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Chapter 22 - A well timed phone call gives Bastian a subtle prod in the right direction.
Another week had passed and Bastian was currently sitting by himself at the back of the team bus, waiting for everyone else to board before heading for the airport. They’d just played the first round of their Champion’s League quarter-final match up with Liverpool, coming out on top with a 2-0 win. It had been a fast paced game and they hadn’t managed to score until the eightieth minute. Once again it had been Roy scoring with a header off of a pass from Bastian. The second goal was scored three minutes later on a free kick. They’d been confident going into the game but the result really boosted that confidence, since the odds before the match had been on Liverpool being victorious. There was no doubt in their minds that when Liverpool visited them in Munich, the game would pass with a similar result.
Bastian had his feet up on the seat next to him, getting comfortable for the ride to the airport. He’d already spoken to Lukas earlier, who’d called him after the match to congratulate him. They’d only talked for a few minutes before Lukas had to leave for the airport himself, flying back to Munich after visiting his sister for her birthday. They’d watched the match on satellite, Lukas and Tina firmly supporting Munich while Tina’s husband, Cologne keeper Steffan Wessels, was of the opinion that Liverpool would take the win, especially since they were playing at home. So while he’d been talking to Lukas, Bastian had heard a lot of yelling going on in the background, mostly Tina making fun of Steffan for picking the losing team. Lukas had sounded happy while they’d talked, which in turn made Bastian happy.
He pulled out his cell phone and decided that while he was in England, he might as well make another call. He just hoped the person he was calling wouldn’t be asleep yet. The phone rang once, twice, and then it was finally picked up. A woman’s voice answered. “Hello?”
“Simone, hi it’s Bastian. Has Michael gone to sleep yet? I want to wish him luck tomorrow while I’m still here in England.”
“He’s still up, he’s just putting the boys to bed actually, so hold on and I’ll go fetch him.” Bastian waited while Simone called to her partner. It wasn’t long before he heard Michael, asking her who it was. Simone responded that it was Jose, calling to tell him he’d decided to cut him from the match tomorrow. Bastian heard the sigh from Michael and a laugh from Simone before he finally got on the phone. “Hello?”
“Micha, it’s Bastian, thought I’d call and wish you luck tomorrow.” Chelsea were playing Manchester United for their first round on the following day.
“Hey, nice of you to call! I caught some of the game earlier, very impressive. I knew you guys would pull it off.” Though his departure from the Bavarian club hadn’t been the happiest, Michael still put his support behind them and wanted to see them do well. If the final came down to Chelsea and Bayern, Michael would be pleased.
“Thanks, always nice to hear we have your support.” They chatted for a moment about the game and the league, predictions based on today’s results about who would be progressing on from this stage.
It wasn’t long before Michael inquired about Lukas. “How’s he doing? I heard he’s been at the Bayern games lately, that’s nice to know.”
“He’s doing really well, actually. Things are pretty much back to normal with him, well obviously except that he’s not playing. But he’s not really having too many problems anymore, and Greg, his physio, has started him on some more specific coordinational exercises along with hydrotherapy. He’s happy, since he’s not just sitting around anymore.”
“That’s great to hear, it was rough seeing him so weak. So, are you still there with him?” While Michael was delighted to hear that Lukas’ recovery was going so well, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried. He remembered well the conversation he’d had with Lukas that night, how worried he’d been about Bastian eventually moving out.
“Of course I am. He’s cooking again, so someone has to stick around and make sure he doesn’t burn his place down.” Bastian grinned while making the comment, thinking about those times during the past week that he’d teased Lukas about that very subject.
Michael laughed, a little relieved that Bastian was still there for the time being. He was curious about when he planned to leave though. He’d figured that Bastian probably would have wanted to get back to Daniela after spending so much time apart over the past month. Unless something had changed during their time apart. Michael simply couldn’t shake the feeling that something was there between the two young men; he’d witnessed it after all. They’d always been close but lately it seemed that things had escalated a little. Their interaction at the game against the Czech Republic had really showcased that, the way they didn’t appear to pay any attention to anyone else around them, too caught up in their own little world. Michael was reminded so strongly of his own experience, of his feelings. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but he was pretty certain that there was something going on. “How long are you going to stay with him?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about moving out.” He paused for a moment, wondering why Michael was asking him. “Why, do you think I should leave?”
“No, not at all.” The last thing Michael wanted to do was push Bastian in the opposite direction of the way he thought he may end up going. “I think you should stay with him as long as you feel you need to. I guess I was just kind of wondering why you’re still there, if he doesn’t really need you anymore.”
Bastian didn’t know what to say. Michael had a point, after all. Originally he’d moved in with Lukas in order to take care of him while he couldn’t do anything for himself. But now Lukas could do everything on his own and yet Bastian was still there, with no real intention of leaving. “I don’t really know, to be honest. I just don’t really feel like leaving, you know? Maybe I’ve just gotten so used to being there, used to being with him all day.”
