Work Text:
The long blond curls bounce as Isak rushes out of the bathroom, his flared blue denim jeans hugging his body in all the right places. He bends down, swiftly tying his All Star sneakers before meeting Even in a soft goodbye kiss.
“See you later, babe.”
RRRRRR! RRRRR! RRRRR!
The sound of the telephone rings loud through the living room, yanking Even out his daydream. He sits upright on the couch, rushing across the floor to catch the call before it's lost forever.
“Hello, it’s Even.”
“Hi– it’s Isak.”
“Isak? Really?” Even asks in a high pitched voice, his jaw dropping while his pulse spikes skyward. Is this really happening or is he still dreaming?
“Yes, really.” Isak lets out a chuckle. “It’s me.”
Even spins his chair around in excitement, nearly yanking the phone off the small round table. He swings back with a chuckle, imagining how Isak would roll his eyes at the kitchy bright pink lip-phone.
“Wow! What a nice surprise!” Even cheers. “To what do I owe the honor of this phone call?”
“I heard your song the other day,” Isak starts, voice soft and mellow, “and it put a smile on my face when I started reminiscing– so yeah– I thought I’d give you a call–”
“Aww. How sweet,” Even coos. “How have you been? It must be 10 years.”
“Okay, I guess,” Isak says, thoughtful. “Yeah. I’ve been okay.”
“Are you still in Trondheim?” Even asks.
“Yes.”
“I always thought you were gonna move back to Oslo after you graduated.”
“Me too, but I got a full-time offer after my internship ended,” Isak explains.
“And a few years later a dream position opened up–”
“At the department of Medical Microbiology at St. Olav’s hospital?” Even asks.
“You remember,” Isak says, sounding surprised.
“Of course,” Even says, remembering Isak hunched over his biology books late at night, competing with Sana to be the best. “You talked a lot about it. I'm not surprised you got a job there, though. You’ve always been so smart.”
“Thank you,” Isak says humbly. “You’ve not done so bad yourself. Your dreams came true. You landed a record deal.”
“Yeah– I did,” Even replies bashfully.
“I got the cassette,” Isak says proudly.
“You bought it?” Even asks, a little taken aback. Although the album had done quite well in Norway, he still couldn’t quite believe it when someone said they actually bought it. Besides, his mellow singer-songwriter style was very different from the rock Isak used to listen to.
“Of course.” Isak pauses for a few seconds. “You meant a lot to me.”
“You too–” Even replies with an unmistakable honesty in his voice. Isak was his first queer love, and boyfriend.
“Besides,” Isak goes on, cutting through the brief awkward silence between them, “it’s a good album. Chaos is such a great song.”
“Aww.” Warmth blooms in Even’s chest. “Thank you!”
“It’s pretty wild that you basically turned into a superstar.”
“Pfft,” Even scoffs, shaking his head. “I’m not.”
“Come on!” Isak practically shouts into the telephone. “You’re big in Japan!”
Even huffs out an embarrassed laugh, swinging his chair from side to side. “Yeah, I guess they like me over there.”
“They looove you!” Isak insists, stretching out the words. “I remember reading about you in the newspaper, seeing pics of you swarmed by fans. Have you ever met Alphaville over there?”
“Dork.”
Even snorts, and Isak laughs with him—that easy, unguarded laugh he once loved. The sound stirs something deep in him, someplace Sonja never reached.
“Is there a second album in the making?”
“Nah.” Even shudders. “I’m not built for that kind of life.”
“It’s quite the circus, huh? Promoting the music, touring, dealing with fans and everything.”
“Exactly.” Even’s face grimaces by the thought of doing it again. “And my mental health didn’t handle it very well.”
“Then it’s best to do something else,” Isak says, without the slightest hint that he thinks Even is wasting his musical talent like some others do. Even loves him for that. “How are you doing by the way?”
“Somewhat okay, I’d say. It’s a constant battle, of course, but it’s been–” Even pauses to think for a moment. “Around two years since the last big episode.”
