Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nero still remembers the exact day his new neighbor moved in next door. It was raining, just like every other important day in his life. The whole thing was seared into his memory. It was the first time he met someone who looked more broken than he was.

He’d offered to help the guy with his boxes but quickly realized the only things he had were in the single box he clutched tight to his chest. Most of them were dingy and smelled like smoke, but not the kind from cigarettes - the kind from fire.

“Well, if ya need anythin’ I’m right next door. I know how much it sucks gettin’ moved into a new place and realizin’ yer missing shit ya need,” Nero had offered as offhandedly as he could manage.

The man had turned violet eyes completely devoid of life onto him and nodded dully. “Thank you.”

“Sure thing, man,” Nero amicably replied.

The man tried to open his door but found it wouldn’t open. It was simply the first problem in a long list when it came to broken shit in the building. The man tried to juggle his box in his arms while pushing to open the door to no avail.

“Oh shit, does it stick? This building is a fuckin’ hell hole, man. Lemme try,” Nero said as he moved over to give the door a try. He fiddled with it a bit before finding just the right way to turn the knob to get it open. “There ya go! It’s finicky, be careful with it. I’d tell ya to talk to maintenance ‘bout it but they won’t do shit.”

Nero tried to be cheerful and smiled at his new neighbor. “Name's Nero. This place sucks, but the rent is cheap so it’s great for getting yer feet under ya, so I can’t fault it for that. I’m a cook down at the diner across the street so dependin’ on my shift I wake up at the ass crack of dawn or I’m up just as late. I think I’m pretty quiet so hopefully we can get along. Nice ta meet ya.”

The man nodded lamely and adjusted his box in his arms as he offered his own name without preamble, “I’m Faust. Thank you for your help with the door.”

And just like that he was gone, hiding himself away in his apartment, leaving Nero alone in the hall to ponder what all that was. He rather figured that would be the end of it, until the fateful knock on his door at just before midnight. As soon as he opened his door and saw the mess standing outside it, he knew he was fucked. So completely and utterly and monumentally fucked.

You see, Nero has this really awful habit of seeing people who look like they need help, and then going out of his way to try to make things better for them. He just sees a mess and has to clean it up. He sees something broken and wants to fix it. It’s stupid and hasn’t ever done him any good in his life, but there it is. He just can’t help it. His heart probably skipped a beat when he saw the man outside his door at all hours of the night, looking for help.

Faust stood there, in ratty black sweatpants and a t-shirt that was far too big for him, barefoot and with his hair hanging in wet stringy waves. “I’m sorry to bother you, but could I possibly borrow a bowl. And a spoon. I bought the milk and cereal but I forgot….” he explained in words far too well spoken to fit his appearance.

Nero hadn’t quite fallen asleep yet, but he had been trying, so his own appearance was equally bedraggled. He yawned and blinked a few times before laughing and responding, “Yeah, sure. Just a sec.” He left the door open as he walked over to his kitchen cupboards and rummaged around a bit. He pulled out a plate, bowl, coffee mug, and then a set of silverware from the drawer and carried it all back over to Faust who was hovering in the door.

Faust blinked down at the items Nero had shoved into his hands and then quietly said, “Thank you. I’ll return these tomorrow.”

Nero ran his fingers through his hair and offered, “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ve got plenty and I never have company, honestly ya can just keep ‘em if it helps ya out. Do ya need a pot or pan or anythin’?”

Shaking his head, Faust declined, “No. I’m fine. I have cereal.”

And that's how it happened. Nero couldn’t just let the man subsist on cereal. He looked like he’d happily shut himself away in that apartment and die if nobody kept an eye on him. And Nero really didn’t want to deal with the cops coming around to investigate the stench of a rotting corpse in the apartment next to his so he’d really rather not let that happen to Faust. Not to mention he kinda, well…. He knew it was stupid and way too quick, but he kinda liked Faust already.

“Please tell me ya eat real food sometimes and not just that junk,” Nero’s brain was halfway through imagining pulling Faust into his apartment, sitting him down at the table and making him an omelet, before the man even had time to respond.

The first real emotion Nero saw from him crossed Faust’s face as he narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow in a pained expression. “I made you worry. I’m sorry. I can go several days without eating so please don’t worry about me.” He turned and went to shuffle off to his door, leaving Nero watching.

The protests and offers of food were already forming in Nero’s mind when Faust couldn’t open his door and after a struggle looked over at him pitifully and said “It won’t open.”

Nero grinned and explained, “Well, that’s fine, innit? Seein’ as I’m making ya somethin’ to eat. Come on. I’ll open the door for ya after you’ve eaten some real food.” He leaned casually in his doorframe waiting for his neighbor’s response.

Faust looked at him in shock before turning back to his door and very forcefully turning the handle. His panicked movements made it difficult to hold the dinnerware in his hands and the mess of the evening continued as the plate fell and Nero rushed over to catch it.

“Hey man. I know I said ya could keep ‘em but maybe don’t break ‘em first thing, yeah?” Nero rubbed his neck and he held the plate back out for Faust. “Look, I couldn’t sleep anyway so a midnight snack don’t sound bad. I’m gonna make myself something, yer free to join me. Or hell, I can just drop it on yer doorstep like take-out if ya want.”

“Why do you care?” Faust asked as he took the plate in his hand and tried again to balance everything.

Nero grinned and honestly said, “Damn, yer stubborn, ain’t ya? Look…I’m not tryin’ to be pushy. I just know how much it sucks to go to bed hungry and ya kinda look like ya could use someone to just, I dunno. Do somethin’ nice for ya. If I’m buggin’ ya it’s fine, I’ll go. See ya around.” He nodded casually and then turned to go back to his apartment and be done with the whole ordeal.

“Wait….” Faust whispered.

Turning to look over his shoulder at the pitiful man behind him, Nero just grinned and nodded towards his own apartment. “Well, come on, then.”

The apartment was impeccably clean. Nero was a tidy man, and it helped that he wasn’t much one for clutter. He didn’t own a whole lot outside of what he really needed to get by. Probably because he still figured there was a good chance that guy would hunt him down someday and he’d need to skip town. It was hard to really put down roots when you had to constantly plan your next exit.

Faust stepped inside the space and just sort of awkwardly hung out by the door, waiting for instruction.

“You can come in ya know?” Nero called over from the kitchen, where he was already tying an apron around his waist and pulling a bowl down from the cupboard.

Faust nodded and took a few more steps inside, before setting the dinnerware from Nero on the counter and taking a seat on the stool, looking into the kitchen. “Should I do something to help?”

Nero shook his head, “Nah. I can’t deal with people messin’ with shit in my kitchen.” He laughed, to soften the blow, and added, “Don’t worry about it. Ya had a long day, right? Movin’ day always sucks.”

“Thank you,” was all Faust could muster.

Nero wanted to give some careless quip about him not being much of a talker, but he thought better of it and instead filled the silence by humming a gentle song as he cracked the eggs into the bowl with some salt and pepper and whisked it all together.

He cut off a chunk of butter and set it melting in the pan, turning it slowly in his hand to coat all the sides. With skill and casual precision, he tipped half the bowl into the pan and let it cook. “Ya do eat eggs, right? Is cheese ok?” he asked, realizing he probably should have asked that earlier. He was so used to everybody eating eggs at the diner that he hadn’t even thought to ask.

“Yes. Thank you,” Faust succinctly answered.

“Right. Got it,” Nero kept his own words to a minimum. If Faust didn’t want to talk then he figured that was fine, no need to pry. He’d feed him tonight and then send him home and he could wash his hands of the whole thing. That could be his good deed. He didn’t need to drag it out and make it a thing.

Of course he was absolutely lying to himself, but that’s besides the point.

A quick sprinkle of grated cheese and a deft flip of the spatula was all it took for the omelet to be finished. Nero slid it from the pan and onto a plate with ease before pushing it in front of Faust and slamming a fork down next to it. “What ya want ta drink? Milk? Water? I can make some coffee? I’ve got some orange juice if ya want.” Nero asked as he opened the fridge with his foot while pouring the rest of the eggs into the pan to make his own food.

“Coffee?” Faust perked up at that and Nero laughed joyfully at the emotion before Faust quickly tried to brush it off and mumbled, “I mean if it’s not any trouble.”

“Sure thing!” Nero said as he kicked the fridge closed and while keeping one eye on the stove, he started the coffee maker. He listened closely and once he heard Faust pick up the fork he couldn’t help but stop everything he was doing and lean against the counter to watch his reaction.

Faust cut a small piece off the omelet with the side of his fork and then with an elegance that spoke of some unknown past, he took his first bite. A soft smile appeared on his face as his brows furrowed in a complex expression between sorrow and sheer happiness. Considering it was just about the most emotion Nero had seen from him yet, he considered that a resounding win.

By the time Nero had plated his own food, poured two mugs of coffee, and sat down, Faust had already cleaned his plate. “I take it the food was ok then?” he asked as he set one of the mugs down in front of Faust.

“Yes, it was delicious. Thank yo…there’s a cat on this mug….” Faust abruptly changed topic.

“Uh? Yeah. Guess there is. Why? Ya like cats er somethin’?” Nero asked as he scooped a pile of omelet into his mouth. He swallowed his food properly before adding, “Mine’s got one of those wheat designs from the ‘70’s, see?” he held his mug over for Faust to see. “Picked ‘em up when I first moved out on my own, cheap as fuck at the thrift store. I kinda like it though. It’s real homey, ya know?”

Faust’s fingers tightly gripped the mug as he looked at the little white cat outline on the black surface. “It’s cute….”

Nero couldn’t help but chuckle as he offered, without a second thought, “Yeah? I guess it kinda is. Why don’t ya keep that one and I’ll take back whatever one I gave ya earlier?”

“I…no, I couldn’t possibly. I can’t take this from you. Where is this thrift store? No, never mind. I won’t go looking for it. It’s not important,” Faust was suddenly saying more words than he had so far the whole day and Nero couldn’t help how it made his heart melt.

“Sure ya can keep it, it’s fine. I doubt we’d find another one like it at the thrift shop, god I bought that like 10 years ago er somethin’. But I can take ya there sometime, if ya want. It ain’t classy, but I figure neither is this place so it’s all good, right?” Nero felt like the whole ordeal had all been worth it for those 6 sentences Faust strung together and the way his eyes were practically glittering as he looked at the mug in his hands.

Faust tried to hide his excitement by taking a quick sip of his coffee, holding his mug tightly in both hands. When he thought Nero wasn’t watching he snuck another look at the cat design. Of course, Nero was still watching. How could he not be when Faust looked so god damned adorable like that? “If you’re sure it’s okay….” Faust trailed off, a serene smile on his face.

“Absolutely! It’s yours! Consider it yer housewarmin’ gift from me,” Nero cheerfully offered as he watched Faust, his hand resting on his palm while his elbow was propped up on the counter next to him.

“Thank you,” Faust genuinely said as he turned to look at Nero for the first time since he sat down. His eyes widened a bit in shock when he saw Nero watching him.

Nero quickly picked up his fork and went back to finishing his omelet. He shoveled the food in his mouth in a few bites and then without wasting any time stood up and cleared the empty plates and began the dishes.

“Nero,” Faust quietly said his name for the first time.

It wasn’t a big deal, really. But the fact that Faust had actually remembered his name somehow was the icing on the cake. He was once again reminded that he was completely and totally and irrevocably fucked.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Nero asked as he finished drying off the plates and putting everything away.

“Thank you for everything. That’s all. I just wanted to say that,” Faust’s reply was honest and straightforward.

Nero chuckled, “No problem, man. Any time. Seriously.”

Chapter Text

You remember that thing Nero was worried about? You know, the whole cops finding Faust’s corpse in the apartment because the guy just locked himself in and died on purpose, thing? It was exactly 5 days after he moved in that Nero started to really worry that might be what was about to go down.

He hadn’t been spying exactly. More like he was just keeping a lookout, you know. He’d honed his skills keeping an eye out for people coming and going when he was just a bratty kid and so it just kinda happened. Faust hadn’t left his apartment in 5 days. Not since he’d had the omelet and cat mug from Nero.

Nero was super certain he’d said then that he only had cereal to eat and didn’t need a pot or pan. And he hadn’t made a single sound in nearly as long. It was these thoughts, of the poor man starving to death right next door, that finally prompted Nero to action.

It was late on a Friday, so the building wasn’t busy. Anybody going had already gone and the only ones left were likely shut-ins, and Nero - the man with a perpetually swinging schedule. He casually walked up to Faust’s door and knocked. And waited. And knocked. And tried the handle.

Nothing. Ok. No big deal. He glanced over his shoulder and was startled to see the sickly kid from down the hall wandering his direction. “Oh yo! Hey Joshua! How’s it goin’?” He casually leaned against the door to establish the confidence needed to persuade someone he wasn’t doing anything nefarious.

Joshua just looked at him dully and nodded “It’s ok. My friend Theo was supposed to come over tonight but he couldn’t make it.” He didn’t stay to chit-chat and instead padded down the hall towards the stairs.

“Hang in there dude!” Nero called after him. As soon as he turned the corner Nero went back to work, pulling a small lock picking set out of his pocket. He was in the door in all of 7 seconds. He grinned smugly as he pocketed his tools and took one last casual glance behind him to be sure he was in the clear.

Closing the door behind him quietly, he flicked on the lights and took in the empty, unlived space that Faust was calling home. The stack of dishes were still on the counter where they’d probably been left that night Nero gave them to him.

Nero glanced over into the precious cat mug sitting there, the only thing that had been used. It had a dried stain of some sort in it that he was certain hadn’t been there when he gifted it. He fought the urge to immediately take it to the sink and wash it.

“Hey, Faust!! Ya home?? Sorry I let myself in. I smelled gas, thought maybe ya left the stove on,” Nero lied through his teeth. There was nothing but an eerie silence in response. “Faust?”

He took a few silent steps into the living room and found the lone box that Faust had moved in with sitting in the middle of the floor in the otherwise empty room. He glanced into it as he walked past. His eyes caught a photo of a happy group of people surrounding Faust and another man. The other man’s face had been scratched out of the photo. Nero shook his head and told himself not to worry about it, it wasn’t his business.

“Faust?” Nero tried again as he opened the door to the bedroom. As soon as he did he was bombarded with emotions happening all at once. The body on the floor sent his mind reeling to when he was still a shitty kid and the memory of the blood all over the kitchen. Then his logic kicked in and he realized how absolutely fucked he was if the cops found him, of all people, with a dead body.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, no. Faust. Fuck,” he started swearing, and then at the name his heart started aching as he realized that guy might be dead. He hardly knew him and he shouldn’t care but it hurt so much to think about because he’d already let him in. Nero always did this shit, getting attached too soon. “Fuck, fuck, Faust. Hey. Hey.”

Nero let his compassion win over his logic telling him not to get his fingerprints everywhere and he rushed to Faust to check his vitals. As soon as he realized he was breathing his shoulders relaxed and he blurted out, “Oh thank fucking god.” His relief was short-lived though as he went immediately into care-taking mode.

He looked around at Faust’s empty room and sighed before very gently sliding his arms under the unconscious man and hoisting him up, effortlessly. He quickly carried him to his own apartment next door, grabbing the dirty cat mug on his way out.

As he walked into his own apartment he sighed internally as he made a mental note of this not really being the way he imagined carrying Faust into his apartment for the first time. He shook his head at his own ridiculous fantasies over a man he’d only just met. “Don’t be fuckin’ stupid, Nero,” he muttered to himself.

He kicked the door closed behind him and took Faust over to the sofa where he carefully laid him out, gently propping his head up on a pillow. He quickly began checking him over to determine how emergency the situation was. At least he could thank that asshole he refused to name for that much - all those years when he was a kid sure had taught him a lot about first aid.

Faust’s heartbeat and breathing were both normal, but Nero felt a mild fever when he pressed the back of his hand to Faust’s forehead. Closer examination made Nero certain he wasn’t actually unconscious, just sleeping and very weak. Sleeping like the dead, but sleeping none-the-less. He rushed to his kitchen and filled a bowl with cold water, grabbing a rag, before planting himself on the floor in front of the sofa and carefully applying the rag to Faust’s forehead. “Come on, Faust...don’t make me call an ambulance….”

Within a few minutes Faust’s eyes weakly fluttered open, he tried to focus but couldn’t. “I’m fine. Just leave me.” he muttered, as if he’d already given up. He closed his eyes again and looked like he was about to nod off.

“Fuck no! Hey, Faust, come on, snap outta it! What’s wrong man?” Nero pleaded as he began to feel that panic seep into his heart again. He dipped his hand into the cold water and then pressed his palm against Faust’s cheek and turned his head to look at him. “Hey, Faust. Talk to me or else I gotta get ya to the hospital,” he tried.

Faust muttered as he stirred, “No, not Figaro….” before he pulled himself out of it, and he finally managed to focus on Nero. “Nero? What are you doing? How’d you get in here?”

Sighing in relief, Nero chuckled, “I live here, dummy. I found ya passed out in yer apartment. I brought ya here since ya don’t own shit.” He sighed again and gently smiled, “Fuckin’ scared the shit outta me. What happened?”

Faust blinked a few times at him and it was the first time Nero noticed how vivid his violet eyes were. It made his breath catch in his throat. Responding like it wasn’t a big deal, Faust answered, “I was tired. I haven’t been sleeping well for a while.”

“Please tell me you’ve been eating at least,” Nero said, a soft expression painting his face as he carefully brushed Faust’s wet bangs aside to reapply the cloth. “Ya got a fever, Faust. Are ya tryin’ t’ kill yerself or somethin’?” It was just a casual question, he hadn’t thought before he asked it what he’d do if Faust said yes.

Faust closed his eyes and just muttered, “I’m tired.”

Nero bit his lip and scrunched up his face in pain as it sunk in how Faust had avoided answering the question. “Ok. Get a little sleep. I’m gonna make ya somethin’ to eat, ok? Any requests?”

It was too late for a response. Faust had already faded into sleep again. Nero sat watching him sleep for a while, trying to gauge how ill he was. After a while Faust’s face gently contorted into agonized expressions as he must have started having a nightmare. The sight ate at Nero’s heart so he finally pulled himself away to go make that food.

He grabbed the cat mug he’d carried over from Faust’s and diligently washed it until the stain was gone, smirking happily to himself at his good work. He couldn’t help but smile as he remembered how happy Faust had been about the cat mug. He wondered if Faust knew that he’d buy him everything he ever saw that had a cat on, if it would make him happy. He sighed to himself about what an idiot he was, already thinking like that over a guy he didn’t even know.

A guy he really didn’t know, he reminded himself as he wondered who the hell Figaro was. His mind roamed back to the picture he’d seen in the box and considered if maybe Figaro was the face scratched out of the photo. He pushed his stupid prying thoughts out of his head. He knew better than anybody some shit just needs to stay buried in the past.

Grabbing his phone off the counter he hit speed dial and wedged the phone between his shoulder and his ear. He kept his hands busy opening the fridge and pulling out some carrots, celery, and a container of broth he made a few days ago. “Hey, Kanaria? I’m real sorry to do this, but ya think ya can find somebody to cover for me tonight? Somethin’ came up that I really gotta deal with…oh? Yeah, great. Thanks. I swear I’ll make it up to ya later. Next time ya need someone on the shitty shift, I’m there…. Right. Later.” Nero nimbly dropped the phone from his shoulder onto the counter and set to work.

Nero expertly chopped the carrots, celery, onion and garlic before pushing it all off the cutting board and into the pot with a little butter. He tossed in some thyme and set it cooking while he pulled some chicken thighs out of his fridge. Without checking any measurements, he poured the broth into the pot and set the heat to simmer before adding salt, pepper, and the chicken. He covered the pot and pulled some noodles out of his pantry, wishing he had the time to make everything from scratch. Sighing, he added chicken noodle soup from scratch to his mental list of things he hoped to do for Faust someday. He wanted to make it with fresh noodles and all.

As the chicken cooked he leaned against the counter, trying to gather his thoughts. Part of him was nagging that he should run away now before it’s too late. This guy obviously has little regard for his own life and doesn’t seem to care if he dies, and Nero can’t do that again. He absolutely can’t do that again. But then the other part of him prompts him to look across the room at Faust’s sleeping form on the sofa and he knows he can’t do that. He’s already decided he’s going to do whatever he can to make sure he’s healthy, well-fed, and happy. Nero let out another deep sigh.

Casually flipping the button on the electric kettle, Nero waited for the water to boil as he dropped a teabag into Faust’s cat mug. He poured the boiling water over it to let it steep while he watched the simmering pot of soup, trying to think of what to say to Faust. Zoning out, he stared at the pale yellow-brown in the mug, wondering how he got himself here. He never called off work, and he hadn’t even let anyone into his apartment in ages and now here Faust was for the 2nd time in a week. He felt the agonizing pull of time as his thoughts began to spiral, before he finally pulled himself together and tossed the teabag in the trash before taking the tea out to Faust.

Kneeling down next to the sofa he spoke quietly, “Yo, Faust. I made some tea, ya should drink it. Dinner’ll be ready soon. Faust….” he gently rubbed Faust’s arm to try to wake him. “Hey, Faust, ya still alive?”

Faust’s eyes opened slightly as he groaned, “Unfortunately.”

Nero chuckled at what he prayed was a joke. “Glad t’ hear it. Here,” he offered Faust the cup and then seeing the difficulty he was having sitting up, snaked his arm behind his back and helped up. He reluctantly pulled his arm back after Faust was sitting on his own and handed over the mug.

Faust narrowed his eyes at it and commented, “It’s the cat mug….”

“Yeah well…ya know….” Nero laughed nervously and rubbed his neck. “Ya like it and I figured ya seemed sick so….”

“So you not only took me out of my home, but my belongings too?” Faust simply asked as he took a sip of the tea.

“Uhhh….”

Smiling gently Faust took another sip of his tea as he said, “It’s fine. Thank you for the tea. I’m sorry I worried you and made you go to so much trouble for me.”

“Hey don’t worry about it. No big deal. What are friends for?” Nero casually threw out the word to see if Faust would let it stick.

“Thank you, Nero,” he whispered, breathing in the steam from his tea.

Nero considered that a success. Ok, so friends it is. That’s good. That’s progress! “Dinner’ll be ready in a few. It’s just soup, but it should taste good!”

“I’m sure it will. Thank you.”

Nero went back to work in the kitchen, scooping the chicken thighs out of the pot and then dumping the noodles in to cook while he pulled apart the chicken and added it back into the pot. He ladled soup into two bowls and pulled two hunks of bread off the loaf and brought it all out to the coffee table. He didn’t have time to make bread at home often, but he always brought the extra from work back to use up so it didn’t go to waste at the end of the day. “It’s hot so be careful. Sorry the bread’s a bit stale, but it should still be fine with the soup.”

With great care, Faust pulled his legs off the sofa and put himself in a sitting position to eat. Nero sat down on the floor across from him, rather than next to him on the sofa. With more elegance than befitted his current state, or Nero’s apartment, Faust picked up the spoon and sipped the broth off the edge of it. “It’s delicious,” the corners of his lips turned up into the faintest smile.

Nero felt an ache in his heart at the sight of Faust enjoying his food for the second time since they’d met. He took a few spoonfuls of his own soup and had to agree, it turned out pretty great. “There’s plenty left over. I’m sending it home with ya when ya go, ok? And a pot to warm it up in too. And a pillow ‘n’ blanket…hey, Faust, did yer moving truck get lost or somethin’? Ya didn’t even have a bed….”

Faust’s shoulders stiffened and a slight panic flitted into his eyes for a moment. “Oh. No it’s not….”

“Hey, Faust. Whatever ya had planned, don’t do it, k? Ya see, I’m involved now, so….” Nero didn’t want to push too hard, but he wanted to do what he could. He tore off a chunk of bread and dipped it in his bowl before plopping it into his mouth as he tried to keep the mood casual, even as he figured he was begging for Faust’s life.

Faust’s face contorted in some sort of emotional pain and he closed his eyes and repeated again, “I’m sorry I worried you, Nero. Thank you for taking care of me. I….” he took a shaky breath and then a faint determination settled behind his eyes. “I was wondering if you would show me that store you mentioned. The one where you got the cat mug. I guess I should probably find a few things for my apartment and….”

Nero couldn’t help the wide smile that lit up his face. “Yeah! No problem, absolutely. When do ya wanna go? Tomorrow? No, yer probably not gonna be feelin’ up to it, but whenever just lemme know and I’ll be free.”

“But don’t you have work….”

“Ahhh, yeah, well. Whatever, it’s fine. Just lemme know when yer ready and I’ll be there,” Nero was beside himself with hope that maybe Faust actually was going to stick around. “Oh and, I don’t mean t’ be pushy er anythin’ but yer stayin’ here tonight until I make sure I don’t gotta take ya to the hospital or anythin’. I’ll get ya a pillow and some blankets and ya can sleep on the couch. It ain’t great, but it’s gotta be better than that floor at yer place, right?”

Faust’s eyes glittered as he nodded and whispered, yet again, “Thank you, Nero.” He turned his attention back to finishing the soup.

Nero’s attention, however, was all on Faust.

Chapter Text

It was a brutal grind. Nero’d been working so many hours he wasn’t even sure what day it was. Mostly it was an uneventful string of the same old bullshit at the diner. Most things went well, but there’d always be that occasional customer who was a dick about something. When he heard the waitress, Olivia, raising her voice from the dining area he could only sigh in resignation and wonder how long he should wait before he stepped out of the kitchen to intervene.

“So, what’ll it be?” Olivia asked with her notepad at the ready.

The man at the table quietly asked, “I was wondering if you have galettes? I didn’t see it on the menu but….”

“If it’s not on the menu then we don’t have it. You rich people are all the same. Fucking gayle-ettes, does this look like a French joint?” the waitress was quick to snap at the patron.

His eyes widened in shock behind his sunglasses. “No, I didn’t mean. I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to obtain special accommodations, I was just inquiring….”

Olivia shook her head at the man before narrowing her eyes and spitting out, “Hey! I know you….”

The customer quickly pulled his wide brimmed black hat down to cover his face better and said, “No. I’m sorry. I’m not him. You’ve got the wrong guy. I’m sorry this was a mistake. I’ll be going now.” He made a move to stand up and leave but was cut off by a voice coming their direction from the kitchen.

Nero wiped his hands on a towel and tossed it over his shoulder as he walked over to the table and putting on a stern face asked, “What’s the problem here? Ya weren’t harassing my waitress, were ya?” His eyes widened as he finally noticed who the customer was. “Oh, Faust? Hey, what ya doin’ here? Missed my cookin’?” he grinned.

“Yes. I mean no. I mean, yes, I did. I’m sorry. It was a misunderstanding. I shouldn’t have come here. I was just leaving. Sorry, Nero.” Faust tried to exit the booth he was sitting in, but the cook and the waitress had him blocked in.

Olivia explained, “He wanted some special order and I told him we ain’t got it.” She put her notepad in her apron pocket and rested her hands on her hips and she waited for Nero to sort the situation out.

“Oh? What’d ya want? We don’t really do requests here,” Nero said as he eyed Faust up and down, wondering if he always dressed like this, hiding under layers of black clothing.

“I told him that!” Olivia chimed in.

Faust tried to defend himself, “I know. I’m sorry, I was just asking. It’s fine. I was just leaving. I’m sorry I caused you trouble Nero.”

Nero grinned and put his foot up on the booth’s seat to completely block Faust in. Leaning forward and resting his elbow on his knee he teased, “Ya really do seem t’ cause me trouble every time we run into each other, don’t ya?”

Hanging his head in shame, Faust agreed. “I know. I’m sorry I keep causing you trouble.”

Laughing brightly, Nero patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it! I’m sorry I can’t make a galette. I make some mean fried eggs and potatoes, though. Some bacon? There’s lunch stuff too, if you’d rather have a sandwich or burger. Ya did say you missed my cookin’.”

“I. Well. Yes, I did say that,” Faust pursed his lips as he glanced over the menu and then decided that what Nero recommended must be best. “May I please have coffee, and this meal here with the eggs, hashbrowns and bacon?”

Nero pulled his foot off the bench and stood up to make mental note of Faust’s order. “How d’ya want the eggs?”

“Over-easy, if that’s no trouble,” Faust politely answered as he folded the somewhat greasy laminated menu closed and placed it on the edge of the table.

“No trouble at all, it’ll be right out,” Nero said as he grabbed the menu and put it away on his way back to the kitchen. “I’ll leave the coffee to you, Olivia!” He called over his shoulder.

“Nero Turner! You better not expect part of my tip for taking that order! That guy’s rich, I’ve seen him on TV. I swear to god, Nero!” Olivia yelled after him as he disappeared into the kitchen. “I ain’t giving you any of it!”

Olivia returned promptly with a full mug of coffee and tossed down a small bowl of creamer cups and then nodded to the little box full of sugar packets at the end of the table. “Sugar’s over there. If you need anything else just give me a holler!” She added a wink and pulled her shoulders back, causing her chest to bounce slightly as she put in the extra effort for her tip.

The show was lost on Faust as he instead marveled at the tiny cups of coffee creamer and packets of sugar. He was smiling faintly at them as he opened several to dump into his cup when Nero himself arrived with his fresh plate of food.

Nero smiled and laughed happily, “Yer playing with those just like a kid, Faust.” He set the plate down and then offered, “Careful, plates hot. Don’t burn yerself.”

Faust’s shoulders stiffened at the phrase, but he pulled himself past it and instead replied, “I must look foolish. I haven’t been in a place like this since I was a kid, so I guess I got caught up in the novelty of it.”

Looking around and finding the restaurant fairly empty, aside from a few customers who already had their food, Nero plopped himself down in the booth across from Faust. “There’s nothin’ special about coffee creamer cups and sugar packets, Faust,” he laughed.

Picking up his fork, delicately, Faust cut off a small bit of the fried egg white and placed it in his mouth before swallowing. “Yeah, I know. The places I’ve been recently had cream and sugar out fresh in little dishes so….”

Nero whistled as he sank down into the booth bench, placed his feet up on the other seat next to Faust, and dug his hands deep into his apron pockets. “Fancy! So Olivia wasn’t just makin’ shit up when she said yer rich, eh?”

Faust’s fingers loosened on his fork and it slipped from his hand before he could react. It fell on the floor with a clatter. “No, I…she’s mistaken. I’m not sure who she thinks I am but she has the wrong person. I’m not….”

Sensing he’d over-stepped a boundary, Nero pulled himself up out of the booth, picking up the fork on his way and said, “Hey, man. She was mistaken, it happens. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get ya a new fork. Just a sec.”

While Nero was getting him fresh cutlery, Faust adjusted his sunglasses awkwardly before taking a long gulp of his coffee, laden with cream and sugar. He made a face at the sickening sweetness of it.

Nero laughed again as he caught sight of Faust’s little disgusted face. Setting the fresh silverware down for him, Nero teased, “Just like a kid. Ya went and put too much shit in it, didn’t you?”

Faust defended himself by taking another gulp of the concoction and trying, and failing, to suppress his disgusted face. “No! I like it this way.”

“Sure, sure. Careful what ya say to me about yer food preferences, Faust. I always remember ‘em,” Nero said as he hovered at the end of the table. “Anyway. I guess I should head back to the kitchen. I am on the clock, and all. Is everything all right? Need anythin’ else?”

“It’s very good. Everything is fine. Thank you Nero,” Faust said as he picked up his fresh fork and went back to his meal.

“Glad t’ hear it!” Nero said and then turned on his heel to head to the kitchen.

“Oh! And Nero….” Faust quietly called after him.

“What’s up?”

“It’s good to see you,” Faust offered with a small smile.

Nero beamed at him, his whole boring awful workday made better by Faust’s visit. “You too!”

Faust savored every bite of his simple diner breakfast before settling his bill. He somewhat begrudgingly, due to her rudeness, left a sizable tip for the waitress and then waved goodbye to Nero who was busy at the grill.

As he walked out the door Olivia rushed to the kitchen and Faust could hear her gleefully telling Nero, “See? Told you, your friend’s rich, look at this!”

Faust sighed and pulled his hat down lower before heading home to retire for the day. The simple trip to the diner had been enough to exhaust him. It didn’t take long for him to kick off his shoes and climb under the blanket that Nero had given him.

It wasn’t just a blanket anymore, though. Even though Faust hadn’t seen Nero in a while, he kept finding boxes and items on his doorstep, as if his neighbor was hell bent on making sure Faust had everything he needed.

First he had found a foam camp mattress and bed sheets. The sheets were much too large for the small mattress, even though they seemed to be aimed at children. Faust couldn’t help but smile every time he saw the cartoonish cats printed all over them. It wasn’t perfect, but it went a long way towards helping him feel human again. He liked to strip down to his underwear and feel the cool sheets against his skin.

Then it had been a coffee maker and a small folding table and chair. A few days later a box with a few towels for the bathroom, and some for the kitchen was sitting on his doorstep. He knew he needed to get his shit together and go shopping and actually settle in - now that he’d decided to stay. But the truth was he was having too much fun reading the little notes Nero left on everything.

Faust carefully placed each note on his refrigerator, held up by little cat face magnets, one of the few things he owned from his life before he moved there. The note on the box of towels had a little cat face scribbled on it and said “Stop letting yerself air dry after ya shower. Heathen!”

Each new cat item both thrilled Faust, and also served to remind him that he really needed to let his new friend into his life a little bit more. It was obvious to him that Nero was using the one thing he knew that Faust liked in order to bring him joy. He pondered how nice it might be once Nero knew that he also liked books, and good wine. He had a fondness for candles and antiques like mirrors and candle holders - things that had seen long years of use. He liked stationary goods, crisp paper and new pens.

As he thought about all the things he hoped to let Nero know about in the future, he drifted off to sleep. He prayed that if he filled his brain with good thoughts about Nero and the future, that maybe the nightmares of the past wouldn’t haunt him while he slept.

For the first time in nearly a year, Faust felt like he had found a thread of hope to cling onto.

Chapter Text

To add to the ever-growing list of reasons Nero knew he was completely fucked - as soon as he got off work he found himself running to the grocery store and butcher, buying things to make galettes. He’d never even made a galette before. He’d actually had to Google it after Faust left the diner, just to make sure he was right about what it was.

After his week of overtime, every day a monotonous hell spent over the hot griddle, he was practically dead on his feet. Even in his exhausted-beyond-all-reason state, all he wanted to do was see Faust. So there he stood outside his apartment, arms laden with bags full of groceries and cookware, sure he looked like a pathetic dumbass.

“Hey Faust! Open up! It’s me!” Nero banged on the door to Faust’s apartment, the handles of one of his bags slipping up his arm and getting caught on his elbow as he did.

A few minutes later a very groggy looking Faust opened his door and demanded to know, “Do you have any idea what time it is? Don’t be so loud!”

“Faust. It’s like 7pm,” Nero offered as he shifted his bags around, to help with his tired arms.

Faust wore a momentary look of shock before narrowing his eyes and saying, “Well some of us sleep at that hour.”

Nero grinned at him as he looked the disheveled man up and down. Faust had changed out of his tailored black clothing from earlier at the diner and was now back in his sweatpants and oversized t-shirt. “Oh? So yer a creature of the night?”

Sighing, Faust explained, “It’s quiet and nobody is around to bother me.” He finally stopped to actually look at Nero and then offered, “Those look heavy, can I help?”

“Nah. I got it, but can I come in for a bit? If yer not busy,” Nero asked, hoping Faust would invite him in so all his planning and rushed grocery trip weren’t for nothing.

“O…kay….” Faust replied in confusion, as he stepped aside to let Nero in.

Nero kicked off his shoes and went straight to the kitchen, dumping his bags on the counter. “I hope yer hungry,” he cheerfully offered as he pulled a cast iron pan out of one of the bags.

Blinking at him, and then at the pan, Faust asked, “What is that?”

Nero held the cast iron skillet up proudly. “My prized possession! Don’t worry, I’m not leaving it here. I’d never trust anybody with this baby,” he explained as he put it on the stovetop.

“You brought your own skillet? You do remember you gave me one the other day, right? It’s in the cupboard,” Faust said as he closed the door and hovered awkwardly, like a stranger in his own home.

“Oh no, this ain’t just any skillet, Faust. Ya don’t understand. This baby has been lovingly seasoned over the past 8 years. I rescued her from a thrift store and nursed her back to health. She’s absolutely perfect, and the bacon I’m gonna fry in her will be too,” Nero spoke passionately with a glint in his eyes as he pulled a package of fresh sliced thick bacon out of the bag. “I even had time to hit up the butcher and get the good stuff!”

Faust looked at him with mild disgust before finally saying, “I’m going to ignore the way you’re talking about that frying pan like it’s a lover or something. You came over to cook?”

Reaching up and rubbing his neck, Nero explained, “Ah, well, ya know. After you were asking about galettes earlier I got to thinkin’ and realized I’ve never made any so I was kinda day dreamin’ about it all day. I figured ya might like t’ eat my experiments? If not, it’s fine, I can go do all this at my place.” He hoped he didn’t look too pathetic.

Faust’s brows knit together as he looked at Nero as if he were insane. Instead of voicing any of the concerns and confusion running through his head, he simply smiled weakly and said, “That’d be nice. The kitchen is all yours.”

Sighing a breath of relief, Nero went right back to work pulling things out of his shopping bags. “I was thinkin’ if I come up with somethin’ good I could get Kanaria to add it to the menu at the restaurant. So I figured somethin’ that uses the ingredients we already stock would be best. I’m gonna try something with cheese, potatoes, bacon and eggs.

“You do all this work off the clock?” Faust asked, concern seeping into his voice.

“I guess? It’s not a big deal. It’s somethin’ I wanna do, so…anyway, does that sound like somethin’ you’d eat? I’m not really sure what ya had in mind for the galette earlier when you asked for one.” Nero pulled a container from the bag and plopped it on the counter. “I made the dough earlier at work,” he offered as he winked at Faust like it was their little secret.

Nearly at a loss, Faust said, “That all sounds delicious.” He walked over to the counter and leaned there before saying, “I guess I really need to go buy some furniture, don’t I? I wish I had a stool for the counter.” He watched Nero for a moment before adding, “You’re really passionate about cooking, aren’t you, Nero?”

“Guess I am,” Nero chuckled. “Ya know, it’s always been my dream that someday I’d open my own joint. I don’t mind workin’ at the diner and Kanaria’s a great boss and all that, but, it’d be nice to call a place mine, ya know?” He pulled more cooking utensils out of the bags he’d brought and skillfully rolled out the dough.

Faust watched him intently and then said, “I think you should do it. I also think I should probably stock my kitchen a little better if I’m going to be friends with a cook, shouldn’t I?”

Nero’s hands stopped working out of shock. Faust hadn’t laughed at his dream. He quickly went back to work to try to distract from the wide smile that he couldn’t wipe off his face. “Well, I guess it would be easier for me to visit and cook here if ya had some damn furniture and appliances and stuff. I guess that means yer plannin’ on stayin’ for a while then?”

Humming in agreement Faust said, “Yeah, I guess it does. If you…wouldn’t mind…I’d still love it if you could show me that thrift store sometime. And maybe you could come with me shopping for appliances too? I’d like your input on what my kitchen needs.”

Nero transferred his circles of dough to a baking sheet and said, “Oh, yeah! I’m sorry I was so damn busy lately. A guy was off for the week at work and I had to basically cover all his shifts so I was working doubles. I’m free for a few days now, though.”

“You worked double shifts this whole week, just got off work, and you came here to cook some more instead of going home to sleep? Nero….” Faust narrowed his eyes and sounded like he was on the verge of scolding him.

Nero laughed as he moved the dough to the fridge so it stayed chilled while he worked on the filling. His eyes caught sight of all the notes he’d taped to the things he left on Faust’s doorstep the past week, all hung up on the refrigerator as if they were precious mementos. He felt like his heart might burst, but tried not to let on. “Don’t worry, I’ll sleep like I’m dead tonight. Are ya free Saturday? We could go then. We can take my car, if ya want?”

“Oh, you have a car? That’s unusual in the city. That would be helpful. Thanks, Nero,” Faust shifted on his feet at the counter before finally sighing and adding, “And please remind me to buy some stools for this damn counter.”

Nero couldn’t help but smile at Faust. This was the first time he’d really gotten to talk to him and Faust’s personality was starting to show. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little thrilled at the bite this seemingly mild man had. Grinning, he promised, “Will do!”

Faust sighed and eyed the height of the counter before hoisting himself up, where he sat near Nero’s work area, legs dangling over the edge. “By the way, you dropped the subject of your own restaurant. What’s holding you back?”

Moving on to the vegetables, Nero pulled out a cutting board and knife and began expertly dicing an onion. “Oh. It’s nothin’ it’s just a silly dream, that’s all. The loan to get started would probably ruin me and I doubt anybody would give me the money in the first place. I’m not exactly the kinda guy banks are falling over themselves to trust with a business.”

“I don’t think it sounds silly, but I guess I understand. Some dreams just aren’t meant to be,” Faust said as he watched Nero move on to slicing the potatoes.

Nero asked, “What’s yer dream then, Faust?”

“I don’t have any dreams or plans for the future anymore,” Faust succinctly offered.

Nero awkwardly stumbled ahead in the conversation, “Oh, well, ya got a job or anythin’?” He focused on his task of adding the bacon and diced onion to the frying pan so Faust didn’t feel too much pressure with his answers.

“I don’t work, currently. I…used to be a medical student. But I dropped out. That’s all in the past. I’m sort of still trying to figure some stuff out,” Faust offered honestly, while leaving out the details.

Focusing on the bacon, Nero lightly offered, “Wow. A drop-out med student! Ah, don’t worry, I ain’t judgin’. I’m a drop-out too.”

That piqued Faust’s interest so he asked, “Oh? You dropped out of college too? What were you studying?”

Nero rubbed his neck awkwardly before sighing and saying, “Ahhhhhh no. High school.”

Faust blinked at Nero’s back for a while in stunned silence before finally asking, “Nero…is that why you can’t open your own restaurant?”

Nero laughed, trying to shift the mood. He continued his work as he started the oven and pulled the dough circles from the fridge. He carefully arranged cheese, thinly sliced potatoes and onion on the dough. He added bits of bacon on top before folding the edges of the crust up. “Yeah, guess so,” he offered.

“Did you ever consider finishing? You know you can take a test and still obtain the equivalent of a diploma,” Faust asked, as delicately as he could.

Nero just shrugged. “I tried that once. Couldn’t manage it. I’m not cut out for learnin’, I guess.”

Faust screwed up his lips in thought as he considered. Finally he offered, “I’m not going to pressure you into anything but if you want, I can help you study for it. It’s not like I’m doing anything else at the moment.”

Nero stopped working and looked up at Faust in complete shock. “You…you’d do that? You’d really do that? I mean, you’d help me? Teach me and stuff?”

Bashfully Faust looked away and said, “Well, yeah. I didn’t quit med school over my grades or anything. It shouldn’t be too difficult for me to help you out with the work. I mean, if you want me to. Then once you have your GED you could take a business course or something at the college and I’m sure that’d help improve your chances of getting a loan or….”

Reaching out, Nero grabbed Faust’s hand before he could stop himself. “When I tried before, ya know it was…just me tryin’ to figure shit out on my own from a book so….god, ok. Am I really gonna do this? I’m 29, it’s kinda embarrassin’ isn’t it?”

Faust laughed and smiled, “Not at all.” He awkwardly cleared his throat and then offered, “I should probably warn you though. If you decide to do this I’m not going to let you slack off or change your mind.”

“Ok, Teach!” Nero grinned as he let go of Faust’s hand and slipped the assembled galettes back into the fridge to chill until the oven was ready.

“Don’t address me like I’m your teacher,” Faust scowled. “I’m not qualified for that. I’m just helping a little bit, that’s all.”

Nero leaned back on the counter next to where Faust sat and teased, “Aw, come on! I’ve never really had a proper teacher for high school! Let me call ya Teach sometimes.”

Faust sighed and held his hand to his forehead, wondering if he’d made a terrible mistake, even as his mind was already racing to all the study materials and books he would be going out to buy tomorrow. “Are you always like this?”

“Only around people I like,” Nero winked, hardly believing himself. The blush settling on Faust’s ears was more than enough payoff for Nero as he pulled himself off the counter at the beep of the oven and pulled the tray of galettes out of the fridge.

“Lucky me,” Faust offered sarcastically, even as he couldn’t help the faint smile threatening his lips.

Nero laughed in reply as he cracked an egg into a bowl and then brushed the whites on the crust of the galettes before sliding the tray into the oven and setting the timer. “I gotta pull those out in a bit to crack the eggs on top and then they’ll go back in for a bit longer.” He pulled a bottle of wine out of his bag and then offered with a grin, “I hope ya like wine?”

Faust’s face lit up as he hopped off the counter gracefully and exclaimed, “I love wine!” Then the realization of his apartment situation dawned on him again and he frowned, “Sure would be nice if the person who lived here had bothered to buy some chairs or something, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Nero teased as he playfully rammed his elbow into Faust’s side. “It’s fine. You can take the chair and I’ll sit on the floor or somethin’.”

Faust elbowed him right back as he said, “Seeing as you’re 29 and practically ancient, you can have the chair.”

Nero looked wounded as he said, “Ouch! Then how old are you if ya think yer so young?”

“26, if you must know,” Faust offered. “I don’t have any wine glasses either. Are you surprised?”

“Ahhh now you see, Faust. This is where you shouldn’t talk shit about my age. I’m clearly the one out of us who has their life more in order. I DO own wine glasses. And I thought to bring ‘em!” Nero was over the moon at this playful side to Faust and he couldn’t help but fall deeper and deeper into his hole every passing second.

