2025-07-12, 03:56 PM
The 'X-Fun' was crowded, as always, and Jenny had already left. 'There are too many weirdos around,' she had said. As she usually did when she just didn't feel like doing anything. He wanted to stay a bit longer, waiting for his friend Martin. Shortly after Jenny left, he felt his phone vibrate.
'Jenny,' was what immediately came to his mind. But when he retreated to a quiet corner with his phone, he saw that Martin had called. He had finally remembered they had a date, but unfortunately, his place was full of people and he couldn't leave.
Ben cursed. He sometimes hated his friend for it, but really, it was his own fault that he always relied on Martin. After all, they had known each other since early childhood and were simply the best of friends.
He stood there undecided, looking at his watch. Jenny had apparently just arrived at their shared apartment. She probably wouldn't be happy if he called her now to pick him up. And to be honest, he didn't feel like going home yet. So he decided to spend some more time here.
After all, the store offered everything your heart could desire. The large 'X-Fun' building housed various discotheques, an arcade, and a cinema complex.
He threw himself onto the crowded dance floor of his favorite disco and danced until he couldn't anymore. Then he went to the bar and ordered a lemon water before he even turned to the waitress.
“Would you like some ice with that?” asked the bartender.
He looked at him and lost himself in the other man's blue eyes.
“Would you like ice cream with that?” he repeated the question.
Ben blinked briefly, and the bartender grinned. He nodded slightly in response, and the waitress turned away and fetched the ordered water.
Ben swallowed. 'What the hell was that?' He couldn't explain why he was almost lost in the other man's eyes. Then the other man was standing in front of him again and handing him the requested water.
“If you want more lemon, just let me know.”
He winked at him and turned to the rest of the customers.
Ben was totally perplexed. He had been staring at a man. Okay, the guy was really good-looking, but... he was still male.
With his water, he walked over to the stairs leading to the gallery and sat down. It took him a moment to clear his head. His gaze wandered back to the bar. The bartender was currently surrounded by several girls, all of whom were adoring him. Ben lowered his gaze. He took a deep breath. He didn't understand what was happening to him. When he had finished his glass, he simply put it down on the stairs and left the club, taking a taxi home.
The following weekend
The week was finally over. Jenny had another headache, which she often used as a reason not to do anything, and she didn't want to go to 'X-Fun'. But Ben wanted to go all the more. After all, Martin had definitely agreed to go this time. He was also supposed to pick him up, which he did. At 10 p.m. sharp, Martin showed up at their door. The two young men drove to 'X-Fun' together. Martin, as soon as he saw the posters in the entrance area, wanted to see the latest action film, and since his girlfriend refused to watch anything action-packed anyway, Ben had to do the trick. So it made sense for them both to be here. Martin grinned when Ben told him, not entirely seriously, that he felt used as his movie companion.
At 1:00 a.m., the movie ended, and they left the cinema. After a short walk, they finally reached the dance floor of Ben's favorite disco. Like every weekend, it was a riot. Ben's gaze inevitably slid to the bar, but he couldn't spot the waitress with the blue eyes.
He continued dancing and then suddenly spotted Martin. His friend Martin was standing there with a blonde, trying to smother her with his tongue. Ben was surprised, as he had always thought Martin and Mel, his action-movie-despising girlfriend, were the perfect couple.
Then his best friend suddenly stood next to him.
“I’m going,” he called over the loud music.
Ben wanted to say something, but he preferred to hold back.
In the distance, he saw Martin disappear with the blonde. Once again, he was alone. Once again, his gaze wandered toward the bar, but he still had no luck.
Why was he hoping the other guy was there? Was it... longing? Ben shook his head and went back to the dance floor. He loved to completely exhaust himself there.
He danced until the early hours of the morning, then he went home.
One Week later
Bored, he sat in the X-Fun cinema again. This time, however, in female company. What had Jenny and Tina chosen again? The two friends were sitting next to each other, both close to tears. He discreetly yawned behind his hand.
