Holy snap, I didn't realize the formatting went wrong! Sorry!
"Merci, Gabby!" Glass Joe says as his former student takes the menu from his friend. "Pas de problème!" the waiter/boxer replies as he goes to take the order.
"So, how have things been, Kaiser?" the Parisian asks in his native language, and Von Kaiser scans the area briefly once again before beginning to settle in his seat.
"I suppose I'm fine." he tells him in a monotone, and Joe chuckles. "You're so damn stern." Glass Joe remarks, and Von Kaiser shrugs.
They sit there and talk about their lives, personal and professional. Gabby brings their coffee, they thank him and give him the tip as well as pay for the coffee. It is quite uneventful for the most part until they joke that they may as well move in together with how much they talk to each other.
Even still, Von Kaiser's mind begins to wander a little more. Perhaps living with Glass Joe wouldn't be that bad. He's known him for a long time, nearly twenty-five years, and he has been there to support him through his entire career. Spending the rest of his life with Joe doesn't sound bad at all.
In that moment, his view of Glass Joe is changed forever with a single thought.
I would spend the rest of my life with him if I could.
Von Kaiser's breath is caught in his chest and his heart is sent aflutter upon the realization that he has fallen in love; his heart also sinks to the bottom of his stomach when he realizes he's fallen in love with his best friend.
It isn't at all the fact that they are both men. That doesn't matter at all. Especially in light of the fact that this man is Glass Joe. This man, whom he has built a purely platonic connection with. This man, whom he has called his friend for years. If this were someone, anyone different, this would be fine. But it isn't. This is his best friend.
Why has he so suddenly fallen in love with him? Or was he always in love with him and assumed it was camaraderie? No, this is definitely love. It is love now, but he didn't love him this way before now. He could almost swear it on his life.
It crosses his mind that a wedding band would look nice on Glass Joe, but he quickly tries to banish the thought. They are friends, and Von Kaiser worked hard just to be friends with him. To try and be his lover would take longer, and it would take more work too.
He wishes he never thought of it, but now that he has he can't stop.
"Monsieur Kaiser? Are you okay?"
The German wobbles his head as he is pulled back into reality by the sound of Glass Joe's voice. Slowly, he nods and tells him he's fine, and the Frenchman sighs in relief. "You worried me." he tells him, and Von Kaiser briefly imagines Glass Joe kissing his cheek and calling him his sweetheart.
He feels horrible, imagining doing things so…so utterly intimate with his best friend. No! Perhaps he'll forget about the thought tomorrow…
Were he alone, he'd bury his face in his palms. Who is he kidding? He is not going to forget this. He won't forget it tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, not ever.
With that realization, he wishes even more these feelings weren't there. There are people out there more deserving of the younger man's love. There are stronger, smarter, gentler, more attractive men and women than himself. There are people who can do more for him than he can.
He sighs quietly, looking at Glass Joe once again. He smiles bright, relaxing in his seat as they drink coffee at the cafe by the Eiffel tower. The poor man is blissfully unaware of Von Kaiser's feelings for him.