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Maya gently pushed away a wild lock of hair out of Carina’s face to reveal the peaceful features hiding underneath it. Carina frowned ever so slightly in her sleep as Maya’s fingertips brushed against the shell of her ear. The blonde froze mid-touch and held back her breath, senses now on high alert for any hint that the other woman might be emerging from her slumber.
After the disastrous shift Carina had had, she deserved all the sleep she could possibly get and Maya would be damned if she was the one prematurely disrupting it, no matter how gently.
Her wife’s face softened back to its neutral and peaceful state and Maya let out a breath in relief.
Her hand left its place to instead delicately settle on the brunette’s waist above the sheets, not willing to take the risk of waking her up by touching her directly.
Her eyes unhurriedly studied Carina’s face, drinking every inch in. It was rare that the opportunity to admire the masterpiece that was her wife’s figure for as long as Maya wished to without Carina shying away from her gaze or teasing her arose.
Her perfectly tweezed eyebrows, the slope of her nose, the way her long lashes appeared a few shades lighter with the natural light this morning, the soft shape of her lips, the mole below her lower one, her high cheek bones... She also noticed a few things out of place. How the circles under her eyes were obvious and dark. How dry her skin looked, accentuating some of her wrinkles. How her olive, sun-kissed skin, was lacking its usual glow.
Yep, that was it. Today was going to be a treat-your-wife day.
Maya glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand over Carina’s shoulder. It was a few minutes before eight AM. Knowing how much of a late riser Carina was, she wouldn’t be up for a good while so it was way too soon to get up and prepare a surprise breakfast. Never mind the fact that the blonde didn’t want to leave neither Carina’s side, nor the comfort of the warm cocoon they had created overnight.
Her phone vibrated somewhere behind her, breaking the peaceful silence, and Maya very carefully turned around to grab it. Her screen showed a notification from Gabriella. Intrigued, she opened the message up.
Gabriella: So??? How did the surprise go??? Did the wife like it? I didn’t hear from Carina, I’m assuming you guys were too busy spending the night celebrating for her to send her dearest of friends a well-deserved thank you?
Maya rolled her eyes and sighed. She should have known. This woman and her natural talent for pestering Maya in just a few words. Her last conversation with the Italian suddenly came back to her mind and after some basic math, she frowned.
Maya: Aren’t you on shift? Don’t you have patients to harass instead of me?
Gabriella: It’s an extremely slow shift, indulge me a little. I wanna know e-ve-ry-thing.
Maya: Of course you do
Gabriella: Come ooooooon!
Gabriella: Tell everything to your bestie Gabri
Gabriella: You know you want to
Maya: I’m not telling you anything, Gabriella
Gabriella: You’re no fun :( I regret helping you now
Maya: Too late to take it back I’m too knowledgeable now
Gabriella: :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(
Maya: How very mature of you
After that last message, Gabriella didn’t reply, leaving Maya to think work had come her way.
Despite being incredibly annoying as well as extremely nosy, Gabriella’s belief in the blonde’s abilities was very much appreciated. Not that Maya would ever tell Gabriella that, her head was already big enough as it was, she didn’t need any boost.
Initially, Maya’s surprise had been supposed to be yesterday evening. Due to unfortunate events though, Carina had ended up being trapped at the hospital for a few more hours after her shift had officially ended and when she had come back home, she had been nothing if not exhausted and famished. It simply hadn’t felt like the right time.
However, as Maya as decided earlier, today was going to be a treat-your-wife kind of day and, now freshly spurred on by the Italian’s trust, it felt like the perfect occasion to also put last-night plan into action. What better way to start a chill day than with an unexpected-but-Gabriella-approved surprise from your wife, right?
All that was missing was for the sleeping princess to wake up.
Maya got more comfortable, her head and shoulders resting against her pillow, nicely propped up on the headboard. Phone in hand, she went through her notifications before checking her emails. She was in the middle of typing out a reply to Lieutenant Gail when Carina’s voice invaded her mind, threatening her to throw the damn phone away for bringing work inside the sanctuary that was their bed. The mere thought sent a shudder down the blonde's spine. Maya quickly closed the app and instead, she opened the Seattle Times.
