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Hey everyone!

Well, hope you will pass a good Halloween! I should have wrote a special for today.... But I didn't think of doing that T_T Instead, here it is the new chapter! I didn't want you to keep waiting for too long Hope you will like it, and if you do, show me in all the ways you want! Preferibly, with faves, votes and comments :3

Thank you Gritou for helping me and for loving me

Those icy eyes stared at Luca for a moment, freezing him on his sit. Then, a merry light appeared in them, warming up the stare in a more curious and friendly one, something the fit the big grin that the long white and black muzzle was sporting.

"Don't worry, she did warn me about this." The lupine managed to blurt out to Franco at his side before the other two could be in ear shots, a bit of blush appearing on his cheeks for the shame of forgetting such a thing.

"Salve a tutti1!" The newcomer husky shouted to the room, as if there were more than to furs in attendance, a behavior that somewhat contrasted his suited-up appearance. The young dog walked toward Luca, who immediately stood up to grab the paw that was been propelled toward him. "You must be Luca! I'm Stanley, nice to meet you!"

"It's my pleasure to meet you for real!" The wolf greeted back while shaking the paw, finding that the other one had a very strong paw. Now that the husky was closer, he could see that he looked young, despite his suit, just barely shy of 25, he assumed.

"Hello Franco!" Stanley passed to salute the host, with a pair of smooches on his brown cheeks2. The young fur quite towered on the rodent, probably he was of the same height as the lupine.

"Ciao bello3. Doing fine with your job?" The older male asked, treating the other with familiarity.

"I'm acclimating myself there, in the bank, but I am still a rookie for all them." The canine lamented, while taking off his tie and starting to drop off his jacket. "Where can I put this, Sara?"

"The hanger in the entrance, dear!" The squirrel answered, sounding strangely... motherly, while speaking with him.

"Thanks!" The black-and-white fur blurted, immediately padding back to pose his things. Sara's stare followed him at first, but then it fixed itself on the remaining males in the room.

"What did I forget to tell Luca? Or, should I say, what did Luca forget that I told him?" She inquired, proving that the brown, point ears on her head could detect even whispers. Something that Luca noted down, to avert possible... hearing of sensible talks.

"I... I completely forgot that Stanley was coming. Sorry, I am just so tired lately." He tried to excuse himself, not even trying to meet the scolding eyes of his friend. It was bad of him, not to remember that, more so since he had agreed that it was a good idea....

Sara opened her mouth, but it wasn't her voice that reprimanded the forgetful lupo.

"You forgot about my coming? Come hai potuto4!" The husky shouted, paw at his heart and looking quite distressed. "After all the emails we exchanged?!"

"Sorry, it was a tiring day." Luca simply said, smiling since he had detected the other wasn't quite serious about that, even sticking his tongue out.

"I understand. Working on your back all day long must be tiring!" The young man joked, his Milanese accent much more prominent than Sara's, maybe because she had been living in Rome for much a longer time.

"I work mostly standing. Nothing like Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel!" Luca retorted back with a grin.

"Seems like you two are hitting off nicely! Go and take your seats at the table while Franco and I bring the dinner." The petite fur ordered them with a motherly smile on her face, pointing the table to them and the kitchen to her boyfriend. She was walking away when she turned back to add more.

"The places with the blue napkins are ours, you can choose one from the other two!" Sara recommended them before going to the kitchen, Franco in tow.

The two dogs did as told, approaching the dinner table while keeping talking.

"You came just in time, it seems. The dinner is ready!" Luca noted to his younger companion, while a glance to the table told him that the rodent couple had already set it. In his tiredness he had missed even that particular.

"Yeah, I have the knack to come at just the right moment!" The husky boasted, puffing out his chest. "During university I always knew when the cafeteria had just prepared the meals, all hot and tasty!"

