SURPRISE CHAPTER: AMORE MIO

"YOU WILL REGRET THIS, Mateo Ricci! You will regret this!" William Romano shouted as he was being dragged by the police. William continuously shouted at the officer, but Mateo didn't show a single emotion. He just stood there and watched as they dragged the town's hero into the police car, reporters stealing pictures of him as the townspeople threw things in his direction.

     After the death of Claudio Romano, Mateo took the box that he presented to him before he died. The box contained pictures of William Romano, Camillio Winchester, and even his own father, Alfredo Ricci, with a woman he did not know.

     The first time he saw it, he couldn't help but vomit at how sick and disgusting it all was. The other officers encouraged him to throw the pictures away as the crime was committed years ago, and exposing this would cause great damage to their town. But Mateo didn't care. He reported the case and instantly arrested the culprits.

     Soon after, the woman in the picture was revealed to be Adele de Vincenzo, the wife of the man everyone once called the Plague Doctor. The town was divided for a while, but eventually, they wept and grieved. They felt guilty for turning their backs on the Vincenzos, who were the only family that was kind enough to help them in the past. But Mateo didn't pity any of them. Regret may make someone feel better, but the dead cannot accept forgiveness.

     As the story about the plague and Adele resurfaced, it didn't take long for Capo di Monte to be all over the news. Mateo Ricci, as the chief of police, had the role to make sure everything ran smoothly, so for a few months, he has been busy trying to make things right.

     "My dear friend, I hope what I did is enough," Mateo whispered as he placed a bouquet of white roses on the steps of the manor that the people once called the Hell House.

     "Rest easy now."

     The townspeople started calling him a hero when the news went down, but Mateo vocally rejected it, claiming that they should stop idolizing others and start thinking for themselves. But despite everything that had happened, Mateo only needed one thing...

     "Krimson, I am speaking to you, not as the chief of police that's supposed to capture you, but I am speaking as the man who is deeply in love with someone named Bishop. If you are able to speak to him, I hope you can tell him that whether it is his darkest or brightest, or whether it is his happiest or saddest, I will hold them all dearly. And I will wait at the place we promise no matter how long it takes."

     That short encounter had left Mateo in shambles. For a while, he was confused, but then, as he continued to ponder over it, he realized how it all made sense.  

     He didn't understand what Bishop went through and what caused him to be what he is now, so during his time alone, he would read records and studies of this disorder to further understand it better. He wanted to understand what Dissociative Identity Disorder meant. He wanted to understand Bishop and everyone else that was in him. He wanted to understand so that when he met him again, he wouldn't end up showing an expression that might hurt him.

     "Sir Ricci, you asked us to make a report if someone named Bishop Lancaster moves to our town, correct? Well, someone did. Just a week ago."

     A year after the plague incident, Mateo searched high and low for Bishop. He didn't know where he was, so the only hope he had was the promise he kept with him.

     Before they went back from their trip, Mateo and Bishop promised that they would one day return to Sta. Rosalia. They told each other that whatever happened, they would find each other there. So with only just a promise, he took the chance.

     For a while, he waited and waited. He was patient, and he occupied his thoughts so that he wouldn't give up on him. But when it was finally reported to him that someone of the same name had moved to the town, Mateo almost ran and rode a train with no second thought. He wanted to check if this was the person that he had been waiting for, but he stopped himself.

     He contemplated for a while, wondering if he should really go, but instead, he waited for a few more months to finally head to where Bishop was said to be found. He needed to be ready to face him too, so when he finally decided to take the chance...

     "Yes, Bishop Lancaster. I heard he lives around here," Mateo asked a local who was tending a vegetable stall. 

     "Oh! Sir Bishop! Yes, he lives near the lakeside. But if you're looking for him, he's probably in his art gallery. He just opened it yesterday, and people have been visiting that place since it opened," the woman answers, and a smile instantly appears on Mateo's face.

     "Art gallery?"

     "Yes, at 178 Marthel Street, just right beside the barber shop. You won't miss it."

     "Alright. Thank you."

     Mateo heads to Marthel Street, where the gallery is said to be found. It wasn't hard to find because of how flashy the barber shop beside it was, so when he got there, he was instantly filled with anxiety.

     "It's alright, Teo, don't be so nervous. He might not be the Bishop we're looking for, but at least we tried," Mateo whispers to himself before looking at his reflection in the window to fix his hair.

