Nikolai woke up to the sound of the coffee machine grinding coffee beans and his limbs completely tangled up in his blankets.
It had been a while since he had slept so noisily, thrashing around and dreaming about his most hated things that forever haunted him. All his wounds that seemed to have sealed were cut open forcefully, the memories spilling out like blood. Every single beating, all of the insults people had thrown at him seemed to hurt ten times more. The sound of the coffee machine resembled a bulldozer tearing down a building. He felt trapped, and he had cold sweat all over. He couldn't move.
In fact, he didn't want to move. He wanted to melt into his blanket, to dissolve into particles that scattered around Earth and became so tiny that he was barely there. He wanted to forget about the pain. He wanted... he wanted...
"Nikolai?"
Someone to talk to.
Nikolai blearily glanced up, his eyes half-glazed with sadness and glossed over with tears. Eye crap was crusting around the rim of his eyes, and all he could see was a mop. A talking, walking white mop, with bright purple dots.
"God, you look like crap." The mop knelt down beside him. "Oh! You're all tangled up!" The mop sounded pleased. "Now you have to take me to the amusement park!"
Amusement park? The words sounded so far away, as though it was part of another universe. Why would he take a mop to the amusement park? He blinked a few times, trying to bat away the tears.
"Are you crying?" The mop sounded worried, sympathetic. "Are you mad that you lost the bet? Are you okay? Is the blanket crushing your arm? Begone, blanket!" Despite the situation, Nikolai felt like laughing.
A warm finger pressed against his eyelids, brushed away the eye crap and patted his head a few times.
"Sometimes I seriously wonder who's the older one here." The mop sounded amused. Nikolai crawled out of the blanket, spider-style, and collapsed onto the floor. He rolled onto one side, surveying the mop.
The mop was Kristian. He blinked in surprise.
"Hey." He lifted his hand in a wave. "What are you doing in my house?"
"Your mom let me in." He responded, settling beside him, his legs stretched out comfortably. "She was busy making breakfast, so she told me to wake you up. It's Wednesday, don't you have school?"
"Obviously." Nikolai got up regretfully, missing the comfort of his blanket. Even though it had attempted to strangle him to death, that blanket was still a very nice blanket indeed. Plus it was warm. "I hate how it's almost winter."
"You don't like winter?" Kristian looked at him, his head on his knees.
"I do." Nikolai got up, and stretched. "Just not how there's school. And that the days are shorter."
"That does suck." Kristian mused. "After my club activity, the moon is out already."
"You have a club?" Now Nikolai was interested. Kristian seemed like the type to just be a wallflower.
"Kind of." Kristian scratched his head, looking away. His cheeks were dusted pink. "It's this thing."
"This thing." Nikolai said, unimpressed.
"Yep." Kristian changed the topic. "You have drool on the right side of your face and your hair looks like it just got electrocuted. I'll help your mom make coffee. Get dressed and drive me already!" He abruptly got up, kicked Nikolai on the side, and slammed the door shut. Nikolai clutched his side in agony, rolling around the floor. He slowly got up and glared at the door.
"That bastard...!"
What was he thinking? Why would he ever want to talk to Kristian about his past? He shook his fist in the air, a rather comical sight as he was wearing a t-shirt with a bunny on it. He realized how stupid it was to shake his fist at the door, and he hastily retreated into the washroom, attempting to look presentable.
"Um, Nikolai's mother-"
"Just call me Anniken!" She turned around, her bobbed blond hair swaying happily. The air smelled like nutella and slightly burnt coffee. "Okay, Kristy?"
"Kristy?" Kristian furrowed his eyebrows. "Um, I prefer Kristian-"
"What did you want to ask me, Kristy?" She said, completely ignoring him.
"Um, well, Ms. Anniken," He said awkwardly, not used to calling people's moms by their first name, "is there anything I can help with?"
She thought for a moment, and then brightened. "You can just sit there and look nice." She turned around, and brought out a steaming cup of coffee. "I'm quite happy that you offered, but I'm perfectly fine."
"Alright." Kristian fidgeted in his seat, wrapping his hands around the white mug. He felt instantly warmer.
He snuck a glance at Ms. Anniken while she was popping in a few slices of bread into the toaster. She looked quite tired, but glowed in a healthy, youthful way. Even though she was probably a former shell of her when she was younger, she still looked positively happy. He wondered what job she worked at. He wondered who she was married to.
A sudden thought occurred to him. Where was Nikolai's father?
Was he even alive?
