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Walking into the somewhat deserted cafeteria, Isak quickly made a beeline towards his favorite table throwing his bag on an empty chair. After a second of contemplation, he took off his hoodie draping it over another chair, his snapback landing on the table with a dull thud, signaling to everyone that this table was indeed occupied.
It was an unwritten rule that whoever was done with class first had the responsibility of securing the table for lunch come hell or high water. It was expected that whoever came first had to wait for the others to arrive before buying their lunch. Nothing was more important than securing the table, not waffles, not pizza, not even being on the brink of starvation. And today it was Isak’s responsibility, his duty, to patiently wait for the others, to signal that this was their territory, to defend their precious table.
But Isak was not a patient man, and the cafeteria was serving cheeseburgers today with homemade fries, and Isak was not about to miss his opportunity for a homemade meal, not even for their table.
Isak cringed internally at the thought and with one last look at his stuff scattered on the chairs and the table, Isak powerwalked to the thankfully short queue to get his food and hauled ass to get back in 3 minutes tops.
Isak let out a breath when he saw that the table was still unoccupied, and with a self-satisfied smile sat down in his chair to take a well-deserved bite of his food, but stopped in his tracks when he saw that his snapback was missing.
The cheeseburger in his hand made a dull sound when Isak carelessly threw it back on the plate to search for his snapback. His beloved snapback, which he had gotten from Mahdi. It was gray and it fit perfectly on Isak’s head, and when he had first gotten it, he had worn it for 3 weeks straight because he loved it so much. And now it was gone.
Isak looked under the table and even on all the chairs, before he slumped back in defeat, accidentally making eye contact with a guy sitting across the room at his own table.
The first thing Isak noticed were the guy’s long legs crossed at the ankles and propped on the table before him, wearing tight beige pants, a hoodie and a jean jacket. The next thing he noticed was the gray snapback on his head.
Isak’s gray snapback.
Before the thought had even fully formed in Isak’s mind, the long legged thief had gotten to his feet and with one last look Isak’s way, he had begun to cross the room to the door leading outside.
All rational thought left Isak as he got to his feet and as quickly as possible ran to catch up with the snapback wearing thief.
Slightly out of breath, Isak managed to grab at the sleeve of the guy’s jean jacket stopping him from opening the door, and just as Isak was preparing to open his mouth, and you know, say something, the guy turned around and wow. Blue eyes, blond wisps of hair escaping the snapback and tall, so tall, and now Isak had a hard time catching his breath but for entirely different reason.
The guy raised his eyebrows, when Isak had not said anything for quite a while, a faux innocent expression on his face, which brought Isak back to the present.
“That’s my snapback!”
Yeah okay, Isak could have eased a bit better into the conversation instead of yelling in the guy’s face.
If possible, the guy’s brows climbed even higher on his forehead.
“Excuse me?”
Isak could feel the blush spreading from his chest to his cheeks.
“I mean.. yeah, that’s my snapback and I want it back.”
The guy grinned, “I really don’t think so.”
“Well, I do, so give it back.” Isak huffed, tugging on the guy’s sleeve which he apparently still had a tight grip on. Woops.
If possible, the guy’s grin stretched even further across his face, his blue eyes twinkling.
“And why do you say that?”
“Because… because I left it on the table and when I came back, it was gone. And you were sitting across from me. With my snapback, thank you very much.”
The guy nodded his head in what Isak interpreted as silent agreement.
“Sound logic, but this is still mine and I’m not giving it to you so...” The guy shrugged his shoulders, looking down at Isak with an amused glint in his eyes.
Isak was making a pretty good imitation of a fish, his mouth opening and then closing, trying to form words.
“But…”
“And now I have to go or I’ll be late,” the guy continued while gently loosening Isak’s grip on his jacket.
“Nice talking to you, Isak. Let’s do this again.” And with a final sunny smile in Isak’s direction, the snapback stealing thief opened the door and walked away with what Isak was sure was a spring in his step.
