Norah's eyes widened when she realized it was Gabriele speaking with... someone she hadn't seen that night from what little she could see, though once she saw the man rounding the corner, she darted into the kitchen, rattling her tub of dishes for a moment. She gingerly set them down on the table next to her and leaned against the doorway, peering around the corner, her breath bated as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Gabe, Gabe, Gabe... You should know better than to walk away from your duties." The stranger spoke, pulling Gabriele back around the corner. "Take the letter, read it or not, but know I'll be back." He purred, his voice sending chills down Norah's spine. Then he leaned all too close to Gabriele, his grin turning toothy as he breathed against his ear, "remember everything that's at stake."

Gabriele growled, shoving the man off of him before taking the letter from him. "I'd advise you get the hell out of my pub now." His voice was angry, full of venom.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to outstay my welcome. It was lovely to see you again, Gabriele." The man said, his voice silken smooth, unphased by the hostility of Gabriele. He bowed and then left, catching glimpse of Norah and giving her the same toothy grin, tipping his hat to her.

Norah shuddered, a deep frown crossing her lips as she watched the stranger walk off and out of the bar before turning her attention to Gabriele. He hadn't yet seen her and she was thankful for this, for whatever had just conspired was quite the oddity and she didn't know what to make of it. She furrowed her eyebrows, chewing on her lip as she glanced at the letter in his hand and then she quickly left, returning to her duties before he saw her. She shook her head, trying to make sense of what she just witnessed.

Gabriele was tired, exhaustion hitting the man hard along with the alcohol coursing through his system. He didn't remember the last time he had had a decent night of sleep, if ever. He felt like he was always tired. Of course, he was though, the man never stopped working for a moment. His head was filled with thoughts and numbers. It was a hard thing to shut off.

He left for his office, scratching at his beard as he sighed. He didn't know what he was going to do, the past weighing heavily on his mind. He was hoping it would give him more time, but there never seemed to be enough time to give. Time was always running out. He pushed his way into his office, tossing the letter carelessly onto his desk as he sat down with a thud, leaning back in his chair. He let out a groan and a moment later, a sigh before he sat up straighter, his hand finding the buttons around his throat and undoing a few more. He ran a hand through his hair, brushing back the unruly curls before he returned to normal work, the work of the pub, the work that mattered to him.

He chewed on his lip as he sifted through the documents, numbers littering the pages. He idly tapped a pencil on the pad of paper next to him, the soft thud of the eraser meeting paper echoing out through the small room. Hours had passed and he lifted his head as he heard the noise from the restaurant begin to die out. He could no longer hear the loud chatter and liveliness of the pub that he had earlier and he sighed, running a hand tiredly over his face. He leaned back in his chair, his broad arms lifting above his head as he stretched, a wide yawn escaping his lips. He was exhausted, but he still had so much work left to do. It was the same as always.

"What can I help with?" Norah asked Gilbert, a tired look upon her face.

"Well, we need to clean this place up for the night." He stifled back a yawn.

Norah nodded and began to help Lydia with the close-up, grabbing an empty bin and gathering up all the dishes and taking it back to the kitchen before she collected all of the trash. Lydia had been sweeping and mopping the floor, then moved onto the tables once Norah had finished with her tasks. Gilbert helped her take out the trash and then stopped her on their way back inside.

"I wouldn't wait up for Gabe. He works quite later than any of us and may be at it longer due to his condition." He snickered before giving a tired smile.

A moment later, he dug around in his coat pocket and retrieved a small key, holding it out to Norah by the ring of it and she took it gingerly into her hand.

"The door to the apartment's back by the office, just turn right instead of left, it's up the stairs."

"Should we really leave him by himself though?" Norah asked, chewing on her lip.

"He'll be fine. He'll sit and stare at his work for a few hours and then go to bed." He shrugged.

Norah snorted a bit and shook her head. "I'm never going to understand that man, am I?" Gilbert shook his head no.

