"What's on your mind?" Sebastian asked eyeing her curiously.

She has been sitting on her bed in thought or a few minutes now. She looked up at her brother who was standing by the door eyeing her curiously.

"Michael was at the shop today." She said running a hand though her raven hair.

He crossed his arms over his chest with a displeased expression. "For what?"

"He said he wanted another chance." She said before smiling at his frowning face.

"You're not going to, right?" He asked cautiously.

She gave him an offended look. "What would I look like getting back with that coward?"

He moved closer to her bed where he jewelry box was. "What exactly did he say?"

She slapped his hand away when he reached for one of her necklaces making him hiss in pain and pull his hand back.

"He said that he just wasn't prepared before and he's going to show me that he's serious." She said rolling her eyes as she took off the bracelet she was wearing to put it in the box.

"What a dumbass." He grumbled and she nodded in agreement.

"Tell me about it."

He sat on her bed suddenly looking at her with a knowing expression. "How did your lunch go?"

She side eyed him. "Are you going to tell me that you didn't follow me? I know you better than that."

"I didn't hear anything you were saying!" He exclaimed laying back on her bed with a groan.

"You're so creepy." She sighed.

"So how did it go?"

She couldn't help the smile that appeared on her as she jumped a little trying to hold in her excitement. "Good."

"Just good?" He chuckled. "I can see your eyes sparkling from here."

"It was great!" She threw her arms up and laid down next to him looking at the ceiling with a dreamy look. "I love him."

Sebastian's face scrunched up. "You're disgusting."

She giggled and continued praising him much to Sebastian's displeasure.

****
Once Sebastian grew tired of her, they both ended up downstairs when they heard the doorbell ring.

"Must be that idi-" He groaned when she hit him with her foot.

"Don't hit me when you're wearing heels." He snapped glaring at her.

"I always wear heels, and don't insult Marco." She said as his phone began to ring, causing him to stop right there.

"It's my date for tonight." He smirked walking the other way. "Be right back." He said answering the call to bring it to his ear.

"A date every night." She shook her head looking at his retreating back.

She rolled he eyes and went downstairs without him. He usually didn't take long but she wouldn't wait around for him.

She made her way down the stairs but stopped on the last steps when she heard her mother's voice.  She discreetly looked at her mother and Marco from where she was standing.

"Hello Marco." Stella grinned pulling him into a hug.

Elena dropped her head from her hiding spot. Everyone knew how Marco felt about public displays of affection but her mother always made it her propriety to hug him whenever she sees him.

Why does she do it? She wondered looking back at them.

"Hello, Mrs. Knight." He politely greeted. "Thank you for inviting me."  

"Oh, it's nothing. Elena likes having you around." Her mother said and Elena slightly bumped her head against the wall.

WHY!?

"Where is Elena?" She heard Marco ask and she jumped straightening up  as her heartbeat increased.

Not wanting her mother to say anything and embarrass her even more, she slowly continued her way down the stairs.

"The two of you saw each other today, didn't you?" Stella smiled at Marco. "Did you guys have fun?" 

"Yes." Elena quickly said coming from her hiding spot, looking at her mom warningly. "We did." She said before looking at the man. "H-Hello Marco."

"Hi, Elena." He said and he mother's voice came again.

She shyly smiled and looked down avoiding her mother's big smile and shining eyes. Stella turned to Marco causing his attention to move from her daughter.

"Marco, can I talk to you?" Stella asked causing Elena to look up at her with a pleading look. "In private." She added.

"W-Why!?" Elena was the one exclaimed looking at her mother with wide eyes. "Why private?"

Seriously, she didn't understand. What could be so private that they couldn't talk about it in front of her.

"Because they are going to talk about you." Sebastian said reappearing from wherever he was and sat on the couch placing an arm over his eyes. "Just sit down and they'll be done before you know." He added looking at her with a smirk.

Before Elena could say anything else, her mother was already pulling Marco out of the living-room.

