**Warning before you start reading**

This is my first story ever, that means maybe not everything his going to make sense or is perfectly fleshed out.

Proceed at your own risk!

In a crowded airport, an old man stood on the side, waiting and keeping an eye out for a young man to arrive. Looking at his watch, he estimated that the young master’s plane should have landed by now. As he lifted his gaze again, a new mass of people flooded the waiting hall.

Among the many men and women, one person stood out. The young man had a striking appearance with blond dyed hair, where the black of his roots shone through. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of tinted sunglasses, giving him an aura of arrogance.

His gaze shifted from one place to another until he met the eyes of the old man waiting on the side. Suddenly, a bright smile appeared on his face, making him seem almost silly.

“Basil, there you are! I was looking for you the whole time. Couldn’t you be a bit more conspicuous?” the young man complained while walking toward him.

Giving the arriving young master a heartfelt smile, Basil greeted him. “Young Master Cecil, you have grown. I almost could not recognize you. Let me take that suitcase for you.”

As he said that, Basil stretched out his hand for the handle of the suitcase, but Cecil dodged him.

“Don’t bother. You are far too old and weak to carry this stuff. What if it breaks? You could never compensate me with your puny salary. Just show me the way to the car.”

Shaking his head with a slight smile, Basil led Cecil to the car. “You really haven’t changed at all, young master.”

Giving Basil a bewildered look, Cecil questioned him. “What’s that supposed to mean? I was away for four years. I’ve changed completely!”

“Yes, yes. Should we head straight home?”

Trotting behind Basil, Cecil’s eyes suddenly lit up. With a smile, he said, “No, first drive me to Louis’ company, then you can bring my luggage home.”

In the front, where Cecil couldn’t see, Basil’s face turned sour. Had the young master still not forgotten about that man? Not even a great distance and four years apart seemed to have lessened his feelings.

Basil sighed and nodded to indicate he understood. It looked like the Lady’s efforts were all for nothing…

Meanwhile, Cecil, unaware of Basil’s thoughts, was practically skipping with happiness toward the car.

***

“Louis, I’ve brought you the documents you wanted,” said a tall man entering a spacious office lit by an enormous window front.

In front of the windows, a desk was placed, where a handsome man was sitting and giving the man who entered a charming smile.

“Thank you, Silas. I knew I could count on you.” Seemingly unconsciously, he opened the first few buttons of his collar and leaned back in his chair. “Just what would I do without you.”

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Silas glanced at this deliberate display of sexiness and laid down the documents on the desk. Just as he wanted to take back his hand, another was placed on top of his. Looking up, his eyes met Louis’, who smiled sheepishly at him.

“Have you thought about my invitation for dinner? You have rejected me so many times before. Please pity a desperate man.”

Louis looked at him with pleading eyes, and Silas hesitated upon seeing his gaze. Maybe it was time to give Louis a chance.

Louis seemed to be an honest man who would be dedicated to his lover, but could he really be sure of that? Silas had to admit that the handsome man opposite him didn’t leave him cold, but he did not want to be just some kind of plaything one would throw away after losing interest. He wanted someone he could love and build a family with, but Silas was unsure if Louis was the right one for that.

Even if he did not look like someone who valued love highly and was often described as rather cold, deep down he longed for a place to return to, a place to call home.

Just as he opened his mouth to agree, Silas was interrupted by the door swinging open with force. Shocked, he took back his hand immediately. Although he was not opposed to an office romance, being the center of gossip wasn’t something he aimed for.

At the same time, Louis also jumped up from his chair.

Louis’ brows furrowed and anger welled up in him upon noticing the intruder. He had been so close to making Silas let down his guard, but now it seemed to have been in vain.

Angrily, he shouted, “Who dares—” but the words got stuck in his throat when he was suddenly hugged.

For a short moment, time seemed to stand still.

“Oh, Louis, I missed you so much while I was abroad. And you, did you miss me too? I have so many stories I want to tell you, you won’t believe what I experienced! Hehe, I’m so happy to be back!” While firing a string of words towards Louis, Cecil continued to hug him hard. His eyes were dazzling as he looked at Louis with excitement.

