Chapter Text
See the thing is there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his sister.
When his father leaves his mother, Isak hates him for it, hates him for leaving him to deal with it by himself, but also understand why he takes Isak’s 12-year-old sister with him. Lea is gentle and kind in way Isak doesn’t think any of them are. It breaks her soft heart to see their mother splintering at the seams and the best thing for her is to get her far away from it.
So, he hates being left behind but he gets it.
It’s that resentment towards his father that keeps him away from his sister for months after he too has moved out of their family home. Isak knows himself and knows he would lash out at one person that deserves it the least. And he’d rather hurt his little sister a little by keeping his distance than make her cry by being a dick.
It’s only after a couple of months of being away from everyone, of living with the collective that he feels the anger has dissolved out enough to be able to visit. He goes when he knows his father won’t be around to spend time with his baby sister, now turned 13 in the months he’s been away. Proving her tender heart, she doesn’t greet him with reproach at his absence, instead, she gives him a tight hug with her scrawny arms around his waist and a soft ‘Hi, Issy’ that makes him feel more loved than he’s felt in months.
Yeah, there is nothing he wouldn’t do for his sister, but even he freaks when after hours of watching movies she comes back from the bathroom, her face bright red, her eyes not meeting his before she tells him that she needs him to go to the pharmacy to get her…stuff.
He tries to be mature about it, he really does but he’s 16 and his little sister wants him to go and…
“Pads, Issy,” Lea huffs getting over her embarrassment quickly. “Sanitary napkins, something to help with the bleeding currently happening in my pants.”
“Okay, okay,” Isak says quickly, getting up from the sofa in a rush. “I get it, I’m going, you can stop now.”
Lea lets out a breath, a small grateful smile on her face. “Thanks.”
“Yeah,” Isak says grabbing his coat as he heads for the door. “I’m just a guy getting is baby sister pads, what’s the big deal, I can totally handle it.”
“My hero,” Lea answers dryly, a sarcastic smile on her face as she rolls her eyes at him.
Isak ignores her sass and instead points at her as he leaves. “That’s right.”
*
Isak is no hero, Isak is lost. Lost in a sea of female products.
When he first walked down aisle 4 he was embarrassed, sure that everyone was staring at him like he was a weirdo or a perv.
Now he’s just confused. There are way too many choices. Light, heavy, ultra-heavy, super pads, day, overnight. Scented, unscented. With wings, without wings. And don’t even get him started on all the brands.
“Shit, what the fuck are the wings even for,” he mutters to himself annoyed at the selection as he holds two choices in his hands, reading them over. “Why do pads need wings, is she going to fly away?”
There is a snort that comes behind him and Isak spins around ready to blast whoever is laughing at him only to find what is possibly the most beautiful guy he has ever seen, watching him with a highly amused grin on his face.
“The wings,” he starts his grin growing and damn does he have a nice voice to go with his nice everything else. “I’m told offers extra protection from leaks. It’d be cool if it made girls fly, though.”
“Um, I was kidding,” Isak gets out feeling like a complete idiot.
The most beautiful ever chuckles. “Yeah I figured. So, girlfriend or sister?”
Isak frowns in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“The girl in your life that sent you on this daring mission.” Beautiful guy continues pointing at the products in his hands. “Most guys only do this particular shopping run for a girlfriend or a sister.”
“Sister,” Isak answer, understanding the question. “Baby sister who I can’t say no to.”
He gets a smile in return at that. “You’re a good big brother, Isak.”
Isak narrows his eyes at that. “How do you know my name?”
He watches as the guy shifts from foot to foot, looking slightly self-conscious for the first time since this conversation started. “We go to school together, I’ve seen you around.”
Isak’s eyes widen at that, how has he been going to school with what is possibly human perfection personified and he hasn’t noticed him?
“Even,” the guy points at himself, the shyness leaving his face and in its place the amused smirk returns. “3rd year and given your lost look I see I haven’t managed to catch your eye before this, shame.”
“Shame?” Isak questions.
“That I’ve noticed you before but you haven’t noticed me,” Even continues, his tone obvious and Isak has a surreal moment of understanding that he’s being flirted with in front of feminine hygiene products.
“I’m sorry,” he blurts out and he is, he’s so very sorry that he hasn’t noticed Even before but he can promise he’s going to notice him from now on.
“It’s okay, something tells me that’s changed,” Even says with a grin like he’s read his mind. Leaning over he grabs a purple package. “Take her these,” he says giving Isak the bag, it says heavy overnights. “It will hold her over till she can decide what she prefers, you might also want to head over to the candy aisle, get her some chocolate, it will make her happy.”
“Thanks,” Isak says grateful for the idea and that the decision has been made for him.
“No problem,” Even says taking a few steps away from him. “Hey you ever notice how they always have condom and lube on the same aisle as this stuff?” Even asks as he picks up a small bottle of Astroglide and looks at Isak calmly like he doesn’t have a bottle of lube in his hand and Isak’s head isn’t exploding with mental images of him using it, or better yet of him letting Isak help him use it.
“I have no response to this,” Isak answers honestly and is rewarded with another laugh.
“That’s okay,” Even says still chuckling. “Your expression is answer enough for now. Another time.”
“When?” Isak asks with a smile of his own, feeling the excitement of possibility coursing through him.
Even gives him a heated look full of promise as he walks backward away from Isak. “Whenever you want Isak.”
*
“Here you go, Lea,” Isak says handing over the small bag.
“Thanks, Issy,” Lea smiles widely when she sees not just what she needs but a bag of peanut M&Ms. “You’re awesome.”
“Anytime,” he answers running a hand over her dirty blonde hair.
“Really?” She questions. “I thought you were going to die when I asked.”
“I’m made of strong stuff,” Isak protests. “Besides,” he continues with a smirk, his hand going around the piece of paper he found in his coat pocket when he went to pay, a phone number on it. “My bravery has its rewards.”