Title: Shattered Glass

Author: Morgana
Author’s Email: morganalebeau@yahoo.com
Web page: http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon
Pairing: Tommi/Juha

Rating: NC-17
Summary: Tommi faces new challenges where Juha is concerned and will friends and family accept the redhead?

Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm not making any money out of these stories!

Warning: Real Person Slash.

Betaread by Notsogaladriel and Dramaowl! Thanks! All mistakes are mine.

Shattered Glass

Pekka had a hard time believing the things Tommi had just told him. “You can’t possibly believe that the man on the backseat is *Juha*.”

Tommi momentarily locked gazes with Pekka, who couldn’t look at him for long, since the older man was driving the car. “I know him, Pekka. I might only have seen him through the glass in the mirror, but I recognize him! That’s Juha! And don’t forget, he knew my name too and thanked me!”

Pekka had heard that, but still… “Juha was a ghost in the mirror! That one over there is a breathing person and very much alive! It can’t be the same person! Did he fall from heaven or something like that?”

“Keep your voice down! We don’t want to wake him! He’s exhausted!” Looking over his shoulder at their passenger, he cringed at seeing the pale complexion and the hollow facial features. One could say that Juha looked like he had lived in an oubliette for some time. He was way too skinny. “And I can’t explain it either! But then again, we never managed to explain the curse that forced him into that mirror either. Sometimes there are no answers! Sometimes we just have to believe.”

Pekka however found it hard to believe. “What are we going to do about him?”

“We’re going back to Tampere as quickly as we can. You can go back to work and I’ll take him in and look after him.”

“Do you really think it’s him?” Pekka asked one more time.

“I’m sure it’s him. I know it in my heart.”

~~~

After stopping to stretch their legs and to get something to eat and drink, Tommi exchanged the passenger’s seat for the back seat. They would arrive in Tampere in an hour and Tommi hoped that Juha would remain asleep for the rest of the trip. Tommi moved Juha’s head onto his lap and stroked the red hair. It was amazing to actually feel warm skin beneath his fingertips after caressing the cold glass for the last few days.

Tommi didn’t know how any of this was possible and he knew that wondering about it had little use. No one who could answer his questions – at least not yet – and he doubted Juha had the answers. Juha probably didn’t know either.

Who would have thought that he would fall head over heels for the redhead? Touching Juha’s face now, he knew he would never let Juha willingly go. Tommi cocked his head and realized that Juha looked awfully young. Had he been returned as a seventeen year old? Would Juha know his age? How had any of this come about?

“You look worried…”

Juha’s voice took Tommi by surprise. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed the younger man opening his eyes and waking up. “Hey, you should sleep. You look tired.” Tenderly, he caressed Juha’s face and smiled at the redhead. “I never expected to see you on that road… I never expected to see you at all!”

“I never expected to see you either… Or to be breathing again…” Juha only had eyes for Tommi and blocked out his surroundings. This world was new to him, but Tommi’s relaxed mood told him that he was safe, even in these strange surroundings.

“Do you know what happened?” Tommi didn’t expect any answers, but had to ask.

Juha slowly shook his head and his hair moved against his face as he did. “I don’t know… I recall someone entering your apartment… A blond man… He looked a bit like you.”

“That was Jonne, my younger brother,” Tommi explained.

Juha blinked and tried to remember. “He was looking at the mirror and I could tell that he felt uncomfortable… Then something happened: I don’t know what, but… something started to pull at me, and it pulled me from the mirror. The glass shattered…”

Tommi nodded and soothingly stroked Juha’s hair. “Jonne told me about that… What happened then?”

Juha frowned. “I don’t know… Not really… Suddenly I was outside… stumbling… I was back in a body and breathing… I felt overwhelmed, stumbled, and fell… And then you appeared out of nowhere.”

“We’ll probably never find out what happened, but it doesn’t really matter. The only thing that matters is that you’re alive and that I found you. Maybe there really is a God out there who sets things right.”

Juha raised a shaky hand and reached for Tommi’s face. He trembled fiercely upon finally touching the older man’s face. “You’re real…”

“Of course I’m real,” Tommi chuckled. “And you’re real too.”

Juha swallowed hard. “I can’t believe it… I’m alive again… I’m breathing…” A ray of sunlight penetrated the moving car and Juha moaned in discomfort. “Too bright.”

Tommi turned Juha’s face toward him and shielded the green eyes from the sun. “You look awfully pale.”

“I feel like I’ve just left the oubliette…” Juha moved toward Tommi and buried his face in the older man’s shirt. Shaking like a leaf, he couldn’t stop his tears from falling and wept quietly. “It was so dark in there… and I was so alone…”

Tommi wrapped an arm around Juha and with his other hand he stroked the red hair. “I know what it was like. I only spent minutes in there, but it was enough to shake me up.” Rubbing Juha’s back through the coat he had covered the redhead with, he cringed, because he felt the ribs so clearly. “You’ll grow strong and used to the sunlight again.”

“Are you taking me home with you?” Juha clawed at Tommi’s shirt and tried to fight down the strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt like he was about pass out. He felt weak, light-headed, and his stomach… It felt way too empty. “I don’t feel well.”

“You probably need to eat and drink something. Can you sit up for me?” Tommi had bought drinks during their stop and also some sandwiches.

“I don’t know… I feel weak and the sun…”

“Here, try this…” Pekka handed Tommi a spare pair of sunglasses which he had found in the car.

“Thanks…” Tommi took hold of them and coaxed Juha to sit up. “Put these on… They’ll keep the sun from hurting your eyes.”

Juha’s hands quivered when his fingers curled around the object Tommi had moved onto his nose. Instantly his world darkened and the sun no longer hurt his eyes.

“They’re called sunglasses…” Tommi wondered how much Juha knew about the world surrounding him. Juha’s experiences had been limited to the things he had seen in the store.

“Sunglasses,” Juha said, repeating the word in order to memorize it. “A great invention.”

“And now you’re going to eat something… You need to fill your stomach a bit.” Tommi removed a sandwich from the package and handed it to Juha. “It might taste odd…” Sandwiches like that hadn’t existed when Juha had lived in Oulu.

Juha looked critically at the food, but then took a tentative bite. It tasted odd alright, but it was edible. Chewing slowly, he moved about until he sat more comfortably. Tommi wrapped an arm around him and Juha rested his upper body against the other man’s for support. “Is this a car?” He had seen them when Pekka had put the mirror in the front of the store, but actually sitting in one was a novel experience.

“Yes, it is,” Pekka said and cast a quick look at his passenger from over his shoulder. “So you’re our ghost…”

“You’re the store owner…” Juha said, as he munched on the sandwich. Now that he was getting some food in his stomach, he felt better.

“Drink something too,” Tommi suggested. The lemon-flavored water hopefully appealed to Juha.

Juha curled his fingers around the plastic bottle and decided not to question the food and drinks Tommi had handed him. He trusted Tommi to look after him. He had always been taught to use a glass and never drink from a bottle, but things had apparently changed and so he sipped from the bottle itself.

Tommi couldn’t stop staring at Juha. The younger man looked even more handsome than he had in the mirror. “I’m taking you home with me. Is that okay with you?”

Juha nodded his head. He had finished the sandwich and drank a few more mouthfuls of the flavored water. It was strange to be eating and drinking again. He had gone without nourishment for so long and… He started to shake all over again, remembering the awful time he had spent in the oubliette.

“Everything’s alright now,” Tommi said and he pulled Juha close. “You’re safe with me.”

Juha clung to Tommi for comfort and fought back his tears. “Thank you for everything, Tommi. You didn’t have to do those things, but you did.”

“I could never turn my back on you. You suffered so much and for so long.” Tommi took hold of the empty water bottle and put it aside. “Do you think you can sleep some more? It’ll take another hour to get home.”

Juha nodded and closed his eyes. He was still tired and could do with more sleep. He refused to let go of Tommi though, and buried his fingers tightly in the other man’s shirt.

“Don’t worry, I won’t disappear on you,” Tommi consoled.

“I’m scared you will… I’ve been alone for so long that I can’t believe I’m not alone anymore.”

Tommi understood Juha’s fear and soothingly rubbed the redhead’s brow. “It’s over now… A whole new life is about to start and I’ll guide you – I’ll be there for you.”

“Thank you for that too,” Juha whispered, already drifting off into sleep again. He didn’t recall that being alive was so very exhausting.

“Do you believe that it’s *Juha* now?” Tommi asked Pekka.

Pekka shrugged. “I can’t deny it, can I? I would still like to know though how it’s possible that he’s alive again.”

“I have the feeling we will never find out, but does it matter? Juha’s alive again… That matters!” Tommi hugged the younger man tightly and then chuckled – younger man – Juha was so much older than him, but the redhead possessed the body of a youngster.

~~~

“I can take him from here… Thanks for helping me put,” Tommi said once he had exited the car.

Pekka was about to head for his store, but promised to visit in order to find out just how Juha was settling in. The older man left and Tommi focused on Juha again.

“Let’s get you inside.” Although it was summer, the temperature was dropping rapidly now that it had grown dark.

Juha was still asleep and Tommi didn’t want to wake him unnecessarily. For once, he was happy to be tall and strong and he easily lifted Juha in his arms. Using his knee, he pushed the car door shut, put the car alarm on, and when a neighbor exited the apartment building, Tommi quickly slipped inside. He carried Juha up the stairs and reached the door to his apartment. Now things got tricky. However, he managed to uncover the key, slip it into the keyhole, and turn it. The door opened and Tommi went inside.

As he headed for the bedroom, he also passed by the living room and a quick look told him that the mirror had indeed exploded. The entire living room floor was full of shards of glass. He would clean it up later – first he would make sure that Juha rested comfortably in bed.

Tommi lowered the redhead onto the mattress. Juha instantly turned onto his side, pulled his knees to his chest, wrapped his arms around them, and made himself as small as possible. Tommi wasn’t sure what to think about that reaction, but as he couldn’t question Juha, he merely pulled the comforter closer and tucked it around the redhead’s trembling frame.

Tommi sat down on the side of the bed and studied the sleeping man. He would have never thought it possible that his wish to get to know Juha would be granted. “Thank you,” he whispered to whatever entity was responsible for sending back Juha. “I’m grateful.” His hand moved out of its own accord and caressed the red hair. Tommi sighed and realized he had it bad. Ever since seeing Juha’s face in the mirror he had felt attracted to him and now that Juha was alive, Tommi had fallen in love with him.

Leaning in closer, Tommi pressed a kiss onto Juha’s brow and removed the sunglasses. “You don’t need them in here and it can’t be comfortable to sleep with them on.” He brushed back the red hair and indulged himself a moment longer. His heart thundered like mad and he felt light-headed. Oh yes, he was in love alright…

Tommi rose from the bed, as he wanted to clean up the living room and remove the shards there. He didn’t want Juha to accidently hurt himself by stepping onto them. “I’ll check on you shortly,” he said and forced himself to rise from the bed. The truth was that he didn’t want to part from Juha, but he had to. “See you in a bit,” he whispered, still stalling, but then he turned around and left the room, realizing that the sooner he cleaned up the mess, the quicker he could return to Juha.

~~~

Tommi carefully cleaned up the living room floor until all glass had been removed. A few shards still stuck to the mirror’s frame, and his first thought had been to remove those too, but in the end, he had decided against it. Those shards reminded him of the fact that they had beaten the spell – or the curse into which it had turned for Juha.

After checking his answering machine, he made a few business calls. Now that he had taken care of all urgent matters, he went into the kitchen to prepare a light midnight snack. He expected Juha to be hungry and he could do with some food himself. He prepared tomato soup, and once it was done, Tommi returned to the bedroom to check on Juha, and if necessary, wake the redhead.

He halted in the doorway and sighed deeply upon seeing Juha asleep in his bed. His gaze shifted to the wall that had housed the mirror that first night and he frowned. He couldn’t explain any of the things that had happened lately, but Juha *was* asleep in his bed and therefore everything had really happened. He hadn’t dreamt it or hallucinated.

Juha stirred: his dreams seemed to frighten him, because the redhead suddenly moaned in distress. “No…help me…please…help me…”

Tommi marched over to the bed and sat down on the side. “You’re fine, Juha… You’re here with me.” Carefully he gathered the fragile-looking man in his arms and rocked him. “You’re not alone anymore. You’re here with me.”

Juha opened his eyes and clawed at Tommi’s shirt. In his nightmare, he had been back in the oubliette and had lived through the pain, darkness, and the loneliness again. Unable to stop his tears from flowing, he wept in Tommi’s arms. “It was horrible in there.”

Tommi continued to rock Juha. It was to be expected that Juha needed time to deal with the trauma which he had suffered. “I know it was… I remember…” Tommi wasn’t sure his words reached Juha at all, so instead of talking to the redhead, he tightened his hold on him and rocked him.

Juha eventually calmed down. “I don’t want to go back there ever again,” he sobbed and pressed himself closer against Tommi. “I want to stay with you.”

“You can…and you will.” Tommi pulled away and rested a finger beneath Juha’s chin so he could lift the younger man’s head. “Look at me, Juha. You’re safe. We’re at home and I’m here with you.”

Juha wiped at his tears and nodded slightly. “It might take me time to get used to…this.”

“I fully understand that and you have all the time you need.” Tommi stroked Juha’s face and asked, “Are you hungry? I made soup…”

Juha frowned and realized he was hungry indeed. It wasn’t the ravenous hunger he had experienced in the oubliette, but he could do with some food, especially if it was so easily available to him. “I could eat…”

Tommi flashed a smile at the redhead. “Do you want to eat in the kitchen or shall I bring it to you?”

“I would like to walk about a bit…” Juha frowned again and his gaze shifted from Tommi to his right leg. “It was broken…”

“It seems perfectly fine to me.” Tommi rubbed Juha’s back and gave the redhead all the time he needed in order to get used to his changed circumstances. He understood that Juha had trouble reconciling the past with the present and he would help the redhead adjust to his new life. “Do you want eat now or later?”

“Do you think I can walk?” Juha raised his head and looked at Tommi while biting on his bottom lip.

“I can’t think of a reason why you couldn’t.” Tommi wrapped an arm around Juha’s frame, rose from the bed, and helped the redhead to his feet. “See? Everything’s fine.”

Juha stared at the floor and then down his leg. “It hurt so much when I…” He swallowed hard and was unable to finish his sentence.

“When you were locked in that oubliette.” Tommi finished the sentence for his charge and, without giving it some thought, pressed a kiss onto the red hair. Only now did he realize that Juha was as tall as he was. Realizing his charge was naked and might grow cold, Tommi picked up his morning robe. After some awkward maneuvering, he managed to get Juha into it. “Let’s go to the kitchen so you can eat.”

Juha concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. He still expected his right leg to buckle beneath him and to cause him to fall. “This feels odd.”

Tommi tightened his grip on the redhead and nodded. “You’ll grow used to it in time.”

In an attempt to distract himself from his worries, Juha looked about. Tommi’s home looked…different…and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of several odd items which his gaze encountered. Yes, he knew they lived in the twenty-first century and that things had changed, but his experiences had been limited to the things he had see in the storage area and later in the antique store.

“I’ll explain everything you need to know, but let’s start slowly,” Tommi said at having noticed Juha’s expression, which was a mix of curiosity and fear. Suddenly Juha froze next to him and Tommi looked at the redhead in order to find out what was wrong. Juha had turned awfully pale and trembled over his entire body. What had happened? Following the direction of Juha’s gaze, Tommi realized what was upsetting the redhead. Juha had discovered the shattered mirror in the living room.

“Is that…?” Juha’s voice shook and his fingers tightened around Tommi’s waist. Scared, he stared at the mirror which had been his prison for so long.

“Yes, it is… It’s the mirror your lover caught your soul in. Do you want to get closer to it?”

“I’m scared… What if it sucks me in again? I don’t want to return to that dark world…” Juha’s bottom lip trembled and tears gathered in his eyes.

“It won’t. The spell was broken…” Tommi didn’t want to force Juha though. The redhead had lived through too much trauma already, but to his surprise, Juha started to move toward it out of his own accord. Maintaining his hold on the other man, Tommi supported him.

Juha came to a stop in front of the mirror. His body shook and tears flowed down his cheeks. “For so long…” He had been trapped inside it for centuries and now he was actually looking at it from the other side – from the side of the living. “Why did he do it?”

Tommi had asked himself that question too. “Maybe your lover felt guilty for making it out alive while you died? Maybe he wasn’t ready yet to let you go. Didn’t you ask him?”

“We hardly ever spoke about it… He was a changed man after I died… He was full of passion and energy when he came to the castle – he was so full of life, and after I died… Sometimes I felt like he died with me in that oubliette.”

“I’m sorry that he put you through that. He must have been mad with love and grief for you.” Tommi held his breath at seeing Juha reach for the accursed mirror. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

Juha’s trembling fingers touched the wooden frame. “You said that it was safe.”

“It is, but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. You don’t need to do this.”

Juha’s fingertips glided across the wood and then moved toward a glass shard still stuck at the heart of the mirror. “My prison… It was a prison… I never wanted him to do that… I didn’t want to die, but… this living death was worse than the days I spent in the oubliette. There were always people around and I was forced to watch them… I saw the life in them and… I wasn’t a part of them… I was dead…”

“You’re alive now,” Tommi said and removed Juha’s hand from the frame. He judged it wise to move Juha into the kitchen instead of lingering here where the memories had such a strong hold on the redhead. “Let’s move on…”

Juha complied when Tommi started to guide him toward the kitchen. The tears remained in his eyes though – the pain was still there.

“Sit down please…” Tommi lowered Juha onto a kitchen chair. He moved to the stove, removed the soup from the fire, and filled up two bowls which he placed on the kitchen table together with some bread. “I hope you can eat something.”

Juha took hold of the spoon, but his hand still trembled. He hoped he wouldn’t make a mess while eating it. “Tommi, can I ask you something personal?”

“Of course. What do you want to know?” Tommi asked, in-between eating his soup.

Juha avoided looking at Tommi when he asked, “If you had known that breaking the spell would bring me back, would you have still done it? You’re stuck with me now and I must be a burden to you. I know little of this world and…” Juha swallowed hard. “I feel lost…”

Tommi put down his spoon and reached for Juha’s hand. He curled his fingers around the trembling limb and moved it closer to his chest. “Juha, if I had known earlier that breaking the spell would bring you back I would have left the moment I found out. I’m thrilled and grateful that you’re alive again and sitting next to me. You’re not a burden and I love being stuck with you. You’ll learn about this world and before you know it, it will be home to you.”

Juha had involuntarily held his breath during Tommi’s speech and now his gaze sought out the blond man’s. “Are you sure about that? You have your own life and I… I can’t function on my own yet. I need you…”

“You don’t need to ‘function’ on your own yet, Juha. I want you to grow accustomed to life in your own pace. Take your time and please don’t feel like you’re a burden. I want you here. I’m *thrilled* to have you!” Tommi squeezed Juha’s fingers in order to stress his words. “I love having you here with me.”

Juha grew flustered at hearing Tommi’s words. He hadn’t realized the other man liked him *that* much. “I love being here too…”

“That’s settled then. Now try to eat some more.” Tommi released Juha’s hand and offered him some of the bread. “You need to eat lots.”

“Lots? I never ate much… Food was scarce most times…” Juha wondered how much had changed during his captivity. The soup tasted different for example. “I’m going to stay here with you then?” He desperately needed reassurance, but didn’t want to come across as needy.

“Yes, you’re going to stay with me. My apartment is your home too and I hope you’ll like it. I’ll show you about after you finished eating.” Tommi couldn’t stop staring at Juha and had forgotten about eating his soup as a consequence. He kept stealing glances at Juha and therefore noticed that the redhead curiously took in his surroundings. Tommi realized that he had a lot of explaining to do before he could let Juha use any of the kitchen appliances. “It must feel overwhelming being in the twenty-first century all of a sudden,” he said, giving Juha an opening to speak about it, if the redhead wanted it.

“In a way, yes… I saw things and heard people talk during the day when I was still in the mirror, but… It’s different to be sitting here and to actually experience things.” Juha concentrated on finishing his soup, and once he was done, he ate a chunk of bread. “Everything tastes different too.”

“I imagine it does!” Lots of chemicals were added to food these days. “Do you want more soup or are you full?”

“I’m full… It’s strange… I actually feel warm…” Juha placed a hand against his abdomen and rubbed the skin there.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Tommi asked, “Is your body the same you had when you…” He bit onto his bottom lip, not wanting to bring back unpleasant memories.

“When I died?” Juha frowned. “It feels like my body.” Juha drew in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused inward. “Tommi never told me that I would live again once the spell was broken.”

“Maybe he didn’t know?” Tommi offered. “Why else would he keep you locked in that mirror if he could get you back?”

“I don’t know about that…” Juha didn’t want to follow that line of thought. He didn’t want to believe that his lover had kept him in that mirror on purpose instead of setting him free.

“What do you want to do now? Do you want to go back to bed so you can get more sleep? Or do you want me to show you around the apartment? We can also settle down on the couch and talk.” He could tell that his questions overwhelmed Juha, as the redhead gave him a pleading look and Tommi told himself to slow down.

“I don’t know… Can’t you decide for me?” Juha felt lost.

“I know what to do… Wait here… I’ll be right back!” Tommi rushed out of the room leaving a perplexed looking Juha behind.

Juha looked about the kitchen and felt misplaced – he knew he didn’t belong in this place and time and yet some higher force had decided he should be here. He only had Tommi to rely on and he hoped the blond wouldn’t grow tired of him.

This Tommi was quite different from the Tommi who had been his lover in the past. This Tommi was older, more mature, and more patient. Although he didn’t know this Tommi that well yet, he really liked the blond. If he had really been granted another chance at love, he was going to seize it. He just hoped he wouldn’t somehow disappoint Tommi for the other man was all he had.

TBC

Part 2

“I’m ready!” Tommi returned to the kitchen and caught Juha’s distressed look just before the redhead pushed his feelings of unease away and smiled at him. “It’s okay…” Tommi said, walking up to Juha and taking the redhead’s hands in his. Tommi pulled him to his feet. “You’ve got time.”

Juha nodded slowly. “It’s hard… I feel…lost.”

“That’s understandable.” Tommi quickly folded an arm around Juha and pulled him along. “I want to show you something.” He hoped he wasn’t overwhelming the other man.

Juha tentatively folded an arm around Tommi’s waist in turn and his face grew flustered. It had been so long since he had touched someone and had being touched in turn really affected him. He didn’t want to let go of Tommi ever again.

“You see, I have this balcony. I hardly ever spend time there, but it has a good view of the city and it’s quiet out there.” Tommi opened the balcony doors and stepped outside. “You’re in Tampere, in case you’re wondering. I didn’t stick around in Oulu after we…buried… your remains.” Tommi swallowed hard.

Juha nodded, already being distracted by the city’s view. It was much bigger than he had thought and there were so many lights! It almost seemed like night had been turned into day. “It’s so bright.” Tommi lowered him onto the chairs which the blond had moved onto the balcony, but Juha barely noticed it. He only had eyes for the fairy tale setting in front of him. “It’s magical.”

Tommi sat down next to Juha and claimed the redhead’s trembling hand. “I’m really happy to have you here with me, Juha.”

Juha turned his head away from the sight and looked at Tommi. He raised a shaky hand and touched Tommi’s blond hair, which had been caught in a pony tail. “Do you always wear it like that?”

Tommi chuckled. “Do you want me to wear it open instead?”

Juha nibbled on his bottom lip. “Would you do that for me?”

Tommi chuckled again and removed the elastic that kept his hair together. “Like that?”

Juha nodded. In a shaky voice, he asked, “Can I touch it?”

“Of course you can! Why not?” Tommi’s gaze followed Juha’s hand as the redhead reached for him. Juha’s touch was tentative and spoke of nervousness and Tommi gave him an encouraging smile. “Go ahead.”

Juha slid his fingers into the blond hair and brushed through the strands until they no longer stuck together. Tommi’s hair was longer than he had thought.

“I was thinking about getting a haircut, but when I see the look in your eyes, I’d better not cut it off, or am I wrong?” Tommi asked.

Juha nodded thoughtfully. “The long hair suits you…but if you want to cut it…that’s your decision, not mine.”

Tommi savored the touch – the soft and gentle gliding motion of Juha’s fingers moving through his hair. “I think I’ll just get the split ends cut then.” If Juha loved the long hair on him, he was going to keep the look. Juha blushed and regrettably removed his hand. “Can I touch you too?” Tommi asked.

Juha nodded. “If you want to touch me…” He swallowed hard as nervousness build inside him. The way Tommi looked at him told him that blond liked him a lot. He just wasn’t sure how much though, but it was probably enough for Tommi to keep him close. He shifted restlessly on his chair when Tommi’s fingers moved into his hair. Unable to stop himself from doing so, he closed his eyes and moaned softly. Being touched made him feel alive.

Juha’s reaction wasn’t lost on Tommi, who started to massage the redhead’s scalp in a slow and sensual manner. He wouldn’t have been surprised if Juha had started to purr that point. “Can I hold you?”

Juha opened his eyes and smiled at Tommi. Moving his chair closer to the blond’s, he leaned against Tommi and closed his eyes again. Tommi wrapped him up in an embrace and Juha felt safe and cherished. He didn’t manage to stay awake long though, as exhaustion pulled him under and he drifted off into sleep.

