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"Long time no see, Orino."

The man watched with a fine smile how all blood fled from Alessandro's face. Pale as a shroud the blond tried to catch a word -- but his mind was empty, except for the echo of a name long banned from his memories. "Daniele?"

Daniele's smile widened.

He was so familiar, yet so different. He recognized him still, but he was something else entirely. Like two pictures laid on top of each other -- a stranger and a best friend. It was little changes, just enough to realize how much time had really passed, even when it felt like yesterday. His hair was longer, no longer brushing his shoulders, usually tousled, but perfectly arranged waves cascading down his back. He was paler, no longer as tanned from their days in the sun.

Yet it was something else that fully alienated him. His eyes had turned to empty, cold glass. His gestures had always been sweeping, overly dramatic, with a natural love for attention, now they appeared staged. Everything about him was so ... artificial. Only that one scar remained real, the long vertical cut through his eyebrow, down to his cheekbone. He had never told Alessandro how he had gotten it, it just had appeared one day.

"I always thought you'd come see me," Daniele said. His breath smelled like fine wine.

"Why would I do that?"

Daniele laughed. "You are reckless like that. Really, I expected you storm in and strangle me. Rushing in without thinking is what boils in that hot blood of yours."

"Not anymore," Alessandro's throat was rough. He had to force the words out through a choking tightness.

Daniele laughed his fake glass laugh again.

Alessandro wanted to take it and smash it against the wall, have a thousand crystal pieces fly around them and tear their skin open.

"You have changed, Orino." The old nickname brushed over Alessandro's cheek, a sigh from the canyon of their past. So close, so far away -- Daniele had set the bridges on fire, Alessandro had torn them down and scorched his hands.

Too close, too familiar. Alessandro took a step back. "Don't call me that." He turnt around.

"Sit with me, Orino. I wanted to talk to you for ages."

"I don't care what you want." Alessandro stopped, jaw clenching.

"Ah, I know. You have made that very clear. I'm feeling generous today, how about a compromise? I'll walk with you, we will get to chat and you get out of here."

"No."

"You never knew what was best for you," Daniele sighed behind him.

Too close again. Alessandro could feel the warmth of his body. That had always been his problem -- Daniele had always been so close.

"I wanted to talk to you about your job."

Alessandro stiffened. No.

"The job I got you. I hear the people adore you," a slow smile spread on Daniele's lips. "You are welcome by the way."

"You forced me into it. I never wanted--"

"But you are so wonderfully suited for this. As soon as I heard about what happened, I just knew I had to give you this opportunity. Catching all those cruel, cruel murderers, they think you're a hero!"

No. Not now. Daniele wouldn't dare. Not here. Daniele dared, of course. He always did. Alessandro felt the whisper before he heard it.

"After all," the fake smile had sneaked into his voice, "It takes one to catch one."

No. The words sneaked under his skin, wound through his bones and around his lungs, squeezing all air out of them. Alessandro felt light headed. The floor swayed like a tiny fishing boat in a storm, threatening to burst and shatter, leaving Alessandro to plunge into ice cold water and drown in his sins. He felt a hand on his shoulder. A pleased smile stabbed him.

"My, you look a bit pale. Why don't we get outside? I'm sure a bit of fresh air would do wonders."

He bowed his head. When Daniele led him to the door, he was a convict on his way to the gallows.

Steps caught up with them. "Alessandro, where are you going--"

Lorenzo. Alessandro wanted to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Why, for a walk of course," Daniele said, blocking Lorenzo's way.

Lorenzo shot Alessandro an uncertain look. "Are you ok? Maybe I should come with--"

"Stay out of this, will you? The firstborns are talking." Daniele whisked Alessandro away.

The cool night air was a liberation. The sky was open and deep and Alessandro could breathe again. They stood on the streets, no where to go. The breeze rustled their shirts. When Alessandro turnt his head to look at Daniele, he found him mustering him already. Daniele turnt back to look at the sky.