When the movie finally ended, Tina didn't feel like doing anything else and grumbled until Jenny offered to take her home.
When she saw Ben's face, which spoke volumes that he wasn't yet thinking about leaving the nightclub, she simply said, "You can stay and take a taxi later."
He nodded and the two young women left after he had accompanied them to the exit and said goodbye.
He then finally went to the dance floor and danced for a while before moving to the bar. He was just about to express his wish when a glass of water with a few lemon slices and some ice was placed in front of him. He looked up in surprise.
The bartender with the blue eyes grinned at him.
“That was right, wasn’t it?” he asked over the music.
Ben nodded and looked at him. The other man had long black hair tied in a braid at the nape of his neck. He wore black lace-up leather jeans and a black mesh top that accentuated his six-pack. On his left side, he wore an earring, a scorpion.
“My name is David,” the waitress introduced herself and held out her hand.
Ben grabbed her. It was like a static discharge.
"My name is Benjamin. My friends call me Ben," he said loudly enough for the other man to hear him over the music.
They looked at each other, neither willing to let go of the other's hand. Then someone stepped up next to Ben.
“David, make me two beers and a mix, like always,” ordered the stranger.
David pulled his hand back and adjusted the drinks. Ben couldn't bring himself to look at the man who had just ordered. So David was known. Apparently, he introduced himself to everyone who came here often.
The waitress placed the drinks in front of the other man and charged the amount on the minimum consumption card. Ben sensed the stranger staring at him, but didn't raise his head.
“Are you okay?” David asked when the other man had left with the drinks.
Ben looked up at the black-haired man and smiled shyly.
"Are you staying longer? I'll be finished with my shift in about an hour," he called out as the bar slowly became a little busier.
Ben briefly sought eye contact and nodded again.
So David continued with his work, and Ben stayed at the bar for a while until the black-haired man was once again besieged by a herd of girls. So Ben got up and walked over to the stairs leading to the gallery and the catwalk.
Why did he feel so uneasy? After all, David was a man, and the others were women. Was he jealous that David had so many girls to choose from?
He looked at the bar again and realized David was gone. Damn, where had the other guy gone? Had he seen where he'd gone? Ben cursed himself for not telling the bartender that he'd be waiting for him here by the stairs.
He stood up, looked around, and after a while, saw him. David, and a few girls with him. Another pang deep inside him. Then David turned his gaze toward him and walked straight toward him, the girls still in tow.
“…but dance together,” Ben heard one of them say.
“Sorry, I have a date,” David replied.
The girls watched the black-haired man approach. David held out his hand to Ben.
“Everything okay?” he asked again, looking at the blonde.
Ben nodded. The group of young women had now dispersed again.
“Let’s go up.”
“But… the area is closed today,” he replied immediately.
The upper area was often only open for events. And that wasn't the case today.
“You forget that I’m part of the staff,” said the black-haired man cheerfully.
Ben smiled and followed David as he passed the barrier, led him up the stairs, and they reached the gallery. Ben looked around. He had never been up here before, as it was usually so crowded during events that he preferred to stay downstairs.
Up here stood a curved bar, and a floor-to-ceiling railing separated this gallery from the space below and the entrances to the catwalk, which led over the dance floor, to prevent anyone from jumping off the railing. He followed David, who led him to the railing door that closed off the walkway above the dance floor, where the GoGo dancers showed off their skills during events.
“Do you want to dance?” the black-haired man asked him, looking downstairs.
Ben looked at him in surprise. They had just left the dance floor area and come up here. He would have liked to have a look around a bit more. But instead of leaving the gallery, David opened one of the screen doors, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled the blonde behind him onto the catwalk.
“Or don’t you want to?” he asked him.
But Ben nodded. He wasn't really the type to be the center of attention, but up here he was alone with David. And David was just starting to move to the melody.
