by Andrew Grey
Robin’s stomach rumbled from lunch, loudly enough for Johan to hear him. “Oops.”
“I thought so. Come on. You are way too skinny.” He led Robin slowly through the streets. The throngs of tourists fell away as they found themselves in a part of town few tourists saw. Medieval homes and businesses, narrow streets, and quiet greeted them as they strolled. “This is the way this town should be.”
“They need money to survive.”
“Yes. But could you imagine being one of the artists who discovered this place in the late nineteenth century? Walking through those gates into another world. It must have been breathtaking… and quiet, the town having slept, untouched, for over two hundred years.”
Robin closed his eyes. It was easy enough to imagine, but he’d never thought of it. “I had no idea you had the soul of a poet… or maybe a philosopher.” He leaned against Johan, letting the stillness wash through him.
They continued their walk until they found themselves on the square. Johan excused himself, then returned with a white bag and handed him a single chocolate confection in a ring shape. “Let’s eat as we head to the hotel. It’s about time to go back to work.” Johan led the way while Robin took bite after bite of sheer chocolate-and-hazelnut heaven.
ROBIN SAT in the hotel lobby waiting for his group. He’d checked in for all the rooms and had worked up the assignments, so now he just had to sit and wait.
“I guess I’ll go up to my room,” Mason groused as he schlepped in.
Robin got his key and handed it to him after he got his luggage. Mason hauled it up the stairs. The bag looked exceedingly heavy, and Robin wondered for a second what kind of souvenirs he was collecting on his trip. If the bag weighed as much as it seemed, Mason wasn’t going to get everything home.
“That was awesome,” Billy said as he and Kyle came in arm and arm. Kyle got their bags, and Robin motioned to Billy.
“Did you tell him?”
Billy grinned and nodded. “All that stuff that happened gave me the guts, you know. I figured I could lose him if I didn’t speak up. He and I are working stuff out.” He blushed, and Robin got a pretty good idea of how they were going about that.
“That’s good.” Robin turned as Grant came in. He handed him his key, and Grant got his luggage and went on up. Kyle shuffled up the stairs after him.
“Poor Grant,” Billy said, lightly clicking his tongue. “He had a thing for Mason, and that guy is a real jerk. They went out, Mason got Grant drunk, and then left him behind to meet with some guy in the club. Grant ended up finding his way back alone. He doesn’t know where Mason got off to.”
“So Mason didn’t come back at all last night?” Robin asked, half wondering out loud. “Maybe he found some guy. He has a history of that.”
“I figured you would know. Word has it that you guys dated for a while.” Billy shook his head. “How could you stand it? He’s a real slime.” Billy turned to Kyle, who had come back down the stairs. “Are we all set?”
“Yes, hon,” Kyle said gently and rejoined him. “Why don’t we go get some coffee and a snack somewhere? We need to be back by five, but that’s enough time. I don’t want to waste a minute.” He took Billy’s hand and they took off, Billy waving goodbye as he hurried out the door.
Robin sat back down and called Albert. “What did you think you were doing?”
“Problem?” Albert asked.
“The guy you added, Mason, my ex-boyfriend, is causing a lot of trouble.” Robin needed to have some backup from Albert. “He’s a real jerk and thinks he can use the past we had to get what he wants. He was late getting to the bus so I almost left him this morning, and the others in the group don’t like him either.” There was some satisfaction in that.
Albert sighed. “He’s paid for his tour, so unless he does something bad enough for you to kick him off….”
“Yeah, I know.” Robin didn’t want to do that unless he had to. “I wanted you to know. He threatened to report me because I didn’t give him a personal tour. He actually threatened me because Johan and I are getting close.” He rolled his eyes, and Albert squealed on the other end of the line.
“He told me he was interested,” Albert said, his version of cagey.
“Yeah. Well, I’m not sure if I’m mad at you or not.”
Albert snorted. “You saw him, and he was interested in you. I figured I was doing you a favor. So, enjoy and have fun. I’ve got another call coming in. Keep me informed about Mason. If he really causes trouble, I’ll handle it.”
