I forgot to mention in the last chapter, but the OCs of Novak (Serbia) and Andelko (Croatia) are not mine. They're the wonderful Raivas-Latvijas'. If you like these characters, please check out her stories. :)
Novak felt more than a little awkward as he entered his and Andelko's hotel room, knowing that finding the right time to pop the question would be about as simple as finding a needle in a haystack.
"Hey, zlato," Andelko called from the bathroom mirror, where he was busy shaving his chin, "How was your workout?"
Novak's mind, already disoriented with nerves, couldn't comprehend his boyfriend's English. "Srpskey, molim?"
"Sure," the Croat answered in Serbian, "You must be tired, huh?" He smiled sympathetically.
"Ah, yeah, heh. So, um, I wanted to show you something. It's a surprise, but you'd have to be cool with me blindfolding you."
Andelko smirked. "In what context?"
"A very G-rated one, I can assure you," Novak chuckled.
"Okay. Can I finish shaving first, or is it urgent?"
"Nah, take your time. And just wear your regular clothes, if you'd like."
Once shaved, Andelko allowed Novak to put an eye mask on him and lead him out their room. Novak guided his lover out the hotel and toward a dock, a violet sunset illuminating the still lake.
"Watch your step," Novak cautioned as he and Andy boarded a dinghy. Novak set it adrift, and navigated the small boat a few hundred meters toward the center of the water. "You can take off your mask, if you'd like."
Andelko did, initially squinting at the pre-dawn light. "This is cool," he commented, smiling as he took in the scenery. "It reminds me of when I was a kid." Andelko had grown up on the Croatian island of Vis, and had often spent his days out on the water as a child.
"I know." Novak smiled as well. "I was hoping it would." The two relaxed in the silence for a moment before the Serbian spoke again.
"There's actually a reason I brought you out here, though."
"Mhm?"
"A long time ago, there was a pirate here, you see," Novak struggled to keep a straight face as he continued, "And this pirate left a small treasure, hoping that it would one day be found by someone pure of heart."
Andelko laughed. "Then I don't think we should look."
"This is by a pirate's standards, though. Do you see the sand-bar next to us? It's located on it. Once you find the X, you should dig!"
"And I'm the one that must find this?" Andy teased, raising an eyebrow.
"Unless you want me to get the treasure…"
"I suppose I can share. So, let's see-"
Andelko slipped out of his shoes and set foot on the sandbar, small bits of rock and driftwood getting stuck between his toes as he walked about. After a few moments' search, he found a red X in the sand and quickly unearthed a plain, brown bottle. He brought it back to the "ship," playing into Novak's game and awaiting his next instruction.
"Sometimes, bottles have notes in them," Novak encouraged, chuckling when Andelko again raised an eyebrow.
"I love the fact that you do things like this," Andy replied, fishing his note out of the vessel.
Andy,
I don't think I tell you enough how much I adore you. You never fail to bring a smile to my face; you have a heart of gold and a mind greater than all the riches in the world. I'm so happy to simply know somebody like you- never would I have imagined that I'd be yours and you'd be mine. I treasure every day I get to spend with you, and thus, I feel you deserve a treasure of your own…
Andelko smiled softly, feeling touched from the note. "What might that be?" He asked, already fathoming an answer.
"Let's get hitched." Novak grinned, holding out a thin, gold band. Andelko, apoplectic, merely nodded enthusiastically.
"I'd love that," he affirmed after remembering how to speak once more. "But you already are my treasure."
Novak leaned in to kiss his fiancée. "I can't believe you're going to be my husband."
"I can't believe you asked," Andelko laughed. "I thought I would have to."
"I like to think I'm full of surprises." The blond man smiled coyly.
"Believe me, you are. I never knew you could naviagate a boat!"
…
"Berwald and Mathias?" A slim, tall woman with brown hair asked, adjusting her glasses as she smiled at the two men. "My associate and I are going to give you a tour now. My name is Pavla, and- along with my co-worker, Feliciano-" she gestured to an auburn-haired, grinning man beside her, "I'll be answering your questions about the Paris Resort. Would you like to ask us anything before we begin?"
The Scandinavians shook their heads, and the two workers smiled at them once more.
"Great! Then, let's begin." Feliciano guided the "couple" to an elevator. The four of them stepped on the platform and ascended.
