Xavier let out a soft chuckle, that playful, warm smile quirking at his lips; at them. They smiled back, the rustling of candy could be heard before they plopped a skittle into their mouth. Xavier observed them, his gaze flicking from their face, to the bag, then back at them. They paused, blinking and then grinning a tad.
“What?”
“Mmm?” Xavier hummed, tilting his head, lifting an almost knowing eyebrow; that smile present. They breathed a slight laugh.
“Something you wanna say?”
“Dunno, maybe.” Xavier laughed as they tossed a skittle at him; he watched as it landed on the floor before he turned his attention back at them. They were never far from his mind, for too long. “I was just thinking we could play a little game.”
“With what?” They sounded amused; so easily. As always.
“Skittles.” That earned Xavier a surprised, slightly unsure look. He smiled. “You pick one skittle out of the bag; depending on what colour it is, we’ll do that. You choose what colour first, and then I will.”
“…Sounds easy enough,” Nodding, they glanced at the back of the packet, a thoughtful noise leaving their lips. Xavier watched them all the while, his eyes looking inviting. “Right, how about—green? If it’s green, then, uh, we’ll go for a walk.” They shrugged; it sounded sort of silly, but they saw that Xavier was smiling. Not too bad, then.
“I’ll pick orange, if it’s that, then I get to kiss you.”
They almost choked on the skittle that they had eaten. Their eyes widened, a rather surprised and flustered expression settling in. Xavier quirked another knowing brow, head tilting slightly, that smile never once leaving. He liked doing this; bothering them, bantering - such interesting reactions. They couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not – his expression a mixture of amusement and warmth.
Their hand shook a little, fingers quivering, and Xavier realized as they reached into the bag of skittles that he had never been this anticipating when it came to candy before. When they pulled out the skittle, and he saw the colour, his smile grew.
1) Have you ever broken a bone? If so, how did it happen?
Yeah, I've broken a couple here and there. Mostly due to work -- physical fights, being stupid and falling off things. Nothing too life threatening.
2) When did your lose your virginity, and how did it happen?
.....Whoa, there. Don't you think that's a bit personal? Hmph. No, I've never had sex. No point. There's no one around that I want to do that with.
3) Are you opinionated or passive? Has it ever gotten you hurt or in trouble?
Little bit of both. I get opinionated only when stuff matters to me. If I could care less, I don't say much. It's gotten me hurt and in trouble more times than I want to count.
4) What’s one meal that you’ve been craving that you haven’t had since arriving in Lovers Park?
...Nothing? I eat what I normally do. Don't see why that would have changed just cause I switched cities.
5) In your opinion, is the saying true: Once a cheater, always a cheater? Do you believe that you can have a healthy relationship with someone who cheats?
Can't say. Never been cheated on. Never been in a relationship. I don't really think about those things. It doesn't matter to me.
6) Do you miss your ex? What would you do to get them back if you do?
There is someone I miss. They aren't an ex though. And, what would I do to get them back?.... Anything. Anything and everything.
7) Do you prefer silence or do you like it noisy?
I prefer noise. Certain kinds of noise. Sitting in silence isn't good for me; my mind wanders too much. Starts thinking things.
8) What are two things you’re insecure about personally?
...My intelligence, and my ability to reason. I have a hard time seeing things, when I get bothered enough.
9) Do you get jealous easily? What makes you jealous?
Depends on the person. A lot of things, if it's that person. If it ain't, then again, could care less.
10) Do you prefer one night stands or being in a relationship? Is it sex in your mind, or do you mentally call it ‘making love’?
I haven't had sex, so I couldn't say. I don't think about romantic stuff, so I couldn't say. I don't really care what you call doing it with someone as; the act is the act. A word is just a word.
Madeleine "Madde" Svenningsen- FC: Rachel McAdams "The Ex"
December the Nineteenth, 2010: I walked into Berg Skole in Oslo for the first time and was immediately tackled/hugged to the ground by a woman wearing a pencil skirt, a white blouse and a black blazer who called me "Norwegian Jesus". I was later to find out between the first of a series of giggles, apologies, various unwanted hugs, and the administration of various pain pills that the woman who tackled me was Madeleine Svenningsen. Madde hurriedly ushered me into her civics class to hide any evidence she had just assaulted a man in the hall way and to introduce me to her many anxious, eager and expectant pupils. It was like this woman was something out of a Disney movie come to life, I thought as she excitedly introduced me to her class as "The Social Justice Viking", "Norway's thirty second most eligible bachelor", and in her best infomercial voice"As seen on TV and all yours for the easy price of one sandwich", Michael Anderson. While I gave my speech, I noticed that Madde didn't exactly behave like other teachers did while I was giving a speech, she didn't immediately get behind her computer and begin loudly clacking away on her key board or loudly much on a salad, she listened attentively and asked several intelligent questions such as why I thought Norway should spend the oil money on social welfare and what I thought of Norway's conscription laws. When the end of the class finally came and I had to leave, I couldn't help but wish that I would end up seeing "Mad Madde" again.
December twentieth, 2010: Thoughts of Madde dominated my thoughts for the rest of the day. Thoughts of how I could run into her, If I should ask her out on a date, What she would think of going on a date with me? And if this Disney Princess come to life was even a real person. It turned out I wouldn't have to wait long. That night I met Madde yet again when I went to volunteer at an Oslo Homeless shelter. She was handing out blankets while I was checking in people for the night. Seemed to be hitting me upside the head with a brick trying to tell me that this effervescent, witty, bubbly and perky beyond belief blonde was the love of my life and that I better start shipping it because destiny and her children: Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle; weren't going to let me sink it.