~~~

Tommi hauled Juha into his arms and carried the redhead into the bedroom. He placed Juha on the bed and then sat down, considering removing Juha’s morning robe or not. In the end, Tommi decided against undressing Juha and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He had to go shopping tomorrow – Juha needed stuff, simple stuff like a toothbrush.

Once Tommi had stripped down to his boxers, he switched off the lights in the apartment, and while doing so, ended up standing in front of the shattered mirror. He really hoped Juha’s former lover hadn’t known that breaking the spell would bring Juha back, for if he had known, it meant he had kept Juha imprisoned on purpose. Well, there wasn’t any use in thinking about it now. This had happened centuries ago and all he could do now was to be there for Juha!

Tommi returned to the bedroom and after sitting down on the bed, decided to keep the light on the nightstand on. He didn’t want Juha to think that he was back in the oubliette should the redhead wake during the night.

Soft whimpering caught his attention and Tommi immediately moved closer to Juha who moved restlessly in his sleep.

“Please let me go… Help!”

It was understandable that nightmares plagued Juha, but Tommi hoped that they would go away in time. Taking Juha into his arms, he soothed the distressed sleeper. “I’m here with you… You’re safe… You don’t need to be scared.” He continued to whisper like that for a few more minutes and rubbed Juha’s back until the redhead calmed down.

Juha pressed close against Tommi in his sleep and his hands moved into the blond hair. He wasn’t exactly asleep anymore, but wasn’t awake either – he was in that awkward place in between. With his eyes wide open, he stared at Tommi. Once he was reassured that the blond man was really there – and not just a hallucination – he closed his eyes again and his sleep turned peaceful.

“I won’t let go,” Tommi whispered. “No matter what the future brings, we will face it together.”

~~~

Tommi cursed himself for not switching off his phone in the morning. Its beeping had woken him and it looked like Juha was about to wake up too. “Stay here… Sleep some more… I’ll be right back,” he told the redhead who gave him a questioning look.

Juha didn’t want to let go of Tommi, but in the end he did, sensing that the blond man needed to leave the bed. He pulled the pillow on which Tommi’s head had rested closer and wrapped his arms around it, taking in the scent that lingered there. Tommi had closed the curtains before he had gone to bed, but the curtains weren’t that thick and Juha could tell that the sun had already risen. Warm, golden rays danced on the bedroom floor and tried to steal closer to the bed, reaching for his big toe. Juha pulled his foot away from the penetrating light and closed his eyes. They needed time to adjust to the brightness.

Tommi cursed loudly when he failed to find his phone straight away. The damn beeping was getting louder and eventually he found it in the pocket of his coat. Checking the display, he wondered who was calling. What a surprise – it was Jonne of course. “What?” he practically barked.

“Hey! I’m just calling to see how you’re doing. That’s no reason to yell at me!” Jonne sounded pissed off.

“Sorry,” Tommi said in a calmer voice. “But your timing sucks.”

“Don’t tell me you were still asleep? You always get up at the crack of dawn!”

“Not today damn it!”

“Sorry, Tommi. I was worried and wanted to know if you’re okay. That exploding mirror scared me!”

“I’m fine, Jonne. I really am. I already cleaned up the mess in the living room.”

“What happened, Tommi? I never heard of mirrors exploding like that without a reason!”

“You’d never believe me.” Tommi moved into the kitchen and poured orange juice into a glass. “Can I go back to bed now or are there any important matters which we need to discuss?”

“Nothing urgent, no… but can I drop by this evening, Tommi? I worry about you.”

Tommi sighed. “Jonne, I’m fine, but if you want to drop by, you always can!”

“I’ll bring dinner… I’ll be there at seven…”

“Fine with me… And now I’m going back to bed… Don’t call again or you’ll find out just how grumpy I can get in the morning!”

“Alright, I’ll behave,” Jonne said and chuckled. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Tommi ended the call and dropped the phone onto the kitchen table. Jonne’s timing sucked. He hoped the call hadn’t woken Juha entirely. Sneaking into the bedroom again, Tommi found Juha squeezing his eyes half shut in an attempt to lock out the sun. “Hey, didn’t I tell you to go back to sleep?” Sitting on the bed, he took Juha into his arms again and moved closer to the redhead.

“I’m afraid I’m awake now… And I don’t want to go back to sleep to be honest.” The nightmare he’d had had upset him. “Thank you for holding me through the night. I hope I didn’t wake you last night.”

“When you had that nightmare?” Tommi rubbed Juha’s brow with his thumb. “You were back in the oubliette, weren’t you?”

“And in the mirror… I still find it hard to believe that I’m free – that I’m no longer trapped.”

“I can imagine it takes time. Don’t pressure yourself.” Tommi wanted to change the subject after having seen the spooked expression in the green eyes. “Are you sure you can’t go back to sleep?”

“I’m much too awake.” Juha hoped that Tommi didn’t mind. “But I can stay still and you can sleep some more.”

“That won’t work. I’m awake too.” Tommi considered their options. “Are you hungry? I can make breakfast.” He would figure out what to do with the rest of the day later.

“I can help,” Juha offered.

“I have a better idea. How about a bath?” Juha’s eyes widened at his suggestion and Tommi chuckled. “Do you like my idea?”

“A bath? That would be…heaven…” Juha nodded repeatedly. “But isn’t that a lot of work? All that water needs heating.”

“Welcome to the twenty-first century, my dear,” Tommi said and kissed Juha’s brow. Amused, he noticed that the blush returned to Juha’s face. Considering Juha had had a lover in the past – alright, very distant past – Tommi was still surprised to see Juha react to his touches that shyly. “Let me show you.” Tommi rose from the bed, pulled Juha to his feet, and held his hand as he guided him into the bathroom. “That’s the tub and you fill it up this way.” He turned the tap and watched Juha’s jaw almost hit the floor. Chuckling he closed the tap again. “Did you see how it works?”

Juha nodded and averted his gaze. He felt uncomfortable and stared at the floor. “You probably think that I’m stupid.”

Tommi’s chuckling died instantly. “I don’t!” He walked over to Juha and pulled the redhead into his arms. “Give me some credit. I don’t know how to handle the situation either.”

Juha slowly nodded. “I would like to take a bath.”

“Great!” Tommi turned the tap open and added some bath foam to it. “You can find shampoo to wash your hair with over here… and that’s the conditioner. Just put it in after you washed it and then rinse.” Tommi brushed the red hair away from Juha’s face and resisted kissing him on the lips at the last moment. “I’ll have breakfast ready by the time you’re done. Take your time and enjoy the soak.” Tommi put towels near the tub and then moved toward the doorway. “Call me if you need me.”

“I will,” Juha said and watched the tub fill up all by itself. What an amazing invention! He peeled himself out of his morning robe and put it on the floor. The tub was fairly full and he turned off the water. Dipping a finger in the water, he realized it had a comfortable temperature and stepped into it. Lowering himself into the water was bliss come true. Resting his head against the rim, he watched the water move over his body and he splashed a little bit, being careful not to wet the bathroom floor. Juha closed his eyes and savored the sensation of the warm water cradling him. Foam had formed on the surface and he moved it around playfully.

“Is everything okay in there?” Tommi asked and peeked around the door.

“I’m fine… This is heaven…” Juha smiled at Tommi. “Thank you for letting me use it.”

Tommi waved the remark away. “You can use the tub each day, if you want to! Is there anything you need?” he asked while putting Juha’s clothes into the laundry basket.

“I’m fine at the moment, thank you…” Juha could hardly believe his luck. Tommi hadn’t just broken the curse; the blond man liked him in real life as well.

Reaching for the shampoo, he poured a small amount into the palm of his hand, wet his hair and massaged it into the red strands. The foam that formed surprised him, but he reckoned it was supposed to happen. Once he was done, he immersed his hair below the water and removed the foam from it. Next was the conditioner and he repeated the procedure just like Tommi had told him to.

“Breakfast is ready!” Tommi called out cheerfully.

“I’m almost done…” At least Juha thought so. Now how did he remove the water from the tub? “Tommi?”

“Yes?” Tommi peeked inside again. “Any problems?” Juha was a great sight to behold, half hidden away by loads of foam. The next time, he should probably explain using the shower to rinse off!

“How do I get rid of the water?”

Tommi moved closer and reached into the water. “Like this.” He pulled the plug and the water level grew lower. “Want a towel?”

“Yes, please.” Juha grew flustered again. If the water kept sinking at that pace he would be sitting there naked in front of Tommi!

“Here you go. Wrap it around your hair,” Tommi advised. Realizing Juha needed some privacy, he winked at the redhead and said, “Come to the kitchen once you’ve dried off.” He turned around and left Juha alone.

Juha did as Tommi had advised and wrapped the towel around his wet hair. Next he got to his feet and rubbed his skin until it was dry. Looking about, he wondered what to wear, or was he supposed to wear the morning robe again? But it reeked because he had slept in it. He couldn’t step into the kitchen wearing nothing but a towel around his hips though, could he?

“Hey, the coffee is ready…” When Juha had failed to show up, Tommi had decided to check on his guest. Seeing the comical expression on Juha’s face, he chuckled quietly. What was wrong this time? “Can I help?”

“What am I supposed to wear? The morning robe again?” he asked.

“Ah right… Hold on!” Tommi collected white boxers, a black shirt, and jeans from his closet and handed them to Juha. “I hope they fit.”

“Thank you…” Juha blinked. The pants were made from a material he hadn’t seen before.

Tommi left for the kitchen and Juha quickly slipped into his new clothes. The pants felt odd against his skin, but he would get used to the material. He shuffled nervously into the kitchen and his gaze settled on Tommi. The blond man only wore boxers and a shirt and sat at the kitchen table, sipping his coffee.

“Sit down, Juha. Do you want coffee or tea?”

“Tea please…” Juha sat down and looked about. The kitchen looked different in the daylight. The sun touched the white walls and turned them golden.

“Here you go.” Tommi placed a cup of tea in front of Juha and watched him closely. A healthy hue had appeared on the redhead’s face and the eyes possessed a curious expression. With the towel still wrapped around his head, Juha looked different, but certainly not less attractive. “Are you hungry? Maybe some toast?”

Juha looked at the food displayed on the kitchen table. “There is so much!”

“I guess it was harder to get food when you lived?” Tommi found it hard to phrase his questions. Juha had lived in Oulu centuries ago, and now, he lived again.

“It was often a struggle, yes, especially in winter.” Juha took a slice of toast and added some marmalade to it. “Things like marmalade were a real treat and we only had it in summer.” Eating it slowly, he relished the taste explosion in his mouth. At the moment, he felt perfectly happy, sitting in the sun, having Tommi’s company, and even more importantly, the other man’s affection.

“What do you want to do with the mirror? We can rid ourselves of it.” Tommi buttered a slice of bread, added cheese, and bit off a chunk.

Juha considered Tommi’s question carefully. “It’s been a part of me for so long… I would feel like throwing away a part of me, do you understand that?”

“We can keep it. That’s no problem. We just need to decide where to put it.”

“Do I have to decide now?” Juha hadn’t even thought about the mirror until Tommi had brought it up.

“No, you don’t. Sorry if I’m pushy.” Tommi finished his coffee and reached across the table for Juha’s hand. After curling his fingers around it, he smiled at the redhead. “Is there anything special you want to do today?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?” Juha asked with a smile on his face.

“Sorry,” Tommi said. “I have two younger brothers and I’m used to getting everything organized.”

“You don’t need to apologize.” Juha turned his hand and squeezed Tommi’s fingers. “Are there things you need to do today? We should do those first.”

“Normally I’d be at work right now, but I took some time off so we have the day to ourselves. We should head into the city and buy groceries… and clothes for you.” Although his clothes fit Juha, he didn’t want the redhead having to burrow his things constantly. He wanted Juha to have some personal belongings too. That raised a whole bunch of questions though. Since Juha didn’t really exist it would be hard to get him a social security number. How the hell was he supposed to explain to the authorities that Juha had fallen from heaven?

“Head into the city…with me?” Juha asked to make sure he had understood right. “How big a city is Tampere?”

Tommi soothingly rubbed Juha’s fingers between his. “Not that big and I’ll stay close. I’d love to show you the twenty-first century… I want you to live in it…get familiar with it… instead of just watching it from behind glass. The prospect might scare you, but you have nothing to fear.”

Juha lowered his gaze and considered Tommi’s words. “You’re right, I’m scared… But I also know that I have to do this. I’ve been given a second chance… I should use it well.”

“Good! Then let’s get ready! You take care of your hair and I’ll get dressed!” Tommi enthusiastically kissed the back of Juha’s hand.

Juha looked away again, feeling shy. Tommi woke certain feelings in him and he didn’t know what to do about them. Every beginning was fragile and he didn’t want to upset Tommi in any way!

~~~

Juha combed his hair and slipped into shoes which he had also borrowed from Tommi. He was painfully aware of the fact that his position in life had changed. Back then, his family had been rich and now he didn’t own any money at all. He totally depended on Tommi to take care of him.

“Why the glum look?” Tommi came to a halt behind the redhead and slowly wrapped him up in an embrace from behind. “Is something wrong?”

“How am I supposed to take care of myself? I don’t have any money…”

“That thought occurred to me too, but let’s worry about it later… Let’s enjoy the day, yes?” He turned Juha in the embrace and cocked his head. The large green eyes were full of emotions and Juha’s lips begged to be kissed, but he restrained himself. Not yet…

~~~

Juha stayed close to Tommi and refused to let go of the blond’s hand. Although Tampere wasn’t a capital city like Helsinki, he still felt intimidated. He knew that if he got lost here, he would never find the way back to Tommi’s apartment.

“Don’t worry. It won’t be long and then you’ll know your way about. Tampere isn’t that big.” Tommi hoped Juha wouldn’t let his fears get the better of him. “We’ll be quick. We’ll just hit the supermarket and then go home.”

Juha stayed close and took in as much of the city as he could. He had already lost his orientation, but as long as Tommi was close he felt safe.

“Tommi!”

Suddenly some unknown force slammed into them. Juha was twirled about and had to let go of Tommi’s hand. Surprised, he looked at the young man who was hugging Tommi close. Did Tommi already have a lover? He hadn’t even asked, had he?

“Tommi! I didn’t expect to see you here!” Ville hugged his oldest brother and sighed contently. “You look great!” He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Tommi that happy.

“You little idiot,” Tommi said fondly. “Crashing into me like that. I should have known it was you!” He ruffled Ville’s hair and earned indignant remarks for doing so. Suddenly missing Juha’s hand in his, he turned, and searched for the redhead. Juha looked confused and Tommi had a pretty good idea why. “Juha, this is my youngest brother Ville. I don’t think the two of you ever met.”

Juha’s eyes showed surprise. Another brother? Moistening his lips to cover up for his nervousness, he managed a weak smile. “Hello Ville.”

Ville blinked at the redhead in surprise. Who the fuck was he? “Tommi, is there something you want to tell me?”

Tommi, seeing how lost Juha felt, took the other man’s hand in his and smirked at Ville. “One can say that Juha and I are getting to know each other.” He knew Ville would read between the lines and draw the right conclusion.

Ville stared at Juha in surprise. He knew Tommi liked men best, but Juha looked like he wasn’t older than seventeen, just half Tommi’s age! He hoped his first impression was wrong and that Juha was older than that. Realizing Juha looked nervous, Ville offered the redhead his hand. After a moment of hesitation, Juha took it. The redhead’s hand felt clammy. “Tommi, we need to talk, you know that, don’t you?”

“Join us for dinner then. Jonne will also be there. That way I only need to tell everything once.” Tommi knew Ville would call Jonne the moment he turned his back on his youngest brother. The two of them would talk and come up with a strategy to get the answers they wanted. Let them try. “I’ll see you around seven!” Tommi used his hold on Juha’s hand to pull him along.

Juha looked at Ville from over his shoulder and saw an amused expression in the blue eyes. “Tommi, wait!” Why was the blond walking so fast all of a sudden?

Tommi slowed down and pulled Juha closer. “I tried to teach him manners – and Jonne too – but I failed miserably. It’s just like Ville to fling himself at us like that.”

“I didn’t know you had another brother,” Juha said.

“There’s Ville, whom you just met, and Jonne. You haven’t met him yet either, but you have seen him through the mirror.” They had reached Stockman and Tommi guided them into the supermarket.

Juha looked about and was shocked at the immense quality of food surrounding him. Things had really changed throughout the centuries. He noticed a lot of food items which he had never seen before and watched Tommi select packages and put them into their cart. “What’s that?”

Tommi checked on the item Juha pointed at. “Chocolate. Do you like it?”

“Chocolate… I had some once… I don’t remember its taste though.”

Tommi put two bars into their cart and moved on. He added vegetables and meat and some drinks as well. “Anything else you fancy?” Not getting a reply, he sought out Juha’s eyes. The redhead looked completely dumbfounded. “Oh, I forgot, how stupid of me!” Juha looked so ‘normal’ that he forgot about the redhead’s history. “This is a supermarket. You can buy food and drinks here.”

“We had markets for that…” Juha felt lost and reached for Tommi’s hand again. “I have a lot to learn.”

“Yes, but we will take small steps. Don’t worry about it.” Tommi squeezed Juha’s fingers again – it was one of his favorite ways to reassure the redhead. “Let’s pay for these and go home. I think you’ve had enough excitement for one day.” Juha’s nod told him he was right. He didn’t want to overwhelm Juha and had to get him out of the crowd.

