It’s fun and easy, and even David is becoming more and more relaxed. It’s so nice to see him becoming more confident, more comfortable showing our love and his sexuality in public.
***
“Ah, he’s still alive.” I recognize that voice and weigh my options. Should I continue pretending to be asleep, or should I open my eyes so they don’t get any silly ideas?
“Are you sure? Maybe it’s just a doll.”
“Or maybe he’s dead.”
“That’s also a possibility.”
“There’s only one thing we can do..." And that’s my cue.
“Don’t even think about it.” My eyes are open and looking straight into my brothers’ grinning faces. They’re standing at the car window, staring at me. I slept the whole way here, exhausted after my shift. “Where’s David?”
“He’s tiedup and gagged in the trunk." I love Jannis’s humor, but I know my brother, he wouldn’t say a word if David was within earshot. So I just raise my eyebrows and he laughs. “He’s inside with Papa and Paps. The two of them grabbed him right away, he didn’t stand a chance. Serious talk, or something.”
Luca looks almost a little sympathetic, a rare sight.
“Did you know we were coming?”
“Papa bought chocolate buns and Paps made tea, so yes.”
It can’t be too bad for David then. And sure enough, when I come into the house, the three of them are sitting peacefully around the dining table. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
My boyfriend looks at me almost panicked. “Hey, sorry, but Jannis and Luca were at the door, and I mean it when I say, I’m not going to argue with them. The two of them together are really scary.”
Papa swallows a snort at the very last moment and tears well up in Paps eyes as he tries to stifle his laughter. We all know he’s right.
“Glad you two are here. Are you okay?” David sits there as if he had never been away, even though this seat had been empty for so long, and I have to swallow hard.
There was a hole in my heart and at some point I thought this empty feeling was normal.
I kiss my fathers on the cheeks, then I put my arms around my boyfriend from behind and he immediately leans into my embrace, tilting his head for a kiss.
“Yes, we’re fine, even if it still feels very unreal sometimes.” And sometimes it just hurts to know how much time we’ve lost because of a stupid misunderstanding. Now we cling to each other, hold on tight, maybe a little more thanis good for us.
Breakfast is lively and loud, everyone talking at once, telling stories about their week and other exciting news.
“Jannis is seeing someone.” This fact must have been on Luca’s mind for a long time, the way he blurted it out.
My brother just looks at him blankly but doesn’t reach for his phone to reply. “What, you know I’m right. You’re always sneaking out to meet this dark-haired guy at the basketball court. How old is he anyway, he looks like he’s twelve.”
Okay, now it’s getting exciting. Jannis stares at Luca with a look that should actually set him on fire and types something into his phone without looking. “He’s nineteen.”
“And you’re talking to him! I saw it clearly.” Four heads turn abruptly toward Jannis, who is typing again.
“Yes, and what? I talk to you too. I can speak.” Everyone who knows how Jannis speaks now adds a biting undertone to the neutral computer voice and knows that he has just ended the conversation. David doesn’t.
“It’s nice that you’ve met someone you feel comfortable with.” I know my brother, and the fact that his lower lip is trembling as he types is definitely something I haven’t seen before in this context, and I’m almost a little annoyed that David is here so we can’t experience the emotional outburst verbally. Something’s off.
“I don’t feel comfortable. There’s nothing. Nothing at all, okay?” With his eyebrows furrowed, he grabs his cup, jumps up, and storms away from the table.
“He can tell that crap to someone else. I saw them myself. He’s laughing and talking. I’ve never seen him like that outside of the family.”
“Maybe your brother just isn’t ready to talk about it yet. Maybe he doesn’t know exactly how he feels himself. Do you realize that you mayhave just outed him here without asking?”
Luca turns pale. “Oh, fuck. Shit, I didn’t mean to... I didn’t want to... I have to go to him.”