Slowly, Ben did the same, closing his eyes and moving to the music. Up here, he felt considerably freer than down below. When he opened his eyes again, he realized that a spotlight was shining on him and David. Below them, the crowd cheered. Ben faltered a little.
“Just keep going, they love it down there,” David called to him, and he did.
At some point, he felt someone grab his arm. Surprised, Ben opened his eyes.
"Come on, let's stop. We're about to close for the day. Curfew," he explained.
The music had faded, and the blonde was exhausted. David locked the door to the catwalk again and brought him up to the bar.
“Water?” the black-haired man asked him.
Ben nodded. Yes, that was what he needed right now.
David pulled him behind the counter.
"There should be ice over there," he told him, and Ben opened the cupboard door. He found what he was looking for. David held out two filled glasses.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have a lemon.”
“It’ll be fine,” he said, throwing some ice into both glasses.
As the blonde was about to pay, David shook his head. "Hey, I invited you," he grinned.
Ben just nodded again. The other man left him speechless.
“Hey, what are you doing up here?” a voice suddenly came from the stairs.
One of the bouncers came to the counter and finally stopped when he recognized David.
"Oh, it's you, David. Are you showing a friend the disco?"
David nodded. "We just danced a little, and now we need some refreshment."
“Should we wait until…” asked the security man.
David looked at Ben and shook his head.
“No, I’ll let him out.”
Ben looked at him.
Downstairs, the DJ asked the last guests to head for the exit. The security guard took one last look up here and then went back down the stairs.
“Aren’t you going to get in trouble with your boss?” Ben asked.
“No, he’s quite nice once you get to know him better,” said David with a conspiratorial expression.
Ben looked at him questioningly and couldn't make sense of it.
“What?” he finally asked, sounding more irritated than he had intended.
“You really don’t know?” David asked, surprised.
“What don’t I know?” the blonde asked.
David looked at him doubtfully again.
“I thought that’s why…” he began the sentence, but didn’t finish it.
“Why what?” Ben asked him, now truly disturbed.
Downstairs, the music and lights were turned off. Only the emergency lights remained on. David sat on the sideboard, looked at the floor, and thought. Then he looked back at Ben.
“I own this place,” he finally confessed quietly.
“What???” Ben asked, surprised.
"A gift from my dad. He was actually hoping I'd ruin X-Fun, but I'm kind of attached to my store," David said.
“He told you…?” Ben still looked at him in disbelief.
David nodded at him. "Actually, my old man wanted to build a shopping center here. However, one of the conditions attached to the purchase of the land was that it couldn't be leveled as long as 'X-Fun' was running. And since my dad thought I'd ruin it anyway, he signed it over to me."
Now Ben was truly speechless.
David looked at him silently and smiled.
“I really didn’t know,” Ben breathed.
“Yes, I realize that now,” said David with a grin.
Finally, Ben leaned against one of the sideboards and looked at David. The other guy was so... damn attractive. He couldn't explain it to himself.
Suddenly the black-haired man stood right in front of him and said, “You look like you’re about to fall asleep.”
Yes, he was really tired. It was time for him to go home.
"Do you want to... sleep here?" David suddenly asked. "Over there, in the private area, my apartment is also part of it."
Ben looked at him. They'd only known each other by name for three or four hours, and he was already inviting him to stay overnight, or rather, to stay overnight. Okay, maybe it really would be better if he didn't drive anymore.
Apparently his answer had taken a while to arrive, because David looked at him questioningly.
Ben nodded.
10 Hours later
He woke up and tried to orient himself. Where was he?
“Good morning,” the blonde heard a familiar voice.
His gaze fell to the side. He was lying on a wide bed positioned in the middle of the back wall. Opposite him, against the wall, was a sofa on which David lay.
“You’re just as sleepy as I am,” David said again.
"Yes, the night was exhausting. I've never danced this long before," he replied.
