Hans glanced at Adrik again. He wasn’t just looking—he was absorbing everything, like he was trying to memorize the city brick by brick. That did something to Hans’ chest, something warm and stupid.
“You like it?” Hans asked, trying to sound casual.
Adrik nodded slowly. “It feels… alive. Different from what I’m used to.”
Hans smiled at that.Good. Let it be different. Let it be better.
He guided Adrik towardViktualienmarkt, where the air shifted again—fresh herbs, grilled sausages, flowers in buckets overflowing with color. Vendors shouted prices, old men argued cheerfully over cheese samples, and a little girl tugged her mother toward a stand selling honey.
“This is Munich,” Hans said, spreading his hands a little. “Messy. Loud. Always smelling like food. And somehow perfect.”
Adrik looked around, then back at Hans with a softness that made Hans’ stomach flip. “I can see why you love it.”
Hans felt heat creep up his neck. Great. Blushing in public. Very dignified.
But he couldn’t help it. Showing Adrik the city—his city—felt strangely intimate, like he was offering him a piece of himself.
And the way Adrik looked at him made it feel like he’d accepted it.
“Where are we going?” Adrik asked as Hans steered him down a crowded street.
“You’ll see,” Hans said, trying to sound casual, even though he was practically vibrating with excitement.
They reached the Oktoberfest grounds, and Adrik’s face lit up instantly. The music, the tents, the smell of roasted nuts and grilled sausages—it all hit at once.
“Oh wow,” Adrik said, smiling so big Hans felt it in his chest. “This is amazing.”
Hans guided him to a long wooden table under a tent where a band was playing. Their lunch order comprised pretzels, schnitzel, and beer. Adrik kept tapping his fingers to the music, his eyes bright, cheeks a little pink from the beer.
Hans watched him for a moment, unable to help it.He looks happy. Really happy. God, I love seeing him like this.
Adrik caught him staring. “What?” he asked, smiling like he already knew.
“Nothing,” Hans said, though his face warmed. “Just… glad you’re enjoying it.”
Adrik leaned closer, his voice soft enough that Hans felt it more than heard it. “I enjoy everything when I’m with you.”
Hans tingled inside. “You can’t just say things like that in public,” he muttered, trying to hide his grin.
“Why not?” Adrik nudged his knee under the table. “It’s true.”
Hans looked away, pretending to focus on the band, but his chest felt full. “Well… you make everything better too,” he admitted.
Adrik’s smile softened, warm and a little shy. “Good. Then we’re even.”
They stayed like that—eating, listening to music, brushing shoulders, and trading small romantic confessions. And as the afternoon stretched on, Hans realized something simple and undeniable:This trip wasn’t about Munich. It was about being here with him.
Hans woke up from the nap feeling that familiar knot in his stomach—the one that had been sitting there ever since he realized tonight meantparents. Meeting them. Talking to them. Being judged by them. And worse… Adrik possibly deciding this whole trip was too much and wanting to go home early.
Please don’t let him regret coming.
They showered again, steam fogging the bathroom mirror while Hans tried not to stare too long at Adrik buttoning his shirt. He looked good—too good—and Hans had to swallow down the ridiculous fear that his parents would somehow scare him off.
“You ready?” Hans asked, smoothing his own collar for the tenth time.
Adrik shrugged. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Hans forced a smile.That wasn’t reassuring at all.
