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“La vie est une fleur dont l’amour est le miel.”
/ Victor Hugo /
It was a cold afternoon in Kontiolahti when Sturla Holm Lægreid went for his daily walk. While he was away, his friend Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen decided to pull a lighthearted prank on him. He walked into their shared bedroom. He looked around just in case Sturla had already come back to their room. One more check for their team mates. He was concerned because they were unaware of his true feelings for Sturla.After he cleared everything, he put a light pink rose on the bed and left to go outside for some fresh air. He waited for Sturla to come back so he could see his reaction.
He didn’t have to wait long. The Finnish winter worked wonders. The snow started falling heavily, and in the distance, he saw his pal, Sturla, running towards the hotel. As the younger one arrived at the hotel, Vetle greeted him with an innocent smile. He knew that Sturla was about to see what he had done. To make sure that he didn’t even get suspicious about anything, he asked if he wanted anything from the cafeteria. Sturla asked for just a big cup of green tea to warm up. Vetle just did that. He went to their trainer, Siegfried Mazet telling that they would have a cup of tea. The French trainer was glad that Vetle was sharing their plan. As they were having their small talk, a loud noise from his room hit their ears:
"Vetle... Vetle! VETLE!" Sturla screeched.
"One moment… I'm about to bring the tea for us." he replied, and he rushed with the tea.
"Who left this rose here?" his friend asked,
"Honestly, I don’t know." Vetle lied under his teeth without giving his friend the hint that it was him. "You might have a secret admirer."
"I feel like they know that I have a thing for flowers, especially roses. I want to have a big rose garden one day when I retire."
Sturla didn’t even realise that he had given a huge hint to his friend. Vetle now knew that he could play this little game with his friend. He handed him the cup, and they started to talk about their dreams away from the shooting range. Sturla took a sip of the green tea and started to talk about the rose garden. Vetle asked a few questions to learn more. One answer got his attention. Sturla explained that he wanted to impress his crush, but he didn’t know how to tell the person how he feels towards them. Vetle said that his friend needs to think about it a lot before he jumps headfirst into this kind of serious commitment. There is one thing, however, that was hidden from him. What Vetle didn’t know was that Sturla had feelings for him. This was the young Norwegian’s deepest secret. He hid it from everyone, including Vetle. He only wrote notes about his feelings for his friend on his phone.
Those long walks alone were just an alibi to write those diary notes on his phone alone. He didn’t want anyone to catch him. He feared the embarrassment. He was closeted. Only his closest family members knew this secret of his. His love for Vetle started the season before. It happened when Sturla had a small accident. It was Vetle who helped him out with the extra skis. That was the first time his heart skipped a beat. Vetle made Sturla fall for him with his kindness in that small incident. Ever since, Sturla has been dreaming about his friend. He had even bought a small notebook to write in, but he later realised that it was not the best idea. This is how his love for Vetle and writing love notes started.
Days went by after the events in Kontiolahti, and now they were in Hochfilzen. Vetle and Sturla shared a room yet again. Sturla excused him to go on regular walk. As much as Vetle wanted to join his friend, he missed out on the opportunity. He walked to the nearest florist. As he was browsing through the roses, he saw Sturla through the window walking into the nearby grocery shop with the French team. He knew he had to grab one quickly. He grabbed one peach coloured rose for his dear Sturla. He rushed to their hotel room and hoped that not a single soul from the team saw him with the rose. He rushed to the 5th floor. Although, he was out of breath, he opened the door and put the rose on Sturla’s bed, as he did in Kontiolahti. He grabbed a book and started to read on their balcony. Not long later, Sturla arrived with some of the food he had bought. He immediately noticed the newest rose.
"No… No… Not again," he muttered to himself.
"What’s wrong, buddy?" Vetle came in and asked.
"This." Sturla pointed at the rose and said, "I thought that it was only one time. Now, a rose is here again."
"What’s the problem with it?"
"Vetle, each coloured rose has a meaning." Sturla explained and continued, "The light pink meant that someone wanted to show me their appreciation. Now, it is a peach coloured one. This one means that they feel grateful to me."
This gave Vetle an idea. He looked up the meanings in secret. He decided to keep this little secret till the end of the season. The next rose came in Annecy. This one was a cream coloured one. Sturla started to panic as soon as he saw the next precious flower. He immediately called for his friend. He explained that the rose meant that the giver meant something new yet again. He told Vetle that the giver thought of him as being a charming and thoughtful person. Sturla even asked his buddy if he is doing this to him. Vetle denied. He calmed down his secret love with he will do anything to stop no matter who is doing this to Sturla.
