Archive of Our Own

Wilhelm will never forget the moment he walked into his tiny bookstore. It was a sunny and warm day which was actually quite exceptional even if it was summer. A lot of people walked around at the beach, enjoying the warmth that fell onto their skin. It was also a good day for his secondhand bookstore. People came by to buy books which they could read as they sat on the beach.

It was so busy people even stood in line to have a look at the exceptional books he had. The big camper van that was his bookstore was getting so hot, sweat began dripping down his face. He sold book after book and made a good amount of money. Since there was not a lot of space, there were only a few books left.

In the late afternoon it was getting less busy until there was almost no one. It was an hour before he would close and he was tidying up the place, sorting books, placing new ones that had come in. An old lady was reading a book in the small nook he created. It only had a small relaxing chair and a small table with a lamp on it.

Only one person could sit there and mostly it was empty but this lady was searching for a quiet place to read. Wilhelm had given her a coffee with some cookies which she was slowly nibbling on.

The small bell he hung in the door opening of the van rang as someone entered. It made him look up and then he saw him. The boy with dark brown curls, a yellow t-shirt, dark blue jeans and black all stars. He smiled politely and Wilhelm also smiled politely like he does with every customer but he couldn’t help but look a little bit longer. He estimated him around the same age as him. His cheeks were a little red from the sun.

Wilhelm looked back to the broom he was holding as he was trying to get the white sand out of the van. One of the disadvantages of having your bookstore near the beach. He could just decide to stand somewhere else but he loved the beach.

He pretended to be busy wiping the floor but in the meantime he was keeping an eye on the boy. He was looking in the non-fiction section of the rack and it seemed like he was looking for something specific. It was the section that still had the most books, non-fiction doesn't sell the best.

He didn’t want to come over as one of those pushy sellers so he just let him search for what he was looking for. He probably saw something on the website Wilhelm had created before the summer. He updated the website every day with the books that had come in and removed the ones that had been sold. The website lured a lot more people to his tiny store and he just knew his grandfather would be proud of him.

“Hey, are you looking for something?”, Wilhelm asked the boy eventually.

“Hey”, the boy turned around, “Yes, I saw on your website you had this book about The Beatles? I can’t find it but you’re literally the only bookstore who seems to have it and I need it for my thesis”, he explained.

“I’ll help you search”, he replied friendly.

“Thank you”, the boy said shyly.

Wilhelm knew what book he was talking about, of course he did and he knew exactly where it stood. But instead of immediately going to the place it was standing, he pretended to search for it. 

“The Beatles though, are they the subject of your thesis?”, Wilhelm asked curiously.

“Yes, I mean I’m writing about music in the sixties and its influence on today’s music”, the boy replied.

“Interesting”, Wilhelm smiled at him again.

Wilhelm’s finger wiped over the books until it stopped at the right book. He took it and turned around to the boy again.

“Here it is”, he said and Simon smiled thankfully, a smile Wilhelm would not forget fast.

Apparently he forgot to put a sticker with the price on the book so he took the list where he notes down all the prices. While he was searching he could sense the boy’s nervosity. He felt it too and it made him smile nervously at him.

He told him the price and the curly haired boy gave him the money. Their fingers touched in the transaction and Wilhelm felt the electricity it caused.

“What's your name?”, he asked because he at least wanted to know his name.

“Simon”, the boy answered, suddenly more confident.

“Nice to meet you Simon, I'm Wilhelm”, he introduced himself and then he felt the disappointment as he realised he would never see Simon again, “You're always welcome here”.

“Thank you so much Wilhelm”, Simon replied and turned around.

“Good luck with your thesis”, Wilhelm said before he could disappear completely.

Simon turned around one last time to smile before he left Wilhelm's bookstore. He felt his smile fall. He should've asked more than just his name.

“You should've asked him on a date, life is too short to hold back”, the oldy lady in the nook said while she closed her book.

“But I didn't even know him”, Wilhelm replied her.

“Isn't that the whole point of asking someone on a date, to get to know them? Your generation is just too caught up in online stuff and that stupid phone. You only ask someone on a date before you've checked them out completely on social media”, the woman said to him and Wilhelm knew she was right.

Wilhelm thought he would never see him in his bookstore again. He didn't even hope for it but he couldn't forget that adorable smile. He knew the old lady was right but he couldn't do anything about it anymore.

That's why it was such a surprise to see him come into his bookstore again a week later. The weather had completely turned. It was colder, windy and rainy. Simon was wearing a purple hoodie instead of a summery t-shirt. The shop was completely empty except for him. On days when the weather was bad only the regular customers paid a visit to his store.

“Hey Wilhelm”, Simon greeted him with that smile he still remembered so well.

“Hey, Simon”, he smiled back, maybe a little bit too enthusiastic, “Glad to see you again here, did your book help your thesis?”.

“It did, it was perfect, I could get so much information out of it”, Simon replied.

“I'm glad I could help”, Wilhelm said.

He thought Simon would start looking for a book, instead he just kept looking at him as if he was waiting for something. He grabbed the strap of the laptop bag that was hanging around his shoulders a little tighter.

“Can I help you with something?”, he asked Simon.

“Ehm, I just wanted another look at your music books”, is all Simon said.

“Go ahead”, Wilhelm replied and continued labeling new books that had come in.

Simon went straight to the right section now. He looked through the few books he had about music. It didn't seem like he was searching for something specific. He saw Simon pick a book and turn over some pages. His eyes stayed focused on Simon until a customer walked in.

“Hey Wilhelm”, Sam, a regular customer said.

“Hey Sam, good to see you again. Already finished your books?”, Wilhelm smiled at him.

“You know me, when it's a good book, I can't put it down for five seconds”, he replied.

Sam looked through the books. He loves fiction about history and Wilhelm got some new books about that the day before. He receives his books from customers or other people who want to get rid of their books. Sometimes he also gets them from stores who can't sell certain books so they sell them to him for a sharp price.

Sam came over to him to pay for his book. In the corner of his eye he still saw Simon with the same book in his hands. He wrote something on a paper and put it in between it and closed the book. He did it in a way he would notice, not too obvious but also not too secretive.

“Thank you Wilhelm”, Sam smiled before leaving the store.

Simon walked over to him with another book in his hands. A fantasy book based on a video game. Wilhelm didn't know Simon but he thought the book really fit his personality. That was not to judge him or anything, Wilhelm just knows which books are meant for who. It's a gift he has from his grandfather.

“Good choice”, he said to Simon.

“I played the video game so now I wanted to read the book”, Simon explained to him.

“I didn't expect to see you here again”, Wilhelm said casually while putting a bookmark between the first two pages of the book.

“Well, I like it here”, Simon smiled, his eyes slightly diverting to the book where he left a note. A small hint Wilhelm noticed, he wants him to find the note.

“I'm glad you do”, Wilhelm replied, handing the book over to Simon.

