WARNING: THERE'S BULLYING IN THIS CHAPTER AND IT USES CRUDE LANGUAGE! 14 AND BELOW DON'T READ!

A brawny teenage boy ran at full speed down one of the many rocky cliff edges in a quaint Italian town, know as Portorosso. He caught a glimpse at the most important person in his life stepping off a dull grey train. His green eyes never left the other's chocolate brown hair as he ran into him and wrapped him into a tight hug. "Luca, you're back!" He shouted with pure joy and started to spin around in a short circle with the younger boy in his arms.

"Alberto!" Luca immediately hugged his well-tanned friend with a warm smile. "I missed you so much!" The shorter boy than pulled away slightly as he furrowed his dark chocolate eyebrows, "You didn't write me back yet! Did you forget about me?"

Alberto visually tensed as he put his friend down. "N-no, um..."

Suddenly, Luca was swept away by his parents arms, so Alberto was free to sigh with bountiful relief. The letter in his back pocket burned almost as badly as the sun above. Alberto's fingers ached to take the crumbled piece of paper out of its hiding place, but his want was soon cut off by a blob of red hair.

"No crazy, dramatic hug for me then, huh?" Giulia gave him her most sarcastic crooked smile she could muster.

Alberto softly smiled at her and wrapped her in a short hug. "Maybe not as dramatic, but I still mean it."

Giulia laughed loudly at this and punched his arm. He watched her as she ran to her father and gave him a huge hug. His emerald eyes fell upon Luca's warm, brown ones. Apparently, the boy had made an escape from his parent's affection and now was determined to finish his conversation with Alberto. He marched over with his slender hands balled into fists and his pale pink lips pressed firmly together. "Alberto, why didn't you write back!?"

"Well, um, you see... I did write you back, Luca! The letter must have been misplaced on its way over to you..." Alberto smiled in a tensed way.

Luca hitched an eyebrow. "Really?"

Alberto nodded quickly with a small smile.

Luca's lips melted into an apologetic smile. "Oh, sorry... I just assumed-"

Alberto pulled Luca's warm, chocolate brown eyes closer and hugged him tightly once more. "That your best friend forgot about you? Never."

Luca hugged Alberto tightly back and squeezed his eyes shut. The taller boy's words brought an overwhelming amount of relief to Luca.

Alberto suddenly pulled away with a very bright smile plastered on his face. "I got a present for you!" He then coughed to collect his cool composure. He studied his nails and puffed out his chest. "I mean- I just got you something, no big deal."

Luca's small round face gleamed with anticipation. "You really didn't have to get me anything, Alberto!" His dark brown eyes searched around with untold excitement.

Alberto chuckled and used his finger to guide Luca's face back to his own. "It's not here. It's at the island."

"Oh!" Luca looked down for a second to gather his line of thought. "Um.. why is it all the way out there?"

Alberto lidded his eyes and bit his lip as he tried to frantically think of an explanation, but nothing would come to his mind. He simply just turned around and started walking. "Are you coming or not?"

Luca blinked in confusion until he started running after Alberto like a little duckling following its mother.

Daniela Paguro huffed at the sight of her son leaving already. "You better be back in time for dinner, young man!"

Nearly tripping in the process, Luca turned back to shout at his mother. "I will, Mom!"

Giulia hugged her father once again and muttered a quick goodbye and then ran after the boys.

The parents all shared a look and began chuckling amongst themselves. "What will we ever do with them?" Daniela softly laughed and ran a hand through her silky, brown hair.

Lorenzo pipped up while watching after the kids. "Oh, they haven't seen each other in awhile; let them some have fun."

Massimo Marcovaldo simply nodded and picked up his cat with his one good arm. He gave the two sea monster parents a nod and left in a scary silence.

Lorenzo shivered, "After all this time, that man still scares me."

Daniela threw her head back and laughed. She took her husband's hand and led him through the cobblestone bricked town. "He's just a good father, just like you."

"I know but still! The muscles on that man!" Lorenzo waved back to a couple of old ladies who were waving at them while licking their ice cream.

Daniela laughed once again as they made their way to the shore and disappeared under the cool ocean's surface.

Meanwhile, Alberto was helping Luca avoid stepping on any glass or any holes in his old hideout.

Giulia looked around with wide brown eyes. "You guys have been holding out on me!"

