"What the-"
"Antonio! I'm tired of your behavior!"
With that, suddenly he threw himself on top of me, like a lion on its prey.
"Cesare, let me go!"
"Antonio! Do you think I'm not capable of hurting you? Do you think that here, at the Vatican, a stranger like you could be taken seriously?"
"Wait, what?"
"Exactly! Not even the cardinal's secretary would pay attention to you if you didn't know someone here. So, I'm your savior! Don't you realize that?"
"Get off me! It hurts, you pervert!"
"I'm the pervert? I've never done anything directly to you, and you've always insulted me and spoken to me coldly, even after I canceled my plans yesterday to stay with you! Plus, I look like this because I heard that body heat can help more..."
"I didn't ask you to do that...Anyway, after two weeks we'll be strangers again. I don't want to get attached to you and then have to separate so abruptly..."
"You don't have to...Plus, where is that priest dedicated to every soul that you were telling me about? Were you talking about someone else? You don't know what I've been through, and finally, when I'm not alone, I'm considered a pervert and looked at with coldness!"
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know..."
"Of course you didn't know...I didn't want to burden you with my own problems. That's why from today on, for two weeks, I'll be staying in the city...I can't stand your coldness anymore!"
"W-Wait!"
I grabbed Cesare's hand as he tried to leave, and he fell over me. Finally, our eyes met. Now I could see those wonderful eyes up close. But I knew those eyes were filled with sadness, more than anger. The red and blue in his eyes seemed to blend together and look at me sadly. Plus, finally, I could see him in his true splendor. Oh my God, I think I'm getting weaker and weaker. I just think it will be weird. I think... This guy has some serious abs. I've seen different models on the internet, but he surpasses them all. Plus, he's well-endowed down there...
"Wait, don't go! I'm sorry for everything... Let me explain to you..."
"Now you wake up? After how cold you've been with me, you still want something from me?"
"Listen to me... I know what it's like to be alone... Until the age of 19, I was alone. Only my mother and grandmother were with me... I hid among books and came to love books more than people. But you, here at the Vatican, can talk to anyone you want and that's..."
"That's why I'm so alone! Nobody has been with me since I was born... My father forced me to become a priest, my mother loved my sister more, and others looked at me with fear. But you're different... Or so I thought!"
I can't believe I am the reason for Cesare's wonderful eyes to be filled with tears. I will never forgive myself for this!
"A-Antonio!"
I couldn't resist and I rested his head on my chest...It was probably a bad idea because my heart started beating faster. I just hope he doesn't notice...He started crying again, and I caressed his head. I can't believe that such a perfect exterior can hide such great pain.
"It's okay, I'm here!"
"Antonio, promise me you'll stay with me forever!"
"I don't think I can promise you that...I have to go back! The Cardinal won't accept me staying longer...Don't you think I want to?"
"We'll make him agree, and then everything will be over!"
"I-I can't...You don't understand!"
"What's there to understand? Then, I'll come with you!"
"You can't! You can't give up the privilege of being in the eternal city, Rome, to come to a forgotten country!"
"Then, make silence a bit!"
Silence. How much we need it. Now, more than ever. I feel like I'm caught between heaven and earth. I need to get up there, but I can't do it alone!
"I was actually thinking of taking you somewhere..."
"Where?"
"To meet the Pope, where else?"
"What?!"
"Me? To meet with Pope Borgia? I can't believe it's true. I think my mind is playing tricks on me, or Cesare is telling me nonsensical things. I couldn't believe something like this."
"I've been gone all day yesterday, where do you think I was? We just received the confirmation last night that the pope wants to see us today, so let's go!"
"Let's go where?"
"What? I told you we're going to the tailor for clothes...I can't let you wear this cassock in front of the Pope..."
Well, it's morning, so we're off to the tailor. The meeting with His Holiness is in 7 hours, at 2 PM. Although I'm very scared and nervous, I hope it goes well.
We arrived at the tailor, who was a fairly young woman. She takes my measurements, which annoyed Cesare. It's the first time I've seen him so changed.
"Cesare, they're just measurements!"
"I don't care, just make them and be done with it!"
"If you keep looking at her like that, she won't be able to do it!"
"Fine... I'll go outside to calm down a bit!"
After 10 minutes, I also stepped outside. Cesare was leaning against the wall of the tailor's shop, talking to himself...
Cesare POV:
It seems like he doesn't hate me that much after all. But I'm still afraid of losing him. Why? Why does it hurt so much when someone is close to him. I think it was a bad idea to let him come to the tailor's. I could have talked to Sister Caterina to take his measurements, couldn't I? She wouldn't have done anything strange because she is his admirer...the whole thing with the angel and others.
Antonio POV:
How strange... I've never seen him so pensive. Maybe he's thinking about how to make me stay with him, but I can't. Maybe I would like to stay at the Vatican, with him and Sister Caterina, close to the Pope and others... But-
"Antonio, is it over?"
"Yes... It wasn't anything special, but she said it will be ready in 3-4 hours. I was actually thinking, why so fast?"
"Maybe because you have the perfect body and they were inspired?"