Isak closed his mouth (finally), his eyebrows scrunched in confusion, the only thought running through his head being, how does he know my name?
… and if he was being honest,
wow, he’s gorgeous.
*
When he arrived back at the table, Jonas and Magnus were in their respective seats and almost finished with their burgers.
“Isak, my man! There you are,” Magnus exclaimed, a piece of bread falling from his mouth and on to the table. Jonas shook his head while Isak wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Isak sighed in defeat once more and looked down on his now cold burger. Magnus picked the piece of bread from the table and popped it in his mouth. Jonas pretended to gag.
“Where were you?” Magnus implored, reaching to grab a fry of Isak’s plate. Isak contemplated batting his hand away, but could not muster the energy.
“Some dude stole my cap.” Isak looked up from his food and into Jonas’ confused eyes.
“What do you mean someone stole your cap?” Magnus asked, taking a large slurp from his Fanta.
“I mean what I just said. I left my gray snapback on the table, when I went to buy my food. and when I came back some dude had taken it.”
“Which dude?” Jonas asked.
“I don’t know. Tall, blonde, blue eyes? Legs for miles? I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before.”
Jonas snorted, while Magnus outright laughed in his face.
The nerve.
“You sure you don’t have a crush? ‘Cause it sounds like you have a crush.” Magnus cackled.
Isak leveled him with an unimpressed look. “I don’t like you,” He turned to Jonas, “and where’s Mahdi? Mahdi would have my back, ‘cause unlike you assholes, Mahdi’s my bro.”
Magnus’ gasp went unattended, Jonas only raising his left eyebrow before taking a sip of his soda.
“I think he had to meet with his study group to work on their project.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“But enough about Mahdi. Tell us everything about this beautiful, new stranger that you have the hots for. How tall is he exactly?” Magnus exclaimed, snapping his fingers in front of Isak’s face to get his attention.
Isak rolled his eyes and picked up a fry from his plate throwing it at Magnus.
“Shut up, Mags.”
*
Isak loved biology. He loved biology so much that he would come an extra 10 minutes before the class started to find his seat by the window and prepare his books and computer for the class, and today was no exception.
Isak strolled in to an almost empty classroom and found his seat by the large window, sunlight pouring through the glass and bathing his side of the desk in light and warmth. Isak smiled to himself, opening his book bag by the table and fishing out his books, computer and the one pencil he always carried with him.
For the most part, they were required to use computers in class, but in biology one could never be too prepared as Isak liked to think. And honestly, their teacher was a tad unpredictable and liked to scare them with a pop quiz every now and then, so Isak was not taking any chances.
Just as he was about go over his homework one more time, a large shadow fell over his side of the desk making Isak look up at the person who was now blocking the sun.
Isak’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, when he saw that the sun-stealing person was the same snapback-stealing guy who had stolen… well Isak’s snapback.
Isak’s eyes narrowed into small slits, while the thief only smiled wider.
“Can I help you?” Isak grunted, focusing on the lack of snapback on the guy’s head, his hair now free and trying to defy gravity, and sadly, Isak thought, succeeding.
“Halla Isak, can I borrow this?” The thief said, and before Isak could even answer, he picked up the pencil from Isak’s hand and started scribbling something in the rather large sketchbook he was holding.
Isak looked on confusedly at the scene before him, having a hard time processing what had just happened. The guy kept on writing, or whatever he did, in his book, his tongue peeking out at the side of his mouth making Isak focus on his lips.
His rather plush, pink and very inviting lips.
Isak startled in his chair when the bell for class rang loudly in the room, finally breaking him out of his stupor.
“I want my cap back.” Isak rushed out making the guy look up from his book.
He grinned, “I don’t have your cap, Isak”
“Yes, you do.” Isak huffed out.