“That’s good to hear,” Isak chirps, his smile radiating through the phone. “I know it’s not easy.”
“Thanks.”
“So you’re teaching now?” Isak wonders.
“Yes,” Even says proudly. “A full time 5th grade teacher.”
“Cool. Lucky kids,” Isak says. “You graduated in Oslo?”
“Yeah. The music people and studio were here.”
“Of course,” Isak hums.
“And Sonja had her life here.”
“Oh yeah. Sonja–” Isak says, the tone of his voice impossible to read. “How’s she doing?”
“God knows,” Even says indifferently. It's been a long time since they spoke. “We’re not together anymore.”
“Oh–” A slightly awkward silence falls before Isak continues. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Even shrugs. “We slowly drifted apart. Irreconcilable differences, isn't that what the Americans call it?”
“I think so.” Isak hesitates, then asks softly. “Someone new in your life then?”
“Not yet.” Even pauses briefly. “How about you? Anyone?“
“No.” Isak sighs. “It’s complicated, you know?”
Even sighs too. “I know.”
Finding true love is hard, let alone in a world where people don’t accept you as you are.
“I tried with this girl called Emma. She was nice, but– no– it never felt right–”
“I imagine not. It’s different for you. You’re not like me,” Even states, reminded about how lucky he’s to be able to fall for anyone.
“Definitely not. I like men.”
It hurts to hear how it’s been for Isak and he hates that it has to be like that—yet he can’t deny the small thrill running through him knowing he’s single.
“Does Marianne know?”
“I told her some years ago.”
“How did that go?”
“Not so great in the beginning, but she’s gotten used to it and now it’s–” Isak takes a deep breath, “I dunno– she says she’s okay with it, but sometimes I catch her praying for me and a grandchild one of these days.”
“Oh! I see.” Even says in sympathy. “Things have gotten better but acceptance for people like us is still painfully slow.”
“It sure is,” Isak huffs, then adds as if to lighten the mood. Maybe to comfort himself too? “I have a six year old Schnauzer, though. Does that count for something?”
“Absolutely!” Even cheers. “Dogs are the best companion.”
“Yes, they are!” Isak chirps. “They’re loyal and always happy to see you. Do you have one as well?”
“I wish I did, but Sonja refused. She made me believe I had enough to deal with just taking care of myself, that I couldn’t take care of a pet too.”
“What the fuck?” Isak exclaims.
“Yeah–”
“Fuck her!” Isak spits out the words. “Only you know how much you can handle.”
The sound of Isak’s indignant voice hits heavier than Even has imagined. Isak has grown into a wiser, more mature man. An old warmth slowly creeps through Even again. He knows hope is a reckless thing and it’s probably a foolish thought—yet he can’t help but wonder what this phone call can lead to.
“Thank you.” Even bites his lip, holding his breath for a few seconds. “That thing you said about reminiscing– uhm– what exactly were you thinking about?”
There’s a silence, then Isak clears his throat like he’s preparing for what to say. Even pushes his phone expectantly against his ear.
“Smoking pot in the window sill while we listened to music and ate your delicious toasties.”
Even smiles fondly. “Those were the days, huh?”
“They were. I still think of you when I eat one.”
The soft, blissful sigh escaping Isak’s mouth has goosebumps erupting across Even’s skin—just the same way it did when Isak would look at him while making love.
“They were that good, huh?” Even half teases.
“Yes,” Isak says without hesitation.
“What else?” Even asks, curious.
“Our first trip to Jonas’ parents cabin at Geilo also came to mind,” Isak replies softly.
“I’ve thought of that trip recently too,” Even confesses.
“Oh!” Isak says, sounding surprised. “You have?”
“Yes,” Even confirms. “Jonas was kind enough to lend the cabin to us.”
“He’s a really good guy.”
“Yes.” Even smiles, fleetingly wondering where he is now and how he’s doing. It's been years since they last spoke. “I remember we sat outside watching the stars–”
“And kissed,” Isak whispers, followed by a shaky chuckle laced with nervousness.
