The lad walked to the bathroom, rubbing his eyes as he brushed his teeth. Heading back to the bedroom, he changed out of his pyjamas into something a bit more proper. His steps carried on down the stairs, stopping in the sitting room just before reaching for the doorknob.

His hand started trembling, and he felt his heart thumping hard in his chest, almost desperate. Shaking his head, he grabbed the handle and opened the door, stepping out onto the warm concrete.

As he walked, he made his way to a nearby café—Alessandro—and stepped up to the counter.

“Morning,” the receptionist said, as the lad rested his elbow on the counter.

“Just a simple one, hot, not much sugar, medium cup,” he replied.

She stepped back with a nod, tapping away at the screen in front of her as she sorted his order.

“You can wait over there,” she said, and the lad stepped out of the line, heading to a table near the windows.

He rested his elbows on the table, his chin in his hands, letting out a quiet huff as he looked around. His gaze drifted to the window, spotting a small boy holding onto a puppy by a leash.

The dog pulled forward, and the boy held on, trying to keep up with the little thing’s pace.

The blond man ran a hand along the back of his neck, swallowing hard as his hand slowly dropped. A faint sound came from beneath the table—his foot tapping away like a hare.

A drop of sweat ran down the side of his face, and he lowered his head, his eyes half-shut.

Then, suddenly, a staff member came over with his coffee and handed him the bill, making him lift his head and pass over the right amount.

As he sipped his coffee, he kept staring out the window, until his attention shifted to a group nearby.

“Careful now, don’t get yourself messy,” the woman said, wiping the younger child’s mouth with a cloth.

“Dad, I want the submarine again!” the older boy said.

“Oh, do ya now?! Then get ready, sailor! ’Cause this submarine’s about to head off on an adventure! Next stop: your belly!” he said, lifting the little coffee stick and bringing it to the boy’s mouth, who bit it and started chewing.

The blond man, from a distance, tightened his grip on his cup, some of the coffee spilling over the edge. With a sigh, he grabbed a cloth and wiped the table and his clothes, standing up as he finished his drink.

“When we get home, can we watch that superhero show?” the younger one asked.

“Course, love, but I’ll be busy—leave it all to your dad,” the woman replied, and the children smiled.

The blond lad clenched his fists, stopping in front of the exit. He crushed the coffee cup completely and tossed it in the bin. Hands in his coat pockets, he stepped out of the shop with heavier strides.

“Was hot…” he muttered, walking along, looking down at the hand that had crushed the cup twice.

Making his way toward the park, he slowed to a stop by the lake where he’d seen the ducks the day before.

“Hm… guess they’ve gone off somewhere else,” he shrugged, continuing with small steps before pausing again. “Ah… that fella from yesterday… think that eejit’s actually gonna try and find me again?”

He slowed down, stopping behind a tree, spotting the dark-haired lad from yesterday sitting there again, same notebook and pen in hand.

“Tsk,” the blond muttered, sitting down on the grass and leaning his back against the tree. He hid his face between his knees.

The grass shifted with every touch of the breeze, while he stayed curled in the little darkness he made for himself.

After a few minutes like that, he lifted his gaze and looked toward the dark-haired lad, hidden behind the tree.

The other man’s fingers moved across the paper, marking every line and letter he wrote. The blond moved one hand back as the other let out a small huff, biting on the pen and gripping the notebook tight.

“Ah, I don’t believe this!” he complained, pulling the pen from his mouth and tearing the whole page out, stuffing the crumpled paper into his pocket.

He left the notebook on his knee, placing both hands on the grass.

His finger tapped up and down against it, over and over.

Then he lowered his gaze, closing his eyes for a moment as his hair moved with the wind.

“He’s not coming,” the lad said, closing the notebook and getting to his feet, taking a few steps to leave—before pausing briefly.

The blond quickly hid fully behind the tree, as the dark-haired lad glanced back, looking straight at the spot where he’d been sitting just seconds before. With another sigh and a tired look, he turned forward again and went on his way.

The blond, seeing him from a distance, got up and returned to his usual spot, now without the other there. He took a deep breath, looking at the rising sun, then closed his eyes and lay back on the grass, watching the clouds as his clothes and hair kept moving in the breeze.

A few birds landed on the tree he’d been leaning against. He looked up, opening one eye, watching them nuzzle together softly. He smiled at the sight, resting his hands behind his head, taking one more deep breath before closing his eyes completely, letting the warmth of the day settle over him.