Chapter Text
Isak and Even are best friends. They do have other very good friends like Jonas, Mahdi and Magnus, and they hang out all the time, but none of them hangs out as much as Isak and Even.
It’s Saturday morning at 10am, and Even is in Isak’s apartment, just hanging out, doing nothing in particular. He is lying on Isak’s unmade bed while Isak is slowly folding the laundry, looking kind of bored, the laundry basket at Even’s feet.
“I’m going on a date tomorrow.” Even says with a cheerful smile without looking up from his phone.
“Oh.” Isak says, a little surprised, “Okay.” He clears his throat, putting a folded t-shirt back to the laundry basket. “Where are you taking her?”
“I don’t know.” Even said, looking up at Isak from his phone, “Got any ideas?”
Isak fished out the folded t-shirt from the basket and put it on top of three other folded t-shirts, where it's supposed to be. He takes a deep breath, and shrugs, “I don’t know man. Coffee maybe?”
“No no we already had coffee.” Even put his phone on his chest, looking straight at Isak now, eyes twinkly, looking stupidly in love. “I was thinking about doing something fun you know, like, a fun first date.”
Isak misses that last part. All he can think is when did Even have coffee with a girl? They basically get coffee together every day. Same shop, same spot, after school, where Isak finishes off his homework and Even doodles on a napkin or distracts him with movie trivia and memes. Was he there when they met? How can he not remember?
“Isak? Help me out here.” Even tucks an arm behind his head, smiling at Isak through his opened legs, stretching. His foot knocks over the basket and unfolded clothes are all over the place.
“Well I don’t fucking know.” Isak is now officially annoyed. He picks up the clothes on the floor and throws them at Even. Even catches the first one with his hand and gets hit in the face by another.
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Now it’s getting dark and it starts to rain a little bit. They have been hanging out in Isak's bedroom the whole day and ordered pizza sometime around dinner hours. After the excessive brainstorming between the two of them, about where Even should go on his first date with some girl (“Oh my god Even. Why don't you just ask her?”), they decide it would be “romantic”, “interactive”, “fun” and “memorable” to go to the spring street market that only exists for 2 weeks every year in Oslo, all the way on the other side of the city.
“Great then. That’s settled.” Even says with a big smile, still on his phone, presumably messaging his soon-to-be girlfriend. Isak is on his 5th round of FIFA, grumpier than ever.
“And you are coming too Isak.”
“What?” Someone snatched Isak’s ball in the game, for the second time in 5 minutes, “Damn it!”
He pauses the game and turns to Even for the first time in about an hour, who is curled up in the band t-shirt that once belonged to Isak, and the pajama bottoms he kept in Isak’s place for when he stays over, looking innocent and very, very charming. “No, I’m not going on your date with you Even. Why would… how is it a good idea?”
“I thought you want to go to the market? Next weekend you will be so stressed with the midterms and this is your last chance.” Even takes a bite of his pizza, “Plus mom let me take her car tomorrow so we don’t even need to take the tram.”
Isak is thinking about it. He does want to go to the market. He remembers they had a good time last year with the boys. The food, the band, and the arcade games… And he would love to ride along in Even’s mom’s car, because it would take forever to get there by tram. But… Even is gonna be with his date, and all of a sudden none of those things sounds that fun anymore.
“Plus I’m gonna be nervous on my first date and you are supposed to be there to, you know, support me.” Even raises his brows, nudging his side, “I’d do it for you.”
“You are unbelievable.” Isak rolls his eyes at him, still thinking. “Okay. But what if she doesn’t want me there?”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” Even replies quickly, “It’s totally fine.”
Isak narrows his eyes. He smells something kind of fishy but couldn’t really put his finger on it. “O...kay?”
“Yeah? So you are coming?”
“Yeah, alright.” Isak shrugs, resumes to his game, and gets the ball snatched again in no time. “Ugh!”
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Isak closes the gate of his apartment building and immediately sees the car, parked on the side of the road, and Even leaning against the half-opened door of the driver’s seat. Even is wearing his favorite denim jacket with the sleeves rolled up and a fresh white t-shirt under it, his sunglasses in his pocket and a cigarette between his fingers. Isak’s breath hitches.
“So. Where are we going?” Isak asks as he puts on the seat belt.
“What do you mean? To the market of course.” Even turns the key, laughs.
“But… shouldn’t you pick her up on the first date?” Isak suggests, suddenly remembering his wingman duty.
“She lives close by and wants to walk there. So we’ll meet there.” Even says, eyes on the road.
Well that’s really chill for a girl on her first date. Isak thinks. And she doesn't even mind a friend tagging along. This might actually work. For a moment he imagines what it would be like if Even has a girlfriend, and what he would feel about it. Then he waves away the idea.
Even turns up the music and it's one of the songs they listen to all the time. Even made a mixtape before their road trip last summer, full of songs he wanted Isak to listen to and some both of them already loved. Two songs in, Isak recognizes it’s the same tape. It takes him back to the time when they drove through the valleys, got high by the bonfire and curled up in a small tent drinking hot cocoa. He smiles at the memory.
Before he knows it, they are back to the usual chatting the two of them are most familiar with; it's always so easy with Even, like breathing. And before he knows it, Isak is laughing so hard at some random story Even told him about someone in his PE class. Even nods along the beats while Isak tries to keep up with the rapping. And when he fails they laugh some more. They are having such a great time. Isak almost forgets what they are traveling for.
“And... we are here!” Suddenly Even declares, trying to wink but failed.
Isak, still recovering from laughing, teases, “Are you nervous?”
“No.” Even smiles, eyes crinkle, “Nothing I haven’t done before.”