Christmas Train   von MrsJuliaNanba
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                                  Kapitel 1: 
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Jean was  pissed. The train he wanted to take home was late. And not just a few 
minutes, it were already three hours. It had started to snow the  night before
and hadn't stopped since. And well, as always, that was  so fucking surprising
for the Deutsche Bahn, because, how can anybody  know that it snows in winter in
Germany? Surprise, surprise! Snow in  December! How could anybody imagine that?
But because he didn't  want to sit around in the apartment he shared with three
fellow  students alone – the last one of the others left last week – he 
went to the main station nevertheless and wanted to wait there for  his train.
Secretly he hoped that his train would be punctual after  all or that a
substitute would drive if the train was arriving late  in Berlin. But well, he
wasn't lucky at all. And even after waiting  for three hours the only
information he had was that the train had  technical problems and no substitute
was available, because of  Christmas and problems with other trains.
He already had called  his parents to tell them that he didn't know when he
would arrive in  Munich and if it was possible to take an other route. The last
time  he asked, the only other possibility was taking a train to Frankfurt  and
then change for Munich. But as already mentioned, his luck seemed  to have left
him completely, because all trains to Frankfurt were  cancelled or were as late
as his one. And to get a train from  Frankfurt to Munich then would be pretty
hard, too.
So he waited  at the main station and tried to pass the time somehow, looking at
 the departure and arrivals board every ten minutes. Most of the time  he spent
on his smart phone, texting and surfing, the headphones on  as loud as possible,
listening to calming heavy metal. When he was  bored of surfing and texting
after about two hours, he took out a  book he wanted to read for his courses,
electrical engineering wasn't  a piece of cake after all. Somehow he had managed
to survive his  courses until now, he actually was pretty good, but even if he
was  good at something by nature, he still had to learn the theory. 
Unconsciously he took out a highlighter and a notebook and started to  mark the
important parts and writing down notes.
He was so  absorbed in his studies that he hadn't realised a guy sitting down 
next to him and giving him sidelong glances. Only when the other  tapped him on
his shoulder, Jean took notice of the person next to  him. When he looked up he
saw a guys around his age with brown hair  and an attractive, freckled face. The
guy was smiling at him and then  motioned to his ears. Only then Jean realised
that the music was  still on and searched for his player to stop it. Then he
took off the  headphones and looked at the other questioningly.

“Sorry if I  disturb your studies, but I couldn't help but seeing your ticket
and  just wanted to inform you that your train was cancelled  completely.”
“What?”

Jean's eyes  went wide and he looked up at the board, realising that the guy was
 right. He sighed and then hid his face in his hands.

“Fuck!”

The guy only  gave him a sympathetic look and a smile, then looked at the board,
 too.

“I hate my  life...”

Now he got a  giggle and looked up at the other, getting more pissed as the
seconds  passed by.

“What?”
“It's  just that you hate your life just because some people have problems 
with doing their jobs right.”
“Well, it just so happens that  their incompetence overlaps with my Christmas
plans.”
“On your  way home?”
“Yeah, left home for university and promised my  folks to at least spend
Christmas with the family.”
“Same  here. I'm Marco by the way.”
“Jean.”, they shook hands and  Jean realised that the other had a firm
handshake, just the right  amount of strength.
“Where are  you heading?”
“Well, coincidentally, it's the same train as  yours, I just have to get off
in Nuremberg.”
“Then we're  almost neighbours.”, Jean laughed, and when the other joined
him  and he saw him smile, he realised how attractive Marco actually was. 
Before he didn't pay attention to the other's looks, just that he was  brunet
and had freckles. But now that he looked closely, Marco had  nice features, his
eyes were warm and he had a beautiful smile. And  because he thought the other
wasn't looking, he quickly scanned his  body. He was lucky, Marco left his
jacket open and Jean could see  that he had a nice body, even with the warm
sweater the other was  wearing. When he looked up again, Marco looked at him
with a gaze he  couldn't place, but still smiling.
“So what are we gonna do  now?”
“Can you watch my stuff? Then I'll quickly go to the  information desk and ask
them.”
“Sure, then I don't have to  get up myself.”
“Guess it'd take you a while to get your stuff  away, too.”