“I really don’t.” And with that, and a wink thrown his way, the guy strutted across the room as if he was a model and the classroom his catwalk, leaving Isak dumbfounded and gaping after him, the only thing breaking him out of his daze being a suspicious looking Sana as she took her seat by his side.
“Close your mouth, you look like a fish.” And Isak closed his mouth so quickly, he could hear it making a clicking sound.
“What’s up with you?” Sana asked him in her no-bullshit way, finding her own book and computer from her bag.
“That guy stole my cap.”
“What?”
“A couple of days ago, that guy stole my cap and he won’t give it back.” Isak repeated pointing towards the door, which was now filled with students.
“Which guy?” Sana asked confusedly.
“Øhh, I don’t his name. But he’s like really tall and has blonde hair which kind of like,” and here Isak made a gesture with his hand trying to imitate the way the guy’s hair defied gravity.
Sana grinned. “Ahh, I see.” And Isak looked at her so fast, his neck made a sound. A horrible sound, which would forever haunt Isak’s dreams, and Isak really needed to be more careful with all these sudden movements.
“You know him?” Isak rushed out, looking imploringly at Sana.
“Who Even? Nope, never heard of him.” Sana said and went back to her book, eyes downcast and serious.
But Isak could swear he saw a small smile grazing Sana’s lips.
The nerve.
Looking back to his own book, Isak reached for his pencil to being taking notes, only for his hand to meet air. Confused, Isak looked behind his computer and under his notebooks for the pencil, but it was nowhere to be found.
One single thought made its way through Isak’s head,
The fucker stole my pencil.
*
In Isak’s opinion, and probably a lot of other people’s, Fridays were sacred. They were for relaxing, partying, hanging with friends, anything and everything he wanted to do really.
This Friday, however, he just wanted his snapback and pencil back, but only knowing the thief’s name, but not his last name nor his schedule, made it somewhat difficult for Isak to find him.
But Isak was not a quitter, no matter what Eskild otherwise insinuated, so after his last class he parked his ass on a bench in front of the school, where he could see everyone coming in or out of the schoolyard.
And then he waited.
And waited.
And after half an hour, Isak was bored. So he began fiddling with his phone. Then he reread a chapter for his chemistry class. Then he went back to his phone. He was just about to start a game of Candy Crush, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Waiting for someone?”
Isak looked from the rather large hand on his shoulder to the blue eyes looking down at him. His own eyes narrowed.
“I want my cap back.”
Even sighed as if Isak was the problem here. A couple of minutes went by as he looked off into the distance as if in deep thought. Isak rolled his eyes.
“Okay sure, why not,” Even nodded his head. “But it’s back at my place so you need to come with me.”
And with that, he gave Isak a meaningful glance before he turned around taking large steps across the schoolyard.
“Any day now, Isak!” He yelled over his shoulder, making Isak hop to his feet and follow him home.
*
“So, are you hungry or should we just get down to business?”
Even’s voice broke through the haze Isak had found himself in.
Even lived in a shared flat with two other roommates, who were not home at the moment, and Isak had been looking around the apartment taking in the cozy atmosphere, the pictures and paintings on the walls, the plants lining the large windowsills.
“I could eat.”
Even grinned, “Good. Come with me.”
And that was how Isak found himself sitting on the floor in Even’s room, eating homemade sandwiches and drinking beer from a glass.
“Why are we drinking beer from a glass again?” Isak asked confused, taking another sip of the cold liquid nonetheless.
“Because we’re civilized people, Isak.” Even replied, a wink thrown in for good measure.
Isak rolled his eyes. Even just nudged Isak’s shoulder with his own.
For all the available floor space that was in Even’s room, Even had still chosen to take a seat right next to Isak so that their bended knees were touching, and occasionally their shoulders, too.
Isak looked down at his half-finished sandwich to hide his smile.
“So.. you wanted your cap right?” Even asked, making Isak look into his eyes again. Isak nodded his head.
Even reached his long arm behind him and grabbed the snapback, which had been on the sofa the whole time. Isak had not noticed.