“I'll see you soon”, was all Simon said before he left the van and it left Wilhelm speechless.

Curiosity took over from him and he walked over to the books. He knew exactly which book Simon put the note in, he had memorised it. While he took it out of the bookcase he was reminded of the old lady's words again. He didn't ask him out again because he was too caught up by the note, too caught up by Simon's presence in his little bookshop. 

Wilhelm opened the book, a biography of Elvis Presley. Simon sure had good taste in music. He took the note and folded it open. What was written in it made him blush like no one made him blush in a long time.

“Thank you for last time, you literally saved my thesis and me. Ps: you're cute, send me a message ;)”

Underneath it was Simon's phone number. He kept staring at the note until the bell by the door announced a new customer. Wilhelm put the note in the pocket of his jeans and smiled at the woman.

At the end of the day Wilhelm closed off his shop. He cleared up the books he had stalled out outside and closed everything off before he turned the bookshop into a living area. He pulled the bed out of one of the closets and opened a few more to reveal the tiny kitchen. A small fridge, a microwave and a coffee machine. It's all very minimal. He doesn't have a bathroom so he uses the public toilets and mostly he washes himself in the sea or at a friend's house, someone from university who is living close by. It's different from his usual lifestyle. At his parent's house he has his own bathroom, a chef makes the food because his parents don't have the time to cook. He prefers this over his rich lifestyle at home where everything is being done for him. The two months he spends in this van selling books are the best two months of the year. Here he really feels himself. Here he can be himself.

After eating the food he warmed up in the microwave, he took his shower gel and a towel. When he was outside he closed the van and headed for the beach. It was empty because the weather hadn't been swimming proof. The sea was calm, the sun going down behind thick grey clouds.

He walked over to a more secreted part of the beach. He had to climb some rocks for it because the small part of the beach was surrounded by rocks and that's why nobody ever comes there late in the evening. Since it was summer, the sun wasn't down yet, giving him enough light even though with the clouds it was darker.

He stripped down until he was completely naked and then he walked towards the water. Slowly he got used to the temperature until he was fully in. He closed his eyes as he let the water surround him, small waves crashing against his body. On other days, when it's not so cloudy he usually enjoyed the sun going down. On cloudy days like that day he enjoyed the peacefulness.

When he had returned back to his van, he made himself some tea and got into bed. He closed the small curtains so no light would fall in in the morning. He held Simon's little note in his hands. Then he took his phone and put his number into it. He didn't doubt sending him a message as he was reminded about the old lady's words again.

“Are you enjoying your book? -Wilhelm-”.

It didn't take long for Simon to answer back with a picture of him holding the book.

“It's a great distraction from my thesis”.

Wilhelm stared at the picture for too long. Simon was beautiful, so beautiful it made his heart skip a beat. He loved Simon's brown eyes that always seemed to shine and his curls and the blush on his cheeks and the way he smiled. The picture made him smile and roll over in bed. He would get to know him.

In the following days they kept messaging each other almost constantly. They talked about the book Simon was reading, about his thesis. Then they started to talk about music and books. Wilhelm learned that Simon was staying in this small coast town with his family for the summer. They were all doing fun stuff while Simon worked on his thesis. Simon's texts made him smile and distracted him from his work but he didn't mind.

On an evening, when Wilhelm was already lying in bed, watching a series, his phone went off. It was Simon and he was nervous to pick up but he did it anyway because he needed to hear Simon's voice. 

“Hey”, Simon's voice sounded happy, relaxed. 

“Hey”, Wilhelm smiled at the ceiling.

“How was your day?”, Simon asked.

“Good, I sold a good amount of books since the weather wasn't too bad”, Wilhelm answered, “How was your day?”.

“Good, got a good amount of my thesis done, I guess”, Simon replied and Wilhelm laughed at the similarity of his answer.

For a while it was silent. They probably didn't know what to say because they were already talking so much over text. Wilhelm enjoyed hearing Simon's voice so he didn't want the call to end.

“I love to be here with my family but sometimes it's so loud in this small house and then I can't concentrate but I don't want to be the one to ruin the atmosphere. It's not their fault I couldn't submit my thesis in June”, Simon told him and Wilhelm could sense he was a bit annoyed but also a bit sad.

“Why couldn't you?”, Wilhelm asked.

“I'll tell you another time”, Simon replied with a sigh.

“I mean… you can always study here? In the small nook I've created. It's not that busy here and my clients are mostly silent”, Wilhelm proposed, “And you will have an endless amount of books…well not really endless because my shop isn't that big”.

He heard Simon laugh and it made him feel that funny feeling in his stomach. That feeling he hadn’t felt in forever.

“I would love that actually, I love how cosy it is in your shop”, Simon answered.

“You do?”, Wilhelm asked and he felt how his cheeks were heating up.

“I do”, Simon answered. 

The next morning Wilhelm was busy with stalling out the books outside. They were being protected by the blind he had built. Books can’t handle the sun, they equally can’t handle heat so on warm days he didn’t stall out the books outside. That day it was sunny but not so warm and it was dry so he was convinced the blind could just protect the books.

He was stalling out the last books when he saw Simon walking towards his shop. That day he was wearing a dark blue t-shirt with black, ripped jeans. He looked good, so good Wilhelm had to do everything in his power to not bite his lip.

“Good morning”, Wilhelm said when he was close enough.

Simon smiled that beautiful and adorable smile. “Good morning, you’re already busy”.

“I kinda have to since I’m open in five minutes”, Wilhelm smiled at him.

They had been calling until late in the evening, until they were too tired to form coherent sentences. They wanted to keep talking but they both needed some sleep.

Wilhelm watched Simon get installed in the little nook. He took the books he needed out of his bag and put them on the table beside him. He took his headphones and probably put some music on before putting his laptop in his lap.

Simon seemed concentrated and worked well on his thesis, Wilhelm on the other hand felt distracted the whole day. He couldn’t get his eyes off of him. He tried focussing on serving customers, helping them find the right book. Some customers come into his shop without a purpose, their only purpose is finding a good book and Wilhelm is the perfect person to know which book fits someone. There were still moments where he had nothing to do and he just tried scrolling mindlessly on his phone but he couldn’t restrain himself from looking at Simon. It was cute to see him so concentrated, his fingers rushing over the keyboard of his laptop, writing things and deleting them again. He looked through the books, his fingers turning the pages.

One thing Wilhelm will always look at is how someone holds a book. Some people hold them with one hand, others with two. There aren’t many wrong ways to hold a book according to him, unless you’re one of these persons who bends it, breaking the back or the cover. A book doesn’t deserve wrinkles. Luckily Simon wasn’t one of these persons. If he was, it wouldn’t matter how cute he was, Wilhelm would’ve thrown him out of his shop.

In the following days Simon kept coming back to his store to work on his thesis. During lunch it’s him who got something to eat for the both of them since Wilhelm can’t leave his store. Wilhelm provided Simon with coffee, other drinks and cookies. He was getting used to Simon’s presence which meant he was being less distracted. It was nice to have some company in the lonely moments when he had no customers.

