Work Text
New York City October 1935
New York never stopped moving. Always rushing around with too many people going too many places. Even off the island of Manhattan, even in Brooklyn, people were always going somewhere and it seemed as though the city never slowed down. But it did.
There was always a sense of calm and stillness in the few hours just before sunrise. A time when everything seemed at peace.
Anthony shifted his body backwards to be closer to his lover, tracing the lines on the larger man’s palm absently as the two of them laid there. He was held as the little spoon, head resting on the other man’s bicep. His smile widened as he felt Henry press a firm kiss to his bare shoulder. This was the first time they’d had enough room to properly lay down side by side and the sereness of dawn only added to the magic of waking up next to each other like this.
“We need ta get pillows in here if we’re gonna keep doin’ this,” He said quietly, as if speaking too loudly would disrupt the lovely calm that came with the early morning.
“I brought the mattress, you get to bring the pillows,” Henry mumbled into Anthony’s warm skin. The blonde turned over, gently pushing Henry onto his back so that he could rest his head on his chest.
“I’ll just use you, then.”
“This doesn’t solve
me
not having a pillow, dumbass,” Henry laughed.
“I dunno,” Tony shrugged, “Sounds like a ‘you’ problem now. Just like how us sleepin’ on the couch was also a ‘you’ problem.”
The blonde could practically hear Henry rolling his eyes.
“We don’t
fit
on the couch.” He said for the sixth time, scrubbing a hand across his face and scratching at his slight stubble, “And I’m not about to put my bare ass on this dusty fuckin’ floor. I’ll get a splinter. This is better.”
He was right. The mattress that Henry had dragged into the safehouse was a lot more comfortable than trying to fit the both of them on the couch. Honestly, the lack of sleeping space was the only reason the two of them had never spent a full night together. The safe house was the only place they’d been able to touch like this since they started sleeping together a month ago. The two of them would fall stumbling in from the dark alley, unable to keep their hands off each other the moment they were behind the safety of the door. An expedient shedding of clothing and furtive kissing would lead to roaming hands and mouths.
But then there would always come the time after, when they would have to separate once more and sprint back to their respective homes before it got too late.
So Henry had made the executive decision to nab the first mattress he could get his hands on.
It wasn’t much but it had been fun breaking it in the night before. Anthony had called him a sap when they’d stumbled into their space, seeing that the random set of sheets Mrs. Casey had “misplaced” two days ago had merely just found a new home. But the gesture wasn’t lost on the blonde. Henry had wanted to give them a space to bask in each other’s presence. No Scavo’s, no Family. Just the two of them.
And though the two of them had only slept for a few hours, Anthony couldn’t remember a time that he had felt more rested than he did being next to Henry. It was a far cry from the nights they’d had growing up where they had slept at one another’s homes after long days. Whether it was because they were dead tired or just not done with each other's company, those nights had left Tony restless, too nervous to sleep for a reason he hadn’t yet understood.
If only his past self knew that they’d be sharing a makeshift bed like this one day.
Anthony looked up from his spot on his lover’s chest to give him a light kiss. He gave the man two firm pats to the cheek and smirked at him.
“Like I said, it’s a ‘you’ problem,” He gave the brunette a cheeky grin and let his chin rest on Henry’s sternum.
“You’re becoming a ‘me’ problem,” Henry shot back without any bite whatsoever. He ran a hand through Tony’s hair, gently rubbing at the nape of his neck. The blonde let out a pleased hum, forehead nuzzling against Henry’s chest, “Sei sempre così sensibile…"
Anthony gave a chuckling snort and kissed Henry’s left pectoral. The brunette raised an eyebrow.
“What’s so funny?”
“You are,” Tony grinned, “Sometimes I swear the only Italian ya know is dirty talk.”
“That wasn’t dirty tak!” Henry said firmly, “It was a compliment.”
“Mhm, sure. That doesn’t help your case.”
“I absolutely know more than dirty talk. You’ve been teaching me since we were kids and I can get by just fine in business meetings.”
“Oh yeah, sure,” Anthony’s voice took on a teasing tone, “I rememba the first time ya talked to Nonna she was super impressed.”
“That was different,” Henry said firmly, “You jackasses told me to tell her ‘prendila in culo da un ciuccio imbizzarrito’ and then just sat back and watched like a couple of pricks.”
“Nah, she thought it was endearin’.”
“And you?”