~~~

Juha sat on the kitchen table and watched Tommi put the groceries away. The trip into the city had left him with mixed emotions. He had been excited about it, but at the same time the experience had also intimidated him. He would never have mastered it without Tommi at his side.

Tommi had put everything in its place and turned around. Cocking his head, he studied Juha’s thoughtful expression. “You look troubled,” he remarked and moved over to the redhead. To his surprise, Juha rested his hands on his hips and pulled him closer. He ended up standing between the redhead’s legs. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on in your head?”

“I’m trying to adjust to my new life here,” Juha explained. “But there’s so much to take in. Everything overwhelms me and I can’t stop it from happening.” Now that he had started to speak about it, he found he couldn’t stop. “I’m scared I’ll disappoint you and that you will regret ever breaking the spell because that’s how you ended up stuck with me. I like you, Tommi, and like you told your brother, I want to get to know you better, but I’m scared that once you know me better, you’ll turn away from me.”

“Juha…” Tommi sighed and his face took on a worried expression. “You worry too much.” Enfolding the redhead in a hug, he pulled him tightly against him. “I broke that spell because I cared about you, and now that I’ve been given the chance to get to know you, I wish I had known how to break that spell sooner.” Tommi placed his hands on either side of Juha’s head and raised it until Juha had no choice but to look at him. “You really don’t know, do you? I have to say it – spell it out to you. Juha, I’m in love with you. That’s how much I care about you. Don’t be scared…”

Juha swallowed nervously and sought out Tommi’s eyes and read the truth in them. “I like you too,” he whispered huskily. “Tommi…would you…kiss…me?”

Tommi slid his hand into the red hair and realized he trembled. “I want that too,” he whispered and leaned in closer to press his lips onto Juha’s. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the kiss.

Juha tentatively pulled Tommi closer and hugged him in turn. The kiss was light and rather innocent, but perfect for a first time. Growing shy, he pulled away, and with a blush coloring his features, he raised his head and smiled at Tommi.

Tommi smiled back at him, having equally enjoyed the kiss which answered some of the questions he’d had. “Looks like I have a new boyfriend… lover,” he added at seeing Juha’s puzzled look.

“Yes…” Juha whispered and he wanted to add something, but the doorbell rang and stopped him short.

“Wow, that’s a first. They’re actually punctual! Shows how curious they are.” Tommi stroked Juha’s face. “Don’t let them make you nervous. They’re really nice.” After Juha had nodded, Tommi clasped the redhead’s hand in his and answered the door.

TBC

Part 3

“Just remember to let me do the talking! I’m better at getting information from Tommi,” Jonne said, lecturing his younger brother.

“That’s not true! I’m better!” Ville pouted and glared at Jonne.

Jonne sighed. “We’ll interrogate him together, okay?” Jonne shifted his gaze away from Ville and toward the door when it opened. Tommi appeared in the doorway and Jonne had to admit that Ville was right – their older brother looked happy and Tommi had a huge smile on his face. He arched an eyebrow at seeing Tommi wear his hair open. His older brother seldom did. “Hey Tommi!” Jonne wrapped an arm around his older brother’s waist and hugged him. “We brought pizza!”

“I should have known that it would be something unhealthy,” Tommi joked and chuckled. He hugged Ville too and then stepped aside to let them enter. “Now don’t overwhelm Juha. Take it slow… I’ll answer your questions, but go easy on him.” He wasn’t kidding. He would ask them to leave if they harassed Juha with their questions.

Jonne caught the defensive note in Tommi’s voice and tried to reassure his brother. “We’ll behave. I promise! Here, take these!” He placed the boxes which held the pizzas in Tommi’s arms and stepped inside. “Where is the mystery man?”

“In the kitchen and remember that you promised to behave! I mean it!”

Jonne exchanged a look with Ville. The only times he had seen Tommi that defensive was when Ville or he were in trouble and needed rescuing. Apparently Juha meant a lot to Tommi. Jonne stepped into the kitchen and found Juha standing near the window. As it was already evening, the rays of the sun had weakened, but they still possessed some strength and created a golden halo around Juha’s head. Jonne blinked, but the golden glow remained. A moment later, he realized why it was there. Juha’s red hair practically lit up due to the sunlight.

Juha shyly looked over to Jonne and moistened his lips in an attempt to cover up his nervousness. “Hello,” he said in a barely audible voice.

Jonne looked at Tommi from over his shoulder, but Tommi merely shrugged. Directing his gaze back to Juha, Jonne smiled, and said, “Hello, I’m Jonne and you must be Juha.”

Juha nodded. He had seen Jonne when he had been trapped in the mirror and recalled the way the blond had gotten injured when the glass had exploded. Luckily, Jonne’s injuries had healed.

“We met earlier, remember me?” Ville smiled reassuringly at Juha, having caught the nervousness in the redhead’s moves. “I’m Ville.”

“Let’s eat,” Tommi said in an attempt to draw his brothers’ attention away from Juha. “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry!” He put the pizza boxes onto the kitchen table and opened them. “Ah, you remembered I like mine spicy!” Jonne had brought a variety, something sweet, spicy, and even a vegetarian one.

Jonne shrugged and cast a glance at Juha. “I didn’t know your favorite.”

Juha had no idea what the food was about which Tommi was putting onto his plate, but he sat down at any rate and the brothers followed suit. He wanted to ask Tommi about the food, but knew he would make Jonne and Ville suspicious if he did. Instead, he watched them and realized they were eating it with their hands, not using any utensils. If he didn’t want to draw any attention to his person he should do the same.

“Do you have any wine?” Jonne asked Tommi.

“I should have some…” Tommi opened the fridge and removed a bottle of white wine from it. “Will this do?”

Jonne nodded. “Sure.”

Tommi opened the bottle, got out glasses, and poured some. Looking at Juha, he asked, “Do you want wine too?”

“A bit… Not too much.” Wine always went straight to his head. Juha followed Ville’s example, gathered the pizza, and took a bite out of it. The taste was odd and way too fatty for him, but as it had been a gift, he managed a few more bites. It would never become his favorite food though. Watching the three brothers, he was surprised to see them wolf down the pizza with relish. He took hold of his wine glass and sipped. The wine was rather sweet, but tasted better than the pizza.

“How old are you?” Ville asked. “You look so young. No offense, but Tommi is getting close to forty.”

“I’m not that old yet!” Tommi glared at Ville. “Don’t listen to him.”

Juha considered his answer carefully. He didn’t feel like a seventeen year old, although he had the body of one. He felt old, but couldn’t tell Ville that he was over four hundred years old. In need of help, he looked at Tommi.

“Juha’s twenty-one,” Tommi said. That way, there wouldn’t be any complications and his brothers would hopefully accept their relationship. They would have problems with the fact he was dating a seventeen year old. But Juha was different – his brothers just didn’t know that.

“And you don’t know your age yourself? Is that why you need Tommi to answer for you?” Jonne said critically.

This time, Juha’s brain worked much faster. “I’m shy…”

Jonne arched an eyebrow. “What kind of answer is that?”

Tommi shrugged. “You know his age, so what’s the problem?” He hoped his brothers would back off.

“Where do you come from? I haven’t seen you in Tampere before,” Ville remarked.

“I hail from Oulu,” Juha said, opting for the truth. “I moved to Tampere only recently.”

“How did the two of you meet?” Jonne felt somewhat appeased since Juha had started answering the questions himself, but he still felt suspicious. Something didn’t quite add up.

“In an antique…” Juha started.

“Antique store,” Tommi said simultaneously and chuckled. “I was looking for a mirror, remember? And Juha was in the store as well. We started talking.”

Alright, even Jonne had to admit that sounded genuine. “And you’re staying with Tommi for now?”

Juha nodded, but Tommi decided to answer Jonne’s question himself so there wouldn’t be any doubts about where they stood. “I asked Juha to move in with me.”

Jonne’s eyes widened. “How long exactly have you known each other?”

“About ten days… Does it matter?” Tommi had noticed Juha’s growing distress and curled his fingers around the redhead’s hand.

Jonne and Ville exchanged another meaningful look. Both knew what their brother was like. Tommi wasn’t someone who showed his affection openly, but when he did, he was serious about it. Whatever connected Tommi and Juha, it was a strong link. “It’s your life,” Jonne said eventually. “We want you to be happy and if you’re happy with Juha then Ville and I will do our best to become friends with him.”

“That means a lot to me,” Tommi said and smiled at his brothers. “You will like Juha once you get to know him better.”

From the corner of his eye, Jonne caught Juha squeeze Tommi’s fingers in turn. He was sure about one thing – the attraction was mutual.

~~~

“Let’s move this to somewhere more comfortable. Your kitchen chairs are hard!” Ville complained. He took hold of his glass and moved into the living room.

“Go ahead,” Tommi told Jonne. “Join him. I’ll just clean up this mess and then we’ll join you.”

Jonne nodded and followed Ville into the living room. Damn, the mirror was still there. Tommi had cleaned up the shards, but hadn’t gotten rid of the mirror yet.

“Hey, do you think Tommi got mad at his reflection and smashed it?” Ville asked and pointed at the broken mirror.

Jonne shook his head, recalling the spontaneous combustion only too well. “No, it exploded. I was here when it happened and carried away a few scratches from the shards flying all over the room.” Jonne approached the mirror and realized his discomfort was gone. “I still don’t understand what triggered it.”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Ville joked.

“For one moment I thought I saw a face in the mirror…” Jonne’s eyes widened: a face with green eyes… a face that bore great resemblance to Juha’s!

“Ah, I still need to decide what to do about that mirror.” Still cradling Juha’s hand in his, Tommi joined his brothers in the living room. “Maybe I’ll have it fixed.” Juha tugged at his hand though. “Maybe not,” Tommi said thoughtfully and pulled Juha into his arms. “What do we do for the rest of the evening? Got any ideas?” Tommi sat down on the couch and pulled Juha against him. The redhead cuddled up to him after some hesitation.

Juha wasn’t sure if it was proper to display his affection for Tommi so openly. His father would never have approved of him acting in such a manner in public. But his father was long dead and this was his new life – and a new world.

“We can jam a bit,” Ville suggested and retrieved Tommi’s acoustic guitar. All three brothers possessed an impressive collection of guitars and other musical instruments. Ville sat down on the recliner and played a few notes. “What do you think, Jonne?”

Jonne nodded. “Where’s your old electric guitar, Tommi?”

“Guest room,” Tommi said and rubbed Juha’s arm through the fabric of his shirt. “I’m not playing though! I’m already occupied!”

“You can’t keep your hands off him, can you?” Ville said and grinned crookedly. Ville waited for Jonne to join them again, and when his brother settled down with the electric guitar in his lap, Ville said, “I really had your taste in men wrong, Tommi. I thought you’d go for the tall, muscular types!”

“Not me,” Tommi chuckled. “Juha’s perfect as far as I’m concerned.”

Bemused, Jonne noticed the fierce blush that crept over Juha’s features. The redhead obviously wasn’t used to receiving such compliments. “Are you musical, Juha? Do you play an instrument? Or do you sing?”

“I played the harpsichord and virginal, but I don’t know if I could still manage now.”

Jonne frowned in confusion. “What kind of instruments are those?”

Ville however knew the answer to that question. “Some ancient predecessors of the piano… Or am I wrong?”

Juha nodded. “You can say I play the piano.” He hoped his answer hadn’t made Jonne suspicious again. That hadn’t been his intention. In an effort to distract them, he added, “And I used to sing a little, but my voice isn’t very good.”

“Let us be the judge of that. What song do you want us to play?” Jonne cocked his head and flashed Juha a challenging look.

Juha stared at Tommi in blind panic. He didn’t know any modern songs and the melodies he had grown up with were unknown to Jonne and Ville. “I don’t know…”

“Something Finnish maybe?” Tommi suggested. “Joutsenlaulu perhaps?” He wasn’t sure Juha knew that children’s song, but when the redhead nodded, Tommi knew he had made the right suggestion.

“Sure, we can play that one… Ville?” Jonne and Ville discussed which arrangement who played and then started the song.

“Tommi, I can’t sing… I’m not very good at it,” Juha told Tommi. He was about to panic.

“Indulge them. I know what they’re like. If you do this, they will back off, no matter how bad your voice is.” Tommi was curious himself.

Juha sighed deeply. It appeared there was no way out for him. Recalling the words his mother had sang to him so long ago, he started singing. He quickly lost himself in the words, melodies, and the music itself. The song ended and Juha opened his eyes, which he had closed, as he hadn’t wanted to see their scorn. He knew he wasn’t good at singing.

“That was… Wow,” Jonne said, truly impressed. “You’ve got a great voice!”

Juha had never expected to be praised and looked at Jonne in surprise. “But…”

“Jonne’s right… With a voice like that you should find yourself a band and become famous!” Ville added. “How about it, Tommi? Do you know a band that needs a singer?”

Tommi did, but decided not to tell them. The truth was that Juha’s voice had touched him too. “Don’t you ever dare to say that you can’t sing,” he told Juha. “You impressed me – us…”

Not used to receiving such praise, Juha blushed fiercely. “My voice really isn’t anything special.”

“It is!” Jonne put his guitar aside and sat down on the couch close to Juha. “Ville, do me a favor and get that wine bottle?”

“Sure! I’ll get some beer too!” Ville got to his feet and disappeared in the kitchen.

Juha raised his gaze and trembled. The expression in Jonne’s eyes told him that the blond was on to something.

“I want to ask you something,” Jonne said and looked Juha in the eye. “A few days ago when I was here, that mirror over there acted funny and then it exploded. I barely managed to avoid getting hit by those shards.” Jonne noticed the way Juha flinched. “Before it exploded I saw a face in the mirror and it wasn’t mine. It was a face with large, green eyes, just like yours. Juha, it was your face I saw in that mirror, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t go there,” Tommi warned his brother. “You wouldn’t believe it even if you tried.”

“I’ll let it go for now, especially since Ville can return any moment now, but I expect answers…and I expect the truth – nothing less.” Jonne didn’t know what to make of the situation. He was certain that he had seen Juha’s face in the mirror, but he also knew that he had been alone in the apartment. Damn, he hated mysteries. This one especially needed to be resolved, but later, when his younger brother wasn’t around. He wanted to talk to Tommi and Juha in private.

~~~

“No, I don’t want more wine…” Juha shook his head. It was already rising to his head and he felt light-headed. The amount Jonne and Ville drank amazed him and the brothers didn’t even appear drunk!

Tommi went into the kitchen and brought back two glasses filled with orange juice. “How about something healthy?” He had realized that Juha preferred healthy stuff.

Juha gave Tommi a grateful look and sipped from the glass. He hadn’t expected things to be comfortable, especially after Jonne had hinted he knew more about the mirror, but somehow they had ended up cuddled up on the couch and recliners. He liked Jonne and Ville, and Tommi’s presence enabled him to relax further. His eyes started to close and he snuggled up to Tommi. “Sorry, but I can’t help it. I’m tired.”

Jonne tugged at Ville’s shirt. “We should get going.” He hadn’t forgotten about talking to Tommi and Juha in private though – he would wait for the opportune moment though. He would drop by one of these days and talk to them then.

Ville looked at the clock in surprise. It was only eleven PM and Juha was already falling asleep on them? They definitely had to work on the redhead’s stamina!

“Stay where you are,” Jonne said as he rose from the recliner. “Ville and I can let ourselves out. There’s no reason for you to get up too, especially since you’re already half-sleep,” he added and smiled at Juha. It warmed his heart to see Tommi so protective of his new boyfriend. Juha would do Tommi good, he was convinced of that. “We’ll see each other again soon! Come on, Ville, let’s go!”

Ville smiled at Juha and Tommi, and the two brothers left the apartment. After closing the door behind him, Ville turned toward Jonne. “They look good together. I really had Tommi’s taste in men wrong! I thought he’d prefer the butch type.”

“Juha’s handsome…and on the feminine side,” Jonne said, thinking aloud. “Juha’s the type I would have expected Tommi to go for.”

Ville shrugged. “At least now we know what type Tommi fancies.”

Jonne frowned as they descended the stairs. “What do you make of Juha? What impression did he make on you?”

“I like him. He seems nice… although a bit too shy. And what’s up with him being half asleep at eleven already? We should drag him off into some club and work on his stamina.”

Jonne agreed with Ville’s assessment. Although he still had lots of questions, he liked Juha and he hoped that Tommi and the redhead would work out.

~~~

Juha blinked. He hadn’t really fallen asleep on Tommi, had he? He recalled Jonne and Ville leaving and then…

“You’re awake again,” Tommi said and brushed Juha’s brow with his fingers. “I was just about to carry you into the bedroom. The bed is way more comfortable than the couch.”

Juha felt guilty. “I’m sorry… I don’t know why I’m so tired.”

“You didn’t sleep well due to those nightmares,” Tommi said and stroked Juha’s hair. “I hope you won’t have any tonight.”

Juha nodded and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry that I keep waking you up.”

“Don’t be. I don’t want you to be in discomfort at night. You can always wake me when you have a nightmare. I hope they’ll leave in time.” Tommi couldn’t get enough of looking at Juha – he really had it bad. “Do you want to go to bed?”

“Not yet…” Juha hoped he wasn’t overstepping some boundary when he moved and slid onto Tommi’s lap. Wrapping his arms around the blond’s shoulders, he rested his brow against Tommi’s. “I want to be close to you. Is this okay?”

“More than okay.” Tommi deeply inhaled Juha’s scent and pulled him even closer. “You feel good in my arms…”

Juha blushed and was relieved that Tommi couldn’t see his face that moment. He really had to stop being bashful around the blond. “Jonne knows…” he whispered into Tommi’s ear, feeling the need to talk about what had happened earlier.

Tommi ran his hands over Juha’s back. “He suspects something, but the truth is too farfetched for him to find out what happened.”

“He’ll continue to ask questions.” Juha closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against Tommi’s shoulder. “I never felt so comfortable around anyone before. You’re really special, Tommi.”

Tommi closed his eyes in bliss at hearing that. “So… I’ve got a new boyfriend then… A lover… It’s been a while since I was in a relationship.”

Juha cocked his head a little and looked at Tommi’s profile. “You’re older… It’s only normal that you are more experienced.”

Ah, that reminded him – he had wanted to ask Juha something. “Juha, just how much experience do you have?” Juha raised his head and looked at him puzzled. “I mean, what did you do back then? How far did you go?”

Juha frowned and then blinked. “We kissed…and held each other at night. That was more than we should have done. My father’s priest always lectured me when I went to confession. We shouldn’t have kissed at all, but I wanted to taste him… Is kissing you wrong too?”

Tommi drew in a deep breath and realized he had to do some educating. “Juha, things have changed since then. It’s okay for two men to be together in that way – for them to kiss, hold each other, and to make love.”

Juha’s eyes grew big. “Did you really say…?”

“Make love, yes.” Tommi smiled reassuringly. “We can hold hands in public. I can kiss you on the streets and I can tell everyone I know that I love you.”

Juha’s eyes moved about quickly as he tried to digest everything Tommi had told him. “Are you honest with me? We can express our love that openly?” He had gathered that Tommi didn’t hide the fact that he liked men around his brothers, but to hear that it was widely accepted that men loved each other stunned him. “Won’t your priest be angry with you?”

“The church doesn’t have much influence these days… We’re free to do what we want.”

Juha thought everything over. “Tommi…”

“Yes?” Tommi cupped the back of Juha’s head in his palm.

Juha suddenly got cold feet and felt ridiculous. He couldn’t possibly ask Tommi that!

“What do you want to know? You can ask me anything you want.”

Juha swallowed hard and then peeked at Tommi’s face. “I never made love… I died before…”

Tommi moved his hand from the back of Juha’s head to his cheek and rubbed the skin gently. “When the time comes, I would love to show you what it’s like. But it’s too early for that, don’t you think?” Juha already blushed when he was being kissed – there was no way the redhead would feel comfortable having sex with him.

Juha nodded. “You’re right…” He needed time to get used to his new life – a life in which he was free to express his feelings any way he wanted. Juha rested his head against Tommi’s chest and smiled. “I like living in the twenty-first century.”

“I knew you would.”

~~~

Juha removed his shirt and jeans, and clad only in his boxers – or rather Tommi’s – he slipped between the covers. He was looking forward to going to sleep in Tommi’s arms. He hoped though that the nightmare wouldn’t return. He had been locked in darkness for so long that he didn’t want to return there during the night.

Tommi stepped into the bedroom wearing nothing but boxers too. Juha seemed comfortable with that arrangement and he saw no reason to change it. “Are you warming up the bed for me?”

