[Hey there, this is the first time I'm posting a story here. I read the Guidelines, but if there's still anything I forgot please let me know! Anyway, I worked on this piece for a while and I had nowhere to post it and no friends who are really into this sort of thing, so I thought, why not post it here? Anyway, hope you all enjoy! (Also, English is not my first language, if there's anything I really need to fix, let me know!)]
Chapter 1
Luca groaned as his alarm rang sharply through his bedroom. He tried to cover his ears with his pillow, but it was no use - he would have to accept the arrival of the morning. His first morning of university.
He slapped on top of the alarm clock to finally have it quit its screeching, and then looked at it in indignation. “Why can’t you have any mercy at all,” he whined at the little clock as he got up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He had not slept well - slightly nervous of his first day - and he wished he could have stayed in bed just a little longer.
With a sigh, he stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to fix his awful bed hair and brush his teeth. He had to look his best on his first day, he told himself. A first impression could last longer than he wanted it to.
A few years ago, he had finished his high school exam with marks he could be proud of, and - after a few failed attempts at different courses - had then applied to a psychology course in college. Funnily enough, his best high school friend Rowan had applied to the same university, but instead of psychology, he had chosen a course in journalism. They still had their classes in the same building though, and as such they also had their welcoming ceremony together.
As Luca got down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen to make lunch, he could already hear the doorbell ring, accompanied by whiny exclaims of his name. There was no doubt that his friend had come to pick him up.
“I’m coming!” Luca shouted at the door as he quickly threw some pre-made sandwiches in his school bag and hurried to the front door. He had not yet gotten used to living on his own yet, and so his morning routine still demanded more time of him than he had.
“LuLu,” Rowan pouted as Luca opened the door. “What took you so long?”
Luca shook his head and adjusted the placement of his bag on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I don’t have my life in order as much as you,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Rowan did not seem content with the answer however. As they walked, he caught up to Luca - who had adopted a steady pace. “Did you oversleep, LuLu?” he asked. “Did you stay up too late?”
Luca could not completely deny that, and as he flexibly jumped up a couple stairs in the road, he reluctantly admitted. “I might have gone to sleep a little late,” he said, but he immediately regretted it. He didn’t want to have to explain the reason why he stayed up late - browsing forums to satisfy his odd fetishes - but he was sure Rowan would try and get an explanation out of him. And he was not wrong.
Rowan tilted his head and tried to meet Luca’s eyes. “What did you stay up late for?” he asked. “Aren’t you irresponsible now?” He tried to gauge Luca’s expression and then smirked subtly. “Was it a lover?” he asked. “Did someone come over? Did you maybe talk to them on the phone all night?”
Immediately Luca shook his head and frowned his eyebrows a little. “You know I don’t have a lover,” he remarked, to which Rowan pouted again. By now it had become their usual subject of quarreling, as Rowan did not normally accept Luca’s loveless life.
“You disappoint me, LuLu,” he said. “When will you finally listen to me and let yourself be loved by someone - take my example.”
A laugh escape Luca’s lips, and he raised his eyebrows as he looked at his friend. “You mean I should indulge in one night stands at least twice a week?” he said, aiming at the many people Rowan was known to share his bed with.
An angry sound was exclaimed by Rowan, as he folded his hands over his heart to ease the pain. “You hurt me, LuLu,” he wailed. “That’s so mean.”
“No mercy for he who meddles with others’ business,” Luca responded, not granting even one glance at his friend who dramatically acted out his self pity. He would never stop his immature behaviour if he gave any attention to it, Luca knew, and with that in mind he continued his pace to university.
Together, they arrived at the big college building - or rather, the set of buildings that made up the university. They followed the group of students that was lining up for the main lecture room and waited until they could finally look for a seat.
However, as soon as they entered the room, most chairs had already been taken, and no more than single-seat spots here and there remained. “It’s because you were so late,” Rowan grumbled as he squinted his eyes at Luca.
