After yet another bombshell, Tuesday finally decided she'd had enough for one day.
"Y'all, I'm out," she said, standing up with a tired groan. "I need to de-stress because today's been wack as hell."
"Okay," Foca replied softly. He looked exhausted too. "Go get some rest. We'll continue another time."
"Thanks, boo!" Tuesday shot back, then immediately turned to Hyouka. "Gurl, you're coming with me. We gotta go shopping for your meeting with that fucker later. We're dressing you up right—so he doesn't dare look down on you."
Before Hyouka could fully process what was happening, Tuesday grabbed her arm and started dragging her out of the office.
"W-wait—what about my things?" Hyouka protested, nearly tripping over her own feet. "Sir Foca! I forgot to mention—I'm currently here on a tourist visa!"
Her voice echoed down the hallway before disappearing completely.
"That little lady's got some fucking guts," Luca said, impressed. "Risked everything and came here on a tourist visa?" He laughed, genuinely amused.
Foca couldn't help but smile.
"Chamber," Foca said, rubbing his temple, fatigue creeping into his voice, "please take care of Miss Hyouka's legal papers."
"Right away, sir," Chamber replied politely before slipping out as quietly as he'd come.
Once they were alone, the air in the office shifted. The tension loosened. The masks dropped.
"Whew," Luca muttered, plopping into the chair across Foca's desk. "This day's been fucking eventful."
"It wasn't all bad," Foca said after a moment, exhaling deeply. "But yeah… eventful as hell."
He paused, then added casually as he poured himself another cup from Hyouka's thermos, "I do like this tea, though."
Luca snorted. "Hyouka's really something." He shook his head, smiling at the memory of her chaotic entrance. "Still can't believe you hired her on the spot."
"She's a little messed up in the head," Foca said with a faint, playful smile. "Just like the rest of us. I figured she'd fit right in."
"And she did," Luca nodded, mirroring the smile.
Silence settled between them—not awkward, just heavy.
Then—
"Ha-*Beep,*" Luca said quietly.
Foca stiffened. Luca almost never used his real name. When he did, it meant he wasn't joking.
"…You alright?" Luca asked, serious now.
Foca stared at the surface of his tea.
"I'm honestly not sure," he admitted. "I thought I was over it. I know I moved on." His jaw tightened. "But every time they're mentioned… it feels like someone's stabbing me in the chest. Over and over."
What the others didn't know—what only a handful of people ever truly understood—was how deeply that betrayal had carved into him.
Seven years.
Seven years of trust, erased in one moment.
For most people, heartbreak fades. For Foca, it rewired him.
The trauma didn't just hurt—it took something with it.
He could still love. He still cared fiercely. But only in ways that were safe. Familial love. Loyalty. Friendship. Phileo.
Eros—the reckless, aching, romantic kind of love—had left him the day his heart shattered.
And it never came back.
"Well," Luca said, flashing him a soft smile, "looking on the bright side—you still have me."
Foca huffed a quiet laugh. "Even you will eventually have to marry someone and go on your merry way, Luca."
"To hell with that." Luca shrugged easily. "I ain't leaving you behind. And hey—maybe you'll get tired of me one day and end up marrying me instead." His brows wiggled obnoxiously.
"Luca," Foca said, leaning back in his chair, voice gentle but firm, "I treat you like my brother. Hell—more than my actual siblings. You're my best friend."
He paused. "But what I can't give you… is romantic love. Not because I don't want to—but because that part of me has been gone for a long time now."
Then, almost as an afterthought, "Also—you're hella straight."
"And that, my dear friend, is where you're wrong," Luca said, wagging a finger. "I play for both teams. Just so happens that every relationship I've had so far involved a woman. Who says I don't like men too?"
Foca raised a brow. "Are you… confessing to me right now?"
"Maybe I am," Luca replied lightly.
But Foca heard it—the truth tucked beneath the joke.
He sighed, long and heavy.
"I'm not rejecting you," Foca said quietly. "But you'd have to wait for me to even feel that kind of love again. Right now… all I have for you is brotherly love. And friendship."
His voice softened. "And you already know that."
Foca had known for a long time. Even back when he was still with his ex. Luca's feelings were subtle—carefully hidden—but they were always there. Back then, Foca brushed it off.
After the cheating.
After the breakup.
After love hollowed him out completely—
Luca stayed.
Even when Foca couldn't give anything back.
"Well," Luca said with a crooked smirk, breaking the heaviness, "I can wait. I've been waiting all this time anyway. I'm chillin'."
Foca shook his head, amused. "Somehow, I can't imagine you being single for the rest of your life."
"Well, then we have you to blame for that," Luca shot back.
Silence settled between them—comfortable, unforced.
No sexual tension.
No romantic yearning.
Just something quiet. Intimate. Unbreakable.
"Thank you," Foca said at last. "For always being there for me. I honestly can't imagine my life without you in it."
Luca grinned proudly. "Well, what can I say? I'm just that kind of guy. I'm just him, y'know."
"You are him," Foca agreed, laughing softly.