The train stopped with squeaking wheels at the station. The blonde Italian took a look outside and immediately recognized the station. It was as if he had never been away. Nothing had changed at the main station in Paris or at least that was his first thought. Somehow he felt extremely nervous over returning back to Europe and although he wouldn't dare to take a step back at Italy he still felt a little unsecure.
But then he felt the strong hand of his lover on his shoulder and he took a deep breath.
"Are you alright?" Alaude wondered, watching the smaller one cautiously. He had been extremely quiet the last couple of hours. Of course he must be tired since their travel from Boston to Paris had taken quite some time, but yet Giotto always had liked to ask questions about everything that would come to his mind. Nevertheless he had turned quite as soon as the train had left for its destination.
"Sorry, please don't worry about me. I'm fine. It's just that I'm a little nervous. I've been gone for so long and I guess much has changed during the last few years." He explained and turned towards the tall blonde.
"I see." He replied and gently ran his fingers through the blonde messy hair. "There's not need to worry. Everything will be fine."
Giotto gave him a small smile in return and then took his luggage while Alaude took his own. Without any more words they left the train and went outside the station in order to catch a cap.
Actually the reason why Giotto was so extremely nervous was much more complicated than that. More likely he was scared. He was scared to meet Alaude's deputy and adoptive father, Luc Barre. When thinking of the letter he had been getting from Luc he felt the chills running down his spine. Surely Luc had been extremely mad at him for leaving without telling anything and the man was right to be angry with him. And yet Giotto was such a peaceful man that even thinking of an argument made him feel sick.
The Italian gave a low sigh when the cap finally stopped in front of the building which he had been visiting for so many times already. However from now on it would be his home. Somehow this thought made him feel a little bit better and he gathered all his courage and left the cab together with his former Cloud Guardian.
They both didn't even have the chance to reach the door when it already was opened, revealing just the man Giotto had been so frightened of. Luc Barre hadn't changed a bit. He still seemed to be full of energy and happiness and yet Giotto already could feel the skepticism that was hidden behind this joy.
"Alaude, vous êtes habitué à dos." He said, giving his adoptive son a really gentle smile. However just the reason the man was talking in French confirmed Giotto's fear. He probably was still mad at him.
"Yes, we were able to catch an earlier train." Alaude answered and entered the house. Once they both were inside Luc closed the door again and at the same moment a small boy came running from the living room. Giotto had to take a second look since he had never met a small boy at Alaude's place before. But then he noticed the similarities between Luc and the small boy and it was for sure that this little boy had to be Luc's son.
"Alaude, bienvenue!" He said cheerfully and surprisingly ran towards the tall French who even gave the boy a small smile in return.
"Bonjour, Hugo." He said and hunkered down in order to be at the same height as the small boy. "Tu étais bon?" The small boy nodded and then looked at Giotto still smiling.
"Vous êtes l'ami d'Alaude, n'est-ce pas?" He said and offered Giotto his hand in order to greet him properly. Impressed Giotto took the small hand.
"Oui, Hugo. C'est Giotto." Luc meanwhile said and then for the first time turned towards the blonde Italian.
"This is my son Hugo." He introduced the young boy who already had turned towards Alaude again probably asking him a ton of different questions.
"Alaude, would you mind taking care of him for a little while. I'd like to speak with Giotto for a moment." Luc finally asked, making Giotto stiffen up. Of course he had somewhat been prepared for this, but however he had thought Luc wouldn't want to talk to him before tomorrow. He had to be a lot angrier at him than he had actually thought.
Giotto quickly glanced at Alaude who still was rather calm. A little bit he was hoping for him to reject the request, but then his lover slowly nodded.
"Sure, but Luc, you remember our last talk?" He said with a clear voice, shifting his eyes between his adoptive father and his lover.
Luc just nodded and turned towards the Italian again.
"I hope that's fine for you." He wondered and yet Giotto knew that it was not a question and so he just nodded, leaving his luggage with Alaude and the small boy who eagerly tried to help carrying some of the bags upstairs.
Luc led him to the living room, closing the door right behind them.
"I got some tea ready, so please feel free to take some." He said, pointing to the small tablet on the couch table while seating himself.
However Giotto still remained standing, watching Luc with a rather frightened look. Although he had pretended to be ready for this conversation he surely wasn't at all.
