Disclaimer: I own nothing save for the clothes on my back I guess.
Pairings: SuFin and a few other side pairings.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Lost
When the first rays of the sun drifted through the beige curtains and into the spacious bedroom, it was in for a surprise. Not only was the bed empty but it was made as well, a sight that was rare in this household at that particular hour. From somewhere in the house the sound of running water could be heard along with what seemed like the lyrics of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'!
An unusual start to the day indeed.
Humming a tune under his breath, Tino Väinämöinen was busy preparing a Tilliliha, just the way his mother taught him when he was 15. The dish was simple and intricate at the same time, and on any other morning Tino would've avoided it, but today he needed something to keep him occupied. Moving around the kitchen to collect a few spices like cardamoms and white pepper, his thoughts turned to the events that transpired in the last 24 hours.
He had run into a man saving an injured puppy on his way back from the department store and had gone to the vet together. Now that he thought about it, did the dog belong to the stranger? Or may be not, the tall man said nothing of that sort after all. Perhaps it was a stray. If that's the case may be he ought to bring it home with him, leaving an injured pup on its own felt terribly wrong.
'It'd be nice if that person came as well to see the pup getting discharged.' A small voice whispered at the back of his mind.
The scent of cooked lamb filled the kitchen as Tino lifted the lid, wafting off the steam rising up from the pot. Chewing on a piece of the tender lamb he mulled over as to why it never tasted exactly like the one his mother used to cook; he followed the old recipe to a T after all.
Sighing to himself, he made his way to the study, where quite a few of his assignments were waiting on the mahogany table. Resigning himself to the hordes of layouts and prints before him, he sat on the armchair adorned with red velvet.
The clock ticked by as he sorted through the paper works and placed a few calls to his clients, suggesting a more environment-friendly alternative to their latest choice in décor and then prompting to schedule meetings for the next fortnight or so.
Occasionally glancing at the clock, Tino decided to call it a day by the time it was half past two. Reheating the remaining Tilliliha from the morning, he settled for a quick lunch.
Leaving the dishes for later he picked up his car keys and headed for the cerulean smart car, tucked away in a nifty corner in the garage.
Reminding him self to refill the gasoline tank, he drove to the clinic 'Espoir'. The drive was rather monotonous and short, taking up only about 10 minutes or so.
Walking past the reception area, he was greeted by a kind smile from Dr. Mathew.
"Good afternoon. You're right on time to pick him up, Mr………?"
"Ah, Tino, Tino Väinämöinen. But please call me Tino."
Lifting the puppy up from his basket, the young vet carefully handed him over to Tino.
"Here you go then. Now, I've given him a low dosage of Clindamycin, so if he shows signs of little or no appetite, inform me at once. He could be showing the side-effects to the drug. In that case, I'll switch his medications. Okay?"
"I'll do that. Ummmm…… is he here already?"
"Eh, he?"
"The man who came with the dog yesterday?"
Cocking his head a little to the left while confusion played in his eyes, Dr. Mathew asked,
"Oh, him! He isn't your friend then?"
"Actually……….."
And so Tino recounted the whole incident from yesterday to the vet in a low voice, feeling awkwardly embarrassed about his lack of decorum with the man in question.
"So, you don't even know his name?"
"Ummm you see…..no!"
Stifling a chuckle, the young vet decided to look on the brighter side of things. Even though none of them knew the others name, at least they were still connected by the same incident. So as long as the pup's around they should be able to bump into each other again, right? After all, the lofty stranger was staring quite intently at the sleeping form of Tino, or so the gushing receptionist, Elizaveta informed him while they were closing up last night. Though her exact words were,
"I wanted a camera at that moment! He was looking at him in such a …….why couldn't I find the camera then? Oh God, why?"
While these thoughts kept Dr. Mathew busy, Tino was berating himself for not even asking the man his name.
"How stupid could I get? Typerä ..... olen niin idiootti!"
Before he could drown himself in his wallowing, Dr. Mathew's soft timbre offered him a solution.
"Why don't you wait here for him? He knows that the pup's to be discharged today, so he might drop by. You never know, eh?"
"Really? I wouldn't be a bother to you?"
"No way, not at all!"
A rather feminine tone answered his question instead of the doctor. Turning around to face the owner of the voice, he was met with a pair of emerald green eyes half-hidden behind brown locks.
"Elizaveta……"
Dr. Mathew sighed in resignation.
Feeling the sense of anticipation in those eyes Tino fidgeted subconsciously. It was as if the young woman at the reception was expecting, no, praying for an incident of sorts.
Regardless of that sensation, Tino decided to give the giant from the other day a chance. And so he took a seat in the waiting lounge, stroking the white fur of the pup from time to time and cooing into its ears.
The seconds rolled by and 30 minutes became an hour that turned to two. As the glow of the sun started to diminish, Tino found himself feeling as though the time sped by too quickly and a lingering sense of disappointment engulfed him.
"Ummm I am going to leave now. He……I have work to attend to as well. I'll call you if there's any change in him….bye."
And with that, he left the clinic carrying the puppy in a plastic cage. As he got into the car he was almost tempted to look back and try to find the silhouette of a giant of a man with rusty platinum hair and square glasses. But a small part of him urged him to drive forward and not spare a glance elsewhere but up-front.
Jaw clenched tight as his heart filled with unease, he reached his home.
Meanwhile, in a certain Scandinavian workshop, a man of towering height and square rimmed glasses wiped the sweat clinging to his forehead. Swamped with work, he was unable to get out for lunch let alone visit the snow-white puppy that occupied his thoughts, along with a platinum blond young man.
Tilliliha: Shoulder or brisket of veal, lamb or beef slowly simmered with vegetables (e.g. onion, carrot, and root celery), water and spices until tender. The meat is cut in pieces and mixed with a sauce made from the reduced, thickened cooking liquid (and cream), seasoned with fresh dill, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar or lemon juice.
Espoir is hope in French.
Clindamycin is an antibiotic for dogs; side-effects include gastrointestinal discomfort.
"Typerä ..... olen niin idiootti" means "Stupid……I'm such an idiot".
Now then, I have a little confession to make. When I first posted Chapter 1, I thought that if no one reviewed it then I would end the story right there. But I am glad it never came to that, and I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for your support!
xxXSporkSistaXxx: It's because of such great reviews from people like you that I stayed up half of last night to write this chapter. Thank you!
Shounen-Ai: Yay for being addicted to it!
xXxSilverMoonxXx: Thank you for giving me my oxygen! Please continue to do so in the future as well!:)
Novelist Pup: I am glad you like it so much!
Ripan: I appreciate the thought! Thanks! :)
LittleGirlInRed: I hope I can live up to your expectations!
Me: Do you love me? (and my works)?
My Friend: Yeah of course, why would you even ask that question?
Me: 'Cause you don't review! How am I supposed to know if it's good or bad if you don't tell me? Last I checked, God forgot to give me telepathy over the internet as a gift!
(You get the drift don't you? :P)