Faust offered, “Well aren’t you a good boy,” as he rushed into his bedroom and returned a moment later dragging his camp mattress bed. He dumped it on the floor next to the folding table and chair in the middle of his living room and sat down on it.

Nero poured the two glasses of wine and then joined Faust in the living room. He plopped himself down in the folding chair, handing one of the glasses to Faust who was sitting on the floor next to him. “God, someone really needs to buy some damn furniture,” he offered before he took a drink of his wine.

Faust reached over and smacked his arm, without warning and said, “Shut up. The first thing I’m going to teach you is some damn manners.”

Nero laughed as he said, “If you say so, Teach!”

Both of them hid their smiles in their mismatched wine glasses, as they fell into an amicable silence. They quietly sipped their wine, waiting for the oven to ding. Nero was so pleased with the evening he thought he might die of happiness just thinking about it.

And the best part was he suddenly thought his dream of owning his own restaurant someday didn’t sound quite so silly anymore.

Chapter Text

Nero was having a hard time keeping cool as he got ready for his date with Faust. No, not a date. You can’t call it a date, Nero. It’s not that. It’s just two friends, hanging out. There is no dating. And there probably never will be if he doesn’t man up and just ask him out for real. But that’s a problem for another day, really. Today was date day, no, friends-hanging-out-at-the-thrift-store-day, and Nero had to look his best!

He was torn between dressing in his nicest outfit and looking ridiculously overdressed, or keeping it casual. He reminded himself he might be helping move boxes and furniture and stuff. It would be a great opportunity to show off those muscles that he did, in fact, have from all that heavy lifting in the kitchen. Wait, was Faust even into guys with nice arm muscles? Was Faust even into guys at all? Nero shook his head to rid it of the spiraling thoughts.

After much deliberation amongst himself he finally looked in the mirror at what he’d put together. He had on his favorite jeans, with holes in the knees, a white tee and a blue button up over top - left unbuttoned, of course. Nodding to himself he pulled his hair back into his normal style and then set out for his neighbors apartment.

Much to Nero’s surprise, Faust opened the door before he even had time to knock. “Oh! Hey, Faust! I came to pick ya up. I guess I’m a bit early,” he offered, rubbing his neck as he waited for a response.

Faust opened the door wide and invited him in. “I was just getting ready to make lunch. Sorry I’m not ready yet.”

“Ah, no. ‘S my fault for showin’ up early. If ya want I can cook ya lunch while you get ready?” Nero didn’t hesitate with his offer.

“Oh, I don’t want to make you have to….”

“It’s fine! What were ya gonna make? I don’t mind,” Nero kicked off his shoes and made his way right to the kitchen. He was finding himself quickly at home in Faust’s kitchen, and he didn’t mind it one bit - he hoped Faust didn’t either.

Faust answered, “I was just going to cook up a bit of chicken and put it on a salad. Nothing fancy. If you haven’t eaten you can make enough for yourself too, if you want.”

Nero nodded and brightly promised, “Two salads with chicken comin’ up.”

Weakly smiling, Faust blinked at him before heading off to get ready.

Nero wasn’t sure why such a weak smile, but hoped he wasn’t overstepping his bounds or pushing himself too far into Faust’s life. He tried not to dwell on it too much as he set to work.

He opened Faust’s fridge and quickly pulled out a small portion of chicken breast. He was a bit surprised and pleased to find that Faust had gone shopping and had quite a few healthy options available now. He sighed in relief knowing that the ‘just eats cereal’ thing wasn’t a permanent habit. He quickly found romaine, fresh spinach, and strawberries, which gave him an idea.

It wouldn’t be as good as he’d like, since he didn’t have time to marinate the chicken, but he figured Faust wouldn’t mind too much. Rummaging through the pantry, he pulled out most of the seasoning he was looking for.

He rubbed the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a little dill and then let it sit in some olive oil. Wasting no time he got to work tearing the romaine into pieces and mixing it with the spinach before washing the lot with cold water and leaving it to dry.

The strawberries and an avocado were carefully washed, sliced and then mixed with the lettuce before moving onto pan searing the chicken breast. While the chicken was cooking he chopped up some red onion and added it to the salad. As usual, Nero executed all his numerous cooking tasks efficiently and with ease.

With a few quick and precise sweeps of a knife over the cooked chicken, it was ready. He expertly plated the food, heaping the salad up and then arranging the chicken on top. He peaked around the corner to make sure Faust wasn’t about to come out and then rushed out the door to his apartment. It was just an in and out trip to grab some strawberry balsamic vinaigrette he’d made the other day, and some parmesan cheese.

He breathed a sigh of relief to see he made it back before Faust even noticed he’d left. He drizzled the dressing on and then topped the whole thing with some of the hand grated parmesan. It was his moment to shine, while Faust was still getting ready, so he carefully set the plates and silverware at the counter. He grabbed a few glasses from the cupboard and made sure Faust had water and also some of the lemonade he found in the fridge.

Finally taking a moment to check his work he nodded to himself and called, “Hey, Faust! Lunch is ready whenever you are!” He got to work on the dishes as he waited to eat until Faust could join him.

A few minutes later Faust emerged from his room. Widening his eyes as he looked at the food, he quietly spoke, “I said simple…Nero you didn’t need to go to so much trouble.”

Nero’s own eyes were wide as he took sight of Faust ready for their date, no not date, day out. He had on a lacey black button-up, and a large broach at his neck. He had donned round glasses, not sunglasses like he usually wore. Most surprising though was that he had on white pants, something Nero didn’t expect considering how dark everything he’d seen him wear so far had been.

“Nero?”

“Oh, sorry,” Nero had been staring without realizing it and he quickly turned the conversation to the food to distract from the blush creeping up his cheeks. “It’s no trouble. I used some of the strawberries, I hope that’s ok.”

“Thank you,” Faust nodded and then grimaced as he walked over to his plate. “You’ve done such a good job, and here I couldn’t even provide a place for us to sit.”

Nero chuckled and gave him a soft pat on the back. “Cheer up, Teach! We’re gonna take care of that today, right? I’m fine with standin’.”

“I haven’t even taught you anything yet, you don’t have to call me that,” Faust smiled weakly again and then turned to his food. It only took one bite for him to perk up and say, “This is delicious!”

“Glad ya approve,” Nero responded as he took a bit of his own food and tried not to let Faust’s sad weak smiles get to him.

It wasn’t long before lunch was finished, the rest of the dishes washed, and they were on their way. The store was just across town, and they were lucky enough to not hit traffic, so before Faust could even get settled into Nero’s old station wagon, they were there.

Nero’d been very defensive of the old car and told Faust,” You’ll be thanking me later when we have plenty of room for the stuff ya buy today!” The truth was he kept ahold of the old thing for that very reason. It’d be easy to toss some of his stuff in back and run away if he ever heard his past was heading his way to cause trouble.

Nero led the way into the store as Faust followed, eyes wide, and grabbed a shopping cart. The shop was larger than he expected, though mostly full of clothing and not home goods.

“Oh man, this is great! I haven’t been here in ages. They’ve got so much stuff!” Nero rushed over to the home goods section and began rummaging through the bin of mismatched cutlery. “Hey, Faust! Look at these! D’ya think I should get ‘em?” He proudly held up some ornate knives and forks that looked very old.

Faust pushed the shopping cart over and leaned over the handle to get a better look, almost running the cart into Nero’s side. Nero effortlessly deflected the cart with his foot and held his prize over for Faust to see. Faust hummed in thought. “They’re nice. They’re silver. I didn’t really think something like that was your style. Your apartment is so simple.”

Nero chuckled and quickly tried to change the topic away from one that hit too close for comfort. “Oh, ya know. Just never got around t’ decoration’ it much. There’s somethin’ neat about these though. Gotta be a hundred years old, right?”

Nodding in agreement Faust said, “Yes, I think so. We used to have a similar set at our…yes. I think they are.” He caught himself before he said too much and instead gently smiled and pulled them out of Nero’s hands and put them in the cart. “As a thank you for showing me this place.”

“Ah, ya don’t gotta get me anythin’. Sorry for gettin' all excited over some stupid forks and shit,” Nero turned suddenly bashful. He tried not to let his mind linger too long on where Faust’s sentence was going. “Anyway, we’re supposed to be shopping for you. Anythin' stick out at ya?”

Faust hummed in thought and then smiled. “I’m leaving you in charge of my kitchen. I’ll be over there by the decor stuff. I think I see some nice mirrors.” With that Faust made his way over to the shelves of nick nacks.

Nero considered the kitchen goods and then went to work loading treasures into the cart Faust left. He wasn’t really sure, but based on the way Faust dressed, he had the impression he might have a taste for finely decorated things. He found a matching set of china in a delicate blue and gold pattern and carefully stacked them in the cart. He hesitated a moment and then added the matching tea set too.

His real prize of the day, though, was a cast iron skillet that wasn’t in bad shape. He hoped once he got it back to life that he could trust Faust not to ruin it. If Faust couldn’t keep his cookware in good condition Nero might just need to rethink his opinion of him.

Unsure if Faust was shopping here because of budget, or a love of old things, he stopped at that. He didn’t want to accidentally spend all of his money. Olivia might have thought he was rich, but he had told Nero he wasn’t working. If Faust seemed stressed for cash then the stuff he picked out would be his gift - as would the rest of the new kitchen items he needed to pick up later.

Joining Faust in the home decor section, he was amused and confused to find that he’d pulled several fancy antique mirrors out of a pile and was now surrounded by them. “Oh. Nero. I can’t decide. I think I’m going to just get all of these,” Faust offered, as if owning 5 large antique mirrors in a small apartment was a totally normal thing.

Nero mentally crossed 'budget' off the reasons why Faust may be shopping at the thrift store and tentatively penciled in 'weird.' He chuckled and joked, “One for every room?”

Faust nodded and held his hand to his chin, thinking. “Do you think it’s too much? I really like the gold on this one, but this brass is really nice too.” He finally nodded to himself with conviction and made up his mind, “I’ll get them all.” He hoisted a heavy looking oval mirror with ornate gold scrollwork into the cart before Nero rushed to help him with the others.

“So, ya like fancy stuff? These are pretty intense,” Nero quipped.

“I guess so. I like simpler things too, though. I just think these look interesting,” Faust answered.

Nero laughed, “They look a little cursed, ya mean.”

Faust narrowed his eyes and replied, “Good.”

Nero’s laughter turned to an awkward chuckle as he wondered yet again what in the world he’d gotten himself into. It was then that a painting caught his eye, tucked in behind some others. He carefully pulled it out to admire the forest scene with a bonfire. The stars were small bright specks of paint in the inky sky and a full moon cast a cool glow over the tops of the trees while the warmth of the fire lit the bottom.

“Nero. Please put that back,” Faust tersely said.

Nero turned to look at him and was surprised to find him tensed up and looking at the painting with a mix of loathing and intense pain. He looked back at the painting and couldn’t quite understand why. He glanced at the signature but it was hard to read. Perhaps an Alex or something similar, followed by a large G and a cursive scrawl he couldn’t read.

“Please….” Faust practically begged.

It broke Nero’s heart to hear him that way. He didn’t have any earthly recollection why his friend was having such an adverse reaction to such a beautiful painting but it was clear to him now that he dare not buy it. He carefully put it back in the pile behind the others. “On second thought I don’t think I like it that much, ya know? No room for it anyway,” Nero obviously lied.

Faust closed his eyes tight and took a moment to calm himself down before he whispered, “Thank you.”

Nero laughed and tried to lighten the mood. “No problem. Well? Anything else look good or should we head out?”

Faust looked around him and then perked up as he saw the shelf of candle holders and quickly started loading all sorts of them into his cart. Hand carved wooden ones, ornate silver candelabras, glass ones and gold ones.

“Ya do know yer apartment is only like a living room and a bedroom, right? Do you have room for all these?” Nero gently reminded.

“It’s fine. I’m going to need to stop at a store and buy some nice candles for all of these. Do you like candles, Nero?” Faust casually threw aside Nero’s concern and tried to make conversation.

“Uh, I guess I like the ones that smell nice? Can’t say I’ve ever really thought about it all that much,” Nero offered.

Faust nodded. “I see. Maybe I’m weird, then. I like the way they glow and flicker. It’s like they’re always a few seconds away from setting something on fire if you’re not careful. I probably should hate flames after what…never mind.”

Nero’s mind went back to that box of possessions that were a bit fire eaten and smelled of smoke. He wasn’t sure, and he was afraid to ask, but he was pretty certain Faust had recently been through a house fire. After seeing his passion for candles he couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps Faust had caused the accident himself. “I guess we’ve all got our quirks.”

Faust agreed, “Just like you and your skillet. I see you’ve rescued another one. If you keep talking about how perfect she is in front of me I might get jealous.” He said it like it was nothing at all.

Nero, on the other hand almost tripped over his own feet in shock. He couldn’t help the little voice in his head that questioned ‘date? Is this actually a date? Like a date-date? Oh my god.’ He had to stop himself before he spiraled into a mess of nerves. He teased, “Yeah, I just can’t help myself. I love taking care of messed up things that look bound for the trash.”

“Like me,” Faust whispered as he nodded seriously.

Nero froze. “Faust I didn’t mean….”

“I know. But it’s true. I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for taking care of me. You’re very kind, Nero,” Faust earnestly said. He paused for a moment and then added, “I don’t want to keep being a burden on you, and then I made you cook me lunch and….”

“Ya didn’t make me do anyin’. I wanted to! I love t’ cook, and yer not a burden, geez.” Nero searched desperately for a new topic that wasn’t so serious. He looked around the shop and that’s when he spotted it at the back of the top shelf of candle holders. Just out of Faust’s sight. “Hey look!” He reached back and carefully pulled out a cat shaped candle holder. It was a little black cat figure curled up asleep, with it’s tail wrapped around the spot for a candle. He handed it to Faust and immediately felt a bit proud of his find.

Faust’s face positively lit up. He was stunned into silence as he carefully cradled it in his hands and looked at it.

Nero’s pride in being able to elicit such a look from Faust pushed him to try for more. He playfully snatched it back out of Faust’s hands and without a world marched over to the checkout and bought it. He walked back just as quickly and handed the bag to Faust.

“Nero….” Faust trailed off in shock as he graciously took the bag.

Nero rubbed his neck and said, “That’s the happiest I’ve seen ya, I think. I just didn’t want ya to try 'n' say ya didn’t need it or somethin’.”

Faust’s face turned grim and he quietly said, “Then I guess I need to do better. I was really happy when you made me the gallets the other day. I’m sorry if I didn’t look happy.”

Nero got scared again and held out his hands awkwardly to try to mitigate the misunderstanding. “I didn’t mean….”

“I know. But your cooking is really great. I should be more conscious of your efforts and let you know that.” Faust seriously explained.

Nero bashfully answered, “Well, I guess it’s always nice to hear someone likes my cookin’. Thanks, Faust.”

Faust nodded and then sighed. “I didn’t really see any furniture here that suits me. I’ll go buy that stuff new, I guess. What’s my kitchen looking like so far?”

Nero nervously showed Faust the dishes he picked out. “I dunno if you’ll like ‘em or not but….”

“They’re nice. Your taste surprises me sometimes, considering how you dress,” Faust teased.

“That bad?” Nero looked down at his outfit and wondered if he’d picked wrong.

Faust furiously shook his head, “Not at all! It suits you. You look nice. I just didn’t expect you to pick out such ornate things. I found this earlier and was going to get it for you but now I’m afraid maybe I made a mistake.” He pulled out a rather tacky looking mid-century metal wall hanging in the shape of a sheaf of wheat.

It was Nero’s turn to be shocked into silence. “Wheat….”

Faust nodded. “Well. I remembered the day we met. You had that mug with the wheat on it. I thought maybe you liked those kinds of designs. If it’s wrong it’s ok. You don’t need to force yourself.”

“No it’s not that. It’s just, I’m surprised you noticed.” Nero laughed, “ Ya know how you said ya like candles. Well, I guess this kinda stuff reminds me of my childhood.”

“Did your parents have this kind of decor?” Faust innocently asked.

Nero involuntarily tensed up. “Ah it’s not really that. My parents weren’t really…I left home real young. But before I did, I used to go out into the wheat fields and get lost. Nobody could find me there, ya know?” He nervously shifted as the topic hit too close to things he wanted to forget. “Anyway. It’s nice. Guess it's finally time I decorated the place, huh? Thanks.”

“Lost in wheat fields? I guess you’re not from this area? I understand though. I used to get lost in caves and forests when I was a kid. I used to love sitting by a campfire out in the woods.” He smiled fondly at the memory, then, as if something unwanted just popped into his head, his face soured.

They both realized perhaps they’d inadvertently pushed to close to something that might hurt the other. They fought internally between wanting to reach out or step back to keep things comfortable.

Faust tried to make the conversation casual again. “I’ve never gotten lost in a wheat field. I bet that’s really beautiful.”

Nero nodded, then a thought popped into his head. “Hey, ya got any plans tonight?”

“No. I wasn’t sure how long we’d be out,” Faust answered as he quirked his brow in question.

Nero pulled out his phone to check the time and said, “Great! Let’s checkout and get goin’.”

“Nero what are we doing?” Faust wondered.

Winking, Nero said, “Just follow my lead.” He boldly grabbed Faust’s hand and pulled him along to the checkout.

“Nero! What are you talking about? Follow your lead? I’ve never done that sort of thing!”

Chapter Text

Nero’s wild lifestyle ended a good 10 years ago, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still enjoy the occasional thrill. It was only going to be a little teeny bit of trespassing and he was quite certain it would be harmless.

He wouldn’t hear any of Faust’s complaints as he pulled him along on his whim. He was thrilled to find that Faust was going with him on this adventure, even if he put up mild halfhearted protests that Nero was pretty sure he didn’t really mean. He hadn’t done anything like this in years, but it felt good to roll down the windows as he turned up the radio and hit the open road.

After about an hour Faust spoke up and complained a bit again. “Have I been kidnapped?”

Nero laughed and deflected the question. “We’re heading into the last town in a while. I gotta run to a grocery store and pick up some stuff for dinner then we’ll get back at it.”

Faust shook his head and sighed. “If I’d known I was being kidnapped today I’d have brought the textbooks I bought for you. I could have made your life hell until you told me where we're going.”

“Hey, Faust,” Nero let the words dangle in the warm breeze that whipped through the open windows and blew their hair.

“What is it?”

“Thanks for offerin’ to teach me.”

Faust just nodded and asked, “What is your worst subject?”

Nero kept his eyes on the road but wracked his brain. “Dunno, really.”

“Name 5 countries in Europe,” Faust asked.

Without much thought Nero answered, “Spain, France, Russia, Germany, the U.K.?”

“Well…3 out 5 is better than 50%, I guess. We’ll work on geography. The U.K. isn’t a country, it’s a group of countries. You could have answered England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. I guess I’d give you Russia as well, but it’s technically in both Europe and Asia. We’ll need to cover political science and some general history too,” Faust explained.

Nero laughed, “Ok. I don’t think that’ll be too hard.”

Faust nodded, “How is your science?”

“Well…I guess I know some anatomy? Ya know, from butcherin’. And I guess sometimes baking is a little like chemistry?” Nero tried to defend his lack of book knowledge by pointing out the ways he used similar information practically.

“That’s true. That’s a good thought, actually. We can put things in terms of baking and cooking if you’re having trouble remembering. Sometimes it’s helpful to know the practicality. How about math?”

Nero again added this to his practical skills. “I think I’m ok with basic stuff. I’m good with my money and stuff like fractions. I use that when I’m cookin’. Measurements and stuff like that I shouldn’t have any problems with.”

“What about algebra?”

“Ahhhh…yeah. That…might be a problem. I dunno. I never really tried it. I dropped out before we got that far,” Nero explained.

Faust responded without judgement, “I understand. That just leaves reading and writing?”

“I dunno about writin’ but I read just fine. I actually like to read. Just novels and stuff, nothin’ too heavy. But it’s a good way to pass time and escape for a bit, ya know?”

Faust let out a surprised, “Oh.”

Nero laughed, “Ya surprised? Didn’t expect me to be a book worm, did ya?”

Smiling gently, Faust admitted, “I didn’t. I like to read too. You’ll have to tell me about your favorite book later. That’s good though, if you like to read it will make things a lot easier.”

“I said I like t’ read, not study,” Nero grinned. “I’ll try, though.” He nodded to the sign by the side of the highway and then indicated, “We’re gonna stop here for a bit so I can grab some stuff from the store. I’ll be quick. Ya won’t run out on me while I’m in there, will ya?”

“As if I have a choice,” Faust sighed. “I am, rather unfortunately, currently the prisoner of your whims, it seems.”

Nero winced at the word prisoner, but teased with a wink, “Well then, lucky for ya my whims aren’t anythin’ too naughty.”

Faust raised his eyebrow and emphasized, “Too?” He couldn’t help the faint upturn of his lips though as he was rather enjoying the first taste of intrigue he’d had in ages.

Nero parked the car in the massive lot outside the store and asked, “Ya need anythin’?”

“I assume you’ll be providing me with drinks and food, so I don’t think so? Unless I need a toothbrush and clean clothes or something. You still haven’t given me any information, you know….” Faust glared at Nero as he crossed his arms in a bit of a pout.

“I’ll have ya back home before mornin’. Promise,” Nero answered as he stepped outside the car and leaned back in the open window, tossing the keys to Faust. “Trustin’ ya not to drive off and steal my car.”

Faust simply let out a small huff. “Before morning means we’ll be gone all night, then?”

Nero just winked again and laughed as he walked off into the store. He made a quick round, grabbing a baguette, some sliced summer sausage, and a few cheeses. He snagged some grapes and apples and then a bottle of wine. He finished his trip out with some cold water for the poor man out in the hot car, and he couldn’t pass up the small cat keychain he found hanging in the checkout lane.

He tossed everything but the water and keychain in the hatchback and then climbed back in the driver's seat. Handing Faust the cold water he grinned and then held out the keychain with his other hand. “Trade ya for my keys.”

Faust’s eyes widened in surprise before he reached out and took the keychain. He passed Nero his keys and then, looking down at the small cat on the keyring said, “Thank you. How much do I owe you?”

Nero started the car and said, “It’s a gift.”

Nodding, Faust sat silently clutching it in his fingers.

The silence made Nero nervous that maybe all his gifts were making Faust feel awkward. He couldn’t help it though, when he saw those little things he thought of Faust and how happy his face would look if he had them.

After a while Nero offered, “If ya don’t want it….”

Faust shook his head and looked over at Nero in a slight panic. “No, I do. Thank you very much, Nero. It’s very kind of you.”

Nero let the silence eat at his heart for a moment before adding, “But?”

Taking a deep breath, Faust sighed. “But you’ve already been so kind to me, I don’t know how I can ever repay you for it all.”

“Ya don’t owe me nothin’, Faust. I wanted to give it to ya,” Nero sincerely explained before adding, “Ah, fuck it. The truth is, it was totally selfish of me. Yer really cute when yer so happy and I wanted to see it.” He kept his eyes focused on the road in hopes the blush creeping up his face would be less visible.

Faust stumbled over his words, “Well…I…mean…oh shut up.” He hastily added, “Thank you, Nero.”

Nero glanced over and couldn’t help but let out a joyous laugh at seeing the pink dusting Faust’s ears. “Yer blushin’ Teach.”

“Well. So are you,” Faust shot back.

That shut Nero up and he shook his head in slight awe at how much he already loved this side of Faust. He was obviously a very kind and thoughtful man, but the way he’d fight back sometimes was something Nero couldn’t deny he found insanely attractive.

The sun was nearly setting, turning the summer sky vivid shades of purple and orange. Nero pulled off the highway and followed the winding rural roads until they turned into dirt. He finally gave Faust his instructions, “When I pull the car over, run, ok? I’ll be right behind ya.”

“Uhh….” Faust let out a confused noise as he looked at their surroundings. “Nero, I was mostly joking earlier about the kidnapping thing but now I’m getting a little nervous….”

Nero laughed, “See that wheat field up there? That’s the target, but we don’t wanna get caught trespassin’ right? So run!”

Faust looked scandalized. “Nero? You drove me all this way just so we could trespass on private property? What in the world ever gave you the impression that I would do something like that?”

“Aw, come on, Teach. Live a little. It’s fine, as long as we don’t get caught, right?” Nero pulled the car into a small dirt access road and parked, quickly killing the engine and lights. “Go!” he yelled as he hopped out and grabbed the grocery bag and an old blanket from the back of the car.

Faust sat stunned in the front seat and watched as Nero didn’t even wait for him before rushing into the stalks that reached up to his waist. Finally he gave up, and slipped out of the car, looking nervously around as he quietly closed the door and ran after Nero.

Nero made it well out into the field and then quickly ducked down, the stalks of wheat seeming to swallow him whole. Faust followed and slightly missed the spot where Nero was. He looked around in frustration until he felt a strong hand grab his own and pull him down into the golden sea.

When he settled on the ground, he found himself on an old blanket, next to Nero. “Nero! I can’t believe you dragged me into this, I….”

Nero grinned and cut his protests off by pressing a grape to his lips and into his mouth. “It’s fine. Here, just relax. We’ve got dinner, and look at the sky, Faust. Ain’t it beautiful? It’ll be dark soon and then the stars’ll be out. Ya can see ‘em real good out here without all the lights.”

Looking up at the quickly setting sun, Faust was lulled into speechlessness. Settling in, he reclined down on the blanket. Nero quickly took off his overshirt and balled it up for Faust to use as a pillow. He whispered, “Thank you.”

They stayed like that in silence watching the sunset over the golden wheat that sheltered them from the harsh outside. They were in a world all their own, so close on the blanket that their shoulders were touching. They could feel each other's warmth and smell each other's shampoo. For this moment, they were the only two people in the whole world.

As the last of the sunset sank too low to be seen from their angle, Nero sat up and turned to the food. He opened the wine and grinned, “Grabbed one with a twist off. Sorry there’s no glasses, hope ya don’t mind sharin’ the bottle.” He held it out for Faust to take the first drink if he wanted it.

Sitting up, Faust reached out for the bottle and took it, before saying, “I haven’t done anythin’ like this in a long time.” He looked up at Nero’s expectant face and then shrugged and took a swig from the bottle. “If yer fine with it, I’m fine with it. Though I’m a bit surprised at this coming from a chef.”

“I ain’t really a chef, just a cook, ya know,” Nero took the bottle and had his own taste of the wine. “Besides, I don’t think ya got cooties, ya know?”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Faust huffed.

Nero fought the urge to lean over and press his lips to Faust’s to show him just how little he cared about sharing a bottle with him, but he restrained himself. “This is nothin’ I can’t handle. Nothin’ll ever be worse than that time I sucked poison from a wound,” he explained.

Faust looked surprised, “You what?”

Nero just laughed, “Don’t worry about it.”

“Nero, I…. Firstly I hope you’re never in that kind of situation again. And secondly, that’s outdated medical advice, it doesn’t really help and it just puts the one doing the sucking at risk of ingesting poison too,” Faust explained.

“Oh. Right, my little med student. I understand, I won’t do it again’. Sure fuckin’ hope I’m never in that kinda situation again anyway,” Nero seriously responded.

Faust scrunched up his face at the med student comment but let it go. He just whispered, “Me too.”

They quietly ate from the food and passed the bottle of wine back and forth until it was empty and the sky’s inky blue was peppered with bright stars. Both slightly intoxicated, their boundaries loosened and Nero found himself leaning back on his palms, with Faust’s head resting on his lap, looking up at the stars.

Pointing up at the sky, Faust said, “That’s Draco, see the dragon? And you can’t really quite see it with the naked eye, but right there should be the Cat’s Eye Nebula.”

Nero looked down into Faust’s face and asked, “So ya know about stars too? Is there anythin’ ya don’t know, Teach? Does this count as my first lesson?”

Faust reached up and gently moved Nero’s head out of his line of sight with a soft giggle. “They’re not going to ask about this kind of astronomy on your test.”

Nero hung his head back and looked up where Faust had pointed and mused, “Well, leave it to you to know where the cat stuff is.”

Faust offered a quiet, “Oh shut up,” from where he lay.

Laughing, Nero let his fingers take over, and hoped the alcohol buzz was enough to make it not awkward. He carefully carded his fingers through Faust’s hair as he continued looking up at the stars.

After a long time Faust spoke softly into the night, as if afraid his voice may somehow break the pleasant atmosphere. “This is nice. I see why you like it here.”

“Gotta admit, it was easier to hide when I was shorter than the wheat,” Nero chuckled. He continued to gently weave his fingers through Faust’s hair, enjoying the softness.

“Nero is this…where you grew up?” Faust asked quietly.

“Oh, nah. I wouldn’t go back there. This is just the closest place to the city that grows wheat. It’s a good bet I can find something out here every summer,” Nero explained.

Faust gazed up at Nero’s face and asked, “So you come out here every summer?”

Nero shrugged, “Nah. It’s not like it’s some special ritual or anythin’. I just like it out here when I’m stressed or feelin’ down, I guess. Sometimes I’ll be out here everyday for a week, and sometimes it feels like years since I was last out this way.”

Faust nodded in Nero’s lap. Nero tried to ignore the sudden movement so that his body didn’t start doing things of its own accord.

“I guess me dropping into your life has probably made for a few stressful weeks, hasn’t it?” Faust asked.

Nero’s hands stopped moving through Faust’s hair and he sat up to better look down into his face as he firmly replied, “We ain’t here ‘cause I’m stressed, dumbass. I just wanted to share this with ya.”

Faust looked offended as he asked, “Did you just call me a dumbass??”

Nero threw his head back in laughter and began running his fingers through Faust’s wavy hair again. “So what if I did? What ya gonna do about it? Curse me with your 800 mirrors and candles?”

Sitting up quickly Faust turned to face Nero. “What if I said yes? Then what would you do? You still don’t know anything at all about me. Awfully bold of you to just assume you can get away with that unscathed.”

“Ya might have some odd decoratin’ sense but ya sure don’t look like a curseworker. I think I’m safe,” Nero chuckled as he plopped one of the last grapes into his mouth.

Faust let out an annoyed huff as he crossed his arms.

Reaching out, Nero gently brushed his thumb across Faust’s chin and whispered, “Aw, don’t pout, I’m sorry.”

Closing his eyes for a moment to savor the touch, Faust sighed. His eyes shot open with sudden clarity and he pulled back from Nero’s touch. “Nero I….”

Nero pulled his hand back quickly and apologized too, “No, it’s my fault. I don’t know what I was doin’. Sorry.”

“No it’s not….” Faust trailed off as he bit his bottom lip.

“Sorry. I just had too much t’ drink,” Nero lied.

Faust searched Nero’s face. He looked scared and confused, but not angry. Finally he sighed and in what appeared to be an effort to save the moment, put his head back down on Nero’s lap and looked up at the stars again. “Thanks for bringing me here, Nero. It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah. It really is,” Nero agreed, trying not to let Faust’s reaction destroy him.

They sat in silence, looking at the sky and trying to sober up enough for the drive. It was awkward now, even though Faust made the point of maintaining physical contact. Nero knew there was a line now, one he shouldn’t cross, and it hurt to have to face that. He also knew he was in way too deep to just abandon this relationship, even if he was starting to fear it would never turn into what he wanted it to be.

Faust cut into the silence with a simple question, too complex to answer, “Nero, why did you drop out of school?”

Nero didn’t respond, mulling it over in his head. He knew he’d need to tell Faust eventually, but seeing as they weren’t going to be lovers anytime soon, it didn’t need to be now.

“Sorry. You don’t have to tell me. I shouldn’t have asked something so personal,” Faust apologized.

“Nah, it’s just complicated. I don’t really have a good answer. The short version is just that there was this guy, and I guess I fell in with the wrong crowd, ya know?” Nero tried to be as vague as possible, before he flipped it right back on Faust. “What about you, Mr. Ex-Med Student?”

Faust was caught off guard and fumbled a bit before saying, “I had some problems with my teacher.”

Nero’s brow turned down. He hadn’t expected something like that. He expected Faust to just say he gave up or it wasn’t for him, not to make it sound like he was driven out of his studies. “What? They fail ya or somethin’? That’s awful.”

“Something like that,” Faust agreed. Suddenly he perked up and pointed, “Nero, look!”

Nero looked up at the sky and just caught the fading image of a shooting star. He made a wish, without even thinking. “Look at that….”

“What did you wish for?” Faust asked innocently.

With a grin Nero looked down at him and said, “Not sayin’. What about you?”

“If you’re not telling me, then I’m not telling you,” Faust coyly retorted.

With a chuckle Nero answered, “Fair enough.” After hesitating, he held his breath and tangled his fingers in Faust’s hair again.

Faust simply let out a soft hum of contentment.

Nero exhaled in relief and silently wondered if maybe there was still hope for his wish. However, the pessimist in his heart had the terrible feeling this was going far too well. He was never lucky enough to win this kind of lottery in life. It was only a matter of time before some bane would ruin it, somehow.

Chapter Text

It had already been several days but Nero still hadn’t lost the afterglow. He couldn’t deny how happy a certain not-a-date made him. In the end Faust had fallen asleep with his head in Nero’s lap. He’d quietly drifted off while Nero ran his fingers through his hair, right there under the stars in that wheat field.

It was, realistically, too early, but Nero already knew he wanted that for the rest of his life. He would have given anything to just curl up on the blanket next to Faust and go to sleep, but he promised to have him home by morning. Even the long drive back, while Faust slept, was nothing but sheer happiness. He seared the memory deep inside, knowing somehow that it was a big moment in his life.

“What are you so happy about, Nero?” the waiter on duty asked him.

“It’s a secret!” Nero quipped as he reached over and rustled the young boy’s blond hair.

“Hey, quit that! Now your hands are dirty,” the waiter protested.

Nero just laughed and apologized, “Sorry, Riquet.” He washed his hands and went back to humming to himself as he worked.

Riquet scrunched up his face in thought. “I bet I can guess. Besides, we’re friends, right? You’re not supposed to keep secrets from me, we’re supposed to share them, remember?”

“Well, ya got me there,” Nero chuckled. “Fine, see if ya can guess why I’m so happy?”

Hope in his voice, Riquet asked, “Is it because you’re going to make me an omelet to eat when I’m on break?”

Nero made an exaggerated thinking face and then said, “Nope!”

Riquet’s shoulders fell. “Will you please? I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

“I guess I can manage that,” Nero agreed.

Brightening, Riquet tried again. “Is it because you don’t have to work tomorrow? I saw on the schedule you took the day off. I’m pretty upset about that, you know! You know I only work on Friday and Saturday!” Riquet folded his arms haughtily and let out a displeased huff.

Nero apologized easily, “Sorry. I’ll be here all day Sunday though. Ya can stop by if ya miss me.”

“Nero! You know I can’t work on Sunday! That’s the Lord’s day,” Riquet scolded.

“I thought ya were givin’ that stuff up. Come on, man. Yer finally free, don’t let them drag ya back into that cult,” Nero offered, the sadness readily evident in his voice.

Riquet faltered for a moment then explained, “I’m not going back there specifically. My foster parents won’t let me, but they’ve agreed to take me to another type of church!”

Nero nodded, “Ok. Be careful, though. Anyway, shouldn’t ya be waitin’ on customers? I think I just heard the bell.”

“Oh!” Riquet rushed out to the dining room, completely forgetting that he still hadn’t guessed Nero’s secret.

It wasn’t long before Riquet was at the counter window yelling into the back. “Shino’s here!”

Nero nodded in acknowledgement and then took a peek out into the dining room. He spotted the shabby looking youth at the table in the corner. His skateboard was propped up against the end of the booth. He looked like he’d recently been in a fight and Nero decided a slice of lemon pie should probably find its way to his table later.

Looking around, Nero assessed what was already open and decided nobody would miss a few eggs and some toast. He was going to make Riquet an omelet on break anyway. His feeding Shino was strictly something the people keeping the books didn’t need to know about. He only asked that Shino follow his rules - Skateboard off the table, clean yerself up as best ya can, and eat whatever I give ya.

“Nero, there’s a man here who wants to know if you managed to get the galettes on the menu, he seems to know you?” Riquet popped his head in the kitchen.

Nero couldn’t help his instant grin. “Faust’s here?” He looked back into the dining area and saw the familiar face, just taking his black hat off and setting it on the table. He was desperate to rush out and see him, but had work to do. “Riquet, can ya tell him I’m sorry, I haven’t had time to talk to Kanaria about it yet. No galettes.”

Riquet furrowed his brow at Nero and then suspiciously said, “You’re happy….”

Laughing, Nero agreed, “Yeah, I am.”

“So this Faust….”

“Don’t you have work?” Nero directed Riquet away from his questions about Faust. “Better hurry up. I was just gettin’ ready to make yer omelet.”

Riquet instantly forgot about questioning Nero and rushed back to work. He quickly returned and said, “He asked me what I’d recommend and of course I said your omelets. He ordered a number 5.”

“It’s always nice to hear how much ya love somethin’ I cook,” Nero grinned. “That works out real well. Ya can take Shino’s out and then start eatin’ yours and I’ll take Faust’s out.”

With renewed suspicion Riquet pointed out, “You’ll take Faust’s food out? Isn’t that my job?”

Nero laughed it off and said, “It’s so ya can have yer break, silly.” He reached out to rustle Riquet’s hair again but his hand was swatted away.

“You’re working! Your hands will get dirty!” With that Riquet rushed back out to the dining room.

Nero made quick work of the omelet for Shino but when Riquet hadn’t pulled it off the warming counter after a few minutes he sighed and grabbed it himself. He quickly discovered Riquet's distraction.

“It’s stupid. I don’t know the answer. Why can’t they just let me do things practically. I bet that stupid teacher doesn’t even have any street smarts,” Shino was complaining over what appeared to be his homework.

Riquet was standing with his hands on his hips scolding him. “You shouldn’t say things like that about your teacher! Teachers are great. I’m so glad I finally get to go to school and learn things. When I was with the church they wouldn’t let me read at all. It’s great to learn things! You should be more grateful.”

“Then you do it for me,” Shino said as he pushed the paper at Riquet.

“I’m busy working!” Riquet yelled back.

Nero walked over and put Shino’s food on the table, where it wouldn’t mess up his homework. “Yo, Shino. What’s the problem?”

Shino huffed, “This is stupid. Homework is dumb and so is school.”

“Whoa, hey now. That’s not a great attitude to have. Isn’t it good that yer finally back in school? I’m real proud of ya, ya know that? Please don’t drop out, Shino. Trust me,” Nero pleaded with a friendly and casual air.

“Things were easier when I was just livin’ on the street. I’m good at that sort of thing. I don’t get this math stuff. Nero, yer smart, right? What’s the answer to this one?” Shino tried to pawn his homework off on Nero.

With a laugh Nero avoided answering, “No can do, kiddo. I got work. But….” He glanced over at Faust, who was watching the scene unfold. As soon as Nero made eye contact with him, he looked away and tried to look busy. Nero grinned, “Yo, Teach! This kid needs some homework help.”

Faust sighed and pointed out, “I’m not a teacher and you know it, Nero. I’m not qualified to….”

Nero shrugged. “Come on, it’s just a little homework help. It should be easy for ya, right? Shino here’s trying real hard, ya know? He’s got into a shelter now and he’s back in school. Ain't that great? Help him out, won’t ya?”

“Well….” Faust looked uncomfortable but couldn’t help the look of pity and responsibility he had when he looked at Shino. “Every child deserves a chance….” he muttered and then quietly relocated himself to Shino’s table.

“Thanks, Mister. I still think school is dumb though,” Shino said as he pushed his paper aside and dug into his food.

Faust sighed and held his hand to his forehead. “We’ll see about that.”

Nero grinned and gently put his hand on Faust’s shoulder. “Thanks, Faust. Yer a good guy, ya know that? I’ll have yer food ready in a bit." He made his way back to the kitchen, calling out as he went, "Come on, Riquet. It’s time for yer break.”

With expert ease, Nero whipped up Riquet and Faust’s food at the same time, manning both without issue. It didn’t take long for his peaceful and happy day to go to hell though. Just as he was leaving Riquet to eat his food and taking Faust’s plate out to him, he heard a laugh that made his heart drop into his stomach and his face go pale. It rang out to haunt him like a ghost from the past. It was something he’d pushed back in his memory. It caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand up on end and he felt ill.

Nero stepped out into the dining room and froze. The plate he was holding with Faust’s food slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor. Chaos erupted as he sank to his knees in a daze to clean up the mess. The laughter bellowed through the small restaurant and was the only sound Nero could hear.

Faust rushed to his side. “Nero? Are you ok?” He put his arm around Nero’s shoulder, and glared at the new customer.

Nero felt like he was underwater. He was drowning. Everything was distant and he could hardly hear what was going on as his thoughts raced. Riquet had rushed out with a broom and was trying to help him clean up the mess as Faust rubbed his back.

Shino was on his feet and yelling. “Hey asshole! You’re just gonna laugh at someone like that? He could be hurt, what’s wrong with you?”

The laughter didn’t stop. Nero’s usually deft fingers fumbled picking up the broken plate shards and he found himself bleeding. He couldn’t even process it as he just stared blankly at his finger oozing red.

Faust quickly grabbed a napkin off the table and pressed it to the wound as Riquet rushed to find the first aid kit.

“The Bloody Cook’s the one bleedin’ this time, eh?” the customer asked with boisterous joy.

Shino stood firm as he demanded, “What’s your problem with Nero? If you’re here to pick a fight then I’ll be your opponent!”

Nero fixed his golden eyes on the man and silently shook his head in a plea for mercy.

The customer looked him up and down and then spat out, “Nero? Dunno him. That little cook droppin’ the plate just gave me a surprise and that’s kinda funny ain’t it? I can’t fight ya, squirt,” he said as he rustled Shino’s hair. He plopped down at a table and put his leg up on a chair. “If ya got a problem with me yer gonna have t’ call my parole officers.” He made a show of his ankle monitor.

Faust narrowed his eyes between Nero and this newcomer in suspicion but didn’t press the issue. He stood up firmly, squared his shoulders, and grabbed Shino by the back of his collar to prevent him from rushing forward to attack. “Are you here to eat, or to harass the workers? I would be more than happy to make a few phone calls if you insist. Would you like to see how quickly your parole can be revoked?” He spoke evenly and with authority.

Nero was pulled out of his daze as he watched Faust address the situation in a manner he had absolutely no idea the usually tepid and gloomy man possibly could. As Riquet quietly bandaged his finger for him he watched Faust with awe.

The man laughed and pointed out, “That’s a pretty big threat for such a weak lookin’ guy. But I don’t hate that attitude. Kid there’s got a good fightin’ spirit too. He’d make a good lackey….”

Nero finally found his voice and his footing. He pulled himself up next to Faust and spat out, “Hey! Yer settin’ a real shit example for these kids. Just order yer damn food already.”

Shino tried to pull out of Faust’s hold, but was surprised when he couldn’t manage it. Faust sternly said to him, “Listen to me, Shino. There’s a time and place to be a hero, and this isn’t it. Don’t waste your efforts here. They’re better saved for another time.”

Shino’s fight left him at that and he grinned, “Ya hear that Nero? He said I could be a hero someday.”

Nero smiled at him and nodded, before turning his attention back to the customer. “Well? What do ya want?” He quietly pushed Riquet back towards the kitchen as he confronted the customer with Faust standing at his side.

“Ya got fried chicken? Ya sure look like the kinda guy who’d be good at makin’ that. Do ya butcher the birds yerself? That’s real bloody work….” his tone was casual, but full of veiled threats.

Nero furrowed his brow and spat out, “Stop it! I’ll make ya yer damn chicken and then yer never comin’ back here, got it? I ain’t gettin’ pulled into yer bullshit.”

“Whatever ya say, little cook. Why don’t ya make me that food and then we can have a nice chat?” The customer offered.

Faust reached over and held Nero’s arm and whispered, “Nero….”

Nero put his hand on Faust’s and squeezed it to try to let him know he was ok. “It’s fine, Faust. Just go back to helpin’ Shino with his homework. You were amazing earlier. I’ll remake yer food and sent it out with Riquet in a bit.”

Nodding, Faust gave Nero’s hand a quick squeeze in reassurance and went back to the table, Shino in tow. They settled back down and Faust quietly helped him with his homework, while keeping a wary eye on the customer.

Nero retreated to the back and his panic overtook him again. He tried to steady his hands as best he could, but in the end he needed Riquet to help him with the cooking. As soon as Faust’s omelet was ready Riquet rushed it out to him.

Hastily returning to Nero’s side, Riquet quietly asked, “Nero, do you know that scary man with the scar on his face?”

Nero’s usually stable demeanor was crumbling as he chuckled awkwardly and shrugged. “Might’a been a customer from my last job or somethin’. Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

Ever the clever child, Riquet knew Nero wasn’t being truthful and wanted to scold him about it, but instead offered, “If you ever need help, God and I are here for you.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Nero tried to sound cheerful. As soon as the fried chicken was ready he dumped it unceremoniously on the plate and took a deep breath. On his way out he sternly told Riquet, “Hey, if he tries anythin’ call the police and stay hidden back here, k?”

Riquet silently nodded.

Nero made his way over to the customer’s table and hissed under his breath, “Brad, don’t ya dare blow my cover.” He practically tossed the plate on the table.