She was reaching the end of an article on the Mariners when she felt the mattress grow hollow beside her. She lowered her phone and looked over. Maya loved the Mariners dearly, though they would never measure up to the sight that was her wife waking up first thing in the morning. Probably nothing ever would.
Except maybe the sight of Carina climaxing.
Yeah, maybe definitely.
One of the brunette’s arms blindly patted around under the covers. Once her hand stumbled upon the blonde’s body, she wiggled closer. Maya put her device away and lowered her body a bit in order to better cuddle with Carina. She turned onto her side to face Carina and gently kissed the tip of her nose. The other woman sighed happily in reply and a sleepy grin materialized on her lips. It grew wider when her hand came to rest on Maya’s hip.
“Ciao, (Hello,)” the blonde whispered.
“Ciao, (Hello,)” Carina whispered back, her voice thick with sleep.
A big, loud yawn escaped Carina’s mouth and the blonde was left wondering how her wife’s jaw was still intact after it. Obviously, she had slept very well.
Now a tad more alert, though still refusing to open her eyes, Carina moved closer. Her head invaded Maya’s pillow and her body, Maya’s personal space. The blonde welcomed the intrusion and indulged Carina’s silent request. She draped an arm around Carina’s waist and tugged her as close as possible, Carina’s head found the crook of her neck and chilly feet met Maya’s warm ones as she tangled their legs together. Maya hissed and hastily tried to get away as cool shivers ran up her legs.
“Noooooo,” Carina cried and she secured her hold onto Maya’s body.
The blonde looked down and sure enough, Carina was pouting. Shaking her head in her own inability to resist her wife, Maya resumed their previous position, offering no resistance this time around. God, the things she did for that woman. Barely a second later, the pout was no longer. In its place was a bright, very pleased smile.
“Grazie, (thank you,)” was whispered and Carina’s warm breath against her skin sent goose bumps all over her neck and upper chest.
The blonde dropped a peck onto her forehead before closing her eyes too. Her hand wandered its way under the other woman’s pajama top to gently caress her lower back. Shudders erupted underneath her fingertips but Carina’s skin was quick to settle and to accept the warm touch. She could feel her breasts rising and lowering against her owns with each of their breathing, the sensation familiar. Carina’s pants felt soft against her legs, the material was thin enough to make out the shape of the muscles it was covering.
Maya’s heart pleasantly fluttered and a wave of warmth spread all over her chest. It woke up the butterflies residing in her stomach on its way down and soon after, she felt a soft tingle overtake her entire body, from the very top of her head to the tip of her toes, not an inch was denied the small pleasure.
A couple of minutes into their peaceful bubble though, it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the fact that Carina’s elbow was digging uncomfortably into her ribcage. Maya carefully shifted around, trying to get more comfortable.
“No run,” Carina whined as her loose grip around Maya’s waist became much firmer, preventing the blonde from moving away.
The blonde couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Rilassati, amore mio. Non sto per alzarmi. Resto proprio qui, con te. Ma mi fa male il tuo gomito, sto solo mettendomi più comoda. (Relax, my love. I’m not getting up. I’m staying right here, with you. But your elbow is hurting me, I’m just getting more comfortable.)”
“Sì? (Yeah?)”
“Sì, (Yeah,)” Maya kissed Carina’s forehead.
This time, when Maya changed position, Carina happily followed her along. The blonde turned from being on her side to being on her back, all the while keeping her arm securely wrapped around her wife.
“No corsa stamattina? Lo giuri? (No run this morning? You promise?)”
“Sì, lo giuro. (Yes, I promise.)”
Her hand traveled all the way up to Carina’s cheek and her thumb gently stroked the skin back and forth. The brunette titled her head towards the touch, blindly kissing the palm of Maya’s hand before settling her head back onto her chest.
“Come ti senti stamattina? Meglio? (How do you feel this morning? Better?)”
“Sì, moltissimo. Ho dormito come un ghiro. Dormo sempre meglio quando sei accanto a me comunque, (Yes, a lot. I slept like a baby. I always sleep better when you’re next to me anyway,)” Carina smiled sleepily and gave Maya’s hip a squeeze.
