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Winter Blues [Jonna, Joona, & Hannu]
Title: Winter Blues
Fandom: A Redtail's Dream
Characters: Jonna, Joona, & Hannu
Rating: 10+
Length: 4k
Summary: Hannu is gone from work for a few days, claiming to be sick. Jonna and Joona decide to pay him an unannounced visit.
Other: Disclaimer - portrayals of seasonal affective disorder in this fic reflect my own experiences, and might not be a 1:1 match to the experiences of other people.
Winter Blues
"Again? This is the fourth day this week. You aren't seriously ill, are you?"
Jonna listened and watched as her father frowned in response to what the person on the other end of the telephone line said. She didn't need to ask about who it was.
"Hmm. I see. Do you think you'll be well enough to come in tomorrow, then? ...'Maybe'?"
A moment later, her father was left staring at the phone, his expression a mixture of things – annoyance and frustration among them. But mostly he just looked tired. He pinched the bridge of his nose, counted under his breath, then sighed.
"Jonna -"
"Right, right. I'm on it." She reached for an apron and hairnet. "Hannu again?" As she tied her apron on, she saw a thoughtful look cross her father's face.
"...Yes. Have you heard from him?"
Should have expected that, Jonna thought. "I think he's actually sick, if that's what you mean." It wasn't unheard of for Hannu to take a day off when he was, strictly speaking, sick of people in general rather than sick from anything in particular. But for him to be gone so many days in a row was unusual. "Joona!" she called over to her brother. "You haven't talked with Hannu, have you?"
"Not since Sunday!"
She lifted her eyes to look at her father, as if to say, 'There, you see?' But he still looked unconvinced, and she honestly couldn't blame him. "I'll go over with Joona when we're done for the day. We'll know if he's faking it or not. Okay?"
"All right." He patted her on the shoulder. That frustrated look was still on his face, but it eased a little after her suggestion. Good enough. "For today, just take over for him. Again. Okay?"
"Got it." She headed toward the back.
"And Jonna?"
"Yeah?"
"Keep the breaks to a minimum."
The air was cool and crisp when Jonna and her brother stepped out of the store. Lazy, fluffy flakes fell, drifting down to give the ground a light dusting of bright white against the hard-packed snow, which would no doubt cover it like a thick plush carpet if it kept up. They breathed it in, took in the fresh scent, and then headed off in the direction of Hannu's house, bringing good spirits and a thermos full of vegetable soup with them.
Jonna carefully tucked the thermos under her arm, and put her hands in her pockets to protect them from the chilly air. "D'you think he's faking it?" she asked, glancing at her twin.
"Hmmm...." Joona stroked his chin, lifting his eyes skyward as if giving the matter serious thought. "Maybe. Why not skip out, if you can get away with it?"
"But it's been three days."
"Four." A pause as he considered that, followed by a shrug. "Well, if he is sick, we're walking right into a deathtrap of germs and snot."
"Gross."She laughed. "Or maybe he's over it and just needed one more day to get himself together."
"Or maybe we'll catch whatever plague he has and end up having to stay home for a week."
They quieted when Hannu's house came into view.
"Is he home, do you think?"
"Well...."
A path of footprints in the snow led down the front porch, and down the walk, and then back. On top of the hard-packed path was one set of footprints, and beside it, one set of paw prints. They were dusted with a light coating of undisturbed fresh-fallen snow.
"I think so. Ring him. We'll see."
The doorbell chimed, followed by an explosion of yapping from inside. They waited. And waited. Nothing. No sound of footsteps; no familiar shushing directed at the dog before the door opened. Just the sound of yapping and snuffling at the door.
Jonna glanced at Joona. "Well. Ville's home."
"Mmhm." Joona frowned. Tried the doorknob. "Locked," he said, lifting his eyebrows. "D'you think he's out?"
"The footprints...."
"Right." There was a pause for a moment as Joona looked the door up and down. Then he shrugged and gave it a good thumping. "Hannu!" he called. "Open up! It's us!"
They waited.
Nothing.
Jonna shifted from one foot to the other as her brother gave the door another experimental knock. "Looks like he's playing hard to get," she said.
