That wasn't exactly one of the best days of Matteo's life. In fact, it wasn't the best week, month or year.

"Matteo." The place's manager said as soon as he saw Matteo approaching the front door.

This was the moment Matteo dreaded the most every morning since he started working there.

Andrew McMillan crept towards him with carefree steps and stopped in front of him, greeting Matteo all happy and excited. The manager had his hair slicked back, white skin and dark eyes that always turned his stomach. Matteo couldn't say the man was ugly, because in fact, he was one of the most handsome men he had ever met. But there was something about him, something behind those dark and calculating eyes, that made him rethink every word that came out of the man's mouth, making him look for the double meaning that always came, sooner or later.

The manager looked him up and down, victorious, staring at him with malice, eyes that sparked more with every second that passed, in which neither of them said anything.

‘Yeah, it was today,’ Matteo thought.

His shoulders slumped and he sighed, resigned to his fate. Andrew seemed to grow even happier as he wrote something down on his clipboard.

Smiling even wider at him, Andrew went back to examining Matteo as if he were a mysterious specimen, appreciating him in a way that made Matteo feel uncomfortable, something that only this manager had managed to do in his few years of life. And even if it was a mask, Matteo wouldn't let Andrew know how those looks made him want to vomit, how his anxiety grew as they continued to stand in the middle of the sidewalk, especially knowing that no one would come to his rescue.

This could only mean one thing.

"Sir, I can explain everything. I--”

"Was the bus late? Were you stuck in traffic?" Andrew shook his head, feigning regret and touched his shoulder, making Matteo freeze in revulsion, feeling a fear he didn't know where it came from. "This time, there's nothing I can do for you.”

"Please, I need this job!”

"I'm on your side, you know that, Matteo. But rules are rules. This is the fifth time this month.”

"Is there nothing you can do?”

Matteo regretted asking as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Maybe there is, but I don’t know…"Andrew crossed his arms and moved closer to Matteo, as if he was going to tell him a secret. "This requires a sacrifice. Are you willing to do it?”

"Ah." Matteo said, taking a step back.

It wasn't the first time Andrew had said something like that. The thing was, Matteo had never taken any of those... suggestions seriously, but now that he was here, he didn't know if he wanted to stay in a place like that, even if he could or really needed to.

“I’m sorry, Matteo,” Andrew said, his voice sounding compassionate and gentle, before adding, “We can’t forget to stop by HR, okay?”

Matteo didn't know what had changed that morning. He had woken up early, showered, grabbed his backpack from the doorknob of his room, and walked through the hallways of his house, silently so as not to wake anyone. He had taken the crowded bus at the same time and faced an hour's journey to get to his current job, a restaurant that claimed to be gourmet, but was actually a hybrid imitation of those fast food restaurants; burgers, sandwiches, milkshakes, and pizzas of all flavors. And like every other day, he had gotten off the bus right on time and rushed to the dignified establishment where he worked.

Of course, his manager was waiting for him at the entrance, like every other day. He had peeked inside the place and saw that they had already opened all the doors, cleared the tables and put the chairs in place, and he could hear the noise of people already working at their posts.

So, a little confused, but accepting his fate, Matteo followed Andrew through the restaurant in that strange walk of shame. It wouldn't be the first time something like this would happen, the rotation of workers being quite large there. Still, most people looked at him with smiles as evil as Andrew's, and the others, who looked at him with sincere pity, he would miss. Apart from that, everything else could explode if it were up to him.

Matteo lifted his head, held his bag tightly, and headed to the back of the restaurant where the accounting was located. He might be leaving, but Andrew would regret abusing his power.

***

"Man, I can't believe you did that! My little hero." Diego said, breaking into a huge smile.

Matteo didn't know how long he could hold out like this.

