Tomorrow I Will Wake Up in Your Bed : Chapter 20
Title: Tomorrow I Will Wake Up in Your Bed : Chapter 20
Authors:
fernedakki
Pairing: Lukas Podolski / Bastian Schweinsteiger
Rating: NC-17 (This part)
Genre: Alternate Reality / Romance
Word Count: 3,330 Words
Disclaimer: This did not actually happen, although God knows I wish.
Summary: On Bastian’s 30th Birthday, Lukas wondered what it would be like if he's in Ibiza with his best friend tonight instead of Turkey. The next morning, he woke up to find Bastian in his bed, naked and sleeping, and he’s not in Turkey anymore.
Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
A/N: You can also read this on AO3. And feedbacks, pls!
Tomorrow I Will Wake Up In Your Bed: Chapter 20
Ibiza was still as cold as fuck.
They arrived on the island in the afternoon and took a cab to the hotel Lukas stayed a month ago.
No one really had the heart to do anything and it's freaking cold outside anyway so they stayed in the living room in their suite, playing games that Bastian brought with them. When they're bored, Bastian switched to TV and they watched news for a bit, it's on sports section.
After a couple of football game reports, the news that came up next made Lukas stare.
"Congratulations to Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso for their new child! The surrogate had just given birth to Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso's first biological child. The baby is a boy, 7.6 pounds, very healthy. The footballer couple would take their son to their home in Liverpool." The screen showed Xabi Alonso holding a bundle in his arms with Steven Gerrard by his side as cameras kept flashing. They gazed at the sleeping baby in awe, the look of whipped parents on their faces. "We'll see in the years to come whether their son would look exactly like Alberto Moreno," the newscaster joked.
"Mommy asked whether I would mind if she's to have another baby," Louis spoke up. Both Bastian and Lukas turned to look at him. "I don't mind at all, I've always wanted to have siblings."
Lukas looked at him, and then he looked at Bastian, to find his lover looking down at the floor. He quirked his brow, he always knew Bastian loved children and it's no doubt he would want to have his own. Why they had never discussed about having biological children before was beyond his understanding, seeing that Gerlonso could pull that off just fine to the world's congratulations.
Or they had discussed it before and the other Lukas didn't want another child because he already had Louis? Or Bastian had never brought this topic up because he thought Lukas had already had Louis and didn't want another? Or was it because they thought this, creating a child of parents of the same sex through surrogacy, was too unnatural?
"Mom promised to love me all the same so that's no problem. How about you, Schweini?"
Lukas kept his eyes on Bastian, he knew this question was truly tempting. Bastian flushed and struggled to find the right words, "umm, I-"
"I bet the other me would want another kids, because I also want it," Lukas spoke up and both Bastian and Louis turned to look at him. "Have you ever discussed this before?" He asked.
"Umm, no, I'd never asked because since you already have Louis, that is enough, Louis could as well be my son."
"But I want a little brother!" Louis whined. "Or sister, anything."
"You already have Louis' consent," Lukas smiled and caught Bastian's hand with his. "Talk to him about it, why don't you?"
The Bavarian looked at him, his cheeks still flushed as he nodded slowly. Lukas' heart ached, damn, he's telling a lie if he said he didn't want to really see that happen, of course he wanted to know what his and Bastian's son would look like...Will he have Lukas' crystal clear blue eyes with Bastian's nose? Have bright blond hair and a heart of gold?
He kissed Louis goodbye that night and Louis hugged him tight because he knew it would be the last time. Lukas hugged him back and suppressed the tears. He whispered, "I love you, and will always love you, remember that," in Louis' ears, Louis said the same thing back to him.
He went out to the living room where Bastian was still sitting in the couch. He offered Lukas a can of beer and the Pole took it, he guessed both of them needed alcohols tonight.
They sat watching television in silence, the room was dark save for the lights from the screen. Both didn't want this night to end. Bastian flicked the remote control browsing channels after channels without paying attention to anything in particular. He stopped at a music channel playing Elvis Presley's 'Can't Help Falling In Love'. They watched the black and white video while sipping beers.