“Anch’io. E che bellissimo ghiro sei, (Me too. And what a beautiful baby you are,)” Maya said lovingly. “Sono felice di vedere questo sorriso, mi era mancato, (I’m happy to see that smile, I had missed it,)” her index finger gently touched the corner of Carina’s mouth and the said grin only grew larger.
“Ver-“
Abruptly, Carina sat up, kicking the sheets away in her hastiness. Her, until now closed eyes, opened widely. She blinked harshly as the sunlight blinded her, but it didn’t deter her in looking at Maya like the blonde was but a ghost. In the commotion, Maya was kneed in the thigh.
“Ow! Fuck, Carina,” Maya groaned as she also sat up, much more slowly than Carina, and began to massage the area that had been hit.
So much for a surprise.
Carina looked utterly confused. The brunette’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, only to eventually hang open in a perfect O-shape, not a word coming out. Her hair, while looking remarkably okay for someone who had just woken up, was looking wilder than usual. Her eyebrows had shot up so high, Maya feared that any higher, they would forever disappear in her hairline. Her top had risen up on one side, exposing part of her belly. Her hands were both doing the italian pinch, gesturing around as if to articulate what her vocal cords couldn’t at the moment. However, Maya was completely at lost so she was left frowning, racking her brain to understand what Carina was not saying.
Finally, Carina either gave up or got a hold of herself, Maya wouldn’t be able to tell, but she solemnly closed her eyes. The brunette took a deep breath in and her arms made a slow descent towards her sides, relaxing her hands. She focused on her breathing for a few moments, and Maya was left watching her, powerless, as guilt and regret crept in her heart.
This obviously wasn’t going the way she had envisioned it.
Carina turned her hand upwards, her palms now exposed and she made a come-hither motion. The blonde delicately grabbed them, not wanting to over-stimulate her senses, and she intertwined their fingers together, happy to be able to provide some comfort. When the touch appeared to be okay, she slowly rubbed the inside of Carina’s wrists with her thumbs, her eyes never leaving the other woman’s face.
When Carina opened her eyes, they immediately searched for Maya’s. The blonde could see a mix of perplexity and concern clouding them. Her apparent puzzlement was only accentuated further when Carina passed a hand through her hair and frowned at her. She let out a long breath and gave Maya’s hand a squeeze.
“Maya?”
“Sì? (Yes?)”
“Why are you speaking italian?” Carina raised an eyebrow, not in judgment but in curiosity.
The blonde was relieved to see that Carina looked nowhere near as troubled as she did a few moments ago. It did appease some of her guilt. She was unable to hold her wife’s gaze though.
It was too intense, too fast and she felt too exposed, too self-conscious.
Maya looked down at their joined hands, hoping the heat overtaking her cheeks would go unnoticed. She silently prayed for the mild uneasiness that had materialized somewhere between her heart and her stomach to go away. As she fiddled with Carina’s rings, Gabriella’s earlier words echoed in her mind.
She had this.
Easy peasy.
She bravely looked up, her eyes instantly meeting Carina’s. They seemed hopeful for an answer, Carina didn’t press her though. Instead, she allowed her to take as much time as she needed. Maya shifted her focus onto the affection and the warmth also residing in those coffee-colored orbs. Under their spell, she felt herself grow more relaxed. Her fingers toyed less frenetically with Carina’s fingers, and the uncomfortable feeling in her ribcage lessened until it was no more. Eventually, she wasn’t feeling too exposed or too self-conscious anymore under Carina’s gaze.
Carina was her wife after all. She would always be in her corner no matter what.
She grinned tentatively at the other woman.
“Ho… Umh, ho imparato? (I… umh, I learned?)” she admitted, her voice softer than usual.
“What do you mean “ho imparato (I learned)”?”
“Ho ricevuto un po’ d’aiuto d’oltreoceano ma sì, ho imparato. (I had some help from overseas but yes, I learned.)”
At that, both of Carina’s eyebrows shot up. “Gabriella?”