Michael was once again relieved by his answer. But he was also feeling like pushing it a bit further. “Like I said, you should stay as long as you want to, I’m sure Lukas will enjoy the company. But maybe you should really think about why you want to stay. All the reasons.” He couldn’t say it any other way, since he couldn’t be sure about where the two best friends stood with each other. But he wanted to prod them, at least subtly. Leave them to figure things out, if there even was anything to figure out. He wasn’t even sure why he wanted to push them in that possible direction so strongly. Maybe it was just knowing first hand how helpful it could be to have someone on the team who was more than just a friend, more than just a partner on the field. If you had someone who was a partner off the field as well, things were easier for you. He had that himself with Torsten, and if any of his other team mates had the same possibility for that kind of bond, Michael wanted to push them toward it.
Bastian found Michael’s advice a bit strange, wondering if there was something he was trying to say. He didn’t ask, though, he just said that he would think about it. Michael said goodbye at that point, excusing himself to an early night due to the game tomorrow. He told Bastian to say hello to Lukas and once again Bastian wished him luck for the following day. Then he hung up. He was still sitting slumped back in his seat and they were nearing the airport now. Bastian kept thinking about what Michael had said to him, the words replaying in his mind. All the reasons. What were his reasons for staying? He had a few hours on the plane ahead of him to think about it, so he tried to put it out of his mind for now. Maybe Michael hadn’t really even meant anything at all.
~*~
It was quite late when they made it back to Germany but none of them minded since they’d come away with the win. If they’d lost, then they would have been called in for a punishing training session in the afternoon. But since they’d come away victorious, training for the match day squad had been cancelled and they all had the following day off, resuming training on Thursday morning. Bastian was very much looking forward to the day off, although he would be taking Lukas in for his therapy appointments in the afternoon, something he hadn’t been able to do since resuming training. He didn’t mind though.
Though it was nearing four in the morning Bastian wasn’t tired. He’d gotten a little tired on the plane and had even fallen asleep for a quarter of the duration, but had spent the majority of the rest of the time thinking about his conversation with Michael. He’d gone over in his head all of the reasons why he wanted to stay with Lukas, still a little uncertain about why Michael had suggested he think about it. But it had made him decide to have a chat with Lukas about it when he got back. He wanted to make sure that he wasn’t actually overstaying his welcome. Maybe that’s what Michael had been trying to tell him. It didn’t seem likely, given some of the things he’d said, but Bastian thought it better to check anyway.
He entered the apartment quietly, wondering if Lukas was asleep yet. With the shorter flight from Cologne, Lukas would have gotten in at least an hour before him, if not more. So Bastian dropped his bag at the door and took his shoes and coat off, then walked into the living room. Lukas wasn’t there, so he must be in his room already. Bastian had been hoping that Lukas would still be awake when he’d returned and he was a little disappointed that he wasn’t. Not that it mattered because he was going to wake him up anyway. Lukas had mentioned changing his appointment at the clinic to the afternoon, due to his getting in late from the airport, so Bastian wasn’t worried about him having to get up early to go in.
He walked down the hall to the bedroom. The door was open, as though Lukas were inviting him, and that made Bastian grin. When he got closer he realized that the TV in Lukas’ bedroom was on, so maybe he wasn’t asleep yet. Bastian walked into the bedroom, his eyes immediately going to the bed. It appeared that Lukas was asleep after all, but it seemed that he’d at least tried to stay awake, given the TV and the fact that Lukas was lying on top of the blankets, still dressed. The scene made Bastian smile. He stood and stared down at his best friend for a moment, pleased that Lukas had tried to wait up for him. When he really thought about it, these were the moments that explained precisely why he was still here. These were the moments you couldn’t share when you weren’t living together. These were the moments that he didn’t want to give up.
He walked over to the foot of the bed, reaching up to grab Lukas’ feet. He was going to pay for falling asleep. Lukas wasn’t wearing socks, which made the opportunity even better for Bastian. He grabbed both feet suddenly, brushing his fingers over the soles, squeezing his toes, practically frightening Lukas awake with the sudden surprise. He watched with a grin on his face as Lukas shot up. This wasn’t the first time he’d woken him up suddenly and it definitely wouldn’t be the last.
It took Lukas a moment to register what had just happened. He had been intending to wait up for Bastian to get back so he could congratulate him in person on the win, but his bed had simply been too comfortable and his body too tired. He hadn’t gotten much sleep on Monday night when he’d arrived in Cologne, after all. He and Tina, whom he hadn’t seen since she’d given birth to her daughter in January, had been awake well into Tuesday morning, talking about everything that had been going on for both of them lately. Though he was quite settled and comfortable in Munich now, one of the things he missed the most about Cologne was his sister. They were very close and he’d often relied on her for support when things got hard on him. Though he did have Bastian now to fill that supportive role, it wasn’t quite the same as having an older sister there. Tina had never quite lost that protective streak when it came to her little brother and she always let him know it, no matter how big and famous he was getting.