They talked about life, studies, family, hobbies. Wilhelm told him that besides reading he loves writing and swimming. Simon told him he mostly plays video games in his free time but that he writes his own songs to process his feelings.

“I guess that's where songwriting and writing fiction are different. Songwriting comes from the heart, it's what plays in my head all day, feelings I have to write off of me”, Simon said.

“That's where you're wrong”, Wilhelm told him, “Fiction might be made up, no real stories but it still comes from the mind and from the heart, so even if you're writing fantasy, you're still processing your own feelings, your own experiences. It doesn't just come like that. I mean it does but you're going to put some personal things in it. Your readers won't pick it up but you will when you're rereading your own work”.

“What do you write about?”, Simon asked him.

“Romance, fantasy, history, science fiction. It depends what comes to mind. I've only written short stories until now”, Wilhelm explained, “I'm still figuring out what I love writing the most about”

“Are you thinking about actually bringing out a book?”, Simon asked him curiously.

“I don't know yet what I want when I graduate”, Wilhelm told him honestly.

“I don't know either”, Simon answered.

“We'll figure it out”, Wilhelm smiled at him and their conversation was cut short because other customers came in. Only it weren’t his regular customers, it were his parents. They didn't visit him a lot. They always thought he had to let go of the bookshop and sell it because it closed him off from real life. But they couldn’t be more wrong, it brought him closer to real life.

“Mom, dad”, was all he said and he saw how Simon curiously looked up from his laptop. 

“Hey son”, his dad said with a smile.

He walked over to them to hug them because even though he and his parents not always shared the same opinion, he missed them. 

“How are you?”, his mother asked him while she gave him a hug.

“I’m alright here, you know that”, he answered her question.  “What brings you here?”, Wilhelm asked while he made some coffee for his parents.

“Do we need a reason to visit our son?”, his mother asked, looking around in the shop.

“No, of course not”, Wilhelm said, giving them coffee. 

Simon was working on his thesis again but he couldn’t just ignore him. “This is Simon, a good friend of mine. I let him work on his thesis here”, Wilhelm introduced him and Simon looked up from his laptop and politely greeted his parents.

His parents asked Simon for the topic of his thesis and especially his father seemed to be interested in it because he loves listening to sixties music. While Simon and his father were talking, his mom came over to him.

“I’m impressed, you’re managing this shop very well”, she complimented him.

“Grandpa teached me everything”, Wilhelm said proudly.

“I know he did”, his mom smiled, “But what are you going to do when you graduate next year?”.

He knew his mom was scared that he wanted to do this all his life. It reminded him of his conversation with Simon earlier. The truth was that he had an idea but he knew his mom wouldn’t be happy with that. At that moment it was only an idea and she wouldn’t take an idea for granted. His mom is a person who needs concrete plans. She plans her life years ahead. Wilhelm didn’t want to live like that. He doesn't even want to think about tomorrow.

“I don’t know yet, I’m not going to sell it if that’s what you’re pointing too. I put too much work in it”, he answered her.

“I’m not saying that, I just don’t want this shop told you back, grandpa wouldn’ t have wanted that either”, his mom answered him. 

Wilhelm knew she was just worried. All his mom wanted for him was a good life but a good life in her eyes was a life filled with money and fake people. That was not the future Wilhelm had in mind. He didn’t need a lot of money and he wanted real people, like Simon.

“I’ll be fine mom”, he reassured her and he knew it would be enough for now. 

In the evening, when Wilhelm was busy with closing his shop, Simon was still busy typing on his laptop. Whenever his fingers came to a halt, they were tapping along to the music that was playing through his headphones.

When the shop was back in order he looked over at Simon who didn't really notice him and by then Simon had lost track of time. He walked over to him, closing his laptop by pushing the screen down with two fingers. That's when he got Simon's attention.

“Is it so late already?”, Simon asked apologising.

“It is”, Wilhelm smiled at him.

Simon started packing his stuff in his laptop bag, his headphones hanging around his neck. “I have to go home”, he said hurriedly.

“You don't have to hurry Simon, I was thinking… maybe we can grab dinner together?”, Wilhelm asked him.

Simon stopped moving for a second and a blush appeared on his cheeks. “I would like that”, suddenly he had turned shy.

Together they walked to this Italian restaurant that sells the best pizzas. Wilhelm would always go there with his grandfather after a successful day at the bookshop.

They ordered two pizzas and walked to the more private part of the beach. They sat down on the sand and started eating while the sun was going down in front of them, disappearing into the endless blue stretching along the horizon.

It was such a peaceful moment. They didn't say much while they were eating. There was only the sound of the waves and the seagulls. The sky was a mix of orange, blue and grey.

He looked at Simon and the evening light lit up his face in a way that made him look so godly. His dark brown curls suddenly had this golden shine. The last rays of sunshine were highlighting every feature of his face. The small freckles on his nose, his adorable cheeks and the dimples at the corners of his mouth.

“What are you looking at?”, Simon asked blushing before taking another bite. 

“You”, Wilhelm admitted because what was the point of lying?

His answer made Simon blush even more but he could see he appreciated his honesty. Wilhelm didn't want to hide he liked him, really liked him. He couldn't even hide it anymore.

“So your bookstore, it was from your grandpa?”, Simon asked, sipping from his bottle of beer, which they also bought together with the pizzas, “I heard you talking to your mom”

“Yes, he lived here and he sold books every day of the year, even on days like Christmas. He loved books as much as I do”, Wilhelm said.

He told Simon stories about his grandfather. How Wilhelm would spend the summers with him, help him in the bookshop. His grandfather lived in this little house, near a flowershop. Then Simon told him his grandmother used to have a flowershop but it already got closed when Simon was little.

Wilhelm's grandmother already died when he was only three years old. The house was big enough for both of them. When his grandfather died he gave the bookshop to Wille through his will. He wanted him to continue it and Wilhelm did exactly that, every summer because through the year he had to study.

The first summer Wilhelm owned the tiny bookstore, he rented a hotel room for two months. He hated it because it felt so not personal and it was boring. That's when he started to rebuild the van that was the bookshop. He made it so that it was a bookstore by day and a living area by night. He made it compact and it wasn't much but it was his little place that reminded him of his grandpa who loved and supported him so much. There were still some improvements he had in mind.

“I'm sure your grandpa is proud of you”, Simon told him with a smile. 

He took Wilhelm's hand in his, softly squeezing it but enough for him to feel the electricity running over his arm.

“We were talking about the future right? And if I wanted to write?”, Wilhelm asked him.

“Yes”, Simon remembered.

“I know what I would want the most. When I graduate I just want to travel with the van to different countries and sell books wherever I decide to stop. That's my dream”, Wilhelm explained to him.

“That's beautiful, you should make that dream come true if that's what you want”, Simon encouraged him.

