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Chapter 19 - Things are looking up for Lukas.
Wednesday morning came about in a bit of a rush. Lukas and Bastian had both forgotten to set their alarm clocks the night before and it was only due to sheer luck that Bastian managed to wake up an hour before they both had to be where they were going. He rushed into Lukas’ room to wake him up and they scrambled around to get dressed and ready to go. Bastian cooked them breakfast quickly while Lukas was still getting dressed and when they finally sat down to eat, they couldn’t help but laugh. It was a little amusing, how panicked Bastian had been just moments earlier. The last thing he needed was to show up for training late on his second day back. That would definitely not go over well.
But now that he would have enough time to get there, provided traffic wasn’t bad, it was amusing. He never forgot to set his alarm, so it was strange that he’d forgotten last night. Just as he finished eating there was a knock at the door, which was most likely Daniela showing up to take Lukas in for his appointment. Bastian let her in, taking a moment to hug her tightly and kiss her before rushing back to his room to finish getting ready. Daniela sat down at the counter with Lukas.
“So how are things? Are you sleeping better now?” She grabbed a piece of toast from his plate, smiling when he protested.
“Yeah, much better. It’s good, I feel a lot better. Things have been well this week; I feel more like going in today than last week.” He finished eating and got up, taking his plate over to the sink.
“Well that’s good, I’m happy to hear that. You sound a lot better too.” She finished eating the slice of toast she’d stolen and stood up, picking up her purse from the counter where she’d put it after sitting down. Bastian re-emerged from the hall, walking past Daniela and pinching her ass before stopping by Lukas.
“I almost forgot, but here’s that list for Dr. Abendroth, about your meds. Make sure you give it to him.” He passed Lukas a piece of paper.
Lukas took it and rolled his eyes. “Yes mom. I won’t forget.” Bastian shot him an annoyed look which only made Lukas smile. They left the apartment and went down to the parking lot together, stopping by Daniela’s car.
Bastian hugged his girlfriend first, kissing her and thanking her for driving Lukas. She told him not to worry about it, and slid into the driver’s seat of the car as Bastian hugged Lukas next. He pulled back after a moment to look him in the eyes. “Are you ready today?”
Lukas nodded. “Yeah, today will be better. I actually want to go, which is good. You have good time at training; hope it is better than yesterday. And tell everyone I say hi!” Lukas hugged him back before moving off to slide into the passenger seat of the car. Bastian waved at the both of them before jogging over to his car and getting in.
Daniela asked Lukas about their after-game party on the weekend, wanting to hear all the details. He told her everything, including how her drunken boyfriend had licked his face and kissed him. Daniela thought it was hilarious and definitely not strange at all. She knew how close the two friends were, and she also knew how Bastian got when he was drunk. She’d seen him do similar things to some of his team mates before, finding it just as funny every time. She was only sad that she hadn’t been there to see it.
They made it to the clinic ten minutes before his first appointment, so she went in with him. He introduced her to the girls at the reception desk, who eyed her curiously when he told them she was Bastian’s girlfriend. Heidi had a hard time concealing the jealous look on her face, while Stacya just grinned at her friend and co-worker’s obvious discomfort. Daniela was used to the reaction though and wasn’t bothered at all by Heidi’s behaviour. She sat down with Lukas until he was called in for his appointment with Alban Heus, at which point she gave him a hug and told him that she’d be back before he was finished.
She left and Lukas followed the speech pathologist down to his office, engaging in a more complete conversation with him on the way down than he had before. With the aid of the medication now calming him down Lukas’ speech was nearly back to normal. He still got a little jumbled if he was excited or upset, but it didn’t worry him anymore and he didn’t focus much on it. They still went through the usual tests and exercises they’d been doing, and at the end of it Alban told him that he was pleased with Lukas’ progress and that he didn’t think it was necessary for them to meet anymore.
Though he was more comfortable talking now, it didn’t fully hit him until the therapist himself mentioned it, how much he’d improved in two weeks. It was exciting to know that something had finally gotten back to normal; it bolstered his confidence in his recovery. He said goodbye to Alban as he left the office, heading down toward Greg’s office now as it was time for his appointment with the physio therapist. He was looking forward to it, feeling confident after his progress. He still had a long way to go before he was back in the same kind of shape he’d been in before the accident, but things were getting better. He could walk on his own now quite well, which made him happy.
He reached the office, seeing the door open already. Greg was facing the door, reading something on his computer screen. Lukas said hello as he walked in and Greg smiled when he saw him. From the expression on Lukas’ face alone, it was pretty obvious he was doing much better this week. “So, how are you doing? You seem in better spirits better this week.”
Lukas sat down and smiled at the man behind the desk. “Things are a lot better.”
Greg nodded and turned away from his computer, staring across the desk at Lukas. “I take it the medication Victor prescribed you last week is having the desired effect?” Victor had informed the other members of Lukas’ team that he’d prescribed him the medication for anxiety, something that hadn’t come as much of a shock to the other professionals.
Lukas nodded. “Yeah, it’s helping. I sleep a lot better at night, so it is easier to concentrate during the day and do work.”
“That’s good to hear. So, where’s Bastian today? Did he not come?” Bastian was a usual fixture at the appointments, so Greg was a little surprised to not see him here. He’d become accustomed to having the other young man along.
“No, he is back to training again with Bayern. His girlfriend brought me today.”
“I see. Well that’s unfortunate; it was nice to have him here. What time does he start training tomorrow?” Greg had made plans for Lukas the following day that he hoped Bastian would be able to attend.
Lukas had a curious expression on his face as he looked at Greg. “One in afternoon, why?”
Greg smiled. “That’s good. Well provided neither of you have plans tomorrow morning?” Lukas shook his head, indicating that they had nothing planned for the following morning. “Wonderful, because I’d like you to come back in tomorrow. I’d like to start you on a very light training program, part of which will incorporate swim therapy. You can swim, correct?” Lukas nodded, a smile forming on his face. “Good, because I managed to slot you in with one of our water therapists tomorrow morning, nine o’clock. We’d like for Bastian to come as well, this way you can continue the work on your own and he can learn the proper way to help you. Does that sound like a plan?” Lukas agreed, excited by the prospect. Greg had obviously had confidence that he’d improve enough over the past week to tackle a new challenge, a fact that had Lukas feeling quite happy with himself.
They went through their usual routine, spending some time working on Lukas’ fine motor skills. He was still having some trouble with his hands, but he’d noticed that just as Greg had told him, it was starting to get better. The pain was less frequent and only came now when he was doing things that required a very tight grip and precise control, such as hand writing. Lukas asked Greg where Katya was, since she was usually there during the appointments. Greg told him that unfortunately, Katya was recovering from the flu and hadn’t been in all week. She would probably be back tomorrow though, so perhaps Lukas would see her then for a minute or two.