Only then Jean  realised that he still had his book and notebook open and his
phone  and player were lying in his lap, too. In the meanwhile Marco already 
stood up and made his way over to the information desk and Jean  couldn't help
but use this opportunity to look at the guy from afar.  He was taller then Jean
himself, but only a few centimetres, and he  really seemed to have a fine body.
His legs were long and muscular,  thanks for the skinny jeans, Jean thought. And
when he reached the  information desk, he smiled charmingly at the lady behind
the  counter. When Jean realised that he was starring, he quickly looked  away
and started to pack his stuff, it seemed that he had an other  way to pass his
time now.
After a few minutes Marco returned and  asked him for his ticket, so the lady at
the counter could give them  a new itinerary. When the other returned again, he
informed Jean that  their new train would leave in one hour and they would
reimburse 50 %  of their fare, and he got them seats for free as well. Jean
guessed  that the lady fell for his smile, he would have had in her place. He 
bit his lower lip. That was the only problem he had back home and the  reason he
decided to study so far away, in a city where he would be  accepted more. The
fact that he preferred guys over girls had always  been a touchy subject back
home. His parents had accepted his  sexuality after long discussions and a
therapy they did together. But  they still preferred to be left out of his
affairs and after thinking  it through he decided to leave. He was on good terms
with his family,  but he always thought that it was thanks to the distance.
Back to  the problem at hand: Marco, the charming, freckled guy next to him.  He
spared him another glance and saw that the other smiled at him and  he couldn't
help but smile back.

“So, what we  gonna do now? We still have one hour left.”
“How about some  coffee and a snack? I had breakfast hours ago and am actually
pretty  hungry.”, Jean stood up while talking to the other, took his bags  and
looked at Marco expectantly. The other just smiled even more and  took his bags,
too.

They went to a  little café and after getting drinks and snacks, sat down at a
table  and started a fluent conversation. Jean told him where he came from  and
what his subject at university was. In return he learnt that  Marco was studying
history, was a year older and wanted to visit his  family for Christmas and
throw a party with his friends for New  Years. They lived only a few streets
away from each other, but  because they went to different universities in
different parts of the  town, they never met. And Jean was pretty sure that he
had never seen  the other before, just because he would definitely recognise him
 right away. Marco's looks were totally his type, the freckles a  cherry on the
top. But after talking to him, Jean had to admit that  this guy was totally his
type, both looks and character. He was  smart, charming, funny, nice and so much
more. But the only thing  Jean couldn't tell was: Was this guy interested in
guys or girls? It  would be too frank to ask him directly but he needed a reason
to see  the other again.
Before he could decide on what to do, Marco  realised that they had to go to the
platform, and this time their  train was actually punctual. After finding their
seats and placing  their bags, they continued their conversation, talking about
random  stuff like school or their lecturers. At some point Jean realised  that
they would arrive in Nuremberg soon and became nervous. How  could he get
Marco's number? Or e-mail address? Something to contact  the other after they
parted. OK, he knew where the other lived but it  would be creepy if he just
showed up there. And as if the staff had  read his mind, they heard an
announcement that they would soon arrive  in Nuremberg. This made Marco dress
himself for the cold weather  outside and getting his bags.

“Well, then I  guess that's goodbye for now.”
“Yeah... Wait, for now?”

But instead of  an answer Jean suddenly felt a pair of lips on his own.

'Whoa, we're  still in a public place!', was his first thought, followed by,
'But  fuck, I love this!'

So he placed a  hand in Marco's neck and pulled him closer, returning the kiss 
eagerly. Unfortunately they had to part too soon, reaching Marco's  stop. But
before they parted, Jean felt his hand putting something in  his back pocket.

“My train  back is on the 5th January and know that we're taking the  same
train again. Just give me a call where your seat is and I'll  join you again. We
should decide on a day for our date then.”

And after  winking at the stunned guys sitting at the window, Marco turned 
around and left, got out and made his way to the parking lot to meet  his
parents, a happy smile on his face.
Jean still sat at the  window, stunned by the change of character he witnessed.
Was that  really the charming and nice Marco he thought the other was? Or had 
he misjudged the other?
Getting the piece of paper Marco placed in  his pocket, a grin placed itself on
his face. Well, now he had the  address, number and e-mail address of the
attractive brunet. He took  out his smart phone and added the number to his
contacts, writing the  other a text immediately.


'I'm really  looking forward to our date ;)'

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