Meant To Be (An Antoine Griezmann Fanfiction) [BoyxBoy]

A No-Thanksgiving

Chapter Thirty

It was almost midnight when Antoine and Caleb's family finished the thanksgiving dinner. They had shared a lot of laughs and funny stories about each other. Taylor had pictured Antoine as someone super cocky— and even though he was definitely cocky— she would have never pictured him as a down-to-earth and very charming man. As they got up to go to the living room, Antoine could notice that Taylor's brother-in-law was being a little too close to Caleb. He stared at them as he picked up the dishes before finding an excuse to get Caleb away from him.

"Caleb, would you help me with the glasses please?" Antoine asked him nicely.

"I'll do it" Luke replied eagerly as he hopped out of his seat.

He followed Antoine to the kitchen and left the glasses over the kitchen island while Antoine prepared the dishwasher. Luke analyzed Antoine with his eyes as he tried to fit all the dishes inside. Antoine asked him to pass him the rest of the dishes and Luke obediently followed. There was some palpable tension in the air as only the sound of cutlery avoided them of being surrounded by an awkward silence.

"By the way, thank you for dinner" Luke commented awkwardly.

"Yeah, my treat" Antoine scoffed.

"Did I say something wrong?" Luke looked at Antoine.

"No" Antoine replied dryly. "I just don't appreciate you flirting with my boyfriend in my face."

"We're family, man" Luke chuckled. "Relax."

"It better stays like that" Antoine hissed as he violently closed the dishwasher door, making all the dishes cling inside it.

"I don't know what the bloody hell is wrong with you, but I'm not trying to steal your man or whatever" Luke snapped as Antoine was getting on his nerves. "Calm down or I'll calm you down."

"Yeah?" Antoine replied defiantly. "Calm me down, then."

"Hey, guys" interrupted Caleb the clash of egos as he entered through the kitchen door. "Everything alright?"

"I guess" Luke shrugged. Antoine didn't respond.

"What are you guys up to?" Caleb asked as he analyzed the situation.

"Just some friendly taking" Luke replied ironically. "Right, Antoine?"

"Whatever" Antoine rolled his eyes.

"Well, I will go and keep an eye on Maxi" Luke announced. "He's been too quite this evening."

"Like if somebody asked him to go check on him" Antoine snarled as Luke left the kitchen. "He's so annoying."

"What wrong with you?" Caleb wheezed as he realized how bitter Antoine was towards Luke. "Luke is a really nice guy."

"I don't like him" Antoine shrugged.

"Are you a tiny bit jealous, maybe?" Caleb chuckled.

"Of course!" Antoine exclaimed. "He was getting a little too close to you."

"There's no need to be jealous" Caleb smiled. "He is just being friendly, we ought to, my sister and his brother are married."

"Don't be so naïve, Caleb" Antoine snapped. "He is into you, I can tell."

"Well, even if he is, he is not my type" Caleb assured him. "I'm more into French guys with cute little accents, brown hair, stunning hazel eyes, beautiful smiles and nice legs."

"Shut up" Antoine laughed.

"Maybe you know any guys like that" Caleb smiled.

"Just one" Antoine smirked. "But, he may not be that into you, though."

"Are you sure about that?" Caleb whispered in Antoine's ear as he got closer to him and making him shiver.

"Anyway" Caleb trailed off. "Thank you for today, it was nice to have my family over."

"Don't even mention it" Antoine smiled. "I like your sister and baby Maximo is just to die for."

"It really means a lot to me" Caleb gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Speaking of..."

Antoine eyed him.

"Taylor asked us, specifically, if we could take care of Maximo while they go a couple of days to Mont Blanc" Caleb said. "Just a couple of days, they want to take the cable car to do some skiing."

"Are you kidding?" Antoine replied. "I'd love to."

"Great, because I already said yes" Caleb chuckled as Antoine looked at him in a mildly reproaching way.

The night turned into day as the five of them spent the rest of the evening talking and emptying bottles of wine. Antoine had finished his morning workout when he received a call from his lawyer. He had to sit down to take in the news his lawyer was telling him and managed to gain back the strength to get back on his feet. He found Caleb cheerfully embracing the baby in the rocking chair when he hopelessly looked at him. Caleb noticed Antoine standing by the door and let the baby down inside his crib.

"Why the long face?" Caleb whispered as he closed the door.

"I have bad news" Antoine sighed.

"Tell me already" Caleb ushered.

"My lawyer just called me regarding the lawsuit against the hospital..." Antoine trailed off.

"And..?" Caleb demanded desperately.

"There is nothing we can do" Antoine said. "They have a witness."

"Who!?" Caleb exclaimed.

"Gabriel" Antoine scoffed. "He reached out to the hospital legal team and blurted everything out, he basically threw you under the bus."

"That son of a..."

"I'm so sorry, Caleb" Antoine cut him off.

"Does that mean...?" Caleb shut his mouth with his hand.

"Yes" Antoine replied after a few seconds.

"Is there really anything we can't do?" Caleb asked in the verge of falling apart.

"No, Caleb" Antoine said gloomily as he drew nearer to him.

"But..." Caleb shook his head in disbelief. "I had just applied for an internship in surgery."

"I'm so sorry" Antoine patted him in the back.

"I was just getting started" Caleb held his head in his hands.

"I know" Antoine sighed.

"So, this means?" Caleb asked again.

"Yes, Caleb" Antoine modded.

"I need you to say it" Caleb raised his gaze.

"Yes, Caleb" Antoine inhaled. "You will loose you medical license."

"And there is nothing..?" Caleb trailed off.

"And there is nothing we can do" Antoine affirmed.

"Fuck!" Caleb yelled angrily, punching the wall next to him. "I'm screwed."

They sat there motionless staring blankly at the window in front of them. Antoine embraced Caleb with his left arm and they both stayed still looking at how the pine outside the window swayed with the wind.

"I'm so sorry" Antoine whispered. "I promise you I tried."

"I know" Caleb shrugged. "It's not you fault."

"I promise everything will be okay" Antoine whispered as he caressed Caleb's hair. "Everything will be okay..."

Spoiler: things were just starting to get worse...