Alberto tilted his head and gave her an unamused look. "We just didn't have time to show you last summer."

Giulia stepped around the glass and holes in the floor. "Yeah, yeah." She picked through some of Alberto's random 'treasures' while Alberto turned his attention back on Luca.

"You know, Alberto, I can walk on my own." Luca smiled up at him with a kind yet confused grin.

Alberto's heart began to flutter so he moved past Luca to hide his flushing face. "I was just looking out for you, kid."

The younger boy stood there confused as he looked at Alberto's back. He wondered if he did something wrong or said something to make the other act like this. He moved in closer and touched Alberto's shoulder. "Are you alright, Alberto?"

Alberto nodded and turned to face the shorter male. "Yeah... I'm just excited to show you your present that's all." His eyes traveled around Luca's face and landed on the other's warm, brown eyes. Alberto was sure he could have stayed like that for the rest of his life, just admiring the other for an eternity. They were so close and so warm; their breath mingled together just inches away from their awaiting lips. The moment immediately fell apart when Giulia bumped into a weird lump covered by an old, grey tarp which turned out to be Luca's present. The lump swayed towards the ground and Alberto immediately sprang forward to catch it. He caught the lump in just the nick of time, but the tarp fell on him and revealed the present to the two others.

Luca gasped and walked over with shocked, brown eyes. He could only squeak out unintelligible sentences as he stared at the cherry red vespa leaning causally on top of his best friend.

Giulia apologized over and over in Italian as she pulled the vespa back up right.

Alberto ignored everything around him as he frantically pulled the ragged tarp off of him. "Did it break!?"

Giulia shook her head and pulled her adoptive brother up. "No, there's not even a scratch on it!"

Alberto laughed with sweet relief and patted the vespa's brand spanking new, black handle bar. "Thank goodness." He turned his smile towards Luca. "What do you think?"

"I- I think it's wonderful!" Luca's eyes never left the shiny gleam that smiled at him off the vespa's smooth frame.

Alberto chuckled proudly and moved forward to wrap an arm around Luca's shoulder. He leaned downward to whisper into the other's chocolate brown hair, "And it's all yours." He pressed the key into Luca's warm hand.

Luca jumped backwards, nearly falling over a pile of junk while staring at the key in his hand. "It's mine!?!"

Alberto nodded while chuckling at Luca's reaction.

Giulia admired the vespa for a moment and then looked up at Alberto. "How come he gets all this cool stuff? I'm the one related to you, but yet I barely get a welcome from you when I step off the train." Her tone made it obvious that she was joking, but her eyes unwilling showed that she somewhat truly felt that way.

"Don't worry, Giulia. Massimo and I got you something too, but it's at your house." Alberto gave her his famous side smile while watching her eyes light up in excitement.

"Then come on, guys! What are we waiting for!" Giulia jumped up and down in excitement and ran toward the ladder.

Alberto sighed and leaned backwards to lazily swing his body around to see if Luca was coming.

The younger boy's eyes could not leave the key in his hand while his mouth hung wide open in obvious shock.

Alberto chuckled and closed Luca's mouth for him. "Come on, I feel like she's already halfway home by now."

Luca nodded while looking through Alberto. His eyes were still wide with obvious shock.

Alberto shook his head with a confident half smile curled onto his face. He started to roll the vespa forward which brought Luca out of his shock.

"What are you doing?" Luca joined Alberto on the other side of the fancy scooter.

"I'm taking it out of the hideout so that you can use it." Albert chuckled as he neared the edge of a wall-less side of the hideout.

"But if you throw it down, it will break!" Luca protested and stopped following him.

Alberto smirked back at the other. "Who said anything about throwing it?" He took a step off the edge which brought forth a yelp of fear from Luca. When the brown eyed boy realized his friend wasn't falling to his death, he ran to him. He gaze fell down to notice a rickety ramp that led to the ground.

"When did this happen?" Luca blinked back up with surprise at Alberto.

"During my spare time. I thought the hideout needed a ramp because last summer would have gone a lot smoother if we had one." Alberto scratched the back of his head with a kind half smile etched on his lips.

"You're right, Alberto! Good thinking!" Luca smiled back at him and took an uncertain step onto the ramp.

"Oh boys! What's the hold up?" Giulia shouted from down below. Her voice echoed across the windy air.

