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He still remembered exactly how they had first met. It had been his second day at kindergarten, his first day alone with all the other children. Max had been desperate and scared. He should have been playing with the others? With strangers? Never!

The only children he'd ever interacted with up until then were his two cousins. But even when they'd visited, he'd spent the entire time with his cousin, who was four years older than him, and not with the twins, who were the same age. And anyway, why should crawling around on the floor with little metal cars be fun?

Max had decided it best to just sit under the art table and wait for his mom to pick him up. If necessary, he would spend the next few years like that until he started school, he thought, and laid his head on his knees.

However, an older boy had thwarted his plans when he suddenly crawled under the table.

“Hey, this is my place,” the boy had said, sitting cross-legged directly in front of him.

“Should I go?” was Max’s question, immediately shocked that he had done something wrong.

“No,” was all the other man had said, leaning next to him against the wall where the table was pushed.

They had spent the entire day there in silence under the table, except when they were called for lunch. The teachers had tried from time to time to get them to play, but at some point one of them had said that it made no sense if the "new" boy was already just like Lucien. Apparently, this Lucien had been the older boy.

They spent every day like this for about a week until they eventually started talking.

“Why are you hiding?” Lucien suddenly asked at some point.

"Because I don't like playing with cars, and when I go outside, I have to play with the others," Max had explained, and Lucien had to smile a little because the smaller boy next to him had spoken so easily, while the other "newcomers" had always spoken incredibly slowly, constantly misspoken, or even stuttered. Max had been smart, in his eyes.

"We could go outside and do something different," Lucien had suggested, and because he hadn't laughed at him or talked too much in the last few days, Max had been okay with going outside. So Lucien had taken his hand and walked with him into the garden. The teachers had been happy that the two of them seemed to have returned to normal, and a wonderful friendship had begun between Max and Lucien.

By now, they had left kindergarten and elementary school. Max was thirteen and Lucien was fifteen. The younger one was in his second year of junior high, while the older one had just left and moved on to senior high school. Because Max had skipped a grade, he was only two years younger than Lucien and had spent at least one year with him at junior high, but now he was alone again.

Their friendship had survived all the problems, differences, and complications. They had remained friends, even though Lucien hadn't wanted to talk to anyone after his mother's divorce, even though Max was more than obviously the smarter of the two and couldn't hide it, even though Lucien had realized some time ago that he was gay.

The latter had been very surprising to the younger man. Not because he was surprised that Lucien was gay, but because he was surprised that it should have surprised him.

When he was eight and Lucien was eleven, they had slept in Lucien's treehouse, as they often did in the summer. While they read comics and philosophized about TV series, everything had been normal. But when they turned out the lights and snuggled up close together in a couple of blankets, Lucien said he felt strange.

“Why is that?” Max had asked, not reacting at all to Lucien pulling him closer and now snuggled up to him like a cuddly toy.

"I don't know. My dad says it means I'm growing up, because I think about things like that," Lucien whispered.

“What are you thinking about?”

"I want to know how to kiss," Lucien had quietly replied, terribly embarrassed to admit such a thing. He had always felt that he was the one who was supposed to protect the other, Max, and help and look after him. It had felt strange for him to admit that he didn't know such a thing yet.

“You could kiss Lisa, she always tells me how great she is at you,” Max suggested.

“May I kiss you?” Lucien had asked, unsure why he would rather kiss a boy than Lisa.

For Max, this question hadn't been relevant at all. If Lucien wanted to kiss him, then that was fine, he'd thought. So he'd nodded, and his older friend had gently pressed his lips to the younger one's. They'd both been a bit clumsy as they'd tried to French kiss, but after a while, they'd both started to enjoy it.

After that experience, they kissed repeatedly until Max turned eleven. Because they enjoyed it, because it felt good. However, Lucien had eventually realized that he would have liked to... touch Max. Of course, they had touched each other now and then, stroked each other's backs, or something similar. But Lucien had noticed that he would have liked to do the things they had explained to him in sex education class with Max.

Well, at least the things he could have done with him. The whole thing had scared him so much that he'd stopped kissing. Since then, they only kissed occasionally, quite harmlessly, without tongue. Nevertheless, after a while, he admitted to himself that he was gay. Lucien simply found boys much more interesting, and all the feelings he should have had with girls, he only had with the boys at his school.

Over the years, Max had become more like a brother to him, and he had learned to distinguish that from his feelings for other boys. That's why it was okay to tell Max about it.

However, as already mentioned, it hadn't surprised them at all. Max had known that Lucien preferred kissing boys; after all, he had preferred kissing him to Lisa. But Lucien's confession had made him think about whether that meant he was gay. For him, kissing Lucien had always been much more fun than the girls who kept saying he was their boyfriend until they were tired of it.

It had been more pleasant when Lucien kissed him because he had been so dominant, because he had taken the lead, and he liked it better that way. With girls, he always had to take the lead, but in reality, he liked it much better when someone else held him and showed him how to do something. Then that would have meant that he was gay, just like Lucien. And Lucien had come to him especially to tell him that, so Max had had to do that too. Lucien had just smiled, kissed him on the lips, and told him it was great, but they still couldn't just kiss like that.

Max hadn't really understood it at the time, but then Lucien had shown him that he wasn't in love with him, just as Lucien wasn't in love with him. And it had sounded so great, like it must be to kiss someone you're in love with, that Max had agreed not to miss kissing Lucien.

Unfortunately, he just couldn't find anyone he could fall in love with. He'd known all the boys at school for so long, and they all seemed to only be attracted to girls or not interested in such things at all. But Lucien suddenly seemed to be meeting a lot of other, really grown-up people at high school, and he felt terrible. Why didn't he grow up so quickly? Why did he have to deal with the weird boys at school who had absolutely nothing in common with him?

Lucien now knew so many cool boys. Lucien was now allowed to show everyone that he liked boys. He, Max, had to keep it to himself. The boys at his school only laughed at gays, but the boys at Lucien's school were okay with gays. Besides, there were suddenly other gay boys at this school. Max had never seen another gay boy besides Lucien.

Even though Max didn't know it, Lucien felt the same way. He had experimented with Max, but otherwise, he'd never really been around other boys. However, his new school opened up completely new possibilities for him! There were other boys he could fall in love with, with whom he could at least talk, who shared his interests. The years of junior high and elementary school were quickly forgotten.

Then there was Johnny . Johnny was in the same year as him, and Johnny was incredibly cool! He wasn't one of the really cool kids, but Lucien didn't like them at all. Johnny was a quiet boy; he liked music and skateboarding. He also liked painting and drawing, and he babysat his neighbor's daughter three times a week. Lucien thought Johnny was incredibly great. Especially since Johnny asked him out.

They'd gone out for pizza together and then sat in the park talking until late at night. Lucien had thought it was all totally romantic, and he'd even walked Johnny home because he believed he should be a gentleman and he also wanted to spend as much time with Johnny as possible. He'd actually wanted to kiss Johnny on his doorstep, but his parents had stormed out and grounded him because it was already 12:30 and they were supposed to be back by 10.

Lucien had also been grounded, and so he couldn't do anything with Johnny for three whole weeks. There were only two days left, but he also felt that was enough. His friends weren't allowed to visit him at home either; only Max was allowed to come over because his dad had given up trying to keep them apart. No matter how many times he'd grounded his son, he'd always broken it to see Max. So, now, house arrest meant no TV, but seeing Max instead.

For him, it made the whole situation more pleasant. It felt great to spend more time with Lucien again. So he came to see him every day after school. After all, they both needed someone to talk to, and it was wonderful for him to have someone again.

“You won’t believe what happened!” Lucien shouted as he opened the door, grinning from ear to ear.

“What?” Max asked immediately, interested, and followed his friend, who was three years older than him, upstairs to his room.

