Bernard Crossing Lines

Gay Love in the Shadows of War
1. Auflage 2024
ISBN: 978-3-7583-3641-6
Verlag: BoD - Books on Demand
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 1, 288 Seiten

Reihe: Crossing Lines, Fates and Shores

Paul, a young Frenchman in occupied Paris, is questioned by German soldiers and meets Will, a German soldier who defies Nazi stereotypes and questions the ideology around him. A cautious friendship forms between them, soon deepening into feelings that make both men question the boundaries of their bond. Despite the constant danger of occupation, they begin to share secrets and build trust. Will shows Paul his human side, clearly distancing himself from Nazi beliefs, which gives Paul hope. Protected by the walls of Paul's luxurious home, their relationship blossoms into a private refuge, with Will briefly escaping his soldier's life. They share intimate moments and dreams, but also face growing uncertainties about their future. As they navigate the threats of war and resistance in France, their love becomes a sanctuary in a war-torn world, offering a fragile sense of peace. Together, they begin to hope for a future, even though they know their relationship is risky and could endanger both of their lives. Paul, ein junger Franzose, lebt im besetzten Paris und wird von deutschen Soldaten befragt. Dabei lernt er Will kennen, einen deutschen Soldaten, der sich von den stereotypen Nazi-Bildern unterscheidet und die herrschende Ideologie kritisch sieht. Zwischen ihnen entwickelt sich eine vorsichtige Freundschaft, die bald von tiefer werdenden Gefühlen geprägt ist. Trotz der Bedrohung durch die Besatzung und das Risiko für beide beginnen Will und Paul, Geheimnisse zu teilen und einander zu vertrauen. Will zeigt Paul die menschliche Seite hinter der Uniform und distanziert sich klar von der Nazi-Ideologie, was Paul Hoffnung gibt. Im Schutz von Pauls luxuriösem Anwesen erleben die beiden eine Art Flucht und bauen ihre Beziehung weiter auf, wobei sie zunehmend zärtliche Momente teilen. Doch die Gefahren der Besatzung und des Widerstands in Frankreich stellen sie vor immer grössere Herausforderungen. Ihre Liebe wird zu einem Zufluchtsort in der kriegsgeprägten Welt, und sie träumen von einer gemeinsamen Zukunft, auch wenn sie wissen, dass ihre Beziehung hochriskant ist und ihr Leben bedrohen könnte.

Olivier Bernard, a Canadian author, crafted this evocative erotic novel as a heartfelt tribute to the life and experiences of a close friend. With a keen eye for emotional nuance and passion, Poitras has captured the intense highs and lows of an extraordinary relationship, weaving them into a compelling narrative. This novel is not only a story of love and desire but also a celebration of the courage and tenderness that sustained his friend through challenging times. For Poitras, this work is a labor of love, telling an intimate yet universal tale marked by empathy and authenticity, offering a profound glimpse into the intertwined paths of friendship, loyalty, and passion. Olivier Bernard, ein kanadischer Autor, schuf diesen tiefgründigen Erotikroman als eine bewegende Hommage an das Leben und die Erlebnisse eines engen Freundes. Mit feinem Gespür für zwischenmenschliche Nuancen und Leidenschaft hat Poitras die intensiven Höhen und Tiefen einer aussergewöhnlichen Beziehung eingefangen und literarisch verarbeitet. Der Roman ist nicht nur eine Erzählung über Liebe und Verlangen, sondern auch eine Feier des Mutes und der Zärtlichkeit, die seinen Freund durch eine oft herausfordernde Zeit getragen haben. So ist dieses Werk für Poitras eine Herzensangelegenheit, die eine intime und zugleich universelle Geschichte erzählt, geprägt von Empathie und Authentizität, und die einen tiefen Einblick in die verwobenen Pfade von Freundschaft, Loyalität und Leidenschaft gewährt.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bernard, Olivier