They walked the hallway a few times and Greg was very happy to see how well Lukas’ walking had progressed. He had Lukas climb a flight of stairs again, a little surprised that he’d progressed as well with the stairs as he had. He wasn’t hesitating as much with them, provided he didn’t have any other distractions and could focus solely on what he was doing. Greg was very impressed and Lukas admitted to him that he’d felt bad about the lack of progress last week, so the past two days especially he’d really worked specifically on the things that were giving him the most trouble. He’d gone out the day before with a friend and had insisted on climbing up all seven flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator upon getting back. It had taken a while, but he’d stuck to it and managed to do it. The smile on Greg’s face pretty much made up for the disappointment of the previous week and Lukas was even more pleased with himself now. It really did feel as though he’d turned a corner in his recovery, the hardest part over and done with.
They returned to the office and talked for a bit, mostly about how his program would progress from this point onward. Greg told him that if things kept up as well as they were currently, Lukas might even be able to start training to return to football within the next month, two at the latest. Lukas was very surprised at the prognosis, not having expected it to be so early. Greg warned him not to get too excited though, as it would still be months before he would be fit enough to actually return to the field. Lukas didn’t really care much at this point though; being able to actually train again to get back on the field was another big step in getting his life back and the sooner it came the better.
He left Greg’s office for Victor’s in extremely high spirits. He couldn’t wait to share his news with Bastian, knowing he’d be excited by Lukas’ progress. There was still the issue of Bastian eventually moving out that put a bit of a damper on the subject, but it was something Lukas was intent on accepting. It wasn’t like he’d never see his best friend when he moved out, knowing Bastian he’d probably still be over at least every second day to see him, if not every day. But it would still be strange to go to sleep and wake up all alone in his apartment. He pushed those thoughts aside though as he reached the psychologist’s office, knocking on the door and entering. Victor beckoned him in and told him to have a seat.
As he was sitting Lukas remembered the paper Bastian had given him earlier that morning and pulled it out, handing it to the doctor. Victor took it and read it over, pleased with the documentation. Bastian had really taken the task seriously, noting the exact time and quantity of medication that Lukas took, noting any changes in his attitude and abilities. Victor was pleased with the success of the medication, but told Lukas that he wanted him to continue taking it as usual for the next while. Though things were going well now, he was worried that if they started taking him off the medication prematurely, things might get a little rough on him again. Lukas understood his point and agreed it would be best for him to continue taking the pills. Especially with the introduction to a new style of therapy he would be starting tomorrow, staying on the pills would be a good idea. He didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the current upswing his recovery was taking at the moment. Once they were certain he had everything under control, then they would start taking him off of the medication.
The rest of the session passed by quickly for Lukas and soon enough he was leaving the office, heading out to the reception area. As promised, Daniela was there already, sitting and reading a magazine, waiting for him to finish. He walked up to her and she immediately noticed the very happy expression on his face. Getting up quickly and dropping the magazine onto the table by her chair, they headed out for the car and he told her his news. She was very excited to hear how well he was progressing, throwing her arms around him and hugging him after he’d told her everything.
They got into the car and she asked him if he felt like going out for lunch. He agreed and they decided on a traditional Bavarian restaurant, Wirtshaus zur Brez'n, a place they went on occasion. It was very close to Lukas’ building so they parked there and walked down to the restaurant. Since he didn’t worry quite as much about being out in public anymore, Lukas was paying more attention now to his surroundings when he was out, most notably the amount of people walking by who stared at him. He was used to it of course, but it was still a little unnerving to be out among so many people and not completely recovered yet.
They made it to the restaurant which was only now starting to pick up for lunch. They were led to a table by the window, as all the ones near the back were full. Lukas preferred sitting in the back, as it wasn’t a rare occurrence for fans to notice them through the windows and stand around and watch them while they ate. But as they had no other option for today they took the table and set about looking through the menu. They decided to order an appetizer of pretzels and obatzda, along with main courses of shrimp salad for Daniela, and roast pork for Lukas.
Their conversation mostly consisted of Daniela complaining about the group project she was working on in one of her business classes. She and Lena were working with three other girls, all of whom were completely useless. Lukas had a grin on his face the whole time, always amused when the girls complained about school, especially since they liked to tease him and Bastian about not being as educated as they were. University was a hassle he was very glad that he’d never have to suffer through.
They finished with their appetizer and the waiter came to clear their table. Just as they were about to continue on with their conversation a young woman walked up to the table, hands clutched behind her back and looking a little nervous and excited. Lukas saw her as she was walking over and immediately felt like getting up and bolting from the restaurant, excusing himself from the fan that he had somewhere to be. Unfortunately though he was forced to sit and wait for her to come over, obviously after that dread-inducing autograph.
“Hi, I’m really, really sorry to bother you, but I’m a huge fan and I was wondering if I could possibly get your autograph?” She smiled sweetly at him, trying her best to look sorry for bothering him.
Lukas still hadn’t bothered to really prepare himself for this yet. What was he supposed to say? Should he just outright refuse and say that he didn’t appreciate the interruption to his lunch? No. He was never rude to fans and he never turned them away. It wasn’t something he could do. So instead he just smiled and looked down at the table for a moment, trying to figure something out, before looking back at her. “I would love to, but I can’t. Not because I don’t want to, but I just…” He thought he ought to explain it and get it over with. It was hard, trying to explain something like this to a complete stranger. Why couldn’t people just have a bit more respect for him and leave him alone? In a restaurant too! He knew he wouldn’t have really cared if he’d been fine, he’d have quickly scribbled out an autograph and smiled and thanked her for her support and that would have been it. But now he had to admit his weakness to a fan, who of course had no idea what was wrong with him. His condition hadn’t exactly been completely released to the public. She couldn’t know. “I have trouble with things after the accident, and I can’t hold a pen to write. My hands have problems.” That felt so awkward coming out. Hopefully she didn’t ask any questions.
She looked surprised and shocked and now a bit of worry was creeping its way into her expression. “Oh I’m so sorry, I had no idea! If I’d known I wouldn’t have asked, gosh I feel so bad. Are you going to be okay?” She looked even more embarrassed at her rambling comments, though she made no move to leave him yet.
“I will be fine; it will just take time.” That felt awkward too. He almost felt like he was trying to make this girl feel better, trying to reassure her when he really shouldn’t have to. He didn’t have the energy or emotions to reassure some stranger.