“Thanks.” All he really wanted was a little cover from Albert in case he felt he had to act.
Robin handed out the rest of the keys and got everyone settled. Johan went to check on the bus, and when he returned, he was nice enough to carry both their bags up.
By the time everyone had returned and had their keys, Robin was running late. “All right. We’re going to head to dinner.” He checked his watch and led the group down the street to a small restaurant where tables had been set up for them. Robin made sure everyone was seated and slumped in his own seat. God, he was so tired and winded. He’d hoped to be able to go on the tour that evening with the rest of them, but the day’s activity was catching up with him. Maybe a nap for half an hour after dinner would help.
“We have to meet at eight for the tour, right?” Kyle asked from the next table.
“Yes.” Robin handed out the tickets to each of them. “Meet in front of the town hall. The night watchman will take the tickets. This particular tour is in English. They have limited spots, and we managed to get most of them for tonight. So please be on time. If you’re late, you’re out of luck.” Robin turned to Mason, who had the grace to appear sheepish.
“Are you coming with us?” Grant asked.
“Maybe.” Robin turned to Johan. “Unless you’d like to go. There is only one extra ticket, and I’ve been on the tour.” Robin wanted to give Johan the chance.
“It’s something I’ve never done,” Johan said.
Robin handed him the ticket. “Then have fun.” A chance to catch his breath was probably a better use of his time. “You’ll enjoy it.” The thought of some rest was too good to pass up. He hoped he wasn’t coming down with anything.
The servers brought salad plates, and the conversation in the room simmered around him as they all ate. Robin’s hands began to ache a little when he was halfway through dinner, and he knew taking it easy after dinner was probably the wise decision. He ate lightly and made sure Johan would take care of anything the group needed before heading up to the room.
White curtains billowed from the open window, fluttering in the light breeze. The room was surprisingly cool, furnished with light wooden furniture, comfortable and nice. The bed called to him. Robin took off his shoes and lay down, closing his eyes. At first he didn’t need any covers, but a chill set in and he climbed under the duvet, shivering. “Dammit.” He most likely had a fever. Robin finally warmed up and slipped off to sleep.
The room was dim but not dark when he woke. Robin felt better, though his clothes were damp with sweat. He got up, opened his bag, and took a change of clothes to the small bathroom.
“Robin,” he heard Johan say through the door.
“I’ll be right out.” Robin stripped off his damp things and hung them over the rod to dry before he put them into his dirty clothes bag. He dried off, put on fresh clothes, and stepped out. “Are you about to go?”
“Mason has decided he isn’t going and gave me back his ticket. I thought I would see if you wanted to come, but you look very pale and your eyes….” Johan paused and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’ll make sure they get on their tour and then I’m coming back here. Do you have any medication you can take?”
Robin nodded, and Johan handed him his kit from his suitcase. “I’ll take something for my headache and sit up awhile. You don’t need to stay here with me.” Robin found what he was looking for and took the pill. Then he sat back on the bed, his head and body propp
ed up by the pillows, and turned on the television. “Please go have fun.” He hated the thought that he was keeping Johan.
Johan leaned toward him to feel his forehead. “Is your stomach upset?”
“No. But my throat hurts a little.” Robin cleared his throat, and Johan took his hand for a few minutes. “Go on. I’ll be fine.” He covered himself with the duvet and watched an action hero movie dubbed in German. Johan left the room as Robin settled in to rest for the evening.
What he didn’t expect was for Johan to return less than an hour later with bottles of fruit juice and two covered foam cups.
“I brought you some ice to soothe your throat.”
Robin sighed. He loved Germany and being here, but one of the hardest things to get used to was the lack of ice. Drinks were chilled but not cold, and while he’d gotten used to it, this was amazing.
After taking off the lid, Johan handed him the first cup and poured some apple juice for him.
Robin sipped, and the cold liquid soothed his parched throat. “You were supposed to go on the tour.”
