When he came out of the shower looking almost fluorescently pink, the sun was beginning to set, naturally. It hit him that he'd spent almost an hour under the hot stream of water, letting his thoughts wander through steam and black tiles for just a little too long. He almost expected Lovino to complain about him taking so long, but when he came out, nothing of the sort welcomed him.
Instead, Lovino sat at the desk, but he'd deliberately turned his chair so as to look at the open french doors of the balcony, its curtains flowing majestically with a subtle little breeze that made Gilbert's skin tingle romantically. It wasn't sundown yet, but the golden hour started and marked a time of reflection and quiet only broken by the very soft mumble of the television. It was easy to ignore, as it was complementary with the silence, in a way. There was an odd sense of comfort in knowing that Lovino had probably noticed his presence, but actively ignored him, sunken in his thoughts for sure. After a few minutes of just watching the gold light coat Lovino's naked feet and lower calves, of just watching him think, he spoke up.
"Sorry about hogging the shower."
It hit him that it was the first time they'd spoken since the awkward phone call in the elevator. Jesus… The mere thought was cringe-inducing.
"It's fine." Lovino dismissed lightly, with a subtle gesture of hands."I already showered, anyways."
He wasn't even bothering to turn around and look at him, but Gilbert couldn't find it insulting, not when he sounded so level-headed and calm. So he dried his head with a small towel, picking out some clothes from his suitcase, and glancing up only to find Lovino's gaze on him and -surprisingly enough- a bit of a blush on his cheeks.
"That was your dad? On the phone?" He prodded, and the words were tough to get out for sure- his tone was shaky and awkward and Gilbert almost found it endearing that he bothered to ask. Well, at least he would, if it hadn't been literally the most embarrassing thing that'd happened to him in years.
But what was the use in acting like it didn't happen?
"Yeah." He replied with an awkward chuckle, letting a thoughtful silence linger. "Uh, sorry about that whole thing. Just for-"
Lovino, surprisingly, interrupted him. Not only that, no- He also turned around quickly, pretending to look for something in his luggage.
"It's fine. Seriously."
Gilbert picked up on how the back of his ears was flaring red as he went through his clothes, and only then did it hit him- he was standing with nothing but a pretty small towel wrapped around his hips and an even smaller one hanging around his neck loosely. Right, maybe it wasn't all that appropriate to stand semi-naked in front of Lovino, but he'd totally forgotten to pick clothes before going into the shower for a sulking session.
Still, some part of him -whatever part that wasn't obsessing over the phone call incident-, felt … Oddly proud to draw a reaction like that from Lovino. He found himself smirking softly as he reached into his small suitcase to pick out some casuals, even if the party wasn't all that far away. Against his rationality, he decided to speak up again.
"Sorry about not dressing in the bathroom too. I just forgot to-"
"I wasn't thinking anything!" Lovino said a little too quickly and a little too passionately, ripped from his meditations abruptly and soon realising his mistake. Gilbert snorted, having to cover his mouth not to laugh. "I mean- It's fine. Just go get changed, damn it. We have a party to get ready for."
"Sure thing, boss."
But Lovino stopped him with another call.
"...Gilbert?"
Gilbert paused and turned around on his way to the bathroom.
"Yeah?"
Lovino seemed to hesitate, still not turning to look at him but seemingly a bit more relaxed.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you to pick up the stupid phone." He apologised, and it was obvious that the words were tough as Hell to put out there for him, making them sound almost a little disingenuous.
Gilbert wasn't sure what to make of them, simply scratching the back of his head. To be honest, he'd forgotten that Lovino had pressured him into picking up in the first place. "It's fine, Lovino."
"I wouldn't have said it if I'd known." He added, and this time his voice was a little softer, still facing away from Gilbert entirely.