While his time with his family had been very short, it had also been very action packed and tiring, so it wasn’t really a big surprise that he’d fallen asleep. Now as he sat on his bed and looked at Bastian, he smiled. He couldn’t be mad at his best friend for startling him. “Um, hi. I was trying to stay up, you know. It just didn’t work out for me.”
Bastian grinned and climbed up on the bed, crawling over to sit beside Lukas. “I’m pleased to hear that, well not that you fell asleep, but it does warm my heart to know that you were trying to wait up for me.” He winked at Lukas.
Lukas laughed. “It was the least I could do, right?” He leaned back on his hands, legs stretched out in front of him still. “It was an awesome game, by the way. You played great.”
Bastian shrugged off the compliment. “Well did you really expect anything else?” Bastian sat cross-legged beside him, his hands clasped in his lap. “So how was your visit with Tina? Things sounded a little exciting there on the phone.”
Lukas grinned at the mention of his family. “It was great, I’m happy I went. I don’t realize how much I miss them, sometimes. Tina and I were up all night on Monday pretty much, we actually didn’t even try to sleep any until after Steffan woke up. It was nice, we talked a lot. I held the baby a lot, which was cool.”
“Aw, look at you. Did it make you want to have a baby of your own one day?” Bastian teased him, the way he always did whenever they spoke about family and their futures.
Lukas frowned at the teasing. “Of course I will, and don’t say it. I know what’s coming next from you.” While Lukas had dated a few girls before, he’d never been in a serious relationship. He hadn’t had the time for it mostly, and the girls he had dated never seemed to understand that. They’d always demanded more time from him, always wanting to go out and do something when they were together. Most of the time Lukas just wanted to stay at home and relax. Once he’d become well known, he’d gotten the impression that the girls he’d dated were more interested in him for his status and not so much for him as a person. It wasn’t that he was overly romantic or anything of the sort, but he didn’t want to waste time on someone that he didn’t feel was really with him. He wanted a partner, someone who wasn’t just there for the spotlight. Unfortunately prospects of finding one were looking bleaker the more famous he got. He envied Bastian in that regard, as he and Dani had met before Bastian’s career had really taken off, so he knew that she wasn’t just there for the fame aspect.
Bastian had that predatory gleam in his eyes, the same one that was always there when he teased his best friend. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He’d found it amusing when he’d found out, during their time spent together way back on the U-21 team, that Lukas was still technically a virgin. He’d had experience with girls at the time, but nothing serious. As the years passed and nothing changed, Bastian continued to tease him on the subject every now and then. Not many people knew and there were times when Bastian felt sorry for him because of it. Now with him being so famous, finding someone he felt comfortable enough to let in on his little secret would be hard. Bastian had been quite lucky in that regard, due in most part to his older brother Tobias. He’d always had girls hanging around and some of them didn’t mind paying a bit of attention to Bastian when he became old enough for it. But Lukas hadn’t had the opportunity and had been too obsessed and determined with the sport to look for the opportunities himself when he was younger. So now he was kind of stuck in a corner, forced to bide his time until he found the right person to pull him out of it.
Lukas just shook his head, a little surprised that Bastian wasn’t going to pounce on the opportunity to really tease him. Usually he jumped on the subject right away, but tonight he apparently wasn’t going to. So if Bastian was going to pass on it, Lukas wasn’t going to give him much time to second guess the decision. “So how was it playing in England, anyway? What were the Liverpool guys like?”
Bastian told him about the guys he’d met from the English team. They’d seemed to be a pretty friendly bunch for the most part, at least that was the opinion Bastian had gotten from them. “Gerrard was really nice; he actually came up to me looking to trade shirts after the game. Bit surprising, but nice.”
Lukas nodded, a smile on his face. “Just recognizing your superior talent, that’s all.”
Bastian laughed at the comment. “You’re probably right, since we did beat them. My plays ran better than his, after all. I was superior tonight.” They both laughed at his bit of boasting, before Bastian decided to try and slip into the conversation that he really wanted to have. “I called Micha on the way to the airport, you know, to wish him luck for tomorrow.”
“How thoughtful of you.” Lukas teasingly patted Bastian on the leg. “How is he?”
“Good, he told me to say hello to you, he was asking me how you were doing. Seemed very concerned, as always.”
Lukas smiled at the comment. “Yeah that’s Micha, always concerned. I should call him sometime I guess. So what else did you guys talk about?”
Bastian stared at Lukas for a moment before looking down at the bed. How should he phrase this? He wasn’t too sure, so he’d just go with whatever felt right. “Well, when I told him how well you were doing, he asked me why I was still living with you.”
