Chapter 10: Sunkissed Lovers
Turned out, all this time, Vincent never wanted to strip Rody of his job but rather his clothes.
That was the thought that crossed Vincent's mind as he looked at Rody's clothes, which was now scattered all over the over amongst his own, before turning back to look at Rody, who was sleeping peacefully next to him. Usually when being awoken by the sunshine of the early morning, Vincent would mumble disgruntledly about forgetting to close the curtains the previous night, but this morning was different in so many ways for him. Today, he thanked the sunshine for waking him up way earlier than he would like to and himself in the past for not closing the curtains, because now with the sun still peaking over the horizon, he got all the time to silently take in Rody's beauty. While Vincent had always thought Rody was quite a good-looking man, there was something about how he looked at the moment that added an unexplainable charm to him. Perhaps it was the way the sun kissed his golden skin as his toned chest moved up and down rhythmically with his breath, the way his auburn hair's color was of the majestic sky outside the windows, how the soft blush on his cheeks matched the light pink tint of those kissable lips of his, and how peaceful he looked in the moment.
Rody was like the gorgeous dawn outside the windows and the dawn of his life, marking a turn in their journey that they both weren't expecting, but welcomed with an open arms just like how they had welcomed each other into their heart.
Seeing how Rody was so deep in his sleep, Vincent didn't want to move much as not to disturb him, but it was not before gently moving aside a strand of hair that had fallen over his eyes and his eyelashes that Vincent had never gotten the chance to admire closely until now. Now Vincent could fully bask in his allure, resting his face on his hand as he did so.
Vincent had seen many sides of Rody. Vincent had seen his energetic side when he was on the job, running around on his quick little feet around the restaurant to make sure every customer got the best service he could provide. Vincent had seen his doting side when no matter what, he would make sure to be by your side when you needed his help. Vincent had seen his playful side when he leaned in with that teasing smirk of his that would have Vincent looking away embarrassed with a visible blush on his face. Vincent had seen him when he was at his lowest, yet wasn't afraid to show his raw emotions to someone who he could've treated as a complete stranger such as Vincent. Vincent had seen the love in his eyes, and he felt lucky being on the receiving end of that love as Rody stood there with his guitar, playing a graceful tune that touched Vincent's heart before he even knew it was him that was professing the feelings he had reciprocated yet wasn't willing to admit it. Vincent had seen his side of unrestrained desires when Rody pinned him down his own bed, his eyes not breaking contact with Vincent's as his hands explored every nook and cranny of Vincent's body. And today, Vincent had discovered yet another side of Rody, the tranquil side of his when he was sound asleep, probably one of the most vulnerable states a human could be in. Yet not only did Rody trust him enough to bare it to him, he also wasn't afraid to fall asleep in Vincent's bed itself with his arms wrapped around Vincent in an almost protective way, as though not wanting to let go of him even in his slumber.
Rody was beautiful. Rody was beautiful in every side of his. Rody was beautiful because of his love. And Vincent wondered how in the world, this beautiful angel had landed into his arms, out of anyone that he could've chosen to kiss goodnight instead and filled in the empty spot next to him on the bed in the way he had filled in the emptiness of his heart. Vincent wondered what he had done for this angel to have let him caress his cheeks as he whispered to never leave his side, to which Rody kissed his hand, his touches as light as a feather, as he replied with that same radiant smile that had captured Vincent's heart.
"You're too precious for me to do that."
Vincent's shook his head as Rody's words from last night rung in his mind, his hand reaching up to hold his forehead as though trying to calm himself down from the indescribable feelings fluttering in his heart. Just like how it was a difficult thing to surprise Vincent, it also wasn't considered an easy feat to catch Vincent falling with sweet words as such. One could conjure up the most romantic and heartfelt confession ever written in literature history, and the best reaction they would probably get, if they even got a reaction at all, was a "huh", maybe followed by a raise of his eyebrow. If not with extravagant gifts, many had attempted to buy his trust with honey glazed words and sugarcoated vows, promising him the stars and moon, the world and the fairytale that they would take him on one day, but they could try all they wanted, it had rarely worked ever. Vincent dared not tell a soul, but it wasn't that those words and promises don't touch him, but rather, his heart had been trained to not let those words reach it. He knew behind those thick layers of honey and sugar were lies and deception. He knew the galaxy he were promised were just broken pieces of their shattered idealized world, and the fairytale they vowed to take him to was just a wilted land of what-ifs. He had listened to those flowery lines so many times, and just like a sugar-glazed lie, the outer coating cracked easily under little to no pressure, revealing the ugly truth underneath.