"It's okay. I had to pick up at some point, eventually. I couldn't avoid this forever." Gilbert said with an indifferent shrug. This time, Lovino seemed curious enough and just turned to look at him. He looked like he wanted to say something else, like he wanted to ask something else, and therefore a strange tense silence with no resolution dragged out until he walked out to the balcony with a soft sigh lingering on his lips. Gilbert just watched him attentively and eventually settled for walking into the bathroom, a little puzzled, still emotionally constipated and with a ton of mixed feelings in his head.
So he decided he needed a second opinion.
Gil B.: It's not weird that I share a room with Lovino, right?
A few minutes later, the response came, and Gilbert for some reason decided to lock the bathroom door as he picked up his phone.
Toni: Lol, what? Viva won't cover two rooms? That's messed up!
Gil B: No. We might've messed up with room booking. There was only one room available (Lovino's) and I was like, okay, dw, I'll get myself a room somewhere else.
Gil B.: But Lovino gets all angry and goes nooo you stay here with me because you need to work.
Toni: Oh?
Gil B.: yeah.
Toni: Ok, tell me more.
Gil B: It feels like we're… Idk, it kinda feels like we're friends, but I know that's stupid because I'm just his assistant and he's just a grouchy boss. But like, idk, we played around with clothes and he made fun of me for wearing glasses and sometimes we just LOOK at each other.
Toni: ?
Toni: You wear glasses?!
Gill B.: Oh God I'm totally imagining things, maybe I'M looking. Anyways is this normal?
Toni: …
Toni: If by normal you mean befriending your boss, then yeah.
Toni: Why're you so worried tho? Isn't this a good thing?
Gil B.: Idk… He's my boss.
Toni: So? You can get along with your boss and be friendly with him without being weird.
Toni: I'm just happy that Vino is being friendly with you tbh. Normally he's unbearable with his assistants, so he must actually REALLY like you. Don't overthink it.
Gil B.: I guess you're right.
Toni: ...Unless you like like him?
Gil B.: Absolutely not.
Toni: …
Gil B.: No, I'm serious, I won't fuck up this job opportunity. Sure, the guy as hot as fuck and we're sleeping basically next to each other and yeah he looks insanely good with his shirt buttoned down but that's NO excuse to fuck up this opportunity or make things awkward between us.
Toni: So basically you like him.
Gil B.: No, I just think he's hot. But seriously Toni this is NOT the time for you to pull one of your wingman schemes, DO NOT tell him under any circumstances. Okay? It's not weird that there's sexual tension right now.
Toni: Okay okay! Haha don't worry. But just relax, okay? It's not weird that you're becoming a little closer to Lovino. It happened to me too and I've still got a job. Just relax. I promise he's not as evil as he may seem, lol.
Gilbert eyed the message with interest, remembering how intriguing Lovino and Antonio's relationship was in the first two weeks. At this point, after weeks of not getting clues, he'd assumed they were just good friends. Antonio's words seemed to hint at that too. But there was obviously something else, something Gilbert felt he was missing and that he couldn't understand why either of them would deliberately hide. But Gilbert digressed.
Gil B.: Okay, okay. Thanks Toni. It'll probably go back to normal when we return to the office, anyways.
Toni: No problem Gil :) and totally! remember to take it easy and have fun!
Toni: also take care of Vino he REALLY hates those afterparties lol. Good luck!
Oh, Hell if he knew. Lovino basically took every possible opportunity to complain about the parties. Simply making soft, low little comments now and then about how fake the people were, inconsequential little huffs of irritation or rolls of eyes.
Gilbert had initially been very excited about the prospect of going to a party, but then and there, his mood was definitely not cooperating. The day had been long, the phone call with his dad had just really turned him off and he did not feel like picking an outfit. But reading Antonio's text and thinking about how much Lovino hated those parties made him feel a sense of responsibility appear, like he was meant to make this party as tolerable as possible for Lovino.
Gil B.: thanks man, see you back in the office.