“Sì, Gabriella. Ma sono stata io a chiederle di insegnarmi! Era un’idea mia. E ho anche imparato un sacco da sola con le app, i video, i libri e roba del genere. (Yes, Gabriella. But I was the one to ask her to teach me! It was my idea. And I also learned a lot from apps, videos, books and stuff like those.)”
“Maya?”
“What?”
“I need you to pinch me,” Carina let go of her hand and extended her arm in front of the blonde.
“What? Absolutely not! I’m not pinching you.”
“Pinch me!”
“I am not pinching you!” Maya laughed.
“Do it!”
“Stop asking me to! I’m not doing it.”
“Maya, you just spoke italian. Not made-up words or five-word sentences. You just spoke real, long, full, correct sentences Maya. As in, subject, verb, object. I’m either dreaming or I just woke up in an alternate reality. ”
“Because obviously, those are your only two realistic options,” the blonde snorted before rolling her eyes.
She was quite entertained by Carina’s thought process to be honest. However, Carina didn’t seem to appreciate her amusement. She swatted Maya on the arm as she made a very serious, if not slightly mad, face. She then pointed an accusative index finger at the blonde.
“Do not snort or roll your eyes at me. What’s going on?” she pressed.
“Te l’ho appena detto! Ho imparato. (I just told you! I learned.)”
“”Ho imparato, ho imparato”, (“I learned, I learned”,)” Carina did the italian pinch with both of her hands once again, her upper limbs gesturing wildly around herself. “Madonna Maya! Sei mazza? (Are you crazy?) It’s Sunday and it’s, it’s,” Carina frantically glanced at the alarm clock. “It’s not even ten AM! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Is that what it is, Maya? You’re trying to murder your wife, uh? Do you have any idea how fast my heart is beating right now?”
Maya had felt shy earlier, but hearing Carina saying all of this made her feel incredibly proud, in a way that was probably a little wrong. But she had done that. She had surprised her wife so good, she had almost given her a heart attack. And sure, she was a bit sorry about that part but this was exhilarating.
And while Carina’s heart may be beating fast, Maya was sure hers could give it a run for its money. To witness Carina in such a state… that had never happened before. In all of the years they had been together, not once. Maya’s heart was pumping what had to be pure adrenaline through her every blood vessel, making her skin prickle all over, and a smile overtook her lips, a smile so big that her cheeks were hurting.
“Mi sembri cosi drammatica per prima delle dieci una domenica. Credevo che saresti stata felice. (You’re being overly dramatic for before ten AM on a Sunday. I thought you would be happy.)”
Carina’s threatening index finger stopped its accusation and next thing the blonde knew, hands were grabbing the back of her neck and she was pulled forward until her lips forcefully crashed against Carina’s.
The kiss that ensued was nothing if not urgent and feral. Maya powerlessly followed the brunette’s lead, unsure of what was happening exactly and how to respond. Carina took advantage of her surprise to push her tongue inside her mouth. Maya felt the brunette’s grip on her neck grow stronger as the brunette dragged her towards herself, pulling her as close as possible, like she was trying to morph their bodies together. Her rush to do so mixed with Maya’s dazed state had them clumsily stumbling backwards.
Thankfully, Maya’s hand landed on the mattress just in time to slow down their abrupt fall, thus preventing their foreheads from colliding and the possible concussion that could have come with it.
Finally caught up with what was going on, Maya replied to the kiss with the same endeavor as Carina and her tongue eagerly sought her wife’s. Carina’s mouth was hungry against hers. She couldn’t help the moan that escaped the back of her throat when she was pulled into a familiar choreography.
A lower leg was hooked behind hers while a hand roamed towards the small of her back, provoking shivers down Maya’s spine on its way, and Maya was pulled even closer. The blonde’s body sank on top of Carina’s, curves meeting curves. They were so close, Maya could almost feel the frenzy of Carina’s heartbeat below her.
Out of breath, they pulled away. Carina’s teeth not so gently bit the other woman’s lower lip on their way apart. When Maya opened her eyes, she was welcomed by her wife’s dark eyes looking straight into hers, flushed cheeks and bruised lips. She was quite a sight for sore eyes.
