100 reasons to love our lives

Waiting in the night

Nico

The good thing at a date by McDonald's was that you didn't have to wait for the food to be done.

And nobody was expecting fancy dresses or exquisite behavior.

One, and only one time, Will and I wanted to do a real dinner together; with expensive food and suits and all. But even though it had been kind of funny, it had been very uncomfortable there. The other heterosexual couples had seemed to stab us with their dagger eyes, and everytime one of us had laughed, some older persons had hushed us instantly.

Therefore, our favorite dating restaurant was McDonald's.

With all the screaming kids, late workers and the stressed tourists, a gay couple didn't stand out. Everyone came here, and everyone was welcome.

And you could use Happy Meals to talk with ghosts, which was a welcome alternative to animal blood. Some would think that, but I wasn't the type to slaughter innocent animals as an offering.

We sat in a tiny corner, my shoulder touching Will's, already eating. He told me about his day while I shoved french fries into my mouth.

"And after economics, Celine and I had shared another course together. She's really nice, I wonder why there are these rumors about her", he now said.
"Maybe it's a Psyche-situation", I suggested. "She's so nice that everyone is afraid of her."
Will shrugged, nibbling at an apple slice. "Or maybe", I then added, "she had been a beast before and now has learned her lesson."
"You mean, like in Mean Girls?", Will now asked with a smile and I raised an eyebrow. "I have never seen that movie."
"Of course you have", he teased me. "Or you wouldn't have laughed about the 'too gay to be real' line."
"It's: 'too gay to function'", I corrected and he laughed out loud.
"Fine, maybe I have seen it one time", I grumbled.
"Or one hundred times", he joked and then squealed as I pricked his side to shut him up.
"I surrender!", he gasped, but still giggled hopelessly.

I couldn't help but join that laughter. Nothing was more infectious than his happiness.

Of course, I didn't sleep at all last night. My strange roommate was still caught in his own dreams as I finally had to stand up. All day, I hadn't gone back to my room, even as I realized I had forgotten my money. This meal was the first I ate that day, and never had french fries tasted better.

Annoyingly, I couldn't concentrate at all on my courses. Again and again, this strange encounter played in front of my eyes, like a flashback which just wouldn't go away. For a second I had considered to ask for another room, but then my hero complex won and I decided to solve this riddle.

But that didn't mean I was excited to go back to my room.

"Now it's your turn", Will gasped, still smiling like an idiot. An adorable, happy, warm idiot. "How was your day? And more importantly, how was your night?"

Lucky for me, he had these reassuring, light blue eyes. I focused on them while telling him everything, except minor details like me hiding under my blanket like a four-year-old. All the time, my boyfriend was listening attentively, silently eating his apples and his burger.
As I was done talking, my body was shaking again, as if the temperature had dropped to the point of freezing.

Will laid an arm around me, and I thankfully cuddled myself against his chest. Some older man in a corner gave us a judging glare, but I ignored him.
"Can I come with you tonight?", he asked, his lips nearly touching my ear. "Or do you still want to research alone?"
"Please come with me", I answered, my voice surprisingly hoarse.
"Of course", he whispered, nudging his lips against my ear and then leaning over me, going back to his burger.