Chapter 23 :-)
Dec. 30th, 2009 11:15 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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tr_ficTitle: The Eternal Heartache, Chapter 23 of ???
Characters (this part only): Raul Gonzalez/Pep Guardiola, Raul/Guti implied
Rating: R for one scene ;-)
Words: this chapter is 1,829 ; new total is 61,254
A/N: You’re going to want a box of tissues on stand-by lovelies :/ This chapter dedicated to my incredibly wonderful muse, and rock through the storm,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
melj1213 =-) I encoded a song that you might want to listen to because it's REALLY really good and totally fits the scene. :-)
Last part here. All previous parts listed here.
From The Last Chapter: Pep takes Raul, Bojan, & Cesc to the Classico where Cesc thinks he sees Iker and a woman together.
The great domed tower in the heart of the city glowed a brilliant red and a majestic blue in honor of the triumph of the evening. Everywhere around the city, even those who didn’t even like football, celebrated the come back victory over their bitterest rivals. The culés wore brilliant grins and proud smiles as they laughed their way home or out to the nearest bar. The despondent Blancos simply wanted to go home and forget what they almost had achieved but had been denied at the last moment.
Cars traveled down La Rambla underneath the bright lights that lined the street. People walked down the streets, laughing and smiling, some celebrating the victory, others just enjoying the company of their companions.
On the corner, a restaurant that was usually alit and had patrons floating in and out as time passed, remained heavily quiet and all but empty. The lights were still on but all of the doors were locked. The dark, rich wood of the tables was polished and reflected the light; the chairs were all pushed in, the linens folded and cleaned. In the back room, the dishes were all put away, and the flatware was sparkling and cleaned as they were rolled up in their linens. Even the stage where the grand piano and band usually played was tidily kept and clean.
A lone man sat at one of the tables and looked through the window out onto the street. He did not see happy couples strolling hand in hand down the boulevard. He did not hear the traffic from the street or the laughter by the pedestrians.
Instead, he heard a melody of a piano played two decades in the past. He had been a year older than his companion and had promised to watch out for him. He would have done so anyway, as was his devotion to the boy. Due to an argument with Raul’s family, the dark haired boy had agreed quickly to come with Guti on a trip to visit Guti’s grandparents in Barcelona. They had been walking through the Plaça de Catalunya when the swift caress of fate had altered three men’s lives.
Guti had never learned to forget and forgive fate for taking away Raul that day. He still could not see past his utmost contempt for the older man, a man who had been well into university when a younger Raul had met him. Guti had stepped aside, his eternal mistake, and allowed the formal and smooth-talking Catalan a place in Raul’s heart.
He hated himself for what he had allowed to happen; he hated Pep for filling that gap and being so incredibly spectacular to Raul. For twenty years, Guti watched the fights and the making up from the best friend’s position. He knew that he was hated and despised from Pep’s perspective but that did not bother him as the feeling was entirely mutual.
But this time, he was sure it had been over. The two had never been on more unsteady ground and the fight had just been the crest of the wave of problems. Guti had been sure that the scales had been tipped in his favor at last and he could now begin work on what he had missed out on for so long. Guti had expected Pep to call, he was certain that he would, it had only been sheer dumb luck that he had been the one to answer the phone that day.
Guti blinked at the polished wooden surface of the table and seemed to come back to himself and leave the past behind, temporarily. He cleared his throat and downed the shot of tequila that had been waiting on him for God knew how long. He lifted his hand to his face and tried to remember what it was he wanted to say. His mind thought of a hundred things that he wanted to say and to do to leave behind to his Raul but nothing that seemed appropriate enough came to mind.
He looked out the window and saw a young couple pause and look down the street at something unknown to him. As he watched, the young man tilted the woman’s face gently and kissed her on the mouth. It was such a tender moment that Guti deflected his eyes, that was too private a thing for a sad wretch of a man like him to witness.
Then it came to him. It wasn’t much, but it was something and it meant something deeper to him than what his own words could say. He jotted the words down on the paper before he folded it and stuck it inside the envelope that held his letter of dismissal. He sealed the envelope and left it on the table as he stood up and put the tequila back in the liquor cabinet.
Guti picked up the ivory envelope and took a dark red rose from one of the vases as he walked towards Raul’s office. He let himself in with the key that Raul had given him so long ago and stepped closer to the desk that was scattered with papers. Raul had never been overly organized, he recalled absently as he moved a few of the loose-leaf sheets out of the way to put the letter down on the desk. Guti put the key on top followed by the rose before he turned his back and started for the door.
