"I know this is way too early since you only came out last night, but I've been contacted but multiple journalists who would like to interview you about your sexuality and more specifically about the past seven years being a professional soccer player and hiding something like that from the public," Evangeline said after she finished her cup of coffee. Mark stood up and took the cups to the kitchen before Thomas bothered answering her.

"I don't think one interview will be enough to cover my whole life," Thomas muttered.

"I agree, but it's a start..." Evangeline replied.

"You know, I've been thinking about it for a while now," Mark started as he came back, Kenzie walking beside him and placing her head on his thigh when he sat down next to Thomas. "If you wanted to write a book about it, my parents would totally publish it."

"Your parents?" Evangeline asked.

"Yeah, they own a publishing house," Mark answered.

"Mark, I'm good with math and science... but when it comes to writing," Thomas paused to shake his head. "I couldn't write a book."

"I can help you," Mark said with a shrug.

"You would?!"

"Why do you sound surprised?" Mark asked with an amused smile. "I've already written a book. And if you don't trust my abilities, you could always ask Matias for help."

Thomas thought about it for a moment and then he turned to look at Evangeline. She seemed skeptical for a moment and then inhaled deeply.

"If you are looking at me for an answer, you should know this is totally your own choice. But I do think it would be a good thing, to write an autobiography. You're not the first homosexual soccer player, but you are the first one to come out right after breaking a world record. Do you have any idea how many people will look up to you now?" Evangeline said.

"More than the people who will look down at me for being homosexual?" Thomas asked back.

"People like that will either change their mind or die ignorant," Mark cut in. "You definitely can't do anything about it. But you can help the people that are or will be in the same spot as you were. You can inspire so many other young 'Thomas Heissmanns'. People that are homophobic are loud, but right now, you are louder."

Thomas and Evangeline looked at Mark for a moment, processing his words and then Evangeline gave out a small approving hum. Mark turned to look at her and noticed that her eyes were fixated on him with a kind glint in them.

"I can see why Thomas loves you," she said with a warm smile. Then she took a deep breath to snap out of it. "We'll be in touch and I'll keep you updated on anything new about Germany. Also, eventually, you will have to have an interview about the record that you broke. And I can't promise you that your sexuality won't be brought up..."

Thomas nodded with a frown. He hadn't thought about all this last night. He hadn't thought about the interviews and Germany and the ultras. He hadn't thought about the backlash. He had just been happy. And seeing Mark right then and there... he just kissed him.

About an hour after Evangeline left, Thomas felt his phone vibrate. Mark was sitting on the dining table on his laptop going through the photographs from last night's match, deleting the blurry ones, and sorting the decent ones. Thomas took his phone, briefly interrupting his cuddling with Kenzie, and picked up the phone, seeing his mother on the caller ID.

"Hi," he said.

"Baby! I'm so proud of you!" his mother immediately called out. Thomas couldn't help but laugh and notice that Mark turned his gaze to him.

My mom, Thomas mouthed to Mark. "So, I'm guessing you saw the match last night..."

"Of course, I watched it. It was one of your matches. I always watch them. And even if I hadn't, baby you're all over the news!" his mother replied.

"I am?" Thomas asked, even though it didn't actually surprise him.

"Yes, Thomas. Is Mark there? I'd like to talk to him too," she sweetly said.

"Yeah, he's here. Hold on. I'll put you on speaker," he replied and pulled the phone away from his ear. Mark stood up and walked closer to Thomas.

"Hi, Mrs. Heissmann!" Mark called out.

"Oh Mark, dear you know you should call me Birgit," Thomas' mom said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm happy. And proud for Thomas... and... and I'm thankful to you. I'm so thankful that you entered my son's life," she replied.

"That's nice of you to say. I'm glad you feel that way," Mark said and heard his phone ring in his pocket. He pulled it out and when he saw who was calling him let out a thoughtful hum. "I have to pick this up, but I'm happy that we talked Birgit," he said and stood up to go out to the terrace. "Hello, Mr. Folkner," he greeted his boss and he answered the call.