And yet, when Rody promised to be by his side until he couldn't anymore and professed how he would continue loving him like he had secretly done as he put a soft kiss on Vincent's cheek, Vincent's heart didn't tell him to run away, but rather accept it like how he fell in Rody's embrace. Perhaps it was the way Rody shone outside Vincent's windows while playing a song meant for him when he could've run away and sought out someone else's affection. Perhaps it was how Rody had never hesitated to show him his care and affection even during the moments Vincent claimed he didn't need it, and when he did so, it was always in his own unique way that separated him from the ones who was just trying to get to his heart out of their own selfish goals. Perhaps it was how during the night they spent yesterday that was filled with their unfeigned wants, Rody could've simply left Vincent there alone in his bed when he was done with him, but he not only chose to stay, but he also made sure during every second of it, Vincent could feel how much Rody's desires went so far beyond physical needs. And perhaps, it was the way Rody had stayed by his side, had never given up on him even when Vincent's mind pushed him away, and the way Rody's half-lidded eyes gazed at him adoringly as he pulled him close and felt his heartbeat with his own. Vincent knew behind those words were not empty promises but rather the love that were always found in his bright green eyes, the love that had destroyed the wall Vincent put up to protect himself and the love that was very much present in every word, touch and kiss he gave him.
Vincent still couldn't quite grasp why Rody chose him, but one thing he was sure about was that, he would never trade this new beginning for anything. On his lips was a gentle smile as he continued gazing at Rody, the person who was still sleeping soundly next to him and the person whose peace he wished to protect.
Noticing the sun had gotten way higher than it had when he just woke up, he begrudgingly removed his gaze from his sleeping angel and turned over to the alarm clock on the nightstand, which showed six o'clock, eliciting a quiet grunt from him. Due to how early half past six was, he had decided to change the opening time to half past seven and even now it still seemed quite early, which caused him to seriously question his past self. Who opened up their restaurant when the sun wasn't even up yet? Apparently it was himself many years ago when he was young chef looking to find his place in the culinary world, after having worked multiple food industry jobs to save enough money to open his own restaurant, and he just fell into the early rising habit without realizing even into his late twenties when he wasn't as energized as before. He knew he was an ambitious individual back then, but being so ambitious to have the opening time even earlier than most offices? It was a miracle he had managed to keep up with it until now.
Figuring it was time to get up and preparing for the restaurant's opening, he made sure to move slowly as not to disturb Rody. He thought he would let him sleep in a little, as he could always wake him up after he had taken a shower and made breakfast.
Hmm… making a real breakfast for someone, how long has it been since the last time I did that?
The thought crossed his mind before he felt two strong hands grabbing his shoulders and pushing him down the bed again, and when he looked up, what he saw was those green eyes he had fallen in love with staring down at him with a grin full of mischievousness.
"Now where do you think you're going?"
"R-Rody?" Vincent's attempt to hide his flustered voice was a total failure. But then again, was it even worth it, considering Rody had heard and seen everything last night? "I-When did you wake up?"
"When you stirred and fell out of my arms"-Rody leaned in closer, his eyes not breaking contact with Vincent's while his hands stayed firmly in place on his shoulders-"I was pretending to be asleep because I wanted to stay here with you for a little long, but now seeing that you're trying to get away from me, I can't allow that."
As Rody said those last words, his face was inches away from Vincent, who shuddered from feeling Rody's breath reaching his ear. As he instinctively threw his arm over his face, he wondered what was going on. He knew Rody could be a tease sometimes, but what happened to the guy who couldn't bother to brush his hair in the morning and always showing up to work with that stupid smile on his face, to this man who had pinned him down his own bed twice now as though unable to control his urges anymore. As an involuntary gasp left his lips, he wondered if Rody had just always been holding back, as well as the reason he secretly craved more of the hint of possessiveness behind Rody's eyes. He didn't know what he had gotten into yet, and in a way, the mystery pulled Vincent even deeper.
"I-I'm just getting ready to open the restaurant-"
"Vince, you know I love seeing your cute face, so don't cover it." Roy grabbed the hand Vincent had thrown over his face and pushed it aside, revealing the blush that was getting redder and redder as each second went by. "In fact, the more you cover it, the more excited I get when I think about making you physically unable to open up the place."
At this point, Vincent's face was even redder than the sunrise outside the windows. Using all the strength he could muster up, he lightly swung a fist onto Rody's chest, pushing him farther away but not so far that he couldn't feel his warmth anymore, which Rody took note of and chuckled at.
"God shut the fuck up Rody." Vincent groaned into his other hand as an attempt to hide his very flustered face, although he still couldn't mask his shaking voice. "Do you get some kind of sick joy out of-urgh-whatever this is?"
"What do you mean? I'm just being honest." On Rody's face was a playful smirk as he tilted his head, feigning innocence. "You're just too cute."
"I'm not cute, Rody."