“Here you go.” Even said, placing the snapback in Isak’s hand. Isak was just about to ask Even why he had taken it in the first place, when he noticed something etched into the back of it.
Isak brought it closer to his face to see that someone had stitched EBN in black swing thread on the back of it, and on closer inspection Isak could see that the snapback he held in his hand was worn around the edges and even had a small hole on the side of it.
Isak looked from the snapback to Even, who was now looking back at him with a shy look in his eyes. This was not Isak’s snapback.
“This isn’t mine.” Isak voiced his thoughts. Even nodded his head in agreement.
“I know.”
“But..”
Even let out a small laugh. “Well, I tried telling you.”
“But.. why would you give it to me now?”
At Isak’s question, a small blush started to spread across the apple of Even’s cheeks.
“Because it obviously meant a lot to you. The cap, I mean.” Even looked into Isak’s eyes, a small smirk now accompanying the blush on his cheeks. “And you were pretty insistent.”
Isak’s whole face burst into color at Even’s comment, making him break eye contact.
“That was nice of you.” Isak mumbled looking down at his hands.
“Not really.” Even laughed, which made Isak lift his head again. “I’ve been trying to make you notice me for a while now, so this was kinda the perfect opportunity to talk to you.” Even nudged Isak’s shoulder with his own.
“Oh.”
Isak could feel Even moving closer from where his head was still bowed.
Goosebumps spread across Isak’s arms and a shiver ran down his back, when he felt Even’s face closer to his. Even’s nose made a path from Isak’s cheek to his hairline and down again, his right hand taking a gentle hold of his chin. Isak’s eyes slid from Even’s beautiful mouth, lips slightly parted and wet like he had just licked them, to his blue eyes, which held a question in them. Instead of answering with words, Isak closed the small gap between them, taking Even’s upper lip between his own, causing Even to let out a sigh.
Even’s hand tightened on Isak’s chin before making its way across his cheek and into his hair. Even played with the curls by Isak’s ear while his lips moved from Isak’s mouth and down to his jaw, kissing it gently. Isak turned his head to the ceiling, giving Even more access to his throat. Even was in the middle of giving him a hickey, when the front door slammed shut, startling them apart.
Isak’s surprised expression made Even laugh softly.
“It’s just one of my roommates.”
Isak nodded his head still trying to catch his breath.
Even took Isak’s hand, which had been gripping his thigh, giving it a soft kiss. Isak’s heart thudded widely in his chest.
“You want to stay over tonight?”
Isak nodded his head again and Even smiled in relief as if the question had any other answer.
“Good.” And with that he gave Isak a small peck on the lips before getting to his feet to close his bedroom door.
*
Kattehookern og vennerne
Isak: so it seems like Even didn’t steal my gray snapback after all…
Jonas: who’s Even?
Isak: … the guy I thought stole my cap?
Magnus: the tall hottie you were telling us about?
Isak: …. Yes
Jonas: so who did?
Isak: I have no idea
Magnus: but here’s a better question, how do you know that Isak? Hmm? Tell me everything!
Mahdi: are you guys talking about my gray snapback? Which Isak stole from me? Because, yeah, I have it.
Isak: what!!!
Jonas: hahahaha
Isak: I didn’t steal it! You gave it to me!
Mahdi: yeah, no. that’s not what happened.
Mahdi: you “borrowed” it and then never gave it back.
Mahdi: so I took it back
Magnus: uhhhhh!
Isak: … but when?
Mahdi: in the cafeteria? It was cheeseburger day. I stood behind you in line, bro..
Jonas: hahahahah
Isak: oh… I see
Magnus: but back to the more important question… how’s Even?
*
A week later, Isak found his pencil at the bottom of his bag, when he was unpacking his books to make room for the clothes he was bringing to Even’s to spend the weekend.
And maybe Eskild was right. Maybe he was a tad bit unobservant.