As he turned the lock behind him, he spared one last glance to the empty office. He committed it to memory and then he shut the door. At long, long last, his body was free. His mind and heart, however, were still very much imprisoned in that room.
The sunlight streamed in through the gauzy curtains and ran across the floor of the room to drape across the bed. The sheets and blankets were strewn around, wound tightly amongst the two bodies that occupied it.
Pep didn’t open his eyes at first, but he found himself with a smile on his face anyway. He was warm, safe, and intensely happy. He recalled the night before with great happiness, even comforting a pouting Raul hadn’t been too much of a chore. They had not left each other’s side for more than a few moments since Friday night.
He kissed the warm skin of Raul’s shoulder and pulled the younger man’s body even closer against his. He heard the breathy chuckle and was rewarded with playful sparkles of light in Raul’s freshly ignited eyes. The man smiled brightly and pressed back into Pep’s hips, which caused the man to hiss softly. Raul turned his head and Pep shifted forward to kiss him hotly.
Raul moaned and shifted so that he clung to Pep tightly as they kissed. Chest to chest, arms and legs entwined, they woke each other up in the way that they had mastered. They moved in sync with each other; bodies moving in perfect order with the other to create the right amount of friction between them.
Pep smiled against Raul’s throat when he gasped and tugged at his hair. He had maneuvered them so that Raul was on his back, arched into his arms. Pep kissed lower down his neck till he came to rest at one of his nipples. As he sucked on the hard bud, Raul tugged his hair even tighter.
“Oh please, please…” Raul begged softly. “I still haven’t had enough of you yet for this torture.”
Pep flicked his tongue over Raul’s nipple once more before he slid up to slide his lips over Raul’s. Raul moaned into his mouth and pulled him closer. As Pep made to pull Raul’s legs over his waist, the sound of the toilet flushing filled their ears.
Pep groaned and leaned down to hold Raul tightly. His face pressed into Raul’s neck and he inhaled. “I’m sorry meu cor*.”
Raul kissed the side of Pep’s face and trailed his fingers up Pep’s back. “You can make it up to me tonight. I have to go in to the restaurant for a little while today anyway.”
Pep turned his head and kissed Raul deeply before he pulled away and sat up. Raul sat up reluctantly too and kissed Pep once more. “I had better get going. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“All right.” Pep smiled and squeezed Raul’s shoulder as he leaned over to kiss him again. “You know, I don’t think I could ever stop kissing you.”
Raul smiled as they parted. “Then don’t.”
They shared a lovers’ smile that ended when Raul shifted to get out from under the blankets. Pep watched as Raul moved around his bedroom and went into his closet. From inside he heard the hangers scraping on the metal as Raul went through his wardrobe looking for something to wear.
“You have too many suits!” Raul called from inside.
Pep chuckled and reached for his robe. He tied the sash tight as he stepped behind Raul. “I guess you have a point there.”
Raul closed his eyes and leaned back. “You don’t want me to go do you?”
Pep’s lips moved up the elegantly smooth column of Raul’s neck. “I never want you to go, ever. I mean that.”
Raul moaned slightly. “I promise you, I won’t leave you again.”
“I won’t ever give you a reason to.”
Raul opened the front door to the dark restaurant and walked inside. He closed the restaurant on Sunday and balanced his books. It had been his routine since he’d opened the restaurant fifteen years ago. Guti would make lunch and they’d go over the books together.
He sighed as he poured himself a glass of wine from his collection. He doubted that Guti would be coming in for their precious routine today. Raul hadn’t spoken to Guti since he’d walked out on him on Friday—he really hadn’t had much time to himself to do that.
Raul made his way to his office, turning on a few lights in the process. He unlocked the door to his office and went inside, mentally preparing himself for the task ahead. He had never had Pep’s accounting skills but he managed on his own to get by. Raul stopped and frowned when he saw a rose and an envelope on his desk.
He picked it up and noticed the familiar handwriting and opened it with an increase in heartbeat. He first saw the letter of resignation and he swallowed as he sat down heavily. Raul never wanted Guti to quit, he was the best sous chef anywhere, let alone in town. His frown increased when he picked up the second piece of paper.
“Oh Guti.”
As he read the small line, he felt his heart squeeze painfully. Tears pricked at his eyes but the words did not change.