Vincent peeked through his fingers to see the grin on Rody's lips growing wider and wider, as though he had seen the response as an ample opportunity for something. While Vincent wasn't sure what it was, something in him could just tell it wasn't anything good.
"I don't get what you're trying to tell me, Vince." Rody leaned in once again to whisper into his ear. "You were cute when you moaned my name last night as I-"
"This is exactly what I mean, Rody." Vincent cut Rody off and pushed him off again in an embarrassed way before he could have the chance to finish it, knowing full well what he was about to say. "Look, just because I let you in my bed, d-doesn't mean you can just say-stuff like that!"
"Stuff like what, Vince?" Rody chuckled, maintaining the same smirk on his face as he rubbed his thumb on the bite mark on Vincent's collarbone. "How can I not say these marks suit you perfectly, hm? Or should I say, they suit you perfectly because they're mine?"
It was as though Vincent's brain short-circuited from the way Vincent blinked at him a few times, his mouth agape before sighing into his palms. All the will to come up with a good reply in him had already all gone out of the windows. "You're impossible, Rody."
"I love you too, Vince."
Rody's whole-hearted laugh filled the room that was normally dead silent with only Vincent's presence as he wrapped Vincent in another hug, nuzzling his face with a big smile on his face. The fluttering feelings in his chest that he no longer felt the need to hide, their chests that were moving rhythmically against each other, the way their hearts were beating alongside one another, Vincent felt himself drifting into the calming moment, his heart melting away from Rody's sweet voice that was filled with nothing but pure joy. Such a simplistic yet magical moment, when was the last time he got to experience it? He wasn't sure himself, he only knew it was long enough for him to start craving it so much, his hope in getting another chance at it started to fade away. Yet when it finally happened again, he felt like he was taken off guard, like he wasn't ready for it. If it wasn't for Rody's heat when he hugged him back and the softness of Rody's hair when he reached up to stroke it, he would almost be convinced this was a dream.
"To think you're still here…"
Rody's face perked up before propping himself up to look at Vincent with a curious look. "What do you mean, Vince?"
Vincent averted his gaze, his hands wrapping around his exposed body as though trying to avoid the disgusted look he had been given in the past. "You've seen everything on me… and you still decided to stay."
In the matter of seconds, the playfulness on Rody was wiped off and was instd replaced by a look of concern with a hint of sadness clearly visible in his eyes. The happy peaceful air in the room was gone and drowned out by a heavy, uncomfortable silence, filling Vincent with a wave of instant regret. Good job Vincent, you ruined it, he groaned at himself as he rolled over, attempting to cover his face by burying it in the pillow. Things were so good, he was finally getting the happy moments he had sought of, and he just had to go ahead and destroy it. He could've just stayed silent, gone with the flow and been grateful for what he had now, but apparently his mind decided it wasn't enough and made him blurt out his inner thoughts like that. Turned out he was wrong about learning his lesson from that drunken night three days ago. Even if it had fortunately led to a good ending, he felt he should've remembered the emotions he had experienced during those stressful days of not knowing what Rody might be thinking of as well as the regrets that came from letting out any and every thought in his head. It hurt so much, he thought he had learnt something, but evidently in what just happened, it couldn't be further from the truth. Vincent couldn't see Rody's face right now, he couldn't see the expression he was wearing at this moment, but the stare on Vincent was so strong, it scared him to look.
"Nevermind Rody, it doesn't matter-"
"Vince, look at me."
Vincent was jolted out of his train of thought when he felt a hand being placed on his cheek. Rody's touch, it was light as feather. It was so tender, it melted away all the anxiety that was slowly eating him up inside, its warmth bringing him back to reality. Having mustered up all the courage he had in him, he removed his face from the pillow and was greeted by yet another side of Rody. There was no smile on him, but there was no hint of anger or annoyance from him like Vincent had anticipated. Instead, Rody just seemed… serious. Serious about this conversation, serious about his feelings, and serious about making sure Vincent remember every single word.
"Remember last night when I said I'd never leave your side, that I'm deadest on this relationship? I meant it, and still mean it." Rody leaned down to put his forehead on Vincent's. "I didn't question myself, spend countless nights pondering my feelings for you and think hard about whether I want to have a future with you just to use you for one night, or just-use you at all."
Before Vincent could find a way to reply, Rody lifted his head up as though to stare more deeply in Vincent's widened eyes as he stroked Vincent's cheeks with both of his hands. "Vince, you're so much more than your body, your handsome face, or your sparkling fame. You have a golden heart. You're so caring and hard-working. You have a sense of humor and a smile that I've come to adore. You're kinder than people like to lead people to believe. All of that, I fell in love with. I understand still having doubts, but I assure you that we can get through it together. And I want to let you know, being given your kindness, your affection, a chance to be with you and the trust to touch your beautiful body aren't something I'm entitled to, it's a huge privilege, and no matter what happens, I wish to honor that trust forever."
