Page 10 of Bluebird

Adrien

"Hey, you. Slept well?" élias is standing outside my door, grinning. He's in a far too good mood for this early, it's only... Oh shit. A glance at the clock tells me it's already half past eleven. Oops. I just shake my head and let him through the door.

"How did you even get into the house?"

"This elderly woman who lives below you came out and let me in. She said she knows me by now and winked. My guess is she thinks there's something going on between us."

For a brief moment, everything tightens up inside me, but when élias starts laughing heartily and loudly, the tension falls off just as quickly as it came. It's okay that I'm gay, I'm allowed to be gay, I'm allowed to be who I am. This feeling is completely new to me.

"You look completely wrecked. We didn't drink that much yesterday, and we weren't home that late. Or did you go out for a second time?"

I close my eyes to breathe in and out deeply. "No, but I couldn't really sleep. I don't know how long I lay awake. You rang me out of bed."

"Oops, sorry!" I can tell from his grin alone that he's not sorry at all, not even a little bit. The sarcastic undertone wouldn't even have been necessary, but it underlines the essence of the statement.

"What are you doing here? Do we have a date? Did I forget something?"

" Now we have a date. Nika is on her way to a gig in Karlsruhe and I'm bored." It's always like that and I love it. Our friendship is so uncomplicated. "Get dressed, I get a complex if I see you shirtless for too long. Besides, I'm hungry, let's go for something to eat."

This guy... I shake my head with a laugh and disappear into my bedroom.

***

Half an hour later, we're sitting in a small café with coffee, croissants and apple tarts. Best breakfast ever!

"So, what did you think about last night?"

"I don't know, that's why I was up so late."

"What do you mean?" élias takes a hearty bite of his second croissant.

"Ah, I don't know, but I can't really tell where I stand with Philipp. Whether I bore the hell out of him or get on his nerves or whether he's just shy or inexperienced."

élias nods affirmatively with his mouth full.

"You know that I... that I find him very intriguing, and I’d like to get to know him better, but I don't want to be pushy or hassle him or anything. I have no idea what to do."

élias clears his throat, he always does that when he wants to say something but doesn't know exactly how. "Okay, listen. I spoke to Nika last night because I felt the same way about Philipp as you did." I raise my eyebrows expectantly. "Nika doesn't tell her friends' stories, not even to me. But she asked me to tell you not to give up on him, if you’re serious with Philipp. That it probably won't be easy, but that it's worth giving him time and fighting for him."

Okay, that I can do.