"Yeah." Joona shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a snort. "Well, it's too bad for him. We'll have to just tell dad he caught the plague, I guess."
"I guess." Jonna stepped to the side, peering through the front window, biting at her lower lip. No sign of Hannu. Nothing. There was something not quite right about it; even when he was in a bad mood, if he knew that it was the two of them, he would usually open the door anyway, even if just to tell them off. But there was no way around it; the door was locked, and they'd have to leave without even speaking to him. ...Then again - "Wait," she said. "I have an idea."
"Hmm?"
A grin spread over her face as she turned to her brother. "Follow me."
They sneaked around the side of the house together, Jonna leading the way. Finally, she pointed to the window she had in mind. "There," she said triumphantly. "The kitchen window. He usually keeps it open a crack. I can get in that way."
Joona peered up at it. "You're sure you can fit through that?"
"Why not?"
"Well, I dunno, your ass is pretty big -"
She shoved him against the wall and rolled her eyes as he burst into a fit of laughter. "Shut up and just give me a boost, will you?"
"Fine, fine...."
With the thermos set carefully on the ground, they set to it. Joona bent and cupped his hands for her. She eyed him suspiciously, then took the boost up. Planted her hands firmly on the windowsill. Bit her lip and felt around for an opening and tried to ignore the shaking she felt under her, which she knew was Joona's laughter, just barely held in. "Don't let me fall," she said.
"I won't."
"If you do, I'll strangle you."
"I'd like to see you try. Any luck yet?"
"Hold on...."
Just as she had expected, the window was cracked open, even though it had been crisp and cool all day. Jonna bit her lip, slipped her fingers under it, and pulled. The window resisted for a moment, then slid up. "Got it," she whispered. "Just give me a sec. I'll come through and then let you in."
"Just hurry up already, will you? You're heavy."
"Shut up," Jonna muttered. Then she took a deep breath and pulled herself through.
It was a tight squeeze. She twisted. Pulled. Exhaled. Flailed. Grabbed for purchase and managed to get hold of the edge of the countertop. Then she drew herself through - and fell in a heap onto the floor.
"!" She clamped her jaws shut and covered her mouth to hold back the yell that threatened to spill out. Slowly, she waited for one second, then another. Then she uncovered her mouth, and let out a string of curses under her breath.
The sound of claws clicking on tiles approached, and the next thing she knew, she had a face full of dog tongue. "Ugh - yuck - stop it, Ville! No kisses," Jonna whispered, pushing the puppy away. He obliged her in that, at least, and settled for snuffling at her ears instead, wagging his tail and looking very interested in the fact that she'd chosen a very... unique method of entering the house.
Jonna sat up and listened. Nothing. No footsteps. Nobody approaching. No sound of Hannu asking what that sound was. Was that good? Maybe. Maybe not. As she stood, she reflected that if this were anyone else's home, she would have a lot of explaining to do. But then again - it was Hannu. It didn't matter.
She leaned out the window and gave her brother a thumbs up. "All clear," she whispered.
"Any sign of him?"
"Nah. Maybe he's sleeping. Go around the front; I'll let you in."
As her brother stomped around to the front, Jonna bent to tug off her boots, then walked softly to the door. Ville followed at her feet, tail wagging.
There was no sign of Hannu anywhere. But the house didn't have the empty feeling that houses tend to have when nobody is home, and that meant something. Finally, as she peered down the hallway toward her friend's bedroom, she saw a hint of the warm glow of a lamp underneath his door.
Bingo. So he was home.
She unlocked the front door and let her brother in. Waited while he slipped out of his shoes. Knelt down to pet Ville, who seemed to be glad for the attention.
"Well," she said. "He's home. I think. Looks like it, anyway. Light's on in the bedroom."
"But he didn't hear you?"
"No, I-"
"What the hell?"
They looked over.
Hannu stood in the hallway, rubbing his eyes. The expression on his face sat somewhere between 'What the hell are you doing here?' and 'Get the hell out'. He was in his pyjamas, with a bathrobe draped over his shoulders, and his hair so mussed that it appeared as if he hadn't brushed it in days. He looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed.