She nodded and bit her lip, still looking at him as though there was something else she wanted to say. If only the waiter would come out with their food now, it might prompt the girl to leave. Instead she seemed intent on saying whatever it was she had to say. “Well I hope everything goes well for you. And I feel really bad for asking but could I maybe get a hug?”
Part of him couldn’t believe this girl, while part of him couldn’t say no to her apologetic smile. After all it would hopefully get her to leave him alone. “Sure, no problem.” He turned in his chair to face her and she walked up to him and threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek quickly before she pulled away.
“Again I am so sorry for bothering you, so sorry! But thank you so much!! And good luck with your recovery!” The hug had done the trick and she quickly retreated back to her table, squealing to her friends. Lukas just hoped none of them would decide they wanted hugs too.
He turned back around in his seat, his hands on the table in front of him, and looked out the window. His first significant fan encounter since leaving the hospital and it left him feeling a little drained. Just then he felt Daniela’s hands sliding over his and he looked across the table at her. “Well, that didn’t go too bad, right? I think you handled it very well.”
Lukas shrugged, looking down at the table. “It was really hard, to say all of that. Admitting everything to some stranger, it sucked, Dani.”
“I know, but like I said you handled it well. I don’t know how you guys put up with it and stay so calm. I mean, out on the street is one thing, but in a restaurant? That’s just really rude. I felt like telling that girl off, but I thought it best not to interfere.” She squeezed his hand and grinned when he looked back up at her, a smile on his face.
“Thanks for the thought. It is very sweet of you.” He couldn’t help but grin at the image of Daniela telling off the girl for bothering him during lunch. She probably would have scared the girl out of the restaurant. He looked back up at her with a grateful smile on his face. “Thanks, Dani.”
She squeezed his hand again and smiled back. “Hey, that’s why I’m here.” Just then the waiter approached them and brought their food. They slid their arms off the table so their plates could be set down, thanked the waiter, and started eating. Their conversation turned to the upcoming weeks, discussing the scheduled games for both Bayern and the national team. Daniela asked him if he was going to go to the game this weekend against Schalke. He wasn’t sure, part of him wanting to go, but another part wanting to stay home instead. Magath wasn’t exactly as welcoming a figure as Loew. Daniela told him to go and sit in the stands with her and Lena. At first it seemed like a horrible idea to him, but after Daniela mentioned that Lena wouldn’t hesitate to tell anyone off who came near him, he found himself really considering it. He would be putting himself in a very awkward position, but then that was the only way he’d ever become accustomed to the idea of dealing with the fans again. And Daniela was right; Lena would go out of her way to keep any annoying and squealing girls away from him. So maybe he would go.
He wouldn’t be going to the Champion’s League match against Liverpool in England the following week, though. He was ready to go out and support his home team in Germany, but going out of the country wasn’t high on his list at the present time. Not to mention the match happened to fall on his sister’s birthday, so he’d already been planning to fly up to Cologne to see her. At which point he asked Daniela if she’d drive him to the airport. She agreed.
Soon they were finished and heading out of the restaurant, walking past the table with the girl who’d asked for an autograph. Though he wanted to ignore them, Lukas glanced at them and smiled. Hopefully they wouldn’t take it as an invitation to approach him again. He and Daniela left, walking back to his apartment and enjoying the nice day. The city was experiencing a bit of a warm streak again and it made for a very nice walk back.
They reached the building and took the elevator upstairs and Lukas told Daniela that he had a present for her; he’d forgotten to give it to her this morning since they’d been late getting ready. She looked at him curiously, wondering what it could be. Knowing Lukas it was probably something amusing. They entered the apartment and he went to his room and came back out, holding a slim rectangular object. It was even wrapped in bright green wrapping paper, which made Daniela laugh. “You didn’t wrap this yourself, did you?”
Lukas grinned and sat down while she started opening the present. “No, Lena did. I picked it up yesterday when she and I went out. Thought you would enjoy it.”
Daniela looked at him and frowned, pulling the paper off completely. As soon as she saw what it is she started laughing, before laying it on the counter and hugging him. “I can’t believe you bought it, you loser!”
“Are you kidding? I made Lena buy it, while I hide.” Lukas was laughing now, glad that she found it so amusing.
Daniela pulled away from him and looked down at the gift again. In a sleek black picture frame a copy of the newest edition of the tabloid paper, Bild, was featured. The picture on the front was one that had been taken that night when they were returning home after spending a few hours at Dukatz. It seemed to be the first picture, since the two were looking at each other with smiles on their faces instead of shocked looks that would have been present had they used a later picture. The header was something nasty about them sneaking around together behind Bastian’s back, which only made Daniela laugh. “Honestly, you’d think if we were sneaking around together we wouldn’t be doing it walking down Leopoldstrass! Morons.” She stared at it for another moment before looking up at Lukas. “Well I guess this explains why I’ve been getting a few dirty looks over the past two days.”
Lukas grinned. “It is always the woman’s fault, dirty whores.” He laughed and she leaned over to slap his arm. They joked about the magazine for a few minutes until it was finally time for her to leave, as she had to pick up Lena and head to the university to meet their group to work on their project. Lukas followed her to the door, giving her a tight hug before she left. “Thanks for today, Dani. Lunch was fun, and you were a help after the autograph thing.”
Dani smiled and reached out to grab one of his hands to squeeze it. “Well I’m glad you had a good time, and as always I’m glad that I managed to make you feel better after that incident.” She leaned up on her toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “And thanks for this; I’ll hang it right over the bed.” She winked at him and squeezed his hand one final time before walking off toward Lena and Anna’s apartment. He waved goodbye to her and retreated back inside, feeling quite happy with himself after the day.
Bastian ought to be getting back soon so Lukas sat on the couch and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels to pass the time before Bastian returned. Only twenty minutes later and Lukas heard the lock turning and the door opening. He looked over the back of the couch, watching as Bastian came into view. He came into the living room and sat down next to Lukas, quite eager to see what the smile on his face was all about. “I take it you had a good day?”
Lukas nodded. “I did, things went really good this morning. Heus decided I don’t need to see him anymore, so that is one therapist off the list.” Bastian smiled at the news. He’d expected it, but it was nice to know that it had actually happened. “Greg was really impressed with me this week, he was happy about how well I’ve done. He asked about you too.”
Bastian grinned. “Well it’s nice to know I was missed by someone.” He made the comment teasingly, nudging Lukas with his elbow.
“Hey, I missed you too. I wish you could have been there this morning, it felt good to hear, all of that positive stuff, for once.” Lukas grabbed Bastian’s arm mid-nudge, holding it there on his lap, one of his arms curling around it in an affectionate gesture. “He told me if things keep going well as they are, I might be able to start doing light training, to get back to football in a month. Two months at the most, he thinks.” He glanced at Bastian, a hopeful look on his face.