"Alex came to my locker in the hallway today while I was getting my books," Lucien said excitedly. Max already knew who this Alex was. From many stories, he had learned that Alex was Johnny's best friend and also very popular at school.

"He said he wasn't supposed to tell me, but Johnny asked him to invite me to his birthday party! And he said he would have invited me anyway because he likes me!" Lucien exclaimed, beaming as he sat down on the bed next to Max.

"Wow! That's great!" he exclaimed, genuinely delighted, and rushed to hug his friend. Lucien immediately wrapped his arms around him and hugged the younger boy tightly.

“And when is the party?” Max asked after they had loosened their embrace a little, but were still lying close together.

"Saturday next week, actually he wanted to celebrate this Saturday, but Johnny is still grounded, his parents won't make an exception and Alex doesn't want to celebrate without Johnny," grinned Lucien.

"Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed that you'll have a lot of fun," Max replied, immediately imagining Johnny and Lucien hanging out together the entire evening, even though he didn't know Johnny and didn't know what he looked like. Lucien had described him often enough.

“Nuh-uh,” said the older man, grinning even wider as Max looked up at him questioningly.

" We 're going to have fun, little one," he corrected, straining his facial muscles further when he saw his best friend's confused expression. Oh, how he had been looking forward to this moment!

"I obviously told Johnny enough about you that he asked Alex to tell me I was welcome to bring you," he explained, unable to suppress his laughter as Max looked at him with oversized eyes.

He couldn't be serious! Max was completely perplexed. Lucien wanted to take him to a party at someone's high school! He was only thirteen! Alex was celebrating his fifteenth birthday, and he was only thirteen! The party would be full of people like him, or even like Lucien, who would be turning sixteen this year. Lucien couldn't really be serious, could he? He didn't belong there at all.

"You don't need to worry. Johnny or Alex aren't that different, and neither are the others. You're way too advanced for your age, and personally, I don't think there's much difference between you and the people from my school. Except that you probably have more on your mind than all of them combined," Lucien tried to reassure him a little, hugging him.

He had, of course, noticed how much it bothered his best friend that Lucien was meeting so many new people while Max continued to have to deal with the idiots at school. Besides, he firmly believed that Max was much better off with people his own age. Perhaps it was his fault that Max had never been around people his own age because of him, but Lucien believed that Max was simply naturally more advanced, probably due to his disturbingly high intelligence.

"But... I'll just disturb you and Johnny, and I don't know anyone besides you," Max objected, a little uncertain, looking up at his friend with a serious expression. He was pleased that Lucien wanted him to be there for this celebration, but he didn't want Lucien to convince himself that it was better not to have him at such events.

Surely he would just be a nuisance or make Lucien look ridiculous because he had no idea how to behave.

"Oh, I think everyone else will like you, the girls anyway, and then the boys will like you too," Lucien said confidently, stroking his shoulder. With a sigh, he snuggled up to his older friend, savoring this moment of closeness even more when Lucien wrapped both arms around him again and hugged him. The whole thing was like a silent agreement that Max had given up and would come along.

When the time came, however, he naturally regretted having given in. He and Lucien were getting ready for the party together. Max had, of course, asked him beforehand what he should wear, but Lucien had just laughed and told him that it didn't matter at all and that he had never seen him in clothes that didn't suit him. Max was, of course, pleased with the compliment, but his decision about what to wear hadn't been any easier. In the end, he had simply opted for the dark blue jeans he had bought with Lucien in town and a short-sleeved black shirt. Both were relatively tight-fitting, but he felt ridiculous in baggy clothes.

Lucien looked good, as always. He wore a black sleeveless shirt and red and black pants. Still, Lucien thought Max made a much better impression. He fit in perfectly with his new group of friends; Alex could have worn those clothes, too, even though he would have certainly looked less attractive. Even though his face might still have been that of a thirteen-year-old, everything else about Max was anything but childlike in Lucien's eyes.

"My dad is driving us over to Alex's because he's been convinced that having to take the bus with sleeping bags is stupid," Lucien explained as he packed his clothes for the next day into a backpack. This was more news Max had only learned the day before. Johnny, Lucien, and himself would be staying at Alex's. Johnny because he was Alex's best friend, Lucien because he was Johnny's almost-friend, and Max because he was Lucien's best friend.

Max wasn't quite sure what to make of it. What if this Alex didn't like him at all? Then he'd feel terrible the whole time, because Lucien would surely be busy with Johnny. But maybe it was a good thing; maybe he got along well with him and was just happy that he didn't have to go home yet?

“Can we?” Lucien smiled and Max took a deep breath before nodding with a brave smile.

"Don't worry so much! Come here," said Lucien, putting his backpack back on the bed. Smiling, he stepped in front of Max and wrapped his arms around him tightly. He was actually quite pleased that Max was coming along. This was, after all, his first high school party, and it was nice to know his best and closest friend was there. Encouragingly, he pressed his lips to Max's forehead, then gently stroked his cheek and smiled at him until Max returned his smile in a sincere, unforced way.

Not long later, they arrived in front of an ordinary single-family home and were getting their things out of Lucien's dad's car trunk. It was just after 6:30 p.m., so they were already a few minutes late, but tardiness ran in Lucien's family; Max was more than used to it. This time, he was actually quite happy about it; the thought of meeting all these people in person, whom he'd previously only known through Lucien's raves, still didn't really sit right with him.

"I'll pick you up again tomorrow morning at eleven, okay? Have fun and don't overdo it," Lucien's father called, briefly putting his arm around both boys' shoulders and giving them a hug. Max knew that Lucien's dad saw him as a second son and was grateful for making sure he wasn't completely alone with his son after the divorce. He liked it, and at that moment, it helped him look at the whole thing more positively.

As they stood in front of the door and Lucien rang the bell, Max noticed the smile on Lucien's lips for the first time. He'd seen him smile in all sorts of ways: tortured, forced, ironic, cynical, arrogant, happy, even sad. But this smile was completely new to him. Lucien had a loving expression on his face, but at the same time, he also seemed nervous. Clearly, he was truly in love with Johnny, Max thought.

"Hey, hey!" a brown-haired, relatively thin, medium-sized boy greeted them a little later. Lucien grinned at him and shook his outstretched hand.
"This is Max. Max, this is Alex," he introduced them, placing a hand between Max's shoulder blades to pull him closer. Alex looked at him a little scrutinizingly, but then smiled and held out a hand. Max took it, a little uncertainly.

"Johnny's already here. You can drop off your things in my room. Just up the stairs and into the last room in the hallway. I still have to prepare something," Alex explained, letting them in. They both slipped off their shoes, Max staggering a little, still holding his sleeping bag and backpack. Lucien immediately took the sleeping bag from him and placed a hand on his back to help him steady himself. Neither of them saw Alex watching these familiar, caring gestures and smiling silently.

He liked Lucien. At first, he hadn't been sure what to make of Johnny's homosexuality. After all, he was his best friend. He hadn't been afraid that Johnny would get too close to him; rather, he'd worried that Johnny wouldn't need him anymore once he had a boyfriend. He wouldn't have had to be afraid with a girlfriend, but boys could be both Johnny's friend and his buddy at the same time. However, Lucien had put him at ease. Johnny was so desperately in love!

There wasn't a day that went by when he didn't visit Alex or call him because he needed to communicate. Since falling in love with Lucien, Johnny and Alex had become much more intimate again, had regained more trust in each other, and it was incredible for Alex to see how shy and insecure Johnny suddenly became every time he was in Lucien's presence. The two of them were incredibly well-matched. Alex was fascinated that Johnny had spoken so enthusiastically about Max. He himself had been surprised that Lucien, of all people, had a best friend who was only thirteen, but now it suddenly seemed so natural.

It suited Lucien that his closest confidant was someone he could look after and protect a little. The idea that he would take on this protective role for Johnny as well amused and pleased Alex. After all, Johnny had always been looking for someone he could allow to protect him. And this Max looked damn cute, even he, Alex, could say that, even though he wasn't really gay.