In the end they had no choice but to split up and sit apart from each other. Rowan took a seat in the left corner of the room, while Luca had to sit two rows in front of him. Luca could almost feel his friend’s eyes pointed at his back, but he was too stubborn to look over his back.
He got out his notebook and pens - five in all different colours - and started doodling on the paper, waiting for the opening lecture to begin.
“I think someone is trying to get your attention,” a voice next to him said.
Luca looked up in surprise and the followed the direction the person pointed at. Above him, Rowan was waving at him with both arms, while whispering ‘LuLu’ - subtle was different, Luca remarked mentally.
“What is it?” Luca hissed at him, as to not disturb the others around him, but Rowan refused to be as aware of his surroundings. He leaned forward to Luca, bumping at least two people in front of him in the head, and pointed at the guy sitting next to Luca. “Isn’t he your type, LuLu?” he whispered loudly. “He has short-” “Would you please shut up,” Luca interrupted him, while blushing in embarrassment. He quickly turned his back to Rowan again and hid his face in his hands, hoping his friend would cease this ridiculousness.
When the red had finally left his face, Luca dared look up again, and he turned to the guy that was sitting next to him. As he met his eyes, Luca had to admit that Rowan had not necessarily been wrong - the man looked quite handsome, with a good jaw and short, black hair. But it was nothing like Luca to just hit on someone he just met.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “For my friend.”
The guy laughed and motioned it was alright. “Friends can be a bit of a hassle, I know,” he responded, and he looked at the little doodles that Luca had drawn in his notebook. With an apologetic face for looking at Luca’s property without consent, he pointed his eyes at Luca. “You draw pretty well.”
Luca widened his eyes in surprise and then rubbed the back of his head, not knowing what to do with this sudden compliment. “Thanks,” he said. “But it wasn’t good enough for art school, I’m afraid. I got kicked out after two years.” It was true; he had first tried to apply to an art school close by, but they had finally told him his art style was not on the required level yet.
“They must have been blind then,” the guy remarked. “You’re really good with detail. What course are you taking now?”
He fidgeted with the strings of his sweater and looked at the little sketches on the paper - they were nothing near good enough. “I’m taking Psychology. What about you?”
“Law - my parents really wanted me to. I hope it’ll be a bit interesting at least.” Then the guy suddenly looked like he had forgotten something important, and he reached out his hand to Luca. His smile was almost blinding, so handsome. “Max Fowler, by the way,” he said. “Good to meet you.”
Luca accepted his hand and shook it slowly. “Luca Peterson,” he replied. “And likewise. You seem to be at least a bit more considerate than my shit friend two rows behind us.”
Max laughed and threw a quick glance at Rowan. Then he let his eyes glide over the bags Luca had stored on the little space under their chairs.
“Do you play sports?” Max asked with genuine interest when he saw the sports bag that Luca had brought. In his eyes, Luca could see he sincerely wanted to know, and he decided it was okay to share that piece of information. “I play volleyball,” he admitted. “As a setter. I’m not sure if you’ve ever played yourself?”
Immediately, Max’s face seemed to light up and he nodded with a grin. “Definitely! I also play volleyball - did you sign up for the students’ team?”
Luca had to gasp for air as he realised he would be on the same team as this guy next to him - this handsome man. “Yeah,” he uttered, almost sounding too enthusiastic. Stop being excited over this, he told himself. You’re not a person who falls for guys this easily.
“Awesome,” Max said. “We can walk there together then after class - I think the sports hall is a little walk from here.”
But before Luca could answer, the lights suddenly dimmed and a voice chimed through the microphone, interrupting their talk. Quickly he shut his mouth and turned to his notes again.
The lecture had started. And talking was not allowed. He would have to continue their conversation again later, Luca resolved.
***
After class, Luca pulled Max along in order to leave the hall before Rowan would catch up to them. The one thing that could totally ruin whatever there was between Max and him, would be the involvement of his friend.
