How Bad Can a Little Gossip Be? is a Luca One-Shot Fic written by ethereal_butterflie.
Even if gossip wasn't Giulia's thing, she didn't mind eavesdropping in secret once in a while.
While secretely listening to the current gossip from a quartet of youths at Portorosso's library in order to know if Alberto isn't getting into any trouble and no one is talking ill of him (and also to satisfy her own curiosity), Giulia discovers that her older brother ended up in a fight with the son of the town's butcher, Mr Ricci, because of his resentless stalking and harassment towards Luca.
Worried about her brother's safety and angry for his impulsivity, Giulia, along with Alberto and Luca, later finds that Mr Ricci is planning revenge on her older brother for the beating her gave to his son, bursting straight into the Marcovaldo residence...
The fic can be read here
on Archive of Our Own or here on Wattpad.
How Bad Can a Little Gossip Be? provides examples of:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Luca is clearly annoyed and bothered by the advances of Mr Ricci's son.
- After Action Patch Up: Luca tends to Alberto's bruises after that the latter got in a fight with Mr Ricci's son to protect him.
- Age Lift: The Underdogs are young adults in this story.
- Anger Born of Worry: While justifiably furious about Alberto's Fearless Fool attitude, Giulia is happy that, in the end, everything was solved and her older brother didn't get hurt or, worse, killed by Mr Ricci.
- Berserk Button: Insulting Luca in front of Alberto is a really bad idea. Just ask Mr Ricci's son.
- Big Bad: Mr Ricci, Portorosso's prejudiced and bad-tempered butcher.
- Bigot with a Crush: In spite of being a prejudiced prick towards sea monsters just like his father, Mr Ricci's son develops a crush on Luca, who is a sea monster.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Alberto is brash, loud and not afraid to throw hands when he knows that Luca has been harassed by Mr Ricci's son.
- Bruiser with a Soft Center: Alberto may be brash and tough, but deep down is a huge softie, especially with Luca.
- Bully Hunter: Given the strong influence that he exercises on Portorosso, thus making him one of the more respected citizens in town, Massimo is not afraid to give Mr Ricci a piece of his mind in order to put Mr Ricci back into line.
- Alberto is no slouch either since he wasn't afraid to give a (albeit more violent) to Mr Ricci's son for harassing Luca.
- Chick Magnet: Many young women of Portorosso find Alberto extremely attractive because of his muscular physique and his charismatic and adventurous personality.
Isabella (swooning over Alberto, while talking to Francesca, Matteo and Veronica): Well I still think the Marcovaldo boy is the most handsome out of all the lifeguards. I wouldn’t mind drowning if it meant being carried in those strong arms of his.
- Childish Villain, Mature Hero: Mr Ricci and Massimo. Mr Ricci is basically a playground bully trapped in the body of a grown man, has a very foul temper, has no qualms trying to kill Alberto (who is barely a young adult) and cowers in fear when Massimo, who has a greater authority than him, stands up to him. Massimo, in the other hand, is a caring, hardworking and protective Family Man who uses his influence on Portorosso in a responsible manner and is never afraid to stand up to cruel and bullying people like Mr Ricci, all while keeping his temper under control.
- Cowardly Lion: While timid and meek by nature, Luca isn't afraid to stand up to Mr Ricci to defend Alberto.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Mr Ricci's son gets practically beaten to a pulp by Alberto.
- Cute Bookworm: Luca loves reading, learning and books and has managed to attract three men at him: Alberto, Marco and, unfortunately, Mr Ricci's son.
- Dogged Nice Guy: Matteo briefly developed a crush on Luca, but Luca was already in love with Alberto.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Politically Incorrect Villain he may be, Mr Ricci genuinely loves his son.
- Fearless Fool: Alberto had no qualms about giving Mr Ricci's son a well-deserved punch in the face for harrassing Luca, even if it later earned him Mr Ricci's wrath.
- Gossipy Hens: Isabella, Francesca, Matteo and Veronica.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Alberto doesn'take another guys trying to hit on Luca very kindly.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Inverted with Mr Ricci's son, who has blond hair, but is a creepy Stalker with a Crush who can't take a "no" for an answer and is as much of an arrogant, bigoted Jerkass like his father.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Mr Ricci is an extremely hot-tempered, anger-prone man.
- Hate Sink: Mr Ricci's son, an arrogant, entitled and bigoted creep who stalks Luca, never accepts his rejections and mocks him for being a sea monster.