"Was that food edible? I think my cafeteria used the leftovers of the army rations... Della seconda guerra mondiale5! And still does, from what I taste when I go there, after lessons." He joked, taking place near the window and, he hoped, the source of possible breezes. The lupo wasn't serious about the cafeteria, even if not that tasty and with cheap ingredients, the stuff was still eatable.

"Ouch!" Stanley replied with some empathy. "But that's to be expected, with the public university!"

"It's not that bad, really. You have just to struggle a bit, that's all." The lupine simply put, not wanting to badmouthing the Italian school system. It didn't need him for that, after all. "Where did you go to university, Stanley?"

"Not a fancy private one, devo precisare6." He started to answer, showing a bit of embarrassment, strangely enough. "I got my degree in Economics in an English university."

"Ohhhhh!" The lupo exclaimed, his curiosity as perked up as his ears. "Which one?"

"Not an important one, mind you. My mom wanted me to go there, in her hometown, which has a good enough university." The husky responded briefly, without adding many details.

"Well, it got you in a good job, it seems!" The restorer noted. From what Sara told him, he knew that the young canine worked in an important bank now.

"Uhm, yeah, it helped me to begin working way before most furs here in Italy." The bicolored fur admitted reluctantly.

"See! You had a bit of advantages with that, and you should be really happy about it, really!" Luca encouraged the other. It felt strange that the younger dog wasn't that happy of his scholastic career, but he couldn't do much about it, other than veer the conversation on other topics.

"So, what di-" He began, but he was interrupted by loud pawsteps, and the hosting couple entering the room. Sara was bringing a big bowl full of something that steamed, while her boyfriend held a plate full of delicious cotolette alla milanese7.

"So, here it is the dinner, sorry for making you two waiting!" The squirrely cheerfully declared, setting the bowl on the table, while Franco did the same with his bowl. "I'm going to bring the salad too. I didn't season it, I didn't know what you liked on it. Which condiments do you prefer, boys?"

"For me, simple oil and salt." The lupo answered quickly. He wanted to peer into the bowl, so badly, but he decided he must wait until his friend served the food to discover its contents.

"I would like aceto balsamico8! Preferably of Modena, please." The husky almost begged, briefly laying his ears on his skull and making the biggest puppy eyes the Roman had ever seen on an adult.

"Of course we have it." The nutria answered him, already stepping toward the kitchen, this time Sara being behind him. Stanley turned his grin to the lean restorer, and probably his tail was wagging at the moment.

"He seems to be the kind of guy happy with the little things". Luca thought while looking at the fluffy-furred canine. Probably he had estimated his age to the excess, his behavior was fitter for a younger fur... Not much younger, but still. Maybe he had assumed he was of that age because of how much time university lasted in Italy.

"And here we are!" Sara announced, this time their bearings being another bowl with bottles and salt shaker. She was almost sit on her chair when she jumped again, gasping for a sudden realization.

"I forgot to bring the water! And the wine!" The petite restorer said, darting back to the other room, blurting hastily to Franco to "Stay there, I'm getting them!"

The two dogs were mesmerized but such behavior, and the look on their long muzzles made the coypu chuckle loudly.

"Don't worry you two, she always like that when there are visitors." He explained merrily, his paw waving off the matter.

"But it's not like it's a fancy dinner or something!" The lean lupine protested, with the fluffier dog at his side nodding his agreement.

"It's not a fancy dinner? Of course it is, you two are here!" Sara answered for her rodent, miraculously managing to a trot without spilling the beverages in the two pitchers in her paws.

"I honestly thought it was a dinner among friends." Stanley mused, looking at the sitting squirrel, hears moving idly.

"For me, any dinner with friends is a big deal." She jabbed back to her young friend, while extending her tiny paw to him. "Give me your plate, so I can serve you the risotto!" She commanded.