Stella briefly glanced back at her daughter who was chewing on her lip nervously. She held back a laugh as she walked with Marco in another living-room with doors thick enough for her daughter not to eavesdrop.

They walked in and she closed the door behind them before turning to give Marco a warm smile. She motioned for him to sit and he did on one of the couches. She followed sitting the seat opposite of him.

"I'll try to make this fast, before Elena loses patience and finds a way to listen in on our conversation." She said with a smile. "She's an impatient brat."

He nodded in agreement causing her smile to widen.

She took a deep breath before looking at him a serious expression. "You know how my daughter feels about you."

It wasn't a question and they both knew it. But she wanted things to be clear between them before things could go any further.

"I do." He simply said.

"Well she has never really been subtle about it." She smiled. "First, I'm going to tell you that I love you so much. I've watched you grow up. You've become a part of this family, and a really good one." She paused looking up at him.

She was glad that her husband let her talk to Marco on her own for this time. She didn't want anything ruining this.

She took a deep breath and continued. "But she's my daughter. She is tough and can really be a tyrant but she's got a marshmallow like heart, reason why it's so easy for her to cry." She said and she looked at his face.

She looked at him expecting some kind of reaction or at least a twitch on his face but she got nothing from him. And she wasn't even surprised. That's how he's always been.

Stone faced.

"It's really hard to know what you think." She said with a small laugh.

"Sorry." He simply said and she laughed again shaking her head.

"It's fine. I know you've always been like that. But would be nice to see you smile more often." She let out a small chuckle. "But I know you're capable of it. I've watched you, and I've seen you smile at my daughter."

"Yes." Was all he said again.

She shook her head at his responses and couldn't hide her amusement.

"Wow, you're so lucky Elena is a talkative person." She lowly muttered to herself with another chuckle.

He really was because Stella couldn't imagine what their future relationship would be like if her daughter wasn't talkative.

"When we get back out there and undoubtedly start talking about Italy, I want things to be clear and I want to know what my daughter will get herself into once she gets there." She said.

She took a deep breath and looked back at the waiting man. He had a level look on his face. He didn't seem nervous because it was obvious that he knew what she was going to ask him.

"There is one question for you. and I want a yes or no answer. Because I'm not letting my daughter get hurt, so I don't want any explanation or maybes." She said looking at him straight in the eyes.

Marco nodded keeping his eyes steadily in hers.

Stella modded before asking. "Do you have feeling for my daughter? Yes or No."

***Third Person***

Elena chewed on her lips as she slowly paced since her mother and Marco left, much to her brother's annoyance. She didn't want to show her nervousness, but they were taking forever.

"Will you fucking relax? You're pissing me off." Sebastian said narrowing his eyes at her.

"What could she possibly have to tell him?"

"If you're not there with them, it's because you don't need to be." He said with a shrug.

"Of course, it concerns me." She snapped looking at him angrily. "I'm going to go liste-" She stopped talking when she saw them coming back.

Her mother was walking ahead with a big grin, followed by Marco who looked as calm as ever. And Elena instantly regretted not following him to listen in on their conversation.

She looked at her mother's smiling face then at Marco. He met her eyes for a few seconds but didn't look away. Elena wanted to be able to read those eyes so bad . They always made her nervous. And she wondered when she would be able to look into them without shying away.

As if of cue, her palms got sweaty and she slowly lowered her gaze to look back at her mother.

I should have followed them.

"I hope you guys are hungry." Stella said with a big grin clapping her hands together. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Before anyone could say anything. She walked the other way toward the hallway leading to the kitchen.

Oh no, you don't. Elena thought with a frown following her mother.

Stella turned back and practically stormed in the hallway with Elena following her close behind.

"Mom?"

"Yes, baby?" She stopped walking and turned to look at her daughter with a smile and sparkling eyes.

"Mom." She called again when her mother obviously wasn't really  paying attention to her and looked to be in her own world.

"Yes, baby?"

"What did you tell him?" Elena asked trying to keep her voice down.

