Bratislava, 23rd December 2019
Since his mom passed away, Sven got used to spending Christmas in one of his sister's respective families. But this year it felt a bit more lonely and he'd rather be alone than lonely. He treated himself to a trip to Paris. The city where his love life began over a decade ago, the city he fled years ago with a broken heart.
So, on he morning of 24th December he took a cab to Vienna and flew to Paris for a one-on-one romantic trip with himself.
It was hectic as usual, actually, worse with the strikes, it was a Christmas miracle that his plane didn't get cancelled.
But Paris is always magic, sometimes it smells of loneliness and hopeless romantics but it always transpires reassuring beauty. He left his luggage, far too large for a one week stay, at the airb'n'b near Montmartre and went for a walk, lit a candle for all his loved ones in the Sacré-Coeur Basilica.
He got asked for directions by an elderly lady, who happened to be Slovak, just like him and was visiting Paris in memory of her departed husband. It was where they went for their honeymoon before the Russian invasion to Czechoslovakia in the end of the 1960's. She was very fond of her memories and felt like being closer to one she loved by walking again in the footsteps they marked together decades before. She reminded Sven, how much he believed in romance and love.
In the evening he went back to the apartment, got a quick shower and was about to leave for diner in a local brewery, just as someone knocked at the door.
There, in front of him, was standing the largest, cutest human mountain Sven ever saw in his life. The large shouldered man was looking for Marie, the owner of the flat, but by the time he finished the request, he figured out she went home for Christmas and rented the place. He was just a neighbor looking to borrow some sugar. What were the chances?!
For Sven the 24th, Christmas Eve was the most important time to be together, as is the tradition in Slovakia, so he suggested the boy next door wouldn't eat alone and he invited him to join him for diner.
The lovely neighbor was a local firefighter named Ali, he was on duty over Christmas as he didn't have a family of his own. The diner went nicely and they talked a lot about most things, concerning family, hobbies and dreams. On their way back, he surprised Sven and took him to a dance studio of which he had the keys and they danced for a few songs, improvising together, acquainting their bodies under the melodies of a piano and violins.
They parted for the night as Ali was of working early the next day, but promised, they would meet later in the evening.
As a matter of surprise, all three of Sven's siblings decided to travel to their Christmas Holidays destinations through Paris on Christmas day, so they had a lunch all together with their families and kids, although the kids were rather calmly playing in the corner. He mentioned Ali to his sisters and brother and they chuckled, used to his volatile crushes. Although, Sven wasn't even realizing yet he was having a crush, he was just enjoying someone's presence and his kind uplifting conversation.
As everyone left for their own destination, Sven spent another afternoon walking about Paris, bathing in the undeniable mid-century atmosphere of Saint-Germain-des-Près, watching Notre-Dame de Paris from a distance and crossing to Marais through the picturesque medieval streets.
Come the evening he had food on his own and watched a Netflix movie curled up in big blankets with a large cup of hot chocolate. He was a little worried, but he thought to himself that Christmas would be the one day where Ali would end up working more than 12 hours in a row.
Finally, around 11, he appeared at the door, very apologetic and exhausted. Sven, already half asleep, automatically grabbed Ali by his hand and led him to the sofa to curl up together. It wasn't until they were both laying down and spooning that they realized this was a bit inappropriate and hushed, but it felt too good and they were both too tired to protest against their own feelings.
They talked a little about their days and Ali invited him for a family meal the next day. Sven was accepting the fact that this was turning into an ideal holiday: on his own to explore and breathe in the ambiance of Paris during the day and evenings spent in the strong arms of a warmhearted giant; talking about dreams, hopes and the memories that built them up.
The next day they went to see Ali's parents, not particularly traditional, but enjoying the free day to see their kids and their families, they were a big family and they were all intrigued with this tall blonde stranger their brother brought over. The food was delicious, somewhat more simple than what they would eat these days in a restaurant, but all the tastes had more savor. Their grandparents moved to France from different parts of North Africa and they inherited a mix of culinary traditions that were a poem to the senses. They spend a lovely day altogether and then spread into their homes.