Bastian was surprised at the quick prognosis of a month, a look of shock settling over his features for just a moment before one of happy excitement took its place. “Lukas, that’s awesome!” He wanted to say more, but he was too excited to find any suitable words.
“I know, right? Just to start doing football things again, is going to be great. Even if it still takes time after that, it’s okay. As long as I am getting back on track, that’s all that counts.” He looked down from Bastian’s face to his arm, pinching him just slightly the way he usually always did. “Oh and Greg also wants me to start new therapy tomorrow, in the pool.”
“Swimming pool?” Bastian again looked a little surprised at the comment.
“Yeah, he thinks it will be a good way for me to get back into shape, since I have not been able to do anything. It’s low impact, so I won’t risk the chance of being hurt.”
Bastian grinned at the last sentence, leaning over to put his other arm around Lukas and pull him in to his chest. “Yeah, we can’t have you injuring yourself, so as long as you stay in the shallow end so you don’t drown, you’ll be fine.” Bastian tickled him a little for good measure.
Lukas squirmed away from his touch, though he didn’t really have anywhere to go. “Oh shut up. I won’t drown. Besides, he wants you to come too.”
“Yeah, so I can make sure you don’t drown, obviously.” Bastian stopped tickling him, but left his arm around his best friend and remained cuddled up to him.
“If you keep that up, you will be the one who is drowning.” Lukas joked back, leaning into Bastian.
“Yeah we’ll see about that. So what time are we going swimming?”
“He booked my appointment for nine. He wanted to make sure you could be there, so you and I can continue this on our own.”
“That’s good. It should make for an interesting day tomorrow.” Bastian fiddled with the sleeve on Lukas’ shirt, his fingers alternating between pulling on the fabric and smoothing it against his arm.
“It should. Oh, speaking of interesting, you are going to be so proud of me.” Lukas turned his head to the side to look into Bastian’s eyes, smile still on his lips.
Bastian regarded him curiously. “I’m already proud of you. But go on and tell me whatever else it is you have to tell me.”
Lukas couldn’t help but feel a little excited at Bastian’s comment, his confidence bolstered again with the admission from his best friend. “Well Dani and I were out for lunch today, and a girl came up to me when we wait for our food. She asked me for autograph.” He paused for a moment, letting the full brunt of the situation register. There was that slight look of worry in Bastian’s eyes and it made Lukas smile. Even though he was only telling him about the event, Bastian still understood him enough to be worried about him, to understand how badly Lukas had been awaiting the eventual occurrence. “It sucked, but I got through it. I had to tell her that I couldn’t give her one, and I explain why. But then she ask me for a hug, which I gave her just to get her to go away. But, I survived! Are you proud?” He leaned back against the couch, his arms still wound around Bastian’s.
Bastian smiled and the look of worry was replaced with one that couldn’t be mistaken: pride. He was proud of Lukas, probably more so than his friend realized. He was sorry he hadn’t been there to see it first hand, but then maybe if he had been Lukas would have relied on him to handle the situation. So it was really better that he hadn’t been there. It didn’t detract from his current happiness over the situation, though, which he was more than intent on showing Lukas. He pulled his best friend to him tightly, arms winding around him, his chin resting against Lukas’ shoulder as he held him. He kissed him on the cheek lightly before letting him go and sitting back, resuming their prior position. “I am proud of you, Lukas. I don’t think you realize how proud I am, right now. You’re just getting so much better; it’s almost kind of scary how far you managed to come in a week. Who would have thought a few pills could make that much difference?”
Lukas had returned Bastian’s hug with all the strength he could manage and he’d smiled at the little kiss. Typical Bastian affection. He wrapped his arms back around Bastian’s arm and looked him in the eyes before replying. “It is not just the pills that make the difference.”
Bastian smiled at the comment and shrugged a little. “Just doing my job.”
Lukas held the gaze. “I know I have told you before, but you are doing a really good job. I hate to think where I would be, in my recovery, if you were not here all this time, with me.”
Bastian grinned and tightened his arm that was draped again around Lukas’ shoulders. “Yeah, you’d be doing horribly if it hadn’t been for me.”
Lukas scrunched his face up and pinched Bastian’s arm at the comment. “I would not be horribly, just not as good.”
Bastian laughed. “No, you’d be a wreck. The only thing keeping you sane all this time was me, admit it.” Bastian leaned in to Lukas, his face stopping inches from his best friend’s.
Lukas turned his head, playfully pulling away from Bastian. “I don’t know if sane is the word I would use.”
“Sane is definitely not the word I’d use to describe myself during the past few weeks. You’ve driven me a little crazy on more than a few occasions.” Bastian teased, pushing against Lukas until he fell back into the couch. “But I’d do it all over again without a second thought.” He laid down behind Lukas, draping an arm and a leg over him.
Lukas smiled at the comment and at Bastian’s movement, laughing as Bastian draped himself over him. “I am happy to hear that.” They’d had a habit of wrestling around before his accident, but in the past few weeks he’d become accustomed to an increase in the number of times that Bastian ended up pushing him around. It was fun, after all.
“What, do you think I wouldn’t do it over again this way?” Bastian looked down at him, his gaze curious. He was only teasing Lukas, but he wanted to see what he’d say.
For his part Lukas just smiled up at his best friend. “Oh I know you would. It is just nice to hear it.”
Bastian nodded. “I see. Well I’m happy to hear that you have faith in me that way.”
“Oh I know you would not be able to tear away from me, if you thought I needed you.” Lukas grinned. “You are addict to me, you know it.”
Bastian tried to look offended by the comment but didn’t manage to pull it off. So instead he grinned back at Lukas. “Well, maybe just a little.” They both laughed. “Anyway, I’m a little worn out from training, so I think we should just stay here for a while and watch TV.”
Lukas huffed in mock annoyance. “I like how you ask my opinion before draping over me, so I can not move.”
Bastian grinned and rearranged himself slightly on the couch, arm and leg still draped over Lukas. Bastian cuddled up to his back. “You make a good body pillow, what can I say?” Lukas made an exasperated clucking sound and Bastian laughed at him. “Oh Poldi, I still love you!”
Lukas couldn’t help but smile at the comment, though he purposefully refrained from answering. Bastian nudged him, as though to say that Lukas ought to respond with a similar one. Lukas kept up the silence for another few moments before finally caving in after being poked a few times. “I still love you too. I guess.” They both laughed at the comment and remained cuddled on the couch for the rest of the night.
