Cassian's whole body froze as he felt the chills run down his spine but he brushed it off and smiled coldly.
He turned his head slightly and leaned back so his lips were next to Rainier's ear. "Hmm…. Yes. Nice to meet you, Mr. Romanoff", Cassian hummed with a chilling smirk on his face.
Warm air hit his ear as Rainier scoffed. "Since when?" He asked as he placed his hands on Cassian's waist and pushed him slightly. Cassian turned to face him with a smile.
"I've known for about a day or two," he shrugged. Rainier opened his mouth to ask something else but then he remembered not having the usual 'accidental' meetings with Cassian for quite some time. He looked him in the eyes as the thought occurred to him. Had Cassian avoided him once he found out he was the Romanoff heir? Why did the thought of that possibility make him feel a tinge of pain?
"That's not why I avoided you," Cassian laughed. "Why? Are you hurt?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as he placed his hand on Rainier's chest, feeling the hard contours of his muscles through his shirt. Cassian wanted to hum in satisfaction. It was the first time since they met that he was finally getting to touch him in some way. It wasn't enough but he would have to make due. He wasn't even sure that Rainier liked him as more than an annoying little brother. He sighed as he looked up at Rainier's beautiful hazel eyes that were flooded with emotion but the one that drew him in was the hurt veiled in confusion. "I guess you were," he mumbled to himself. "I had things to do, so don't worry," Cassian smiled up at him.
Rainier raised an eyebrow but Cassian just shook his head. "It's a secret," he whispered with a playful smirk on his face. As if something just occurred to him, Cassian suddenly turned his head to the right to look at something. He saw his parents coming towards them and he groaned. He loved spending time with them but he still wanted to talk to Rainier. And he also had to attend that damn date with that Markov character that bought him. Meeting Rainier was the highlight of the day but it was over. And he had had enough. Markov was walking behind his parents. No doubt he had probably snitched to them that he had disappeared on him. He scoffed. He really didn't want to spend time with Markov because he was too rigid. He couldn't believe, previously, he had thought Rainier was the stiffest human on earth. He had met his match.
"What are you looking at?" Rainier asked as he too turned to look at what he was looking at. Cassian turned to look at him shaking his head. He saw the small smirk that formed on Rainier's lips. He wanted to kiss him. How would Rainier react if he kissed him right there and then? He raised his eyes slightly to look at his eyes. Would they cloud over with anger? Or would they shine overwhelmed with joy? Or maybe they would be filled with disgust? He couldn't help his train of thoughts, that had now taken a wrong turn, dwelling on negative thoughts. He sighed and looked away although reluctantly.
"You wanna hear a joke, D'Angelo?" Rainier's husky voice felt like vibrations of thunder against his skin. "I was the one that bought you," he finished just as the D'Angelo couple arrived next to them.
"What were you two talking about?" Mr. D'Angelo asked as he looked over the both of them. Cassian tried to smile as warmly as possible but he knew his parents didn't buy it as he saw how his mother's expressions turned from bored lazy housecat to a hungry blood thirsty jaguar as she looked Rainier right in the eye.
"It's nothing. Rai- I mean Mr. Romanoff was just leaving," Cassian said softly. He wanted to curse at Rainier for putting him in such a situation where he couldn't even begin to give an explanation without being in deep shit trouble.
"Then…." Rainier bowed his head slightly towards the couple, "I'll be off. It was nice meeting you Mr. and Mrs. D'Angelo. It was good seeing you again, Cass," he smiled more like smirked in schadenfreude.
"You bloody motherfucker" Cassian cursed him under his breath. He knew Rainier called him by his nickname in front of his parents intentionally. And he had a lot of explaining to do. But first... The Markov guy had to be dealt with.
"How close are you to that Romanoff kid?" His mother asked as soon as Rainier was out of ear shot. Cassian sighed and opened his mouth to answer when his mother cut him off, "Don't you dare lie to me," she said with a smile. To any onlooker it was a sweet smile full of warmth but Cassian and his father both knew what it truly meant.