So Gilbert, feeling a bit encouraged after the brief exchange, decided that maybe he could try really hard to make this work for Lovino. That maybe this party could be actually fun for him.
That maybe it wasn't weird that they were just a little bit closer than what Gilbert had anticipated.
"Are you sure this looks alright?"
Gilbert cuffed his shirt's sleeves and looked up at Lovino's question, leaning back on the elevator door gently, watching as Lovino played with a golden ring he wore on his index, rolling it back and forth to distract himself in an anxious fashion. It was proper weird to see Lovino nervous-There'd been times where Lovino had been on edge and simply managed to conceal it, but this? This was bizarre and out of character.
"Yeah!"
"... I'm not sure. It looks fine, but aren't the sleeves of this shirt a little too… 2017?" Lovino prodded.
"Uh… No?"
Lovino just rolled his eyes at him, buttoning the sleeve and rolling it up to try a different look. Did he seriously care that much to make a good impression? It wasn't like he was going to be the focus of attention, and yet he seemed so concerned about it. The shirt looked fine to Gilbert. It was a rich olive green and its sleeves reached his elbow, nearly casual, neatly folded at their ends and kept short by a cream coloured button. He looked fashionably casual with the shirt tucked into his dress pants, and its three top buttons left unfixed, revealing a white tank top and some of his gorgeous chest. "Ugh. I should just switch this up."
"No- Wait, hold up." He said, looking at him seriously. "You look good. I know you're nervous about this, but it's gonna be great!"
"I'm not nervous." He bit back, crossing his arms over his chest feistily.
"Okay, okay. But I mean it, you look killer. You'll drink a bit, loosen up and ust have a good time. Nobody's gonna bother you or take dumb pictures." He said. Lovino seemed unsure at the encouragement, but he didn't seem angry.
"But I'm supposed to talk to people. And I fucking hate that."
"I'll stay with you then, Yeah? Don't sweat it. If you still feel nervous when we get there, just have a drink or two and it'll be much easier, seriously!"
"..."
"C'mon, I know you wanna have some fun."
"Fine, fine. I believe you." Lovino said with a tiny smile, glancing away to look at his reflection again. "Don't leave my side, by the way. It's company protocol. And I don't want you messing up shit for me." Lovino said, not looking at him at all.
"Rules are rules." Gilbert smirked. Yeah, right, company policy his ass- Lovino was just freaking out about being alone at the party.
And Gilbert didn't blame him- as easy as it was for him to act confident and completely over his phone call, he was still somewhat… uneasy about the whole thing. He'd no idea what kind of etiquette he was supposed to manage, and it became increasingly obvious the closer they got to the party and the more stupid questions he asked.
Just stupid stuff really. Like, was he supposed to kiss people on the cheek once, twice, or not at all when he greeted them? Did he have to pay for the drinks? Was it illegal to take some shrimp back to the hotel? Stuff like that. Lovino's answers were nonchalant, really. Twice, no, and God, don't do that you dumbass.
When the taxi parked in front of the building, that was when Gilbert really started to feel the pressure.
The building was swarmed with people outside. A huge crowd of paparazzi had formed around the entrance that was policed by two large bouncers who were checking up a list. Holy shit. This was just like in the movies, and that gave Gilbert a sense of importance that drew a smirk on his lips.
Lovino just sighed with dread and opened the taxi door for him, leading them down through the crowd, through the flashing of cameras and loud chatter. Most of the attention wasn't directed at them, really, but the slight bit that was focused on Lovino entirely, and it served as a reminder that he was much more important than Gilbert had imagined before getting the was kind of crazy to think about. Lovino was an important figure of the fashion world, and it only just hit him. The status he had was beyond what Gilbert could've imagined beforehand.
Lovino checked them in, pushing past people politely and finally making his way in. And God, was the party all he'd expected and more.