     After one last deep and heavy breath, he finally walks to the door. He got ready to get inside, but then, as he was about to enter, he suddenly spotted a man standing in front of a large yellow painting. He couldn't see him well at first, but as he continued to stare at him, a tear instantly fell from his eye.

     "Bishop..." Mateo whispers under his breath, and then, like his feet had a mind of their own, he enters the gallery with no second thought. In a single breath, as he walked towards the man who almost seemed like he was part of the painting, he was overwhelmed with emotions that he had kept hidden all this time.

     "I'm sorry, but we're still closed," the man in front of him suddenly says, quickly turning around to face him. But as soon as their eyes met, Mateo sighed in relief. 

     It was Bishop. It was the man he loved. And he was okay. He always believed that he'd see him again one day, but now that he was actually here, standing right in front of him like an art piece that people could not look away from, Mateo was left there in complete awe.

     "I came as promised. I hope I am not too late...my love," Mateo says, his voice almost shaking. He wasn't sure if Bishop wanted him there. He doesn't even know if he recognizes him. But when Mateo saw the look on Bishop's face, all his doubts instantly left him.

     "Teo..." Bishop says, the name sliding out of his mouth like he has uttered it a hundred times already. As tears continue to pour out of his eyes, Bishop runs towards Mateo, practically throwing himself towards him so he can give him the warmest embrace.

     Mateo automatically wraps his arms around him, and then he lifts him up and starts twirling him around like an ending of a romantic movie, making the two giggle at each other like teenagers in love.

      "Oh, darling, it really is you. It really is my Bishop," Mateo says before putting Bishop down.

     "How did you know I was here? Was I hard to find? Did you wait long?" Bishop asks while Mateo wipes the tears off his cheeks for him.

     "Of course, I waited," he answers. "And I would have waited a decade more for you."

     "Mateo..." Bishop whispers under his breath as he holds onto Mateo's hand that was caressing his face.  Mateo stares at his lover and then gently kisses his forehead. He wanted to ask about Claudio and what had happened between them, but Teo knew that this no longer concerned them. Whatever happened in the past should be forgotten and left in the past. If Bishop wants to talk about it, then he will listen.

    "By the way, Bishop, I met someone," Mateo excitedly says before letting go of him.

     "Met someone?"

     "Yes, his name, if I recall, was Krimson," Mateo reveals, and the smile on Bishop's face instantly turns into terror. Without even thinking about it, he pushes Mateo away from him and quickly hugs his hand.

     "Y-You met him?" Bishop nervously asks.

     "Yes, I did. But what's wrong, my love? It's alright, I don't—"

     "N-No...you think I'm a monster now, don't you? Is this why you came here? Claudio was right. You'll hate me for it because I kept it away from you. I should have never—" Before Bishop could even start breaking down, Mateo quickly grabbed his shoulders and directly stared into his eyes, making sure he was looking at him.

     "Bishop, it's okay. You are not a monster, and I absolutely do not hate you. I love you, remember? And so I will love all of you as I have loved the small bits of you. I will try to learn more as much as I can so you do not have to look so scared," Mateo genuinely says, making a tear fall from Bishop's eyes.

    "A-Are you sure?" Bishop asks him, and Mateo gives him the warmest smile before answering, "When it comes to you, I have always been sure."

     "You don't fucking deserve that man," a voice suddenly whispers in Bishop's ear, making him realize that it was a memory from Krimson. Bishop wipes his tears away, and then he gives out a small smile before saying, "I know. But I still want him."

     Mateo looks at Bishop confusingly, but then  Bishop grabs him and gives him a tight embrace. "Thank you for always staying by my side. Thank you for not letting me go. Thank you for being the brightest during the times I was consumed by the dark. Thank you...for being the beauty in this cruel world," Bishop says, hugging him tightly, feeling his warmth and smelling the familiar scent that had calmed him down dozens of times.

     When the two pulled apart from each other, Mateo leaned close and got ready to give him a kiss, but because Bishop had not seen him for such a long time, he ended up looking away in embarrassment.

     "I want to introduce you to the rest of my alters. Come," Bishop says instead, grabbing Mateo's hand and pulling him inside a storage room that also acts as his art studio. 

