"Maybe you should leave."

The post-coital glow had faded earlier than anticipated. Leonardo was not even subtle about wanting his partner out of his way as soon as possible. There was not even that blissful feeling of warmth and connectedness. It was just sex, nothing more.

"Why are you acting so distant today?" Chase asked, cradling his warm arms around a still naked Leonardo who had already claimed half of the bed for himself. "You didn't even come, did I do something you didn't like?" The worry in the man's voice was highly detectable. "It was the fingering, wasn't it?"

Chase was at his prime, probably around thirty maybe more. He had the perfect model height, highlights of a toned physique, nothing bulky or extreme but just the right size and his sandy blond hair flopped over his piercing crystal blue eyes. It made perfect sense that he was an underwear model for Hugo. The guy was quite the heartthrob. 

"You did nothing wrong, okay?"

"But you didn't like it," Chase cursed under his breath. "I should've asked you first."

"It's not about that."

Chase stared at Leonardo's dark eyes that were completely void of emotion. They were just an endless sea of black. He felt emotionally paralyzed, all his feelings were basically in a mental midlife crisis. He didn't know what to think or feel.

"Who is he?" Chase flicked his eyes at the stoic man lying on his belly beside him. His demeanor remained calm though his eyes were demanding.

"What are you even on about?" Leonardo's voice was dripping with annoyance.

"Clearly there's someone else, so at least tell me who he is!" Chase was losing his shit. The words were spilling out of quivering lips and his blue eyes had lost their hostility becoming glossy instead.

They'd been hooking up for a very long time and Chase had somehow gotten used to the idea of having the Italian to himself. That wasn't the case though, and Chase knew that too.

Then all at once Chase's face buckled, his breathing became momentarily shallow and tears started to stream. "I don't get it, Leonardo. After all these years I thought maybe..."

"Orsetto..." Leonardo sighed deeply, forcing himself to sit up straight.

"Stop calling me stupid cute names!" Chase detonated, he was already a ticking bomb at the verge of explosion.

"Okay...okay...okay," Leonardo threw both his hands up in mock surrender. "Chase, look at me." The model was not in the mood to talk, he was busy sulking and feeling sorry for himself. 

Leonardo's movements were unhurried, uncoordinated and deliberate as he unwrapped himself from the sex reeking sheets. He didn't care less that he was waltzing bare ass naked as he disappeared into his closet to find himself some comfortable sweats and a basic round neck H&M white shirt.

"You know you'll have to talk to me at some point?"

Chase's lashes brimmed with heavy tears as he eyed Leonardo now standing at the edge of the bed fully dressed.

"Why can't it be me?" The question took Leonardo by surprise. He didn't know what to say. Chase refused to look away from him.

Leonardo wiped a lone tear trailing down Chase's reddened cheek eliciting floodgates. "Shh...shh stop crying Orsetto, I mean... Chase."

Chase's crying was both raw and ferocious. "You must've known I've loved you since forever."

Leonardo was at a loss for words. The situation he was in was simply messed up.

As Leonardo quietly stroked Chase's hair his breathing started to even out. Now his tears had stopped leaking, leaving only a trail of evidence on his face.

"Ors...Chase, I'm so sorry." 

"I love you, Leonardo, and it really hurts." There was a certain amount of fatigue in Chase's voice that you could equate to heartbreak. He was temporarily dislocated from his spirit. "

"I know, I know you do but—"

"But you don't love me like I do," Chase finished the incomplete statement. "I get it. I'm just your boy toy that you call whenever you feel bored and when you're done you just toss me into the trash like a used condom."

"That's not fair, Chase. You knew exactly what this thing between us was about from the beginning. Not even once have I ever blindsided you. And despite what you might think, I do care so much about you, but not just enough to...love you. I wish I did though, I mean you're a great guy and you deserve more than I could ever offer you."

"I hope he deserves you, whoever he is."