Even though his mood had soured earlier, being surrounded by people and feeling the bass of the music in his heart as it thumped through the floor really snapped him out of it for good. A mix of excitement and nerves built in him and a grin spread on his lips as he glanced around to see the people, all dressed in either delicate and dainty night get-ups or borderline ridiculous, overly bright clothes that looked more like costumes to him. Some gathered in groups for pictures, standing in front of a large paper wall, posing with their crazy hair-dos and get-ups, some danced on a vintage dancefloor that was lined with squares of light that switched up color now and then. Others lingered by the large patio at the other end of the large first floor- cause, yeah, there was a second floor, lined by elegant ceramic staircases with red carpets on them. Everything was colorful and neon brights dimly illuminated people now and then. And there was a table lined with delectable catering, right next to a huge, stylish bar stool with a humongous wall of every type of liquor, rum, vodka and cognac one could possibly imagine, right above a set of what looked like fine wines, champagnes and sparkling drinks. The whole thing was massive and unless his imagination deceived him, a set of five to seven beer taps also awaited him near the bar area. And Gilbert's heart pounded with excitement.
"Holy shit." Gilbert muttered, grabbing his shoulder as he turned to look at Lovino. "This is crazy!"
But Lovino was just digging his hands into his pockets bitterly, barely reacting. "Crazy stupid."
"Come on!" He said excitedly. "Lighten up a little! Let's go for a drink!"
Lovino seemed to hesitate, but eventually, he agreed. He seemed to be torn between being all serious and stiff and 'this is a work event!', and just relaxing and doing his best to enjoy the party. But Gilbert was willing to do his best to help him wind down.
The first drink he ordered up at the bar stool was just something he saw someone else drinking. Obviously it had lime and vodka in it- Or was it rum? Either way, he didn't care. Lovino went for a glass of wine, and just when thing were starting to settle-
"No way!"
Both Lovino and himself turned at the same time to face someone who'd deliberately approached them- A blond man who had his arm lazily draped over the shoulders of a pretty woman.
"Lovino Vargas in the flesh! I thought you didn't come to these parties anymore!"
Lovino, right out of the blond man's earshot, mumbled a soft 'ugh' under his breath.
"Alfred Jones! Long no see." Lovino said, feigning excitement, while Gilbert sipped on his lime-whatever drink, eyeing the scene rather curiously. The girl on Alfred's shoulder introduced herself as Lucille with the most gorgeous smile Gilbert had seen for a while now- These two blond bombshells were definitely what Lovino had been worried about, Gilbert just had a nagging feeling about it.
"I don't believe we've met yet, Mr. Vargas." Lucille interjected with a light french accent before the conversation could go on, with a subtle smile on her lips as she stretched her graceful hand for a handshake that Lovino fondly -and even somewhat flirtily- took her up on. But before he could introduce himself, Alfred spoke.
"Oh, darling, where are my manners?!" He said with a light chuckle. "This is Lovino Vargas from Viva. He's an, um… Writer…?"
"Editor." Lovino punctuated, a little too firmly, and in one go downed whatever was left of his glass of wine, which was definitely a little bigger than Gilbert'd expected.
"Yes, that! An editor for Viva. He's just- The best of the best right here." Alfred praised with a smile, and Lucille followed with a lowly, impressed little hum. But Lovino wasn't amused, impressed or even flattered, he just looked indifferent, and he wore a fake little smile on his lips.
"It's a pleasure." She said smoothly.
"The pleasure is all mine." Lovino said, and Gilbert found it surprisingly flirty.
"So? Having fun? I gotta tell you, man, I was not expecting to see you here," He said, and his eyes then darted to Gilbert, with a special sort of prodding, curious glint to them. "Especially not in these circumstances. Who's this?" He asked, eyeing Gilbert from head to toes.
"New assistant." Lovino replied drily after ordering a new glass of wine. Gilbert found it a little insulting to be spoken for like he was a dog, but ultimately just went with it.