     The room was slightly a mess, but Mateo didn't mind. Everything reminded him of Bishop. Even the paint in his hand made him smile.

     "I made some paintings and stored them here. I was contemplating on whether I should display them with the others, but these felt too personal, so I just hid them," Bishop explains as he walks towards a painting of an old woman standing under an autumn tree.

     "This is Autumn," Bishop introduces as Teo stands behind him. "She's around 72 years old, and she's very motherly. She's the one who takes care of us."

     "She sounds lovely," Mateo comments, making Bishop smile and nod his head to agree to it.

     "She is," he replies before walking to another painting. This time, it's a painting of a woman jumping down what seems to be a rabbit hole. "Now, this one is Alice. She's the toughest one out of all of them. When I was younger, my mother used to read me the story of Alice in Wonderland, and I think that's how she was named."

     "These are very beautiful paintings, Bishop."

     "Really? I'm glad," Bishop says before excitedly going to the third painting. This time, it's a kid standing in the middle of the snow. "Now this one is—"

     "Winter," Mateo suddenly finishes, making Bishop look back at him with surprise. 

     "You remember," Bishop says in disbelief because Winter has only been mentioned once, and that was during the masquerade party where the two of them first shared an intimate night together.

     "Of course, I remember everything about you," Mateo answers in a lower tone, immediately making Bishop look away from him again because of how hot his cheeks were starting to feel.

     Bishop tries to calm himself down again. So in order for Mateo not to notice how nervous he actually is, Bishop clears his throat and continues, "I haven't finished the rest, but there are still Krimson and Tomorrow. I want to finish the painting quickly because I feel like it would greatly help me mentally. But I'm still trying to capture the right emotions," Bishop explains, walking towards the table to arrange the paint brushes.

     "So what do you think? You once told me you wanted to see my paintings, so that's why I opened up a gallery here," Bishop casually adds, making Mateo widen his eyes in shock.

     "W-Wait, you opened this...for me?" Mateo confusingly asks, and Bishop chuckles in response.

    "Well, there are a few more reasons, but that was the main one," Bishop then replies while wiping his wet brush with a dirty cloth already filled with paint. "That's why I really wanted you to come here and see how my paintings look."

    Mateo stares at Bishop in disbelief. He couldn't believe that all this time, Bishop had been thinking about him like this. For a second, as he stared at him, Mateo thought that he didn't deserve someone like him at all. Just like how Bishop thinks he doesn't deserve him too.

     "They're all beautiful. They're all very beautiful," Mateo stated, and when Bishop turned back around, he was surprised to see that Mateo was no longer staring at the paintings but at him instead.

     Bishop instantly remembered the time they had together on the train. So when Mateo moved closer to him again, Bishop no longer moved away. He stayed still as Mateo moved closer to him. But as their lips were about to touch, Mateo leaned towards his ear and whispered, "I'm going to kiss you, so I hope you can tell your alters to close their eyes first."

    Bishop laughs, but seconds after, Mateo finally pushes his lips on him. Bishop tries to adjust, but after a while, he opens his mouth and lets Mateo's tongue slide inside his mouth. The two taste each other's familiar flavors, sharing passionate kisses, taking back the times they were apart.

     As they continue to kiss each other, Bishop drapes his arms around his lover's neck as Mateo lifts him off the ground. Mateo then puts him down on the table and continues kissing him again. When they finally pulled apart, Mateo rested his head on Bishop's shoulder and started panting heavily.

     "You're driving me crazy, Bishop. I didn't want to do this when we only just met again today, so let me calm myself down first, and then we can talk again," Mateo explains, making Bishop laugh.

     The two of them were quiet for a while, but as Mateo was taking deep breaths, Bishop started playing with his hair before asking him, "Would you like to live with me, Officer Mateo Ricci?"

     Mateo quickly looked back at Bishop, his expression making Bishop laugh at him again.

     "Is that a no?" Bishop then teases, and Mateo starts shaking his head.

     "N-No, of course, I want to live with you! I would be very honored to live with you," Mateo replies, grabbing Bishop again and giving him a kiss for the second time. When he pulls away from him, Mateo carries Bishop off the table and starts laughing in complete happiness.

     "I really love you, Bishop. Did you know that?" 

     Bishop smiles and gives Mateo a kiss again before adding, "Of course, I knew. I wouldn't have waited if I didn't."

END