Work Text:
The heavy backpack slides off Isak’s shoulder and hits the floor with a loud thud. He shouts “hello, darling” while he slowly unties his winter shoes, chunks of snow falling off the soles. Noone greets him, and when another full-throated call for Even is met with nothing but silence, he scrunches up his nose.
Where is he?
Isak throws his blue hat and burgundy scarf onto the shelf and takes off his warm coat before he starts to look for Even. Both the bathroom and bedroom are empty, but when he pops his head into the living room he sees him on the couch, head facing the ceiling.
“Darling,” he sing-songs, “are you asleep?”
Even turns his back to him and Isak automatically senses something is wrong. He sits down on the edge of the couch, wondering for a brief moment if he’s done something wrong. He can’t think of anything though. Even sent him a message saying he missed him when he arrived at the university, to which he replied with a ton of red hearts and a “miss you too”. After that Even went silent.
Isak lays his hand on Even's neck, gently making swirls with his fingers. "What's wrong, baby?"
“Nothing,” Even mutters.
“Evi, you’re not a master in lying. Talk to me, what’s wrong?”
There’s a long silence before Even groans loudly. "Everything.”
"Why?" Isak asks, confused.
"I can't fucking see."
"Oh..."
Isak's fingers still for a moment and he feels his chest clenches. Is it the light winter depression talking or has something happened? Isak crawls onto the couch and spoons Even, places his hand on his chest and presses a kiss against his neck, soft hair tickling his lips.
"Has something happened?"
"I don't wanna talk about it."
“Why not?”
Even doesn’t say anything and Isak kisses him again. “You know, maybe I can help in some way?"
Even sighs heavily. "No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. You can't make me see again, can you?"
Isak sucks in a breath, feeling the words sting like hell. "I'm a master of a lot of things, but unfortunately not that. What my soon to be husband has said earlier though, is that I am pretty decent at making him feel better when he's down.”
Pushing further for an answer might make Even shut down completely. So Isak just takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, then gently takes hold of Evens hand and moves his thumb inside the palm of it with feather-like movements.
“I was going to the grocerystore to buy coffee and lunch,'' Even eventually says, voice meek, “but when I got outside, I stepped on an icy patch and fell pretty bad. My cane broke.”
“Oh god, are you ok?”
“My knee hurts and I’m a bit sore here and there. I think I have some bruises, but I’m not sure.”
Isak caresses Evens body with broad strokes. “Oh poor, baby. That sucks so bad.”
“That’s not the worst though.” Even lets out a deep sigh. “I lost my phone somewhere in the snow. I went inside to try to get some help, but the internet connection was gone, so I couldn’t do anything or go anywhere.”
Isak’s heart drops and he feels his chest tighten even more, thinking of Even being stuck at home. It's completely normal for sighted people, but Even never leaves the house by himself without his phone – just in case he gets lost or needs help.
“I’m so, so sorry, Evi. I can’t imagine how that must’ve felt.”
“I felt so trapped – and lost.”
“Awww, Evi.”
Even goes silent and presses his face further into the blue, soft pillow underneath his head. Isak doesn’t push for a further conversation. Sometimes just being close is enough. Even apparently needs it and he needs to think anyway.
He pulls Even’s t-shirt, making the white, soft fabric pleat upwards along with the thick, grey college sweater. Gently he caresses his damp, but soft chest and tries to come up with a way to lift his mood. Minutes passses in silence on the couch before Isak suddenly remembers what he heard on the radio on his way to the university this morning.
“I know what we’re gonna do!”
“What?” Even mumbles.
“We’re gonna go out to eat,” Isak says, voice elated.
“No, I’m staying here for the rest of the day.”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“No,” Even says weakly.
Isak lets his fingers swirl over Evens belly. “Sure?”
“Yes.”
A loud rumble gives Even away and Isak hears a muffled “fuck” disappear into the pillow. He sighs heavily, sad that he seems so down he rather stay hungry on the couch than go out to eat. Isak buries his face in Even’s neck and kisses him softly.
“You trust me, right?”
“Yeah…” Even draws out the word, like he knows Isak is up to something he’s not up for.
“Good." Isak places yet another kiss on Even's neck. "I promise you dinner will be nice. There will be a surprise waiting for you.”
“What kind of surprise?” Even asks.
Isak lets out a small chuckle. "It won’t be a surprise if I tell you."
“I’ve had enough surprises today,” Even mutters.
“This is a good one. Promise.”
Even lets out a deep sigh. "Okay."
Isak jumps up from the couch and Even's face twists into a grimace when he pulls him up. A muffled groan escapes his mouth and Isak gently cups his face. "Is it your knee?"
"Mm," Even nods and Isak kisses his lips softly.
"Let me have a look at it."
They slowly walk into the bedroom. Even pulls down his black jeans, then sits down on the edge of the bed and Isak crutches down on his knees to get a better view.
"Is there a bruise there?"
