10. One fly in the trap

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Getting home, Joni went straight to shower. Now feeling somewhat disgusted with himself, and even the soap and the warm water couldn't wash the feeling away. He shouldn't have done it. It shouldn't have happened, he had lost control and he wouldn't allow it again. If he would speak to no one about this evening, if Kasper would keep his mouth shut about it as well, then he could simply go on like it never happened.

After showering, after some time spent alone in his room, he walked downstairs where his father and Katja were still watching TV. Without saying a word, he lay down on the free couch next to them.

Asko gave a surprised look to his son and then at his wife. Joni rarely spent any time with them, he had a TV in his room, and at times it seemed impossible to get him out of his little nest if it wasn't for food.

"You came home earlier today than I expected," he spoke, looking at him still.

"Yeah..."

"Were you with Kasper?"

"Yeah," Joni stared at the TV screen.

"Hm did something happen?" he asked with concern, unsure how to make sense of this. Joni came home early, Joni willingly came downstairs, and watched TV with them.

"No..."

"No?"

"Well... yeah... we broke up," Joni replied.

"Oh?" Asko glanced at Katja again. "May I ask why?"

"I left him, he began to annoy me."

"I see..." Asko wasn't sure what else to say, Joni seemed reluctant to talk.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Do we have any cacao?"

"Yes, I think we do, would you want me to make you a cup?"

"Yes, I'd like that."

"And some sandwiches?"

"Yes, thanks, Dad." Asko got up smiling a little, for a moment he felt like he had gotten his little son back.

**^^**^^**^^**^^**

At school, Kasper was looking at him longingly despite Joni's outburst on that night. Joni tried his best to ignore him and Eva, who in turn was looking at him as though he was the bad guy! The nerve of them.

Friday at lunchtime, Kasper caught up with him in the hallway.

"Listen, Joni, I know you told me to stay away but..."

"And I meant it," Joni said firmly, continuing to walk towards the cafeteria where he knew his friends would be waiting. Kasper took his hand and gave him some sort of letter.

"Just please read this, I'm sorry Joni, I truly am." Joni pulled his hand free and continued his way, leaving Kasper behind, but he didn't throw away the note either.

After getting lunch he made his way towards the table where his friends sat, including Dima. Joni felt glad that Eva wasn't with him.

He sat down, opposite Dima.

"So, it didn't work out between you and Kasper?" Dima asked, taking a bite of his food. Joni shook his head.

"No, I should have trusted my first instinct," Joni replied, placing the note on the table, wondering whether to just ignore it.

"What happened?"

"I left him."

"Yeah, I know, Eva told me, and... well, she doesn't get why you did it."

"What does Eva have to do with this?" Joni asked, feeling annoyed now.

"Kasper is her friend and she told me that he's been really down, you know?"

"Well, serves him right," Joni nodded firmly and took a sip of water.

"Hm, did he... do something?" Dima continued to ask. Joni frowned as he looked at him.

"Did Eva put you up to this?" The sheepish expression on Dima's face told Joni everything and he rolled his eyes. "It's not her business, it didn't work out and that's that."

"Okay, sorry to ask, I know it's not my business." And with that Dima gave it up, concentrating back on his food. Part of the reason that Joni liked Dima so much was that he knew when to shut up. He didn't push if he saw that the other wasn't willing to talk.

Finally, his curiosity got the better of him and he decided to see what Kasper had written. He took the note under the table, away from other people's eyes, unfolded it, and started to read.

"Joni, I'm truly sorry for what happened. You must understand, I've been attracted to you since our first year and yes, I've even come to love you. When you finally looked at me, talked with me, allowed me to kiss you, and invited me close, I guess I just became blind. I saw what I wanted to see. I wanted so badly for you to love me as well. 

Joni, I don't know what to do! I can't stop thinking about you if you'd just give me a chance. I know I could make you happy. I'd worship the ground beneath you! 

I would never hurt you again, I swear!

 Please, all I ask is just one chance to show how much I love you. I don't know what I'll do if you won't forgive me, my heart is broken and only you can make it right again.

 Please, Joni. I'm miserable without you.

-Kasper"

Joni felt his stomach turn, he didn't like this, he didn't need or want Kasper's love and he certainly didn't need this guilt. He felt annoyed, things certainly weren't going how he would have wanted them.

Dima invited him over after school and on their way, they met with Eva and Kasper. Joni saw it best to stay quiet and avoid looking at the other boy, thinking it was the best way to get through with him. He couldn't be pressured into a relationship he didn't want. He couldn't love Kasper that way. It had been a mistake from the start, a mistake that unfortunately couldn't be fixed no matter how he regretted it.

