Angelo laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. Silvia had given him a room close to hers, the wallpaper was floral, and dark red, the furniture black, it was very much what he expected Silvia’s home to look like.
It was pretty late but for the first time in a while, he couldn’t sleep. Angelo didn’t miss this, the empty, endless nights, the darkness that stretched on forever. A glass of wine would have been perfect at that moment.
Like it had been for the whole day, his thoughts constantly drifted to Nikolai. Their sudden separation reminded him of just how temporary their arrangement had been and how easily he could go back to not being a part of the Mafia King’s life.
He laid down stiffly, his gaze fixed on the distant roof. It had barely been a day but he was back to feeling listless. The same listlessness he felt right after Nikolai agreed to let him go.
He didn’t sleep all night, dawn creeping around the edges of his vision like the butt of a lit cigar in the dark room.
Silvia knocked gingerly on the door and poked her head in a few hours later. She was fully dressed in a red dinner dress despite it being in the morning, her black hair had a controlled wildness about it.
"Up yet, Angelo?" Her quiet voice stirred in the otherwise deathly quiet room.
Angelo sat up, keeping it to himself that he hadn’t slept even a wink all night. "Yes."
"Do you want to come along with me to the company?" Silvia took a measured step inside, then another, her ringed fingers deftly putting on a muted lamp.
"Can I stay here?" Angelo asked, his tone inflectionless.
Silvia didn’t know if she should be happy or not about this outcome. She had thought it would be harder to keep Angelo inside, plus she had been looking forward to him keeping her company all day.
"Of course you can," She agreed easily. As much as she would be happier if Angelo spent the day napping in his favorite chair in her office, this was a much safer alternative.
"There’s breakfast in the kitchen, and if you need anything, the guys outside will get it for you." She listed off.
Angelo acquiesced silently and laid back down, his hair splayed out, blankets up to his chest.
Silvia hesitated for a bit, a look of concern on her face, the next couple days or weeks would be very tense, for a handful of reasons.
Angelo only got out of bed to clean up, reminded that he had wanted to get a better variety of clothes when he came to Silvia’s. But right then, he didn’t want to get out of bed, his appetite was non-existent, and he couldn’t even fall asleep.
He got back in bed and curled up, it would just be for a few days... he should try to sleep.
Angelo did get up to eat, knowing that if he didn’t, Silvia would make a fuss. Eating gave him something to do for a short while, and he managed to fall asleep after eating.
Silvia returning late in the afternoon caught his attention. He rose up and sat at the edge of the bed, a frown playing on his lips.
"Did you forget something?" He had to ask, Silvia leaving the company before midnight was considered early.
"No, I’m home," Silvia pushed a hand through her hair, "Did you stay in your room all day?" She walked in to open the curtains to let some light into the dim room. Her tone held no judgment, just genuine curiosity.
Angelo’s frown didn’t fade, "You didn’t have to return early for me." He rose to his feet, the warm light of the afternoon putting some color in his otherwise pale skin.
Silvia just waved a hand, "It wasn’t like I was having the best time of my life being a workaholic. It’s nice coming home to someone." She gave him a happy smile.
Her care for Angelo didn’t stem from her owing him something or feeling pity, he was important to her and she enjoyed his company, however quiet and gloomy it may be.
"I got you shortcake," She tagged on, "It’s in the living room. I’ll take a shower and come join you."
Angelo let out a breath, feeling a bit lighter. He hadn’t seen it that way, thinking that Silvia was so worried about him she inconvenienced herself for his sake.
It was a cool afternoon despite the sunshine so he put on some socks and made his way to the living room, wondering if he could take his comfortable blanket along.
He found the cake sitting on the center table in the living room, it was in a pink and white bag, and it seemed like Silvia had deliberately made a stop on her way back to get it for him.
Angelo took the bag and curled up on the couch, rifling through it. He couldn’t remember anyone thinking about him during their day and deciding to do something about him by getting him a little treat.
He took out a strawberry shortcake in a plastic casing, noting that there was only one, aside the brownies and sparkly cupcakes. Silvia had gotten this just for him.
Angelo stared at the shortcake in his hands, dredging up an old memory that he thought he had completely lost. He didn’t remember much about his childhood, they had to move so often that the houses all blended into one single house that was as unfamiliar as it was familiar.
They were well off growing up, well it seemed that way. His homes were modest but decent, little nondescript family homes that his dad no doubt chose to better hide. No one would expect an assassin to live in a quiet blue-collar neighborhood.
They were well off but his entire childhood consisted of cowering in corners and barely getting enough to eat. A fancy treat like a shortcake was something he never dreamed of, his mother being free of injuries was all he wanted.
If his childhood had been completely different, maybe his mom would have bought him shortcakes on her way back from work.