Rody brought one of Vincent's hand up and planted a kiss in his palm before cuddling his face in it, exactly like the way he did it before they both fell into a deep slumber last night. The smile had returned to Rody's face even more radiant than ever, like the warm sunshine outside that mellowed Vincent's heart. Rody was right, he was no longer trapped in the accursed memories that he wanted to forget, or the dying land of broken promises that he desperately wished to escape. This was a new reality he was in. In this new reality, there was no lies, there was no need to be scared. And in this new reality, there was Rody. He knew he was safe because Rody was there with him and he was assured that he was going to be okay. They were going to be okay together, and once again, Vincent felt hopeful about the future this would bring them to.
"There it is." A big grin grew on Rody's lips as he gently caressed Vincent's face. "There's that smile I know and love."
Vincent blinked a few times, taken back by the return of the calming, light-hearted atmosphere that he adored, before chuckling.
"Oh, you." Vincent had a cheeky smirk on him before grabbing Rody's shoulders, flipping him over and putting his lips on Rody's, who seemed surprised by the kiss at first but happily welcomed it, wrapping his hands around Vincent to pull him even closer than they already were. When they finally pulled apart, Vincent stared at Rody lovingly, not bothering to hold back. "As much as I'd like to stay here all day, I do have a restaurant to run and you're keeping me here for way longer than I intend to."
Rody pouted. "C'mon, I thought you're the boss."
"Yes and I do have the power to tell you to get your ass to work." Vincent poked Rody's nose with his signature shit-eating grin. "So, time to get up. I'll make you breakfast."
"Big talk for someone who's naked in my arms." Rody shot him an equally cheeky smirk back while slowly tracing Vincent's back, letting out a small chuckle when he heard a soft moan from Vincent that he had tried to hold back.
"W-Well, do you want to be paid by the end of the month?" Vincent tried to act tough, knowing full well he was close to letting another moan slip when he felt Rody's hand roaming lower and lower down his body.
"Hmm…" Rody averted his eyes, pretending to think before looking back to press his fingers down the middle of Vincent's back. "Taking a day off seems worth it if I get to enjoy you all day."
A deep red blush practically jumped up Vincent's face as he slammed a hand over Rody's face. "Rody!"
Rody just laughed as Vincent got off him, but before they both got out of bed, he couldn't resist planting another kiss on Vincent's neck as he got dressed, right where he had left a mark there that he was quite proud of, making Vincent walk out of the bedroom all flustered.
He couldn't get enough and it filled him with joy knowing this was just the start of their relationship.
After Rody was done with a much needed shower-after all they were both very energetic last night-and upon taking a step into the hallway, a smell wafted into his nose, interrupting his train of thought on another way he could tease Vincent. He wasn't someone who was unfamiliar with the smell of Vincent's cooking, as he not only had run around the kitchen of the restaurant almost every day for the past seven months but he also had gotten the opportunity to eat Vincent's cooking himself, even if he was basically just a guinea pig. But every time, he couldn't get over the aromatic fragrance of his cooking that could catch someone's attention from miles away, and just from the smell alone, anyone could tell he was a great chef. Perhaps it should be expected, given the shining degree hanging in his bedroom which he rightfully earned and the fame that he had worked so hard for, but to Rody, it only went to show how impressive Vincent was as a chef himself.
It made Rody look down the floor shyly upon knowing this time, Vincent was cooking for him, on his face a stupid smile when he walked into the kitchen and saw Vincent there with his back facing him and effortlessly flipping a pancake like it was made of thin air. It was rare to see Vincent cook so not only did it feel special, it was rather attractive of him in a way. The way he showed off his skills like they were nothing, to his proper posture and his focused look… Vincent was a charming man, that was a known fact, yet Rody couldn't help taking in the way he was doing something as simple as making breakfast.
That certainly explained his insatiable hunger for Vincent last night.
"What's cooking, good-looking?" Rody managed to sneak behind Vincent without him noticing and wrapped his arms around Vincent's waist, pulling him closer as he peaked over his shoulders to see the pancakes more closely, admiring how round and golden-brown they looked. "Looks amazing."
"Sorry I can't make something better," Vincent said as he flipped the last pancake onto the stack besides him. "I already told you this, but I don't eat normal food and wasn't expecting company today, so-I didn't get anything-"
"What, no-What are you saying, you're here making pancakes that"-Rody threw a quick glance at the empty bowl of pancakes mixture next to the opened bag of flour and cracked eggs-"seem to be handmade too? This is more than enough Vince, thank you."
Rody tightened the hug around Vincent and a small chuckle was heard from Vincent. "Well, I appreciate it Rody. Make yourself at home, I'll take a shower in the meantime."