"Hello, Mark McGregor. How are you?" his boss asked.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"Perplexed," was his boss's immediate response. "You see, I woke up this morning and I was accused of favoritism, to my dismay," he went on.

"Favoritism?" Mark asked.

"Yes. I made an executive decision about half a year ago and gave an assignment to someone who is not known for doing similar assignments. I chose that person because I believed that that person would do a better job than their colleagues. But last night it was announced that that person was in a relationship with one of the people I had assigned them to. And a lot of people now think that the reason I gave them that assignment, to begin with, was due to that relationship, even though I was not aware of it, until last night," Folkner said between gritted teeth.

As his boss was speaking, Mark went and sat down on the rattan couch petting Kenzie who had been sitting there playing around with her favorite toy as she had followed him outside. He had figured that his boss wanted to talk about Thomas's coming out, but this wasn't how he had imagined the conversation going.

"For what it's worth, Thomas and I started dating after I got the assignment," Mark said.

"Yes, well, with Lily's article outing your relationship not long ago you can't blame people for making assumptions," Folkner replied.

"Lily's article wasn't accurate."

"So, you and Heissmann didn't date in your past?"

Mark stayed silent and only let out a small huff. Folkner clicked his tongue and exhaled deeply. It wasn't even noon and he was already exhausted.

"McGregor, I don't care about your personal life. I really don't. But if word goes out that I might be favoriting you it could damage your reputation and mine," Folkner replied.

"Well then, it's a good thing that I quit," Mark answered while looking down at Kenzie who leaned into his touch.

"Wait, what? No, Mark, this is not what I-"

"I'm not quitting because of this. I'm just moving away," Mark interrupted him. His boss stayed quiet for a moment, mulling it over.

"Are you moving to Germany with Heissmann?" he eventually asked.

Mark licked his lips and turned to look at Thomas. He wasn't talking on the phone with his mother anymore, but from what Mark could tell Thomas was watching something on the TV.

"I'll send in the photographs from last night match and then I'll start writing my notice letter," Mark told him, ignoring his boss's question.

"I understand," Folkner replied, though Mark could recognize the sadness in his tone. This phone call definitely hadn't gone as Mr. Folkner had imagined. Or Mark, for that matter.

Mark hung up and stood up, nudging Kenzie to follow him back inside. He was about to sit down on his laptop in order to send in the photographs when his attention was drawn to Thomas.

"What are you... watching?" Mark asked as he walked up to him and turned to look at the TV screen.

It was a talk show hosted by a woman and a man. On the screen, alongside their faces was the picture of their kiss from the previous night. Mark blocked out their words. He didn't care whether they were supportive or not, to him it didn't matter. Instead, he focused all his attention on Thomas. He knew that it mattered to Thomas.

"Hey," he called out softly. Thomas blinked and turned to look at Mark expectantly. "What's up?"

"This is the first picture of us that hasn't been taken by you," Thomas said with a hint of a smile.

"Huh... I hadn't thought of that..." Mark muttered back and turned to look at the picture again. "But you can tell," he added.

"What do you mean?" Thomas asked with a frown.

"They didn't get your good side," Mark replied and turned to go to his laptop, with a smug smile.

Thomas clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes at him. "There are like a thousand pictures of that kiss all from different angles. I'm sure one of them gets my good side."

"Only I can get your good side," Mark said with a wink as he sat down.

Thomas looked at him for a second, speechless, and then turned his attention back to the TV. The hosts had moved on to a different topic and Thomas didn't waste another minute on them. Instead, he changed the channels all until he reached a science channel that played a documentary about space.

Mark sent in the photographs and was about to start writing his notice letter when he turned to look at Thomas. The notice letter could wait. He stood up and went to sit next to Thomas, pulling him in his arms and kissing to top of his crown. He wasn't that interested in the documentary, but he could spare some minutes just sitting there next to Thomas. It was way more compelling than writing on his computer.