‘I’ll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I love so well.*’
meu cor = my heart in Catalan
‘I’ll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I love so well’ – from Act II, Scene I of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Characters (this part only): Raul Gonzalez/Pep Guardiola, Raul/Guti implied
Rating: R for one scene ;-)
Words: this chapter is 1,829 ; new total is 61,254
A/N: You’re going to want a box of tissues on stand-by lovelies :/ This chapter dedicated to my incredibly wonderful muse, and rock through the storm,
melj1213 =-) I encoded a song that you might want to listen to because it's REALLY really good and totally fits the scene. :-)Last part here. All previous parts listed here.
From The Last Chapter: Pep takes Raul, Bojan, & Cesc to the Classico where Cesc thinks he sees Iker and a woman together.
The great domed tower in the heart of the city glowed a brilliant red and a majestic blue in honor of the triumph of the evening. Everywhere around the city, even those who didn’t even like football, celebrated the come back victory over their bitterest rivals. The culés wore brilliant grins and proud smiles as they laughed their way home or out to the nearest bar. The despondent Blancos simply wanted to go home and forget what they almost had achieved but had been denied at the last moment.
Cars traveled down La Rambla underneath the bright lights that lined the street. People walked down the streets, laughing and smiling, some celebrating the victory, others just enjoying the company of their companions.
On the corner, a restaurant that was usually alit and had patrons floating in and out as time passed, remained heavily quiet and all but empty. The lights were still on but all of the doors were locked. The dark, rich wood of the tables was polished and reflected the light; the chairs were all pushed in, the linens folded and cleaned. In the back room, the dishes were all put away, and the flatware was sparkling and cleaned as they were rolled up in their linens. Even the stage where the grand piano and band usually played was tidily kept and clean.
A lone man sat at one of the tables and looked through the window out onto the street. He did not see happy couples strolling hand in hand down the boulevard. He did not hear the traffic from the street or the laughter by the pedestrians.
Instead, he heard a melody of a piano played two decades in the past. He had been a year older than his companion and had promised to watch out for him. He would have done so anyway, as was his devotion to the boy. Due to an argument with Raul’s family, the dark haired boy had agreed quickly to come with Guti on a trip to visit Guti’s grandparents in Barcelona. They had been walking through the Plaça de Catalunya when the swift caress of fate had altered three men’s lives.
Guti had never learned to forget and forgive fate for taking away Raul that day. He still could not see past his utmost contempt for the older man, a man who had been well into university when a younger Raul had met him. Guti had stepped aside, his eternal mistake, and allowed the formal and smooth-talking Catalan a place in Raul’s heart.
He hated himself for what he had allowed to happen; he hated Pep for filling that gap and being so incredibly spectacular to Raul. For twenty years, Guti watched the fights and the making up from the best friend’s position. He knew that he was hated and despised from Pep’s perspective but that did not bother him as the feeling was entirely mutual.
But this time, he was sure it had been over. The two had never been on more unsteady ground and the fight had just been the crest of the wave of problems. Guti had been sure that the scales had been tipped in his favor at last and he could now begin work on what he had missed out on for so long. Guti had expected Pep to call, he was certain that he would, it had only been sheer dumb luck that he had been the one to answer the phone that day.
Guti blinked at the polished wooden surface of the table and seemed to come back to himself and leave the past behind, temporarily. He cleared his throat and downed the shot of tequila that had been waiting on him for God knew how long. He lifted his hand to his face and tried to remember what it was he wanted to say. His mind thought of a hundred things that he wanted to say and to do to leave behind to his Raul but nothing that seemed appropriate enough came to mind.
He looked out the window and saw a young couple pause and look down the street at something unknown to him. As he watched, the young man tilted the woman’s face gently and kissed her on the mouth. It was such a tender moment that Guti deflected his eyes, that was too private a thing for a sad wretch of a man like him to witness.
Then it came to him. It wasn’t much, but it was something and it meant something deeper to him than what his own words could say. He jotted the words down on the paper before he folded it and stuck it inside the envelope that held his letter of dismissal. He sealed the envelope and left it on the table as he stood up and put the tequila back in the liquor cabinet.
Guti picked up the ivory envelope and took a dark red rose from one of the vases as he walked towards Raul’s office. He let himself in with the key that Raul had given him so long ago and stepped closer to the desk that was scattered with papers. Raul had never been overly organized, he recalled absently as he moved a few of the loose-leaf sheets out of the way to put the letter down on the desk. Guti put the key on top followed by the rose before he turned his back and started for the door.