I think I already made myself at home considering what I did to you, Vince, the thought crossed Rody's mind as a grin crept up his lips before he grabbed a fork and took a bite. That was when his eyes widened. If it wasn't the smell that captured Rody's attention, it was definitely the taste. The moment the pancake touched his tongue, his taste buds were blessed, but in a way it was strange, causing Rody to tilt his head while deep in thought. While having expected it to taste good, this was beyond Rody's expectations and he struggled to pin-point what it was. Was it the balance between the sweetness and buttery flavor with the saltiness? Maybe it was the crispy exterior combined with the soft, fluffy interior? No, this went beyond any quality he would consider when describing a magnificent dish. This feeling could not be replicated by any techniques or skills, or imitated using the most expensive ingredients out there. It almost felt like something that could only be created within the heart-
As soon as the realization hit him, he couldn't throw the fork on the counter fast enough before practically sprinting towards Vincent and almost tackling him down the ground.
"Rody? W-What's wrong-" Vincent shot him a look of concern before it turned into a mildly teasing one. "Don't worry, it'll only take a few minutes, I won't leave you for too long-"
"V-Vince!" Rody was squeezing Vincent so hard, Vincent was almost breathless. "Y-You-"
"Rody, don't try to fuck with me, I know damn well I didn't put poison in it-"
"Vince!" Rody spun Vincent, revealing one of the biggest and widest smile he had ever given Vincent. "You-You did it, you cooked with love!"
That shut Vincent's laughter up real quickly along with wiping the smirk clean off his face right away. There was so many emotions going through him right now and he wasn't even sure what kind of face he was making, but one thing he was sure about was, his excitement was growing so strongly, it felt like his chest was about to explode.
"Rody, I'm literally fine with almost any jokes you want to make, just-" Vincent clutched Rody's arms. "Please, don't joke about that, anything but that-"
"Vince, I know, that's why I'm not joking!" Rody's enthusiasm was evident in his voice and the way it was nearly impossible for him to stay still. "I-I could feel it! The love in it! Y-You did it!"
"I… did it…?"
As though overwhelmed from the sheer excitement in him, Vincent fell into silence, although on his lips was a smile, a small smile but one filled with the utmost joy one could experience in their entire life. In fact, there was even a little tears in the corner of his eyes.
Vincent was not one to cry easily and just like many things in his life, it was a considerable feat to even make Vincent shed a tear for you. Sometimes his lack of emotions-when there should definitely a sign of emotions, any emotion at all-came across as emotionless to people. And if he had to be completely honest, he often found himself wishing he could show he cared more, but his mind liked to react in intriguing ways. It was as though whenever his mind could detect any kind of emotions in him, they were either suppressed and he ended up stifling himself, or they got drowned out by anger or disgust. It was exhausting, it seemed cruel to people he genuinely wanted to show concerns to, but unfortunately his mind learned that it was useless to cry at all. Why bother crying when the person you were crying for didn't care? Why bother crying when it would only give your enemies a leverage to hold against you? And why bother crying when it would only give your mind more reasons to tell you that you were a pathetic human being who could only cried for a better result?
But in this moment, perhaps it was okay to cry. It was safe to cry because it was Rody he was showing these tears to. And perhaps it was cry because today, he at last succeeded at something that had eaten him on the inside ever since the first day he read that one critic's words on the newspapers, the words that said there was a lack of love in his cooking. Usually with nonsensical unconstructive criticism like that, he would just throw them right down the trash, but when one person became two people, and two people became five, seven, fifteen people… it became harder to ignore those words. And the thing that was the most gut-wrenching about the situation was, he didn't even know what he should fix. In his many years of culinary school and working multiple food industry jobs, no one had ever taught him what cooking with love was, it was just a phrase thrown around as a sentimental thing, at least that was what he assumed. If the dish needed more salt, he could easily adjust it. If it needed to be baked for longer, it was also a quick fix. Or hell, even if there was so many things that were wrong with it, it was still doable through trials and errors.
But "cooking with love" wasn't something he even knew the meaning of. It couldn't be described with quantity or techniques. It could literally mean everything or nothing at the same time. It all started with a hint of curiosity, then it grew into confusion, and slowly but surely, all he knew was one day, it just drove him insane whenever there was even a mention of it. Believe it or not, there had been days where he just stood motionlessly in his kitchen and staring at the counter, attempting to cook with love but it was like his body didn't want to move, or rather they were unable to move because they didn't even know where to start. This was not included in either his training or experience. Call him sensitive, but he had waited so damn long for anyone, just anyone, to just tell him how to cook with love-after all, how could he listen to the criticism when he didn't even know what the criticism actually entailed?
However, he wasn't aware of the fact that, what he needed wasn't being told how to cook with love, but rather being given the love to cook with, which was where Rody came in. Rody was the love he had needed in so many ways. He was not only the love that filled the void in his heart, but also the ingredient he need in his cooking and his life.