Brad grinned up at him, “All right, I get it. Hey, Nero. What happened to ya back then when I got caught? I figured maybe they got ya too. The whole time I was expectin’ ‘em to drag ya in as a witness against me or somethin’. But I guess turns out ya were just here pretending to be a good boy this whole time, huh?”

“Shut up, Brad. I told you, I’m not getting dragged into yer bullshit again,” Nero spoke through his teeth.

Brad laughed, “Come on, loosen up a little. Ya were still just a kid and it’s been 10 years. It won’t matter if anybody finds out ya know me. Besides, that shit with yer foster parents was all dismissed as self defense. Nobody is gonna find out shit. Lucky bastard ya got out scot-free.” He dug into his plate of food with zeal. “Fuck yeah! This is the shit! They don’t feed ya like this in prison that’s for fuckin’ sure!”

Nero fought the instinctive happiness his body felt at his food being praised and instead spat out, “Just stay away from me, Brad.”

Brad cocked his brow and glanced across the room. “Ya afraid yer little man over there might find out about yer dirty past, eh?” He grinned and took a massive bite of a chicken leg.

Biting back, Nero hissed, “He’s not my…shut up. Just leave me and him alone. And these kids too. I swear to god, Brad if ya lay a finger on either one of these kids I’ll ki….”

Laughing, Brad cut him off. “Calm down. What’s got yer panties in a twist, Nero? I kinda like that guy, actually. Kinda guy who steps up against me like that sure has guts. 'Sides, I don’t need these kids. I already got a new partner. He’s out with a nice rich lady right now. Poor kid doesn’t even realize that we’re about to take that woman for all she’s worth. He thinks he’s gettin' a new mom.”

Nero couldn’t help the fury that overtook him as he grabbed the knife off the table and glared at Bradley.

“Better watch it there, Nero. Yer little man over there is lookin’ this way. Can't imagine he'd like to hear what ya did with kitchen knives in the past, huh?” Brad easily pointed out. “Besides, Mitile’s getting plenty outta the deal. He’s an orphan. He really admires me, ya know? I'm a good role model. Teachin' him how to be a man.” He laughed. “I thought after 10 years maybe I’d lost my touch, but turns out I really still am the best. Nobody can beat Bradley.”

Tossing the knife back down on the table, Nero retreated to the kitchen, ignoring the raucous laughter of the man behind him, and trying to avoid Faust’s concerned gaze.

Of course, just as Nero thought his life was finally settling into the best possible scenario, it was all about to come crashing down around him. Just as he was starting to really figure out life and what he wanted - he felt the comfortable retreat he’d built up around himself crumbling.

Chapter Text

Nero wondered how long he could sit in the dark before his eyesight would lose its edge. A week? A year? The curtains absolutely had to stay closed and he couldn’t risk appearing home. He’d taken to sitting in his bathtub because there weren’t windows in his bathroom.

The truth was he hated the closed space of it, though. It reminded him too much of a closet, the kind of place to lock up naughty kids and partners-in-crime who tried to run away. But the fact of the matter was Bradley had told him he’d kill him if he left. And he’d absolutely kill him if he found out he was the one who called the tip into the police and then ran away.

He sat in the dark on his sofa in the living room and considered his options. He could always just run away again. He was pretty good at starting over in a new place. And he hardly even had much to do to make it happen. His eyes turned to the newly hung metal wheat decoration on the wall. It had taken him nearly 10 years to feel safe enough to start decorating.

His mind flitted to Faust. He weighed the option of tossing a box of clothes in the back of his car and driving. Just driving. Anywhere. Seeing where the road took him and stopping only when he was as far away from Bradley as possible. But what if he stuck in his heels and fought his demons here, with Faust next to him?

With Faust next to him. He considered if the lights were on next door, just on the other side of the wall. Maybe things were safe there. Bradley didn’t know Faust’s name. He might not be able to find him there as easily. And even if he did, he felt like if Faust could back him up, they could take Brad if he tried anything.

His body moved on its own, mind made up before he even processed it. Faust was the answer. Nero rushed to his bedroom and tossed a few clothes in a bag, in the dark. After a quick stop in the bathroom for his toothbrush, he was standing at his front door taking a cautious look out the peephole.

The coast was clear and so, taking a deep breath to steel himself, he stepped outside. He locked his door and knocked on his neighbors and prayed Faust was home. There was no answer and so he knocked harder trying not to panic.

His flight instinct threatened to kick in and he was afraid he’d be in his car halfway across the country before he knew what happened. “Please open up, Faust. Please,” he muttered to himself.

As if in answer to all his prayers, the door suddenly swung open and Faust blinked at him in surprise. “Nero….”

“Hey. Can I come in?” Nero tried not to sound too desperate.

“Of course,” Faust answered as he stepped aside.

Nero quickly stepped in but this time all his casual confidence had vanished. He’d felt practically at home there just a few weeks ago but now it seemed foreign.

He stood in the entry, waiting for Faust to invite him in further. He eyed the new furniture and how the place had transformed drastically in the few days since their not-a-date.

“So ya finally got some stools for yer counter,eh?” Nero tried to seem more confident than he felt.

“I’m surprisingly capable when I want to be,” Faust answered.

Nero forced out a chuckle. “A sofa and table and chairs an’ everythin’. Place looks real comfy now. Though I can’t tell if I’m in the house of an 80 year old grandma or a kid who wants to summon Satan. Is that a knitting basket?”

Faust shrugged and offered a halfhearted “Shut up. It’s relaxing.”

Nero finally did laugh. It was the first genuine feeling of comfort he’d felt since Bradley showed up. “I ain’t knockin’ it. How much would it cost to get ya to make me a sweater or somethin’?”

“More than you’re willing to pay. Do you have any idea how long that would take?” Faust replied a bit smugly.

“Aww. I’ll cook for ya in return though,” Nero offered.

Faust pondered, then seriously said, “You know knitting a sweater is supposedly a curse on a relationship.”

“What? Yer gonna curse me?” Nero raised his brow in confusion.

Faust shook his head. “They say the relationship is doomed to end before the sweater is ever finished.”

Nero grinned and then said, “How about a hat then?”

Faust broke into a clear warm laugh and then agreed, “I’ll think about it. Anyway, what did you come over for? I’m sure it wasn’t to ask me to spend the next 5 months of my free time knitting you a sweater.”

“I uh. I was wonderin’ if I could stay here for a while,” Nero choked out. The look of misery on his face was like nothing Faust had seen on him before. He rubbed his neck and averted his eyes before turning them back to Faust with desperation radiating from his whole being.

Faust’s face turned to worry and he asked, “Is everything ok?”

Nero tried to laugh it off but in the end just repeated his request. “Just wonderin’ if I can crash here for a bit.”

Nodding, Faust replied, “Of course. And….” he offered a grim smile before continuing, “Don’t worry. We won’t talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Some of the tension eased out of Nero’s shoulders with the understanding that Faust wasn’t going to push him unless he was ready. He could still maintain a few of the walls he built around parts of his life, even as he let Faust into other areas of his heart. He managed a genuine smile and a heartfelt, “Thanks.”

“The sofa pulls out, so it should be comfortable enough. Here, I’ll go get some blankets,” Faust said as he headed towards the hall closet. He turned around and somewhat cheerfully explained, “I actually have a proper place now so I can offer you things like that.”

Nero’s panic was quickly melting away. He looked at Faust fondly and truly meant it when he said, “I’m glad. Thanks again.” He was already starting to feel more at home, and so he got up the confidence to figure out the sofa bed. He set it up and as soon as Faust returned with the bedding, he helped make it.

They both took a side of the bed and worked together to pull the sheet over the corners. Faust ended up with the final corner and had to lift up the edge of the mattress to fit it on and Nero couldn’t help but fall more in love with him as he watched. Seeing Faust doing simple domestic things just reminded him again of the quiet and safe life he longed for.

While Nero spread out his blankets, Faust slipped a pillowcase on a brand new pillow. He carefully put it on the freshly made bed and gave it a little fluff. “I hope this will be comfortable enough for you. If it’s not you can have my bed and I’ll sleep out here,” he worried.

Nero plopped down on the bed and stretched out. “This is great. Thanks a lot, Faust. This sure beats that camp mattress ya had last time I was over here.”

Faust blushed and said “Oh shut up. I was still getting settled.” He gave a fond sigh and then seriously added, “I’m glad to return the favor.” As if afraid of the sincerity, he quickly changed the subject and asked, “Are you hungry? I was just about to make myself something.”

“I haven’t eaten,” Nero simply said before moving to stand up. “What did ya want?”

Faust firmly stopped him in his tracks. “I’ll cook tonight. I’m not a professional like you or anything, but I’m capable of feeding myself, anyway. You’re my guest. I’ll do it. Besides, you look exhausted. Have you been sleeping ok?”

Nero slowly shook his head. There was no point in hiding that much. “Actually haven’t really gotten much sleep in the past few days. I had to take a couple days off work, but I’m supposed t’ go back tomorrow.”

With a curt nod, Faust went to the kitchen and pulled out the teapot Nero had picked out for him at the thrift store. He grabbed a small tin off the counter and indicated, “I’ve been drinking this a lot lately to help me sleep. It works for me, so it’s worth a try. You can have some after dinner if you want.”

“Well, if Teach recommends it, ya know it must be good,” Nero grinned from his spot lounging on the sofa bed.

“You probably won’t approve of store bought sauce, but I was just going to make some pasta. I’m sorry the bread is purchased too….” Faust worried over being insufficient when it came to feeding Nero.

Nero tried to assuage his fears, “It ain’t a problem! Ya know I take shortcuts too sometimes. Too busy to make everythin’ from scratch all the time. Don’t tell anybody but I even eat fast food sometimes.” He winked, like he just told Faust his dirty secret.

“So even Nero is just a mere mortal?” Faust teased. He worked quickly in the kitchen, setting the pasta to boil and popping the bread into the oven to heat. He worked diligently, without as much flair and casual confidence as Nero, but efficient none-the-less.

Nero pulled himself off the sofa and migrated to the counter where he plopped himself on a stool. “Oh look! Stools!” He teased.

Faust rolled his eyes and fought back a smile. “Yeah, yeah.”

Laughing, Nero felt so at ease he didn’t even think he’d have trouble sleeping tonight. Somehow just being in Faust’s presence felt safe. He happily watched Faust work his way around the kitchen as he cooked a bit of chicken and steamed broccoli. Nero mentally noted that the bread and pasta were going to be finished way too early. He felt his heart melt a little bit at the knowledge Faust was certainly capable, but not nearly practiced enough to have the timing down on all the components of a meal.

“You might not be a pro, but ya cook a lot, don’t ya? I can kinda tell by watchin’,” Nero offered as he watched with his chin resting in his palm and his elbow propped on the counter like he owned the place.

“I told you I can feed myself. It’s a bit unnerving with you watching me though, I’m afraid I’ll do something you disapprove of,” Faust explained as he continued his cooking by pulling the warmed up bread from the oven and leaving it on the counter to cool. He furrowed his brow and pointed out, “I think I should have probably saved that for last.”

Nero agreed, “Yeah, probably. It’s fine though! Don’t sweat it. It takes a long time to get all the timing down on everythin’. Ya know there’s this guy at work who still doesn’t have it all down. He deep fries everything, absolute deep fry master. But when it comes to other stuff he always gets his portions wrong. A while ago he made enough tomato soup to feed an army.”

“At least he’s enthusiastic,” Faust pointed out.

“He sure is that, yeah,” Nero chuckled. “He’s a good kid. If ya go hit up East Side Diner on one of my days off you might be treated to his skills. I’d recommend ordering bacon or somethin' fried. His fried chicken is real good.” At the mention of fried chicken Nero felt his stomach drop as he was reminded of Brad.

Faust worked quickly draining the pasta and broccoli and mixing it all together in an effort to finish before the bread got too cold. “I’ll remember that if my favorite cook isn’t there,” he seriously replied as he added in the chicken and heaped the food onto his new plates that Nero picked out.

Grinning like an idiot, Nero asked, “Yer favorite, eh?” Nero’s momentary upset stomach at being reminded of Brad was short lived. It just took one compliment from Faust to push everything else out of his mind.

“He’s okay, I guess,” Faust teased as he pushed the plate in front of Nero and then pulled out a bottle of wine and some glasses. “Wine? This followed by some of that tea I mentioned earlier should knock ya out.”

“Thanks,” Nero nodded as he noticed for the first time how present his own touch was in Faust’s home already. He’d thought it was so different at first when he arrived and saw Faust’s furniture and decor choices, but now that he was closer to the kitchen and seeing all the items he picked out, he couldn’t help but feel a warmth spread through his chest at just how much he’d already managed to leave an imprint on Faust’s life.

After pouring two full glasses of wine, Faust joined Nero at the counter. “I hope this is ok,” he worried.

Nero didn’t hesitate as he dug into the food. “It’s good!” He reassured Faust as he quickly worked on clearing his plate.

Faust frowned at his food and tried not to feel too inadequate in front of Nero. “I’m not sure how long you plan to stay, but you’re welcome as long as you need. If I’m not awake when you need to go to work, you’re welcome to anything in the kitchen. There’s a spare key on the hook by the front door. You can take that,” He explained between bites of his own meal.

Joking, Nero asked, “Wow? I got the keys already. Don’t ya think we’re movin’ a bit fast?” He felt pure joy when he glanced over and saw Faust’s beet red face.

Faust found his bite and shot back, “If you’d rather we can go even faster and skip right to the breakup!”

“Thanks, Faust. I really do appreciate ya lettin’ me stay here.” His words were easy, but his brain couldn’t help but stick on the fact Faust used words, yet again, that implied perhaps this was going somewhere.

With a little huff, Faust stood up and disappeared down the hall. Returning a few minutes later, he found Nero already doing the dishes. He placed a massive stack of books on the counter. “We don’t have to start tonight, but if you’re going to be living here for a while, it does make this easier. Remember, I did say I would be a strict teacher.”

Nero let out a low whistle. “That’s a lot of books, is it really gonna take all that?” he asked, a bit overwhelmed. He placed the final dish in the drying rack and dried off his hands before picking up the top book on the pile. “Catcher in the Rye?” He pulled the next one off the massive stack and read the title, “Slaughterhouse-Five?” He scanned over the rest of the titles in the pile, several textbooks, a few GED test prep books and several more novels. “Is all this really gonna be on the test?”

Faust shook his head. “No, not exactly. But….” he turned a bit bashful before he continued, “Well, you will need to know how to analyze literature for the test, and after you said you liked to read the other day I thought you might actually enjoy reading all the books kids usually do in high school. Since you missed out on them.”

The words hit Nero harder than he expected. It was a kind of thoughtfulness and attention to his interests he never thought to expect from another person. Faust cared about helping him, and trying to make sure he could catch up on the things he missed out on. Especially the bits he may have enjoyed. “Got it! I hope I won’t disappoint ya too much!” Nero quipped.

“I haven’t read these in ages, so I’ll be reading them all too. I thought we could talk about them, If you want to,” Faust offered expectantly.

“Sounds good!” Nero kept the first one he pulled off the pile in his hand and held it up with a nod. “I could use a little bedtime readin’ anyway.” He took the novel with him over to the sofa bed and settled in.

Faust smiled gently, looking a little pleased with himself. “I guess I’ll leave you to it.”

Looking up, Nero’s surprise was evident. “Oh? Ya goin’ to bed already?”

Shaking his head, Faust explained, “No, but I figured you’d want me to clear out of your sleeping area….”

“I ain’t gonna kick ya outta yer own livin’ room. The bed is plenty big enough for both of us!” Nero casually said, before he realized his wording. He was rewarded with another deep blush from Faust as he quickly tried to explain, “I mean, I’m just gonna be readin’ so if ya wanna sit here with me and knit or somethin’ I don’t mind!”

Faust nodded and somewhat awkwardly joined Nero on the bed. He pulled knitting needles out of his yarn basket and then a ton of yarn. He furrowed his brow at several skeins of pale blue as he read their labels and counted them up. “2,000 yards…should be enough….” he muttered to himself as he scrunched up his face.

Nero watched him from the corner of his eye with what could only be described as complete adoration. He averted his glance quickly back to his book as Faust seemed to make up his mind on the yarn and settled in. Nero cleared his throat and read, “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”

Nodding in approval, Faust listened intently as he cast on a new knitting project in the pretty blue yarn.

Nero continued to read from the first of many books he missed out on by dropping out of school. He made up his mind then and there that there was absolutely no way he could run away now. He wasn’t going to leave Faust. This was too perfect, and he wanted it forever.

Chapter Text

It’s not like that one evening had been the pinnacle of domestic bliss or anything, except that actually, as far as Nero was concerned - it had. Faust sat next to him knitting whatever large blue thing he had started working on, while Nero read aloud from his first assigned reading. He’d made it as far as learning all about how Holden Caufield hated “phonies.” He’d be lying if he said the book wasn’t making him feel a certain way.

Eventually the quiet clink of knitting needles stopped and when Nero looked over he found Faust asleep. He wished so much that he could just reach out and pull him into an embrace and sleep like that. He didn’t, of course. Because he wasn’t crazy. Mostly, wasn’t crazy. Instead he just quietly put down his book, turned off the lamp, and shimmied his way down into the covers.

He knew Faust would probably wake up soon and make his way to his own bed, likely embarrassed that he’d fallen asleep next to Nero. But he could dream for a little while longer, at least. He savored everything about the moment. Faust was on top of the blankets, but Nero could still feel his warmth. He took note of the way Faust’s weight pulled the blankets down tighter around his own body, helping to wrap him in a cozy embrace, even as they didn’t touch.

The calm settled deep in his heart and he was suddenly struck with the realization that just a few weeks ago, Faust had felt as if he was tethered to this world by only a thread. Nero had felt like if he blinked, he may be gone. And yet here he was, very much alive and settled and right next to him. With the faintest whisper, he uttered, “Hey, Faust….” he waited to make sure there wasn’t a reply before adding, “I’m glad you decided to stay.”

That was all last night, but Nero couldn’t stop playing it over in his head today while he worked, like a ridiculously attached and hopeless sap. The day wasn’t as calm as when the waiter was someone like Riquet, so his daydreams were going a long way towards preserving his sanity.

He was working with Olivia, and while he generally got along with her, she’d been a bit annoying about Faust lately. She’d been a little too persistent about knowing more about Nero’s ‘rich friend,’ as she called him. She insisted she’d seen him on TV before and that he was loaded.

“I can’t believe you didn’t hear about what happened to him. Absolutely tragic,” She tried to chatter away.

“Nah, I don’t know nothin’ about that stuff. Don’t ya got some customers to wait on right now or somethin’?” Nero tried, yet again, to put an end to her conversation. It’s not that he thought she was wrong, it’s just that he felt a little gross finding out something big about Faust from someone else. If Faust hadn’t mentioned his past then Nero was sure it was for a damn good reason and lord knows if anybody understood not wanting to talk about the past it was Nero.

Olivia shrugged and popped her gum in her mouth. “If you say so. Still, if he’s single I’d love to get a bit of that money he’s rolling in.”

Nero’s grip on the spatula tightened as he tried to calm down. He couldn’t help it as he spit out, “Well, he ain’t single, so ya can stop dreamin’ about him and his cash.”

“That so?” Olivia popped her gum again. She crossed her arms and looked Nero up and down before adding, “Don’t let it get to you, hun. There’s other fish in the sea, and all that.”

Nero panicked wondering how he’d been that obvious so he did what he does best in such situations and grinned and laughed. “Yeah, that’s just how my luck goes.”

Olivia nodded and finally did Nero the favor of leaving the kitchen to go work on serving customers.

Humming to himself as he worked, Nero cleaned in his momentary down time. A dirty kitchen was one of his least favorite things and cleaning them up always helped calm him down a little. He let his mind wander to one of his newest happy places - Faust’s apartment.

He wiped down the counter as he imagined himself arriving “home” from work and Faust rushing to the door to help him carry in the groceries. He smiled to himself as he thought of Faust helping put them away. He pictured making a pot of tea as they’d curl up on the sofa for the evening. He even dared to be so bold as to envision Faust reading out loud as Nero rested his head on his shoulder. As he used the sprayer on the sink to rinse off the sides, he imagined Faust’s fingers tangled in his hair. His breath hitched a little as he visualized their lips pressing together.

“I need a double order of fried chicken!” Olivia hollered through the window.

Nero sighed as he was pulled out of his daydream just when things were getting good. He couldn’t help it as he wondered what kind of asshole orders that much fried chicken so early in the morning. He also couldn’t help it as his deepest dread answered for him and his stomach sank. He turned around, ever so slowly, and looked out the window into the dining room. His fears were confirmed as he saw Bradley sitting there, laughing as he flirted with Olivia.

Closing his eyes, Nero tried to center himself and calm down before he did something drastic. He should have known better than to think Brad was just going to stay away from the diner. Taking a few deep breaths, Nero let himself think of his plans for the evening. He was going to go “home” and make Faust dinner and then he was going to pick up his reading and maybe if he was feeling like the bravest man alive, he was going to ask Faust to marry him. Ok, that last part wasn’t going to happen, but Nero was desperately grasping at anything to keep himself from flying off the handle or running away.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and silently went to work. Fried chicken was always easy for him. He’d learned how to make it when he was still a kid, to impress Brad. Even as he helped with all of Brad’s plots and schemes, he’d still tried to make the horrid places they stayed feel like home. Now it was one of his least favorite things to cook and any time a customer ordered it, he was sure to let them know the other cook, Cain, was better at it and they should save their orders for him next time. The sinking rock in his stomach told him that line wasn’t going to work on Bradley.

He placed the plate of chicken on the counter and rang the bell, quickly ducking out of the way to avoid being seen. He sat on the step stool in the corner and waited for Olivia to come pick up the food. He waited and waited, watching the heat lamps doing their best, even as the steam rising off the piping hot chicken completely dissipated.

With a deep sigh he pushed himself off the stool, hands on his thighs. He peeked out the window to find the restaurant empty aside from Bradley, who currently had Olivia sitting on his lap. Nero rolled his eyes in disgust and finally grabbed the cooling plate of food and walked it out.

He tossed it on the table and turned to leave without comment, but Bradley reached out and grabbed him by the wrist to stop him. “Hey man, what’s that look for? She was just givin’ me a little sugar.”

Nero turned around, his wrist still caught in Brad’s grip. “Stop it Brad!” He used all his force to pull himself free and glared at him. “I’m not some kid anymore. I ain’t fallin’ for yer bullshit. Just leave me alone.”

Brad frowned as he motioned for Olivia to get off his lap. “Ya jealous? Yer a good lookin’ guy Nero, I’m sure she’d be more than happy to lay a little sugar on ya too.”

Olivia folded her arms over her chest and sighed. “Nah, he’s too busy bein’ hung up over that rich guy.”

“Rich guy?” Brad’s eyebrows shot up and a grin quickly spread over his whole face. He stood up and slung his arm around Nero’s shoulder and punched him playfully. “That’s my boy!! So ya did keep it up? I’m so proud, ya really did learn somethin’ from me. What’s his name? What’s his net worth? How far are ya in the con? Ya need some backup, partner?”

Nero forcefully pushed Brad’s arm off him and glared at him. “I ain’t yer partner. I told ya not to come back here.”

Brad looked a little hurt, but quickly moved on. “Come on, man. We had such good times, didn’t we? We can really get a gang goin’, you an’ me. Mitile can work on that lady and you can work on this guy of yers and we can maximize our profits.”

“Yeah? And then what? Ya gonna gamble it all away again?” Nero spit out, and realized he needed to take a step back before this turned nasty. He shook his head wearily, “Just like old times, huh? Just leave me alone, Brad.”

Brad held up his hands in surrender and sat back down. Olivia, who had been watching the whole thing, blew a bubble with her gum and then sucked the sticky goo back into her mouth before asking, “Nero, I thought we were friends. Why didn’t ya tell me you had such a hot buddy?”

Nero rolled his eyes. “I didn’t know ya were lookin’. And he ain’t my buddy.”

“Right…’course I ain’t. Not like I'd be buds with a guy with a stick up his ass,” Brad said with a shrug. He took a hefty bite of the fried chicken and then moaned, “Yeah, this is what I’m here for.”

Nero let out a strangled noise between a tsk and a sigh and shoved his hands deep into his apron pockets. He finally shrugged and halfheartedly said, “Don’t forget yer at work, Olivia,” before trying to retreat back to the kitchen.

Brad cleared his throat and demanded, “Wait a minute. Tell me about yer man.”

“I ain’t tellin’ ya shit!” Nero spat out as he sped up his steps.

Olivia’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “It’s that guy, Faust Lavinia. You know, you probably saw it on tv, right? Awful what happened to him. Nero says he doesn’t know about all that, but I’m sure it’s him.”

Brad perked up, “Oh? Him? That guy’s gotta be fuckin’ loaded! It was all over the news when I was in the joint. Said he was the only one listed on the will. He inherited all of that artwork and everythin’. It’s gotta be worth a fortune. Hey! Nero! Ya still got an eye for art? Have ya seen if he’s got any of that guy’s painting’s floatin’ around? I could sell those easy.”

Nero’s brain went into overdrive as small pieces started to fall into place in the puzzle that was Faust. His reaction to the painting at the thrift store. The fact that Faust didn’t need to work, yet seemed to have enough money. The way he constantly wore that hat and sunglasses in public. Finally his brain stopped on the lone box smelling of smoke and the photo with the face scribbled out. “That ain’t him. You’ve got the wrong guy,” was all he could muster.

Olivia frowned and folded her arms under her boobs, pushing them up and turning to face Bradley. “Well, maybe he’s right. I think if my lover locked me in the house and then set it on fire, I’d probably just go somewhere and die. Dunno how a person can go on after somethin’ like that.”

And there it was. Everything Nero didn’t want to know about Faust, the man he was desperately in love with. He felt his heart grip in agony at the information. He felt the stinging in the corner of his eyes as he wanted to cry over the sheer horror of what Faust had been through. He couldn’t find any words.

Brad noticed Nero’s reaction and nodded solemnly, “Yeah, terrible. Kinda cruel t' target him for that money, ain’t it, Nero?”

“I ain’t doin’ that and you’ve got the wrong guy. Just…shut up,” Nero weakly protested.

“Whatever ya say, buddy,” Brad offered.

Nero finally made it into the kitchen and sunk down onto the stool. In a daze he stared down at his hands and whispered to himself, “Faust….”

He’d been a fool, hadn’t he? Google is literally right there and he hadn’t searched Faust. Even now, he sat with his phone held limply and couldn’t bring himself to do it. It felt wrong, knowing that Faust probably was trying desperately to get away from everything related to that incident.

He gripped his phone and considered throwing it against the wall. Olivia said his lover tried to kill him. Why would anybody ever try to kill a person like Faust? He was kind and smart and beautiful and Nero was a bit over the moon about him. His mind raced back over the short time they’d had together. It hadn’t been that long ago that Nero had found him in his apartment, likely trying to do exactly as Olivia said and just die.

Trying to pull himself out of his shock, Nero finally made up his mind to just shower Faust with all the love that he deserved. He would just hope it could be enough to help him heal from the horrific things he’d been through. It was going to be galettes for dinner. He’d feed Faust his favorites until he was practically sick of them. And cats. He’d make sure there were plenty of cat items. He thought he would go pick up that little cat figurine he’d seen earlier in the store window on his way to work. And he’d study really, really hard. He’d make Faust proud.

It was exactly this kind of behavior that really cemented exactly how fucked Nero was. He hurt thinking about all Faust had been through and that only served to embed him deeper into Nero’s heart. He wanted to do anything to make things better for Faust. The truth was, that while he loved Faust, it was also so much easier to make sure Faust was ok than to make sure he was ok himself. Bradley who? Don’t know him.

With his mind made up and his determination found, he made it through the rest of his workday. Things took an eventful turn, however, when he greeted the evening shift cook, Owen, at the back door.

“I know it’s cold and wet out but I can’t let you in. You can hide in my bag, if you want,” Owen was crouched down talking to something in the alleyway.

“Everythin’ ok?” Nero asked, a bit nervously. Owen kind of freaked him out, to be honest. He was a little weirdly obsessed with the other cook, Cain. But he made the best pastries and sweets so they kept him around.

Owen brushed aside his silver hair and showed Nero his prize. “She’s cold. She also said she doesn’t like the rain.” he held out a sad looking wet gray cat.

It was raining. Of course. Nero knew he was doomed. It’s not like he could leave the poor thing. “Oh no,” he mustered.

“Why don’t you go home?” Owen asked the cat. He fixed his eyes on Nero after a moment and explained, “She says she doesn’t have one.”

“Uhhhh....” Nero faltered, even as he already knew full well this cat was coming home with him. Which was specifically something he tried to avoid because despite his absolute failing at every turn, he really did try not to get too attached too quickly.

Owen grinned a bit maliciously. “You can live with me if you want. I’ll feed you lots of the sticky red sweet goo that oozes like blood.”

“Why do ya gotta say it like that? And ya know cats shouldn’t eat jam, seriously.” Nero sighed and then was suddenly met with the cat launching herself out of Owen’s arms and towards his own. He reacted quickly and caught her with little effort. “Oh no….” He muttered.

“She says you’re hers now,” Owen cheerfully offered in a taunting song-song voice. Without further explanation he was gone.

The rain picked up and a crack of thunder echoed through the sky. Of course Nero didn’t have his umbrella with him, either. He looked down at the cat hiding in his arms and offered, “Well girl, let’s hope Faust likes real cats as much as he likes his cat mug, eh?”

The only response he received was a rough tongue on his hand. Nero used his shirt to cover the cat as best he could and then stepped out into the street to rush home. Home, of course, being Faust’s apartment, but he really didn’t have time to think about the implications of his brain already thinking that way, or when he’d move back to his own place.

“Nero?”

The rain suddenly stopped over Nero and he looked up to find Faust standing there, holding his umbrella over both of them. “Faust?”

Before either could say anything else the cat let out a meow and Faust froze, eyes wide, as he looked down at the mess of fur hiding in Nero’s shirt. “Uh…ya see, she didn’t like the rain and I couldn’t just leave her….” Nero explained.

She gracefully made the jump out of Nero’s shirt and into Faust’s arms. He had to drop the umbrella to catch her, but Nero was quick to react and grabbed it, keeping all 3 of them dry.

Faust’s face practically melted. He smiled down at her and it was obvious that he was smitten. Nero hoped that meant he’d done the right thing. Faust cooed, “Hello, there. What’s your name?”

“I think she’s a stray. So I guess we get t’ name her?” Nero mused, as he held the umbrella steady. “Ya really rescued us back there, Faust. I forgot my umbrella.”

Faust looked up Nero and teased, “I never thought you’d share an umbrella with me. You didn’t strike me as the type.”

Nero’s face flushed and he rubbed his neck. “Yeah, well. I couldn’t let the cat get wet….” he tried to justify it. The fact was he hadn’t even had time to process his own embarrassment at standing out in public sharing an umbrella like this, so close their shoulders were touching.

“Well then. We found you out in this mess so how about something like Storm? Stormy?” Faust asked the cat.

The cat licked his hand in response and Nero and Faust both laughed. Nero joyfully answered, “Ok then, Stormy it is,” he patted her head. “I guess I’ll have to get ya some food, huh?”

Faust nodded, “Yeah. I can take her to the vet as soon as we can get in, if you want.” Faust’s ears went red as he realized how that sounded. “I mean, I guess she’s your cat I just….you work a lot so if you need me to watch her or help or….”

Nero laughed and gently bumped his elbow into Faust’s. “Sounds great. And She doesn’t have to be mine, I mean…or is it too weird for two guys who live next to each other to share a pet cat?”

Faust was silent for a moment before asking, “So you’re going back to your place then?” His voice cracked a bit as he quickly tried to save face and followed with, “Well, I’m glad you got everything sorted out.”

“Ah I mean…no I hadn’t planned to yet. I….” Nero hadn’t really stopped yet to consider that they weren’t actually living together and that they weren’t actually a couple and that maybe it really was weird for them to have a cat together and now everything suddenly felt awful and tenuous like one wrong word may break this fragile thing they had forming. “I mean, if ya don’t want a cat in yer place then it’s fine, I can go back to mine, I’ll figure somethin’ out.”

Faust shook his head vigorously, “No! I didn’t mean it like that! I’m happy to have her…and you…stay with me. I just thought since you said you live next door that meant you’d sorted out everything you were dealing with.” He took a breath and sighed, “You’re more than welcome to stay as long as you need.”

Nero looked down at him and felt a painful pang in his heart as he remembered the things Olivia and Brad had said earlier. He smiled and then reached over and patted Stormy on the head again. “Thanks. I’ll be crashing with ya a bit longer then.”

Nodding, Faust replied, “I guess we should stop at the store and get her some food then?”

“Yeah. Ya can wait outside with her while I run in. I need to get stuff for dinner anyway. I’m making galettes,” Nero grinned.

Faust perked up and couldn’t hide his smile. “That sounds great.” He sighed gently and looked down at the cat snuggling in his arms and then added, “Thank you, Nero.”

Nero fought the urge to kiss Faust’s forehead and instead set off towards the store, leaving Faust carrying Stormy as all 3 of them crowded together under the umbrella in their own little world.

The store stop was quick and then there was an awkward moment while they sorted out who would carry the bags and who would hold the umbrella. In the end Nero took the umbrella and most of the bags and Faust took the lighter ones and Stormy.

Nero was thankful for the quick walk home, because he was afraid if anyone saw him they’d notice how pink his face was as he tried, and failed, to calm down his heartbeat. Every day he spent with Faust was filled with more little things that made him think his heart might burst.

A month ago he’d never dared to imagine walking next to Faust on a rainy day, sharing an umbrella, as they went to the apartment they were sharing, with the cat they’d just adopted. Please don’t point out to him that some of those things are only temporary and that none of this has in any way been made official and that they are, in fact, not dating. His heart probably isn’t ready for that reality check right now.

When they reached their building, Faust rushed upstairs with the cat, while Nero took his time in the lobby, shaking the rain drops off the umbrella. By the time he made it upstairs he found that Faust was already moving Stormy into a corner of the living room. He had set up a small bed, which she would surely ignore, and a litter pan, which she hopefully would not ignore.

Nero quickly set to work in the kitchen, the area he had most fully claimed in Faust’s apartment. He’d have to make sure Stormy knew it wasn’t hers and stayed off the countertops. He luckily didn’t need to worry about that at the moment though, because Faust was too busy keeping her occupied. He took a moment, midway through putting groceries away, to just watch the two of them. Faust looked so happy playing with her that Nero could only hope the food he was about to make would bring a similar look to his face.

Faust continued to play with Stormy as Nero cooked dinner, but he didn’t feel abandoned. In fact, he couldn’t help but feel like their relationship had reached a new level now. They were at the point where they could just both be together in the same room, doing their own thing.

“Where did you put the cat food?” Faust asked as he finally made his way to the kitchen.

Nero nodded to a cupboard, “I stuck it up there, since it was empty, if that’s ok?”

Faust nodded but didn’t move to go feed Stormy, who had fallen asleep on Nero’s sofa bed. He finally joined Nero at the counter and then, as if just remembering, asked, “Oh! Before I forget, I wanted to ask you about Shino.”

“What about ‘im?” Nero looked over a bit confused.

“Well. You said he’s living in a shelter? I was thinking that if he needs any help with tutoring I can work with him along with you. But a shelter isn’t really ideal. I don’t know if I’m overstepping, but I know of a family with a son about his age who may be able to take him in,” Faust explained.

Nero considered for a moment. “Yeah, that’s probably really great, but it’ll be up to Shino, anyway. It’s a bit of a touchy topic so I dunno the best way to let him know?”

Humming in response, Faust offered, “Maybe I should arrange for them to meet and then they can all handle it from there? The Blanchett family is pretty well-off so I’m sure he’d be very well provided for.”

“Oh, I dunno if Shino would do well with joinin’ some rich family,” Nero thought out loud.

Faust nodded, “I understand. Well. I’ll arrange for Heathcliff to come to one of our study sessions and then just let them see what happens, maybe?”

“Yeah, that could work,” Nero offered. Then with a grin he teased, “Ya only met the kid once and yer really still worried about him, ain’t ya?”

“Shut up,” Faust huffed out.

Nero laughed, “Sorry, sorry! I love that about ya, though.”

The word casually thrown out hung in the air, both conscious of what it meant. Nero just continued with preparing the food and Faust fumbled with what to say in response. After a moment he added, “I have some more news, actually….”

Nero’s heart stopped for a moment as he wondered where this could be going. “Oh? What’s up?”

“I took a job today. It’s just a casual part-time thing, but it will give me something to do when you’re at work,” Faust explained. Suddenly realizing what his words meant, he fumbled, “I mean, it would just be good to have something to keep me occupied, you know….” There was no denying the blush creeping up his face.

“Oh!? So, what is Faust gonna do for work?” Nero grinned at him, deciding not to comment on the implication that Faust’s days were revolving around if and when Nero was free.

Faust held his phone out to show a photo of a shop. “It’s this place. It’s down the street. It’s called The Birdcage. The owners are a bit odd, but they sell things like nice teacups and tea. I think it would be nice. One of the owners is interested in fashion so there’s some nice handmade and vintage pieces for sale. I nearly bought something earlier.”

“Ya interested in fashion and stuff? I noticed whenever ya go out yer always dressed stylish,” Nero pointed out.

“I just want to dress in things I like. Though I used to sometimes make my own items. My mother taught me to sew when I was young so every once in a while I would get the urge to make something. Well...that's all in the past though.” Faust explained.

Nero laughed as he placed the finished galettes on plates. “I think that’s neat. Yer kinda way outta my league, ain’t ya?” He smiled as he pushed the plate across the counter to Faust.

Faust let out a little huff. “Says the man who makes the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted.” He carefully lifted his fork and cut a piece of the galette off with the edge before placing it in his mouth. He let out a little moan that Nero tried not to think too hard about. “Nero, this is amazing! I can’t believe you just made this in my tiny kitchen like it’s nothing special….” he looked up at Nero in awe.

It was Nero’s turn to blush. “Aw, thanks, Teach! Just doin’ my best.”

Faust nodded and smiled, “Well, Nero. Your best is simply splendid.”

Have we mentioned yet that Nero wanted to marry this man? Because that’s all he could think about in that moment. Everything just fit together so perfectly when he was with Faust. Everything made sense. This was what he’d always hoped his life could be, but never dared to dream was possible. He had it so bad. Head-over-heels bad.

Chapter Text

The evening was peaceful and basically perfect as far as Nero was concerned. Faust worked away at his knitting, while Nero read out loud again. Stormy snuggled herself right between them, only occasionally trying to play with the yarn.

Well, everything was perfect and peaceful until Faust went to his room to try to sleep, that is. Stormy decided that was not at all what she wanted. She paced back and forth in the hallway, stopping each time to meow loudly outside Faust’s door for a while.

“Okay, okay! Look, I’m leaving it open,” Faust said as he finally opened the door in an effort to stop her wailing.

This was, however, not good enough. She’d walk from his bed to the hallway, to Nero’s spot on the sofa, and back. She was meowing the whole time, like she was desperately trying to tell them both something very obvious that they were too stupid to understand.

Standing in his open doorway, almost at a total loss, Faust looked down at the cat circling his feet and asked, “What do you want from me?”

Stormy waited until he was watching her and then began to walk down the hallway. As soon as she realized he wasn’t following, she’d stop, meow, and go back to collect him. After much effort on her part she finally managed to corral him out to where Nero was on the sofa bed, burrowed into the blankets up to his chin.

He grinned and cocked a brow as he said, “Welcome.”

Faust sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, which quickly prompted Stormy to hop up. She curled herself up next to Nero’s head and waited, watching Faust with big eyes. “I think she’s made her point very clear,” he said.

Nero laughed, “Yeah, hard to misunderstand what she’s after.”

“I’m sorry, Nero. Maybe if I just bring my blankets out here on the floor it will be enough to calm her down,” Faust offered as he bit his lip in worry.

Pulling himself up to sit in bed, Nero offered, “Well, there’s plenty of room here, it’s not like ya gotta go so far as t’ sleep on the floor. I don’t mind sharin’.”

Faust stared down at his hands folded neatly on his lap. He didn’t respond as he closed his eyes and took deep, even breaths. He finally stood up and took a few steps away before turning to look at Nero, complete confusion painting his face.

“Never mind, it’s fine. I ain’t gonna push ya, ya don’t gotta do anythin’ ya don’t wanna. Sorry,” Nero mumbled as he fought the urge to curl up into a ball and hide under the blankets.

Faust stood silent for a long time. The silence stretched to fill the room, and it wasn’t the comfortable type that Nero enjoyed. It was the type that spoke volumes of the depth still between them, and of the endless things they didn’t yet know about each other. Finally Faust spoke in a shaky whisper, “It’s not that I don’t want to. The problem is that I do want to. I do very much want to, Nero.”

Nero let those words sink in, he wished they could act as a balm on his heart, because surely it was great to hear that Faust did, in fact, want to curl up in bed with him and their new cat. But it wasn’t working to soothe him, because of the nagging deep inside that spoke in Olivia’s voice and said, ‘I’d probably just go somewhere and try to die. Dunno how a person can go on after somethin’ like that.’ He dumbly nodded to Faust to show he’d heard, but he couldn’t get his mouth to form around any words.

Faust took a tentative step closer, as if in some sort of epic battle with himself, fighting demons and invisible enemies that Nero could only imagine how horrific they looked. He made it to the end of the bed and then sat on the edge again, facing away from Nero. His hands trembled in his lap as he clasped them together to try to steady himself. So quiet that Nero could hardly hear him, he uttered the faintest whisper and declared, “I don’t deserve to be happy.”

Nero’s heart broke into a million pieces both for himself and for Faust. He understood those kinds of thoughts. He frequently let the guilt of his past actions eat away at him until he convinced himself that someone so awful didn’t deserve happiness. It was easy to fall into that kind of thinking, considering he’d put the man he used to live with behind bars. And no matter how justified his actions were, he could never kick the feeling that someone like Brad was truly all he deserved. Surely he was the type of scum the world didn’t need, and he was only allowed to keep living in order to feel various sorts of misery.

Faust didn’t move or speak again. He simply sat on the edge of the sofa bed with his eyes closed and his fists clenched in his lap. Nero pushed his own thoughts of unworthiness and misery out of his mind as he looked at Faust and fought every urge in his body that wanted to just reach out and hold him and tell him it was all right and that of course he deserved to be happy. He wanted to do for Faust all the things that nobody had ever done for him.

Nero sat there watching Faust’s small frame, as his shoulders shuddered slightly with each breath. He wondered how his own life could have been different if when the police had found him in the kitchen covered with blood, they’d held him and told him everything would be okay. Instead they told him to drop the knife, while corralling his screaming and crying foster siblings away from him. What if someone had simply reached out from the start?

His fingers reached out tentatively, trembling. He didn’t know if he was making the right choice, or if he was going to ruin everything with his next movement. He hadn’t even heard from Faust’s own lips if anything Olivia said was true. He held his breath and then followed his heart. In one swift motion Nero was on his knees behind Faust, with his arms wrapped around him. He buried his face into Faust’s hair and rested his chin on his shoulder.

Faust startled and his hands came unclasped in surprise, but he didn’t try to escape Nero’s affection. Nero had a tendency to joke rather than talk about important things head on. He was terrible at addressing his own emotions in words, without trying to throw up a smoke screen. He knew that he was clumsy and awkward with these sorts of moments, but he exhaled slowly and then just let the words out. “It’ll be ok, Faust. Everything will be ok.”

Reaching up, Faust wrapped his fingers around Nero’s arms, that were circled around his chest, hugging him tightly. He whispered, “Nero….” before asking, “What do you know about me?”

Nero shook his head into Faust’s hair and said, “Only what you’ve told me!”

Faust let out a small sigh and a choked laugh. “Good. I’m glad.”

Nero nodded in understanding, strands of Faust’s hair sticking to his cheek. “I just thought someone should tell you that it’s ok.”

Faust reached his hand up and patted Nero’s head gently. “Thank you. You know…the same goes for you. I don’t know how I can help but…I’ll keep trying to help you Nero.”

Nero hadn’t expected his sincerity to be turned on him. He pulled away instinctively which left Faust his own opening. He reached out and pulled Nero into his own arms. Nero was still kneeling awkwardly, and Faust’s arms were wrapped haphazardly around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides. Nero truly wanted to believe that everything really would be ok.

Faust gave a small squeeze and then released Nero, who sank down on the bed next to him. Stormy, who had quietly been watching everything unfold, finally let out a meow and curled up right between them, happily.

Faust couldn’t help the joyful laughter that spilled from his lips. “I guess she got what she wanted, didn’t she?”

Smiling softly down at Faust and Stormy, Nero patted her on the head. “Well…she’ll probably just act up again if you go back t’ yer room.”

Faust nodded in agreement. “I guess that’s true. Well then…thank you for letting me have the other side of your bed tonight.”

Nero’s cheeks reddened as he dared to reach out and tuck a stray strand of Faust’s hair behind his ear. “It’s yer sofa and yer apartment, stupid. Ya can sleep anywhere ya want.”

Screwing up his mouth and looking away, Faust whispered, “I should warn you I have pretty bad nightmares.”

“Do ya thrash around or anythin’ when ya have ‘em? Want me t’ wake ya up if ya do?” Nero asked. He didn’t want to push too much, but he was concerned.

“I don’t know. I…haven’t slept all night around another person since they started. Sometimes I wake myself up though, yeah,” Faust explained. “I don’t sleep very well.”

Nero nodded, “Gotcha. It doesn’t bother me any, but will I freak ya out if I try t’ wake ya?”