Rowan did not play any sports himself, and as such, Luca and Max would not have to fear running into him on their way to the sports hall. Somewhere, Luca felt a bit guilty about dumping his friend like that, but he resolved to catch up with him again on the phone after volleyball. Also, this way, he would give Rowan the chance to make some new friends as well. They could not keep sticking to each other like in high school for forever anyway.
As they walked over the pavement that led to the sports building, Max grabbed his bag and pulled out his lunch box. Luca also ripped open the plastic that covered his sandwiches and took a bite. These pre-made convenience store sandwiches weren’t exactly the best, he had to admit, but at least they were less effort than making lunch himself.
He looked sideways at his new friend and saw that he had already devoured half a cheeseburger. Luca almost choked on his own lunch and swallowed. Blood rushed to his head and he could feel his limbs get weak. For some reason, seeing this man eat junk food like that, it was hot.
“I wouldn’t expect such an unhealthy lunch from someone so athletic,” he remarked innocently, trying to not sound too interested. It was true, though. Max seemed like a fit person from the first glance, having broad shoulders and a slim waist, and Luca did not think he had obtained such a body by eating fast food all the time.
Max looked at him for a second and raised his eyebrows. “Oh, yeah,” he then said, chewing the last bits of his lunch. “I’m sorry, I know I’m not giving a great example.” He then laughed.
“You see, I just got out of quite a… complicated relationship,” he continued. “She wouldn’t allow me to eat any unhealthy stuff at all - wanted me to stay fit and such -, and now that I’ve finally put that all behind me, I can finally enjoy my freedom a little bit.”
He and Luca kept looking at each other for a while in silence, until Max took the word again. “But don’t worry, I have enough discipline to not let it ruin my body.” And Luca hoped that was a lie.
For as long as Luca could remember, he had been fascinated by fat men - by men gaining weight and by feedism. It was a kink of his that he had not wanted to admit to anyone so far, but that followed him around everywhere. It was not like he did not find Max attractive as the fit guy he was, but if he was honest, he would not mind if the guy put on a little weight.
At that moment, he felt how his phone rang in his pocket. With a sigh, he looked at the caller, and saw it was Rowan. Without hesitation, he put the phone back in his pocket - he was not really feeling like talking to the guy right now, especially not when he could talk to Max instead.
“Your friend might get worried,” Max remarked playfully. “He looked like he’s quite fond of you.”
Luca shrugged and stretched his arms. “I’ll call him after sports,” he promised, and then he put his hands back in the pockets of his sweater.
“But that sounds quite tough,” he remarked, aiming at the confession Max had done about his past relationship. “Do you still speak to her?”
Max shook his head and averted his eyes. “Not really… I think she was quite angry when I broke up with her. It’s only been two weeks.”
It did not seem like Max really wanted to talk about it, so Luca let the subject rest and instead started asking about Max’s past volleyball experiences. He found out that the guy had been part of quite a powerful high school team in the past, and that he had even participated in a national level competition once, making Luca even more impressed with the guy than he already was.
Without leaving a silence for more than five seconds, they walked to the sports building, and when they arrived Luca felt almost disappointed. He would not have minded walking another ten kilometres with his new friend. There was a lot he still had to ask.
“Come,” said Max, as he guided Luca around. “I think the changing rooms should be somewhere around here.”
It did not take long before they found the changing rooms, and before he knew it, Luca sat on an uncomfortable bench, staring at a shirtless Max. He could barely comprehend how he had ended up in such a blissful situation, but here he was.
Even though Luca preferred more chubby physiques, it was certainly no punishment either to look at Max’s toned torso. His arms were defined and muscular, as was his chest. On his lower torso, abs were clearly distinguishable.
Before Max could notice how Luca was staring at him, he quickly pulled his own shirt over his head and starting changing into his gym clothes. Internally, he reprimanded himself for getting distracted so easily. The guy was probably not even interested in men.
Fortunately, soon after he did not have much time to be distracted anymore, as their training was one of the more intense he had had. Their coach knew no mercy and let them do exercises until their clothes were soaked in sweat. Even if he had wanted to look at Max, he wouldn’t have gotten the chance.
