University Encounter

I was sitting in the tram waiting for the station near the university to get out. Deep in thoughts and staring out the window at the gray clouds, the weather changed and it started to drizzle slightly again.

After a few morning classes I headed home to eat at my apartment but I still had a course in the afternoon. I groaned as I rummaged in my backpack to get an umbrella.

It was early summer, so today was unusually hot and the rain made it really stuffy. The humidity really hung in the air. Suddenly, the unnatural voice prompt announced my stop coming up, so I walked slowly to the doors.

Opening the umbrella I walked in the direction of the lecture hall where the course would be held. I was lucky I got in this course as you had to sign up for it beforehand and I got in a year earlier than usual so I knew no one in this course.

I'm also more of a loner. I enjoy being mostly alone but lately I wish I would have someone close. I have a very good friend but he is currently about 5.000 km (~3000 mi) away. Also, nobody knows I'm gay.

So I entered the lecture hall deeply in thought about my current situation. I went over what we covered last week in the course. I steered roughly to the middle rows. I usually sit close to the center to not seem like the greatest nerd but to not get too easily distracted by a group of students talking about other stuff. I arrived ten minutes early, so I looked at my smartphone to see if I have any notifications from Twitter or got an email. I don't really use classic social media apps like Instagram or Facebook. I stick to Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch, so the typical Gaming Nerd stuff.

Suddenly some students got in my row and filled it up to the edge but left a seat free beside me. I don't know much about "social manners" but when I enter a row with someone already there I leave at least two seats between to not get too close to them. I quickly glance over to look if I might have seen them in the weeks before but I didn't recognize them. And I would have because the student closest to me was pretty handsome and I might have looked a bit longer than usual but luckily the professor walked in to get set up to start the lecture in time. This brought me back before I got in an awkward position.

A minute before the start of the lecture a small group of students came into the room and hustled around to get seated fast to not delay the start of the course as the professor gave them a stern look. I perceive most professors at the university as friendly if you give them the respect they rightfully can expect. Some are assholes but friendliness can help you more than you may think it does and doesn't cost you anything even if it may be contrived.

After seeing I had no messages on my phone I put it away to get ready for the lecture. All of a sudden I felt a hand on my shoulder and I flinched a bit but looked over to see the friendly face of the handsome student. "Can you please move a seat farther down?" I see a smile on his face and a hint of a smirk. It's so contagious I must have immediately smiled back to him: "Sure." So I grabbed my stuff to slide it one seat along. After unpacking, the young man takes place directly beside me. A bit surprised I might have had a puzzled look but then I noticed that two of the latecomers were now sitting at the end of my row. So I rolled my eyes and sigh to myself. At least I thought I have a good-looking neighbor for the entire course spanning the entire afternoon in this stuffy lecture hall that needed a new ventilation system for about 5 years.

After about half an hour later the student beside me slightly touched my arm but as I looked to my left all I saw is his slightly exposed flat abdomen and his head covered by his sweater which he tried to get off. I couldn't blame him though, it got really warm with that weather and the number of students in this ancient lecture hall, so taking off clothes seemed to be the only option.

When he finally freed himself from the sweater he might have caught me looking. I quickly looked forward to seeing what the professor is talking about to not lose the context of the lecture. When I thought he might be concentrated on the lecture as well I tried to squint sideways. After that, I realized I was sweating myself so I got rid of my sweat jacket which was a bit easier and less risky to reveal anything. The rest of the course seemed to be by rather slowly and dragged on for what seemed like an eternity.

When the professor ended the lecture: "So I think I might end the lecture a bit early because we are finished with this chapter and I don't want to start the next subject in the last 5 minutes I let you go a bit earlier but please be on time next week so we can start uninterrupted next week ..." After that the rest was no longer audible because everyone started to scramble their stuff together to get out as fast as possible. I always waited a bit because I have to wait anyway until the students at the end of the row get out so I don't rush to pack up my things. When I put my pencil case in my backpack I felt a piece of paper that I definitely hadn't put there because it was in the wrong compartment. I pulled it out and it was a corner piece of a checkered sheet of paper with a number on it.

I looked up and saw the handsome student looking at me as he left the row smiling at me as he descended to the exit. I put it in my jacket and quickly packed my stuff together to get home.

Currently, I live in an apartment with an old school friend from the gymnasium I went to. We get along quite well most of the time. Sometimes we have different opinions on some topics but usually, we find a compromise.

I went to my room to unpack my backpack and go over some notes to complete them as long as I can remember the lecture. It makes learning for the exam a lot easier when everything is complete and neatly put together.

Before I went into the living room (aka computer room) where my friend and I have our PCs set up, I saw the piece of paper again, thinking about the funny situation in the lecture hall. Intrigued by it I took it and saved the number on my phone. Then I wrote to the number:

Hi stranger,
I don't know you or what your intentions are. But I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable in the lecture today.
Ben

I pressed send and suddenly felt a tingle in my stomach. I actually have never sent a message to a stranger that I liked, came on to somebody, or even asked them out.

I didn't expect any answer as I assumed it might have been a prank or not a real number so I went into the living room to start my weekend with a new game that was recently released.

