Everything was Lovino's fault. When it came down to the economic diaphragm of the company he worked for, if anything went wrong, it was his fault. If he and his brother lost their little two-bedroom apartment, it was his fault. He was the only one out of the two of them that actually worked, creating a lot of financial tension between them. If he didn't get their expenses paid on time, it was always because he wasn't working hard enough, and totally not because Feliciano, his younger brother, outright refused to go out and get a job.
"It's so much easier just to stay here and nap!" Feliciano would constantly whine, buried beneath multiple layers of blankets as he lounged out on the couch. He was such a pain, but Lovino could never bring himself to kick the younger Italian man out, because he always felt bad for him. That, and the fact that he had this motherly instinct to take care of him. He was never any help. He barely did chores, he didn't pitch in with bills, but Lovino enjoyed the company, he guessed.
Daybreak was coming as the sun began to creep out behind the clouds. The alarm sitting on Lovino's dark oak bedside table began to blare, signifying that it was now 6:00 am, and that if Lovino wanted to be able to eat breakfast before heading off to his second job, he needed to actually get up. The dark-haired Italian groggily rolled out of bed, slamming his fist on the button of his alarm. He used a hand to rub at his eyes, and he rose out of bed, stumbling his way to the bathroom. He quickly popped his contacts in and huffed as he looked into the mirror.
"First days are always important," He spoke to himself. He blinked once more before furrowing his eyebrows in determination, glaring at his reflection. "You can do this! You're capable of achieving anything! You're-"
"Lovino!" Feliciano called out from the kitchen.
"-You're Lovino…" Lovino sighed, his ego and energy completely deflating. Trudging out to the kitchen, he pulled a crisp, clean white tee shirt on over his head. He looked down to his brother, who he seemed to tower over in comparison. "Yeah?" He asks Feliciano. The strawberry-blond male grins up at his older brother as he hums.
"I made you breakfast! It's not much, it's just bacon, eggs and toast, but it should be good enough to get you going for the day." Feliciano said with a singsong tune, scooping the food onto a plate.
"Ah, grazie, Feli." Lovino murmured with a small smile. Lovino really only ever opened up and smiled around people he really cared about, such as Feliciano, and… Well, Feliciano. No one else really seemed to catch Lovino's interests, thus never really getting him to laugh.
"Si! It's the least I can do!" Feliciano grins brightly as Lovino began to eat. The older Italian hums in satisfaction, thoroughly enjoying his meal. He quickly devoured the rest of the food, glancing over at the clock. 6:10. "Say, I really appreciate you filling in for me. I promise, you'll do great! Mr. Beilschmidt is said to be a pretty cool guy, so I wouldn't be worried." Feliciano waves his hand about, rolling his eyes happily.
"Right, right, but I gotta get dressed, and you need to go back to bed. You're still sick." Lovino chuckles softly, reaching across the caramel-coloured table to pinch Feliciano's cheek.
"Fine." Feliciano pouts, sighing lowly. Lovino exits the kitchen to head to his room, kicking off his pyjama bottoms after shutting the door. Looking to the clock, he grunts, nearly tripping.
6:15.
He pulled a mocha and tan striped sweater over his tee shirt, pulling on a pair of tan, form-fitting jeans afterwards. He slipped on some socks and stepped into his brown dress shoes, lacing them up quickly. He grabbed his leather tote, brown of course, and he hurried out the door. He hails down a cab and steps inside.
"Where to?" The cab driver asks, and Lovino sets his bag next to him on the seat.
"Beilschmidt Inc., please." He states, and he buckles up his seatbelt before the driver pulls away from the apartment. Lovino gazed out the windows at the tall skyscrapers and businesses as they fly past the car. He began to hum quietly along with the radio, clutching the bag close to him.
"What's someone like you doing with Beilschmidt Inc., now?" The driver asks the Italian. The brunet quirks an eyebrow.
"Excuse me?" Lovino asks, tilting his head.
"Beilschmidt is a pretty hard company to get affiliated with. Not just everyone gets to work with Mr. Beilschmidt." The driver explains. Lovino laughs nervously, rubbing his neck.
"No, no, I'm just working as an intern." Lovino murmurs awkwardly, and the driver nods a few times.
"I see. Yet still, you're lucky." The cabbie pulls up in front of the tall skyscraper, and Lovino looks up.
Written in grey, steel letters above the main entrance was BEILSCHMIDT INDUSTRIES. The building was slick and chic, touching the clouds as it shone in the sunlight.
'Industries of what, though?' Lovino thought to himself, paying the cabbie. He steps out of the car, not realizing that he had left his bag in the cab. He approached the building as the cab sped off, humming a soft tune to himself. He halted in front of the building, and he exhaled shakily.
He stepped through the revolving door, and he was taken aback when he was hit with the sight of grey, white, and black interior, with little to no splashes of actual colour here and there. On the black desk? White calla lilies. The television? Silver. The coffee machine? Black, on a grey table. The carpet underneath the white and grey couches in the lobby? Black.
Everything went so well together. The employees and representatives were all dressed stylishly from head to toe in monochromatic colours, and here Lovino was, wearing a brown cardigan, khakis, and brown dress shoes. He stuck out like a sore thumb.
Lovino looked up when the female secretary at the front desk called out, "Mr. Vargas?"
"Si? Oh, yes, that's me." He approaches her.
"Wunderbar. Excellent, this way, please." She began to lead Lovino down a hallway lined with modern-looking paintings in, of course, grey and black. "My name is Lynn. Please come to me with any questions or concerns." The blonde woman looks back at Lovino with a smile, her heels clicking against the marble floors. She walked with such confidence…
Lovino nodded once. "Mr. Beilschmidt will see you now. Right here," She knocked upon a set of large doors, which opened soon after. Lynn took her leave, leaving Lovino standing in front of the doors, looking into the room.
Mr. Beilschmidt stood with his back turned to the doors, facing the windows as he gazed out at the skyline.