Wilhelm smiled into the sunset, holding Simon's hand. He wanted this dream to come true. He didn't care about what his parents would think. It was his life so his decision. There was only one reason he was still doubting this decision.

“I just don't know if I want to do this alone. My friends have their lives and it's not this life”, Wilhelm sighed, looking back at Simon.

Something in Simon's eyes had changed and Wilhelm couldn't really tell what until the next words left his mouth.

“I would go with you”, Simon said as if it was just as simple as that.

“What do you mean?”, Wilhelm asked as if Simon's answer hadn't registered. His brain was going into overdrive at the thought of spending so much time with Simon. 

“I would go with you, I haven't figured out my life yet so why not go with you. You could sell books and I could play music, maybe even sell a few cd’s”, Simon told him.

Apparently it was as simple as that.

“But we know each other for just a few weeks?”, Wilhelm said a bit confused.

“Yes and I enjoy our time together so I wouldn't mind spending even more time”, Simon replied and then it was Wilhelm's turn to blush.

In that moment it just felt like a silly thought, nothing serious but Wilhelm wanted it to be true. It was clear they both were into each other, that it wasn't only friendship they were looking for in each other but they hadn't confessed that yet. Wilhelm just enjoyed his time with Simon and that was all that mattered.

They sat on the beach, holding hands, fingers intertwined and they looked at the sky in front of them until the sun had disappeared and the night sky appeared.

“I think we should head back”, Simon said.

“We should”, Wilhelm replied but it was clear neither of them wanted to leave.

They stood up without breaking their connected hands. Wilhelm carried the pizza boxes and Simon the empty bottles. They walked in silence but it was a peaceful silence. Their hands were swinging back and forth between them. The moon provided them with enough light to make it back safely.

The next day Simon was already back before the shop was open. He even helped Wilhelm set up his shop for yet another day before he installed himself in the small nook. He was happy he could provide Simon a quiet place to study and he was a great distraction. The bookshop was Wilhelm's everything but Simon made it even more pleasant.

Around lunch Wilhelm started to notice that Simon was having a hard time concentrating. He was constantly sighing, rapidly going through the biographies of artists he always brought with him. He had been working on this thesis for weeks now and WIlhelm never saw him take a break. That’s why he decided to close his shop after lunch.

When he started to close off his shop Simon looked confused. “What are you doing?”, he asked.

“Closing my shop, you and I are going to do something fun”, Wilhelm smiled at him.

“But I still have so much work, I-”, Simon started to panic but Wilhelm walked over to him, closing his laptop.

“You can take a break, you’re not concentrated anymore and how can you be when you’ve been working on this all day every day”, Wilhelm replied and reached out his hand so Simon could take it.

Simon sighed but a small smile appeared on his face and he took Wilhelm’s hand so he could pull him up. They left the van and Wilhelm took him to the beach. Hand in hand they walked over the hot sand. It felt so natural to hold Simon’s hand by then. They walked into the water since the sand was way too hot. Wilhelm splashed some water on Simon to tease him but he got double the amount of water back. Eventually they were soaked but Wilhelm didn’t care because Simon was having a good time.

“I want to show you something”, Wilhelm suddenly said.

There was still a secret place Simon didn’t know about. Together they walked into the city until they arrived at a small workplace. Wilhelm opened the door with his key. This building also belonged to his grandfather. He took Simon inside the dark building.

“Do I trust this?”, Simon asked a bit scared, “why are the windows even covered with cartons?”.

At that moment Wilhelm turned on the light, revealing his grandfather’s workshop. It’s the place where he restored books, especially special editions. It was his grandfather’s hobby and he also teached Wilhelm all of it. There are racks with books his grandfather restored. They were made to be sold but Wilhelm can’t just sell them.

“The cartons are to keep the harmful sunlight out. These lamps are special and do no harm to the books”, Wilhelm explained.

“This is-”, Simon was speechless.

“I know”, Wilhelm just answered.

“Impressive”, Simon continued his sentence.

“Don’t worry, I won’t put you in a glass cage and stalk you and all that stuff”, Wilhelm joked, referring to the series “YOU”.

The reference made Simon laugh but that didn’t take long because he was still impressed. He walked through the small workplace and barely dared to touch the books. He treated the place with respect and he appreciated that. Simon was the first person he dared to take there. Simon was the first person he wanted to take there and show this part of his life.

“Do you also do this?”, Simon asked, his finger sliding over the wood of the bench he was leaning against.

Suddenly the whole workplace was filled with tension. He had to swallow as he looked at Simon. He walked over to him until he was close. Simon smiled teasingly and excitedly and it made the butterflies in Wilhelm’s stomach wide awake. He caressed Simon’s cheek and it felt so soft under the light touch of his fingers. It made Simon bite his lips and his eyes diverted from his eyes to his lips. He knew what Simon wanted and he wanted it too but he couldn’t give it to him just yet.

“Sometimes, I’m not so good at it as my grandpa yet but when a book comes in that has been horribly treated I have no choice than to restore it”, Wilhelm told him as a distraction from Simon’s lips.

All Simon did was look at him. Simon didn’t flirt much with words, Simon flirted with his eyes and body language which was much better than words. The magic between them got disrupted when they heard loud ticking against the windows but because the windows were covered they didn’t see what was happening. Then there was the loud rumbling of thunder and they knew what was happening. 

“The storm”, Simon said, panicking.

There was a big storm forecasted, a storm they didn’t take into account. There was a code orange and people had to stay inside to be safe if they could. In the meantime the wind was also whistling and there was a lot of rumbling of things flying around. They were at the seaside after all.

“Do we stay here?”, Simon asked.

“The storm could last until the morning”, Wilhelm replied.

They decided to go back to the van. Simon’s stuff was there too so he needed to go back there. Hand in hand they ran through the rain which wasn’t easy with the heavy wind. They were getting soaked again and thunder was cracking all around them. The five minute walk took them a ten minute run.

When they finally arrived by the van, they rushed inside and Wilhelm made sure everything was closed off. In the van they were safe, nothing could happen to them. Their clothes were so soaked, water began dripping on the ground. Wilhelm took some towels out of a closet and with their backs facing each other, they got out of their clothes. Wilhelm took a shirt and sweatpants to get dressed again.

“What should I wear?”, Simon asked as he turned around to him with the towel around his waist.

Wilhelm tried hard to not look too much at Simon’s naked chest but he probably failed horribly because Simon was blushing profusely. He took another shirt and a pair of sweatpants and gave it to Simon.

He let Simon get dressed while he was searching for something they could eat since it was evening already. In the meantime the storm was only getting worse, you could feel the impact of the wind on the van and the rain smashing against it.

“It's a bit too big but it fits”, Simon smiled.

Wilhelm looked up from the fridge and saw Simon standing there in his clothes. It was weird to see someone in his clothes but it also made him smile.

“You look even more adorable now”, Wilhelm said and it made Simon blush.