David smiled. "Could have been worse."
Ben studied his counterpart, still wondering why David had offered him the bed. However, he hadn't been in a position to discuss it much longer that morning.
'Jenny,' was what immediately came to his mind. But when he retreated to a quiet corner with his phone, he saw that Martin had called. He had finally remembered they had a date, but unfortunately, his place was full of people and he couldn't leave.
Ben cursed. He sometimes hated his friend for it, but really, it was his own fault that he always relied on Martin. After all, they had known each other since early childhood and were simply the best of friends.
He stood there undecided, looking at his watch. Jenny had apparently just arrived at their shared apartment. She probably wouldn't be happy if he called her now to pick him up. And to be honest, he didn't feel like going home yet. So he decided to spend some more time here.
After all, the store offered everything your heart could desire. The large 'X-Fun' building housed various discotheques, an arcade, and a cinema complex.
He threw himself onto the crowded dance floor of his favorite disco and danced until he couldn't anymore. Then he went to the bar and ordered a lemon water before he even turned to the waitress.
“Would you like some ice with that?” asked the bartender.
He looked at him and lost himself in the other man's blue eyes.
“Would you like ice cream with that?” he repeated the question.
Ben blinked briefly, and the bartender grinned. He nodded slightly in response, and the waitress turned away and fetched the ordered water.
Ben swallowed. 'What the hell was that?' He couldn't explain why he was almost lost in the other man's eyes. Then the other man was standing in front of him again and handing him the requested water.
“If you want more lemon, just let me know.”
He winked at him and turned to the rest of the customers.
Ben was totally perplexed. He had been staring at a man. Okay, the guy was really good-looking, but... he was still male.
With his water, he walked over to the stairs leading to the gallery and sat down. It took him a moment to clear his head. His gaze wandered back to the bar. The bartender was currently surrounded by several girls, all of whom were adoring him. Ben lowered his gaze. He took a deep breath. He didn't understand what was happening to him. When he had finished his glass, he simply put it down on the stairs and left the club, taking a taxi home.
The following weekend
The week was finally over. Jenny had another headache, which she often used as a reason not to do anything, and she didn't want to go to 'X-Fun'. But Ben wanted to go all the more. After all, Martin had definitely agreed to go this time. He was also supposed to pick him up, which he did. At 10 p.m. sharp, Martin showed up at their door. The two young men drove to 'X-Fun' together. Martin, as soon as he saw the posters in the entrance area, wanted to see the latest action film, and since his girlfriend refused to watch anything action-packed anyway, Ben had to do the trick. So it made sense for them both to be here. Martin grinned when Ben told him, not entirely seriously, that he felt used as his movie companion.
At 1:00 a.m., the movie ended, and they left the cinema. After a short walk, they finally reached the dance floor of Ben's favorite disco. Like every weekend, it was a riot. Ben's gaze inevitably slid to the bar, but he couldn't spot the waitress with the blue eyes.
He continued dancing and then suddenly spotted Martin. His friend Martin was standing there with a blonde, trying to smother her with his tongue. Ben was surprised, as he had always thought Martin and Mel, his action-movie-despising girlfriend, were the perfect couple.
Then his best friend suddenly stood next to him.
“I’m going,” he called over the loud music.
Ben wanted to say something, but he preferred to hold back.
In the distance, he saw Martin disappear with the blonde. Once again, he was alone. Once again, his gaze wandered toward the bar, but he still had no luck.
Why was he hoping the other guy was there? Was it... longing? Ben shook his head and went back to the dance floor. He loved to completely exhaust himself there.
He danced until the early hours of the morning, then he went home.
One Week later
Bored, he sat in the X-Fun cinema again. This time, however, in female company. What had Jenny and Tina chosen again? The two friends were sitting next to each other, both close to tears. He discreetly yawned behind his hand.
When the movie finally ended, Tina didn't feel like doing anything else and grumbled until Jenny offered to take her home.
