sarcasm, no wonder you turned up like that." The blacker canine teased the other, giving him the elbow to a good measure.

"Turned out what? I am perfect." The only lupo replied nonchalantly, keeping his eyes on Commander Fury descending in the bowels of Area 51, to face some unknown, surely British accented menace.

"Yeah, as if." The rottie shrugged off the matter. "I went to see this movie with your brother; he came out of the cinema completely babbling on how awesome it is."

"I know, he took me to watch it a second time." The wolf noted, a small amused smile appearing on his muzzle. "His excuse was that he was shocked I hadn't seen it yet, and that he had to fix that shameful fact."

"He could have told you he wanted to see it again." Ale chuckled at his best friend's antics.

"Yeah, but he is such a child sometimes!" The lupine snorted with the wisdom of his twenty and something years backing him up. Silence feel for a few minutes, bringing them to the chase of the handsome, black haired Arctic fox by a very pissed off Robin Scherbatsky.

Now he had some real peaceful moment, the first since the young lupo's rather unexpected appearance, which meant his mind beginning to wander. He firmly refused to think about Clara and their situation, after all he shouldn't sadden up as long as he had a host, didn't he? So he began to wonder on how the visit was going for Luca, if he was having fun.

That really depended on the company, though. The rottie knew that his friend got perfectly with the cougar, or at least chatted amiably with him that famous evening; and from what both Sara and Luca had told him, the Milanese was a nice fur too. The only truly unknowable thing was the American chick, along with the fact that those four together might not work, after all.

Still, he had fate on his roommate's ability as a guide, so as long as nothing truly and completely random happened, he was bound to resolve everything tossed at him. Plus, it was beyond him how someone could have a bad mood around the lupine.

"Did Luca tell you his plans for today? I mean, in details?" The lupo present at the moment asked all of sudden, distracting the rottie from his musings and from watching the gathering of the Avengers.

"Uhm? Yeah, he did, we actually discussed what was best to see and what not." He answered, ears flicking a bit.

"So, where is he right now?" The wolf enquired in a casual tone, evidence that he wanted just to chitchat, or so it seemed.

"Uhm, lemme see the hour..." Ale poked at his phone, seeing the hour displayed over a photo shot of him and Clara hugging. "If my memory is correct, they should be either at San Clemente or just starting eating lunch."

"Cavolo12, they are eating only know? They sure had the morning packed!" The wolf whistled, probably not understanding how people could go without food for so long with that much of activity.

"You know your brother; he prefers to do a lot before stopping." The rottie tossed aside the argument, after all he wasn't the one who did the guide as a living; his best friend surely know better on how to organize a tour.

"At which hour should we meet him?" The lupine kept his questioning going, muting down some funny joke.

"I didn't tell you I was going to the happy hour...." He just said, leaving it hanging in the air.

"Come on, I am going for sure, so you have to come! And I am going to drive, so no lazy assness!" The other canine protested, almost whining; then something stuck him, his ears flicking. "Unless you have plans with someone..."

"Eehehee, I was just messing with you! Nessun piano, tranquillo13, I am coming too!" The rottie winked, having a good laugh at the expanse of the younger dog. "So, don't mind if I accept your offer."

"You are a meanie." The wolf pouted again, something he was great at, he knew from experience and the many stories Luca shared with him of his and his brother's childhood.

"Yes I am! Though, I just decided that, I better call Luca to warn him." He decided, using the opportunity of having his phone at paw to do as much; he laboriously stood up, so to leave the pup watch the movie without trouble, padding over the kitchen.

"Don't forget to ask where and at which hour!" The lupo shouted from behind.

"I already know that, no need to ask!" The rottie shouted back while his fingers were busy typing and moving, knowing his friend's number by heart after so many years.

One paw thrumming on the table, he put his phone near his black triangular ear, the sound perfect even if filtered by the fold of skin; for now, only the beeping sound of the call came from the device, the dog patiently counting them. It was a game he did with Luca, counting how long it took him to answer and scold him for that, even when he answered right away; it was a silly habit, but they both loved it.

Surprisingly, the call wasn't picked before it was cut automatically, which was kinda weird of his friend. Sure, he was touring those guys, but it wasn't something official, answering a call wasn't going to be a problem.

"Maybe he forgot to put back the sound..." He muttered, deciding to dial back immediately. If the lupo felt enough vibration in his pocket, he would eventually decide to look at his phone, the rottie reasoned.

Again, the only sounds were of the call, him counting every one of it and hoping that he didn't need to keep doing that for long. This time, he heard the familiar click of when someone answered, just after the seventh ring.

"A-Ale?" The familiar voice of his friend ringed from the phone.

"Ei! Vale is here at our place, so I decided to come to have aperitivo14 with you guys." He said quickly, summing up everything nicely so not to distract his friend any longer than necessary. "So, where are you right now."