There was a futile tussle of conflicting thoughts in the surgeon's head when he listened to Chase. No doubt Chase was hurting from being led on for quite a long time. Either way heartbreak sucked, it doesn't matter what form it may present itself in.

Leonardo released a deflated sigh, "I didn't mean for any of this to happen Chase. It's complicated."

"Typical Leonardo Bravucci response, it's always complicated with you, isn't it? Is it because of Mia?"

"My daughter has absolutely nothing to do with any of this."

"It's normal for you to build walls around yourself in order to protect her. I would never hurt your daughter and you know that." There was something genuine about Chase's behavior, truer than anything Leonardo had ever seen but still...he just didn't love him. "Or maybe it's a prenup you want?"

"Chase..."

"I won't get offended if you want to draw one. I mean, it's totally understandable."

Leonardo hated complicated relationships. His relationship with Chase was one of them. He felt indebted to show at least a perfunctory level of concern though deep inside he felt absolutely nothing, such a phony.

"This is all me Chase," Leonardo stated, more firmly this time around. He had to make his point vivid to Chase. They needed to stop tiptoeing around each other. Chase had to stop making unannounced visits and impromptu trips from New York all the way to California just for a good fuck because there were no emotions from Leonardo's side to begin with. "This is all me saying this. I assumed it was clear from the beginning and I was wrong but us will never happen."

Chase's backbone visibly slouched. "I guess we're done then?" Leonardo didn't see the need to reply to that question, he kept his neutral expression eyeing the blue eyed model.

"I'm sorry."

"Pass me my clothes," Chase croaked feeling a spasm of distaste. "I need to change so..."

"Oh," Leonardo had almost forgotten that Chase was still completely naked inside his bed. "You can use the shower if you want. I will give you space."

"No, I'll check myself into a hotel so that won't be necessary."

The wish for Leonardo to love him back brought such rage and bitterness that Chase thought he would explode just by thinking of it. When he flew over to California he wasn't expecting this, he knew Leonardo wasn't the most easiest partner to deal with but he had fallen for him nevertheless. He fell hard for the surgeon but love can never be forced. Chase wished they could be more but it was clear as day now, Leonardo didn't want him in anyway more than bed buddies which hurt him real good.

Chase opened the door, ready to leave. Leonardo was standing outside his bedroom, his facial expression almost robotic. "Let me drive you."

"Leonardo please, just stop."

"Don't be stubborn, you're not in the right state of mind and..."

"Just piss off okay?" The message couldn't have been more direct. Chase hated him and Leonardo thought it was actually better that way.

A few minutes after Chase's departure, Leonardo's phone pinged. It was a familiar tone he had set for his friends group chat.

[Squad, 8:13PM] Everyone, Velvet Lounge

. . .

"You look roughed up." Aiden chuckled, referring to Leonardo who had just joined the gang at a table in the VIP lounge. Aiden Black had some kind of brutal honesty which could topple most friendships over the edge. Leonardo appreciated people like Aiden—so authentic and hardcore frank.

"A how are you doing buddy would've been sufficient." Leonardo muttered, claiming an empty seat next to Giovanni.

"Seriously, Gio look at this guy."

Giovanni observed his clone of a brother, face screwed up like he was having an inner conflict going on. "Yeah, you're a little depressing to look at. Everything good kid bro?"

Leonardo made a grimaced face, he hated it whenever his brother called him kid bro. It was just a few minutes for God's sake.

"Just a messy day nothing much."

"Nothing scotch can't solve." Aiden said as he hailed a random waiter to come over. "Where's this asshole Bradley anyway?"

"I thought you said you spoke to him?" Giovanni turned to ask Aiden who was now momentarily caught up in ordering their drinks. It looked like the waiter was now getting flirty.

"No I didn't. His number kept sending me straight to voicemail so..."

"He probably went to The Bulldogs, I had stuff to take care of at home that's why I didn't go out with him." Leonardo informed the other two.

Well you thought screwing your old time hookup would erase Seth Mickelson from your mind. See where that got you.