"A-Are you okay?" Rody panicked upon seeing Vincent bring up his hand to wipe the tears off his face. "I'm-I'm sorry, did I upset you-"
Vincent didn't respond, instead he just fell onto Rody's chest with his hands pulling him into a warm embrace.
"Rody, thank you."
"I-Your welcome?" Confusion was written all over Rody's head. He wasn't even sure what he was being thanked for. "I mean-I just said what I felt, and I sensed love in those pancakes so-"
"It's not just that." Even though there was only a tiny bit of tears in the corner of his eyes, on his lips was a tender, passionate smile, in it was even a hint of gratitude. "Thank you… for being the love I've been looking for, and for being in my life. I couldn't have done it if you haven't shown me how to love someone and to be loved by them."
And with that, he pulled Rody in closer for a tighter embrace. Under normal circumstances, Vincent wasn't a man of many words, but he expressed his feelings in other ways, from his expression, his gaze to his touches and actions. Vincent may not be able to convey everything that was on his mind, but through his hug, Rody could feel it, and he smiled along as he once again felt their heartbeats against each other.
"Say…" Rody let out a nervous laugh. "Would it ruin the moment if I said I could've just fucked you from the start to make this happen?"
"… Yes." Vincent grabbed Rody's shoulders and pushed him off, although there was evidently a smile that he was struggling to suppress as he turned on his heels. "Okay, you finish your food and I go take my shower, it's almost time to-"
Vincent didn't get the chance to finish his chance before he started stumbling on his track, thankfully Rody was there to catch him in time. "Vince-? Are you alright-"
"This time, no, and it's all your damn fault, Rody."
Vincent grunted, almost hissing at Rody, who glanced down at where he was holding his body and it took him an absurd amount of self-control to hold back his laughter. Although some of that self-control would've been good to have last night, otherwise this wouldn't have happened in the first place.
"I-I'm sorry-"
"No you're fucking not."
A small "pfft-" slipped past Rody's lips as he was fully aware Vincent was right, mostly. "Y-You know if it's too much, you can take a day off-"
"I'll be fine." Vincent let out yet another pained grunt as he gripped the wall as a way to balance himself on his own. "I've been in this for so many years, I can handle a little pain."
He said, not realizing he was gravely overestimating his tolerance against what Rody did to him last night until the pain suddenly kicked in hard again in the middle of his conversation with Francis.
"Chef? Chef!" Francis helped him stand up straight along with the other chefs, a worried look on everyone's face as it was unlike him to involuntarily show he was in pain. He either didn't think it hurt enough or just didn't show up for work at all, no in-between. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, just-"
Right at that moment, Rody came in to put in another order and caught the sight of the ordeal happening, which he deeply regretted because as soon as Vincent's eyes landed on him, it was as though there was literal darts shooting from them and it was no doubt those darts were meant for him.
"I just… fell down the stairs yesterday."
All the chefs' voice looking out to him and telling him to be more careful next time was all drowned out in Rody's ears when the look on Vincent's face was murderous as he lied through his gritted teeth, sending shivers down Rody's spine. Rody was never the best at reading people's expressions, but even his oblivious ass could decipher what that look on his face meant, and the only possible meaning he could deduct from the knitted eyebrows, narrowed eyes and low voice was "I'm going to fucking kill you".
"Ah-Uh-One order for an appetizer please!"
Rody's voice wavered as he rushed to grab the handles, ready to sprint back out to the restaurant as fast as possible before his escape plan was ruined by Vincent's frighteningly normal voice. "Oh hey Rody, you're bowtie is all messed up, let me fix that for you."
With all the strength he could muster up, he straightened up and managed to have the most unpainful-looking walk towards Rody, whose back was against the door due to how much he wanted to make a run for it but was made to stay in place because of the stare Vincent had pinned on him, as though he was a bullet and Rody had a glaringly big target slapped on his forehead. With his tall body looming over Rody, his hands snatched Rody's bowtie, even though the intended target seemed to be his neck, and… he surprisingly did fix his bowtie, but Rody wasn't sure it was because he actually wanted to or he just didn't want to look suspicious in front of the other chefs.
"You'd better watch your back later, Rody."
A ferocious look flashed through Vincent's face for a split second as he whispered those words straight into his ear to make sure every word was heard. Before Rody could decide whether it was a threat or an invitation, Vincent had already left to tend to his other employees' work, leaving Rody there shaking for a few minutes before his legs finally could move and lead him out of the kitchen to take more orders. What none of them realized, however, was the way Bernard's eyes had closely followed almost every interactions they had during those short few minutes and were new rubbing his chin, as though pondering something.
