Chapter Text
Albert walked briskly through the foggy London streets. Cold air batted at his face with every step, but that did not deter his strides. Though he was not late and his destination was only a mere ten minute walk from his place, he nonetheless hastened his pace as an act of courtesy. After all, he was to meet his dear friend Barok for dinner one last time.
The next day, he would depart for his new home in Germany, having been accepted into Wissenberg University’s PhD program for physics. As exciting as the prospect of new opportunities for research overseas had been, the process of moving had been wearing down on him. Albert was faced with the miserable task of gathering all his belongings to be shipped overseas, a burden that continuously made its presence known with the looming collection of luggage and boxes that swallowed his living space. As time-consuming and exhausting as it was, he pushed himself to complete the final stages of packing so as to not take away from any time that could be spent with his friend.
Perhaps he was in dire need of relief from the stress of moving, but he yearned for an excuse to spend more time with Barok. The threat of distance loomed over his head these past weeks, and if there was one person Albert did not want to lose contact with, it was him. Throughout university, he had been Albert’s most trusted friend. Even among the swaths of physics students he had become acquainted with, and despite their differing backgrounds, Barok held a special place in his heart. Minutes seemed to fly by as they conversed with each other about their days and study sessions became all the more comfortable with each other’s presence. Even when Albert was away from Barok, he often thought about how much his friend meant to him. Each time, warm feelings fluttered in his chest in a way he hadn’t felt when thinking about anyone else. Recently, those feelings intensified as he packed up mementos from the times they shared at university together.
And those feelings continued to intensify as he neared his destination.
Albert smiled to himself as he approached the front door. He knocked, and in no time at all, he heard the knob turn. Barok swiftly answered. He seemed to have been close to the door before Albert’s arrival. He met his friend with a soft gaze.
“Albert,” he greeted warmly, smiling at his friend. “Please, come in.”
Albert’s smile widened. “Thank you, Barok. I’m delighted to see you.”
He made his way into the spacious estate as Barok held the door open for him and began to unbutton his coat. “Oh Barok, you would not believe what a nightmare it is moving overseas!” he lamented. “It’s stressful enough gathering my belongings, but to have to make these living arrangements has been so incredibly frustrating.” In the midst of his ramble, Barok removed his coat for him with Albert barely realizing as his woes spilled out of him. “And even when that was done, I had to coordinate train and ship travel, which was an ordeal all on its own. And make no mistake! Of course I’m excited for the opportunity to study in Germany, but —”
He turned around and before he could finish, Barok pulled him in closer and tightened his arms around him. Albert felt his train of thought evaporate as he felt the warmth of his friend’s embrace. It was quite unusual for Barok to be so physically friendly, though Albert assumed the circumstances were a bit different than their normal meet-ups. Besides, he didn’t mind — Barok’s embrace was rather comforting.
“I am…incredibly thankful you found the time to visit me before your departure,” Barok said as he held his friend.
“Of course, Barok,” Albert replied. “I couldn’t very well leave without giving my dear friend a proper goodbye.”
“And I couldn’t let you leave without making your last night in London worthwhile,” Barok added.
They pulled away and were now face-to-face with each other, still maintaining the smiles that had been on their faces before. In the brief silence that followed, Albert found himself wanting to return to Barok’s arms. That thought was interrupted as Barok spoke. “Please, follow me into the dining room. I have something for us — for you , really.”
That certainly piqued Albert’s curiosity. Barok motioned for Albert to follow him, and he enthusiastically trailed behind him. Once the two reached the dining room, Barok retrieved something that had been placed on the table. He beamed with pride as he turned toward Albert.
“I went ahead and bought this for our dinner tonight.”
It was a bottle of wine. Barok had a budding wine collection and eagerly sought opportunities to visit the local winery. When they dined together, Barok would often pick a wine out and explain his thought process behind his selection along with the different flavor notes that drew him to that particular bottle. Albert was admittedly not much of a wine connoisseur, but had always appreciated the thoughtfulness behind Barok’s gestures. Tonight was no different.
Albert smiled excitedly. “Barok, I, I don’t know what to say! This is so very kind of you….”
