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Isak was… sensitive, Even decided, yes, that’s the word he would use to describe Isak. Not emotionally, though there were some nights that he would hold Isak in his arms, waiting for the tears to stop and the shaking to subside. Those were the nights Even hated, and yet also loved. He hated to see Isak so upset, but loved how open they had become with each other. He knew that Isak’s relationship with his parents was tenuous, and sometimes one of them, usually his father, would say something that set him off, and Even would be waiting with open arms to hold him, with willing hands to play video games until the sun rose again, or with a willing body when Isak just wanted to fuck the pain away. It generally didn’t work that way, but Even would hold him after and they would talk until they fell asleep.
No, the way that Even meant Isak was sensitive was his skin. Isak, not used to being touched so softly, giggled a lot in the first few months of their relationship. He would let out his giggles when Even didn’t think he would. Who giggled when someone took their hand? When they kissed the back of their neck? The first time it happened, they were lazily laying in Isak’s bed, and Even started to gently trace the veins on the inside of Isak’s wrist. Isak, who was half asleep, let out the cutest sound Even thought he’d ever heard. He giggled, high pitched and nervous sounding.
“What was that for?” Even asked, grinning. He hadn’t made the connection, at least not at first.
“It’s just… it felt funny,” Isak told him, looking down to where Even’s fingers were still caressing his skin.
Even, looking down too, saw that Isak’s whole arm had goosebumps, and laughed. “It felt funny?”
Isak nodded, giving him a small smile.
Even continued his faint touches all the way up Isak’s arm, over his shoulder, and down his chest. Isak giggled again when Even reached his ribs, less nervous this time, but still adorable. Even leaned down and kissed him softly, feeling Isak’s smile as he giggled against his mouth.
It faded after a while of Isak getting used to Even’s touches, but sometimes, if Even played his cards right, he’d be rewarded. It always seemed like Isak’s giggles erupted out of him, like he wasn’t aware that they were going to happen until they did. Even liked it when Isak giggled, it made him seem as young as he actually was. Isak, only 17, was still a kid, really. He was almost an adult, but he was still very much a teenager. He goofed off with his friends, made funny faces at vegetables, and still didn’t know how often to change the bed sheets.
Isak’s fit of giggling hadn’t happened in a short while when Even got to hear it again. Even knew that he wasn’t completely in the right headspace, more hypomanic than full blown manic, but he knew that he wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t. He respected Isak’s wish to not have too much pda, but Even couldn’t help himself. It was the first week of the last month of his time at Nissen, very near the end of Isak’s second year, and the whole day had just seemed perfect to Even. The sun was shining, it wasn’t too hot, it was like a day from a film, almost too good. Even was walking to class, knowing he was going to be late, when he spotted Isak and his friends hanging out, sitting in their windowsill, just lounging. Even knew that none of them had class at that time.
As he made his way up the stairs, he put his finger to his lips so that the boys wouldn’t let Isak know he was there. He got almost right behind Isak when he wrapped his arms around his boy and hurried his face in his neck, kissing softly. Isak went rigid, and then it happened - he giggled, melting back into Even’s arms. His nervous, almost embarrassed giggles filled the stairwell as Even moved to hug him from the front and continue his attack of Isak’s neck.
“Evennnn!” Isak laughed, wrapping his arms around the taller boys shoulders. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have class?”
“Ja, but,” he kissed Isak’s cheek, “I don’t care,” he kissed Isak’s forehead. “I’m always late anyway.” He kissed Isak’s lips, feeling Isak smile into it, kissing him back.
“God, you’re almost as gross as Magnus and Vilde,” Mahdi said, shaking his head with a laugh.
Magnus smacked his arm, letting out a sound of protest. “We are not gross! We’re cute!”
Jonas shook his head, pointing to Even and Isak, who were now just hugging, holding each other close and breathing each other in, happy to just be there. “Bro, that’s cute. You and Vilde? Disgusting. She spat coffee into your mouth a few days ago.”
Magnus shrugged, blushing. “So? We share.”
“That’s not sharing,” Mahdi said, crossing his arms. “That’s weird.”
Magnus just shook his head, pouting. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“And we’re not saying she isn’t good for you,” Mahdi reassured. “She’s just… well, you both get a little… stuck in your own world when you’re together, sort of ignoring everyone else.”
Magnus gestured emphatically towards Isak and Even, who were now slowly, but passionately, kissing. “And they don’t?”
“Well, no, they do,” Jonas said, looking at them. “But they don’t tend to bite each other in public, or call each other kings and shit.”