The dog did as told, and in a few seconds he found a plate full of yellow, creamy risotto in front of him. Luca didn't wait the order, already handing his dish and leering at Sara scooping a good amount of food from the bowl and putting it on the thin china plate. He got it back quickly, scrutinizing the food that was delivered to him in the impatient waiting for everyone to be served.

The smells hit his nose, confirming what the eyes had already figured out. Sara had cooked a perfect risotto allo zafferano9, the steam rising from it bearing the characteristic fragrance of it, indicating how every grain of rise had absorbed the saffron until it had gained a rich yellow color. He could only imagine how that would taste, so sublime and good, his mouth watering at the fact he was going to eat it. He barely mumbled "Buon appetito10" to the others before he grabbed his fork and got a good mouthful of risotto, it hitting his tongue and bringing him to the heights of pure culinary ecstasy that he climbed with closed eyes and moving ears and tail.

Once he opened his eyes, he noticed three faces looking at him, with various degrees of surprise and merriment on them. It was his friend to talk first, while redness covered his cheeks, even apparent beneath his brownish fur.

"Are you really hungry? Or am I a good cooker?" She joked, laughter in her voice while saying that, gently shaking her head.

"Uhm, the last one?" Luca answered, embarrassed, after gulping down the rice. "It's just that it's been so long since I had riso allo zafferano, and it's one of my favorite things in the world, so..."

"So you were moved by my cooking? That's so sweet of you Luca!" Sara said, and she seemed to be genuinely happy about that, her smile lightening up her short brown muzzle.

"Y-yeah..." The lupine mumbled, going back to eating his food, trying as hard as he could not to show how orgasmatic the experience was to him. The others did the same, with much more dignity than him, but enjoying eating it nonetheless. The air was filled with the clang of metal against china for a while, everyone too focused on eating than of doing anything else. It suited Luca just fine, and he found his dish clean quickly.

"Uhm, Sara?" He called out, unsure on asking her for more.

"Yes?" She responded, her brow perked a bit.

"Uhm, can I... uhm..."

"Oh, ma certo11! Give me that plate, I'll give you more!" The rodent chirped, understanding the nature of the wolf's plea and fulfilling his unsaid wish for more. "You were serious when you said it's one of your favorite things! You practically wolfed it down!"

"Ehehehe, told you!" He managed to chuckle between big forkfuls of rice. With a belly half full of the treat, he felt that he could get past the embarrassment. "And you prepared so many Milanese dishes! Is it for our Stanley here?"

"Sara thought the kid needed something to cure his homesickness." Franco revealed, causing turmoil at the table.

"I didn't say that!" The squirrel protested, glaring at her coypu.

"I am not homesick!" Stanley indignantly said, ears perked up but not actually growling, or something. "I have been here barely a week now!"

"How are you finding Rome, by the way?" The lupine asked, trying to distract the conversation and being curious to hear that, too. He always fascinated him to hear other furs' reaction to his city.

"Weeeeeeellll...." The canine began, thinking well of what to say. "It's different from Milan. Maybe more traffic, but lots of green, I think."

"I had the same impression, back when I first came here." Sara gave her opinion, not trying really to interrupt the young husky.

"Yeah. I am not used to drive motorcycle so much, but it's kinda a need, they told me." The Milanese continued his answer. "Apart from that... I hadn't seen much. Being so busy with work, I didn't have time to live the city."

"That's okay, they are really making you work in the bank!" The squirrely replied, extending her paw to squeeze the husky's arm.

"Plus, our tour of Saturday is meant to show you what there is to see here in Rome!" Luca exclaimed, every each word truth. Stanley looked as if they were running him down hard with work, and even if he had denied it, he seemed to the wolf that he missed his home in the North.

"Oh, right! Non vedo l'ora12!" The young banker said, while handing over his plate to Sara to get it filled with the Milanesa. The rodent didn't mind such a behavior, just smiled and put some nice meat in the plate. The canine did thanked her when he got the plate back, squeezing a bit of lemon on the treat.

