Chapter Text
Although Max is from the Netherlands, he now lives in London. After his parents divorced, living with his father became much more difficult. And he just used for university to escape from home. After moving to UK he met Lando and became friends with him.
In the other hand, Daniel was on the other side of the world. He spent most of his time in his father's farm. When he wasn't on the farm, he was working in a beach cafe which is belong to his friend Michael. He started planning this a few months after they met Max. Putting aside most of his pocket money that father gave him and tips earned at the cafe.
They had met on social media a year ago entirely by chance. Maybe it wasn't really by chance. If you believe in fate or something. They really couldn't be sure. The message, which were a few at first, have increased gradually. They became friends very quickly. Max wasn't the type of person who made a lot of friends. Except for Lando, he didn't even have a friend he met all the time. On the other hand, it was easy to be friends with Daniel. Even the other is older than him.
Daniel didn't tell Max about his planned vacation to London until his money reached a certain level. He didn't want to excite the other in vain. Ever since he told him about his journey to England, he had been so excited. After sending the message to Max, he locked the phone and lifted it. He closed his eyes and waited for his excitement to subside. He stopped his swinging leg, which is he wasn't unaware until now, before someone complains again. The rest of the flight was completely foggy. He really didn't remember anything and he hadn't even had a single glass of alcohol.
The first thing he did as soon as his plane landed in London was to check the address Max gave him. Maybe he should have checked into the hotel and left his suitcase first. But his body, which is now on the autopilot, did not agree with him. He had already given Max's address to the taxi when he realized where he was really going. I guess the hotel could have waited for him a little bit more.
The taxi stopped on a not too crowded street. Daniel knew some parts of the street from the pictures Max sent him. They lived with Lando in an apartment not far from their university. Max mentioned once that he had another roommate. But that was all that Daniel knows of this roommate.
Suddenly, all the excitement in his body was replaced by tension. He stopped for a while in front of the apartment building while holding his suitcase. He took a deep breath and walks through the open metal door. As he slowly passed the apartment doors, he found the door with a small metal number three hanging on it. He took another deep breath and knock on the door.
He waited for someone to open the door as his heart pounds excitedly in his chest. When the brown door finally opened, a pair of blue eyes behind him didn't belong to the person he was expecting.
The brown curly-haired boy looked curiously at Daniel's face and then his suitcase. "Are you looking for someone?" Lando asked with curious.
Daniel quickly changed his posture when he realizes that he is staring at him too long. "I'm sorry. Max knew I would come." explained quickly.
The other boy's eyes open in surprise when he heard Daniel. His lips opened to say something. However, no words came out of his mouth. Daniel began to panic when he saw that the eyes of the child in front of him are starting to water. He had no idea what he was doing wrong.
A little hiccup came out of his lips "Charles! Would you come and look at the door?!" Lando shouted into the house. The curly haired boy gets lost in the hallway behind the door after that. Leaving behind a completely stunned Daniel.
A little later, the other boy was replaced by a boy wearing black glasses. He must be Charles, Daniel thought. He had a very angry expression on his face and Daniel wiggles nervously, still not understanding what is happening.
"What did you say to him?" The anger in Charles's voice matched the expression on his face.
"Nothing, I swear! I'm a friend of Max-" Daniel tried to explain himself. But, he is interrupted by Charles.
Charles shout "Enough! Cut this ridiculous joke now!" he was sure his voice was heard from the street.
"What do you mean i don't understand. I am not joking." Daniel said. He was still confused.
"Max died two years ago asshole" This is the last thing Daniel heard before the door close in his face.
As Charles's words passed through his brain, he just stared at the closing door. How could this be true? He had texted Max an hour at most. Could this all be a ridiculous joke, as Charles said? But what were all those pictures and video calls?
With his shaking hands, he pulled his phone back as the panic slowly took over his body. He needs to be sure. So he texts Max.
Max's answer came soon after.
This time it took longer for Max's message to arrive.
This is the last message Max texted. And now Daniel was standing in front of the door, much more confuse. He rereaded his conversations with Max again. But was seemed more and more meaningless as he read. So he decided to knock on the door again. This has to work out. Not just because he came here from Australia.
The boy who has to be Charles opens the door again. He frowned when he see Daniel again on the other side of the door. It was clear that he was not happy to see him.
"What do you want?" Charles spoke with glare.
"I just want to show something. I swear I'll go later." Daniel spoke with hope. His only chance was that Charles accepted it. So swiftly he added "Please?"
Charles rolled his eyes involuntarily. The expression on his face didn't change at all. "Okay" he says eventually.
Daniel quickly pulled out his phone again and opened one of the pictures that Max sent him. When he found the picture he is looking for, he turns the phone screen towards the boy who is waiting impatiently for him. "Is this your friend Max?"
Charles glared at Daniel for the last time before looking at the phone. He didn't know what Daniel was planning, but if this was a joke, it was getting really annoying now.
On the other hand, Daniel expected him to say "no, this isn't our friend, you come to the wrong house. This Max sits next door." But these words never come.
"Yes" Charles started to talk then stop suddenly. Leaning a little more towards the phone screen, looked at the picture more carefully. "But..." he stoped again.
"But?" Daniel asked.
"This look like our flat but this isn't our couch." Charles confusedly explained.
"Could it be an old picture?"
"No, We've never had a couch like this."
Now Charles was just as confuse as Daniel. Two boy look at each other with the same expression on their faces. As if the answer is on the other's face.