“I know. But I’d be worried about you the entire time.” Johan took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed to sit next to him. Robin shifted closer, and Johan put an arm around him. Robin should probably be starting to work on his next tour, but damned if he felt like it. He reached for his phone and sent Albert a note that he wasn’t feeling well and would let him know if he felt worse. Then he settled in, surrounded by Johan’s warmth.
“I’m sorry,” Robin said quietly, turning to Johan. “Tonight was supposed to be special, and I ruined it.” He blinked and sighed. Damn it all. Part of him wished he’d mustered up the energy so he didn’t disappoint Johan.
“It’s all right.” Johan held him tighter. “Sex is nice, but it isn’t the end-all, be-all of life.”
Robin leaned against him a little more, feeling his heart open to Johan a bit further each time he was with him.
“I don’t want to disappoint you.” He closed his eyes. Damn, this felt nice. He was safe and secure, or at least he felt that way. Robin drank a little more juice and relaxed while Johan watched the movie, which seemed to grow quieter as his eyelids slid closed.
“You haven’t. I like being here with you.”
Robin sniffed and tried to cover his emotions by clearing his throat. He wasn’t sure if he was successful. “I don’t see why. I’m not that interesting.”
Johan scoffed. “You have experiences that no one else has. What you went through makes you totally unique, and you don’t see it.” He shifted slightly and turned off the television. “What were you like before you had the transplant?”
“Oh God.” Robin thought back. “I remember that I was always tired, and my mom taught me at home for a number of years because she and my dad were scared that if I went to school with other kids, I’d bring home viruses and things that could make me sick. I couldn’t run and play with the other kids, though I tried at each opportunity. I loved to be out and about, and it scared my mom and dad. I remember my grandma telling Mom that she and Dad couldn’t shelter me and that I had to live whatever life I had to the most. Mom yelled at her, and they didn’t realize I was listening.” He lifted his gaze to catch Johan’s eyes. “I used to spend so much time inside. I remember watching The Cat in the Hat cartoon and felt like those kids caught inside on a rainy day. Except every day seemed rainy for me.”
“Wow. I don’t think I can imagine not being able to go out and play with my friends. Mom and Dad had a large social circle because of the restaurant, and we used to have gatherings there all the time. We were closed one day a week, and we usually met friends that day.”
Johan turned, and Robin knew he was going to kiss him. Robin backed away.
“Don’t get what I have, okay? I don’t want you to be sick too.”
Robin wasn’t expecting Johan to laugh.
“I’ve been sleeping next to you for days, and the last two nights you’ve burrowed next to me as though you were sucking up the warmth. I think if I’m going to catch something, I probably already have it.” Johan kissed the top of his head. “Just relax and don’t worry. You already look a little better and don’t feel as warm as you did before. A good night’s sleep will probably do wonders for you.” Johan climbed off the bed and slipped on his shoes. “I’m going to go downstairs and make sure everyone makes it in all right. You just rest, and I’ll be back.”
Johan left him alone, and Robin took the opportunity to get ready for bed, then burrowed under the covers and turned out the lights. He fell right to sleep and barely stirred when Johan joined him.
At some point he woke to Johan’s light snoring. His head was clear and his body aches were gone. Robin was grateful for that and stayed awake for a while, wondering how lucky he could get, meeting someone like Johan. He might be crazy to fall for him so quickly, and maybe sleeping next to Johan was a bad idea, but it felt right and… oh, to hell with it. How many chances would he get to be with someone as amazing as Johan? He wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. Robin snuggled closer and closed his eyes, falling right back to sleep.
Chapter 5
JOHAN STOWED their bags as Robin followed Mason onto the bus. He wanted to check for the missing money, so Robin went down the aisle. He saw Mason lean into one of the seats and came up behind him.
“You found Billy’s money,” Robin said, and Mason stilled, then straightened up and handed Robin the cash. A hundred euros—exactly what Billy had lost. “Thank you. He’s going to be so happy.”
Robin left the bus and went back into the hotel. It wasn’t until he reached the lobby that he wondered if Mason had been going to say anything or simply pocket the cash. Yeah, he wasn’t too happy with his ex right now, but Robin liked to think Mason was a better person than that. But then again, he’d cheated on him, so why not steal as well?
