(Hockey Bxb) Whistle In The Wind -𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈-

╔══《”I thought I’d uncovered your 》══╗
secrets, but turns out there’s more.”

       “What’s that?” Lucien asked.

       “Concealer.”

       “Why do you have yellow, orange, and green concealer?” Váli laughed. They had only been on facetime for thirty minutes. Currently, he was showing Luc his self care products, because he had asked.

       “Well that’s not concealer, that’s color corrector,” he commented.

       “Well still, what’s it used for?”

       “Well, if you have like really red skin or really dark under eyes, concealer alone isn’t enough to cover it because that color still shows through,”

       “Right…”

       “So sometimes, you have to use a color corrector to neutralize that area first, then you use concealer or something else over it,” Váli finished explaining.

       “Ohhh, so why do you have yellow and orange?” Luc queried.

       “You ask a lot of questions,” Vál chuckled, “And yellow and orange are used for blues and purples.”

       “Yeah, but, last I checked, you aren’t an avatar or something. When would you need to cover blue and purple?”

       “Again with the questions…” Vál laughed, his voice trailing off. After a second of silence, he responded “For eye bags. I mainly only use the makeup for competitions…” he lied.

       “Ohhh, that makes sense,” Lucien nodded, satisfied with the explanation. “Do you have a lot of competitions?”

       “A decent amount, why?” Vál reasoned.

       “I don’t know, you just have a lot of concealer. Like a lot, a lot. Like, why do you need that many bottles.”

       “You’re awfully curious, aren’t you,” Váli smiled, “I just like to be prepared. Now, are you done with the questions?”

       “I suppose…” Lucien pouted. Finally finished with that conversation, Váli flipped the camera back to his face, and hobbled out of the bathroom. His ankle hadn’t gotten any better. In fact, he was convinced it had gotten worse.

       It had swollen up now, looking significantly bigger than the other. Trying to ignore it, he headed for his door. His brother’s room, next door, was dead quiet. He’s probably already asleep. As Váli was about to enter his own room, he turned his head to stare at the door at the end of the hallway.

       His parents’ room. The room was almost uninhabited. Looking at the door sent a shiver down his back. He hadn’t gone in that room in a long time, a long, long time. Váli knew they hadn’t come home in a while, but he still checked around each corner of the house. He still looked behind him when walking, and he still glanced out the window to the spot in the driveway where their car would be parked.

       It’s hard to break habits, I guess. “So, what’re your plans for tomorrow?” Lucien questioned, keeping their conversation going.

       “Um, not sure yet. I don’t have skating, so I’ll probably just binge a show,” he responded, flopping onto his bed.

       “Nice, nice. What show? I feel like you’d watch shows like The Vampire Diaries, or some shit,” Luc laughed at himself.

       “Um, excuse me! What’s wrong with The Vampire Diaries! You probably only watch like, The Office, or Seinfeld,” Váli rebutted, trying to defend himself.

       “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with The Vampire Diaries! I’m just saying that you seem like the type to watch those kinds of shows,” Lucien explained, “And what’s wrong with The Office! And Seinfeld is funny, cut me some slack,” he sulked.

       Laughter filled the phone, as Váli doubled over on his bed. “Also no…I’m binging…Criminal Minds,” he giggled, struggling to say a complete sentence.

       “Oh! I love Criminal Minds!” Lucien squealed. “Finally, a show we can agree on.”

       “Oh my god, really? What season are you on?” Váli asked, excitedly.

       “Only seven, I have barely any time to watch it. I’m always too busy with Aksel, and he’s the number one Criminal Minds hater,” Lucien complained.

       “Yes! He hates it. Whenever he walks in on me watching, he rants about how bad it is. I think he’s a fan in disguise,” Váli thrilled.

       “Maybe, if we team up, we can convert him,” Lucien theorized, his face warping into a serious thinking expression.

       “Mmm, maybe. We can try at least,” Vál agreed.

       “Sounds like a plan. How about you, what season are you on?” Lucien puzzled.

       “Well, I watched up until season eleven. I’m not going to spoil it, but something big happens in season eleven, and I stopped watching. So now I’m rewatching. I’m only on season three though, I picked it back up recently,” he answered.

       “Well now I’m curious! What happens in season eleven?”

       “I am not going to tell you. You will thank me later!” Váli mumbled. Groaning, Lucien gave it up. Váli watched as he rolled over in bed, facing the ceiling. Váli took the opportunity, where Lucien wasn’t looking at his phone, to stare.

       It wasn’t controversial to say Lucien was attractive. He has brown curly hair, and freckles, for heaven’s sake! He has freckles! Anyone would think that’s hot. His nose was straight, but small. His lips were plump, and a pretty shade of pink.

       His skin was tan. It suits him. His eyelashes were long. With his eyes open wide, they almost reached his eyebrows. His eyebrows…They were thick but also well shaped. He definitely gets them waxed.

       Váli sighed. He knew he shouldn’t be admiring his brother’s best friend. He knew it was creepy to admire straight guys. But at that moment, he couldn’t stop. His laugh replayed in his mind. It brought Vál back to the first time he thought Luc was attractive.

       He was figure skating like normal one day. Mid jump, he heard laughter through the thick wall. It was loud, and sounded like honey to his ears. He fell, of course. The laugh knocked him off his feet.

       Ever since, he would lean a little closer to the wall when the familiar sound wafted through the rink.

       Lucien looked over at his phone, and Vál could see his eyes. They were amber brown. He had been around Luc for years, but he never had the courage to look him in the eye. What changed?

