A soft yawn broke the silence that hovered in the air. For a moment, it seemed there was actually life within the olive-coated walls. For so long, only the delicate taps of fingers dancing across computer keys had echoed within the room. It wasn't unusual, though. Julian always worked silently. The hushed sounds of his private office invoked the best of his mind. He needed it. If he made one mistake on the many prescriptions he filled for his clients, it could possibly lead to death. So it was only through silence that perfection was achieved.
Julian leaned back, his eyes adjusting to the now distant text on his computer screen. "Hm..." He murmured. He brought his hand to his chin, rubbing it as his eyes reread his work. All seemed proper. From there, he laid back in his chair. Was that the last of the prescriptions? He hoped so. His fingers throbbed. From seven o'clock that morning to now, they had been put to the test of their durability. From the morning to noon, they were spent morphing the flesh and bone of people requesting cosmetic miracles and from noon to now, they were forced to exhale medical infomation.
A knock on the door thew Julian's mind off his previous work. "Come in," He spoke in a tone melted in softness. The door swung open and in entered one of his interns. What was her name? He pondered. His memory hadn't always been one of the most dependable ones. The girl put her hands on his hips, a scowl coming to her. Julian simply blinked in confusion. "Yes?" He asked, curious as to the reason of her expression.
"Mr. Beauvais, I just got a call from one of your friends. Gabriel, I do believe? Why didn't you tell us you had to take off early?" The girl asked. The confused look hadn't left Julian's face. Then, like a switch, he remembered and gasped.
"Oh right! I had plans for lunch with Gabriel today!" He rose clumsily, almost tripping over his chair. "I completely spaced, oh...I hope he wasn't mad..." He stumbled over to a large wooden armoire. He opened it, and stood in front of it. He slipped off the white coat that had been draped over him, stashing it messily inside before closing the doors. The girl who had been standing in the room shook her head. Her boss, though a brilliant man, was a complete noob when it came to his own social life.
"Mr. Beauvais...it's alright. He didn't sound mad, just worried. I'm sure if you leave now, you'll make it in time. He told me to remind you that he was at your brother's shop...Strawberry Bistro, okay?"
"Yes, yes...of course. Thank you, uh....uh..."
"Heather."
"Yes! Thank you, Heather. Please take good care of the office while I'm gone!" The blonde waved as he disappeared from the room. Heather could only hope he didn't fall down the stairs in his frazzled stupor. Again.
Julian jogged down the several flights of stairs until he reached outside. There he took a moment's break. He was out of breath already. Funny how even when he wasn't in his presence, Gabriel always led to Julian's breath being taken away in some form or manner. As he rose from trying to regain control over his lungs, Julian smiled. Ah, Gabriel. The mere thought of him brought a smile to his lips. There was no subtly involved. The boy simply drove Julian mad with passion. They'd known each other for about three years and each day, it seemed, the love grew. Sure, it was one-sided but that didn't matter.
Julian's mind moved on, though. Once his lungs had returned to functioning properly, he turned and walked down the sidewalk. He eventually came to stop at a walkway when a newstand's inventory called to him. Specifically, he spotted the new issue of Cosmopolitan. Within the confines on his mind, the thought of Gabriel rose once more. Didn't he like that magazine? Julian approached the newstand, taking the issue in his hands. He purchased it and started on his way once more. Temptation knocked, though. What was so great about this magazine? As he recalled, his friend had purchased every issue to date. Julian opened the magazine up. "Hm....Let Him Notice You!: 8 Tips on How to Catch a Guy's Eye. ...Interesting." It was as if the magazine had been written for him. Who was he to ignore this sign?
Of course, with his mind focused on trying to find ways to lead his love life away from starvation, Julian didn't realize he had taken the left turn instead of right. By the time he realized, he was someplace unfamiliar. The architecture was old and abandoned. Was...was this the ghetto? Julian looked around. There weren't any people to ask for directions. His expression became fearful and uncomfortable. "Oh no...." He bit his lip and tried to find a street sign. It was times like these he wished he had a cell phone, for he could have called someone to pick him up.
Julian walked up and down the cracked pavement, trying to find someone or some sign to lead him back. But no signs came. He stopped in front of a few small townhouses. He tried to peer through the windows. Maybe some old lady was home and would be kind enough to help him? No such luck. He sighed in defeat, settling onto a very weathered bench.
Julian fiddled with his glasses when the heavy sound of footsteps startled him. He looked up to see a man looming over him. The man's appearance was frighteningly beautiful, as his dark outline stood to test the bright serenity of the sky. "You lost?" His voice was as could be imagined, husky and deep. Julian's throat tickled, no words able to push through. So instead, he nodded. "Figured. You look too clean to be from here. Where you headed?" Julian felt stupid, unable to form complete words.