“Biting in public?” Even asked, untangling himself from Isak.
“Don’t,” Isak warned, but it was too late.
Even smirked at him, gave his signature eyebrow raise, and started to kiss Isak’s neck again, softly biting down, sending him into another fit of giggles. Isak pulled Even as close to himself as possible, hiding his face in Even’s hair, trying to smother his laughter.
“See, how is that not cute?” Mahdi asked, looking at Magnus.
“I never said it wasn’t!” Magnus protested.
“They’re cuter than you and Vilde,” Jonas said, nodding.
The girl in question stopped on the stairs above them, her group of friends behind her.
“Who’s cuter than us?” she asked, making her way over to Magnus to give him a hug.
“Evak,” Jonas said with a chuckle. “They May be very affectionate right now, but they’re generally very cute.”
“It’s kind of hot,” Chris said. “You know, in a ‘people are making out’ kind of way, not a ‘gay people’ kind of way.”
“They’ve been going on like this for a while,” Magnus said, shrugging and giving Vilde a kiss.
Eva hugged Jonas around the waist and tucked her head into his neck. He smiled down at her, leaving a kiss on the top of her head.
Even, his mind traveling south with the majority of his blood, broke off his kiss, smiling at Isak’s puffy and red lips. “Wanna go somewhere else?” He whispered. “A bit more private?”
Isak nodded, his mind elsewhere. They slipped away with minimal comments from the others, who continued on with their argument over who was cuter. Evak won, with only Vilde, Magnus, and surprisingly Eva arguing for Vilde and Magnus.
“Hey,” she said. “I’ve known Isak for a while and I’ve seen him kissing a lot of people in that time. It doesn’t phase me.”
Noora laughed. “They’re worse than William and I last year, sneaking off.”
Sana snorted. “You two didn’t sneak, I was surprised the whole school didn’t know about you two.”
*
Isak’s giggling didn’t stop. Even found that there were places that he could kiss or bite at or tickle and Isak would giggle. His neck, his ribs, and the inside of his thighs were the places that would always get a reaction. Even loved to use this knowledge to his advantage, especially when they were in public.
Even would surprise Isak from time to time, coming up behind him and kissing his neck, but his favourite times to hear the giggles was when they were alone. They would be in bed, the sheets tangled at their feet, and Even would have Isak on his back, his cheeks flushed. He’d kiss down the younger boys chest, stopping to suck each nipple and mouth over Isak’s ribs, getting the quiet giggles, stifled behind a hand. He would slowly trace his hands down Isak’s legs, hooking one behind the knee and bringing it up so that he could kiss and nip at the skin of his inner thigh. Isak’s breath would hitch as arousal and laughter fought for dominance in his throat. He’d run a hand through Even’s hair, soft and caring, and the giggles would be forgotten, giving way to the gentlest of love making that Even thought he’d ever had, until the next time.
*
“Thank you,” Jonas said one day, out of the blue.
Even looked up from where he was sat on the bed, his notebooks spread around him as he studied for his final exams. It was his first semester at his university, Isak’s last year at Nissen. They were all in Even and Isak’s apartment, studying, though Isak had fallen asleep with his head in Even’s lap.
“For what?” Even asked, setting down his book.
“For making him happy.” Jonas nodded to Isak. “This past two years, he’s been happier than I can remember him being in a very long time. I don’t know when all of it started, but he got very stressed and sad and it just kind of stuck until you got here. So, thank you.”
Even blinked, looking down at Isak. “I never really thought of it that way.”
“What do you mean?”
Even shrugged. “I mean… I know that I’ve felt so much better since I met him, I’ve felt freer since we started dating. I never thought that maybe he felt the same.”
“Well, you know everything that was going on with his parents,” Jonas said. “It affected him a lot, and he never really liked talking about it. He kept so much of it inside that I think it started to hurt him. And then the whole thing with him hiding his sexuality, it must have really sucked.”
He nodded, looking down at Isak. “We talk a lot, about things that make us happy or sad. I go to a therapist, but… we’re there for each other.”
Jonas nodded. “I just wanted to say thanks.”
Isak shuffled around in his sleep, his shirt riding up over his stomach. Even reached down to fix it and ended up brushing Isak’s side. He woke with a started and a laugh, before glaring at his boyfriend.
“Why did you do that?” he asked, not actually angry.
“I was fixing your shirt,” Even answered, chuckling.
“Nei, you just wanted to tickle me.” Isak sat up and moved further away, laying down near the foot of the bed.
Jonas laughed. His friends were utterly ridiculous.