“We did.” Even’s soft sigh slowly turns into a huff. “You also scared the shit out of me with that parallel universe theory of yours.”
“Oh yeah!” Isak laughs. “Sorry about that.”
The open photo album labeled 1978/79 laying on the coffee table across the small living room catches Even’s eyes.
“When I moved out of the apartment Sonja and I shared last year, I found an undeveloped roll of film from our last trip.”
“Oh! What a crap weekend that was,” Isak groans. “We were constantly bickering."
“The photos were equally bad.” Even huffs out a laugh. “Horrible lightning and mostly out of focus.”
“Oh well. That trip was nothing to remember anyway.”
“True.”
“You said you moved. Do you still live at Løkka?” Isak asks.
“No. And you won’t believe me when I tell you where.”
“The old kollektivet?" Isak guesses with a chuckle.
“No,” Even titters. “Good guess though. I ended up in the same apartment building where we lived.”
“No way!”
“Yup.”
“How funny! A bigger apartment, I hope?”
“God, yes.” Even chuckles. “I got two bedrooms and space for a small table with chairs in the kitchen.”
“Sounds nice,” Isak says. “Remember how I always used to bump into the kitchen chair when I was getting up in the morning?”
“Haha. Yes,” Even laughs at the fond memory of Isak’s grumpy face. “It was a bit crammed, but we made it work.”
“Yeah, we did,” Isak says, sounding thoughtful. “It wasn’t the apartment's fault– we– broke up.”
“We were young,” Even replies.
“And stupid,” Isak adds.
“Yes,” Even agrees softly. “We both made mistakes.”
“Definitely. I think I would’ve handled things a lot better now– if we– you know–” Isak chuckles awkwardly.
“Yeah. Me too–” Even says, the words trailing off.
A dog barking in the background breaks the growing silence between them.
No, Sandy! Shush!
Even’s heart skips a beat, his mind tumbling back to that rainy Sunday he dragged Isak to see Grease at the cinema. Isak had complained the whole way home, muttering how much he disliked the music and musicals in general—yet they kissed passionately when Even turned up the sound of the radio and sang You’re The One That I Want to him while making breakfast the next morning.
“Sorry, my dog’s eager to go for a walk.”
“Your kid, you mean?” Even says playfully.
“Haha, yes.”
A soft soon Sandy, soon blends with multiple single, high pitched barks and something clattering to the floor. Sandy, no!
“Sorry about that,” Isak huffs apologetically. “She gets all excited by the W word.”
“That’s cute. Go take that walk then.”
“Yeah, I think I need to,” Isak sighs heavily. “Sorry.”
“No worries.” Even curls the pink cord around his index finger. “It was really nice talking to you again.”
“It was,” Isak murmurs. “I’m glad I called.”
“Me too,” Even murmurs back, taking a deep breath of courage. “If you’re ever back in Oslo, you can always give me a call.”
“I’m spending the holiday with mum. Maybe we can meet and– yeah–” Isak answers, thoughtful.
Reconnect. See which way the wind blows and where it takes them.
“Catch up some more?” Even offers.
“I’d love that,” Isak murmurs.
“Cool.” Even’s smile spreads. “I can show you my apartment.”
“Sure!” Isak replies instantly, sending the butterflies in his stomach fluttering.
“And treat you to lunch,” Even adds enthusiastically.
“Toasties?” Isak suggest hopeful.
“Sure!”
//
The central station buzzes with people scurrying left and right, hands filled with suitcases and bags full of Christmas gifts.
Looking towards the tall, glittering Christmas tree decked in gold and red ornaments, Even spots Isak with his cute Schnauzer next to him. He has to blink and look again to be sure it’s really him—because the guy standing there isn’t the boy Even once dated. His shoulders are broader now, his curls traded for a buzz cut and his defined jawline dusted with dark-blond stubble.
They walk towards each other with slow steps, meeting in the bustle of people. A familiar warm tingle coils in Even’s stomach as the cute gap between Isak’s front teeth appear between his smiling lips.
