Chapter Text
Ercole’s POV
Alberto Scorfano showed up in Portorosso a skinny street urchin when he was about thirteen. He was a natural born fisherman and much too confident in himself. Ercole hated him on sight. He had tried to run Alberto out of town but the Marcovaldo’s took him in. When he was adopted by Massimo, Ercole had to accept that the vagrant was here to stay.
~*~*~*~
Things started shifting when Alberto was about seventeen. Matteo had talked Alberto into bringing his guitar to one of the summer bonfires. Ercole remembered that was when Alberto still wore his hair down, curls just brushing his shoulders.
“Don’t wanna live as an untold story, rather go out in a blaze of glory
I can’t hear you, I don’t fear you
I’ll live now cause the bad die last, dodging bullets with your broken past
Well, I can’t hear you, I don’t fear you now.”
He met Alberto’s eyes and saw something defiant when he sang those words. When was Scorfano ever afraid of anyone?
“Wrapped in your regret, what a waste of blood and sweat
Oh oh oh
I wanna taste love and pain, wanna feel pride and shame, don’t wanna take my time, don’t wanna waste one line, I wanna live better days, never look back and say
Could have been me
It could have been me.”
Ercole refused to applaud with everyone else. How dare Scorfano be sexy and talented! Wait, when did he get sexy? That overconfident, string bean little kid had become a man and it confused Ercole to no end.
Ercole wasn’t the only person who wanted in the young fisherman’s pants after that. Alberto had grown up and Portorosso had suddenly noticed.
Alberto was aloof, though. He was somehow a slut and a prude at the same time depending on who you talked to. From what Ercole had heard, Alberto had only kissed one girl while the rest were boys. He figured he had a pretty good shot since it sounded like Alberto leaned gay. Perhaps Ercole could be next in line for some of Alberto’s kisses. . . They hadn’t exactly gotten along in the past, though. Alberto was one of the few people in Portorosso who wasn’t afraid of Ercole. He downright hated his guts and the feeling was mutual. However. . . what Ercole wanted, he got. Love didn’t need to be involved in sex, of course. It never was when it came to Ercole’s past hookups anyway. Alberto would just be a new challenge and when had Ercole ever backed down from a challenge?
The way he saw it, he had two options:
- He could try to make friends. Shift their relationship into something else that could win over Scorfano.
- They could continue as they were and let it finally explode into angry yet satisfying hate-sex.
One had more work involved than the other, of course. Ercole would actually need to change the way he acted around Scorfano for option one. Ugh. Why would Ercole ever change for anyone? He must be fucked up over this boy if he was actually considering such a thing.
~*~*~*~
Ercole felt he had a chance once. One evening on the beach when Alberto was struggling with his lighter. Ercole cleared his throat to get his attention and held up his own lighter. Alberto looked wary at first, but approached him. It made Ercole think of a feral animal coming to a human with their hand full of treats. He clicked the lighter on and Alberto bent down to light the cigarette between pink lips, the flame illuminating those emeralds he called eyes. Ercole snuffed out the light and looked up at the fisherman, who was still standing close to him. It was probably the first time Alberto had ever been this close to him and not on the defensive. They weren’t getting in each others faces fighting over something stupid. They were calmly sharing a light as the moon climbed into the night sky.
“Grazie,” Alberto said after a deep drag.
Ercole nodded, struck dumb for a moment. I can think of some fun ways you can thank me, bello. . .
Alberto just smiled and gave him a a salute with his cigarette hand before walking off.
Much like their lighters, it seemed like Ercole was the only one who felt a spark.
~*~*~*~
Only a week later Alberto was caught in a storm that nearly killed him. Ercole couldn’t help but feel a little vindictive about it. He was still bitter over not getting something out of Alberto for that light.
Then Luca showed up.
Luca was cute, no lie. He got all of Alberto’s attention, though. It was almost like he was under a spell. Ercole didn’t like how this skinny boy could entrap Alberto where no one else could. Ercole liked getting what he wanted and Luca dared to take something he’d set his sights on.
Ercole got the chance one morning to soak Alberto on his boat. He pretended not to leer at the wet shirt plastered to Alberto’s firm body while he teased him about Luca and sea monsters. He feigned interest in Luca to throw Alberto off. He’d almost gotten speared for it.