“It’s warm in here already – that’s nice. In the castle, it was always cold. The wind always got inside and at times it froze even inside my room.” Juha looked impishly at the blond, realizing Tommi was wearing his hair open. “I like that look on you.”

Tommi slipped between the covers too and opened his arms. Juha moved into them and the redhead curled up on his side while resting his head on Tommi’s chest. Tommi loved the way Juha fit against him and finished the embrace by folding his arms around the other man. In a few days he had to return to work, but in the meantime he would enjoy every minute spent with Juha.

~~~

“Please don’t… Not again,” Tommi whispered in an attempt to soothe Juha’s restless sleep. “You’re safe with me. You’re no longer a prisoner. Please, Juha, don’t do this to yourself.” Tommi held Juha tight and prayed the redhead’s sleep would grow calmer. “I’m here for you… You don’t need to be scared…” His soothing worked for Juha’s sleep became peaceful again. “Yes, that’s better… Dream good things…”

Tommi was reminded of a time when he had been holding Jonne in a similar fashion. His brother had been ten at that time and had needed him like Juha needed him now.

Unable to fall asleep again, Tommi remained awake and guarded Juha’s sleep.

~~~

The next morning, warm rays of sunlight woke Juha. Tommi hadn’t closed the curtains entirely last night and the golden rays now snuck higher and higher on Juha’s upper body. Raising an arm, Juha moved his fingers and tried to catch them. Smiling, he watched them escape. He relished waking up in daylight. He really hated the dark of the night.

Cautiously, as he didn’t want to wake Tommi, he turned onto his side and watched the other man sleep. Tommi’s facial features spoke of strength and willpower. The lips were sensually turned into a smile and Tommi’s chest rose and fell regularly. There were even tiny, blond hairs on his chest and Juha chuckled amused.

He felt free in this life, especially after last night’s talk with Tommi. It was a dream come true to be able to live his life the way he wanted it. He didn’t have many aspirations. He just wanted to be happy with Tommi – love him and have him close.

“For how long have you been watching me, you imp?” Tommi had woken because he had felt Juha’s eyes on him. He turned onto his side so he was face to face with Juha and studied the other man’s face. He couldn’t remember seeing Juha so relaxed before. “Did you get any decent sleep?”

Juha sighed, but didn’t look away. He knew what Tommi was hinting at. “I had another nightmare – I remember that.”

“But your sleep turned calm after that.” Tommi rested his hand on Juha’s hip and watched him closely for a reaction. Juha merely smiled and moved a bit closer.

“I like it when you touch me,” Juha whispered in a shy voice.

Tommi rubbed the soft skin beneath his fingertips. “Juha, I want to kiss you…”

Juha drew in a deep breath and leaned in closer. He pressed his lips onto Tommi’s and closed his eyes to savor the sensation. Tommi’s hand moved to the small of his back, and using that grip, the blond pulled him even closer. Juha didn’t mind at all. He loved being close to Tommi and shyly deepened the kiss.

Now that Juha’s tongue pressed against his lips, Tommi parted his teeth and lured the redhead’s tongue inside. He was thrilled to see Juha take the initiative. Sliding his hands over Juha’s back, he had to be careful not to take this to the next level. He didn’t think Juha was ready for that. To his surprise though, Juha climbed onto his lap and continued to devour his mouth. In the end, he had to slow Juha down. “Hey, I need air…”

Juha had the grace to blush and lowered his gaze. “You taste so good and… It feels even better to be touching you. I was alone for so long and now… Now I have you.”

Tommi rested his hands around Juha’s waist and wondered about the redhead. “I thought you would be shy,” he clarified upon seeing Juha’s puzzled look.

“I used to be shy back then,” Juha admitted thoughtfully. “But I feel safe with you. I’m comfortable with you touching me and I want to touch you in turn.” A wet shimmer appeared in his eyes when he added, “I died, Tommi. I was damned to exist in the mirror for centuries. Is it so wrong for me to want to touch you?” Juha’s expression saddened further. “If you don’t want me to touch you then…”

“No! I didn’t mean it like that!” Tommi placed his hands on either side of Juha’s head and pulled him closer so he could press a kiss onto the soft lips. “I want you to touch me – and kiss me. Don’t ever think otherwise!”

Juha managed a smile. He really felt awfully uncertain at the moment. “I have nothing to lose… Do you understand?”

Tommi nodded. “I do – I really do! But even if you are comfortable moving so fast… I need time.”

Juha smiled more genuinely this time. “I’m curious,” he admitted. “I never did anything more than kiss and… Just now, when you curled your tongue around mine… it made me feel… warm all over… tingly.”

Tommi couldn’t help himself – he chuckled. “You’re horny.”

“Horny?” Juha frowned. “What does that word mean?”

“You want sex…” Tommi ruffled Juha’s hair, which then dropped around them like a curtain.

“I do?” Juha still wasn’t convinced. “If you say so… You’re more experienced in these matters.”

“Oh Juha!” Tommi enfolded Juha in a tight hug and pulled him close until the redhead’s body blanketed his. “We’ll get there – eventually.”

TBC

Part 4

Juha sat at the kitchen table and ate some cereal. Tommi had introduced him to it, and because of the sugar in it, he adored it. Tommi however was getting second thoughts about Juha having it, afraid the redhead might turn hyper during the day. Suddenly, there was music around him and stunned, Juha dropped the spoon into the bowl. Where was it coming from? “Tommi?”

Tommi, who was pouring coffee into his mug, looked up in surprise. “Yes?”

“Where’s that music coming from?” Juha looked about, trying to figure it out.

“Radio,” Tommi said, and suddenly caught on. “It’s another invention. You can listen to music without actually needing any musicians.”

Juha deserted his cereal and moved toward the radio. “This thing?”

“Yes, this thing!” Tommi chuckled. “What kind of music do you like? Classical stuff?” He changed stations and Mozart echoed through the kitchen a moment later.

“How did you do that?” Juha cocked his head questioningly.

“Like this.” Tommi took Juha’s hand in his and showed him how to move on to another station. “Rap?”

“No! That’s… awful noise!” Juha was tempted to cover his ears. “I’d prefer the classical music then!”

“Or some eighties rock?” Tommi helped Juha change stations again. This time, Juha seemed to like the music as the redhead started to move his head along with the melody. “Alright… rock music it is!”

“It’s amazing… Music without musicians.” The invention awed Juha.

“There’s a lot more for you to discover,” Tommi said and enfolded the redhead in a hug. “Do you want to find out more about the city?”

Juha cocked his head. “I probably should, shouldn’t I?” If he was going to live in Tampere he should know his way about the city. “Are we going back to that supermarket?”

“Among other things, yes. I want to show you around a bit…” He would love to take Juha for a ride in the amusement park, but didn’t want to overwhelm him. Today he would merely show Juha the park. “And maybe we can have lunch at a restaurant.”

Juha sighed deeply. “I feel stupid.”

“You’re not stupid!” Tommi said in a firm tone. “Look at it as an exploration – a discovery trip! You’ll see so many new things!”

“I want to learn more about this world!” Juha didn’t want Tommi to feel embarrassed because of him. “I learn quickly!”

Growing curious, Tommi asked, “Did you get any education back then?”

Juha looked embarrassed. “Nothing special.”

Tommi wondered about the answer, but decided not to question Juha further. “And we should buy you some clothes. Although I love seeing you wearing mine, you need your own – at the very least your own underwear!”

Juha smiled weakly. “If you think so.” Tommi was the one with money and Juha expected the other man to make decisions for him. He had been the son of a nobleman in the past, but right now, he didn’t hold a special position. Therefore, in his mind, Tommi was in charge.

“Finish your breakfast, will you? And then we will hit the stores.” Tommi wondered about Juha’s submissiveness just now, but then dismissed it. He was certain that things would change once Juha grew more confident.

~~~

Tommi didn’t say anything when they entered the supermarket. He let Juha browse and wasn’t surprised when they ended up in the fruit and vegetables section. “You want some fruit?” Juha was practically drooling, standing there.

“Can we?” Excited, Juha looked at Tommi. “Isn’t it too expensive?”

Tommi shook his head. “I can afford some fruit… Some things are on offer. What would you like?”

“Oranges? Apples… and what’s this?”

“Bananas.” Tommi realized his diet would change to a healthy one if he would let Juha do their grocery shopping and he didn’t mind – not really. He had added weight recently and losing some would be good. He took hold of a plastic bag and put the fruit he wanted in it. “Anything else?” Okay, now Juha *was* drooling! What was the redhead looking at? “Strawberries?”

Juha looked at Tommi with big eyes. “I had them once… They were selling them at the market place and my mother bought some…”

“Strawberries it is then.” Tommi added them to their cart and chuckled amused because Juha had just sighted the vegetables section. “I hope my system will survive that much healthy food,” he whispered privately. In the end, he ended up with lettuce, cucumbers, carrots and sweet corn in his cart as well. “Anything else? Pizza maybe?” Juha’s features contorted. “Didn’t you like it last night?”

“It didn’t taste good. I didn’t like it… Sorry,” he said in an apologetic voice.

“It’s an acquired taste,” Tommi joked. “But we need something substantial. We can’t live on fruit and greens alone.” He headed over to the meats section and selected some steak and chicken.

“There is so much food to choose from,” Juha remarked. “And you can buy lots of it. It was different when I lived in Oulu. We maybe had meat once a week, if we were lucky, and usually we ate bread…and maybe some potatoes or soup…”

“Yes, maybe we have too much food to choose from, and some isn’t very healthy.” But looking into his cart, he realized he would be living healthy for the next few days. He moved on and got Juha his own toothbrush, tooth paste and other toiletries. “Do you need to shave?” He didn’t think so – Juha didn’t show much hair growth in the facial area.

“No, I don’t…” Juha checked the products in front of him and wondered about them. “What’s this?”

“Tampons…trust me, you don’t need them.” Tommi winked at Juha. “Let’s pay for this stuff and then let’s go for a drink.” He had wanted to take Juha to Starbucks, but then recalled that the redhead didn’t like coffee. They would probably end up at some café instead.

Juha watched Tommi pay for their groceries. “What’s that thing you used?” he asked once they were stuffing their groceries into bags.

“A credit card… Lots of times you don’t really need money. You pay using your card.” Seeing Juha’s confused look, he embraced the redhead. “It will make sense one day.”

Juha nodded and helped Tommi carry everything to their car. Once they had put everything in the trunk, Juha turned toward Tommi. “What will we do now?”

“I’m going to show you the city. You’ll like Tampere.” Tommi gathered Juha’s hand in his and smiled at the redhead.

~~~

“This is nice,” Juha said as he looked out over the Tammerkoski River. “You were right. Tampere is an interesting city.” Tommi had shown him about, and as he didn’t feel so intimidated anymore, Juha was able to enjoy the tour. Turning toward Tommi, the breeze caught his hair and made it dance against his back. “Their clothes are weird too,” Juha said, and pointed at two girls, who were dressed in pink and black. “Very odd.”

“It’s a trend,” Tommi explained. “But you don’t have to dress in pink for me. I like you the way you are.”

Juha blushed, peeked shyly at Tommi, and then abruptly moved forward so he could press a quick kiss onto the blond’s lips. Smiling impishly he batted his eyelashes.

Tommi chuckled: Juha was full of surprises. “Which reminds me… You need clothes of your own.” With his fingers curled around Juha’s, he pulled the redhead along. He had the feeling that dark colors looked really good on Juha.

~~~

“Nice fit,” Tommi remarked and grinned. Those were really tight-fitting jeans and they perfectly showed off Juha’s backside. “We’ll take two of them,” he told the salesman. Juha had tried some denim jeans – faded blue, stone washed – but the black ones suited him best. “I like it.”

Juha felt a bit uneasy in those jeans, but if Tommi liked seeing him in them, he would get used to the feel of the material against his skin.

“And now some shirts…” Tommi looked through the section’s selections and came up with a black button-down shirt, a sweatshirt with a purple touch to it, and some black T-shirts. He liked seeing Juha in black, but wanted to see some color on him too. “Try these, will you?”

Juha took the clothes and disappeared into the dressing room. “The things fit.”

“Great! We’ll take those too.” He also selected boxers and socks and handed everything to the salesman. “Do you need pajamas too?”

Juha had put his clothes back on and now joined Tommi in front of the register. “Not when it’s that hot in your apartment, but when it gets cold… I don’t like the cold very much.”

“Ah!” Tommi said and grinned. “We will take these as well.” He had seen just the right thing for Juha.

Juha’s eyes widened. “You said that I didn’t have to wear pink!”

“No, you don’t have to.” Tommi put the pink pajamas back and selected black pajamas with a red design instead. “We’ll buy these, alright?” Although Juha nodded, Tommi could tell that the redhead was still pouting by the way Juha’s lips were curled. He paid for their purchases and handed Juha the bag. “It’s your stuff, so you carry it.”

“Are we done shopping?” For some reason, Juha found the whole affair rather draining.

“You still need shoes… That will be our last stop, I promise.”

Juha obediently followed Tommi into another store and cringed at seeing the shapes of the shoes there. He’d prefer boots any day.

Tommi picked up on the look. “What’s wrong?”

“These shoes are ugly.”

Tommi burst out laughing. “Let’s give it a try though, won’t we? Just look around and when you find something you like, call me!”

Juha browsed the store and discovered a section with boots in the back. He instantly fell in love with a pair of black, leather boots. “Oh yes…”

Tommi shook his head and whispered privately, “I should have known he would go for the most expensive ones!” But if Juha liked those boots best, he would get them for the redhead. “What size are you?”

Juha blinked and then frowned. He put his bags onto the floor and shrugged. “Size?”

“Do my shoes fit?” Tommi asked in search of information.

“They’re a bit big for me, but I can manage,” Juha replied, still keeping his gaze on the boots he had selected.

“Let’s try forty-three then…” Tommi removed the boots from their box and told Juha to sit down. “Put them on, will you?”

Juha sat down and tried them on. “And now what?”

“Walk about and see if they fit…”

Juha complied and walked about the store under the watchful gaze of the salesman. “They fit.”

“They aren’t too big? They don’t hurt?”

“They’re fine,” Juha assured.

“We’ll take those then.” Tommi waited for Juha to step out of them and then paid for them. Now that they had everything Juha needed for the first few days, they made their way back to Tommi’s car, put everything inside and Tommi sought out Juha’s gaze again. “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.” It was already four PM and breakfast had been the last thing they’d had. “Let’s eat?”

Juha nodded. “No pizza please…”

Tommi grinned. “No Hesburger either then…” He had realized by now that Juha disliked fatty foods. “We’ll find something suitable. Come on.” Raising his arm, he opened his hand and Juha placed his inside.

~~~

“What are these called?” Juha looked in rapture at the round bun in his hand.

“It’s a bagel!” They had ended up at a bistro where they served bagels, and at his suggestion, Juha had tried one with a sweet filling. All Juha needed was a cup of strawberry-flavored tea and a bagel and the redhead was happy. Tommi had opted for coffee and a bagel with cheese instead.

Juha nibbled on his bagel and inhaled the sweet fragrance leaving the tea and drifting into his nostrils. “The twenty-first century tastes good,” he said and winked.

Tommi ate his bagel, drank his coffee, and studied Juha closely. So far the redhead dealt with living in the twenty-first century rather well. He had been worried that Juha might end up intimidated, but Juha encountered everything with confidence and curiosity. Reaching across the table for Juha’s hand, he clasped the smaller hand in his. “Are you happy, Juha?”

Juha nodded and smiled brilliantly. “I really am! Thanks to you.” Juha squeezed Tommi’s fingers in turn and gazed longingly into the blue eyes.

~~~

“Hey Tommi!”

Tommi sighed, instantly recognizing Antti’s voice. Why did he have to run into the blabbermouth? “Hello Antti,” he said, turning sideways to greet the bass player.

Juha turned around too, surprised that someone had addressed Tommi. Looking at the man standing next to Tommi, his eyes widened. “What’s that on your head?”

Antti’s eyes widened in turn. “What do you mean by that?” Hopefully no pigeon had dropped something on his dreads!

“Those red things…” Juha said and pointed at Antti’s head.

Tommi chuckled at seeing Antti’s confused look and decided to help out. “Those are dreads, Juha. It’s a way to wear your hair.”

“You don’t know what dreads are?” Antti stared at Juha stunned. “And who the fuck are you anyway?”

“I’m Juha,” he said shyly, realizing he had somehow offended Antti. “I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen…dreads…before.” He looked to Tommi to find out if he had pronounced the word correctly.

“You haven’t?” Antti blinked in surprise. “Where do you come from?”

“Juha is new to Tampere so go easy on him,” Tommi said, helping Juha out. He also wrapped an arm around Juha protectively.

Antti wasn’t sure what to make of Juha, but as the other redhead looked awfully young he was willing to forgive him. “Well, I can see why you don’t need dreads with hair like that!”

Juha blushed, unaccustomed to receiving such compliments. “Thank you.”

“Alright, I’m moving on! Need to buy Vihtori some food!” Antti raised his arm, waved at them, and walked away from them.

“Strange fellow,” Juha remarked absentmindedly. “Is he a friend of yours?”

“He’s more a friend of Jonne’s. They’re in a band.”

“Band?”

“Music group. They write and perform songs.” Tommi guided Juha back to his car. It was about time they headed home.

“Can I hear their music on the radio too?”

“Sometimes, but you don’t need the radio… I’ll show you how the CD-player works…” And then the television and the DVD-player. Juha was in for some interesting discoveries.

~~~

But Tommi was wrong. Instead of introducing Juha to the wondrous world of electronics, they ended up snuggled on the balcony. Tommi had put the strawberries into a bowl and now placed it in Juha’s hands. “Eat all you want.”

“Don’t you like strawberries?” Juha asked as he selected one.

“I do,” Tommi admitted, “But I want you to eat your fill first. I’ve seen the greedy look on your face.”

Juha giggled. “I wonder if I remember the taste right.” Parting his lips, he pushed the strawberry between them and then turned his head toward Tommi to grin.

“Eat it,” Tommi said and chuckled.

Juha pushed the strawberry into his mouth and munched happily. “I can’t understand why you eat this pizza stuff instead of strawberries!”

Tommi looked down his body and had to admit Juha had made a point. “Cutting down on pizza would be a good thing. I’ve added some pounds recently.” He rubbed his abdomen and gave Juha an apologetic look. “Either I eat too much or I’m getting old!”

“You’re not old!” Juha said indignantly. “And… I like you this way…” Juha placed his hand onto Tommi’s and smiled at the blond. “Want a strawberry?”

“You won’t give up before I had some, will you?” Tommi cocked his head and then parted his lips. “Feed me.”

Juha didn’t need more encouragement and selected another strawberry which he pushed past Tommi’s lips. “Tastes good, doesn’t it?”

Tommi nodded: Juha was right about that. While eating the fruit, he watched Juha dig in for another one. The redhead licked at the fruit, since some juice was sticking to it, and seeing that caused a warm sensation to rise from the pit of his stomach. Tommi moaned. Juha probably had no idea what the redhead was doing to him, and when Juha bit into the fruit and caught the juice with the tip of his tongue, Tommi lost his struggle for control and grew painfully hard. “The things you do to me,” Tommi whispered and desperately tried to fight down his arousal. He hadn’t thought that seeing Juha eat a strawberry would affect him in such a manner.

Juha had noticed Tommi’s odd expression, but was at a loss as to explain it. “Want another one?”

“No thanks… Excuse me for a moment… Bathroom.” Tommi didn’t wait for Juha to nod and just got to his feet instead. He marched into the bathroom where he quickly closed the door behind him. That damn imp was driving him insane and Juha wasn’t even doing it on purpose. God help him should Juha find out just what kind of effect the redhead had on him!

