Chapter Text
Isak stepped into the supermarket. He made a few steps, then stopped abruptly, covered his mouth with his hand as if he has just forgotten or on the contrary remembered something, and hurriedly stepped back into the cold of the outside. He blabbered something to himself, and after a couple of seconds dragged a small piece of fabric out of his coat pocket and adjusted to his face.
A mask.
It was November 2020, the peak of pandemic in the whole world. Oslo wasn‘t an exception. The virus raged, the numbers of the infected were increasing from day to day. So one day the government had to pull the strings and obliged everyone to wear a mask in public places like museums or public transportation.
As many boys of his age, Isak could not understand at first why he had to limit his contacts (how is he going to survive without beating Jonas in FiFa at least once a week?) But then Sana‘s friends who were working in a hospital started talking about more and more Covid patients, and Isak realised all the seriousness of the situation and accepted his fate.
Now he was hurrying through the racks of the supermarket. He still had some difficulties with breathing in this damned mask so he hoped to accomplish his groceries in a shortest time. It was his turn to fill in the refrigerator, beyond that Eskild asked him to buy blueberries. (Blueberries? Isak rolled his eyes. He never saw Eskild eating them! Is he gonna use them in roleplays with his next one-night-stand or what?) Isak already knew where he can find what, so he was systematically laying things into the basket as he was hopping back and forth.
Soon his basket was full of groceries except only one thing: fucking Eskild’s blueberries. Isak sighed loudly. He has already run across the shop twice, and has not found any blueberries, neither in the fruits department, nor anywhere else. He started to think about giving up and heading to the checkout without them: maybe they are out of stock today? But suddenly his eyes caught a sight of dark blue small round delicious juicy beads... lying in a basket of someone else. Isak looked up, his gaze hit into the back of another customer. The first thought that occured to him, was... to make use of the fact that the person was looking for something in the frigde and subtly take them out. But Isak was not an asshole, he would never do something like that! But then something different crashed into his mind, as quick as a sparkle. It has never been so easy for Isak to approach other people especially when they were absolute strangers to him, but now it felt like something came over him, as if his feet dragged him to the customer without him being able to resist, and it felt like it was not his voice but the voice of someone else:
„Excuse me, where have you found these...?“
At this very moment the stranger turned around and looked at Isak. The ground disappeared below his feet, and he opened his mouth and stood there for a while, not able to finish his question.
The customer was a young tall man, as Isak could distinguish. He was staring right into Isak‘s eyes, piercing them through like sharp arrows, and Isak stood there completely struck. He returned the gaze, unable to look at anything else. The guy had the most beautiful eyes Isak has ever seen. He was only seventeen but he has already seen many beautiful eyes. For example, Jonas’ deep greenish eyes looking curiously or playfully; he also found his mom’s eyes beautiful. But this time it was something else. The eyes of the young man were deep blue, and Isak suddenly felt as if he were totally blown away by a tidal wave. The azure color was interlaced with navy spots around dark pupil, and this amazing mixture was framed by rows of long neat eyelashes. Isak looked inside - and saw everything he dreamt about on a lonely day. He saw boundless skies above him which changed their colors from light pale blue, almost white, to purple, red and black but stayed celestial blue most of the day. He saw eternal waters, so ancient like the life itself, he saw turbulent rivers and tranquil lakes, turquoise seas and cold sapphire oceans. He saw blue cornflowers and campanulas on a wide green field in June. Eggplants and blackberries. Blueberries which were lying right now in a small rectangular plastic wrapper in a basket of someone else...
„Sorry, can I help you?“ the guy asked, drawing Isak out of his thoughts.
Isak could not utter a word. He was magnetized by these eyes, hypnotized by them. Unfortunately these were the only part of his face Isak could see. Because...
Because the guy was wearing a mask too.
Isak wondered, if his face under the mask was as beautiful as his eyes?
„Hei?“ the stranger continued, obviously seeing no reaction.
The question returned Isak to his senses.
„Yes... I... umm I wanted to ask you where you found these...“ Isak mumbled, then looked down and pointed at the pack of berries.
The young man seemed to understand at once what Isak meant. His eyes wrinkled, and Isak was sure there was a bright smile behind his mask.
„In the fridge near dairy products. Yeah, these are pretty hard to find.“
„Thanks...“ Isak could only say.
The guy looked at him and smiled with his eyes again. Oh dear god, Isak would give everything to see this blueness everywhere, everytime, to be wrapped in it. To see it after waking up, having breakfast together, before going to sleep... to let it fill him in while making love... stop, what the fuck am I thinking about?!
He blushed obviously, and this was the first time he was so happy he had a mask on.
„Let me help you,“ the man seemed to notice his confusion.
He led the way to the fridge with dairies, constantly looking back at Isak to check if he is following. Isak followed him like in trance. Honestly, he could follow him everywhere if this guy would ask him to.
„Here you are,“ with these words the guy took out another wrap of blueberries and put it into Isak‘s basket. „And don‘t hesitate to ask the assistants, they are really nice here.“
His eyes smiled one last time and then he disappeared behind the backs of the crowd.
Only a second later Isak woke from a stupor. He started to look out for a guy but he had no success. He seemed to have vanished into the air. Isak headed to the counters hoping to find the man there, but with no result. He soon remembered he had a mask on which prevented him from breathing clearly, and with one last glance around the supermarket area he proceeded to the nearest counter to pay for his groceries.
When he was already in the kitchen unpacking his bags, Eskild walked inside.
Isak could not understand why, but the words escaped his mouth:
„Sorry Eskild, there were no blueberries there.“
Eskild seemed to be sad at first, but then smiled softly:
„No worries baby Jesus, I will ask Petter to buy on his way. By the way, thank you for shopping, I appreciate that,“ then he went out.
Isak let out a sign of relief and gently stroked the plastic wrap he was hiding behing his back a second ago. He allowed himself to think that he is stroking something that was touched by the mysterious and helpful stranger.
Later in his room he was enjoying them one by one, wishing he would be dreaming of these blue eyes that night.