Lukas was silent, not knowing what to say. Had Michael said anything to Bastian? Lukas thought back to the conversation he’d had with Michael that one night, how he’d been open with him about being nervous when it came down to being alone again. He wanted to know what Michael had said. “Did he say anything else about it?”
Bastian was a little curious about Lukas’ answer. It almost seemed like Lukas knew something that Bastian didn’t and was trying to subtly inquire about it. “Why are you asking?”
Lukas looked at Bastian and frowned. Should he just tell him how he was feeling? This not knowing how long Bastian was going to stay was starting to get to him, after all. It would probably be best to address it. “Well, I kind of said some things to him about it that night when he came over.”
Bastian didn’t know what to say at first, a little shocked at the answer. Just what had Lukas told Michael? Was it something bad? Had Michael indeed been trying to hint that he should be thinking of moving out? “What kind of things?”
Lukas sat up straight, crossing his legs and leaning forward, elbows on his knees. “This is kind of hard for me to say because I don’t want to feel like I’m influencing your decision at all in any way. But…” Lukas couldn’t go on right away. He was really worried about admitting his worries. What if Bastian was only still here because he hadn’t been able to find a way to suggest that it was time for him to leave? “I’ve just kind of realized over the past few weeks how lonely I’ll be without you here. I know you’ll be moving out at some point, probably sooner than later, and you should be. I mean, you have your own life to get back to. I just really got used to having you around all the time this past month, and I’m a little nervous about you going. It’ll be hard on me to be alone again.”
Bastian was shocked into silence. Michael really had meant it when he’d told Bastian that he ought to stay as long as he wanted to. There was no worry about Lukas wanting him gone now, no question of him outstaying his welcome. Lukas didn’t want him to leave at all. Bastian smiled finally after the shock wore off. He took one of Lukas’ hands and squeezed it. “But I’m not going anywhere, Lukas. I actually hadn’t thought once about leaving until Michael brought it up. All this time on the flight home I was worrying that he was trying to tell me that you wanted me to leave.”
Lukas looked up at him; the shocked look on his face matching the one Bastian had been sporting only a moment ago. “You really don’t want to leave?”
Bastian was still smiling, even though he wanted to frown at the question. Did Lukas really think he’d wanted to leave? “No, I don’t. I like being here, being with you every day and goofing around and helping you. Well I guess I’m not really helping you with that much anymore.”
Lukas’ shock melted into a smile too. “Just because you don’t have to do anything for me physically, that doesn’t mean that you’re not still helping me.”
Bastian grinned and squeezed Lukas’ hand again. “So you still want me to stay?”
Lukas squeezed back and nodded his head. “It’s not that I want you to stay, just I don’t want you to leave.” He laughed just a little when he admitted it out loud. “I know it a little selfish, but I’ll be sad when you’re gone. You being here makes everything easier on me.”
“Well in that case, how could I possibly ever leave?” He moved closer to Lukas on the bed, letting go of his hand to wrap his arm around Lukas’ shoulders. He was so relieved at the outcome of their chat, relieved to know that Lukas didn’t want him to leave after all.
Lukas leaned into Bastian’s embrace, arm behind him and touching his back. He was sharing Bastian’s relief at the moment. “I’m sure you’ll get sick of me one day.” He looked at his best friend and grinned.
Bastian was grinning back. “Perhaps. But listen, in all honesty we probably should deal with this. Because you’re right, I will be leaving at some point. So why don’t we say that I’ll stay until you can start training again? That way it’ll be like it was before this all happened, and we’ll still be able to be together during the day. We’ll hang out like we used to, well maybe a bit more, but I just won’t sleep here anymore.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Though it would be sad for him to go, Lukas knew the day would have to come. But surprisingly enough he found that having some kind of timeline for it made him feel a lot better. At least now he wouldn’t be surprised by it. “But you know, you don’t have to stay here every night from now until then. You should probably go and spend a night back with Dani every now and then.”
Bastian grinned. “Yeah, I don’t want her to think I’m cheating on her with you.”
Lukas laughed. “Yeah, that would make for a very nice Bild headline.” They both laughed at the comment, finding it very humorous, especially since the newest copy of Bild had yet another picture of Lukas and Daniela. This time when they’d been having lunch after Lukas’ clinic visit and it was the scene just after the fan had asked him for the autograph. Daniela was holding his hands and Lukas had had to admit that they actually did look like a couple in the picture. It just made it all the more amusing to him.
Bastian promised him again that he’d stay as long as Lukas wanted him to, but mentioned that he would take up Lukas’ advice and spend a night here and there with Daniela. He did miss her at times, but he was surprised to find that the majority of the time he didn’t, at least not the way he thought he should. Lukas had done a good job at keeping him occupied after all. But for now their night ended, the very late hour calling out to the both of them. Bastian left the room to go to his own and Lukas simply laid there, his mind on his best friend before he managed to fall asleep.