Faust shook his head and turned sad eyes to Nero. “I don’t know. Sorry.” He averted his eyes again and mumbled, “This is a bad idea.”

“‘S fine!” Nero grinned and gave Faust a gentle pat on the back. “Come on. Just don’t worry about it and get some sleep. I’m sure Stormy will be next to ya most of the time. Maybe she’ll keep the nightmares away!”

Smiling weakly, Faust nodded before letting out a small sigh and climbing under the covers. He settled in and turned onto his side so he was facing Nero and Stormy. He placed his hand out next to the cat and whispered, “Good night.”

Nero slid under the blankets and wondered if it was wrong to sleep facing Faust, but he decided since Stormy was between them it would be okay. He fought his urge to reach out and hold Faust’s hand. “Night,” he breathed out.

The night was not the wonderful, peaceful, perfect one that Nero had hoped for. He usually slept lightly in new environments, and even though he trusted Faust with his life, old habits die hard. His body was still adjusting to Faust’s home and so he slept with a constant awareness, the way people do when life has taught them they need to be wary of danger in the night.

It didn’t help that Stormy was also adjusting. She’d wake up and go off to do cat things around the apartment before getting bored and climbing back up. She seemed to favor leaping up over Nero’s side of the bed, where she’d walk over him and then proceed to knead the blankets with a fervor that put Nero’s own bread making skills to shame.

Then of course, there was the unfortunate event of Faust thrashing about in his sleep. He was muttering pained words as his body moved like its life depended on it, fighting some unseen attacker. Nero braced himself for the backlash and called out as gently as he could, “Faust!”

Faust simply tossed around some more so Nero tried again, “Faust!”

Eyes jolting open, Faust didn’t process where he was fast enough and lashed out at Nero.

Nero expertly caught the punch and then smiled, “Hey, welcome back, Faust.”

“Nero?” Faust asked, coming to his senses. “Was I dreaming?”

“Yeah. Sorry I woke ya, but ya were thrashin’ about so I was worried ya might hurt yerself,” Nero offered, as he let go of Faust’s fist.

Faust lowered his eyes and miserably apologized. “I’m sorry. Sleeping with me must be awful.

“‘S fine! ‘S fine! Don’t worry about it! I don’t work ‘til late tomorrow anyway. I can sleep all day if I want!” Nero smiled to try to reassure Faust. The truth was, as miserable as this night was, he desperately wanted to fight through it in the hopes of a better one tomorrow, and the day after.

Faust rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. “My first day at work is tomorrow. I’m supposed to go in at 10.”

Smile falling a bit, Nero tried to stay positive, “Well, lucky you, that's still like 6 hours away!”

“Hey, Nero, pop quiz time. It’s a math question. Take off 15 minutes to account for being early. 20 to commute. 30 for breakfast. And 45 to shower and get ready and then an extra 10 just to be safe. When do I have to get up?” Faust didn’t move from where his face was still pressed into his pillow.

“Uhhhhh…that was a lot. Is a rough guess good?” Nero chuckled nervously.

“No. I want to sleep until the last possible second,” Faust muttered.

“Ok. Ok. One sec!” Nero offered as he tried to remember all the times Faust had listed. “Ya said 30 for breakfast? What are ya havin’? Does that account for cookin’ or just eatin’?”

Faust sighed and explained, “Coffee and cereal or something. That’s just to grab it and sit and eat while checking the news.”

Nero shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. It’s yer first day at yer new job. I’m sending ya off right. I’ll be makin’ breakfast. Does that change yer time requirements?”

Laughing into his pillow, Faust sighed happily, “Yes. I’ll need an extra 10 minutes to savor every bite.”

Nero was glad it was dark, with only a little bit of light pollution from the streetlamps outside filtering in through the curtains. He didn’t want Faust to see how red his face felt as he smiled ear to ear at the compliment. “All right. So….ya can set yer alarm for 8. Unless ya really are insistent on that extra 10 just in case. Then better go for 7.50. Damn that’s so early. I’m kinda a roll outta bed and go sort of guy, ya know?”

“I admire that about you,” Faust offered. “And good mental math, Nero. You got it right.”

“Oh? What’s my reward then, Teach?” Nero teased.

Faust rolled over and snuggled into the blankets. “You can go back to sleep.”

Nero laughed as he settled back in too. “Teach is really generous.”

They settled back in until 7.30 when Stormy decided that actually Faust’s alarm did not matter because she was bored. Nero was the unfortunate winner of that lottery as she sat right on his chest, and started gently kneading into his shirt, sharp claws grazing his skin as they poked through the material.

There were a whole lot of reasons for Nero to be grumpy that morning. But when he looked over next to him and saw Faust still asleep, he realized that actually none of them mattered all that much right now. When his face wasn’t contorted in some hellish terror of a nightmare, Faust was breathtakingly beautiful as he slept. And Nero couldn’t help but fall for him even more.

He allowed himself the guilty pleasure of watching Faust sleep for a few more minutes before he gave Stormy a pat on the head and climbed out of bed. He knew full well he was going back to sleep after he saw Faust off to work, so he didn’t bother with a shower. After a quick trip to the toilet, he padded his way to the kitchen, messy hair, rumpled tank top, pj pants and all.

He’d picked up a few extra things at the store last night and decided now was a great opportunity to bust out his excellent pancake making skills to really impress his boyfriend. Friend. His friend. His friend that he was kind of living with and kind of adopted a cat with and kind of slept with last night.

Midway through his pancake making, just as the delicious scents were making Faust stir from his sleep, there was a knock on the front door. Nero’s face contorted in confusion and worry as he wondered if perhaps Brad had found him somehow.

He smoothly grabbed a knife out of the block and crept over to the peephole in the door. He looked out and found a tall man with dark hair and glasses standing there. He was dressed in professional looking tactical gear which was a sure tipoff he probably wasn’t sent by Bradley. Brad was much more the thugs in the alleyway type than the trained assassin type, even if he tried to pretend otherwise.

Just to be safe, Nero kept the knife in hand and the chain clasped as he cracked open the door and asked, as quietly as he could to not wake Faust, “Can I help ya?”

The man turned his imposing frame towards the crack in the door and narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Isn’t this Mr. Lavinia’s residence?”

Nero was beginning to suspect perhaps he shouldn’t have opened the door. “Uhhhhh….”

The man suddenly firmly began his plea. “Does Mr. Lavinia live here? I’m looking for Mr. Faust Lavinia.”

The noise was enough to stir Faust awake, combined with the smell of the cooking pancakes. Everything happened suddenly all at once and Nero’s life started to fall to pieces.

“Nero, who is that?” Faust asked from the sofa as he blinked sleep from his eyes.

“Mr. Lavinia? It is you, isn’t it? I hear his voice. Please let me in. Mr. Lavinia!” The man at the door was speaking firmly.

Faust went into an absolute panic. “Nero! Don’t let that man in! Nero close the door!”

Nero’s eyes went wide as he wondered how badly he’d fucked up. He tried to slam the door, but the man reached his arm in the crack.

He continued to plead. “Please Mr. Lavinia! It’s me, Lennox! Please, I’ve been looking for you for so long! Please tell this man to open the door and let me in, I just want to see you. Please, Mr. Lavinia.”

The pancakes were smoking on the stovetop and Nero was too afraid to leave the door unattended to get to them.

Faust was practically screaming now, “You’ve got the wrong man! Nero close the door!”

Nero turned back to the door and jammed it down on the man’s arm harder. Seeing Faust’s panic made him not care one single bit about any potential harm he did to the man outside the door.

“Please, Mr. Lavinia! Mr. Alec Granvelle paid me already for several years in advance so that you’d always have a bodyguard. I just want to keep serving you and do the job I was given. Please Mr. Lavinia!” Lennox pleaded, even as his arm was being pinched in the door.

Faust screamed, “Don’t ever say that name in front of me again!”

Nero knew it was time for real action as the pancakes on the stove began to smolder. “Listen, bud. I’ve got a knife right here in my hand so if ya don’t get yer fucking arm outta my doorway right now ya won’t have an arm for much longer, ya asshole.” He made his knife clearly visible to the man on the other side of the door.

The arm quickly retreated and Nero slammed the door and locked it. Then he rushed to pull the now flaming pancake off the stovetop and quickly crashed a lid over the frying pan to smother the flames.

Faust was shaking on the sofa as Stormy licked his trembling hands. Lennox was knocking on the door again. Breakfast was burnt and Nero thought that just maybe, his life was ruined now.

Chapter Text

The next few days were an awful and awkward dance of Nero leaving to see if that Lennox man was still in the hallway, and then weaving himself through halls and stairways to make it back to the apartment. He’d taken the route of ignoring the man, because Faust didn’t want to talk about it and that was a good enough answer for him. Instead of engaging, he’d simply turn heel and go back to alert Faust that it wasn’t safe to go that way.

There was one time Faust went out the window and down the fire escape to get to work. Nero wasn’t the type to run to the cops, usually, but he really wanted to file some sort of report against that guy, but Faust assured him he didn’t mean any harm.

Finally one morning in a desperate attempt to provide normalcy to their household, whatever that even was, Nero endeavored to remake the pancakes he failed at a few days earlier. It had been a difficult week and he was scared to death of what Faust might do to himself. He could only hope maybe his cooking would be enough to make him want to stick around.

Not that it was some big triumph to write home about or anything, considering the circumstances, but Faust had moved himself onto the sofa bed ever since that night. He was still sleeping with Stormy while Nero expertly cracked eggs into the pancake batter.

He knew he was probably getting in way too deep, but he couldn’t help it. Nero just set his mind to it that he’d try to be whatever Faust needed him to be. He was his lookout and his escort. He was his personal chef. He was trying his best to be his perfect student. He didn’t even say anything when he noticed Faust left his treasured cat mug full of dried coffee, staining the inside.

With his lips set into a grim line, Nero diligently stirred the pancake batter. He understood firsthand how something could send you mentally and emotionally spiraling back. Hell, he’d had his own similar situation not that long ago when he’d run into Bradley again.

The mound of blankets on the sofa bed stirred as the smell of pancakes filled the small apartment. Nero smiled fondly as the soft brown waves of Faust’s hair came into view as he poked his head out of the blankets. “Mornin’, I made breakfast,” Nero offered.

“It smells delicious,” Faust said as he stretched his arms over his head.

Nero considered that a check mark for the list of positives. This Faust was happy to eat his food without being nudged, which meant he hadn’t spiraled back quite as far as where he had been when they’d first met. “I realized I’ve never made my famous pancakes for ya. Had t’ fix that!” Nero grinned as he plated a stack of the fluffy discs.

Faust raised his brow and questioned, “Famous?”

Scratching his neck, Nero explained, “Well, Riquet from work likes ‘em anyway.”

Letting out a genuine laugh, Faust agreed, “Well then, I can’t wait to try Nero’s Famous Pancakes!”

Nero mentally added the laughter into the list of positives. He wanted Faust to keep going for himself, but if that failed then Nero’s cooking, or honestly anything at all was good enough. He’d just bombard Faust with reasons to keep on fighting. “Better hurry up then. They’re best when they’re warm.”

Pulling himself somewhat begrudgingly from his blankets, Faust trudged his way over to the counter. He was quite the sight to behold in his oversized pjs and his tangled hair. Nero loved everything about him as he blinked the sleepiness from his eyes and settled onto the stool. He drenched the stack in maple syrup and then shoveled a modest bite into his mouth. “Nero! These are delicious!” He mumbled with his mouth full, nearly choking in the process.

Nero poured a cup of coffee and warned, “Calm down, I don’t want ya t’ choke.”

Faust swallowed his food properly and apologized, embarrassed. “Sorry. I’m not usually like that.”

“Just don’t die on me,” Nero took a sip of his coffee. He waited to gauge Faust’s reaction to the quip but was relieved to find he brushed it off. Nero hoped that meant he wasn’t having any thoughts of dying again.

Shoveling another bite into his mouth, and properly chewing it this time, Faust continued to eat his breakfast. Swallowing fully before talking, he said, “Thank you for breakfast, Nero. I’ve been relying on you a lot again lately, I’m sorry for that.”

“No sweat,” Nero shrugged. “I ain’t worried about it. I’ve told ya, I like to cook. Seein’ ya enjoy my food is more than enough.”

Faust nodded solemnly. “I don’t just mean the food, though. I know you’ve been keeping an eye out for…Lennox. I appreciate your concern.”

“We all got people we wanna avoid. I get it,” Nero offered easily.

Faust considered for a long while before opening up a little and explaining, “It’s not that I want to avoid him, particularly. I just can’t be around him. I can’t be around anyone who knew….” Faust shook his head and then tried again. “That version of me is dead. I don’t need or want something like a bodyguard. I have no need for him.” Faust hesitated like he had more to say, but instead he turned his attention back to the pancakes.

Nero took a sip of coffee and pondered if he should respond, or change the subject. Finally he settled on, “For what it’s worth, I like the guy ya are now. I mean, hell. This is the only Faust I’ve ever known and he was still great enough to pull me into livin’ with him and cookin’ for him every day.”

“Well, I….” Faust was flustered and didn’t know how to respond to Nero’s teasing. A blush rushed up his cheeks and finally he muttered, “Oh shut up.”

Nero put another check on the positives list. Letting his own laughter fill the air, Nero verified, “Ya work later today, right?”

Faust nodded, “Rustica asked me to come in. Him and Chloe are a little overwhelming, but I don’t hate it. It’s nice to have something to do. There’s also a really neat oddities shop next to theirs. It’s called The Ferryman, they sell all sorts of interesting things. I’ve been going over there to browse on my break.”

Nero scrunched up his face. “Ain’t that the weird place that sells bones and shit? My weirdo co-worker Owen does taxidermy and supplies for them I think. Whatever yer into but that shit sure ain’t my style.”

Faust frowned, “I’m not the hugest fan of that portion of the shop either, but there’s still a lot of really interesting things there. They also sell tea, but theirs make lots of dubious health claims and are supposed to be used for fortune telling. And they claim some of their antique items are cursed or haunted. I can’t help it but I do find the macabre sensibilities of the shop intriguing.”

“Well, like I said. I like the guy ya are now, just fine,” Nero laughed. “Even if it ain’t my style, I’m glad yer havin’ fun. Ya believe in fortune telling and all that stuff?”

“I’m not really sure. I guess I don’t think it’s all fake, but I’m more the type who takes it or leaves it depending on the answers I get,” Faust explained. “I’m not going to let it rule my life or anything.”

Nero replied, “Very realistic. I can’t help but get all nervous about that shit. I’d rather not have t’ live with the knowledge of tomorrow hangin’ over my head.

“Even if it’s something good?” Faust asked, interested piqued.

Shrugging, Nero explained, “Well, yeah.” He rubbed his neck nervously as he continued, “I mean, what if I set my hopes on it and then it doesn’t happen?”

Faust nodded. “I guess that’s true. But what if that happy thought is what helps get you through another day?”

Nero took a drink of his coffee and then seriously answered, “Then that’s fine. I’m happy for the people that sorta thinkin’ helps. There ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.”

“You’ve never looked forward to something in anticipation before?” Faust questioned, finishing up his last bite of breakfast.

Nero pondered over more of his coffee before he finally responded. “I looked forward to takin’ ya shoppin’. And I’m lookin’ forward to whenever we might go out again. But that’s different, I guess. It wasn’t just some vague prediction like ‘you’ll get to go out for a day with someone ya like.’” He shrugged and went back to his coffee.

Raising his brow, Faust’s lips curved into a small smile as he asked, “Someone you like?”

Scrunching his face up as if scared of the answer, Nero offered, “Well, yeah. Yer my friend. ‘Course I like ya. Hell, we got a cat together, didn’t we?”

That caused Faust to giggle as he held his hand to his mouth and answered, “I guess we do.” He settled in and finally took a drink of the coffee Nero had prepared for him, now that it was cool. “Thank you, Nero.”

Nero simply nodded and let out a small hum in acknowledgement as he pulled himself off the counter he had been leaning against and cleared Faust’s plate.

“You don’t work today, right?” Faust verified as he stood up to start getting ready for work.

“Nah. I uh…I took today off,” Nero answered as he washed the dishes.

“Oh, any special reason?” Faust gave Stormy a quick pat as he hastily tidied the blankets on the bed.

Nero paused for a moment before answering, “Nah. Nothin’ special.”

“Well. It’s a nice day anyway,” Faust offered. “Not too hot, not too cold. It'll be autumn in a few weeks, my favorite time of year.”

Humming in reply, Nero nodded. “Yeah. I might go out or somethin’.”

Faust agreed, “That would be nice. Well, I hope you have a good day off.” With that he went off to shower and get dressed.

Nero sighed as he let his hands rest in the soapy dish water for a moment, distracted. If he was going to tell Faust what today was, he really should have done that ages ago. It didn’t really matter anyway. It really wasn’t anything special. He’d made Faust laugh and smile and that was more than enough to make it a good day.

After he finished cleaning up the kitchen, Nero pulled on a hoodie and slipped on his shoes. Grabbing his keys, he looked out the peephole before carefully opening the door and stepping into the hallway. He quickly locked it behind him, and made his way down the hall. A weary sigh escaped his lips as he rounded the corner and found Lennox sitting in the stairwell.

He ignored him, continued down the stairs, then around to the other end of the hallway and up the back staircase. He knew he was being watched. Every time he passed by Lennox in the hall he could feel eyes boring into him. If that guy was a good security detail then he’d certainly fully scoped out the apartment building and he might have even found a way to look into Nero. He hated the thought that he was also being watched, like this random guy who just showed up didn’t trust him around Faust.

As he unlocked the door and let himself back into the apartment, he tried to remind himself that actually he was probably the random guy considering he’d only known Faust a short time. But he figured that didn’t matter, not really. Faust himself said whoever he used to be was dead. And nobody knew this current Faust better than he did, he was sure of that.

Faust was waiting in the living room, shoes, coat, and hat on. He looked meek as he waited for Nero’s verdict.

“He’s down the front staircase. I’ll walk ya out down the back, if ya want,” Nero explained.

“Thank you, Nero. I’m really sorry about all this,” Faust apologized for about the millionth time.

Reaching out and playfully pulling the brim of Faust’s hat down over his face, Nero reassured, “I already told ya, It ain’t an issue.”

Faust rushed to fix his hat, flustered, and then clutched his bag strap that hung across his chest, as if it were a security blanket. He nodded and said, “Ok. I’m ready.”

Nero ushered him out the door and down the back stairs without incident, until they got to the door and found Lennox rounding the corner. Faust’s eyes shot open and he bolted down the street, far faster than Nero would have ever imagined possible.

Meanwhile Nero decided it was time to step in once and hopefully for all. He planted himself in front of the door and firmly blocked Lennox’s path. “Hey, buddy. What’s up?” He mocked.

Lennox stood tall to his full height with his shoulders square. He practically towered over Nero. “Please move. I need to see Mr. Lavinia safely to work.”

Nero shook his head, “Nu-uh. Look, I dunno who the hell ya think ya are, but you can’t keep doin’ this. Lurkin’ in the hallways and around corners. Faust is fucking terrified, and I can’t let that slide.”

“I’m just doing my job,” Lennox asserted.

“I don’t buy it. Is yer job really to make that dude fucking scared to leave his house? Because that’s all yer doin’. Look, I dunno who you are, or what the deal is, and I don’t wanna know, but I think it’s about time ya moved along,” Nero held his ground.

Lennox explained, “I was hired by Ale….”

“No. I don’t care. Faust doesn’t wanna talk about it and that’s all I need t’ know,” Nero cut him off.

Lennox frowned, looking distressed. “I failed to save him from the fire. I have to do my job now.”

The mention of the fire caught Nero slightly off guard, but he continued to stand firm. “I said, I don’t care. I don’t care what ya are to Faust or what ya did or didn’t do. The only thing I care about is that he’s safe and happy now, and he clearly doesn’t appreciate yer bein’ here. So it’s really time to move on. Do I really need t’ say it again?”

Lennox frowned and then explained, “But I’ve spent all this time looking for him.”

That set Nero off. “So yer a fuckin’ stalker? Do ya even hear yerself? I said leave him alone!”

“May I have your name, and ask what exactly your relationship to Mr. Lavinia is?” Lennox stayed calm.

“Fuck no! I ain’t tellin’ ya my name so you can go snoop on me. All ya need to know is that I’m livin’ with Faust and he’s safe with me, got it?” Nero was getting frustrated and felt on the verge of snapping, and he knew he couldn’t beat this guy in a first fight.

Lennox calmly asked, “Are you his lover?”

Nero’s eyes shot open and he retorted, “What?!” Then he got even more angry and lied, “Yeah, I am, okay? And he’s happy, or he was until you showed up tryin’ to drag up his past. So just leave us alone, or I’ll call the police.”

“I understand,” Lennox nodded. He hesitated for a moment before pulling out a business card and handing it to Nero. “Please tell him that it wasn’t his fault. About Bianca. And give him this in case he changes his mind. I’ll make sure to proceed with my job in a more stealthy manner from this point forward. Thank you for your time.”

“Did ya hear a damn thing I said? The answer isn’t for ya t’ keep followin’’ him!” Nero shouted after Lennox as he walked out of the building and made his way down the street in the direction of Faust’s work. “Ah damnit!” Nero swore as he kicked the door frame.

He looked down at the business card and read out to himself, “Lennox Ram, personal security specialist, S.H.E.E.P. Inc.” He scoffed. “What the fuck does that mean, bet the S stands for stalking.” He finally let out a deep sigh as his shoulders slumped and he trudged back up to Faust’s apartment.

Kicking off his shoes, he decided what he really needed was a nap, and not a party. Stormy was also having a very lazy day and so Nero simply snuggled up in bed and didn’t even bother setting an alarm.

When he finally woke up it was to the sound of Faust’s keys in the door, and the light from the setting sun slanting deep through the windows. Nero looked at his phone and realized he had several missed calls and a slew of unread messages.

Faust looked at him, surprised, as he stepped in the door and closed it behind him. “I called you, but you didn’t pick up.” He reached over and hung his hat on the hook by the door and then leaned down to untie his boots.

“Ah shit. Sorry. Were ya okay gettin’ in? He didn’t bug ya, did he?” Nero asked a bit miserably, as he sat up and stretched.

Shaking his head, Faust replied, “No, it was fine. I didn’t see him. There’s some stuff sitting in front of your apartment, by the way.” He tossed his keys in the bowl near the door and then came over to join Nero on the sofa. Stormy promptly appeared from wherever she had been off to, doing cat things, and hopped up.

“Huh? Like what?” Nero asked as he reached over and gave Stormy a quick chin rub, as she sat perched on Faust’s lap.

“I’m not sure, I didn’t look too closely. I didn’t want to be nosey. I think it looked like there was a bottle of wine, though.

At the description Nero’s eyes flew open and he cursed, “Shit,” as he grabbed his phone and pulled up his messages. He scrolled past ‘happy birthday, Nero!’ texts from both Riquet and Cain, along with one from Owen that was probably meant to convey that same feeling, but instead declared, ‘come back 2 work im sick of dealing with ur boy brad.”

“Everything okay?” Faust asked, concerned.

“Uh, yeah. It’s fine,” Nero said as he landed on the message he was looking for. ‘Happy birthday, Nero! I miss you terribly, you know. It’s been simply ages since you’ve visited the bar. Murr misses you too, I hope you know. He says there’s nobody quite as fun to question as you. I tried to call you, but you wouldn’t pick up, so I dropped your present off at your apartment, mind you, I really shouldn’t have. I should have made you come see us if you wanted it! You better introduce us to Faust soon. Anyway, Happy birthday, dear! I hope Faust treats you really, really well tonight and makes all those fantasies of yours come true!” Nero quickly hit the dim screen button and practically threw his phone, afraid Faust might see.

Faust asked again, “Are you sure everything is okay?”

Nero pulled himself off the bed and walked swiftly to the door. “Yeah, it’s nothin’. A friend just dropped a present off for me. I’ll go grab it an’ be right back.” He slipped his feet into his shoes, crushing the backs of them, and stepped into the hall.

“Present? What for?” Faust asked, even as Nero was already in the hallway.

Nero rushed back in just as quickly and locked the door behind him, constantly wary of who might be lurking in the halls. Kicking off his shoes, he walked to the kitchen and dumped the gift bag on the counter. He pulled out 2 bottles of wine and a bottle of whisky and put them on the counter with a whistle. “Shylock never cheaps out, that’s for sure.”

“What’s the special occasion, Nero?” Faust tried to ask, yet again, as he stood up and joined him at the counter.

Nero rubbed his neck awkwardly as he tried to deflect, “Oh ya know. It’s just my old friend Shylock. He owns a bar down the street and he’s tryin’ t’ bribe me to come visit.” Nero figured that wasn’t exactly a lie, so he shouldn’t feel too bad about it, right? “Yer gonna help me drink this tonight, right?”

Faust reached out and picked up one of the expensive bottles of wine to read the label, and that’s when he noticed the little card tied around the neck. It happily declared, ‘Happy Birthday, Nero!’ The color drained from his face as he hastily fumbled to set the bottle back down. “No, I uh, I need to get to bed, actually,” He mumbled as he rushed to head to his bedroom.

“Faust!” Nero reached out and grabbed his wrist to stop him. “It’s not what ya think!”

Faust turned to look at him, eyes wide and full of hurt. “No. It’s nothing. It’s my fault. I’m sorry I didn’t know. I hope you had a nice birthday, Nero.” He turned again to go and made it most of the way down the hall before Nero caught him again.

“Faust! Come on, listen. I didn’t mean anythin’ by it. By the time I realized I hadn’t told ya it was already today and then I thought I’d just make ya feel bad if I told ya so late,” Nero tried to explain, as he carefully kept his fingers wrapped gently around Faust’s wrist.

“So you lied to me, instead?” Faust asked, bitterly. He looked Nero in the eyes but then had to look away because it was too much.

In all the ways Nero hoped his birthday might go, this certainly wasn’t on the list. “It’s just, birthdays ain’t a big deal t’ me. I just take the day off work and that’s it. I never really had anybody who gave a fuck until recently so….” He kept holding lightly onto Faust’s wrist, hoping he wouldn’t pull away.

Faust met his eyes again and after a painful silence he finally said, “I don’t think I can do this.”

“Huh?” Nero’s heart practically stopped. He silently prayed Faust didn’t mean what he thought he meant. “What are ya talkin’ about?”

“I don’t care about the secrets, Nero. I have mine too. But outright lying to me is different. I don’t know if I can be around a person who….” Faust struggled with the pained expression on his face.

Nero took that opportunity to act on instinct. He gently pulled Faust closer and held him, one hand on each arm. “Ya can’t honestly think I was tryin’ to lie about anythin’ important,” Nero pleaded.

Faust finally looked at him definitely. “That’s just it, though. It’s not important to you, but maybe it is to me. Nero, it’s your birthday and you’re the first person I’ve…you’re the first friend I’ve had in a while! I know that’s selfish of me, but….”

Nero swallowed hard and finally felt the words forming on his lips, “Faust, I lov….”

“Please don’t,” Faust cut Nero off.

Heartbroken and shocked, Nero let his hands fall from Faust’s arms. “Ok,” was all he could muster. “Sorry.”

Faust panicked and tried to explain. “I just…I can’t put a name on this yet. I’m sorry, Nero. It’s not that I don’t….”

Nero nodded dully. It wasn’t a rejection, simply a plea for more time. And he wanted to give Faust as much time as he needed because he really, truly, wanted this, even if it hurt right now. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to sound as normal as possible, “I get it. Just…anyway. I don’t gotta say it. Ya know what it is.”

Looking away for a moment, face scrunched up in confusion, Faust finally looked back at Nero and gave a somewhat pained smile. “Happy birthday, Nero. I’m sorry it ended up this way. I’ll make it up to you later.”

Nero took a deep breath and let out a long sigh before smiling earnestly and saying, “Honestly, Faust, all I really wanted t’ do today was spend the evenin’ having a few drinks with ya and then maybe goin’ over some of my readin’ for school while ya knit or whatever.”

Faust’s eyes widened as he asked, “Really?”

“Honestly, yeah. I just wanted one of our normal evenings,” Nero shrugged.

Nodding, Faust smiled, and this time it was genuine. “It would be my pleasure.”

Nero let out a relieved laugh before gently elbowing Faust in the arm and prodding, “Ok then, come on.”

The two of them made their way back to the kitchen where Nero pulled down the wine glasses and uncorked one of the bottles, while Faust fed Stormy.

“It’s probably a bad idea t’ drink on an empty stomach ain't it?” Nero mused as he took a gulp of his wine.

Faust nodded as he took a drink of his own and sat at the counter. “Probably. Let’s order something.”

Nero wanted to protest, but honestly having the evening off didn’t sound too bad. “Fine. Yer payin’ though,” Nero teased.

“Of course,” Faust laughed as he took another drink, the wine working quickly on his empty stomach. “Order whatever you like and have it delivered.” Faust pulled a card out of his wallet and put it on the counter, pushing it towards Nero.

Whistling, Nero joked, “Wow, I got Teach’s credit card! I’m gonna have a shoppin’ spree!” He opened the app on his phone and picked a decent Chinese takeout joint and ordered enough food for the night and their potentially hungover selves tomorrow.

“Get some for tomorrow too,” Faust said, happily finishing off his first glass of wine and pouring himself another.

"Already on it." Nero noticed Faust’s credit card was heavy. It was one of those fancy metal ones rich people liked to flaunt, he’d seen plenty back during his time with Brad. He tried to push the thought out of his mind as he put his phone down and said, “Should be here in like 45 minutes or so.”

“Great!” Faust grinned, already quickly working his way towards being smashed.

“Slow down. This stuff Shylock brought is top shelf, at least enjoy it!” Nero said as he grabbed his own glass and moved over to the sofa bed. He leaned back into his pillow, and stretched out his long legs as he settled in.

Joining him on the bed, his own glass in one hand and the bottle of wine in the other, Faust asked, “So, who is Shylock? This is a pretty nice gift.”

Nero gently rammed his elbow into Faust’s arm and playfully asked, “Ya jealous?”

“What? No! Of course not!” Faust protested, but his face went red from embarrassment anyway.

“Well good, ‘cause there ain’t any reason t’ be. He’s just an old friend of mine. He runs a kinda shitty bar down the road. He’s a real classy guy though. Says the customers are just more interesting in a cheap bar. I guess he used to have a real fancy place but he got sick of all the rich people, said they were borin’ and rude. Ahh…I mean….” Nero caught himself with his foot in his mouth, remembering it was likely Faust himself was one of that class.

Faust laughed, “He’s right. Anyway, I’m certainly having more fun now,” he leaned his head over onto Nero’s shoulder without hesitation.

Nero let out a nervous chuckle as he took another drink of his wine and tried not to think about how Faust had just stopped his confession earlier and was now snuggling up to him. “I found his bar after a real shitty day at work when I was just gettin’ my feet under me and I’ve been goin’ back ever since. Guess I admire him, runnin’ his own business and everythin’. Anyway, he’s been a good friend t’ me.”

Humming, Faust said, “I’m glad. You spend so much time with me, I wasn’t sure if you were just lonely.”

“I guess I am, but it ain’t ‘cause I don’t have friends,” Nero muttered as he took another drink. Finally he continued, “Sometimes a person just needs more than that, ya know?”

Faust didn’t respond, instead they settled into silence as they both worked through their drinks and waited for the food to arrive.

The alcohol had already started to work its magic on both of them by the time they heard a knock at the door. Nero practically yelled, “Not it!”

Giggling in response, his 3rd glass of wine already nearly empty, Faust stumbled to pull himself off the bed and make it to the door. He made an unsteady mocking bow and said, “Allow me.”

Nero laughed as he pointed out, significantly more sober than Faust, “Oh? Is Teach gonna serve me tonight?”

A flirtatious smile crossing his lips, Faust asked, “Is that what you want?”

Luckily for Nero, Faust promptly turned and went to open the door, giving him time to readjust himself and hide his growing excitement. “God, don’t tease me….” he mumbled to himself.

“No! You have a good night!” Faust yelled out the door at the delivery man as he shoved a sizeable wad of cash into his flustered hands and then slammed the door.

“Did ya just tip him like, a ton of cash?” Nero grinned, bemused, and finding Faust more and more endearing by the minute.

Faust hauled the bag of food to the counter and dumped it there as he happily proclaimed, “It’s Nero’s birthday!!!”

“Is that how that works?” Nero pulled himself off the bed and joined Faust in the kitchen, resisting every urge in his body that wanted to walk up behind Faust and wrap his arms around him and plant a kiss on the top of his head. Instead he laughed and began pulling the cartons of food out of the bag, saying, “I’m honored.”

Faust grabbed a carton of food and chopsticks and without even looking began shoveling the food into his mouth. “What’d ya get?”

Peering over into the carton, Nero explained, “Looks like ya grabbed the sweet and sour chicken. This one’s garlic if ya’d rather.” He held out the other carton of food, as he snatched a piece of beef off the top.

Shoveling more food into his face, Faust didn’t respond to the offer. After a few minutes of eating he grabbed a fortune cookie out of the soggy bag and threw it at Nero. “Tell me what yours says.”

Nero fumbled to catch the sloppily tossed cookie and chuckled, “Ok. Ok.” He pulled open the wrapper and cracked the cookie open, pulling out the little slip of paper. “It says, ‘That thing you have been wanting will be yours soon.’ Oh dear god, even the cookie is making fun of me,” Nero mourned.

Seemingly without warning, as drunk people tend to do, Faust started pulling on his shirt collar and complained, “God, it’s so hot in here. Aren’t you hot?”

“Uhhhh….” Nero’s eyes widened as he realized exactly where this was going and had to fight the part of him that was desperate for it and the part of him who wanted to be a better guy than that.

Before Nero could make up his alcohol fogged mind, Faust was already pulling off his sweater and tossing it on the ground. He’d made his way back to the living room and looked over at Nero, smiling brightly. “Hey, Nero. I came up with a great present for you. Watch!”

“Oh god,” Nero held his hands over his face, but couldn’t resist as he peeked between his fingers and saw Faust stripping off his pants. He should have expected it, but the sight still caught him off guard and nearly kicked the wind out of him. His hands fell limply from his face as he saw for the first time the burn scars that snaked their way up Faust’s legs.

Faust had already stripped himself completely naked and was happily dancing as he hummed to himself, but Nero couldn’t even process any of that. His eyes were fixed on the scars. They’d healed well, it was obvious Faust had some expert medical treatment, but they were still clearly visible. Nero’s heart ached as his eyes traced each dark flame-like mark on Faust’s legs.

Nero was pulled to his senses by a laughing, smiling, and very, very naked, Faust flinging himself into his arms. Faust clung to Nero and looked up at him prodding, “Come on, Nero. Dance with me!” He was tugging on Nero’s shirt, in a drunken attempt to extricate him from it.

“Faust…” Nero whispered as he looked down at his brilliant face, flushed deep red from the rapid alcohol consumption that caused him to be so utterly free for the first time since Nero had known him. He closed his eyes and fought an epic internal war between what his body craved and what his good sense knew he didn’t want like this.

“Nero?” Faust tugged on his shirt again, anxiously.

“Hm?” Nero practically moaned.

Faust cheerfully stated, “Live a little!”

Choking out a laugh, Nero couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. He opened his eyes and when he saw Faust again he turned his head to the ceiling and groaned, “God hates me, huh?”

“Come on, Nero! It’s your birthday,” Faust pleaded.

Taking a deep breath and gently pulling Faust along over to the counter so he could pick up his glass of wine, Nero caved. “Ok, Ok! I hear ya!” he muttered as he downed the rest of his glass of wine and proceeded to uncork the new bottle.

Nero blocked out Stormy’s disapproving look, and the good sense his brain was shouting at him and instead tipped the fresh bottle of wine straight into his mouth before handing it to Faust.

Life is nothing, if not peppered with a few bad choices here and there, right? In fact, if Nero didn’t have a few regrets added to his life every now and then, he wasn’t even sure if he’d know what to do with himself.

Quite certain Faust wouldn’t remember any of this tomorrow, Nero grinned and practically yelled, “I love you, Faust!”

Faust beamed back at him as he laughed and proudly proclaimed, “I love you, Nero!”

He let Faust tug his shirt off as he joined in his sloppy drunk dance, giving himself over to the whims of this highly intoxicated man that he was desperately in love with. After all they’d been through the past month, he figured they both needed a night like this. Besides, there was nobody he’d rather let drag him down in a flurry of questionable choices.

Chapter Text

What is a man to do when he wakes up at noon, completely naked, at his friends house, with a splitting headache and absolutely no recollection of what specifically happened the night before? Asking for a friend.

Nero opened his eyes long enough to find Stormy glaring disapprovingly at him, before he promptly closed them and wished for death. His head was pounding, the sun was too bright, he was kind of dizzy, and my god, he was so damn thirsty.

“Faust….” he mumbled through his cotton mouth as he rolled over to try to snuggle with him only to find nothing but a pile of blankets on the other side of the bed. Nero groaned, remembering Faust said he had to work today. For something that was supposed to be a little part-time gig to get out of the house, he sure was working a lot.

Nero’s eyes shot wide open with the sudden realization that he was naked and yet for some reason had tried to snuggle up to Faust in his hungover state. “Shit….” he sprawled out on the bed and was left with the horrifying realization that he didn’t know what happened last night.

The last thing he could remember was that they’d been dancing and giggling like mad. He was terrified to even consider the possibilities. To make matters worse, he didn’t know what he wanted - for Faust to remember and tell him what happened, or for Faust to be as clueless as he was. Did they…?

“Oh god,” Nero groaned as he rolled over and buried his face into the pillow to try to die of shame. What good was it anyway if they had and he couldn’t even remember it? That sounded awful. If he was going to finally be with Faust he damn well wanted to remember every detail of it.

The panic finally taking hold again, he forced himself to sit up and assess the situation. He tore off the blankets and searched for possible clues in the form of questionable stains on the sheets. There was nothing he could see. Next he tore through the pile of dirty clothes to see if in his drunken state anything had been used for cleanup. Nothing.

Finally, taking a deep breath, Nero looked down at his dick, as if that would tell him anything. There weren’t any weird bruises or anything on his thighs. He managed to stand up on his shaky legs and made his way to the bathroom to look in the mirror. That’s when he finally saw it. His neck was covered in small bruises and, even worse (better?), they extended down his chest all the way to… “Oh god….”

He drug his hands down his face in worry as he wondered what the fuck they’d done. Before he could do much else though, his hangover from hell reminded him of its presence. He had no idea how in the hell Faust had managed to make it into work that morning.

In his misery Nero made his way back to the bed and understood now why Faust sometimes cursed the sun for being too bright. He knew in general how to deal with a hangover, but it’s not something he dealt with often. He usually made it a point to not drink this much. Grabbing his phone, he pulled up his messages from Cain and typed, “help!!! this hangover is gonna kill me” and hit send.

He knew his coworker Cain was a big drinker. If last night was any indication of how Faust was when drunk, then he was pretty sure that was something Cain and Faust had in common. If anybody knew how to deal with a terrible next morning, it had to be Cain.

A few moments later Nero got a message back telling him to, “Drink water, eat toast, take painkillers and go back to sleep” followed by a slew of emoji that seemed to be expressing sadness, laughing at his misery, and then cheering him on.

Pulling his miserable self out of bed, he made his way to the kitchen where he poured some water and downed the whole glass. He didn’t even care, for once, about the food, he just opened the loaf of sandwich bread and shoved a whole slice of it in his mouth, not even bothering to toast it. He filled up his glass with more water and then trudged to the closet to see if he could find any painkillers.

When he couldn’t find anything, he tried the cabinet in the bathroom and finally, Faust’s bedroom. He hadn’t been in there since he’d decorated and fully moved in. He knew he probably shouldn’t just barge in like that, and he wanted to respect Faust’s privacy but he was desperate. He found the bottle of ibuprofen on the nightstand and promptly took some before realizing it was so nice and dark in Faust’s room that it made him really sleepy.

He knew this was another bad idea, but the fact that Creature-of-the-Night Faust had his bedroom windows darkened was too good to resist at the moment. Nero plopped down on Faust’s bed and promptly passed out on his silky sheets, buried under his incredibly fluffy and plush blankets.

He drifted off wondering vaguely why they weren’t sleeping in here together instead of out on the sofa. Maybe he could dream of someday getting the invitation to join Faust in this luxurious bed, where he could snuggle up to him without fear, as their naked skin pressed together. God that really was the dream. He let out a sad moan when he thought about how badly he wanted that.

That was probably the wrong thing to drift off thinking about while he was sleeping, still naked, in his ‘friend's’ bed. It might be added, without permission. When he finally woke up, feeling significantly more alive, it was to find that his dream was apparently a little too vivid and he’d left a stain on Faust’s sheets.

“Great. Just perfect,” he groaned to himself. Now he absolutely needed to fess up to that he’d been in Faust’s room without permission and slept in his bed. He sighed as he grabbed his glass of water and walked it out to the kitchen to finally start his day, at 3pm. After dropping off his glass, he went and quickly showered and threw on some comfy clothes before grabbing a laundry basket.

He got right to work stripping Faust’s bed, putting the sheets into the basket, when he noticed a small printed photo sitting on the nightstand. It was of him. He had no idea when Faust took it, presumably with his phone, but it was Nero smiling and looking at the sky, surrounded by the wheat field in the background. Faust must have managed it at some point while he had his head in Nero’s lap on their not-a-date-date. He gingerly held the photo in his fingers as he sat down on the bed. As he ran his fingers around the edges of the photo, he tried to ignore the pain in his chest.

Each passing day it became obvious that Faust wanted him as much as he wanted Faust. So why did it have to be this way? His heart ached as he pleaded internally wondering why they couldn’t just have an easy time with this. He understood Faust not being ready for a relationship after what he’d been through, but he wanted to curse the world that was so cruel it put him in that position in the first place.

Why did Bradley have to show up now, after all this time? Why did that Lennox guy have to finally find Faust just to drag up his past? Nero hated that all of that shit from their past had to be dug up the same time as they met each other. Why couldn’t they have met under different circumstances and just happily started dating? Why did they have to face what each day felt like more and more insurmountable challenges blocking the way to their happiness?

Taking a deep breath, Nero carefully placed the photo back on the nightstand and then continued his laundry collection, emptying Faust’s basket into the one he was carrying before pulling the sheets off the sofa bed and tossing his own clothes on top of the pile.

After hauling the laundry to the basement and tossing a load into the coin washer, he reached up into the rafters and pulled down a piece of paper. He unfolded a sign that read ‘My clothes. Stay the fuck out!!!’ and slapped it on the washer, before setting a timer on his phone and retreating back to Faust’s apartment.

The more he thought about it, the more he worried over what he’d done last night. Did he need to apologize to Faust, or was it better to just leave everything unsaid? Finally he decided he should apologize at least a little. Even if Faust willingly went along with anything that happened, Nero still felt bad now that it was done. He had just earlier said he wasn’t ready.

Nero pondered, however, that not being able to put a name on something wasn’t exactly the same as not wanting to have sex. He tried to push the thought out of his head as he started making a sandwich to take down to Faust’s work for an early dinner, or whatever meal it would end up being. It didn’t matter what meal of the day it was, just that he was beginning to feel awful and cooking for people was sometimes all he knew how to do to apologize.

The idea of meeting Faust in public felt good, that way he could try to gauge how Faust was feeling before they were alone together. The timer on his phone went off and he stopped his meal prep to trudge all the way down to the basement to flip the laundry. He’d done the easy things first, the sheets, and he’d tossed in his own clothes with them because he didn’t care. He knew he should be more careful with Faust’s items though. Luckily everything was dark, but he still took the time to read each label to make sure he didn’t accidentally wash something he shouldn’t.

For as careless as he had been last night, this simple act illustrated the deep care and effort he normally put into the people he cared about. It’s just that he was struggling right now with that part of him that still, after all this time, wished he were strong enough to reach out and grab hold of the things he wanted in life. In the end he had been weak, resorting to a drunken opportunity he’d always regret. Well, what was his life without a few more regrets, right?

He sighed as he started the dryer and Faust’s wash. Last night was something he could never take back, whatever had happened. And the worst part was he honestly didn't know if he was upset he didn’t remember, or glad that he’d never have to deal with the memory of it. He knew either way it was going to eat away at his heart in the future. Like everything in his life, he’d sure fucked this up too. It was part of why he had to be sure not to fuck up the laundry.

He set another timer and then rushed back upstairs to finish making a meal to take to Faust. He’d never been to his workplace before so he figured it would be a good opportunity to meet Faust’s coworkers too. His only real wish was that by taking the time and effort to prepare this food and take it to Faust, he would be able to understand just how deeply Nero cared about him. No matter what else happened, or how much he messed up, he hoped Faust would always be able to see past it all to his good intentions.

Crafting the sandwich was a simple task, but Nero took each step carefully, as if everything rode on it. He’d made sure to keep the kitchen well stocked these days, so he had everything at hand. He pulled a good loaf of bread out, not that crappy stuff Faust liked to keep around for when Nero wasn’t home. He carefully sliced off 4 pieces and then pulled out the panini press that Faust had thought was silly, but had agreed to because Nero insisted. He liked to think it was just that Faust couldn't say no to his adorable face when he really wanted new kitchen appliances. That's what he was going to keep telling himself, anyway.