Afterwards, Luca was too tired to have a proper conversation anymore. And it seemed to be the same for Max. They walked to the exit of the sports building together and then said goodbye, but only after exchanging numbers. It had been Max who proposed them sharing telephone numbers, so they could meet up again tomorrow before the training, and Luca had happily agreed.
On his own, Luca walked back to his own little apartment a few streets away, and absent-mindedly he got out his phone.
The volleyball team had been quite nice, he thought. All the guys were pretty fanatic and encouraging - even though Luca had messed up some of the tosses, they had all stayed positive and motivated him to do better next time. Some even had given him some tips to improve his technique.
To be honest, Luca had never been a great setter in high school, and all players in his team were way better than him. Maybe he would have normally given up on volleyball at this point, after realising their difference in level, but there was something that kept him from making that decision. And that something was Max Fowler.
He unlocked his phone and saw that he had had at least ten missed calls and about fifteen unread messages. Just one glance told him that all these originated from one and the same person.
Reluctantly he opened the messages and scanned through them.
Rowan: LuLuuuuu <3
Rowan: Luluuuuuuu >:0
Rowan: Are you okay? ;n;
Rowan: Where are uu ;;;n;;;;
Rowan: ??
Rowan: LuLu I’m worried I’m coming to ur house
Rowan: Okay? nAn
Rowan: I have the keys Im coming in ;3;
Rowan: ur not opening the door so
Rowan: Are you home???
Rowan: :0
Rowan: You shouldn’t leave you’re laptop unlocked >.>
Rowan: your****
Rowan: I tried to not look but <.<
Rowan: U have some explaining to do
Luca could feel the blood leaving his face and a shiver went down his spine. Instantly he regretted giving Rowan a spare set of keys to his room, thinking it might come in handy. He was not sure what was opened on his laptop, but he had not used it after last night, when he had been scanning through some forums.
Hastily he started typing back, hoping to reduce the damage a little. Why could his friend not just stop meddling so much, he wondered angrily.
You: What did you see??
You: My brother used the laptop last so I don’t know what he kind of websites he visited.
He had to wait a couple seconds before Rowan came online, but soon he could see the other guy was typing.
Rowan: LuLu you don’t have to hide this from me
Rowan: It’s okay <3
Rowan: We all have our fetishes
You: That’s not how it is
You: Please understand ;n;
Rowan: What’s that guy’s name
Rowan: The one you were talking to
You: Who?
Rowan: You know who I mean. What’s his name?
You: Not telling
Rowan: I will put your fetish on Facebook if you don’t tell me : P
You: Wow
Rowan: Well?
You: He’s called Max.
For a little bit Rowan stopped typing, and it stayed silent in their private chatroom. Luca felt his palms become sweaty and his heart beat loudly in his chest. He just hoped Rowan would not tell anybody about what he had seen on his laptop - and by now Luca was quite sure that his friend had seen some of the feedism forums that he had visited last night.
Then suddenly, Rowan started typing again.
Rowan: Do you want to make that Max guy fat too??
Luca almost burst into coughing as he read the message. He felt so embarrassed he wanted to die, or just disappear from the world. He could not believe that Rowan had really asked him that.
Of course he would rather lie and just cut off the subject, but he knew Rowan would not cease hearing him out until he had gotten the answers that would satisfy him. With trembling fingers, Luca started to type.
You: I mean… I wouldn’t go out of my way to do that…
Rowan: But you wouldn’t miiiind if he got fat, am I right >: P
You: I suppose you could put it that way…
At this point Luca just wanted to throw away his phone and curl up in a corner somewhere. It was already embarrassing enough that he had the fetish at all, but now that his friend knew, everything was ten times worse.
He looked at his phone one more time, and then closed it and put it back in his pocket. He couldn’t deal with these feelings of embarrassment any longer.
For now, he just wanted to go home and have dinner, and not think about Rowan. He shivered once more and then shook off his feelings. At least for tonight he would not think about it anymore, and if Rowan would call him again, he would just ignore him.
