Chapter Text
At the end of a very stressful work day, Rody had finally saved up enough money for Mannon. He was looking for Vincent to tell him he was going to quit, when it seemed like he had disappeared. He looked all around the kitchen and in the alleyway but it seemed he wasn't anywhere, he called his name a few times only to be met with the dead silence of the empty restaurant. He decided the only place left to check was Vincent's office.
His hand hesitated at the doorknob, cautious to go inside. He let out a deep breath to help calm his nerves as he turned the doorknob and stepped in the office.
"Hey Vince-" he stopped as he saw that no one was in the office. He let out a sigh and looked at the office, which showed no sign of life. "Where the hell could he be?" He decided to look around the office for any clue where he could be. He was hoping for a date, a time, anything that could say where Vincent is.
He started going through the files on his desk before something on the floor caught his attention. A piece of paper tucked slightly underneath the desk. He picked it up and turned the paper over.
It was a photograph.
A photograph of Vincent and Mannon.
At first, Rody didn't know how to feel. He was in disbelief, standing among the silence of the office.
Anger came first. He was angry at Vincent for dating Mannon. Then sadness washed over him. He was sad that Mannon had done this behind his back, that she had lied to him like this. The two emotions swarmed his thoughts, fighting to gain control. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked at the photograph, not able to look away even though it hurt.
He heard the door click open behind him. Then he heard a voice. "Oh. Rody. I didn't know that you were in here. Were you looking for me?" The sight of Rody in his office was a surprise, but not an unpleasant one.
Rody wanted to shout and scream at him or to collapse and cry his eyes out. But all that he could muster when he turned to Vincent was a single question. "Where were you?"
By now, Vincent had seen Rody's puffed up eyes and damp cheeks. Concern filled his mind. "I was doing inventory in the walk-in I- Rody are you okay?" Vincent took a half step forward, trying to get closer but not too close as to scare him off.
Rody's anger returned to him, as his thoughts were filled with white hot rage. "How long has this been happening?" He gestured to the photograph.
Vincent had just realized what Rody was holding, but the only thing that came to mind was confusion "How long- What? Rody I don't-"
"How long have you been with Mannon!? How long has she been keeping this from me!?" Tears stung in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks as he shouted the questions.
"I- you know Marianne?" Vincent was slightly less confused but still didn't know why Rody was so mad at him. Maybe they were friends or coll-
"Of course I do! She's my fucking girlfriend!"
Oh.
OH.
OH SHIT!
All the puzzle pieces started clicking together. The mentions about a red haired boyfriend from Mannon, the fact Rody was saving up for a girlfriend he barely knew about, why that photograph made Rody so- angry... He'd never known it was Rody that Mannon was dating before. He felt terrible. "I... I'm sorry Rody. I had no idea she was dating you. She never told me. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Rody was silent, clutching the photograph and making the edges bend. A small chuckle came out of him. Not one of happiness or humor, but a laugh of pure disbelief. "So... Looks like you were as much in the dark as me." He was tired. The crying and the shouting took all of his energy. He just wanted to lie down for a bit and maybe cry some more.
Vincent took cautious steps to Rody, still afraid of him running off at the slightest wrong move. When he got close enough, he lifted his hand only for Rody to pull him into a hug. It was a nice, gentle hug, nothing like the excited bear hugs Rody had given him before, even with his protests. Vincent rubbed his back in a circular motion, his shoulder becoming damp by what he could only guess were Rody's tears.
Rody didn't have the mental strength to process that Vincent, the person who could never even show concern, was comforting him. He just leaned into the warmth of Vincent's body heat while his last few tears fell from his eyes.
This feels nice.
_________________________________________
Rody left for his apartment after what felt like an hour of Vincent holding onto him and trying his best to comfort him. Or maybe it was only five minutes. It felt like an eternity and also no time at all. When Rody threw himself on his couch, it was only when his head hit the cushion that he had fully thought about what had happened.
His face went red with embarrassment. He can't believe he cried on Vincent's shoulder, or that Vincent let it happen. He didn't even tell Vincent he was quitting, but there was really no reason for him to quit now with him knowing about Mannon. He didn't even care about Mannon anymore with all that happened. He played the scene over and over in his head, remembering Vincent's hand gently rubbing his back and the warmth he felt with them so close together.
Rody would never know that at the same time, Vincent was laying wide awake in his bed, thinking of the same exact things.