Nero smiled fondly to himself as he recalled the small moments over the past few weeks as he’d begun to move things from his apartment over to Faust’s, a few at a time. He knew he was playing a dangerous game, but he couldn’t help himself. He pulled pesto, a tomato, some arugala, and a ball of fresh mozzarella cheese out of the refrigerator, the latter being another thing Nero insisted on that Faust didn’t quite understand, but was more than willing to enjoy the benefits of when Nero cooked.

He’d made the pesto a few days ago but it was still fresher than store bought, so he figured there wouldn’t be any complaints. He wasn’t really sure who he was fooling by bothering to think that at all, because Faust never complained about anything he cooked. Putting his dexterous fingers to use he carefully spread a layer of the fragrant green paste onto the slices of bread. He followed that with thick, even, slices of mozzarella. He sliced the tomato and then placed the bright, ripe, red discs on top of the stark white cheese. He finally finished up the fillings by thoughtfully placing some bright green arugula on top. He was sure to put the ones that looked the best on Faust’s sandwich.

For the final touches he spread a thin layer of butter on the outside of the bread and then placed them on the press for a moment to grill the bread. He pulled the sandwiches off the press and plopped one onto a plate and the other he wrapped in butcher's paper before slipping it into a grocery bag. He made a mental note to buy Faust some sort of lunchbox later. He tossed in an apple and a leftover cupcake from the other day for dessert. Scouring the cupboards, he found a water bottle and filled it, just in case Faust would need something to drink.

Nero let out a light sigh as he grabbed his sandwich and bit into it. As he sat enjoying his lunch, Stormy wandered in. She was a pretty lazy cat, content to sleep most of the time. Nero looked at the clock on the stove and realized it was her meal time. He chuckled to himself, “Of course, my bad.” He put down his sandwich and gave Stormy priority as he pulled her food out of the cupboard and filled her dish. He gave her a quick pat as she meowed happily at him, before he washed his hands and went back to his own food.

After he’d eaten he went down to the basement once again to deal with the laundry. He pulled out the sheets and his own clothes before carefully pulling Faust’s clothes from the wash one by one. He checked each label again to verify the drying method and kept aside roughly half of them to hang up. He tossed the items for the dryer in and started it, before gingerly hanging up each line dry item on the communal line and then moving his sign over to them hoping it would keep people away.

As he worked, he began to dream of a nicer apartment someday for the two of them, one with a washing machine right in the unit. Or maybe even a nice small house somewhere safe. His day-dreaming of a future with Faust was at an all-time high, but sometimes it’s better not to judge the things people do to get through their own personal day-to-day hell. As he hauled the basket of clean items up the flights of stairs he added a working elevator to his list of dreams for the future.

Once he reached the apartment again, he plopped the basket on the floor of the living room and pulled Faust’s sheets out. He made quick work of making Faust’s bed before closing the door behind him and wondering how he’d admit to Faust what he’d done. After making his own bed, he took a moment to fold his clothes and then placed them in the bag he was still living out of. His mind flitted to wondering if there was room in Faust’s closet and dresser and imagining a day when he’d be invited to place his own clothes there.

Finally he pulled himself from his daydreams and realized the time. In a whirlwind he rushed to change into something presentable to meet Faust’s coworkers, rushed to pull the last of the laundry from the dryer and deal with it, and with a quick pat on Stormy’s fluffy head, he was out the door, lunch bag in hand. He enjoyed time alone, but the whole morning had reminded him, once again, of how hard it was to be lonely. With nobody around to take your mind off things, it tends to wander and obsess. He looked forward to seeing Faust all the more.

The journey to the shop was uneventful, until he realized that Lennox guy was sitting in the coffee shop across the street from Faust’s work, watching from the window. He was with a well dressed man, who looked a little older, and had dark blue hair. Nero didn’t know who he was, but he instantly hated the sight of him. He weighed his options but remembered Faust said Lennox didn’t mean any harm. He still thought it was way too creepy, though, so he couldn’t help himself when he made eye contact and stuck his middle finger up, before turning and ducking into The Birdcage.

The bells softly tinkled as he opened the door and was instantly hit with a wave of scents. Various fragrant teas lined the shelves along with little packages of cookies and candies. Colorful tea sets of all shapes and sizes were sprinkled amply throughout the shelves to try to entice buyers.

“Hello! Welcome! Is there something I can help you find, sir?” A refined and polite voice called from behind the counter. A man with short pale brown hair stood there, clasping his hands in front of his chest in anticipation of being of service.

Nero rubbed his neck and explained, “Uh, I was wonderin’ if Faust is here?” He held the bag out to try to show why he was there looking for him.

“Oh! Are you Nero?” The man’s eyes sparkled. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you! I’ve been waiting for this opportunity!” In a rush the man was suddenly next to Nero and smiling directly at him, eye-to-eye.

“Uh. Yeah. That’s me…wait? Faust mentioned me?” Nero offered, a bit overwhelmed.

The man looked him right in the eyes and declared, “Oh, yes, all the time! Did you know that you’re exactly the same height as me? If you’re my friend we’ll be able to trade clothing. That sounds fun, doesn’t it? I’m sure Chloe would love to have another person wear his work!”

Nero took a nervous step back, “Um…so…about Faust….”

The man clapped his hands and said, “Oh! Right! I’m sorry! You were here to see Faust. It’s just my memory, flighty as a bird, you know. One moment!”

“Nero?” Faust’s voice called from the door to the backroom a few seconds later. “What’s wrong?”

Nero grinned and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to calm his nerves. “Is that any way t’ greet me when I brought ya food?” He held out the bag, hanging limply from his hand.

Faust looked confused, but slowly the corners of his lips turned up into a small smile and he said, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Nero replied as he walked over to give Faust the bag. His tension eased as soon as he saw Faust’s slight smile. If Faust was pleased to see him it meant that whatever had happened last night, Faust didn’t hate him now.

“I haven’t taken my break yet, so this is great timing,” Faust said as he peeked into the bag to try to see what Nero had brought him. Turning back to the other man, he asked, “Rustica, is it okay if I take my break now?”

Rustica smiled warmly and answered, “But of course! Oh! Is your Mr. Nero going to stay for dinner? I can close the shop and you two can share a nice pot of tea out here while I play you some music. Would something on violin suit you?”

Nero’s eyes widened and he felt overwhelmed again by this man’s fervor. “Ya seriously ok workin’ with this guy, Faust?” he muttered.

“It is a bit much, but he means well. Besides, it’s not everybody who would just offer some stranger off the street a job. Especially when I have no experience in this sort of work. I’m grateful to him,” Faust explained. He then directed at Rustica, “We’ll just eat in the backroom, if that’s ok.”

"Ain't this just retail? Whaddya mean no experience?" Nero muttered to himself.

Rustica frowned and his shoulders dropped, a bit crestfallen. “All right. If you’re sure. You don’t mind if I practice, do you?”

Faust smiled warmly back at him and reassured him, “Not at all.” He turned to Nero and nodded for him to follow him into the back as he said, loud enough for Rustica to hear as they passed him, “He’s a really amazing musician. You’re in for a treat.”

Rustica bowed as they both walked into the back. Nero nodded to him in acknowledgement and bemusement.

“Weird guy,” Nero whispered into Faust’s ear as they entered the back room, full of boxes.

“Maybe, but I think the same could be said for me,” Faust offered, as he lead the way through the storage and to the back corner. There was a small and cozy break area arranged. A worn rug covered the hard floor and a sofa and several comfy chairs surrounded a coffee table.

Nero walked over to the tiny kitchen area that consisted of a mini fridge, sink, microwave, and coffee maker. “Remind me to make ya food to bring to work from now on,” he said as he looked over the area.

Faust laughed, “I won’t say no to that, but don’t be silly. It’s not like I have time to cook a full meal at work, anyway. Stop looking at this like it’s some affront to humanity that there’s not a full kitchen.”

“Well, ok. That’s true. Still….” Nero said as he finally plopped down into one of the chairs. “I guess this is a pretty cozy break room though. I just gotta take mine in the kitchen at the diner. Don’t really get to get away, ya know?”

“It is nice. I have been coming back here to read,” Faust agreed. “Oh! Listen….”

They both quieted and listened to the pleasant music from Rustica’s violin coming from the front of the shop.

“He’s good. So ya just get to come back here, read and listen to that? Man, ya got a nice gig here, don’t ya? No wonder ya’ve been workin’ so many hours. And here I was thinkin’ ya were tryin’ to avoid me,” Nero laughed.

“What?” Faust asked, seriously.

Nero’s face fell, “I was just jokin’.”

Faust remained serious. “I wouldn’t do that. Nero, why do you think I’d do that?”

“Nah, I really didn’t mean it,” Nero tried again. He couldn’t help the way his heart was beating anxiously, though. What if Faust remembered something?

Faust averted his eyes for a second before looking directly at Nero and nodding. “Ok. As long as we’re clear.”

“‘Course! Crystal,” Nero grinned and then leaned back in the chair, stretching his legs out. “Ya gonna eat, or what?”

With a glimmer in his eyes, Faust reached into the bag and pulled out the carefully wrapped sandwich, apple, cupcake and bottle of water. For a moment his eyes went distant as he looked down at the meal, hand made and packaged just for him.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Nero asked, as he pulled himself off the back of his chair and leaned forward in concern.

Shaking his head, Faust muttered, “No. It’s nothing.” He looked up at Nero and smiled softly. “Thank you, Nero. It just reminded me of the lunches my grandmother used to pack for my sister and I.”

“Oh? You got a sister? So yer a brother, huh?” Nero grinned. “That makes a lotta sense, actually.”

“Yeah…my little sister….” Faust smiled weakly and then picked up the apple, turning it in his hand. “I always tried to give her my sweets, but she wanted the fruit instead.”

Nero chuckled as he leaned back again, “Smart kid.”

Faust nodded slowly, before taking a big bite of the apple. “She’s gone now, though.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t….” Nero frowned.

Shaking his head, Faust explained, “It’s ok. You didn’t know. She was a sick child.”

Nero’s eyes narrowed in worry. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. It was a long time ago. It’s just me left, now, anyway,” Faust smiled at the sandwich. “It’s nice to have someone pack you lunch like this once in a while, isn’t it?”

“Well, I’m glad ya like it, since I’ll be packin’ lunch for for ya from now on. Anyway, better eat up. Yer break’ll be over soon, right?” Nero settled himself deep into his chair and closed his eyes, listening to Rustica’s music.

Faust carefully unwrapped the sandwich and then said, “Well, the apple and cupcake reminded me of grandma, but this sure isn’t the peanut butter and jelly I used to get.” He laughed as he took a hearty bite of the caprese sandwich.

Nero grinned, “Oh? Ya want PB and J instead?”

“Not really. Half the time I’d give them to Ale…all the time. I’d give them to my best friend all the time,” Faust tripped over his words, as if he slipped up.

That Lennox guy had mentioned someone named Alec and the name stuck out in Nero’s mind but he didn’t question Faust. Instead he laughed and cheerfully replied, “Noted.”

“This is delicious, thank you,” Faust offered in return.

As he watched Faust eat, Nero gained the courage to bring up last night. It was clear Faust didn’t hate him, whatever had or hadn’t happened. He still needed to try to find out where they stood though. “I’m surprised ya made it to work so early today after all that drinkin’ we did last night,” he threw out to fish for information.

Faust swallowed his bite of sandwich and quickly followed it with water, as if it had nearly stuck in his throat. “I didn’t want to lose this job….”

“Yer stronger than I am, I guess,” Nero chuckled. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back. “I woke up with the worst headache. I had to fumble around lookin' for some pain killers while Stormy was judgin' me.”

“Oh, they’re in my bedroom,” Faust explained.

Nero nodded, “Yeah. I found ‘em. Sorry I went in there. I actually need to confess somethin’. It was so nice and dark in there with those heavy curtain’s I took a nap in yer bed. Sorry.”

Faust’s fingers fumbled with the cupcake wrapper and he set it down in a rush and instead drank some more water. “It’s ok. I’ll forgive you, this once,” he tried to affect a teasing tone to his voice, but something sounded off.

“Are ya mad at me?” Nero asked. “I cleaned the sheets already and put ‘em back on the bed so it’s all nice for ya.” Nero’s tension was growing as he internally agonized over where this was all going.

“Oh. Thank you. It’s fine,” Faust said as he picked up his cupcake and tried again to peel off the wrapper. “I have nice clean sheets now, huh? I guess I should probably move back in there,” he said before rushing to take a bite of the cupcake as a distraction.

Nero’s heart sank. “Oh. Yeah, guess so. I think Stormy is settled enough now, I don’t think she’ll cause a fuss or anythin’.”

Faust swallowed his bite of cake and then drank some more water before quietly asking, “And what about you?”

The question hung in the air a moment too long as Nero tried to gather his thoughts. “Ya’ve got a great setup in there. Yer bed is amazin’. I totally get it. I won’t come between a man and his beauty sleep,” he tried to sound as offhanded as he could.

Faust nodded slowly. Finally he asked, “I didn’t bother you at all last night, did I? I know sometimes when I drink a lot I get a little out of hand….”

“What? Nah,” Nero replied, even as he felt the sweat forming as he lied. “We just passed out. Right?”

Faust fixed his eyes on Nero’s as if looking for the truth and after a long while he nodded and said, “I woke up naked, but I probably just stripped because I was hot. I’m sorry I was a bother. I’ll move back to my room starting tonight.”

“Ye…yeah. Ok,” Nero choked out. After a moment it sunk in what Faust might be thinking so he was quick to add, “Oh! I know I freaked ya out with…what I said yesterday but I didn’t….”

“I know,” Faust cut him off. “I know you didn’t.”

Nero nodded and nervously replied, “Right. Glad that, uh, clears that up.”

They sat for a while, tension hanging in the air between them, even as Rustica’s pleasant music filtered in. Finally Faust asked, “Did you see? My scars?”

Nero looked sadly at Faust before nodding. “Yeah. But don’t worry about it. I’m used t’ seein’ that sorta thing.”

“Don’t you find it repulsive?” Faust frowned, deep worry lines creasing his forehead.

“What?!” Nero sounded shocked. “Not at all. I…didn’t say somethin’ stupid last night or anythin’ did I?”

Faust’s eyes widened, “No….”

The pleasant violin music stopped suddenly and was punctuated by the faint sound of the bells jingling as the front door opened. “Hello, sir! How may I help you?” Rustica called out.

“I guess I should probably get back to work,” Faust offered as he rushed to finish his food. “I get off in an hour, though. If you wanted to hang around maybe we could go out tonight?”

“Go out?” Nero asked, trying to calm down his racing heart.

Faust’s face turned red and he became flustered again as he clarified, “I mean, out. You know, just, I thought you said you wanted to go shopping with me again and we’re already both here and so, you know. We’re already out so….”

Nero chuckled and agreed, “Right. We are out. Sure, what the hell. I’d love to.”

Faust cleaned up his lunch and then rushed out to the front, Nero following behind. Nero was completely lost in his thoughts as his mind raced trying to put the pieces together and figure out where he really stood with Faust.

Nero’s eyes narrowed as he realized the same man who had been at the coffee shop across the street with that Lennox guy was now standing in the corner talking to Rustica.

Faust stopped short and Nero ran into him. Without a word, Faust turned on his heel and tried to retreat to the backroom, but Nero was in his way.

The customer noticed them and called out, “Long time no see!”

Faust looked up at Nero and panic filled his face as he shook his head.

It figured that just as Nero thought maybe he’d dodged one bullet, another one would come hurtling his way. Just as he thought maybe, just maybe, him and Faust would be okay after their little…encounter? Incident? last night - of course a new problem would arise.

If only Nero could have known just exactly what a problem this man was. It figures, if he were to stop and really think about it. A nasty rain storm had manifested while they were in the backroom and the previously sunny day had turned bleak and cold. It always rained on these kinds of days.

Chapter Text

If there was one thing Nero was good at, well, other than cooking - it was being quick on his feet and coming up with a way to try to talk his way out of situations. You can just consider it one of the many questionable skills he learned being raised through his teenage years by a guy like Bradley.

That’s why when he saw Faust standing here, eyes wide, and his head shaking that he didn’t want to deal with whoever this blue haired man was, Nero had no choice but to slip into his easygoing demeanor and try to maneuver the conversation.

Nero stepped around Faust, blocking him, and said to the stranger, “Hey, what’s up? Sorry I’m not sure where I know ya from, can ya help me out with a refresher?”

The man smiled back, slick as oil, and replied, “Oh I’m sorry. My mistake. I thought I saw my old student, Faust!”

Nero grinned right back at him, “Ya don’t say? Sorry but guess ya should get a doctor to check yer eyes out for ya.”

“Oh! Lucky me! Seeing as I am a doctor,” the man smiled back.

“Well, I’ll just be goin’ then. Good luck findin’ that Faust guy,” Nero gave a mock salute and headed for the door, Faust in tow.

“Nero, I’m still on the clock, I can’t just leave,” Faust whispered.

Nero winked, “Just follow my lead.”

“I can’t do that….” Faust trailed off.

“You know,” the customer called out loudly to make sure he could be heard.

Faust froze again.

The man continued, “If you need anything, you can rely on me.”

Faust finally addressed the man and spat out, “Unfortunately for you I still remember what happened the last time I relied on you!”

“Faust, I won’t abandon you,” the customer said, sincerity dripping from his voice.

Nero didn’t buy it. He laughed and put his arm around Faust declaring, “He doesn’t really need anybody else right now, ya know?”

Suddenly a cheerful voice cut through the tension and proposed, “How about we talk about this over some tea?” Rustica smiled, clasping his hands to his heart.

“No need. I’ll be going,” the man said. “But remember, Faust. I’m here for you.” As he walked to the door he patted Faust on the shoulder.

Faust pushed his hand away and spat out, “Leave me alone, Figaro, or I’ll kill you!”

With that the stranger left. In his wake he left a confused Rustica, an angry Faust, and a Nero who didn’t understand anything other than if Faust was threatening to kill this man, then he must be a big problem.

“I’m sorry I made you take care of me again, Nero. I can take care of myself, I was just surprised to see him. I’ll be ok now,” Faust explained as firmly as he could muster.

Nero shrugged, “No big deal.”

“Faust, is everything okay? Is that man harassing you? I can ban him from the store, if that would help,” Rustica offered. “I may not look like it, but I’m very angry right now. You’re my dear friend and if that man has treated you poorly I don’t want him in here again. This shop is as good as a home to me and I want my friends to love it here just like I do.”

Faust clenched his fists and said, “No, it’s fine. I’m sorry I worried you. Thank you, though, Rustica. That’s very kind of you.”

Nero nodded, “Thanks for lookin’ out for Faust. You seem like a real stand-up guy.”

Rustica placed his hand on his heart and gracefully bowed. “It’s my pleasure. Faust, if you need to leave now it’s fine. I can close the shop up alone today.”

“No, I’m fine,” Faust shook his head in stubborn determination.

Nero shrugged and grinned, “Well, if it’s okay I’ll just be hangin’ around for a bit then while I wait.”

“Can I please make you some tea? I think I have just the flavor that would suit you. I thought of it earlier when you walked by and I was hoping I’d get the opportunity to introduce you to it,” Rustica offered.

A bit flustered, Nero conceded, “Well, all right then.”

Rustica nodded to Faust and he went to work, selecting a lovely tea set from behind the counter and then boiling the water as he looked at the brewing instructions for the tea Rustica handed to him.

“You can have a seat here, if you’d like,” Rustica offered. “We have some cakes and sweets as well. Could I interest you in something to go with the tea?”

“Just somethin’ plain would be nice. Maybe a shortbread that won’t overpower whatever tea this is,” Nero replied.

“As expected of a chef! Always considering the way the flavors will work together. Perhaps you have some ideas on other types of biscuits and sweets we could offer? I just tend to follow my whims when it comes to that, and I must admit sometimes my tea and cake pairings aren’t as good as I’d hope,” Rustica explained as he went to the counter and pulled out a large shortbread cookie and placed it carefully on a saucer that matched the tea set Faust had selected.

Nero laughed, “I ain’t a chef. I don’t really think I’m qualified for that sort of thing.”

Elegant silver tray in hand, Faust walked out to the table with Nero’s tea. He carefully placed the teapot on the intricate warmer on the table and then placed the cup of tea in front of Nero. He added the shortbread to the table and a lacey napkin. “Did you need sugar, honey, or cream?” He asked, so politely it rattled Nero a little bit.

“Ah, no, I’d like t’ just taste the tea as it is. What kind is this that Mr. Rustica selected for me?” Nero asked as he looked fondly at Faust who was working diligently to try to serve him. “Faust, do ya serve all the customers?”

Faust shook his head, “No, I usually just brew the tea and run the register. Rustica or Chloe take care of the customers but I….”

Rustica smiled kindly, “I imagine he wanted to treat you, Nero. I hear you often serve him food at home, so it must be nice for him to return the favor. You two are such an endearing couple.”

Nero spoke up, “Oh, we’re not….”

“Thank you,” Faust said to Rustica as he placed his hand gently on Nero’s shoulder. Looking back down at Nero, he explained, “Rustica selected a delicate green tea with citrus peel, lavender, and cornflower.”

Rustica’s eyes practically sparkled as he explained, “The cornflower reminded me of your hair, and the bright little specks of lemon peel made me think of your eyes.”

“Uhh…thanks?” Nero offered as he took a tentative sip of the tea. His head was busy reeling from trying to figure out why Faust stopped him from telling Rustica that they weren’t a couple. He could hardly focus on the tea.

“Well?” Rustica looked at him expectantly.

Nero made a thoughtful face and then tried the tea again, this time trying to actually focus on it. “It’s nice. I actually think the shortbread is a nice choice in terms of consistency, but I think a shortbread flavored with a hint of citrus would really bring out the flavors of this tea and make a nice combination.”

“Oh? That sounds absolutely lovely! Could you make something like that?” Rustica asked.

“Well, I’m more of a cook than a baker, but yeah. That’s pretty easy,” Nero answered before he even realized where this was going.

Rustica clasped his hands in delight and offered, “If you can bring over a sample I’d love to place an order with you for some! It could be the start of a beautiful relationship!”

“Wait, what?” Nero asked in confusion.

Faust smiled and translated, “I believe he means a good business relationship. He’s asking if you can become one of the providers of the sweets we sell here.”

“Huh? But I can’t do somethin’ like that?” Nero pointed out. “There’s laws and stuff and I can’t just start makin’ sweets and sellin’ ‘em and….”

“But Nero, I can help you with….” Faust began to explain.

Nero shook his head, “Thanks Teach, but I think I’d be in over my head. Thanks for the offer Rustica, that’s real kind, but I don’t think I’m up to it.”

“But Nero, there are provisions for home-made foods, and if it’s just simple baked goods that don’t require refrigeration then….” Faust tried to explain.

“Ya sure know a lot about this?” Nero cut in.

Faust blushed and said, “Well, I was looking into the laws for opening restaurants and such, so I read a lot about it.”

“You what?” Nero asked in shock.

Faust looked a little flustered and heartbroken and he pointed out, “Well, your dream….”

Nero shook his head, “This is all goin’ way too fast. I’m sorry Rustica, that’s really a nice offer, but I have to say no for now. If anythin’ changes I’ll get back to ya.”

Rustica nodded, a little sadly. “I hope you’ll consider it. I’m sorry if I started an argument between the two of you.”

“You didn’t. Don’t worry about it,” Nero said as he took another sip of the tea.

The shop fell into silence as Nero finished his tea and cookie while Faust and Rustica cleaned up. Faust quickly put his broom away as he noticed Nero bringing the tray back to the counter on his own, “I’m sorry! I was going to come get it,” he explained.

“Faust, it’s just me, don’t worry about it,” Nero chuckled as he placed the platter on the counter. “Can I buy a tin of that tea ya recommended? Oh and whatever one Faust likes too,” Nero directed to Rustica.

“Of course!” Rustica offered as he rushed to the front of the store to select the products from the shelves.

“You don’t have to get anything for me,” Faust said as he worked to carefully wash the tea set by hand.

Rustica returned to the counter with the teas, “This is the one you just tried, and this is a honey lavender chamomile that Faust seems fond of. It’s good for relaxing before bed.”

“Honey, lavender and chamomile, huh? I bet a biscuit sweetened with honey would go nice with that,” Nero mused half to himself.

“That sounds lovely,” Rustica agreed, a sad expression passing his face for a moment before he said, “I’ve taken the liberty of applying Faust’s staff discount so the total is $34.89”

Nero didn’t even wince at the price, as he knew the tea quality so he was happy to support a small business. Especially one that employed his boyfriend, his friend. His friend. “Thanks,” he said as he swiped his card and then dug in his wallet for some cash to drop into the tip jar.

Rustica handed him the bag with a smile and then plucked the cash from the tip jar and said to Faust, “Faust! This customer must have been very impressed with your service! Look what he left for you!” Rustica handed the money over to Faust with a warm smile.

Faust turned the deepest shade of red and Nero felt the immediate urge to give him more money if it could elicit that sort of reaction from him, but he stopped himself and instead grinned like an idiot as he watched Faust flustered, clutching the money.

“I didn’t even clear his tray….” Faust muttered to himself before finally looking at Nero and determined, waving the $20 bill said, “You’ll get this back soon enough.”

Nero threw his head back in joyful laughter as he said, “I can’t tell if that’s a challenge or a threat.”

“Both!” Faust said as he put the money into his wallet and then helped Rustica finish the last of the chores.

Nero hung around by the door and when Faust finally joined him there he pointed out, “Still rainin’. I didn’t bring an umbrella.”

“Figures,” Faust said before he reached into his bag and pulled out a collapsible one. “Luckily for you I’m better prepared.”

“Nero!” Rustica called as the two went to leave. “Please come back and visit Faust any time you’d like. I’m sure Chloe would love to meet you.”

Nero nodded and called back, “Sure, thanks,” before ducking out the door with Faust.

“Let’s go in here,” Faust said as he pointed to the building next to The Birdcage. The front windows of The Ferryman were draped in heavy black cloth and filled with cluttered displays of archaic looking medical equipment, taxidermy and various occult bric-a-brac.

Nero responded with nervous laughter as he shrugged and rubbed his neck. He pushed the door open and took the umbrella from Faust’s hand as he ducked into the shop. While Faust began wandering around, Nero occupied himself with shaking off the umbrella and folding it up.

Nero practically jumped out of his skin when a tall red haired man with sleepy green eyes leaned over and sniffed him before pulling back and pointing out “It is bad luck to have an open umbrella indoors.”

“R…right….” Nero stammered with his eyes wide as he carefully took a step back. “Sorry.”

“Nero, look at this mirror, isn’t this neat?” Faust called over.

The tall red haired man leaned over Faust and pointed out, “This can be used for scrying. Do you practice?”

Faust shook his head, “No, I’m just interested in this sort of thing.”

“I see,” the shopkeeper hummed. “I can sell you all sorts of tools to curse people, if you’d like.”

“Why do you think I’d like that…?” Faust asked, more intrigued than upset.

The shopkeeper nodded as he looked Faust up and down, “Your soul has been wounded, and those who have wounded souls usually wish to curse the world. If malediction doesn’t suit you then I can show you some items for sorcery, or blessings. There’s also a nice selection of herbs if kitchen witchery is more suited to your interests,” he looked over at Nero as pointed out the last offering, as if somehow sensing his interests.

“I’m just a normal cook, I don’t know about all that,” Nero stammered.

The shopkeeper shrugged, “Suit yourself. The herbs we sell are very good though, you might find them to your liking if only you’d try.” He pointed to the wall of small drawers, and the shelves of bundles of dried herbs.

Nero tentatively made his way over and began poking about.

The shopkeeper turned his attention back to Faust and explained, “I can read your future, if you’d like. You seem interested in these arts, I can tell it speaks to your soul.”

Faust narrowed his eyes at the black mirror on the table and then proclaimed, “I don’t have a future.”

The shopkeeper hummed in consideration, but before he could respond, the door slammed open and in a whirlwind a young man with straw blond hair rushed in.

“Mr. Mithra! Mitile hasn’t been home in days! He’s said that he’s with a friend named Bradley, but I’ve never met this friend of his!” The young man was flustered but demanding.

At the name Bradley, Nero’s ears twitched and he listened into the conversation with the worst sinking feeling in his stomach.

“You lost Mitile?” Mithra asked plainly. “Rutile, you said you didn’t need me to watch over the two of you and then this is what happens?”

“I didn’t lose him! He ran away!” Rutile shouted.

Mithra scratched his neck and then said, “Who is this Bradley? I will simply kill him and have Owen turn him into a first rate anatomical skeleton for me to sell.”

Nero bit his tongue as he reached out and pulled Faust over to the side of the room with him and out of whatever argument was happening.

Rutile pointed out, “Mr. Mithra! You can’t do that! You can’t just go around saying things like that! You’re already being investigated because of the dubious origins of some of the bones you sell. Please learn to conduct yourself properly.”

Mithra let out a lazy yawn and then drawled, “Huh? I’m running this shop exactly the way your mother would have. Are you telling me that your mother was wrong?”

“Well, no, I….” Rutile bristled and balled up his fists before saying, “Please just help me find Mitile.”

“Of course, I have no choice. I promised your mother that I’d take care of both of you. Besides, I need Mitile as my dependent for my taxes or else that horrid Oz will be here trying to audit me again,” Mithra sighed deeply. “I swear I’ll beat him someday.”

Rutile’s eyes welled up and tears formed quickly as he burst out, “Mr. Mithra, you’re terrible!” Without further ado he rushed from the shop.

Mithra sighed again and then cast a wary look to his two customers, “Children are so exhausting, aren’t they? I promised their mother I’d watch over them, but they make it so difficult. I really wish I could just tie them up in the basement or something so they couldn’t run off.” He tilted his neck until it cracked and then added, “Well, I think I’ll just have to kill this Bradley man if I ever find him.”

Nero laughed nervously. “Yeah kids sure are a handful, huh?”

“I’m sorry he interrupted us, where were we?” Mithra asked as he looked at Faust. “Oh yes, the matter of your future. I do not think it is as bleak as you do. I can sell you some fortune telling implements if you are interested in that sort of thing.”

Faust walked back over to him and said, “I think before I buy any tools, I’d like to research and read about various things. Can you recommend some good books?”

Mithra nodded and walked over to the small bookcase on the wall and pulled a whole stack of books out and piled them on the counter. “These are a good place to start. I’m quite powerful, you know. If you have any questions you can simply come ask.”

“I understand,” Faust nodded as he looked through the stack of books. “I’ll take all of these.”

Nero walked up and joined him with a few bundles of herbs in his hand and let out a nervous chuckle, “Really, Faust? Do I uhhh…need to be worried about any of this?”

Faust shook his head, “Of course not. I like you, Nero. Why would I try to curse you?” He smiled faintly but it wasn’t enough to fully settle Nero’s nerves.

“R…ight. I’ll take these,” Nero said as he placed the herbs on the counter as well.

Mithra looked at Nero so intently it was as if his eyes were boring into his soul and he said, “I told you.”

“Yeaaaahhh, thanks,” Nero said as he rubbed his neck.

“The total is $123.09,” Mithra said as he placed the herbs in a small bag and passed it directly to Nero, “If you change your mind on the kitchen witchery, don’t hesitate to come back for more.”

Faust paid with his card as Mithra placed the books into a bag and then passed it over to him. “I’ll be back. I work just next door,” Faust said as he took the bag.

Mithra’s interest piqued at that, “Oh? So you must know about teas? Please recommend a good one to me that will help me sleep better. I’ve been having the most terrible time lately falling asleep.”

“I understand. If you go and ask Rustica for the chamomile that Faust likes, he’ll be able to help you,” Faust explained.

Nero gently tugged on Faust’s sleeve and tried to inch him towards the door.

“I like your hat,” Mithra added even as Nero was succeeding in pulling Faust across the room.

Before Faust could respond, Nero had pulled him out of the door and into the street.

“Why are we in such a hurry?” Faust asked.

Nero opened the umbrella and held it up over and shrugged, “Place kinda gives me the creeps. Besides, I think he was hitting on you.”

“What? Oh he was not, don’t be stupid,” Faust said.

“I dunno, he said he liked your hat. And you even told him you’d come back later. I was gettin’ pretty jealous,” Nero teased.

Faust smiled lightly and said, “Is saying you like someone’s hat your idea of flirting? Besides, he’s not my type.”

Nero grinned, “What, don’t like tall, dark, and I hate to admit it, weirdly sexy?”

“Are you sure I’m not the one who needs to be jealous?” Faust asked, raising his eyebrow in question.

Nero laughed out loud, “Not a chance. That guy creeps me out.” They walked along in silence for a moment before he added, “Then what is your type?”

Faust didn’t respond right away but finally he said, “I don’t know. I think it’s more important that they’re kind than anything else.” He smirked and added, “Well. I guess I wouldn’t say no to a nice body and a pretty face. I’m only human.”

“What counts as pretty?” Nero asked, trying to sound as offhanded as he could.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Faust asked, his voice rising.

Nero hummed, “On second thought, maybe not.” He rubbed his neck as they walked along the street, sharing Faust’s umbrella.

Faust let out a joyful laugh and then said, “Well, I don’t think you need to worry, Nero.”

“Ahhhh….” Nero let out a relieved sigh as his face turned pink. “Uh, hey. I know ya just ate but there’s this new restaurant I wanted to try. Wanna go?”

“Sure. Though I doubt their food is as good as yours,” Faust offered, as he playfully bumped his elbow into Nero’s.

Nero chuckled, “Is saying you like someone’s cooking your idea of flirting?”

Faust blushed as he muttered, “Shut up.”

“I was just gonna say if it is, it’s workin’,” Nero whistled and averted his eyes to the sky.

They fell into a silence that wasn’t quite comfortable. Nero knew he should be careful with this game, but he couldn’t stop himself from playing when it was obvious Faust wanted to too.

“Oh, it’s fancier than I realized, I ain’t really dressed for this, am I?” Nero said as they stepped up to the restaurant.

“You look fine. If they have a problem with it they can answer to me,” Faust offered.

Nero grinned, “Ohhh, Teach is gonna defend me? That’s kinda hot.”

Faust left Nero to deal with the umbrella and stepped up to the hostess and said, “We need a table for 2.”

Nero stepped up beside him and held his tongue, but Faust taking the lead was kind of turning him on. He was so used to being the one to do everything for everybody that it was kind of nice to let Faust lead.

“It’ll be about 15 minutes,” the hostess explained. “Is that okay?”

Faust looked over to Nero, who nodded, and then looked back to the hostess. “That’s fine.”

“Party name?” She asked, pen poised at the ready.

“Lavinia,” Faust answered and then joined Nero on the bench where he’d wandered off to sit and wait for their table.

Nero grinned, “So we’re the Lavinia party? Not the Turner party?”

“Is that a problem?” Faust asked, his brow quirked half in amusement, half in question.

“Nope. Would it be a problem with you if we were the Turner party?” Nero asked, trying to sound lighthearted and offhanded.

“No, not at all.” Faust paused for a moment and turned to Nero and added, “Either way is fine for me.”

Nero coughed and then wiped his lips with the back of his hand muttering, “Yeah, same. Depends on the mood, ya know.”

Faust teased, “The mood of the restaurant?”

“Somethin’ like that….” Nero trailed off as his mind spun. He focused on the dining room crowd as he tried to wrap his brain around Faust’s flirtations. As he scanned the crowd his heart sank into his stomach. He reached over and grabbed Faust’s arm and urgently said, “On second thought, let’s not eat here. Let’s just go home. I’ll cook ya somethin’ great.”

Faust looked around in shock, “What’s wrong? Did you see a rat or something?”

Nero rubbed his neck and answered, “Yeah, somethin’ like that….”

“What do you mea…?” Faust whispered as his eyes fell on the people who caused Nero to change his mind. Figaro and Lennox were in the dining room together. He swallowed hard and then said, “It’s fine. I’m not going to let them prevent me from having a nice dinner out with my boyfriend.”

“Uh, r…right. I appreciate the sentiment but I think we should just go home,” Nero explained. He was trying not to focus on Faust’s word choice. It couldn’t mean anything, he’d very clearly turned him down last night and he even said he was moving back into his own bedroom. He was just stressed and confused, right?

“I shouldn’t be the one who has to leave,” Faust pointed out and then as if to himself he mumbled, “I wonder if any of those books from Mithra have a way to deal with this….”

Nero stood up and pulled Faust up with him. “Okaaaaaaaay, come on my little curse worker. We’re goin’ home. Ya already said earlier that ya like my cookin’.”

“It’s fine. I can handle myself,” Faust said.

Nero sighed and turned to look at Faust, placing both hands on his shoulders. He looked at him softly and said, “Faust. I know ya can. But ya don’t have to, and I don’t know what the deal is with those two but I can tell they upset ya, and I wanna have a nice evenin’ with you without their presence ruinin’ it. Come on, let’s go home.”

“Lavinia, party of 2,” the hostess called out.

Nero replied before Faust could do anything, “Sorry, we changed our minds. We were just leavin’.” He turned to Faust and reiterated, “Faust, come on.”

Faust bit his lip and glared into the dining room. Lennox finally saw him and then a moment later Figaro looked over too. Figaro smiled and waved across the room and finally Faust let out a groan of disgust and said to Nero, “Let’s go.”

“I’ll make ya somethin’ great and we’ll come back here some other time. I’ll even dress the part. I swear I can look like a proper boyfriend” Nero offered as he put his hand behind Faust’s shoulders and ushered him towards the door.

Faust gave him a dubious look. “Yeah, sure,” he offered in a noncommittal tone.

“What? Really, I can!” Nero protested as he opened the umbrella once again.

“It’s not that, it’s just you said…no. Don’t worry about it,” Faust sighed and pulled his hat down low.

They continued the rest of the walk home in another ever so slightly uncomfortable silence. The gentle pitter-patter of the raindrops eased the part of Nero’s soul that still tried to believe in new beginnings and fresh starts. It also gnawed at that little part of his heart that lived in constant anxiety and fear that he’d ruin everything.

When they finally reached their apartment building, Nero passed the umbrella back to Faust and said, “I gotta go grab the rest of the laundry outta the basement. I’ll be up in a bit.”

Faust nodded and silently trudged off towards the stairs.

It only took Nero a few minutes to go to the basement and grab the rest of Faust’s laundry off the line and then make his way up to Faust’s apartment. He knew considering the mixed signals of the day that he really, really, really shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help it as he opened the door, laundry basket in hand and called out, “Honey, I’m home!”

Faust offered a weak smile in return from where he sat on sofa bed with Stormy curled up in his lap.

“Ya mind foldin’ this while I get started on dinner?” Nero asked as he plopped the basket on the bed next to Faust.

Faust looked into the basket and pointed out, “This is all my clothing?”

Nero shrugged, “Well, yeah. I figured since I was washin’ my stuff and the sheets I might as well take care of yers too. Don’t worry, I read all the labels. This was just the stuff that needed to line dry. The stuff from the dryer is already on yer bed so you can hang it up or whatever.” He noticed the conflicted look on Faust’s face and then hesitated before asking, “Is that…bad? I’m sorry….”

Faust shook his head and then smiled, “No, it’s fine. Thank you. You’re very good to me, Nero.”

“I just like t’ keep busy. Really, if it’s an issue I can stop….” Nero nervously explained.

“No, really. I’m happy, thank you. I just….” Faust tried and failed to find the words.

Nero nodded, “I get it. Yer dealin’ with a lot. I ain’t tryin’ to push ya.” He paused and then asked, “Do ya wanna talk about that guy from today?”

“Do you want to talk about that guy with the scar on his face from the diner?” Faust fixed his eyes on Nero.

Nero offered a pained grimace and then answered, “No, I don’t.”

“This is just how things are. I’m sorry, Nero. I am trying. I think maybe if things had been different and they hadn’t all shown up now….” Faust mused.

“Yeah. Me too,” Nero sighed. He closed his eyes to try to focus himself and then took a deep breath. “Ok! I said I’d make ya somethin’ good for dinner, so I guess I better get started!”

Nero migrated to the kitchen and happily got to work, humming to himself as he prepared dinner. He was going all out with the ingredients on hand. Roasted chicken and root vegetables with fresh rolls and a light Caesar salad, and of course, a nice bottle of wine.

Faust silently folded his clothing, smiling sadly to himself as he watched Nero work. If he had been able to properly explain it to Nero, he’d have told him that watching him so happy just to spend an evening at home made his heart ache in the most wonderful way.

“Roast chicken, Roast chicken, hmmmmm hmmmmmm ro-a-st chick-en yeaaaaaah,” Nero muttered to himself as he worked without realizing it.

Faust held his hand to his lips and giggled from the living room.

Nero was pulled from his cooking trance by Faust’s laughter and for the first time realized he was singing while he worked. “Shut up, you didn’t hear anything!” he defensively called out.

“It was cute. You have a nice voice, Nero. I’m happy to listen to your cooking songs,” Faust explained as he finished folding the clothing and pulled over his knitting basket. He pulled out the large pale blue object he was working on that was beginning to look a bit like a cabled sweater.

“Well that’s embarrassin’,” Nero said as he moved the chicken and vegetables to the oven to roast.

They fell into silence, only interrupted by the faint clink of Faust’s knitting needles, and the occasional clatter of Nero’s kitchen tools. It wasn’t the first time during the day that they’d allowed the silence to swallow them, but this time it was different. Now that they were both in the safety and comfort of their home, they were able to shut out the awkwardness and instead simply exist together.

As they both moved quietly about their home lives, nothing in the outside world mattered. The past mattered less when they were both simply happy and content. Nero let himself hum and sing in the kitchen, in a way he never would dare to in front of another person. Faust knit the sleeve of a pretty pale blue sweater that Nero secretly hoped was for him.

“That smells delicious,” Faust said as he finally set aside his knitting and walked over to the counter to see how Nero was doing.

“Almost ready,” Nero said and then he nodded to the bottle of wine and said “Ya can pop that open if ya want.”

Faust grabbed the bottle of wine and looked at the label, “This is a good wine.”

Chuckling, Nero said, “Well I did say I’d cook ya a good dinner. I gotta make up for forcin’ ya to come home instead of go to the fancy restaurant.”

Opening the wine and pouring it carefully into two glasses, Faust reassured, “No, you were right. I was being stubborn. It would have been a bad idea for me to stay there.”

Nero momentarily stopped arranging the salads and said, “I know ya don’t wanna talk about it, and I get it, but if ya ever do, just…ya know. I’m here.”

Taking a sip of his wine, Faust stared at the wall and said, “There’s nothing to say about him. He was my mentor and now he isn’t. I don’t know what I did wrong, but if he cared at all he wouldn’t be showing up now. He’d have shown up a year ago when…never mind.” He took a gulp of his wine and then reiterated, “There’s nothing to tell.”

Nero hummed and nodded. “Well then he can go to hell,” he offered. He left the conversation at that, pulled the chicken and vegetables from the oven and worked quickly to plate the meals.

“I really wish he would,” Faust spat out with loathing.

“Dinner is served, sir,” Nero joked as he placed the plates on the counter and then he stopped. “No, wait. We never eat at the table. Let’s put some of those candles ya like so much to good use.”

Faust smiled incredulously, “You want a candlelit dinner?”

Nero shrugged, “Sure! Why the hell not? With all the shit going on in the world out there we might as well enjoy ourselves here, right?”

“Ok,” Faust whispered as he scrunched up his face to prevent himself from getting emotional. “You make a compelling argument. You’re right. The world is shit. We might as well.”

“Great answer, Teach!” Nero grinned as he moved the plates to the table in the corner of the living room.

Faust followed with the wine and then lit the candles he had arranged in the center of the table. “Are you going to serenade me too? I quite liked that roast chicken song,” he teased as he sat down.

“Roast chicken, roast chicken!” Nero sang before laughing and settling in. “Now hurry up and eat before it gets cold.”

Faust dug in and within one single bite he let out a pleased moan and exclaimed, “This is delicious. Nero, you’re such a good cook. I’m so lucky.”

“Thanks, Faust. Ya sure know how to make me feel good about my cookin’,” Nero said.

After a while Faust quietly asked, “Why did you turn down Rustica’s offer?”

Nero looked up surprised at the topic he thought they’d dropped hours ago at the tea shop. “Like I said, I can’t just start makin’ stuff and sellin’ it. There’s laws.”

Faust nodded, “And I said there’s provisions for home cooks. You can apply for a license and bake certain things to offer wholesale at cafes and shops. It’s perfectly legal as long as you follow a few rules. Though, you can’t have a pet at your business location, but you still have your apartment so you could always….”

“No,” Nero cut him off.

“But why?” Faust asked, frustrated. “Is it because it’s baking and not cooking? It’s a good place to start, Nero. You can establish that you’re capable so later when you try to get a business loan for your restaurant….”

“There ain’t gonna be a restaurant, Faust,” Nero cut him off.

Faust’s shoulders slumped, “But Nero….”

Nero tangled his fingers in his hair in frustration. “It’s just a lot to think about. I can’t deal with all that right now. I want it but, what if I can’t do it? Do you have any idea how many restaurants fail?”

“Ok. I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to upset you,” Faust offered.

Nero looked miserable as he muttered, “I know. And I love that you want this for me, I just…need some time.”

Faust smiled sadly, “Yeah. I guess I understand that.”

“Look at us,” Nero chuckled weakly. “We’re quite the couple, ain’t we?”

Faust finished his plate and then sank back into his chair. “You’re cooking is amazing and any world that would let a restaurant run by you fail doesn’t deserve you.”

Nero grinned and let out a deep content sigh. “That’s fine, as long as you keep complimentin’ me like this.”

“I was going to make you do your homework tonight,” Faust said as he finished off the bottle of wine.