Then the song changed to 'What A Wonderful World' Rod Stewart’s version and the slow melody made Lukas' heart clench.
'I see trees of green, red roses, too
I see them bloom, for me and you,'
"Would you like to dance?" he asked Bastian on the spur of the moment. The Bavarian looked at him, amazed.
"Here?"
The Pole held his hand out, Bastian looked at it before putting his on it. Lukas pulled him up, putting his other hand on Bastian's waist sending the other flush crimson. Then he slowly moved: left-right-left-right, just a casual dance, no patterns nor forms. They danced slowly to the sluggish beat,
'I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world,'
'The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
But they're really saying I love you,'
The Bavarian put his head on Lukas' shoulder as they moved together around the room and the video kept playing,
'I hear baby's crying and I watched them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world,"
And then Lukas kissed him.
It's a desperate kiss, since he knew it's one of their last kisses. When they broke away eventually, the song ended,
'Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world,'
The room was dark as the video changed to The Platter's 'The Great Pretender'. Bastian looked at him in the dark, eyes glinting, Lukas looked back at him. They stared at each other in silence waiting for either of them to make the first move, then, slowly, Lukas pulled out the pendant which he had hanging around his neck all the time.
Bastian took it in his hand.
Lukas held his hand out and Bastian put his other free hand on it. Holding it tight, the Pole looked the blonde in the eyes one more time to make sure that what he saw in them was resolution before turning around, leading the way out of their room.
They were silent all the way down the elevator then along the walk on the esplanade, all the time Lukas never let Bastian's hand go. He led them to the same jetty, the path was bright with both the moon and electric lights tonight. Lukas stopped at the end of the jetty and turned to Bastian.
The Bavarian looked at the full moon, and then the dark sea. He loosened his hand, caught the necklace but letting the stone dangle below, the gem sparkled in the moonlight reflecting every ray of it in its dark blue color. Then Bastian slowly closed his eyes.
He didn't say the wish out loud, Lukas looked at him for some time then also closed his eyes and made a wish, just in case Bastian pulled it like last time by casting the wish in his direction.
When he opened his eyes again, Bastian was looking at him.
Lukas' breath hitched at the desperation in the usually-lively olive-colored eyes. Extending his hand to the pendant still dangling in Bastian's hand, the pole took it from him then put it around the Bavarian's neck for him.
He didn't ask what Bastian wished, the blonde said that if the wishes were told, they wouldn't become true, though that's not the case since the last time the other him also said it out loud.
Anyway, it's all about trust now.
Holding out his hand again, he took Bastian's free hand and they walked back to the hotel in dead silence. When they eventually got into the room, the blonde pulled him headlong into a fierce kiss.
He kissed back while dragging the other into their bedroom. They stripped each other's clothes off, Lukas' hands roaming all over Bastian's body like to claim him all over as well as to remember every inch of him. Lukas' lips kissed, nibbled and sucked the Bavarian's pale skin, creating marks as well as his fingers which kept clenching the blonde's flesh creating red prints all over his body. He just wanted to make sure he wasn't dreaming, all of this wasn't simply his loony fantasy, to make sure that this was as real to Bastian as him, he wanted to remember every bit of it and he wanted Bastian to remember this, too.
But even though this is simply a dream, he would never want to wake up.
Bastian moaned into Lukas' mouth as the Pole dilly-dallyingly stroked his cock, before his other hand slipped to Bastian's hole to slowly finger-fuck him. The blonde bit Lukas' lower lip and screamed to warn him that he's about to come so the Pole stopped his manhandling and replaced fingers with his erection.
Then Bastian cried, he cried and cried silently and Lukas didn't know how to comfort him because tears were trickling down his cheeks noiselessly as well. Bastian was always a crybaby even in the other reality while Lukas had only cried in front of Bastian only once or twice as far as he could remember, he's a tough guy and when he let everything loose in front of others like this, it meant he'd already laid bare the very fragile side of him.
He kissed tears off Bastian's cheeks, but they kept coming quietly and wouldn't stop. Lukas cursed then kissed the blonde's lips with abandon, Bastian's lips were salty because of teardrops, his wet cheek rubbed against Lukas' damp one as the Pole whispered against his lips, "You know that if it works, tomorrow you'll wake up and still find me, right? It's not like Lukas Podolski is going anywhere." He kissed the corner of Bastian's mouth again.