December Twenty Fifth 2010, anniversary of the death of all first born sons living in the Kingdom of Judea a couple thousand years ago and the birthday of some carpenter dude: I went out for the first time with Madde. Me and Madde snuck into a Movie Theater and proceeded to stuff our faces, snark, laugh and cry our way through three different movies: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part I, Burlesque, and Love and Other Drugs. I had never met any woman who could make met such a happy, passionate and fun loving person as Madde.
January 1st, 2011: We had our first kiss right before the clock struck mid night and we didn't come up for air until it was the New Year. Her lips tasted like Cotton Candy and mine tasted like Mouth Wash and Breath Mints.
January 10th, 2011: After a night of celebratory laser tag with her students, and after I won her a bear the size of her car from beating the high score on an arcade game, we decided to go stodig and she became my first ever girlfriend. I think that mit have been one of the happiest days of my entire life. It felt so great to be with someone who believed in me, supported me, and treated me like an actual human being instead of a prop like Karl had. I realized that day that I mit be in love with Madeleine Svenneingson. I had never been more scarred in my life. I didn't want to disappoint her, hurt her, or show her what an awful person I really was. There was no way I would ever be good enough for my angel.
February 1st, 2011: It was the first time I didn't want Madde to touch me. That was the day it finally hit me that I had started leaving clothes in a separate drawer in her apartment. I immediately took my clothes and ran out. I didn't call her again for three days. I began to see that she disrupting the life that I had so carefully planned out and structured and I wasn't sure I was ready for that. I wanted to protect her: I wanted her to be with someone who would understand why she was upset with them, someone who could actually talk to her friends without feeling like they were going to fall to pieces, someone who didn't just want to sit down and watch the news and then go straight to bed without touching her, she deserved better.
February 4th: Madde called and I was forced to tell her everything. She was hurt that I hadn't been honest with her about the way my mind worked before but she understood why I hadn't told her and why I had left three nights ago. That night she explained to me that I never had to hide anything from her again. She would understand and she would do whatever she could to help me. That night I was convinced that Madde was the viking princess and social justice warrior I had always dreamed of being with.
March 30th: I moved in with Madde after my apartment lease ran out. That night we ate popcorn, watched silly movies, played board games, crank called several people in the phone book and danced to Europop until we fell asleep. All her ideas btw. That was the first time I ever told her that I loved her.
April 1st: Madde and I went to a party at the Norse history museum together. Madde was the most beautiful woman there and won my heart again with her knowledge of the Norman conquest of England and the wars with Sweden. Fucking swedes. She really was a Viking Princess.
May 7th: Madde spoke for the first time at one of my rallies to protest the lack of work done to protect Norway's lakes, fjords and the ocean. The crowd loved her and we kissed after she left the podium, to the applause of the crowd. My Madde was a force to reckoned and those oil barons better watch their fucking backs. That night was the first we did something other than go to sleep after we got into the bedroom. ;)
June 28th: Me and Madde took a trip to Germany to celebrate the completion of the School Year. I had finally earned my Doctorate and she had finished up her third year of teaching. While we were there we started talking about the future: Whether we would ever want to be married, whether either of us wanted kids one day, where we saw ourselves in ten years and just what we thought of our relationship now that we had reached the sixth month point.
July 15th: I met Madde's family for the first time. They were the sweetest and warmest people I had ever met. I wished that they could have been my faimly too. Then maybe I wouldn't have been so fucked up.
August 1st: Me and Madde began organizing a rally to raise teachers salaries in Oslo and I appeared on several talk shows to drum up interest and publicity. Madde even came with me to a few. The Newspapers called us Scandinavia's newest political power couple. We called them nauseating and shallow.
November 1st: Me and Madde had our biggest fight ever. For three weeks I had barely spoken to her once she got home and refused to let her help me with the book I had been working on. She thought I had started to freeze her out and was taking her for granted. She was right. I had been focused so much on the book, protests and demonstrations that for months we hadn't even talked about things that couples actually talked about: Silly things that happened that day, How we felt, What we wanted to do with our lives or anything else. That night I told her it was needed: My book was going to the publisher soon and I had been working on it for three years. She forgave me but we never the same.
December 25th: Christmas had given our relationship a shot in the arm as we shopped for presents, worked at the home shelter we both met at and took a momentary break from work. We were happy again and the stress of November was behind us. We remembered just why we were together: She made me the happiest man on the world and I made her the happiest woman on earth.
December 31st, 2011 and January 1st, 2012: I left at Midnight, a year after our first kiss. Once the holiday was over, Madde realized our relationship was in the same place it had been for months. I was spending more time with my work than her and that she would always come second to Norway. I told her in as many words. I never managed to tell her those three little words before I did. I love you.
March 11th, 2014: Madde told me she was planning to get on the list of parliamentary candidates for the Labour Party. I told her I would happy to give her introductory speech. For the next several months we appeared at fund raisers together and even performed an three person tango and song and dance number with my ex Karl at a fundraiser to raise money for her campaign, The Tango Mikey based on the Tango Maureen. Months later she became one of the youngest women to ever be elected to Parliament and one of the youngest people to ever join the Storinget, Norwegian word for Parliament. We continue to speak and remain the best of friends even if we know that we could never be together again.