Ali and Sven went for a walk by the river, now that the banks of Seine are a pedestrian zone, they could cross the entire town, enjoy the Eiffel Tower, Palais de Tokyo, the sights of Grand Palais, Tuileries and Louvre...the cobbles were shining wet with an all day drizzle and the two started getting closer and closer, holding hands, rubbing shoulders and throwing stealthy looks in each other's direction, craving to taste each others lips.
After a walk so long it would make their legs hurt, were they not walking on a fluffy cloud of falling for each other, they passionately kissed back at the apartment. They kissed and hugged and then decided to sleep separately.
The next day Sven had to work from home while Ali was on duty. Both had at the same time the longest and the shortest day ever. They kept thinking of each other and burned with impatience which made the day feel a bit longer, but once they met in the evening the whole day seemed just a split second away from the moment they parted ways the previous night.
Sven cooked a simple diner and they planned to listen to each others music and drink wine. Shortly into the music session, their bodies moved in closer and their skins started longing for the others touch. First came kissing, then hugging, caressing each other under the clothes, undressing, exploring the bodies with touch, smell and taste. They dedicated a few unexpected hours to foreplay before falling asleep exhausted with joy, their bodies tangled on the bed.
The next day, while Ali was at work, Sven went to see 'Modern Times' for the first time in a cinema with his best friend who was finally back from a family holiday. They went shopping for books. By accident, they bumped into Sven's ex-boyfriend. He was quite apprehending this would have happened, trying their luck by going to the library where they used to buy their books together. It all went smoothly, just a handful of polite exchanges and best wishes. The past became distant, emotions became memories and frustrations evaporated like the morning mist.
That night Ali, Sven, his best friend and his husband all went for a beer to a local bar by their house. It all felt natural, being there, talking to each other about nothing and everything. Feeling human, special and unimportant at the same time. Belonging to life. Being part of a clique. Becoming one with the joyful nonsensical noise of a Parisian night.
That night, they gave in: no more resistance and reasoning. No more anxious referrals of the desire that was connecting them. They made love, body and mind, horny, romantic, rough at times, long and quick, passionate and calm, balanced and extrapolated. They cried a little, they laughed a lot. Had accidents, fell asleep and went at it again when they woke up in the middle of the night and the next morning. They were revivified with a new energy and they were so tired their lungs felt like running a marathon and so did their legs and bellies. The bin was full of condoms and the tube of lube was empty.
From 'him and another one', they transformed into 'they', together.
Sunday was the day Sven was meant to go home, also Marie was coming back to Paris and her flat was no longer available. Ali invited him to stay over another week, work from home and spend the New Year together.
Sven switched tickets and cancelled his New Year's plans in Bratislava with his friends, promising to make up for it.
The two following days went on calmly, a rather dull old couple life, with both working during the day and slipper in front of the TV at night. Sven met Marie and they decided to go to watch the Fireworks on Champ de Mars while Ali was working helping out with the security.
Somehow they managed to meet up a few minutes before midnight and hug through the countdown then kiss as best wishes for the New Year were flying in the night sky just like the fireworks. Then Ali disappeared and Sven got carried away by the crowd.
The noises of the fireworks exploding started melting with the chatter of the people and the dark night became suddenly a bright neon light. The voices around him became more and more familiar until he finally opened his eyes. All his siblings turned their heads away from the window and looked at him with disbelief. A tall guy, looking a lot like Ali, just walked into the room. The lady he met the first night in Paris was laying on the bed in the other corner of the room.
Sven could not talk, he just woke up after eight days in a coma. He never got to Paris, he got into a car accident as soon as he left his place in Bratislava. The guy looking like Ali was the first medic at the spot of the accident, during those days he came in regularly after work to tell Sven different stories and keep him company while his siblings had to go home to their kids.