"It's not the same," the blonde whispered, then pointed out, "and you're also crying, Luki, so you can't scold me,"
"Well, for me it's really 'not the same', I don't know when I'd be able to kiss you like this again, maybe never even." He felt a sharp pain in his chest saying that, he swallowed.
"But you promised that you'd follow your heart!" he sounded panicked though it's not even him whom Lukas' decision would affect.
"I'd do that, of course, I promise." He kissed the blonde's cheek consolingly again. "But I don't know whether it'd work, I don't know whether you'd love me back the way you love me here."
"I will," Bastian replied confidently. "If you can say for yourself here, I also can say for myself there: I will."
"Glad to hear that," Lukas replied and moved. Bastian gasped and clasped the Pole’s nape, so that his face was still and they could look each other in the eyes.
"I'll remember you like this, as another Lukas Podolski, not the fake one, nor the real one, just another one. I'll keep you here in my heart and always remember that I have loved you, now and still," he whispered, tears trickling down his cheek.
"I love you," Lukas blurted out, their eyes still locked. "Basti, I love you, in this world, in the other world, and beyond." Tears dropped from the corner of his eyes onto the Bavarian's cheek, Bastian smiled and used his thumb to brush Lukas' tears off the Pole's cheek.
"I love you, and will love you until other universes, too," Bastian whispered.
The night was dark and Lukas couldn't breathe, he wasn't sleepy either and they kept opening up their eyes to check whether the other had fallen asleep, which hadn't. This happened for many hours until dawn almost broke.
But when Lukas' mind was eventually dragged under restive sleep, Bastian in his arms, he dreamt the strangest dream,
He was with Louis in a white house with bay windows, colorful potted flowers lined up on the windowsill. They're playing cards on the floor, it's summer and sunlight that slanted in through the windows was warm. They heard people talking in the next room so they got up, he took Louis' hand and they walked out the door to the hallway.
The noise came from the next door which was opened slightly. Lukas pushed it open and the soft and warm wind with lemongrass smell gushed out of the room. The first thing that caught his eyes was the bellowing white curtain because a window was opened, then he saw a figure standing next to it: a figure with blond hair and white skin like he's scintillating under sunlight.
It was Bastian.
"Luki," the Bavarian looked up from something in his arms and he'd never seen Bastian this euphoric before, his smile was so wide and he's so beautiful that the Pole's heart skipped a beat. "Luki, look at him," he said and Lukas walked over with Louis, then he realized what was in the blonde's arms.
It's a baby.
A newborn baby in a bundle, he's opening his eyes and smiling at Bastian, tiny fists waving about, his skin was still red. "He's got your eyes, just like Louis," the blonde said. Lukas' breath hitched as he looked at the tiny thing, the baby got bright blue eyes and he's the most beautiful being Lukas had ever seen.
Lukas startled awake.
He felt sweats sprouting on his forehead, the room was lit softly from morning sunlight through chasm of curtains. He looked around, heart racing in his chest as he tried to remember where he was.
He definitely didn't fall asleep in this bed, in this room. He tried to recall what he did last night. His memory was blank for a time, then something suddenly snapped in his head.
Last night he was...
He looked around alarmedly, the room looked very unfamiliar, it had a king-size bed, a wardrobe, a table, a chair, three double casement windows with white curtains and of course he didn't fall asleep here last night - the part that he had really experienced, that is. He looked for his phone on the bedside table, it's there so he snatched it, the date displaying on the screen was January the 6th, the time was eight in the morning.
His heart almost broke his ribcage as he unlocked the phone and tapped open Safari on the screen.
He googled his name.
Under his name on Google Search, it's written that his spouse was Monika Podolski (m. 2011).
Lukas' heart skipped a very long beat.
He put the phone down in his lap, eyes staring at a curtained window. So this is it. It worked: the stone, the wishes, the myth was real, he's now back in his world, with Monika as his wife and Bastian as his friend.
