Work Text:
Jakob jumped up from the couch where he'd been sitting and watching Joulupukin kuumalinja when he heard the doorbell ring. He was wearing a green Christmas sweater, a red Santa hat, some cozy black sweatpants and mismatching woolen socks. His pants still had some flour dust on them from he'd been doing some baking. As soon as he opened the door, he saw his best friends Kevin and Axel. They were also wearing Santa hats.
"Hej Jakob! God jul!"
they greeted him in unison.
"Kevin, Axel, tack du också! Kom in, kom in!"
He stepped aside to let his friends and bandmates in. And as he did, he took a look at the plastic bags they were carrying.
"We robbed the supermarket,"
Axel announced cheerily and earned a quick jab in the ribs from Kevin.
"We didn't rob anyone or anything, let's be clear about that,"
he corrected.
"We simply stopped at the supermarket and did a quick run through before it closed."
Jakob laughed and closed the door to keep the cold weather from sneaking in.
Kevin and Axel carried the bags straight to the kitchen and emptied them on the dining table.
"Did you find everything you needed?"
Jakob asked as he followed them.
"We did, yes. Some potatoes, pickled herring, cured and smoked salmon, rosolli, rutabaga and carrot casseroles, and of course everything to make Swedish meatballs. You did already bake the ham, right?"
Kevin inquired and Jakob nodded.
"I did, it was in the oven overnight. I also bought the gingerbread cookie dough and made plenty of joulutorttu for us."
Kevin nodded approvingly.
"That's good. And, guess what else did we bring?"
he then asked mysteriously.
"What? What is it?"
"Siv's famous macaroni casserole!"
both Kevin and Axel announced.
"No way.. No you didn't..!"
Jakob gasped. Axel and Kevin kept nodding.
"Oh, we did! A whole lot, plenty for all of us to have!"
All three of them LOVED the macaroni casserole made by Kevin's mom.
"Hey, uh, Kevin.. Can you put the star on the tree?"
Jakob asked a little while later from the living room.
"I tried, but you're the tallest, so.."
"Of course I can,"
Kevin promised and took care of the task quickly.
"There. Now, can you kindly come and help us in the kitchen?"
he asked in return. Jakob nodded, of course.
They then set up a cookie-making station in the kitchen. Jakob dug out the cookie cutters in shapes of stars, hearts and trees while Kevin rolled out the dough. A comfortable, friendly chatter soon spread throughout the space. No one felt stressed in the slightest. Jakob couldn't help but eat bits of the gingerbread dough when he thought no one else was looking. But then again the others were doing the same. Kevin poured them all some glögi after they'd put the cookies in the oven.
"Here's to our dreams coming true!"
Jakob raised his glass. Kevin joined in, saying:
"To this crazy, hectic but fun year."
"And for us getting to continue the same way in 2026,"
Axel added.
"Skål!"
"Would now be a good time to make dinner? I know we'll only eat after sauna, but at least everything would be ready,"
Jakob suggested once the cookies were ready. Kevin gave him an approving nod.
"Sounds like a good idea. Let's see.. I'm making the meatballs. Axel's got the casseroles.. Yes, that is 175°C, Axel, for about two hours. So, Jakob, you can boil the potatoes."
Everyone nodded and took their positions. After the potatoes were ready and the casseroles in the oven, Jakob and Axel moved on to the next step which right then was decorating the cookies while Kevin finished working on the Swedish meatballs. Jakob started half-singing, half-humming "Rudolf med röda mulen" as he worked. And he certainly gave it his all, even if his decorating skills were a little questionable and not the best. What he lacked in skill he definitely made up for in his passion and commitment for his craft.
“I feel like there’s more icing on you than on the gingerbread,"
Axel commented as he looked over to Jakob's side of the table. That's when Kevin also spun around to look.
"And have you seen just how much icing he's been eating?"
He chimed in. Because of course he'd been paying attention to everything even when Jakob himself had been intensely focusing on one thing only. Kevin then wiped some pink icing from Jakob's cheek with his thumb.
"You've got it in your hair, too. Just how did you do that?"
"I don't like these things,"
Kevin mumbled to himself a while later as he was kneeling down in Jakob's sauna, turning the knobs and switches on the kiuas. An electric sauna, while okay in itself, could never be better than a real, authentic, wood-burning sauna. Still, it was better than no sauna at all.