       Suddenly, he became hyper aware of the pounding of his heart. He placed a hand over his chest, feeling the quick beat.

       The conversation had died off, but neither boy attempted to rekindle it. Instead, Lucien quietly sat up, and reached, turning off the overhead lights. He repositioned himself in bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. Váli found himself copying the movements. His blankets snug around him.

       Lucien propped his phone up, so Váli propped his phone up too. Lucien closed his eyes, and after a couple seconds, Váli did too. Listening, Váli heard as Lucien’s breathing soothed. Willing himself to copy, he too, fell into a deep slumber.

       Even the sound of tires on pavement wasn’t enough to wake Váli …

…

       Yawning, Váli walked into the kitchen the next morning. His eyes were still half closed as he lumbered over to the fridge to pull out the carton of orange juice.

       “Glad for at du blir med oss (Glad to see you join us)” a gravelly voice echoed. Upon hearing it, Váli stood straighter. A chill ran through his spine, and his eyes flew open. He had yet to turn from the fridge, the cold air sending a shiver throughout his entire body.

       He didn’t have to see who it was to recognize the voice. His hand holding the carton began to shake. Placing the orange juice on the counter, Váli put his hands behind his back to conceal their trembling.

       “Hallo mor (Hello Mother),” Váli quavered. His posture was upright and stiff. His voice was gravelly, having not used it yet that day. His mother was sitting at the kitchen island. She had a plate in front of her. Scrambled eggs. Váli noted. His mother, a woman of routine, always ate scrambled eggs in the morning. Scrambled eggs, and black coffee. Every time.

       “Hvor er broren din? (Where is your brother),” she asked coldly.

       “Asleep,” Váli responded, his heart rate quickening.

       “Sover (Asleep). Du svarer pÃ¥ morsmÃ¥let ditt nÃ¥r jeg er i nærheten (You respond in your mother tongue when I am around),” she demanded. Her voice was steady, and strong, hardened from years of yelling.

       “Ja, frue (Yes, ma’am).” Váli tried to be brave, tried to show that the presence of his mother, after not seeing her for months, didn’t affect him. And yet, the wobble in his voice gave away his brave demeanor. The moment it did, his mothers gaze hardened. Squinting, she smiled. Not a warm smile, but a smirk with malicious intent.

       “PÃ¥ kontoret mitt i kveld. Du vet hva klokka er. Og sørg for at broren din ikke er hjemme (My office, tonight. You know what time. And make sure your brother is not home),” she trailed off, resuming her breakfast. Váli nodded quickly before bolting out of the kitchen, leaving the orange juice on the counter.

       He ran, or tried to run, up the carpeted stairs. His eyes narrowed onto his bathroom door. His vision blurred more and more with each step. Just as he reached the handle, he heard creaking. Glancing over, Vál made eye contact with his brother. Aksel had his eyes half lidded, and his pajamas were crumbled and wrinkly. His hair was tousled, and a blanket was still around his waist, dragging on the floor behind him.

       Aksel barely had time to look at Váli before the bathroom door slammed shut. Shit! Mother is going to kill me for that. Váli cursed, looking in the mirror. He watched as his chest rose and fell in fast intervals. His typically pale face was blotchy and red.

       His hands gripped the counter to stop the shaking, his knuckles turning white. Suddenly, a knock alerted him out of his trance.

       “You okay?” Aksel yawned.

       “Yeah, I’m fine!” Váli yelled back. After a couple seconds of deafening silence, Váli heard the faint sound of padded footsteps, getting quieter and quieter. Letting out a sigh of relief, he too stepped back into the hallway. It was empty, and he found relief in the fact.

       “Hi, mom!” Aksel’s cheerful voice rang out from downstairs. Váli paused in the hallway to listen. “I didn’t know you were coming home. You should’ve said something!”

       “Hi Aksel!” What? Váli’s brow furrowed. His mom sounded…happy? “How has hockey been going? And how is school?” she questioned with curiosity. Váli felt his heart stop and his stomach drop. He gulped.

       Some time over the months of his mothers absence, he had forgotten. Forgotten the fact that his mother only hated him. She wasn’t mean, she wasn’t a hateful woman. She just hated Váli.

       Never had Váli heard his mother mention anybody’s name with a negative intonation, besides his own, of course. The curses she screamed at him were things Váli wouldn’t dare mutter.

       He couldn’t help the tears that seeped through his eyes and down his cheeks. The interaction reminding Váli of his place. His mother, who had just been yelling at him for speaking English, was now speaking English happily. What a sick life.

       Picking himself off the ground, to which he had crumpled onto at some point during the conversation, Vál forced himself towards his room. He labored toward his bed, toward comfort. His lights were off, and his curtains drawn.

       The darkness soothed his stinging eyes, and he crawled under the thick blankets, wrapping himself like a cocoon. While under the covers, Váli found himself reflecting.

       I took those months for granted. I should’ve done more, seen more! It feels like I wasted it, and now I’m back to square one until she leaves again. If she leaves again… Váli sighed. No, she will leave again. She always does.

       Grabbing his phone, Váli saw a text from Lucien.

       Lucien: have fun w criminal minds im hanging out with aksel today

       Váli knew what that entailed. It meant that Aksel wouldn’t be home that night. Váli squeezed his eyes shut, cursing his mothers good luck. Better enjoy today while it lasts. Váli knew this was the last time he’ll feel peace for a while. A long, long, while…

Question of the chapter: What’s your go to breakfast?

╚══《Word count- 2,039》══╝

══https://open.spotify.com/track/0j3mqDTK4Z6lvrLzFCUUz6══