"Seth?"

Marianne remained paralyzed at the apartment doorway taking in the gut-wrenching scene unfolding before her. A feeling of dread and anxiety crept up from the pits of her stomach.

"W-what happened Seth?" She approached her friend warily before engulfing him into a tight hug. "Talk to me."

Ed was also shocked. "Is he okay?"

"What do you think?" Marianne snapped leaving the poor brunette in dismay. "He's bawling his eyes out so clearly he's not okay!"

"I was just—never mind." Ed sighed as he paved way for Seth and Marianne.

Ed took it upon himself to carry Seth's bags inside then he decided to give the two best friends some space. The last thing he wanted was to be an intruder, whatever that had hit his workmate must've been extremely tough on him.

"I'm sorry," Marianne muttered dejectedly. "I shouldn't have blown on you like that. That was..." Traces of shame infused with unadulterated regret were evident on her face.

"It's okay," Ed said. "Did he tell you what's wrong with him?"

"No." Marianne whispered. "I think it's something to do with Dr. Bravucci."

"Or maybe not," Ed muttered as he stroked his girlfriend's hair. He paused to seek eye contact. "It could be anything, love."

"He said he wants to be alone for now." Marianne was now an emotional wreck. She couldn't help but wonder what Dr. Bravucci must've done to upset Seth. The two were supposed to be in Italy up until the next five days meaning their vacation had been cut short.

"We need to respect that. Come on, let's catch a movie while we wait for him to open up." Ed suggested.

"Okay," she mumbled, "I'll make popcorn."

. . .

Twenty hours earlier

"Hey what are you thinking about?" Leonardo probed, interrupting Seth's thoughts. "You were smiling."

"I received a call from the group home a few minutes ago, my mom is starting to show signs of recovery. I think she's going to be just fine."

"That's great news." Leonardo said as he continued drying himself up. He'd just gotten out of a long shower. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks," Seth said, shamelessly stalking the drying towel as it gently rubbed against Leonardo's glistening skin. The resident willed himself to look away but not for too long, he just couldn't deprive himself of such a pleasant view. "Did you take care of yourself in the shower?"

"There's only one way to find out." Leonardo smirked tossing the towel somewhere on the floor.

"I guess you're right." Seth was trying so damn hard to appear cool despite himself. At one blink he realized Leonardo was actually closer than he'd anticipated.

"You remember what I said I was going to do to you when we were in Venice?" Leonardo asked.

"Yes..."

The resident's heart was pounding maniacally inside his chest. He didn't know what to expect when Leonardo moved away from him, his direction was aimed for a mini refrigerator at the corner of the room.

"I guess it's time for me to put my words into action."

Leonardo retrieved a bundle of red grapes from the fridge then he began to toy with two of them. He had his dark eyes locked with Seth's the whole time as he plopped the grapes into his mouth.

I think I just walked into my own grave. Did Seth regret it? Never.

Seth watched the rippling and shifting of muscles with every step that Leonardo took toward him dumbfounded. He was unable to control his growing hardness. The resident stepped forward to meet with Leonardo then he started tracing his jawline, enjoying the feel of that rough stubble on his fingers.

They stared at each other wordlessly. Both pairs of eyes burning a fire of passion. Seth pulled Leonardo's head and claimed his lips in an agonizingly slow kiss. The stark contrast of the cold grapes and their hot mouths sent jolts of salacious shivers inside their spines.

Seth's tongue unconsciously chased those grapes inside Leonardo's mouth until he found them. A moan then eluded his mouth when he felt the sweetness of syrup bursting inside his own mouth. Grape juice trickled from his lips down to his chin drawing a sharp intake of air from Leonardo.

"That was hot." Seth whispered as soon as he broke off the literal sweet kiss. "But now I have something else in mind." He pushed a naked Leonardo on the bed and making him fall on his back with a bounce.

"Do you mind if I blindfold you?" Seth inquired.

Leonardo's voice was filled with mirth. "Do I need a safe word now, master?"

Seth snorted. "I'm serious asshole, if the idea makes you uncomfortable we don't have to."

"Do it."

For a second Seth was dazed. "You want me to use a blindfold on you?"

"Yes, Mickelson."

Leonardo knew this essentially meant him losing control and only having to rely on sensation alone. Seth had no idea how much this meant for Leonardo. The older man was pouring out all his trust, the feeling of having no idea where exactly Seth was, or where he was going to touch him next was such a big deal to him.

Seth proceeded to use a blindfold on Leonardo. "Can you see me?" He asked just to be sure.

"I wish I could." The Italian doctor muttered drawing a soft chuckle from Seth.