The smitten smile on Lucien's face grew stronger with every step, and he was very aware of it. He was so excited to see Johnny. Besides, they hadn't seen each other outside of school since their first date, and he was really hoping he could spend some time alone with him. He was so looking forward to maybe kissing Johnny that very evening. For weeks, almost months, he'd been fantasizing about what it would feel like; he really couldn't wait any longer.

Upstairs in the hallway, they quickly found Alex's room, and after a quiet knock, they entered one after the other. They immediately spotted Johnny lying on Alex's bed, leafing through a magazine. He immediately looked up and sat up, that same overwhelmed smile on his lips.

"Hey guys!" he greeted them, while Max and Lucien put their things down. Johnny stood up, and he and Lucien hugged each other for a moment, their cheeks flushed, which made Max grin broadly. He thought it was incredibly sweet how these two boys interacted. He liked seeing his Lucien so shy, yet also so madly in love.

"Max, Johnny. Johnny, Max," he introduced them, pointing at each of them in turn. Max gave him a quick smile, and Johnny returned the smile. With each passing moment, a little of the tension fell away from Max. He liked the two boys; they were nice and seemed so normal, not as loud as the boys at his school, and didn't have to start talking right away.

"Next time, I'll invite everyone half an hour earlier. Why does everyone always have to be late?" Alex broke the silence in the room, throwing himself onto his bed with a theatrical sigh. Max chuckled quietly because Alex's whining sounded too funny. However, he immediately blushed in embarrassment when both Alex and Johnny gave him an "Oh my God, how sweet!" look.

"No more giggling tonight!" he told himself, lowering his head slightly so the other three boys couldn't see his red cheeks. Normally, he could control himself better, but it was unusual for a boy to let out a loud sigh or openly complain. The boys at his school thought they were far too cool for that.

"What are you planning for tonight?" Lucien asked after Alex told them they could sit down and he sat down next to Johnny on the sofa and Max on the floor.

"Denise is bringing a horror film, and these kinds of parties always work best when you put on some music and let everyone do what they want," Alex explained with a shrug. The whole thing about the film put Max at ease. He liked horror films, and watching films and drinking didn't mix in his opinion, and he had been afraid of that. He was thirteen, and he didn't want to accidentally end up at a party where the revelers were stealing alcohol from their parents. He wouldn't have suspected Lucien of something like that, but at least he didn't know anyone else. But now he was reassured; it all sounded more like a normal birthday party, and he felt a little more part of it.

"At least, if anyone else shows up here besides you three," Alex added, laughing, and the rest of the boys grinned. Lucien couldn't stop grinning anyway. He was sitting next to Johnny! So close... He wished he could take his hand. He'd had to hold back the whole time at school because it would have been taboo for him there, and Johnny certainly wouldn't have liked it either, but this was something completely different. However, he lacked a little courage to do something like that. Maybe later in the evening. Maybe when more people were around. For now, just sitting next to him was enough. So close...

Johnny felt the same way. He was overjoyed. Max was an incredibly cute boy; you could tell he was younger than her, but there was something adult about his personality that he couldn't even detect in Alex, Lucien, or even himself. He could understand why Lucien liked him so much, and he was sure they could definitely do a lot more together: Alex, Lucien, Max, and himself. Lucien had told him that Max didn't have a problem with liking boys, and Johnny had looked at him with wide eyes when he told him that Max himself wasn't particularly into girls.

After all, Max was only thirteen! But now that he could see him for himself, it seemed oddly fitting that this boy already knew what he wanted. Johnny could already see that they would become friends, and it pleased him. It paved his way to Lucien. Just the thought sent a warm shiver through his body. The prospect of being with Lucien still paralyzed him and made him smile in disbelief every time. He actually could hardly believe it, even though he'd had enough time to accept it.

Asking Lucien out on a date had been the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life. But he'd spent far too long raving to Alex about how great he thought he was, how wonderful Lucien was. Alex had realized at some point that he was seriously in love, so he'd thought he should talk to Lucien so that he'd either be happy or it wouldn't hurt so much if he turned him down. So he'd gathered up all his courage and gone up to him during a lunch break and asked him if he wanted to do something together sometime, maybe go out for pizza or see a movie at the cinema.

He hadn't known if he should have made it so obvious that this wasn't just a simple meeting, but a proper date. Ultimately, he'd figured he'd only have to overcome his fears once, and perhaps embarrass himself. However, he'd been anything but embarrassing, because Lucien had immediately started beaming and, with a happy, albeit surprised, grin, had agreed and asked when he was available. Their date had been great, and in a way, they both knew this was like their second date, their next chance to be alone together.

When the doorbell rang a little later, they all jumped, lost in thought about each other. Alex immediately jumped up to open the door, and somehow Max felt like it was the right thing to do. Even though he didn't really know Alex yet and was uneasy around strangers, he felt it was better to leave Johnny and Lucien alone for a while. So he exchanged a quick glance with Alex, who immediately understood his question.

"I'm going downstairs so I can meet the rest of the group right away," he explained in his usual confident tone, and Johnny immediately believed him. Only Lucien immediately noticed what Max was planning and gave him a helpless look. Of course, he was looking forward to being alone with Johnny, but he was also scared. He'd never had a real boyfriend before; heavens, he hadn't even kissed anyone except Max and a few girls! How was he supposed to behave?

Max, however, ignored the pleading in Lucien's eyes, knowing he would be grateful in the end. He and Alex left the room, closed the door, and then went downstairs.

"I think it'll take some of the stress out of them not having to wait the whole evening to be alone together," Alex said on the way, grinning at Max, who returned the favor. Alex seemed really nice, and the evening actually seemed to be turning out better than he had expected. On top of that, Johnny seemed very likeable to him. He'd always been a little worried that Lucien would one day have a boyfriend and that they would drift apart because his boyfriend wouldn't like him. But Johnny didn't seem like the kind of person who would do something like that; his whole demeanor toward Lucien seemed more like he wanted to give him everything and not force him to do anything.

"Hi guys," Alex greeted the two girls who were standing at the door and had rung the bell. They greeted him back, their eyes immediately wandering to Max.

“Who do we have here?” one of them asked, smiling at him, a little bit like that smile typical of younger people, but also a little bit like that “flirty” smile that Max knew all too well from girls.

"I'm Max, a friend of Lucien's," he introduced himself, giving both girls the smile his best friend always said could break any heart. Lucien said it was good to be popular with girls because boys were more likely to notice you and show more interest. And since Lucien was currently sitting upstairs with an almost-boyfriend, there must be something to his methods. In any case, the two girls responded to his smile.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Denise and this is Claire," said the girl who had spoken to him earlier, and he shook hands with them both briefly, continuing to smile. They treated him normally, and he was happy about it, so it was obvious that he didn't really belong there, at least in terms of age. But the two of them didn't exactly look 15 either.

“Are there anyone else here besides us?” Claire asked as the four of them walked into Alex’s living room and sat down on the couch and armchairs.

"Yes, Johnny and Lucien are upstairs," Alex replied neutrally, but the two girls began to laugh quietly and exchanged meaningful glances. Apparently, everyone already knew that Johnny and Lucien were looking for a more intimate relationship.

"Just between you and me, boys? Those two are incredibly cute!" Denise blurted out, looking at the two boys challengingly, as if she had only said that to find out their opinion.

"Yes, they are," Max confirmed with a shy smile, happy that for the first time he was in the company of several people who didn't mind a boy liking other boys. He had to agree with Lucien that his new circle of friends was a really good fit for both of them.

While the living room gradually filled up downstairs, Lucien and Johnny were still sitting in Alex's room. They were now sitting on his bed instead of the small sofa, as Johnny had shown Lucien something in the magazine he'd left on the bed earlier. They were both a little nervous, constantly wondering how best to approach each other. Of course, each knew the other liked them, but—oh, there were so many explanations for why one could be rejected, and so they continued to torture themselves.