"I'm Gilbert. Nice to meet you." He said with a smile. Neither Lucille nor Alfred replied, though.
"Where's your boyfriend?" Alfred asked. "You always come with him here. Did something, y'know, go south between you two?" He asked, sounding almost sympathetic at the end, and Gilbert found the whole question to be really irritating. Lovino, who hid it well, probably agreed.
"Excuse me?"
"You know, the Spaniard, the other Editor."
Gilbert's eyes widened like plates and Lovino choked on his new wine, spilling some on his shirt accidentally and cursing under his breath.
"Oh no! Your shirt!" Alfred interjected, quickly grabbing a handful of napkins and reaching out to help clean up a very annoyed Lovino, who looked just about ready to chew his head out. "Oh God! Jesus, this will stain, I'm so sorry about it." He said apologetically, and then smirked softly with amusement. "...But it's not much of a loss, I love this shirt, it's so bohemian, but it's a little too 2016, don't you think?" He joked, and Lucille laughed along.
It seemed like friendly banter, but Gilbert could look through it and see that even as he cleaned him up, the tension between the two was immense- Lovino was forced to fake laugh, and Gilbert just sipped on his straw naively. Just smile and wave...
"Oh yeah. I just felt like being vintage." Lovino excused himself.
"Oh, darling… There's vintage and there's outdated…" Alfred commented, glancing down at Lucille who smirked with amusement. "Haha! You know I'm just kidding! You're the most stylish man out there."
Again, Lovino fake laughed and Gilbert just stared in confusion, earning himself the closest thing to a sour look he'd seen from Alfred yet. He wore that permanent, admittedly perfect smile of his, but he lifted a brow, almost expectant for Gilbert to laugh as well, but that didn't happen, so he blinked and continued speaking.
"So? What about your real +1? Where's the heart of the party?" He asked.
"Toni couldn't make it. And he's not my boyfriend, by the way. Just a friend." He pointed out, much more tense than his previous fake laughter and commentary was. "So I brought Gilbert."
"He wasn't? Oh… I thought he was, you know. With the kissing incident two years ago, who wouldn't have jumped to that conclusion?" He asked with a smirk, and Lovino just smiled tensely at him with a soft 'haha, I guess so' that just raised the awkwardness even more. "Oh… Well, anyways… What a duo, you two!" He said, but it was a thinly veiled way to say that he thought they were a dreadful combination.
Wait. Kissing incident?! He barely had time to process that before he was forced to continue catching up with the conversation.
"Yes, indeed." He said drily. "I heard sales at NYStyle dropped again. That must be so tough for you, the chief editor." Lovino said, with that very same air of fake sympathy that Alfred had pulled earlier, making Gilbert perk up with interest and even a bit of excitement. Yes! Get him!
Alfred didn't flinch but his perfect smile stiffened a little. He twirled a thin, rolled cigarette around his fingers dexterously, leaning on the bar like he owned it, wearing that smug smirk that Gilbert would've gladly wiped out with a slap. "Oh, no, no, I love that you're worried, but I promise you, this year's sales are going up once summer arrives, that's for sure. Nothing to worry about. I mean, I won't fret until Viva surpasses our sales, which hasn't happened in ten years, aha!" He said with a triumphant little chuckle.
"Well, I guess slow wins the race. Our sales just keep going up." Lovino said simply.
"Oh… Well… I don't know if I'd be so cocky about a 1% raise…" Alfred commented with an airy chuckle. Lovino didn't flinch, and just smiled at him with a tense little 'mhm'. "Especially after the critical reception some of your main articles have been receiving… Yikes, a lot of negativity. Must be pretty tough for you, especially with the whole redesign you've got going on, right?"
Lovino's eyes instantly widened as he sipped his wine, freezing in place, this time being completely unable to hide his panic.
"What?"
The American just played coy. "Sorry?"
"How do you know about the redesign?"