Oh, why couldn’t he just have a normal, regular first day of university?
A Student Life
by Buras
by Buras
Chapter 1
Luca groaned as his alarm rang sharply through his bedroom. He tried to cover his ears with his pillow, but it was no use - he would have to accept the arrival of the morning. His first morning of university.
He slapped on top of the alarm clock to finally have it quit its screeching, and then looked at it in indignation. “Why can’t you have any mercy at all,” he whined at the little clock as he got up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He had not slept well - slightly nervous of his first day - and he wished he could have stayed in bed just a little longer.
With a sigh, he stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom to fix his awful bed hair and brush his teeth. He had to look his best on his first day, he told himself. A first impression could last longer than he wanted it to.
A few years ago, he had finished his high school exam with marks he could be proud of, and - after a few failed attempts at different courses - had then applied to a psychology course in college. Funnily enough, his best high school friend Rowan had applied to the same university, but instead of psychology, he had chosen a course in journalism. They still had their classes in the same building though, and as such they also had their welcoming ceremony together.
As Luca got down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen to make lunch, he could already hear the doorbell ring, accompanied by whiny exclaims of his name. There was no doubt that his friend had come to pick him up.
“I’m coming!” Luca shouted at the door as he quickly threw some pre-made sandwiches in his school bag and hurried to the front door. He had not yet gotten used to living on his own yet, and so his morning routine still demanded more time of him than he had.
“LuLu,” Rowan pouted as Luca opened the door. “What took you so long?”
Luca shook his head and adjusted the placement of his bag on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I don’t have my life in order as much as you,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Rowan did not seem content with the answer however. As they walked, he caught up to Luca - who had adopted a steady pace. “Did you oversleep, LuLu?” he asked. “Did you stay up too late?”
Luca could not completely deny that, and as he flexibly jumped up a couple stairs in the road, he reluctantly admitted. “I might have gone to sleep a little late,” he said, but he immediately regretted it. He didn’t want to have to explain the reason why he stayed up late - browsing forums to satisfy his odd fetishes - but he was sure Rowan would try and get an explanation out of him. And he was not wrong.
Rowan tilted his head and tried to meet Luca’s eyes. “What did you stay up late for?” he asked. “Aren’t you irresponsible now?” He tried to gauge Luca’s expression and then smirked subtly. “Was it a lover?” he asked. “Did someone come over? Did you maybe talk to them on the phone all night?”
Immediately Luca shook his head and frowned his eyebrows a little. “You know I don’t have a lover,” he remarked, to which Rowan pouted again. By now it had become their usual subject of quarreling, as Rowan did not normally accept Luca’s loveless life.
“You disappoint me, LuLu,” he said. “When will you finally listen to me and let yourself be loved by someone - take my example.”
A laugh escape Luca’s lips, and he raised his eyebrows as he looked at his friend. “You mean I should indulge in one night stands at least twice a week?” he said, aiming at the many people Rowan was known to share his bed with.
An angry sound was exclaimed by Rowan, as he folded his hands over his heart to ease the pain. “You hurt me, LuLu,” he wailed. “That’s so mean.”
“No mercy for he who meddles with others’ business,” Luca responded, not granting even one glance at his friend who dramatically acted out his self pity. He would never stop his immature behaviour if he gave any attention to it, Luca knew, and with that in mind he continued his pace to university.
Together, they arrived at the big college building - or rather, the set of buildings that made up the university. They followed the group of students that was lining up for the main lecture room and waited until they could finally look for a seat.
However, as soon as they entered the room, most chairs had already been taken, and no more than single-seat spots here and there remained. “It’s because you were so late,” Rowan grumbled as he squinted his eyes at Luca.
In the end they had no choice but to split up and sit apart from each other. Rowan took a seat in the left corner of the room, while Luca had to sit two rows in front of him. Luca could almost feel his friend’s eyes pointed at his back, but he was too stubborn to look over his back.