“Sorry, Teach,” Nero said as he nursed his own glass of wine.

Faust shrugged, “I guess there’s always tomorrow.”

Nero always did have a tendency to stick with things even when most people would cut and run. It took a lot for him to finally give up on a person, and when Faust sat there looking at him like that, he knew he wasn’t going to give up on him anytime soon. Just because Faust wasn’t ready for a relationship now, didn’t mean anything. They both just needed a bit more time.

Chapter Text

What do you do if you’re jealous of a cat? You see, the trouble was that Nero woke up alone and even though he thought he was fine, as soon as he saw Stormy saunter out of Faust’s bedroom he realized that actually, he was not fine. Actually, he was jealous of the damn cat who got to curl up with Faust all night. That’s a totally normal thing to be jealous about, right? Right?

Nero groaned and pulled his pillow over his head to block out the sun. “Don’t wanna,” he mumbled in answer to a statement nobody made. The truth was even though he went to bed at a reasonable hour, he’d slept like absolute shit. He couldn’t get comfortable and he knew why, but he was trying desperately not to think about it.

Stormy hopped up on his pillow and settled in on top of Nero’s head. Groaning, he gently pushed her off. She moved, making sure to give him a disapproving look and offended meow before she began pawing at him. “Tell Faust to do it,” he muttered as he rolled back over to try to sleep a bit longer before he needed to get up for work.

Stormy did not stop. “All right, all right. I’m up, I’m up,” Nero said as he reached over and affectionately patted Stormy’s head. He stretched his arms high above his head, elongating his back and letting out a massive yawn. Slumping back down, he sat for a moment, with his pillow on his lap, staring across the room and into the kitchen. “I don’t wanna go to work,” he said to Stormy.

The only response he got was a confused meow and a cute little head tilt.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m goin’,” Nero responded as he climbed out of bed and threw his pillow back down with more force than strictly necessary.

He padded over to the kitchen and pulled a pouch of food for Stormy out of the cupboard before emptying it into her food bowl and giving her head a little pat.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Faust said as he appeared in the hall doorway. He was wearing his black sweatpants and one of Nero’s shirts. It was too big on him and the red shirt with bright blue design with stars and the words “FORMER BANDIT” didn’t suit Faust at all.

Nero raised his right eyebrow as he looked at Faust and asked, “Ain’t that my shirt?”

Faust looked down and then pushed up the long sleeves that were pooling around his wrists. “Yeah, you must have made a mistake with the laundry. It was with my things, and it looked comfy so I just wore it. Sorry.”

Nero laughed, “It’s cute. I’ve never seen you in such a bright color before. I hope I didn’t mess anythin’ else up with the laundry. I thought I was being’ careful, but I guess I was distracted.”

“Everything was fine, it’s not a big deal,” Faust shook his head. He looked down at the shirt and then said, “I know it doesn’t suit me, but it’s really comfortable.” Then his eyes widened and he clarified, “I’m not trying to steal your clothes or anything!”

Nero walked over and slightly adjusted the shoulders on Faust and said, “It might be ok if ya did.” The fondness in his gaze was unmistakable.

They looked at each other with a heaviness before Faust looked away and tugged nervously at the long sleeves. “I’ll wash it and make sure it gets back with your stuff.”

Clearing his throat, Nero agreed, “Y…yeah. Thanks.” Then in an effort to change the subject he asked, “What d’ya want for breakfast?”

“For you to relax and go back to sleep. I’m just going to get some cereal. You don’t go in until later, right? I’ll just eat this and go back to my room,” Faust offered as he frowned at Nero’s face.

Chuckling, Nero rubbed his neck and asked, “I look that bad, huh?”

“You’ve looked better. Didn’t you sleep well?” Faust asked, his voice laced with concern.

“Slept like shit, if I’m honest,” Nero shrugged with a yawn.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Faust asked, seriously.

Nero froze, his brain desperately trying to figure out a better way to say ‘please sleep next to me forever.’ Finally he explained, “Dunno. I just always get restless any time there’s a change in my sleepin’ environment, that’s all.” He shrugged, hoping it sounded nonchalant.

Faust furrowed his brow and questioned, “A change in your sleeping…oh….” He trailed off as he put the pieces together. He averted his eyes and timidly offered, “I’m sorry.”

“I’ll live,” Nero said and then let out another massive yawn before adding, “Maybe.”

Faust focused on the wall as if trying to make up his mind about something, while pointedly avoiding looking at Nero. Finally he whispered, “Nero….”

“Hm?” Nero hummed in response as he lazily scratched his head. “What’s up?”

Faust didn’t turn to look at him but quietly asked, “You slept well the other day when you napped in my room, right?”

“Huh? Uh…yeah. Guess I did,” Nero answered before realizing where this might be going and rushing to blurt out, “Oh! It’s fine ya don’t have t’....”

As if making up his mind, Faust nodded firmly and then said, still avoiding Nero’s eyes, “Then you can sleep in my room from now on. It’s a bit cruel to make you keep sleeping out here on the sofa bed, it’s not that comfortable for you, I’m sure.”

Nero hesitated over the invitation and then pointed out, “It’s fine. I don’t wanna take over yer room or anythin’ yer already helpin’ me out lettin’ me live here so I don’t wanna intrude. I ain’t gonna kick ya outta yer room.”

Finally Faust looked over and met Nero’s eyes, for the briefest of moments, before looking away again and saying, “I hadn’t planned on giving up my room. The bed is big enough for both of us.”

“You….” Nero couldn’t find the words to respond. This was something he dreamed of but was it okay to accept this sort of invitation when they weren’t really a couple? Faust had firmly said he wasn’t ready, but yet he was offering to share his bed with Nero. How in the world was Nero supposed to figure out what that meant?

Faust let out a little huff and crossed his arms at the lack of response, “Fine. It was just an idea. I don’t want to force you or anything.”

That kicked Nero out of his thoughts. He blurted out, “No! I mean, yes. Okay. I’d like that, if you’re okay with it.” He stepped forward and gently turned Faust’s face towards him. He looked him in the eyes and asked, “Are you sure about this?”

A few thoughts seemed to pass through Faust’s eye’s before he finally nodded, “Yes.” He looked away and then gently pulled Nero’s fingers off his chin before holding his hand to his forehead. “The truth is I didn’t sleep as well either. I don’t know what that means, but I’d rather we both get a good night's sleep.”

“Right…” Nero agreed. So it wasn’t any sort of agreement or relationship or anything, it was just sharing a bed. Well, that was fine, they’d already done that before, right? One step-at-a-time, even if all the steps seemed out of order. Nero would wait. “Then, after ya eat are you comin’ back to bed with me?”

Faust continued to avoid looking at Nero, but simply replied, “Yes.”

Nero couldn’t help the grin that began to form on his face. His body took over as he leaned forward, placing his hands on Faust’s shoulders, but he stopped himself, as soon as he felt Faust tense under his touch. Rather than what his instincts told him to do, he simply placed a quick kiss on top of Faust’s head and hoped it wouldn’t cause him to run away. “‘Night, then.”

Faust nodded and then pulled himself carefully away, moving to the kitchen to eat his cereal.

Nero didn’t approve of it, but he still remembered fondly back to the day they met and how Faust had insisted he didn’t need anything else to eat because he had cereal. Shaking his head fondly, he walked to the sofa bed, grabbed his pillow and phone, and then headed to Faust’s bedroom.

He hovered at the threshold for a moment, almost afraid of this step, whatever it did or didn’t mean. He took a deep breath in and then made his way over to Faust’s bed. He realized as he looked at it that Faust had been sleeping right in the middle, so he wasn’t sure which side he was meant to take.

Nero quickly poked his head back into the living room and asked, “Faust, Uh…which side?”

Faust nearly choked on his cereal as he startled. He took a moment to chew and swallow before replying, “Anything is fine with me.”

“I’ll take the side by the door then,” Nero said and waited to see Faust’s reaction.

After hesitating, Faust nodded. “That’s fine.”

Nero furrowed his brow and verified, “Ya hesitated. Are you sure?”

Faust swallowed another bite of cereal and then reassured him, “Yes.” A moment later he asked, “Can I ask why?”

Caught slightly off guard Nero thought for a second before shrugging and answering, “Lottsa reasons. I get up earlier than you do mostly. I sleep better closer to the exit. If anything happens an intruder has to go through me first…is that weird? Sorry, I’m being weird, ain’t I?”

“I changed my mind. Is it okay if I sleep closest to the door?” Faust asked before shoveling another spoonful of cereal into his mouth without waiting for a response.

“Uh, sure! Whatever works best for you,” Nero replied and then after hovering a moment waiting to see if Faust had more to say, he retreated back to the room wondering why his answer made Faust change his mind.

He surveyed the room layout, trying to piece together Faust’s reasoning when Faust suddenly joined him. “Sorry for changing my mind. I stay up late a lot so this way I can come and go as I please easier.”

Nero nodded and then threw his pillow onto the bed, aiming directly for what would, at least for now, be his side. He climbed in, over Faust’s side and slipped under the blankets, settling in. Throwing his arms up over his head, he smiled wide, “This is amazin’.”

Faust smiled faintly and then climbed in next to him, turning to face the door, “It is.” He wiggled deeper into the blankets, his back to Nero.

Swallowing hard, Nero wondered how much he should press his luck. Finally he moved himself next to Faust and gently put his arm over him, pulling him into his body. Nestled there just like cutlery, Nero whispered, “‘Night.”

“Good night. Remember, today is the day I’m bringing Heathcliff to the diner to meet Shino,” Faust replied.

Nero nodded, pressing his face into the nape of Faust’s neck. “Good night, Faust.” He figured this was the opposite of the way things should be. He figured he should be more anxious and sleep worse now that he could feel Faust next to him, but contrary to logic, he was deep asleep in no time.

By the time Nero’s alarm went off, they were both so deeply asleep that neither made an effort to turn it off. Finally Faust’s voice, cracked and raspy from sleep, muttered, “Turn that damn thing off.”

Nero groaned and then reached for his phone, hitting snooze. “Think it’d be fine if I called off?” he asked as he closed his eyes and snuggled back into Faust.

“Probably,” Faust replied without thinking as he drifted back to sleep.

Untold hours later, Nero finally woke up to Faust shaking his shoulder roughly and practically yelling, “Nero! Get up! You’re going to be late!”

“Huh?” Nero rolled over and pulled his phone out from under his pillow where it had fallen after he hit snooze. The alarm was off and he was supposed to be at work in 15 minutes. “FUCK!” he yelled as he threw the covers off and rushed out of the room.

In his rush Nero didn’t have time to be embarrassed or modest, he simply stripped in the living room. Faust followed him into the living room and tried not to stare at his naked body, lean muscles flexing as he bent over to pull on clean underwear. Faust grabbed Nero’s backpack and pulled his shoes off the rack. He quickly untied the laces and opened the shoes so the could slip on easily. He took Nero’s favorite hoodie off the peg and stood ready at the door.

Nero rushed over with his thrown on clothes and tied back his hair as he stepped into his shoes. He was startled as he reached down to tie one of them to find Faust squatting down and helping tie the other. As he stood back up, Faust tossed the hoodie and backpack at him and flung open the door.

Nero couldn’t help the grin on his face at their seamless coordination and the thrill of the rush made him act on instinct. He leaned over and pulled Faust close before planting a kiss on his lips, more passionate than he really had time for.

Faust pushed him off, and laughed, “You’ll be late. Go! I’ll see you later.”

It wasn’t until Nero was out the door and it had closed behind him that he realized that had been their first kiss. At least, the first one that they knew of. He shook his head as he tried not to think about what might have happened the other night when they were both drunk.

He unconsciously licked his lips and then grinned like an idiot as he took off running down the stairs and into the street, his hoodie and backpack thrown over his shoulder. He passed that Lennox dude hovering near the door to the apartment building and couldn’t even be bothered to give him the finger, he was too busy being over the moon. He’d kissed Faust and Faust had, relatively, allowed it.

What did it even matter anymore if Faust refused to put a name on it? They lived together (sort of), and owned a cat together (sort of), were sleeping together (sort of), and kissing. The first person and last person he saw every day was Faust and surely that was more than enough. He could worry about the specifics later. Like buying a ring.

By the time he ran into the back door of the diner and clocked, in just in time, he was already humming to himself. He couldn’t hide the big smile on his face as he tossed his backpack and hoodie into his locker.

“You seem happy about something,” Riquet pointed out as he stepped up and handed Nero his apron.

Nero reached over and ruffled Riquet’s hair. He hummed to himself in thought as he tied the apron around his waist and mused, “Hm, I wonder what I could be happy about?”

Riquet put his hands on his hips and without prelude asked, “Is it about Faust?”

Nero’s grin slipped into confusion as he asked, “Seriously? Does everybody know about him?”

“Well you haven’t exactly been secretive about your friend, and I saw the way you looked at him that day he was in here. I’m not a child, you know,” Riquet pointed out.

“Is that so?” Nero screwed up his lips in thought and then asked, “How about I make ya an omelet later?”

Riquet lit up like a happy child and clapped his hands. “Thank you, Nero!”

Worked like a charm, every time. Nero was truly a master of diversion when he wanted to be. Riquet ran off back to work without any more talk about Faust. Nero sighed and then settled into his routine.

“Oh, hey, Nero! How’d that hangover work out for you?” Cain asked as Nero stepped into the kitchen. Their shift only overlapped by a half an hour so he was getting ready to leave.

“I’m alive,” Nero shrugged.

Cain laughed boisterously and gave Nero a far too enthusiastic pat on the back as he asked, “Guess you had a good birthday then?”

Nero groaned, “Who knows?”

“Whoa! Did you black out? That’s pretty intense, I didn’t know you were that big a drinker,” Cain responded.

“I’m not. That’s the problem,” Nero sighed.

Cain whistled, “That’s no good, man. That’s dangerous! Hopefully you didn’t do anything you’ll regret.”

Nero only offered a nervous chuckle in response as he rubbed his neck.

“Well, the kitchen’s all yours. I’m gonna clean up and head out!” Cain finally offered as he gave Nero another forceful pat on the back as he walked to the backroom. “See ya!”

“Later,” Nero said as he pulled the order slip Riquet had just hung up and got to work.

As Nero worked prepping and filling orders, he let his mind wander back over the past few days with Faust. On the one hand they weren’t dating, but on the other they very much were dating, weren’t they? Faust wasn’t ready and that was fine, but he still accidentally called them a couple yesterday at the restaurant. And now they were sharing a bed again. And not just sleeping on the sofa together, Nero was in Faust’s room. Nero had his own assigned side of the bed now. Surely that wasn’t nothing. Surely that was something, right?

Plus there was that kiss that had just happened. Faust had pushed him out the door but he was laughing, so he obviously wasn’t upset about the kiss. Maybe he would be upset later when he thought about it, and he had simply been swept up in the momentum? It felt a bit like maybe they had been doing that a lot lately. They'd let moments catch them off guard and only realize after taking a pause that they should probably stop. But Nero didn’t want to stop.

He licked his lips again as he imagined not just pressing his lips to Faust’s but adding some tongue to the kiss too. He swore if he ever got the chance (again? He still didn’t know what they’d done that night) he’d be dead sober. There was no way he was going to forget any of it. All this daydreaming about Faust quickly led Nero to develop a bit of a problem.

“Shit…” he mumbled as he looked down and saw his very visible erection causing a bulge in his apron. He glanced into the dinning room and didn’t see any new customers so figured maybe he had a few minutes to at least go tuck the damn thing into his waistband or something. He untied his apron and hung it up before sneaking off to the employee toilet.

As he closed and locked the door behind him, Nero was overcome with a feeling of self-loathing as he contemplated if he was seriously about to rub one out at work in the employee bathroom. He sighed and unzipped his pants, freeing the source of his current predicament. Looking down at his dick standing at attention, he figured it was this or else take care of all this pent up tension tonight in the shower.

He tried really hard to not make it too obvious, because he didn’t want to scare Faust off, but all his sleeping next to him had caused Nero a whole lot of issues of this sort. The fact of the matter was, while he adored Faust’s company, he also was desperate for his touch. Nero hadn’t had a relationship in a long time and he missed sex. He’d had a few flings here and there in the past but now he couldn’t even entertain the thought of seeking relief outside of Faust, unless it was just by his own hands.

He sighed and leaned forward over the toilet, grabbing himself with his right hand and bracing himself against the wall with his left. As he stood there rubbing himself he couldn’t help but imagine he was with Faust.

His mind was too busy filtering through fantasies to settle on one. On the kitchen counter, on the sofa, on the table, in the shower, in the bed, on the washing machine in the basement, in the backroom at Faust’s job - somewhere they’d get caught by all those people who showed up out of nowhere from the past just to ruin everything so that Nero could make sure they all understood exactly how things were now. Every scenario was with Faust, he was all Nero could think of as he touched himself and let out a low moan.

Nero knew he needed to hurry up before anybody came looking for him but his mind was having trouble settling on if he wanted Faust’s lips wrapped around his dick, or his own mouth on Faust’s - or perhaps he wanted Faust thrusting himself so deep inside Nero he could hardly stand it, or maybe he wanted to see how it felt to be inside Faust. In the end it was the combination of thoughts and no single scenario that sent him over the edge as he imagined all the things he was desperate to try someday.

He opened his eyes long enough to aim his jizz into the toilet, and was filled again with that self-loathing as he took a quick piss and cleaned himself up before zipping up and washing his hands.

He sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror and then considered that at least he wasn’t as horny as he had been as a teenager, so this should hold him over until tomorrow at least. He knew if he was going to be sleeping next to Faust, he was going to need to sneak off to the bathroom often in the night or in the morning. But if Faust wasn’t ready for anything like that then he wasn’t about to burden him with it.

“Nero? Are you ok?” Riquet’s voice came from the door with a polite knock.

Busted. “Yeah, just a sec,” Nero called out as he dried his hands and then double checked that he hadn’t left any tell-tale mess anywhere. He opened the door and flicked off the lights, heading back to work and trying to leave thoughts of his shame behind.

When he suddenly remembered Faust would be showing up today he found himself back in a good mood, humming while he worked. He carefully diced onions while considering what Faust might order today.

It wasn’t long before he found his good mood evaporating as he pulled down an order slip for a triple order of fried chicken and felt his stomach tie itself into a knot as he heard the boisterous laughter from the dining room.

He peeked out and, as expected, found Bradley there. This time he had a kid with him. Well, not really a kid, more a teenager, but that was still a kid to a guy Nero’s age. He looked to be about Riquet or Shino’s age. He frowned as he recalled how he himself had really been just a child when he took up with Brad. He had still been young enough to play the part of a cute kid for Brad’s scams. The thought made him feel a little sick when he remembered it.

“Of course he had to fucking show up today when I got Faust comin’ to introduce that Heathcliff kid to Shino,” Nero groaned. “God damn it Brad,” he sighed as he began working on the massive amount of fried chicken. “Probably didn’t even ask the kid what he wanted, and just expects him to want fried chicken just like he does. Fucking typical Brad,” Nero muttered to himself in anger and disgust as he worked.

His muttering was quickly halted as Riquet popped his head into the kitchen to point out, “Your Mr. Faust is here. He’s with a blond young man. He said Shino was going to meet them here soon. I’ll take their order, but I thought you’d like to know.”

“Thanks!” Nero called over his shoulder. He finished the fried chicken and piled it on the plates before sliding it under the warming lights and calling out, “Order up!” He peeked through the hole in the wall, to see Faust sitting with a nice looking young man who must be Heathcliff. Shino was just arriving and made his way over to the table, remembering to put his skateboard under it and not on it. Nero grinned to himself, proud that some of the manners he had spent ages drilling into that kid's head seemed to have finally taken hold.

He made the mistake of being distracted for too long and then noticed on the other side of the restaurant, Bradley was grinning back at him. Nero’s smile faded and he looked away, throwing up his middle finger, before retreating back out of the line of sight.

He could overhear the snippet of conversation from the table and it only pissed him off even more. The boy asked, “Bradley, do you know that man?”

Brad’s loud voice replied, “Nah, I don’t know nobody as fuckin’ mean and rude as that guy.”

Nero grabbed his kitchen knife and started chopping vegetables he didn’t even need right now in a flurry of frustration. Suddenly he jumped as he heard the front door slam open.

“Mitile, come here,” a deep voice ordered lazily.

Nero peeked through the hole above the counter to see that the owner of The Ferryman, Mithra, was standing in the entry to the diner. The dining room was empty aside from Brad and the kid on one side, Faust and the kids on the other, and Riquet standing at Faust’s table, order pad in hand. Nero was instantly on high alert. Things never went well when Bradley felt threatened.

“I’m not going with you! Bradley is teaching me all kinds of things. He doesn’t treat me like a kid!” the kid, Mitile, replied in defiance.

Mithra took two steps forward, his presence imposing. He stopped and then yawned. “I said to come here.”

Nero debated what he should do. It looked like things could get bad, and Riquet was out there, not to mention Faust, Shino, and Heath, who were also staring at the unfolding situation. He also knew how Brad got though, and he knew he should stay out of it.

“No!” Mitile said again.

Bradley’s boisterous laugh cut through the room and he stood up, putting his hand on the back of Mitile’s chair. “Hey, come on man. The kid said he doesn’t wanna go with ya. Yer makin’ a scene. Makin’ yerself look real suspicious. Those folks over there might think they’re about t’ witness a kidnappin’.”

Mithra plainly stated, “I’m Mitile’s guardian. Step aside.”

Riquet cleared his throat and grasping his pen and notepad tightly he said, “You both need to take this outside! We don’t allow fighting in the restaurant!” He squared his shoulders and stood up as tall as he could.

Nero’s heart clenched with pride but he knew those feelings wouldn’t be enough to protect Riquet from here. He silently moved to grab his kitchen knife and slipped closer to the door, waiting.

Mithra turned and looked at Brad with disinterest before looking back at Mitile and in one motion, grabbing him by the back of his collar and yanking him out of his chair.

Everything was happening suddenly in quick succession. Shino moved in front of Heathcliff in the booth they were sitting in, while Faust stood up and pushed Riquet into the booth behind him. Nero rushed out into the middle of the restaurant as Bradley took a swing at Mithra, who still had a hold of Mitile.

Nero yelled, “Brad, stop!” as he planted himself between the fight and the group of Faust and the kids.

“Stay outta it, Nero! Nobody pushes me around!” Brad said as he took another swing.

Mithra dodged it, but let go of Mitile, who moved over to the side of the diner, looking both terrified and amazed at the same time.

Now that his hands were free, Mithra moved to fight back. He landed a punch on Bradley’s face and a loud pop was followed by blood gushing out of his nose.

“Fuck you!” Bradley said as he took another swing at Mithra, punching him hard in the gut so that he doubled over.

Mithra moved to put Brad in a headlock, and as Brad flailed the fight got worse, with more potential for bystander carnage.

Faust yelled, “If you hurt these children I’ll kill you!”

Brad stumbled, locked in Mithra’s arms, over to a table in the middle of the diner and swiped at the items on it in an effort to hit Mithra with anything.

The rack of sugar and creamer cups, napkins, menus and condiments went flying across the room. Nero wasn’t able to stop it as it hit Shino, leaving a nasty cut on his arm. The ketchup bottle burst, leaving an eerie sight as it covered Shino and Heath, who was hiding behind him, in red.

“Brad! Fucking stop! Yer gonna hurt the kids!” Nero screamed.

Brad moved to grab a chair and toppled it over behind Mithra so that they both tumbled to the ground in a mess of limbs.

Nero moved over to Faust to protect him, while Riquet crawled under the table. Heathcliff was passing napkins to Shino, as Faust tried to help stop the bleeding.

“Nero, call the police,” Faust firmly said. “Shino needs stitches, I have to get him out of here.”

Mitile called weakly across the room, “Mr. Bradley! I’m happy you’re trying to protect me but please stop!”

Mithra got the upper hand and sat on top of Bradley, pinning him down, punching his face repeatedly, as blood continued to flow.

Nero had to turn away as he muttered, “This is why….” With his eyes off the fight, he wasn’t ready for what was about to happen next.

Bradley rolled Mithra over and pinned him down and they took out several chairs as it happened. Now dangerously close to the booth where Faust was trying to do what he could for Shino’s injury, Mithra pulled himself back up, using Nero’s apron to gain leverage.

Nero sank to his knees, pulled into the mess by Mithra and quickly kicked his way out, knife still in his hand.

Faust screamed at him, “Nero! Drop the knife, that’s not the answer here!”

As Nero regained his footing, Brad also got free and grabbed a chair which he hurtled towards Mithra.

Everything happened all at once again. Riquet, Mitile and Heathcliff screamed. Shino winced, leaning back on top of Heath to protect him. Faust hovered over Shino. The front door burst open and Lennox and Figaro rushed in, Lennox making a move across the room to protect Faust.

And Nero, well. Nero, he fucked up. The chair came crashing towards him, and knife still in hand he fell onto Faust. He tried to roll so Faust didn’t get hit but he couldn’t manage it in the chaos. The knife plunged itself in Faust’s left shoulder before Nero’s fingers loosened on it as Faust screamed out in pain.

“No…no…no, no, no, no, no, no,” Nero muttered as he ignored the commotion around him. His fingers slipped off the knife handle, leaving it there to plug the wound. “No…no….”

Lennox put a final end to the fight between Mithra and Bradley. Mithra, not too much worse for the wear, left dragging Mitile with him.

Bradley grabbed a bunch of napkins and pushed them to his face and called out, “I gotta get outta here or my parole is fucked.” He looked over at the pitiful scene where Nero had accidentally stabbed Faust in the back and then he added, “Nero, I couldda won that with you. I’ll be seein’ ya around.” He turned back for a second and added, muttering through the wad of napkins, "Don't be too hard on yerself." With that he rushed out the door.

“Faust! Let me see,” Figaro rushed over and unceremoniously pushed Nero out of the way. His hands pulled back as he saw the knife was still sticking from the back.

Nero stood in shock watching and then muttered, “Don’t take it out, you’ll make it worse….”

Figaro turned and narrowed his eyes at Nero and said, “I know! I’m a doctor. He needs to get to a hospital. It’s not deep, but we can’t stop the bleeding until the knife is out and I’m not going to risk anything here. Leno, call an ambulance.”

Faust mumbled, “I’m ok. Shino, Heathcliff, are you ok?”

Shino responded from where he was pinned under Faust, “I’m fine, except this cut on my arm.”

Figaro said, “How bad is it?”

“Not bad,” Shino answered.

“He’ll need stitches,” Faust muttered.

Figaro nodded and replied, “Your name is Shino? You’ll come to the hospital with us. Heathcliff? Are you all right?”

Heathcliff nodded, “Shino protected me.

Nero stood in shock until he finally saw Riquet crawl out from under the table. He helped him up and asked, “Are you okay?”

Riquet nodded as he stood close to Nero’s side.

Figaro whispered, “Faust, how do you want to handle this? Should we call the police?”

Shaking his head Faust said, “No, it was an accident. I don’t want Nero to face any sort of trouble over this.”

Figaro nodded, “I’ll see to it, then, if that’s what you want. Don’t worry about anything Faust. I’m here. I’ve got you.” He said as he tried to keep Faust calm and conscious while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

“Nero…can you make sure Heath gets home safely?” Faust asked, trying not to move too much.

Nero began, “I….”

Lennox cut him off, “I’ll do it, Mr. Lavinia.”

Heath shook his head, “No. I’m going to the hospital. I want to go with Mr. Faust and Shino. Shino protected me, I want to make sure he’s okay.”

“Heath….” Shino responded. It was clear that even in the short time the two had spent together they had already begun a friendship.

Nero stood watching in silence, completely helpless. He finally whispered, “I’m sorry.”

The ambulance arrived and in the rush Nero and Riquet stepped aside.

Figaro began talking to the EMTs “He’s stable. I’m his doctor. Can we take him to South Hospital? I have a child here as well with a cut that needs stitches, If there’s room I’d like for him and his friend to ride along.

The medic nodded, “Sure thing, Dr. Garcia.”

They worked quickly to get Faust into the ambulance and in a hurry put Heathcliff in the front seat and Shino in the back with Faust. Figaro climbed up in and the EMT nodded his approval of Figaro riding as well.

“Leno, meet us there,” Figaro called.

Nero went to take a step forward and Figaro looked at him and plainly said, “Not you.”

The EMT took his cue from Figaro and closed the door on Nero’s face before the ambulance sped off.

Lennox turned to Nero and said, “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to let anything happen to Mr. Lavinia again.”

Nero nodded in silence, helpless and full of self-loathing. Everyone rushed off and Nero was left standing alone, with Riquet by the door of the diner. He couldn’t help it when he finally collapsed to the ground and started crying. Riquet walked over and knelt down next to him, patting him on the back.

Finally he pulled himself together and said, “Riquet, go home. Diner’s closed for the day. I’ll call Kanaria and tell her.”

“But Nero….” Riquet began, clasping his hands.

“No buts,” Nero offered as he stood up and brushed off his pants.

Riquet nodded and then said, “I’ll pray for you, Nero!”

“Thanks,” Nero offered a weak grin and ruffled Riquet’s hair.

After Riquet grabbed his bag and left, Nero locked the door and found himself alone in the diner. He began slowly picking up the knocked over tables and chairs. He picked up all the scattered pieces of the condiment rack and the napkins that littered the floor.

He worked in silence until he had everything set right and then he returned to the kitchen and cleaned up everything there. Finally he went to his locker and grabbed his bag, tossing his apron inside. He slammed the door and then swallowed hard before opening it again and reaching deep into the back of the top shelf.

He pulled out an old package of cigarettes, crushed and most certainly stale. He felt around in the back and pulled out a lighter with an advertisement for Shylock’s bar printed on the side of it. He flicked it to see if it still worked and when it did he pocketed it along with the old cigarettes and moved outside to the back alley.

Sitting down on some crates next to the dumpster, he figured it was where he belonged anyway since he was nothing but trash. He made a feeble attempt to pack the old cigarettes in their battered box by tapping it a few times. He pulled one out and put it to his lips and held it there as he watched the flame on the lighter for a second, debating, before lighting the cigarette and taking a drag.

He coughed on the stale flavor and the smoke that his lungs had recovered from years ago. He leaned back against the brick wall, not caring that it was going to get his hoodie dirty and stretched out his legs as he continued to inhale from the cigarette. He hadn’t felt the need to have one in years, but life really felt like that today.

As he took another drag from his cigarette and leaned his head back against the wall, his neck stretched out, he felt the first raindrops hit his face. Figures.

Chapter Text

Is it ok to just give up after the hospital guards kick you out for the 5th day in a row? Or is it sort of considered good practice to keep trying to see the love of your life who you recently stabbed? Asking for a friend. Maybe they were right to keep him away. It’s not like stabbing the guy you’re head-over-heels in love with is a good look.

Nero opened the door to Faust’s apartment and tossed his keys on the kitchen counter, while kicking off his shoes. He was soaking wet from being caught in the rain without an umbrella. Again. Someday he’d need to learn to start carrying an umbrella. It felt like it was raining a lot more these days. Well, it’s like they say, ‘when it rains, it pours.’

As he closed the door he sank down and sat, leaning against it, debating if Faust would be too upset if he smoked in the apartment. He didn’t have long to ponder though, because Stormy walked up and started licking his hand.

He wanted to smile at Stormy, but he couldn’t muster it, instead just absently rubbing her head and patting her as he zoned out while incessantly replaying the incident in his head. Once he’d gotten to the hospital, he’d been thrown out pretty much on the spot. Apparently that Figaro guy was a doctor with a lot of pull and he’d already alerted security to not let him in. Fuck that guy, Faust had been right. He should go to hell.

He kept trying that week, but each time as soon as reception caught sight of him, security kicked him out like clockwork. He wasn’t even sure if they were allowed to do that, it’s not like he’d done anything at the hospital. He also knew Faust had said not to file anything or press anything with the police. What right did the hospital have to keep him from Faust? It pissed him off knowing Figaro had that much power. Unless…what if Faust didn’t want to see him?

Nero hung his head down limply. Everything was shit now. He’d always been happy enough working at the diner but that night it had turned into a place he wasn’t sure he wanted to return to. His mind kept flickering between Riquet cowering under the table, Shino’s bloody arm and Heathcliff’s fearful eyes, and Brad’s bloody face. And Faust. Faust’s….

He shook his head in agony before cradling it in his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees. He’d stabbed Faust. Simply being around Bradley’s way of life had made him instinctively revert back to relying on a weapon in case things took a turn for the worse. It was all Brad’s fault.

He pulled at his hair. No it wasn’t. Not really. He’d made his own choice as a kid to go lead that life and he was a grown ass man now, perfectly capable of making his own choices. Faust had told him to put the knife down. There was no excuse. Everywhere he went, as soon as he got close to people, they got hurt. He got hurt too.

Nero hurt people. Every time. Brad’s schemes had gotten more elaborate once Nero was tagging along and more risks meant more chances of injury. And now Faust and all those kids were just trying to live their lives and have a good meal in the diner but just being around Nero put them in danger. Brad was only at the diner because Nero was there, after all.

He hugged his knees to his chest as he was filled with the overwhelming feeling that his past was inescapable and he would pay for his choices made long ago for the rest of his life. Not that he thought he deserved to have a happy nice life anyway. He knew he didn’t deserve that. He’d killed people. He’d betrayed a person he cared about. Things had been fine until Brad showed up again, ushering in the reminders of this past hell and the kind of man Nero really was - worthless. No escape. No happiness.

Stormy curled up at Nero’s feet and waited patiently for him, while he pulled at his hair and his shoulders started to shake as he silently cried. It was all his fault. Everything was all his fault. He killed his foster parents. Bradley took risks because of him. He stabbed Faust. Nero was just no good and rotten to his core. The rot spread from him to everything he touched. Nothing was safe when he was around.

He knew the only way he’d ever be good for the world was once he was dead. Maybe when he died someone might mourn him for a little bit but after that he’d stop hurting people. He’d stop making mistakes and fucking everything up. Maybe he’d be able to love himself after he was dead. It gave him hope to know at least he still had death to look forward to. Perhaps sooner rather than later would be good. Maybe he should go tell Brad what he’d done, he knew that was a quick road to death.

Stormy let out a soft meow and nuzzled her head against Nero’s leg, looking up at him with wide expectant eyes. She finally managed to pull him out of his spiral at least for a moment. He gave her head a little rub and whispered, “Well, gotta stick around a bit longer, huh? Guess at least you need me, right girl?” He stood up, his stiff legs protesting. He went and grabbed a can of wet food for Stormy and then gave her head one more quick pat as she began eating. Only thing he’d ever been good for, making sure nobody around him was hungry.

As he left the cat to eat, he wandered down to the bathroom and stripped down for a shower. Once in the shower he let the warm water wash over him for far too long. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the shower wall, running up the water bill and thinking how he was so worthless he wasn’t even helping Faust with the bills. Maybe it was finally time to go back to his own place.

The warm water beaded down his face and offered some relief because he could pretend like the salty sting at the corner of his eyes didn’t really exist. If we went back to his own place at least he’d know Faust would be out of the way of anything Brad might do. No, it wasn’t even really about Brad. Faust would be out of the way of anything Nero might do.

He ran his hands down his face and couldn’t help the sniffle as he blamed it on the steam clearing his sinuses. He obviously didn’t deserve to be with Faust. That was it. He didn’t deserve to be happy. He should abandon him before things get worse. Besides, wasn’t that just the kind of person he was anyway? The kind of guy who runs away from people and betrays them?

With his mind made up, Nero pulled himself from the warm water and made his way to Faust’s bedroom with the intention of making sure he didn’t have anything in there. He was going to collect up his things so he could move out. When he saw the bed, he was overcome with the need to curl up with Faust’s pillow again, just like he had been doing for the past several days.

Still naked, he crawled between the sheets on Faust’s side of the bed and buried his face into Faust’s pillow. The scent of Faust was lingering but faint, from having been cuddled by Nero the past few days. Nero breathed in the smell, deep and complex, a little woody and mysterious, warm and comforting. It reminded him of a place he’d like to call home. He closed his eyes tight and tried to content himself with giving up on being with Faust. His heart was breaking.

He finally pulled himself out of the bed and then dressed before he began collecting his things that were scattered about Faust’s apartment. It hurt him as he realized how easy his presence was to clear out. Even with how much he thought he’d cemented himself there, everything was gone and back into his bag in a few minutes. Well, that checked out too, didn’t it? It’s always easier to leave if you don’t settle in.

The kitchen was a little harder, but he figured he’d just leave the food. In fact, even as he’d folded up the sofa bed for the first time since he’d moved in, and set about erasing his existence from Faust’s life, he couldn’t resist making him one last meal for when he got home from the hospital. He’d still be recovering from his injury, most likely, and a few good meals waiting in the fridge could go a long way.

Well, Nero couldn’t help it. This is just who he is. Even as he plans his exit he’s still thinking of how he can help. He plopped his bag near the door and then set to work in the kitchen. Something easy to reheat and nutritious seemed best. He decided to make a pot of soup. His mind flitted back to that day when he’d first broken into Faust’s apartment and found him unconscious and nursed him to health. His heart clenched in pain as he tried to push it from his thoughts.

As he sliced the vegetables, the knife felt awkward in his hand. A terrible reminder of just what the Bloody Cook was capable of. The knife slipped from his fingers as he went into high alert as the doorknob began to rattle behind him.

Faust had figured out the trick to it by now so it had to be an intruder. Was Lennox or that terrible Figaro man coming to pick up Faust’s things? Or what if Bradley was here to take him back or finally kill him? His fight instincts forced him to reach for his knife again and hold onto it firm. Old habits die hard. He clung to the knife in a typical contradiction of his whole life - wanting to die, yet being unable to stop fighting to live.

As the door finally crashed open, Nero launched forward with his knife, but this time his swift reflexes caught him from disaster. The knife clattered to the floor as he was met with Faust’s terrified eyes staring straight at him. “Faust!” he yelled.

Faust stood there, with his left arm immobilized in a sling to prevent him from tearing out his stitches. He couldn’t hide the pain and terror in his eyes as he’d once again nearly been on the receiving end of Nero’s attack.

They stared at each other in shock. Nero wanted to reach out and embrace him but how could he possibly do that after everything? Finally he choked out, “I thought it was an intruder. Sorry. I was just makin’ ya a pot of soup.”

Faust nodded numbly. “I don’t feel so well. I’m going to bed.” He struggled with his bag and Nero couldn’t help but rush in to help him with it. On his way to the bedroom Faust turned back and weakly offered, “I have good news. Shino’s going to be living with the Blanchett family from now on.”

Nero felt a little warmth seep back into his heart as he smiled, “That really is good news. I’m glad he’s finally got somewhere he can call home.” The weight of the word ‘home’ settled onto his heart like a ton of bricks as Faust vanished down the hallway and Nero resolved himself again to abandon this place.

Actually, now that he thought about it, the idea of Shino finally having a home was great, but mixed with it was an understanding that Shino wouldn’t need him anymore now that he’d be well fed and taken care of. It added another check to Nero’s worthless column, even as he knew it was better that way. The fewer people in this world who needed Nero’s existence - the better. He wouldn’t be sticking around much longer anyway. One more thing off his conscience.

He rushed through his meal prep, trying not to think about it too much as the last meal he’d cook for Faust. When it was finished he put it in the fridge and cleaned up before writing a note and leaving it on the counter. He wrote, ‘Soup in the fridge. Here’s your key back.” His hand hesitated over the next words, ‘I love you,’ he formed the ‘I lo’ before changing his mind and connecting the I and l into an N and smudging the o into an e and signing his name instead.

The lump caught in his throat as he looked at the note on the counter, with the apartment key next to it. As he turned, his eyes caught sight of the cat fridge magnets he’d gifted to Faust what felt like a million lifetimes ago by now and he couldn’t bear it anymore. He grabbed his bag and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Closing another chapter of his life that never turned into the story he wanted it to be. He wanted to scream.

Chapter Text

How many days in a row can you call off from your shitty diner job before you get fired? It was only a matter of time before Nero got canned at this rate. He’d been such a good employee for years, but lately he couldn’t bring himself to go. He felt like shit too, constantly relying on Cain’s goodwill to pick up his shifts. What an irresponsible asshole. He rolled over in his bed, alone again. Why didn’t life have a reset button?

He stayed there in his room, sharing a wall with Faust’s living room, and listened for signs of life next door. He wasn’t spying, not really. His brain and heart were just constantly preoccupied with wondering how Faust was doing and how his injury was healing. He really wanted to see his face, but he knew he couldn't.

Yesterday he’d found a manila envelope outside his front door with some worksheets and assignments in it. A note from Faust was tucked between the papers saying he wasn’t giving up on Nero’s tutoring. He’d even graciously written down the date and time of the next tutoring session with Shino and Heathcliff. Nero’d almost thrown the packet away, but he didn’t have the courage to cut this final thread connecting them.

The worksheets were scattered all over his bed, from where he’d fallen asleep trying to make sense of them. They were crinkled and a little torn from rolling on them in his sleep. He wondered if Faust would still accept them in that state.

It wasn’t long before he heard a commotion through the wall. Straining his ears, he listened and a few moments later he heard Faust’s front door slam followed by raised voices. He rolled over in his bed miserable that this is what he had stooped to.

The voices were easy to make out through the thin walls. Faust yelled, “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter!”

“Faust, just listen to me. I’m trying to help you. Here, just take this. It’s got all the info. You aren’t safe living here with someone like that next door. Just come back home already. It’s not like you can’t afford to live in the neighborhood,” a man, who sounded like Figaro, said.

Nero felt anxious. It had to be about him. Figaro had dug up some dirt and was trying to turn Faust against him. He couldn’t stop his heart from pounding and his urge to rush over, but then he remembered the terror in Faust's eyes when he’d come home to find Nero with a knife in hand.

He flinched as he heard something hit the other side of the wall near his head. Faust yelled, “Just leave me alone, Figaro! Stay out of my life! I’m not that person anymore. You’re not the person who gets to stand next to me now! ”

“I’m not giving up on you, Faust. Your credits are still good. You can come back to the University too. Let’s finish what we started. I won’t abandon you,” Figaro said.

“Again, you mean? In case you forgot, you already did abandon me! Get out and close the damn door behind you!” Faust yelled.

Not long after, Nero heard a door open and close and then what sounded like a pitiful fist to the wall next to his bed followed by the noise of something dragging down the wall and ending in a thud on the floor. He thought he could hear sobbing, but maybe it was just his imagination.

Nero rolled over in bed away from the wall and curled up around his spare pillow, clinging to it. He wanted to go next door and see Faust, but he knew he couldn’t. What if he hurt him again? Instead he pulled himself up and collected the worksheets he’d partially finished and set to work finishing them. The least he could do was go push this under Faust’s door to show him that he still cared.

It took him about an hour to finish everything, and he was pretty sure he got quite a bit of it wrong, but he still placed them as neatly as he could back into the envelope. He considered adding a note but he had no right to do that. He’s the one who left in the first place.

As he passed the kitchen on his way to drop the envelope at Faust’s door, he hesitated. It didn’t take long for him to make up his mind and begin pulling bowls and mixing spoons out while grabbing various baking ingredients. He hurriedly washed his hands and without even thinking of the recipe he knew by feel alone, he mixed up the chocolate chip cookie dough.

He was focused intently and it didn’t take him long before he was putting the cookies in the oven and cleaning up his mess. He hadn’t been careful enough of his manila homework envelope on the counter, and it had some flour dusted on it. He tried his best to shake it off. Bits of white powder remained clinging to it, a tell-tale sign of his truest calling in life. In no time the oven timer beeped and he pulled the fresh cookies out.

He stacked several on a small salad plate. The cookies looked warm and inviting, wreathed in the vintage wheat design that rimmed the plate. A perfect treat for the chilly, rainy days of October. Tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, clouded by steam, he grabbed the plate of cookies and the envelope of homework. He didn’t bother putting on his shoes as he stepped outside and placed the envelope in front of Faust’s door, the plate of cookies on top of it. He knocked and quickly rushed back into his own apartment.

Just as he closed the door behind him, he heard Faust’s door open. He breathed a sigh of relief that he’d made it back inside in time, as he leaned back against his front door and closed his eyes to try to calm his beating heart. It pounded in his chest like that of a guilty criminal who just escaped capture.

Suddenly he jumped as he heard the pounding on his door. He looked out the peephole and caught his first sight of Faust in a week. He was still in his sling and looked a little worse for wear. He appeared to be doing about as well as Nero was. Nero desperately wanted to wrap him in his arms and then feed him a good meal. The cookies were a nice gesture, but he craved giving him real sustenance to fill him up completely.

Nero pulled himself away from the peephole at his door and away from the sight of Faust. He grabbed the remains of the nice bottle of whisky Shylock had given him and drank enough to send himself back to sleep. When he woke up again it was to the noise of someone loudly banging on Faust’s door.

He groggily opened his eyes and heard Lennox calling, “Mr. Lavinia, I’m here to walk you to work. Please open the door.”

Nero groaned as his stomach churned at the very idea of anybody other than him walking Faust anywhere.

He pulled himself from bed and grabbed his pack of cigarettes off the nightstand. This was becoming a habit again and he hated himself for it, but what else was new? Nero was pretty used to hating himself anyway. He opened his window and climbed out onto the fire escape where he leaned against the precarious railing several stories up and took a long drag from the cigarette.

Staring out over the city, he wondered how much longer he could stay here before he’d need to leave and start over. If he thought about it, 10 years wasn’t bad for him. He’d given it a real effort. He took another drag from his cigarette and then let his hands dangle over the rusty railing he wasn’t even sure could hold his weight.