"Just let yourself go."

Seth fished out some ice cubes from the mini fridge then he began to suck on one. Leonardo's senses were extremely heightened as he tried figuring out what was happening around him.

Seth teased Leonardo leisurely drawing a melting ice cube on his skin and reducing the man into a writhing mess right there on the mattress. All the nerves inside him perked up with full blown anticipation.

"God, Seth..." his breath hitched inside his throat. He couldn't describe what he was feeling at that moment.

The ice moved further down to his abs, circling around his navel and making him shudder helplessly. Seth made sure to avoid Leonardo's erogenous zones like his nipples and inner thighs, he was saving those areas for the very last minute. Seth's main objective was to drive his boss crazy with need.

"Do you even know how gorgeous you look right now," Seth hummed, flicking his now ice cold tongue on Leonardo's warm neck. "So vulnerable and desperate for me?"

"Seth you're going to kill me." Leonardo couldn't even recognize his own voice. He sounded so far away yet he was right there.

"I wouldn't want that for you baby, now would I?" The resident rasped sending a tremulous twitch directly to Leonardo's cock. "Tell me, what do you want?"

Leonardo shivered at Seth's cold tongue on his nipple. "I–I can't..." There was so much sensation as Seth began to brush his equally cold fingers on the other neglected bud.

"What do you want?" Seth paused what he was doing just to stare at the man who was at his mercy.

"More, give me more."

"I thought you'd never ask."

Seth was done playing games now. He moved to the bed hovering above Leonardo then he removed the blindfold only to meet with luminous dark entrancing eyes.

"What?" Leonardo whispered making Seth blink out of his reverie.

"Nothing." He replied, spreading Leonardo's legs to create enough space for him to work on.

"I love it when you do that." A soft moan gushed out of Leonardo when he felt Seth's tongue on his sac.

"Hmm..." the resident hummed mindlessly, concentrating on the job at hand.

Seth moved after a few minutes only to be pulled into a kiss which left both of them panting harshly for air. They could still taste the remnants of bourbon which was now intricately mixed with grape syrup on their tongues.

Leonardo kissed Seth for what he was worth, his hands roaming all over his body. Then he pushed Seth on his back, without giving him any significant time to recover, he took the resident's dick inside his mouth. Leonardo sucked him for a while until Seth gently pushed him away.

"That's enough, I don't want to finish in your mouth." Seth said in between pants. "Lie on your stomach for me."

Leonardo immediately complied giving Seth better access to his most intimate parts.

Seth leaned down to press tiny kisses at the back of Leonardo's legs drawing muffled groans from him. "Stunning." He murmured.

Seth took his time exploring Leonardo's body, teasing him until the man was running out of patience. "Fuck me, Seth." He struggled to breathe the second he felt Seth's tongue swirling tentatively around his entrance.

"You were saying?" Seth asked in a cocky voice and Leonardo arched his back, involuntarily begging for more tongue and Seth was right there to give it to him.

Seth kissed the back of Leonardo's neck whispering, "Do you still want to go through with this?"

"Y-yes, yes." Leonardo choked out, clawing on the bed sheets as Seth's tongue was immediately replaced with two lube slicked fingers. "I want this, I want you."

Seth continued moving his fingers inside of him, making sure he was slick and loosened well enough. "It will feel a bit uncomfortable at first but I will be gentle."

"I trust you." Leonardo moaned in response to Seth's fingers brushing that phenomenal spot inside of him which brought him to a frenzy.

Seth beckoned Leonardo to lie on his back instead. "Ready?"

At his nod, Seth poured a generous amount of lube on his own cock, making sure there was enough lubricant in all aspects. Leonardo's face twisted into a frown at Seth's first attempt to penetrate him.

"Look at me baby," Seth coaxed. "I need you to relax, can you do that for me?"

"It's too much...I don't think I can do this..." Leonardo was slowly losing his erection.

"Do you want me to stop?" Seth asked quietly, caressing Leonardo's face in a soothing way.

He knew it was going to be uncomfortable but he didn't know to what extent. Leonardo slowly breathed in and out forcing his sphincter muscles to relax then he told Seth to continue.

"Tell me to stop when the pain goes overboard." Seth whispered, peppering tiny kisses on Leonardo's cheek and jawline.

"Don't move."

Seth was now buried balls deep inside of him after a lot of lube and sweet-talk. "Are you okay?"

Leonardo did not reply immediately, his heart was pounding frantically inside his chest whilst his body was busy adjusting to Seth's size. "You can move now." he breathed, stroking Seth's back encouragingly.

