Reunions
well, i've had this sequel thing to my original Enok fic sitting around for a bit, so i figured i might as well share it instead of letting it keep gathering dust!
Fic under the cut :)
“Well,” Enok said, closing the door behind them, “this is it! Welcome to my home.”
Else took a cautious step inside, taking the room in. “It’s... smaller than I expected,” she said. “I always figured, I don’t know, that you were doing pretty well. You always sent plenty of money home.”
He sat down on a chair, inviting Else to do the same on the one opposite him. “Yeah, I’ve always sent most of my pay home. I only ever keep what I need. I never really saw the need for anything more than a small flat.” He let the silence hang over them for several minutes. What could he even say? They hadn’t seen each other in well over a decade, and – obviously – a lot had changed.
“So… how is home?” he said eventually.
“Oh, it’s fine,” she said absently. “Mother’s been slowing down, but she’s still doing well, and Cecilie is so busy with the twins that I hardly see her.”
“The twins?”
“Oh, you didn’t hear?”
“I knew she married… Henrick, wasn’t it?”
Else nodded.
“But no, nothing about twins.”
“She had them a few years ago. A boy and a girl, both about the most hyper things I’ve ever seen! Remind me a lot of her when we were kids, actually. Anyway, I haven’t had much to do lately, so I thought I’d try and track down my big– well, big brother, I guess.”
They fell back into an uncomfortable silence.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” she asked abruptly.
Silently, Enok thanked the world for Else’s straightforwardness. “I don’t know, really,” he confessed. “I didn’t really think much of it at first. Just… made it easier to get a good job, and we both know how much we needed money. But the first time I heard someone call me ‘sir,’ I– I don’t know, it felt right. I guess I was afraid none of you would understand. I barely understood myself, honestly.”
“Oh,” she said softly. After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “Were you ever going to tell us?”
“Honestly? Probably not. I’ve made my own life out here, and, as much as I miss home, I don’t think I’d really, well, belong there anymore. I figured, if I was never going to see any of you again, why bother telling you?”
At this, Else’s eyes watered up. “Oh.”
“I’m sorry, Else. Really, I am.”
“You don’t need to apologize for anything, Enok. I know you did what was right for you.” She put a comforting hand on his own.
“Well,” he said, “for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here.”
Once again, her eyes welled up with tears, but this time Enok knew they were of a happier nature.
“Can I just say,” she said after a few moments of silence, in a far lighter tone, “I’m glad you did leave.”
“What?” he said teasingly. “I seem to remember you being in tears when I left, begging me not to go. If I’d known, well…”
She shoved him lightly. “Not like that! I did miss you. I did!” she insisted.
“If you say so…”
“What I meant to say,” she said, “was that I’m glad you decided to go find yourself. When we were kids, you were always so shy. I bet the goats saw you more than I did, much less anyone else around town!”
Enok chuckled. She did have a point.
“And now you’re here, so confident, so… relaxed. It’s nice.”
“Yeah, it is nice.”
Else grinned to herself slightly. “Wait,” she said, the grin replaced by a look of utter shock. “Are those…?”She pushed herself off the chair and bolted across the room. “They are!” she said, holding aloft Enok’s mittens. “I can’t believe you still have them!”
“Of course I do!” he said, blushing slightly. “They were a gift from my favorite sister, I could never part with them.” He paused. “Don’t tell Cecilie I said that.”
Else laughed. “You’re secret’s safe with me.” She sat back down, examining the gloves. “I forgot just how awful they were! I’m surprised they lasted even a month, much less twenty years!”
Enok grabbed the mittens back, cradling them protectively. “Don’t insult them! These mittens got me through a lot over the years. Honestly, you’re as bad as Fritz.”
“Noted. And Fritz is...?”
“One of the grumpiest men I’ve ever met, that’s all. During the voyage he’d complain about those ‘trashed old things’ every other day, it felt. Even made me a new pair once, but I wouldn’t wear ‘em.” He paused, noticing Else’s confused expression. “’Course, you wouldn’t even know what I meant by ‘the voyage,’ huh...”
And for the next several hours, they were lost in conversation. By the time they had finished discussing Enok’s jobs and Else’s life at home, it truly felt as if no time had ever passed since the night Enok had first left.