"Hugo is really well mannered. How old is he?" He asked, hoping to conciliate the other one by first starting some small talk. However Luc just sighed and waved aside.
"Giotto, please take a seat first." He said and of course Giotto followed this instruction immediately. According to his hyperintuition Luc didn't seem to be too upset, but he was sure that this had to be wrong. And there still was this skepticism covering the other man.
"Hugo is around seven, now. He was born right after you left Italy." He finally responded to Giotto's question and at the same time already opening up the actual matter. Feeling ashamed Giotto looked aside, trying to calm down his feelings.
"Luc, please listen. I am truly sorry for what has happened, but I honestly regret it." He quickly said, forcing himself to look at Luc again. "I understand if you hate me now."
Surprisingly Luc slowly shook his head.
"You see, Giotto, I was really surprised when I received your letter and somehow it really made me angry, too, but the main reason I was so upset was what happened to Alaude afterwards." He answered, giving the Italian a rather harsh look. "He was in such a bad condition and to be honest, Giotto, I even feared for his life in the end."
Giotto winced as if he just had been beaten with a stick. There already had been hints in Luc's letter, but he never would have thought the situation had been that bad and although he probably hadn't been in a better condition he surely was able to understand Luc's reason for being so angry.
"I am so sorry. It never had been my intention to hurt someone." Giotto responded with a low voice. "In fact I tried to protect him." The blonde Italian finally looked up again. He was hardly trying to fight back the tears. "But I promise to you that I'll never leave him again. I recognized my mistake and I truly apologize for it. I will never make such a mistake again."
Now something happened, Giotto hadn't expected at all. Luc was smiling and he even reached out in order to gently touch Giotto's shoulder.
"He has already told me that, Giotto." He explained. "But you see I thought it would be much better to hear you saying this."
Giotto looked at him in disbelief. It just couldn't be that Luc forgave him that quickly. And yet he couldn't feel any bad emotions dwelling from the French.
"You mean you do not hate me?" Giotto finally wondered not knowing how he should deal with this situation anymore. He had been so sure that Luc's attitude towards him had changed negatively and yet the man seemed to as cheerful as always.
"Well as I said I honestly was mad at you in the beginning, but I guess there was enough time to forgive you. And Alaude kept writing me from America. I quickly realized how well the two of you had to be so I thought that it is all good now."
Giotto looked at him in disbelief. He just didn't deserve this at all. He had been acting so selfish and now not even one person seemed to be angry with him. He turned away, trying to calm himself down again when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.
"Giotto, are you alright?" Luc wondered, examining the other one warily.
"I am not sure." He answered, irritated running his hand through his fluffy hair.
"You know you shouldn't be too hard to yourself. Because after all that had happened you not only made the right but also the best decision possible. At least that's what I think. The two of you deserve some calm and easy years. It has been quite rough from the very beginning." Luc responded, gently smiling at the younger Italian. "Just do not leave again, even if Alaude starts bothering you. You should then rather come to me. I'll make sure to give him a piece of his mind then."
"I doubt this is going to happen." Giotto answered calmly, making Luc chuckle.
"You always say this if I come up with Alaude's peculiarity. I think you're the only one who's just fine with him the way he is. That's good for him."
"No, it's rather good for me." Giotto said lowly, finally taking a sip from the cup.
"Well, whatever you say. But I think you should hurry up now and get upstairs. I bet Alaude is happy when someone will help him packing his stuff."
"Packing his stuff?" Giotto wondered, now looking at Luc rather puzzled. "Is he going on a trip?"
"I see, he didn't tell you." Luc said, now laughing louder than before. "Well, let me say that he indeed is going on a trip. But you'll go with him. Just go upstairs and ask him for yourself." Luc winked at him and then emptied his tea.
Still confused Giotto slowly got up, when Luc suddenly held him back.
"Ah, Giotto, please send Hugo downstairs. He probably won't like that, but I bet he's already bothering Alaude. The boy is just way too fond of him." Luc requested of him, now finally making Giotto smile lightly.
"Well, he is his big brother after all, isn't he?"
Luc started to laugh and slowly nodded, letting go of Giotto who now quickly left the room in order to ask Alaude about their upcoming trip.
So I hope you liked the FF so far. There will still be one more chapter and the epilogue of course.
I also hope that the short parts of French I added are more or less correct. It's been ages since I've created a sentence in French so I guess they might not be correct. Sorry for that.