After their midnight meal, they hung in the living room for a couple hours more, Angelo saying nothing even when Nikolai trailed after him to his own room.
He had slept too much and now he wasn’t too eager to fall asleep, so he curled up in the sitting area after making sure Nikolai went to sleep.
It was dawn now, and it had somehow managed to get colder. He was bundled up in spare blankets he had pulled out of the closet, content to sit in the dim room.
It was always so bizarre to think about how the strange relationship he had with Nikolai had started out. He had tried to kill the Mafia King, yet here he was sleeping in his bed without a care in the world.
Angelo glanced over at the bed where Nikolai was still fast asleep, rising to his feet to get a closer look at him on a whim. Nikolai’s expression was strained, it didn’t look like he was having a restful sleep, it made Angelo frown.
He quietly tiptoed back to where he was seated, unaware of Nikolai’s eyes on his back. Angelo got comfortable on the chair again and looked over to the bed to find Nikolai still fast asleep.
Nikolai had mentioned him paying Silvia a visit, but the Mafia King hadn’t said when. It was a little off to him because if Silvia wanted to see him, she would call him directly to ask, and he wouldn’t hesitate to visit her.
But if Nikolai wanted him out of the apartment for a few days, he wouldn’t question it.
Angelo’s gaze drifted to the window, the curtains were mostly drawn, he could only see a bit of the brightening sky. He wrapped his arms around his knees and rested his head, he hadn’t thought much about his mom in the past few weeks.
He didn’t feel guilt like he thought he would, all his mom’s killers were dead. He would never be able to completely wash the blood clean off his hands, but now he could peacefully pay a visit to his mom without thinking of the next target.
Maybe he should pay her a visit while he was at Silvia’s... Angelo’s thoughts trailed off as he looked back at the bed, unable to keep his attention off the sleeping Alpha for too long.
Nikolai never spoke about his mother, it made him curious about the kind of person she was. He didn’t quite know how to bring it up, though.
When the first rays of sunlight fell on the carpet, Angelo grudgingly rose to his feet, shedding his blanket cover.
He cleaned up in the bathroom, and by the time he came back, Nikolai was long gone, the Alpha’s scent fading. He dressed up and went off to wait for Nikolai in the living room, another day off wouldn’t hurt either of them.
Angelo was dressed in a hoodie and loose pants, his hair down around his face, socks on his feet to keep away the ever-growing chill.
Nikolai showed up just as he got bored and picked up the remote. The Mafia King was fully dressed, an unlit cigar in a hand. "Silvia will be here to pick you up in a few hours."
Angelo couldn’t find an appropriate response to that. Nikolai seemed a bit cold that morning, the dark circles under his eyes not really helping. He simply nodded and watched the Mafia King head out, he could just be seeing things, but Nikolai’s shoulders seemed weighted down.
But he hadn’t forgotten that he was just a stranger to Nikolai, the Alpha certainly wouldn’t appreciate him butting into his private life.
He turned off the television as the door closed and rose to his feet, antsy for a reason he could quite place. He wandered to the kitchen, where there were still leftover items from their midnight escapade. The only edible items in the pristine kitchen were the cheap packs of cup noodles and the precut veggies he had stowed in the fridge.
The kitchen felt colder, lonelier... Angelo turned away and headed to his room. There was really no reason to pack up if he was only going to be staying a few days, besides, he had been thinking of getting a few more clothes.
Nikolai had been more hurt than he was, but the Mafia King was already back to work. Angelo would never understand how much responsibility he actually had to deal with.
A part of him wanted to offer to help shoulder some of that, a big part of him, a part that was as alien as it was loud. The Mafia took his mom from him, specifically the Lauder Mafia... but these days, he thought about his mom less, Nikolai filling up the space.
By the time Silvia showed up, Angelo was impatiently pacing in the living room, trying to figure out what felt odd. Nikolai was the last person to hide behind lies, if the Mafia King had gotten sick of him, he would get rid of him right away.
Silvia paused at the door, concern in her black eyes. Angelo looked like he had a lot on his mind. She had emphasized to Nikolai how important it was to keep Luis Caddel a secret from Angelo...
"Hey," Silvia started hesitantly, "You don’t look so great."
Angelo was already walking past her - it was still morning, but it was never too soon to grab a drink. "I’ve been better," He muttered, "Are you busy?"
Silvia’s expression turned grim, preparing for the worst. Nikolai had pointed out to her that Luis Caddel had all the resources of the High Council at his disposal, she knew exactly what that meant.
She had to be extra careful, if Luis already knew that Angelo was with Nikolai, who knew what the bastard could do?
"Why?" She kept up the pace, stepping into the elevator after him.
"Let’s get drinks," Angelo suggested, the very last thing Silvia expected to hear.
She was visibly caught off guard. she had planned to keep Angelo in the safety of her room until Luis was dead, but it wasn’t every day Angelo made such requests, not to mention, it would help sell her deceit.