Another week had passed and Bastian was currently sitting by himself at the back of the team bus, waiting for everyone else to board before heading for the airport. They’d just played the first round of their Champion’s League quarter-final match up with Liverpool, coming out on top with a 2-0 win. It had been a fast paced game and they hadn’t managed to score until the eightieth minute. Once again it had been Roy scoring with a header off of a pass from Bastian. The second goal was scored three minutes later on a free kick. They’d been confident going into the game but the result really boosted that confidence, since the odds before the match had been on Liverpool being victorious. There was no doubt in their minds that when Liverpool visited them in Munich, the game would pass with a similar result.
Bastian had his feet up on the seat next to him, getting comfortable for the ride to the airport. He’d already spoken to Lukas earlier, who’d called him after the match to congratulate him. They’d only talked for a few minutes before Lukas had to leave for the airport himself, flying back to Munich after visiting his sister for her birthday. They’d watched the match on satellite, Lukas and Tina firmly supporting Munich while Tina’s husband, Cologne keeper Steffan Wessels, was of the opinion that Liverpool would take the win, especially since they were playing at home. So while he’d been talking to Lukas, Bastian had heard a lot of yelling going on in the background, mostly Tina making fun of Steffan for picking the losing team. Lukas had sounded happy while they’d talked, which in turn made Bastian happy.
He pulled out his cell phone and decided that while he was in England, he might as well make another call. He just hoped the person he was calling wouldn’t be asleep yet. The phone rang once, twice, and then it was finally picked up. A woman’s voice answered. “Hello?”
“Simone, hi it’s Bastian. Has Michael gone to sleep yet? I want to wish him luck tomorrow while I’m still here in England.”
“He’s still up, he’s just putting the boys to bed actually, so hold on and I’ll go fetch him.” Bastian waited while Simone called to her partner. It wasn’t long before he heard Michael, asking her who it was. Simone responded that it was Jose, calling to tell him he’d decided to cut him from the match tomorrow. Bastian heard the sigh from Michael and a laugh from Simone before he finally got on the phone. “Hello?”
“Micha, it’s Bastian, thought I’d call and wish you luck tomorrow.” Chelsea were playing Manchester United for their first round on the following day.
“Hey, nice of you to call! I caught some of the game earlier, very impressive. I knew you guys would pull it off.” Though his departure from the Bavarian club hadn’t been the happiest, Michael still put his support behind them and wanted to see them do well. If the final came down to Chelsea and Bayern, Michael would be pleased.
“Thanks, always nice to hear we have your support.” They chatted for a moment about the game and the league, predictions based on today’s results about who would be progressing on from this stage.
It wasn’t long before Michael inquired about Lukas. “How’s he doing? I heard he’s been at the Bayern games lately, that’s nice to know.”
“He’s doing really well, actually. Things are pretty much back to normal with him, well obviously except that he’s not playing. But he’s not really having too many problems anymore, and Greg, his physio, has started him on some more specific coordinational exercises along with hydrotherapy. He’s happy, since he’s not just sitting around anymore.”
“That’s great to hear, it was rough seeing him so weak. So, are you still there with him?” While Michael was delighted to hear that Lukas’ recovery was going so well, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried. He remembered well the conversation he’d had with Lukas that night, how worried he’d been about Bastian eventually moving out.
“Of course I am. He’s cooking again, so someone has to stick around and make sure he doesn’t burn his place down.” Bastian grinned while making the comment, thinking about those times during the past week that he’d teased Lukas about that very subject.
Michael laughed, a little relieved that Bastian was still there for the time being. He was curious about when he planned to leave though. He’d figured that Bastian probably would have wanted to get back to Daniela after spending so much time apart over the past month. Unless something had changed during their time apart. Michael simply couldn’t shake the feeling that something was there between the two young men; he’d witnessed it after all. They’d always been close but lately it seemed that things had escalated a little. Their interaction at the game against the Czech Republic had really showcased that, the way they didn’t appear to pay any attention to anyone else around them, too caught up in their own little world. Michael was reminded so strongly of his own experience, of his feelings. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but he was pretty certain that there was something going on. “How long are you going to stay with him?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about moving out.” He paused for a moment, wondering why Michael was asking him. “Why, do you think I should leave?”
“No, not at all.” The last thing Michael wanted to do was push Bastian in the opposite direction of the way he thought he may end up going. “I think you should stay with him as long as you feel you need to. I guess I was just kind of wondering why you’re still there, if he doesn’t really need you anymore.”
Bastian didn’t know what to say. Michael had a point, after all. Originally he’d moved in with Lukas in order to take care of him while he couldn’t do anything for himself. But now Lukas could do everything on his own and yet Bastian was still there, with no real intention of leaving. “I don’t really know, to be honest. I just don’t really feel like leaving, you know? Maybe I’ve just gotten so used to being there, used to being with him all day.”