Gosh, he’s still breathtakingly beautiful.
“Halla.”
“Hei.”
They look at each other with soft smiles before Even pulls Isak into a long, warm hug, his heart beating faster than the little drummer boy playing from the café next to them.
“So nice to see you again– Evi–”
Even sucks in a breath, goosebumps erupting across his skin at the sound of that nickname again. “Same, Issy.”
The dog’s impatient woof has them slowly pull apart. Even kneels to ruffle her soft fur, telling her what a pretty girl she is. The dog jumps up and down, almost knocking him over, tail wagging like crazy. Isak pulls her away with a firm no Sandy, but she eagerly jumps back towards Even who joyfully laughs as she starts to licks his face.
“What a bundle of joy. I love her already.”
“She seems to love you as well,” Isak says, voice full of that warmth Even used to love so much.
Even beams proudly as he levels with Isak again.
“You named your dog after Sandy from Grease?”
“Nooo–” Isak starts, color creeping into his cheeks. “It’s just a random name I picked.”
“That’s one thing that hasn’t changed in the last ten years. You’re still a shit liar.”
Even nudges Isak with his elbow, laughter bubbling out of him, and Isak rolls his eyes like he always used to. “Whatever.”
“Ready to go home?” Even asks, quickly adding “to my place” seeing Isak’s widened eyes and pink tinted cheeks.
“Yes.”
//
Isak and Even sit by the kitchen table, chatting away about everything that has happened over the last ten years, their words punctuated with laughter and lingering looks. A lot has changed for both of them, yet somehow everything still feels the same. Sandy lays comfortably on the floor in front of the fridge, happily chewing on a bone Even bought her on the way to meet Isak.
There’s only crumbles of bread left when Isak pushes his plate aside with a satisfied grin.
“G-good?” Even asks.
“Awesome!” Isak grins in satisfaction. “Better than I remembered. The sharp cheese with your spices was a perfect combo.”
“Thanks.” Even beams with pride, thinking of how he’s perfected his toasties since the last time they’d eaten them together.
“The mayo-ketchup dip was a nice touch,” Isak continues.
“I picked that up in Amsterdam once.” Isak smiles beautifully and Even points at his chin. “You got some ketchup there.”
Isak licks the corner of his mouth. “Gone?”
“Still there,” Even says, playfully sticking his tongue out. “You’d need Gene Simmons' tongue to reach that.”
“Here?” Isak tries again, brushing his thumb over his cheek.
“Nope.” Even shakes his head. “A little higher.”
The soft chuckle when Isak misses the spot again makes Isak groan. “Just do it.”
Isak leans in, and Even wets his thumb before slowly wiping the ketchup from Isak’s cheeks, eyes never leaving him. His breath stutters when Isak catches his hand, thumb brushing lightly over the warm skin.
A sharp scrape cuts through the brief moment of silence as Isak moves his chair closer, sliding his other hand around the back of Even’s neck. Even scoots closer to the edge of his chair, his pulse spiking skyward, and before he knows it, Isak kisses him.
An old, familiar warmth floods Even as their lips brush against each other, the kind only Isak can bring that softly envelopes his racing heart and makes him feel at home again.
Even deepens the kiss, one hand around the back of Isak’s neck, the other slowly caressing his arm. A shared sigh drifts between the both of them.
“I didn't know how much I've missed this,” Isak whispers when their lips eventually part. He leans his forehead against Even’s. “Now I do.”
Even sucks in a breath at Isak’s confession, never in a million years thinking he’d hear those words. “I feel the same.”
A small smile flickers across Even’s face before his front teeth sink worriedly into his lower lip, followed by a heavy sigh. Even has no idea how they will make this work—if Isak agrees to take it further, to turn it into something more than just a one-time thing for old times’ sake. Isak is in Trondheim, and Even here in Oslo, almost 500 kilometers apart.
“I don’t know how we’ll work it out,” Isak says, like he’s reading Even’s mind, like he still knows him that well, even after all these years apart. “But fuck that. Life is now and I wanna kiss you.”