Silence followed, the rottie hearing only the heaving breathing of the other canine, before the lupo finally managed to say something. "W-we are a-at the Celio a-and..."

"Luca? You sound strange. Something happened?" The muscular fur in short asked immediately, his ears flicking even if one of them was put in place by the cellulare15. The lupine was stammering, and sounded terrible, like... Like if he had been crying. That wasn't possible, of course, but those small details were alerting him that something was going on.

"W-well..." The other sighed, one of those that served more to calm yourself; that didn't bode well at all. "Of course, not everything is going well."

"What happened?" Now he was really starting to worry, all of his muscles tensed in apprehension.

"Per farla breve16... We met Carlo." He started, pausing just one second to suppress a sigh, cutting down whatever exclamation of surprise was coming from the darker canine. "And no, he isn't the reason why I cried. God, I hate myself for doing that..."

Someone in the background talked with Luca, the sound of that reassuring him in some ways. Ale just stayed silent, waiting patiently even if he was burning with questions worries.

"Yes, I know it was just a normal reaction to that, Edward, but still..." The lupine spoke, naming the fur who was there with him. "Sorry. Okay, well, Carlo was actually quite decent and such, said he was back with his man...."

"So you cried out of jealousy? Please tell me it was because you realized you have feelings for him!" The rottie joked, trying to lift the mood, though he was really hoping that the scenario, as weird as it seemed, was the real one.

"No, no, nothing like that." The canine at the phone half chuckled, the first sign of merriment since the start of the conversation. "He wasn't even present when that happened."

"So, what happened?" He asked, biting his tongue for thinking better. Maybe the lupine was taking the long way to tell him so to gather his thoughts; he should just wait and hear him out. For sure he was okay, not in a hospital...

"Well, the boys heard that part, and... well, Stanley didn't take it well." Luca answered, letting out a breath of... sadness? Annoyance?

"What do you mean with not taking it well?" He repeated, even if he could guess what that meant. The very thought of that was raising his shackles, though he managed not to growl and sound normal.

"Well..." The lupo sighed again before spitting it out. "He started to insult Carlo, and asking me how I could have done that to him..."

"Oh fuck..." Ale cursed loudly, his worst guesses being revealed as true.

"... And he went ballistic when I told him I am gay." The wolf concluded, almost matter-of-factly, as if that was all he needed to know. They didn't speak for a few seconds, the rottie assimilating the news and trying his best to stay calm.

"Did he... do something to you?" He asked, talking with his maw clutched, almost hissing in a way.

"Physically? No. He just insulted me and stormed off." Luca added, shooting down his fears.

"Still, you cried." He pointed out, with a murderous tone. Ale wasn't the kind of fur to forgive those who hurt his loved ones... Now this Stanley boy was on his list, and he was going to pay for that, in a way or another.

"Just from the stress, that's all. I'm okay, Edward was here to... help me, nothing to worry-"

"UNO STRONZO17 JUST GAYBASHED YOU!" The rottie shouted, even if he didn't mean to, letting out his anger. He breathed hard, trying to tune down his voice before speaking again. "Of course I am worried. I am coming."

"Wait, no need to come, I am okay!" The wolf protested feebly.

"I am coming. You parked the moto at Piazza Trilussa, right? We will meet there." The angry canine said, clearing not going to be stopped.

"... Okay, we will walk there as fast as we can. Still, I am okay, you should be too." Luca tried to reassure him, some how their roles being depressed.

"Don't be silly. See you in half an hour."

"Okay, in half an hour."

Ale clicked the call off, his paws gripping the device as to smash it. Then again, he knew that he was behaving childishly; his friend was in need of him, of comfort, no use for him to stay angry.

With his muzzle's features showing only resolution, he turned to get dressed, almost bumping in Valerio, who was standing just on the threshold with an expression not unlike his own.

"Did you hear?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Sì." The younger fur said.

"I'm going to get dressed, then we will fly to Trastevere. Is that okay?" The rottie explained his plan, wanting the other to be in it with him.

"Yes." He uttered the monosyllable again.

"If we meet the asshole, are we going to pay him back for what he had caused?" Ale recited the promise. He saw the pup's ears perking, his muzzle being split in a grimace that was more than enough for him.

"Che cazzo, sì18".

Translation:

1) Milder version of a blasphemy I rather won't say. It's used wildly by kids ^^ Not actually a swear word, though.

2) How do you do it?

3) Natural talent.

4) Come on, come on, fuck!

5) What?

6) Poor puppy.

7) You might guess already, papa is papa icon_razz.gifJust don't use the non accented one, since it is "pope" in Italian!

8) Boy.

9) Revenge/return game.

10) Buffy The Vampire Slayer :3

11) One of the three main channels of Berlusconi's TV society, Mediaset.

12) Blimey. Literally it means cabbage.

13) No plans, (stay) calm.

14) Happy hour.

15) Cellphone.

16) To make it short...

17) An asshole/ a piece of shit.

18) What the fuck, yes!