Alfred just kept smiling like he'd just complimented him instead of asking him something in a horrified tone.
"Oh? You know, rumours just fly. But don't worry about it." He said calmly. "Viva's sales keep going up, don't they?"
Lovino was clearly holding back, lips pressed into a thin line and amber eyed filled with a sudden sense of rage and desperation. For a few moments, he couldn't say anything, and Gilbert could only stare somewhat powerlessly, feeling sorry for Lovino but unsure what to do and frankly, feeling a little dehumanised.
"Ah, Lovino, excuse me- I'd love to stay and chat some more but I just saw Virgine Viard near the speakers and I'm dying to say hi to her, I hope you don't mind!" Alfred said, and without really waiting for an answer, he abandoned the bar in favour of the dance floor. Lucille lingered by, kissing a model hello and starting a conversation with her a few meters from them.
Lovino didn't just look dejected, he looked straight up like he was spiraling into panic. And Gilbert knew it couldn't end well.
"Lovino?" Gilbert tested the waters.
Instead of replying, Lovino downed his second glass of wine and slammed it on the barstool, getting a complaint from the bartender. Shit. This was not good. The music was still there as was the loud chatter from people and the lights and it all felt a little invasive, especially as Lovino ordered himself something much stronger with a name he couldn't quite catch.
"Lovino, maybe stop drinking and eat something?" Gilbert suggested, resting his hands on his shoulder gently, making him snap as he turned around.
"Shut up!" He hissed, shoving his hands away with a rough buck. "Who the fuck told that asshole about the stupid fucking redesign?"
"Look, you need to relax-" Gilbert said, glancing around to make sure nobody was looking.
"I knew coming here was a bad idea." Lovino hissed, hands balled up into angry fists on the stool of the bar and expression hardened. And then- as Gilbert expected-, he turned to Gilbert with a furious glare and decided to do what he always did- take his anger out on people. "I knew bringing you here was a bad idea." He spat, but his voice was shaky with anger and anxiety and ended up sounding much sadder than intended. So Gilbert couldn't be mad at him.
"I didn't do…"
"Shut up! God, if Toni was here, he'd know what to do!" He snapped, much more angrily and this time being successful in drawing attention from people near the bar, most of whom just glanced at him and then away. Ouch. Okay, that hurt a little more than he'd been prepared for. Now it was easier to be mad at him.
And then Lovino was drinking his third drink, something transparent that just looked like trouble, as Gilbert watched with an annoyed frown.
"C'mon, Lovino. Stop it."
Pissed off, Lovino gifted him a generous glare. "Or what? You're telling Toni? I don't care. Just leave me alone. You're useless. Go back to the hotel, to another hotel, or back to Germany for all I care! I don't want you here!"
Gilbert just rolled his eyes. Usually, he would've felt really pissed, but Lovino's words sounded more and more slurred by the second and honestly, he sounded like he was about to cry, which made him look like a big baby. He watched him down the whole drink like it was a shot, and only then started panicking a little. Drunk Lovino was not something he wanted to handle, and they still had so much of the party to get through.
"Are you the snitch?" Lovino prodded once he was done, voice coarse, turning at him and pressing a finger into Gilbert's chest.
"What?"
"Did you tell them about the redesign, asshole? I swear if I find out you-"
"Wha- No! Of course not! Are you fucking serious right now?" He said, hissing the last part in a quiet whisper so nobody would hear but them. Not many people were looking, but Gilbert understood this could turn into a scene really quickly if he didn't handle it well. So he tried to imagine what Antonio would do if he were here- He rubbed his temple, took a deep breath, and grabbed Lovino by the shoulders. "Calm the fuck down, or you're gonna make a fool of yourself." He said firmly.
Lovino's cheeks burnt bright red, and his eyes were already hazy as Hell, but somehow he kept it together and his silence was Gilbert's cue to keep speaking.