~*~*~*~
“Ciao bello.”
“Fuck off!”
Ercole chuckled to himself and pulled out the wadded up paper Alberto had thrown at his head. He gently opened it for curiosities sake. It was just a reward poster for sea monsters. Weird thing for Alberto to take his aggression out on.
~*~*~*~
“I want to go to our beach again. Before we leave. Just one more time, amore.”
“Luca, it’s dangerous. What if someone sees you?”
“We have our Vespa. We have a plan if anything goes wrong. Per favore, Beto.”
He saw Alberto freeze up and his gaze suddenly shoot over his shoulder. Ercole barely disappeared under the wall before those watchful eyes could see him.
“I can’t say no to you, tesoro mio.”
Ercole frowned. They were running away together, then? Why? They were (much to his annoyance) well loved and welcome in Portorosso. Signor Marcovaldo approved of their relationship. Luca’s parents did not but they lived elsewhere. Luca had already run away from them to be with Alberto. . . why more running? What was this danger in someone seeing Luca?
Every fucking time he listened in on these two and he was left with more questions!
At least he had some sort of lead now. Ercole had been suspicious of Luca since he showed up. No signs of family, much like Alberto, but he still had a place to go at night. He wasn’t sure what he expected from the shy boy who had won Alberto’s heart, but he wanted to find out.
When he saw them going towards the beach, he followed and hid behind the rocks. Perhaps he’d find out something. Perhaps he’d just get a free show. Either way it was a win.
They were on the shore, Luca straddling Alberto’s lap as they kissed. Luca had taken Alberto’s hair down to play with. That was a sight Ercole hadn’t seen in a long time. Alberto gazed up at Luca like the sun shone out his ass. He tilted his head so Luca could kiss his neck. They talked softly to each other. Ercole couldn’t make out what they were saying which was a pain. Luca said something in Alberto’s ear that made him growl and start thrusting against him.
“Fuck yes, I wanna do that,” Alberto’s voice finally carried. “Water?”
Luca nodded and they waded in. That’s when Ercole noticed something. . . funny, about Luca. His skin was doing something, but he couldn’t get a good view of it. They got in waist deep before they started to kiss again. Then Luca pulled his hands out of the water to play with Alberto’s golden curls again and what the ever loving fuck was that?! Luca’s hands had gone from five fingers to four claws held together by webbing? Luca had fucking webbed claws?! Was that a fucking tail flicking out of the ocean? How was Alberto not horrified by this?
“If you ever saw one you’d probably try to fuck it anyways.”
“Fine! You got me, Ercole. I’m out here looking for a sea monster to fuck and you’re cramping my style. Happy?”
Well then. Truer words had never been spoken. Apparently.
Luca ducked under the water and Alberto leaned his back on a nearby rock. He closed his eyes and bit his bottom lip to keep the sounds in. Ercole heard him say something about watching the sharp teeth.
Goddamn. Scorfano was getting a blowjob. From a sea monster. In the ocean.
Clearly the couple wanted privacy for more than one reason.
All Ercole could see was Alberto now. Leaned on the rock and taking his pleasure. Hair down, toned body on display, looking like a fucking god.
“Suck me so good, baby,” his voice whimpered.
Alberto started pulling at Luca, dragging him from the ocean and kissing him with everything he had. Now Luca’s hair was blue and it didn’t look like hair anymore, but more like soft fins. Alberto held green scales in his hands, pulling long legs around his waist and shifting his lover until Luca’s back arched and his head was thrown back. A noise came out of him that wasn’t human. The creature trilled and let Alberto fuck him. Their bodies moving together with the familiarity of two people who had done this before.
Ercole couldn’t watch anymore and had to look away. If this is what Alberto chose he was a sick man. He was off giving it to sea monsters and ignoring his own kind.
That’s why no one else had a chance: Alberto Scorfano was a monsterfucker.
~*~*~*~
Ercole was strangely calm as he re-entered the piazza. Ciccio and Guido were already there. Good.
He calmly picked up a bucket and dipped it in the fountain.
“Guido, Ciccio,” he called. He barely had to raise his voice for them to be by his side. “Ciccio, get the harpoons. Guido, the nets. We are going to catch ourselves a sea monster.”