“It’s the least I could do. Please, let me tell you about it.” Barok shuffled beside Albert to allow him to observe the bottle. “This particular one caught my eye. It’s a pinot noir, and it —”
As he spoke, Albert traced his thumb over the label and examined its design. Barok chuckled beside him. “I also thought the design of this to be quite charming. It may or may not have factored into my decision to buy it.”
Albert’s cheeks took on a bit of color. “Oh, y-yes, quite charming indeed!” he agreed. “May I take a moment to look at it a bit more?”
Barok nodded and handed him the bottle. “Absolutely. I suspected you would take a liking to it.”
“You know me so well.”
Even if Albert couldn’t fully recognize the complexities of a glass of wine like Barok could, he rather enjoyed admiring the artistry of the labels, something that Barok must have caught onto after sharing so many bottles with him over time.
Albert found himself adoring this particular label. It featured detailed artwork of a flourishing line of bushels on a center path dotted with berries. Vines teeming with roses and leaves weaved through an archway above it. Underneath the arch stood a rabbit on its hind legs with its nose curiously pointed at the foliage that surrounded it above. Everything was primarily in black and white, though subtle pink accents tastefully adorned the berries, roses, and even the rabbit. It was certainly one of the more artistic labels Albert had seen in a good while. He could have admired it for longer, but he eventually looked at Barok to cue him to continue his description.
Barok nodded. “As I said before, it is a pinot noir. While it has the typical characteristics of a standard one – only slightly bitter, refreshing, mildly earthy — the grapes grown for this one were said to be some of the best the region had seen in ages.”
As Albert looked up at him, he noticed how Barok’s eyes glimmered with joy as he spoke. He couldn’t help but be taken in by the radiance that surrounded his friend. Fixated on every word — and the dazzling features of his face — Albert found it incredibly difficult to pull himself away from staring at Barok for too long.
Barok looked at his friend to gauge his reaction. Albert managed to snap out the spell placed on him, nodding and raising his eyebrows in interest, which prompted Barok to continue. His attention turned toward the bottle.
“Additionally, its flavor profile includes a subtle hint of redcurrant and rose. The clerk mentioned it was a specialty wine and I simply couldn’t refuse purchasing it.” His eyes met Albert’s once more. “And there is no one else I’d rather share this with than you.”
Albert felt the gentle weight of Barok’s hand rest on his shoulder. He chuckled and tilted his head down to conceal the color that began to further spread across his cheeks. “I-I’d be delighted to share this bottle with you, my friend. It sounds delicious.” He looked back up at his friend, brimming with gratitude. “Thank you.”
”Of course,” Barok said as he lightly squeezed his shoulder.
They were both smiling, silently appreciating each other’s company. There was a tenderness in Barok’s expression that made Albert want to wrap him in his arms once more. It was so tempting to cling to him and lose himself in the man’s presence. Albert knew he could stay in his arms for hours if time allowed it. He also knew he would want to see just how close they could get — what it would feel like to finally express his affections how he had always wished to. It wasn’t a new thought. It had come up frequently during their time at university — during moments of content silence after laughing fits between the two of them, after listening to Barok talk about his studies and the rest of his day — and had lingered in the background whenever they were together. Albert always managed to bury it. But it nagged at him now more than ever, telling him to act now while he was still in London. His nerves held a tight grip on him that locked him into place, preventing him from making a single move. But every part of him knew that he couldn’t keep it to himself for much longer, or that he shouldn’t. And yet….
…
“W-We should…have a seat at the table then, yes?” Albert held the bottle out toward his friend. He pushed that thought back.
A few seconds passed by. Barok noticed the bottle being held in his direction. He registered what his friend was saying. He smiled politely. “Yes…of course.”
Albert felt the chill of the open air on his shoulder as Barok slowly removed his hand to take the bottle. He realized his thoughts might have been clouded with the fantasy of requited feelings, but Albert swore he saw a tinge of disappointment in Barok’s expression. He told himself it was all in his head.
Though he knew Barok to be a kind gentleman, there was no telling just how he’d react to such an advance. No, it was best to not risk ruining such a wonderful bond they already had between them. Albert considered it a blessing that Barok was in his life in any capacity. He would do anything to keep him there, even if it meant his true feelings would never see the light of day.
Barok graciously invited him to dinner one last time before his departure. Nothing more. And Albert wanted to spend time with him just as he intended.