Leonardo had never felt this way before, that emotional mix of pure excitement and volatility. Pain at the borderline of remarkable pleasure. Seth held him close as he tried to keep a slow pace.

"You're doing great baby," Seth leaned down to kiss Leonardo's lips, his thrusts growing a little bit harder and deeper. "You feel so good. So tight."

"Seth..." Leonardo cried out when Seth's hand began to stroke his neglected cock. "I won't last any longer."

"It's okay, let go."

Leonardo tried to hold onto the last bits and pieces of sanity left in him but the stimulation was just way too much. There was nothing like it. He lost himself completely to Seth coming all over his hand that was stroking him muttering his name over and over again like a prayer.

"Damn baby." Seth growled, feeling those familiar ripples attacking him with full force when Leonardo's tight muscles clenched around him. Leonardo whimpered at a sudden sloosh of warmness spurting inside of him.

"I hope you're clean because we didn't use protection." Seth said in between short ragged breaths.

"I am," Leonardo murmured tiredly. "Are you?"

"Yeah," Seth breathed, placing a kiss on Leonardo's cheek. "I'm sorry, I honestly forgot."

"We're both clean, it's fine and besides, we can always get ahead of it tomorrow morning at the nearest clinic." Leonardo shrugged. "I can't believe I did this."

"Which part? Barebacking or bottoming?"

"Both," Leonardo replied with a weary chuckle. "Have you ever—"

Seth knew what Leonardo was going to ask so he responded before he could even finish, "I've always used protection all my life."

"There's a first time for everything." Leonardo joked. "I just bottomed for you, didn't I?"

"And you were amazing." Seth smiled finally pulling out of that hot channel eliciting a low inciting moan from Leonardo. "Christ..."

Seth felt boneless as he started for the connecting bathroom. He later on brought warm wet wipes that he used to clean Leonardo and himself. When he went to dispose of the wipes his boss was already breathing at a steady pace and his eyes were fluttered shut.

"I think I'm falling for you," Seth whispered, pressing a tiny kiss on Leonardo's forehead. In Seth's head, Leonardo was sleeping then he left the room.

. . .

It was around eleven o'clock at night when Seth decided to take a stroll outside, his emotions were scattered all over the place and he needed to get a grip of himself.

"I never expected to bump into you in Italia, Felix is it?" The voice was painfully familiar,

This was bad, really bad.

Seth's pulse was racing when he saw none other than Aiden Black prancing towards him. "You look even more irresistible than the last time I saw you."

"What are you doing here?" Seth cussed himself once that pathetic question left his mouth.

Aiden had an evil smirk on his lips. "Business. But the interesting question is what are you doing here?"

Seth failed to speak. He couldn't believe Aiden of all people was right in front of him.

"Oh I know," Aiden sounded casual. "You're obviously sleeping with Leonardo and my poor friend doesn't know your true colors, yet."

Aiden and Leonardo are friends? Seth was conflicted. He was irrevocably screwed.

"So, you're still using your pretty boy looks to deceive people just like you did with me?" Aiden was getting angry considering how his voice was deepening with emotion. "Are you going to answer me asshole?"

"I'll pay you back your money, I swear."

"You think this is about money?" Aiden laughed. "Kid, I make tens of thousands in a couple of hours. This is about people like you. A fraud."

Seth did nothing but stare at his feet in uttermost shame. "Look at me when I'm talking to you Seth Mickelson." Aiden growled. "You drugged me that night, didn't you?"

"I'm so sorry." Seth choked on his spit. "It wasn't my inten—"

"Save your breath!" Aiden cut him off. "I won't let you repeat the same shit on anyone else, especially the people I care about. Leave, right now." It was a direct order.

"I love him." Seth whispered quietly but Aiden was still able to catch the confession.

"Shut up, either you lose your license to practice medicine or you walk away right now. The ball is in your court, Seth."

Losing his license meant he'd be screwed for the rest of his life. It also meant he won't be able to pay for his mother's healthcare, his student loan and his rent and a lot more. Damn, this man was the epitome of pure evil. But he'd done worse to him.

"Fine. I will go."

"You said you loved him, so why aren't you putting up a fight for him?" Aiden asked with a frown on his face.

"Because I don't have a choice, do I?"

"I made sure you didn't have one." Aiden sneered. "Safe journey on your way back to your shithole in San Francisco."

"I'm sorry," Seth muttered to no one in particular.

Aiden was not hiding his irritation, he wanted Seth out with immediate effect. "Just hurry the fuck up!"

"Tell Leo I said I'm sorry." With that being said, Seth packed his stuff and left.