What do I do now?
He didn't have plan for this, of course.
Then he realized that he could also use his phone to indicate his location, his heart beat fast as he opened Google Map and pushed current location button.
It interacted with the satellite for a while but the blue dot on Google Map eventually dashed to the middle of Milan, Italy.
Lukas' eyes went wide, what the fuck is he doing in Milan?!
That's when he heard something from downstairs: something like clanking. He froze.
Who's down there?
He narrowed his eyes then looked down at his pajamas, just to make sure, he's in a t-shirt and boxer briefs: his usual pajamas. So he slid out of bed and walked silently out of the room, along the hallway then down the stairs. There's someone in the kitchen, clanking noises could still be heard. Lukas' heart drummed in his chest as he stopped next to the kitchen door, hesitating whether he wanted to know the truth.
Though he had gut feeling - or actually, high hopes - what this was all about.
Lukas stepped into the doorway.
There's someone in t-shirt and sweatpants standing at the counter. He seemed to having been caught up in cutting vegetables but turning around once hearing the noise in the doorway. Lukas was stunned to the spot as Bastian smiled widely at him. "Good morning, Luki," he greeted.
Though he'd had the gut feeling, the visual confirmation still had full effect on him. Lukas stared at Bastian disbelievingly. When he still didn't take his eyes off him, the Bavarian agitated. "Why are you looking at me like you see a ghost, Luki?" He teased.
He's sure this was his reality, the Google Search had kind of confirmed it. But then Bastian was here, in the flesh, alone with him in...Milan? And Lukas couldn't believe this was actually happening.
Well, IS this actually happening?
What if this is a dream again? So he's having a dream inside a dream for real this time. It's very likely because right now everything had a dreamlike quality, the scene in front of him didn't seem real in anyway. Lukas pinched himself on the inside of his arm and it hurt. Bastian saw that and was even more baffled. "Luki, what's wrong?"
Lukas stepped up and Bastian stepped back instinctively, uncertain. The Pole walked over to the blonde, if this wasn't a dream, he would be able to feel Bastian's skin under his palms, smell the lemongrass shampoo from Bastian's hair and taste the sweet tingling sensation from Bastian's lips. Well, all of these still might not be able to tell apart dream from reality since in his latest dream less than ten minutes ago, he could smell the lemongrass, too.
Fuck that, he didn't care anymore.
Lukas clasped the Bavarian's forearms with both hands, Bastian startled. He could feel the warmth of Bastian's body, and at this proximity, he could also smell lemongrass from Bastian's blond hair.
The Pole leaned in to kiss Bastian on the lips resolutely.
Bastian stood stock-still, and Lukas' stomach dropped realizing that he'd made an outrageous mistake. What if Bastian just stayed over AS A FRIEND? It's not that it had never happened before, how could he immediately jump to the conclusion that right now they're anything more than that?
Lukas' mind was reeling hard for the next admissible move when suddenly the Bavarian kissed him back.
It's the Pole's turn to stand stock-still, eyes wide. He felt like he's about to fall off a cliff but then was rescued in the last split second by an angel, he also felt like there were fireworks exploding in his stomach right now, and even more like his heart was a grenade that imploded when the Bavarian put his hand on his nape, pulling him in for a deeper kiss. Lukas was dazed, he put both hands on Bastian cheeks to force feed his sensations into Bastian's mouth as well as to devour him in return. The blonde's lips were so sweetly intoxicating until they should be illegal poisonous drugs but Lukas was willing to die a thousand times if it meant he could taste them again and again. The kiss was desperate because Lukas thought he had already lost this forever and he forgot to breathe. He didn't know what the fuck was going on at all but as long as he had Bastian in his arms, he didn't actually care.
Finally, when they broke apart, Lukas panted against Bastian's lips, still dizzy by all the surreal sensations as well as the mystification of realities and dreams. "Basti, am I dreaming?" he whispered, pathetically hoping that the answer would be 'no'.
"No, you ain't." Bastian, though a bit bewildered by the question, took it as a jest and snickered. He carded fingers through Lukas' short hair fondly and whispered against his lips, smiling like he's the happiest man in the world, "Luki, this is real."