On the other hand, this was far from the truth. He enjoyed seeing Sturla nervously blushing. It was his little thing. The next stop was Pokljuka, in Slovenia. Sturla didn’t expect it, but Vetle got him another rose. He got a white rose in Bled. As a routine, he put it on Sturla’s bed. The only difference was that Vetle imitated having a quick nap. As soon as Sturla saw the white rose, he felt like his heart was skipping a beat. He woke Vetle up. He made a really convincing yawn.
"Vetle… Vetle, I am scared. I might have a stalker."
"No, you don’t." he said.
"Look! A white rose is here." Sturla handed him the rose. "It means two things. One: innocence. Two: new love."
"Well, I told you already that you have a secret admirer."
This kind of conversation went on for weeks. In Antholz, Sturla received a lavender coloured rose, meaning his admirer thought of him as having a unique love for him. Even if he loved roses, they drove him crazy. Vetle always managed to calm him down. However, there is one thing that Vetle failed to notice. As much as he loved to see the panicking Sturla, he was suffering. After his second rose, his form started to decline. Starting with Hochfilzen, his best result was 20th in Hochfilzen. The constant anxiety took a huge toll on the younger Norwegian. His World Championship spot was in danger. Siegfried Mazet gave him a last minute chance. Sturla thanked his trainer, and he earned his spot with a 7th place finish as the best Norwegian in the mass start at Oberhof. After the competition, Vetle left a burgundy coloured rose for his friend, meaning he had devoted himself to making him happy.
The World Championship in Nové Město na Moravě started a week later. Sturla and Vetle along with two of the girls, were nominated for the mixed relay. The anxiety hit the younger man. The two girls calmed him down before the start. It worked like a charm. They won the competition. This gave Vetle the not-so-bright idea of finding a dark pink rose. As usual, he made sure no one saw him impressing Sturla. He put the rose on the bed and immediately went outside from his room, waiting for the girls and his friend to go to the press conference. There, they talked about the usual stuff. They spent a long time there, thankfully. It was the early hours of the night when they finally had dinner. Sturla opened up about the rose pranks. The girls told him that it must be someone who adores him secretly, but they are too timid to open up about their feelings. This had calmed his nerves. Unfortunately for him, this peaceful period was fleeting. Once he entered his room with Vetle, the anxiety hit him on the spot. The deep pink rose rested on his bed. He murmured in utter disbelief. He had thought that his admirer had stopped for the World Championship at least. He broke down in tears.
"Vetle, when will this madness end?" he whispered in a very soft tone between two tears.
"I don’t know, my friend. I have no idea," Vetle commented.
Vetle knew. He was fully aware that he wanted to put an end to his friend's floral nightmare. He had to make Sturla survive Östersund and he might reveal himself after the competitions in Norway. Holmenkollen was the last stop. This prank made him realise something. He had fallen for his friend. So, the next rose was out of instinct. It had to be a beautiful purple. While he was away at a florist in Sweden, his dear Sturla opened up to someone. He decided to share his deepest secret with two of the French. He walked up to Antonin Guigonnat and Émilien Jacquelin. Sturla gulped and asked them if he could tell them something.
"Go for it, Sturla." Émilien reassured the Norwegian.
"Don’t tell anyone…" Sturla whispered.
"What?" Antonin interrupted the young man from Norway.
"Antonin, for the love of God… Could you be understanding and let Sturla speak at least once in your life?" Émilien reprimanded his teammate, and continued, "You can continue, my friend."
"Don’t tell anyone but… I love Vetle… not only as a friend. I love him more than that."
"Hahaha… I am sorry." Antonin laughed in his face. "I don’t think you would get a chance from him."
"ANTONIN! What did I say a minute before?" Émilien scolded his friend. "Be understanding, you idiot. Be. Understanding. What’s so hard for you to understand in these two words?"
"But…"
"Shut up!" Émilien yelled. "I don’t care what you want to say. You should feel honoured that Sturla had enough courage to tell us this. You have no idea how hard it must have been for him."
"Will you…" Sturla whispered.
"We will." Émilien calmed him down. "We are here for you."
