Broken Trust

Chapter 20 - An old Love

The barstool felt so lovely familiar. It was almost like coming home. Alec had become a fixture in this place. For the last month he had been here every day after work. He wasn't drinking himself senseless, he only had a couple of beers. This was just his way of avoiding going home to the empty apartment. He already felt empty inside, he didn't need to be in a place that felt empty too.

"Well, hello stranger."

Blond curls was the first thing Alec saw, when the guy dropped down on the stool next to him.

"Andrew?"

Alec glared at him. He hadn't seen him since he had thrown things in his face.

"What are you doing here?"

"I am tending to my broken heart."

He lifted his glass in a salute to Alec.

"You don't mean me, do you?"

Andrew almost choked on his drink from laughter.

"Oh God no. That's so far in the past, I hardly remember it."

I guess I deserved that... I was a dick to him.

"So, who broke your heart?"
"A wonderful man, that sadly decided that our age difference was too much. Not that I minded at all."

"How old was he?"

Alec sipped his drink while looking at Andrew. It was nice to concentrate on someone else's heartache.

"Oh just fifteen years older or so... Maybe closer to twenty."

Alec spat out his beer.

"Twenty? That's... wow..."

"I know, but I didn't really care."

Nodding slowly Alec took another sip before speaking.

"I know how you feel. The heart wants what the heart wants. Even if it isn't good for you."

"Exactly. And it hadn't been an issue before his son caught us together?"

"Oh shit."

Alec almost snorted.

"His son? Crap. How old?"

Andrew looked down into his glass. Avoiding Alec's gaze.

"Andrew?"

"It's one of your students..."

"What? Crap... that's unfortunate. They all know you."

"Yeah. And apparently, they didn't know we had broken up, so things got a bit difficult."

"Oh damn... yeah I didn't tell them. I had too much going on in my personal life. I'm sorry Andrew."

"It's alright. Lorenzo knew we were broken up, but his son was pissed, so afterwards he told me he couldn't see me anymore. There were too many complications due to our age difference."

"Shit... that's though Andrew. I'm sorry to hear you got your heart broken."

"Thanks Alec. What about you? What are you doing here?"

Alec emptied his glass and stood up.

"That doesn't matter. It's not important. Besides I'm going home now."

Heading for the door, a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

Staring into those blue eyes, Alec felt his own pain reflected all to clearly. They were both suffering, why not do it together.

"Not at all Andrew. Not at all."

-----

Tossing and turning, Alec stared at the ceiling. It wasn't the snoring next to him that kept him awake. It was the fact that it was the wrong kind of snoring. All it did was remind him that it wasn't Magnus. Last night it had seemed to be such a good idea to take Andrew home, but now it was torturing him.

The sex had been fine. It had been a distraction., and he needed a distraction, but sleeping next to him was a big mistake. He wasn't ready to share his bed with anyone.

Anyone else, that is.

Andrew turned around in his sleep and draped an arm over Alec's chest, causing him to jump out of bed.

"What? What?"

Andrew sat up in bed, still groggy from sleep.

"Sorry Andrew, but I can't sleep with you here. It just doesn't work for me..."

Andrew groaned before rubbing his eyes and getting out of bed.

"You know, you could have said something last night when I asked!"

"I know. Sorry. I thought I didn't want to be alone, but I... It just feels wrong when it's not Ma..."

Alec stopped himself from saying the name.

"Wow, someone really did a number on you, huh?"

"Yeah... We did a number on each other... It was a train wreck in the end"

"Sorry to hear that. Listen, how about we just hang out. Distract each other from our own miserable existing? And sleep apart."

"That sounds like a good idea. I'm sorry for kicking you out."

"That's alright. See you some other day."

Andrew walked out the door, and a few moments later he heard the front door close too. Alec dropped onto the bed, letting the tears stream freely.