“Is that you, Cecil?” Flabbergasted, Louis took a closer look at the man in his arms. Although Cecil had grown up and his facial features had deepened, his behavior seemed to have stayed the same as in his memory.

Surprised, Louis forced out a laugh. “When did you come back?”

“Today! I came to you as soon as I could.” With a strained smile, he answered, “How nice.”

The hug continued until Cecil heard someone clear his throat.

While the two of them had an emotional reunion, Silas had considerately closed the door to avoid gossip, but it wasn’t like him to be a third wheel, so he reminded the two that they were not alone. Although on the surface he seemed unbothered, deep down Silas felt uncomfortable. Just as he had made up his mind to accept the pursuit of the other, what seemed like a love rival appeared.

Silas didn’t want to think deeper about this feeling of discomfort, but remembering the look in the young man’s eyes, he had to admit. Maybe what bothered him wasn’t the love rival per se but his gaze.

Noticing the other party, Cecil immediately let go of Louis and stood on the side while biting his lips.

Giving Louis an apologetic look, he explained, “I didn’t notice we weren’t alone.”

Ignoring Cecil, Louis tried to explain the situation to Silas. “Silas, that’s Cecil, an old friend of mine.”

Only when he heard Louis talk to the other person did Cecil lift his head. After inspecting the other from top to bottom and giving him a rather disinterested nod, he looked away.

The intruder was almost as tall as Louis, which meant he was half a head taller than Cecil. Besides being too tall, he also wore ugly thick, black-rimmed glasses and had an expression that could freeze hell. All in all, not someone Cecil would categorize as a threat to his and Louis’s relationship.

While Cecil was scrutinizing Silas, Silas also took a look at the other. When he had smiled, he had seemed like a beautiful rose that would make its owner the happiest on earth, but as soon as the smile disappeared, one would notice its thorns that could prick you and leave a drop of blood behind. An appearance one could easily feel addicted to.

And the look in his eyes was not one a friend would give another friend. Especially since this ‘friend’ didn’t hide his love for Louis at all.

Silas was skeptical. Why bother calling him a friend when he seemed so unhappy to be around him?

Still, Silas stayed polite. “Hello, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Silas.”

Cecil’s response fell rather flat. “Yeah.”

Noticing the stiff air in the room, Louis tried to ease the situation. Looking at Cecil, he asked, “Why did you come unannounced?”

Giving Louis a hurt look, he replied, “Am I forbidden from coming here, or what?”

“Of course not,” Louis replied absentmindedly while thinking about how he could get rid of Cecil again.

In a happy mood again, Cecil remembered his reason for visiting. “Well, we haven’t seen each other in four years and I have so much to tell you. So I thought about inviting you for dinner! I even reserved a place for us already.”

The look Cecil gave Louis almost spelled ‘praise me’ and ‘agree.’

Louis wanted to reject Cecil since he knew that although Silas hadn’t agreed yet, he almost had him. If he let this opportunity go, there was no saying when the next would come.

Just when he wanted to open his mouth, Louis got interrupted.

“You should agree,” Silas interrupted him from the side, “You have no other appointments today anyway.”

“Ah, yes, of course,” Louis gritted his teeth.

On the other hand, Cecil was confused by their exchange. “Why the Duck does the CEO need permission from his employee to go to dinner?”

“Cecil, don’t be rude!” Louis scolded him.

Aggrieved, Cecil crossed his arms. He could not understand what was wrong with his words, and in reality,

there was nothing wrong with his words, it was just Louis who had a guilty conscience.

“Well then, if you excuse me.” With this, Silas left the office without turning back.

While walking, the only thought left in his mind was the picture of Cecil looking at Louis like he was the only one for him in this world that mattered, and the wish someone could look at himself in the same way.

—-

**Author’s note**

Thank you for reading the first chapter of my story. If you spot any mistakes or think there are areas for improvement, please let me know.

Constructive criticism is always allowed!