It had taken them a while to get there, but Alfred and Ludwig seemed to have reached a comfortable, not-all-that awkward stage in their relationship. They’d met in the college track and field team try-outs back in September. They were by far the two strongest participants, each taking first or second place alternately for almost every event. This instilled a feeling of competitive unease at first, but as the weeks went by they each began to fall into separate events, lessening the competition between them. While they were both equally fast and each had as much stamina as the other, Alfred took better to the short distance sprints, whereas Ludwig was more of a long distance runner. They both excelled in field events too, but where Alfred was experienced with javelin, Ludwig preferred discus. The only event they both participated in was relay race, but that involved the whole team working together anyway. After he was sure Ludwig was no threat to him or his ego, Alfred felt safer to approach him and make conversation with him at practice. Ludwig wasn’t entirely sure why; Alfred was a naturally charismatic, exuberant and popular guy, so why on earth would he be inclined to waste his time making chit-chat with someone like him, who rarely smiled and rarely spoke? When Ludwig asked him this once they’d started dating, Alfred simply shrugged and said “I thought you seemed cool.” Ludwig still isn’t entirely sure what he meant by that, as he is not “cool” by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s already resigned himself to never fully understanding Alfred or his logic.
Through Alfred’s persistence and Ludwig’s being too well brought up and socially awkward to tell him to shut up, they ended up with some semblance of a friendship. But it was always something of an uncomfortable relationship because, true to classic romantic comedy format, each found the other attractive without knowing the other felt the same way. To Alfred, Ludwig was sweet and sincere, and he got a little flutter in his stomach whenever he graced him with a smile. When they hit the showers after practice, Alfred always stood as far away from Ludwig as possible, as it was all he could do to look at that freaking perfect body of his and not get a boner. It probably would have been a comfort to him to know Ludwig was in the same boat. He’d not taken to Alfred at first, reminded him too much of his roommate, but over time that unfailing optimism, kindness, generosity and forgiving nature softened him. Softened him to the point where his internal organs seemed to go all mushy whenever Alfred so much as spoke to him, let alone seeing his wet, buff body completely exposed in the showers after practice. By the end of October it was a struggle simply getting through a normal conversation with him.
Admitting this or making a move was far from easy for either of them; it was the 21st Century, it wasn’t like being gay was exactly taboo any more, and while neither of them were actively hiding their sexuality, they weren’t out, loud and proud just yet. And coming out to a varsity team full of jocks (even if they all seemed pretty nice) didn’t seem particularly wise to either of them. What’s more, neither even knew if the other was gay, let alone if they would reciprocate their feelings, and neither even had all that much experience of dating or flirting. Alfred had had a girlfriend back in middle school, but that had lasted all of two weeks and had never gone past holding hands. After that he was just too oblivious to notice when anyone was attempting to flirt with him or ask him out. He was so oblivious that he hadn’t even worked out he was gay until the 11th grade. Ludwig had known practically since he started middle school, but was too awkward to even think of asking someone out, and he didn’t have that many friends anyway. He’d always been a little tall and serious for his age, and other children had found him imposing. In the 8th grade he’d shot up to 6” and had earned the nickname Lurch (one that he thankfully lost when he moved from Cincinnati to Chicago when his mother changed jobs).
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A Lesson in Trust and Getting Over Yourself 1a/?
(Anonymous) 2012-12-11 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)Through Alfred’s persistence and Ludwig’s being too well brought up and socially awkward to tell him to shut up, they ended up with some semblance of a friendship. But it was always something of an uncomfortable relationship because, true to classic romantic comedy format, each found the other attractive without knowing the other felt the same way. To Alfred, Ludwig was sweet and sincere, and he got a little flutter in his stomach whenever he graced him with a smile. When they hit the showers after practice, Alfred always stood as far away from Ludwig as possible, as it was all he could do to look at that freaking perfect body of his and not get a boner. It probably would have been a comfort to him to know Ludwig was in the same boat. He’d not taken to Alfred at first, reminded him too much of his roommate, but over time that unfailing optimism, kindness, generosity and forgiving nature softened him. Softened him to the point where his internal organs seemed to go all mushy whenever Alfred so much as spoke to him, let alone seeing his wet, buff body completely exposed in the showers after practice. By the end of October it was a struggle simply getting through a normal conversation with him.
Admitting this or making a move was far from easy for either of them; it was the 21st Century, it wasn’t like being gay was exactly taboo any more, and while neither of them were actively hiding their sexuality, they weren’t out, loud and proud just yet. And coming out to a varsity team full of jocks (even if they all seemed pretty nice) didn’t seem particularly wise to either of them. What’s more, neither even knew if the other was gay, let alone if they would reciprocate their feelings, and neither even had all that much experience of dating or flirting. Alfred had had a girlfriend back in middle school, but that had lasted all of two weeks and had never gone past holding hands. After that he was just too oblivious to notice when anyone was attempting to flirt with him or ask him out. He was so oblivious that he hadn’t even worked out he was gay until the 11th grade. Ludwig had known practically since he started middle school, but was too awkward to even think of asking someone out, and he didn’t have that many friends anyway. He’d always been a little tall and serious for his age, and other children had found him imposing. In the 8th grade he’d shot up to 6” and had earned the nickname Lurch (one that he thankfully lost when he moved from Cincinnati to Chicago when his mother changed jobs).