"We've known each other for a while but I didn't know he is THE Romanoff heir," Cassian said softly. He heard a snicker and he turned to Markov who was standing a little too the left of his mother. "Speaking of which, mom, it's Rainier that bought me. This guy is just a stand in," he said while looking over Markov with a look of disdain.
"And why do you sound so proud about that?" She frowned. She knew Cassian a little too well. All she could hope for was that it was just one of his many infatuations and not really a developing love.
Cassian looked genuinely taken aback by her question. He hadn't really thought that far ahead. He had just thought Rainier would be fun to play around with but he was proving to be more of a challenge day by day and it had got him hooked. Well, it just so happens that he also ain't one to back down from challenges and he definitely wasn't going to give up on Rainier, not until he saw him come undone completely, hanging onto every bit of attention he was willing to spare him.
"I'm proud because I don't have to spend my precious time with this catfish looking motherfucker," Cassian smirked. His parents gave different reactions to that and he was not disappointed. His mother frowned as she contemplated hitting him in front of the prying eyes of the public. His father on the other hand laughed out loud. Quite boisterously that it drew attention to them. Markov looked offended in every way and form. He opened his mouth to give a comeback but Marcella D'Angelo turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
"What are you still doing here?" she asked. "You have been proven irrelevant so please, spare me the torture of spending any more time in smelling that stench you call a cologne," she frowned as she waved her hand in front of her face twice. Cassian tried offering an apologetic smile when he saw Markov's face. Markov looked down at his shoes, nodded and walked away. Matteo tsked as he took his wife's hand.
"You were too harsh," he said.
"And you are too soft," she answered.
"That's why you are a perfect fit each other," Cassian added with a smile. Marcella frowned at him. She was worried. Rainier Romanoff was not somebody her son could handle. Not in his usual impromptu behaviour. If they had known each other for only a few days, then all she had to do was keep them apart.
"I know what you're thinking mom," Cassian sighed. "I'm going to be fine. I'm your son after all," he smiled as he walked closer to her with his arms open in an offering manner. She sighed as she drew him into her arms to give him a hug. She smiled softly.
"Yes, you are my son. But I still worry about you, baby," she said into his chest. She felt, more than heard, the groan he let out. She smiled. Yes, Cassian Luciano was her son. A D'Angelo. And D'Angelo's are built to withstand everything thrown their way.
"They sure do make a happy family," Elena said with a wishful look on her face. Rainier turned to look at what his mother was admiring and saw Cassian hugging his mother with a bright and radiant smile on his face. It made him shine. Matteo D'Angelo looked at them with a proud look on his face and his own smile couldn't possibly get any brighter.
"Yeah, they do," he said more to himself then turned to his mother with a fond look in his eyes. "I love you, Mom," he said. She looked up at him with a bright smile as she placed her hand on her chest just over her heart. And her other hand over his.
"I love you too, Rainier," she said as she pats his chest gently. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Let me go look for your father," she laughed. "I really want to go to bed" she said as she walked away from him. Rainier turned to look at the D'Angelo's when his eyes met Markov who was walking towards him with a confused look on his face.
"What's up with you?" Rainier laughed as he grabbed Markov by the shoulder. As he explained, Rainier couldn't help but laugh. It sounded like Cassian was back to his normal self. He couldn't help but want to see him one last time for that night. As his eyes found their way to him, he was shocked to find Cassian already looking at him. He was smiling but it just got a few watts brighter when Rainier kept staring at him.
Cassian waved and walked towards the exit with his family and their men with them.
"Why are you smiling? What's got you so happy?" His mother's voice broke through his thought process. He hummed as he turned to her. He hadn't noticed he was smiling till she mentioned it.
"It's nothing, mom. Did you find dad?" He changed the subject but all he could think about was how Cassian had smiled at him a few moments ago. He knew he was screwed the next time they meet.
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To be continued...