"Hmm, I'm sure that's not it!"
"I have to tell you something... It's mandatory when you meet with Pope. You know, you have to kiss his ring and his right foot. I know you might not-"
"I already knew that, although... thank you!"
The thing with kissing rings and similar things are quite outdated, but in the 15th century, they were commonplace. In the 21st century, such things are no longer practiced, remaining only in tradition from before the 20th century.
Suddenly, from a distance, I saw something that caught my attention. A woman holding her child's hand was begging for charity from passersby. My warm heart couldn't see this without saying anything.
"Cesare, cancel the order!"
"Excuse me? But, how will you introduce yourself-"
"That doesn't matter! What's important is that we need to help the needy people around us...A cassock is no more important than the poor around us!"
"Antonio! That's my gift for you. Let the Church take care of the poor, not us."
"Cesare, we are the Church! I can't agree with expensive gifts when people are starving next to me! That's why I was ridiculed by my own bishop...If you want to do it, do it, but..."
"Come with me!"
Together with Cesare, we went to that woman with the child who was begging. When she saw us, the child began to cry.
"Mummy, mummy, bad people!"
"Leave us alone! The Church has done so much harm to the people around us that we don't trust you anymore. Do you think you can hide your sins this way?"
I was stunned. I had heard of priests who were hated by people because of their immoral activities, but it's not right to generalize. I am different!
"Ma'am, can we talk for a bit?"
"With you, from the Church? So immoral? Never!"
"Antonio, let's go!"
"No...I won't leave anyone behind! Cesare, please go away for a bit!"
"Okay!"
After making sure he was far enough away, I started talking to the woman.
"Ma'am, not all priests are like that! Maybe many will be, but you have to trust people, even if many of them are bad!"
"Father, you won't understand what the poor go through...Priests always have palaces, apartments full of jewels, and us...What do we have?"
"You have each other...You have families! You have the power to change something by the way you are!"
"We? Change something? It's like you're telling us to commit suicide! We can only endure, that's all!"
"Don't forget one thing...I'm with you!"
"As if that makes us not hungry anymore! You're just giving us words while we're dying of hunger!"
"Here, it's not much, but it's all I have! Take it all. Buy something to eat and live on! Maybe things will change for the better for you!"
"F-Father...This will help us for two months for food. You're different from the other priests around here...You're an angel!"
"No, I'm not...I'm a priest!"
"May the Lord bless you! Thank you so much! Thank you, father!"
"T-Thank you!"
"What's your name, son?"
"A-Antonio!"
"What a coincidence! My name is the same!"
"Father, we won't forget you! We'll pray for you!"
"I hope the Lord hears you!"
"Now, after I went bankrupt, I have no money to go back home. If I stay bankrupt, I'll beg and maybe someone will take pity on me. Maybe. Until then, let's go to the Pope!
I just picked up my new cassock from the tailor. It fits me perfectly!
"Cesare, I don't know how to thank you!"
"Well, maybe if..."
"Are you starting with advances again?"
"No, let's go!"
We headed to the Pope with my new cassock and Cesare. The streets were full of people. Cobbled streets, full of stalls. Various tastefully designed buildings beautified the city center. Also, people were very surprised when they saw us, which made me feel embarrassed.
We arrived at the meeting place with the Pope. An old cardinal invited us to accompany him, Cesare shaking hands with him, and when I wanted to show my respect for him, the cardinal shook hands with me too. Excuse me? It doesn't matter.
We arrived in front of the door. A large door full of different mosaics was in front of us.
"Are you ready, Antonio?"
"I-I'm ready!"
We entered. I would have expected a chair made of pure gold with precious stones, and the Pope dressed in gold with some crown on his head. But, no! It was a quite spacious and simple room, which amazed me. The Pope himself was quite tall, with gray hair, and dressed in a white cassock. I almost fell because of the emotion. The Pope was reading a book, which seemed impressive to me.
"Come in!"
The Pope invites us to come in, which we do. We arrived in front of him, and Cesare signaled me to bow to show my respect. However, to my surprise, the Pope grabbed me by the shoulders and stopped me. He looked at me with joy and seeing me emotional, he stroked my head.
"It seems like you are Antonio, right?"
"Y-Yes! I'm just a simple priest, anyway! I'm not someone whose name should be remembered..."
"Come, take a seat!"
"I-I will stand-"
"Antonio! Do as His Holiness says."
"S-Sure!"
I'm amazed. The Pope is in front of me, and I'm sitting next to him!
"So, I heard a lot about you from Cesare..."
"Your Holiness, don't mind him...We are two priests-"
"Antonio, why are you speaking ill of me in front of His Holiness?"
"Hm...I have a question. What studies did you do?"
"I have a doctorate in Law and I am a professor at the seminary in my home country, but that doesn't matter!"
"Oh, wonderful! We really need some intellectuals here!"
"N-No...I came just because..."
"Cesare, what do you think?"
"Your Holiness...I have a request!"
"Oh, tell me! I'm listening."
"Please give me your blessing to be together with Antonio!"
"W-What?"