“Billy,” Robin said with a smile as he walked up to him. “Look what Mason found on the bus.” He handed him the cash, and Billy broke into a grin. “It was on your seat. He was the first one on the bus, and he and I found it there.”
“Awesome.” Billy put his hand over his chest. “I—”
“It’s okay. I know what it meant to you.” Robin patted Billy on the shoulder, happy he could help him. “Go and get ready. We need to leave by eight for our trip to Munich. I have some amazing things planned for you there, including a day trip to Füssen to see the fairy-tale castle.” He was excited and feeling much better.
“Are we going to Oktoberfest?” Kyle asked.
“That’s in late September and into October. But if you want, you can walk over to the grounds. They should be setting up some of the beer halls already.” Robin walked outside as the rest of the group lined up to get on the bus. “Did you all have a great time?”
“I loved how the town grew so quiet after dark. It was like a completely different place,” Grant said as he boarded.
“That’s why we stay overnight. It’s the best time to get the real feel for the town, and seeing everything with the lights on is stunning.” Robin counted everyone and climbed on the bus last, doing one final check before telling Johan they were ready to go.
“How long is the drive?” Lily asked.
“About four hours. Sit back and relax. There will be some beautiful scenery as we cross the countryside. We’ll be crossing into Bavaria, and Munich is the capital. A lot of what we think of as German in the US comes from Bavaria—Oktoberfest and the maypoles, to name a few. The kingdom of Bavaria had its own royal line and government until German unification. After that, they still had a king, but he wielded no governmental power. The Wittelsbach family is still around. They are what is often referred to as unofficial royalty, and they maintain a number of royal residences, including one we will see when we go to Füssen. Hohenschwangau is owned and operated by the family. You’ll see it up on the hill when we go tomorrow.”
“Will they be there?” Billy asked. “I always wanted to meet r
oyalty.”
Kyle snickered. “Please, you’re a big enough queen that royalty will pale in comparison.”
Billy rolled his eyes and smiled.
Robin continued. “Much of Bavaria is Catholic. Unlike Rothenburg, which was largely Protestant. So the churches will be much more ornate on the inside. Protestants kept things simple, while the Catholics were more ostentatious.”
“What about the war?” Grant asked.
Robin nodded. “Unfortunately, much of what you will see is a reconstruction. Much of the city was leveled during the war. You’ll see before, after, and current photographs. They have done an amazing job of restoration, and you would be hard-pressed to even realize that everything isn’t hundreds of years old. My advice is to concentrate on the great things you’ll see and ignore how old or new it is.” Robin thought for a second. “Munich has an amazing subway system, and you can easily get anywhere in the city. If you want to use the subway, let me know and I will be glad to explain how it works. It’s a very German thing.” He smiled and noticed that a number of people were starting to nod off, so he sat back down and let the bus go quiet.
The ride was pleasant. Billy and Kyle sat in the row behind him, and they asked a ton of questions about Munich and talked about the trip so far.
“Thanks again for finding my money.” Billy turned to look at Mason without any mirth or pleasantry. “I don’t think he would have been so keen to return it.”
Robin scowled and flicked his gaze to Mason, who looked out the window, his jaw set and hard, and then back to Billy. “Why do you say that?”
Billy turned to Kyle, biting his lower lip.
Kyle nodded and nudged him slightly. “Go ahead. You need to tell him what you think you saw.”
Billy swallowed. “We were in one of the shops that sold nicer things. They had some silver items in a case. They were very pretty and really expensive. I think they were antique. The case was in the center of the room so you saw the pieces really well and from all sides. Anyway, Kyle and I were looking for something for my mother. This was when I discovered that my money was gone. Anyway, Mama collects charms, and I wanted to get her one. The clerk was showing me one, and I saw Mason standing by that case, looking all through it. When we were leaving, Mason was gone and I noticed that one of the pieces in the case was missing. It was a small silver carriage thing….”