"How's the steak, Bernard?" Denis walked over him while wiping his wet arms with a towel.
"Oh, I'm on it!" Seemingly reminded that he had a job to do, Bernard swiftly reached up to grab the skillet off the hanger, trying to act as natural as possible while forgetting Denis had worked with Bernard for two years now. Besides Vincent, if anyone was going to notice he was acting weird, it was going to be Denis.
"What's up, Bernard?"
"W-What do you mean?" Bernard let out an awkward laugh. "Everything's fine-"
"Doesn't seem like it to me, dude." Denis raised an eyebrow, giving Bernard a curious look as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "You've been-rather off today, like you can't focus or something. You sick?"
Despite his perpetually carefree attitude, Bernard knew Denis was sharper than that, evident in the way he had managed to hold this position in this restaurant for well over three years. He might not look like it, but it would be a huge mistake to assume he didn't notice something you were trying to hide because it wasn't obvious to an "airhead" like him. More often than not, he absolutely did, so it wouldn't be too far-off for Bernard to think he had also taken note of the same thing that was on his mind.
"I suppose I could tell you. Have you-"
"How's the main coming along, Bernard?"
"Ack-!"
Bernard was in the middle of leaning into Denis's ear when Vincent appeared behind him out of nowhere, scaring the soul out of the both of them. As much as they both respected and even liked Vincent as a person, it was sometimes rather bothersome about the way he could approach people without making a sound or leaving any indication that he was even close, almost as if his steps had no weight to them. Perhaps that was his way of making sure none of his employees even thought about slacking off.
"Ah-It's-It's being worked on right now, chef!"
Bernard swiftly put the skillet on the stove and grabbing the spatula, his hands shaking slightly which didn't escape Vincent's eyes.
"What's wrong?" Vincent crossed his arms, taking a quick glance at Denis who was busy fixing his clothes as though trying to buy time for something. "What are you two doing-"
"N-Nothing, boss!" Denis jumped to the rescue like he had done many times before, laughing off his nervousness as he spoke. "Bernard just uh, was trying to tell me there was some sauce on my clothes so I could clean it up. That's all!"
Vincent narrowed his eyes at both of them before walking away, having decided that their reasoning was sufficient enough. "Don't keep our patrons waiting."
As long as Vincent was far enough from their position that they could safely assume he wouldn't hear them, Bernard and Denis simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, releasing the breath they didn't realize they were holding.
"That was close." Denis gasped for air as he put his hand over his chest, trying to calm his racing heart down. "Quick, Bernard, what was it that-"
Bernard grabbed Denis's arm and yanked him towards himself, making a shushing sound and Denis took it as a cue to whisper even more quietly.
"What's the m-"
Bernard cut Denis off again, but this time instead of with his voice, he did so by pointing the skillet towards Vincent, who was gently massaging his neck, mumbling to himself about how it kind of hurt for some reason. That was when it hit Denis-as his eyes followed Vincent's hand, they were slowly drawn to the bite mark on Vincent's neck. Saying it was visible would be a stretch because due to the way Vincent's shirt was so high up his neck, most of it was covered, but it was undeniably there with a little of reddened skin. And he would not be convinced it was a bug or animal bite because a tiny bit of the actual mark was peeking through the collar as well, and it, without a doubt, looked like one left by human teeth.
"Denis-" Bernard leaned into Denis's ears, using the skillet to cover their face, and Denis returned his knowing glance. "I'll talk more after work."
Turned out he not only didn't have to wait for the end of the shift, but he also could discuss this with the rest of the chefs too. It was during lunch break that Vincent came up to Rody, who had just finished eating, and told him to come into the office with him, saying it was "urgent". With both of them in the office-and they seemed to be taking time with it too-the rest of the staff was left there alone, all of whom exchanged the same knowing stare amongst each other.
"You've noticed it too, haven't you?" Francis was the one to break the silence, looking up from the floor with his body leaning against the counter as he spoke loudly enough for everyone else to hear, but not too loudly that he risked his voice being heard from inside the office.
"Yeah." Bernard crossed his arms. "The air-it feels… for lack of better words, off."
"I-I think it's boss and-and Rody." Pierre quietly spoke up, a hint of nervousness in his voice. How funny was it that this was his first day working at the same time as Rody after being given more shifts, and there was already something happening. "They-seem different, somehow… Like-the way they talk to each other. D-Do you think they're upset at each other?"
"Oh Pierre." Denis chuckled. "I think it's far from that."
"Eh?" Pierre gave Denis a perplexed look before going quiet, letting him continue.
Denis turned over Bernard with a smile. "Bernard, you were the one to saw the bite mark on our boss's neck, didn't you?"
"Y-Yeah, and it clearly was a human bite mark."