“Oh I thought you were a complete idiot for trustin’ me in that moment, especially since Nico was backin’ me up. That shoulda been your first clue. It was hysterical.”
“It was not hysterical.”
“It was a little hysterical,” Anthony began to snicker at the memory. The blonde man let out an indignant squawk as Henry grabbed him by the waist and flipped the two of them over, pinning Anthony to the bed. Tony’s eyes went wide as a bright blush painted his cheeks.
“Alright, smartass,” Henry challenged, “You know I’ve learned a fuck ton more Italian since then, so quiz me.”
“Quiz you?”
“Quiz me.”
“I dunno, I seem ta rememba you not bein’ too good at those in school….”
Henry leaned down and blew a raspberry against the sensitive part of Anthony’s neck, right where it connected to his shoulder. The Italian man flailed, shoving Henry away from him, trying to be annoyed instead of admitting he was ticklish there.
“Stop! Okay! Stop!”
Henry pushed away, still supporting himself up on his elbows as he grinned triumphantly at Tony. He gave his lover an apologetic kiss, losing his train of thought for a moment as Anthony began to kiss him back more heatedly.
“Alright,” Anthony pulled away from the kiss, letting the tips of his fingers rub through Henry’s hair as they shifted position, “Let’s see… How do ya say… Sea. Like the ocean.”
“Marè.” Henry shot back quickly. Anthony shook his head, choking back another laugh.
“That’s mommy, but good try,” Anthony jerked back as Henry lightly pinched his side, “Alright… Feather.”
“Penne.”
“Mmmm, nope I’m pretty sure that’s just a kind of pasta.”
“You’re bein’ a jackass on purpose, aren’tcha?”
“I am bein’ a very
gracious
tutor, how dare you,” Anthony rubbed up and down Henry’s arms lovingly, not even trying to bite back the bright smile that overtook his face, “Okay, how about a hit.”
“Botte.”
“So close. That’s barrel.”
“You keep this shit up I’m gonna give you a botte with a botte,” Henry muttered. He flopped onto Anthony, letting his full weight rest on top of the other man, “There. Pillow issue solved.”
“Henry!” Anthony laughed, struggling to get out from underneath the other man, “C’mon, you’re crushing me! Smettila!”
“
That
means stop it. And no. I won’t,” Henry teasingly bit Anthony’s shoulder, making the younger man choke out a moan. He grinned against his lover’s freckled flesh as he lowered his voice, “You done bein’ a dickhead?”
“It’s not my fault your tongue ain’t workin’ right this mornin’,” Anthony sighed, tilting his head to the side to allow his lover to press a few more kisses to the column of his neck.
“I think after last night you know my tongue works just fine,” Henry whispered against Anthony’s ear. The blonde shivered, tilting his head to the side to capture Henry’s lips in another kiss. The Irishman rolled back off of Anthony, holding him close as the kisses grew deeper and more heated.
“Fine,” Anthony breathed against Henry’s lips, “Easier words.”
Henry propped himself up onto an elbow and looked at Anthony expectantly. The blonde just stared at the other man, noticing the way the dim light from the rising sun peeked through the boarded up windows, casting onto dark hair disheveled from being toyed with so much and bare skin covered in love bites. Tony felt his heart flip.
“Treasure.”
“Tesoro.”
"Heart.”
“Cuore.”
“Peaceful.”
“Tranquillo.”
“Forever?”
“Siempre.”
“...Kiss me?”
Henry smiled that bright, lopsided smile of his, “Baciami.”
“Well, if you insist,” Anthony pulled his lover back down into another kiss. Henry moved his hand to cradle the back of Anthony’s neck, easing him so he was laying flat on the mattress again. When he finally pulled back for air, the brunette pressed his forehead to his lover’s.
The sun had shifted just enough where it hit them, shining through the boards and warming them both. In that quiet morning light, it felt like nothing outside the doors to this place could touch them. Henry brushed Anthony’s hair back from his forehead and pressed a gentle kiss there.
“Sei sempre così bello al mattino…” He said quietly.
Tony’s face heated up immediately. It was so rare to hear Henry talk that way unprompted. In any language. Anthony tried to get some sort of word out, but that shit eating grin crossed Henry’s face.
“Cat got your tongue, bello?”
“You can’t just say stuff like that and not expect me ta keep you here longer than you planned,” Tony finally managed to get out, “I could get used to ya talkin’ like that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Anthony pulled Henry back down into another scorching kiss.
For just a few more moments, it could just be the two of them alone at sunrise.