"I told him about Italy and that was counting on him to take care of you." Her mother simply said and kept walking.

Elena followed close behind, not satisfied with that answer.

"Then why didn't you say it in front of us?" She asked grabbed her mother's arm to make her stop. "You didn't say anything to scare him off right?" She asked worriedly.

"Elena, I am your mother, not your father. I will never ruin a great thing for you." Stella smiled as Elena's shoulders dropped in relief.

"You're right. That's dad." She nodded. "But seriously, what did you talk about?"

Stella shrugged. "You."

"Mom." She whined dropping her head.

Stella sighed and faced her daughter with a serious expression. "I'm serious. We talked about you and I'm sure that he'll take really good care of you."  She ended up laughing at the deep blush that covered her daughter's face.

"Don't say it like that!" Elena gasped placing her hands on her flaming cheeks.

"Fine." She smirked pushing Elena back. "Go back before Sebastian start provoking him. I'm going to go check on dinner."   

Elena huffed and turned to go back to the living-room. Marco was sitting on the couch but Sebastian was gone.

"W-Where is Sebastian?" She asked briefly looking at him.

"I don't know. He just left." He said and she nodded.

"I-I'm sorry. He's crazy."

He shrugged not saying anything else.

"I'm leaving tomorrow." He said and she looked up at him doing her best to keep her frown in.

"Y-You are?" She said clasping her hands together.

"Yes. I have work." He said looking from her shaking hands to her eyes.

"Oh." She simply said trying her best to hide her disappointment.

"Your father called me today."

Her head snapped toward him as she looked at him in confusion.

What?

"He asked me to find a place for you."  He said leaning in.

"H-He did?"

He nodded. "Hn."

"O-Okay."

"So, we'll be neighbors." He said.

She felt her whole body straighten up because of the jolt she's felt at that moment. She looked at him with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open.

Marco took in her look of surprise for a few seconds.l before continuing.

"He said he'd rather have you live in the same building as me than to have you live on your own." He explained and Elena's hold on her hands tightened even more.

The room suddenly became too hot for her.

Live in the same building?

Neighbors?

Does that mean that she'll see him every day?

She'll practically live with him?

And Hunter Knight suggested that?

Her dad called Marco?

She could see him eveyday!

"Elena." She slightly jumped in surprise as his deep voice called her name. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Y-Yeah. I-I-. W-We. I-I"

Just shut up, Elena!

She nodded instead redness taking over her whole face. And she didn't even care at this point.

Why didn't her father tell her himself? Maybe the man wanted Marco to tell her to get this kind of reaction out of her.

"O-O-Okay." She finally managed looking at him as his eyes softened.

"You're a piece of work." Marco said and she pressed her lips together.

You're a piece of work too! And you don't hear me telling you.

She was grateful that the intercom decided to ring at that moment because she didn't know what to respond to that.

She quickly stood up and made her way toward it with as much dignity as she manage in her state. She left the living room to go answer the intercom.

She took a deep breath and pressed the answering button.

"Y-Yes?"

"Ms. Knight, there's a man named Michael here for your father." One of the man at the gate said and her heart almost jumped out of her chest.

What is he doing? And now of all times?  

"You wouldn't be allowed to kill him, would you?" She asked lowering her voice so Marco wouldn't hear, hopefully.

"Umh, no Miss." He said with a slightly confused tone.

"Fine." She sighed. "Let him through."

She moved away from the intercom and almost ran toward the front door slowing down when she reached the living room once more.

"Is everything alright, Elena?" Marco asked when he noticed her moving while fidgeting with her hands.

"Yes!" She said too loudly to it to be believable. "A-Amanda. S-She's here to drop some t-things." She stuttered and continued her way. "Be right back."

Once he couldn't see her, she ran to the front door as fast as her shoes would let her. She almost ripped the front door open just Michael lifted his hand to ring the doorbell.

"What the hell are you doing here Michael?" She asked angrily.