The hand resting on the back of her neck pulled forward as Carina approached her face to pull her into another kiss, her eyes already closing. Maya put a hand onto her chest to stop her and retreated until she was out of reach. Brown eyes opened instantly and looked at Maya questioningly.
“Aspetta. Sono confusa. Sei felice o arrabbiata? (Wait. I’m lost. Are you happy or mad?)”
Carina seemed to consider her answer for a couple of moments, her eyebrows furrowing.
“Entrambi, (Both,)” the brunette eventually said with a shrug.
“Entrambi? (Both?)”
“Entrambi, (Both,)” the brunette nodded assuredly. “Adesso smetti di parlare and baciami. (Now stop taking and kiss me.)”
“Sì, signora. (Yes, Ma’am.)”
When Carina pulled her in for a kiss, Maya gladly met her in the middle this time. The eagerness and the harshness from earlier slowly faded away, their kisses growing more tender and softer as minutes ticked by. Carina’s hold onto her loosened and her hand started to stroke her back.
Their make-out session eventually came to a natural end, both women smiling contentedly. Maya settled comfortably on her side next to Carina. Her elbow dug into the mattress when she propped her head onto her hand to keep on looking at Carina who was laying on her back. Her hand strolled up to Carina’s sternum to gently rest there.
“Hai davvero imparato? (You really learned?)” the brunette asked softly and grinned incredulously.
“Già. (Yeah.)”
“Perché non mi hai detto niente? (Why didn’t you say anything?)“
"Era una sorpresa! (It was a surprise!)"
“Considerami sorpresa! Mi hai quasi fatto venire l’infarto. (Consider me surprised! I almost had a heart attack.)”
Maya rolled her eyes.
“Cosi drammatica, (So dramatic,)” she mumbled with a bemused smile.
"Tuttavia, non ci posso credere. Hai imparato l’italiano. Davvero, (Still, I can’t believe it. You learned italian. For real,)” Carina’s grin grew wider.
“Sì. (Yes.)”
“È proprio un- Oh Dio! (It’s really a- Oh God!)" the brunette gasped mid-sentence.
"Oh Dio cosa? (Oh God what?)" Maya asked with a frown at the sudden change of demeanor.
"Adesso non posso più parlare di te in italiano senza che non capisca. (Now I can’t talk about you in italian anymore without you understanding.)"
At that, Maya couldn't help but laugh. Out of all the things she had been expecting Carina to say, her complaining about Maya finally being able to understand her in her native language had very much not been on the list.
"Non è divertente Maya, (It’s not funny Maya,)" Carina complained which only made the blonde laugh harder.
"È moltissimo divertente. (It’s very funny.)"
"No, perché adesso non posso più avere segreti, (No, because I can’t have secrets anymore,)" she let out a saddened sigh and then pouted.
Maya shook her head. She pecked the pout away and her thumb tenderly brushed the brunette’s sternum back and forth.
"Carina, amore mio, sei terribile a tenire segreti. In inglese e in italiano. (Carina, my love, you’re awful at keeping secrets. In english and in italian.)"
“Ehi ! (Hey !)"
“E proprio vero, fidati di me ! Capisco da qualche mese le tue chiacchierate con Gabriella. Non capisco tutto, ma abbastanza. E posso dirti, fai schifo a tenire segreti. (It’s true, trust me! I’ve been able to understand your little chats with Gabriella for a few months now. I don’t understand everything, but I understand enough. And I can tell you, you suck at keeping secrets.)"
"È per questo che sapevi il motivo per cui ero arrabbiata con te ogni volta gli ultimi mesi! (That’s how you knew the reason I was mad at you every time those last few months!)"
"Forse, (Maybe,)" Maya shrugged nonchalantly but the smile she was fighting off let Carina know she was right.
"Non ci posso credere. Primo, la mia migliore amica mi nasconde dei segreti. Secondo, mia moglie mi spia. (I can’t believe it. First, my best friend keeps secrets from me. Second, my wife spies on me.)"
"Non ti ho spiato. (I didn’t spy on you.)"
"Dici tu. (Says you.)"