Leseproben

ONE
«THEY ARE HERE ...»
Paul De Brion had been waiting all morning for his turn to be interrogated, sitting in a waiting-room somewhere in Paris. When he had gotten there, he had been with many other Frenchmen that had been arrested, just like him, because they didn't have their papers with them when checked by German soldiers. Paul had not known about that new German regulation that required everyone to carry his ID with him at all time. Hell, how could he have known: The Germans had got into Paris just the day before, and since then, he had not left his home except for this morning ... He had not listened to the radio either. Now, he wished he had! Now Paul was sitting all alone in the waiting-room: One by one, the others had gone to another room, where they had been interrogated, Paul figured out. He had not seen any of them since and so now, he was nervously waiting for his turn. A door suddenly oopened, and a German officer politely said to Paul: „Please young man, do come in. Have a seat.“ – Paul entered the room. It was not a very large room. There was a table right in front of him where two German officers were sitting. To his left, he saw a secretary sitting at a small table with a type-writer in front of her. Paul became very nervous seeing all that: He had heard so many bad stories about the Germans, he was just sure his life would soon be coming to a very abrupt end. Paul looked at the two officers sitting at the table. The elder of the two showed him a chair and said: „Please, please, do sit down. Don't be so agitated ... Do you understand what I say to you?“ – Since the officer had shown him a chair, Paul had guessed he was requested to sit down ... but he wasn't sure. The officer had spoken to him in German, and Paul didn't understand a single word in that language. And so, he didn't move and kept staring at the officer, not wanting to do anything wrong ... That's when the youngest officer asked him: „Tu n'as rien compris de ce qu'il t'a dit, n'est-ce pas?“ (you didn't understand a word of what he said to you, did you?) – „Non“ – „That's what I thought,“ the young officer said. His French was excellent, except for the light touch of his German accent ... The young officer was kindly smiling at Paul now ... – „Please, sit down,“ he said. „I'm a translator, and I will translate everything for you. You don't have to be afraid. Please, do sit ...“ Paul sat while the young officer explained something to the other officer. Again, Paul didn't understand a word of what they were saying, but it didn't seem menacing though. Paul tought the young officer had a very pleasant tone of voice. That surprised him a bit since he had always thought Germans were always barking at one another. But then again, what did he really knew about Germans? Not much, except for the stories and the propaganda he had heard about them, which of course were not favourable, to say the least ... He was lost into his thoughts when he heard the young officer say to him: „We have not been properly introduced yet ... Please, do excuse us ... I'm Unterfeldwebel Whilhelm von Rundstedt. The officer next to me is Oberstleutnant Heinz Koch. He's my superior ...“ – Hearing his name, the older officer just kindly nodded to Paul ... Seeing the very puzzled look on Paul's face, the young officer grinned as he said: „I mean, I'm a Staff Sergeant ... and my superior officer here is a Lieutenant-colonel. I assure you he's a kind man although he doesn't speak French. No need for you to be afraid of him ... Now, he's going to ask you a few questions, and I will translate them for you to answer. Are you okay?“ – „Oui, merci.“ Paul kept looking at the young officer as he was talking to him. Certainly, this guy was not much older than he was. Perhaps 20 or 21 ... Although the young officer was sitting beind the table, Paul could guess he was about 1.80 m tall. He had golden blond hair, and perfect blue eyes. When smiling, the young officer showed perfect bright white teeth. Since he was not wearing his service dress tunic due to the heat in the room, Paul could see the young officer had well defined muscles under his damped light beige army shirt. Indeed, this was a very good-looking guy, Paul thought. Then the young officer said to him: „Are you ready?“ – „Yes ...“ – The golden blond officer turned to his superior and nodded to him, letting him know he could start questionning the young man sitting in front of them. As the questions were asked in German, they were translated by the young officer for Paul to answer them, and then his answers were translated to German for the older officer and the secretary to understand them ... This long process kept going for a while. Paul could see his answers were typed down on a form by the secretary, and that the older officer was taking notes: „Name?“ – „De Brion“ – „Vorname?“ – „Paul“ – „Geburtsdatum?“ – „I was born on August 15, 1921 ...“ – „Größe?“ – „I'm 1.80 meter tall ...“ – „Augenfarbe?“ Paul didn't know exactly how to describe the colour of his eyes ... He looked at the young officer for some help. The young officer said to him: „Hmm ... I'd say you have emerald green eyes ...“ – „Yes ... that's it ... emerald green eyes ... thank you,“ Paul said. The older officer looked at Paul with a grin on his face and asked the next question: „Haarfarbe?“ Again, Paul looked to the young officer for the correct answer, which came quickly: „I would answer „dirty blond“ if I were you ...“ – „Yes, yes,“ Paul said, smiling ... „Dirty blond“. „Wohnort?“ – „I live at 120, Avenue Foch, 16e arrondissement, Paris, France“. „What's an „arrondissement,“ the young officer asked Paul, looking a bit puzzled by that unknown expression ... – „ ... Well ... it's ... you know ... a Ward ... I live in the 16th Ward, here in Paris,“ Paul explained, a bit surprised by such a question ... It was so obvious to him ... – „Oh, I see ... it's just I had never heard that expression before and didn't know how to translate it ... sorry about that,“ the young officer said with a twinkle in his eye. „I guess I'll get used to it after a while ...“ – „I guess so ...,“ Paul said lightly blushing. The young officer translated Paul's address to his superior, who then asked: „Beruf?“ – „I'm a student ...“ Setting aside his papers, the older officer turned to his subordinate and got into a conversation with him. Of course Paul didn't understand a word of it. Then, the young officer said to him: „How come you didn't have your papers with you then you got checked?“ – „I didn't know I had to carry them with me all the time. I had not heard about that directive until I got arrested ...“ – „Didn't you listen to the radio?“ – „No. Sorry ... I guess I was too absorbed by other urgent matters ...“ – „What was so urgent you didn't have time to listen to the radio?“ the young officer asked. „You were probably the only one not listenning to the radio ... you know ... with us marching into Paris ...“ – „Oh, yeah ... but you see ... my grandmother is sick at the moment, and I had to visit her at the hospital. In fact, that's were I was going when I was arrested ...“ „Do you have your ID at home?“ – „Sure,“ Paul answered. – „We need to have the identification number on your papers. Could you call home and get it for us?“ – „I can call ... If the phone works ... but I'll get no answer. There's no one at home ... They have all fled a few days ago when we heard the German army was going to ... invade the city ... you know ...“ – „How come you haven't fled with the rest of your family?“ – „ ... Oh, I was supposed to ... believe me ... That was the subject of a much debated discussion with my father ... but in the end, it was obvious one of us had to stay in Paris with my grandmother ... since she was too sick to travel ... My sister and my brother being much younger than me, we couldn't leave them behind ... So I volunteered to stay. My Mumand Dad didn't like the idea at all but ... you know ... what choice did we have: It was that, or leave my grandmother all alone in Paris ... So here I am ...“ The young officer opened his mouth as to say something, but then closed it and said nothing. He knew Paris was almost empty of its population ... it was as if most people had fled in fear of the German invasion ... the story Paul was telling made perfect sense to him ... He turned to his superior officer and explained everything Paul had said to him. Then he stopped talking. A long moment of silence followed. It looked like the young officer was lost in his thoughts, Paul thought ... What would they do with him? What would they do to him? Again, the young officer turned to his superior and both of them got into a new conversation. The fact Paul was not able to understand what they were saying made him angry: Were they planning his death with him not knowing anything about it, stupidly sitting on a stupid chair in that stupid office ... If those Germans were going to stay in Paris for...