As he took another puff, he looked over to see Faust climbing out of his living room window onto the fire escape that their apartments shared. “Shit,” Nero muttered as he rushed to put out his cigarette on the metal railing before Faust saw him.

Faust emerged from his window, rear end first, and then stared over at Nero with wide eyes. His eyes flitted to the cigarette butt in Nero’s hand and he scrunched up his nose in displeasure at the lingering smell of smoke. His eyes furrowed in worry as he looked at Nero and grasped the handle of his bag that crossed his chest as if it was comforting somehow to have something to hold onto. “Nero,” he whispered.

Nero tried to be cool. He summoned everything he had and smiled, “Hey, Faust. Imagine meetin’ you here. Ya come here often?”

Faust’s lips opened as if he had something to say before closing again and averting his eyes. With a deep breath he turned and closed the window to his apartment with his good arm and then answered, “Lennox is blocking my door, so I’m taking this way to work.” He hesitated for a moment, as if he had more to say, but he settled on, “Thank you for the cookies.”

Nero simply smiled and lied, “No problem. I made too many and didn’t want ‘em to go to waste.”

The lie made Faust’s eyebrows knit in pain, or was it worry? “I see. Well, thank you none-the-less.” He waited but Nero didn’t respond again so finally he nodded curtly and continued his way down the fire escape.

Nero watched his precarious descent and hated seeing him take the big jump at the bottom to the ground level. He was worried he might twist his ankle one of these days. Plus it was even more dangerous now because he was still doing everything one-handed. And who do you think is the cause of that, Nero?

With a deep breath, followed by a cough, Nero watched Faust walk down the street until he was out of view. It wasn’t long after that he watched Lennox leave the building and head off in the same direction. He sighed and hung in head in his hands as he contemplated if it was time to load up his car and get the fuck outta dodge.

A chilly early October wind caught his hair and tangled it over his face. He wondered if maybe it was time to go somewhere warm. Maybe if he moved south he could find a way to ease his broken soul. His mind flitted to the pale blue mass of yarn that Faust had been knitting for ages now, and he was so certain it was a sweater for him.

Cursed. He really was cursed, wasn’t he? Faust told him the relationship would end before he finished the sweater. Nero huffed in annoyance and the lit another cigarette before sucking the chemicals into his lungs in a cloud of smoke. He let his hands dangle over the railing as he tested the rusty bars strength. The iron red rust sent his mind back to thoughts of blood.

Blood on Brad’s face. Blood pooling on the kitchen floor under the bodies of those terrible humans who tried to hurt his foster sisters. Blood oozing from Faust’s shoulder. What if he added his own to the list? Seeping out all over the pavement below.

He looked down at the long fall and wondered if it would kill him. What a coward's way out. But, well, perhaps Nero was a coward. He was pulled roughly from his thoughts by a raindrop hitting his face. Fucking figures. Well, maybe tomorrow he'd be brave enough to jump.

When he turned around he was met with Stormy sitting on the back of Faust’s sofa, staring out the window at him and meowing. He looked at her and couldn’t help it as he said, “Sorry,” before pulling his gaze away and climbing back into his bedroom window.

He looked around his little bedroom of the past ten odd years that he still hadn’t even decorated properly and the loneliness settled deep on his heart. He’d only ever been holding onto this place by a thread anyway. It would be the simplest thing in the world to just pull out his trust knife and cut the thread tethering him to this city. Like some sort of wizard he could pull off an epic vanishing act.

Stay, run, or die? What'll it be, Nero? He looked around one last time and without hesitation walked to his closest and started pulling everything out. It wasn’t in a rage, nor was it calm. He moved in a sort of frenzy, as if afraid to stop. It was as if his muscles moved on their own and feared if they paused his mind may decide it wanted something else. Nero was terribly indecisive most of the time, so it wouldn't be out of the question.

Once he had everything out of his closet he pulled out the flattened cardboard boxes that had been hiding in the back, waiting for just this day. He worked quickly to build all of them and started putting his clothes into one. He set aside all of his winter items, as if he’d already made up some part of his mind that he’d be getting into his car and driving South as far as he could.

He worked diligently for ages, until he heard Faust’s front door open and close, followed by loud knocking and Lennox’s voice calling out, “Mr. Lavinia, please, we just want to speak with you.”

Figaro’s voice began explaining, “Faust, I’m not giving up on you. I can promise you that. Look, Faust. I’m leaving soon for Haiti. They need doctors to help with the disaster. You should come with me. I know this is the sort of thing you always wanted to do. You can still save people. I mean, I’d have to pull some strings to get you in, but it’s not a big deal. Everyone remembers how much money Alec….”

Nero listened as Faust’s door opened again and then immediately slammed, cutting off Figaro’s voice. He tried not to smile to himself as he pictured Faust slamming the door in Figaro’s face. He folded another shirt and placed it in a box as his mind couldn’t help but chew on that new information. He muttered to himself, “So Faust’s the type who wanted to save the world, huh?” He smiled slightly as he considered. Then his mind clung to the favors and money aspect of the conversation. So that was the kind of life Faust lived, huh?

Well, none of that mattered now. Especially not to Nero, seeing as he wasn’t going to be sticking around. He finished packing most of his clothing and then moved over to his bed. His resolve crumbled though when he got to the stack of books on his nightstand. All of the reading that Faust had picked out for him sat stacked up, mostly untouched. He’d gotten so side-tracked he’d never even finished 'The Catcher in the Rye' that he’d started reading with Faust.

His throat went dry as he recalled how just earlier that very day he’d finished a bunch of worksheets and placed them in front of Faust’s door. He swallowed hard as he pulled 'The Catcher in the Rye' off the stack and sat back down on his bed, leaning into his pillow and opening the book. His heart broke as a battered $20 bill fell out of the pages and he realized Faust had kept to his threat that Nero would get that tip money back from the tea shop. He couldn’t hold on any longer as the tears welled up in his eyes and he threw the book aside. He curled himself up on his bed, hugging his knees to his chest.

He wished he were curled up with his head on Faust’s lap. Faust was the type who would run his fingers gently through his hair and pat him on the head lovingly and tell him everything would be okay. He knew that, even if he hadn’t allowed himself to reach this sort of low around Faust, he knew that Faust would treat him this way. And he craved it, but he also knew he didn’t deserve it.

Eventually, after his tears ran dry, he heard a light knock at his front door. By the time he pulled himself out of his bed and opened his door, the knocker was gone, leaving a manila envelope, and an empty plate. He picked it up and closed his eyes with a sigh as he contemplated what in the world he was going to do. Even now, after everything he’d done to hurt him, Faust was still trying to reach out in his own way to help Nero with his future.

Nero’s heart ached as he clutched the envelope in his fingers and considered knocking on Faust’s door, but he just couldn’t. So instead he closed his front door, grabbed a bottle of wine off his counter and headed back to his bedroom. Drinking himself to sleep for the second time that day sounded like a plan. He hadn’t eaten anything, but it didn’t really matter. He threw himself back on his bed, turned off his phone, ignoring all the notifications of missed calls from the diner as he completely blew off his night shift without even calling, and took a swig of the wine straight from the bottle.

He opened the manila envelope and pulled out a bunch of fresh worksheets, along with his already graded work. “Works fast, don’t he?” Nero grinned to himself as he looked over his work and treasured each red check on every wrong answer, because of the time it meant Faust had devoted to him. He hadn’t done that badly, overall. He couldn’t help but smile at the little commentary Faust had scribbled in the margins, encouraging him and scolding him. He traced his finger over the letters and felt his heart warm.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back as he simply sat, worksheets spread on his lap, and wine bottle in his hand. “I love him….” he finally muttered to himself. It only took a few seconds from the devil of self-doubt on his shoulder to remind him, ‘you don’t deserve him. You should just die. Dead is the only way anybody will ever love you.’

He took another swig of wine and it worked quickly on his empty stomach. It wasn’t long before he was quite drunk. He was embracing old vices in a reckless manner as if determined to burn his life out quickly, when he heard another knock at his door. He pulled himself out of bed with much effort and tripped over his half packed box of clothes. He groaned as he pulled himself off the floor and examined his skinned elbow that was now bleeding. “Shit,” he muttered.

“Yeah! Yeah!” he yelled as the knocking persisted. When he finally made it to the door, he practically fell against the doorframe to support himself, his bloody elbow smearing red all over the wall as he opened the door without bothering to look through the peep hole.

Faust stood outside, his eyes wide as soon as he saw Nero’s current state. “Nero….”

Nero’s eyes felt heavy as he looked at Faust and slurred, “What’s up?”

“You’re bleeding? Are you…drunk?” Faust crinkled up his nose as he smelled the alcohol on Nero. “Your coworker, Riquet, asked Shino for my number. He called me to see if I’d heard from you. You didn’t show up at work and aren’t answering your phone. He’s worried about you….”

“Riquet….” Nero frowned. “I made him worry?”

Faust nodded, “Nero, what’s wrong? Can I help?” Nero stumbled and Faust was quick to catch him with his good arm, getting blood from his elbow all over his hand as he did. “Come on, let’s get you sitting down.”

“I’m fine,” Nero mumbled.

“You don’t seem fine. How much have you had to drink?” Faust asked, sternly.

Nero hummed, “Some.”

Faust huffed in annoyance, “Yes, it seems like it. Have you eaten?”

“Naaaaah,” Nero replied as he practically fell onto the sofa.

“You didn’t eat? But you were still drinking? And I saw you smoking…you didn’t used to….” Faust shook his head. “Nero. Whatever this is about….”

Nero held the back of his hand over his eyes as he leaned his head back on the sofa. “Don’t worry about it, it’s none of your business,” he muttered. Blood dripped down his arm from his elbow, staining his shirt in red.

Faust’s brow furrowed as his lips pressed into a grim line. He looked nervously around and then, determined, tried again, “Stay there.” He walked over towards the bathroom but stopped short as he saw the mess of packed up boxes in Nero’s bedroom.

“Hey! Get out of there!” Nero yelled at him.

“S…sorry,” Faust stuttered as he stepped away from the doorway. “I was just looking for a first aid kit. I…I’m sorry…” he trailed off as his mind became engulfed with thoughts of what those boxes meant. “Nero…are you going somewhere?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just go. I’m sure Figaro or Lennox are waiting for you. You wouldn’t want them to know you’d been over here with trash like me, right?” Nero bitterly spat out. He wasn’t even sure what he was saying, he didn’t mean it, but he couldn’t let Faust know about his struggles. If anybody got too close to his heart right now, he thought he might break. Or perhaps, he thought he might be happy, which should never be allowed. “Just go home. I’m fine.”

“Nero…” Faust’s shoulders tensed and he held his hand in a fist at his side. “But…” he suddenly shook his head and then mumbled, “I understand. Bye.” Without further argument he turned on his heel and rushed towards the door.

Nero held his head in his hands and fought every urge to rush over and stop him. What was he even doing? That man was everything he’d ever wanted. “That’s exactly why…” he whispered to himself. “Good-bye, Faust.”

Faust stopped at the front door, hesitating, as if he knew what leaving might mean. As he stood there he suddenly heard knocking on his own front door again followed by Figaro’s voice. “Faust! Open up. I got you in. You’re on the team of doctors for the aid trip. Well, not as a doctor, of course, not strictly speaking. I need you to come back and finish your degree first, but we can sort that out later. You’re coming as my assistant. I’ve got your plane ticket here. We leave Friday at 11am. I’ll pick you up. You can’t stay locked in there forever. Lennox is worried about you too.”

With his hand on the doorknob to Nero’s front door, Faust stood frozen. He slowly pressed his forehead against the door and let his fingers fall from the handle, landing at his side with a soft thud. He sank down onto his knees, still facing the door, as if afraid to move, trapped between two things. He was in stasis between his past and his future, though in the moment it was impossible to tell which was which.

Nero watched as Faust’s shoulders began to tremble and he hugged himself and he couldn’t help it as his instinct kicked in and he stood up and began to move towards Faust to wrap him in his arms where he’d be safe. At the thought, Nero’s movements halted. No, not safe. He wasn’t safe with Nero, that was the whole point.

They waited there, as if trapped in amber for what seemed like an eternity. Faust pressing his forehead into Nero’s front door and Nero standing in the middle of the room, watching helplessly.

Figaro’s voice called out again, “I’ll put this under your door, then.” They both remained frozen as his footsteps faded into the distance, growing ever fainter against the cracked tile of the hallway.

Nero’s bloody elbow continued to run down his arm, untreated and the red that had made its way to his fingertips clung there for dear life, before finally letting go and falling to the floor. Letting go and falling, just the way Nero wanted to.

As Faust slowly pulled himself up off the floor and fumbled with the doorknob, Nero remained stuck to his spot. Something inside him begged to call out and explain it was all just a terrible mistake. But the guilt and self-doubt and lack of worth were too much and crushed everything else inside of him as he silently watched Faust open the door and leave, closing it behind him.

Without a word, he made his way to the kitchen and began making a galette that he’d eat, even if in his heart he knew he was making it for Faust. He had to make it for him, even if he wouldn't give it to him. It’s the only thing he knew how to do. Nero’s brain reminded him, politely, ‘I’m the worst. I should just die.’

Chapter Text

How much shit is it okay to overhear through your apartment walls before it sounds like someone needs to intervene? At what point is it right to call the cops or something?

Nero curled up on his bed, surrounded by homework worksheets and an essay about ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ that he’d half written out. He listened to the raised voice of Faust, followed by Lennox’s.

“That’s not for you to decide. I don’t need a bodyguard. I don’t want a bodyguard!” Faust firmly stated his stance.

“It’s my job to protect you. I have to make sure you’re happy,” Lennox explained.

Faust yelled, “Happy?! I have no intentions of being happy! You can’t just make someone happy! Especially not when someone like Ale…HE paid you.”

“He loved you, I don’t know what happened at the end but…,” Lennox tried.

“He tried to burn me alive! I’ll bear these scars forever because I trusted the wrong person, and I’m damn sure I’ll never do that again. How DARE you try to say that after he tried to kill me?” Faust was angry, but still keeping his words together. Nero winced in pain at the conversation. How could anyone say those things to someone who was nearly burned alive by a person who supposedly loved them? He just wanted to wrap Faust in his arms and tell him everything would be all right and that he never needed to talk about any of this shit again.

“You could get cosmetic surgery and have them fixed. I’m sure Figaro can recommend you to a good surgeon. Figaro cares about you. You could be happy again. I want to make sure you’re happy,” Lennox offered.

“Get out of my house,” Faust muttered.

Nero couldn’t believe the words coming out of that Lennox guy’s mouth. He knew Faust had money enough, if he wanted surgery to get rid of the scars surely he would have done that. What kind of person just recommends that out of nowhere? Nero felt a chill down his spine. Nobody should have to face that kind of conversation.

Nero wasn’t even sure who he should contact to come check on Faust. Rustica maybe? But he was still going to work regularly so if he wanted Rustica’s support he likely already had it. Heathcliff and Shino? No, he already was seeing them regularly too.

Before his mind could stop him, his body had made its way to the kitchen where he began preparing a meal to leave on Faust’s doorstep. Even if he couldn’t reach out and embrace him, he wanted to show that he was still here, thinking of him. It’s not that he’d decided to stay yet, it’s just that he hadn’t gotten around to leaving, that’s all.

Nero moved around his kitchen with ease, deciding on a simple omelet since it was still early and he knew Faust had a habit of not eating a good breakfast. It also was the very first meal he’d ever made for Faust so it felt somehow special. He cracked the eggs and mixed them with a bit of cream to get them nice and fluffy. A little extra indulgence today seemed appropriate.

It wasn’t long before the meal was finished and he plated it before considering how best to leave something like that on Faust’s doorstep. He still couldn’t bring himself to meet him face-to-face again. In the end he put another plate over top of it to keep it warm and clean and then stepped outside to place it on the floor in front of Faust’s apartment. He knocked firmly and then rushed back into his own apartment.

There was no need to leave a note, Faust would know where it came from. Who else would drop a freshly made omelet at his doorstep, nestled between two vintage dinner plates with a pale brown wheat pattern rimming them? Nero stood with his back against his own front door, waiting to hear the tell-tale sounds of Faust picking up the food.

He heard Faust’s door open and then a moment later he heard a knock at his own door, the vibrations ringing through his back from where he leaned. His heart nearly stopped and he stood stock still listening, as if he moved he might somehow be caught. There was another knock this time accompanied by Faust’s voice calling through the door, “Thank you, Nero. I…well…if you ever want to have dinner with me I’d like to see you again. I’m not sure what I did wrong, but…Stormy misses you. I mean, I also…ah…never mind, just thank you, Nero.”

Nero breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the footsteps retreat and Faust’s apartment door close. Every little halfway interaction weakened his resolve to leave forever because he wanted so badly to be a help and comfort to Faust. He knew he should stop this charade and make a choice, either pull away for good, or just go back over there and be with him. It was just so hard to do either. He wasn’t worthy of being with anybody, but he also didn’t want to make anybody sad.

The momentary interaction made his heart unsteady again and he pulled a bottle of wine off the counter to try to numb his senses a little bit. It was becoming quite the habit lately, but he was finding it impossible to stop. It helped cull the loneliness a little. He navigated his way back to his bed, through the stacks of boxes he wasn’t sure what he was doing with.

He settled in and picked up ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ that he hadn’t quite finished reading yet and turned to where he left off. The words on the page made his heart twist in an indescribable way. He knew this book tended to resonate with teenagers but that as people grew up they stopped feeling so strongly about it, so said Google anyway.

Maybe Nero never really grew up. He read, “Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be.’

He couldn’t help but wonder who was going to catch the catcher in the rye if he fell? Who catches the person who usually does all the catching? Who was going to catch Nero Turner when he fell? Crashing back onto his bed he threw his arm over his eyes to block out the light. He downed a significant portion of his bottle of wine.

His alcohol induced nap passed most of the day easily as he once again ignored his phone as it rang. He hid it under his pillow to shut it up without even looking at it as he blinked awake. The sun was just starting to go down and the sky was painted beautiful blues, purples, and pinks. His phone stopped ringing and then he heard the polite knock at his door. He ignored it. Then there was another knock and another. He threw his pillow over his head.

It sounded as if the person gave up, when a few minutes later Nero nearly jumped out of his skin as a loud tapping came from the large window near his bed that opened onto the fire escape. He pulled his head out from under his pillow and his eyes were met with a man grinning at him with cat like wonder, as his purple hair was tangled across his face by the wind.

“Wake up, Nero!” he said as he perched on the windowsill in an almost inhuman stance.

“Murr? What the fuck are ya doin’?” Nero said as he threw his pillow at the window, feeling like his privacy was completely violated. He’d made the mistake of falling asleep with his curtains open but hadn’t thought much of it. Faust was the only other person who ever went out on that fire escape since it was shared by just their apartments.

Murr said, “You wouldn’t open the door for Shylock so I came to make sure you weren’t dead!”

Nero sighed and held his hand to his head, suddenly throbbing. “Shylock’s here too?”

“Of course!! You see, Cain was worried about all the work you were missing and he told Shylock. Well, he let that slide, but then Shino made his way to the bar and that was quite the eye opener! That had Shylock pretty worried but what really set him off was when this guy showed up in his bar last night asking for Shylock! Quiz time!! Do you know who that was, Nero?” Murr prattled on easily.

Nero let out a dumb noise, “Uhhhh….”

“WRONG! But I’m pretty sure you know him!” Murr exclaimed.

“His name was Faust, I do believe he’s your next door neighbor, Nero dearest,” Shylock said as he stepped into Nero’s bedroom door and crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. Nero’s spare key from under his doormat dangled from Shylock’s finger.

The news hit Nero like a ton of bricks. “Faust did…?”

“Sure did!” Murr agreed as he climbed in through Nero’s unlocked window and joined the other two in the bedroom.

Nero lamely asked, “But why would he…?”

“Would you like to know exactly what he said? Or shall I just give you a summary?” Shylock asked smoothly. “I think you might be interested in hearing the full version.”

Murr changed his posture and began speaking in a voice startlingly similar to Faust’s, “I’m sorry to interrupt, I’m looking for Shylock. Do you know Nero Turner?”

Shylock smiled warmly and replied, “Yes, I know Nero. Though, I can’t say that I’ve seen him much lately. He’s been very preoccupied with the object of his affections.”

Murr continued in Faust’s voice, a bit flustered, “Oh well…that’s good. No, what I mean to say is, I’m Nero’s next door neighbor and…”

“Faust?” Shylock asked as he raised his brow and smirked.

“Yes? Wait, how did you know that?” Murr continued to play Faust. “No, never mind, that doesn’t matter. It’s just…he’s….”

Shylock softened and asked, voice full of concern, “Is everything all right? Is something wrong with Nero?”

Murr continued his play-act, “Yes. I don’t know what’s wrong but you see he…ah…well he had been staying with me for a while. He suddenly moved out and he’s avoiding me now. Well, I don’t mean to sound like this is about that, it’s…it’s fine if he doesn’t want to see me. I’m not really important, it's just that Shino is worried too, and I also heard from Riquet….”

“Nero was living with you but he moved out without a word?” Shylock asked, his face turning grim. “That’s bad news all right.”

“Well, yes, I thought so too. I…well I…saw him in his apartment recently and he was very drunk and he’d also cut himself and was bleeding but he yelled at me to leave. I’m worried about him. He won’t answer his phone or open the door. I know he’s alive because I can hear him through the wall moving around but I just want….” Murr took a deep breath and wrung his hands together still pretending to be Faust, “I just want him to be well. I want to make sure he’s okay and he seems to hate me now or something and I know you brought him expensive alcohol for his birthday so you must be close to him….”

Shylock swiftly moved across the room and put his arm warmly on Murr’s shoulder, as if to comfort him. “I understand. Faust, please sit down and I’ll pour you a drink on the house. I want you to tell me everything that’s happened recently for our dear Nero.”

Nero groaned, “Oh god. What did he say?”

Murr, suddenly himself again, yelled out, raising his hand in the air, “Everything! Probably!”

“Oh god,” Nero drug his hands down his face in misery.

Shylock held his hand to his lips gently and laughed, “Oh don’t be so glum, Nero. I’m quite certain Faust didn’t tell us everything.” He winked. “But he did tell us about how you had been living together, and he told us about Stormy, your dear adopted cat, who it seems you’ve run out on now. Did you really just adopt Stormy to leave her to a single parent household? Nero…that doesn’t sound like you.”

“Oh shut up. Don’t tease me,” Nero huffed.

Murr offered, “He also mentioned a certain incident at the diner. Hey, Nero. What did it feel like? The knife sinking into his arm like that? Did it make you feel sad? Or thrilled?”

Shylock cut him off sternly, “Murr. That’s enough!”

Nero glared at Murr with a quiet loathing before his voice, suddenly dry, choked out, “It was one of the worst days of my life.”

Cooing lovingly, Shylock said, “I know, Nero. If you want to talk about it, we’re here for you.” He sat down next to Nero on the bed and gently rubbed his back. “You haven’t been around lately, but we miss you. You are one of our favorite people, you know. And I found that Faust absolutely charming, I must say. I understand what you see in him.”

“Don’t deserve ‘im,” Nero muttered.

“Why?” Murr asked, bluntly.

Nero turned miserable eyes to Murr and tried to think of an answer. He was no stranger to Murr’s incessant questioning and he hated it, but he also had to admit sometimes his forceful nature pulled out answers that explained a lot. “I’m not a good person.”

Murr asked again, “Why?”

Rolling his eyes, Nero sighed. As Shylock continued to rub his back gently, he answered, “I hurt people. Faust shouldn’t be around the kind of guy who will hurt him. God damn it, Murr, I fucking stabbed him, okay? I stabbed him, quite literally, in the fucking back! Is that a good enough answer for ya?!” Nero raised his voice and hurled the words at Murr.

Shylock remained silent, simply observing for when Murr crossed the line and he needed to step in to stop this questioning.

“Is it a good enough answer for you, though?” Murr asked, tilting his head quizzically.

Nero didn’t answer.

Shylock offered, voice just above a whisper, “Nero, your face is always so full of pain and regret. I don’t want you to add another regret to your list. Are you certain you won’t regret giving up on Faust?”

“No,” Nero didn’t hesitate and answered before he could stop himself. He sat, a little shocked at how quickly his tongue had betrayed him.

Murr offered, far too enthusiastically, “Eureka! We solved it!”

Nero shook his head in disdain, “No, we didn’t. It’s too hard. I’ll just hurt him again, and that will hurt me too. I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want to hurt anyone ever again.”

“Do you want to die, Nero?” Murr asked bluntly.

“Yes,” Nero offered, just as readily.

Shylock’s hand froze on Nero’s back and he swallowed. He held his breath, waiting to intervene if necessary.

Murr pressed again, “Why?”

“It’s too hard. It hurts too much. Every time I think things are going okay and I’ve figured shit out, everything goes to hell again. I’m not a good person,” Nero offered, surprised by his own honesty. Well, these two did have a way of getting the truth out of him before he could stop it.

Reaching out and grabbing hold of Nero’s shirt, Murr pulled him up on the bed and spun him around, pressing him face first against the window. “Then you should jump! I can watch you fall and take note of how your body twists in the air on the way down! What an interesting experiment!! Is this distance enough to be fatal? How far do Nero’s insides splatter? What do you think?”

Shylock stood up and reached out, watching Murr in horror. “Murr!”

Nero let out a cold laugh that sent a chill down Shylock’s spine, and even set Murr on edge. For all his questions, Murr certainly didn’t actually want to push Nero to take his own life. “Yeah, maybe we should find out.”

Shylock rushed forward and pulled Murr off Nero, hurling him back onto the bed. He stood and frowned at Nero before firmly slapping his palm against his cheek, leaving a bright red mark. Without a word, he adjusted his shoulders and then stepped back across the room.

Nero held his hand up to his cheek and muttered, “Right. Yeah. I deserved that.”

“You talk a lot about not wanting to hurt anybody but you seem to be completely incapable of understanding that if you did something like that, you would hurt everybody who knows and loves you. Did you stop to think about how I would feel? What about Riquet? Or even Cain and Owen? Kanaria or Olivia? How about Shino? What about Faust? Did you stop to think about him and how he’d feel?” Shylock asked, icily. His arms were folded tight across his chest.

“I AM thinking of Faust! That’s exactly why!” Nero screamed.

Shylock looked Nero dead in the eyes and firmly said, “No. You aren’t. You’re only thinking about yourself.” He sighed and then said, “Though I do have to admit I always did think you could stand to be a little more selfish, this really wasn’t what I had in mind.”

Nero’s retorts caught in his throat. He didn’t want to admit it but he knew Shylock was right.

Murr chimed in, “Oh what an experiment that would be! I can watch how Faust reacts when he sees you there on the pavement! Do you think he’ll cry? Do you think he’ll jump after you? Do you think he’ll mourn for you for the rest of his life? Do you think….”

“Enough,” Nero choked out. “I get it.”

Shylock asked firmly, “Do you? Do you really, Nero?”

Nero didn’t answer, instead sitting down on the edge of his bed and holding his head in his hands.

“Nero, you’re my dear friend, and I love you. I want you to make the choices that will set your heart on fire and make you feel alive. No matter how hard they may be, or how much you might think it will hurt. I want you to live and make the choices that your heart tells you it wants. You are not a bad person, I know at least this much about you. And I want to help you wipe those looks of regret off your face,” Shylock explained with a kindness and love that Nero didn’t think he deserved.

Murr hummed in thought, putting his hand to his chin. “That could also be a worthy experiment! What does Nero look like when he’s happy? What is the kind of choice that would make Nero’s heart thrive? Oh! And then of course I could also answer questions like how does that choice make Faust look?!” Murr nodded along, as if approving of Shylock’s method.

“Thank you, Murr. I also think it’s a great idea. What would our dearest Nero look like if he were truly happy?” Shylock tilted his head a bit flirtatiously and added with a smile, “I bet he’s quite attractive that way.”

Nero’s shoulders slumped as he sat in silence, listening to his friends' overwhelming words. They were bold and difficult for him to deal with sometimes. They were the kinds of friends who made him feel like he might go insane, and he could only handle them in small doses. He knew though, they truly cared about him and there was a reason he’d kept them in his life for so damn long. They sure did know how to live.

Shylock finally offered, as if it were offhanded, extra information, “Oh, you should also know…Riquet got Faust’s number from Shino and told him that you hadn’t been going to work. Faust went to the diner and apparently spoke to Cain personally explaining that you weren’t well and needed some time. Cain sorted it with Kanaria. You are, by some absolute miracle, still employed. My understanding is you owe Cain, and Owen a massive thank you since both have been working non-stop to cover for you. Riquet has also picked up working in the kitchen to help.”

That did shock Nero. “Owen too?”

Shylock nodded gravely, “Seems so. The word is you owe him lots of some ‘gooey sweet thick ooze that’s red like blood’ for this favor.”

Nero hung his head in his hands again. Beginning to see the full extent of his bout of self-loathing and irresponsibility had him feeling awful again in a new way. The guilt was going to eat away at his soul until he found a way to repay them all, and he probably couldn’t do that if he was dead.

“Hey Nero! Hey! Look what I made for you!” Murr chimed in and pointed towards the window where he had taken a marker and drawn out a calendar. “This is your work schedule starting the day after tomorrow! If you don’t show up, whoever is at work is going to call Shylock and let him know! Isn’t that fun? I’m jealous, Shylock is going to be giving you so much attention.”

Shylock offered with a smile, “Yes. There’s one other thing, Nero dearest. You have to do this for your old friend Shylock, okay? You know how much I love a good love story! There’s a very delicious and expensive bottle of wine that I’ve brought for you in your kitchen. Today, or tomorrow, you are to go over to Faust’s front door with that in hand and knock. When he opens the door, well…I’ll leave the words up to you, but please do make them exciting and grand, for my sake. I’ll expect to hear about this reunion someday in extreme detail so do please make it the kind of story I’ll love.” He offered a wistful look before giving Nero a cheeky wink.

“You’re leaving a bottle of wine with the guy who has been drunk every day for the past 2 weeks?” Nero asked, deadpan.

“Well, perhaps it is foolish of me, but the truth is, I trust you, Nero. I trust you to not disappoint me. Please, I’ll look forward to meeting Faust properly someday and hearing this thrilling tale! I want a love story so good it will set my heart ablaze!” Shylock swooned.

Murr chimed in, “I’ll be ready with all sorts of questions!”

Nero groaned, “Of course.”

“Murr. It’s probably time for us to go and leave our dear Nero to consider everything. I have more faith in him than he has in himself and I’m quite certain he’s going to choose to live a delicious and thrilling life,” Shylock explained. He gave Nero a sad and understanding look before nodding and making his way towards the front door.

Murr followed, giving Nero an exaggerated bow and saying, “This was fun! Please come back to the bar soon so I can ask you more questions!” After a moment he added, more earnestly, “Shylock misses you.”

With the noise of the door opening and closing, and Nero’s spare key in the lock, followed by the dull thud of his doormat presumably falling back over the spare key - they were gone. Nero was alone again. The sudden silence made him realize how loud they had been and that if Faust were home, he certainly had overheard all of that.

He felt miserable, and it’s not as if everything was suddenly better. He did at least feel as if he had to get his shit together, though. Maybe Shylock was right, a jump and long fall wasn’t the way forward. He really didn’t want to hurt anybody. Murr’s question about how Faust’s face would look when he saw Nero on the pavement tugged at his heart and made it ache.

He didn’t want to be presumptuous and think that he was so important to Faust that his death would matter, but he also wasn’t stupid. Now that he had a bit of clarity he understood that a guy like Faust would probably never recover from something like that. Nero didn’t have it in him to cause him that kind of pain.

So that was it then, huh? Nero had no other choice, in the end. He had to keep on living. No matter how hard it felt some days, maybe it would be okay if it meant another day to see Riquet get older. Another day to enjoy a drink at Shylock’s bar. Another day to feed Shino, and also his new friend Heathcliff, a good meal. And of course, another day to try to make Faust smile.

Yeah. That seemed like it might be a fair trade-off for the pain of living.

Chapter Text

The truth is, Nero had rushed right over to Faust’s with that bottle of wine, just as Shylock told him to. Faust wasn’t home though. So now Nero stood out on his balcony taking a drag from a cigarette and telling himself he’d quit tomorrow. For sure, tomorrow. Yeah.

He took another long inhale, lips tight around the paper of the cigarette and surveyed the city lights. He looked down and for the first time felt a little unsteady as he judged the distance with a clearer head. He didn’t feel like jumping now that he thought about it after hearing Murr so callously spell it out for him. It just seemed right to look at the fall and contemplate what he’d thought he wanted.

Nero figured maybe life was like that sometimes. You think you want something in the moment, just to find a little later it wasn’t actually what you wanted, or needed. Well, he still wasn’t 100% convinced he deserved to live, but he figured he should probably keep fighting a while longer if it meant he got to see some more beautiful things. Like Faust’s smile.

The rain came suddenly and almost predictably; a deluge washing over the rickety metal balcony and plastering Nero’s hair to his face. His shirt clung to his skin tight and his cigarette turned soggy and went out. He threw his head back and laughed into the sky.

It was always raining. Shylock wanted him to make choices that would set his heart on fire, but how could he do that when every day seemed to bring a rain that poured out from the sky as if the very world was weeping?

He leaned his arms on the rusty railing and watched the raindrops plummet down to the pavement. The rain was a little cold, but it felt nice and refreshing. He felt no inclination to retreat from it, letting it pour over him like maybe it could wash away his sins so he could start over again.

It was the kind of evening that felt a little mad. There was a subtle frenzy in the air and it carried with it some energy of renewal. Nero still felt bad about himself, and everything he’d done. But he also felt a bud of hope growing in his chest and the rain felt like it would water it and make it grow.

The rain was so loud that Nero didn’t hear Faust’s window open until he was suddenly sheltered under an umbrella. He looked over and his eyes grew wide as he uttered, “Faust….”

Faust stood, arm still in a sling, using his good arm to hold the umbrella over both of them. Without preamble he replied, “Don’t do it.”

Confusion painted Nero’s face as he let out a, “Huh?”

Faust looked down at the street and then back up, before taking a slight step back from the unstable looking railing. He watched the rain fall and didn’t look over at Nero as he explained, “You said something similar to me once. And now I’m saying it to you. Whatever it is you’re thinking of doing. Don’t do it.”

Nero realized what he meant and felt his heart breaking. He recalled the moment he’d felt as if he was begging for Faust’s life. Hoping beyond hope that Faust would live and be okay. He couldn’t believe the things he’d been considering lately when he was faced with that memory. “I was just thinking how it always seems t’ rain, that’s all.”

Looking over, Faust gave a concerned look that showed he didn’t believe him in the least. He offered Nero’s own words back to him, “You see, I’m involved now, so….”

That made Nero chuckle, “Right. I hear ya.”

Faust took the laugh as a positive sign and offered, with mock sternness, “Your homework is late.”

Nero reached up and rubbed his neck as he tried to deflect, “Yeah ya know, I was kinda busy soooo….”

“Right, of course. Busy. Well, luckily for you, I accept late work, as long as it comes along with a sufficient excuse. Say something like a nice snack.” Faust said with a soft smile.

The sight of Faust’s smile made Nero wonder how he’d ever considered leaving him a possibility. “Thanks, Teach. I’m glad I’ve got such a forgivin’ teacher, so willin’ t’ take bribes,” Nero said as he casually leaned forward on the balcony railing and grinned.

The universe decided that was the very moment to test Nero. The old railing broke free of its bolts and fell away, Nero going with it. He reached out desperately and managed to just slip his fingers into the grating of the balcony floor. He dangled there, several stories up, with just one hand stopping him from the fall.

Faust screamed and dropped the umbrella, which went plummeting to the ground below. He ignored his sling and tore his arm out of it reaching for Nero’s wrist to cling to him. Nero looked up at him and saw his face contorted in pain as he likely pulled out his stitches trying to pull Nero to safety.

Nero managed to reach up his other arm and grab onto the grating, but the rain made his fingers slip and his grip was bad. He could feel himself ready to fall as his fingers screamed for him to let go.

“HELP! Someone help!” Faust screamed but the rain drowned out his voice. There would be no help coming. It was just the two of them in their own little desperate world, Nero’s fingers ready to give up the fight, and Faust’s tightening stronger around his wrists through his own pain.

Faust’s leg slipped and he shifted and Nero thought if he didn’t let him go soon, Faust might fall with him. He couldn’t handle the thought and he yelled up, “Let go! You’ll fall too!”

Faust set his face in the most determined look Nero had ever seen and he spat out, “Never!” He shifted his thin body and anchored his feet into the grating as best he could, toes pushing through the holes in the floor. He screamed in pain and resolution as he pulled hard on Nero’s forearms where his slender fingers gripped into Nero’s skin tight.

Nero realized in that moment that more than his own life, he had to make sure Faust was okay. If he fell now, Faust would blame himself for the rest of his life. Nero knew he had to live somehow. He had to find a way. He tightened his grip on the floor and mustered his significant upper body strength to try to hoist himself up. The rusty metal cut into his hands, leaving little shards.

“I’ve got you,” Faust said as he continued to lend his strength to assist Nero.

Little by little, Nero clawed his way up onto the platform until finally Faust gave him one last pull and they both went toppling back onto the grating, Nero landing on top of Faust who was looking up at him.

Faust was heaving and out of breath, raindrops falling from Nero’s wet hair and hitting his face. He smiled in relief, “We did it. Nero….”

Nero was hovering low over Faust’s body, supporting himself with his hands so that his weight didn’t crush Faust. He shielded him from the rain and then locking eyes with Faust, he finally knew the answer. He knew who was going to catch him. Looking into the deep amethyst shade Nero leaned forward and pressed his lips to Faust’s.

Faust didn’t resist and Nero deepened the kiss. He ran his hands, bloody from the rusty metal, through Faust’s hair and pushed his tongue past his lips. Faust resisted nothing, meeting every move, as they both ignored the rain.

Finally, before they got too far, Stormy’s meow at the window pulled them out of it as Nero’s hand met the back of Faust’s shoulder and felt the wet spot from where he’d opened his wound.

Nero sat up and pulled away his hand, looking at the blood on it and cursing himself. He stared at it in a daze until Faust reached up and held his hand gently.

“Come on, let’s get inside,” Faust offered.

As they stood up on the unsafe balcony, they caught a glimpse of the sky blue umbrella, just the color of Nero’s hair, broken and bent on the sidewalk below. Nero knew he’d been a total idiot as he climbed into Faust’s living room behind him.

Faust rushed to the hallway closet to pull out his first aid kit while Nero stood awkwardly avoiding petting stormy because of the blood on his hands. In the end he leaned down and gave her a little headbutt instead, hoping she understood it meant he loved her.

“Nero, come here,” Faust called from the bathroom.

When he joined Faust in the bathroom he found him sitting on the closed toilet seat with the first aid kit open on his lap. “We gotta take care of yer shoulder first,” Nero said.

Faust shook his head, “You first. I’ll need your help with that and you can’t help me with your hands covered in blood like that. Wash your hands.” He nodded towards the sink and then went back to pulling things out of the first aid kit.

Nero tried to lighten the mood,” Don’t usually need t’ have people tell me t’ wash my hands,” he joked.

“Do you know when the last time you had a tetanus shot was?” Faust asked seriously.

“Uhhhh….” Nero pondered and came up blank.

Faust sighed gently, “Do you think it’s been more than 10 years? They’re good for that long.”

Nero considered and then answered, “Nah I should be good then. I don’t think it’s been that long. Maybe 5 or so.”

“All right. You should keep better track of that sort of thing,” Faust scolded lightly. “Here, give me your hands.” He held out his hand waiting.

Nero sat down on the edge of the bathtub, and held his hands out, palms up. They were covered in tiny cuts, but they’d stopped bleeding.

“This will probably sting,” Faust explained as he held a pair of sterilized tweezers and carefully inspected Nero’s hands, pulling a few tiny bits of rusty metal from the area. “They aren’t deep. As long as you’re right about your tetanus shot these should heal fine. I’m sure you want to take a shower so I’m going to wait to bandage them until after that, it shouldn’t be an issue. The bleeding has stopped too. Does it hurt to use your hands?”

Nero shook his head, “Nah, it’s fine. Stings a little but it’s not a big deal.” Then he asked, “So it’s yer turn?”

“Yes, can I have you wash your hands again?” Faust asked. Nero didn’t respond, simply went back to the sink and did as instructed while Faust unbuttoned his own shirt.

Nero rushed back to help as he watched Faust wince in pain at trying to shrug the shirt off. He gently pulled the bloody bits of the shirt away from the wound on Faust’s shoulder before carefully peeling away the gauze taped there. He muttered, “Oh god….”

Faust shook his head, “It’s not your fault. I’m going to take a look at it in the mirror. He stood up and positioned himself in front of the large mirror at the sink, looking back to see the damage. “It’s actually not bad. It was mostly healed, the tear is minor. I won’t need to go back to the hospital unless something looks wrong later. We can use these butterfly stitches to close this. I’ll need your help for it.”

Hands hovering awkwardly, waiting to be directed, Nero felt his heart pounding. He knew that this wasn’t the kind of wound you could just kiss better, but god he wanted to. “Tell me what I need t’ do. I ain’t a stranger t’ first aid, but yer the expert,” he offered.

“Wash the area with soap and water and then we’ll let it dry. It shouldn’t be dirty but make sure there’s nothing in it. It looks like the stitch that broke is stuck to the bandage so there shouldn’t be anything in there but just in case,” Faust instructed calmly.

Nero did as instructed as gently as he possibly could. He knew his fingers were calloused from all his kitchen work, but he hoped they were gentle enough for Faust’s soft skin. He tried to calm his heart and focus on the task and not the way Faust’s skin felt under his fingers. “Ok, done.”

“Good, now we’ll just wait for it to dry for a bit. Ok, these are what we’ll use when it’s dry. Start at the middle of the cut and work your way out. It’ll probably take a few of them. Put them about 1/8th of an inch apart. They go across the wound to hold it together. You might need to pull the edges of the skin until they meet, okay? It’s the same concept as physical stitches. Does that make sense?” Faust explained the task in as much detail as he thought necessary.

“Yeah, I get it,” Nero said as he took the packets of butterfly stitches from Faust’s proffered hand.

Faust smiled, “As expected of my student.”

Nero let out a harsh laugh, akin to a snort, but then shook his head and smiled, “I’ll do my best, Teach.”

“Okay, it should be fine to apply them now,” Faust said.

Carefully, Nero opened the first bandage and then as he positioned it over Faust’s wound he stopped, “Oh! But if I do this you won’t be able to shower…and you’re all wet from the rain….”

Faust nodded, “Yes. I’ll need to keep this area dry for a few days. I…well, if it’s not too much trouble…I can still sit in a bath, I just might need help reaching my back and washing my hair so….”

“Right,” Nero’s throat felt dry. He could help with that. Absolutely. He wanted to help with that, oh god the thought of running his fingers through Faust’s hair and over his back…. Keep it together, Nero. This is about helping your wounded friend with his hygiene, not about your fantasies. “Yeah, I’ll help. It’s no problem,” Nero answered the question that Faust hadn’t actually asked.

“Thank you,” Faust succinctly offered. The blush only tinted his ears but didn’t go unnoticed by Nero.

Trying desperately to focus, Nero gently pulled the edges of the wound together and placed the first butterfly closure. It took 3 in total to close the wound. “Okay,” he offered.

Faust positioned himself in front of the mirror again to examine Nero’s work and nodded his approval. “Looks good. Now take this tape and run a strip over the ends of them to help keep them in place. Then take this gauze and cover the whole thing.”

“Got it,” Nero said as he took the tape and gauze and went back to work doing exactly as Faust instructed. “Done. How’d I do, Teach?”

Inspecting Nero’s work in the mirror, Faust smiled and said, “I’d give you full marks.”

Grinning back, Nero asked, “Now what?”

Faust suddenly turned flustered, and said, “Well, you should shower and I’ll need to bathe so I guess…do you want to go first?”

Nero hadn’t thought enough ahead to realize that was next and the information made him blush too. “Oh, right. Well, ya already have yer shirt off so maybe you should go first.”

“That’s true,” Faust mused. He stood not moving, awkwardly waiting.

“Oh! Right, I’ll wait outside until ya need me, then?” Nero suddenly exclaimed and rubbed his neck while averting his eyes.

Faust held his right arm across his body and rubbed his left elbow as he muttered, “No, it’s fine.”

Nero couldn’t find his words as he simply nodded and stood dumbfounded. It’s not as if it was the first time he’d seen Faust naked. They’d probably even…well, best not to think about that drunken night. This felt different though. After everything, this felt more like an invitation. Nero’s fingers twitched with nervous energy.

His fingers fumbled with his belt buckle before finally Faust sighed and said, “Now that I’ve reopened the wound I shouldn’t be using my left arm for a while. I’m sorry but….”

“R…right. No problem,” Nero choked out as he stepped forward and reached for Faust’s belt buckle. He gingerly opened it and then unbuttoned and unzipped Faust’s pants as he felt his throat go unbearably dry. He was salivating so much he kept having to swallow and all it did was make his mouth dry.

“Thank you,” Faust offered as he shimmied out of his pants. His boxerbriefs hugged everything snuggly and Nero awkwardly averted his eyes as Faust pulled them down and freed himself. Without a word, Faust climbed into the bath and then plugged the drain and started running the water.

