Chapter Text
- Can we talk?
Liam was shocked. The Universe truly had a wicked sense of humour...
- Yes, of course! Come on in, mate!
Mate.
Do you want anything to drink? Water, soda? Tea? It won't be as good as yours, but I can try.
- No. No, thank you.
- Okay.
Liam sat on the couch.
- You know, you're allowed to sit on my couch, mate!
Mate.
Arvid was not sitting down. Liam was starting to get worried.
- Arvid, mate, are you sure you don't want to sit?
Mate.
- Yes, I'm...okay here.
- Okay... Well... What did you want to talk about?
Arvid was still standing in the middle of Liam's living room, silent.
I've got FIFA if you don't feel like talking. Or we can watch a movie?
Radio silence.
Can you say something? Like, anything?
You're worrying me, mate! What's going on?
Arvid?
Mate, what is-?
- STOP CALLING ME MATE!
Liam was staring, mouth open, incredule expression on his face for the second time this evening.
- What?
- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scream, just-
Don't call me mate.
- What are you on about? Are we not mates?
- No we're not! Mates don't abandon each other-
- I already said I was sorry, Arvid-
- Mates don't leave their mates alone drunk and crying themselves to sleep, mates don't want to- You know what, no, I'm sorry... Forget it...
- No I won't forget it! Mates don't want to what, Arvid?
Arvid was frozen in place. He was looking at the floor again, silent. Terrified. Liam slowly stood up and came up to him, still leaving a safe distance for the other man to not feel pressured. He started again with a now softer voice :
Arvid, you've been off for a week now, first the club in Montréal, where you got all defensive, then getting absolutely shit-faced and calling me at 3am asking me, almost crying, to pick you up and then now turning up at my door to scream at me. So no, I'm not going to forget it. Because I don't want to forget it. Because I-
Liam took a deep breath.
Because I care about you. So tell me, what's going on?
Arvid?
Still no answer.
Mate?
- Stop calling me mate. I'm not your mate. I don't WANT to be your mate!
- Oh okay, well we don't have to then, but you don't have to be so rude abou-
- Liam, for one second in your life, shut up!
I don't want you to call me mate because all I can think about when I hear you calling me mate is how nicer my name looks on your lips.
Click.
Don't call me mate when all I can dream about is how soft your lips would feel on mine.
One turn.
Don't call me mate when all I can think about when i hear you talk is how your accent curls around words like a fire licks wood and how warm it would sound saying "I'm yours".
Two turns.
Don't call me mate when all I can think about when I see your eyes is not how beautiful they are, even though they are, it's how they shine even brighter when you laugh.
And how good they would look surrounded by wrinkles.
Because that's what I can't stop thinking about, I want to- No, I NEED to keep seeing all these little things I love about you every single day for the rest of my life.
I dream of growing old with you, Liam.
I know it's stupid and by saying all that I probably ruined our relationship, our friendship or whatever it was, but I can't stop now.
Because I can't stop myself from imagining a future where you don't call me mate, but yours.
And I had to tell you. Because you have to know that I am, Liam, I'm entirely yours. I've been since the first laugh.
And three.
Liam was right.
Arvid had the key to the Pandora box that was lodged in Liam's chest and he just unlocked it.
It was now up to Liam to see if he could open it. If, like Pandora's, all the evils and illnesses of the world would come out of it and haunt them forever. Or if something scarier would come out.
Acceptance.
Liam slowly opened the box.
🎶I'm coming, wait for me!🎶
The joints were rusty and creaked so much you would think they'd break if you kept going.
🎶I hear the walls repeating🎶
And Liam kept going. With care, with patience, with fear.
🎶The falling of my feet
And it sounds like drumming🎶
Nothing came out of it.
The box was empty.
All this time, it was empty. All of this fear, all of this hurt when nothing was stopping him.
Arvid looked at him. Finally. And Liam was still there. Scared, but still there.
🎶And I am not alone,
I hear the rocks and stones,
Echoing my song🎶
Liam couldn't stop himself this time. He didn't want to.
🎶I'm coming🎶
He ran into Arvid's arms.
When Arvid's arms closed around him, all Liam could feel was an overwhelming, all-encompassing golden wave of love that coated the walls of his heart. It bled through the cracks of it and repaired them.
- I'm yours, Arvid. I've always been yours.