- Hopeless Suitor: Matteo briefly crushes on Luca and stops after finding that the latter is madly in love with Alberto.
- Hot-Blooded: Just like his adoptive sister, Alberto has a pretty fiery temper and isn't afraid to show it, especially to creepy jerks like Mr Ricci's son who dare to harass his beloved Luca.
- Hunk: Alberto has grown up into a strapping young man who makes girls weak at their knees.
- Knight Templar Parent: Mr Ricci is a villainous example.
- Muscles Are Meaningful: Implied by Veroinca and Justified since Alberto's muscular physique managed to make him have the upper hand in his No-Holds-Barred Beatdown against Mr Ricci's son.
Veronica: Not exactly… He (Mr Ricci's son) did try to fight back but it was very one sided.
- Nerds Are Sexy: Alberto, Matteo and, unfortunately, Mr Ricci's son are completely smitten with Cute Bookworm Luca.
- Nice, Mean, and In-Between: Luca's three suitors: Matteo (Nice), Mr Ricci's son (Mean) and Alberto (In-between).
- Noble Male, Roguish Male: Alberto and Mr Ricci's son, respectively.
- No Name Given: Mr Ricci's son is the only unnamed character of the story.
- No Holds Barred Beat Down: After punching Mr Ricci's son for talking ill of sea monsters (especially Luca), Alberto proceeds to viciously beat him up.
- "No" Means "Yes": In spite of Luca continually rejecting his avances, Mr Ricci's son keeps harrassing him, completely unable to take a "no" for an answer.
- The One Guy: Matteo is the only male of Portorosso's resident Gossipy Hens quartet.
- Only Has Same-Sex Admirers: Luca's admirers are all men.
- Opposites Attract: Luca and Alberto.
- Papa Wolf: Massimo is not afraid to give Mr Ricci a piece of his mind to defend Alberto, Giulia and Luca.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Both Mr Ricci and his son harbor a strong despise towards sea monsters.
- Precision F-Strike: Alberto says one when dealing with Mr Ricci's son.
Alberto: And if I ever see you harassing Luca again I’ll fucking break that stupid face of yours!
- Pretty Boy: Luca. Matteo, who is still a bit infatuated with him in spite of his lack of chances of winning Luca's heart, openly says he's a cutie.
Matteo: I know, that Paguro boy is such a cutie.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Mr Ricci acts more like a playground bully than a grown man.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: Luca and Alberto are madly in love with each other and no one can tell otherwise.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: A same sex example. Luca clearly prefers the Hot-Blooded but kind-hearted and loyal Alberto to Mr Ricci's arrogant, entitled son who kept harrassing him even through he wasn't interested in him and never took a "no" for an answer.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Alberto has a bit of a potty mouth.
- Smooch of Victory: Alberto asks Luca to give him one after he saved him from Mr Ricci's son unwanted avances.
- Smug Snake: Mr Ricci's son is extremely arrogant and prideful, mocking mercilessly Alberto and Luca by thinking that sea monsters are weak-willed and cowardly creatures who only deserve to be gutted alive. This earns him a well-deserved fist right to his face, courtesy of Alberto.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Luca's cute looks unfortunately attracted the twisted attentions of Mr Ricci's son.
- So Proud of You: While clearly worried about his adoptive son's safety, Massimo is extremely proud of the fact that Alberto wasn't afraid of standing up for Luca after Mr Ricci's son insulted him.
- Stalker with a Crush: Mr Ricci's Jerkass of a son towards Luca.
- Talk to the Fist: How Alberto punishes Mr Ricci' son for talking ill of Luca.
- Thin-Skinned Bully: Mr Ricci initially seems a potentially genuine threat to Alberto, but immediately becomes a complete Dirty Coward once he's in front of Massimo.
- Tranquil Fury: Even when threatening Mr Ricci to leave Alberto alone, Massimo still mantains his calm and composure.
- Tsundere: Luca is a Type B. He's sweet, kind and gentle, but can become quite harsh and blunt towards Alberto whenever the latter, being the impulsive and hot-headed young man he is, ends up in dangerous and/or violent situations.
- Violently Protective Girlfriend: A Gender-Inverted example with Alberto, who is not afraid to resort to physical violence to defend Luca from Mr Ricci's son.
- Villainous Crush: Mr Ricci's son develops one on Luca.
- Wounded Hero, Weaker Helper: After giving a well-deserved beating to Mr Ricci's son and getting his share of bruises, Alberto gets nursed by the non-confrontational and physically weaker Luca.