To be continued in Chapter 21 [End]..
Authors:
fernedakki
Pairing: Lukas Podolski / Bastian Schweinsteiger
Rating: NC-17 (This part)
Genre: Alternate Reality / Romance
Word Count: 3,330 Words
Disclaimer: This did not actually happen, although God knows I wish.
Summary: On Bastian’s 30th Birthday, Lukas wondered what it would be like if he's in Ibiza with his best friend tonight instead of Turkey. The next morning, he woke up to find Bastian in his bed, naked and sleeping, and he’s not in Turkey anymore.
Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
A/N: You can also read this on AO3. And feedbacks, pls!
Tomorrow I Will Wake Up In Your Bed: Chapter 20
Ibiza was still as cold as fuck.
They arrived on the island in the afternoon and took a cab to the hotel Lukas stayed a month ago.
No one really had the heart to do anything and it's freaking cold outside anyway so they stayed in the living room in their suite, playing games that Bastian brought with them. When they're bored, Bastian switched to TV and they watched news for a bit, it's on sports section.
After a couple of football game reports, the news that came up next made Lukas stare.
"Congratulations to Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso for their new child! The surrogate had just given birth to Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso's first biological child. The baby is a boy, 7.6 pounds, very healthy. The footballer couple would take their son to their home in Liverpool." The screen showed Xabi Alonso holding a bundle in his arms with Steven Gerrard by his side as cameras kept flashing. They gazed at the sleeping baby in awe, the look of whipped parents on their faces. "We'll see in the years to come whether their son would look exactly like Alberto Moreno," the newscaster joked.
"Mommy asked whether I would mind if she's to have another baby," Louis spoke up. Both Bastian and Lukas turned to look at him. "I don't mind at all, I've always wanted to have siblings."
Lukas looked at him, and then he looked at Bastian, to find his lover looking down at the floor. He quirked his brow, he always knew Bastian loved children and it's no doubt he would want to have his own. Why they had never discussed about having biological children before was beyond his understanding, seeing that Gerlonso could pull that off just fine to the world's congratulations.
Or they had discussed it before and the other Lukas didn't want another child because he already had Louis? Or Bastian had never brought this topic up because he thought Lukas had already had Louis and didn't want another? Or was it because they thought this, creating a child of parents of the same sex through surrogacy, was too unnatural?
"Mom promised to love me all the same so that's no problem. How about you, Schweini?"
Lukas kept his eyes on Bastian, he knew this question was truly tempting. Bastian flushed and struggled to find the right words, "umm, I-"
"I bet the other me would want another kids, because I also want it," Lukas spoke up and both Bastian and Louis turned to look at him. "Have you ever discussed this before?" He asked.
"Umm, no, I'd never asked because since you already have Louis, that is enough, Louis could as well be my son."
"But I want a little brother!" Louis whined. "Or sister, anything."
"You already have Louis' consent," Lukas smiled and caught Bastian's hand with his. "Talk to him about it, why don't you?"
The Bavarian looked at him, his cheeks still flushed as he nodded slowly. Lukas' heart ached, damn, he's telling a lie if he said he didn't want to really see that happen, of course he wanted to know what his and Bastian's son would look like...Will he have Lukas' crystal clear blue eyes with Bastian's nose? Have bright blond hair and a heart of gold?
He kissed Louis goodbye that night and Louis hugged him tight because he knew it would be the last time. Lukas hugged him back and suppressed the tears. He whispered, "I love you, and will always love you, remember that," in Louis' ears, Louis said the same thing back to him.
He went out to the living room where Bastian was still sitting in the couch. He offered Lukas a can of beer and the Pole took it, he guessed both of them needed alcohols tonight.
They sat watching television in silence, the room was dark save for the lights from the screen. Both didn't want this night to end. Bastian flicked the remote control browsing channels after channels without paying attention to anything in particular. He stopped at a music channel playing Elvis Presley's 'Can't Help Falling In Love'. They watched the black and white video while sipping beers.
Then the song changed to 'What A Wonderful World' Rod Stewart’s version and the slow melody made Lukas' heart clench.