Nero looked over and felt his cheeks go hot at the sight of the water rapidly filling the tub and lapping up Faust’s legs, causing his dick to float up as the water rose. He tried to avert his gaze but was doing a horrible job of it.

“Nero, it might be better to wash my hair before there’s a lot of water that might splash around….” Faust trailed off.

When Nero looked back over Faust was holding out the bottle of shampoo with an expectant look on his face. Nero couldn’t help it when he blurted out, “Can I get in with you?”

Faust’s eyes rounded in surprise but he simply nodded quietly before looking away.

Nero rushed to try to justify himself, “I mean, I think it’ll be easier for me to help if I’m in there behind ya, no I mean uhh….”

“It’s okay, Nero. Come on, get in,” Faust offered, still looking away as he scooted forward in the tub to make room for Nero to fit behind him.

“Right,” Nero offered as he rushed to strip before either of them could change their minds. His heart was beating so fast he thought it might set itself on fire. Ah, was this the sort of choice Shylock was talking about? He carefully climbed into the still filling tub behind Faust, situating his legs on either side of Faust’s body.

Faust carefully positioned himself between Nero’s legs, his back so close that Nero’s dick touched it as the water sloshed around them. “Is this okay?” he asked, sounding more innocent than his proximity made him seem.

Nero’s voice came out higher pitched than he would have liked as he said, “Yeah.” He sighed to try to calm himself down and remind himself nothing about this was a big deal. It’s not as if he was some virgin or awkward teenager. He was a 30 year old man who had fucked plenty in his life, sometimes without even remembering it. So why did this seem so goddamned different?

“Nero? Are you all right?” Faust asked. There was a hint of teasing to his voice that immediately made Nero less self-conscious. Faust knew exactly what was going on.

“Yup. Here, pass me the shampoo,” He reached for the bottle and then grabbed the plastic basin off the floor outside the tub and passed it to Faust. “Here, wanna lean forward and get yer hair wet?”

Faust obliged and then carefully leaned back, as Nero reached up and rearranged his wet hair so it didn’t drip onto the fresh bandage. “So how would ya manage if I wasn’t here?” He asked as he squirted a bit of shampoo onto his hands and lathered it up before beginning to massage it into Faust’s hair.

Faust let out a low moan of pleasure at the sensation of Nero’s fingers on his scalp. “I would use some plastic and tape it over the bandage to make it water resistant so I could bathe easier. I’d use one hand to wash my hair. It’s not impossible.”

“So…ya don’t actually need my help right now?” Nero raised his brow and smirked.

“This is easier, is it a crime to take the easy route?” Faust asked, continuing to lean into Nero’s touch.

Nero hummed in thought and then answered, “Nah. Just didn’t expect a guy like you to take the easy option.”

“Hmm, well. I guess we all have our weaknesses,” Faust said as he again let out a soft moan as Nero used his nails to gently scratch his scalp.

The shampoo in the small cuts on Nero’s hand stung, but not enough for him to even consider stopping when he heard the sounds of pleasure escaping from Faust’s lips. He tried instead to focus on the pain to try to prevent himself from getting hard and making things awkward.

As the water level reached maximum, Faust leaned back into Nero just a bit. He reached out with his foot and used his toes to turn the faucet off. He didn’t make any move to sit back up completely, instead leaning back into Nero and relaxing, only staying alert enough to make sure his bandage didn’t get wet.

Nero pulled his hands from Faust’s hair and then offered, “Here, if you turn and lean this way a bit I can rinse out your hair without getting your bandage wet. I think.”

Faust obeyed, leaning over a bit, and pressing himself into Nero’s chest. Nero worked carefully to rinse out Faust’s hair before he let go of the water basin and let it float to the free space near their feet. He adjusted his arms around Faust’s body and settled in.

They stayed like that, the warm water gently lapping against their skin and surrounding them as Faust pressed himself into Nero’s arms. There was probably a lot of things they should talk about, but nothing seemed important just then. An indescribable calm settled over them as they soaked in the cramped space, far too small for two grown men.

Nero could watch Faust’s resting face from the angle they were in and so he sat silently watching Faust. His eyes were closed and his breathing slowed and Nero was certain he’d drifted off. Carefully, he reached up and unstuck some strands of his brown hair from the side of his cheek and tucked them behind his ear.

Nero could feel his own breathing steady as he realized again that if it’s with the right person, things like words aren’t even necessary. Their initial awkwardness at being naked aside, there was nothing to be nervous about here when it was just the two of them in their own little world. The water cooled and finally Nero gently shook Faust awake, “Faust, wake up.”

“Nh?” Faust groaned as he opened his eyes and tried to focus. “I fell asleep,” he simply stated as he shifted to sit up.

“Yeah. I didn’t wanna wake ya but the water’s cold. I don’t want ya t’ get sick,” Nero said as he shook out his arm that had fallen asleep due to Faust’s weight.

“I’m sorry,” Faust offered.

Nero grabbed the bar of soap and quickly lathered it between his hands and went to work washing Faust’s back. “Here, we didn’t even make it this far.”

Faust nodded. “I need to put conditioner in my hair too or it will be a mess.”

“I’ll do that next. Pull the plug and drain the water so we can refill,” Nero instructed.

“Yeah,” Faust pulled the plug out of the drain by looping the chain around his toes and tugging.

“With yer feet, eh?” Nero teased.

Faust asked, unamused, “Is there something wrong with that?”

“Nope!” Nero answered as he carefully poured water over Faust’s back to wash away the soap. He grabbed the bottle of conditioner and worked it into Faust’s hair and then let it sit while he proceeded to quickly lather soap over his own body in an effort to wash away as much of it with the dirty water as possible before they refilled the tub.

Faust followed suit, working with his good arm to quickly wash as much of himself as possible and then waited for Nero to rinse the conditioner out of his hair. After the last of the water rushed out of the tub Faust asked, “How long has it been? Should I really refill it?”

“Yeah, sure, why not? I’m not all pruney and it’ll be nice now that we’re clean, right?” Nero said.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Faust agreed as he plugged the drain again and started the water to refill the tub. “Oh, wait,” he said suddenly as he stood up.

Nero turned away quickly and tried not to blush by Faust suddenly standing up in front of him and having his face in close proximity to his rear end. It was made even worse when Faust turned to leave and Nero got a fairly close view of his groin as he stepped out of the bath and walked across the room to the cabinet of drawers in the corner.

Faust pulled out a drawer and rummaged a bit before pulling out a packet and saying, a bit proudly, “They’re bath salts. They’re supposed to have the same mineral content as an onsen in Tokyo. They smell nice.”

“Fancy,” Nero pointed out. “Can’t say that I’ve ever used anythin’ like that.”

“Sometimes if I can’t sleep a nice bath helps me,” Faust explained as he walked back over to the bath and opened the packet, sprinkling it into the water.

Nero watched Faust’s fingers reach into the water and swirl the salts around, mixing them in. “Oh, they’re blue,” he said as he watched Faust’s fingers trace through the water perilously close to where his cock was.

Faust climbed back into the bath and settled himself between Nero’s legs again, but this time he stayed upright.

“Here, ya can lean back again if ya want,” Nero patted his own chest and offered it.

“Are you sure?” Faust asked, dubiously.

Nero wanted to be glib but instead he just sighed and said, “Never been more sure about anythin’ in my life, honestly.”

That response took Faust off guard but he didn’t fight it. He simply leaned back and pressed himself against Nero’s body, skin touching skin through the water. The silence enveloped them for a long while.

Finally Faust asked, “Do you work tomorrow?”

“No, not tomorrow,” Nero answered as he tangled his fingers through Faust’s hair, gently combing the wet locks out.

“Neither do I,” was all Faust offered in response. It wasn’t an invitation, it was simply a statement, for Nero to do with what he’d like.

“I see….” Nero replied. Then he remembered the things he’d overheard recently and cautiously asked, “No plans or trips or anything?”

Faust shifted uncomfortably and then firmly stated, “No. I’m not going anywhere. And you? Are you going somewhere?”

Nero shook his head and then mustered up the words, “No. I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

“Good, I’m glad we got that sorted out,” Faust sighed.

After a moment Nero ventured, his hands still tangled in Faust’s hair, and their naked bodies pressed together, “Hey, Faust. What are we doin’?”

Faust didn’t reply immediately, but finally said. “I don’t know. Does it matter? Do you need a name for it?”

Nero’s words caught in his throat. He wanted to say yes, but instead he said, “Not if ya don’t want one. But…what do I call us…if people ask?”

“Tell them anything you like. It’s not anyone’s business but ours,” Faust shrugged and then winced slightly in pain after moving his shoulder.

“Then…can I kiss you?” Nero asked, leaning over and brushing his lips against Faust’s ear.

Faust nodded and then whispered, “Nero, you can do whatever you’d like.”

Nero pulled back at that and made a pained face before saying, “I only wanna do what you like, though…Faust if ya don’t wanna….”

Turning and meeting Nero’s eyes Faust replied, not unkindly, “I don’t mind if it’s you.”

Nero studied Faust’s face looking for a sign, but found nothing. So he said, “Faust, I’m gonna kiss you.”

Faust simply nodded, but he leaned in to meet Nero’s lips, just the same.

Whatever this was, whatever name anybody wanted to put on it - Nero was at least content for now to know that Faust was willing enough to lean into the kiss. It wouldn’t be easy for two broken people. They probably had a future of meeting in intimate ways while drunk or stressed, and then as soon as they had time to think about it, pulling back and second guessing everything.

Well, there was nothing to do but keep trying.

Chapter Text

The Nineteenth

(Halloween Special)

It was probably a mistake, like most things in his life, but Nero couldn’t help humming as he worked in the kitchen that rainy autumn afternoon. He was happy. The window in Faust’s apartment was open and the chilly late October breeze swept through the room. Outside the leaves in their beautiful decay finally gave up their hold on the branches before gliding down to rest in puddles on the wet pavement. Nero felt good.

Stormy sat curled up on Faust’s lap, only occasionally pawing at the pale blue yarn he was knitting with. The item, now obviously a sweater with beautiful cable designs, was coming along. When questioned about it Faust continued to deflect rather than admit it was the sweater Nero had asked for. Nero didn’t think it looked cursed anymore.

From his spot in the kitchen Nero carefully arranged apples on a baking sheet to dry. Some were dripping in caramel and others were coated in a sugar candy shell that was quickly hardening. Just the sort of thing to break teeth on. Riquet would love them.

Faust had shown his true colors and Nero couldn’t say it surprised him too much considering his normal decor tastes. The apartment was fairly decked out in a variety of spooky items. Not the cheap paper decorations and cute cutouts that Nero normally would have gravitated for - Faust’s style was far more eclectic kitsch. The sort of assemblage that felt truly macabre and possessed the potential to be horrifying if you caught sight of it at the wrong angle in the dark.

The ornate antique mirrors had multiplied, as did the candles. His bookcase was now piled high with tomes both old and new speaking of curses, demons, and witchcraft. Nero was fairly certain he’d seen at least one on alchemy and it made him pause because surely Faust’s highly logical and intelligent brain didn’t go in for all of this stuff? Nero’s favorite part of the display though was the ever growing collection of dried herbs, spices and plants. There were loads of scented oils and fragrant dried plants that were good for cooking and he could sneakily pilfer from when Faust wasn’t looking. Of course Faust knew, but he never said anything. It was a little shared secret between the two of them.

“Do ya think it’s too much if I dust the candy ones with this edible gold dust?” Nero called across the room.

Faust looked up from his knitting and said, “It’s your hobby. I won’t judge you. You should decorate them however you’d like.”

Nero blushed and rubbed his neck, “It ain’t really my hobby….”

Giggling as he raised his hand to his lips, Faust assured him, “It’s cute that you like to make treats for the kids. Go ahead and go all out. Gold apples sound nice and magical, don’t they? The kind of thing that features in tales with spooky tall men with flaming red hair and offer the enticing promise of sleep forevermore.”

Nero raised his brow and frowned, a bit jealous, “You’ve been spending too much time with that Mithra guy. Ya sure ya ain’t got a crush on ‘im?”

“Positive,” Faust stated as he gave Stormy’s head a little rub and then went back to his knitting. Then he got a suddenly devious look on his face and held up the sweater, muttering to himself loud enough to be heard, “I wonder how this color would look with red hair….”

Nero groaned, “Aw man, come on. Don’t tease me like that.”

Faust simply laughed and Nero felt like the world was healing and everything was right again. Well, as right as it could be with Figaro and Lennox still routinely knocking on the door. And Bradley still showing up at the diner. But even so, things with Faust had been better. They were sharing Faust’s bed again and growing ever more intimate. It was only a matter of time. And that made Nero’s heart soar. He knew he had no right to be this happy, but when he was alone with Faust like this it didn’t matter.

Like this, he could forget his past and the person he was trying to stop being. Here like this with Faust none of that mattered. It felt like a dream. They still didn’t talk about the difficult things, but most of the time that felt okay. It made their little world feel safe. It was comforting. In this space when the past couldn’t touch him, Nero allowed himself to dream again. Just for a moment, he let his heart believe that maybe he really could be this happy.

The knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts and after wiping his hands on his apron, and swinging open the door, he was met with the other part of his happy little world.

Shino stood there with Heathcliff in tow and said, “Oh, Nero. You’re here too,”

Nero rubbed his neck and offered, “Nice t’ see ya too….”

“Never mind,” Shino proclaimed, stepping into the apartment, dragging Heathcliff behind him, with his hand around his wrist. “Faust! I have something for you to teach Heath. It’s important.”

Faust straightened his glasses and sat up a little, intrigued. “Oh? What is it?”

“Halloween,” Shino stated.

“Teach ‘im Halloween?” Nero asked, confusion causing his pretty features to scrunch up.

Shino continued, full steam ahead, “Yes. He thinks Halloween is just fancy rich people costume balls and weird shit like pulling apples out of water buckets with your teeth. Tell him what it’s really about!”

Heathcliff awkwardly rubbed his arm and protested, “I don’t think that….”

Faust pondered for a moment and then began, “Well, Halloween likely originated as Samhain, a Celtic festival. It was celebrated overnight October 31st into the 1st of November and marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It falls roughly halfway between the Autumnal equinox and….”

“Not that!” Shino interrupted him.

Adjusting his glasses and frowning, Faust asked, “Well then, what did you have in mind, Shino?”

Nero’s voice cut in, “He probably means like trick-or-treatin’ and stuff.”

“Yeah! Normal people Halloween. Not fancy balls or all this sewin’ festival stuff,” Shino explained.

“Shino, it was Samhain,” Heathcliff politely corrected.

Shino offered a dismissive, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now, Faust - Nero too - I want you guys to take us out trick-or-treating!”

Nero chuckled, “Ain’t ya guys a little old fer that?”

Shino stared at him in defiance and proclaimed, “Never! I’d take him out by myself because I can protect him, but I thought he might feel more comfortable if Faust was there. It’s not because I can’t do it myself! Also, we need costumes.”

Faust smiled faintly and offered, “Well, I do know someone who probably has some costumes we could borrow. I guess it could be an interesting evening, what do you think, Nero?”

With a quick shrug Nero was on board. “Seems fun.”

“No fancy costumes! It needs to be normal,” Shino said and then he went off towards Faust’s bathroom saying, “I’m taking your toilet paper to make a mummy.”

Faust sighed and said, “No you’re not. Shino, get back here! The person I have in mind to borrow our costumes from prides himself on his work so they’ll be nice, but I’m sure they’ll be ‘normal’ enough for your tastes.”

Shino didn’t listen and walked back trailing toilet paper from his arms. Without pause or fear he began draping it around Faust’s shoulders. “You have to get into the part. You are back from the dead to act out the mummy’s curse. You should be good at that sort of thing,” Shino explained.

“Oh stop it!” Faust huffed out as he pulled the toilet paper off of himself.

“That’s enough, Shino,” Nero laughed as he grabbed the toilet paper away from him and rerolled up the trailing bits to not be wasteful. “Let’s just go see what Faust’s friend can do for us, ‘kay?”

Shino sighed loudly in resignation but agreed, “Fine. As long as Heath’s outfit is the best!”

“Shino!” Heathcliff scolded through his teeth.

Still laughing, Nero replied, “I’m sure they’ll all be great. Let me just clean up a bit then we can head over to Rustica’s shop.”

Faust raised his brow and questioned, “How did you know that’s where we were going? You haven’t met Chloe, right?”

As he hastily cleaned up, Nero answered easily, “Yeah, I haven’t met him yet, but ya mentioned him. Don’t ya remember? When ya first got yer job. You told me there was a tailor there and all that.”

“Oh. Well…I…I guess I did. You were paying that much attention to what I said?” Faust couldn’t hide his genuine surprise.

Nero looked over at Faust in confusion, “‘Course I was?”

Faust shook his head and muttered, “No, it’s nothing.” After a moment he inhaled a shaky breath and sighed before smiling at Nero and saying, “Thank you, Nero.”

“Huh? I didn’t do nothin’ special,” Nero pointed out.

“Give yourself more credit, Nero. A lot of the things you do normally are actually quite rare traits to find,” Faust quietly praised, as he adjusted his glasses.

“I’m gonna go get a sheet to make myself a ghost,” Shino said as he took off down the hallway again.

Faust sighed and offered, “I rest my case. Shino! Get back here!”

Nero hurried to clean up his cooking and then grinned at Shino and Heathcliff. “What ‘d’ya say?”

“Trick or treat!” Shino boldly demanded.

Slightly stumbling over the words, Heathcliff muttered, “T…trick or treat.” He rushed to add, “But if you don’t have any treats I won’t really play a trick on you!”

Nero laughed as Faust smiled softly and shook his head. Nero then prodded, “What about you Mr. Spooky?”

“Ha?!” Faust exclaimed as he narrowed his eyes at Nero.

“Ya heard me. You and all your spooky talk and decorations and stuff. What d’ya have to say?” Nero asked pointedly.

With a sigh Faust joined in, “Trick or treat, Nero. However, unlike Heathcliff, I’m not so kind hearted and for forcing me into this I may just find a trick to play on you if you don’t give me something….”

Nero quickly shoved a piece of chocolate into Faust’s mouth, cutting him off. He let his fingertip linger on Faust’s lips, before he brought it to his own mouth and licked the slightly melted chocolate off of it. Then without missing a beat, he pushed forward the tray of candied apples towards Shino and Heathcliff. “Treats! Here’s some chocolates I made too if that’s more yer thing.”

Heathcliff quickly took a candied apple, the gold dust leaving a shimmering trail in the air as he raised it to his mouth. “Thank you, Mr. Nero!”

“Thanks!” Shino offered as he grabbed some chocolates and shoved them in his mouth, before grabbing a candied apple and making a complete mess of the gold dust all over his lips. “‘S good. Ya pass. No tricks this time.”

Laughing, Nero said, “Well that’s good! I dunno if my heart could take any of yer tricks.”

With a small smile and shake of his head, Faust ordered, “Come on, let’s get going. We need to get moving if we want to be ready for the evening to show Heath what Trick-or-Treating is all about.”

Faust led the way out the door, Shino and Heathcliff falling into step behind him. Nero stepped out last, locking the door behind him and then bringing up the rear. They made for an odd looking parade down the street. Faust in the lead with his all black clothing with fashionable swaths of cloth and a wide brimmed hat. Heathcliff was dressed smartly and looked a bit out of place next to Shino who donned ripped jeans and a baggy blue t-shirt. Nero’s pale blue hoodie and tennis shoes made him look as if he were tailing Faust in order to pick his pocket, rather than be his date.

“Oh!” Faust stopped short outside of The Birdcage and eyed the sloppily scrawled banner hanging above the shop next door. The sign on The Ferryman proclaimed ‘Happy Samhain’ and invited them to ‘Join the séance at the witching hour.’ Faust’s eyes grew wide as he looked at the display in the front of the shop window full of candles.

Nero stepped up next to Faust and uttered, “Uh-oh. I know that look. Come on, Faust, ya already agreed to show the kids what Halloween is all about.” He reached out and gently tugged on Faust’s sleeve, trying to urge him towards The Birdcage.

“This IS what Halloween is all about, Nero,” Faust offered as he gestured to the oddities shop.

Heathcliff quietly spoke up, “Mr. Faust, if that is about the history of Halloween then I think I’d like to hear more about it, if that’s okay.”

“See?” Faust shot back to Nero. “I have an excellent student who understands the importance of history.”

“Yeah whatever. Do that later, where’s the costumes?” Shino cut in as he continued to munch on his candy apple.

Without introduction, Mithra appeared in the doorway to The Ferryman and reached out, plucking the golden candy apple from Shino’s hands. “Hm? A golden apple. I’ve been looking for one of these. Thank you,” he said before eating the rest of the apple in one bite, taking a bit of the wooden stick with it.

Nero muttered, “I dunno what ya see in him.”

Mithra’s sullen green eyes focused on Nero and quietly answered, “perhaps he likes how I don’t hold back.”

Nero sidled over behind Faust and whispered in his ear, “I think I’m gonna die tonight.”

“Faust, will you be joining me for the séance tonight? I believe there are spirits who wish to speak to you,” Mithra explained as he offered Faust his hand in an oddly gentlemanly pose.

Faust’s previous interest seemed to wane as the color left his face. “I don’t have anything to say to the dead,” he muttered as he narrowed his eyes in thought.

Mithra reached his long fingers out and patted Faust’s shoulder saying, “There’s nothing to be afraid of when I’m here.”

“Yeah, sure, we’ll come. But we need costumes and Trick-or-Treating first,” Shino piped up.

Faust shook his head to snap himself out of his haze and then asked Mithra, “Which tradition do you follow for the Witching Hour?”

“I’ll welcome you at midnight,” Mithra said before bowing slightly and retreating back into his shop.

“So uh…that was interestin’...” Nero offered. “But maybe we go see if the Little Tailor has anythin’.” He ushered the kids into The Birdcage, leaving Faust standing in front of The Ferryman watching the candles in the window as if trying to calm down. Nero reached over and tugged on Faust’s sleeve again whispering, “You too, Faust. Come on. Maybe Chloe can make ya a cool outfit like a mummy or a vampire!”

Faust shook his head to clear his thoughts and agreed, “Yes, perhaps,” before following the others into The Birdcage. As soon as he stepped in, he was met with the sight of Chloe staring up at Heathcliff with shining eyes.

“I know, right? Isn’t he perfect?” Shino asked as he stood up to his personal tallest and puffed out his chest in pride.

Heathcliff blushed and flustered, muttered, “Well…I….”

Chloe grinned and reached out, quickly grasping both of Heathcliff’s hands and twirled around with him. “Oh, I have just the thing for you! You’ll look so elegant.” He hastily stopped the spinning and rushed over to a rack of clothing and pulled out a few black pieces. “I’ve been very inspired lately by Faust’s cool style.”

Nero elbowed Faust gently and grinned, “Yer a fashion icon, eh?”

“Oh shut up,” Faust offered. “Chloe, I’m flattered, but I’ve told you my style isn’t anything special.”

Chloe continued cheerfully, “Oh, but it is! You always look so cool and put together. Actually…you too….” Chloe’s eyes lingered on Nero.

“Uh, I think ya got the wrong guy Little Tailor,” Nero offered as he tried to wish himself invisible.

“Oh no, I don’t!” Chloe marched over to him and sized him up before politely asking, “May I touch your hair?”

“My hair?” Nero asked in confusion.

Chloe grinned, “It’s such a beautiful color, and I think I have just the thing for your costume. For all of you, actually!”

Faust nodded in approval, and so Nero took the cue and agreed, “Sure, I guess.”

Chloe directed Nero to a plush red velvet chair and after he sat down, began to arrange his hair. He tied it back in a low tail with a black satin ribbon. “You’ll be the fighter.”

“Excuse me?” Nero started to fidget at the phrasing.

Shino burst out, “What about me? I’m a fighter too, obviously! It’s my job to protect Heath.”

“Shino…” Heathcliff whispered.

Chloe joyfully continued as he pulled a white silk shirt and black pants off the racks. He thrust them into Nero’s arms and explained, “Yes, of course. But Nero here is in charge of defending the whole family.”

Faust arched his brow and asked, “Family?”

“Oh, I was getting ahead of myself! You’ll all make the most beautiful vampires!” He grasped his hands in front of his chest, eyes gleaming as he looked at Faust. “You’ll be the patriarch, of course! You’re so dignified, I’m sure you’ll play the role of head of the household perfectly.” He eyed the bookcase nearby filled with accessories and pulled out an elegant black cane with a silver beast-head handle and gave it to Faust.

“Well…I….” Faust didn’t know how to respond.

Nero stood up and grinned, “Of course Teach is in charge. So then am I his dutiful bodyguard?”

Faust frowned, “No, I don’t need….”

Chloe gleefully set the scene while pulling black items and silver accessories accented with blue stones. “The Lord Faust was a Vampire Hunter of legend, and you turned him into a vampire to save his life as he was dying from wounds inflicted by your own gang.”

Nero frowned, “Gang?”

“Yes, of course! But don’t worry, Nero! After you saved him, you turned your back on your old ways of thieving and murder and vowed to protect him!” Chloe handed Nero a beautiful silver knife as a prop.

“Thieving?” Nero frowned again, uneasy.

Undeterred, Chloe pushed forward, handing Faust a top hat, “Of course! Every good backstory has to have at least one rouge turned good! And Lord Faust takes pity on the young noble Heathcliff.” Chloe draped a black lace veil around Heath’s shoulders. Heathcliff was ill, you see. So Lord Faust did it to save his life! He turned him into a vampire and Heathcliff joined the clan.”

“He did?” Heathcliff muttered in question, as he carefully arranged the black lace.

“Of course!” Chloe pulled another bit of black lace fabric out of a box and examined it. “Oh! And perhaps your clan is just trying to stay alive together and avoid the great Vampire war that is happening….”

Shino demanded, “What about me? If there’s a war, shouldn’t I be fighting in it?”

Chloe dropped the black lace veil over Shino’s head and explained, “Oh no! You mustn’t! You help Nero to protect your clan. Isn’t it beautiful? 4 immortals drawn together by kindness and protecting each other out of love?” Chloe was ready to swoon.

“As long as I get to fight,” Shino pointed out. He looked at their assembled group in elegant black and white monochrome clothing and nodded, “Well it’s not really a normal Halloween like I wanted, but I guess we do look really cool.” He turned to Chloe and asked, “Trick or treat?”

Chloe clapped his hands and jumped up while easily declaring, “Trick! That sounds thrilling!”

“Now, Now, Chloe. As exciting as that sounds, shouldn’t we offer our guests some treats instead?” Rustica swept in from the backroom and quickly began a pot of tea. “Though, I do admit, the sweets aren’t as good as anything our dear Nero would make. Oh! Chloe, I have a lovely idea! Why don’t we hire Nero to make sweets for our shop?”

Nero tensed up as Faust gave him a sad look out of the corner of his eye.

Chloe frowned, “Ah! Rustica, I think perhaps you’ve already been through this before….” Chloe nervously wrung his hands.

“Oh dear. I guess I forgot. I am sorry,” Rustica smiled. “I’m sure Nero must have had a good reason to deny our proposition. How rude of me to mention it.” He gracefully poured 6 cups of tea.

“No, it’s not…yer a perfect gentleman. Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Nero offered as he took the proffered cup of tea.

Shino pouted, “This isn’t normal people Halloween!” He quieted as Chloe handed him a cookie, which he was quick to take a massive bite of before mumbling, “still not right.”

“It’s lovely! Thank you for insisting I experience Halloween, Shino,” Heathcliff offered as he took a tentative sip of his tea.

Shino beamed with pride. “I knew you’d like it,” he grinned.

Faust laughed and gave Shino’s head a quick pat, rustling the lace veil as he did. “Good boy.” Shino quickly wiggled his way out of the show of affection and Faust giggled, “cute.”

Nero lost track of the words, as all 6 settled in and shared their tea. Rustica and Chloe were animated while Heathcliff listened with rapt attention. Shino smiled and laughed and joined in with whatever the chatter was every now and again. Faust simply sat in silence, the corners of his lips pressed upwards in a serene smile as he watched Shino and Heathcliff enjoying themselves.

Amidst the wonderful happiness that made Nero’s heart soar, he was suddenly overcome by the feeling that reminded him he wasn’t worth all this. He didn’t deserve this kind of happiness, and he knew it would all come crashing down around him soon enough. It had to, because he knew he would fuck it up eventually.

“Right, Nero?!” Shino asked loudly.

“Uh, yeah,” Nero choked out, not having any idea what the question was.

“Oh, really?” Rustica clasped his hands in front of his heart and smiled kindly. “You’ll really reconsider?”

Faust furrowed his brow and looked at Nero in concern before quietly asking, “Were you listening, Nero?”

“Yeah, yeah, ‘course I was,” Nero plastered on a grin and lied easily.

Chloe exclaimed, “Oh, I’m so glad!”

Faust smiled at Nero and reached over, taking his hand and squeezing it in reassurance, “I’m glad too. I’ll help you in any way I can, Nero.”

Shino cut in, suddenly alarmed, “It’s late! We have to go! Heath has to learn how to Trick-or-Treat!” He jumped up and tugged Heathcliff out of his chair. “He hasn’t learned anything about Halloween yet!”

Faust held his head in his hand. “I am sure Heath already understands the concept, Shino.”

Without listening, Shino continued to tug on Heathcliff’s arm. “We have to go. Look!” he pointed out the front window of the shop. “Everybody else is already out!”

“He’s got us there, Teach,” Nero agreed.

“Fine, fine,” Faust muttered. “Thank you for the tea and snacks, Rustica. Chloe, is it ok if I return these costumes to you later? I’ll make sure everything gets cleaned first.”

“Oh no! Please keep everything!” It has been my pleasure to costume Heathcliff’s first big Halloween adventure!” Chloe exclaimed as he clasped his hands to his heart.

Nero rubbed his neck and said, “Thanks, Little Tailor. Not sure when I’ll need something’ this fancy again, though.”

Faust gave him an appraising look. “True, but you look really good like that.”

Nero couldn’t help the blush rising to his cheeks. He rubbed his neck and scrunched up his face, before deflecting and agreeing with Shino, “Let’s get goin’.”

Rustica waved gracefully as the four made their way out the door. He called out, “Nero, thank you for agreeing to reconsider. Please do let me know once you have made your decision!”

“Uh, yeah. Will do,” Nero offered as he quickly bowed out the door, bringing up the rear. Shino was already halfway down the street, dragging Heath along. Faust was following behind them at a brisk pace, so that Nero had to jog to catch up to them. Falling into step beside Faust, he joked in character, “Lord Faust. You’re not supposed to go out alone without me by your side.”

Faust couldn’t help his knee-jerk reaction. His whole body tensed up and he spat out, “Don’t talk like that.”

Nero tensed up too, realizing he’d struck a nerve. An image of Lennox hovering outside Faust’s door sprang to his mind and he wanted to kick himself for not thinking before he said something like that to Faust. “Sor….”

“I’m sorry,” Faust cut him off. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He took a moment and looked Nero up and down and playfully tried to salvage the moment, “I don’t mind having a guy like you by my side.”

Rubbing his neck, Nero blushed and simply muttered, “Yeah.”

With a small smile, Faust turned to direct his attention to where Shino had dragged Heathcliff far ahead. “They’re good kids. I hope everything works out for them. Shino is a bit much sometimes, but he’s not a bad kid.”

“Not a bad kid at all,” Nero agreed. “He’s had a rough go of it, but ya know I think he’s still growing up to be a better guy than I ever could be. I intend to keep an eye on him as long as I can.”

Faust let that admission sink into the small silence around them as they walked in their own little bubble. The shouts of happy children on the busy street felt like a distant echo as he fell into his thoughts. Finally he offered, “So that means you’re going to stick around?”

Nero didn’t respond immediately. Part of him wanted to point out that they’d already covered that not too long ago. He said he would stay. However, a little nagging doubt deep in his heart couldn’t be ignored. He grinned and easily lied, “I’d never run away from this.”

“Hurry up!” Shino yelled and broke past the invisible wall that secluded Nero and Faust into their own quiet little world. He grabbed Nero’s hand and pulled him along.

“Mr. Faust,” Heathcliff politely addressed as he reached out and straightened his brooch. “We should hurry too.” He smiled and fell into step beside his teacher.

Nero and Faust followed along and were drug along in turns as Shino led the way down street after street amassing candy in the pillowcase he’d stolen out of Faust’s closet. By the time the moon neared its full height in the sky he had amassed an epic haul.

Heathcliff looked up from eyeing the candy in the pillowcase and asked, “Mr. Faust, isn’t it almost time for the event you wanted to go to?”

“Oh. Yes, I guess you’re right. I did tell him I would go,” Faust held his hand to his lips and thought for a moment. “You don’t all have to come with me, though. It’s late, and I’m sure you’re all tired.”

“Nope,” Nero quickly chimed in. “No way I’m letting you go off alone with him to do your secret ritual sorcery stuff. Absolutely not.”

Faust sighed, “We don’t do secret rituals. What are you even saying? I just find the history of it all fascinating. Besides, you’re correct that Mithra favors sorcery, but in point-of-fact, I find cursework and blessing far more interesting and….”

“Ok, Teach. If ya say so,” Nero said as he patted Faust on the shoulder.

“Well there’s no need to sound so patronizing!” Faust huffed out flustered. “Anyway, fine. Come with me and then be tired tomorrow. See if I care!”

Shino grinned as he watched the two adults fight and then stated, “You guys should really just be more direct with each other and tell each other what you really mean.”

“Well, I….” Faust began, before muttering, “Shut up.”

Heathcliff helpfully cut in, “Mr. Faust, if it’s okay with you, I would like to attend. I think it sounds very interesting.”

Faust softened and agreed, “Of course, Heathcliff. You are welcome to come. He did invite us all. I wasn’t trying to get rid of any of you.”

With that settled the quartet made their way down the moonlight streets towards The Ferryman. The groups of people had mostly thinned out and porch lights were turned off, leaving the walk back to the main road filled with eerie silence. The air picked up and energy could be felt stirring, like the calm before a storm.

As they rounded the corner onto the main street and the shop came into view, a large display of candles sprung to life in the windows. The candles filled the sidewalk in front of the shop and lit the pathway to the door. Mithra could be seen in the shadows behind the glass storefront lighting the candles.

The door flung open in front of them, seemingly caught on a strong wind.

Shino perked up and his eyes shined in the dim light as he said, “All right!”

Heathcliff silently stepped closer to Shino and a slight shudder passed through his shoulders.

“Well, that was unexpected,” Nero offered with a nervous chuckle.

Faust simply nodded and proclaimed, “Let’s go.”

Mithra met them at the door, wearing an ornate outfit of purples and cream, with a headdress almost like a crown sitting on top of his mop of red hair. His outfit looked ceremonial and almost religious, and the train swept the ground behind him. “Come in. I have been waiting for you.”

Silently Faust led the way into the shop and over to the circular table set up in the middle of the room. The room was dimly lit, with just the candles providing light. There were mirrors scattered around that caught the dancing flames and reflected them back, making the room look both vast and cozy at the same time. The shadows cast by all of the oddities and ephemera were enough to make one see things out of the corner of their eye that were gone the next second.

Mithra moved himself to the head of the table and invited, “Please sit. I have prepared everything already.”

The group all took up a seat. Nero quickly took the seat between Mithra and Faust. Shino moved towards the other seat next to Mithra, but was cut off. “Not there,” was all Mithra said. There was an assortment of nuts and fruits laid out on a plate at the seat in question. Several cut flowers were perched around the offering.

Shino looked startled but simply moved over one seat, leaving the empty seat between him and Mithra. In the center of the table sat a Ouija board with one lone candle near Mithra.

“Oh, I’ve seen this in movies,” Shino chimed in.

Mithra somberly stated, “Not like this. Those films always make a mockery out of conversing with the dead. I did not believe it in the past, but then I heard her voice.”

Nero swallowed hard.

Heathcliff shivered, but found the courage to ask, “Her?”

Mithra’s eyes grew sad as he calmly stated, “The boys’ mother.”

Silence filled the room until finally Faust cleared his throat. “I’m not sure a Ouija board is really in the spirit of Samhain. Wouldn’t some divination with nuts or apples really be more appropriate?”

“Oh? Do you require a relationship or marriage divination?” Mithra asked as he let his gaze fall on Faust.

Faust mumbled, “Well, no. I didn’t mean…."

Mithra grabbed an apple and tossed it across the table to Faust. “We have time. The night is still young. Besides, it’s not like I’ll be able to sleep tonight anyway.”

Faust deftly caught the apple and after a nervous moment explained, “Everyone grab an apple. Mithra, do you have enough knives for everyone?”

Without comment, Mithra went to the counter and pulled out an ornate wooden box. Returning to the table he set the box down and opened the lid, revealing an array of knives. Ornate silver ones and hand forged iron ones. “Take your pick.”

Faust drew out a dark iron blade with a blackened wooden handle that wrapped around a raw gemstone. Nero pulled out the ornate silver knife Chloe had given him and the children selected simple knives from the box.

“It’s simple. Peel the apple in one long strip, then toss the peel over your shoulder,” Faust explained. He watched Shino for a moment and then ordered, “Be careful!”

Nero peeled his apple with ease in one tidy spiralling strip. “Easy,” he said with a grin.

Faust glanced over from his own work and nodded. “As expected. Go ahead and toss it over your shoulder, but don’t look at it yet.” Faust finished up his own work and while not as tidy as Nero’s, it was still neatly done. He tossed it over his shoulder and then turned his attention to Shino and Heathcliff.

“This is too hard,” Shino frowned. “It won’t come off in one!” He held up his various apple peel bits in frustration.

“It’s not supposed to be easy,” Faust explained.

Shino pouted, “But it was for Nero!”

“That’s an entirely different matter. Well, a lot of pieces isn’t what the ritual calls for, but go ahead and toss them, Shino. We’ll work with what we’ve got. That’s all part of this, really. How are you doing, Heathcliff?” Faust asked.

“Nearly there,” Heath whispered, as if afraid to breathe and let his hand slip off course. “Done!” he triumphantly held up his peel.

“Great job, Heath! Now toss it,” Faust said. “The apple symbolizes many things, but to sum up for this situation the long peel represents the flow of fate, unbroken. Perhaps Shino’s life will have some unexpected interruptions ahead, or perhaps Shino is going to break free of his fate. For the rest of us, look at the peel and see if you can find a letter.”

Heathcliff looked over his shoulder and frowned, “It’s just in a pile.”

Faust nodded, “That’s okay too. Perhaps your future will touch so many lives in such a large way that the divination couldn’t give you one single person’s initial.”

“How about you, Nero?” Faust asked, raising his brow as he looked over at his companion.

“I don’t see nothin’ either,” Nero said and rushed to pick up the peel.

Mithra cut in, “No, it was clearly a B.”

Nero laughed hoarsely, “Nah, yer seein’ shit from all the mirrors ‘n’ candles. It was just a big old pile like Heath’s. How ‘bout you, Teach?”

Faust frowned at Nero but turned his attention to his own apple peel on the ground, “I think it’s an N.”

Shino didn’t hold back, “Nero?”

Faust nervously laughed but tried to keep it light, “If we were taking this seriously this would mean either my future spouse or someone of great importance in my future has a name that begins with the letter N.”

“So, Nero?” Shino repeated.

Mithra’s languid voice cut in, “If you look at it sideways it could be a Z. Besides, apple peel divination is mostly folk tradition. It’s not the most serious form of divination, you know. Now, if you’re finished teaching the children….”

“Yeah, that’s probably enough of that. I’m sorry I disrupted your plans,” Faust settled back in his chair.

“It’s fine. Now we should begin. Everyone place their fingers lightly on the planchette,” Mithra instructed as he lit a cone of incense.

Heathcliff tentatively reached out and then withdrew his hand. “I’ll take notes instead!”

Faust nodded as he placed his own fingers on the piece of wood. “That sounds good, Heathcliff. Thank you.”

Shrugging, Nero put two of his fingertips onto the planchette next to Faust’s. “Spooky, innit?”

“Hardly,” Faust stated easily.

Shino slapped his hand down and declared, “This better be worth it.”

“Is there anyone there who wishes to speak to us?” Mithra’s deep voice filled the room with a firm resonance.

“Oh!” Shino gasped as the wood moved beneath his fingers. It rushed over to the corner and landed on the word ‘yes’ on the board. Shino grinned and then after a second frowned and glared at Faust and Nero. “You guys moved it!”

Faust spat out, “We did no such thing. Now keep quiet.”

Mithra cleared his throat and then asked, “What is your name?”

The room filled with silence except for the sound of the planchette moving furiously over the board. Heathcliff whispered and wrote down each letter as it was highlighted, “A - L - E -”

Faust abruptly pulled his hand off the piece of wood. “No. That isn’t funny.” He demanded, “who forced it to spell that?”

Shino said, “I don’t even know who that is? Who’s Ale?”

“Maybe it’s a joke, ya know. We should just go home and have a nice drink of ale, yeah?” Nero offered, trying to smooth things over.

Mithra offered, “You don’t need to be afraid, Faust.”

“I have nothing to say. I’m going home,” Faust said and stood up to leave. The planchette quivered under Nero and Shino’s fingers for a moment before slowly moving to the bottom of the board that read ‘good bye.’

As Faust stood glaring at the words on the board, the pointer began to move again.

Heathcliff scribbled down each letter and read out the fast appearing message, “I am here too, Mimi.”

Nero grinned, “Mimi?”

Heathcliff read out as their hands zoomed across the board, “How are they?”

Mithra’s face filled with a mix of sadness, relief, and joy as he closed his eyes and whispered, “If it’s really you, you should go see them yourself instead of wasting your time with me.”

“You’re strong. You’ve done well,” Heathcliff whispered as he pieced together the letters into a proper message. “Thank you,” he uttered before ending as the wooden piece moved to the “good bye.”

An unseasonably warm breeze swept through the shop and rustled the flowers sitting on the offering plate, spreading them over the table in front of Mithra. A faint light that moved like a butterfly gently illuminated a crystal skull that was placed on the nearby counter before fading.

Mithra was somber and even though he had an air of impressive power about him, his face looked for the briefest of moments as if it was holding back tears. He blinked and then the moment was gone and he was his usual composed self. “Thank you all for joining me tonight. This was a very eventful evening.”

Heathcliff politely whispered, “Thank you for having us.” His face was paler than usual as he seemed greatly affected by the words he helped relay to Mithra.

Shino nodded and declared, “I guess that was kinda cool. I still wanna know what was up with that Ale thing though.”

Mithra explained, “I believe the name was Al….”

Nero coughed, cutting Mithra’s reply off. “Well, that was neat. Maybe we don’t just all die and end up rocks in the ground in the end. Can’t say I ever really believed in any kinda afterlife or spirits er anythin’. I sure as hell wasn’t movin’ that thing though so unless Shino….”

“What? Don’t look at me like that! I didn’t mess with it!” Shino protested.

“None of you did,” Faust coldly replied. “They were here,” he quickly corrected himself, “She was here. There’s more forces in this world than you can even begin to imagine.”

Mithra agreed, “As powerful as I am, there are some things even I do not understand.” He let out a wide yawn before turning pensive as he picked one of the flowers up off the table. After a moment of thought, his long fingers slipped the stem behind Heathcliff’s ear.

Heath blinked in surprise and then dutifully offered this thanks. “Thank you, Mr. Mithra.”

Without fanfare Mithra plucked 3 more off the table, resting one on the top of Shino’s head, slipping one into Nero’s pocket, and the final one into the band of Faust’s hat. “She wants you to have these.”

Faust nodded and also remembered his manners, “Thank you,” he said to the room, his eyes landing on the crystal skull on the countertop. “Thank you too, Mithra. I’m sorry if I have acted poorly, but it was an educational evening none-the-less.”

“I’m here any time you want to discuss such arts. I actually received a new cursed mirror that I think you might like to take a look at if you want to come in on your lunch break sometime,” Mithra invited.

Nero shook his head and let out a little sigh.

Mithra noted the sigh and then offered, “If it pleases you, I have more herbs coming in tomorrow. One of them is a bit unique and I have heard it tastes good on fried chicken. I believe that is a specialty of yours, is it not?”

“Ya heard wrong,” Nero shrugged.

“I guess Bradley was mistaken,” Mithra shrugged.

Nero tensed at the name and then with a grin deflected, “Everything I cook is delicious, right Shino?” He playfully elbowed Shino in the shoulder.

Shino agreed, “His lemon pie is amazing. It might not be as good as the one Heath’s mom makes, but it’s delicious. Nero, make me lemon pie tonight.”

“Ok, ok,” Nero laughed.

Faust shook his head, “You’re spoiling him.”

Scratching the back of his neck, Nero replied, “Yeah but when he’s that excited about it, how can I say no?”

The group left The Ferryman and stepped into the windy drizzly night. Faust gave a quick nod over his shoulder to Mithra before the quartet clad all in black and lace made their way towards Faust’s apartment. The breeze fluttered the colorful leaves around their feet and blew out the candles in the pumpkins sitting in front of the closed storefronts.

Nero couldn’t help the little spring in his step as he followed behind the others. For the first time in forever he’d found a place he really felt like he belonged. He was still fighting feelings of inadequacy - but in these moments he felt certain he’d do anything to preserve this. Protecting them had somehow become his priority in life. He’d give anything or promise anything if only it meant a few more days by their sides making sure they are safe.

A strong wind hit Nero’s back and pushed him forward next to Faust. He fell into step next to him and as they walked in silence he hoped they could both outrun the past for a little while longer. It seemed easier when they were together.