Later that evening after Dima and Linda had gone home, Joni was laying on the bed watching Misha who slowly sipped his beer sitting on the armchair.

"So... What did my dad want?" Joni asked. "What did he say to you?" He had wanted to ask that earlier, but there hadn't been many opportunities.

"He just wanted to thank me," the blond man answered with a small smile. "For saving you. Though I'm not sure he needed to thank me for it." Misha was feeling pleasantly lightheaded after enjoying a few drinks that evening. He had relaxed enough after Joni had assured that he didn't mind if the rest of them drank.

"Oh," Joni wasn't sure what to say at first. He remembered the night with Misha, the morning when he had woken with such an intense feeling of panic in his chest, and the note he had left behind. "What made you decide to go after me?" He asked after small hesitation.

Misha looked back at him and took another sip of his bottle before answering. "I wanted to finally clear things between us, wanted to get answers. I already suspected he might not be treating you right but I didn't know how bad it was."

"What if it hadn't been that bad?" Joni dared to ask. "If you had found me home without him?"

"I would have done my best to persuade you into leaving him," Misha replied honestly, the alcohol he had consumed that evening had made him more relaxed and open. Joni smiled at this, though his smile was slightly melancholy; how he wished it could have gone that way. Wished, that he could have spared himself and Misha seeing this low point of his life.

"I guess it could have happened sooner or later," Joni sighed, shifting his gaze towards the window.

"What?"

"This... What he did... Ever since that first..." Joni hesitated. "Beating, I knew that even if I would ignore the pictures. The chance of leaving him and getting out without... drama, was impossible."

"Do you want to talk about it? About the relationship and..." Misha shrugged feeling somewhat awkward, "feelings?" He wasn't good at this stuff.

"Feelings?" Joni chuckled and looked at him. "It's sweet that you suggest that but no, I'm fine, I'm not in the mood to talk. I want... I want something else to think of, something light and innocent," a small pause. "Tell me a story?"

"A story?" Misha cocked his eyebrow.

"Yeah," Joni gave a small smile. "Hmm... A story about a drunken teddy bear with an addiction to vodka and a confused alien who has a thing for teddy bears?" He grinned.

"Did you steal some alcohol when Ivo and I weren't looking?" Misha asked partly amused. "You know you shouldn't drink with your medication."

"I haven't. I just want a story."

"Well, I'm no storyteller, sorry... I can read you something?" Misha suggested.

"If I want I can read myself since my eye is not so swollen anymore. I want you to tell me a story. Come on, don't be such a tight ass, try it."

"Tight ass?" Again Misha cocked his eyebrow.

"Yes."

"I'm not a tight ass," Misha argued.

"Sometimes you are," Joni merely smiled. "And it looks pretty tight to me, or do you wish to argue about that?"

Misha chuckled, "I know my ass is great. But enough of that."

"So, the story? I'm sure that Ivo would tell me. Should I ask him instead?"

Misha sighed; Joni knew which strings to pull and that Ivo card did the trick. "Fine," he grumbled. "So," he started and paused to think. "Once upon a time," that was how stories usually started, right?′ He wondered and somehow felt both silly and amused. "There was this.... fox..."

"Fox? Where's the teddy bear?" Joni asked.

"Who is telling this story? You or I?"

"You."

"Then be quiet and listen," Misha grinned and took another sip. "So this fox, he was not an ordinary fox, instead of red his fur was black, he was a very handsome little fox and he knew it, everyone admired him but he could also be quite annoying."

"Oh really?" Joni was slightly amused, "so, did the fox have a name?"

"Hmm... " Misha pondered for a while before he gave his answer with a small grin, "Foxy."

"Figures," Joni grinned back. "So... go on."

"Well, one-night Foxy was feeling bored. He wanted an adventure and so he decided to go for a walk... To the dark forest, where his family had always forbidden him to go, but Foxy was stubborn."

"And Foolish?" Joni suggested.

"And foolish," Misha agreed with a nod and a small grin. "So off the little black fox went... Ignoring every warning and then," Misha paused to think.