All that he could muster was, "S....St....Straw....Be...Um." The man seemed unaffected, as if he was accustomed to such stupidity.
"Strawberry Bistro? That's...like....on the other side of town. Man, you're REALLY lost."
Julian fiddled his fingers,"Sorry...I got distracted and....well, before I knew it, I was here." The dark-haired man nodded, looking Julian up and down.
"I see. Well, I'm headed in that direction. If you don't find me scary, I'll be happy to drive you."
"R-really?" Julian asked, half excitied but half unsure. The man grinned, his teeth appearing behind his pierced lips.
"What? Don't trust me?" The man spoke with sarcastic innocence, calming any worry Julian had.
"No....it's nothing. Thank you." The man smile silently, leading Julian to a parked Gallardo. He actually opened the door for Julian, causing a light blush to appear over the pale boy's face. That was a strange token of kindness.
"Chivalrous..." Julian spoke coyly as he sat in the plush passenger seat, wrapping the seatbelt over his chest. Once the man entered the driver's side, he smiled.
"What can I say? I'm a nice guy." Their conversation throughout the drive muchly consisted of such commentary.
Julian's heart leaped when he began to recognize buildings. He was in his comfort zone. The car stopped in front of a very freshly painted building, completely red. "Well, here we are." The dark man turned off the car, looking at Julian. "Shall I walk you to the door?" Julian laughed.
"Why, that would be lovely, good sir." The two piled out of the car, walking up the redstone walkway to the doors. Julian turned to the man and thanked him. "Thank you so much for the ride. I never caught your name, though..." The man shrugged.
"It's not important. Maybe next time. Later." The man nodded before turning and walking back. The uncomfortable feeling came again as Julian waved weakly.
"What a strange man..." He mumbled as he walked in to the building.
He didn't wait in the line to be seated. He simply waved to the hostess. She knew him well. She was, after all, dating his brother. She nodded at him and pointed to the back. Slipping past the crowd, Julian headed into the dining area. He walked to one of the corners, his usual spot. There was Gabriel, waiting patiently. Well, not patiently. He was strumming his painted fingers on the table. But he stopped the moment he felt someone coming close. He looked up at Julian, "Hey! Finally decided to show up." Julian slid into the seat opposite the feminine man.
"Sorry...I got lost." Gabriel snorted.
"Lost?"
"Yes. Because of this." Julian slipped the magazine that had started the problem onto the table. Gabriel squealed and yanked it towards himself.
"Oh wow! This just came out today! Thanks!" Julian nodded and rested his chin in his palm.
"Anything for you."
"So how'd you find your way back, my lovely lost sheep?" Gabriel asked, his eyes glued to an article about hair volume. Julian ran his tongue across his lips, wondering if he should explain his encounter. Why not? Gabriel would appreciate a war story.
"Well..." Julian started. Gabriel's eyes rolled up to look at the boy struggle to explain. "I met this guy." There was a slight movement, Gabriel had leaned in and rocked the table separating the two. Julian paused. "...Right. So, I met this guy and he was nice enough to give me a ride."
"Really?" Gabriel asked with enthusiasm, "What did he look like?"
"He had black hair...pretty long, a bit passed his shoulders. He had...strangely enough, purple eyes. Contacts, I guess. Ooh, and a snakebite piercing on his lip. He was dressed in all black, too." Julian titled his head. "Why?" He noticed that his companion's lip was quivering, as if trying to say something. Suddenly, a mad fangirl-like squeal came from the small boy. Julian cringed, his ears aching by the sudden outburst.
"Oh my god! Wait...was he driving a black Gallrado?"
"Yes?" The squeal came again, causing Julian to cover his eyes. Gabriel danced a little in the booth, his hands clapping together.
"Oh my god, oh my god! Dude, you...you were given a ride by Zackariah!"
"Zacka-who?" Julian asked, unsure of whether he truly wanted to know. Gabriel apparently knew this man and found him worthy enough to spazz over. An ache reached his heart.
"Zackariah! He's like only the most sexy guy in town! I met him at Aleera's old job. You know. When she was working in that strip club on 17th Street? He's soooo amazing..." The dark-haired boy swooned. Julian forced a smile, nodding.
He zoned out halfway through the conversation, most of which was focused on why this Zackariah was god-like. Julian remembered now. Gabriel had spoken of him before. One night, Gabriel went on a whole rant about this man he had met and why the two were meant to be. Then, as now, it had hurt Julian. He was losing this one-sided war to a stranger.