"You've cut your hair," Daniele said to the stars. For a second, Alessandro knew his face again. Then it was gone. "Doesn't suit you. It's been three years and you have managed to age ten," he sneered. "Then again, you have always done everything so grandiosely excessively."

Alessandro stayed silent, making his way down the street. These streets ... He walked over the grave of their memories. They had stained them with laughter and wine.

"So harsh now, so stoic. Talking like a commander, looking like a statue, do you recognize yourself when you look into the mirror? Or can't you bear to look at what you have become?"

Alessandro didn't reply.

"You know, in the beginning, I thought you loved everyone," Daniele laughed quietly, "Then, I thought you loved no one but yourself. But now? Now you don't even do that anymore."

"I loved you. You were my friend," Alessandro spoke into the empty night ahead of them.

"If you had loved me there would never have been a problem."

"That's a lesson you have never learnt," Alessandro spat, "You can't have everything!"

"I never wanted everything! I wanted you! You were everything!"

Alessandro's heart dropped onto the cold cobblestone and shattered into a billion pieces. Not again. "You betrayed me!"

"No, Alessandro. That's what you tell yourself to sleep at night."

"You don't know me." Alessandro refused to look at Daniele.

"Clearly. I was quite surprised when I found out my best friend is a cold blooded murderer."

"I'm not," Alessandro repeated what he had gasped a thousand times, in front of the mirror on the commode. Dull, bloodshot eyes staring back at him. "a murderer."

"Really?" Daniele whirled around, grabbing Alessandro's collar. He sent them barreling straight into a wall. "I begged you! I begged you to say it wasn't you! I would've believed everything! Tell me you didn't kill that man! Tell me you didn't wash his blood off your hands! Tell me you didn't do it! TELL ME!"

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I did." The inspector went limp, knees giving out under him. Only the other's grip kept him standing. "But Dan, I swear to you, I don't know why! I swear, I'm not a murderer!" He desperately clutched the old friend's arm. Who are you telling that? Him? Or yourself?

"That's exactly what you are, Alessandro."

"What do you want from me? I did everything you asked me to. Everything your father told me. Everything."

"I want you to hurt! I want you to hurt like I hurt! Like I hurt when you tossed me away like some... some garbage! I want you to hurt like I did when father told me you killed someone! I want you to hurt like I hurt every single day!" Daniele shook Alessandro, the taller man just a rag doll in his hands.

"You don't know my pain. I hate lying!"

"Well, how terribly inconvenient for you! I hate loving a murderer!"

Alessandro blinked. "You--?"

Daniele smiled sadly. "Let's break our hearts a little more, shall we?"

Then all air between them vanished. When Daniele's lips crashed against Alessandro's the pain sparked tenfold, tearing through his chest. No. He was so warm, so alive. So hurt. So angry. So angry. The edges of the stones behind Alessandro stabbed into his back and Daniele pressed against his body, harsh, unforgiving. He didn't deserve forgiveness.

Daniele's hand pressed against his chest, fingers tightening over silk and skin. Clawing at his chest as if he wanted to break through muscle and bone and tear his heart apart.

Alessandro went rigid, muscles locking. There was a hand in his hair -- but it was too short to grab now, nails digging into his scalp instead. Too close.

Panic rose, like vomit. He could move again. Struggled. Daniele flew off of him, shoved against the opposite wall. Alessandro panted, large gasps not enough to fill his screaming lungs. Then he turnt and ran.

"You stay right here or I swear!" The shout yanked him back like a chain around his neck.

Daniele came towards him, wiping his lips. His hair was messed up and his eyes burnt. "You are not going anywhere."

"Stay away from me."

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Daniele laughed.

Alessandro hated himself for the worried glance. For a second, a different fear had exploded in his chest, when he realized he had flung Daniele against that wall. But the other wasn't hurt. How stupid he was. "What do you want?"

"I told you. I want you to hurt. I can't have you hanged, unfortunately, it's been so long and those little people love you just so much." Daniele inspected his nails, feigning boredom. "But, even better! You'll be exiled, stripped of your post, your name, your family. I'll take all of it away from you, just like you took everything from me. And your pain shall soothe mine."