"How... How many people did Alex actually invite?" Lucien asked quietly after a while, looking at his almost-friend.

"I think he invited about fifteen people, so we'll probably be thirteen or fourteen after this," Johnny replied, smiling slightly as his counterpart nodded. They both knew they just wanted to talk to lighten the mood a bit.

"We should get back to the others, shouldn't we?" Johnny said a little later, and Lucien nodded, looking down at the floor in a slightly disappointed, guilty manner. He messed up. Johnny was getting impatient and didn't want to be alone with him anymore. He already had such a wonderful opportunity with Johnny, and he still managed to make everything go wrong. Why was he so insecure?

They both got up from the bed and started downstairs, but before they reached the landing, Johnny gently stopped him. Lucien looked at him questioningly, but his almost-friend had shyly lowered his gaze, slowly raising his head as he tentatively slid his fingers between Lucien's. Unsure if his gesture was okay, Johnny looked up at Lucien. A relieved smile immediately spread across his lips as he met a happy expression and felt his hand gently squeezed.

As they entered the living room, twenty eyes immediately turned on them, and the ten owners began to grin, one after the other, causing the two boys to blush brightly. They held each other's hands tightly and sat down in the last available seats next to Max on one of the sofas. The eight guests greeted them, and after a few moments, the group of teenagers returned their attention to their conversation. Only Max and Alex continued to look at the two boys, and Max had to smile when he saw Lucien tentatively scoot closer to Johnny, still holding his hand.

"Are you coming into the kitchen? Johnny and I were just getting some chips and stuff, and I think I'd better not disturb him now so he can help me carry them," Alex laughed softly, and Max immediately nodded with a smile. He followed his new friend into the kitchen. There, they both grabbed as many bags and boxes as they could carry and dropped everything onto the coffee table in the living room. According to Alex, all the guests except for two of the boys were now there; after all, it was already after seven o'clock. So far, Max had liked everyone he'd met, even if he felt a little uncomfortable with Denise putting her hand on his knee, forearm, or even thigh whenever she talked to him.

"Will you go open it quickly?" Alex interrupted his thoughts as they had just entered the kitchen for the second time and the doorbell rang. Since Alex was busy emptying the kitchen cupboards, Max nodded and made his way, a little uncertainly, to the front door.

"Hello," he greeted the two boys before he'd even properly opened the door, and then looked into two grinning faces. He stepped aside to let them in, feeling as if he were reacting in slow motion. Couldn't Alex have somehow told him or hinted that "Simon and Joe" weren't just any boys? He didn't yet know which of them was which, but this boy with the cute freckles, auburn hair, and black clothes was stunningly handsome!

“May I ask who you are?” he asked as he took off his Chuck Taylors and Max closed the front door.

"My... My name is Max, I'm a friend of Lucien's," he explained nervously, trying to stop staring at the boy's body. He was new to this, but it was hard to tear his eyes away. His cheeks grew hotter the longer he looked at the boy's backside .

"Ah, that's you, he already told me about you," the boy grinned as he stood up and held out a hand. "I'm Simon!"

"H-Hi," Max said idiotically, and the next moment he felt like kicking himself. He had already greeted him long ago!

"Even if you don't notice me, I'm Joe," the second boy suddenly interrupted his thoughts, and Max's cheeks grew even hotter. He laughed, but Max was still incredibly embarrassed. This had never happened to him before! Why was he so focused on this Simon? It was terribly rude to just ignore someone like that; that wasn't like him at all!

"Hopefully Alex hasn't forgotten the most important thing again and hasn't gotten any food!" Joe immediately lightened the mood and made both Simon and Max laugh. He made his way into the living room, and Simon watched him go, shaking his head. Then he turned back to Max and gave him a quick smile before placing a hand on his back, allowing him to enter the living room first.

Max didn't know what was happening to him. This brief touch felt incredibly strange. Lucien really did constantly put a hand on his back to signal something, but he never reacted like that, even though he never felt warm shivers run down his spine. He didn't know this Simon at all, so it was totally strange that he reacted like that, that he had touched him completely harmlessly.

With a silent, confused sigh, he headed into the kitchen to help Alex. Alex was busy putting frozen pizza in the oven, and Max silently helped him tear open the packages and fill the trays. He was quite glad he hadn't had to stay in the living room. After all, he hadn't been able to talk to anyone except Lucien and Alex, and Lucien was busy with better things than him.

"Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost," Alex interrupted his thoughts, looking at him with a hint of concern. The older of the two had noticed that Max looked thoughtful; he seemed a little paler than before, and his brow was furrowed.

"Yeah, sure, everything's fine," Max smiled, but Alex didn't really believe him. He'd heard Simon and Joe greeted loudly, so Max hadn't done anything but let them in. But what about that could suddenly plunge him into such a preoccupation? He barely knew him, but for some reason, he took him more seriously than many of his peers, and besides, he felt that same feeling Lucien had once mentioned about Max. He couldn't help but worry about him and want to protect him.

Once their dinner was in the oven and the kitchen clock was set to the correct time, the two of them went to join the others in the living room. It was getting a little cramped, which gave Lucien a wonderful excuse. With a grin, he gestured for Johnny to stand up, then slid over to the armrest and pulled Johnny into the seat between his legs. The sofa was unusually deep, so they both had plenty of room, and even though Johnny blushed a little when the others grinned at them, they both enjoyed the closeness it created. He tentatively leaned a little against Lucien's chest.

Max sat down somewhat hesitantly in the newly created seat, which was next to Simon, who had previously been sitting next to Lucien. He was afraid that he would continue to react strangely to him like he had at the front door. He still found it hard to believe he'd been so rude as to simply ignore Joe. This Simon really had a strange effect on him and his behavior, but he had to admit that the tingling sensation on his skin, sitting so close to him, felt pretty good.

Alex had settled down on the armrest of an armchair, his eyes following Max. He couldn't suppress a grin. When the youngest of them had sat down next to Denise earlier, he hadn't blushed so much! Apparently, meeting Simon had indeed made his newest friend so thoughtful. Lucien had apparently rubbed off on the boy.

About twenty minutes later, he and Max were bringing some pizza plates into the living room. Max had immediately jumped up to help him when the kitchen timer rang. He seemed a bit uneasy about sitting next to Simon and having to talk to him, too, and this reminded Alex immensely of how Johnny had initially avoided Lucien because he was so afraid of doing something wrong and because he was unsettled by how he felt in his presence. He knew it was a little bold, but it seemed to Alex that Max was falling in love with Simon.

"Can you give me a slice of Hawaiian pizza?" Lucien asked quietly, smiling gratefully at his almost-boyfriend as Johnny helped him to a slice of pizza, as it was a little difficult for him to reach the table. It felt incredibly great, though, to feel Johnny so close; he had even put both arms around his waist, so that his hands were resting on Johnny's stomach. Now that they were eating, only one hand was on Johnny's waist, but just this touch was exciting for both of them. After all, this was the first time they had really acted like a couple in public, and that was new to both of them.

Lucien liked the idea of watching a horror movie soon with Johnny in his arms. Because, if he was honest, such movies terrified him. Usually, Max always had to do the trick so he had someone to hold on to when things got scary. This time, however, he had Johnny, and, as cheesy as the thought seemed to him, it was a great idea to cuddle up with him during a movie like this to distract himself.

“Alex, we don’t have anything left to drink here!” Frankie announced as the last slices of pizza were being devoured.

“I can’t get up anymore,” groaned the person addressed from his seat in the armchair, rubbing his stomach with one hand as a sign that he had eaten too much.

“I can go and get something,” Max offered, standing up at the same time. After all, he had seen where the plastic containers of soft drinks were in the kitchen.