Michael was once again relieved by his answer. But he was also feeling like pushing it a bit further. “Like I said, you should stay as long as you want to, I’m sure Lukas will enjoy the company. But maybe you should really think about why you want to stay. All the reasons.” He couldn’t say it any other way, since he couldn’t be sure about where the two best friends stood with each other. But he wanted to prod them, at least subtly. Leave them to figure things out, if there even was anything to figure out. He wasn’t even sure why he wanted to push them in that possible direction so strongly. Maybe it was just knowing first hand how helpful it could be to have someone on the team who was more than just a friend, more than just a partner on the field. If you had someone who was a partner off the field as well, things were easier for you. He had that himself with Torsten, and if any of his other team mates had the same possibility for that kind of bond, Michael wanted to push them toward it.
Bastian found Michael’s advice a bit strange, wondering if there was something he was trying to say. He didn’t ask, though, he just said that he would think about it. Michael said goodbye at that point, excusing himself to an early night due to the game tomorrow. He told Bastian to say hello to Lukas and once again Bastian wished him luck for the following day. Then he hung up. He was still sitting slumped back in his seat and they were nearing the airport now. Bastian kept thinking about what Michael had said to him, the words replaying in his mind. All the reasons. What were his reasons for staying? He had a few hours on the plane ahead of him to think about it, so he tried to put it out of his mind for now. Maybe Michael hadn’t really even meant anything at all.
~*~
It was quite late when they made it back to Germany but none of them minded since they’d come away with the win. If they’d lost, then they would have been called in for a punishing training session in the afternoon. But since they’d come away victorious, training for the match day squad had been cancelled and they all had the following day off, resuming training on Thursday morning. Bastian was very much looking forward to the day off, although he would be taking Lukas in for his therapy appointments in the afternoon, something he hadn’t been able to do since resuming training. He didn’t mind though.
Though it was nearing four in the morning Bastian wasn’t tired. He’d gotten a little tired on the plane and had even fallen asleep for a quarter of the duration, but had spent the majority of the rest of the time thinking about his conversation with Michael. He’d gone over in his head all of the reasons why he wanted to stay with Lukas, still a little uncertain about why Michael had suggested he think about it. But it had made him decide to have a chat with Lukas about it when he got back. He wanted to make sure that he wasn’t actually overstaying his welcome. Maybe that’s what Michael had been trying to tell him. It didn’t seem likely, given some of the things he’d said, but Bastian thought it better to check anyway.
He entered the apartment quietly, wondering if Lukas was asleep yet. With the shorter flight from Cologne, Lukas would have gotten in at least an hour before him, if not more. So Bastian dropped his bag at the door and took his shoes and coat off, then walked into the living room. Lukas wasn’t there, so he must be in his room already. Bastian had been hoping that Lukas would still be awake when he’d returned and he was a little disappointed that he wasn’t. Not that it mattered because he was going to wake him up anyway. Lukas had mentioned changing his appointment at the clinic to the afternoon, due to his getting in late from the airport, so Bastian wasn’t worried about him having to get up early to go in.
He walked down the hall to the bedroom. The door was open, as though Lukas were inviting him, and that made Bastian grin. When he got closer he realized that the TV in Lukas’ bedroom was on, so maybe he wasn’t asleep yet. Bastian walked into the bedroom, his eyes immediately going to the bed. It appeared that Lukas was asleep after all, but it seemed that he’d at least tried to stay awake, given the TV and the fact that Lukas was lying on top of the blankets, still dressed. The scene made Bastian smile. He stood and stared down at his best friend for a moment, pleased that Lukas had tried to wait up for him. When he really thought about it, these were the moments that explained precisely why he was still here. These were the moments you couldn’t share when you weren’t living together. These were the moments that he didn’t want to give up.
He walked over to the foot of the bed, reaching up to grab Lukas’ feet. He was going to pay for falling asleep. Lukas wasn’t wearing socks, which made the opportunity even better for Bastian. He grabbed both feet suddenly, brushing his fingers over the soles, squeezing his toes, practically frightening Lukas awake with the sudden surprise. He watched with a grin on his face as Lukas shot up. This wasn’t the first time he’d woken him up suddenly and it definitely wouldn’t be the last.
It took Lukas a moment to register what had just happened. He had been intending to wait up for Bastian to get back so he could congratulate him in person on the win, but his bed had simply been too comfortable and his body too tired. He hadn’t gotten much sleep on Monday night when he’d arrived in Cologne, after all. He and Tina, whom he hadn’t seen since she’d given birth to her daughter in January, had been awake well into Tuesday morning, talking about everything that had been going on for both of them lately. Though he was quite settled and comfortable in Munich now, one of the things he missed the most about Cologne was his sister. They were very close and he’d often relied on her for support when things got hard on him. Though he did have Bastian now to fill that supportive role, it wasn’t quite the same as having an older sister there. Tina had never quite lost that protective streak when it came to her little brother and she always let him know it, no matter how big and famous he was getting.