"He met a wolf?"

"Alright, yes, he met a wolf," again Misha agreed.

"A big white wolf?" Joni grinned and Misha took a sip of his beer observing the other with small amusement lingering over his lips.

"Yes... The big white wolf, who was... sort of... the king of the dark forest. "

"A king?" Joni chuckled.

"Yes, a king," Misha nodded and grinned, "and he was a very smart wolf and brave and..."

"And handsome and strong?" Joni interrupted again.

"Hmm... yes, that he was. So shut up now I'm trying to tell a story."

"His name was Vodka?" Joni was unable to help himself and snickered.

"What did I just say?" Misha asked, raising his brow.

"Shut up? Fine... I listen, go on," Joni smiled.

"Good," Misha took another sip to empty the content of his drink, before lowering the bottle on the table. "So the great white wolf saw little black Foxy making his way towards his forest and the king decided to follow the foolish little fox for a while. There were dangerous creatures roaming around, bears and evil gray wolves who ate little things like Foxy for breakfast or... Well, it was dangerous for such a cute little fox to walk those parts alone. And finally, the king decided to make his presence known so he stepped out from the shadows and startled little Foxy."

"Is Foxy really THAT little?" Joni couldn't help but ask.

"Compared to the king he was," Misha grinned back and winked at him.

"I see... okay, so go on?" Joni rolled his eyes slightly but smiled.

"Well, Foxy of course was startled by the wolf and looked at him warily as the King stepped in front of him. Any other would have quickly run to escape but Foxy..."

"Was foolish?" Joni raised his brow.

"Well, he was... He wasn't a coward, but he also had a big mouth that got him into trouble many times. So Foxy glared at the wolf and told him to move from his path. It made the king curious about this cute but slightly annoying fox and also amused, but he tried to remain stern and told the fox to turn back if he didn't wish to get eaten by the evil gray wolves or the evil bears. Foxy of course told the white wolf he could take care of himself just fine and demanded the other to move. The great king finally did so; it wasn't his funeral after all. He watched as Foxy made his way past him and to amuse himself he decided to follow just in case, which of course annoyed Foxy." Misha had to pause and think for a while.

"So... Foxy got in trouble I imagine?" Joni asked. "With an evil gray wolf?"

"Yes, after making his way further in the deep forest he came across the leader of the gray wolf's clan, the nemesis of the great white wolf. The gray wolf immediately had his eye on the little black fox and approached him with the intention to sweet-talk his way to gain Foxy's trust and then lead the unsuspecting fox to the gray wolf's cave. So Foxy was lucky that the great white king had followed him."

Joni was curious about the way Misha planned to end his story; he didn't wish to interrupt him anymore, since perhaps the story was the way of Misha telling him how he truly felt towards him.

"So the gray wolf asked where Foxy was heading, circling the little one and admiring its silky fur and... " And then Misha's cell phone began to ring, "Sorry," he muttered before answering and Joni watched him quietly as he spoke to his phone in Russian.

Misha got up, and paced the room, his voice was loud and his free hand kept making gestures in the air that almost made Joni snicker. He heard the other male's voice from the other end; loud as well, they almost sounded angry. Joni continued to watch Misha, wondering why it was that he sounded so different speaking in Russian than in Finnish, more... intimidating... or was it because he simply couldn't understand what he was saying? But then again he had heard Dima speaking in Russian and it wasn't intimidating at all. Well, perhaps Dima was just too good a friend to be intimidating. And Ivo...? The thought of Ivo made Joni smile, and Ivo was just too funny and odd and brotherly to be intimidating. But Misha... Misha was a mystery, a mystery Joni had always wanted to solve.

It took about twenty minutes for Misha to finish the call. He sighed, smiled, and glanced at Joni. "Sorry, it was my cousin."

"Were you mad at your cousin?"

"Eh... No, why?" Misha raised his brow in question.

"You sounded mad. It sounded like you were arguing," Joni explained.

To this Misha chuckled. "Did it really?" He asked and approached the bed sitting on the edge of it, keeping his eyes on the brat.