"I'm happy to hear that! Put some comfortable walking shoes, we will move a lot! And a bottle of water, prices in the center are just outrageous." Luca advised, setting his head on guide mode.

"Okay, I will get my most worn out and comfty shoes I have!" The other chuckled. "I will need to sleep a lot, that morning, so I won't slump behind".

"That is good, after all the rendezvous is at 11 in the morning." The other agreed, thinking that a good morning of sleep would be marvelous for him. "If you have new requests of things to see, you can tell me!"

"Don't worry, I am content with those we decided to see." The husky waived off the matter, smiling. "Also, thanks for introducing me that Edward, he is so much fun on Whatsapp!"

"Isn't it that cougar waiter of last Saturday?" Franco asked, curious to hear more. To tell the truth, the squirrel was perking her hears too, probably ready to get some juicy gossip.

"Yeah, he is, I gave him the email of Stanley. Didn't know they were talking on Whatsapp." The wolf admitted. He was doing just the same lately, talking with the funny cougar about various things, American series and so on... Even thought he didn't mean to, at the beginning. He was feeling... weird that the feline was doing the same with Stanley.

"Yep, we are! Never messaged in English so much since university!" The young dog grinned, a piece of cotoletta being stuck between his canines.

"I am sure you will get some practice in oral English too! As our Luca did Saturday." The squirrely added, and her smile had something feline in it, even if Sara had a very rodent muzzle.

"Well, yeah, I did, as I do every time I tour those foreign furs around!" The lupine admitted. It almost felt like his friend was trying her best to push him in the arms of the mountain lion... But that couldn't be.

"Where did you study English, Luca?" The husky asked, switching in that Northern language so invasively present in modern society.

"I studied here, privately, with a Canadian bear. Then, I went to Boston a couple of summers, during high school." He answered in the same language, smiling at the memories of the freedom he had experienced there, so far from his family and so young.

"Ohhhh, I did notice you have an American accent!" The shirted dog crooned, seemingly impressed. His own was a very perfect English one, probably thanks to her mother and family.

"Yep, definitely American. Hope you won't mind." The creamy furred canine confessed.

"Why should I mind? I like the American accent, it's so... strange!" The other male replied back, puzzled by that statement, his head tilted.

"British people tend to be picky when it comes to accent." Sara intruded in the conversation, herself sporting a flawless English. "That much I know."

"Yeah, some aren't that happy and ask me to repeat what I say." The wolfish restorer said, recalling all the times that such a thing happened. Luckily, it wasn't that often.

"Oh, bugger, it's not a big deal! I will enjoy talking in English with Edward!" Stanley barked, while finally finishing his Milanesa.

"He actually asked for us talk in Italian." The other canine reported to him. "But we shall see how things will go. With him and his girlfriend!"

"Oh yeah, Jessica! What a lovely lady!" The husky mused, and it seemed to be about to say more when he was stopped by Sara.

"Sorry, can we go back to Italian? Poor Franco, as the most part of Italy, can't understand English." The squirrel pleaded for the nutria.

"Oh, you don't speak English?" Stanley asked, starting a new topic of conversation while they ate their salad.

"The evening is turning just fine for me."_Luca thought while smiling at one of the husky's jests. _"I hope Ale's having one too."

Translation:

1) Hello everyone!

2) Kissing people on the cheeks as they greet each other is a very European tradition. In Italy, it is done with people you know, with no more than one kiss on each cheek.

3) Hi dude. Well, more like Hi handsome, but bello/bella it's akin to dude.

4) How could you!

5) Second World War.

6) I need to specify.

7) Classical meat dish of Milan. Here more info:

8) Balsamic vinegar.

9) Saffron rice, another classical dish of Milan. Can't find a recipe nor more info guys T_T

10) Enjoy your meal! Or, as the French say, Bon Appetite!

11) Oh, but of course!

12) I can't wait! Literally, "I can't see the hour".