"We better go." Alberto sighed, but then his expression quickly brightened up. "How about you give it a drive?"

Luca nodded eagerly and hopped onto the vespa while cranking the scooter to life. Alberto comfortably sat behind him and wrapped his arms around the smaller male. The blue and green sea monster took off down the ramp and rolled right past Giulia. "You're the hold up!" Luca laughed as he smiled at her through his shiny rear view mirrors.

Giulia scoffed and ran after them with a playful scowl. Her angry shouts in Italian could be heard all the way in Portorosso. Eventually, the Underdogs loaded up Luca's gift onto a small wooden boat and they rowed it to shore. They all hopped onto the vespa after carrying it to one of the many cobblestone roads in Portorosso. Luca drove them alongside the golden hills of the town they considered to be their home away from home. The golden flowers lifted all their spirits, but especially Luca's. This was just like his dream he had before he knew that the human world had schools. The daydreamer was brought back to reality when the scooter zoomed down the hill at a dangerous fast pace. He eased off the gas as Alberto whooped happily. "Don't slow down, Luca!"

Giulia held onto Alberto for dear life, but she was smiling contently. "This is so much fun!" She shouted into the summer breeze.

Luca shortly laughed at their replies as he rolled away from the dip in the hill. "Alberto, drive for a bit!"

"What?" Alberto gaped at his usually shy friend.

"You heard me!" Luca let go of the handlebars and threw his arms into the air while whooping happily.

Alberto immediately grabbed onto the handlebars and tried not to admire Luca in this new rare form of his. The fair skinned, chocolate haired boy looked absolutely vibrant as the setting sun painted his skin in a soft glow. Alberto forced himself to focus on the never ending myriad of cobblestones he constantly rolled over instead of the breathtaking sight of Luca's hair and shirt being tickled by the wind. Through his laser like focus, something else caught Alberto's attention. "Ercole?"

A figure cloaked in black sprinted in front of the scooter which caused Luca to slam on the breaks.

Alberto desperately steered away from the figure who accidentally showed his tiny, infamous, and familiar mustache from beneath his cloak.

Giulia scowled at the brooding teenager before them. "You should have ran over him Luca. That would teach him a lesson about playing in the road."

Ercole scoffed. "I was simply walking! He's the one driving around like a lunatic! Stupid sea monster!" The arrogant fool threw an accusatory finger in Luca's direction.

Luca simply scowled at the bully while Alberto went on the offensive. "Maybe it would be easier to see you if you were wearing your sweater... oh wait it shrunk in the fountain. Tell me, Ercole, did anything else shrink in the fountain besides your pride?" Alberto smirked while unconsciously hugging Luca's waist.

Ercole pulled his cloak over his crotch with a sneer. "We'll see what shrinks this summer just you wait!" He tossed his cloak to the side and walked off haughtily.

Luca stifled a laugh by covering his mouth. Meanwhile, Giulia freely laughed at this and lightly pounded Alberto's back with her fist. "That's right give it to him, Alberto!" She continued to giggle while staring at Ercole's back. "Ever since his goons threw him in the fountain, he hasn't been able to make a good threat since!"

The Underdogs giggled about this for a few minutes before finally finishing up the peaceful journey to Giulia's house.

Giulia went ahead and ran inside while the boys parked Luca's vespa in a safe spot.

Luca took a step back form the gleaming red beauty and held onto Alberto's hand. "Thank you so much for the present."

Alberto internally screamed at the contact, but on the outside he kept his cool. "Oh yeah, no problem, kid." The older boy ruffled Luca's dark curls into a frizzy mess.

The younger boy's laugh mirrored a lovely sounding melody. "Could you leave my hair alone for once in your life?"

"Could you stop being so ador- abnormal about it?" Alberto's hand receded from Luca's warm touch. He laughed nervously and then coughed to change it into a confident sound.

Luca only smiled at him. "Wow, Alberto, I've never heard you use that word before... have you been reading all the books I've sent you?"

Alberto blinked in surprise, but a proud smile soon engulfed his face. "Why, yes! Every single one of them!" He pushed Luca forward into the house, knowing that the others were wondering what was taking them so long.

"That's great! Which one was your favorite?" Luca slightly turned his head so that he could talk to Alberto and walk at the same time.

