A white ball was shot and pool balls ricocheted off of each other before dramatically entering into a couple of pockets at the edge of the pool table.
"Down to two, you're so dead!"
Leonardo scoffed at his brother's words. He curled his fingers around his cue stick, bending over the table to get himself a better shooting angle. It was all about precision and focus. The black ball then rolled in a suspenseful speed before sinking into one of the left pockets.
"In your face!" Leonardo bellowed, closing it off with a stolen win.
"It was just this once." Giovanni rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed with how the game had tuned out.
"I could beat you in my sleep, in fact, I already did that."
Giovanni chuckled shaking his head in utter disbelief. Leonardo was not even that good at pool, luck was just on his side today. "Such an arrogant prick."
"Why don't you step up and prove me wrong?" Leonardo egged on his brother.
"Is that a challenge?"
There was an infectious grin plastered on Leonardo's face. "Only if you're not chickenshit."
The timbre and confidence in Leonardo's voice raised a cacophony of hollers from Brad and Aiden who were paying attention to the exchange while drinking scotch on the bar stools.
"My money's on Gio. If you lose, you pay me back!" Aiden was buzzing, eager to witness the twins thrashing each other in a pool game. "So I guess that leaves Brad with Leonardo."
"I never agreed to betting any money." Brad had to put it out there, just in case.
Giovanni instantly dissolved into fits of laughter. "Your doctor friend is doubting your potential Leo. That's a sign for you to quit before you embarrass yourself."
Leonardo growled in full determination. "Shut up and rack the balls."
The tone would've made a weakling shrivel but not Giovanni. He met Leonardo's gaze with a smirk knowing he had a better chance of winning.
"Sure, we're not in a rush now, are we?" Said Giovanni.
Aiden opened a nicotine gum strip and chewed on it while he waited for the game to commence. These men knew how to have some fun despite the whole leonine power which always aired around them.
"Game on boys!" Brad cheered.
The game was quite intense with both opponents trying so hard not to lose any slight opportunities. Aiden's phone however went off disrupting the well build up silence.
"Habibi." He answered his call with a smile, mouthing "sorry" to the guys as he ducked out of the room to seek some privacy.
"Carl got him real whipped," Brad said eliciting a laugh from the Bravucci twins. "Seriously, it's terrible."
"I heard that!" Aiden yelled from across the room.
"Say hi to Carl for me." Brad yelled back at him.
Aiden responded with a thumbs up before closing off his friends. They could be such a pain sometimes, a necessary pain though.
Speaking of people being whipped Leonardo had been nursing a goofy smile as he reminisced his well spent night with Seth Mickelson about a week ago.
Already he was hanging on the edge as if he was watching a horror movie knowing at any moment something freaky could just pop out. That's exactly how Leonardo felt with Seth, there was this terrifying yet thrilling suspense of wanting to know what they could possibly build between them.
Leonardo now knew Seth was a Roman firecracker, the resident had completely taken him aback in that scrub room by going straight for his jugular. No fear, no tip toeing of some sort, just went ahead and told his boss that he's an A grade asshole. Not many people possessed the balls to pull off something like that. Instead of being all pissy about it, Leonardo was actually impressed.
"So, can I safely say we're good now?" Leonardo had asked on that night.
They'd been parked at Seth's apartment curbside for too long, talking about nothing and everything.
"Tonight wasn't so bad, was it?" Seth moved closer to Leonardo. The Italian sat there frozen, observing each and every move as Seth continued leaning in until his forehead was resting on his. "I really want to kiss you right now."
"You know I'd never say no to that." Leonardo's voice was oh so soft.
Both men's senses were thoroughly seduced and far from thinking straight. Leonardo let Seth kiss him. There was no rush at all as he ran his tongue along Leonardo's bottom lip.
Suddenly the lights inside Seth's apartment flickered on then off. It was way past one in the morning and Seth knew Marianne had waited up on him.
"I should go." Seth murmured, then Leonardo pulled him right back for a proper kiss. This time it was sweet and slower. With one last tug on Seth's bottom lip, Leonardo reluctantly pulled away from him.
"Good night." Leonardo whispered to Seth who was looking at him in a blissful state.
"Text me when you get home, yeah?"
"That's so sweet of you to think something bad could happen to me." Leonardo smirked.
"If anything happens to you, I don't want anyone saying I killed you and dumped your body in a ditch or something." Seth shrugged making Leonardo burst into laughter.
"Don't worry I can handle myself, but since you're worried you can always text to check up on me."
"Yeah right." Seth failed to hide his smile, finally stepping out of Leonardo's car. "Good night."
Twenty minutes later Seth's phone pinged. A smile ghosted on his features as he swiped across the screen.
[Leo, 2:08AM] Home safe and sound:)
[Seth, 2:09AM] Good to know no one killed youXD
[Leo, 2:10AM] I'm not kissing dust anytime soon!
Seth stifled a laugh before texting back.
[Seth, 2:12AM] Long day ahead. I'm out!
At the other end of the phone Leonardo found himself smiling.
[Leo, 2:12AM] Dream of him.
[Seth, 2:13AM] Who?
[Leo, 2:14AM] I thought you were supposed to be smart! Oxford first class honors graduate! Who are you texting right now Seth Mickelson???
Seth bit his bottom lip while staring at the phone screen.
[Seth, 2:16AM] Just you
[Leo, 2:16AM] Exactly, just me
[Seth, 2:18AM] I'll tell you my dream in a few hours then;)
[Leo, 2:18AM] You should 'cause I love making dreams come true...
[Seth, 2: 19AM] Typing...
"You sunk the white ball twice in a row, what is wrong with you!"
