Lunch was had in the kitchen as always, Rosie’s familiar face and the less familiar face of the Black’s family doctor, Doctor Michael Perez, making the kitchen brighter. After lunch, they both stayed behind to clean up the table while Lake walked Angelo and Nikolai out of the kitchen.
"You have to return to work, don’t you?" Lake said, he planned to walk them to the top of the stairs, appreciating the company.
"Not really... we’re moving out." Angelo blurted out, not quite sure of the perfect way to phrase it.
Lake looked concerned at first, "You are? When?"
Nikolai’s phone rang, so he lingered behind to take the call, leaving Angelo and Lake to their conversation.
"Nikolai is rebuilding his casino," Angelo divulged with glowing pride. "We went house hunting just before lunch."
Lake’s concern gave way to relief, this was the only way he hoped that they would have to move out. "Congratulations," He said with a smile, knowing that this would happen, it was only a matter of ti.
"Do you think you could join us for dinner tonight?" Lake offered.
Angelo looked behind him at Nikolai approaching, "I doubt it," He muttered. "Who knows, maybe I’ll be the one to invite you to dinner next." He said lightly.
Lake was pleasantly surprised by that, Angelo didn’t strike him as the type to be interested in mundane, familial traditions. "Maybe," He agreed lightly, slowing to a stop at the top of the stairs. "If you need anything, bother Rosie," He said good-naturedly as he watched them go down the stairs.
"Sure thing," Nikolai tossed at him, heading right for the front doors.
Packing and moving had little to do with either of them, it had already been arranged. So they would be spending their afternoon down at Davian’s bar, finally telling them n of the new changes.
Lake stood at the top of the stairs long after they had left, lost in thought. Standing took more and more effort now, he wasn’t looking forward to having to sit all the ti.
As he turned away from the stairs, he took out his phone, noting that he hadn’t heard from his mate all day. A fond smile softened his features -- Davian was probably too engrossed in work to call. So he did the needful and rang his mate up as he made his way to a living room.
The call connected instantly, and Lake’s smile could be heard in his voice, "Hi, love..."
Davian crumbled instantly on the other side, "I’m coming ho."
"Wait, what?" Lake protested, confused.
"I’m done with my schedule for the day," Davian went on, his voice was calm through the phone, but quiet rustles could also be heard -- he was truly preparing to leave.
"Oh," Lake murmured, surprised. It was just mid-afternoon, was that why Davian hadn’t called him all day? "Buy treats on your way back," He made demands, in a much better mood.
He waddled to a couch, sighing when sitting took weight off his waist. He was no longer interested in watching shows, waiting impatiently for his mate’s return.
- -
The bar was the sa as always when they returned, Fallon making a quick appearance before they even got to the entrance.
"Hold the report," Nikolai cut him off, striding into the bar with Angelo on his left and Fallon walking a little behind on his right. "Co with ."
Fallon did as he was told, the boss seed to have sothing important to say, it made him frown, thinking that sothing grave had happened.
"I’m rebuilding the casino and taking back my turf," Nikolai said calmly after taking his seat behind his desk.
It was said so casually that Fallon took a mont to react-- the n had been asking, hell, Fallon had wanted nothing more than to ask himself. "Noted, boss." He said with matching calm.
Even though their Mafia King hadn’t said even a word about reclaiming his turf, the n had been more than confident it would eventually happen. Fallon had to admit he was the sa, Mafia King Nikolai had been born to run the Mafia.
"Tell the n to take the rest of the month off," Nikolai went on, reclining in his seat. "It’s the holidays," He said, in such a good mood he was nearly smiling.
Fallon shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another-- Mafia King Nikolai smiling was unsettling. But the n taking the rest of the month off could be arranged, although, regardless of what they were told, they remained on call anyway.
Their break would be determined by downtown and the High Council’s reaction to Nikolai getting his turf back. He would hold onto the information of the n taking a break until he was sure that the High Council wouldn’t be swooping in to finish what they began.
"Sure thing," He agreed easily, launching into the report when Mafiia King Nikolai was through with what he had to say.
Angelo had gone to curl up in his corner; he had been listening to the conversation between Nikolai and Fallon until he drifted off into his own thoughts. Although he was by Nikolai’s side all the ti, he barely contributed to the Mafia House.
It wasn’t that he wanted to run it side by side with the Alpha, he just wanted so tasks so he could contribute. Angelo clicked his teeth, his skills as an assassin were going to waste, he needed to do sothing about it...
He didn’t notice when Fallon stepped out of the office, but it was quickly brought to his notice when cool sandalwood washed over him, right before Nikolai squeezed into the armchair with him.
Angelo just glanced at him and then at the door where a knock could be heard, and that was enough to chase the Alpha off. He ignored the unhappy look Nikolai shot him, getting comfortable all alone in his chair again.
Things could go two ways, it could either be a quiet end to the year, or they were about to kickstart the stalled war once more.
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