When she saw Ben's face, which spoke volumes that he wasn't yet thinking about leaving the nightclub, she simply said, "You can stay and take a taxi later."
He nodded and the two young women left after he had accompanied them to the exit and said goodbye.
He then finally went to the dance floor and danced for a while before moving to the bar. He was just about to express his wish when a glass of water with a few lemon slices and some ice was placed in front of him. He looked up in surprise.
The bartender with the blue eyes grinned at him.
“That was right, wasn’t it?” he asked over the music.
Ben nodded and looked at him. The other man had long black hair tied in a braid at the nape of his neck. He wore black lace-up leather jeans and a black mesh top that accentuated his six-pack. On his left side, he wore an earring, a scorpion.
“My name is David,” the waitress introduced herself and held out her hand.
Ben grabbed her. It was like a static discharge.
"My name is Benjamin. My friends call me Ben," he said loudly enough for the other man to hear him over the music.
They looked at each other, neither willing to let go of the other's hand. Then someone stepped up next to Ben.
“David, make me two beers and a mix, like always,” ordered the stranger.
David pulled his hand back and adjusted the drinks. Ben couldn't bring himself to look at the man who had just ordered. So David was known. Apparently, he introduced himself to everyone who came here often.
The waitress placed the drinks in front of the other man and charged the amount on the minimum consumption card. Ben sensed the stranger staring at him, but didn't raise his head.
“Are you okay?” David asked when the other man had left with the drinks.
Ben looked up at the black-haired man and smiled shyly.
"Are you staying longer? I'll be finished with my shift in about an hour," he called out as the bar slowly became a little busier.
Ben briefly sought eye contact and nodded again.
So David continued with his work, and Ben stayed at the bar for a while until the black-haired man was once again besieged by a herd of girls. So Ben got up and walked over to the stairs leading to the gallery and the catwalk.
Why did he feel so uneasy? After all, David was a man, and the others were women. Was he jealous that David had so many girls to choose from?
He looked at the bar again and realized David was gone. Damn, where had the other guy gone? Had he seen where he'd gone? Ben cursed himself for not telling the bartender that he'd be waiting for him here by the stairs.
He stood up, looked around, and after a while, saw him. David, and a few girls with him. Another pang deep inside him. Then David turned his gaze toward him and walked straight toward him, the girls still in tow.
“…but dance together,” Ben heard one of them say.
“Sorry, I have a date,” David replied.
The girls watched the black-haired man approach. David held out his hand to Ben.
“Everything okay?” he asked again, looking at the blonde.
Ben nodded. The group of young women had now dispersed again.
“Let’s go up.”
“But… the area is closed today,” he replied immediately.
The upper area was often only open for events. And that wasn't the case today.
“You forget that I’m part of the staff,” said the black-haired man cheerfully.
Ben smiled and followed David as he passed the barrier, led him up the stairs, and they reached the gallery. Ben looked around. He had never been up here before, as it was usually so crowded during events that he preferred to stay downstairs.
Up here stood a curved bar, and a floor-to-ceiling railing separated this gallery from the space below and the entrances to the catwalk, which led over the dance floor, to prevent anyone from jumping off the railing. He followed David, who led him to the railing door that closed off the walkway above the dance floor, where the GoGo dancers showed off their skills during events.
“Do you want to dance?” the black-haired man asked him, looking downstairs.
Ben looked at him in surprise. They had just left the dance floor area and come up here. He would have liked to have a look around a bit more. But instead of leaving the gallery, David opened one of the screen doors, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled the blonde behind him onto the catwalk.
“Or don’t you want to?” he asked him.
But Ben nodded. He wasn't really the type to be the center of attention, but up here he was alone with David. And David was just starting to move to the melody.
Slowly, Ben did the same, closing his eyes and moving to the music. Up here, he felt considerably freer than down below. When he opened his eyes again, he realized that a spotlight was shining on him and David. Below them, the crowd cheered. Ben faltered a little.
