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Turns out ducking and crawling out under the rolling gate in a hurry is much harder than it was the way in. Nico is somewhat faster and pulls Marti up to drag him to the bike, but just then they both slip on the tiny pebbles halfway. And that's when they burst out laughing, so loud even some guard dogs from neighbouring lots start barking as to cheer them. Renato reaches the slightly opened gate, hits it in anger with the palm of his hand and lets out a loud swear in the night, which makes the boys chuckle even harder and they can barely climb up to get away.
The ride home feels like the biggest adrenaline rush. Teeth chattering in the cold air, soaking wet clothes tripping only to leave a trail of drops on the street, revealing the path the bike follows. Marti's only regret is he can't clench both of his hands into Nico's waist. If it wasn't for the small pile of clothes they took off that he's now holding he'd be cluthing Nico's back, lay his face on the cold shirt, he thinks. He's grinning. A smile brighter than the moon above them. It seems surreal. And just then, Nico reaches one hand to the back, just a quick squeeze on Marti's wrist and it's enough to charge Marti's whole body and keep him warm until they get home.
The sound of wet socks meet the crackling of the wooden floor as they reach Nico's room. He doesn't turn on the lights, just smiles and nods to Marti and then both boys are quick to take off their clothes, that by now have turned into ice mantles on their shivering bodies.
"Wait here" Nico says as he grabs the soaking pile, rushes out to the bathroom and hangs it to dry. It doesn't take more than a minute, but it's long enough for Marti to make a quick turn in the dark room: it's a test of memory, scanning the drawings on the wall, books on shelves, handmade artifacts hanging from closets - all part of this little world he's now revisiting and Marti can't help but think all of these objects know Nico more than he does. Just as his eyes meet the window, Nico steps back into the room.
"I leave the curtains open in the evening and let the city light up the room. It almost feels as if I were out there too" he says with a smile and turns to open the closet for some dry tshirts and underwear. Throws one of each over to Marti.
''Oh.. thanks'' Martino catches them but as he lifts his head to look in Nico's direction again his host is gone.
''Here behind the closet door'' Nico laughs ''Come, let's change fast and then I have a surprise for you''
''More surprises after tonights disaster break-in? What are we doing next? Scare your parents in their sleep?''
''I was the first one out of that pool. I'm thinking you wanted to stay in there longer, no?'' Nico laughs and steps out again from behind the closet door. ''My parents are not home. We could serenade the neighbors, though'' he adds with a wink and a pointing index finger in the air. ''And now the surprise. I'll let you know, you are the first one I'm actually inviting to do this with''
Marti's eyes grow bigger in confusion. He's still somewhat shivering, but he is trustful. Who is he kidding? This evening has been more fun than he's had in a very long time. He can't wipe that smile off his face while he's examining what's happening.
Nico places a blanket in front of the radiator under the window, turns the heating up to maximum and pulls the big fluffy cover off of his bed. He sists down with his back touching the heating, pulls his legs up close to his chest and nods over to Marti who follows him. As soon as they pull the cover up to their necks their legs touch inside like magnets kept apart for too long.
"Welcome to my secret warm cave."
"What are you talking about? You're as cold as a block of ice" Marti teases and they can't help but laugh.
It feels like another adrenaline rush and leaves Marti excited but also a bit insecure. Did they really kiss tonight? Did Nico really break the ice? Was it all an illusion and is their legs and shoulders now closely pressed to each other actually the first time they're touching?
''I like to sit here sometimes in the evenings. I pretend to be a stranger looking through the window and examine my own room.'' says Nico with a mildly broken voice. His eyes are still smiling as he looks over to Martino. Marti's heart does a little jump and he finds himself searching for air. How is he so beautiful? He wants to tell him he likes to sit on the floor of his own room too, spends hours there in the darkness sometimes, but can't seem to utter a single word, he's lost in Nico's dark eyebrows and curls.
Music is playing in a pub that can't be far from the window they're sitting under and it makes Nico's feet stomp a quiet rhythm. He starts humming to the song and it makes Marti chuckle, because he's never heard the song before but he's not surpised Nico knows it. He strucks him like a guy who knows just about everything.
They both lean their heads back on the radiator and rest them against each other. Yet again it feels like touching for the first time. Uncanny. They keep their heads connected but turn them just a bit so they can see each other and smile. Marti suddenly feels braver than when he pushed both of them in the water just an hour ago and leans in for a kiss. It's clumsy but soft and it makes them giggle and smile wider against each other's mouths. They try again, more determined this time, with warm lips and louder breaths and hands reaching for each other under the warm cover. The water in the radiator behind them has reached it's highest temperature and is now slightly burning their backs under dark tshirts. They pull their bodies away from it as Nico breaks the kiss. He doesn't say anything but grabs Marti by one hand, cover in the other and pulls both up towards the bed.
They crawl up on it, lay down to face each other and Nico pulls up the cover on them as a shield against the world. Legs and feet touch, still cold but not shivering anymore, just calmly searching to fold into each other, braided under the warm cloth, secret kept in the dark. The light from the street gliscenes in Nico's dark eyes and leaves Marti's hand reaching for it's perfect spot on Nico's cheek.
"We can stay like this forever, you know"
Nico moves his forehead against Martino's and closes the gap between them with the softest kiss. And so the night begins.