Alberto nearly stopped in his tracks because his mind immediately went to the Little Mermaid novel due to how much Ariel reminded him of Luca. "Um- my favorite was the Jungle Book!" Alberto shouted as if he was convincing himself that more than answering Luca's question.

"Oh, really? That's one of my favorites too. Mainly because you remind me so much of Mowgli." Luca chuckled and then greeted Massimo, who was setting out the dinner table with a grinning Giulia. She had her new telescope under her arm which was a tell-tale sign that she really loved her gift.

Alberto studied the table as he took a seat.

Suddenly, Massimo placed a warm coffee in front of him. "Welcome back home, son."

Alberto looked up with a wide smile. His father figure really knew him very well and it made their connection all the more real to Alberto. He truly believed that Massimo was the best father ever.

Luca gasped which brought all of the attention onto him. "OH MY GOSH, I FORGOT ABOUT DINNER! MY MOM IS GOING TO KILL ME!" He immediately ran out the door.

Alberto looked up at Massimo and the one armed man nodded his approval. The young sea monster ran after his best friend in the darkening streets of Portorosso. "Hey, Luca, do you think I could come with you!"

Luca stopped running like a maniac and slowed down so Alberto could catch up. "Sure my Mom would love to have you over. She always talks about you in her letters to me."

"Really?" Alberto frowned in confusion and slipped into the sea with Luca.

"Yes, she goes on and on about how strong and successful you are." Luca smiled at Alberto before heading down to his house.

Alberto smiled back at him with raised eyebrows. "Oh yeah, I'm super successful and strong!" He kissed his muscles before catching back up to Luca. "Your mother has me all figured out!"

"I wish I had her all figured out." Luca sighed as he stopped at the entrance of his home.

Alberto frowned at his green and blue colored friend and patted his back. The frown stitched to Luca's face broke his heart, so he pulled him into a hug. "Hey, cheer up! Stuff like that takes time and you have all summer to figure it all out!"

Luca smiled up at the wise purple and blue sea monster. "Thanks, Alberto." Then, without a second thought, Luca tenderly pressed his lips against the other's.

Alberto's heart raced in his chest when Luca pulled away. He brushed his fingertips over his lips to make sure what happened really happened.

Luca looked as pale as a ghost. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Alberto! I wasn't thinking! I-!"

Alberto just smiled at the younger boy and pulled him into another kiss. Eventually the slow kisses turned into a needy make out session. Alberto melted as Luca's webbed fingers tangled into his slippery hair. He allowed his own purple and dark blue hands to pull Luca closer by the small of the other's back.

Luca heard his mother's voice and pulled away quickly. "S-Sorry, Alberto." He looked down and tried to stop his light yellow blush oh his cheeks.*

(* His face is green so if he blushed it would possibly be yellow because red and green make yellow- boom- edumacation~)

Alberto scratched the back of his neck and looked away with a blush of his own. "N-no I totally get it..." He finally looked at Luca and gave him a smile.

Luca gave him a timid smile back. They stayed like that for a moment until Luca's mother dragged him into their home.

Alberto followed them quietly while softly chuckling at the way Daniela pinched Luca's cheek.

"Luca, you're late!" She pushed him into a seat at the dinner table.

Luca's grandmother smiled at him. "And I'm starving so let's dig in already!"

Luca smiled back at his grandmother, but turned to check on Alberto. "I brought my friend along; I hope that's okay..."

Daniela smiled very brightly and dragged Alberto to the seat besides Luca. "Of course! There's always room for Alberto at our dinner table!"

"Thank you very much!" Alberto smiled. They all chatted happily together as they ate their food in the darkening sea. When their bellies were full, they retired to bed.

Luca patted on the rock edge that he slept on. "I hope you don't mind, but you'll have to share with me.

Alberto smirked and double-checked that they were alone. "I don't mind in the slightest."

Luca looked down and blushed brightly. "Okay, well, um, goodnight!" He laid down hidden by the rest of the world by a shower curtain of kelp plants.

Alberto moved past the green aquatic flora to blindly snuggle with Luca in the dark corner of the younger boy's shared room.

Luca couldn't contain his smile and snuggled with the other as well. Because of the warm, calming feeling of having each other in their arms, Luca and Alberto quickly fell asleep peacefully.

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3363 words

Oh my wow-

I've been trying to finish this chapter for like 5 days-

What do y'all think!?

Hope y'all enjoyed!!!!

-Wordsperminute