"Hey Kevin, how's the sauna coming along?"
Jakob asked as he walked up and stopped in the doorway.
"Oh, Jakob.. Okay, I think. I just turned this thing on, so it shouldn't take too long to get warm enough for us. Hey.. since you're here, could you take this kiulu and fill it up?"
"Sure,"
Jakob promised and as Kevin was about to hand the kiulu over, he saw that Jakob already had something in his hands.
"Did you go outside? Do NOT throw that snowball or else.."
Kevin groaned as he saw the awfully innocent look on Jakob's face. It was too innocent. And as soon as Kevin turned his back for a moment, the snowball landed perfectly in the back of his head.
"Jakob..!"
he yelled after his friend who ran away laughing.. only to return a few seconds later.
"Oh yeah, the water."
He took the kiulu, filled it up and handed back to Kevin who took it and placed back in the sauna.
"Thank you, Jakob,"
he just said like no snowball-related shenanigans had ever even happened.
The three best friends then watched tv together for a while as they waited for the sauna to be ready. As soon as it was, they gathered in the bathroom, took off their clothes and climbed up on the wooden benches. Kevin in the middle and the others around him.
"Alright, löyly master Kev, take it away,"
Jakob said as he leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. All three of them went silent as Kevin threw water on the stones. There was no unnecessary talking, only a simultaneous sigh of relief as they felt all the remnants of stress leave their bodies.
As always, Jakob was the first one to leave the sauna and step under the shower. It would have been impossible for all of them to wash the sweat away at the same time anyway, so it was good that they had an unwritten order in effect. That way no one ever needed to step on each other's toes. Not that they would have wanted that, either, because they all hated confrontation. Kevin and Axel listened to the sound of running water and Jakob humming something on the other side of the wall. Sweat was absolutely dripping down Kevin's body by the time Jakob was done washing himself and turned off the water. They never went lightly with the löyly. No, it was all or nothing.
"Alright.. I think this is me done. It's all you now, Axel,"
Kevin said and began to head out. Axel always lasted the longest in the sauna.
As Kevin walked out, he saw Jakob standing there, drying himself into a light grey, fluffy-looking towel. Jakob looked up as he heard the sauna door open and close and greeted Kevin with one of his wide smiles. His skin was slightly pink after the shower and his hair still damp, delightfully curling up on the top of his head. Kevin returned his smile and then turned on the shower, closing his eyes as the water ran over his sweaty skin, immediately making him feel so much better. After a while he heard a door close softly as Jakob left the room.
After putting on clean underwear, cozy pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt Jakob walked into the kitchen and began setting the table. Thankfully they'd eat as soon as the others would be done washing themselves because he was starting to feel really hungry. He set down the plates, forks and knives and couldn't keep himself from cutting himself a slice of the Christmas ham. He wasn't able to savor it as much as he would have wanted to and instead ate it in two quick bites. From there he opened the cupboard and took out three glasses, carefully setting them down.
Kevin joined him in the kitchen after a while and caught Jakob snacking on a joulutorttu and licking the plum jam from his fingers.
"Hey, SCHakob, no dessert before the main course,"
Kevin scolded his friend.
"I know, I tried to hold myself back but I'm so hungry,"
Jakob sighed, wiping some crumbs from his mouth.
"Keep yourself busy until Axel is done taking a shower,"
Kevin instructed and gestured towards the fridge.
"You could start by taking out the salmon, rosolli and the pickled herring and putting them on the table."
Jakob did as he was told and heard his stomach growling loudly.
Thankfully Axel joined them soon after.
"Good, there you are, our poor Jakob is about to go feral,"
Kevin told him. From there all three helped themselves and filled up their plates to the brim with boiled potatoes, meatballs, rutabaga and carrot casseroles.. and of course a heaping portion of macaroni casserole and took turns running their plates through the microwave. Kevin and Axel kindly let Jakob warm his food up first because he was clearly the most ravenous. Jakob had already added the ham, some herring, both kinds of salmon and rosolli onto his plate by the time the others sat down. It was crazy to think that someone would be able to eat that much food, but for Jakob especially it wouldn't be a problem. Kevin and Axel followed his example and dug in. Jakob emptied his first glass of milk in seconds and went for an immediate refill.