He got out his notebook and pens - five in all different colours - and started doodling on the paper, waiting for the opening lecture to begin.
“I think someone is trying to get your attention,” a voice next to him said.
Luca looked up in surprise and the followed the direction the person pointed at. Above him, Rowan was waving at him with both arms, while whispering ‘LuLu’ - subtle was different, Luca remarked mentally.
“What is it?” Luca hissed at him, as to not disturb the others around him, but Rowan refused to be as aware of his surroundings. He leaned forward to Luca, bumping at least two people in front of him in the head, and pointed at the guy sitting next to Luca. “Isn’t he your type, LuLu?” he whispered loudly. “He has short-” “Would you please shut up,” Luca interrupted him, while blushing in embarrassment. He quickly turned his back to Rowan again and hid his face in his hands, hoping his friend would cease this ridiculousness.
When the red had finally left his face, Luca dared look up again, and he turned to the guy that was sitting next to him. As he met his eyes, Luca had to admit that Rowan had not necessarily been wrong - the man looked quite handsome, with a good jaw and short, black hair. But it was nothing like Luca to just hit on someone he just met.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “For my friend.”
The guy laughed and motioned it was alright. “Friends can be a bit of a hassle, I know,” he responded, and he looked at the little doodles that Luca had drawn in his notebook. With an apologetic face for looking at Luca’s property without consent, he pointed his eyes at Luca. “You draw pretty well.”
Luca widened his eyes in surprise and then rubbed the back of his head, not knowing what to do with this sudden compliment. “Thanks,” he said. “But it wasn’t good enough for art school, I’m afraid. I got kicked out after two years.” It was true; he had first tried to apply to an art school close by, but they had finally told him his art style was not on the required level yet.
“They must have been blind then,” the guy remarked. “You’re really good with detail. What course are you taking now?”
He fidgeted with the strings of his sweater and looked at the little sketches on the paper - they were nothing near good enough. “I’m taking Psychology. What about you?”
“Law - my parents really wanted me to. I hope it’ll be a bit interesting at least.” Then the guy suddenly looked like he had forgotten something important, and he reached out his hand to Luca. His smile was almost blinding, so handsome. “Max Fowler, by the way,” he said. “Good to meet you.”
Luca accepted his hand and shook it slowly. “Luca Peterson,” he replied. “And likewise. You seem to be at least a bit more considerate than my shit friend two rows behind us.”
Max laughed and threw a quick glance at Rowan. Then he let his eyes glide over the bags Luca had stored on the little space under their chairs.
“Do you play sports?” Max asked with genuine interest when he saw the sports bag that Luca had brought. In his eyes, Luca could see he sincerely wanted to know, and he decided it was okay to share that piece of information. “I play volleyball,” he admitted. “As a setter. I’m not sure if you’ve ever played yourself?”
Immediately, Max’s face seemed to light up and he nodded with a grin. “Definitely! I also play volleyball - did you sign up for the students’ team?”
Luca had to gasp for air as he realised he would be on the same team as this guy next to him - this handsome man. “Yeah,” he uttered, almost sounding too enthusiastic. Stop being excited over this, he told himself. You’re not a person who falls for guys this easily.
“Awesome,” Max said. “We can walk there together then after class - I think the sports hall is a little walk from here.”
But before Luca could answer, the lights suddenly dimmed and a voice chimed through the microphone, interrupting their talk. Quickly he shut his mouth and turned to his notes again.
The lecture had started. And talking was not allowed. He would have to continue their conversation again later, Luca resolved.
***
After class, Luca pulled Max along in order to leave the hall before Rowan would catch up to them. The one thing that could totally ruin whatever there was between Max and him, would be the involvement of his friend.
Rowan did not play any sports himself, and as such, Luca and Max would not have to fear running into him on their way to the sports hall. Somewhere, Luca felt a bit guilty about dumping his friend like that, but he resolved to catch up with him again on the phone after volleyball. Also, this way, he would give Rowan the chance to make some new friends as well. They could not keep sticking to each other like in high school for forever anyway.
