The service started several hours ago at the Fallen Angel and tonight the bar is packed.

Sunny distributes the cocktails and dishes to the tables. Placing a glass and a ramekin of peanuts in front of a customer, he exclaims “I hadn’t ordered anything yet!” A teasing smile on his lips, David continues “Hello pretty Sunny!”

Sunny, now used to his antics, smiled, “Hello David. Glad to have you back with us!” Then the little waiter tries to turn on his heels but he is held back by the regular client. “Don't go so fast! Can't we have a little chat?” David ask.

Sunny, embarrassed because there's a lot of work tonight "Only a few minutes, it's busy today!"

David smiling like a kid in front of a cake “Thank you! Sorry but I'm so excited! The city's book convention is tomorrow! I can not wait! I bought the last Tom of the Liu Cixin trilogy to have it signed by him!”

Sunny, in the same state as his interlocutor, his eyes shining “Yes, me too! there will also be readings from Asimov and other authors will also do autograph sessions!”

Out of the corner of his eye, the little waiter sees his colleague, scolding him with a look. Crushing on himself “sorry I have to keep working!” David winks at him as Sunny escapes.

After glancing accusingly at the loitering Sunny, Delhi, charged with the table 5 order, appears in front of Erick. He places the glass in front of him without taking his eyes off it. He smiles at the cop and whispers "Tonight, the same place honey?"

Eyes burning with desire, the old cop nods. The waiter smiles at him and leaves.

Earlier, before the bar opened, Delhi was again called into Black's office

Black “Did you watch the cop?” he throws at him bluntly.

Delhi, his face still inert “I have started training him!”

Black opens his drawer and throws a huge wad in front of the waiter “Do whatever it takes!”

Delhi takes the money, gets up and leaves the office.

After finishing tidying up, Lulu exits the staff room last. All the angels are already gone. He greets Ritta and heads for the door, looking sad. All night he kept smiling, he swallowed his pain and his fears. But the lump in his stomach is becoming more and more intolerable. He stops in front of Titus with a worried look “Hey! How's it going ?" he asks him.

Without thinking, Lulu grabs the giant's hand, eyes pleading and asks "Can I stay with you for a bit? Please?"

Titus knows he shouldn't agree, but he's never seen Lulu so downcast. So he takes him out into the street and locks the bar door. Without letting go of his hand, he walks up the street to Punk Paradise where drunkards bawl insults to who knows who..

They go up the flight of stairs to the bouncer's apartment.

Titus, uneasy, not knowing what to do with this version of Lulu he had never seen. He takes off his coat, sits him on a chair and helps him to take off his shoes. The young man, amorphous, let it go without saying anything. The giant helps him eat his sandwich, drink his juice. But Lulu still has no reaction.

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Awkwardly, Titus places his big hand on the young man's frail shoulder and tries to produce the sweetest sound “Lulu! It'll be OK! Get some sleep and you'll be fine!”

Coming out of his trance, Lulu bursts into tears. Titus remains frozen, he absolutely does not know what to do and looks around in panic. Then the angel throws himself into his arms, sitting astride him, he hears the chair that supports them creak.

Surprised, he awkwardly places his arms around Lulu who tightens her embrace around his neck, his face buried in his shoulder. For several minutes, Titus hugged Lulu's crying-shaken body, patting his back in comfort.

When finally, the young man calmed down, still agitated by some spasms, finally loosened his hold on the giant's neck. Titus allowed himself to speak. Searching for his words “Lulu…It’s not this little jostling that puts you in this state…is it?” The waiter looked up, his eyes still full of tears that he wiped away with his sleeve.

The troubled expression of the young man and the fact that he avoided his gaze created a feeling of helplessness, incomprehension, doubt and rage in Titus’ heart. Trying to calm down not to alarm the angel on his knees "You know, if you need to talk I'll listen... If you don't want to say anything, that's fine too."

Then, pulling himself together, Lulu took a deep breath and finally met Titus' gaze.

He began, trying to keep a smile on his lips and in a shaky voice “Titus thank you. You know, I tried my best not to show anything to others, but it was very hard…”

“You are very brave!” encouraged the bouncer

“When I was in high school, I met a guy, he was 8 years older than me and already working. I was so in love with him… One day, I ran into my father on the street while I was holding his hand. My father already couldn't stand my looks and my manners and that was the final straw. He kicked me out.” A lone tear rolling down his cheek, he took a few seconds of respite. “So I started living with my boyfriend, I quickly found a job as a waiter. He worked during the day and I worked at night, we didn't see each other often. But I really loved him." Wiping away another tear and lost in memories “One day, a boy came to see me in the bar where I worked. He told me he was my boyfriend's new boyfriend. At first I didn't believe him, so he showed me pictures and told me how they had known each other... Permanently losing his smile, Lulu with a hurt look resumed his story “I left work early that day and rushed home. When I arrived, he was getting ready to go to work. I told him everything and asked him for an explanation, but he just replied that we'll talk about it later because he’s busy. It's like I don't matter to him! I got mad and yelled at him…” Lulu cut himself off sharply, looked up painfully, tears streaming nonstop down his face, he swallowed his saliva “Coldly, that man I loved with my whole heart, slapped me…I fell to the ground…and he kicked me several time…then he put on his shoes, took his bag and went to work as if nothing had happened! He left me on the floor, on the cold hall floor, in a pool of blood…”

Titus, stunned, a host of emotions swirling inside him, he reached for Lulu's cheek, but seeing his large, misshapen hand next to the boy's perfect face stopped him. The hand frozen inches from the tearful boy's face. Breathless...

So, Lulu took his hand, again, and cuddled his face in it. Then buried his head in the giant's shoulder, hugging him tight. "That man who pushed me, he had the same cold look my ex had when he hit me…”

Titus looked down, bruised by Lulu's story. He too had taken blows but he had sought it…. He would never have imagined that Lulu, always happy, always smiling, had experienced this. He hugged him “Forget that guy, forget your ex. Don't worry, it won't happen to you again. I will be more careful. I will be there!" he promises him.

Lulu lifted his head, looked Titus in the eyes and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

The giant, completely taken aback, looked at him warily, opening and closing his mouth without a sound. Then he growled "Don't take advantage of it either kid!"

Lulu becoming himself again, gave him another kiss in the same place "I love you Titus!"

An even more confused Titus began to growl, but the young waiter silenced him by putting his finger to his mouth "Nah-ah! If you want to break my heart, you better come up with some good arguments! Don't send me nonsense as: I'm too old, we work together, et cetera”

The giant, resigning himself “Will I have the last word with you one day ?”

Lulu, teasingly “Not the words, but for the rest you can!” sticking his tongue out at him which made the bouncer blush.