Eva seemed to be annoyed. He could feel her furious stare and when Dima asked if he could see her later, she just turned around and left with her friend, acting as though Dima would be equally guilty of hurting him. Dima was confused and upset by his girlfriend's sudden chill behavior.

"Dima, trying to understand women will only give you a headache, she'll get over it, whatever it is," Joni tried to comfort him once they were seated in Dima's room.

"I guess so... Should I call her?"

"No," Joni said. "Want to play something? Tekken maybe? You know I think it would do good for you, punching animated characters. I know it would make me feel better." Joni grinned and finally, Dima agreed.

And two hours later Eva came over.

"Okay, what did you do to my friend, Joni?" she snarled as soon as she had walked upstairs with Dima.

"What did I do??" Joni asked, looking at her.

"Yes, he's crying, miserable, and... and it's all your fault!" she accused him, which made Joni stand up.

"Why don't you ask Kasper what he did?" Joni hissed in return and Eva brought her chin up.

"Kasper is a sweet guy, who for some fucked up reason loves you! Though I certainly can't understand why, you're an arrogant, self-centered bastard!"

"Excuse me, who the fuck do you think you are to stand here and judge me, you don't even know me!"

"I know you well enough. You're a typical guy who knows that he is good-looking and uses that fact. You used my friend and therefore I can never like you. You owe Kasper an apology." She folded her arms over her chest, and Joni was steaming inside. Dima just stood there, clearly confused about whose side to take at that moment Joni felt annoyed with him as well.

"I think your friend forgot to tell you something...Eva... I owe him nothing and you can tell him that he can spend his lifetime apologizing to me and it still won't be good enough!"

She and Dima gave him a questioning look, but he didn't want to start explaining himself further.

"I think I'll leave you two to talk for a while because I can't see how any of my business would concern you, Eva," Joni finally said and left the room.

**^^**^^**^^**^^**

Ivo's week hadn't been the best one, Misha was moody like a pregnant woman and Ivo just hoped he would get it out of his system and maybe go somewhere, meet someone, preferably meet Joni, because as much as Misha tried to admit it, Joni had gotten under his skin. His brother was treating the boy quite unfairly, after taking his virginity. Misha didn't seem to realize how immaturely he was behaving while at the same time, he was calling Joni a brat.

Even now Misha was hiding, he had seen Joni coming home with Dima and had run to his room where he had now spent over two hours, saying he wouldn't come down until Joni had left. This made it rather difficult for them to confront each other about what they did and what they felt about it.

Ivo sighed and thought that he better start preparing dinner seeing that Misha obviously wouldn't come down to do it.

In the middle of his cooking, Joni entered the room.

"Hi," Ivo greeted him with a smile.

"Hi," Joni gave a somewhat weary smile back. "Dima and Eva have some things to discuss, so I decided to come down here to give them some privacy," he explained.

"I see and did I hear some arguing?" Ivo asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Yeah, Eva doesn't like me much at the moment, " Joni sighed and sat down.

"And is there any specific reason for it?"

"I broke off with her friend and apparently that makes me the bad guy."

Ivo wasn't surprised to hear that the relationship had ended this fast, he would have been surprised to hear it last. He took a bottle of Diet Coke from the fridge and poured a glass of it to Joni.

"If something doesn't work then it is better to end it," he smiled and Joni smiled back.

"Thanks," he took the glass between his hands and took a sip.

"Something else bothering you? Or does it bother you what she thinks?" Ivo asked.

"Nah, I've gotten used to it... That is, I know I can't please everyone. I know... I can be... annoying?" Joni grinned, "but the truth is that one can spend his whole life being nice to everyone and still end up with people that don't like you and I've decided long ago that I won't even bother to try and please others."

"We are who we are, right?" Ivo grinned.

"Exactly." Joni tilted his head, studying at Ivo, working in front of the stove. He did look a lot like Misha, but different at the same time, if Misha was tall then Ivo... was insanely tall and... wider...but it was all muscle, Joni could easily picture him as a bodyguard of some sort.

"I thought it was usually Misha to do the cooking," he said then.

"Yes, usually, but now he's busy with school and... well, I don't mind cooking once in a while," Ivo glanced at him.

"Do you need any help?" Joni offered, which took Ivo by surprise.

"No, I'm OK..." He smiled, but then, after thinking about it... "Though, if you want, you could taste it. Tell me your opinion?"

"Sure," Joni walked closer until he stood next to the man. "What is it?"

"Beef stroganoff," Ivo grinned and took a spoon to dip into the meat sauce, which he then brought closer to Joni's mouth. "Be careful, it's hot," Joni looked up at him and smiled, something in the man... Joni had seen him looking at him, more than once, and... he took the spoon in his mouth and tasted.

"Mmm... good... and here I thought that I didn't like stroganoff... You cook well," he licked his lips, which made Ivo's lips twist into a smile.