"Yes. Why do you people like to shout so much?"

"You people?" Misha asked partly amused.

"Yeah... Russians... Or am I just imagining it? Ivo or and Dima not so much, but you and others I came across."

"Well, I can't really say why. I don't think I was shouting, I was speaking with a loud clear voice." Misha nodded and then grinned at Joni reaching to stroke his hair as an impulse. "Maybe you just have this... 'vibe'... if 'us people' have shouted at you. The annoying brat vibe." He joked and Joni pushed his hand away hiding a smile.

"I'm not an annoying brat, not anymore," he muttered. "Or am I?"

Misha looked at him for a while, quiet and simply watching the face that was beginning to heal, the swelling was almost gone, the bruises were changing color and it wouldn't take too long for them to be gone completely. The warm brown eyes were looking at him expectantly and Misha felt an odd tingling in the bottom of his stomach, an almost overwhelming need to lean down and softly brush his lips against the brunets. He felt such an odd warmth that was almost frightening in its unfamiliarity.

"Well," Misha started his mouth speaking on its own, without giving him the time to think his words further. "I have this... soft spot for this annoying brat... So don't banish him completely." It was the damned alcohol, Misha was sure, feeling awkward again. He brushed Joni's hair back briefly before withdrawing his hand, clearing his throat, and standing up. He just wasn't good at this, these feelings and warmth both confused and scared him with the situation being what it was. Joni was looking at him and Misha had to look away. This wasn't the right time... It couldn't be, not after what Joni had been through... Suddenly Misha felt odd being in the same room, these thoughts and feelings felt too much. "I think I'll go and check what Ivo is doing, you should... get some sleep." He decided with a nod and turned to the door.

Joni wasn't sure why Misha was in such a hurry. "You didn't finish the story," he reminded when the other man had reached the door.

"Tomorrow, okay? Sleep now," Misha smiled. "Good night," he added and stepped out of the room.

Joni felt confused. Understanding Misha's actions were difficult, no one had ever managed to confuse him this much. Why did he suddenly leave? Was it because of the call? Was it him? Joni didn't understand. What did Misha feel about him now, after everything? Sighing heavily Joni turned to lay on his side.

He wasn't tired and he hated these moments alone when he had too much time to think, too much time to be thinking about Chris, what had happened, and then worry about the future. If only there was a way to turn back time, be that silly seventeen-year-old again and understand how precious it was. To understand how minor his problems had been, to understand not to hurry to adulthood so fast.

In these moments alone he felt scared; everything came back to him, everything that Chris had done and it caused such disgust to remember his hands on him, his touch printed on his skin. Joni wanted to believe that when the trial would be over he could somehow go back to lead a normal life, somehow push everything that had happened behind, but deep down he knew it wouldn't be that simple.

**^^**^^**

"So, what happened to Foxy?" Joni asked the next evening looking intently at Misha who had taken his usual seat on the armchair. Misha smiled and took a sip of his tea.

"I suppose I did promise to continue the story," he said tilting his head and looking at the brunet. He was still confused over his feelings, or rather what to do with them, but perhaps he should just stop thinking too much and see where it would get them?

"Yes, you did," Joni agreed, shifting his position to be more comfortable. "So, I am listening," he grinned.

"Okay, so Foxy... Alright, we left him with the evil grey wolf, didn't we?" Misha mused and took another sip. "The wolf, whose name was... Creep..."

"Creep?" Joni chuckled and Misha gave him a pointed look.

"Yes, are you going to interrupt me every time?"

"I'm sorry. I'll shut up now," Joni promised with a smile.

"Good. Okay, so Creep was asking where Foxy was heading and Foxy replied that he didn't have any direction, simply wanted to explore and have an adventure. This answer pleased Creep who immediately promised to offer such adventure and protect Foxy from the other dangerous creatures. Little did Foxy know that Creep was the most dangerous creature he could end up with. However, the little black fox decided to go with the sweet-talking wolf. The big white wolf followed them in the shadows, listened as Creep talked to Foxy, telling him sweet lies, compliments that any would like hearing, gaining the little one's trust." Misha took a pause trying to think and took another sip of his tea before he continued. "They reached the grey wolf's cave and it was then that Foxy became suspicious. Creep wanted him to step inside, but Foxy was quite sure that the adventure that he was after couldn't be found from the cave."