“Now what can we eat?”, Simon asked, his cheeks still red.

Wilhelm opened a cabinet and took a bag out of it. “I still have some rice we can heat up in the microwave, it's mediterranean flavoured. That's what I can read here at least. It's not much but it's something”, Wilhelm said, “And for dessert I still have some cookies and chocolate”.

“Sounds like a good meal to me”, Simon replied.

Wilhelm heated up the rice in the microwave while Simon spread out the bed. Even though it was a camper van he didn't exactly had a table to eat at except the small one in the nook which wasn't big enough, so they had to use the bed.

Each with their plate with rice they got comfortable in Wilhelm's bed while he put on a film. The storm was still raging outside but they were safe.

They ate their plates with rice and after that they shared some cookies and chocolate. Wilhelm put the plates away and Simon crawled closer to him in bed.

“Are you scared?”, Wilhelm asked.

“Maybe a little bit”, Simon answered.

The thunder was loud and even made the ground shake. Wilhelm already experienced some storms in this van but this one was the worst one.

“We're safe here”, Wilhelm reassured Simon by pulling him closer.

They concentrated on the movie again. Simon took Wilhelm's hand in his and Wilhelm reassuringly drew circles on Simon's hand with his thumb.

“Thank you for showing me your grandfather's workplace earlier. I could feel it's a special place for you with a lot of memories and I'm so happy you trusted me with it”, Simon suddenly said.

“I never showed that place to anyone before”, Wilhelm smiled.

“Did you have anyone to show it to before?”, Simon's question sounded innocent and curious.

“I tried dating a few guys I knew from university but they weren't special enough to show this part of my life. They knew I had the bookshop but most of them didn't get to see it. Now I've been single for almost a year”, Wilhelm explained.

“I'm special?”, Simon asked, smiling widely, strengthening his grip on Wilhelm's hand.

“Otherwise I wouldn't show you so much of my life”, Wilhelm just answered.

Simon's look was intense and Wilhelm felt him inching closer while their eyes stayed locked. He felt how Simon tilted his chin a bit and how he suddenly felt Simon's breath ghosting over his face and how their lips almost touched. Wilhelm didn't know how to breathe anymore. He felt Simon's lips brushing over his but before they could kiss they were interrupted by Simon's phone going off. It ruined whatever was happening and with red cheeks they both pulled back.

Simon picked up his phone and Wilhelm heard that it was Simon's mom who was calling. She was worried about him because the storm broke out and he was supposed to be home. Simon told her he was staying with him and that he was okay and that he probably would return home tomorrow evening.

When Simon had hung up the moment was gone but because Simon had started about his love life, he was curious of Simon's.

“Do you have anyone special?”, Wilhelm asked and Simon started blushing again.

“I haven't had a relationship in a while. Romance is dead these days, people take everything for granted”, Simon replied, “Nobody does any effort or maybe it's just me”.

“Only bad people take everything for granted”, Wilhelm replied, “and people who don't make any effort for you are just stupid”

“You're the first person who doesn't take everything for granted”, Simon said.

“Like I said, you're special”, Wilhelm smiled and it made Simon crawl closer against him.

The bed they had to share was small but they made it work. Wilhelm held Simon close anyway because he sensed Simon was still scared of the storm but also because he wanted him close to him. He wished they weren't interrupted earlier. He really wanted to kiss Simon.

In the morning when Wilhelm woke up the first thing he saw was Simon. They were lying next to each other, facing each other. Simon was still asleep and so Wilhelm took the chance to look at Simon. The sun that broke through the curtains, shined on him and made him look ethereal. He almost didn't dare to touch him but he let his finger slip over his cheek anyways. It made Simon stir and open his eyes. From the moment he saw Wilhelm he started to smile.

“Good morning”, Wilhelm whispered.

“Good morning”, Simon whispered back.

Simon closed his eyes again and Wilhelm let his finger slip over Simon's arm. Then Simon took Wilhelm's hand in his and opened his eyes again.

“How did you sleep?”, Wilhelm asked him.

“Good, really good actually”, he smiled, “You?”

“I slept amazing”, Wilhelm answered and Simon responded by booping his nose against Wilhelm's.

Wilhelm looked at their linked hands. It surprised him how close he and Simon got in such a short time. Normally he doesn't let people in that fast but with Simon he didn't even think. It all went so naturally and he enjoyed it to the fullest.

“You're probably going to open your shop in a bit?”, Simon asked.

“I think I might stay closed today”, Wilhelm said.

“Why?”, Simon asked.

“So I can show you my restoring books skills. I have a book that came in that's in a horrible state”, Wilhelm replied.

“Okay”, Simon said excitedly, his eyes sparkling.

“Okay”, Wilhelm answered and let his head rest against Simon's chest.

After lying in bed for another hour they finally got up to get dressed. Simon's clothes were dry by then. Wilhelm had spread out their clothes in a way they had a chance to get dry. 

Before they headed to the workshop, they stopped by the local bakery to get some croissants they could eat for breakfast. The local bakery also sold fresh orange juice so they also bought a bottle of that.

Then they headed to the workshop. They ate their breakfast on the small bench that was placed in front of the shop and then they headed inside.

Wilhelm placed the book on the wooden table. It was in a poor state. It had a soft cover but the image was faded and the cover was full of cracks, so was the back. The pages were still in a good state luckily. No stains or pages being ripped. It was only the cover. It was an older edition of “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen. Wilhelm had read it at least ten times but his copy was in a much better state.

Simon sat down next to him on the big wooden workshop table. He looked at how Wilhelm carefully removed the damaged cover and then with all precision gave it a new one. He bound the book back together as it was slightly falling apart and he gave it a hardcover.

All the work took him several hours but Simon kept watching. When he was ready he gave the book to Simon who was almost afraid to touch it.

“You can take it”, Wilhelm smiled at him.

“But-”, Simon wanted to protest.

“It's yours”, Wilhelm said before Simon could say anything else.

“What?”, Simon asked confused.

“It's probably not your usual literature but I can recommend this book, it's really good”, Wilhelm said.

“You made this for me?”, Simon asked still confused and Wilhelm thought he looked adorable.

“Yes, I wanted to show you and now you get it as a present but please take care of it otherwise I'm actually going to be mad”, Wilhelm said.

“Thank you so much”, Simon said with a wide smile and hugged Wilhelm from his place on the table.

“Now you have a piece of me”, Wilhelm whispered in his ear and he felt how Simon hugged him tighter.

“This means a lot to me”, Simon told him after he let go of him. 

“What do you wanna do now?”, Wilhelm asked him, taking his hands in his, entertwining their fingers.

“I wanna go for ice cream and I'll pay”, Simon said.

“Okay, then we go for ice cream”, Wilhelm smiled, taking Simon up from the workbench which made him squeal and then he put him on the ground. It made them stand so close, it took his breath away. Adoringly he looked at Simon, getting his hand through his curls and Simon leaned into the touch.

