LoveAffair( mxm )

17

Archibald retreated slowly from the garden, trying to do it as discreetly as he could without drawing Timothy's attention. He made his way to his car, unlocking it and getting in, he sat there trying to process what was up with him.
Instead of calling Timothy's name and facing him to make sure he was alright , he almost ran from there!
He brought his hand back to his chest, massaging the area in hope it'd help calm the ache there that for some reason wouldn't go away.
A lot of thoughts were running in his mind and he tried to sort them out to make some sense, but he failed.
The same image of Timothy with his closed eyes and tears kept flashing, fueling the painful dull sensation in his chest.
"Damn it!"
he cursed frustrated as he started his vehicle and drew out from the parking.
He no longer wanted to be there, screw that event.

_____________________________________

"Tim? Where are you?"
"Outside, I didn't feel well so I took a walk to breath some air. " he mustered all of his will to sound as calm as he could, he knew he sounded a bit hoarse but that could easily be excused due to the cold weather .
" Oh really? was it something you ate maybe? it could be the season, a lot of people coming down with the flu..."
Lizzy said thoughtfully.
"It could be, " he sighed "anyway I'll be waiting in the car. "
"Okay, oh the show is exactly starting! bye!".
He looked at his phone in annoyance, counting again the missed calls , Archibald was the one who called him so many times earlier but he had no intention of calling him back.
He walked to his car and got in , sighing in content as he turned on the heat.
Being alone in the car only left him to the mercy of his fevered mind and unwanted thoughts. It was funny how destructive one's mind could be. All he could think of was how Archibald was probably inside enjoying the company of that blond, probably touching all over each other. Did they have sex before they came or did they save it for afterwards?
Was this his type? blond and skinny?
When they first met he was also with a blond.
He wasn't even that good looking
He thought bitterly, mentally beating himself for being so lame and hung on someone who was most likely planning at that moment all the wicked things he'd do with his new toy.
But underneath all that bitterness, his stupid mind couldn't help but replay all those little rare moments, moments of tenderness and gentleness that came from Archibald. He just wanted to forget him as soon as possible, even hate him, but those moments made it hard.
Those kind of moments made him feel special, wanted and cared for... maybe even loved. But it was something only he saw , something wishful.
There were many men out there, better than him, why would Timothy be any special?
And Archibald did deserve the best, he wasn't as awful as he first thought when they met.
Sure he was a teasing prick but he was also a good man, honest with himself and his surrounding, confident and intelligent. He was charismatic and playful but serious when needed and even if he wouldn't admit it he had his soft side, Oscar was a living proof of that, he loved him dearly.
Timothy wished he could have explored him more and expose more of his personality which he only caught a glimpse of.
But you don't always get the things you want most, he knew best.
Tomorrow he would wake up in the morning a bit tired, get ready for the day, eat breakfast and get to work. He would stop at his previous floor and check on them, Alicia would call him 'boss' again and he'd correct her before wishing them a good day and climbing with the elevator to his floor to begin his hectic day.
And after that maybe he'd struck some bar, find someone to hook up with at the bathroom or at his car or some other place and then they'd part to go on their ways. Timothy would get home to his wife and pretend everything was as usual.
It was easy, he could manage.
Deep down he knew he was force feeding himself lies in order not to fall apart, but that's the only thing he could do to somehow cope with his feelings.
When Lizzy finally got in the car he tuned out, faintly hearing her talk excitedly about the show, the great food and how some rude lady dared to wear the same dress.
When they reached home, he went to the fridge and took out a beer, he sat in front of the TV, staring blankly at the black screen while gulping the much needed alcohol.
He wished he had something stronger but that would have to do. When he finished he took another one.
"I'm out!"
Lizzy called from upstairs as she finished her shower. He didn't really want to move but he decided it may be in his favor to do so. He climbed slowly upstairs and passed his wife as he got in, not even taking a change of clothes.
He took his clothes off, not caring in the least that he threw his suit so carelessly on the floor instead of hanging it properly.
He got under the stream of water, his body greeting the comforting heat, he soaped and let the water wash it all away and then he just stood there.
It was too nice to give up on, especially when inside he felt so cold. He let his hand turn the handle to even higher heat, his body felt a bit cold.
The water burned a bit but it felt good so he closed his eyes and indulged in the stinging heat that embraced him.
Tomorrow will be better
He promised himself again and again and again, not quite understanding if it was tears in his eyes or the water.
He stood there until the water turned too cold to handle.
Tomorrow will be better.