"I'll help you carry it," Simon grinned, putting an arm around the youngest's shoulders as he followed him toward the kitchen. Alex laughed softly when he saw the helpless expression on Max's face.

“How unfair of them to make you carry drinks,” Simon said calmly, watching Max open the right cabinet and pull out two six-packs of Coke.

“Why unfair?” he asked cautiously, not sure if he was starting to stutter again.

"Well, at least you're the youngest, so they let you work for them," Simon explained, taking a carton of Coke from him. Max felt his knees go a little weak and the bottles in his arms suddenly felt much heavier when Simon smiled at him. At the same time, he felt uncomfortable that Simon knew he was so young. For some reason, he didn't want to seem like a little boy to him, and the thought that he was didn't feel good at all. He knew it was absurd to think that way, but he wanted Simon to take him seriously, even if he wasn't entirely sure why it seemed so important to him.

"Well, I guess you finally got around to getting up?" Simon shouted, startling Max a little. Alex was just coming into the kitchen with the pizza plates stacked on top of each other and placing them on the counter.

“Yes, Claire, with her obsession with order, insists that I clean up the dishes,” he explained with a roll of his eyes.

"Good! Better than making Max do all the work!" Simon laughed, turning his gaze from Alex back to Max and smiling at him, even giving him a quick wink. This was really too much for the youngest, so he carefully lowered the carton of drinks to the floor as Simon turned around and walked back into the living room. He had winked at him! Apart from a few strange, supposedly teenage teachers, no one had ever winked at him before, and it had seemed completely different to him. To be honored with this gesture by Simon now completely confused him.

"He seems to be really messing you up," Alex interrupted his thoughts, and when Max raised his head, he saw Alex leaning against the counter with his arms crossed and a kind smile. Had he noticed how strangely he reacted to Simon?

"I... I don't know why," Max said, looking up at him almost apologetically. He was so terribly embarrassed by how he was behaving. This was all so new to him and felt so confusing.

"Do you like him?" Alex asked cautiously, because he didn't know the younger boy well enough and felt it would be better to approach this matter more cautiously. After all, Max was only thirteen.

"I don't know," he repeated quietly, lowering his gaze. He really had no idea. He actually liked Simon and found him incredibly nice, but his presence made him do strange things and felt strange. Did he still like him?

"I think you're a lot like Johnny, and I know him pretty well. I think you should try not to think so much about how you feel. Just let it happen, enjoy it if it feels good, and tell him if it doesn't," Alex advised, continuing to smile at him. Max felt a little better after hearing these words and even managed to return his smile, a little weakly.

Together, they brought the remaining drinks into the living room, and Alex took care of putting Denise's movie on, while Max turned off the light and then sat back down between Lucien and Simon. Frank and Pete had now settled down on the floor in front of the couch opposite the TV, so there was enough room for Alex to sit in an armchair as well. He started the movie, and the room fell quiet as the calm, yet ominous piano music began. They all automatically slid a little closer together.

Lucien pulled his almost-friend closer to him. He dismissed any idea that this was going to be fun. He detested horror movies! Why did some people enjoy being scared by things like that? He really didn't understand. But at least Johnny realized surprisingly quickly that the movie was pretty scary for Lucien, so he snuggled up to him a little more, placing his arms around Lucien's, which were now wrapped around his waist again. With a quiet smile, he leaned against the warm chest behind him and stroked the back of Lucien's hand soothingly.

Max enjoyed seeing how affectionate his best friend and Johnny were with each other. He was incredibly happy for Lucien that he'd found someone like Johnny, and he actually cared less than he would have expected that he was no longer the one Lucien clung to during the horror movie. Because even though he tried to follow Alex's advice, his thoughts were stuck on Simon, who had placed an arm on the back of the couch a while earlier. His hand was only a few inches away, and even though Max knew he was imagining it, it felt like the back of his neck was burning from being so close to Simon's hand. A little more, just a tiny bit deeper, and...

"Good heavens!" Frank cried out loudly, while everyone else in the room just jumped silently. A man had appeared on the screen far too suddenly in the middle of the room when the lightning had flashed, and it had taken everyone by surprise. Even Max was startled, although that never normally happened to him because he was so focused on the film that he could predict when something frightening was about to happen. But the boy next to him robbed him of any ability to concentrate on anything else.

Max noticed that his breathing was a little uneven as he was still recovering from the shock. Apparently, he wasn't the only one noticing, though, because when he looked away from the screen, he saw Simon looking at him, a bit worried and questioning.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. Max could only nod slowly and silently, swallowing hard. Simon smiled at him reassuringly and suddenly let his arm, which had been so close to Max's neck, slide down. He gently placed it around Max's shoulders and gently pulled the younger boy a little closer to him. On the one hand, Max was completely frozen, and on the other, he felt completely helpless in this situation, so he allowed Simon to pull him close enough to rest his arm comfortably on his shoulders and stroke Max's upper arm to calm him down. Again, Max thought of Alex's words.

He should enjoy what Simon did if he liked it and tell him if he didn't. But actually, it had felt damn good the way Simon had protectively put his arm around him. It also felt pretty good the way he was constantly, yet lightly, stroking his upper arm. Max wasn't used to this kind of thing; he'd only known it from Lucien, but after all, Lucien was his best friend since early childhood. Simon was the first "stranger" to touch him like this, and Max liked it immensely.

While most of the room was focused on the movie, both Alex and Lucien noticed exactly what their friend Simon had just done. They raised their eyebrows simultaneously, but with very different thoughts. Alex was very surprised that Max suddenly looked much more relaxed. After all, the boy was only thirteen and had certainly never had a boyfriend before, so he must feel strange about someone doing something like that, right? But no, Max looked completely relaxed and even seemed, if you will, to be sinking ever so slightly against the boy next to him.

Lucien couldn't help but grin. He thought it was more than cute to see the two of them like that. Actually, he was a little surprised that it was Simon, of all people, who had just given Max such a protective hug. Firstly, Simon was the oldest person in the room, and Max had been annoyed a while ago that these people were all older than him. Secondly, Lucien found it more than surprising that Simon had the nerve to do that. They weren't very good friends, but they liked each other and got along well. It had been almost impossible not to hear about what had happened to Simon in the last few months.

Johnny had told him about it during their date. Simon had always been a macho, and there was still a bit of that in him, but not much anymore. A few months ago, he had suddenly realized that he'd started to be far too interested in other boys, and this had brought him into a terrible conflict with himself. Apparently, his father was extremely homophobic and had preached to his son from a very early age that all gay men were pedophiles, perverts, and abnormal.

These thoughts, combined with the fact that he'd liked the boy band posters in his sister's room more than the large Playboy poster his cousin had given him, had completely devastated Simon. When everyone started talking about Johnny and Lucien being in love, he was desperate. He'd voluntarily gone to the school counselor, hoping she might be able to show him something that would help banish these, in his eyes, disgusting thoughts.

However, the school psychologist had pushed him in a completely different direction, and after seeing her three times a week for the past few weeks, he had accepted that he was gay and that he was therefore neither a pedophile, nor perverted, nor abnormal. He had even apologized to Johnny for making one or two homophobic comments, and since then, he had even sought out Johnny and Lucien's company.

Of course, the two of them didn't mind; they'd even told him straight to his face that he should talk to them if anything was wrong, because they'd surely be able to understand a lot of it. Knowing this, it was even nicer for Lucien to see Simon still holding his best friend in his arms, occasionally secretly glancing at his face, but quickly looking away again so Max wouldn't catch him. Lucien was almost proud of Simon because he'd obviously really gotten to the point where he wasn't afraid of himself anymore and was now even showing everyone that he liked boys.

He knew the idea was a little far-fetched, after all, Simon had simply put his arm around Max, but he couldn't deny that he liked the idea of actually seeing Simon and Max together . The two of them were a good match, in his eyes, and Max was someone who would probably be better able to deal with the fact that Simon still had a few hidden inhibitions from his upbringing. Maybe he had done them a very, very big favor by bringing Max along.

