Chapter 3
Sunlight spilled all over his face the following afternoon, not a single drop of rain or a cloud of grey that hovered the waiting shed. He drew a hand to shield his eyes. Casually, he looked around the place for the umpteenth time.
It had been a day since he met that Berwald stranger, and he wondered if he would meet him again. This time, not by coincidence, but really on purpose. A strong urge to befriend the Swede was burning in his lungs. He simply had a good feeling about it, nothing creepy, of course.
Buses came to stop by the waiting and he anticipated a tall blonde, good-looking and bespectacled, to materialize. He didn't take note of what time they had exactly met, so he merely stayed in the shed right after work. Even if precious minutes went to waste, he leaned over the pole expectantly.
Strange, that he was waiting for someone he barely knew. He usually didn't care or minded strangers, since they were everywhere. He hadn't made a single real friend when he was stationed in America. He knew his boss, a few of his co-workers, but to think about someone (let alone wait for someone) had never been his thing. Yet he was here, waiting for a someone, disregarding his own habits, when he should've been at home, typing away.
"Another shitty day?"
"Oh." He spun around and saw Berwald approaching him with a thin smile. "How are you?"
"Fine. You?"
"Good."
"Really? Sure?"
The German nodded calmly. In his mind, he screamed and broke into a mini-panic. He hadn't thought about what would happen when he met up with Berwald. He simply wanted to see him. "H-how are… how are, uh, how—"
"Fine. Thanks. You?"
"Yes…"
"Pardon?"
"Ah, did I say something?"
That made the Swedish blonde laugh, and to his surprise, he grinned widely. He definitely liked the sound of it.
"Ah… hey, are you free right now? I was… just… deciding whether I should have an early dinner or what. Do you mind joining me?"
"Hmm," Berwald's blue eyes shot upwards as if the answer was hiding behind the clouds. "I think I should invite you to dinner in my place instead."
"What?"
"Just come with me. You'll like my friends. We're all foreigners, if that helps." But it was Berwald's friendly and warm smile that he was after, not the warm thought of new friends. And perhaps with luck, he'll be able to hear more of Berwald's sweet laugh.