As they walked over the pavement that led to the sports building, Max grabbed his bag and pulled out his lunch box. Luca also ripped open the plastic that covered his sandwiches and took a bite. These pre-made convenience store sandwiches weren’t exactly the best, he had to admit, but at least they were less effort than making lunch himself.
He looked sideways at his new friend and saw that he had already devoured half a cheeseburger. Luca almost choked on his own lunch and swallowed. Blood rushed to his head and he could feel his limbs get weak. For some reason, seeing this man eat junk food like that, it was hot.
“I wouldn’t expect such an unhealthy lunch from someone so athletic,” he remarked innocently, trying to not sound too interested. It was true, though. Max seemed like a fit person from the first glance, having broad shoulders and a slim waist, and Luca did not think he had obtained such a body by eating fast food all the time.
Max looked at him for a second and raised his eyebrows. “Oh, yeah,” he then said, chewing the last bits of his lunch. “I’m sorry, I know I’m not giving a great example.” He then laughed.
“You see, I just got out of quite a… complicated relationship,” he continued. “She wouldn’t allow me to eat any unhealthy stuff at all - wanted me to stay fit and such -, and now that I’ve finally put that all behind me, I can finally enjoy my freedom a little bit.”
He and Luca kept looking at each other for a while in silence, until Max took the word again. “But don’t worry, I have enough discipline to not let it ruin my body.” And Luca hoped that was a lie.
For as long as Luca could remember, he had been fascinated by fat men - by men gaining weight and by feedism. It was a kink of his that he had not wanted to admit to anyone so far, but that followed him around everywhere. It was not like he did not find Max attractive as the fit guy he was, but if he was honest, he would not mind if the guy put on a little weight.
At that moment, he felt how his phone rang in his pocket. With a sigh, he looked at the caller, and saw it was Rowan. Without hesitation, he put the phone back in his pocket - he was not really feeling like talking to the guy right now, especially not when he could talk to Max instead.
“Your friend might get worried,” Max remarked playfully. “He looked like he’s quite fond of you.”
Luca shrugged and stretched his arms. “I’ll call him after sports,” he promised, and then he put his hands back in the pockets of his sweater.
“But that sounds quite tough,” he remarked, aiming at the confession Max had done about his past relationship. “Do you still speak to her?”
Max shook his head and averted his eyes. “Not really… I think she was quite angry when I broke up with her. It’s only been two weeks.”
It did not seem like Max really wanted to talk about it, so Luca let the subject rest and instead started asking about Max’s past volleyball experiences. He found out that the guy had been part of quite a powerful high school team in the past, and that he had even participated in a national level competition once, making Luca even more impressed with the guy than he already was.
Without leaving a silence for more than five seconds, they walked to the sports building, and when they arrived Luca felt almost disappointed. He would not have minded walking another ten kilometres with his new friend. There was a lot he still had to ask.
“Come,” said Max, as he guided Luca around. “I think the changing rooms should be somewhere around here.”
It did not take long before they found the changing rooms, and before he knew it, Luca sat on an uncomfortable bench, staring at a shirtless Max. He could barely comprehend how he had ended up in such a blissful situation, but here he was.
Even though Luca preferred more chubby physiques, it was certainly no punishment either to look at Max’s toned torso. His arms were defined and muscular, as was his chest. On his lower torso, abs were clearly distinguishable.
Before Max could notice how Luca was staring at him, he quickly pulled his own shirt over his head and starting changing into his gym clothes. Internally, he reprimanded himself for getting distracted so easily. The guy was probably not even interested in men.
Fortunately, soon after he did not have much time to be distracted anymore, as their training was one of the more intense he had had. Their coach knew no mercy and let them do exercises until their clothes were soaked in sweat. Even if he had wanted to look at Max, he wouldn’t have gotten the chance.