Wednesday morning came about in a bit of a rush. Lukas and Bastian had both forgotten to set their alarm clocks the night before and it was only due to sheer luck that Bastian managed to wake up an hour before they both had to be where they were going. He rushed into Lukas’ room to wake him up and they scrambled around to get dressed and ready to go. Bastian cooked them breakfast quickly while Lukas was still getting dressed and when they finally sat down to eat, they couldn’t help but laugh. It was a little amusing, how panicked Bastian had been just moments earlier. The last thing he needed was to show up for training late on his second day back. That would definitely not go over well.
But now that he would have enough time to get there, provided traffic wasn’t bad, it was amusing. He never forgot to set his alarm, so it was strange that he’d forgotten last night. Just as he finished eating there was a knock at the door, which was most likely Daniela showing up to take Lukas in for his appointment. Bastian let her in, taking a moment to hug her tightly and kiss her before rushing back to his room to finish getting ready. Daniela sat down at the counter with Lukas.
“So how are things? Are you sleeping better now?” She grabbed a piece of toast from his plate, smiling when he protested.
“Yeah, much better. It’s good, I feel a lot better. Things have been well this week; I feel more like going in today than last week.” He finished eating and got up, taking his plate over to the sink.
“Well that’s good, I’m happy to hear that. You sound a lot better too.” She finished eating the slice of toast she’d stolen and stood up, picking up her purse from the counter where she’d put it after sitting down. Bastian re-emerged from the hall, walking past Daniela and pinching her ass before stopping by Lukas.
“I almost forgot, but here’s that list for Dr. Abendroth, about your meds. Make sure you give it to him.” He passed Lukas a piece of paper.
Lukas took it and rolled his eyes. “Yes mom. I won’t forget.” Bastian shot him an annoyed look which only made Lukas smile. They left the apartment and went down to the parking lot together, stopping by Daniela’s car.
Bastian hugged his girlfriend first, kissing her and thanking her for driving Lukas. She told him not to worry about it, and slid into the driver’s seat of the car as Bastian hugged Lukas next. He pulled back after a moment to look him in the eyes. “Are you ready today?”
Lukas nodded. “Yeah, today will be better. I actually want to go, which is good. You have good time at training; hope it is better than yesterday. And tell everyone I say hi!” Lukas hugged him back before moving off to slide into the passenger seat of the car. Bastian waved at the both of them before jogging over to his car and getting in.
Daniela asked Lukas about their after-game party on the weekend, wanting to hear all the details. He told her everything, including how her drunken boyfriend had licked his face and kissed him. Daniela thought it was hilarious and definitely not strange at all. She knew how close the two friends were, and she also knew how Bastian got when he was drunk. She’d seen him do similar things to some of his team mates before, finding it just as funny every time. She was only sad that she hadn’t been there to see it.
They made it to the clinic ten minutes before his first appointment, so she went in with him. He introduced her to the girls at the reception desk, who eyed her curiously when he told them she was Bastian’s girlfriend. Heidi had a hard time concealing the jealous look on her face, while Stacya just grinned at her friend and co-worker’s obvious discomfort. Daniela was used to the reaction though and wasn’t bothered at all by Heidi’s behaviour. She sat down with Lukas until he was called in for his appointment with Alban Heus, at which point she gave him a hug and told him that she’d be back before he was finished.
She left and Lukas followed the speech pathologist down to his office, engaging in a more complete conversation with him on the way down than he had before. With the aid of the medication now calming him down Lukas’ speech was nearly back to normal. He still got a little jumbled if he was excited or upset, but it didn’t worry him anymore and he didn’t focus much on it. They still went through the usual tests and exercises they’d been doing, and at the end of it Alban told him that he was pleased with Lukas’ progress and that he didn’t think it was necessary for them to meet anymore.
Though he was more comfortable talking now, it didn’t fully hit him until the therapist himself mentioned it, how much he’d improved in two weeks. It was exciting to know that something had finally gotten back to normal; it bolstered his confidence in his recovery. He said goodbye to Alban as he left the office, heading down toward Greg’s office now as it was time for his appointment with the physio therapist. He was looking forward to it, feeling confident after his progress. He still had a long way to go before he was back in the same kind of shape he’d been in before the accident, but things were getting better. He could walk on his own now quite well, which made him happy.
He reached the office, seeing the door open already. Greg was facing the door, reading something on his computer screen. Lukas said hello as he walked in and Greg smiled when he saw him. From the expression on Lukas’ face alone, it was pretty obvious he was doing much better this week. “So, how are you doing? You seem in better spirits better this week.”
Lukas sat down and smiled at the man behind the desk. “Things are a lot better.”
Greg nodded and turned away from his computer, staring across the desk at Lukas. “I take it the medication Victor prescribed you last week is having the desired effect?” Victor had informed the other members of Lukas’ team that he’d prescribed him the medication for anxiety, something that hadn’t come as much of a shock to the other professionals.
Lukas nodded. “Yeah, it’s helping. I sleep a lot better at night, so it is easier to concentrate during the day and do work.”
“That’s good to hear. So, where’s Bastian today? Did he not come?” Bastian was a usual fixture at the appointments, so Greg was a little surprised to not see him here. He’d become accustomed to having the other young man along.
“No, he is back to training again with Bayern. His girlfriend brought me today.”
“I see. Well that’s unfortunate; it was nice to have him here. What time does he start training tomorrow?” Greg had made plans for Lukas the following day that he hoped Bastian would be able to attend.
Lukas had a curious expression on his face as he looked at Greg. “One in afternoon, why?”
Greg smiled. “That’s good. Well provided neither of you have plans tomorrow morning?” Lukas shook his head, indicating that they had nothing planned for the following morning. “Wonderful, because I’d like you to come back in tomorrow. I’d like to start you on a very light training program, part of which will incorporate swim therapy. You can swim, correct?” Lukas nodded, a smile forming on his face. “Good, because I managed to slot you in with one of our water therapists tomorrow morning, nine o’clock. We’d like for Bastian to come as well, this way you can continue the work on your own and he can learn the proper way to help you. Does that sound like a plan?” Lukas agreed, excited by the prospect. Greg had obviously had confidence that he’d improve enough over the past week to tackle a new challenge, a fact that had Lukas feeling quite happy with himself.
They went through their usual routine, spending some time working on Lukas’ fine motor skills. He was still having some trouble with his hands, but he’d noticed that just as Greg had told him, it was starting to get better. The pain was less frequent and only came now when he was doing things that required a very tight grip and precise control, such as hand writing. Lukas asked Greg where Katya was, since she was usually there during the appointments. Greg told him that unfortunately, Katya was recovering from the flu and hadn’t been in all week. She would probably be back tomorrow though, so perhaps Lukas would see her then for a minute or two.