Angrily because she didn't want him here and she certainly didn't want Marco to see him here and think that she's seeing anyone.

Would he even care? She mentally scoffed at her own silliness.

"I'm here to talk to your father." Michael said causing her head to snap toward him.

"About what?" She hissed stepping outside and slightly closing the door behind her.

He looked at her with an impatient look. "About us?"

"There is no us." She snapped. "Leave."

"I'm doing what you wanted and you're asking me to leave?" He said with a displeased tone. "Elena, just let me make this right. Please."

"You're doing what I wanted you to do when we were dating." She said pointing a sharp finger at him. "Now I want you to leave. We're over."

"But I want you to give me another chance." He insisted giving her a determined look. "Please, let me show you that I can be with you."

"I said no!" She said stomping her heeled feet on the ground. "God, you annoy me. No means No."

"Why not?"  Michael asked impatiently. "Why won't you give me another chance. We were good together. I know we were."

She huffed tightening her hold on the handle.

"Because I don't love you." She said looking directly into his eyes. "I don't even like you right now. I'm in love with someone else."

"What?" He asked blinking at her with a chuckle. "Don't be ridiculous. We only broke up a few months ago. How could you have possibly found someone else and fallen in love with them."

"There's no way in hell I will get back with you." She said with her cold cerulean eyes pining him. "So, leave or I swear, I will use my shoes to stab you."

"You're angry and I get that. I really do and that's why I'm trying to fix this." He said in a soft tone hoping to get through to her.

But all he got from her was a cold stare.

"I don't want you fixing anything. I want you to leave."

"Not until I talk to your father." He said stubbornly.

Elena gasped when the front door she was holding was pulled back almost making her lose her balance. And she wanted nothing more than to stab Michael right now as she turned to see Marco standing there.

Micheal looked at the man behind Elena with furrowed eyebrows, confused since he's never met the guy.

"Hey there." Michael said extending his hand toward Marco. "I'm Michael."

"Marco." Marco said taking his hand in a firm shake.

Michael looked at the man he's never met. But all he knew is that he's never had any good experience with any man in Elena's life. And he was pretty sure that this one wouldn't definitely not be an exception.

His stoic persona was unsettling to Michael, even while introducing himself. And he wasn't one of Elena's brothers.

This man didn't have that angry demeanor around like Elena's brothers or father. Micheal's first introduction to them made it clear what kind of men they were. Just short tempered and protective.

But this man standing in front of him was just cold and unsettling. Not a hint of a smile, or a glare on his face, not even a displeased look. There was nothing you could read from him.

So, who was he?

"I came here to talk to Mr. Knight." He found himself explaining to the man, as if he owed him any kind of explanation.

Because although this man's face showed nothing, his level stare on him forced an explanation out of him.

Who the hell was this guy?

"And I asked you to leave." Elena's snappy voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Marco side stepped Elena and moved closer to the shorter man. "Come on. I'll walk you to your car."

Without waiting for an answer, Marco took a firm hold of the back of Michael's neck, before Michael can say anything, and slowly began walking with him to his car. 

Elena watched from the doorstep and looked at them as they made their way to Michael's car. From afar they could look like they were just having a conversation while walking, but Marco's hold on Michael's neck was anything but friendly.

She heard Marco's voice speaking but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

She tilted her head to the side when she noticed Michael tensing up with every step they took and with each word leaving Marco's mouth.

They stopped by Michael and Marco opened the door looking at him expectantly. Michael quickly got in and the door was slammed after him.

Marco walked back toward her, and it was moments like this where she wished she could see what was going on in his head.

"W-What did y-you say to him?" She asked as soon as he stood in front of her.

"Just some advice." He said placing a hand on her back to guide her back inside the house.

¥¥¥¥

What did Marco say to Michael?

For those wondering if Jason would mind Marco dating Elena. Jason did say in chapter 13 of MLMM that Marco wanted to take Elena out and that he didn't mind because he trusted Marco.