“You really are special”, Wilhelm said. Otherwise he wouldn't have given him the book.

His words made Simon blush. The times he made Simon blush were uncountable by then but Simon made him blush an equal amount. 

They walked to the ice cream stand near the beach. It was sunny, you wouldn't even think a storm raged over the small town the day before.

Simon ordered both their ice creams. Strawberry and chocolate for Wilhelm and vanilla and chocolate for Simon. Instead of going onto the beach, they walked through the small town where it was less busy. It was a beautiful town and Wilhelm knew Simon loved it there as much as he did. The buildings were old but had their charms. There was nothing modern in this town, giving it something peaceful. Wilhelm's dream was to travel the world first and then grow old in this town.

Wilhelm looked at Simon who was talking about a movie he watched a few days ago. Wilhelm thought it was cute to see him talking excitedly about something especially because he was still eating his ice cream.

He looked from Simon's ice cream to his nose and it was stronger than himself but he pushed Simon's ice cream against his nose, just because he could. Simon looked shocked at him and then looked back at his ice cream.

“What was that for?”, he asked offended.

“Just because”, Wilhelm laughed.

“You little shit”, Simon said and did the same to him.

Wilhelm wiped the ice cream from his nose while he was laughing and then licked it off his finger. There was still ice cream on Simon's nose and it looked absolutely adorable. 

“Come here”, he said and pulled him closer.

He wiped the ice cream off Simon's nose with his thumb and licked it off. They were close again and the tension between them had risen. Ever since they almost kissed the day before they kept ending up in these kinds of situations. Simon just smiled at him with red cheeks and just pushed himself off of him. It couldn't have been more obvious that they were into each other. But the nearing end of summer stood between them.

When evening started to fall, Wilhelm and Simon walked back to the bookshop. There was a beautiful sunset which they enjoyed for a while. Then Simon took his stuff and was ready to go back to his family.

“Thank you for today”, Simon said and gave Wilhelm a kiss on the cheek.

The unexpectedness of the kiss made his cheeks heat up. Simon made him blush so fast, it was actually getting embarrassing.

“I'm glad you had a good day and take care of the book”, Wilhelm replied.

“I will, don't worry”, Simon smiled and their hands slowly slipped out of each other. 

Wilhelm watched him walk away before he went back into his van. With a wide smile he fell onto his bed. The pillow Simon had used still smelled like him which made his heart flutter as happiness washed over him. How were they ever going to say goodbye at the end of summer? It almost seemed impossible by then.

Everyday they grew closer. Most of the time Simon just worked on his thesis in the bookshop. It were the little moments and the small gestures that made Wilhelm fall harder for Simon. Simon had made it a game to hide little papers around the shop. Lyrics of the songs he had been listening to but not just lyrics, it were love declarations. In return Wilhelm hid little papers for Simon writing down quotes from his favourite books that were also love declarations.

Indirectly they had confessed their feelings but directly they still hadn't. Wilhelm wanted to kiss Simon so badly but he wanted to find the right moment but moments like they had during the storm or at the workshop didn't occur anymore. They were always being interrupted by customers and since the weather had been much better it had been busy in his shop.

For a week he didn't see Simon because his mom had planned some fun things and since Simon was almost done with his thesis he wanted to spend some time with his family. Wilhelm understood that completely but he had to admit he missed Simon's company. He missed being able to look at him, talk to him, flirt with him. The end of the summer was also nearing which meant that they had to say goodbye really soon. Only the thought of it made his stomach twist and turn with anxiety.

After the week Simon spent with his family he came back to the bookshop. It was evening and he had brought some sushi and some cheesecake for dessert. It had been busy in the shop so Wilhelm was exhausted but he was so happy to see Simon again.

“I brought food, I heard it had been busy here so I guess you could use something to get some energy back”, Simon said.

Wilhelm hadn't eaten much that day because he simply didn't have the time so when he saw the food, his stomach immediately started to rumble.

“You're a life saver”, Wilhelm smiled.

Simon helped Wilhelm close the shop and then they got comfortable on the bed. They ate in silence because Wilhelm was really hungry and he was tired. He was just happy to have Simon with him again.

“How was your week?”, Wilhelm asked Simon after they were done eating the sushi.

“Really good, my family and I went to the beach and we played a lot of games. Oh, we visited this town nearby, I actually never had been there but they had this museum with guess what”, Simon started telling enthusiastically.

“I have no idea”, Wilhelm smiled.

“It was all about music and they had a whole section about sixties music! Like, the coincidence and the man who owns the museum gave me so much information I could still use for my thesis so in the evenings I worked on that and now I'm more or less done!”, Simon said happily and excitedly. His eyes were sparkling and it just made Wilhelm so happy to see him like this.

Simon told Wilhelm more about his week and what he found for his thesis. In the meantime Wilhelm took the two small cheesecakes, each a portion and put them on a plate.

“I'm sorry, I've been talking so much. How was your week?”, Simon asked as he took one of the plates.

“Very busy but good”, Wilhelm smiled. His week hadn't been so adventurous. “It was a bit boring and I really missed you here”, he added.

He saw how Simon's eyes started to sparkle when he said he missed him. “I missed you too”, he replied.

Then it hit him that the summer was soon coming to an end and what would happen then? Would he see Simon ever again? He knew his feelings for him were growing every day and he knew Simon also had feelings for him, he wasn’t blind. Neither of them just didn’t dare to confess because what would happen after the summer? Simon would graduate and Wilhelm still had a year to go.

“Would you like to meet my family?”, Simon suddenly asked him.

“Of course”, Wilhelm smiled.

“My grandmother asked if you would like to come over for dinner tomorrow evening”, Simon said.

“I would love that”, Wilhelm answered and in an instant Simon gave him a kiss on the cheek. A kiss that made both of them blush.

Simon stayed the night. Wilhelm wanted to watch a movie but Simon wasn't really into that. Instead he picked a book and he began reading out loud while Simon was lying in his arms. He saw how Simon enjoyed this and he listened to his every word. He played with Wilhelm's fingers, keeping his hand close to his heart.

When Simon had fallen asleep, Wilhelm threw the blanket over them. He looked at Simon and his fingers combed through his curls. He gave Simon a kiss on his forehead before whispering a goodnight he wouldn't hear anymore.

The next day Simon left in the afternoon since his grandmother wanted him to help with making dinner. It gave Wilhelm time enough to search for something to wear. He wanted to wear something special. He and Simon weren't together but he wanted to do that effort for him anyway. He wanted to impress Simon even though he knew he didn't have to anymore.

Then he saw a small paper sticking out of a book. Somehow he knew Simon had put it there before he left. He took it out and read the little note.

“Maybe you can stay the night? x”

The words made Wilhelm's heart flutter. He read the words over and over again and his eyes lingered on the little kiss at the end. Simon left the note so he would take his stuff with him, that's how clever Simon was.