They walked the hallway a few times and Greg was very happy to see how well Lukas’ walking had progressed. He had Lukas climb a flight of stairs again, a little surprised that he’d progressed as well with the stairs as he had. He wasn’t hesitating as much with them, provided he didn’t have any other distractions and could focus solely on what he was doing. Greg was very impressed and Lukas admitted to him that he’d felt bad about the lack of progress last week, so the past two days especially he’d really worked specifically on the things that were giving him the most trouble. He’d gone out the day before with a friend and had insisted on climbing up all seven flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator upon getting back. It had taken a while, but he’d stuck to it and managed to do it. The smile on Greg’s face pretty much made up for the disappointment of the previous week and Lukas was even more pleased with himself now. It really did feel as though he’d turned a corner in his recovery, the hardest part over and done with.
They returned to the office and talked for a bit, mostly about how his program would progress from this point onward. Greg told him that if things kept up as well as they were currently, Lukas might even be able to start training to return to football within the next month, two at the latest. Lukas was very surprised at the prognosis, not having expected it to be so early. Greg warned him not to get too excited though, as it would still be months before he would be fit enough to actually return to the field. Lukas didn’t really care much at this point though; being able to actually train again to get back on the field was another big step in getting his life back and the sooner it came the better.
He left Greg’s office for Victor’s in extremely high spirits. He couldn’t wait to share his news with Bastian, knowing he’d be excited by Lukas’ progress. There was still the issue of Bastian eventually moving out that put a bit of a damper on the subject, but it was something Lukas was intent on accepting. It wasn’t like he’d never see his best friend when he moved out, knowing Bastian he’d probably still be over at least every second day to see him, if not every day. But it would still be strange to go to sleep and wake up all alone in his apartment. He pushed those thoughts aside though as he reached the psychologist’s office, knocking on the door and entering. Victor beckoned him in and told him to have a seat.
As he was sitting Lukas remembered the paper Bastian had given him earlier that morning and pulled it out, handing it to the doctor. Victor took it and read it over, pleased with the documentation. Bastian had really taken the task seriously, noting the exact time and quantity of medication that Lukas took, noting any changes in his attitude and abilities. Victor was pleased with the success of the medication, but told Lukas that he wanted him to continue taking it as usual for the next while. Though things were going well now, he was worried that if they started taking him off the medication prematurely, things might get a little rough on him again. Lukas understood his point and agreed it would be best for him to continue taking the pills. Especially with the introduction to a new style of therapy he would be starting tomorrow, staying on the pills would be a good idea. He didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the current upswing his recovery was taking at the moment. Once they were certain he had everything under control, then they would start taking him off of the medication.
The rest of the session passed by quickly for Lukas and soon enough he was leaving the office, heading out to the reception area. As promised, Daniela was there already, sitting and reading a magazine, waiting for him to finish. He walked up to her and she immediately noticed the very happy expression on his face. Getting up quickly and dropping the magazine onto the table by her chair, they headed out for the car and he told her his news. She was very excited to hear how well he was progressing, throwing her arms around him and hugging him after he’d told her everything.
They got into the car and she asked him if he felt like going out for lunch. He agreed and they decided on a traditional Bavarian restaurant, Wirtshaus zur Brez'n, a place they went on occasion. It was very close to Lukas’ building so they parked there and walked down to the restaurant. Since he didn’t worry quite as much about being out in public anymore, Lukas was paying more attention now to his surroundings when he was out, most notably the amount of people walking by who stared at him. He was used to it of course, but it was still a little unnerving to be out among so many people and not completely recovered yet.
They made it to the restaurant which was only now starting to pick up for lunch. They were led to a table by the window, as all the ones near the back were full. Lukas preferred sitting in the back, as it wasn’t a rare occurrence for fans to notice them through the windows and stand around and watch them while they ate. But as they had no other option for today they took the table and set about looking through the menu. They decided to order an appetizer of pretzels and obatzda, along with main courses of shrimp salad for Daniela, and roast pork for Lukas.
Their conversation mostly consisted of Daniela complaining about the group project she was working on in one of her business classes. She and Lena were working with three other girls, all of whom were completely useless. Lukas had a grin on his face the whole time, always amused when the girls complained about school, especially since they liked to tease him and Bastian about not being as educated as they were. University was a hassle he was very glad that he’d never have to suffer through.
They finished with their appetizer and the waiter came to clear their table. Just as they were about to continue on with their conversation a young woman walked up to the table, hands clutched behind her back and looking a little nervous and excited. Lukas saw her as she was walking over and immediately felt like getting up and bolting from the restaurant, excusing himself from the fan that he had somewhere to be. Unfortunately though he was forced to sit and wait for her to come over, obviously after that dread-inducing autograph.
“Hi, I’m really, really sorry to bother you, but I’m a huge fan and I was wondering if I could possibly get your autograph?” She smiled sweetly at him, trying her best to look sorry for bothering him.
Lukas still hadn’t bothered to really prepare himself for this yet. What was he supposed to say? Should he just outright refuse and say that he didn’t appreciate the interruption to his lunch? No. He was never rude to fans and he never turned them away. It wasn’t something he could do. So instead he just smiled and looked down at the table for a moment, trying to figure something out, before looking back at her. “I would love to, but I can’t. Not because I don’t want to, but I just…” He thought he ought to explain it and get it over with. It was hard, trying to explain something like this to a complete stranger. Why couldn’t people just have a bit more respect for him and leave him alone? In a restaurant too! He knew he wouldn’t have really cared if he’d been fine, he’d have quickly scribbled out an autograph and smiled and thanked her for her support and that would have been it. But now he had to admit his weakness to a fan, who of course had no idea what was wrong with him. His condition hadn’t exactly been completely released to the public. She couldn’t know. “I have trouble with things after the accident, and I can’t hold a pen to write. My hands have problems.” That felt so awkward coming out. Hopefully she didn’t ask any questions.
She looked surprised and shocked and now a bit of worry was creeping its way into her expression. “Oh I’m so sorry, I had no idea! If I’d known I wouldn’t have asked, gosh I feel so bad. Are you going to be okay?” She looked even more embarrassed at her rambling comments, though she made no move to leave him yet.
“I will be fine; it will just take time.” That felt awkward too. He almost felt like he was trying to make this girl feel better, trying to reassure her when he really shouldn’t have to. He didn’t have the energy or emotions to reassure some stranger.