His mind swirled with the sudden increase of questions, wincing at his headache. Was it a taboo subject? Could he ask about it?
He placed his forehead against the counter top, eyes wide and boring a hole through the eggshell white walls. He had never heard Nikolai talk about his father before, nor had Ms. Anniken ever mentioned him. Maybe it wasn't such a horrible topic. He might as well ask about it, but... he didn't want to break the fragile bond between them. It hadn't been a long time since they were friends, and something like this could push him away...
Nikolai slid on to the table, looking proper in a zipped-up jacket. He seemed completely oblivious to Kristian's internal turmoil, and he barely even glanced towards him, as though he was used to him being there. He drummed his fingers on the white counter top, and looked instead at Kristian's coffee. His lips curved down.
"Mom, you left it on the stove for too long again." Kristian peeked at his coffee as well. It didn't look too off, in his opinion, but Ms. Anniken laughed.
"You're right, honey." She hummed, her voice pleasant. "I didn't realize." The toast popped out from the toaster, the color almost completely black.
"And you didn't notice the toast either?" Nikolai said, exasperated. "You have to be more careful, mom. Don't be so inattentive. What if I wasn't here?"
"Your dad will come back to take care of me." She said simply. Nikolai glanced at her through half-closed eyes, almost resembling a piercing gaze.
"I suppose so." He said, his tone saying anything but. "Just be careful, alright? Kristian, let's go." Kristian snapped to attention, scrambling to put on his bag.
Descending the stairs was a silent affair. So was turning on the car engine and the road to school. After about five minutes, Kristian broke the awkward atmosphere. "So... how'd you know the coffee was burnt?"
Nikolai looked surprised at the conversation starter, but replied nevertheless. "You know how I've had several jobs?"
"Uh huh?"
"Being a coffee barista was one as well. It was a while ago, but back when my family lived in Norway, I was working part-time at this tiny cafe. It was a pleasant job, I suppose. I also worked a bit at Starbucks- which, to be honest, is completely different from Norway, but it was nice anyway."
"How long did you live in Norway?" Kristian asked, pleased that Nikolai divulged information from the past to him.
"A few years. I don't even remember, really." Nikolai said evasively.
Kristian thought back to the jobs he used to do. Supermarkets. Odd Jobs. The occasional volunteer experience needed to graduate. He didn't have much work experience, really.
The thought depressed him. Here was Nikolai, a man with experiences that probably rivalled the best of them, and then there was Kristian who didn't do shit besides roll around on the floor and throw clay around.
"When are you taking me to the amusement park?" He asked.
Nikolai looked amused at the sudden change in topics. His face dropped the hostile expression, and he had a small smile on his face.
"When I have time, young child." Nikolai said mockingly, mussing up his hair. Kristian swatted his hand away.
"No, but seriously."
"I'm serious."
"Huh."
"Look forward to the weekend, then." Nikolai pressed his foot on the speed pedal, smoothly switching through lanes every two seconds. It was one of Nikolai's past-time hobbies, as Kristian had learned. Pissing people off was Nikolai's secret passion. In fact, Kristian was so used to it that he as well ignored the angry shouts and car alarms. "Dress nice."
"It's a date." Kristian joked. Nikolai elbowed him, but it didn't hurt. "You better win me a bear."
"Hah! I'll do better than that. I'll get you two bears."
"You can't possibly get two bears." Kristian had tried those stupid carnival games before. He had gotten a stretchy snake as a consolation prize after twenty rounds of trying to swing the ring around the bottle.
"Then you are obviously underestimating my skills." He stopped the car, letting an old lady walk. The car behind them honked obnoxiously loudly. "Carnival games are my forte."
"I didn't think anything besides falling asleep would be your forte." Kristian tilted his head to the side. Nikolai pulled up on the sidewalk near his school.
"Then you don't know much about me." Nikolai waved him off. "Now, shoo. Don't expect me to pick you up today, I have plans."
Kristian watched as the car zoomed off, even after it disappeared and turned around the bend.
"You seem oddly quiet today." Kaoru commented, leaning against the locker beside Kristian's. "Something on your mind?"
"Nothing, really." He said, trying to spin his locker combination. "Just tired."
"Bullshit."
Kristian hated how Kaoru could see right through him.
"Well, okay." Kristian banged his lock against his locker, pissed off that it wouldn't turn. "I just realized that I'm 18, graduating very soon, and that I didn't do anything important."
"And your point is?" Kaoru lifted an eyebrow. Kristian turned around and gaped at him.
"Isn't that a big deal? Am I that useless?"
