“You don’t want to come in?” Paola asked, before opening the apartment door. Carlo looked inside and quickly shook his head.
“I had a very complicated day today and I want to rest a little, it will be another time.”
She nodded and opened the door. “See you later.”
After closing the door, Carlo returned to his car. Upon entering, he remained motionless in the seat for a while. Adrien's indifferent gaze caused him annoyance and anger; perhaps because he had gotten used to him always being behind him. However, for years he had wished that someone would come along who could separate them, which contradicted his way of seeing things at that moment.
"Damn, it's all your fault," he muttered angrily.
He started the car and set off; the last thing he wanted was to think about Adrien Gautier, the selfish, proud person who kept him by his side with blackmail.
He drove to a bar he knew. Of course, it was Adrien's favorite place, but the drinks were really good, so Adrien had nothing to do with his decision to go there.
"Mr. Mancini, are you here to meet Mr. Gautier?" the waiter who always served them asked kindly.
"Is he alone?" Carlo raised his eyebrows in surprise. Adrien used to visit the bar a few times a month, but he wasn't keen on the idea of spending his weekends there, let alone alone.
“No, he’s with someone else. He looks like a foreigner, they both went to the room you usually use,” the waiter replied. There were no limits to his words; after all, they were well known as a couple, although they had never confirmed anything. However, seeing Carlo's face darken, he knew he had said too much. However, before he could say anything else, Carlo was already walking towards the second floor. "Oops, I think I screwed up," he muttered under his breath.
Carlo walked towards the room that they used to use. Who knows why, but he was irritated to the core. The door was perfectly closed and the room was soundproof, so try as he might, he couldn't hear.
"Sir, will you excuse me?" the same waiter from before spoke from behind him. The boy was carrying a tray with a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.
"Bring another glass, I'll join them," he ordered, taking the tray from him and banging on the door with his free hand. Although the waiter hesitated a bit, he ended up agreeing.
On the other side of the door, Cedric and Adrien were having a good conversation, reminiscing about old times and laughing over some funny anecdotes. The first bottle of alcohol was finished and most of it had been drunk by Adrien. Although Cedric didn't agree with his excessive drinking at the time, he knew he needed it.
Although Adrien wasn't a big drinker, remembering that promise he made to the person he loved most reopened old, unhealed wounds. In a way, Cedric felt guilty about it, but deep down, they both knew that Adrien had to face what hurt him and hadn't let him sleep for years.
"I really didn't expect your grandfather to see us at that moment, that's why I fell," Cedric said as he ate a piece of Appenzeller cheese.
"My grandfather has nothing to do with your poor balance. You were clumsy with your feet,” Adrien scoffed. Just as the black-haired man was putting a cheese in his mouth and smiling broadly with red cheeks, the door was thrown open and he saw the person he least expected.
They both stood at a standstill for a few seconds. Adrien didn't want to see him because he was drunk and too weak before him. After all, the feelings that he had held for years could not be ignored from one day to the next... or in a few months.
"You are?" Cedric asked, seeing his best friend turn his face. He wasn't happy with that person's arrival either, but if Adrien wanted to talk to Carlo, he wasn't going to stop him, not openly or at the time.
"Carlo Mancini, coworker... I mean, a subordinate of Adrien's," he clarified, remembering what had happened between them. The coldness in Adrien's voice when referring to their working relationship reminded them both of the distance that had been established between them, an invisible but palpable barrier that prevented them from connecting as before. Their hearts felt heavier as they faced the reality of their situation.
Adrien opened his eyes, but remained silent. There was a deep sadness in his gaze, a sadness that reflected the emotional burden he carried with him. He had long ago assured Carlo that they were partners, that there were no hierarchical differences that separated them, but his previous words now echoed like an echo of disappointment in his mind. The way he had treated Carlo, calling him a subordinate so curtly and distantly, generated a feeling of guilt that he couldn't shake.
Cedric was silent for a moment to see Adrien's reaction, but he stayed out of any words, lost in a sea of tumultuous thoughts. How had they come to this point? What had happened to the complicity and affection they used to share? But, in fact, he was the only one who saw their relationship as more than just a five-year contract.
"And what is a subordinate doing bothering his boss so late?" Cedric questioned the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the atmosphere. Carlo raised an eyebrow, irritated by the derogatory way Cedric looked at him.
"I was just stopping by to say hello, but I see that he is unwell," Carlo replied, trying to remain calm despite the tension in the air.
"You've seen him, you can go now," Cedric added, trying to put an end to the awkward situation that was developing. However, a tug on his hand made him turn his gaze, bewildered by Adrien's action.
“Get away from him,” Adrien murmured, his eyes reflecting a mixture of pain and frustration. Cedric took a step back, feeling the intensity of Adrien's gaze like a weight on his shoulders.
Adrien grabbed Carlo's hand and walked, pulling him out. Despite his swaying from the effects of the alcohol, he didn't let go of Carlo's hand, clinging to him as if he were his only lifeline amidst the emotional storm that engulfed him. His steps were unsteady, but Carlo was faster and managed to hold him, although in his gaze there was evident concern.
"You know you can't drink a lot," Carlo reminded him, with a note of empathy in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by Adrien. Those words were like a dagger piercing his heart, reminding him of his own weaknesses and his internal struggles.
"You can't drink, don't you love yourself or are you just stupid?" the words echoed in Adrien's mind like an echo of self-criticism and self-reproach, but they were nothing more than a reminder of what Carlo had once told him. The sadness he felt was mixed with the frustration of not being able to escape his own demons, of not finding solace in alcohol or in the company of others.
Adrien's uncontrolled laughter completely disconcerted Carlo, who couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat when he saw the suffering in his partner's eyes. It was a few minutes before Adrien managed to regain some composure, but the sadness lingered beneath the surface.
"Take me home," Adrien murmured, hugging him by the neck desperately, as if seeking refuge in his arms. But the illusion of peace vanished when he smelled the scent of the nurse on Carlo's skin, a painful reminder of what they could never be.
"Okay, let's go," Carlo replied, trying to remain calm despite the whirlwind of emotions that washed over him.
“Thank you,” Adrien said suddenly, his gaze meeting Carlo's. He knew that they had to put an end to that situation, to that relationship that only caused them more pain than happiness. His dark eyes shone with intensity, reflecting a mix of feelings difficult to decipher.
"Why are you thanking me?" Carlo murmured, his words laden with longing and sadness. Adrien was silent for a moment, tightening his grip on Carlo's neck as if he needed that closeness to feel alive.
"For everything and for nothing," Adrien whispered, his words echoing in the silence of the night like a choked lament. Confusion and melancholy were reflected on Carlo's face, who felt a sharp blow to his chest. Adrien smiled with a lump in his throat, understanding that perhaps they could never be more than two lost souls seeking solace in the darkness of their own lives.
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