Though the lunch had been nice and Gabriel's company was appreciated, Julian failed to find his smile once he parted ways with his beloved friend. Was this that man's doing? For some reason, Julian felt immense jealousy that had never once plagued him before. Perhaps because the man now had a name and a face, the threat had become more real. He wasn't sure if the man had some sixth sense but he hoped he was heard when he said, "I'm not going to lose him to you. Not yet."
Julian leaned back, his eyes adjusting to the now distant text on his computer screen. "Hm..." He murmured. He brought his hand to his chin, rubbing it as his eyes reread his work. All seemed proper. From there, he laid back in his chair. Was that the last of the prescriptions? He hoped so. His fingers throbbed. From seven o'clock that morning to now, they had been put to the test of their durability. From the morning to noon, they were spent morphing the flesh and bone of people requesting cosmetic miracles and from noon to now, they were forced to exhale medical infomation.
A knock on the door thew Julian's mind off his previous work. "Come in," He spoke in a tone melted in softness. The door swung open and in entered one of his interns. What was her name? He pondered. His memory hadn't always been one of the most dependable ones. The girl put her hands on his hips, a scowl coming to her. Julian simply blinked in confusion. "Yes?" He asked, curious as to the reason of her expression.
"Mr. Beauvais, I just got a call from one of your friends. Gabriel, I do believe? Why didn't you tell us you had to take off early?" The girl asked. The confused look hadn't left Julian's face. Then, like a switch, he remembered and gasped.
"Oh right! I had plans for lunch with Gabriel today!" He rose clumsily, almost tripping over his chair. "I completely spaced, oh...I hope he wasn't mad..." He stumbled over to a large wooden armoire. He opened it, and stood in front of it. He slipped off the white coat that had been draped over him, stashing it messily inside before closing the doors. The girl who had been standing in the room shook her head. Her boss, though a brilliant man, was a complete noob when it came to his own social life.
"Mr. Beauvais...it's alright. He didn't sound mad, just worried. I'm sure if you leave now, you'll make it in time. He told me to remind you that he was at your brother's shop...Strawberry Bistro, okay?"
"Yes, yes...of course. Thank you, uh....uh..."
"Heather."
"Yes! Thank you, Heather. Please take good care of the office while I'm gone!" The blonde waved as he disappeared from the room. Heather could only hope he didn't fall down the stairs in his frazzled stupor. Again.
Julian jogged down the several flights of stairs until he reached outside. There he took a moment's break. He was out of breath already. Funny how even when he wasn't in his presence, Gabriel always led to Julian's breath being taken away in some form or manner. As he rose from trying to regain control over his lungs, Julian smiled. Ah, Gabriel. The mere thought of him brought a smile to his lips. There was no subtly involved. The boy simply drove Julian mad with passion. They'd known each other for about three years and each day, it seemed, the love grew. Sure, it was one-sided but that didn't matter.
Julian's mind moved on, though. Once his lungs had returned to functioning properly, he turned and walked down the sidewalk. He eventually came to stop at a walkway when a newstand's inventory called to him. Specifically, he spotted the new issue of Cosmopolitan. Within the confines on his mind, the thought of Gabriel rose once more. Didn't he like that magazine? Julian approached the newstand, taking the issue in his hands. He purchased it and started on his way once more. Temptation knocked, though. What was so great about this magazine? As he recalled, his friend had purchased every issue to date. Julian opened the magazine up. "Hm....Let Him Notice You!: 8 Tips on How to Catch a Guy's Eye. ...Interesting." It was as if the magazine had been written for him. Who was he to ignore this sign?
Of course, with his mind focused on trying to find ways to lead his love life away from starvation, Julian didn't realize he had taken the left turn instead of right. By the time he realized, he was someplace unfamiliar. The architecture was old and abandoned. Was...was this the ghetto? Julian looked around. There weren't any people to ask for directions. His expression became fearful and uncomfortable. "Oh no...." He bit his lip and tried to find a street sign. It was times like these he wished he had a cell phone, for he could have called someone to pick him up.
Julian walked up and down the cracked pavement, trying to find someone or some sign to lead him back. But no signs came. He stopped in front of a few small townhouses. He tried to peer through the windows. Maybe some old lady was home and would be kind enough to help him? No such luck. He sighed in defeat, settling onto a very weathered bench.
Julian fiddled with his glasses when the heavy sound of footsteps startled him. He looked up to see a man looming over him. The man's appearance was frighteningly beautiful, as his dark outline stood to test the bright serenity of the sky. "You lost?" His voice was as could be imagined, husky and deep. Julian's throat tickled, no words able to push through. So instead, he nodded. "Figured. You look too clean to be from here. Where you headed?" Julian felt stupid, unable to form complete words.
All that he could muster was, "S....St....Straw....Be...Um." The man seemed unaffected, as if he was accustomed to such stupidity.