"Out," he said, biting the words and pointing toward the door, as if the word by itself wasn't clear enough.
Jonna and Joona glanced sideways at each other. One look was all it took to confirm it. They weren't about to back down so easily. Not after all the trouble they'd gone to.
After all, what were friends for?
"Not so fast, Hannu," Joona said. "We came to see how you were doing."
Hannu frowned. "I'm coming back to work tomorrow, okay? So just leave."
"Are you sure you're fine?" Jonna asked, tilting her head. Catching Hannu in a bad mood wasn't that weird, but something about the way he carried himself just didn't seem right.
"What?"
"You look awful."
"Thanks. Now go away."
Jonna glanced at her twin again. There was a look in his eyes that she knew very well. She had no doubt that hers were the same.
"No can do. We're here, so we're staying for a while. Isn't that right, Ville?" Jonna asked the dog.
She could see the 'why me?!' expression on Hannu's face out of the corner of her eye. Ville, on the other hand, looked absolutely thrilled at this prospect of company.
In the end, they nudged him toward the kitchen, sat him down, and made tea.
Hannu stared long and hard at the open window. "You broke into my house," he said flatly.
"Oh, hush," Jonna said. She set the thermos of soup that they had brought with them on the countertop, then pointedly pushed the window shut. "We didn't break anything."
"It was all Jonna's idea."
"Joona!"
"Well, it was."
"Yeah, and you sure didn't have a problem with helping me."
Hannu, it seemed, didn't even have the energy to argue with them. He just folded his arms on the table, planted his face on them, and groaned. "You guys suck," came the muffled muttering from his direction.
"Nah. You know you just love us having us check up on you." Jonna grinned, and grabbed the kettle as it whistled.
"Yeah. Besides, it could be worse, y'know? It could be your parents."
There was another muffled, frustrated sound, this time with a healthy layer of disgust to it. They all knew that if Hannu's parents had caught wind that their little sweetie honey bun had the sniffles, they would have immediately dropped everything to come and fetch him and bring him over to their place for some tender, loving, smothering care. A surprise visit from the twins was getting off lightly in comparison.
There were a few clean mugs left in the cupboard. Jonna reached for them, and said nothing about the jumble of used mugs in the sink, many of them with the old, used teabags still in them, and the piles of cardboard boxes stacked haphazardly on the countertops, and the way the entire place looked out of order. She simply poured for the three of them, and put a generous spoonful of honey in the mug meant for Hannu.
She set it in front of him without comment, and watched as the pathetic and frustrated ball uncoiled itself to carefully grasp it, cupping it in his hands, looking down into it as if he didn't want to look at her, and not at her brother either. Maybe he was embarrassed in addition to being annoyed. That was all right. He'd survive. But best not to comment on it, she decided, holding her tongue for once. Now wasn't a good time.
"It's been slow the last few days," she said, glancing at her brother over Hannu's head, knowing he'd pick up her lead. "It's the snow keeping people in, I think. So we've had to make our own fun."
Joona caught the line she that threw to him, and went with it. "Yeah! You wouldn't believe it, yesterday, we were so bored, we had to resort to pranking our dad, and that wasn't exaaactly a great idea -"
They talked about work. About switching things around just to mess with people. About who passed through, and who stayed for a chat, and what they had to say about everything. They did not talk about how awful Hannu looked. Even if he did look awful, sitting as he was like that, with his messy hair hanging limply in his face, and bags under his eyes that were so dark that it was clear he hadn't had a proper sleep in days.
But it wasn't long before Hannu brightened up a bit. Sat a little straighter. Breathed a little easier. Dipped his hand to pat Ville while he listened, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips as Joona described how they'd found their way in.
"You guys are crazy," he muttered.
"Yeah, well. Someone's got to be." Jonna grinned. Then he paused, and after glancing at her brother, she edged toward the subject. "Y'know, Hannu... you look awful."
"Gee, thanks."
"A hot shower should take care of it. I mean, you don't sound that bad. It'll get you feeling right again."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Hannu muttered, downing the last of his tea. "I'll get to it after you leave."
