That morning, Paul was sitting all alone on the veranda, reading his news paper and enjoying his coffee...

Will had already left for the office and Ludwig for college.

Then he heard someone coming from the hall, whistling...

"...Ah! Your up!", Paul said to his young friend François, with a big smile on his face... "You seem to be happy this morning... I like that"...

"Yup! It's a beatiful morning, isn't it?", François answered, smiling... "And I'm starving..."

"Good. I'll call madame Louise..."

"Don't bother... I'll go tell her what I want for breakfast... What about fresh coffee? You want some?"

"Why not!", Paul answered, grinning...

"I'll be back..."

Obviously, François was in a very good mood and Paul was glad to see that, since earlier that same morning, Ludwig had shown such an awful temper...

When François came back, Paul looked at him and asked:

"Hey... How come you're not in class this morning?"

"...No school today: We're free. But I'm suppose to meet Philippe at ten o'clock at the library... since we're working on an assignment together..."

"Uh-huh... and I suppose that's not the reason why you're whistling that popular song -what's the title again?- ... "Je t'aimerai toujours..." (I will always love you...)..."

François looked at Paul with a big smile on his face...

"...Well..." He said, a little embarrassed...

"Oh come on François... you're in love, and you can't hide it...", Paul answered, laughing...

"...Maybe..."

"Yeah yeah... sure! You make a very bad liar, you know?"

"Okay, Yes! I'm really in love with him! Are you happy now?" François answered, laughing too...

"Good for you!"

"...But I don't know how he feels about me..."

"Hey, as I've already told you before... take your time! Paris wasn't built in one day..."

"I know... But I think he's happy when we're together... He's always smiling... and he has such a lovely smile... and his lips... Oh God! He's so beatiful, it's a sin!"

"...And he has black curly hair... and beatiful blue eyes... and very lovely hands with long fingers... yeah, yeah... you've already told me that..." Paul replied, laughing his heart out... "So, when do you intend to invite him over here, huh? So I can judge by myself how this "God" looks like..."

"But he was here last night... and we had fun, listening to the records..."

"And you didn't tell me he was here? How naughty of you! (...) Why don't you invite him for supper tonight?"

"...I don't think that would be a good idea..."

"Why?"

"Well... I don't think Ludwig likes him very much..."

"Oh? (...) Why do you say that?"

"...Cause he told me this morning... He told me Philippe wasn't the right guy for me... He even went as far as to say Philippe is a scum!"

"Huh? He told you that? That's not like Ludwig..."

"I know... I was stunned..."

"What did you answer him?"

"Nothing. I was too stunned!"

"(...) Maybe he said that because he has learned Marie-Hélène is getting married... and he's not too happy about it..."

"Speaking about a scum! (...) But no, it has nothing to do with her... He doesn't give a damn about her. To him... she was just a good fuck once in a while, that's all", François answered, drinking his coffee...

"Watch your language, young man!", Paul answered, laughing...

"Anyway... I don't think it would be a good idea to have Philippe over here for supper, cause the way Ludwig talked to me about him this morning, I'm sure that if he comes for supper, Ludwig will treat him like shit... and I don't want to be embarrass..."

"(...) I will have to talk to him..."

"Good luck with that! He wasn't in a very good mood when he left this morning..."

"Yeah... I've noticed that...", Paul answered... "Anyway... don't worry... I'm sure it will not last..."

"I sure hope you're right..."

That day, François met Philippe at the library... and they started working hard on their assignment...

As François kept looking at Philippe's hands, Philippe finally noticed and said:

"What's wrong with my hands?"

"Oh nothing...", François quickly answered, blushing...

"...And why are you blushing like that?", Philippe replied, laughing...

"...Let's drop it, okay?"

"No, no... I want to know..."

"You're gonna laugh at me if I tell you...", François said...

"No... I swear I won't..."

"Well... I think your hands are... beatiful!"

"You think so? (...) No one ever told me that before..."

"Well it's true..."

"...There you go again: You're blushing..."

"I knew you would be laughing at me..."

"I'm not laughing at you... I swear... I find it cute, that's all..."

"(...) Let's go back to work, shall we?", François awkwardly answered...

Later, as the two friends were trying to find something in a book, Philippe said:

"Hey... don't turn the pages so fast... I think we've missed it..."

"Huh?"

"...Yes... Here... give me the book..."

As Philippe was taking the book away from François, he put his right hand right over his friend's hand... and he left it there much longer than needed...

François quivered at the touch, and it didn't go unnoticed to Philippe...

François raised his eyes and looked into Philippe's deep blue eyes...

"There you go again...", Philippe said, laughing..."

"What?"

"You're blushing scarlet red again..."

"Oh... cut it out, will you?"

"Ah come on François... I'm telling you: It's cute..."

"...Don't say that..."

"Why? Because you're a guy?"

"No... I don't care about that..."

"Good... Cause neither do I... And I think you're cute when you're blushing like that..."

"...If I'm blushing, it's all because of you..."

"Oh? (...) I make you blush?"

"I told you Philippe: Cut it out!"

"No I won't! I want to know why I make you blush..."

"I won't tell you..."

Philippe burst out laughing, and said:

"I've told you: You're so cute when you look like that..."

"I'm not cute..."

"Oh yes, you are..."

"You're cute, not me...", François answered, grinning...

"You think I'm cute?"

"(...)"

"Won't you answer my question?"

"No!"

"Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it..."

"Hey dude, I told you I find you cute... the least you could do is to answer my question...", Philippe replied, laughing...

"You want to know?"

"Yes!"

"...Okay then! Yes! I find you're cute... and very good-looking. Satisfied? Now, let's get back to work...", François answered, still blushing...