While his time with his family had been very short, it had also been very action packed and tiring, so it wasn’t really a big surprise that he’d fallen asleep. Now as he sat on his bed and looked at Bastian, he smiled. He couldn’t be mad at his best friend for startling him. “Um, hi. I was trying to stay up, you know. It just didn’t work out for me.”
Bastian grinned and climbed up on the bed, crawling over to sit beside Lukas. “I’m pleased to hear that, well not that you fell asleep, but it does warm my heart to know that you were trying to wait up for me.” He winked at Lukas.
Lukas laughed. “It was the least I could do, right?” He leaned back on his hands, legs stretched out in front of him still. “It was an awesome game, by the way. You played great.”
Bastian shrugged off the compliment. “Well did you really expect anything else?” Bastian sat cross-legged beside him, his hands clasped in his lap. “So how was your visit with Tina? Things sounded a little exciting there on the phone.”
Lukas grinned at the mention of his family. “It was great, I’m happy I went. I don’t realize how much I miss them, sometimes. Tina and I were up all night on Monday pretty much, we actually didn’t even try to sleep any until after Steffan woke up. It was nice, we talked a lot. I held the baby a lot, which was cool.”
“Aw, look at you. Did it make you want to have a baby of your own one day?” Bastian teased him, the way he always did whenever they spoke about family and their futures.
Lukas frowned at the teasing. “Of course I will, and don’t say it. I know what’s coming next from you.” While Lukas had dated a few girls before, he’d never been in a serious relationship. He hadn’t had the time for it mostly, and the girls he had dated never seemed to understand that. They’d always demanded more time from him, always wanting to go out and do something when they were together. Most of the time Lukas just wanted to stay at home and relax. Once he’d become well known, he’d gotten the impression that the girls he’d dated were more interested in him for his status and not so much for him as a person. It wasn’t that he was overly romantic or anything of the sort, but he didn’t want to waste time on someone that he didn’t feel was really with him. He wanted a partner, someone who wasn’t just there for the spotlight. Unfortunately prospects of finding one were looking bleaker the more famous he got. He envied Bastian in that regard, as he and Dani had met before Bastian’s career had really taken off, so he knew that she wasn’t just there for the fame aspect.
Bastian had that predatory gleam in his eyes, the same one that was always there when he teased his best friend. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He’d found it amusing when he’d found out, during their time spent together way back on the U-21 team, that Lukas was still technically a virgin. He’d had experience with girls at the time, but nothing serious. As the years passed and nothing changed, Bastian continued to tease him on the subject every now and then. Not many people knew and there were times when Bastian felt sorry for him because of it. Now with him being so famous, finding someone he felt comfortable enough to let in on his little secret would be hard. Bastian had been quite lucky in that regard, due in most part to his older brother Tobias. He’d always had girls hanging around and some of them didn’t mind paying a bit of attention to Bastian when he became old enough for it. But Lukas hadn’t had the opportunity and had been too obsessed and determined with the sport to look for the opportunities himself when he was younger. So now he was kind of stuck in a corner, forced to bide his time until he found the right person to pull him out of it.
Lukas just shook his head, a little surprised that Bastian wasn’t going to pounce on the opportunity to really tease him. Usually he jumped on the subject right away, but tonight he apparently wasn’t going to. So if Bastian was going to pass on it, Lukas wasn’t going to give him much time to second guess the decision. “So how was it playing in England, anyway? What were the Liverpool guys like?”
Bastian told him about the guys he’d met from the English team. They’d seemed to be a pretty friendly bunch for the most part, at least that was the opinion Bastian had gotten from them. “Gerrard was really nice; he actually came up to me looking to trade shirts after the game. Bit surprising, but nice.”
Lukas nodded, a smile on his face. “Just recognizing your superior talent, that’s all.”
Bastian laughed at the comment. “You’re probably right, since we did beat them. My plays ran better than his, after all. I was superior tonight.” They both laughed at his bit of boasting, before Bastian decided to try and slip into the conversation that he really wanted to have. “I called Micha on the way to the airport, you know, to wish him luck for tomorrow.”
“How thoughtful of you.” Lukas teasingly patted Bastian on the leg. “How is he?”
“Good, he told me to say hello to you, he was asking me how you were doing. Seemed very concerned, as always.”
Lukas smiled at the comment. “Yeah that’s Micha, always concerned. I should call him sometime I guess. So what else did you guys talk about?”
Bastian stared at Lukas for a moment before looking down at the bed. How should he phrase this? He wasn’t too sure, so he’d just go with whatever felt right. “Well, when I told him how well you were doing, he asked me why I was still living with you.”