"I barely know him, and I've known him for 15 years." Gilbert sounded amused. Norah smiled wider.

"Good night, Gilbert."

"Night, dear."

Norah gave him a small wave before disappearing into the hall, her hands soon finding the strings to her apron and taking it off. As she passed by the office, the door was open slightly and she carefully stuck her head in, a smile spreading across her face. Gabriele was sitting at his desk, the lamp on the table the only light, a hand buried deep into his hair and his elbow resting on the table. He was idly taping a pencil against the pad of paper and she could tell he wasn't really getting anywhere. She shook her head and turned, making her way up to the apartment.

The stairs were narrow and steep, pretty typical for older buildings like this. She walked up them slowly, utterly exhausted. It had been a busy and long day. She fumbled with the key for a moment, unused to it. She managed to get the door open and looked inside.

It wasn't what she was expecting. It was pretty stark, empty. Almost unlived in. But definitely a bachelor's pad. She looked around and saw one bed and one couch, as far as sleeping arrangements go. She thought about it for a moment and shrugged as she walked by the couch, picking up her.

"He's late, you snooze you lose." She walked into his bedroom, ready to steal his bed for the night.

She started to get undressed, sighing happily when she slipped off her heeled boots, rubbing at her poor, swollen feet. It certainly had been a long day and she didn't realize how achey her body was until she had stopped moving and settled down for the night. Her hands were quick to remove her clothing, tossing it into a pile in one of the chairs before tugging on her PJs. She pulled on the fluffy, soft tank top and the matching shorts and as she walked into the bathroom, her hands were pulling her hair out of its ponytail, her fingers combing through it. She washed away her makeup and brushed her teeth before finally climbing into his bed, sinking into the plush softness.

The letter beside Gabriele had been taunting and haunting him the entire night, his thoughts occupied by what he knew would be within the envelope, so delicately put together. He scowled, growling at it. He pulled himself from his chair a little while later, leaving the office and entering the dark, abandoned restaurant. The night had gone silent, cold. Everyone had gone home for the night to their beds and happy thoughts, leaving Gabriele by himself to dwell in the moment. He sighed, hanging his head as he walked around the pub, his fingertips grazing the bar countertop. He was beginning to sober up a bit and his exhaustion was hitting him.

"What am I doing with my life..." He asked the thin air, his voice tired, stressed. He sighed through his nose and ran a hand through his hair, "who knows anymore..."

Gabriele leaned against the counter as he was left alone with his thoughts. The vicious cycle repeating itself once more. How had a man so successful in life, given everything he could have ever possibly wanted - fail so hard. His entire life had been based on business and family and while he succeeded heavily in the business aspect, he had somehow overlooked, forgotten about the family aspect.

He pushed himself off the counter, making his way behind the bar and he quietly, skillfully picked up a glass, gently clinking it against the wood as his hand then reached for his favorite company, the whiskey bottle. He unscrewed the cap, pouring the rich brown liquid into the glass before carefully dropping a few ice cubes in as well. He replaced the bottle then made his way back to his office, taking a long, delicate sip of his drink. It was going to be a long night.

He set his glass down on the desk, then pulled himself up close to it as his hand reached for the letter. He leaned back in his chair, ripping one side of the envelope open, pulling out the piece of paper that followed. His hand reached for his glass as he read the paper, though he already knew what the paper would read.

He let out a deep sigh through his nose as he gently set down his glass. "I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later..." He muttered to himself, reaching over for the box of matches that sat on the shelf. He flicked a match, watching it burn for a moment before holding it under the letter, shaking the match out as he dropped the burning embers of the paper into the metal trash can. He rubbed at his eyes, thoughts swirling in his head.

Gabriele stayed in his chair, gingerly sipping upon his whiskey until the brown liquid he called his friend was nothing but ice and he sighed, placing the glass on his desk and pushing himself up. He was exhausted. He would deal with his past tomorrow when the light was shining and he wasn't quite so... dead to the world.