Leonardo's mind was no longer on the game but rather somewhere else, thinking of a certain someone. "Give me a break." He huffed. By the look of things, Giovanni was no doubt winning.
"What's on your mind?" Aiden probed, trying to read Leonardo's unlikely behavior.
When did Aiden return from his call again?
"You were a little distracted." Brad added, eyeing Leonardo incredulously. "You're never distracted."
Leonardo waved him off before sipping on his drink. "It's nothing."
It was too early to admit anything. Things between him and Seth were now friendly but the contact was different at work. They only exchanged passive nods in the hallways. It was as if Seth didn't want anything to do with Leonardo during working hours and it was slowly driving him out of his mind.
"I don't want people to start getting the wrong impression of us." Seth had told Leonardo earlier this morning after a shared surgery.
Leonardo had brought him a bagel and a coffee. Maybe he had over done it?
"I was just trying to be nice." Leonardo uttered. He didn't get it, any of it.
"I know, but people will start talking so stop with the cute gestures." Seth pressed. He sounded damn serious about it too.
"I'll try to remember that next time."
. . .
Psychogenic amnesia had absolutely ruined their lives. Elizabeth would always ask, "Who are you?" With fear in her voice. The pain was unbearable for Seth but he would always recite to her the same words over and over again like a mantra which he now knew by heart.
"Mom it's me Seth, your son."
"Ah?" She would say then stare blankly at a wall in complete silence.
Today the nurses at the group home told Seth his mother was in a good mood. He couldn't help himself but feel his heart squeeze with pure sense of joy. There was hope after all. Seth had brought his mother sunflowers. She always said roses were such a cliché.
"Hey mom," Seth broke into a smile once he saw her slowly approaching. Her dark hair was tucked into a sophisticated bun. It was her usual style. "You look beautiful, as always."
Elizabeth's palm caressed Seth's right cheek, lovingly. "Oh my boy! Look how much you've grown! You're all man now."
"I brought you flowers." Seth's voice almost broke with emotion.
She remembers me.
"You brought my favorite." She smiled big before sinking into the seat opposite to Seth's. "Thank you my dear."
The quietness that followed between the two was that of cheerfulness, if it makes any sense at all. "So, how's your residency going?" Elizabeth questioned finally breaking off the silence.
"Good actually, they're bad days too but it's okay."
"You always wanted to be a doctor ever since you were a small boy," her tone was casual and light. "I'm so proud of you, Sethy."
Seth's mouth corners tugged upwards just from hearing those words. It's all he ever wanted.
"Thanks mom." He reached out to intertwine their fingers over the table covered with a white doily.
"Have you found anyone special?"
Seth's heart skipped a beat at that directive question. "I'm way too busy at the hospital. I barely get time to go out." He laughed it off.
Elizabeth had a knowing look on her face.
"What?" Seth asked his smiling mother.
"A mother will always know, Sethy. Bring him over here sometime, I want to meet him."
"Oh my God Ma," Seth rolled his eyes playfully. "I'm telling you there's no one!"
Why did that statement sound like a lie though?
Seth couldn't afford to think of Leonardo Bravucci as someone special, he was just a man who happened to be in his dreams and fantasies nothing more and nothing less. Not to mention the man was literally his boss and that was supposed to draw a professional line.
Elizabeth chuckled at her son's little tirade. "Alright, there's no one indeed."
"Tell me everything mom, how have you been?" Seth changed the subject.
There it was again, Elizabeth was now staring blankly looking lost as ever. The nurses had warned him before about triggering questions but how was he supposed to know this would trigger her?
"Who are you?" Elizabeth had a deep frown off her face.
"Ma?" Seth's breath hitched. "It's me Seth..." There was this excruciating pain that cut through his veins when Elizabeth yanked her hands out of their intertwining fingers.
Just like that. He lost her.
"I'm sorry, I–I don't know you."
This time Seth didn't have the strength to explain anything at all. He watched her leave whilst he just sat there like a hopeless person that he was. Not even a single tear dropped. He was done crying by now.
"I'm so sorry." The nurse who was responsible for his mother muttered.
"It's not your fault." Seth released a pained smile before leaving.
The walk to the parking lot where Marianne was waiting for him felt like miles. At any time his legs were going to give out but he pushed himself until he reached the car.
"I just want someone to suffocate me with a pillow in my sleep, can you do that for me Anne?"
Marianne gave him a sad smile. "I take it your visit didn't go too well?"
Sighing deeply, Seth whispered. "Not exactly. She kind of slipped off but it's fine, right?"
"Nothing about this is fine, Seth. You're hurting so there's nothing fine about that."
"You know I think I'm now at that point where I'm starting to feel numb? I don't know how to feel anymore."
"Is that why you're pushing Dr. Bravucci away? I thought you said he's not all that bad."
Seth groaned, raking fingers inside his hair. "There's a thick line between lust and love. What I feel for him is nothing but lust."
"So what? You've nothing to lose then, he can be a perfect distraction for you. Think about it."
Seth managed to laugh despite the hollowness inside of him. "You suck at giving useful advice Marianne Stevens."
"You'll thank me one day." She was adamant, squeezing Seth's hand to offer her support.
She was right, Seth had nothing to lose and Leonardo was obviously willing to go down and dirty. There was nothing wrong with him using his boss as a distraction from his mess of a life. Right now he needed an outlet so he called his boss.
Even if he wanted to change his mind it was too late because Leonardo had already picked up the call in a heartbeat. "Hello, Seth?" The man's voice came out groggy, he was probably napping.
"Do you wanna hookup?"
"Is that some kind of tricky question or what?" Leonardo asked, voice sounding much more clearer.
"Do you or do you not want to hookup? It's a matter of saying yes or no."
For a fraction of a second Leonardo was silent, musing. "Come over to my place."