The movie was slowly coming to an end, and the four boys on the couch weren't sure whether they should be happy or not. Lucien was glad the movie was over, and he was convinced he would still hold on to Johnny. Johnny was simply snuggled so tightly to his almost-boyfriend that Lucien had no chance of thinking he'd have to let go at some point. Max and Simon, on the other hand, were aware that they would be given questioning looks if they continued sitting next to each other like that. Everyone knew they'd only known each other for three hours at most.

But they enjoyed being close to each other. After being scared to the core by a lack of concentration, Max had cautiously snuggled up to Simon, and the older boy had immediately signaled that it was okay by keeping him close with his arm. Their knees touched, and the more Max leaned against Simon, the more their thighs touched as well. Neither boy had ever experienced such feelings over such a small thing. It felt amazing!

As the credits rolled across the screen and everyone slowly rose from their comfortable positions to stretch their limbs, Simon also removed his arm from Max's shoulders, and they moved slightly apart again. Alex crawled to the light switch and, by flicking on the overhead light, triggered painful groans from both sides. Max and Simon shyly exchanged glances, smiling at each other for a brief moment. The whole thing seemed odd to Max; before the film, he and Simon had only spoken briefly, and now, after this strange closeness, Simon seemed incredibly familiar to him.

"Hey, is it okay to smoke in your house?" Frank asked, and Max grimaced slightly. That wasn't something he'd ever really experienced before; at least, he'd only heard it from adults, and apparently that was the limit these boys and girls were already one step closer to than he was. He found smoking disgusting and was very glad that Lucien had stopped doing it after his dad had caught him once.

"No, but you can go into the garden. There's an ashtray on the windowsill next to the kitchen door," Alex informed them, and Frank, Pete, and the three girls set off. Max noticed with a smile that neither Johnny nor Alex nor Simon were following.

"So what did you think of the movie?" Alex asked with a grin, leaning back in his chair and looking contentedly at his remaining guests. He was very curious to see how things would end with the four boys on the couch. After all, Johnny had told him that he wanted to do everything he could to kiss Lucien, and the grin on Johnny's face wasn't stupid enough to indicate that had already happened. And Simon and Max were a different story anyway.

"He was nasty. Even he was scared," Lucien replied to the question, nodding in Max's direction, which made the others in the room laugh because he looked very much like an offended three-year-old.

"Hey, it's not my fault you're afraid of horror movies, so don't make me look bad!" Max countered, laughing, and could clearly see how Lucien's cheeks flushed red at this direct statement. He found it very cute, and from Johnny's overwhelmed expression, he could clearly see that he felt the same way. Johnny looked like he wanted to hug Lucien and squeeze him. Max sensed that the thought had just occurred to him that he was even allowed to do so, and he had already wrapped both arms around him.

Max naturally felt a touch of envy, and he furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he realized that everything inside him was screaming to be that close to Simon. He barely knew him! Slowly but surely, he was becoming uneasy about what was happening to him. He was truly unfamiliar with this, and it unsettled him that he was behaving so unusually. Lucien had surely noticed it too; after all, they knew each other inside and out.

It wasn't long before the other guests returned inside, and a general discussion about the film began, which soon digressed to other films and ultimately to completely different topics. Max felt more and more accepted among Lucien's friends because, strangely enough, they all treated him completely normally and seemed to value his opinion more and more over time. Frank even specifically sought his approval when he tried to convince Denise that the band he was talking about was worth listening to.

By now, not everyone was in the living room anymore. Alex had disappeared into his room with Pete and Claire to show them something on his guitar, and the rest of the group was wandering back and forth between the kitchen, garden, and living room. Max had stayed in the living room most of the time, but was now heading out into the garden to get some fresh air because Simon had gone to the bathroom. He had sat next to him all evening and talked to him a lot. He really liked Simon, and it felt great when they looked at each other for a while and then both looked away, embarrassed, whenever someone else interrupted them.

When he stepped outside, he saw that no one else was there, so with a deep sigh, he sat down on the porch swing on the terrace and began to swing gently back and forth. He liked this celebration, and even more so, he liked the fact that Lucien's friends had apparently become his friends too, and that he had finally met people with whom he was on the same wavelength. And of course—above all—Simon.

"You're really talented, little one," Lucien's voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked up at his best friend before he sat down next to him on the swing.

“Why is that?” he asked, seemingly clueless, but still aware that his cheeks were already turning red because he was afraid it was about Simon.

"I mean, first you get annoyed that you're so much younger than everyone else and no one will like you, and then you fall in love with the oldest guy here and flirt with him like crazy," Lucien laughed, rocking the porch swing a little more vigorously with his feet.

"I wasn't flirting with him at all!" Max immediately exclaimed, apparently startled by his own volume and then seeing from Lucien's grin that he had fallen into a trap.

"And besides, I wasn't in love with him," he added lazily, lowering his head so his best friend wouldn't see his glowing cheeks. He wasn't in love with Simon, right? After all, he barely knew him; they had talked for maybe two hours at most; they were complete strangers, so he couldn't possibly be in love. And anyway, he would have noticed if he had fallen in love with Simon, right?

"Of course not," Lucien grinned, putting his arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer, and looking at him with "heart-shaped eyes." Max immediately broke away from the hug, annoyed.

"Stop imitating him, he was just being nice because I was scared, and he wasn't looking at me like that at all," he defended Simon, crossing his arms in front of his chest, which only made Lucien grin even more. The younger man completely fell for his best friend's plan.

"You don't have to worry, I think Simon is just as excited about you as you are about him," Lucien smiled at his friend and, this time seriously, placed a hand on his thigh.

"Remember what I told you when we decided to stop kissing," he added, giving Max another bright smile and standing up again.

He watched him go helplessly. What was he thinking? Lucien had explained to him back then that they couldn't kiss anymore because they weren't in love with each other, and he had explained to him what it would be like if he actually fell in love with another boy. According to Lucien, he would get nervous, only him notice all the time, rejoice in his attention, feel like he stood out among everyone else, behave in a totally unusual way, and, above all, long for his company.

And none of that applied to Simon at all, did it? Or...? With a deep swallow, he wiped his slightly damp palms on his jeans. All of that applied completely to Simon!

Max was in love for the first time in his life.

"You know, I think you could get an even better look at him if you went outside and sat next to him," Simon was interrupted this time, and he turned, startled, to Alex, who was leaning against the kitchen doorframe with a grin, watching him as he looked outside to see Max sitting alone on the porch swing. Alex had a wide, but gentle and understanding grin on his lips, and he had planned anything but to ridicule Simon for watching the youngest.

"I didn't mean to..." he began to justify himself, but Alex waved him off with a patronizing smile.

"You don't need to explain anything. We're not blind, and it's really no secret anymore that you're not into girls. Neither is he," Alex explained, stepping a little closer. Lucien had already confirmed his suspicion that Max had taken a liking to Simon this way.

"Do you think... Do you think it's possible for me to stay overnight?" Simon asked, a little more quietly than before, looking at the boy on the terrace. Alex furrowed his eyebrows slightly and regarded his older friend with a slightly critical eye.

"I don't want to go home now, not after... meeting him. I... I don't think I could face my dad right now," Simon explained, his voice a little shaky, looking back at his interlocutor, except for when he emphasized the "him."

"I think that's fine," Alex said immediately with a vigorous nod. He'd been a little surprised at first, but when it came to Simon's father, he would have said yes to anything to help him.

"Johnny and Lucien won't mind sleeping together in my bed, so I'll take Johnny's clothes and you can have Lucien's. They'll certainly have no problem with it, and I doubt he'll mind your presence," he explained with a smile, nodding toward the terrace so Simon understood who he'd last meant. As expected, his eyes widened slightly.

