Chapter Text
„No! No! No!..There's no way," Max sounded more desperate than angry right now. He and Leo had been sitting over those books for the past two weeks and hadn't come to any conclusions yet. It appeared no matter what they tried or considered, it just wouldn't work out as they had planned.
"We still can't afford it," Max said. Leo lifted his tired head a little from the papers just to find his partner's eyes following every written word again in a hurry. He yawned. He hadn't slept much the past nights and combined with the stress during daytime he felt as though he could hardly go on.
Wearily he looked around. The piles of papers and accounting books made it almost impossible to find the desk they usually used to work on anymore.
But there was nothing for it. They simply had to continue. So much depended on it. And every nightmare like this was bound to end sooner or later. At least that's what Leo kept telling himself over and over again. They were certain to find a way out of this predicament...
"Seriously?" he thought by himself. He'd been certain there must be. That was a week ago, but he saw things different now...
Well, who would have thought three of their very important investors would pull themselves out of production in the middle of the already set rehearsal period. It never happened before. Okay, at least not in the last years. The huge financial lack which followed was what they had to face right now.
Under normal circumstances this wouldn't have been such a big issue but this time the loss was so huge, it even affected them privately.
"Let's face it... We're broke," Leo heard Max murmur from time to time and even though he didn't say it in Leo's direction he knew it was much more serious this time.
"It used to be so easy back when...," Leo mumbled, resting his head on his hands and closing his eyes just for a second.
"Back when?" Max asked, not looking up from his papers.
Usually Leo wouldn't finish a thought like that out loud but he felt didn't matter at the moment.
"...Back when you just replaced a backer with just another little old lady. Something like that was only a problem for let's say half an hour," Leo responded lazily. He could feel Max's eyes on him just seconds later. He turned his head a little only to grin at him.
Max smirked back, slightly shaking his head.
"You know pretty damn well why this is not an option anymore," he answered without taking his eyes away from the younger man. Leo just loved to tease him especially with an old topic like that.
"But...," Leo started anew. "Couldn't you just, you know... talk to them? I mean some of them were quite fond of you as far as I remember."
Max shook his head while gazing at the books in front of him again.
"That is not how it worked," he simply answered. Leo knew there was no use to ask any more. Plus, he didn't really wanna hear about Max's past 'ways' to convince his former backers to get the money for his shows. He knew too much anyway.
"What if you try?"
He bit his lips for that and closed his eyes in remorse. "Shut up, silly," a little voice in his head repeated. Yet, he had asked. "Gee, are you really that desperate?"
He flinched a little when he felt Max's hand on his head. But he simply nudged him softly and Leo knew he wanted him to stop. Max often did a joking gesture like that lately and Leo always wondered why he still felt afraid of his reactions every time.
For Max wasn't who he used to be. He changed after an accident that occurred to him one year earlier and ever since he wouldn't react in his effervescing manner anymore. At least not in front of Leo who was pretty well aware that he had been playing a major role in that change.
"No more refreshing of past habits," Max simply said. Leo sighed. That conversation was over.
On the one hand he was kind of relieved Max didn't waste a thought about working the way he used to. It wasn't what he wanted anyway. Just thinking about it made him feel sick. He just didn't want to see him with anyone else.
On the other hand it would have solved a lot of their problems right now and all this double-shift working would be over.
He moaned once more and let his head fall to the desk with a numb sound. This just couldn't go on.
His head was so heavy and he simply had no ideas anymore when he suddenly felt the warmth of Max's hand on his head again.
"You know, you should go to bed if you're feeling that tired," he said softly.
"I can't let you do all this alone," Leo answered and turned his head to smile at Max, who simply shook his head, smiling.
"I'm sure we'll figure something out. Don't you worry about that too much," he said quietly.
"Well, how am I not supposed to?" Leo arose from his seat. "This is bad and you know it."
"Yes, it is. I'm not trying to play it down," Max looked at him softly. "But there ain't much we can do right now to be honest. We need a plan. A strategy; something to make this work. And neither you nor me will be able to figure something out if we fall asleep on the desk."
Leo nodded. "I guess you're right. But what about you?"
"I will follow you soon," Max answered. "I just need to check something."
Again Leo nodded. He turned to leave but stopped in the door-frame once more. Max already had his eyes buried in those books again and didn't pay any more attention to his partner leaving. Whatever it was he wanted to look up he didn't waste any time.
Leo bowed his head. He'd expected that. The whole situation didn't do any good on their being together. It was almost like a huge dark cloud hanging silently over their relationship with no one daring to speak about it or finding a way to spend a little time together just the way they did before; let alone the hope of some intimacy. But lately there wasn't even time for some tender words. It was enough to drive one up the wall.
Sooner or later that situation was doomed to become a huge issue. Leo knew. And he knew Max knew. Yet, there was nothing he could do about it right now.
So, he simply turned his back on Max and left the room.
"This is a disaster," Max thought, just staring at the mess in front of him. He stopped for a moment and tried to calm down. There had to be something he could do. Anything.
He thought of Leo's suggestion of course. He had been so right. It was so much easier in the past. But no, there was absolutely no chance he would consider that again. He stopped it long before the both of them noticed they were connected through more than a business partnership; even more than just friendship.
He had to laugh thinking about it.
"Look how far you've come," he thought. "Being faithful had never been one your strengths, you old fool."
Yet, he just couldn't do it. There was no one else he wanted to be with but Leo. And doing it for money was unimaginable.
"I simply need to find another way," he thought. "For Leo's sake!"
