ROWON's fall

The sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft ray of light into the room. Leo stirred, his arms and legs heavy with the leftover sleep and the leftover warmth of the night before. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, before he turned his head to the side, hoping to find Chris still asleep beside him. But the space was empty, the sheets cold to the touch.

Leo sat up, running a hand through his disheveled hair. Everything from the previous night came flooding back—the club, the kiss, the drive to Chris's mansion, and the passion that had consumed them both. A small smile lingered at the corner of his lips as he replayed the scenes in his mind. But as the reality of the situation settled in, a Doubting Thomas crept into his thoughts. What did it mean for them? For their friendship? For the company?

He shook his head, trying to clear the fog of doubt. For now, he decided, he would handle the present. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, stretching his arms above his head. The house was quiet, barring the low hum of conversation downstairs. Leo grabbed a pair of sweatpants off the floor and put them on, then moved towards the door.

As he walked into the hall, he could hear Chris's voice, low and even, coming from the stairs. Leo stopped, leaning against the doorway, and listened.

"No, Maria, not today you don't," Chris was saying. "You can take the day off. I'll do the cleaning myself."

There was a pause, and then the maid's voice, soft and doubtful. "Are you sure, Mr. Rowon? I don't mind staying."

"Yes, I'm sure," Chris replied, his tone firm but kind. "You've been pushing yourself. Take the day for yourself. I'll call you if I need anything."

Leo couldn't help but smile. Despite whatever was going on between them, Chris was still the same considerate person he'd always been. He waited until he heard the maid's footsteps disappearing down the hall before he moved again. Instead of heading downstairs, he headed back in the direction of the bedroom, deciding to shower before facing Chris.

The bathroom was still steamy from Chris's recent use, the scent of his cologne still lingering in the air. Leo turned on the shower, letting the hot water pour over him, soothing his muscles and clearing his mind. As he stood under the stream, he couldn't help but think about the night before. The way Chris had touched him, the way they'd fallen together—it had been unlike anything he'd ever experienced. But now, in the cold light of day, he couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get complicated.

After his shower, Leo wrapped himself in a white robe and towel-dried his hair. Taking a deep breath to psych himself up for whatever conversation awaited him downstairs, he finally made his way to the kitchen, where he found Chris sitting at the table with a coffee cup and breakfast plate in front of him.

"Morning," Leo said, his voice light and cheerful, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Chris looked up, his expression unreadable. "Morning," he replied, his tone level but distant.

Leo grabbed a plate and helped himself to eggs and toast from the counter. He sat down across from Chris, the strain between them palpable. They ate silently for a bit, the only sound the clinking of cutlery on plates.

"So," Leo finally said, "how did Ryan get home last night?"

Chris stopped, fork in mid-air. The mention of Ryan's name seemed to shock him out of his daydream, and he set his fork down abruptly. "I. I don't know," he admitted, his voice stuttering. "I should call him."

Leo's eyebrow rose, but he said nothing as Chris stood and walked a short distance away from the table, phone in hand. He dialed Ryan's number, his heart pounding in his chest. All that had occurred the night before—both with Leo and with Ryan—was still very much on his mind, and he had no clue how to process it.

"Hey," Ryan's voice, somewhat groggy but cheerful, sounded through the phone. "Morning, Chris."

"Morn-ing," Chris replied, his voice shaking. "How are you?"

"Headache," Ryan said, laughing. "But I'll live. I'm working later."

Chris swallowed, his mind racing wildly. "Listen, Ryan. last night. I'm sorry. Things were. unexpected. I went home without saying anything to you."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then Ryan's voice, less boisterous now. "It's okay, Chris. Really. But. I gotta say, I liked it. The kiss, I mean."

Chris felt a shiver run down his spine at Ryan's words. He glanced back over his shoulder at Leo, who was still sitting at the table, his eyes on him questioningly. "I. I enjoyed it too," Chris admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "It was. intense."

Ryan laughed again, the sound warm and reassuring. "Yeah, it was. So. did Leo make it home okay?"

Chris's attention jerked back to Leo, who was now sipping his coffee, his eyes boring intensely. "Uh, yeah," Chris stammered. "Ah-ahh, I was going to call him too, to see how he got home."

Ryan's tone altered slightly, a hint of curiosity breaking through. "Okay. Let me know if you need anything, Chris. I'll talk to you at work."

"Thanks, Ryan," Chris said, his voice tense. "I'll see you later."

He banged the phone down and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. When he turned back to the table, Leo was still watching him, his face expressionless.

"So," Leo said, setting his coffee cup down. "Are we keeping this a secret?"

Chris hesitated, his mind racing. He was aware that whatever had happened between them—and between him and Ryan—could not be common knowledge. Not when there was so much at stake at ROWON Enterprises. "Yeah," he said finally, his voice firm. "We keep it a secret. Nobody else needs to know."

Leo nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Agreed."

They finished eating in silence, the strain of all that had gone unsaid between them appearing to weigh them down. When Chris started to clear the table, he couldn't shake the feeling that the morning had done nothing to uncomplicate his life. But for now, he chose, he would take things one step at a time—on keeping his life from falling apart at home and on the job.

The future, he figured, could wait.

End of Chapter 13