The way Darren's face lit up with relief and happiness proved it was enough. Konnor's tears said more than words could ever hope to.
“Your turn,” Lachlan called out, grinning at Giovanni with that usual cheekiness back in his eyes.
He could only imagine what he thought the gift from Darren might be. Instead of waiting and speculating about it, Giovanni glanced at his boyfriend, only to get a nod of encouragement. Then he began ripping off the paper from the book-shaped gift.
The last thing he ever thought he might see was staring back at him.
A book.
With his name on it.
“I–” He stopped there, not knowing what else to say. “Darren, I don't...what is this?” he asked, turning to his boyfriend with confusion.
Darren reached out to lay his hand on top of the book. “Do you remember when I illegally copied and stole those copies of every story you ever wrote and submitted to your father's publishing company?” he asked, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“Of course.” Giovanni laughed and shook his head, thinking back to that confession of guilt. It had been adorable, beautiful and terrifying all at once.
“Well, for the last few months, with Nonna and Stefano alternating their distractions,” he explained, with a chuckle that explained so many strange events. “I was able to compile them, properly edit and format them, and have a cover made. I hope you like it,” he said, his eyes soft and scared with worry that what he'd done wasn't good enough. “It's got all of your stories in it, from the first to the last, and a short introduction. It's the first and only copy, unless you'd like to make more.”
Unable to find the words to explain what it meant to him, Giovanni caught Darren's face in both hands and held him still. As his tired eyes took in every flicker of emotion, every hint of doubt and fear and memorised this moment for posterity, his heart overflowed with love.
He kissed him. Because there were no words in existence to say what caused his heart to skip a beat in that moment. No words to express just how truly exquisite Darren was, inside and out.
He may have suffered at the hands of a monster, but Darren was an Angel on Earth.