"I know you're stressed, but if you start screaming again, you'll make this worse for both of us. So shut the fuck up, come wash your face with me and chill. Jesus." He spat angrily, grabbing his hand and leading him to the bathroom. In a matter of seconds he noticed Lovino was almost stumbling. Just how fucking strong were these drinks?
He helped him into the bathroom and watched him clumsily wash his face and linger on the sink, with his face covered for what felt like long seconds. He'd made so much progress with him, and all of a sudden Gilbert felt like he was back at square one. Holy shit, he really had been just imagining things with this guy, right? Was he seriously just some assistant for Lovino to step on?
And Gilbert felt oddly betrayed at the realisation, watching him bitterly with his arms folded over his chest.
The silence dragged out, even as invitees walked in and out, some chatting, some silent, and Lovino seemed to still struggle putting himself together.
"I fucked up really hard." Lovino muttered, and since the music was nothing but soft background noise in the high ceilings of the bathroom, Gilbert heard him clearly. He should've just fucking ignored him, should've left just like he instructed him. But something unexplainable compelled him to answer. Maybe deep down, he hoped Lovino hadn't meant the stuff he'd said earlier.
"It's not your fault, Lovino." He said. "You can't control who snitches and who doesn't."
Lovino sulked on the sink some more and when he straightened himself up, he still didn't seem ready to leave. Two guys walked in, lined coke and snorted it right in front of them, but Lovino seemed completely indifferent. As soon as they were gone, he continued.
"But I'm still gonna have to deal with it. Fuck. Why is everything so hard?"
Gilbert sighed.
"Look, Lovino, if you wanna go back to the hotel, we'll just go back to the hotel." He spat seriously. Lovino looked indignant.
"Are you kidding? This is work to me." He said seriously.
"Exactly. It's just fucking work. You can't freak out this hard over something you have no control over and that is just work." Gilbert said, honestly knowing the conversation was turning personal but having no qualms- after the shit Lovino had said to him, Gilbert felt like he had enough of a right to lecture Lovino a little. "It's not healthy."
Lovino pouted and frowned and looked about ready to slap Gilbert, but he said nothing. Gilbert was as much of a workaholic as the next guy, sure, but there was a point where one had to draw a line, and he'd learnt that years ago.
"You wouldn't get it." He spat venomously, just as Gilbert thought he had calmed him down. But he didn't stop there, no, he doubled down even further. "You're just an assistant."
Gilbert pursed his lips, eyes hardening. It shouldn't have hurt as much as it did, but it did.
"Yeah? Well at least I'm not fucking miserable and completely consumed by my job. I think I have the upper-hand on this one." He said, realising that yeah, maybe that was a little much on his behalf. Lovino agreed- his face turned red with anger just like it had on that fateful first day and he tried to speak, but there was no rebuttal that'd come out of his drunken mouth. He almost looked physically ready to start a fight, nostrils flaring and fists balling, but instead he just snapped at him.
"Fuck you!"
And then he turned around and left, leaving Gilbert alone in the bathroom, feeling almost sick. He wanted to follow, but he had a bad feeling that doing so would end up in a physical fight that he had no interest in starting. So he leant on the cold tiles, felt the bass of the music and kicked the trashcan next to him with as much force as he had in him.
"Fuck." He snapped, digging his hands into his pants -another pair Lovino had leant him-, unsure what to do, luckily not close to being drunk, but definitely a little tipsy.
What the Hell was he supposed to do in these types of situations? He pondered it for a bit before shakily picking out his phone and opening Antonio's contact.
Gil B.: Hey is it normal to have a fight with your boss and have him screaming fuck you in the bathrooms of an afterparty while he's drunk and you're also kinda drunk and there's people doing coke in the bathroom? and also your friend kissed your boss but you just found out because some asshole talked too much?
Here to apologise for the America slander. I love this man, but I was dying to write him in a mean girl type of angle. And it was fun. Anyways, see you next chapter!
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