With Bernard's reply, Denis's smirk grew even wider than it already was. "Well, I wonder if it's relevant that I also saw one on Rody."
The whole room let out a gasp, some putting their hand over their mouth to suppress their voice, as Bernard leaned over towards Denis with a stunned face. "You what?"
"You heard that right. When I was passing the desert to him, I saw it peeking through his shirt." Denis chuckled as he averted his gaze, seemingly amused by what he was recalling. "I'm almost inclined to think that's why boss went to fix his bowtie."
Francis had his hand on his chin as he narrowed his eyes at Denis. "So you're saying…"
Denis didn't need for Francis to finish his sentence before nodding, planting a grin on Francis lips as the whole staff room caught on the unspoken implication.
"Oh chef…" Francis let out a low chuckle as he run his hands through his golden locks with a cheeky look in his eyes. "Seems like you didn't fall down the stairs after all."
"B-But-" Pierre held his head. "How can we be for sure? What if it's just a coincidence?"
"Oh Pierre, I forgot you're new." Bernard threw Pierre a mischievous grin. "We don't call him 'boss's little boyfriend' for nothing. There's no way they both just went out to fuck two different people and got bitten on the very same night, when they've basically been stripping each other with their eyes since day one."
"You know what…"
Francis looked up at everyone and gave them all the most rascally smile he had ever worn in his life.
"Why don't we find it out for ourselves?"
Just after he said it, Vincent emerged from the office and told everyone to get back to work with a rather disheveled-looking Rody behind him, giving them yet another reason to believe their suspicion. And so, before everyone knew it, the sun had disappeared behind the horizon, leaving space for the night to fell over the vast sky and signaling the end to another hard-working day. With the sign flipped over to tell potential patrons that they were closed for the day, everyone began packing up one by one, the restaurant slowly getting emptier after each person that left.
"You're not leaving yet, Rody?" Bernard swung his bag over his shoulders as he looked over Rody, who gave him a small laugh.
"Oh not yet, I still have a lot to do. Packed day, you know." Rody scratched the back of his head. "You guys go first, I'll stay to clean up a bit."
"Alright then." Bernard gave him a smile as he opened the door to the back of the building. "Take care Rody, I'll see you tomorrow."
"You too Bernard!"
Rody waved at Bernard, who returned it before disappearing behind the door, leaving Rody the only employee left in the building. That was when Vincent took one quick look around the restaurant and raised an eyebrow at him. All the dishes had been taken care of, the dining area was squeaky clean, the chefs had already wiped down the kitchen before they left and the trash had been thrown out. What else was there to clean up?
"Rody-There's nothing else to do anymore, you can go home if you w-"
A ravenous look flashed through Rody's eyes before he grabbed Vincent's hand that was placed on his shoulder, and in the matter of seconds, Vincent went from standing straight on the floor to lying on the counter besides them, his wrists tied together with Rody's hand acting in place of a rope.
"R-Rody? What-" Vincent's confused question was interrupted when Rody put his lips over Vincent's hastily as though wanting to suck all the air out of him, leaving Vincent breathless when Rody pulled away.
"Don't play dumb now, Vince. You've been leaving me hanging since lunch break." The way Rody whispered his name wasn't endearing like how he did it this morning when he kissed his hand, but rather more like the growl of a hungry beast that had been chained down and left there to starve for hours with a piece of meat being placed right in front of its eyes to taunt it.
Oh wait, that was exactly what happened.
"Vince, you're smart, so"-There was an aching grin on Rody's lips as he slowly traced his finger down his chest until he reached the first button, which he almost yanked off Vincent's pristine white shirt from how aggressively he unclasped it-"why didn't you realize denying me that sweet release wouldn't make me learn my lesson, but rather make me want to devour you more?"
Vincent shuddered, and without his hand to cover his mouth, his grunt rung loudly in the empty kitchen. What scared him was, seeing Rody almost rip his shirt off sent a chill of excitement down his spine, making him want Rody to actually do it.
"You know…" Rody let go of Vincent's wrists to run his hand through Vincent's finely combed hair. "You look so perfect like this, it makes me want to mess you up."
"Rody, wait-" Vincent let out another moan as Rody leaned in to place another bite on his neck. "R-Right here? What if-"
"I don't care, Vince." Rody roamed his hand further down Vincent's chest. "I can't pass up the chance to mess up the Vincent Charbonneau in his own kitchen, knowing he also wants me to-"
Achoo!
A sneeze broke the feverishly intense mood of the moment, but that wasn't what they were concerned about. What made both Rody and Vincent stopped in their track was, it was neither of them that sneezed.
Their head turned to the direction of the sound and there Bernard was, poking his eyes in through the crack of the backdoor with Denis, Francis, Pierre and the rest of the staff.
Instead of a passionate night of love-making, what they got instead was a lot of explaining to do.