“Just keep going, they love it down there,” David called to him, and he did.
At some point, he felt someone grab his arm. Surprised, Ben opened his eyes.
"Come on, let's stop. We're about to close for the day. Curfew," he explained.
The music had faded, and the blonde was exhausted. David locked the door to the catwalk again and brought him up to the bar.
“Water?” the black-haired man asked him.
Ben nodded. Yes, that was what he needed right now.
David pulled him behind the counter.
"There should be ice over there," he told him, and Ben opened the cupboard door. He found what he was looking for. David held out two filled glasses.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have a lemon.”
“It’ll be fine,” he said, throwing some ice into both glasses.
As the blonde was about to pay, David shook his head. "Hey, I invited you," he grinned.
Ben just nodded again. The other man left him speechless.
“Hey, what are you doing up here?” a voice suddenly came from the stairs.
One of the bouncers came to the counter and finally stopped when he recognized David.
"Oh, it's you, David. Are you showing a friend the disco?"
David nodded. "We just danced a little, and now we need some refreshment."
“Should we wait until…” asked the security man.
David looked at Ben and shook his head.
“No, I’ll let him out.”
Ben looked at him.
Downstairs, the DJ asked the last guests to head for the exit. The security guard took one last look up here and then went back down the stairs.
“Aren’t you going to get in trouble with your boss?” Ben asked.
“No, he’s quite nice once you get to know him better,” said David with a conspiratorial expression.
Ben looked at him questioningly and couldn't make sense of it.
“What?” he finally asked, sounding more irritated than he had intended.
“You really don’t know?” David asked, surprised.
“What don’t I know?” the blonde asked.
David looked at him doubtfully again.
“I thought that’s why…” he began the sentence, but didn’t finish it.
“Why what?” Ben asked him, now truly disturbed.
Downstairs, the music and lights were turned off. Only the emergency lights remained on. David sat on the sideboard, looked at the floor, and thought. Then he looked back at Ben.
“I own this place,” he finally confessed quietly.
“What???” Ben asked, surprised.
"A gift from my dad. He was actually hoping I'd ruin X-Fun, but I'm kind of attached to my store," David said.
“He told you…?” Ben still looked at him in disbelief.
David nodded at him. "Actually, my old man wanted to build a shopping center here. However, one of the conditions attached to the purchase of the land was that it couldn't be leveled as long as 'X-Fun' was running. And since my dad thought I'd ruin it anyway, he signed it over to me."
Now Ben was truly speechless.
David looked at him silently and smiled.
“I really didn’t know,” Ben breathed.
“Yes, I realize that now,” said David with a grin.
Finally, Ben leaned against one of the sideboards and looked at David. The other guy was so... damn attractive. He couldn't explain it to himself.
Suddenly the black-haired man stood right in front of him and said, “You look like you’re about to fall asleep.”
Yes, he was really tired. It was time for him to go home.
"Do you want to... sleep here?" David suddenly asked. "Over there, in the private area, my apartment is also part of it."
Ben looked at him. They'd only known each other by name for three or four hours, and he was already inviting him to stay overnight, or rather, to stay overnight. Okay, maybe it really would be better if he didn't drive anymore.
Apparently his answer had taken a while to arrive, because David looked at him questioningly.
Ben nodded.
10 Hours later
He woke up and tried to orient himself. Where was he?
“Good morning,” the blonde heard a familiar voice.
His gaze fell to the side. He was lying on a wide bed positioned in the middle of the back wall. Opposite him, against the wall, was a sofa on which David lay.
“You’re just as sleepy as I am,” David said again.
"Yes, the night was exhausting. I've never danced this long before," he replied.
David smiled. "Could have been worse."
Ben studied his counterpart, still wondering why David had offered him the bed. However, he hadn't been in a position to discuss it much longer that morning.