When he was totally ready he left his van and closed it off before he left. He walked into the small town. He passed his grandfather's old little house which made him a bit emotional. 

A few streets further he arrived at Simon's grandmother's house. He looked at the bottle of wine and the bouquet of flowers in his hands. He bought them on the local little market after Simon left. He needed to bring something to thank them for their hospitality. 

For some reason he was nervous. It took a while before the door opened. Simon smiled nervously but he looked so immensely good. He was wearing black jeans and a light brown shirt that was hanging open a bit.

“Hey, come in”, Simon said to him.

“Hey, long time no see”, Wilhelm joked which made Simon laugh.

Simon led him into the house. Wilhelm could hear a lot of talking from the living room which made him even more nervous. What if Simon's family didn't like him? They were just friends but if his family wouldn't like him, the chances of becoming more would just be destroyed. He didn't have to fool himself, he was falling in love with Simon and he was falling hard and fast. He didn't even try to hide it but that night he contained it just a little bit.

Simon took his hand when they entered the living room but let go when the room fell silent and the attention was pointed to them.

“This is my friend, Wilhelm. He owns the tiny bookstore by the beach”, Simon introduced him.

Then it all went fast. Wilhelm got to know Simon’s mom, sister, his grandparents, his aunt and a few of his nephews and nieces. Now he understands how loud it could get when they were all together. They welcomed him with open arms which was a relief for him. They were interested in the bookshop and what he was studying. While he was talking he saw how Simon looked at him the whole time. He was smiling dreamingly at him. Simon was enjoying this.

Apparently Simon’s grandmother knew his grandfather. When she arrived in this small coast town when she was twenty it was his grandfather who showed her this town. It wasn’t a surprise because his grandfather was the kindest man. What did surprise him was that they dated for a few months. His grandfather never told him about her but it was also way before he met his grandmother. After that they stayed friends and when his grandfather opened his bookshop near the beach, she came by a few days a week.

Wilhelm suddenly remembered her. He remembered that there was always a woman that visited his shop quiet frequently. His grandfather always said she was a good friend and he always kept some books apart for her. But since his grandfather died he never saw her again when he took over the bookshop.

“I never had the courage to go back because I do miss him a lot. When I saw one of Simon’s books had that typical stamp inside it surprised me”, Simon’s grandmother told him.

He looked at Simon who looked as surprised as him. He didn’t know either, he also heard this for the first time.

“You’re always welcome”, he smiled at her.

“When I hear Simon’s stories about you it really reminds me of your grandfather, you look a lot like him”, she said.

For Wilhelm that was a compliment to hear because he had always looked up at his grandfather.

After dinner Simon helped his grandmother do the dishes. When Wilhelm passed the kitchen to go to the toilet he picked up on their conversation. He didn’t want to listen but what they were talking about drew his attention because they were talking about him.

“So you really like Wilhelm don’t you?”, his grandmother asked him.

“I guess I do”, Simon replied with a nervous undertone and it made Wilhelm smile, “ Why did you not tell me you knew the bookshop and Wilhelm’s grandfather?”.

“Because it brought so many memories to the surface but I was just curious to see his grandson again”, Simon’s grandmother replied.

For a while it was silent and Wilhelm finally wanted to make his way to the toilet until Simon started speaking again.

“Grandma, I think I love him. It's fast and it's weird and it never happened so fast but I think I do”, Simon said and it made Wilhelm's heart beat faster.

“Sometimes love can surprise you”, is all his grandmother said.

“We talked about the future and he wants to travel through a lot of countries with the bookshop…and I think I want to join him. No, I know I want to join him”, Simon told her.

It surprised Wilhelm he was still thinking about this. It just sounded like a silly idea even if it's what he wanted the most but for Simon it was a serious idea, something he was really considering. And if Simon would join him, Wilhelm was sure he wanted to do it too.

“If that's really what you want, you should just do it. Follow your heart and if your heart belongs with him you will follow him either way”, his grandma answered and he heard her coming closer so he stepped away.

Simon's words kept circling through his mind. It had already been obvious Simon was into him because neither of them were really hiding their feelings. But he never thought Simon would love him. They had spent the whole summer together and it was magical. It wasn't how he expected it to be, it was much better than that. That's why he also couldn't get the  idea of traveling with the van with Simon out of his head.

Wilhelm walked back into the living room. Simon was the first person he saw. He was talking to his aunt. He just kept looking at him and felt that funny feeling in his stomach. In that moment he felt many different things. He felt nervous, excited, loved, happy. He would kiss Simon that night. He had to kiss Simon that night. There was only one week of the summer left.

When Simon's aunt walked over to one of her children, Wilhelm walked over to Simon.

“How are you feeling?”, Simon asked him while grabbing his hand and with his words from earlier still in his mind, it made his whole skin tingle.

“I'm good, your family is amazing”, Wilhelm answered.

Simon just smiled and if he could he would've kissed him right there but with his family so near it wouldn't have been a good idea.

“What about we take a walk on the beach?”, Wilhelm proposed, it would give them a moment alone.

“Of course”, Simon smiled and Wilhelm pulled him up by his hand.

The advantage of a small coast town is that the beach is always near. It was a full moon so they easily found their way onto the sand. It also wasn't fully dark yet, there still was a dark blue shimmer on the horizon but the stars already became visible. They walked hand in hand, looking at the stars. Then they sat down in the cold sand. 

“How is your thesis now?”, Wilhelm asked Simon.

“I just have to do one last check before I submit it tomorrow”, Simon answered.

“And then you'll be a graduate”, Wilhelm replied.

“Hopefully”, Simon smiled a bit unsure but Wilhelm reassured him by squeezing his hand.

“Why couldn't you submit it in June?”, Wilhelm asked curiously. 

Simon sighed. “A concurrence of events”.

“Nothing too bad I hope?”, Wilhelm asked.

“Bad time management and then at the beginning of April my grandmother broke her leg. I wanted to take care of her because my mom and sister have their work and I could catch up with classes online so it was the better option that I came here. I took care of her and helped her but June was coming closer which meant I also had to study but I still had to submit my thesis so I dropped my thesis and chose to focus on my exams. In June I traveled back and forth to university for my exams which was extremely exhausting”, Simon explained.

“So you have been here since April?”, Wilhelm asked shocked. 

“Yeah, I uhm- It wasn’t a coincidence I found your bookshop”, Simon said and Wilhelm couldn’t see his face in the bare moonlight but he just knew he was blushing.

“What do you mean?”, Wilhelm asked.

“The first time I saw you was in April during the Easter holidays”, Simon admitted. 

“I opened my shop in April because the weather was actually good”, Wilhelm remembered. 

“I took a break from studying and went for a walk at the beach. It wasn’t really warm but the sun was shining and there I saw you by your shop”, Simon said. He was thinking while he looked at the moon. “I wanted to talk to you but I didn’t find the courage. Then at the beginning of July I saw you again but it was only when I needed that book, I dared to talk to you. Only your shop had the book and it seemed to be destined, like the universe was telling me to talk to you”. 

