The Problem-Causing Crush (Powerwolf)

Chapter Eight

 "What do you think Charles is going to tell Roel?" Falk asked. "He kind of just marched him out of here and I don't know where they went."

 "It was probably to talk about what this was all about in the first place," Attila suggested. "Maybe things will work out between them after all, despite us butting into everything." 

 "I hope so. I think I definitely messed up there, Attila." 

 Attila couldn't think of a good response to that. He knew Falk had just wanted to help Roel, but in the end he hadn't really done much to help, and they both knew it now. 

 "Well, you did just want to help Roel," he pointed out. "I guess we just didn't do it in the best of ways. Maybe now that they're having a real conversation about it, they can work it out." 

 Falk shrugged. "Hopefully, they do. I've been thinking over all my actions, and I think I know why I did what I did and became so invested in it." 

 "Oh? What's going on?" 

 "Well...I think I was projecting somehow. I've had my own feelings buried deep down and I haven't even tried to deal with them. I guess I thought that maybe if I helped Roel and Charles with their feelings, maybe I could figure out a way to handle my own." He sighed. "Now that I'm saying it out loud, I realize how bad an idea it sounds, but I guess I tried, at least."

 "Yeah, it sounds like you at least tried," said Attila. "Maybe now that Charles and Roel can handle their own feelings, you'll be able to work out yours." 

 Falk smiled and shrugged again. "Maybe I can. I've already been accused of being a hypocrite, so I don't think I should waste much more time." 

 The conversation would have to end there for the moment. Charles and Roel climbed into the bus together, laughing and looking the happiest either of them had looked in a while. 

 "Well, I see everything's worked out here," Attila remarked. 

 "Yeah, it has," Roel replied, smiling at Charles. 

 "So, I heard you two have been up to a lot of things lately," Charles remarked. 

 "That's my fault," said Falk. "When Roel told us about his feelings for you, he just seemed so miserable and hopeless. I mean, you're both my friends and bandmates. I wanted to help somehow, but I see now that I probably didn't do it in the best of ways. I'm sorry about that." 

 "It's all right, Falk. Just don't do it ever again, please." Charles looked at Attila. "And what about you?" 

 "Well, I didn't-" Attila meant to say that he didn't really have a hand in plotting anything, which he hadn't, but instead he clapped his hand in Falk's shoulder and said, "Yes, I was kind of like Falk's evil accomplice. Sorry I didn't say anything." 

 Falk turned to Attila and gave him a smile. Roel looked between the two of them, he realized Matthew definitely had been right about Falk having a thing for someone. Now he knew who it was.

 "I hope you take the time to figure out your own problems now, Falk," Roel said. "I'm not going to stop calling you a hypocrite until you do."

 "What? Is there something else going on I don't know about?" Charles asked. 

 "That's only one small detail," Roel answered. "I'll tell you about it later." 

~~~~~~ 

 Thankfully, things lightened up after that. Charles and Roel wound up becoming a real couple in a short time, and were very happy together. You would think there might be a little weirdness with two of the band members suddenly becoming a couple, but there wasn't really anything awkward about it. 

 In the meantime, something seemed to change between Falk and Attila. It was slow, but there was definitely something different. Roel confided in Matthew that he had been spot-on about Falk, and it looked like Roel was right about who it was. 

 Matthew was happy for Charles and Roel; they both seemed so much happier now that they were together. And if Falk and Attila would end up together, he could be happy for them, too. As long as he wasn't going to get roped into spying on anyone else, being the fifth wheel might be so bad. At least it was something he could handle.