Today marked an absolutely momentous day.

For the first time ever in her life, Doctor Anna Sophia Lehman, one of the most anally retentive women alive, was late.

Karl couldn't help but drum his foot under the table, his eyes fixed on the door. Vertuschen was stunning with all its decadent fixtures and soulful jazz, and he wished he could enjoy it more given that he was sat beside an equally stunning man in a less than stunning suit. But he couldn't stop his mind drifting to Anna.

It wasn't a case of wondering what was keeping her. He knew exactly what had her held up. There was only one thing that would delay her. Herr Cheekbones. If his best friend didn't limp in, he'd be entirely surprised.

'Hey,' said Freddie gently, nudging him with his foot. 'You're making the table vibrate.'

'Sorry,' said Karl, finally turning his attention to him.

By all the gods he was handsome.

That muddy tousled hair suited him so well. It was a near perfect colour match to his eyes which were wholly wide and innocent. It amused Karl greatly that someone so tall and athletic always looked like a deer caught in headlights. Every new moment spent with Freddie made Karl ever more curious as to why he was in the profession he was in.

They'd been to the gym together, so Karl was left in no doubt about his physical capabilities... or how fucking divine he looked when he was sweaty. Karl couldn't keep up with him at all; it dented his pride but it did at least mean he got to watch him in all his glory. He'd also thoroughly appreciated watching him in target practice. Karl's inkling was right; that boy was the best shot in the south by a long way. It was so incredibly attractive.

Anything Freddie did was incredibly attractive.

But the most endearing thing about him, was just how sweet and gentle he was. In fact, he might be the most lethal sweetie pie that had ever existed. What a delicious little oxymoron he was.

Karl must have been staring at him for a particularly long time because Freddie's cheeks had heated to a full rosy blush. Still though, Karl didn't stop. He only grinned more as he took a sip of his gin and tonic. God this place had nice dry gin.

'Are you worried about Anna?' asked Freddie, trying to stay on topic.

'Not worried,' sighed Karl. 'I know she'll be enjoying Mathias. I guess I'm just shocked that she's late.'

'Well, you did say that she needed to lighten up,' smiled Freddie as he took a large gulp of his beer. Such a country bumpkin. The only spirit Freddie would touch was schnapps and genuinely seemed terrified by the idea of a cocktail.

'I know,' agreed Karl. 'Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad she's enjoying herself and all. It's more him I guess.'

Freddie looked uncomfortable, desperately trying to hold Karl's gaze despite it.

'Sorry, I know he's your friend...'

'He's not my friend,' said Freddie quickly. 'He's my employer.'

Hiding his need to cheer, Karl downed his drink with a gasp. 'He's just so possessive of her. I never bloody see her anymore.'

'I know,' sighed Freddie. 'It's like he's addicted. Doesn't matter where he is, she is always the centre of his focus.'

That was sweet, Karl supposed. Anna certainly deserved the princess treatment.

But did it have to come from someone who Karl truly suspected might be a sociopath?

'They're here,' said Freddie, nodding to the door.

Sure enough, Anna had just made it through the door, Mathias right beside her with his arm possessively snaked around her waist. The dress she was wearing was brand new, and definitely not something she had picked out herself. Pale green silk and barely there straps... that was definitely not Anna's choice. The hair was hers though, long and fluttering to her waist with a light curl. She was so utterly gorgeous. It was certainly nice that someone had coaxed her out of her shell... even if that person was the man whispering something clearly sexual in her ear to make her blush.

Catching sight of Karl, Anna grinned and ran over, her hand tucking into Mathias' to drag him along.

'Sorry we're late!' she said sweetly, hugging Karl tight as he stood to greet her. She only managed a one arm embrace; Mathias never let go of her hand.

'It's all right, I forgive you,' said Karl, noticing the obvious bite mark on her neck that her hair was concealing. Clearing his throat, he stepped back and stuck his hand out to Mathias. 'Good to see you again, Mathias.'

