7 years later. Vitani now is 19 years old.
The night could not be more beautiful.
A castle, a masked ball, a gallant bringing you a glass of champagne...
"Thank you." She smiled, mischievous.
"Let's celebrate in the best way as possible the end of this successful mission." Aphrodite answered, toasting with her attractive traveling companion.
Vitani had become a seductive woman, proud, powerful and intelligent; someone worthy of see peer to peer even though she hadn't yet fought to inherit the Scorpio gold cloth. Her blonde hair brushed her hips, now a little more collected due to the waves and the hairstyle she wore; her ruby eyes shone, like the reddish jewels on her tight black velvet dress. A real queen on that balcony where they had both decided to sit down to spend the last moments of the party to which they had been invited:
"So, do would you like to end the night in my room?"
"Well, well, Sweet-Rose...! what a proposition."
"A little bird told me long ago that you had a crush with me and now maybe I... will can make it up to you."
Vitani laughed, delicate as a fairytale princess.
"Oh my... for the love of Athena. Go with another guy with that story, darling, I know about what are you talking and I will tell you that if that bird lives in the eighth temple, it's quite out of date with the information." Just at that moment, Vitani took a sip from his glass of champagne and her eyes became somewhat nostalgic remembering the aforementioned Saint in question "Yes, there was a time when I dreamed with something like this: a castle, the moon... you at my side talking about how boring the party had been… Yo know, typical rich girl dreams."
"And what happened, huh? I hope your devotion to me is gone for good reason."
The girl fixed her gaze on the bubbles of the drink while her mind traveled to the moment in which her heart began to change the feelings she felt for Pisces towards a new goal, one much more impossible than the previous one:
"Let's say... the poison of the scorpion became more intense than of your roses."
Without needing more words, Aphrodite quickly understood why the girl had changed her attitude towards him so quickly and discovered that as their conversation progressed, Vitani became more and more saddened, showing that remembering Milo in someone else's arms hurt her tremendously. Reasons weren't lacking, of course, Pisces knew immediately that the girl's dilemma was due to the intense relationship between Milo and Camus, that pair had been inseparable since childhood and it was no secret to anyone that both had a close relationship; Vitani was, said in a vulgar way, the last monkey to arrive at the Sanctuary and fighting for a relationship with the scorpion was something impossible.
Aphrodite settled in beside her, closer, trying to sound friendlier instead of seducing her as his first choice had been:
"But don't worry about that, there is plenty of Milo for everyone."
"I doubt that the snooty Camus is willing to share him."
"Oh, blondie, now the one who sounds outdated is you." They both looked at each other and Pisces let out a half smile while raising an eyebrow "Scorpio has visited the beds of almost the entire tour of the Twelve Temple in his youth. It's not about Camus want to share him, it's that he… well, you know, Milo likes to be share."
"Are you suggesting that Milo has cheated on Camus?"
"Don't say nonsense, nobody can fool Aquarius, Camus knows everything. Milo has been acting like this since he was a teenager, Camus soon left to Siberia to train with his pupils so Scorpio searched on his own for a way to satisfy himself while his acclaimed partner was away, it's seen that they talked about it and I think that behavior has lasted until... well, until Camus has been staying permanently in the Sanctuary."
"I had no idea. So Milo has tasted the flavor of the horoscope... Great, not only am I late to conquer him but also to take advantage of his moments of weakness."
Pisces gave a laugh that was soon contagious and the two returned to toasts, resuming their suggestive attitudes:
"Don't lose hope, all of us in the Twelve Temples maintain, or maintained, 'open relationships' if you want to call them in some way, some are more reluctant than others to confess it but we have all been curious about trying new flavors.
"I see... That's a very interesting custom, so... should I join the 'Zodiac Tasters' club?"
"Of course, my dear."
***
Milo woke up in the middle of the morning, scary and shaking: a new nightmare had brought him out of his heavy sleep as it had been happening to him since Vitani's arrival at the Sanctuary, seven years of uncertainty that during the last week had intensified because the girl had left in a mission with Aphrodite of Pisces.
He looked for the smartphone on the bedside table, forgetting to be careful not to wake Camus, who — used to his nocturnal bumps — was asleep on his side next to him.
04:30 am. There were still a few hours to dawn but the flight of his companions was closer, perhaps they were awake already. He didn't think about it too much so even with the light from the screen bothering his eyes he wrote a short message to Aphrodite:
"Could you check that Vitani is okay?"
In response, an image appeared on Milo's terminal. When he opened it, something seemed to break in his heart: the girl in question appeared from behind in the door of the hotel bathroom, she was putting her hair in a high bun as she used to do every time she went to the shower. She wasn't wearing a T-shirt or pants, just a delicate piece of black lingerie.
"Great, Aphrodite." It occurred to him to answer, although in reality, he didn't even know how to react to the fact that Pisces and Vitani had spent the night together. "Have a good trip."
"At least she hasn't been alone," said Camus's voice behind him.
Milo was frightened by Aquarius' secrecy and before saying a word, his companion moved the phone to better see the conversation. At the end, he raised an eyebrow:
"She has changed a lot since she came to the Santuary, right?
"Don't be an asshole, Camus."
"That answer is more mine than yours. Are you okay?"
"Perfectly."
Aquarius knew he was lying, the way Milo dropped the smartphone, the evasive responses, the frown... he was possibly the person who knew Scorpio best in the entire Sanctuary and seeing him so upset by Vitani's intimate life it just could mean only one thing. Of course, he didn't care at all, he was used to Milo going from bed to bed but, he had already seen the keeper of the eighth house with that attitude once in the past:
"Milo, are you in love with Vitani?"
"W-Wait, W-what ?! Did you freeze your brain!? How Am I going to be in love with...?
"You have nightmares with that girl almost every night and you're permanently worried about her." Aquarius cut in him "It bothers you that she is with Aphrodite and you have become defensive when I brought it up. You only acted that way in the weeks before you suggested me be your boyfriend for the first time. Do you think you can fool me?"
"I love you, ok? don't say again something like that."
"This is not the question, I don't care if you feel something for Vitani, it's your problem not mine, I know you can love various people but... Ijust wanted to know why are you refusing to accept it?"
The greek took off the sheets in frustration, let out a snort accompanying a very loud slam of the door. With it, the conversation they were having, ended; giving Camus the real answer he needed. However, Aquarius didn't mention the subject further, not that night or the next day, leaving the way free for Milo and Vitani to set the rhythm of their pride.
However, and although appearances suggested otherwise, Camus contemplated from afar the impossible love of both scorpions while from time to time... he also commented with Aphrodite and Deathmask what with Milo, it was impossible to debate.
- THE END -