He unzipped his jeans, pushed his boxers out the way, and brought himself to orgasm with a few firm strokes. Resting his brow against the cool surface of the tiled wall, he managed to calm down his breathing. Juha was going to be the death of him!

~~~

The beeping he had heard yesterday drew Juha’s attention, and giving into curiosity, he went in search of its source. He ended up in the hallway and realized the beeping emanated from a pocket of Tommi’s coat. Moving his hand inside, he found a small device and the beeping grew even louder. At the same time it vibrated and a green light illuminated it. He had seen something similar in the antique store. Pekka had always talked into it and had seemed to get an answer. This world was full of surprises – music without musicians and devices which enabled you to talk to someone over a long distance. If only he knew how the thing worked!

He pressed several of the tiny buttons and just when he had given up hope that something would happen, the light changed and someone started talking to him.

“Hey Tommi! What’s up? I haven’t heard from you in a long time!”

“Who are you?” Juha couldn’t help being curious. He just had to know who was talking to him.

“Did you party too much? It’s me, Nakki!”

Juha frowned. “Who are you, Nakki?”

Tommi exited the bathroom and shook his head at finding Juha on the phone. “You’re a quick study indeed!”

Juha grinned. “Some sausage is calling you.”

“Hey! I’m not a sausage,” Nakki said, sounding indignant over the phone.

Tommi took the phone from Juha and chuckled. “Well, you look like one!”

Nakki grunted at the other end. “I’ll pretend I did not hear that!”

“Why are you calling, Nakki?” Tommi asked.

“I was wondering if you’d like to join us… We’re hanging out at Koti-Baari and Jonne told us about your new boyfriend. We’re curious! And yes, we will behave! Did you really tell Jonne and Ville to behave?”

Juha cocked his head and grinned at Tommi. “Did you?”

Tommi waved Juha’s question away. “Nakki, thanks for inviting us, but I think we’d rather stay at home!” He thought it best to go slow and didn’t want the band to bury Juha with questions.

“We’re not going?” Juha sulked. He had no idea what ‘Koti-Baari’ was, but it sounded exciting and he was eager to find out more about the world he now lived in.

“You want to go?” Tommi asked in surprise.

“If you don’t want to, we can stay here…” Juha didn’t feel so sure of himself anymore. After all, he wasn’t in charge – Tommi was.

“Apparently Juha wants to go… We’ll meet you in an hour,” Tommi said.

“That’s great! We’re all excited about meeting your new boyfriend! Jonne told us that he’s quite a beauty!”

Juha blushed. “Did Jonne really say that I’m a beauty?”

Tommi coughed in order to cover up his embarrassment. “He might have. Nakki, I’ve got to go now… See you later.” Tommi ended the call and studied Juha. “Are you sure you want to do this? They’ll be firing questions at you and won’t rest until they got their answers.”

“We will manage.” Juha moved closer and wrapped his arms around Tommi. Resting his head against Tommi’s shoulder he closed his eyes. “And later, we can cuddle up in bed.”

Tommi rolled his eyes. He wanted to do way more than cuddle, but he had been the one who had, only yesterday, insisted they should wait.

~~~

“They’re coming over?” Jonne was impressed. He hadn’t thought that Tommi would expose Juha to their curiosity.

“I knew it would work if we let Nakki call,” Antti said. “Nakki is the only one who can come across as mature if he wants to.”

“Don’t call me that! I’m not mature and I never will be!” Nakki poked Antti in the side.

“Okay, I got it! No need to give me bruises!” Antti rubbed the offended area. “But why did you have to tell Tommi that we would behave?”

Nakki shook his head and waved his finger at Antti. “I had to come across as mature, didn’t I?”

Antti burst out into laughter. Jonne, Ville and Lauri chuckled along.

“What’s so damn funny?” Jay asked as he placed their beer onto the table. It had been his turn to buy some.

“Tommi and his new boyfriend are coming over. We’re getting to see this mysterious beauty!” Nakki explained.

Jay shrugged his shoulders. Why was that exciting? He sat down and took hold of his beer.

TBC

Part 5

Juha had dressed in his new clothes for this special occasion. He was getting used to the feel of jeans against his skin and, as it was still warm, he had combined it with merely a T-shirt. “I’m ready!”

Tommi nodded and picked up his coat. It would grow chilly during the evening and he had the feeling Juha would grow cold only wearing that T-shirt. He checked if his wallet and phone were in his pocket and then took Juha’s hand in his. “When you feel harassed, tell me and I’ll get you out.”

Juha followed Tommi into the corridor. “Aren’t your friends nice people then?”

“Yes, they are,” Tommi reassured the redhead. “They might just be a bit overly curious though!”

“We will manage,” Juha said as he slid an arm around Tommi’s waist and leaned against him. Tommi pulled him tighter against him and Juha smiled contently. He was looking forward to finding out more about Tommi’s friends.

~~~

Juha was firmly attached to Tommi’s side when they entered Koti-Baari. He didn’t have to search for Nakki’s party as he had heard Jonne’s voice upon entering the bar. “They’re noisy!”

“They always are,” Tommi said and chuckled. He guided Juha over to their table and gave his friends a warning look. If they dared to harass Juha in whatever way, he would make them pay for it. “Hello guys…”

Antti grinned. “I already know you!” He waved playfully at the redhead. “Pull up a chair and sit down!”

Tommi moved two chairs over to the table and pulled Juha down with him. “Shouldn’t you be rehearsing instead of drinking?”

“We finished rehearsing already,” Jonne said and got to his feet. “What do you want to drink? Tommi, do you want some beer?” Tommi nodded and Jonne turned to the redhead. ”And what about you, Juha?”

Juha wasn’t in the mood for alcohol and his healthy streak won again. “Orange juice?”

Jonne rolled his eyes, but went to the barkeeper at any rate to get their order.

“Living healthy?” Jay asked while emptying his beer and lighting a cigarette. He wondered why Juha’s eyes widened at the sight of him smoking. “Don’t tell me you’re a health freak!”

Juha leaned closer to Tommi and whispered, “What is he doing?”

“It’s a cigarette. People smoke because it has a relaxing effect on them. It’s like smoking a pipe.”

“Ah…” Juha nodded. “Is smoking a healthy thing?”

“No, not at all – it eats away your lungs.”

“Then why do they smoke?” To Juha’s amazement, Antti had also lit a cigarette. “Don’t they care about their health?”

“Not as much as you do.” Tommi smiled fondly at Juha. The redhead’s view on life was refreshing.

Jonne returned with the drinks and put them on the table. “Kippis,” he said, and nipped from his beer.

Juha was about to reach for his orange juice when the barkeeper showed up at their table.

“Sorry, but I need to see his ID if he drinks alcohol. He doesn’t look like over twenty-one to me,” the barkeeper said and inclined his head in Juha’s direction.

Tommi was once more reminded of the fact that Juha didn’t have any ID. He had to find a way to get Juha some though. If the redhead ever needed medical care not having an ID would cause problems. Or if a police officer wanted to see his ID, he would be also be in trouble. “We left it at home.”

Juha realized that this body’s age was a problem, but he didn’t see the problem himself. “I have no intention of drinking alcohol tonight.”

“Alright then… but I’m keeping an eye on you. I don’t want any trouble,” the barkeeper said.

“Come on, Jussi, relax! Juha’s with us! We will keep an eye on him,” Nakki said.

“And that is exactly while I’m keeping an eye on all of you!” Jussi returned to the bar.

Nakki looked at Juha in an innocent manner. “We’re not that bad!”

“No, we’re even worse!” Jonne joked.

Feeling relaxed, Juha sipped from his orange juice and slid his hand into Tommi’s. He didn’t know why Tommi had been worried about him meeting the gang. They were really nice guys.

~~~

Juha peeked at Tommi. “Are you drunk?”

Tommi quickly – too quickly – shook his head and the room started to spin. “Not yet!”

“But he’s getting there!” Jonne chuckled.

“Maybe you should stop giving him beer,” Juha whispered.

“Or you take him home.” Antti winked wickedly at Juha.

Juha finally realized why Tommi had warned him to be cautious around them. They were wicked indeed. “Maybe they’re right. Want to go home, Tommi?”

“That would be best.” Tommi tried to get to his feet, but swayed slightly. Luckily for him, Juha reacted quickly and wrapped an arm around him, supporting him. “Thanks,” he whispered and gave Juha an adoring look.

“Someone’s in love,” Nakki sang and grinned broadly.

Antti joined in and sang along, “Love is in the air…”

“That’s it!” Tommi said and leaned heavily against Juha. “We’re leaving!”

Juha however took it in stride and returned Antti’s grin. He had the feeling most of them would pay for making Tommi drunk by nursing a bad hangover in the morning.

~~~

“You’re really sweet to help me out.” Tommi cursed himself for getting drunk. Well, he wasn’t completely drunk, merely tipsy, but it was enough to mess up his coordination. It was a good thing he hadn’t driven to Koti-Baari for he would have been forced to leave the car behind.

“You’re lucky to have me,” Juha said, playing along. It felt good to be needed. Tommi was heavy though and Juha had to maneuver about to keep the blond on his feet.

“Very lucky.” Tommi gave Juha a smitten look. “I love you…”

Juha shook his head and chuckled. “You *are* drunk.”

“Children and drunkards tell the truth,” Tommi said. “And I’m being honest…”

Thankfully they had reached Tommi’s apartment building and the blond grew quiet because he had to concentrate on mastering the stairs. Juha felt odd after hearing Tommi’s admission that he loved him. It was really starting to register to him that this was for real – Tommi’s love for him was real.

Juha fished the key from Tommi’s coat and opened the door. “Bed or couch?”

“Bed… more comfortable…” Tommi couldn’t stop staring at Juha. The alcohol made him more affectionate and he wanted to hold the redhead, kiss him, and touch him. But even while intoxicated, he knew he couldn’t pressure Juha and therefore he held back. He couldn’t control the expression in his eyes though. He was way too much in love *not* to look at Juha like that.

Juha maneuvered Tommi into the bedroom and lowered him onto the bed. He removed Tommi’s shoes and then sat down on the side. Studying Tommi, who still had that certain look in his eyes, he leaned in closer and pressed his lips onto the blond’s.

Tommi moaned and wrapped his arms around Juha. He pulled the redhead atop of him and eagerly snaked his tongue past Juha’s lips so he could taste the other man. Growing more passionately, Tommi pressed his lower body against Juha’s.

All of a sudden, Juha wasn’t sure he wanted this after all. Tommi’s erection rubbed against his thigh: everything felt way too real and things were happening way too quickly. “Tommi,” he whispered, ending their kiss. “I don’t…”

Tommi needed a moment to catch his breath, but then stroked Juha’s hair soothingly. “I would have been surprised if you had been ready to take the next step. I know that. Don’t be sacred…”

Juha gave Tommi a grateful look. “Thank you for understanding. I love you too, but…”

“We’ve got time… At the moment I’m more than content to hold you like this.”

“Don’t you think we would be more comfortable without our clothes on? It will get hot if we go to sleep dressed like this.”

“You’re right of course, but I’m not sure I’ll manage,” Tommi said with a sad expression on his face. “I really had one too many.”

“I’ll help,” Juha offered and smiled reassuringly at Tommi. “Together, we will manage,” he added and gave Tommi a wink.

~~~

They managed… It took Juha almost ten minutes to undress Tommi, except for his boxers, and to get the blond back in bed. Juha himself was faster removing his clothes and then joined Tommi in bed. He wrapped his arms around Tommi, who, for a change, cuddled up to him. Tucking Tommi’s head beneath his chin, Juha tightened his hold on him. He loved being close to Tommi, loved holding him like that, and he pressed a kiss onto the golden hair. “Sleep tight, my love.”

Tommi murmured something inaudible in his half-sleep and buried himself deeper in the embrace, already heading for the land of dreams.

~~~

The next morning, Juha stole out of the bed and headed for the kitchen. These last few days he had kept a close eye on Tommi whenever the blond had fixed a meal and he knew his way about the kitchen now. He set the table, managed to make Tommi’s precious coffee, and put out cereal, milk, bread and toppings. Juha ate some of the strawberries which were still left and smiled happily. The twenty-first century was so much more comfortable than when he had lived.

Juha checked the content of the table again, and once he felt content with the way it looked, returned to the bedroom. Tommi was still snoring softly and had, after he had left, taken possession of a pillow and was hugging it close. Juha leaned against the doorway and grinned. Tommi looked adorable like that.

Walking over to the bed, Juha’s smile brightened further, fully realizing how lucky he was to have found Tommi. He sat down on the bed and laid down next to the blond. Turning onto his side, Juha studied Tommi’s face and raised an arm. Tenderly, his fingertips brushed against Tommi’s brow. He wanted those blue eyes to open, but at the same time, he loved to watch Tommi sleep.

Tommi groaned and opened his eyes at feeling the gentle touch. After blinking his eyes a few times, his gaze settled on Juha’s face. “Morning,” he whispered and smiled at the redhead. “You’re awake early!”

“I woke at sun rise, but I stayed in bed, as I didn’t want to wake you. How do you feel? Headache?”

Tommi checked himself. “Nothing serious.” His stomach was a bit upset about the huge alcohol intake last night, but basically he was okay. “Sorry about that… I didn’t plan on getting drunk, but… I tend to drink the stuff Jonne puts in front of me.”

“I don’t mind. Trust me, when I lived in Oulu, people were drunk a lot of times! Especially in winter!”

Tommi moved closer to Juha and wrapped an arm around the redhead. “Do I smell coffee?” He hadn’t explained the way the coffeemaker worked yet!

“I told you that I’m a quick study,” Juha said and winked at Tommi. “What are we going to do today?” He felt energetic and wanted out.

“Today is my last day off from work,” Tommi said regrettably. “I have to go back tomorrow.”

Juha frowned. “And what am I supposed to do when you’re not here?”

That question had crossed Tommi’s mind too. “I have a couple of ideas. You could get to know Jonne and Ville better, or hang out with the band. As you’re musical, you could teach yourself to play the guitar or maybe do something with music in general.”

“Teach myself to play the guitar? I don’t need to do that. I know how to play the guitar.”

“You do?” Feeling lazy, Tommi stretched languidly. “Want to show me?”

Juha raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Now? Before breakfast?”

“Yes, now… and sing for me, will you?”

Juha shrugged. He would do Tommi the favor if the blond wanted it so badly. He got up from the bed, retrieved Tommi’s acoustic guitar, and sat cross-legged on the bed. “What do you want me to play?”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with. How come you play the guitar?”

Juha shrugged again. “It can’t be much difference from playing the lute or mandolin.”His fingers, although a tad rusty, moved experimentally over the strings. He fiddled around a bit, getting a feel for the instrument.

Tommi was impressed when Juha started playing about ten minutes later – and almost without any false notes in them. The redhead was engrossed with his music and Tommi recognized the expression in the green eyes – Jonne looked like that when he was composing. He had another artist on his hands then. Jonne had realized that right away and Tommi recalled their idea to hook Juha up with other musicians with whom he could form a band. It would also keep Juha busy.

Juha’s voice suddenly filled the bedroom and Tommi watched the redhead sing with interest. Juha’s voice was extraordinary and should be heard by more people than just him. Tommi didn’t know the song and reckoned it was something Juha had learned during his life in Oulu. It sounded enthralling though.

Juha finished singing and frowned at seeing Tommi stare at him in thought. “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. I was just wondering if you’d like to be part of a band.”

Juha’s eyebrow rose higher. “Me? Why?”

“It would give you something to do, you would meet new people, make new friends, and you would be able to make music. You have a great voice.”

Juha hadn’t considered any of those things. “But…”

“I know some guys who are looking for a singer… I’ll give them a call and introduce them to you. You might like them. Do you also write music?”

“I tried, when I…lived in…Oulu… But…my father didn’t like it…and told me…to stay away from music.” Juha averted his gaze. “He wanted me to follow in his footsteps instead.”

Tommi rested his hand on Juha’s arm. “Were you happy in that life?”

Juha placed the guitar onto the bed and shrugged. “Happiness wasn’t important back then. Survival was. Winters were hard and we always ran out of food at the end of it.”

Tommi sat up and pulled Juha into his arms. “I can’t imagine what life was like back then.”

“You don’t want to know…” Juha buried his face in the crook of Tommi’s shoulder. “Can we have breakfast now?”

Tommi doubted Juha had said that because he was hungry – the redhead wanted to change their subject and he was okay with that. “Let’s eat…and then you get to decide what we will do today. Everything goes.”

Juha’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “We will do whatever I decide?”

Tommi frowned, but still nodded. Just what was Juha up to?

~~~

“You really want to do this?” Tommi looked at Juha skeptically. The redhead had dragged him to Särkänniemi, Tampere’s adventure park. “You really want to go on that rollercoaster ride?”

Juha rolled his eyes. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Well, what if I fall out?”

“Don’t be like that!” Juha sulked. “I want to do this! I want to know what it’s like!”

Tommi sighed. “Alright then, but just once. If you want to go again, you’ll have to go on your own!” Juha’s excitement made him smile though and they joined the queue, which thankfully wasn’t that long. They got on fifteen minutes later and Tommi hoped he wouldn’t start screaming like mad. He didn’t care for these rides! He would brave this one for Juha though.

Juha was still excited and grabbed the restraint tightly. He wanted the ride to start so he would finally find out what it was like.

He found out a moment later when the ride catapulted itself over the top. Juha screamed like mad, giggled, chuckled, and had the time of his life because of the adrenaline shooting through his system. He didn’t even think of checking on Tommi, who had tightly closed his eyes and was praying for the ride to be over with.

When their cart came to a stop, Juha was still giggling. That had been fun and he wouldn’t mind going again! Finally remembering about Tommi’s reluctance to go on the ride, he looked to the left and checked on the blond. Poor Tommi looked awfully pale and Juha couldn’t help but feel a tad guilty about dragging him with him. “Are you fine?”

“I will be once my feet are back on the ground.” Juha offered him a hand and Tommi took it. “Now I remember why I hate these rides!”

Juha patted Tommi soothingly on the back. “Your stomach doesn’t like it?”

Tommi nodded. “You should ask Ville to come here with you. He is just as bad as you are. He’ll go on all the rides with you. He is an adrenaline junkie too.”

Juha didn’t know about that. “Do you think he likes me enough to want to spend time with me?”

Tommi nodded and pulled Juha against him. “Yes, and Jonne too. You don’t need to feel uncomfortable around them. They’re really nice.”

“Like the rest of their band? Antti is a strange fellow though.” Juha still had second thoughts about asking Ville or Jonne to spend time with him. He understood why they would do so when Tommi was around, but why should they do that when their older brother wasn’t there?

“But he’s a good guy. Give him a chance, will you?”

Juha nodded and caught some commotion to their right. “What’s happening over there?”

Tommi grinned. That section was way more to his liking. “It’s the petting zoo. Do you want to go there?”

Juha frowned deeply. “What’s a petting zoo?”

“They have all kinds of animals there and you can pet them,” Tommi explained and got an idea. “We’ll buy some food. You can feed them.” Or rather, the cheeky animals would steal the stuff right out of Juha’s pockets and Tommi couldn’t wait to find out how Juha would react to that!

~~~

Juha accepted the two little bags with food which Tommi had bought and entered the petting zoo unknowingly of the mayhem which was about to follow. The goats, sheep, and even the donkey had caught sight of the food and grouped around him. Juha blinked in surprise. What was happening now? One cheeky goat even started to nibble on his shirt. “Stop that!”

Tommi crossed his arms in front of his chest and chuckled at seeing Juha trying to keep the food away from the animals. He knew Juha was going to lose the fight though and he was right.

A cheeky goat managed to take a bite out of the little bags holding the food and ripped it apart. The food ended up on the ground and the animals dived at it. Juha used the moment to get into safety and fled over to Tommi’s side. “They’re possessed!”

Tommi laughed warmly. “No, they’re spoiled! Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from them.”

“I don’t trust them. Goats are nasty!” Now that he didn’t have any food any longer, the goats left him alone and he felt relieved about that. “You could have warned me though!”

Tommi chuckled. “No, this was way too much fun!”

“You’re mean to me!” Juha pouted and his bottom lip trembled.

“Do you still love me?” Tommi cocked his head and looked pleadingly at Juha.

Juha smiled. “Of course I do!” Going into Tommi’s arms again, he pressed close and he forgave the blond for setting him up like that.

~~~

“The food looks odd,” Juha remarked. “What is that?”

“Spaghetti! And that’s tomato sauce.” Tommi shook his head in amusement. “Stir that for me, will you?”

Juha took hold of the ladle and stirred the sauce. “Are you sure that it is edible?” he asked, peeking at the pasta.

“I’m sure! Don’t worry!” Tommi grinned. “Why don’t you put some music on? Do you remember how to work the CD-player?” He had spent thirty minutes introducing Juha to the world of electronics yesterday evening. Now the redhead should know how to operate the television, CD – and DVD player. It was a good thing Juha already knew these things existed, as Tommi had no idea how Juha would have reacted otherwise.

Juha nodded, left for the living room and randomly selected a CD from Tommi’s collection. Curiously he watched the CD slide inside and after pressing the right button music echoed through the apartment.

Tommi chuckled and waited for Juha to return to the kitchen. Upon seeing the redhead return to stir, he said, “You put in Flinch.”

“Flinch?” Juha gave Tommi a curious look.

“That’s Ville’s band – his music,” Tommi explained.

Juha listened closely and decided he liked Ville’s music. “They’re good.”

Tommi drained the pasta, divided it onto their plates, and added the sauce. “Most people put grated cheese on it.”

Juha shrugged. “Then put some on ours too.” He would do his best to eat some – even if he shouldn’t like it.

“The last evening of my holidays,” Tommi remarked regretfully as he placed their plates onto the kitchen table. He had quite a lot of work ahead of him tomorrow. Apart from his duties as a manager, he was also going to try to get Juha some sort of ID. “Try it, you might actually like it!” Tommi said, encouraging Juha to try the pasta. He really hoped Juha liked it – it wasn’t fatty and the tomato sauce added a healthy touch to the dish.

Juha tried the pasta and was surprised to find he liked it. “You’re right…” he said and nodded toward Tommi. Eating the pasta proved tricky however. The sauce ended up everywhere until Tommi showed him to use the spoon along with his fork and to eat it properly. “I still have lots to learn,” he whispered and sighed.

“But you’re a quick study,” Tommi said and winked at Juha.