"Oh, god. All teenagers go through this phase." Kaoru said sagely, as though he was actually 80 and he wasn't the same age as Kristian. "The depressing, I-wish-I-was-important phase."
"Hey, I didn't-"
"And what made you think about this?"
Kristian pursed his lips, not wanting to tell the truth.
"That guy that drives you to school everyday? What was his name... Nicole?"
"Nikolai." Kristian replied. "And uh. No."
"Lies."
Kristian almost smiled.
"How did you know? Am I that transparent?"
"I just know you quite well." Kaoru stared into the air, seemingly deep in thought. Kristian waited patiently for him to continue on, thinking that he had probably something philosophical to say to him, but all he said was, "Let's go out for lunch today."
"You're very helpful." Kristian hoisted his backpack higher up.
"Well, what did you expect?" Kaoru wiped his hands on his jeans. "There's nothing wrong with going through that phase. Or trying to make your relationship with an elder closer."
"Elder?" Now Kristian let out a laugh. "You make him sound like he's an old man!"
"He's in university." Kaoru gave him a judgemental glance. "It's only okay when you're in university too."
"What will be okay?" Kristian asked, clueless.
"You know."
"Um, I don't know."
Kaoru smiled inwardly, and turned around. "Well, I'm dying for a hot dog. You?"
"Hey, don't just ignore me like that!" Kristian punched his arm, and Kaoru kicked him back. They chased each other down the hall, knocking over freshmen and anyone that was in the way.
"Pedo."
"Not."
"Pedoooo."
"Shut up!" Nikolai threw his Psychology textbook at Mathias' head. To Nikolai's annoyance, he skilfully dodged it in one fluid motion, and scooped it up with one hand, barely glancing at it.
"Chill, Nikkie." Mathias smiled widely. "Don't you need this textbook to study for the exam later?" He offered the textbook to Nikolai, a playful smirk etched across his face. Nikolai regretfully reached across the table and snatched it away, eyeing it as though a fearful disease had just been transferred into it through a wild animal- which the Danish man practically was.
"So you're babysitting this weekend? That's cool. Is his mom paying you?" Sometimes- no, all the time- Nikolai wanted to punch Mathias until he was rolling around on the floor in agony.
"He lives alone." Nikolai said monotonously, as though he didn't care. Mathias, however, seemed to appreciate the fact.
"Oh... he's much more mature than you, then." Mathias nodded almost sagely. "Since you still live with your mom."
Nikolai wordlessly flipped open the Psychology book, his fingers gripping tightly around the yellowed pages. He accidentally tore the page in half and Mathias yelped, fisting his shirt dramatically.
"How could you do that!" Mathias cried out. "Now you have to pay for the book!"
"No one saw." Nikolai placed the page back, and slapped the book shut. "Least of all you. Understood?"
"Yes, teacher." Mathias grinned playfully.
Mathias was a good person- honestly. But he was so blunt and couldn't read the atmosphere. He and Alfred seemed to go hand-in-hand. At the moment, Nikolai wanted to get away from him and perhaps talk to Tino instead. He would be nicer.
Probably.
"So if it's not a babysitting job... then... it's a date?" Mathias kicked Nikolai's leg good-naturedly. "W-o-w! Is asexual Nikolai finally getting interested in someone?"
"Shut up!" Nikolai hissed. "Don't say that. He's like my little brother."
"Oh, yeah." Mathias said, completely unconvinced. "But there is such a thing called... hmm, what was it again? Started with an i, a six letter word... ah, right! Incest."
Nikolai lunged across the table and wrapped his fingers around Mathias' throat, attempting to strangle him as the librarian ran over and screamed so loud that it made almost fifty students whip their head over in their direction simultaneously.
"You know, this wasn't how I pictured our first date to be like."
"Shut up, Kristy."
"I'll say whatever I want, Nikkie."
They both stared at the iced-over streets and the 'TRAIN NOT WORKING' signs that were plastered all over the poles. It was chilly and froze Kristian down to his bones, making him wish for a blanket. Nikolai, on the other hand, proceeded to re-clip his bangs, the gold bobby pins glittering in the dull sunlight. It was obvious that the amusement park would not be open for the day, causing Kristian to have a drop in his happy mood.
"Well, I suppose we can't go the amusement park. Unless your fairy friends can help us fly over?" Kristian suggested. Nikolai seriously contemplated this for a moment, before sighing.
"Sorry, they're only available on weekdays from 9 to 5." Kristian almost burst out laughing.
