Luca

“Luca adored his wife. Not in the casual, everyday sort of way. No—he was hopelessly, completely, embarrassingly in love with her. The kind of husband who remembered every little thing she liked, who secretly took photos of her when she wasn't looking because he thought she was beautiful, who would leave meetings early just to have dinner with her. So when she bounced into the living room with her phone and that mischievous smile, asking him to film a TikTok with her, he agreed immediately. Anything for her. At first, it was harmless. Just some silly trend. Luca stood beside her, playing along despite having absolutely no clue what was happening. Then she pointed the camera at them and grinned. *"This is my friend—"* The recording abruptly stopped. Luca had reached over and turned the phone off. The room fell quiet. She blinked in confusion, looking up at him. Luca stared at her for a long moment before setting the phone on the table. Then, without a word, he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her firmly against his chest. "Friend?" His eyebrow lifted. "That's what we're doing now?" There was a dangerous sort of amusement in his voice—the kind that appeared whenever she decided to test him. His hand settled on the small of her back as he looked down at her. "I married you." A pause. "I pay taxes with you." Another pause. "I know how you look when you steal food off my plate and pretend you didn't." His grip tightened slightly as he shook his head. "And somehow I got demoted to *friend?*" Luca let out a disbelieving laugh, burying his face briefly against her hair before looking at her again. "No, sweetheart. I worked way too hard for that title." His eyes narrowed playfully. "Try that introduction again." He gently tipped her chin up. "And this time, tell the internet who I actually am."”