She nodded and bit her lip, still looking at him as though there was something else she wanted to say. If only the waiter would come out with their food now, it might prompt the girl to leave. Instead she seemed intent on saying whatever it was she had to say. “Well I hope everything goes well for you. And I feel really bad for asking but could I maybe get a hug?”
Part of him couldn’t believe this girl, while part of him couldn’t say no to her apologetic smile. After all it would hopefully get her to leave him alone. “Sure, no problem.” He turned in his chair to face her and she walked up to him and threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek quickly before she pulled away.
“Again I am so sorry for bothering you, so sorry! But thank you so much!! And good luck with your recovery!” The hug had done the trick and she quickly retreated back to her table, squealing to her friends. Lukas just hoped none of them would decide they wanted hugs too.
He turned back around in his seat, his hands on the table in front of him, and looked out the window. His first significant fan encounter since leaving the hospital and it left him feeling a little drained. Just then he felt Daniela’s hands sliding over his and he looked across the table at her. “Well, that didn’t go too bad, right? I think you handled it very well.”
Lukas shrugged, looking down at the table. “It was really hard, to say all of that. Admitting everything to some stranger, it sucked, Dani.”
“I know, but like I said you handled it well. I don’t know how you guys put up with it and stay so calm. I mean, out on the street is one thing, but in a restaurant? That’s just really rude. I felt like telling that girl off, but I thought it best not to interfere.” She squeezed his hand and grinned when he looked back up at her, a smile on his face.
“Thanks for the thought. It is very sweet of you.” He couldn’t help but grin at the image of Daniela telling off the girl for bothering him during lunch. She probably would have scared the girl out of the restaurant. He looked back up at her with a grateful smile on his face. “Thanks, Dani.”
She squeezed his hand again and smiled back. “Hey, that’s why I’m here.” Just then the waiter approached them and brought their food. They slid their arms off the table so their plates could be set down, thanked the waiter, and started eating. Their conversation turned to the upcoming weeks, discussing the scheduled games for both Bayern and the national team. Daniela asked him if he was going to go to the game this weekend against Schalke. He wasn’t sure, part of him wanting to go, but another part wanting to stay home instead. Magath wasn’t exactly as welcoming a figure as Loew. Daniela told him to go and sit in the stands with her and Lena. At first it seemed like a horrible idea to him, but after Daniela mentioned that Lena wouldn’t hesitate to tell anyone off who came near him, he found himself really considering it. He would be putting himself in a very awkward position, but then that was the only way he’d ever become accustomed to the idea of dealing with the fans again. And Daniela was right; Lena would go out of her way to keep any annoying and squealing girls away from him. So maybe he would go.
He wouldn’t be going to the Champion’s League match against Liverpool in England the following week, though. He was ready to go out and support his home team in Germany, but going out of the country wasn’t high on his list at the present time. Not to mention the match happened to fall on his sister’s birthday, so he’d already been planning to fly up to Cologne to see her. At which point he asked Daniela if she’d drive him to the airport. She agreed.
Soon they were finished and heading out of the restaurant, walking past the table with the girl who’d asked for an autograph. Though he wanted to ignore them, Lukas glanced at them and smiled. Hopefully they wouldn’t take it as an invitation to approach him again. He and Daniela left, walking back to his apartment and enjoying the nice day. The city was experiencing a bit of a warm streak again and it made for a very nice walk back.
They reached the building and took the elevator upstairs and Lukas told Daniela that he had a present for her; he’d forgotten to give it to her this morning since they’d been late getting ready. She looked at him curiously, wondering what it could be. Knowing Lukas it was probably something amusing. They entered the apartment and he went to his room and came back out, holding a slim rectangular object. It was even wrapped in bright green wrapping paper, which made Daniela laugh. “You didn’t wrap this yourself, did you?”
Lukas grinned and sat down while she started opening the present. “No, Lena did. I picked it up yesterday when she and I went out. Thought you would enjoy it.”
Daniela looked at him and frowned, pulling the paper off completely. As soon as she saw what it is she started laughing, before laying it on the counter and hugging him. “I can’t believe you bought it, you loser!”
“Are you kidding? I made Lena buy it, while I hide.” Lukas was laughing now, glad that she found it so amusing.
Daniela pulled away from him and looked down at the gift again. In a sleek black picture frame a copy of the newest edition of the tabloid paper, Bild, was featured. The picture on the front was one that had been taken that night when they were returning home after spending a few hours at Dukatz. It seemed to be the first picture, since the two were looking at each other with smiles on their faces instead of shocked looks that would have been present had they used a later picture. The header was something nasty about them sneaking around together behind Bastian’s back, which only made Daniela laugh. “Honestly, you’d think if we were sneaking around together we wouldn’t be doing it walking down Leopoldstrass! Morons.” She stared at it for another moment before looking up at Lukas. “Well I guess this explains why I’ve been getting a few dirty looks over the past two days.”
Lukas grinned. “It is always the woman’s fault, dirty whores.” He laughed and she leaned over to slap his arm. They joked about the magazine for a few minutes until it was finally time for her to leave, as she had to pick up Lena and head to the university to meet their group to work on their project. Lukas followed her to the door, giving her a tight hug before she left. “Thanks for today, Dani. Lunch was fun, and you were a help after the autograph thing.”
Dani smiled and reached out to grab one of his hands to squeeze it. “Well I’m glad you had a good time, and as always I’m glad that I managed to make you feel better after that incident.” She leaned up on her toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “And thanks for this; I’ll hang it right over the bed.” She winked at him and squeezed his hand one final time before walking off toward Lena and Anna’s apartment. He waved goodbye to her and retreated back inside, feeling quite happy with himself after the day.
Bastian ought to be getting back soon so Lukas sat on the couch and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels to pass the time before Bastian returned. Only twenty minutes later and Lukas heard the lock turning and the door opening. He looked over the back of the couch, watching as Bastian came into view. He came into the living room and sat down next to Lukas, quite eager to see what the smile on his face was all about. “I take it you had a good day?”
Lukas nodded. “I did, things went really good this morning. Heus decided I don’t need to see him anymore, so that is one therapist off the list.” Bastian smiled at the news. He’d expected it, but it was nice to know that it had actually happened. “Greg was really impressed with me this week, he was happy about how well I’ve done. He asked about you too.”
Bastian grinned. “Well it’s nice to know I was missed by someone.” He made the comment teasingly, nudging Lukas with his elbow.
“Hey, I missed you too. I wish you could have been there this morning, it felt good to hear, all of that positive stuff, for once.” Lukas grabbed Bastian’s arm mid-nudge, holding it there on his lap, one of his arms curling around it in an affectionate gesture. “He told me if things keep going well as they are, I might be able to start doing light training, to get back to football in a month. Two months at the most, he thinks.” He glanced at Bastian, a hopeful look on his face.