Afterwards, Luca was too tired to have a proper conversation anymore. And it seemed to be the same for Max. They walked to the exit of the sports building together and then said goodbye, but only after exchanging numbers. It had been Max who proposed them sharing telephone numbers, so they could meet up again tomorrow before the training, and Luca had happily agreed.
On his own, Luca walked back to his own little apartment a few streets away, and absent-mindedly he got out his phone.
The volleyball team had been quite nice, he thought. All the guys were pretty fanatic and encouraging - even though Luca had messed up some of the tosses, they had all stayed positive and motivated him to do better next time. Some even had given him some tips to improve his technique.
To be honest, Luca had never been a great setter in high school, and all players in his team were way better than him. Maybe he would have normally given up on volleyball at this point, after realising their difference in level, but there was something that kept him from making that decision. And that something was Max Fowler.
He unlocked his phone and saw that he had had at least ten missed calls and about fifteen unread messages. Just one glance told him that all these originated from one and the same person.
Reluctantly he opened the messages and scanned through them.
Rowan: LuLuuuuu <3
Rowan: Luluuuuuuu >:0
Rowan: Are you okay? ;n;
Rowan: Where are uu ;;;n;;;;
Rowan: ??
Rowan: LuLu I’m worried I’m coming to ur house
Rowan: Okay? nAn
Rowan: I have the keys Im coming in ;3;
Rowan: ur not opening the door so
Rowan: Are you home???
Rowan: :0
Rowan: You shouldn’t leave you’re laptop unlocked >.>
Rowan: your****
Rowan: I tried to not look but <.<
Rowan: U have some explaining to do
Luca could feel the blood leaving his face and a shiver went down his spine. Instantly he regretted giving Rowan a spare set of keys to his room, thinking it might come in handy. He was not sure what was opened on his laptop, but he had not used it after last night, when he had been scanning through some forums.
Hastily he started typing back, hoping to reduce the damage a little. Why could his friend not just stop meddling so much, he wondered angrily.
You: What did you see??
You: My brother used the laptop last so I don’t know what he kind of websites he visited.
He had to wait a couple seconds before Rowan came online, but soon he could see the other guy was typing.
Rowan: LuLu you don’t have to hide this from me
Rowan: It’s okay <3
Rowan: We all have our fetishes
You: That’s not how it is
You: Please understand ;n;
Rowan: What’s that guy’s name
Rowan: The one you were talking to
You: Who?
Rowan: You know who I mean. What’s his name?
You: Not telling
Rowan: I will put your fetish on Facebook if you don’t tell me : P
You: Wow
Rowan: Well?
You: He’s called Max.
For a little bit Rowan stopped typing, and it stayed silent in their private chatroom. Luca felt his palms become sweaty and his heart beat loudly in his chest. He just hoped Rowan would not tell anybody about what he had seen on his laptop - and by now Luca was quite sure that his friend had seen some of the feedism forums that he had visited last night.
Then suddenly, Rowan started typing again.
Rowan: Do you want to make that Max guy fat too??
Luca almost burst into coughing as he read the message. He felt so embarrassed he wanted to die, or just disappear from the world. He could not believe that Rowan had really asked him that.
Of course he would rather lie and just cut off the subject, but he knew Rowan would not cease hearing him out until he had gotten the answers that would satisfy him. With trembling fingers, Luca started to type.
You: I mean… I wouldn’t go out of my way to do that…
Rowan: But you wouldn’t miiiind if he got fat, am I right >: P
You: I suppose you could put it that way…
At this point Luca just wanted to throw away his phone and curl up in a corner somewhere. It was already embarrassing enough that he had the fetish at all, but now that his friend knew, everything was ten times worse.
He looked at his phone one more time, and then closed it and put it back in his pocket. He couldn’t deal with these feelings of embarrassment any longer.
For now, he just wanted to go home and have dinner, and not think about Rowan. He shivered once more and then shook off his feelings. At least for tonight he would not think about it anymore, and if Rowan would call him again, he would just ignore him.
Oh, why couldn’t he just have a normal, regular first day of university?