'And you,' said Mathias, quickly shaking his hand. It was abundantly clear, that he didn't want to be here at all.

'Freddie! It's so good to see you again,' said Anna, pulling him into a hug. This one was even shorter than the one she managed to give Karl, Mathias tugging her back into his embrace almost immediately.

'Let's sit, shall we?' said Mathias, gesturing to their table.

Sliding back into his seat, Karl couldn't help but note that Mathias kept Anna's chair exceptionally close to his own as he helped her into it. His hand rested on the back of Anna's neck, his thumb smoothing over her skin almost absent mindedly.

Anna didn't seem at all uncomfortable, but Karl was. It was all too much.

He tried to ignore the queasy sensation in his stomach as he cleared his throat. 'Nice dress, by the way.'

Smiling, Anna smoothed her hands over the material. 'Thank you! Mathias surprised me with it after work. We took a little detour to the apartment so I could change into it.'

Yeah, of course they did.

'I wanted her to come shopping with me,' said Mathias as a waiter brought over a complimentary bottle of Anna's favourite champagne and a round of drinks for the others. 'But my stubborn little cuckoo bird refused to leave work even an hour early.'

'That's Anna,' laughed Karl. 'Wholly career focused.'

'I don't feel like I have been of late,' scoffed Anna as she was handed a glass of champagne. 'I need to be better-'

'Nonsense,' cut in Mathias. 'You're a rising star in your field for a reason.'

'Yes, but with the President's visit coming up, I really need to get the wing in tip top shape.'

'Well, any funds you need, I'll cover,' promised Mathias.

He didn't need to buy her affection, and yet he seemed to insist on doing so at any opportunity.

'I'm looking forward to the visit,' said Karl, trying to keep the topic light. 'I feel very important with my personal invite.'

'As if I wouldn't have you there,' laughed Anna. 'I'll probably need you to talk me off the edge with my nerves the way they are.'

'You are a master at this speech,' encouraged Karl, leaning across to take her hand. 'And you've done it to so many audiences now. This is the final cherry on the cake, little one.'

Squeezing his hand back, Anna smiled. 'See? This is why I always need you.'

That earned Karl a scowl from Mathias.

Well, might as well really enjoy himself.

'Hey Anna,' said Karl, 'I love this song. Why don't we dance?'

'I'd love to!' said Anna, pushing back to her feet.

'Is that necessary?' asked Mathias, his hand on the small of her back. 'We haven't ordered dinner yet.'

Anna waved her free hand flippantly. 'Order for me. I like everything.'

Karl couldn't contain the smug smile as he hauled Anna up to the dance floor, twirling her before her caught her in his arms. 'Glad to see I haven't lost my dance partner.'

'And you never will,' promised Anna. 'Why would you think that?'

Dipping her so that she squealed, Karl then made a point to turn her to look at her oh so adoring boyfriend. 'Herr Cheekbones has got quite the pout on.'

It was a tad more than pout. He looked entirely murderous.

'Oh leave him be,' said Anna, playfully slapping her friend. 'He's never had to share a day in his life. You of all people should empathise with only child syndrome.'

'Excuse you, I was barely an only child!' returned Karl. 'You strolled into my life when I was the grand age of eight and that was it. I had to share everything.'

'Be quiet! You are the worst at sharing! You wrote your name on literally everything you owned!'

'Well...' He didn't have a rebuttal. 'Take this.' He dipped her down again, pretending not to have hold of her and catching her at the last moment.

'Such a sore loser!' she teased, smiling as he took hold of her waist again.

'Lose? I didn't lose. I never lose.'

'All right, all right,' acquiesced Anna. She shuffled closer. 'So... how are things going with Freddie?'

The pair looked back over, past the seething millionaire and at the sweet shy boy behind him.

'Slowly getting there,' sighed Karl, refocusing on Anna. 'We're together all of the time, and honestly I love it. But I'm not sure how to segway into something more without frightening him.'