Diego looked him up and down and hugged him tightly after squeezing his cheeks until they were so sore, his boyfriend's behavior becoming so energetic that Matteo thought they would stretch and fall to the floor, limp. A kiss came next, sweet and soft on his face, another on his chin, slowly going down with those little pecks that only served to make him more irritated.

"Diego, stop it! And I'm not small. How can five feet nine inches be small?

Matteo closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, he just needed to breathe.

Usually he wouldn't mind Diego being so close, he even liked it when Diego touched him in that slightly overly sexual way, but nothing that went beyond what he felt comfortable doing. Today wasn't one of those days; today those soft caresses suffocated him, making him feel trapped inside a box that had no escape, or holes for air to enter. Diego was suffocating him, strangling him with that care that his boyfriend insisted on offering when Matteo hadn't asked for it.

He took a deep breath and dodged Diego's lips, pushing him by the shoulder. He threw his backpack at Diego, followed by a punch in his boyfriend's shoulder. Yes, Diego, his burly, idiot boyfriend just laughed, his square, kind face annoying him a little more with each passing second. As though it wasn't enough to have spent two hours at the police station and be questioned like he was the one who had committed the crime, he had to spend an extra hour in the HR office denying the "bonuses" and "benefits" in exchange for "confidentiality". Some time later, when he was released from the interrogation, Mr. Jones, the owner of that franchise, did everything he could to prevent him from filing a complaint, especially when he saw that the cameras at the restaurant's door had recorded everything in audio and video, having enough evidence to accuse the manager of abuse of power and sexual harassment.

Honestly? Matteo knew that nothing would come of it and that the case would take a long time to go to the court, and at the same time, he knew that he had to do it; all those afternoons having to listen to jokes that, deep down, were too sincere, needed to be reported. Without wasting time and feeling very avenged, Matteo did the only thing he could, he took out his cell phone and filed the complaint. Police cars soon blocked the front of the establishment and the employees were dismissed, while Mr. Jones and company were sued for moral damages and abuse of power. Now, whether he would win the case remained to be seen in the future when the court decision was made.

The real problem arose when Matteo was released from questioning. With no money for lunch and just enough for a bus ticket, he decided that continuing on with his day as if nothing had happened was the best tactic. Dragging himself through the streets after leaving the police station, Matteo walked the few blocks, forcing himself to visit Diego at the community center, just as he always did at that time of day; Matteo would meet Diego at lunch, the only time Diego was free to talk, and then he would go home to look for another job until he had enough to pay for college.

Matteo turned the corner and continued on his way, distracted and so upset by the last few hours that he barely noticed what was happening. When he saw it, hands grabbed him by his waist and dragged him to a nearby alley while someone pressed him against the wall and a mouth placed itself on his without his permission. And he was so distressed that he only realized it was Diego when he punched him in the stomach and kicked him well in the groin.

"Diego Lewis!" Matteo gasped in surprise, anger, fury. Although Matteo admitted that he was a little traumatized by the whole experience, this was not the right time or place to do that kind of thing. He also admitted that he was not in his best moment, Matteo could kill someone if given the right motivation.

Diego didn't seem to care what he was saying. Groaning breathlessly, Diego walked in his direction and held Matteo by the waist one more, saying: "You don't do that to a man, shorty.”

So this time, feeling guilty and a little afraid of what Diego might do, or worse, afraid that Diego might say something to his father, Matteo let Diego continue. Diego lifted him a little off the ground and Matteo automatically wrapped his arms and legs around Diego.

Diego… he… Diego didn’t like being contradicted, you know? If things didn’t go exactly as Diego wanted, something could explode or be thrown into the air. Matteo preferred to avoid that kind of argument. Or other kinds of reactions. It wouldn’t be the first time they fought about the lack of sex or Matteo’s absence in general. He wasn’t ready and Diego was. He didn’t want to get married and Diego had already bought the rings. Matteo definitely didn’t want to live with him while Diego had bought a house with a nursery and everything else they could possibly need in Diego’s twisted dreams. Matteo didn’t even know if he wanted that kind of responsibility, but still, this was him trying to make an effort for his parents and everyone else who thought the wedding would happen soon. And maybe… just maybe… it wouldn’t be so bad to have a handsome and hot boyfriend who was willing to be with someone as boring and… old-fashioned as him. Despite knowing Diego's mistakes, ignoring the people Diego kept behind his back, he didn't care as long as everyone remained satisfied.