"Non ti ho spiato. Ovviamente, l’italiano non è la mia madrelingua e, anche se ora posso parlarlo, è piuttosto facile di… disconnettermi in qualche modo ? Quando stai parlando con Gabriella, non capisco niente se non mi concentro. E come… background noise per me, ma background noise in italiano. Ma lo ammetto, a volte, ascoltavo. Ero curiosa! (I didn’t spy on you. Obviously, italian is not my native language and, even if I can speak it now, it’s rather easy for me to… tune it out, in a way? When you’re talking with Gabriella, I can’t understand a thing if I don’t focus. It’s like… background noise to me, but italian background noise. But, I confess, sometimes, I did listen. I was curious!)"
"Mmh-mmh," Carina looked at her dubitatively.
“Era difficile non intervenire quando stavate parlando di me, ma non volevo rovinare tutto e non ero ancora pronta. Ed a dirti la verità, era molto più difficile non intervenire quando Gabriella stava raccontando aneddoti sui suoi amanti. (It was difficult to not chip in when you guys were talking about me, but I didn’t want to ruin everything and I wasn’t ready. And to tell you the whole truth, it was way harder to not step in when Gabriella was sharing stories about her lovers.)"
All skepticism left Carina’s face, amusement overtaking her features instead and she burst out into giggles.
"Proprio brutto. Non so come fai, (Truly awful. I don’t know how you do it,)" Maya said and a shiver ran down her spine just thinking about it.
Maya’s apparent disgust had the brunette laughing harder. The joyful sound made Maya’s heart flutter inside her chest. Once Carina had calmed down, she reached for the hand on her chest and interlocked their fingers. Her eyes found Maya’s, shining with so much tenderness that Maya suddenly felt warm all over under her intense gaze. The sun may be well up now, but Carina’s smile was definitely the brightest thing in the room.
"Hai imparato l'italiano Maya. (You learned italian Maya.)"
"Eh, sì? Ti l'avevo promesso quando ci siamo sposate. Mi dispiace che mi ha preso tanto tempo. E so che ho ancora un forte accento americano e che la mia grammatica è cosi-cosi ma- (Uh, yes ? I promised it to you when we got married. I’m sorry it took me so long. And I know I still have a strong american accent and that my grammar is so-so and-)"
She was interrupted by Carina placing her hand on her lips.
"Smettila! Il tuo accento è carinissimo, (Stop it! Your accent is the cutest thing,)" she affirmed with a firm nod before pulling her hand away.
"Queste non sono esattamente le parole che Gabriella ha usato per descriverlo, (Those are not exactly the words Gabriella used to describe it,)" Maya said, thinking back to all of the times Gabriella had teased her about it.
Carina rolled her eyes.
"Non preoccuparti, è proprio fuori di testa questa ragazza. Non sa di che cosa sta parlando. (Don’t worry about it, that woman is insane. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.)"
"Fuori di testa? What does that mean?"
"Che è pazza. (That she’s crazy.)"
"Ah! Questa la conosco. (This one I know.) Nuts, right?"
"Sì. Brava. (Yes. Good.)"
Maya was pulled closer for a sweet kiss, which proved to be more difficult than anticipated given the fact that they were both smiling.
"Do I get a kiss every time I get a word right?" Maya mumbled against Carina’s lips.
"Sì, (Yes,)" Carina murmured before pulling her into another, more successful, kiss.
"Il tuo modo per imparare è molto più piacevole da quello da Gabriella. (Your learning style is way more pleasant than Gabriella’s.) ”
"Non ne ho nessun dubbio, (I don’t doubt it,)" Carina chuckled. "Non ci posso credere. (I can’t believe it.)”
"E la realtà, Carina. Non stai suonando. (It’s reality, Carina. You’re not dreaming.)”
“E come se lo fossi. (Feels like I am.)”
Maya frowned, trying to figure out the last part of her wife’s sentence.
“It feels like I am. E come se lo fossi,” Carina helped her out by translating and repeating herself much more slowly. “Mia moglie ha imparato l’italiano. (My wife learned italian.)”
Carina may not be in need for a pinch anymore but it seemed like she needed the mantra to help her process. Maya gave Carina’s hand a squeeze and brought her fingers to her lips, giving them a kiss before placing them back on top of her chest.