"He sleeps here too?" he asked, audibly unsure whether he should be happy or not. Alex found that more than cute. At first glance, one would never have expected such uncertainty from Simon, just as anyone would probably have been skeptical about seeing a thirteen-year-old with a sixteen-year-old. But Simon didn't seem like an experienced, mature sixteen-year-old. He wasn't much further along than Max in terms of experience, and Alex thought the two of them, with their caution towards each other, were a perfect match.

"Yes, but it's okay for you to sleep here too. But only if you help clean up afterward," he laughed, placing a hand on Simon's shoulder for a moment before turning around and disappearing back toward the living room. Simon, on the other hand, turned back to the window and hesitantly let his gaze wander over the petite body on the swing.

After talking with Max, Lucien had gone looking for his almost-boyfriend, but had been intercepted by Alex. He had been pleased that Alex was already obviously worried about Max, because he had so carefully asked if he had interpreted Simon and Max's behavior correctly. He had the feeling that after just one evening, Max would be perfectly integrated into his circle of friends. It calmed him down and made him incredibly happy. Things could only get better if things actually worked out between him and Johnny.

In his search, he had now reached Alex's room and found what he was looking for. With a smile, he looked at his almost-friend, who was kneeling next to his backpack in the light of the desk lamp, apparently looking for something. As so often when he looked at him, he could hardly believe his luck that he was on the best way to becoming Johnny's friend. In his eyes, Johnny was simply unbelievably great, unsurpassable.

“Hey,” he said quietly so as not to startle him, and just as quietly closed the door behind him.

"Oh, Lucien," Johnny smiled, after jumping slightly when he heard Lucien's voice. He had walked over to the sofa in the semidarkness and sat down. After Johnny had zipped up his backpack, he stepped closer and sat down as well. As before, they sat silently and nervously next to each other on the sofa.

"You all think we're doing something... lewd here, right?" Johnny broke the silence and smiled.

"Alex and Max will definitely be waiting for us both to come downstairs with a stupid grin on our faces," Lucien agreed with a nod, feeling his heart beat a little faster as Johnny slid a little closer and snuggled up to him. Nervously, he put an arm around his almost-boyfriend, enjoying his closeness.

"I proudly told Alex this afternoon that I've made up my mind to kiss you today," Johnny whispered after taking a deep breath and snuggled closer to the body next to him.

"Yeah, Max also expects me to tell him everything in detail tomorrow," he chuckled, and with all the courage he had mustered, he gently pressed his lips against Johnny's forehead. It was a start, after all. They both knew this might not be the most romantic way forward, especially since they'd already talked about wanting and wanting to kiss, but it was easier. Neither of them had ever done that, so it was okay for them to be too nervous for romance.

"How about we just get it over with? Then we both won't have to be nervous anymore... and we can do it again and again," Johnny suggested with a grin, stepping away from Lucien, who looked at him with an approving smile.

He carefully placed a hand on Johnny's cheek and stroked his skin with his thumb, only very tentatively touching Johnny's shimmering red lips. He gently guided him closer to him, moving a little closer to Johnny. The closer they got, the faster they both felt their hearts beating, and it felt like a tiny explosion when their lips finally touched. Completely innocent, they simply savored this small achievement in their relationship. After all, they had overcome a major hurdle, and Lucien rejoiced inwardly that he could now call Johnny not his almost-boyfriend, but his friend. He had a boyfriend! And he was kissing his friend for the first time!

When they separated, they looked at each other somewhat dazedly, but neither could resist, and their lips found each other again. They kissed in this innocent way for a while longer, until Lucien gathered his courage once more and tentatively opened his lips. Johnny understood immediately and did the same, and shortly afterwards, their tongues shyly touched for the first time. They were both overwhelmed by how shy yet loving this kiss became.

Once they'd gotten over it, it was hard to separate again. Lucien felt like there was something about Johnny that made him addicted to kissing him. It was an incredible feeling! So completely different from Max, different from the few girls he'd kissed before. Everything inside him screamed to never stop, and his body went completely crazy when Johnny put his arms around his neck, bringing them much, much closer. He was very sure: There was nothing, absolutely nothing, better in the world than kissing Johnny. And he could kiss him as much as he wanted!

Alex, Frank, Simon, Claire, and Max were sitting together in the living room when Johnny and Lucien ventured back downstairs. And as both Max and Alex had expected, the two were beaming and proudly held each other's hands again. The two exchanged a glance, then looked back at the "couple of the evening," and then began to laugh. It was obvious that they had finally dared to kiss, and Max and Alex were happy with all their hearts that they no longer had to worry about it.

The couple sat down together in one of the armchairs, beaming despite their friends' laughter. Everyone present had to fight hard not to be too jealous of them; Simon and Max, in particular, found it hard to suppress their envy. Since they'd gathered together again in the living room, the atmosphere between them seemed even more tense; after all, they'd both admitted to each other earlier that they were probably a little bit in love. It wasn't just Max's first time being truly in love, and so they felt terribly insecure in each other's presence.

The rest of the evening, or rather the night, unfolded in a similar fashion. While Johnny and Lucien adored each other, Max and Simon exchanged shy glances, and the other guests and Alex had to restrain themselves from shouting "Aw!" every time. Around 12:30, Claire's and Frank's fathers showed up and picked up the non-staying guests, who were visibly displeased.

"It was really cool meeting you. Next time we do something, you'll definitely be there!" Frank said goodbye to Max and held out his hand for Max to shake. On the one hand, he beamed because everyone had said they wanted to see him again, but on the other, he felt a little sad because Simon hadn't said goodbye to him yet, and he didn't really want to let him go.

“Take care and get home safely!” Simon called after the others and Max immediately looked at him in surprise.

“You’re not coming with us?” he asked directly, surprised at himself for daring to ask that.

"No, Alex thinks I can stay," Simon smiled, and Alex, who was standing a little way off watching the two of them, had to restrain himself from squealing when both boys suddenly began to smile. Max because Simon was staying, and Simon because Max was happy about it.

“Okay, let’s get cleaning up!” Alex said loudly and the remaining five gathered in the living room.

"Max, Simon, could you gather the dishes and wash them? The three of us will take care of the tidying up and cleaning," he suggested, and the others nodded, immediately setting about gathering plates, glasses, and bowls and bringing them into the kitchen. Johnny and Lucien gave Alex a knowing but approving look, both of them immediately realizing that Alex was just planning to let the two boys be alone together.

"Shall we split the work? I'll wash the dishes and you dry them?" Simon asked, still smiling broadly, and Max immediately nodded, also still with a happy smile on his face. He went back into the living room to get the remaining dishes, while Simon already started washing up. Max was incredibly happy that Simon would be staying over at Alex's. They would be able to spend even more time together! Maybe they would even be able to sleep next to each other, maybe Simon would put his arm around him like he did when they watched the movie, maybe he would...

He could think of countless things he would have found wonderful. Most of them were completely banal, but when it came to Simon, they suddenly sounded completely different. If he was lucky, Simon might hug him goodbye tomorrow! It would have been weird if he'd done it in front of everyone else, but if it were just the five of them, then maybe he'd actually do it. Or maybe he'd just keep doing what he was doing now and smile at him so often. Even that would be more than enough for him.

The thought that Simon might like him as much as he liked him suddenly made Max feel incredibly warm. The idea of them doing something alone together made his blood race, and even when he was alone, he blushed. Such thoughts were so incredibly new and exciting, and somehow also frightening. But Lucien had said that Simon liked him too, and he never would have done that if he wasn't sure, would he? And after all, Simon was always smiling at him!

When Max returned to the kitchen, they naturally smiled again, and with a pleasant tingling sensation in his stomach and arms, he reached for a dishcloth to dry the already washed dishes. It was pretty quiet, as the other three had disappeared into the basement to get the cleaning supplies and vacuum cleaner, and the silence was uncomfortable for Max. Should he say something to start a conversation? But what? And what if Simon didn't care to say anything at all? But he'd been doing that all evening!

