Sander and Robbe, Minute by Minute

A Breath Away

Sander had woke up the next morning with a headache. After a cold shower, he just threw his clothes and stuff into his baggage and went for coffee. There was a general chaos with everyone packing and gathering their things from the floor and tables or chairs. Amber walked everywhere, bossing everyone around.

He was about to pour his second cup when Amber's voice made him looked up, "Sander, come on. Those empty bottles aren't going to bring themselves to the recyling bin."

Sander looked down at his cup, "Yeah but—"

"Go. Come one." She looked at him firmly. It's like bringing your mother along when on holiday. Sander huffed and put down the coffee pot and cup on the counter.

"The toilets has been cleaned." Robbe reported, coming from outside. This boy is too adorable, Sander thought to himself.

"With bleach?"

"Yes, with bleach."

Amber was saying, "Okay, then you can—"

Sander cut her off quickly, "Help me with recycling?" He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Sander looked at Robbe. He didn't say anything.

Amber's eyes moved between them. She finally said, "Yeah, okay, that's fine."

He took a rack from the table and waited for him at the open door. Robbe took another one. Sander watched Robbe walking to him, trying to read him. Last night was not nothing. He wanted to talk to him. He wanted Robbe to say something to him. They walked together, side by side to the recycling bins.

Sander turned to him, "Fun week right?"

"Yeah," Robbe answered.

"Nice people as well. Amber though.." He made an exaggerated pfff sound.

Robbe chuckled.

Sander decided to throw the bait. "You and Noor.. seems to be going great?"

"Yes."

Sander waited, thinking, hoping.

After seconds that felt like forever to him, Robbe asked, "You and Britt?"

He exhaled and answered,"Ups and downs. Rather down lately."

They put down the rack on the board near the bins and started sorting the metals and the bottles.

"You might have noticed."

From next to him, Robbe said, "I don't know."

"It's just like lately I keep annoying her. We've been together for.. six months now?"

Robbe was listening to him.

"Yeah maybe that's normal. I don't know." He shrugged.

"What would you do? Leave or stay?" He crimped the can with caps in them and walked into the bin. He threw them in and looked at Robbe's back.

Sander approached Robbe from behind. He was taking the bottles out from the rack. Sander stopped behind him, standing with his body almost touching Robbe's jacket, he reached down with one hand into the rack, and brushed his hand to Robbe's. Robbe's head turned to him. They looked at each other. Robbe stumbled and moved away from him. He walked to Sander's cart and started taking off caps. Sander tried to hide his smile. He waited, looking at him.

Robbe looked down and then said, "I would.. just take all the positives and negatives.. and then.."

He smiled at him, "Make a tally? And if it's negative then dump them?"

Robbe was biting his lips.

"I don't know."

"Ya.." Robbe looked thoughtful. He rubbed his nose and looked away.

Sander stared at him and he blurted out, "Maybe I'm just scared that I am not going to find anyone."

Robbe looked up and watched him in silence. Sander's heart was beating faster.

"I don't know.." Robbe said in a small voice.

Sander pushed on, saying softly, "At least no one who we'll love me." Not the way I am. He gazed into Robbe's eyes, willing him to see what he felt.

Looking at the ground, Robbe replied, "Yeah. I do think you'll find someone like that."

Sander smiled, gazing at the tinge of red on Robbe's cheek. He asked, "Where then?"

Robbed looked up shyly at him, "I don't know.. Maybe you should meet some new people or something."

Sander laughed. "Like going away for the weekend with some strangers right?"

This time Robbe stared at him with the same look that he gave him last night. And he said, "For example, yeah."

They were standing very close. Sander hadn't known that a heart could beat so fast. He felt like it could blowed up from the sheer speed. They gazed into each other's eyes. Sander looked down at Robbe's sensuous lips and up to his intense eyes. The air was full of Robbe's presence, sharp needles prickled on his skin. He moved and he felt Robbe leaned in. They were a breath away from each other; his lips parted in anticipation when an exclamation broke them away.

"Jesus! This organic waste smells like death." It was Luca's voice.

She was walking out from the building's corner. Sander felt like someone just poured a bucket of ice cold water down his head. Sander moved away and started touching random things awkwardly.

"There we go." Luca threw the trash and walked away.

They looked everywhere but at each other. Luckily they were almost finished. Sander threw the last cans into the bin and walked back to the rooms. Robbe was following him. He glanced back at him. Robbe's expression was unreadable. They looked away again.