Juha grinned and resumed eating his pasta – without making a mess.

TBC

Part 6

Juha startled awake during the night. Sitting up in bed, he panted hard and tried to rid himself of the suffocating memories which had assailed him. He hadn’t had any nightmares the last few nights and had hoped that they would leave him alone. A look to the right told him that he hadn’t woken Tommi, and as he wanted the blond to sleep soundly, he stole out of the bed.

Tiptoeing, Juha left the bedroom and looked about. There was no way that he could go back to sleep and he didn’t want to wake Tommi accidentally, but what should he do now? Juha decided to go into the living room where he picked up Tommi’s acoustic guitar. He walked over to the balcony, opened the doors, and went outside.

Juha sat down and raised his head to look at the stars. It was a particularly clear night and the stars shone with abandon. A crescent moon also glittered white in the midnight sky. He felt better now that he was outside and could breathe in the fresh air. He had felt claustrophobic when he had woken up. Why wouldn’t his subconscious leave him be? Why did it drag him into the oubliette again?

Juha placed the guitar across his knee and his fingers moved out of their own accord, luring melodies from the strings. He played softly, not wanting to wake anyone. He loved being out here and took deep breaths, hoping he would grow calm again.

~~~

“Juha?” Tommi blinked. He had woken up in bed alone and wondered where Juha was. The redhead had gone to sleep in his arms so… Tommi placed his feet onto the floor and looked about. He ventured into the living room to check if Juha was there and then caught the music coming from the balcony. What had driven Juha to go outside? He cringed – hopefully it hadn’t been another nightmare!

Tommi opened the doors and stepped outside. He shivered briefly: he only wore boxers and the midnight breeze felt a bit chilly. Tommi sat down next to Juha and studied the redhead’s face. He didn’t speak yet. He waited for the other man to stop playing. Juha would address him once the redhead felt ready to do so.

Juha had noticed that Tommi had joined him, but hadn’t wanted to stop playing yet. In the past, music had helped him deal with problems. In the end though, Juha put the guitar aside and peeked shyly at Tommi. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“You didn’t, but even if you did, it would be okay. I want to be there for you when you need support.” Tommi gathered one of Juha’s hands in his. “Did you have another nightmare?” Juha nodded and Tommi continued, “Were you back in the oubliette?” Another nod. “I’m sorry…”

Juha turned Tommi’s hand around and traced circles in the palm with his fingertips. “I’m too impatient. Everything happened so fast and I understand that it takes time for me to work through it, but I had hoped the nightmares would stay away.”

“Maybe I can distract you?” Tommi wasn’t sure if Juha would welcome his touch at that moment, but wanted to offer some reassurance. Keeping a close eye on Juha in order to gauge the redhead’s reactions, he leaned in closer and pressed a kiss onto the other man’s lips.

Juha closed his eyes and moved closer to Tommi. At the feel of the other man’s lips on his, he moaned softly. Tommi’s fingers glided over his arm, toward his back and rubbed the skin there. Suddenly Juha was very much aware of the fact that both of them only had boxers on. They were skin-on-skin and his body reacted to Tommi’s kisses and touches.

Tommi’s breath sped up at feeling Juha climb onto his lap and he told himself to take things slow. Juha should set the pace. Cocking his head, he deepened the kiss and caressed Juha’s back, letting his hand slide higher until it rested against the nape of Juha’s neck. Massaging that area, he broke off the kiss, and pulled away, but not before playfully tugging at Juha’s bottom lip.

Juha chuckled softly at that. He raised an arm, slid his fingers into Tommi’s hair and combed it that way. “You’re a gift,” Juha whispered. “One which I shall treasure.”

Juha’s words touched Tommi deeply. “No, *you* are the best gift I ever got.” He quickly deposited another kiss onto Juha’s lips and then added, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Juha quickly replied. It was like a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders and his heart felt light. “Can I kiss you again?”

Tommi smiled and nodded. “Always.” He was about to lean in closer again, when he realized that Juha had something different in mind. The redhead’s lips moved away from his mouth, lower, onto his throat and then toward his chest. Tommi prayed he would be able to restrain himself should Juha move even lower.

Juha loved being in control like that. Tommi emitted soft, needy moans and they told him just how much the blond enjoyed the attention.

Tommi whispered Juha’s name and locked his fingers in the red hair, forcing Juha to claim his lips instead. He wasn’t sure just how much of this sweet torture he could take. He was hard and in need of release and Juha moving about in his lap was making things even worse.

Juha locked gazes with Tommi and wondered about the blond’s action. “Don’t you want me to kiss you there?”

Tommi sighed deeply. “Of course I want you to kiss and touch me all over, but your touch affects me…”

“Affects?” Juha riddled momentarily, but then, “Ah, you mean you’re…”

“I’m hard,” Tommi said when Juha failed to get the words over his lips. “And I’m afraid I’ll want to take this further than just kissing and touching.”

Juha blushed, but at the same time, his eyes gleamed impishly. “What would you like to do then?”

“I want to touch you intimately…” Tommi soothingly rubbed Juha’s lower back. “But I won’t do that – I don’t think you want that yet.”

Juha considered the situation they were in. He wanted them to move forward and to take the next step. He didn’t want to remain stuck and he had a very good reason for it. “Tommi, please listen to me.” He placed his hands on either side of Tommi’s head and looked him in the eye. “I’ve been…dead…for so long and…now I’m alive again… I’ve got a body and I want to…feel… I’m shy about this, that’s true, but I really want this… I want to know what it’s like to be touched in that way and I trust you… What I’m trying to say is that I… I want us to take the next step.”

Tommi’s hand shivered when he stroked a few strands of red hair away from Juha’s face. “You’re in good hands.” He wouldn’t go all the way though. He still wanted to do this in steps. Leaning in closer again, he kissed Juha on the lips. Once he had the redhead moaning, and relaxing again, his fingers traced along Juha’s spin.

Juha quivered with curiosity and excitement. He really wanted this – he was just nervous! But Tommi’s touch felt good and the blond’s lips trailed lower. Those lips caressed the skin of his throat, sucked, tugged, and teased. He had grown hard too and threw back his head, giving Tommi even easier access.

Tommi smiled and placed a few more kisses against Juha’s throat before licking his way down to the redhead’s sternum. At the same time, he slipped his right hand into Juha’s boxers and pushed the fabric lower.

Juha’s breath caught at feeling that touch and he coughed nervously. Tommi immediately made eye contact and gave him a questioning look. Juha however nodded to show that he still wanted this. “Don’t stop…”

Tommi nodded to show he understood. Licking across Juha’s chest, he also grazed a nipple and Juha grew even harder in his hand. “I love you,” he whispered again and licked at a nipple. Juha surged against him and Tommi ran his thumb gently over the head of the redhead’s cock. “So lovely… So very sweet…” Closing his lips over Juha’s other nipple, he sucked at the nub and Juha started to move against him, rubbing himself and trying to create more friction. Picking up on the hint, Tommi stroked Juha’s cock slowly, but firmly and returned to those sweet, red lips.

Juha quickly lost himself in the touches and kisses. He had never experienced anything like it before and his body felt on fire. Tommi’s tongue pressed against his lips and he opened his mouth to let him in. At the same time, Tommi sped up his strokes and the combined actions pushed him over the edge. He rested his head against Tommi’s shoulder and quavered fiercely during the moment of his release. “I love you too,” he whispered into Tommi’s ear. Juha needed a moment to come down from the high he had been on.

Tommi however was still hard and in urgent need of release, so he slid his hand into his boxers and brought himself to orgasm with a few, deft strokes.

Juha caught on too late. “I’m sorry! I should have…”

Tommi raised his head and shook his head. “No, the only thing I want you to do is to enjoy what happened just now. Nothing else.”

Juha nodded gingerly. “Next time, I will –“

Tommi interrupted him. “Next time you will enjoy us being together again, alright? I love you and I want you to be happy. I know that this is new to you and I don’t want you worrying about a thing.” Tommi grinned. “You look sexy when you come.”

Juha blushed to the roots of his hair. “I don’t…”

“Yes, you do!” Tommi placed a kiss onto Juha’s brow. “We should clean ourselves up and try to get some sleep.” He had to go to work in the morning, and although he had thoroughly enjoyed the intermezzo, he needed sleep too.

Juha nodded. He felt sticky in the groin area and wanted to wash up. He would even try to get some sleep, as the touches they had shared just now, had driven back the nightmare.

~~~

“Sorry, but I’ve got to get up. You really need to let go of me.” Tommi chuckled upon finding himself tightly embraced by Juha. The redhead had a tight hold on him and Tommi was surprised just how tight.

Juha opened his eyes and blinked at Tommi. The sun was rising and bathed the bedroom in a golden light. “When will you be back?”

“Around six…” Tommi kissed Juha’s bruised lips. “You can go back to sleep.”

“No, I want to get up with you.”

“It’s only half past seven in the morning,” Tommi said.

“I don’t care.” Juha stretched and sat up. “I’ll make breakfast, and you can get ready.”

“Love you,” Tommi said and kissed the tip of Juha’s nose. He got to his feet and disappeared into the bathroom.

Juha moved to the kitchen where he got everything ready for breakfast. In the back of his mind, last night’s intimate scene played over and over again. He had loved being so close to Tommi and the feelings the blond had awoken in him made him want more.

“Ah coffee!” Tommi sat down at the kitchen table and sipped gratefully from his mug. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I want to.” Juha sat down too and sipped from his orange juice. Growing flustered, he added, “Thank you for last night.”

Tommi smiled fondly. “Thank you too.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You let me touch you. You showed me that you trust me. That was important to me.” Tommi ate some toast and finished his coffee. He normally never bothered to eat breakfast. He would have coffee in the office and maybe a sandwich too – if time allowed for it. “This is for you.” Tommi placed his spare cell phone onto the kitchen table.

Juha arched an eyebrow. “I don’t know how to operate it.”

“It’s easy. I’ll show you.” Tommi put the phone into Juha’s hand and showed him how to use it. “See? It’s easy… These are the phone numbers of my friends… And brothers. You might want to give them a call.” He also showed Juha how to place a call, and how to answer one. “Do you think you can manage?”

Juha shrugged. “I can try.” He wasn’t sure he had memorized everything correctly. “Do you want me to have dinner ready when you get home?”

Tommi chuckled. “You’ll probably make something healthy! So yes, why not!” Tommi also placed some money onto the kitchen table. “You can pay with that if you need to buy food for tonight.”

Juha took hold of a banknote and eyed it critically. “Money is no longer made from gold or silver?”

“We use paper these days.” Tommi got to his feet and pressed a kiss onto Juha’s brow. “If something is wrong, call me on the phone…or call Jonne or Ville instead.”

Juha didn’t want Tommi to leave but knew objecting was useless. “I’ll miss you.”

“Me too…” Tommi walked toward the doorway, waved at Juha in goodbye, and left the apartment. He didn’t want to go either, but had to. He just hoped Juha would manage on his own.

~~~

Juha cleaned everything away in the kitchen and went into the bathroom. Although he had already washed up after their intermezzo on the balcony, he wanted to shower, especially now that he knew how to operate it! He showered, washed his hair, got out, and dried his skin. He wrapped a towel around his hair and had just gotten dressed when the beeping started.

Moving into the kitchen he found the cell phone vibrating and beeping like mad. Cautiously he raised it and checked the display. It wasn’t Tommi, as he had hoped, but Jonne. Juha wavered: should he take the call or not? Tommi had assured him that Jonne liked him, but he vividly recalled that one conversation they’d had – when Jonne had demanded to know why the blond had seen his face in the mirror just before it shattered.

In the end, Juha pressed the button and decided to face Jonne’s questions. “Yes? It’s Juha.”

“Juha? Is Tommi there too?”

“Tommi left for work thirty minutes ago,” Juha said, feeling relieved that Jonne had called to talk to Tommi and not him.

“Ah, I will call him on his other phone then!”

“Yes, you should do that. Bye, Jonne.” Juha was about to press the button again when Jonne unexpectedly started talking again.

“Juha, do you have plans for today?”

Juha grew cautious again. “Not really. I’m staying at home. I don’t like to go outside without Tommi.”

“And why is that?” Jonne sounded surprised.

“I don’t know my way about Tampere yet and I don’t want to end up lost.”

“I have an idea!” Jonne said enthusiastically.

A sinking sensation settled in the pit of his stomach. Just what had Jonne thought of?

“I can come over, pick you up, and we can do some shopping!”

Juha recalled Tommi had left some money for him. He would like to buy some food for dinner. “I do need to go to the supermarket.”

“We can do that when we’re done browsing. Give me an hour and I’ll pick you up! See you then!”

Juha ended the call and placed the phone back onto the kitchen table. What had he done? What had he gotten himself into?

~~~

Juha sat at the kitchen table when the doorbell finally rang. Jonne was ten minutes late and Juha had been waiting. He got to his feet, made sure he had pocketed the money and phone, and opened the door. Jonne, dressed in black and white, stood there and smiled charmingly at him. Juha however remained on his guard. “Hello, Jonne.”

Jonne looked Juha over and returned the smile. He understood why Tommi felt attracted to the redhead – Juha *was* a beauty and he seemed to have gained some weight and color during these last few days. “Morning, Juha!”

“I’m ready to go.” Juha wanted to do this as quickly as possible. He was still afraid Jonne wanted to continue the talk they’d had a few days ago.

Jonne raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything about it. “Let’s go then! I need some new jeans and you can help me!”

Juha wasn’t sure what to say about that. He uncovered the spare key he had found on the cabinet in the hallway and locked the door. They descended the stairs and Jonne fell into step next to him when they hit the streets.

Jonne wondered about Juha’s silence and studied the redhead, realizing the other man looked worried. It took him a few minutes to figure out what the problem might be, but then recalled their conversation. He hadn’t forgotten about it and he still wanted some answers, but first, he wanted to put Juha at ease.

~~~

They settled down in a small café where they had some fruit-flavored tea. Jonne had tried to put Juha at ease, but the redhead remained suspicious. Maybe it was best to settle this now. “I’ll be honest with you. I still want some answers.”

That was what Juha had been afraid of. “I have no answers for you.”

“I think you *do*. You just don’t want to tell me. Why?”

Juha shrugged and lowered his gaze. He wanted to leave, but knew Jonne wouldn’t stop until the issue had been settled.

“Juha, why did I see your face in that mirror before it exploded? You screamed… And I know I was alone in the apartment.” Jonne wasn’t giving up yet.

“You imagined it,” Juha said, feeling cornered and peeking at the exit.

Jonne drew in a deep breath and took one of Juha’s hands in his. The redhead raised his gaze and stared at him in surprise. “Let me tell you something. That mirror gave me the creeps right from the start. I always felt like there was something wrong with it. I don’t know what happened, but after the glass shattered, I didn’t get that uncomfortable feeling anymore. It was like something had left…” Juha wanted to look away again, but Jonne said, “Don’t… Just tell me what happened.”

Juha swallowed hard. He might have been able to leave if Jonne hadn’t been rubbing his fingers. The gesture reminded him of Tommi --how the blond had comforted him in the past, and now he found that he couldn’t turn away from Jonne either. “You won’t believe me if I tell you the truth.”

“Try me!” Jonne nodded and looked pleadingly at Juha. “What was up with the mirror? Why did it give me the chills?”

Juha sighed. “You’re going to think I’m insane…”

“I won’t,” Jonne said and continued to rub Juha’s fingers. “Tell me.”

“The mirror was… cursed. Someone had put a spell on it.” Juha cringed at seeing Jonne’s surprised expression. “I shouldn’t have—“ He was about to get up, but Jonne pulled him back.

Juha’s explanation had surprised him, but what else had he expected to hear? “Tell me everything.”

Juha bit onto his bottom lip as he tried to make up his mind. “The mirror was still cursed when your brother bought it, but he managed to lift the spell. That’s why you no longer felt uncomfortable after the glass shattered.”

“Juha, what do you have to do with that curse?” Jonne wanted to believe the things Juha had told him, but he needed more details. “ I know that I saw your face in the mirror. It wasn’t my imagination.”

Juha sighed and plunged ahead. “I was locked in that mirror for centuries… I…haunted it… but Tommi broke the spell by burying my remains.”

Jonne needed a moment to digest the information. He didn’t doubt Juha’s words for he could tell the redhead was telling the truth, but believing the things Juha had told him was hard on him. “You haunted the mirror?” That would explain his discomfort. He had felt that way before. It had happened when Christus had dragged him off to a haunted house to get drunk there. He had left after ten minutes, leaving behind two very frustrated guitarists. But Christus and Lauri had managed to get drunk without him at any rate.

“I did. The glass shattered because Tommi broke the spell that moment – he set me free.”

“And you returned to life?” Now that was *hard* to believe!

“I can’t explain it either… One moment I was pulled from the mirror and the next I found myself on the road, stumbling, falling, because I hadn’t been in a body for so long. I had forgotten how to walk…” Juha pulled his hand away from Jonne’s hold. “I told you that you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Juha…” Jonne waited for the redhead to look at him again. “I don’t know what I expected to hear – certainly not this, but… I can tell that you’re being honest… Will you answer a few more questions for me?”

Juha shrugged. “What else do you want to know?”

“You said that Tommi broke the spell by burying your remains…” Juha nodded and Jonne continued, “You also said that you haunted that mirror for centuries.”

“I lived in Oulu… Centuries ago… I died in an oubliette, hidden beneath the castle... Tommi went inside the oubliette and recovered my remains. He buried them.”

Jonne stared at Juha and tried to deal with the information which the redhead had given him. “And you came back to life? Just like that?”

Juha wanted to look away again, but Jonne rested a hand on his arm and the touch made him maintain eye contact. “I can’t explain it either. I was lucky that Tommi found me. I was on a road with cars driving by at a high speed.”

Jonne drew in a deep breath. “That’s a lot to take in.”

“You wanted to know these things,” Juha replied.

Jonne nodded. “I did… And how about you and Tommi. You’re in love? Both of you?”

Juha nodded. “I love your brother… It started when he bought the mirror… I think the attraction was instant and mutual. I never thought someone would help me, but Tommi – Tommi cared.”

Jonne studied Juha for a few more minutes and then said, “I believe you.”

Juha’s eyes widened in surprise. “You do?”

“I know what I saw before that mirror exploded. I know I saw your face reflected there.”

“I didn’t think you would believe me…” Juha was stunned.

“I’ll have a talk with Tommi about this… There are some things which I still want to know about, but… You don’t need to be scared of me. I mean you no harm. I’ve seen that look in your eyes and you don’t need to feel that way. I’m a nice guy. I’m sorry if I scared you that evening.”

Juha gave Jonne a look that spoke of uncertainty. “I really love your brother.”

Jonne nodded and squeezed Juha’s arm. “I believe you… Let’s be friends, yes?” He offered Juha his hand.

Juha cast a shy smile at Jonne. “Even when I was a ghost once?”

“Sure.” Jonne smiled. “But you no longer are one. You’re made of flesh and blood.” Jonne slipped his hand into Juha’s and squeezed the fingers. “See?”

Juha drew in a deep breath. “Thanks for believing me!”

Jonne pulled Juha close for a hug and was pleased when the redhead allowed it. “My brother is in love with you and I trust his judgment. It also means that you’re now part of the Liimatainen family.”

Juha couldn’t keep back his tears and a couple of them dripped from his face. “Thank you,” he said again and hugged Jonne even tighter. “Thank you.”

Jonne soothingly rubbed Juha’s back and smiled. He had the feeling Tommi had made an excellent choice when taking Juha as his lover.

~~~

They spend the rest of the day together. Now that things had been settled, and Jonne believed him, Juha relaxed. He indulged the blond and went shopping with him. Jonne ended up buying two pairs of jeans and some shirts.

“Aren’t you getting anything for yourself?” Jonne asked as he carried his new possessions out of the clothing store.

“I don’t have any money of my own. Tommi left some to buy dinner with.”

Jonne frowned. “You don’t have any?”

“There wasn’t any on me when Tommi found me…” Juha smiled. “I don’t have an identity, you know. I don’t really exist…” His smile faltered. “Tommi worries about that – that I have no ID.”

“I would worry about that too,” Jonne remarked as he accompanied Juha into the supermarket. “I hope Tommi comes up with a solution for that.”

“I’m not too bothered… I’m just glad to be alive.”

Jonne nodded – he understand that Juha thought about it that way, but like Tommi, he worried and hoped that his brother would find a way out.

TBC

Part 7

Tommi was surprised to hear voices upon his return home. Apparently Juha had gotten company during the day. Listening more closely, he recognized Jonne’s voice and smiled. “Evening!” he said upon entering the kitchen where he found the two men busy preparing dinner. Jonne cooked? Now there was a surprise. “I didn’t know you cooked.”

Jonne stuck out his tongue at his older brother. “You might not believe it, but there are quite a number of things you don’t know about!”

Tommi took it in stride and slipped his arms around Juha’s waist from behind. “Hello, gorgeous.”

Juha couldn’t help growing flustered and he coughed nervously. He still wasn’t used to receiving such compliments, and the fact that Jonne was there also, made him even more jittery. “Hello, Tommi.”

