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Jere and Erika wake up way past noon, tangled in a mess of sheets and limbs. It took them a couple of minutes to make sense of the situation and grab some water to rehydrate throats sore from previous night's activities… And, well, a shower that doesn’t turn into another round of sex was much needed after the marathon they had. So, this one, they took separately. Once they were already sitting in fluffy white bathrobes that the hotel provides, Käärijä took it upon himself to fluff up the pillows, get them under covers, turn on "that one cheesy Finnish show about love you like" as he likes to call it and order Chinese takeout. Erika was simply laying there, watching him, television be damned, with a truly shocked expression at just how much aftercare he was providing. It was more than any of her previous partners has ever done for her. She leaned against his chest as they got ridiculously invested in the obviously fake dating story and dramas happening on the screen in front of them. It took the restaurant almost an hour to make their food and deliver it, but oh, was it worth it… The noodles were just the right amount of spicy where it burns but doesn’t hurt, and the rice was smooth and filled with different textures that, surprisingly, didn’t collide with each other at all. After a brief session of bickering about the right way to use chopsticks, they laid back down to finish the episode. They talked about everything and nothing, until the topic of Erika's now ex came up.
“I guess… If it were an option, I would have told the poor girl he’s engaged to that he’s a cheater, but…” She sighed. “I just… Don’t know if she would believe me.”
“Why? Do you not have proof?” Jere inquired, absentmindedly playing with her hair.
“I do.” Erika buried her face in his neck, resting her forehead against it.
“Then why wouldn’t she believe you?”
“Some girls are like that.” She just shrugged. “They believe their man can do no wrong. Even when presented with proof.”
“... Are you one of them?” It's a question that, seemingly, came out of the blue. But Käärijä seemed genuinely interested in the answer.
“Oh hell no!” Erika laughed. “The second I catch a guy cheating, I’m out. That’s exactly what I did when I found out my ex actually has a fiancé and I’m just a sidepiece. We broke up the same day.”
“Well, still… I think you should try.” He rest his chin on her head, eyes locked onto the television screen mounted on the wall in front of their bed.
“I just… I don’t know if it’s worth it. I’d be risking my whole career… Even if I send it anonymously, or from an alternative account, the only photos I have are… Revealing. She’ll definitely figure out it’s me sooner or later.”
“Well, you know… As they say. Once a cheater, always a cheater. I’m sure he has someone new on the side already… And if not. Well. We could always catfish him. Bait him into giving us text proof. Bet we can find him on a dating app within 20 minutes?”
“Bet.” Erika giggled and reached for her phone.
The whole process took them less than an hour to complete. Her ex was dumb enough to fall for a profile with AI generated pictures of some collage-aged girl named Marisa, and the messages he sent her were far from innocent. It was quite disgusting to see just how forward some men are with their requests. They ghosted him as soon as they convinced him to send a few… Quite inappropriate pictures… And anonymously sent the proof they gathered to his fiancé via mail. It felt… Weird. Erika can now officially consider this chapter of her life done. That bridge has just been burned. There is no coming back now. And for some strange reason, it makes her sad. He was a cheating scumbag, yeah, sure, but that doesn’t mean she’s devoid of dreams about the “what ifs” of their now ruined relationship. What if he were never engaged? What if they were a bit braver? What if the relationship survived the “casual” phase and made it past Eurovision? The longer she thinks about it, the harder reality hits her… She realises that no, this is not something that would have lasted. Maybe it's a good thing… That this whole drama came to an end before anyone got seriously hurt. Surprisingly, she finds herself asking the universe similar questions as she looks at Jere. “What if”? What if they are more than friends, and they’re just too… Oblivious, to realise? What if they are meant to be? There is only one way to find out.
When Erika leans in to kiss Jere, she feels awkward. Scared, even. Unsure, uncertain… But Jere’s lips press back against hers, and he’s just so… There. For her. From them. Overwhelmingly so. His presence is suffocating in a good way. He doesn’t hesitate… And that tells her everything she needs to know. Warmth spreads through her chest, and it makes her realise that this is what she wants. Now, in a week, in a month, in years… The man she’s been looking for… Has actually been here all of this time, for her, by her side. Stuck there for better and for worse. She wants her best friend, and no one else… Erika knows that now. But it’s a shame it took her so long to come to this conclusion. Yet, what matters is the present moment. They kiss again. And again. And again… She giggles, he laughs along with her. That moment of sweet realisation is unspoken… They understand each other, and the shift that has occurred between them, without words. There is no erotism in this, only simple joy. The rest of the night they spent on sweet conversations and binge watching that cheesy love show Jere has come to like after a few episodes. Looking ahead, the future looks bright.