They all ate to their hearts' content and could barely move by the time they were done. They rinsed off their plates and put the leftovers back in the fridge. The only thing they'd completely run out of was Siv's macaroni casserole.
They then took their positions on the couch and got comfortable while watching Samu Sirkan Joulutervehdys on tv, a Finnish Christmastime tradition for many. About two hours later Jakob asked his friends if they were ready for dessert. Both Kevin and Axel mumbled something in agreement. Jakob then jumped up on his feet and almost ran into the kitchen. A while later they heard some quiet, cozy humming as Jakob took two plates from the cupboard and filled them to the brim with joulutorttu and gingerbread cookies. He also filled three mugs with glögi and quickly ran them all through the microwave.
"I think I'd better go help him.."
Kevin murmured and stood up from his comfortable nest in the middle of the couch.
"Otherwise he might drop and break something."
Axel gave him a nod, knowing that Kevin may be right.
"I came to see if you need any help,"
Kevin said to Jakob only a few seconds later.
"Can I bring these?"
he then asked, gesturing at the two plates on the kitchen counter. Jakob nodded with a bright smile on his face and pressed a quick, unplanned kiss on Kevin's cheek.
"Could you? That would be great! I'm almost done here anyway."
Kevin, his cheeks a faint pink shade, wasted no time in perfectly balancing the two plates on his arm and even took one of the glögi mugs in his free hand before effortlessly heading back towards the living room. Jakob finished things up in the kitchen and took the last two mugs, soon placing them on the living room table next to the plates Kevin had already brought with him. As Jakob was about to sit back down, he suddenly exclaimed, startling Kevin who was about to take a sip of his drink:
"Oh! I almost forgot!"
He then ran straight back the way he had come from, grabbed a box of candy and returned.
"Gröna kulor!"
Jakob announced, placed them next to everything else and then actually got to sit down.
"Help yourselves,"
he happily encouraged the others. Kevin and Axel did just that. The spontaneous, genuine happiness on Jakob's face suddenly prompted Kevin to say something.
"All of the Christmas lights in the world have nothing on the twinkle in your eyes,"
he mumbled under his breath as he saw how Jakob's eyes were shining.
"Did you say something?"
Jakob asked, suddenly glancing at Kevin.
"Uh, no.. Nothing."
Jakob nodded and turned his attention back to the treats on the table. But the smirk on Axel's face and the way he elbowed Kevin revealed that he did hear the whole thing. Kevin chose to stay silent and focused on his drink. His cheeks were, however, slowly turning a soft shade of red.
They weren't exactly surprised to see Jakob soon wolf down some pastries, cookies and candies with ease and then wash it all down with glögi. He emptied his mug in record time.
"Do you need more of anything?"
he asked, looking at Kevin and Axel. They were both taking their time and maintaining a much slower pace. Both shook their heads.
"No, we're good, thank you."
Jakob nodded and got up, not moving as fast anymore. Maybe all the feasting was finally getting the best of him.
"Let me know if you change your minds. I'm just going to get myself a little refill,"
he said and yawned as he walked past the others.
As he returned, he sat down and went silent. Most of the lively chatter ceased to exist and the trio simply enjoyed their time together. But, some minutes later Jakob said, his voice drowsy:
"Getting to spend the holidays with you two was my only wish for Christmas."
Axel and Kevin turned to look at each other.
"Did you spike his drink?"
Axel whispered in Kevin's ear.
"No,"
Kevin whispered back, shaking his head.
"Did you?"
"No."
They then nodded at each other and moved closer to Jakob, soon pulling him into a tight hug. The three friends stayed like that for a while, embracing each other.
Afterwards they kept talking as darkness set in outside the window. Little by little, as Jakob again got comfortable in his corner of the couch, the chatter got less and less frequent. Eventually Axel nudged Kevin and then pointed at Jakob who had fallen asleep after stuffing his face. He was hugging his knees and looking so peaceful and.. yes, cute. His breathing was steady and calm. Axel and Kevin turned to each other again, exchanging glances and smiles. Kevin then got up, went to fetch a blanket and put it on Jakob before sitting back down to continue enjoying Christmas with his best friends.