"What are they, office secretaries?" Kristian said in a disbelieving tone. "Wait, you actually get them to fly you over?"
"When I'm running late for school." Nikolai said matter-of-factedly. "Oh, but thanks to your daily wake-up calls, I don't rely on them anymore. Maybe they're getting pissed about it..."
"You know, I'd like to see them one day. What about that fairy that braided my hair?" Kristian asked.
"Oh, she's a really picky person." Nikolai pulled a face. "It's rare for her to have human contact, so you must've really struck her fancy. Good for you."
"Are you being sarcastic?" Kristian kicked at the ice, trying to break it. Shaved ice started to bundle up in a pile.
"Seriously, though. In fact, she only appears at 3:12 pm sharp and leaves after listening to a daily dose of my specially burned CD for her."
"She sounds very anal."
"She is."
"Wait, you burn CDs for a fairy?" Kristian said, realization finally dawning on him. If he was willing to burn CDs for annoying faeries, just how much free time did Nikolai have?
"Yep. She likes concertos and Mexican music." Nikolai thought for a minute. "Which is a really odd combination."
"You mixed those two together?"
"Yep."
"Um. Okay." He gave a mighty kick, but instead of landing on the ice as he had planned to, he slipped and fell backwards. Nikolai lunged forward, but he didn't catch him. Kristian's back ended up in contact with Nikolai's knee, which, to be honest, did not feel good at all. In fact, it was pretty damn painful. Kristian slowly got up, rubbing his back.
"Thanks for nothing." Kristian muttered. "I bet that the floor would've been softer than your knee."
"What can I say? I work out." Nikolai said almost smugly. Kristian's eyes widened in disbelief.
"No, you don't." Nikolai looked slightly offended.
"What makes you say I don't? Jesus. I have to be in shape for my sport, anyway."
"What sport do you do?"
Suddenly, Nikolai looked almost embarrassed- which was impossible, for Nikolai was the man of being expressionless. "Okay, it's my ex-sport."
"I thought it was hockey."
"Well, I was a very curious child. So I tried several."
"Like?"
"..." A string of incomprehensible words was all that Nikolai muttered.
Kristian blinked, and he cupped his ear. "Please repeat that, oh honourable sir."
"No. I refuse." Nikolai tapped Kristian's face with his hand, making a 'stop!' sign. "Try figuring it out yourself."
"Unfair!" Kristian whined.
"It is fair. You didn't tell me what club you were in."
Kristian suddenly became defensive. "This and that are totally different topics!"
"So?"
Kristian made a noise of frustration. Nikolai pushed Kristian, and he slipped once more, flailing around in terror. This time, however, instead of Nikolai letting him fall onto the concrete, he looped his arm around his waist and pulled him up in one smooth, fluid motion. Kristian clutched onto Nikolai's scarf and his other hand on his shirt lapel.
"There." Nikolai said, smiling sightly. "I caught you this time, didn't I?"
Kristian gulped, and for some odd reason, despite the cold air, his face felt like it was flaming. There was something... odd about being in such close contact with the other. It wasn't a bad feeling. Just. Weird. It was probably the first time he had gripped Nikolai... anywhere, really. They weren't exactly the touchy-feely friends, as he had just discovered. And honestly, he didn't mind. He had always preferred to remain in his own personal bubble from his friends. But now...
He held on a bit tighter, not wanting to let go. He could feel the soft cotton, the heat radiating from the other. It warmed his stiff fingers, and he clutched it almost protectively. His whole body felt tingly with warmth, and it felt pleasantly comfortable. He had the odd urge to take off his jacket. He caught a whiff of the cologne Nikolai was wearing. Since when did he wear cologne? Kristian, finally snapping back to his senses and realizing how disturbing this may have looked to bystanders, pulled away from him quickly, patting his shirt and looking down, trying to cool his face.
"You didn't have to do that to prove a point." Kristian said, his voice sounding embarrassingly high.
"That, and I wanted you to chill out. If you don't want to tell me, it's fine." Nikolai patted his head lightly, the gesture surprisingly gentle. Kristian swatted the hand away.
"Yeah, okay. Whatever dude. Yo man, let's go somewhere else, alright?" He suddenly spoke like a gangster, a habit he had picked up from Yong Soo when he was nervous, and walked away with a swagger. Nikolai looked at him with pure amusement and followed him, looping his arm around his shoulders and pulling on Kristian's cheek despite the younger boy protesting.
Thanks again for making it this far!
You're close to finishing the story... hope you like it!