Lukas was silent, not knowing what to say. Had Michael said anything to Bastian? Lukas thought back to the conversation he’d had with Michael that one night, how he’d been open with him about being nervous when it came down to being alone again. He wanted to know what Michael had said. “Did he say anything else about it?”
Bastian was a little curious about Lukas’ answer. It almost seemed like Lukas knew something that Bastian didn’t and was trying to subtly inquire about it. “Why are you asking?”
Lukas looked at Bastian and frowned. Should he just tell him how he was feeling? This not knowing how long Bastian was going to stay was starting to get to him, after all. It would probably be best to address it. “Well, I kind of said some things to him about it that night when he came over.”
Bastian didn’t know what to say at first, a little shocked at the answer. Just what had Lukas told Michael? Was it something bad? Had Michael indeed been trying to hint that he should be thinking of moving out? “What kind of things?”
Lukas sat up straight, crossing his legs and leaning forward, elbows on his knees. “This is kind of hard for me to say because I don’t want to feel like I’m influencing your decision at all in any way. But…” Lukas couldn’t go on right away. He was really worried about admitting his worries. What if Bastian was only still here because he hadn’t been able to find a way to suggest that it was time for him to leave? “I’ve just kind of realized over the past few weeks how lonely I’ll be without you here. I know you’ll be moving out at some point, probably sooner than later, and you should be. I mean, you have your own life to get back to. I just really got used to having you around all the time this past month, and I’m a little nervous about you going. It’ll be hard on me to be alone again.”
Bastian was shocked into silence. Michael really had meant it when he’d told Bastian that he ought to stay as long as he wanted to. There was no worry about Lukas wanting him gone now, no question of him outstaying his welcome. Lukas didn’t want him to leave at all. Bastian smiled finally after the shock wore off. He took one of Lukas’ hands and squeezed it. “But I’m not going anywhere, Lukas. I actually hadn’t thought once about leaving until Michael brought it up. All this time on the flight home I was worrying that he was trying to tell me that you wanted me to leave.”
Lukas looked up at him; the shocked look on his face matching the one Bastian had been sporting only a moment ago. “You really don’t want to leave?”
Bastian was still smiling, even though he wanted to frown at the question. Did Lukas really think he’d wanted to leave? “No, I don’t. I like being here, being with you every day and goofing around and helping you. Well I guess I’m not really helping you with that much anymore.”
Lukas’ shock melted into a smile too. “Just because you don’t have to do anything for me physically, that doesn’t mean that you’re not still helping me.”
Bastian grinned and squeezed Lukas’ hand again. “So you still want me to stay?”
Lukas squeezed back and nodded his head. “It’s not that I want you to stay, just I don’t want you to leave.” He laughed just a little when he admitted it out loud. “I know it a little selfish, but I’ll be sad when you’re gone. You being here makes everything easier on me.”
“Well in that case, how could I possibly ever leave?” He moved closer to Lukas on the bed, letting go of his hand to wrap his arm around Lukas’ shoulders. He was so relieved at the outcome of their chat, relieved to know that Lukas didn’t want him to leave after all.
Lukas leaned into Bastian’s embrace, arm behind him and touching his back. He was sharing Bastian’s relief at the moment. “I’m sure you’ll get sick of me one day.” He looked at his best friend and grinned.
Bastian was grinning back. “Perhaps. But listen, in all honesty we probably should deal with this. Because you’re right, I will be leaving at some point. So why don’t we say that I’ll stay until you can start training again? That way it’ll be like it was before this all happened, and we’ll still be able to be together during the day. We’ll hang out like we used to, well maybe a bit more, but I just won’t sleep here anymore.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Though it would be sad for him to go, Lukas knew the day would have to come. But surprisingly enough he found that having some kind of timeline for it made him feel a lot better. At least now he wouldn’t be surprised by it. “But you know, you don’t have to stay here every night from now until then. You should probably go and spend a night back with Dani every now and then.”
Bastian grinned. “Yeah, I don’t want her to think I’m cheating on her with you.”
Lukas laughed. “Yeah, that would make for a very nice Bild headline.” They both laughed at the comment, finding it very humorous, especially since the newest copy of Bild had yet another picture of Lukas and Daniela. This time when they’d been having lunch after Lukas’ clinic visit and it was the scene just after the fan had asked him for the autograph. Daniela was holding his hands and Lukas had had to admit that they actually did look like a couple in the picture. It just made it all the more amusing to him.
Bastian promised him again that he’d stay as long as Lukas wanted him to, but mentioned that he would take up Lukas’ advice and spend a night here and there with Daniela. He did miss her at times, but he was surprised to find that the majority of the time he didn’t, at least not the way he thought he should. Lukas had done a good job at keeping him occupied after all. But for now their night ended, the very late hour calling out to the both of them. Bastian left the room to go to his own and Lukas simply laid there, his mind on his best friend before he managed to fall asleep.