Bastian was surprised at the quick prognosis of a month, a look of shock settling over his features for just a moment before one of happy excitement took its place. “Lukas, that’s awesome!” He wanted to say more, but he was too excited to find any suitable words.
“I know, right? Just to start doing football things again, is going to be great. Even if it still takes time after that, it’s okay. As long as I am getting back on track, that’s all that counts.” He looked down from Bastian’s face to his arm, pinching him just slightly the way he usually always did. “Oh and Greg also wants me to start new therapy tomorrow, in the pool.”
“Swimming pool?” Bastian again looked a little surprised at the comment.
“Yeah, he thinks it will be a good way for me to get back into shape, since I have not been able to do anything. It’s low impact, so I won’t risk the chance of being hurt.”
Bastian grinned at the last sentence, leaning over to put his other arm around Lukas and pull him in to his chest. “Yeah, we can’t have you injuring yourself, so as long as you stay in the shallow end so you don’t drown, you’ll be fine.” Bastian tickled him a little for good measure.
Lukas squirmed away from his touch, though he didn’t really have anywhere to go. “Oh shut up. I won’t drown. Besides, he wants you to come too.”
“Yeah, so I can make sure you don’t drown, obviously.” Bastian stopped tickling him, but left his arm around his best friend and remained cuddled up to him.
“If you keep that up, you will be the one who is drowning.” Lukas joked back, leaning into Bastian.
“Yeah we’ll see about that. So what time are we going swimming?”
“He booked my appointment for nine. He wanted to make sure you could be there, so you and I can continue this on our own.”
“That’s good. It should make for an interesting day tomorrow.” Bastian fiddled with the sleeve on Lukas’ shirt, his fingers alternating between pulling on the fabric and smoothing it against his arm.
“It should. Oh, speaking of interesting, you are going to be so proud of me.” Lukas turned his head to the side to look into Bastian’s eyes, smile still on his lips.
Bastian regarded him curiously. “I’m already proud of you. But go on and tell me whatever else it is you have to tell me.”
Lukas couldn’t help but feel a little excited at Bastian’s comment, his confidence bolstered again with the admission from his best friend. “Well Dani and I were out for lunch today, and a girl came up to me when we wait for our food. She asked me for autograph.” He paused for a moment, letting the full brunt of the situation register. There was that slight look of worry in Bastian’s eyes and it made Lukas smile. Even though he was only telling him about the event, Bastian still understood him enough to be worried about him, to understand how badly Lukas had been awaiting the eventual occurrence. “It sucked, but I got through it. I had to tell her that I couldn’t give her one, and I explain why. But then she ask me for a hug, which I gave her just to get her to go away. But, I survived! Are you proud?” He leaned back against the couch, his arms still wound around Bastian’s.
Bastian smiled and the look of worry was replaced with one that couldn’t be mistaken: pride. He was proud of Lukas, probably more so than his friend realized. He was sorry he hadn’t been there to see it first hand, but then maybe if he had been Lukas would have relied on him to handle the situation. So it was really better that he hadn’t been there. It didn’t detract from his current happiness over the situation, though, which he was more than intent on showing Lukas. He pulled his best friend to him tightly, arms winding around him, his chin resting against Lukas’ shoulder as he held him. He kissed him on the cheek lightly before letting him go and sitting back, resuming their prior position. “I am proud of you, Lukas. I don’t think you realize how proud I am, right now. You’re just getting so much better; it’s almost kind of scary how far you managed to come in a week. Who would have thought a few pills could make that much difference?”
Lukas had returned Bastian’s hug with all the strength he could manage and he’d smiled at the little kiss. Typical Bastian affection. He wrapped his arms back around Bastian’s arm and looked him in the eyes before replying. “It is not just the pills that make the difference.”
Bastian smiled at the comment and shrugged a little. “Just doing my job.”
Lukas held the gaze. “I know I have told you before, but you are doing a really good job. I hate to think where I would be, in my recovery, if you were not here all this time, with me.”
Bastian grinned and tightened his arm that was draped again around Lukas’ shoulders. “Yeah, you’d be doing horribly if it hadn’t been for me.”
Lukas scrunched his face up and pinched Bastian’s arm at the comment. “I would not be horribly, just not as good.”
Bastian laughed. “No, you’d be a wreck. The only thing keeping you sane all this time was me, admit it.” Bastian leaned in to Lukas, his face stopping inches from his best friend’s.
Lukas turned his head, playfully pulling away from Bastian. “I don’t know if sane is the word I would use.”
“Sane is definitely not the word I’d use to describe myself during the past few weeks. You’ve driven me a little crazy on more than a few occasions.” Bastian teased, pushing against Lukas until he fell back into the couch. “But I’d do it all over again without a second thought.” He laid down behind Lukas, draping an arm and a leg over him.
Lukas smiled at the comment and at Bastian’s movement, laughing as Bastian draped himself over him. “I am happy to hear that.” They’d had a habit of wrestling around before his accident, but in the past few weeks he’d become accustomed to an increase in the number of times that Bastian ended up pushing him around. It was fun, after all.
“What, do you think I wouldn’t do it over again this way?” Bastian looked down at him, his gaze curious. He was only teasing Lukas, but he wanted to see what he’d say.
For his part Lukas just smiled up at his best friend. “Oh I know you would. It is just nice to hear it.”
Bastian nodded. “I see. Well I’m happy to hear that you have faith in me that way.”
“Oh I know you would not be able to tear away from me, if you thought I needed you.” Lukas grinned. “You are addict to me, you know it.”
Bastian tried to look offended by the comment but didn’t manage to pull it off. So instead he grinned back at Lukas. “Well, maybe just a little.” They both laughed. “Anyway, I’m a little worn out from training, so I think we should just stay here for a while and watch TV.”
Lukas huffed in mock annoyance. “I like how you ask my opinion before draping over me, so I can not move.”
Bastian grinned and rearranged himself slightly on the couch, arm and leg still draped over Lukas. Bastian cuddled up to his back. “You make a good body pillow, what can I say?” Lukas made an exasperated clucking sound and Bastian laughed at him. “Oh Poldi, I still love you!”
Lukas couldn’t help but smile at the comment, though he purposefully refrained from answering. Bastian nudged him, as though to say that Lukas ought to respond with a similar one. Lukas kept up the silence for another few moments before finally caving in after being poked a few times. “I still love you too. I guess.” They both laughed at the comment and remained cuddled on the couch for the rest of the night.