"Strawberry Bistro? That's...like....on the other side of town. Man, you're REALLY lost."
Julian fiddled his fingers,"Sorry...I got distracted and....well, before I knew it, I was here." The dark-haired man nodded, looking Julian up and down.
"I see. Well, I'm headed in that direction. If you don't find me scary, I'll be happy to drive you."
"R-really?" Julian asked, half excitied but half unsure. The man grinned, his teeth appearing behind his pierced lips.
"What? Don't trust me?" The man spoke with sarcastic innocence, calming any worry Julian had.
"No....it's nothing. Thank you." The man smile silently, leading Julian to a parked Gallardo. He actually opened the door for Julian, causing a light blush to appear over the pale boy's face. That was a strange token of kindness.
"Chivalrous..." Julian spoke coyly as he sat in the plush passenger seat, wrapping the seatbelt over his chest. Once the man entered the driver's side, he smiled.
"What can I say? I'm a nice guy." Their conversation throughout the drive muchly consisted of such commentary.
Julian's heart leaped when he began to recognize buildings. He was in his comfort zone. The car stopped in front of a very freshly painted building, completely red. "Well, here we are." The dark man turned off the car, looking at Julian. "Shall I walk you to the door?" Julian laughed.
"Why, that would be lovely, good sir." The two piled out of the car, walking up the redstone walkway to the doors. Julian turned to the man and thanked him. "Thank you so much for the ride. I never caught your name, though..." The man shrugged.
"It's not important. Maybe next time. Later." The man nodded before turning and walking back. The uncomfortable feeling came again as Julian waved weakly.
"What a strange man..." He mumbled as he walked in to the building.
He didn't wait in the line to be seated. He simply waved to the hostess. She knew him well. She was, after all, dating his brother. She nodded at him and pointed to the back. Slipping past the crowd, Julian headed into the dining area. He walked to one of the corners, his usual spot. There was Gabriel, waiting patiently. Well, not patiently. He was strumming his painted fingers on the table. But he stopped the moment he felt someone coming close. He looked up at Julian, "Hey! Finally decided to show up." Julian slid into the seat opposite the feminine man.
"Sorry...I got lost." Gabriel snorted.
"Lost?"
"Yes. Because of this." Julian slipped the magazine that had started the problem onto the table. Gabriel squealed and yanked it towards himself.
"Oh wow! This just came out today! Thanks!" Julian nodded and rested his chin in his palm.
"Anything for you."
"So how'd you find your way back, my lovely lost sheep?" Gabriel asked, his eyes glued to an article about hair volume. Julian ran his tongue across his lips, wondering if he should explain his encounter. Why not? Gabriel would appreciate a war story.
"Well..." Julian started. Gabriel's eyes rolled up to look at the boy struggle to explain. "I met this guy." There was a slight movement, Gabriel had leaned in and rocked the table separating the two. Julian paused. "...Right. So, I met this guy and he was nice enough to give me a ride."
"Really?" Gabriel asked with enthusiasm, "What did he look like?"
"He had black hair...pretty long, a bit passed his shoulders. He had...strangely enough, purple eyes. Contacts, I guess. Ooh, and a snakebite piercing on his lip. He was dressed in all black, too." Julian titled his head. "Why?" He noticed that his companion's lip was quivering, as if trying to say something. Suddenly, a mad fangirl-like squeal came from the small boy. Julian cringed, his ears aching by the sudden outburst.
"Oh my god! Wait...was he driving a black Gallrado?"
"Yes?" The squeal came again, causing Julian to cover his eyes. Gabriel danced a little in the booth, his hands clapping together.
"Oh my god, oh my god! Dude, you...you were given a ride by Zackariah!"
"Zacka-who?" Julian asked, unsure of whether he truly wanted to know. Gabriel apparently knew this man and found him worthy enough to spazz over. An ache reached his heart.
"Zackariah! He's like only the most sexy guy in town! I met him at Aleera's old job. You know. When she was working in that strip club on 17th Street? He's soooo amazing..." The dark-haired boy swooned. Julian forced a smile, nodding.
He zoned out halfway through the conversation, most of which was focused on why this Zackariah was god-like. Julian remembered now. Gabriel had spoken of him before. One night, Gabriel went on a whole rant about this man he had met and why the two were meant to be. Then, as now, it had hurt Julian. He was losing this one-sided war to a stranger.
Though the lunch had been nice and Gabriel's company was appreciated, Julian failed to find his smile once he parted ways with his beloved friend. Was this that man's doing? For some reason, Julian felt immense jealousy that had never once plagued him before. Perhaps because the man now had a name and a face, the threat had become more real. He wasn't sure if the man had some sixth sense but he hoped he was heard when he said, "I'm not going to lose him to you. Not yet."
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