Augenblick

Part 1: Chapter 1

July 1939, France

'For one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy' ~ Aristotle

The summer of '39 was not like the summer of '38, Daniel knew this and he understood the ideas of conflict to know that even if he was doing all the same things he did that year it would still not be the same. Daniel simply did not care because the smallest changes in the way the summer unfolded were not enough to distract him from what truly mattered to him. Sure, Rosalie was not lying by their feet, her red hair glowing in the sun, and she wasn't sat in the shade of the willow tree making daisy chains and wild flower crowns but this moment still remained almost perfect.

Sunlight hit the lake at a almost perfect angle creating shimmering waters that seemed almost magical to Daniel's eyes. Wild flowers sprung from the ground peppering it with pale blues and whites that contrasted against the green. The willows hung their heads but their fresh green leaves looked fine in the early July sun. Cool waters called out to the boys on the shore as if this was Eden itself. Daniel could not ask for more or maybe just one thing as he peered at the taller young man beside him. Blond hair which had been cut and restyled out of the familiar boyish locks it had previously taken and the boys pale skin which had been wrapped up in cotton and wool. Yet no matter what Daniel did to the blond boy his slate coloured eyes would not lift from the book in his lap. His eyebrows creased as he analysed the text in front of him.

Otto had only returned in May of this year to the small French town and was surrounded by prejudice like flies to a corpse. Since his return he had been stuck inside hunched over his stupid typewriter creating essay after essay of which nearly all were discarded. It bother Daniel, to no end, that his friend could not relapse into their old ways but yet Daniel had to admit that there was something almost scenic at watching the German boy sit very still and calm with his back straight and eyelashes fluttering. Daniel had taken the time discarding the medical journals to his left to sketch out Otto's profile, committing each feature and flaw to memory and every little difference from the year before.

Daniel carter was an ashy brunet with freckles that left constellations along his body against a sun-kissed sky. Otto had greeted him with glee by pointing out every additional speckle and teasing that landscape portraits were no good for his complexion while holding back a lion's roar of laughter. His eyes were hazel and were always shining with pure happiness among the pointed and elegant features of his face. He was 6'2 but seemed to look small when next Otto who stood a giant among men like a mighty redwood tree with fine carved muscle unlike Daniel who complained he was a lanky mess like some flesh coloured spider.

Next to the lake among the shade of the willows Daniel quickly lost interest in entertaining himself and found himself staring mischievously at the boy next to him who never once lifted his nose from the book on his lap. Otto didn't even stir when the boy rested his head against his shoulder, looking over and laying his eyes on the German inscriptions that were printed in starch black that seemed too dark against the yellowing pages. It had always been an annoyance for Otto when someone watched over his shoulder at what he wrote or read so to Daniel it was the perfect chance to distract him.

Otto made a heavy low grunting sound before swiping Daniel with his free hand the other moving the book away from Daniel's curious eyes. As Otto became drawn to the German words again Daniel aimed his strike under Otto's arms. The Laugh came out as a squeak that was too high for the boy and was quick to be followed by German protest and curses before he returned the act of war and went for the Frenchman.

'Stop, stop. Let me finish this paragraph' the exclamation was met by swats from the Frenchman before he could finally resettle his eyes on the page 'You are acting like such a child'