'I see trees of green, red roses, too
I see them bloom, for me and you,'
"Would you like to dance?" he asked Bastian on the spur of the moment. The Bavarian looked at him, amazed.
"Here?"
The Pole held his hand out, Bastian looked at it before putting his on it. Lukas pulled him up, putting his other hand on Bastian's waist sending the other flush crimson. Then he slowly moved: left-right-left-right, just a casual dance, no patterns nor forms. They danced slowly to the sluggish beat,
'I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world,'
'The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
But they're really saying I love you,'
The Bavarian put his head on Lukas' shoulder as they moved together around the room and the video kept playing,
'I hear baby's crying and I watched them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world,"
And then Lukas kissed him.
It's a desperate kiss, since he knew it's one of their last kisses. When they broke away eventually, the song ended,
'Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world,'
The room was dark as the video changed to The Platter's 'The Great Pretender'. Bastian looked at him in the dark, eyes glinting, Lukas looked back at him. They stared at each other in silence waiting for either of them to make the first move, then, slowly, Lukas pulled out the pendant which he had hanging around his neck all the time.
Bastian took it in his hand.
Lukas held his hand out and Bastian put his other free hand on it. Holding it tight, the Pole looked the blonde in the eyes one more time to make sure that what he saw in them was resolution before turning around, leading the way out of their room.
They were silent all the way down the elevator then along the walk on the esplanade, all the time Lukas never let Bastian's hand go. He led them to the same jetty, the path was bright with both the moon and electric lights tonight. Lukas stopped at the end of the jetty and turned to Bastian.
The Bavarian looked at the full moon, and then the dark sea. He loosened his hand, caught the necklace but letting the stone dangle below, the gem sparkled in the moonlight reflecting every ray of it in its dark blue color. Then Bastian slowly closed his eyes.
He didn't say the wish out loud, Lukas looked at him for some time then also closed his eyes and made a wish, just in case Bastian pulled it like last time by casting the wish in his direction.
When he opened his eyes again, Bastian was looking at him.
Lukas' breath hitched at the desperation in the usually-lively olive-colored eyes. Extending his hand to the pendant still dangling in Bastian's hand, the pole took it from him then put it around the Bavarian's neck for him.
He didn't ask what Bastian wished, the blonde said that if the wishes were told, they wouldn't become true, though that's not the case since the last time the other him also said it out loud.
Anyway, it's all about trust now.
Holding out his hand again, he took Bastian's free hand and they walked back to the hotel in dead silence. When they eventually got into the room, the blonde pulled him headlong into a fierce kiss.
He kissed back while dragging the other into their bedroom. They stripped each other's clothes off, Lukas' hands roaming all over Bastian's body like to claim him all over as well as to remember every inch of him. Lukas' lips kissed, nibbled and sucked the Bavarian's pale skin, creating marks as well as his fingers which kept clenching the blonde's flesh creating red prints all over his body. He just wanted to make sure he wasn't dreaming, all of this wasn't simply his loony fantasy, to make sure that this was as real to Bastian as him, he wanted to remember every bit of it and he wanted Bastian to remember this, too.
But even though this is simply a dream, he would never want to wake up.
Bastian moaned into Lukas' mouth as the Pole dilly-dallyingly stroked his cock, before his other hand slipped to Bastian's hole to slowly finger-fuck him. The blonde bit Lukas' lower lip and screamed to warn him that he's about to come so the Pole stopped his manhandling and replaced fingers with his erection.
Then Bastian cried, he cried and cried silently and Lukas didn't know how to comfort him because tears were trickling down his cheeks noiselessly as well. Bastian was always a crybaby even in the other reality while Lukas had only cried in front of Bastian only once or twice as far as he could remember, he's a tough guy and when he let everything loose in front of others like this, it meant he'd already laid bare the very fragile side of him.
He kissed tears off Bastian's cheeks, but they kept coming quietly and wouldn't stop. Lukas cursed then kissed the blonde's lips with abandon, Bastian's lips were salty because of teardrops, his wet cheek rubbed against Lukas' damp one as the Pole whispered against his lips, "You know that if it works, tomorrow you'll wake up and still find me, right? It's not like Lukas Podolski is going anywhere." He kissed the corner of Bastian's mouth again.