'No chance he'll make the first move then, I'm guessing?'

Karl shook his head. 'No. But, I do think he likes me.'

'Of course he does!' insisted Anna. 'Have you seen the way he looks at you? He blushes more than I do.'

'Well that's because you're actually just concealing a dirty mind. He's genuinely innocent.'

Again, Anna slapped him playfully, then rested her cheek to Karl's shoulder.

He'd really missed this. No matter how happy he was for Anna or how much he enjoyed Freddie's company, Anna's absence left such a huge gap in his life. It had always been the two of them against the world. Even when Elli came along, they still had their own special secrets, just like Anna and Elli did. Karl never felt left out or forgotten, always a part of their family things.

More and more, it seemed like Mathias was going to rob him of that.

As the song ended, Anna pecked his cheek. 'Come on, I'm exhausted. I want to sit down.'

'Yeah I bet you are, you minx,' he sighed, slinging his arm around her shoulders as they made their way back to their table.

***

'That was nice, wasn't it?' said Freddie as they strolled down the street towards the river.

'All too short though,' sighed Karl, his jacket slung over his shoulder and his hand shoved in his pocket.

Mathias had barely let Anna swallow the last bite of dinner before he was tempting her into leaving. She managed to hold on until 10PM before she surrendered to his machinations and bid the boys farewell.

Sparking two cigarettes, Freddie handed one to a grumbly Karl and bumped him with his shoulder. 'Night's still young. We could go somewhere else?'

'I probably shouldn't,' said Karl. 'It's been a long day and I need the sleep.'

'Oh,' said Freddie, clearly disappointed. 'Shame. I actually have tomorrow off.'

Karl side eyed him, biting his bottom lip to stop the words he desperately wanted to say escape. It didn't work. 'We can have a nightcap at mine if you like? It's just down from here.' He nodded towards the river.

Freddie followed his gesture, gulping before he looked back at Karl. He looked so nervous.

'It's all right,' said Karl, losing courage. 'You don't have to.'

'No, I want to,' said Freddie with a little nod. 'Let's go.'

Taken aback, Karl's heart hammered in his chest. 'You sure?'

Letting out a long held breath, Freddie looked entirely determined all of a sudden. 'Absolutely. Lead the way.'

Practically skipping, Karl did as he was asked. All the while, they carried on with polite conversation, pleasantry after pleasantry exchanged back and forth.

Yet, Karl's mind spun into a frenzy.

It was exceedingly clear that Freddie was gay. He might be awkward around most people, but Karl caught him staring at men the same way he did. He never looked at women. And the way the two of them danced around the subject of romance, it felt unequivocally obvious that it was because they were attracted to one another.

Freddie looked at him. A lot. Karl knew because he was always looking at Freddie in response. He hated having to hide his feelings. It would be difficult enough trying to coax Freddie to admit how he felt if it was socially acceptable, let alone that it was completely illegal.

Stupid fucking laws.

It didn't take them long to reach Karl's apartment, Freddie eyeing the décor with wonder as Karl welcomed him inside.

'You have so much stuff,' said Freddie with a breathy laugh, peering at the art spread across the walls, the various ornaments on various tables, the throws and pillows across the sofa and the hundreds of records in a haphazard pile by the gramophone.

Karl chuckled and went to his small drinks table. 'I like clutter. Makes me feel safe.' Rummaging around, he tried to look for an appropriate drink for Freddie. 'I don't actually have any beer.'

'You're a shit German,' sighed Freddie, coming to stand beside Karl. 'Got any schnapps?'

'Of course I have schnapps,' said Karl, grabbing the bottle and two glasses. 'I'm not that bad a German.'

'Bet its not homemade though,' said Freddie with a huge grin as they both thumped down on the sofa.

Pouring them each a glass, Karl smiled. 'No, I bought it. That's what we city folk do.'

'You city folk don't know you're born,' said Freddie, glancing around again as he took his drink. 'Your apartment is bigger than my parents' house. And there's five of us kids altogether.'