As he turned the lock behind him, he spared one last glance to the empty office. He committed it to memory and then he shut the door. At long, long last, his body was free. His mind and heart, however, were still very much imprisoned in that room.
The sunlight streamed in through the gauzy curtains and ran across the floor of the room to drape across the bed. The sheets and blankets were strewn around, wound tightly amongst the two bodies that occupied it.
Pep didn’t open his eyes at first, but he found himself with a smile on his face anyway. He was warm, safe, and intensely happy. He recalled the night before with great happiness, even comforting a pouting Raul hadn’t been too much of a chore. They had not left each other’s side for more than a few moments since Friday night.
He kissed the warm skin of Raul’s shoulder and pulled the younger man’s body even closer against his. He heard the breathy chuckle and was rewarded with playful sparkles of light in Raul’s freshly ignited eyes. The man smiled brightly and pressed back into Pep’s hips, which caused the man to hiss softly. Raul turned his head and Pep shifted forward to kiss him hotly.
Raul moaned and shifted so that he clung to Pep tightly as they kissed. Chest to chest, arms and legs entwined, they woke each other up in the way that they had mastered. They moved in sync with each other; bodies moving in perfect order with the other to create the right amount of friction between them.
Pep smiled against Raul’s throat when he gasped and tugged at his hair. He had maneuvered them so that Raul was on his back, arched into his arms. Pep kissed lower down his neck till he came to rest at one of his nipples. As he sucked on the hard bud, Raul tugged his hair even tighter.
“Oh please, please…” Raul begged softly. “I still haven’t had enough of you yet for this torture.”
Pep flicked his tongue over Raul’s nipple once more before he slid up to slide his lips over Raul’s. Raul moaned into his mouth and pulled him closer. As Pep made to pull Raul’s legs over his waist, the sound of the toilet flushing filled their ears.
Pep groaned and leaned down to hold Raul tightly. His face pressed into Raul’s neck and he inhaled. “I’m sorry meu cor*.”
Raul kissed the side of Pep’s face and trailed his fingers up Pep’s back. “You can make it up to me tonight. I have to go in to the restaurant for a little while today anyway.”
Pep turned his head and kissed Raul deeply before he pulled away and sat up. Raul sat up reluctantly too and kissed Pep once more. “I had better get going. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“All right.” Pep smiled and squeezed Raul’s shoulder as he leaned over to kiss him again. “You know, I don’t think I could ever stop kissing you.”
Raul smiled as they parted. “Then don’t.”
They shared a lovers’ smile that ended when Raul shifted to get out from under the blankets. Pep watched as Raul moved around his bedroom and went into his closet. From inside he heard the hangers scraping on the metal as Raul went through his wardrobe looking for something to wear.
“You have too many suits!” Raul called from inside.
Pep chuckled and reached for his robe. He tied the sash tight as he stepped behind Raul. “I guess you have a point there.”
Raul closed his eyes and leaned back. “You don’t want me to go do you?”
Pep’s lips moved up the elegantly smooth column of Raul’s neck. “I never want you to go, ever. I mean that.”
Raul moaned slightly. “I promise you, I won’t leave you again.”
“I won’t ever give you a reason to.”
Raul opened the front door to the dark restaurant and walked inside. He closed the restaurant on Sunday and balanced his books. It had been his routine since he’d opened the restaurant fifteen years ago. Guti would make lunch and they’d go over the books together.
He sighed as he poured himself a glass of wine from his collection. He doubted that Guti would be coming in for their precious routine today. Raul hadn’t spoken to Guti since he’d walked out on him on Friday—he really hadn’t had much time to himself to do that.
Raul made his way to his office, turning on a few lights in the process. He unlocked the door to his office and went inside, mentally preparing himself for the task ahead. He had never had Pep’s accounting skills but he managed on his own to get by. Raul stopped and frowned when he saw a rose and an envelope on his desk.
He picked it up and noticed the familiar handwriting and opened it with an increase in heartbeat. He first saw the letter of resignation and he swallowed as he sat down heavily. Raul never wanted Guti to quit, he was the best sous chef anywhere, let alone in town. His frown increased when he picked up the second piece of paper.
“Oh Guti.”
As he read the small line, he felt his heart squeeze painfully. Tears pricked at his eyes but the words did not change.
‘I’ll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I love so well.*’
meu cor = my heart in Catalan
‘I’ll follow thee, and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I love so well’ – from Act II, Scene I of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
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