Work Text:
“This is never happening again.”
“Don’t be so negative, Benjamin.”
“Don’t be so smug, Jarmo.”
“Sorry, smug is my second name”, Jarmo flashed a smile that made his teeth blink with the light. An impossible shade of white. No wonders he had been hired for that tooth paste advertisement last month.
“It’s also your job.”
“Not helping, Dan.” Benjamin threw his head back, trying to ignore Dan-Ole as best as he could. He really loved him. He really did so a lot, but right now, with his feet stuck in those boots and the rest of his body covered too…
“On three”, Jarmo ordered.
Benjamin was sitting on a stool. The costume was only half way off for now. Tobias and Jarmo were squatting in front of him, each holding a boot. They were connected at the top (something to do with having Benjamin move more like a seal?) so one wouldn’t be able to get off without the other.
“Yksi, kaksi, kolme.” They pulled. The force was enough to get the boots off but also too much so that it threw them both on their backs. Benjamin burst out laughing. They looked like turtles flipped on their shell. The piece of the boots they were holding over their chest, preventing them from getting up properly.
“Are you okay?”, Benjamin asked between gasps for air. It had been quite a horrifying first day of work and he hadn’t gotten to smile at all. Starting at the way there, the costume and then the children who all wanted to hug Harri the Seal. And his boyfriends who had thought it to be funny and pretend to be kids too (especially Tobias) to squeal and clap. Admittedly, Tobias had looked very cute clapping his hands like that, smiling, when he had gotten to take a picture with Harri.
“Would you say it’s better than Svante?”
“A million times.”
The three had booked a commodore suite (or C-cabin how Tobias liked to call it, even though C-cabins were actually normal cabins and not this fucking apartment with a private sauna), Benjamin had his own cabin (though shared) due to work. They had planned to tag along the first week, driving back and forth with him between Helsinki and Stockholm. (Jarmo had taken that into his hands, had flirted very excessively with the bald guy behind the counter, when convincing him of the length of their stay).
But the Botnia Paradise cruise would always have a special place in Benjamin’s heart. Without it, he wouldn’t have gotten to know Dan-Ole. All the other things, failed Melodifestivalen, this job now, Tobias and Jarmo might have been possible without it too. But without Botnia Paradise, Benjamin wouldn’t have Dan-Ole.
Dan-Ole was holding Benjamin’s hand. Stroking his knuckles with his thumb. They had been trying to get Benjamin out of the costume for two hours now and Benjamin was really done with it. But Dan-Ole’s calmness made him not freak out.
“We’re okay, thanks for asking”, Jarmo declared.
“I asked, you just didn’t answer.”
“I know, that’s why I said thanks for asking.”
Benjamin had already opened his mouth to reply something to get this idiotic smile off of Jarmo’s face before Dan-Ole interrupted them.“Stop. Both of you.”
So only Benjamin’s dead glare had him allowed him expressing hi freedom of speech. Which softened pretty quickly as Jarmo made his way over to Benjamin and kissed his cheek. And then leaned over to Dan-Ole to kiss his lips. Benjamin was quite taken in by the sight of two of his boyfriends kissing. Two tall handsome men, Dan-Ole’s lip sliding out to open Jarmo’s mouth. Even Dan-Ole’s hand loosened in Benjamin’s grip.
Tobias was the one to clear his throat. Not because he was jealous (or because he needed attention), probably because he was still stuck under this boot. In an awkward angle with the wall, rubbing his head. “As much as I enjoy you two make out. I’d love the option of joining sooner or later.”
“Rakas Tobias”, Jarmo grinned, parted from Dan-Ole to help Tobias up, he swirled him around a little, with the biggest grin. This was where Jarmo was the happiest. Between his three boyfriends, being able to show as much affection and tease as he wanted to.
Tobias still pouted and at least pretended that the Casanova's magic wasn’t working on him by ignoring him and taking a seat in Dan-Ole’s lap instead. Naturally Dan-Ole slid his hands around Tobias’ face and leaned against his back, eye closed. Undressing was a lot more fun if the clothes actually got off.
“There is no way I am sleeping in my cabin today by the way, I will demand this bed and I don’t care about any of you.”
“I paid this cabin.”
“Your dad did”, Dan-Ole corrected.
“Well–”
“The other guy is fucking annoying. Tommi or something. He is so enthusiastic about boats and the sea and is talking more than Dan-Ole and Jarmo combined when hockey is on.”
“Hockey is peak though–”
“Jarmo, your excuse of Swedish not being your native language does not excuse talking like a 15 year old teen.”
Jarmo smirked. “Don’t you like the thought of me being a 15 year old teen, Dan-Ole? I thought you like them younger–”
“Will you stop?” Dan-Ole was trying really hard to stay serious but Benjamin could see his smile very well, even if his lips were hidden in Tobias’ shoulder.
“Right. Use your leftover energy on undressing me, please.”
“With pleasure, darling.”
The worst part had been done. Yet it took like twenty minutes more, until Benjamin was fully need. He walked over to the closet and picked a pair of Tobias’ boxers and one of Jarmo’s hoodies. He was definitely too lazy to walk to his room.
“You okay, Tobias?”, he heard Dan-Ole mutter quietly. “You’re so quiet.”
“Just a bit tired.”
While Jarmo had made a lot of bad jokes about being stuck in something without it being sexual, Tobias had resorted to curl full way on Dan-Ole’s lap, the two of them merely being able to be differentiated from each other.
Benjamin turned on his heel. If Tobias and Dan-Ole were doing their thing, surely Jarmo would put this splendid body of his to use and serve as a pillow. He pointed at the bed (ignored Jarmo’s wiggling eyebrows) and found himself snuggled at Jarmo’s side not much later. “I will quit this job”, he announced.
“Quit talking”, Jarmo corrected.
“Can’t believe I am hearing you say that of all people. Did you mix up the Swedish word for end with the English sl–”
“Guys.”
“Sorry Dan.”
“Sorry Daddy.”
“Jarmo.”
Jarmo snickered, blissfully ignoring Dan-Ole’s outrageousness by pulling Benjamin closer and smelling his hair.
Finding peace with the four of them was always a bit of a challenge. Benjamin enjoyed both of it. And this peace, this quietness from Jarmo with his arms protectively wrapped about Benjamin… Benjamin might quit this job on the Silja Serenade but he will enjoy the week in the C-cabin a lot.
A few moments later the sound of feet shuffling as Tobias and Dan-Ole joined them in bed. All four together just a big pile of limps. Tobias still in the middle, in a bit of a snuggling mood.
Benjamin couldn’t help it but smile again. If nothing helped him smile, his boyfriend could make him always almost certainly.
Oh, how he loved them.