Tommi and Jonne exchanged amused looks, but didn’t say anything regarding Juha’s blush. Instead, Jonne said, “I hope you’re hungry!”

“I am. What did the two of you make for dinner?” It really warmed his heart to see Juha get along with Jonne like that.

“Steak and salad… Jonne helped me prepare the steaks though.” Juha turned around in the embrace and gazed into Tommi’s eyes. He wanted to kiss the blond and hold him close, but Jonne was also there and…

Tommi didn’t have such reservations and claimed Juha’s lips in a passionate kiss which he deepened until their tongues met.

Jonne coughed, turned around, and busied himself setting the table. “Get a room!”

Tommi ended the kiss by playfully tugging at Juha’s bottom lip and addressed his brother. “I’m at home. These are my rooms. You can go home instead!”

“No thanks, I’m hungry…” Jonne placed the steaks onto their plates, carried them over to the kitchen table, and sat down. “Come on, let’s eat and once I’m full I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.”

Tommi wrapped his fingers around Juha’s hand and pulled him along to the table, where they set down.

“Tommi, you need to let go of his hand, otherwise the two of you can’t eat,” Jonne said wickedly as he carved his meat.

Tommi sighed and released Juha’s hand from its hold. “Looks great,” he said, referring to the meal. He wasn’t surprised to see Juha eat more salad than meat. The redhead definitely had a thing for fruit and vegetables. “Don’t forget your steak though.” Juha was still on the skinny side and a few more pounds would look good on him.

Juha ate more of the steak just to please Tommi. He knew the blond was right, but he craved more of the salad.

“Juha told me about the mirror,” Jonne said unexpectedly.

Tommi, who had been in the middle of drinking his wine, almost spat it out. He managed to swallow it at the last moment and stared at his younger brother in shock. “What the fuck?”

“Do you remember that evening when we talked about the mirror?” Jonne said and waited for Tommi to nod. “I questioned Juha about it, and he told me everything that had happened. I’m happy that you managed to help, Tommi, but why didn’t you tell me? Were you afraid I was going to think you mad?”

“Of course I did!” Tommi replied after having composed himself. Looking at Juha, he asked, “Why did you tell him?” He hadn’t thought the redhead would entrust his secret to someone else.

“Jonne saw my face in the mirror before it shattered.” Juha shrugged. “What was I to do except tell the truth? He’s your brother and I want him to be my friend.”

Tommi’s gaze shifted from Juha to Jonne. “And you’re okay with this?”

Jonne nodded. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t know what to think of curses, ghosts in the mirror, and my brother going to Oulu to bury some remains, but… I’ve got to believe it… otherwise, it means that my brother lost his mind.”

Tommi drew in a deep breath. “It’s true – everything Juha told you.”

Jonne had finished eating and now took hold of his wine glass, swirling the liquid around in a thoughtful manner. “What are you going to do about Juha’s lack of ID?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Tommi replied. “And I might know a solution. I know a guy who’s really good with computers… He’s a hacker and he owes me a favor. Maybe he can create some ID for Juha.”

“Hello? I’m here too!” Pouting, Juha crossed his arms in front of his chest. He didn’t like the way they were discussing him, like he wasn’t present.

“Sorry, gorgeous,” Tommi said and claimed Juha’s hand again. “We won’t do it again.”

Tommi’s words – and the fact that the blond had called him gorgeous again – appeased Juha.

~~~

Jonne stuck around for another hour and then left. Juha smiled at seeing the blond man wave at them before Jonne disappeared down the stairs. “You’re right,” he told Tommi. “He’s a nice guy.”

Tommi nodded and closed the door behind them. “What did the two of you do all day?” He guided Juha onto the balcony where they settled down.

“He needed new jeans so we visited some clothing stores and he helped me pay for the groceries. I had no idea if I would end up with enough money to pay for everything.”

“Once I get you some ID we’ll also get you a credit card.” Tommi pulled Juha against him and the redhead rested his back against his chest. Tommi wrapped his arms around Juha and slipped his hands beneath Juha’s shirt so he could caress the redhead’s abdomen.

Juha’s nervousness returned at the intimate touch. He had never gone as far as last night and he had loved being touched like that. It had sparked his attraction to Tommi and he wondered what other things they would do.

“What are you thinking of?” Tommi asked when Juha remained quiet.

“About last night,” Juha replied.

“Ah…” He should have known. “You liked what happened, didn’t you?” Tommi continued to caress Juha’s abdomen and buried his face in the red hair in front of him.

“I did… It came as a surprise, but yes, I loved it,” Juha admitted nervously.

“But there is more… What else do you want to tell me?”

“I…wondered…what other things we…can…do…” Juha felt embarrassed speaking about it. When he had lived in Oulu he would never have dared to let Tommi touch him like that. If his father had found out, they wouldn’t have survived it. Then his father would have hunted the blond man down and killed him. The first Tommi had been incredibly lucky to get away.

“What other things would you like to do?” Tommi slid his fingers into the red mane and massaged Juha’s scalp. He wasn’t surprised that Juha wanted more. Last night had been a first taste of the pleasures awaiting the redhead. And Juha had been waiting for his first time for several centuries.

“I don’t know…I don’t have any experience, remember?” Slowly, Juha turned around in the embrace until he sat in Tommi’s lap and was looking at the blond. “I’m nervous, but not scared, and I’m also curious.”

Tommi nodded and considered his options. “Do you want to repeat last night?”

Juha nodded. He was content with anything Tommi would give him. “It feels like I’m on fire. I’m restless and every time you’re close I want to touch you… kiss and caress you and…”

“Then why are we still talking about it?” Tightening his hold on the redhead, Tommi rose from the floor and, while keeping his arms tightly locked around Juha, carried him into the bedroom where he placed his lover onto the bed. Seeing the eager expression in Juha’s eyes, he changed his mind. It had been his intention to go down on the redhead, but something told him that Juha wanted to touch him instead and needed to be in control this time around. Lying down, Tommi turned his head and grinned. “What are you waiting for?”

Juha swallowed hard. He hadn’t thought Tommi would make things that easy on him. Shyly, but resolutely, he straddled the blond and leaned in closer to kiss him.

Tommi moaned: Juha’s lips were warm and eager and the red hair descended around their faces like a curtain of liquid gold now that the sunbeams touched it. Sliding his hands into the red mane again, he kissed Juha hungrily.

Tommi’s enthusiastic response encouraged Juha and he unbuttoned the blond’s shirt. Pushing the fabric apart, he was finally able to move his hands against Tommi’s bare chest. Tommi moans grew louder when his fingertips rubbed his nipples and the blond raised his hips eagerly. His mouth went dry with excitement and he studied the man squirming beneath him. He loved the fact that it was him who was making Tommi react like that. Recalling some of the things Tommi had done last night, he placed his lips around a hardened nub and sucked.

Tommi thought he would come that exact moment, but luckily he managed to fight his arousal back. Juha obviously had no idea how needy he was and he groaned pitifully.

Juha caught on though and unzipped Tommi’s trousers. Pushing the material down the long legs, he dropped the garment onto the floor. Clad in only his boxers, Tommi’s arousal was more than obvious. “I love you,” he whispered as he kissed his way from Tommi’s nipple to his belly button. He didn’t know how far he could take this. At the moment he felt in control and comfortable with the situation, but he also feared making a mistake and killing the mood Tommi was in.

“Touch me, Juha… Please…” Tommi’s blue eyes had taken on a hooded expression as they pleaded with the redhead to have pity on him. “Take me into your hand…”

Juha felt shy about that. He hadn’t touched Tommi in that way yet, and worried that his lack of experience would show.

“Just remember what makes you feel good… And do those things to me… You’ll do fine…” Tommi slipped his hands beneath Juha’s shirt and removed it. Now that Juha’s upper body was bare too, he grazed the sensitive skin with his fingertips.

Juha quivered with desire. He wanted Tommi to enjoy this as much as he had enjoyed everything last night, but what if he made a mistake?

Sensing Juha’s apprehension, Tommi took Juha’s right hand and after pushing his boxers out of the way, placed the redhead’s hand on his cock. “You know what you like… I like the same things… Relax…” He moved his hand to Juha’s back and rubbed the small of Juha’s back.

Juha swallowed hard, being nervous, but then curled his fingers around the hard flesh. Tommi closed his eyes again and couldn’t help thrusting into Juha’s hand. He really wanted to come.

Juha grew more comfortable when he saw Tommi’s reaction to his touch and he stroked experimentally, trying to find out what kind of pressure and speed Tommi liked best. When the blond opened his eyes again, they were a misty blue and the lips opened, begging to be kissed. Juha complied, leaned in closer, and locked lips with the blond.

Tommi moaned loudly at being kissed, and at the same time, Juha sped up his strokes. He was close, so very close. One hand, he slid into Juha’s hair, caressing the strands and the other travelled to Juha’s buttock, cupping and then squeezing it.

Juha’s breath caught at that touch, but he didn’t let it break his concentration and he continued to stroke Tommi’s cock, involuntarily moving faster and more firmly up and down the erection.

Tommi tumbled over the edge and came in Juha’s hand. Panting hard, he buried his face in the crook of Juha’s shoulder and held him close. He felt lost for words and just held Juha close, cherishing the intimacy. Suddenly Juha’s voice reached his ear.

“Did I do okay?” Juha hoped he had done everything right. He had brought Tommi to orgasm, hadn’t he?

“Oh yes, you did!” Tommi raised his head and pressed a loving kiss onto Juha’s brow. “And now it’s time for you to enjoy yourself.” Juha’s brow grew knitted and seeing it made Tommi chuckle. “You’ll find out…” Hooking his arms behind Juha’s back, he slowly reversed their positions and lowered Juha onto his back. “You’ll like this, trust me.”

Juha nodded although he had no idea what Tommi was up to. He quivered beneath the blond when Tommi removed his jeans and boxers. He couldn’t help feeling embarrassed at being naked. His parents and the priests had always told him not to give into such devilish pleasures and certainly not with another man! And now he was doing all those forbidden things with Tommi.

“Stop thinking, gorgeous,” Tommi said and kissed Juha’s brow again. “This isn’t the time for worries.” Sliding his hands along Juha’s flanks, he licked his way down Juha’s throat and sucked at the skin there, leaving a few passion marks in its wake.

Tommi’s actions made it hard for Juha to think at any rate, and if he was to burn in Hell for giving into his needs, he would do so. Hell couldn’t be worse than those centuries spent in the mirror, watching life pass by without being able to be a part of it.

“I said, stop thinking and start enjoying.” He had to work harder on making Juha relax and Tommi just knew how to accomplish that. “Such a sexy body… and those long legs… Love you…” He placed butterfly kisses down Juha’s chest and then concentrated on arousing his lover by paying attention to his nipples. Tracing circles with his tongue around one hard nub, he used his thump to stimulate the other one. Juha drew in his breath and whimpered in need, making Tommi grin. “That’s better.”

Juha opened his eyes and stared at the blond. His body felt on fire alright, but he needed more stimulation if he wanted to come.

Tommi stroked the red hair and smiled at his lover. “Are you ready to take the next step?” Juha nodded slowly, but distinctly, and Tommi’s grin broadened. “Alright then. Trust yourself to me.” Juha nodded again and Tommi moved lower down Juha’s body. Pressing his lips against Juha’s abdomen, he started kissing the sensitive skin there. His hands wandered lower and cupped Juha’s testis in the palm of his hand. Rubbing the skin with his thumb, his lips descended even lower and kissed their way to Juha’s groin.

Juha’s eyes widened. He had heard about this thing, but had never thought it would happen to him. “Are you going to –?” He didn’t get a chance to finish his question as Tommi’s tongue lapped at his cock. “Oh no…” Pressing deeper into the mattress he closed his eyes and felt himself respond to the caress.

“Oh yes,” Tommi murmured. He continued to stroke Juha’s testis and watched his lover’s reaction as he licked at the head.

Juha thought he was going to lose it. Tommi’s tongue was warm and wet and a whole new feeling moved through him – lust… He wanted more…

Tommi grinned as Juha thrust upward. Placing his hands on Juha’s hips, he made sure it wouldn’t happen again. He could tell that Juha was close and the redhead wouldn’t be able to stand such stimulation for a long time. Juha would come quickly. A pity, but it didn’t surprise him. Closing his lips over Juha’s cock, he slowly took in the length. Going down on Juha, he relaxed his throat and tried to make it as good as possible for his lover.

Heaven must feel like that, Juha mused as he lost himself in the sensations which Tommi evoked in his body. The soft sliding of flesh around his cock made him scream out at the moment of his release. Tommi let go and then returned to kiss Juha’s lips

Tommi’s move surprised Juha, but he kissed the blond back. Overwhelmed he stared at Tommi with wide eyes.

Tommi laid down on his side, gathered Juha in his arms and smiled at his lover. He realized that Juha needed a moment to compose himself and waited patiently for the redhead to address him.

“I never…thought that…you…” Juha, having grown flustered, found it hard to find the right words. “The priests always said that heaven would strike anyone down who would…”

“Have oral sex?” Tommi sighed deeply. “You’re still alive, aren’t you? And so am I?”

Juha nodded slowly. “They told us lies?”

“I’m afraid so…” Tommi soothingly rubbed Juha’s arm. “You’re not going to die because you have sex.”

Juha nodded again. “Tommi?”

“Yes?” Tommi arched an eyebrow questioningly.

“Will you…make love to me?”

“Now?” Tommi wondered if that wouldn’t be too much. Juha already felt overwhelmed.

“Not now,” Juha said quickly. “But sometime soon, when you think I’m ready for it.”

Tommi gazed thoughtfully into Juha’s eyes. “Do you know what it entails?”

“You’ll take me?” Juha nibbled on his bottom lip nervously.

“Do you want it that way? We can do it the other way around too… That you take me.”

Juha gave Tommi a stunned look. “You would let me do that to you?”

Tommi smiled and brushed Juha’s brow. “Why not? I enjoy both ways. It’s up to you – what you want!”

Juha considered Tommi’s words carefully. “I think… I would want…you to…take me… I don’t want that much responsibility the first time around… And… I want to feel you…that way,” he admitted, face flushed.

“Hey, there’s no shame in admitting such a thing… Everyone has a preference in bed and if you want me to take you, I will.”

Juha lowered his eyes, feeling shy. “How much will it hurt?” He no longer believed that heaven would strike him down for lying with Tommi, but he wasn’t sure what to expect either. Back in Oulu, the priests had warned him that lying with a man was the greatest sin he could commit and that it would hurt – that his body would burn like his soul would burn in Hell.

“There will be some discomfort the first time, but I’ll be gentle with you. There’s no need for you to be afraid. I’ll make you feel good,” Tommi assured a frightened looking Juha. “Don’t be afraid, please.”

“It’s just…they always told me that…”

“Juha, that’s in the past. These priests did their best to scare you so you would never have sex with a man. They lied because it made you compliant.”

Juha nodded and rested his head against Tommi’s shoulder. “You made me feel great just now and I…I want that again… Not now, but…”

“I know what you’re trying to tell me, Juha. And I understand… Just continue to trust me and everything will work out just fine.” Pressing a kiss onto Juha’s hair, Tommi’s features contorted – how he hated those priests for making Juha hate that side of him. They had seen Juha’s desire and had used it against the redhead, turning it into fear instead. “I’ll take care of everything that first time,” he whispered into Juha’s ear. “Don’t worry about a thing.”

Juha closed his eyes. “I trust you.”

Tommi pressed another kiss onto the red hair. Everything would be fine. He would be very careful and gentle with Juha that first time, knowing that old, wrong believes would make Juha apprehensive about making love with him, but Tommi also knew that their love would beat those fears in the end.

~~~

Later that evening, they settled down on the couch and while Tommi watched television, Juha’s gaze always shifted toward the mirror again. It stood in the corner of the room with a few shards still attached to it.

Tommi, who had been watching ice hockey, abandoned the game and switched off the television. Instead, he focused on Juha. “What are you thinking about?”

“The mirror and what we should do about it,” Juha admitted reluctantly.

“Do you want to keep it?” Tommi moved about on the couch until he could pull Juha’s back against his chest and wrap his arms around his lover.

“I don’t want to get rid of it… It was a part of me for a long time.”

“Do you want to get it repaired?” Tommi asked.

“I don’t know,” Juha said and sighed. “Maybe we should let it stay like that -- to remind us of what happened.”

Tommi nodded. “We shall keep it like it is and find a place for it in the apartment.”

Juha liked the idea. Pressing back against Tommi, he closed his eyes and smiled. “I feel lazy…”

“That’s because of the sex you’ve had,” Tommi said knowingly. “Do you want to go to bed and sleep?”

Juha shook his head. “No, I don’t want to move.”

“I’ll carry you,” Tommi whispered, having realized that Juha was about fall asleep on him. He got up from the couch, slipped his arms beneath Juha’s form, and lifted him. Juha’s head lolled against his shoulder as he carried the redhead into the bedroom. He placed his lover on the bed, undressed him, and joined Juha in bed a few minutes later. It was a bit early to turn in already, but he didn’t mind, as it meant he got to hold Juha in his arms.

Even in his sleep, the redhead snuggled up to him, and Tommi wrapped his arms around his lover. He fervently hoped that Juha wouldn’t have any nightmares that night.

~~~

Juha woke feeling refreshed the next morning. He was tightly wrapped up in Tommi’s arms and he caressed the blond’s face with his fingertips. Tommi was his lover now. He had a lover… A lover who wanted to make love with him. He blushed at the thought and felt nervous because of it. He didn’t really know what to expect, although he had acted confidently when they had discussed it earlier.

“You’re worrying again…” Tommi had sensed Juha’s gaze upon him. Opening his eyes, he searched his lover’s expression. “I don’t want to get up and leave you, but I have to go to work.”

“I’ll get breakfast ready…”

“Wait…” Tommi stopped Juha from leaving the bed. “What are you going to do today?”

“I was thinking about writing some music… if I can use your acoustic guitar that is.”

“Of course you can. This is your home too!” Tommi caressed Juha’s face. “Is it okay if I bring someone home for dinner? He’s a friend of mine and his name is Mikko. I would like for you to meet him.”

Juha nodded. “You can bring home anyone you want…” Juha frowned, only now registering the last thing Tommi had said. “Why do you want me to meet him?”

“Mikko plays bass and formed a band with some friends. They’re called Reflexion and they’re looking for a singer.”

Juha’s eyes widened as he caught on. “You want me to be their singer? But Tommi! You can’t be serious!”

“I really think your voice fits their music, but I’m not going to force you into anything. Just meet Mikko tonight, talk to him, and see if you like him. If the chemistry isn’t right, we can forget about it at any rate.”

Juha nodded. He would give it a try, but didn’t believe he was destined to be a singer in this time and age. He wasn’t *that* good—he really wasn’t.

~~~

“I’m curious about your ‘discovery’,” Mikko said. He had been surprised when Tommi had called him yesterday to set up a meeting. He had been even more surprised when Tommi had invited him over for dinner. “Is his voice really that good?”

Tommi nodded. “And he’s a songwriter too. Juha’s just what you need!” Tommi uncovered his key.

“And that you want to hook Juha up with Reflexion has nothing to do with the fact that he’s your boyfriend? Are you sure he isn’t desperate to become part of a band even though he isn’t any good?” Mikko was still skeptical.

“That has nothing to do with it. Juha would never have thought of joining a band if I hadn’t suggested it.” Tommi turned the key and opened the door. Music came from inside the apartment. “That’s him,” Tommi said, identifying Juha’s voice. Gesturing for Mikko to soundlessly follow him, he guided the bass player over to the doorway from where they could watch Juha play and sing.

Mikko studied the redhead, who sat cross-legged on the floor. On the floor, in front of Juha, were dozens of notes. Listening to Juha, Mikko had to admit that the voice was special. Also, the redhead’s looks were interesting. He hadn’t been sure what to think of Tommi’s suggestion to take on Juha as a singer, but as he listened to the redhead sing, he realized the potential.

“And?” Tommi whispered, making sure he didn’t disturb Juha.

Mikko nodded. “You’re right… He has a good voice… I’ll talk to him.”

Mikko’s voice caught Juha’s attention and he stopped playing to find out who had been spying on him. Seeing Tommi standing in the doorway, Juha quickly checked the time. He had all forgotten about fixing dinner! Damn song… Why wouldn’t that melody leave him alone? “Tommi,” he said, getting up from the floor. His legs had become numb though from sitting in the same position for hours and the blood circulation needed to get going first.

Tommi made his way over to his lover, offered him his hand, and pulled him to his feet. “How long have you been sitting here?”

Juha looked at the clock again… “Four hours?”

Tommi arched an eyebrow. “Well, let’s get the blood moving again.” He kept an arm around Juha’s waist and guided the redhead over to where Mikko stood.

Mikko smiled at Juha. A strange innocence lay in the green eyes and he felt attracted to it. Juha was the kind of person who could enthrall people and an audience would easily come under his spell. He would make a good front man. “Hello, I’m Mikko,” he said and extended his hand in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Juha took Mikko’s hand and shook it shyly. So this was the musician Tommi wanted him to meet? The young man, also a redhead, had curious eyes and a nice smile. Juha realized it would be hard not to like him. “Hello, Mikko… I’m Juha.”