_____________________________________

Thomas took notice of Archibald's strange behavior but he chose not to comment, he knew better.
Others wouldn't see it, in their eyes he was the same as usual - confident, calm and charming.
But the moment he stepped into the building Thomas knew something was off, and the connection to last night's events couldn't be clearer.
He only gathered bits of information from what he saw last night , but it was enough to put together a picture and it was a complicated one.
He had to admit he didn't see that one coming, and that said something seeing nothing startled him.
Who knew that after all the years he worked with Archibald and knew him, the latter would be able to surprise him.
It shouldn't have been quite a shock, it was bound to happen eventually, but somehow it still seemed surreal - probably because it was Archibald.
This was the man that drew effortlessly all the attention wherever he stepped. The man that had no boundaries when it came to his bed habits, he switched partners more than socks and was famous for it.
One thing that didn't faze Thomas about this whole situation was the fact Archibald didn't even realize what was happening. It was like watching a kid facing something he didn't encounter before and not knowing how to handle that. It was something he had to figure out for himself , no one would guide him through this.
It was a bit amusing to watch from the side, despite the importance of the matter.
Even the greatest fall.

______________________________________

Timothy didn't feel well.
At first he dismissed it, thinking it had to do with the mess he was inside. It was reasonable that his body would get affected by his condition, so he decided to ignore the distress calls of his body and keep up with his busy schedule.
As much as he felt like staying home and stare at nothing while his thoughts ate him, he decided it'd be best to overcome it and try to stick to his routine.
He had to review applications for open positions in the firm, then a meeting with the firm's accountant to make sure everything was alright financially and to build a new plan that'd use the budget appropriately . After that a meeting and then if he'd find time maybe lunch before he'd continue his day.
He knew at some point he would have to go through Archibald's case and update him, he didn't want to but he was a professional after all and he wouldn't let his personal feelings affect his work.
He'd just delay it as much as he could.
Real mature.
It was before his meeting with Mr Schwartz, that he got a short break that made him realize he wasn't really well and it had nothing to do with his feelings.
He recalled being outside last night at the cold for too long, and then after that he was dumb enough to stay long in the shower until the water ran cold.
He was probably coming down with something, but he couldn't cancel his meetings, they were too important.
He had no choice but to continue as usual.
"You're okay? you look a bit flushed "
his secretary commented as he passed her in the way to his office in order to retrieve some documents he needed.
"I'm fine" he shrugged .
Truth was he felt weakness and nausea, his legs almost gave up under his weight but he did his best to stay stable.
Come on Timothy, you can pull through it
He took a few minutes to sit down in his office to make the nausea go away before he got up and made his way out. He took the elevator down to the second floor where his meeting took place inside one of the conference rooms.
"Hello Mr Schwartz, how are you?"
He greeted the old man and shook his hand.
"Quite well son, and you? how are you catching up with this new position?"
Timothy did his best not to grimace as he poured them both water, he took a sip and shrugged.
"I'm not gonna lie, it would've been easier if my father was here. Right now I'm just trying to do my best without making too many mistakes."
He truly felt like his father dropped this on him out of the blue, he knew he had no bad intentions, on the contrary- he felt he was doing it on purpose in order to give him opportunity that he probably thought his son could manage. It was like a test and Timothy wouldn't allow himself to score less than perfect.
" I see, don't let the fear control you son. We learn through hardships and through mistakes, without them it'd be too easy and what's the fun in that?" Mr Schwartz said with a smile and Timothy nodded in appreciation. He was really fond of the old accountant .
" But I must say I couldn't believe your old man decided to just take off to god knows where! The man must be crazy if he thinks he's some young fella!" Mr Schwartz shook his head, "I tell you boy, it's all fun and games until he makes one wrong move and there goes his back!"
Timothy just hummed and tried not to burst in laugh as Mr Schwartz kept on. This meeting probably wouldn't be a short one.
He did his best to stay alert and listen but it was hard with the way his head ached and his vision was swirling. He blinked a few times until he could see clearer. All he wanted to do was lay his head on the table, close his eyes and rest.
"You okay son?"
Timothy forced a smile.
"I'm good ".
No matter what, he had to get through this day.