“How did you like the party?” Simon took the decision away from him as to whether he should say something or not and looked at him with an interested look and, of course, a smile.

"It was great! I was actually a little scared to come along because I thought you'd all look at me strangely because I'm... well, not as old as you, but Lucien was right, you were all really damn nice," he answered honestly, setting some plates aside.

"Lucien has mentioned you a few times before, and at first I thought it was strange that he was such good friends with someone so much younger, but I have to agree with him. You're less thirteen than everyone else here," Simon replied, and Max felt his entire face turn red again. He'd just received a compliment, hadn't he? From Simon! Simon thought he was more mature than the others!

"T-thank you," he stammered, rubbing the back of his right hand across his cheeks, hoping that his skin, cool from the cold water, would help a little with his blushing. Simon seemed to be watching him closely, and when he lowered his hand, he suddenly straightened up.

"You... You have..." Simon suddenly said, much more quietly than before, and took a step back from the sink. Max watched, petrified, as Simon lifted his hands from the water and gently stroked his cheek.

"There... There's s-foam," he stammered, and Max could do nothing but stare into the older man's eyes, who returned his gaze as if hypnotized. Of course, Simon hadn't dried his hands, so he achieved the exact opposite, only spreading more foam on Max's cheek.

"Wait," he said quietly, still without breaking eye contact, and hastily wiped his hands on a towel before tentatively stroking Max's cheek once more, wiping the small bubbles from his skin. For some strange reason, they were both completely overwhelmed by this gesture and only subconsciously noticed that Simon hadn't stopped stroking Max's cheek. Only when they heard laughter from the other three in the living room did they tear themselves away from each other's gaze, both shocked by what they had just done. With bright red cheeks, they turned back to the dishes that were still waiting to be washed.

With his heart beating incredibly fast and his hands shaking nervously, Max hastily dried one plate after the other. He had no idea what to think anymore. What Simon had done had felt unbelievable. And that eye contact! He could hardly believe it had really happened. Simon had stroked his cheek and they had looked into each other's eyes for a long time and had both become completely lost in that moment. That meant Simon felt exactly the same way he did, right? That meant Simon's heart must be pounding just as fast and hard against his chest, right?

The other three boys took their time. There wasn't that much to clean up, but they took their time until Max and Simon were finished in the kitchen. Down in the basement, they had philosophized about what the two of them were doing in the kitchen all alone. After they closed the door, Alex had even squealed loudly about how incredibly sweet the two of them were to each other. This had made Lucien laugh and happy in equal measure. Johnny and Alex were worried about Max, they were happy for him, and they thought he was just as cute as he was!

After about half an hour, the two boys came out of the kitchen, each with a shy but strangely happy expression on their faces, and this time it wasn't just Alex who had to restrain himself from making any loud noises of delight. Lucien was already eager to ask Max what had happened in the kitchen, and if his best friend wanted to know what had happened between him and Johnny when they were alone in Alex's room, then he would have to spill the beans about him and Simon. And preferably as soon as possible; Lucien was terribly curious.

The entire downstairs was now tidy and clean again, and the five of them made their way upstairs to Alex's room. Max couldn't take his eyes off Simon the entire way. The restrained, happy smile on Simon's lips had to be for him! Apparently, that moment in the kitchen had touched Simon just as much as it had touched him. And yet, Simon was much older than him and certainly more experienced. Maybe Simon had actually fallen in love with him, too, and that was why he was so happy about it?

"By the way, there's the bathroom," Alex pointed to a door upstairs in the hallway before they all entered a room together. With a yawn, Johnny announced that he was dead tired, and they quickly clarified that Johnny and Lucien would be sharing Alex's bed before Lucien and Max headed to the bathroom together, because, after all, they'd known each other for ages and had no problem sharing a bathroom.

“You have so much to tell, little one,” Lucien said in the hallway, earning only a broad grin from Max.

"So, come on, why are you two grinning like such idiots?" he practically ordered after they'd closed the bathroom door behind them, and at the same time began to undress. For a brief moment, Max hesitated for the first time in his life whether he should really tell Lucien, because this moment with Simon seemed so intimate and special to him, but ultimately his need to communicate and his desire for Lucien to continue to know everything about him won out.

"We were washing up and... Simon told me he thought I was just as, if not more, grown up than you, and I turned horribly red. So I rubbed my cheeks and apparently smeared foam on my face and... Simon saw that and very, very carefully wiped the foam off my cheek... even when there was none left," he said excitedly, his face heating up again just thinking about it. Simon had stroked his cheek!

"Oh! Wow," Lucien grinned at him as he took his toothbrush out of his backpack and started brushing his teeth.

"I think you were right about me falling in love with him," Max confessed, a little more quietly than before, and immediately Lucien pulled him into his arms and hugged the younger boy. Of course, the older one also had to tell them what he'd done alone with Johnny, and so a little later, the two entered Alex's room with even wider grins, no longer just happy about their own experiences, but also about each other's.

The other three had already laid out sleeping bags and mats, and about ten minutes later, everyone had changed and was tired enough to fall asleep immediately. To Max's delight, Simon's sleeping spot was right next to his, and while Johnny and Lucien were snuggled close together, safely in each other's arms, under Alex's blanket, he, like Simon, crawled into one of the sleeping bags. Alex waited until everyone had reached their sleeping places, then turned off the overhead light and stumbled towards his sleeping bag, or rather Johnny's.

"Sleep well, guys," he said quietly, and instead of lying down, he stayed sitting on his sleeping bag, looking first at the couple and then at the almost-couple in his room. They were sweet, in his eyes. Even though he couldn't imagine being that close to another boy, he found the way these four interacted simply indescribably sweet.

"Good night," they replied, and the rustling of the covers could be heard for a few moments until Johnny and Lucien had apparently found a comfortable sleeping position for both of them. Max wasn't sure what to think. He was happy that Simon was lying so close to him, but... he wanted to be even closer to him. He would have loved to be lying in Simon's arms just as Johnny was in Lucien's. But that was a bit premature, wasn't it? Johnny and Lucien were, after all, a real couple, and what were he and Simon? They were nothing until now.

“Max?” a quiet voice interrupted these thoughts and the person addressed felt his heart beat faster.

“Yes?” he whispered back, and there was another faint rustling sound, but this time not from the bed.

"May I...?" Simon asked in a whisper, and Max felt the older man tentatively place a hand on his arm. His heart rate increased a little, increasing its rate several times over.

"Y-yes," he almost breathed back, and after a bit more rustling, two arms suddenly and carefully wrapped around him. The tingling that he had previously only felt in his stomach and arms now spread throughout his entire body. Simon had put one arm under his neck and the other tentatively wrapped around his stomach, and Max felt like he was in heaven. Simon longed to be close to him just as much as he did! Happy and encouraged by this thought, he placed his hand on Simon's arm, which was resting on his stomach, and slid a little closer.

"Thank you," came a quiet voice from the boy next to him, and Max snuggled tightly into his arms. Just a moment ago he had wished to be so close to him, and now Simon was granting his wish. Just like that. As if, when he had been lying next to him, he had thought exactly the same thing as him. Had he? Maybe. Actually, he didn't care, as long as Simon continued to hold him tight and he could feel just as protected in his arms as Lucien did with Johnny. And he didn't even have to be with him for that! With a happy smile, he thought about how wonderful it would be if he and Simon actually became a couple one day, before he stroked his arm once more and closed his eyes.

Alex smiled. Of course, he had watched the entire scene and now had even fewer words to describe how cute he found his two friends. Who knew what would come of all this? Alex didn't want to know; it was enough for him to know that this celebration had made four people incredibly happy, and when he thought about it, it was definitely the best birthday party he'd ever had.