“Volevo comprenderti, (I wanted to understand you,)” Maya voiced shyly as she mindlessly caressed Carina’s knuckles. “Sei diversa. Quanto stai parlando di me in italiano. C’è qualcosa di differente. Posso provarlo, proprio qui, (You’re different. When you’re talking about me about me in italian. Something’s different. I can feel it, right here,)” she pointed to her heart. “So che non ha senso e non sono sicura di come spiegarlo. Ma sei diversa. E nei tuoi occhi, è nelle parole che scegli, è nelle tue azioni… So che mi ami non importa la lingua. So che il tuo cuore prova cose per me che non sono traducibili. Ma in italiano, c’è qualcosa di differente. Non so se fosse perché è mia moglie, o perché sono cosi innamorata di te, o perché tutto suona buono in italiano, o perché è la tua madrelingua. (I know it doesn’t make any sense and I’m not sure how to explain it. But you’re different. It’s in your eyes, in the words you choose, in your gestures… I know you love me no matter the language. I know your heart feels things for me that are untranslatable. But in italian, something’s different. I don’t know if it’s because you’re my wife, or because I’m so love with you, or because everything sounds better in italian, or because it’s your native language.)"
"Forse un po’ di tutto? (Maybe a bit of everything ?)"
"Forse. So solo che c'è qualcosa di differente. (Maybe. I just know that something’s different.) It makes me feel even more in love with you."
Carina sniffled beneath her and she broke eye contact. Maya found the reason why in her wife’s eyes, who were glistening with unshed tears. She carefully brushed under both of her eyes to chase them away before they could fall and she cupped her face. Her thumb settled on her cheek, tenderly stroking it. She leaned forward and pulled Carina into a loving kiss.
“Cazzo, bambina. Sapevo che eri sdolcinata in inglese ma mamma mia, non ero pronta per la versione italiana, (Fuck, baby. I knew you were soapy in english but oh my god, I wasn’t ready for the italian version,)” Carina joked to take the attention off of her small emotional flare-up.
Maya decided to entertain her.
“Sdolcinata? (Soapy?)”
“Soapy as fuck.”
“Solo per te. (Only for you.)"
They delicately met for another kiss and a few moments later, as if in sync, their mouths opened to seek each other’s presence. Maya’s tongue pulled Carina’s into a languorous dance that had Carina shivering. She felt Carina tug her hair and she moaned into her mouth in response. The opportunity to take the lead was not lost on the brunette and she gave as good as she had just gotten.
They were rudely interrupted by a loud growl emanating from Carina’s stomach. They pulled apart with a chuckle.
“Che ne dici di mangiare primo che il tuo stomaco ti mangia viva? (What do you think about eating before your stomach eats you alive?)“
“Direi che ho il mio pasto preferito proprio qui, (I’d say I have my favorite meal right here,)“ Carina raised an eyebrow suggestively and her eyes shamelessly wandered over Maya’s body.
“Cibo, Carina. Intendevo cibo. (Sustenance, Carina. I meant sustenance.)“
Carina pouted. “Non sei divertente. (You’re no fun.)“
“Sarò un sacco divertente dopo un po’ di cibo, (I’ll be plenty of fun after some food,)“ Maya winked at her wife and kissed the tip of her nose. “Tu, non muovere. Ci penso io alla colazione e la porto al letto quando tutto è presto. (You, do not move. I’ll make breakfast and bring it here once everything is ready.)”
“Sì, no, (Yeah, no,)" Carina shook her head. “Fai tu la colazione ma faccio io il caffè. Forse Gabriella ti ha insegnato l’italiano in segreto ma il fatto che i tuoi doni per il caffè non si sono megliorati non è un segreto per nessuno, e tanto meno per me. Ti amo, con tutto il mio cuore, ma non ti voglio da nessuna parte vicina alla mia moka. (You make breakfast but I’ll make the coffee. Gabriella may have taught you italian in secret but the fact that your gift for coffee-making has not gotten better is a secret for no one, and especially not for me. I love you, with all of my heart, but I don’t want you anywhere near my moka.)"
Maya couldn't help but laugh.
“Tu e la tua preziosa moka. (You and your precious moka.)”