Joni shifted again, suddenly feeling uncomfortable as the thoughts of Chris filled his mind. He tried his best not to let it show because he wanted to hear what Misha would say but at the same time, he was afraid of it.

"But Creep was bigger, stronger, and evil and managed to corner Foxy into his cave, intending to keep him as his treasure. Once in the cave Creep was not going to let Foxy go. The white king saw that the little fox was cornered in the cave, without a way out and he would not accept it." Again Misha nervously took a sip of tea observing Joni and his expression.

Joni looked back at Misha and tried to smile. "So, what did he do then?" he asked to encourage the other man to continue.

"Well, he... He went to confront Creep! He called the grey wolf to step out of the cave and wondered if he was too much of a coward to do so. The smug, grey wolf then slowly walked out, trusting his ability to fight with the white wolf, which of course was ridiculous because White simply was so much better than him in every sense." Misha smiled when he saw Joni grinning. "The white wolf asked Creep to let Foxy out, but the grey one replied that the little black fox was his now and would remain so. Enraged the white wolf growled that if he wouldn't give in a nice way then he left him with little choice and he would fight for Foxy's freedom. Creep answered that then there was no option but to fight because he wouldn't the details but let's just say that Creep wasn't looking so charming after White was through with him."

"And how was the white wolf doing after?" Joni asked, a smile lingering on his lips.

"Well, he was great of course, perhaps a small injury here or there but nothing severe." Misha grinned. "The white wolf walked into the cave, calling for Foxy, who weakly answered the call. White found the small, cute fox laying on the cool stone floor of the cave, looking miserable. The evil grey wolf had injured Foxy's cute little paws so he could not move. The white wolf said he had come to rescue him and Foxy was surprised but happy. He told the wolf he could not walk and so..." Again Misha paused. "Well, the white wolf offered to carry him, lay down next to Foxy, and helped him to move on his back. Then they left because they had to hurry before the followers of Creep would get there. And so Foxy was saved from the evil, no anymore attractive grey wolf. The end." Misha smiled, finishing his tea.

"You can't end it there," Joni smiled and rolled his eyes. "What happened to the white wolf and Foxy?"

"Hm..." Misha lowered the now empty cup to the table. "Well... The white wolf... said to Foxy that he was... kind of lonely and wouldn't mind having a companion and... Foxy well, he didn't want to go back home after failing in his adventure, and the white wolf was brave and handsome and had rescued him so... Yes, he replied yes and then... They lived happily ever after." Misha cleared his throat. "Well, it's not the greatest story I know, but as I said I am no storyteller." He shrugged, feeling oddly nervous again.

"No, I like it, the ending was my favorite." Joni smiled, hesitating as he looked at Misha. "So, the wolf is lonely?" he asked and Misha was quiet for a while.

"Well, it was, but ...now it has Foxy, right?" Misha smiled and even Joni could read the slight nervousness behind it, but before he had the chance to say anything Misha had already gotten up. "I'm going to wash this cup. Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you..." Joni replied feeling somewhat disappointed that Misha was again going to make a quick escape.

"Okay, good, you should get some sleep it's late... Good night Joni," Misha said and walked to the door.

"Good night," Joni replied, sighing against his pillow as the door closed. The situation was beyond confusing.

Misha walked downstairs cursing in his mind. Why was it so difficult to tell Joni honestly that he was thinking of the future, that he was wondering about the chance of becoming a couple? Still, there was the issue with sex that worried him and... He couldn't say that to Joni, it was much too early to talk about it but to be a couple, sex was such a significant part of it! And was he terrible for thinking about sex so much? Why did I have to be so damn confusing?

**^^**^^**

A/N: Thank you for reading and for everyone who have voted or commented so far! ❤️

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