"How long have you two been together?" Pavla asked, gesturing to the pair.
"Three years," Mathias answered, taking hold of Berwald's hand to verify the statement. He found himself intrigued by the feeling of Berwald's skin, rough and chapped from years of wearing latex gloves, and instinctually began to rub circles into the Swede's palm with his thumb. Surprisingly, Berwald made no protest.
"And hopef'ly many more," Berwald added, smiling tenderly at Mathias. Mathias' stomach quivered- for what, he couldn't tell.
The two workers smiled at them once more and began to chat about the features of the resort, Mathias giving exclamations of approval every once in a while to sell his performance. ("A real coffee maker? Wow!") Well, perhaps he overdid the enthusiasm a bit…
However, Berwald could hardly concentrate on the presentation given. The wheels in his mind began to turn, and he ruminated on a strange idea- what if he and Mathias were lovers? And was it so preposterous to imagine? After all, the two had been friends for years, and Berwald wouldn't deny that he found Mathias handsome…but it was all too strange! How could he have known Mathias for years and never been struck with even the slightest interest in the other until then? Surely it was some momentary overproduction of his testosterone that made him think so irrationally. It couldn't be that…
Berwald glanced at Mathias again, who was smiling and chatting with Feliciano. Well, perhaps it was.
There was some logic to it. Mathias was a good person. He was generally nice, even if he was blunt. He was funny, caring, and interesting to talk to. He was smart. He was also very good looking. What objection could Berwald have to liking Mathias.
"It's not because he's Danish, is it?"
Berwald shook the worry out of his mind. He had no qualms with Mathias' nationality, it was just-
He wanted to be careful. Mathias, for all his good qualities, was capricious. How could Berwald expect loyalty from him?
Then again, Mathias had always been a loyal friend…and his past relationship lasted for a surprisingly substantial length of time.
"Oh, Berwald, look!" Mathias pointed at something or another, and the taller of the two realized he'd been staring at Mathias' hypnotic grin for over a minute.
…
Mathias wasn't exactly sure how this had happened, and truth be told, it freaked him out. And yet, as he and Berwald waited for Eileen and Aeden to meet them up at their booth, he couldn't help but wonder-
"Y're quiet tonight," Berwald mused, not wanting to press Mathias for details, as he seemed to be in his own train of thought.
"Oh!" Mathias laughed nervously. "Um, yeah, I was just…thinking. So…Berwald."
"So…Mathias." Berwald countered, a small smirk playing across his lips.
"It's warm in here, isn't it?" Mathias wiped his forehead with his napkin and sipped his iced water. "Yikes! They weren't kidding when they said Los Vegas would be hot."
"Ya think so? I'm not t'at warm."
"Maybe it's just me." Mathias glanced at Berwald, taking in the image of the other's sharp eyes behind Fendi lenses. It didn't help that Mathias had a bit of a glasses fetish.
"Mm…" Berwald felt unsure of what to say next- all he knew at the moment was that the sight of Mathias, flushed and flustered, made him feel unbearably hot. "No- now I feel 't, too."
The Dane smiled. "I'm glad it isn't just me." He held Berwald's gaze for a moment before glancing away, feeling…bashful? Was it possible? Something about seeing Berwald's own smile gave Mathias the incredible urge to chuckle. His stomach seemed to flutter.
"Who knew that Sve could be cute?"
Cute, indeed. Because Mathias knew that, behind those piercing eyes, was a man that adored playing hide-and-go-seek with his baby brother and feeding ducks by a lake. Behind those piercing eyes was a mind that thought in lyric. Behind those piercing eyes was a gentle, even innocent, man.
Berwald couldn't help but feel his chest tighten as he continued to talk to Mathias. Underneath Mathias' cocky smile belied a man that worked in a soup kitchen every Christmas Eve. Underneath that cocky smile belied a man that grew up poor and worked assiduously for every scholarship and dollar he could earn. Underneath that cocky smile belied a man that had been cheated on by a former love; a man that continued to smile because he always tried to see the best in every situation; a man that was smarter than anybody Berwald knew, though he never acted pretentiously.
"Hi!" Eileen's chipper brogue permeated Berwald's thoughts, and as he and Mathias made room for Eileen and Aeden, he wondered how much longer his heart would have the bear the burden of a secret it must have always known.
…