"It's not the same," the blonde whispered, then pointed out, "and you're also crying, Luki, so you can't scold me,"
"Well, for me it's really 'not the same', I don't know when I'd be able to kiss you like this again, maybe never even." He felt a sharp pain in his chest saying that, he swallowed.
"But you promised that you'd follow your heart!" he sounded panicked though it's not even him whom Lukas' decision would affect.
"I'd do that, of course, I promise." He kissed the blonde's cheek consolingly again. "But I don't know whether it'd work, I don't know whether you'd love me back the way you love me here."
"I will," Bastian replied confidently. "If you can say for yourself here, I also can say for myself there: I will."
"Glad to hear that," Lukas replied and moved. Bastian gasped and clasped the Pole’s nape, so that his face was still and they could look each other in the eyes.
"I'll remember you like this, as another Lukas Podolski, not the fake one, nor the real one, just another one. I'll keep you here in my heart and always remember that I have loved you, now and still," he whispered, tears trickling down his cheek.
"I love you," Lukas blurted out, their eyes still locked. "Basti, I love you, in this world, in the other world, and beyond." Tears dropped from the corner of his eyes onto the Bavarian's cheek, Bastian smiled and used his thumb to brush Lukas' tears off the Pole's cheek.
"I love you, and will love you until other universes, too," Bastian whispered.
The night was dark and Lukas couldn't breathe, he wasn't sleepy either and they kept opening up their eyes to check whether the other had fallen asleep, which hadn't. This happened for many hours until dawn almost broke.
But when Lukas' mind was eventually dragged under restive sleep, Bastian in his arms, he dreamt the strangest dream,
He was with Louis in a white house with bay windows, colorful potted flowers lined up on the windowsill. They're playing cards on the floor, it's summer and sunlight that slanted in through the windows was warm. They heard people talking in the next room so they got up, he took Louis' hand and they walked out the door to the hallway.
The noise came from the next door which was opened slightly. Lukas pushed it open and the soft and warm wind with lemongrass smell gushed out of the room. The first thing that caught his eyes was the bellowing white curtain because a window was opened, then he saw a figure standing next to it: a figure with blond hair and white skin like he's scintillating under sunlight.
It was Bastian.
"Luki," the Bavarian looked up from something in his arms and he'd never seen Bastian this euphoric before, his smile was so wide and he's so beautiful that the Pole's heart skipped a beat. "Luki, look at him," he said and Lukas walked over with Louis, then he realized what was in the blonde's arms.
It's a baby.
A newborn baby in a bundle, he's opening his eyes and smiling at Bastian, tiny fists waving about, his skin was still red. "He's got your eyes, just like Louis," the blonde said. Lukas' breath hitched as he looked at the tiny thing, the baby got bright blue eyes and he's the most beautiful being Lukas had ever seen.
Lukas startled awake.
He felt sweats sprouting on his forehead, the room was lit softly from morning sunlight through chasm of curtains. He looked around, heart racing in his chest as he tried to remember where he was.
He definitely didn't fall asleep in this bed, in this room. He tried to recall what he did last night. His memory was blank for a time, then something suddenly snapped in his head.
Last night he was...
He looked around alarmedly, the room looked very unfamiliar, it had a king-size bed, a wardrobe, a table, a chair, three double casement windows with white curtains and of course he didn't fall asleep here last night - the part that he had really experienced, that is. He looked for his phone on the bedside table, it's there so he snatched it, the date displaying on the screen was January the 6th, the time was eight in the morning.
His heart almost broke his ribcage as he unlocked the phone and tapped open Safari on the screen.
He googled his name.
Under his name on Google Search, it's written that his spouse was Monika Podolski (m. 2011).
Lukas' heart skipped a very long beat.
He put the phone down in his lap, eyes staring at a curtained window. So this is it. It worked: the stone, the wishes, the myth was real, he's now back in his world, with Monika as his wife and Bastian as his friend.
What do I do now?
He didn't have plan for this, of course.