He winced when suddenly the phone rang. A sound that could wake the dead...
Max cast a quick look at the old clock in their office. How peculiar. Who would be calling at this time?
A little hesitantly he answered that call, but didn't even come so far as to say anything.
"Mr. Bialystock?"
"Yes?"
"Oh, good. I was hoping to catch you... It's quite late now, isn't it?" The voice said.
"It is indeed," Max answered dryly, simply waiting for the man on the phone to tell him whatever he wanted.
"I apologize for that," the voice answered. "I am sure you're dying to hear the reason for this late call, right? Well, allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Arthur Pembroke and I am the CEO of.."
"Of the Pembroke Empire...," Max interrupted him and sounded surprised. "You own like half of Broadway..."
"So you have heard of me then?" The man chuckled.
"Well, who hasn't?" He himself had rented theaters a lot of times for his productions. But he had never spoken to him personally. A thousand thoughts ran through Max's head. Why would someone like that call him? "So, forgive me that rather rude question, Sir. But what gives me the pleasure of your call?"
"Ah, straight to the point, eh? Well, I heard about your little 'backing' problems concerning your latest play," he answered. "And to be quite honest, I wondered a little about this. Max Bialystock is not able to find investors? From what I've heard it is a sheer impossible thing to imagine..."
Max closed his eyes. Of course...
"Well, I don't know what you've heard about my methods, but let me assure you this belongs in the past," he said, trying hard not to sound angry. How came people just wouldn't forget about it? But then, it had been his own fault. He didn't mind back when and had never wasted a thought about how it must have looked to other people.
"I am not meaning to judge, don't worry about that," Mr. Pembroke answered. "But as I was going to say I wish to help you out of this..."
"You what?"
"I want to finance your show... I guess that helps you out of the many problems that occur whenever a financial squeeze like that happens."
"You want to...what?" Max wasn't sure if he understood him right. "You want to invest in my show?"
"Is that so hard to believe?"
"Well, I hope you won't find that question odd but why me?" Max asked.
"I thought you might ask that," he jeered. "Well, the truth is I always admired your shows and why not help a famous producer working on 'my street'. I guess that's how you put it, right?"
"Well, what can I say?" Max felt so light all of a sudden. This could solve all of their problems. It was exactly the miracle he had been hoping for. And he couldn't wait to tell Leo. "Thank you so much."
"Ah, no need to thank me. I wish for you and your partner...as far as I've heard you're not working alone anymore?!...to come to my office, let's say tomorrow at twelve. We can discuss the exact amount of what you need then..."
"Certainly, Sir."
"Oh, and one more thing...," the man stated. "If I give you the money you need I don't want you to work with that DeBris production team anymore..."
"...What?" Surely he must have misunderstood him right now.
"Well, you become quite famous using the same team over and over again. But to tell you the truth and I suppose you as a smart business man agree on that, I don't think people like you or me should tolerate these...sick creatures more than they should!"
"Sick creatures?"
"Oh, don't tell me you haven't noticed," Mr Pembroke laughed out loud. "The unnatural way of their behavior? As far as I know Mr. DeBris doesn't make a secret out of his perverted affection toward men. This is not how it should be and I certainly do not wish people like that work in something that includes me."
Max was speechless. He couldn't really mean that.
"I...er...," he stammered.
"I guess it's not bad for you to be around normal people for once as well. I can only imagine the disgust you must have felt next to their kind..."
"Well..."
"It's my only condition. No perverts in my theater... If you agree, I am more than willing to see you and your partner tomorrow and discuss the rest."
Fuck! This was bad. Max never suspected that theater-guru to be a homophobic. And just cutting Roger, Carmen and the rest off? How on earth was he supposed to do that? And why the hell did he really think about it? They were friends. Almost family. He shouldn't even think about anything like that. But then, Leo crossed his mind again.
How tired he was lately and how desperate he tried to find a way out of that misery.
"I owe him," Max thought. "He's done so much for me. And I can't think of anything else to do but accepting that more than generous offer. I guess Roger will understand..."
"We're delighted to meet you tomorrow," he answered after a while.
"Good," the man answered. "Then settled it is. It will be my pleasure to see you tomorrow."
Max hung up the phone and kept on staring at it for what seemed an eternity. He did agree. He didn't know what to think. They would never forgive him. But then again, he did it for a good reason. He just couldn't give up on all around them.
"No, but giving up on them is an option?!"
He nearly laughed at his own words. He didn't even believe himself.
Looking around he slowly walked over to the desk again and switched the lights off.
He almost tiptoed over to the bedroom and silently opened the door.
Leo was asleep already. Gee, he must really have been exhausted. His brown hair fell casually over the pillows and he had his blanket pulled up to his nose.
How peaceful he looked.
Max remained in the door-frame and observed him while his mouth lifted to a slight smile.
But then, another thought crossed his mind. What if his generous investor found out about him and Leo? Sure, they weren't as obvious as Roger and Carmen per say but it'd cause some trouble for sure. Surprisingly a lot of people around them hadn't noticed until now and they never felt like telling them openly. But he knew for sure Leo didn't intend to hide anything. The more he thought about it Max was certain he didn't want it either. And keeping a relationship a secret sounded much easier than it was.
He knew how most people reacted. But he always thought the theater was one of the rare fields of work no one cared whether his opposite was straight or gay or whatever.
Max moved over to Leo and sat down at the edge of the bed. He lifted his hand to stroke gently across Leo's cheeks.
"This is a problem...," he thought.
~to be continued~