Karl's eyes bulged as he gulped down his schnapps. 'Jesus Christ.'

'Though, I tease you. This is nothing compared to the Keller's estate. That's a strange thing to grow up seeing every morning.'

'Of course, because your father is their groundskeeper.'

Freddie drained his glass. 'And his father before him, and his father before him. I think you can trace my family working for his family back for hundreds of years.'

'Fucking hell,' said Karl, pouring them each another. 'That's intense.'

'Tell me about it,' sighed Freddie, lying back against the sofa to stare at the ceiling. 'You should have seen my dad's face when Mathias picked me to be his personal aid and body guard. He'd never looked so proud.'

Tipping his head to the side, Karl surveyed his guest, trying to read his body language rather than watch his throat bob as he swallowed his drink. 'You don't like your father, then.'

'Does anyone truly like their dad?'

'Anna likes hers,' he smiled. 'And I never really knew mine, so, I wouldn't know.'

Wincing, Freddie turned to face Karl. 'Sorry, I didn't know.'

'Not your fault,' promised Karl, swirling the liquid around the glass before he finished it. 'It was a long time ago. No sense in dwelling on it.'

Freddie's eyes roved over Karl, the air shifting. Karl's insides squirmed with excitement. If this had been anyone else, he'd think he was about to be kissed. But this was Freddie. Shy, sweet, innocent...

Gripping Karl's shirt, Freddie tugged him forward and softly pressed his lips against Karl's.

The entire world spun off its axis as Karl's top lip slipped between Freddie's, the room now totally and utterly silent. As Freddie's hand slid up Karl's neck, Karl let his empty glass tumble to the floor, losing himself in the man he had mooned over for a month. His tongue dipped into Freddie's mouth, gliding across his to draw a sweet little gasp from Freddie. This boy would be the death of him. It was all Karl could do not to straddle him and rip his shirt off.

Drawing back to catch his breath, Freddie's heavy lidded eyes met Karl's, both of them simply staring at one another.

'Can't say I was expecting that,' admitted Karl with a little laugh.

'Me neither,' agreed Freddie, biting his lip for a moment. 'But I feel so sure of myself when I'm with you.'

Blushing, Karl beamed back at him, his thumb brushing Freddie's cheek. 'How long have you known I was gay?'

'Truthfully?' said Freddie. 'I didn't. I wasn't even sure about myself until just now.' He sucked in a deep breath and pushed it out through his nose. 'But whenever I'm with you my heart beats so fast and you smell so good and I just couldn't help myself.' To prove it, he leant in and claimed Karl's mouth again.

People never ever surprised Karl. He'd always been able to suss them out in an instant. Its why he became a psychiatrist. But Freddie had him absolutely stumped in the best possible way.

Eagerly, Karl's tongue searched Freddie's, Karl humming contentedly as he pulled him closer. His fingers twisted into the tousled tangle that was Freddie's hair, every part of him ignited as the kiss delved into deeper, unchartered territory. He'd never kissed someone and felt anything other than lust before. Sure, his cock was ridiculously hard. In fact it was almost to the point of pain in his trousers. But his heart was also racing. He couldn't stop smiling, even if it made it slightly more difficult to kiss Freddie exactly as he wished to. But this was so pure, so wonderful he simply couldn't help it.

Pausing, Freddie held Karl close. 'If I said, I wanted to stay the night, but not take things any further than this, would you be okay with that?'

'Of course I'm okay with that,' assured Karl.

'I've never done this with anyone,' admitted Freddie. 'Not even a girl.'

'We go at whatever pace you need to,' promised Karl.

'Okay,' smiled Freddie, nodding happily as he pecked Karl on the mouth. 'And I can stay in your bed?'

'Hell yes you can,' said Karl, tugging him to his feet. Eagerly, he held Freddie's hand tight and led him through to his room. He didn't want to waste another minute where they weren't completely wrapped in one another.

What a perfect end to a fucking bizarre evening.