Then he realized that he could also use his phone to indicate his location, his heart beat fast as he opened Google Map and pushed current location button.
It interacted with the satellite for a while but the blue dot on Google Map eventually dashed to the middle of Milan, Italy.
Lukas' eyes went wide, what the fuck is he doing in Milan?!
That's when he heard something from downstairs: something like clanking. He froze.
Who's down there?
He narrowed his eyes then looked down at his pajamas, just to make sure, he's in a t-shirt and boxer briefs: his usual pajamas. So he slid out of bed and walked silently out of the room, along the hallway then down the stairs. There's someone in the kitchen, clanking noises could still be heard. Lukas' heart drummed in his chest as he stopped next to the kitchen door, hesitating whether he wanted to know the truth.
Though he had gut feeling - or actually, high hopes - what this was all about.
Lukas stepped into the doorway.
There's someone in t-shirt and sweatpants standing at the counter. He seemed to having been caught up in cutting vegetables but turning around once hearing the noise in the doorway. Lukas was stunned to the spot as Bastian smiled widely at him. "Good morning, Luki," he greeted.
Though he'd had the gut feeling, the visual confirmation still had full effect on him. Lukas stared at Bastian disbelievingly. When he still didn't take his eyes off him, the Bavarian agitated. "Why are you looking at me like you see a ghost, Luki?" He teased.
He's sure this was his reality, the Google Search had kind of confirmed it. But then Bastian was here, in the flesh, alone with him in...Milan? And Lukas couldn't believe this was actually happening.
Well, IS this actually happening?
What if this is a dream again? So he's having a dream inside a dream for real this time. It's very likely because right now everything had a dreamlike quality, the scene in front of him didn't seem real in anyway. Lukas pinched himself on the inside of his arm and it hurt. Bastian saw that and was even more baffled. "Luki, what's wrong?"
Lukas stepped up and Bastian stepped back instinctively, uncertain. The Pole walked over to the blonde, if this wasn't a dream, he would be able to feel Bastian's skin under his palms, smell the lemongrass shampoo from Bastian's hair and taste the sweet tingling sensation from Bastian's lips. Well, all of these still might not be able to tell apart dream from reality since in his latest dream less than ten minutes ago, he could smell the lemongrass, too.
Fuck that, he didn't care anymore.
Lukas clasped the Bavarian's forearms with both hands, Bastian startled. He could feel the warmth of Bastian's body, and at this proximity, he could also smell lemongrass from Bastian's blond hair.
The Pole leaned in to kiss Bastian on the lips resolutely.
Bastian stood stock-still, and Lukas' stomach dropped realizing that he'd made an outrageous mistake. What if Bastian just stayed over AS A FRIEND? It's not that it had never happened before, how could he immediately jump to the conclusion that right now they're anything more than that?
Lukas' mind was reeling hard for the next admissible move when suddenly the Bavarian kissed him back.
It's the Pole's turn to stand stock-still, eyes wide. He felt like he's about to fall off a cliff but then was rescued in the last split second by an angel, he also felt like there were fireworks exploding in his stomach right now, and even more like his heart was a grenade that imploded when the Bavarian put his hand on his nape, pulling him in for a deeper kiss. Lukas was dazed, he put both hands on Bastian cheeks to force feed his sensations into Bastian's mouth as well as to devour him in return. The blonde's lips were so sweetly intoxicating until they should be illegal poisonous drugs but Lukas was willing to die a thousand times if it meant he could taste them again and again. The kiss was desperate because Lukas thought he had already lost this forever and he forgot to breathe. He didn't know what the fuck was going on at all but as long as he had Bastian in his arms, he didn't actually care.
Finally, when they broke apart, Lukas panted against Bastian's lips, still dizzy by all the surreal sensations as well as the mystification of realities and dreams. "Basti, am I dreaming?" he whispered, pathetically hoping that the answer would be 'no'.
"No, you ain't." Bastian, though a bit bewildered by the question, took it as a jest and snickered. He carded fingers through Lukas' short hair fondly and whispered against his lips, smiling like he's the happiest man in the world, "Luki, this is real."
To be continued in Chapter 21 [End]..