Velvety Lounge was a trendy gay bar, minimalist, classical and almost close to fancy. It was only illuminated by speckled bar lights, the bar gave off a sexy kind of dim which heightened senses.

Giovanni and Leonardo watched in amusement as Aiden started to look highly uncomfortable at the waiter's bold advances. "You might want to remove your hand from my thigh sweetheart, my husband will shoot you if he ever found out." What scared the waiter is how Aiden was smirking like the devil himself, somehow it didn't sound like a joke and that made him quickly retract his hand.

"You didn't have to scare the poor guy like that." Giovanni snorted, shaking his head as he watched the waiter scurrying off.

"Luckily for him, I wasn't trying to scare him, more like trying to save his life." Aiden shrugged making Leonardo almost choke on his scotch before bursting into laughter. "Carl can't be that dangerous."

"That's because you don't know him like I do."

"Who knew Aiden Black would turn out to be a complete sap for a man he was down to obliterate from the face of the earth, literally." Giovanni chuckled. "Look at him all married and enjoying it."

"Shocking, right?" Leonardo was grinning.

"Look at you two ganging up on me." Aiden scoffed, taking a sip on his drink.

Leonardo sighed, changing subject. "How's Stacy doing?"

"Being a hormonal teenager as always. I wish I had scraped her off when she was a fetus." There was a moment of silence for a while until all three men erupted in laughter.

"You're joking right?" Leonardo asked Aiden in between fits.

"You know I am. I almost snapped a kid in half for asking her out, she's too precious." 

"With that overly protective attitude she's going to end up hating you." Giovanni commented, swallowing his drink leisurely.

"Says the guy without a child," Aiden said. "You don't know how many sickos are out there waiting just to prey on them. It's my job as a parent to protect her."

"Maybe you need to let loose just a little bit, Aiden. Let her learn from her own mistakes?" Leonardo's statement elicited a deep growl from Aiden, he was completely unfazed though.

"Hey guys, is that not Brad?" Everyone craned their necks toward the direction where Giovanni was pointing.

Indeed it was Brad, completely immersed in a deep conversation with a red haired woman. Leonardo immediately recognized her from the hospital, she was a nurse.

Brad in a place like this alone? The Italian surgeon wondered. Brad normally hanged around gay bars only when he was with one of his gay friends and not by himself. He was too straight to hang in a gay bar just for the sake of it.

Approximately twelve feet away from Brad was a very familiar face. It was none other than Dr. Mickelson drinking with a man who could pass off as a lawyer or a rich business tycoon, one of the two should be correct.

Their gazes met and never faltered from each other. Something inside Leonardo ticked off when the other guy leaned in closer to Seth whispering something that made the resident's face turn into a beautiful cherry red.

What was Seth Mickelson doing here with Mr. Fancy Pants? Clearly it was Seth's habit of seeing guys on the side while keeping his girlfriend in the dark about his love for dick. A cheating bastard is what he was.

Suddenly the urge to hurl a brick at someone got to him. He couldn't move because that would be too obvious so he stayed put in his own seat.

Seth was striking and Leonardo wasn't immune. Today he wasn't wearing his ridiculous glasses. His bare Mountain dew eyes were still locked on to his, Leonardo knew he was hopelessly drawn to the resident.

The Italian doctor however knew there's no way in hell Seth would ever touch him with a ten foot pole. Not after that shit-show he'd pulled in that OR, not to mention the puddle bath and him being his asshole boss.

Not a fat chance.

And was it wrong Leonardo wasn't even thinking about how Seth's girlfriend—Marianne would feel if she knew what had transpired between the two of them a few weeks ago? All those dirty sounds that slipped out of Seth's lips when his mouth was wrapped around him? Jesus.

It made him the villain of the story but now that he was far too gone in his little game of lust, a girlfriend and a little competition in fancy pants decked in his way didn't even bother him.

What he wanted was him. Seth.