In the middle of all this, he was the one constant, and for the first time since we’d turned onto the street, I stopped trying to understand everything at once, and let it come to me instead. The sound of it, the movement, the heat of bodies passing close, the brush of leather, the rise and fall of voices around me….
Folsom had its own rhythm, alive and unfiltered.
I wasn’t merely observing this anymore. I was in it, with him, and I wasn’t going anywhere.
We hadn’t gone far before someone called out, “Stefan!” The voice cut cleanly through the noise, deep and unmistakable.
I turned with him to see Dieter striding towards us, Gertrude tucked comfortably under one arm as if she’d been part of this scene her entire life. He was dressed much the same as the other day—bare arms, sun-warmed skin, entirely unbothered by the attention he drew.
“I knew I’d find you here,” he said with a grin. His gaze shifted to me, then back to Stefan. “And you brought company.” Dieter’s eyes sparkled. “How do you find all this?”
“I’m starting to realise I picked a hell of a weekend to visit Berlin.”
He laughed, the sound easy and open. “You’ve not seen anything yet.”
That was both reassuring and mildly terrifying.
“Dieter, move,” another voice cut in, lighter, amused. “You’re blocking traffic.”
I recognised Tyrone from the concert. His attention landed squarely on me. “Well, hello again, handsome.”
It was then that it hit me.
I didn’t feel uncomfortable. Flustered, yes, but not out of place.
“Kieran!”
I turned, and Hans strode over to join us, wearing the tightest leather pants I had ever seen, coupled with a harness and bars through his nipples, linked by a chain. His face lit up. “Have you learned any more German?”
“A bit,” I confessed.
He grinned. “And probably stuff you wouldn’t feel comfortable saying in public, I’ll bet.” His gaze flickered in Stefan’s direction, then back to me. “You seem to be taking this well.”
I blinked. “I think so.”
Dieter nudged me in the ribs with his elbow. “You sticking with him?” he asked, inclining his head towards Stefan.
I hesitated, then nodded.
“Good answer,” Tyrone said immediately.
“Correct answer,” Hans amended.
Stefan’s hand brushed against my back again.
Not only was I welcome here, I wasn’t navigating it alone.
Dieter clapped Stefan on the shoulder. “We’ll see you later.”
“Enjoy yourselves,” Hans added.
Tyrone winked at me. “Try not to fall in love with the city too quickly.”
Too late.
They moved off into the crowd as easily as they’d appeared, swallowed back into the rhythm of the street. I watched them go for a moment, then glanced at Stefan.
“That was…” I searched for the word.