Simply Beautiful (Mozart x Salieri)

Chapter 6: Unwanted Attention

*This Chapter was actually a Collab with LilacAI on AO3, thank you so much for the help and y'all should check him out!*
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The volume got louder and louder. With twitter, giggles and chatter, and yet in Salieris mind, it was all silent. Silent as he didn't have the interest nor want to pick up the sound around him. All he could pick up was his own inner voice. Confused, alarmed, and almost... fragile.

This was not how things we're supposed to have turned out. That much was obvious. At worst, he would've gone home with a sour expression and a cold shiver down his back (like one was used to at this point) and at best... herr Mozarts head would be speared on a stick at this point. Or well... if reality would've been the kindest it could've ever been to him. But alas it seemed to have not been the case, quite frankly, it seemed to have been the opposite actually.

All his plans had now been ruined!!! Destroyed, demolished, shattered! Into a thousand tiny pieces he was unable to pick up.

But was that really a terrible thing?

What?

No... He must've heard wrong. That- Had his subconscious just tried to justif-? no. He was asking himself delusional questions. He... Mozart was playing mind-games. Whatever he was manipulating, it wouldn't work.

Herr Amadeus seemed awfully sincere and truthful though...

Stop.

Something tugged at his arm. Even more roughly than prior.

"Quite the crowd we have here today, how exciting!" There was a loud clap of the hands, most likely due to falsified excitement. "Think the emperor would be so kind and come to these festivities too?" A loud snort forced the Italian's ears and senses back into reality, as one had to keep thy jaw clenched not to comment. "Noooo! No, no, no, I am only joking of course. That donkeysarse of a bore would only sour the mood of the whole ballroom!"

It took a second to even register what had been said. How... how dare!? Was this man really uttering such words-!? About the emperor himself!? Well he would certainly hear-!

A harsh tug stopped them both in their tracks. Salieri already knew his face was red from the way he could feel himself heating up, it took one loud gulp to retain himself from straining his vocal chords of the internalized barating he wanted to utter. Fumes would have escaped the man's ears if it had been physically possible. Now standing, he noticed they were right out of earshot for the crowd. Just seconds from diving into the quantity of partygoers. Thank God.

Wolfgang inspected the other's face.

"Hm? What's that look for Monsignor? Oh! Oh... Well..." The younger's corner lips turned down slightly. "I'm sure the emperor would certainly put a badmouthing donkey to be executed, rather than his most loyal advisor that turned out to have murderous intentions." Antonio's breath quickened for a second, his grip at his side clenching even harder.

"Y-You don't mean-?"

And just as quickly as the frown came, it vanished. "Oh no maestro! Haha, I am not a man for threats. Just food for thought, your mind seems pretty full of them at this moment. So I'm just adding onto the pile."

The man squinted at the shorter one. But before he could put too much thought into it, just like that, the conversation was over as they walked. Into, or rather, Wolfgang walked and Antonio had no choice but to go along into the mass of people.

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It was like swimming into a stormy sea, the streams and creatures pushing at your every limb. Yet eventually you get through with awkward excuses and polite apologies, Mozart did neither of that and just pushed onward, but the eldest of the two needed to hold onto what little respect one had left.