#kwcbc

[nernershuman]

“I love you, Scott. I want my life to start over with you in it.” Mikael stepped closer to him and held Scott’s face in his large hands. “Is that okay with you?”

Scott had to laugh. “It’s more than okay with me. This is so surreal.” 

“It’s real, Scott. I choose you, I want you.” He tipped the other man’s chin up to look at him. “I love you.”

Scott stared into his deep brown eyes. “I think I loved you the minute I first saw you.” He closed the small amount of space between them to press his lips firmly against Mika’s.

[nernershuman]

The pink light evolved into purple as Scott turned his head away, appearing to blink away tears. “Seriously?” he whispered.

Mikael reached over and took both of Scott’s hands into his.”When it was all said and done, I had to choose the man who I could see a future with, one who I would want to grow old beside, sharing good times and hard times. I would close my eyes and think about it, and when I opened them, I always saw the same person. You. And no one else.”

[nernershuman]

“You’re my choice, Scott Prior. I choose you.”

[nernershuman]

The light dropped further as Scott approached, casting his bearded face in a pinkish glow. Mikael held his shaking hand behind his back. He had to shake off what had happened with Joao so he could assure Scott of his feelings.

Scott didn’t speak at all, but offered up a wan smile. That was okay, Mikael had plenty to say.

“Scott, when this whole thing started, I met a varied group of people. People from all different walks of life, with different personalities and attitudes. The common thread was that you were all competing for a chance to be with me. And then, before I knew it, it was down to two men. Two incredible, smart, talented, sexy men. And I won’t lie, it wasn’t an easy choice.”

He cast his eyes down to the worn wood of the dock.

[nernershuman]

He woke up with a start, shivering. Time had definitely passed, and the sky had taken on a subtle darkness.  He had fallen into a sound sleep, dreaming of two men who both wanted him.

As he became acclimated to his surroundings, his mind spun, twisted and finally, after many hours of agonizing, settled on a single image of one person.

Mika stood shakily. The water remained calm and unfettered. As for he himself, he felt a sense of peace and completeness wash over him as he looked at the pond and the lake beyond. 

He had made his choice.

[nernershuman]

Finally, he made it to the pond, which fed out into a larger lake beyond. It was where he’d fished with his father and Annika and learned to row a boat. 

Today was calm, the water’s surface smooth and unrippled by wind. It had changed very little over the years, one constant in an adulthood filled with change.

He rested his long body on the ground. It was slightly damp, seeping through his clothing. Not that he noticed. His mind was whirling with thoughts and images. It drifted through the course of his relationships with both Joao and Scott, from the first moment they had met until this moment.  

He combed through every conversation, every joke, every look, every kiss, trying to see if there was some greater pull for him. 

Again, he was frustrated. Both men appealed to him, not just in the physical sense but in the emotional sense. 

Joao spoke to his wilder side, his sense of adventure, his resolution to never become boring. It was nice to be around someone who was like minded in that way.

Scott spoke to his protective side, the side that craved deep love and acceptance.  Someone who gave him a sense of home and belonging, but at the same time had naughty thoughts lurking behind the seemingly innocent eyes. 

Mika had no idea how long he sat there, thinking and pondering and considering when he had an epiphany of sorts. 

Close your eyes, and when you open them again, the first person you see in your mind is the person for you.

Lying back on the cool grass, he closed his eyes.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[nernershuman]

Mika took his sister’s advice. He walked all through the tiny hamlet he had called home for the first eighteen years of his life. He walked past his primary school and the small rink where he’d first learned how to play hockey.  The local coach had recognized his talent early and had pushed his parents to take Mika’s training seriously. 

Moving further out of town, he found the spot that he and Annika used to visit as children. A colorful caravan had been in that place for so long he was fairly certain it had grown roots. They were told a Gypsy woman lived there for many years, and that she could allegedly tell you the future.  He remembered being frightened by that as a child, thinking the old woman would tell him when and how he was going to die.  His mother had dismissed this, telling him to stop having such morbid thoughts. 

The caravan was still colorful, albeit worn with age. The windows were dusty, and weeds were growing rampant around the structure. It was obvious no one had lived there for a very long time.

It was too bad. He could have used some predictions.

[nernershuman]

Kalle felt himself blushing like Samantha. Her quirks were rubbing off on him. “So I guess I’m in no position to judge you on secrets, eh? But in this case, I think you may be underestimating these guys. We all have done things we aren’t so proud of.  Anyone worth keeping around won’t hate you for your past.”

Mika let Kalle’s revelations and advice sink in. “Okay. I know that that’s a chance I have to take. But it still doesn’t help me decide.”

“Your sister and I aren’t here to make the choice for you, just to support you while you do.” Kalle looked over at Annika briefly, seeing if she had anything to add.

“Mika, I really think you need to take some time alone,” Annika told her twin quietly. “Go for a walk, go someplace quiet. I think you need to be alone with your thoughts, so you can sort them out without distraction.”

Mika looked like he’d just been set adrift on an ice floe. “But I need you there!” he exclaimed.

Annika patted his leg. “No, you just need yourself, Mika.”