An hour before dinner time my flatmate Jake entered the living room as I was deeply invested in the new game. Recently it was rather quiet between us, as we had both our own room and I currently play more calm, artistic indie games and not the usual mainstream shooter or MMO-RPG (not judging anyone). I grew to love some artistic indie games with a great message and beautiful graphics. So I would say we grew apart a bit but we are still friends but with different interests. He also studies a different subject than me.

Suddenly he turned to me and asked: "Should we order in this evening, I think we don't have anything left to cook and I don't feel like doing grocery shopping when it's this stuffy outside."

I agreed and added: "But then we should do it tomorrow to have something for the weekend." I took off the headphones and looked at my blinking smartphone that lay on my desk.

I tapped on the power button to see the notifications on the lock screen and froze for a moment. Jake noticed and asked: "U ok?"

I realized he must have asked me something and I didn't answer. I figured he might have asked what kind of food to order so I replied: "I don't mind what we order." That seemed to satisfy him and I took my phone and unlocked it to see that I got a message from HIM.

Hi Ben,
I'm glad you texted me. I was not sure if I read the situation correctly. To be upfront with you, I really find you cute and want to get to know you. If you are not interested we could only study together in a group, my friends and I are not really good at this course and could really need someone as smart as you. It seemed that you were really concentrated (at least most of the time ;P) and took a lot of notes during the lecture. Do you have any plans for the weekend?
Luke

LUKE. So I knew his name now. I was suddenly really nervous and felt self-conscious. Was I so obviously staring at him? Do I seem gay to other people? Does my friend notice something? I quickly jumped up and went to the bathroom. I locked the door and slowly sank down to the floor with my back against the door. After a few deep breaths, I slowly stood back up and looked in the mirror. Beads of sweat were pooling on my forehead, so I let some cooling water collect in my hands and poured it over my face.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. That must be the food Jake ordered earlier. So I got up and looked once more in the mirror to not look too messed up. Since I was closer to the apartment door I answered it and took the food inside. It was sushi. From time to time I really enjoy sushi and since it was so warm and stuffy today some cold food was really nice.

"Thanks for ordering sushi. Perfect in this kind of shitty weather!"

"No problem I figured you might want to cool down a bit too. You are really sweating and are a bit red you might want to get some ice cubes from the freezer."

Shit. So I was not acting as naturally as I normally do. I got up and grabbed some ice cubes from the freezer and put them in my glass of water.

Later in the evening I tried to get the situation out of my head and played some more levels of the new game to forget the stress and everyday life for a bit.

When I figured I should go to bed I looked at my phone and saw a new message. I quickly brushed my teeth and got ready for bed and wished Jake a good night I went to my room. I lay on the bed and unlocked my phone to see another message from Luke:

I hope I didn't scare you with my message. If you're not interested it's okay I won't bother you any longer. But I really think you are cute and I want to get to know you. Please answer :(

He wrote again...
So I took all I got and replied:

Hey Luke,
sorry that it took so long to answer your texts. I was playing a new video game that I lost track of time. I don't think it would be worth it for you to get to know me. I'm nothing special and just a pathetic lonely gaming nerd that tries to get through university to get a job that pays enough to hopefully live a fulfilling life after all of that.
Ben

Why was I even replying to him? Was I expecting him to pity me? It is really unrealistic for someone as good-looking as him to ask me out. Was he even gay or interested in me? So many questions. But my train of thought got interrupted by an answer from him:

Stop. I saw you and found you cute. Let me decide if it's worth it to get to know you. I saw the amount of notes you took and how concentrated you followed the lecture. We study the same subject and you seem a bit younger than the rest. I think you are really smart and intelligent. I want to get to know you. If you don't remember I put the piece of paper with my number on it in your backpack so why shouldn't I want to get to know you. If you still have any doubts I will come and pick you up if you want to but I won't force myself onto you. I don't know yet if we get along together but I want to give it a chance otherwise I might regret not asking you out.
Luke

OMG, I was crying as I read that. He is so... I'm speechless.
I replied:

OK, I want to get to know you too... But I have never done something like that before...

I felt really insecure and was not sure if I should send the reply but I thought if that scares him away I might get that right out of the way at the beginning.

I grew up in a small village with a small city nearby. So after elementary school, I had the choice to go to the gymnasium in that city. There I got to know my best friend who now is currently away for some time and I got to know Jake with whom I now live in a much bigger city to get my bachelor's degree and I plan on making the master's as well. I never really had anybody or anything that I could confide in about my sexuality. I was in a class with a cute boy. He was so dedicated and lived in the neighboring village. As we were near the end of the gymnasium the classes were arranged differently to accommodate the selection each student took for the abitur (comparable to the high school diploma).

Since I was always shy and the villages were kind of religious I never even thought about coming out. At least at such a young age with everything before me and the possibility to ruin everything I currently have.

But now, I was rather free. Living on my own, or at least not with my parents, and in an open-minded progressive city with lots of students my age I should consider trying things out. I never even kissed a guy or touched another man's cock. But I think I might quite enjoy it.

So, guys, I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at writing a story in English. I hope I didn't make too many errors and I want to continue the story as I have some ideas for Ben and Luke. If you are interested in the education system in Germany, the setting of the story, or anything else I might do a bit of bonus content and try to explain some bits in detail about the background. I enjoy reading what you guys think so please give me some feedback. 

-kiroux