"Yeah. You're blue and red-ish here," Isak gently runs his fingers over the bruise on Even's knee, then gently pushes the left side. “Maybe a tiny bit swollen here.”
“Ah.” Even
"Is it painful to walk?"
"A little, but it’s manageable."
"Okay, that’s good. I guess it will heal in three to four days."
“I fucking hate winter.”
The look on Even’s face makes Isak hate winter as well. He stands up and sits down next to Even on the bed, wraps his arm around him and hugs him tightly. A high-pitched rumble disturbs their silence and Isak decides it’s time to get going. He nuzzles Even’s hair and whispers into his ear.
“Why don’t you change into that Levis shirt from Amsterdam you look so handsome in.”
“Nah.” Even shakes his head. “I’m not in the mood to dress up. Let’s just go.”
“Well…” Isak presses his thumb against Even’s chest. “You got a big toothpaste stain here.”
Even hangs his head and lets out a deep sigh.
"You want me to find it for you?"
Even shakes his head, then changes his mind seconds later and mumbles. "Yes...."
"Ok, baby." Isak kisses Even who kisses him back. "And while you change and get ready, I’ll go look for your phone. Hopefully it's not damaged in any way.”
“Thank you.”
Isak stands up again and finds his shirt before he heads out. It's dusky outside so he turns on his phone's flashlight to see better. Even's phone lays behind a small pile of hard snow, quite far from where they usually walk. There’s a small crack in the glass, but otherwise it looks fine. Isak brings it into the kitchen and puts it in a bowl of rice to dry, then he goes to find Even’s old cane.
Even comes out of the bedroom, dragging his hunched back and limping foot over the floor. His hair lies flat on top of his head, bangs covering parts of his eyes. Isak meets him in the middle of the hallway, curling his arm around him and gives him a soft kiss on the lips.
"Halla, handsome."
Even gives him a weak smile. "Hey…"
“Are you ready to go?”
“No.” Even sighs. “I need to find my old cane and fix it.”
“I’ve already done that!” Isak says happily. “The regular tip is replaced with the snowtip.”
“Oh… Thank you.”
//
Loud talking, high pitched laughter and music greets them when they reach Egon. It's quite busy for a regular Tuesday afternoon and lots of tables are filled with hungry guests. Isak grabs two menus and Even holds on to his upper arm as they navigate the restaurant to find somewhere to sit.
There's a vacant booth by the big windows overlooking Jernbanetorget on the second floor. Isak leads Evens hand to the table, so he has something to navigate from before he sits down himself. Even takes off his jacket and tosses it on top of the folded cane, then scoots himself all the way into the booth and leans his head against the high back behind him.
"Evi?"
"Mm?"
"There's a candle light in the middle of the table, just so you know."
"Okay."
Isak places Even’s menu in front of him on the table. "Anything special you want to eat today?"
"Nah." Even shrugs. "Just make it easy. I’ll eat the same as you."
"No, today you should read the menu yourself."
Even sits up and plants his elbows on the dark, wooden table, huffing loudly. "You think that's funny?"
Isak ignores Even's question, hoping what he’s about to tell will cheer him up. “You know what day it is today?”
“It’s a crap day,” Even mutters unamused.
“That's true," Isak agrees, because Even’s day has been bad, "but apart from that?”
Even shrugs. “No idea…. ”
“It’s the International Braille Day and also the birthday of Louis Braille, the dude who invented braille."
"Okay…"
"And Egon has, with help from the Youth Division of the Norwegian Association of the Blind, made braille menus for their 43 restaurants and they have been launched today."
Even's eyes widen, like he can't quite believe him. "Really?"
"Yes!” Isak hastily leans forward and stretches his arm over the table, just barely avoiding the candle light between them to set his shirt on fire. Then he pushes the menu towards Even, making it bump into his elbows. "See for yourself."
Even leans forward with a slight frown and places his hands on top of the menu. He runs his index fingers over the tiny dots and Isak gets all fuzzy and warm inside when a smile slowly appears on Even's face. "Wow."
"Pretty cool, don't you think?"
"Yeah." Even takes a deep inhale, then breathes out slowly while his shoulders sink down, tension visibly leaving his body.
"So…” Isak’s front teeth sink into his lower lip. “Do you still want to eat the same as me?"
"Maybe not..."
Even straightens his back and leans a bit forward before his fingers start to run over the tiny dots on the menu. Isak’s heart flutters at the sight and he picks up his own menu. His mouth starts to water as soon as he reads about the starters and sharings.
“You want to share some food with me? Like mini tacos and onion rings? Or maybe steam buns?”
Even’s fingers stills and he looks up with a stern face. “Shh. I’m reading.”
“Sorry.”
Isak leans back with a small chuckle and joyfully watches Even read, smile widening everytime he licks his lips and lets out an “oooh” at something on the menu. When he finishes a few minutes later, they decide to go for the steam buns with fried chicken and the party platter filled with things they both love – like chicken wings, onion rings and tempura scampi.