Matteo kept asking himself… who dated for three years and didn’t want to have sex? Or didn’t care about cheating?

He couldn't explain it, there was something about it all... something between them that didn't feel... right. I mean, the problem should be him, right? Diego was cheating on him because Matteo couldn't take that last step, no matter how many times Diego tried; Matteo always gave up at the final moment. It just felt... wrong, like Matteo was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

Matteo felt a strange and uncomfortable shiver run up his spine when Diego held him tighter than usual and pulled him firmly by the hair, whispering in his ear:

"I missed you so much, shorty. Where have you been that you haven't answered your cell phone?

Oh, maybe he wasn't that uncomfortable after all... It’s like, Diego was always too gentle, you know? So careful, and all that care made Matteo feel weak, like he was going to break into a thousand pieces at any moment, and Matteo didn't like that one bit. But when Diego lost control? Touching him hard and willingly, without fear of hurting him as if he actually wanted to hurt him, but just a little, just to leave a mark on him, just like Diego was doing now...? That was another story. It was at those times that Matteo would say yes if Diego asked him. The fact was that if Diego had to force himself to be nice to treat him well... Matteo didn't want to live with someone who deep down pretended to be something he wasn't. It didn't matter the reason.

"Are you listening to me?" Matteo heard a soft voice next to his ear again. He felt goosebumps rise up his spine and gave up trying to reason.

Matteo wanted to say that he hadn't done it on purpose. He wanted to answer Diego's text and calls and even if he wanted to tell him everything that had happened right away, he wouldn't have been able to, he was in the middle of a police interrogation; not that the answer to that seemed important at the moment, not to Diego. He went back to kissing Matteo as if that was the only goal in his life and all the air or thoughts fled from both of their heads.

That... that was so wrong, right in the middle of the street where anyone passing by could see them... Matteo shifted and tried to speak, feeling the air leave his body, uncomfortable for another reason. Well, maybe he groaned softly, Matteo couldn't tell, tried to pull away from Diego only to be pulled back against his will.

"What's the problem? "Diego said between sighs and bites, his tongue returning to Matteo's mouth, massaging his lips and moving in the way that Matteo liked the most, making him relax a little more, just enough for Diego to lower the zipper of his pants.

And again, he had no choice. Diego slipped his fingers inside Matteo's underwear, making him gasp. However, that was when Matteo heard something, a loud sound that made him open his eyes and realize what they were doing. Matteo then pulled his mouth away from Diego's lips, pushed him by the shoulders and put his legs on the floor while he zipped up his own pants, looking for his ringing cell phone. He definitely should have gone home instead of going all the way two blocks to the community center where children and teenagers came for help.

Well, customs were hard to break.

Matteo finally bent down, unzipped his backpack and found the damn cell phone that was at the bottom of a narrow pocket.

"Matteo Rossi Pagano ? We have a job for you." Someone spoke immediately, barely letting him answer the call.

It was Caren from the employment agency, her dry, grumpy voice recognizable anywhere. Impolite and rude, it sounded high-pitched to his ears.

"Sure. What would it be about?”

"Taking care of two children during the day. With overtime pay and labor rights.”

It would definitely be better than his last job. Matteo could trust that.

"When?”

"Tomorrow at 7am.”

"Okay. Should I wear a uniform?”

"No, just show up on time.”

So, the phone was hung up on him and Diego, who was next to him leaning against the wall, laughing, touching his face and kissing him now softly.

"Looks like our fun is over.”