He carried his heavy, tired body up the stairs to his apartment, running a hand through his hair before running it down the back of his neck, leaving it at the base of it as he gave it a squeeze. He was exhausted, stress coursing through his body like it was natural. Reaching the top of the stairs, he pushed the door opened and closed it behind him, latching the lock closed before he looked around.

He remembered Norah was up here and kept it quiet, avoided turning the lights on as he made his way through the dark. He knew the layout of his small apartment by now, he could walk it blindly.

He yawned as he walked to his bedroom, scratching at his beard for a moment before he began to tug his clothes off. First, the jacket draped over the back of a chair, then his fingers met the small plastic buttons on his shirt and he began to undo them as he slipped out of his shoes. Though he suddenly froze in the doorframe as his eyes landed on a figure where it wasn't supposed to be. He leaned back a little, peering around the corner and eyeing the empty couch before he sighed, hanging his head. Norah had stolen his bed for the night, it seemed, and he couldn't necessarily blame her... but it was still annoying, to say the least.

He shook his head and turned around, walking towards the couch now, his fingers finishing undoing the buttons before he tugged his shirt off and draped it over the back of the couch, his hand now reaching out and grabbing the throw blanket off the back of a chair before he sat on the couch. He leaned back into the plush cushions, his head lolling back as he relaxed, his body aching.

"It'll be fine..." He muttered quietly before sleep finally washed over him, his eyes growing heavy and his brain going blank.

Norah had been trying to sleep, her body restless and her mind spinning. She was tired, her body ached, she begged for sleep to wash over her, but her mind wouldn't settle, wouldn't let her rest. Her thoughts consumed her, dwelling on things she knew she had no control over. The day's events spun and whirled and swelled. Life was constantly changing for her and this was nothing new, but it was hard to explain, hard to describe the way she was feeling. This was comfortable, the pub was a safe haven and the bed she was wrapped up in felt like home. Felt like something she had been missing out for the past few years. Gabriele, the way he smiled, the way he laughed, the way he looked at her like she was an actual person...

Her hands grasped the sheets, her knuckles turning white as she closed her eyes tight, tears welling and quickly spilling over, soaking the pillow underneath her head. It wasn't until she heard the apartment door opening that she froze, her breath hitched in her throat and her body tense. She could hear Gabriele making his way through the apartment, her eyes opening just a bit to notice that he neglected to turn on the lights. She watched in the dim moonlight, her eyes already adjusted to the darkness as he took his time, his hands tugging his jacket off, his fingers smoothly undoing the buttons before he suddenly stopped.

Her eyes were frozen, glued on the dark silhouette that stood in the doorframe. He didn't seem to notice if she was awake and she slowly, delicately let out the breath she had been holding.

She couldn't help the little-amused snort that emerged from her as Gabriele peered around the corner and she had to cover her mouth, her heart thumping loudly in her chest, her ears a blazing fire as she feared being caught. However, it seemed he was too tired to really notice or care and he soon turned around, leaving to the living room.

Norah continued to watch, chewing on her lip as Gabriele removed his shirt and his back was exposed. Even in the dark, she could just barely make out the definition of his muscles, the way his shoulders flexed and relaxed. She shifted slightly in the bed, her arms pushing her up as she continued to spy upon the rather handsome man, her eyes wandering along his body. It was a natural response. It was hard not to be attracted to him or to have thoughts of him consume her. It certainly helped elevate some of the tension she had been feeling previously, her fingers wiping at dried tear stains.

Once Gabriele had laid down and was out of sight, Norah slowly lowered herself into the bed, wrapping herself up in his blankets and hugging a pillow close, her face buried in the fabric as the gentle scent of wood and smoke rose from his sheets. It was thick and warm. Intoxicating. It was the scent of Gabriele, a testament to his life work around the oven.

He was comforting. He was safe... his apartment and the pub didn't feel like home. Gabriele felt like home. Here. In this moment. This was home.