After placing their order at the bar, Isak comes back to their booth with two glasses of beer. Even is leaning against the back behind him, eyes closed and aimlessly fiddling with his folded cane.
“Evi?”
“Mhm,” Even says absentmindedly.
“I placed your beer at your right side.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I have your hand please?” Isak asks softly.
Even nods and puts the cane away, then carefully leans forward and Isak takes hold of his hand, lacing their fingers.
"What are you thinking about, baby?"
"What happened today."
“Oh." Isak lifts Evens hand and kisses it softly. "How are you feeling?”
“Better.” Even pushes the inside of Isaks palm with his thumb. “But still not great.”
“I get that. What happened today was awful and even though your knee will heal up and your phone seems fine, it’s more than ok to feel bad about it.”
“Yeah…”
“I really wish I could’ve been there to help you.”
“Me too. I was craving a ham and cheese toastie so bad, but the ham we had,” Even scrunches up his nose, “smelled funny and I didn't dare eat it."
"We can go to the grocerystore on our way home and buy ham."
"That would be great. We’re out of coffee too."
"Ooh! We better not forget that."
"God no! If you don"t get your morning cup… have mercy on us all."
Isak frowns. “Are you implying I’m grumpy in the morning?”
Even chuckles. “Yes.”
Isak snorts. “I’m not!”
“Come on, Issy. You totally are.”
"No!"
"Yes!” Even rolls his eyes. “Ask Jonas, Sana, Elias or anyone really."
Isak rolls his eyes back at Even, fully aware he’s lost the little argument. “Okay… so maybe I’m a little grumpy…”
“A little? Even raises his eyebrows before laughter spills out of his mouth. "You are the grumpiest of the grumpiest, baby.”
“Oh, shut up!” Isak says, faux annoyed, before the bubbling laughter on his tongue rolls out in the open. “You still love me though.”
“I do.” Even squeezes Isak’s hand, eyes fixed on him. “More than anything else in the entire world.”
Isak squeezes back, lightly brushing Even fingers with his thumb. His eyes find the necklace he bought him for their engagement last summer. He pulls out his own from under his shirt, touches the metal plate and feels the two dots that make out the E. “And I love you. All of you – all the time.”
A deep, happy sigh escapes Even’s mouth and when his cheeks slowly turn two shades darker, Isak feels a million butterflies set free inside his belly. Even is so incredibly pretty, especially with eyes looking like half moons and crimson red cheeks, and he can’t help but stare at him.
“Issy? Issy?”
Even squeezes his hand and Isak snaps out of his love filled haze. “Yeah?”
“Thank you for doing this, for bringing me here.”
Isak leans forward and pulls Evens hand to his mouth, gently kissing his fingers. “It was the least I could do after what happened today. I get so sad when you get even more limited than you already are."
"Yeah. Me too." Even exhales. "But it's not so bad in the end. You always know how to cheer me up."
"Awww. Thank you, Evi." Isak smiles, proud he’s able to make a difference in Even’s life."Well, good food is always comforting. I also know how much you value and strive for independence, so I thought it might lift your mood to eat at a place where you could read the menu yourself instead of having to rely on me.”
“It felt really, really good.”
Even’s bright and contagious smile lifts the corner of Isak’s mouth up to meet the tip of his ears. "It felt really good to watch you read as well."
A bright voice catches Isak's attention. He tears his eyes away from Even and looks to the side, hands still linked with his. A girl with a blond bob and red and white stripy shirt smiles at them, lips strawberry red. She places two plates and a little basket with cutlery and napkins on the table, before she excuses herself and says she will shortly be back with their food.
Isak gently pushes the candlelight to the side to make room for the food and when the girl comes back she places the two plates between them.
'One party platter and steam buns with fried chicken. Enjoy your meal, guys."
"Thank you" the say in unison.
//
Their plates are empty and Isak is full. Not only on food, but also love – love for the guy sitting in front of him with the most beautiful eyes ever. Even sits back, leaning against the wall behind him, looking happier and way more relaxed than when they got here. The hair is still a hot mess, but his bangs are pushed to the side and no longer hiding the eyes.
The blond waiter is back. She stops by their table with a bright smile and puts a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Are you guys finished?"
"Yes," Isak nods, "and it tasted really, really good, didn't it, Even?"
"Yes, it was delicious. Especially the steam buns."
"Thank you. I'll tell the chef," the blonde says, stacking plates up her arm like a pro.
Even turns his head towards the girl without fully meeting her eyes. "Can you please help me with a desert menu? The one in braille."
"Of course," she sing-songs, eyes sparkling and smile wide, and turns to Isak. "You want a menu as well?"
"No, thanks." Isak nods towards Even, heart spilling over with warmth and pride. "My fiancé is in charge of the desserts. I"ll leave the reading up to him."