TBC

Part 8

Juha turned to Tommi and said in an apologetic tone, “I’m sorry, but I forgot about fixing dinner.”

“That doesn’t matter… I’ll invite the two of you to dinner. I’m just going to freshen up and maybe you can play that song you’re working on? I’m sure Mikko is interested in hearing it.”

Juha’s eyes revealed surprise. “Why would he?”

Mikko chuckled. He could dismiss the suspicion he’d had that Tommi was trying to get his boyfriend into a band at all cost. “Yes, play it!”

“If you want me to do that…” Juha remained unconvinced, but sat down on the floor again. He took the guitar and started playing. He didn’t have any lyrics yet, only a melody.

Tommi winked at Mikko and left for the bathroom. Mikko sat down next to Juha and studied the other man. Juha’s eyes had closed now that he was solely focused on the music and his fingers moved effortlessly over the strings.

“It isn’t anything special,” Juha said when he stopped playing. “The melody just refused to leave me alone until I had written it down.”

Mikko nodded. “I know that feeling. Can you sing for me? Just pick a song you like.”

“Why do you want me to sing?” Juha didn’t know what to make of the request.

Mikko chuckled. “Didn’t Tommi tell you that I’m looking for a singer?”

“Yes, but you’re surely not thinking about me? I’m not any good, no matter what Tommi told you.”

“Let me be the judge of that, please. Will you sing for me?” Mikko refused to give up just yet. The soft singing which he had heard upon entering the apartment made him believe that Juha was the right man for the job.

Juha shrugged. “Just remember that you asked for it when your ears start hurting.”

Mikko doubted it would be that bad. Juha started singing and Mikko raised an eyebrow at hearing the other man’s volume and range. Juha was definitely the right person to be Reflexion’s front man when it came down to his voice. Hopefully the other man would also like their music.

The song came to an end and Juha gave Mikko an apologetic look. “I warned you.”

“Don’t be insecure about your voice! It’s great! We’re rehearsing tomorrow. Would you like to check out the band?” Mikko offered.

Juha felt lost. Mikko still wanted him as his band’s singer and he had a feeling that the other redhead wouldn’t give in easily. “I’ll be there.”

“That’s great!” Mikko jumped to his feet and offered to pull Juha to his feet as well.

Juha stared at the hand for a minute before deciding to take it and accept the offer.

Mikko pulled Juha to his feet and smiled at him. “What kind of music do you like?”

Juha felt lost again. He didn’t know many Finnish bands yet. Luckily for him, Tommi decided to join them that moment and rescued him.

Tommi saw the discomfort on Juha’s face and wrapped an arm around his lover. “Juha moved here only recently, Mikko, and before that, he listened to classical music.”

“Ah then you have lots to catch up on!” Mikko grinned. “So where are you taking us, Tommi? Somewhere fancy?”

Tommi merely grinned.

~~~

Tommi took them to the cozy restaurant around the corner of the street he lived in. The food was good and he knew that Juha would enjoy the pasta.

“Tommi, what’s this?” Although Juha could read most things on the menu, some words confused him.

“Lasagna,” Tommi whispered back. “Try it, you might like it.”

Juha remained undecided, but had to place his order once the waiter appeared. While Tommi and Mikko opted for pizza, Juha decided to take Tommi’s advice and try the lasagna.

Mikko started talking and Juha quickly realized the bass player was a blabbermouth, but he didn’t mind as long as he didn’t get questions which he couldn’t answer. Surprised, he noticed that the waiter put some white wine in front of him. He hadn’t ordered any, so…? A look to his right where Tommi sat, told it that it had been his lover’s doing. Tommi winked and sipped from his red wine. Ah well, one glass of wine wouldn’t hurt. He could stomach that.

The waiter brought their food and Juha frowned at seeing the dish on his plate. It didn’t look like the spaghetti Tommi had made a few days ago.

“Just try it,” Tommi said at seeing Juha’s confused expression. “But be careful. It comes right out of the oven so it might be hot.”

Juha heeded Tommi’s warning, removed a small section, and cautiously put it into his mouth. The pleasant taste surprised him and he grinned. “I like it!”

“Good!” Tommi dug into his pizza and Mikko started eating too. During the evening Tommi managed to keep their conversation going, and once Juha felt more confident, his lover participated more often.

Juha wasn’t sure what to think of the fact that Tommi had ordered more wine for him. That first glass was already rising to his head, as he wasn’t used to drinking alcohol. And this wine seemed way more potent than the ones they’d had in Oulu! This was definitely the last glass he was going to drink and he drank it slowly so Tommi had no reason to offer him another one.

“I’m stuffed,” Mikko announced and placed his fork and knife onto the plate. He’d managed to eat three quarters of the pizza.

Juha felt full too although half of the lasagna was still left. He’d had enough and moved the plate slightly away from him. “I’m done too.”

Tommi however had managed to eat the whole thing and now rubbed his abdomen. “Hum, didn’t I say I wanted to lose some weight?” If he really wanted to do so, he had to stop eating out and let Juha prepare dinner instead.

“You don’t need to do that… You make a great pillow,” Juha said before realizing just what exactly he had said. Once it registered with him, he grew flustered.

Mikko grinned and checked the time. “That’s my hint to get going and to leave the two of you alone!” Turning to Juha he said, “We rehearse at four PM tomorrow… Tommi knows the way to our training room.”

Juha nodded. “Are you sure though about this?”

“I’m sure!” Mikko got to his feet, waved at them, and left the restaurant.

Tommi called out to the waiter, requested the bill, and took Juha’s hand in his. “Do you mind making a quick stop at an acquaintance’s of mine? He’s working on getting you your ID, but he needs photos too.”

“I don’t mind.” Tommi’s tone told Juha that his lover found this important and so he cooperated.

~~~

Juha felt confused. He was surrounded by things called computers and other electronic gear. He decided not to question Tommi about it and just wanted to get everything over with quickly. Janne, Tommi’s acquaintance, took pictures of him and assured them that the ID would be ready in a few days. First he needed to hack some systems. Again, Juha didn’t question any of it. He wouldn’t know where to start with asking questions. Once they were back on the street again, Juha reached for Tommi’s hand and tightly curled his fingers around it.

Sensing his lover’s unease, Tommi gently squeezed Juha’s fingers in turn. He understood that Juha felt confused after that visit and decided to distract him. “So… What do you think of Mikko?”

“He’s a nice guy…” Juha replied in a thoughtful manner. “But I’m not a singer, Tommi, and I’m not a songwriter either. You shouldn’t have told him that!”

“We shall see about that,” Tommi said and smiled at the redhead. It was already close to midnight and tomorrow was Friday. He had to work one more day and then he was off for the weekend. “Let’s head home and get some sleep.”

Juha nodded. The wine he’d had made him sleepy.

~~~

Juha snuggled up to Tommi and rested his head against his lover’s shoulder. “Night,” he whispered, already on his way into the land of dreams.

“Sleep tight and have nice dreams,” Tommi whispered into Juha’s ear and hoped the nightmares would finally leave Juha alone.

~~~

“Stay in bed… There’s no need for you to get up,” Tommi whispered when Juha tried to get up to fix him dinner. “I’ll pick you up around three PM to take you to the band’s training room.” He pressed a kiss onto Juha’s brow and then left for work.

~~~

“I’m nervous,” Juha admitted upon entering Reflexion’s training room. “I don’t think I’m fit to be their singer.”

“Give it a chance, alright? You might like Mikko’s band mates and their music.” Tommi hoped Juha wouldn’t dismiss this chance, as he really felt the five men would mesh. “Hello there!” Tommi called out at seeing Ray. “I brought you your singer.”

Ray walked over to Juha and studied him. “Let’s see what you can do with your voice.”

Growing nervous, Juha followed the drummer and felt relieved upon seeing Mikko, who was already fiddling around on his bass guitar.

“Ah Juha! It’s great to see you!” Mikko smiled warmly and introduced Juha to the rest of the band. Once everyone had gotten to know each other, he asked, “Can you read notes?” It would help if Juha did.

Juha nodded. His teachers back then had taught him. He took hold of the papers Mikko handed him and studied them.

“We’re going to play the song for you… I know it’s not perfect… The bridges don’t work yet, so maybe you can help. Also, if you know any lyrics, tell us!” Enthusiastically, Mikko turned around and signaled his band mates to start playing.

Juha felt overwhelmed at first, but once he studied the notes and got to know the melodies, he relaxed. He liked Reflexion’s style and tapped his foot along with the rhythm.

“And again!” Mikko ordered, having seen Juha scramble on the paper. The other band members briefly objected, but then started playing again. Once they had played the song a second time, Mikko signaled them to take a break and he walked over to Juha. “So what do you think?”

“If you play it like this, instead of that, then…” Juha showed Mikko the changes he had made on the paper. “Sorry, no lyrics yet… I can’t write them like that.”

Mikko nodded to show he understood and studied the changes Juha had made. “Hey, guys, come over here and have a look at this!” The rest joined them and discussed the changes Juha had made in the arrangements. “We only find out if it works by playing!” Mikko said.

“Not a third time,” Juhani complained.

“Yes! A third time, and if necessary, a fourth and fifth time as well,” Mikko said excitedly. The rest of the band moaned, but complied eventually, and this time they played the song the way Juha had suggested they should. The improvement immediately registered with them – the song flowed… there were no awkward transitions anymore. “I like it!” Mikko said as he put his bass guitar away.

“I want to hear you sing before I say yes to this,” Ray said.

Juha swallowed hard. He had listened to some Flinch and Negative songs, but those didn’t quite suit his voice. He also hadn’t mastered playing them on the acoustic guitar. In need for help, Juha searched out Tommi’s gaze.

“What about Joutsenlaulu? It’s a great song to audition with and you know how to play it.”

Juha nodded. “I know that one.” Looking at the band, he asked, “Would that be alright?”

Ray nodded. “Sure, the mic’s all yours.”

Juha felt nervous as he walked over to the microphone. He had never sung using one before and wasn’t sure how much of a difference it would make. Juhani handed him an acoustic guitar and he started playing – just wanting it over with so they would realize their mistake and send him home.

Ray’s eyes widened, and looking at Juhani, he saw the same reaction on the guitarist’s face. Juha might not be used to using a microphone, but it didn’t really matter. The redhead’s vocal capacities where there and just needed some fine-tuning. Everyone remained quiet while Juha sang and started nodding toward each other. Yes, this was the singer they had been searching for so long!

Juha ended the song and kept his gaze trained at the floor. He didn’t think he had sung that good and expected them to tell him to go home. He wasn’t prepared to be tackled by Ray, who hugged him tightly.

“You’re in!” Ray declared.

Juha gave the drummer a confused look. He was in? But he wasn’t any good!

Ilkka nodded. “I think you’re just what this band needs. Welcome aboard, Juha!”

Once Ray had let go of him, Juha quickly moved over to Tommi in search of shelter. He hoped no one else was going to jump him like that!

“You’ll get used to that,” Ray said. “We’re a friendly bunch.”

Juha nodded slowly. “I’ll do my best.”

“Does that mean you accept the job?” Mikko asked, making sure there were no misunderstandings.

Juha locked gazes with Tommi. What did his lover think he should do?

Tommi nodded and wrapped an arm around the redhead. “Say yes. You won’t regret it.”

Juha swallowed hard and then said, “Yes, I accept.”

~~~

Later that day, they returned to the apartment. They had done some grocery shopping, and while Juha prepared the dinner, Tommi looked longingly at him. “What are you making?”

“A salad… Is that okay?” Juha looked at Tommi from over his shoulder.

Tommi nodded. “As long as it’s healthy…” He was serious about losing some weight. Tommi got up from the kitchen chair and came to a halt behind Juha. After wrapping his arms around Juha’s waist, he tried to offer his help again. “Is there anything I can do?” Juha had already declined once.

“Not really. I’m done with the salad.” Leaning against Tommi, Juha smiled, and divided the salad onto their plates. “Ready.”

Tommi took his plate and wrapped his other arm around his lover. “Let’s eat on the balcony instead of in here.” Juha followed him onto the balcony where they settled down and ate their salad. Juha kept stealing glances at him, but would look away the moment Tommi tried to make eye contact. “Juha, is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Juha said, feeling caught.

“Something is on your mind though. Why won’t you tell me?” Tommi claimed Juha’s hand in the hope the redhead would tell him.

“I… I have been thinking about it all day..and… I want… I want you to make love to me…tonight,” he whispered shyly. “If you want that too, that is.” He was too nervous to maintain the eye contact and lowered his gaze.

“Juha, are you sure about that?” Tommi wondered if they weren’t moving too fast.

“I want to make love with you, Tommi. I’ve waited centuries to get where I am today.”

Tommi sighed at seeing the desperate expression in Juha’s eyes. It was obvious that his lover really wanted this. “Tonight?”

Juha smiled brilliantly at Tommi. “Yes, tonight!”

~~~

“What are you doing here?” Juha, whose skin and hair were still damp from the shower he had taken, wrapped his arms around Tommi’s waist from behind. “Why are you looking at it?” Tommi stood in front of the mirror and a thoughtful expression lay on his face.

“I’m glad that Pekka refused to take it back. If I had given up at that point, you wouldn’t be free today.” Tommi turned in the embrace, and once he was facing Juha, wrapped his arms around his lover in turn. “I love you, Juha,” he whispered affectionately.

“I love you too,” Juha said and kissed Tommi on the lips. “And I want you to make love to me.”

This time it was Tommi who felt nervous. “Let’s move this to the bedroom,” he said eventually, realizing that he had to trust in their love.

Juha released Tommi from his hold and the two men made their way into the bedroom. Tommi came to an abrupt stop. Juha had put several candles around the bed and their golden glow gave the room a warm touch. Why hadn’t he thought of doing something like that? “That’s very sweet of you.” Tommi brought his arms up behind Juha’s back and hugged him. Since both of them were naked, they were skin-on-skin and the intimate contact affected them both. At least that was one thing he didn’t have to worry about – they were both aroused already. “Trust me,” Tommi whispered as he lowered Juha onto his back.

“I trust you,” Juha said in a trembling voice. He was more excited than nervous and couldn’t wait to find out what making love was like. Pulling Tommi atop of him, he kissed the blond and ran his fingertips along his lover’s spine.

Tommi deepened the kiss, and at the same time, his hand moved lower to caress his lover’s erection. The time for words had gone and he had to act. He had made sure condom and lube were within his reach when Juha had disappeared into the bathroom and now reached for the latter. “It might feel odd at first,” he warned, as he put some of the slick substance onto his fingertips.

Juha nodded. “I trust you,” he repeated and surged upward so he could kiss Tommi again. Those slick fingers curled themselves around his cock and stroked slowly. Juha closed his eyes, savored the sensation, and moaned from deep within his throat. “Feels good,” he whispered in-between shallow intakes of breath.

Tommi showered his lover’s throat with cheeky kisses and licked his way down to a nipple. Adding more of the lube to his fingers, they traveled lower until they had found the entrance to his lover’s body. “Try to relax,” he said and massaged the guardian ring.

Juha’s eyes opened in surprise and fastened onto Tommi’s. He had known what would happen, but hadn’t fully realized it until that very moment. Tommi would take him…

Tommi kept a close eye on Juha and recognized the confusion in the green eyes. “Relax…everything will be fine…” In order to distract Juha, he kissed the redhead again and suckled playfully at the tip of his tongue. Juha surged beneath him and Tommi slid a finger inside.

Juha moaned at the unfamiliar sensation. Keeping his gaze trained on Tommi’s face, he nodded. “It’s okay…”

“Great,” Tommi whispered before licking Juha’s left nipple into hardness. Slowly, in order to give Juha a chance to get used to the feeling, he started thrusting, removing his finger and then sliding it inside again. It helped that Juha was relaxed. “That’s great… Let’s add another one…”

Juha parted his legs further to give Tommi easier access and refused to think of what his lover was doing down there. The moment he would think about it, he would panic. Instead, he let it happen and entrusted himself to the blond.

A moment later, aided by more lube, Tommi slid two fingers inside the channel. He was relieved that Juha was taking them so easily. If his lover remained that relaxed, he wouldn’t have any problems making Juha’s first time very pleasurable indeed. “Still okay?”

Juha nodded – more slowly though this time. It felt different and he wasn’t sure he liked it or not.

Tommi started to move his fingers about in search of Juha’s prostate. He knew he had found his aim when Juha threw back his head and moaned loudly. Smirking proudly, he memorized the spot, rubbed the sensitive gland again, and then removed his fingers from his lover’s body. He reached for the condom, opened the package, and slid it down his cock.

Juha’s head lolled from right to left and back again: that delicious sensation still vibrated through him. “What…was that?” he asked Tommi, once he could focus again.

“Your prostate… Juha, I think you’re ready… Do you still want to do this?” Tommi positioned himself between his lover’s legs and slid a hand beneath Juha’s buttocks.

“If it means I continue to feel like that… Yes!” Juha’s hands moved into Tommi’s hair and they turned into fists. “I want you…”

Tommi drew in a deep breath to steady himself. He told himself to go slow as he penetrated the redhead. Juha’s eyes widened in surprise and his lover’s breathing sped up. “It’ll get better, I promise.” Juha was tight and taking his time to bury himself to the hilt was hard on Tommi. He wanted to thrust instead and find release.

Juha felt full, and for one moment, he panicked, afraid he wouldn’t be able to do this.

Tommi noticed the way the channel around him tightened and he moved his hands to either side of Juha’s head. “Trust me,” he repeated and kissed the redhead.

The kiss distracted Juha and he relaxed. He could literally feel Tommi inch inside and he moaned in discomfort. It didn’t hurt exactly, but it wasn’t pleasant either.

Tommi let go of the breath he had been holding and licked at Juha’s bottom lip. “I’m inside… We did it.” But Juha remained incredibly tight and Tommi hoped his lover wasn’t in any pain.

“I…” Juha swallowed convulsively. “I didn’t think… that…it would feel like… this.”

“Don’t worry, it will become better.” Locking his arms around Juha, Tommi shifted position until he was on his side. He moved Juha’s leg across his waist and pulled him close again. “This way, you have some control too…” When he looked at Juha however, he realized his lover had no idea what he was talking about. He thrust slowly, and made sure the strokes remained shallow.

Juha suddenly realized what Tommi had meant when he had said he had some control too. He could either move away, or press closer with each of Tommi’s thrusts.

Aiming his next thrust better, Tommi flexed his hips, and found his target.

Juha bit onto his bottom lip and closed his eyes. This felt even better than Tommi’s fingers just now! “Do that again…”

Tommi smiled, placed his hands on Juha’s backside, and thrust again. Juha moaned, buried his face in the crook of his shoulder, and Tommi groaned the moment Juha’s lips attached themselves to the sensitive skin there. Judging the time ready, he thrust more steadily, picked up speed, and made love to the redhead. “Like that?”

Juha however was no longer capable of speech. Instead of moving away from the penetration, like he had done when Tommi had first thrust, he now moved closer so he could get more stimulation out of each stroke.

Tommi massaged Juha’s buttocks and took complete control, moving the redhead the way he thought was best. “I won’t last much…longer.” Juha was too tight.

Juha released a yelp, bit into Tommi’s shoulder, and buried his teeth in the flesh during the moment of his release.

Tommi thought he would lose his mind the moment Juha’s inner muscle tightened around him. Juha had a firm grip on him and Tommi was no longer able to thrust. “Damn, Juha…” A moment later, he tumbled over the edge as well and climaxed. Spent, and still trembling from the fierce orgasm that had ripped through him, he trembled in Juha’s arms.

Juha opened his eyes and stared into Tommi’s. They had turned a misty blue again and he passionately claimed the blond’s lips.

Tommi needed a moment to compose himself. He’d had several lovers throughout the years, but none of them had made him feel like Juha had just now. Answering the kiss with equal passion, he judged it best to pull out now. Juha moaned the moment their connection was broken and Tommi quickly disposed of the condom.

Juha made himself comfortable in Tommi’s arms and draped a leg possessively across Tommi’s thigh. “I liked that,” he purred.

Tommi felt relieved that everything had gone smoothly. Juha would have been in way more discomfort if the redhead hadn’t been so relaxed and trusting when he prepared the redhead. “Best sex I ever had,” Tommi whispered and kissed Juha on the lips. “I could grow addicted to it.”

Juha smiled happily. “I think I already am… I want more… Not now, but…maybe tomorrow?”

Tommi returned that smile. If Juha wanted to make love again tomorrow, he would happily accommodate his lover. “Did I hurt you?”

Juha shook his head. “No, you didn’t… I love feeling you inside me…” Juha rested his head against Tommi’s shoulder and sighed. “No more nightmares for me…”

Tommi tucked Juha’s head beneath his chin and covered them with the comforter. “Dream of making love instead.”

“I will…” Juha closed his eyes and, with a sated expression on his face, fell asleep.

Tommi tightened his hold on Juha, thanked whatever god had brought them together, and drifted off as well.

The end