When Lucian finished preparing the tea, he was about to call Nathan to ask him if he preferred the sweet one when he noticed that Nathan was fast asleep on the sofa.
He seemed pretty tired.
'He must have been working all day, and yet he decided to come here.'
All Lucian could think about was the fact that Nathan, at that moment, was like a stranger in a strange land.
He knew nothing and no one. He woke up and found himself in a world completely unknown to him, with people claiming to be his family and a job he didn't even recognize, yet still obligated to carry that burden.
He didn't know what he was working so hard for, and yet it was the only thing he could momentarily do.
'And still he manages to remember my name...'
'Now somehow I feel responsable'
Lucian couldn't help but go over there and sit next to Nathan.
He was absorbed in his beautiful and well-defined face. His eyes were serenely closed, showing no tension.
Lucian extended his hand and began to play with one of Nathan's locks of hair. It was incredibly soft.
He remained silently seated beside him, doing nothing more than appreciating his face.
He thought about various complicated and stressful things that he couldn't easily share with anyone, not even his friends.
No, he was too ashamed to do so.
And so, he continued playing with Nathan's hair as if it was a sort of stress reliever, and only after a while, when Lucian decided to check the time, an hour had already passed.
'Wait.'
'Did I just spend about an hour watching him?!'
In a hurry, he began to poke Nathan's shoulder with a finger, attempting to wake him up. Nathan very slowly began to open his eyes. When he subtable noticed the person in front of him, he didn't hesitate to firmly grab Lucian's hand.
Lucian winced in pain from the sudden strength of the grip, then was surprised by the words Nathan suddenly murmured.
"Don't..."
His eyes were slightly closed; he couldn't open them completely, as if possessed by a heavy dream.
Lucian, who didn't understand what he was trying to say, asked him what was wrong.
"Don't...again..."
"Not..."
Lucian was disheartened by his words. He felt a pang in his heart, and even if what he had said wasn't completely understandable, for him it was enough to feel responsible for something.
"I'm not leaving," he replied, frowning.
"I'm right here. Beside you..." Lucian tried to reassure him.
'Look at you. Who would've thought that someone as big as you could still have nightmares...'
'During all the time we didn't see each other, I was wondering if you were doing okay. But now who knows if you actually were well.
Only you.'
At this time, Nathan's eyes started to fully open and his expression was confused.
"Lucian?" His eyes were red, as if he had just cried.
"What happened?... Did I fall asleep? I'm sorry, I must have been really tired."
He immediately got up from the couch and headed towards his things.
He directed himself to the door to put on his shoes.
"It's very late. Sorry for falling asleep. I'll be going now."
Finishing putting on his jacket, he gave Lucian a reassuring look. The latter didn't know if he had to say something.
"Okay. Be careful on your way back," he finally commented.
"Yes..."
Before leaving and crossing the door, he gave one last look. A smile was reflected on his face.
Lucian, who had seen him disturbed in his dreams, was still able to distinguish a hint of sadness in him, yet his gestures wanted to convey the opposite.
"Good night, Lucian."
When the door closed, no one else remained in the apartment but Lucian, who was in a difficult moment given the overwhelming river of feelings he was experiencing.
He sat on the couch, covering his completely red face with one arm.
'That was quite stimulating.'
'Damn, it's not fair that some people are so attractive... yes, it's definitely because of his face.'
He stood up and went to the bathroom to wash his face in an attempt to clear his thoughts, which were a mess.
As he rubbed his face, he looked up and stared at himself in the mirror.
'Seriously. It's not fair.'
Hilman Main Residence
Seated on a sophisticated sofa in a spacious room adorned with objects of considerable value, Mrs. Hilman was drinking scented Pelargonium Tea.
As she raised her cup, her brow furrowed delicately as she thought. Beside her, Secretary Chen waited for her to speak.
"..."
The secretary continued to wait for at least a word to come from her mouth, but all he got after a few minutes was an aggressive glare.
As the awkward silence continued, Mrs. Hilman coughed a little, bringing her fist to her mouth. The secretary, understanding, began to report.
"The last meetings went well enough that we shouldn't have problems for a while. I'd say everything could be calm for a week."
"A week..." Mrs. Hilman reflected, somewhat disturbed.
In reality, a week was a short time, and she still didn't know how things could stay afloat after that.
That part frightened her the most. She didn't know how long it would take for someone to realize that her son wasn't entirely well.
"How is his memory? Does he remember anything yet?"
"Aside from the boy, he still doesn't seem to remember anything else."
Mrs. Hilman did not have a very pleasant look. She subtly tapped the rim of the cup with her index finger, a little restless.
"Tsk. Why does he have to remember the least relevant thing now?"
Secretary Chen, as if to take advantage of her established mood, added, "Speaking of young Lucian, your son has apparently asked him to move in with him-"
"Pffk!!" Mrs. Hilman began to cough, still having tea in her mouth.
"Move in with him? With my son?! No, that's not possible, I won't allow it!"
"Mrs. Hilman, you have to remember that you asked young Lucian for his contribution to help Nathan recover his memories."
"And I truly believe that them living together will help him."
Mrs. Hilman rubbed her forehead with frustration and anger. She remained silent for a long time before reaching a conclusion.
At this realization, a smile formed on her face. One that would make anyone nervous.
"Alright."
The secretary now looked at her somewhat surprised and at the same time a little annoyed.
"It's not like I'm going to doubt my son's behavior in the end. I know how it will turn out." She placed her cup on the small glass table.
"Especially when he recovers his memory." Her smile still didn't disappear.
Secretary Chen silently watched the scene and couldn't help but feel a cold air behind his back.
He thought that this family was still the same and that Nathan might not be able to change the destiny that awaited him.
"Let him stay with him. However, don't forget to inform me of absolutely everything." She added.
"I need to know as soon as he recovers even a shred of any information. Especially about- you know."
Annoyed, the Secretary replied,
"Understood, Madam"