"It doesn't work like that, Daniele," Alessandro shook his head. He was tired.

"Probably not, but I feel like it!"

A shadow dropped from a balcony behind Daniele. "Too bad, I'll have to step in here." Giacinto straightened his shirt. "Back off, girly hair."

"I know you, you're just another drunk drifting from bar to bar. Don't play brave, boy, leave while I still let you."

"Brave? Me?" Giacinto laughed, taking a last swig from a bottle in his hands before he tossed it away. It shattered somewhere in the darkness behind them. "How about you leave while I still let you? Personally, I don't give a shit about your little drama here. But, you see, I still need that man. So, fuck off."

"How dare you? Who do you think I am?" Daniele stepped closer to Giacinto.

The Greek just grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He didn't back away one inch. "Do you want an honest answer to that?"

These were two men that never should have met. This would end horribly. But Alessandro couldn't step in. One word from Daniele and everything he still had would burn.

"Leave, girly, now. I'm not a patient man," Giacinto said.

"You're barely a man," Daniele looked down at the other, wrinkling his nose. "I am--"

"A spoilt brat, but I think that's not what you mean, girly. I'll say it one last time, he comes with me. And if you try to stop me I'll nail you to this door with your own dagger."

"You don't talk to me that way! You've got some money and think you can mingle with us? One word and my father will crush you!"

Alessandro tensed. That wasn't an empty threat -- the Cornaro family was powerful, they shared the blood of kings.

Giacinto threw his head back and laughed. It echoed from the houses around them. "If I asked him to, your father would serve me your head on a silver plate. He wouldn't even hesitate."

"Who do you think you are?! Talking to me like this --"

"Come closer, I'll tell you a secret," Giacinto's lips curled into a sly smile.

Daniele stepped closer. Even he didn't seem to be able to resist the strange man's mysteries.

Giacinto leant up, whispering something. Daniele pulled away as if the words burnt him. "Liar!"

The Greek fished something out of his pocket. A ring? He slipped it onto his finger.

"Wearing a fake seal ring is punishable by death. Still think I'm lying? Let's go to your father, see if he recognizes me. If he doesn't, I'll hang for this. If he does ..."

Daniele paled.

"But, since I'm such a nice person, I'll let you go. If," something wicked tugged at his lips, "you properly say goodbye to me."

"Never!"

"You know what to do, girly."

They stared at each other, tension crackling through the alley. The air was charged with energy, seconds before a lightning would strike.

Then Daniele sunk to his knees. Reached out. Took Giacinto's hand. Bowed his head. Kissed the ring. "Your grace." Then he jumped up, scrambled away. Before he turnt, Alessandro caught the ice in those glass eyes. Just like in their years together, he understood without words being spoken. But this time, it sent a chill down his neck. You will regret this.

Giacinto mustered him. "Go home, giant. You need some sleep. And frankly, I don't want to spend my night rescuing you."

"He'll get revenge." God, Alessandro just wanted to sleep. Let the darkness claim his mind.

"Of course, he's proud. That made it all the more fun. I can handle what he'll throw at me. You clearly can't. Say thank you and let it be."

"How much did you ... hear?" But he wouldn't be talking to him this casually if he knew who Alessandro truly was. What he was. Or would he? Maybe he -

"Some confessions, some threats," Giacinto shrugged. "I just happened to sit on that roof." He turnt, jumped, climbed.

Alessandro stood there, lost, again, alone, again. Just when the man was a black silhouette at the edge of the roof, he came to his senses. "Wait! Who are you?"

A laugh floated up into the night. "Just another drunkard!"

Then he was gone.

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I tried to make this chapter more emotional, while still raising some questions and answering others! At least we've gotten a glimpse at what has happened in Alessandro's past. Did you find it emotional enough? Got any theories about them?

What do you think of Coreno (Cornaro+Steno, due to a lack of a better shipping name for Daniele and Alessandro)?

Thank you for reading, you're awesome, have a great day!

Avis