To Sturla’s worst luck, Antonin Guigonnat didn't keep his mouth shut. Right after Vetle had put the purple rose on Sturla’s bed and he went outside to train a little, he rushed to him when he saw no French or Norwegian around them. He revealed Sturla’s deepest secret to Vetle. It shocked and made the Norwegian happy at the same time. Vetle showed Antonin a disbelieving face. The reality was the opposite. He was not only happy… He was in a euphoric state. He didn’t expect to hear this. The one he kept so close to his heart had the exact same feelings for him. This small talk with Guigonnat changed him. He had to change his plan immediately. He had to tell Sturla that he felt the same way as his friend. He kept one part of his original idea. He now knew that he had to confess in Oslo. The final countdown had started for him. It was only a matter of time for him. There is no turning back. He realised that he had hurt Sturla way too much with this prank. He could only hope that Sturla would accept his feelings and forgive him.
The following week had arrived. He had to be extra cautious. Journalists were everywhere. He ordered one single red rose after the last competition of the season. He asked the florist to include a card for Sturla. When it arrived, he walked up to one of the girls. He went for Marte Olsbu Røiseland as she had a beautiful handwriting. He greeted her with a hello. They had a small talk about what they were going to do during the small season break. After the talk, Vetle knew what he had to do before letting Marte go. He asked:
"Marte, may I ask for a small favour before you leave?"
"Of course! What can I do for you?"
"Can you write a note on this card for me please?"
"Sure thing, Vetle. What do I have to write on the card?
Vetle answered what Marte should write. She gladly did it. He thanked her and said goodbye. He knew that Sturla was the last one to leave, as they live close to each other. The day before, they had agreed on leaving on Monday. As it was almost 9 pm, he just put the card on the bed and left quickly. During this time, Sturla gave his last interview of the season. 15 minutes later, he thanked the journalists and left for his room. He opened the room and noticed the card immediately. His heart sank. He opened the envelope and opened the card. It said:
"Meet me at the ski jumping hill at 10 pm today. V."
The handwritten note made Sturla think. He knew well whose handwriting it was. It was Marte's, but he didn’t know who the mysterious V. was. He looked at his watch to see the time. It was 9:37 pm. He grabbed his coat and left. Before leaving the front door of the hotel, he told Johannes Bø that he left to the ski jumping hill in case Vetle was looking for him. He didn’t even expect what was about to happen to him. As he was walking to the hill, thoughts started flowing in his mind. What if V. is just a prank like the roses? What if V. hurts him? Thoughts like these tried to make him turn back. He was determined to know who was the behind the initial V. The clock hit 10 pm when he arrived at the hill. He saw a manly figure looking into the distance.
"Hello?" Sturla greeted the shadowy figure.
"Hello Sturla. I have been waiting for you."
He recognised the voice and his heart skipped a beat. It was his crush, Vetle in all his glory. The older Norwegian turned towards him. Sturla knew put the pieces together as soon as he saw the red rose in his friend’s hands. After his friend gave the rose to him, he realised that Vetle had played this little game with him all season long. He asked why he had done this to him. Vetle’s blue eyes started to get wet. A teardrop ran down his cheek. He apologised for the misery he had caused for his friend. Sturla forgave him and asked:
"Why did you do this?"
"A little bumblebee told me that you have feelings for me…"
"Shit…" Sturla cursed and started to cry. "Those French...
"Shhh… Sturla… Shhh…" Vetle soothed his friend. "It’s okay…"
"No! It’s never okay." Sturla cried. "Émilien or Antonin outed me, and you probably hate me now."
"I don’t…"
"Yes, you…"
Sturla couldn’t finish his sentence. Vetle kissed him in the heat of the moment. The shock made him blush, but he slowly accepted his fate. His friend felt the same way as him. Their first kiss sealed their fate. After the soft kiss, Sturla calmed down. The one, whom he loved the most in cruel world, was ready to take him in life. The one, whom he had shared his rose garden dream, was ready to help to make it into reality. The one, whom he had dreamed about, loved him to the Moon and back. As they were sharing the tender moment, something beautiful appeared in the clear and starry night sky. A beautiful green streak lit up. The rare northern lights had blessed the night sky above the Norwegian capital, Oslo. Vetle and Sturla shared one more tender kiss under the green light. Now, Sturla had nothing to fear. He knew that his beloved Vetle by his side both in sport and in his personal life… and no-one could stop them as long as they were together.