"Thank you," he gave a curious look to the boy. "So, it doesn't need anything?"

"Nothing at all," Joni smiled. Suddenly an idea had come to him, and he was curious to see how it would work. If he would flirt with Ivo, what would happen? There was a part of him that warned not to go there, but as many times before, this voice of reason was all too soon ignored.

"Don't you ever get tired of taking care of your brothers, of being the 'parent' to them?" he started up the conversation.

"They grow up, fortunately," Ivo replied while starting to prepare the salad. It certainly hadn't been easy when their parents had died and left him as their sole guardian, but here they were, managing quite nicely.

"Indeed, they do, and quite grown they are already," Joni grinned, "but don't you ever wish that you would live alone? So that you could, I don't know... marry? Have children of your own?"

Ivo gave a curious look at Joni, who now... it almost seemed as though he was... flirting with him? The tone of his voice, the way he was looking at him... And Ivo could easily admit that Joni was a fine-looking young man, worth losing your head for like Misha had... Maybe he could use this, to push his brother in the right direction. Ivo knew that he could be the one that Misha would compete with, after all, he always did.

"I haven't met a woman this interesting to let her chain me with a wedding ring," Ivo told him truthfully. "Life's full of still unmet occasions and challenges and who knows whom I'm going to spend my life with doesn't have to be a woman at all." He grinned then, giving a somewhat meaningful look towards the brunet.

Joni smiled, suddenly feeling pleased with himself again, Ivo was flirting back, and... Joni felt curious about how far he could take it.

"I bet you've broken lots of hearts," Joni realized that he was being painfully obvious, but... he wanted to test the waters, and flattery usually worked.

Ivo raised his eyebrow, Joni's words making him smirk, their meaning reaching him fast indeed.

"Had a fair share," he nodded. Though he had been trying to be careful not to hurt people he had been with, but sometimes it just wasn't possible when feelings were involved.

Ivo did realize that Joni was very young. Definitely way too young for him and secondly, he was quite sure that Joni wasn't even really interested in him. He'd have to be blind to think otherwise, but his sulking brother needed a good kick in the butt and for him, he could... "You too," he answered bluntly.

"Perhaps, it's part of life I guess..." Joni shrugged.

"You're not seeing anyone?" Joni asked next, wondering if he was being too straightforward. "That is, I've never seen you bringing anyone here, and, well, a man like yourself, it should be easy finding dates," he explained.

"Maybe I'm just discreet?" Ivo smirked, hoping to look mysterious. "And hiding my dates from my younger brother who ..." Hell, Misha might kill him after all but who cared? "... has been fasting, obviously ... and maybe he'd be bold enough to steal some from me?"

"And has that happened, has your brother stolen from you before?" Joni asked grinning, feeling curious about the matter.

"We both stole from each other," Ivo opted for the half-truth, if he cared and wanted someone there would be no way in hell that Misha would be able to steal them from him.

"Interesting," Joni took note "I'd imagine that would lead to some serious arguing, but you two have a close, brotherly relationship, from what I can tell."

Ivo thought about it. Yes, there had been arguing, but fortunately, both had been sensible enough to know where to stop, where to say 'enough is enough' and let go. And now it was ENOUGH, of this childish sulking, of pretending that nothing happened there and that Misha wouldn't have slept with Joni and that it didn't feel good and that he wouldn't want more!

"That could lead to trouble," he nodded and then smirked at Joni. "But it won't if Misha is simply uninterested with ... you?" he added boldly.

It took Joni by surprise, was it really... this easy? Ivo was...suggesting that...?

"Your brother..." he started, "has made it clear, that he has no interest in my direction, nor do I have any in his." Joni looked into Ivo's eyes, trying to hide every bit of nervousness he felt inside. "So, there would be... no trouble." There, there it was, the cards were now in Ivo's hands.

Ivo smiled; bingo, one fly in the trap...

"No trouble at all," he grinned, thinking how outraged Misha might get when learning that he was going to date, Joni.

Joni almost felt like laughing out loud, the whole situation was so utterly absurd, and... he managed to compose himself and give Ivo a somewhat shy, but flirty smile.

"So," he started, "now that we've established, that it would be of no trouble, then-" he took a breath, looking keenly at the older man.

"How about a date?" Ivo asked, deciding that it was just better to jump straight into the subject. "A club? I know you have a fake ID so..." He grinned at his brilliant idea. It would be perfect, to make Misha go to a club, and then he'd arrive there later with Joni, making Misha green with jealousy!

"Sure, sounds like fun," Joni agreed, wondering what Misha would say when he would learn that he was going on a date with his older brother, it almost made him snicker madly until he realized what he was doing once more and told himself to stop. He shouldn't care. Just as long as Misha would suffer, even if just a little, he'd be satisfied with it.


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