“I’m glad you walked into my shop for that book”, Wilhelm smiled.

He looked at their linked hands. The summer would only last a few more days and then Simon would be gone again and he had to go back to university. They had each other's phone numbers but he wasn't looking forward to saying goodbye to Simon. The thought of it alone made him feel this sharp pain in his chest. It has only been two months and he is already so hooked on him.

“I'm going into the water”, he announced.

“Isn't that dangerous?”, Simon wondered.

“The sea is calm and I'm not going that deep”, Wilhelm said, standing up already, “You coming?”

“We don't have any swimwear?”, Simon asked.

“That's not going to stop me”, Wilhelm answered taking off his shirt first before he took off his black jeans. 

Simon smiled and stood up and began to undress himself too. When they were both naked Wilhelm couldn't help but let his gaze wander over Simon's body. He did it respectfully and he saw Simon did the same.

He looked back at him and took Simon's hand. Together they walked into the water. It was ice cold by now and he saw how Simon flinched a bit. He was used to bathing in this cold water but Simon wasn't so they took it slow.

They walked further until the water reached their waist. Wilhelm saw Simon couldn't take much more. The moon was right in front of them, big and full, shining white light on the water.

Suddenly he thought about the moment Simon walked into his store for the first time. He thought about that one evening during the thunderstorm he and Simon almost kissed. He thought about the small things they did together, the things they shared. 

He looked back at Simon who was staring in front of him, the breeze going through his curls. It made him realise that this summer he fell in love with him. Love may be a loaded word but sometimes it's also just as simple as that.

He turned in the direction of Simon and it made Simon do the same. Simon smiled so widely, a smile that had been etched into his mind. It was a smile that made you feel better whenever you had a bad day or that made you so happy it felt like you were floating. 

“This summer was amazing”, he said to Simon, taking both of his hands in his.

“Despite my thesis, it really was”, Simon answered.

For a while Wilhelm thought about his next words. Simon was so mesmerising, he didn't know what to say. How do you say that someone conquered your heart over summer and you're not ready to let him go yet. 

“I'm not ready to say goodbye to you yet so I have to do this first”, instead of saying it with words he just showed him.

Wilhelm closed the gap between them and kissed Simon. The first touch of their lips made the butterflies in his stomach wide awake. One hand was placed on the back of Simon's head, his fingers going through his curls, the other was carefully placed on his hip. He melted into the kiss, a kiss that kept getting more heated.

He lifted Simon up and Simon wrapped his legs around him. The fact they were naked didn't make it weird, it felt pure. Wilhelm dragged him out of the water because he could feel Simon was shivering from the cold. The whole time they just smiled at each other and when they reached dry land Wilhelm laid him down in the sand. Simon pulled him with him and they kissed again. 

Wilhelm hoovered over him, eagerly kissing Simon now he finally could. Simon pulled him down by his neck, deepening the kiss. Kissing him felt unreal but so magical. 

It was Wilhelm who softly pulled back and caressed Simon's cheek. He laid down next to Simon but on his side so he could look at him.

“I've wanted to do that for so long”, Wilhelm whispered, brushing a curl out of Simon's face.

“Why didn't we?”, Simon asks but they both knew the answer.

“Scared for what's coming in a few days”, Wilhelm replied with the truth.

Simon sighed and he took Wilhelm's hand in his. “I don't want to go away, I want to stay with you”.

“I know”, Wilhelm said, pressing a kiss to Simon's forehead.

For a while they just laid there, gazing at the stars above them. Wilhelm felt that Simon began shivering again so he pulled him closer to him. 

“I know I asked you to stay over at my grandmother's house but…what if we just go to your van. I want to be alone with you tonight”, Simon said.

“Then we go to my van”, Wilhelm replied and kissed Simon again. 

When Simon was getting too cold they got dressed again and walked back to Simon's grandmother's house. They said goodbye to everyone and when they had their stuff they walked back to Wilhelm's van. 

The next morning Wilhelm woke up with Simon’s naked body pressed against him. He dragged his fingertips over Simon’s skin. He could hear the waves crashing onto the beach and the seagulls. He always enjoyed waking up to these sounds but it was even better with Simon in his arms. With Simon it all felt complete. 

Simon slowly woke up and he catched Wilhelm staring at him but it made him smile. “Good morning”, he said, pressing a kiss to Wilhelm’s shoulder. 

“Good morning”, Wilhelm replied, pressing a kiss to Simon’s nose. 

Simon closed the gap between them, kissing Wilhelm and Wilhelm pulled Simon onto him. Everything felt so safe between the walls of his van. There he had everything he loved, books and Simon. He didn’t need more in life.

“Next summer we travel around the world”, Wilhelm interrupted their kisses.

“Gladly”, Simon answered and kissed him again. 

“And I love you too”, Wilhelm said. 

“What?”, Simon asked blushing. 

“I heard you talking to your grandmother yesterday”, Wilhelm admitted.

“What- You-”, Simon's cheeks kept getting more red which made Wilhelm laugh but then he kissed Simon again. 

That day Simon submitted his thesis. The last week of summer Wilhelm and Simon spent as much time together as possible. Simon even helped him in the bookshop, selling books. The bookshop became their place, where they both felt safe, where they shared their love. It was their escape from reality, from the world but at the same time they couldn't be closer to reality.

At the end of the week Simon received his results. Wilhelm and Simon were impatiently waiting for the results to come in. They sat on the bed and Wilhelm felt how Simon’s hand was shaking so he held it tightly. He was sure he would pass but somehow Simon was still doubting it. 

Then the result came in and they discovered Simon had passed his thesis and that he graduated with distinction. Out of pure euphoria, Simon hugged Wilhelm tightly.

“I knew you could do it, I'm so proud of you”, Wilhelm whispered.

That night they celebrated Simon graduating with a campfire on the beach. Apparently his family and a few neighbours always celebrate the end of the summer with a bonfire but that year it was extra special. Simon even played a few songs and despite spending the whole summer together it was the first time he heard Simon sing. His eyes were locked on him the whole time and it made him realise how lucky he was to have someone as Simon. He arrived in his life like a whirlwind but that summer was the best summer he ever had. Wilhelm would never forget the moment Simon walked into his tiny bookstore. 

***

Wilhelm was stalling out his books. He had graduated a few days ago and almost immediately after the graduation ceremony he drove to his place by the beach. He stood outside and took in the typical smell of the sea and the nature he was surrounded with. Then he heard footsteps behind him.

“Are you ready?”, he heard Simon ask. I hadn’t seen him in weeks because he was busy with his thesis that was an analysis of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” and a comparison with today’s literature about the same thematics. A topic he chose himself.

“More than ready”, Wilhelm turned around and fell into Simon’s arms for a tight hug. 

What began as a stupid idea, suddenly became reality.