"Hmm... No," Joona said. "No can do. We know you too well. You'll just head back to bed and sulk for the rest of the day." Joona ruffled his hair, ignoring the way Hannu glowered at him.
"Can we trust you not to do that?" Jonna asked, tilting her head. When all she got in response was some noncommittal muttering, she nodded. "That does it, then. I'll take care of things in here. Joona, you know what to do."
"Right!" Joona grinned, pushed back his chair, then dipped his hands to haul Hannu up. "Come on," he said over Hannu's protests. "After a bit of steam, you'll feel juuust fine."
They ignored his complaining. Of course. They always did.
The fact that Hannu merely complained about it rather than physically resisting was telling. Instead of fighting Joona off, he merely deflated, muttering less-than-complimentary things under his breath while Joona marched him off to the shower.
That left Jonna alone. Or - not quite alone.
"Well, then," she said to Ville as she dipped her hand to scratch behind his ears. "What do you think of all this?"
She got nothing in reply but a whine, and some snuffling at her hands, and licking at the remnants of honey on her fingers. That was all right.
Sink. Hot water. Soap. The clink of mugs as she filled it up. Jonna pushed the kitchen window open a crack to let in the cool fresh air, and then after thinking about it, pushed it open even further. The house had a close, stuffy feeling to it, and as the cold seeped in, it cleared a little.
Better.
She slipped through the kitchen, poking around, gathering things to put in the sink, stacking other things to put away. As she collapsed cardboard packaging for the recycle bin, she was aware that all this was a bit much. A little. Maybe. A visit was one thing. Friends coming into his house, making a fuss, cleaning it... that was another thing, and it was a bit too much. But then again, it wasn't anything that she and Joona wouldn't have done for family. And Hannu practically was family.
"So that's how it is," she said quietly. "That's that. It isn't weird at all. Right, Ville?"
"Right!"
She turned around, raising an eyebrow at her twin. "I wasn't asking you," she said as Joona stepped into the kitchen.
"So, you'd rather ask someone who can't talk?"
"Sure." She took up her place next to the sink, and handed him a teatowel. They fell into position without a word, just like at home. The water was too-hot on her hands, but in a way, that was good. The better to wash everything away.
"How's Hannu doing?"
"Fine, I think. He just needs to clear his head a little. That's all."
"Hmm...."
"What?"
"I feel like there's something else going on, here. He isn't usually quite so..." Jonna frowned down at the sudsy water, groping for the word, unable to find it.
"...Weird?" Joona offered.
"Not quite what I was thinking of, but sure. I just mean - he isn't usually like this." She lifted her eyes to the window, looking out at the quickly-falling evening and the way their matching figures reflected in the glass. "He's usually better at keeping himself together."
Joona quieted for a moment, considering this. "Well, he hasn't been living on his own that long. Maybe he's just not used to it, and that headcold hit him hard. You know how his parents always did everything for him."
"And it's been a long winter."
"And cold."
"And dark."
"Hmm."
"Mmhm."
There was a long moment as they both thought about that, turning the idea over, digesting it. No noise, just the sound of dishes clinking in the sink and the scrape of the scrubber. It was true that Hannu had been even less sociable than usual for a while. More distant. Even moodier than his normal moody self. It had crept up so slowly that it was hard to notice. But taken together... well. Suddenly, everything made sense.
Jonna drew in a long breath and drained the sink. "I don't think anybody needs to know about this," she said.
"Right. We'll just tell dad that he had one hell of a cold."
"Right."
The rest of the work went more quickly with two. Cleaning up. Airing everything out. They attacked Hannu's house with broom and vacuum. Pushed back the curtains. Swept everything out. Ville followed at their heels, sniffing around, shadowing them as they tried to set things to rights.
They were more efficient than they ever were at work. Both of them knew it.
Best not to comment on it.
"He'd better not get used to this," Joona grumbled as he came in from taking the trash out, pressing the door shut, kicking the snow from his shoes.
"Better not get used to what?"
They looked over. There Hannu stood, looking much more put together than he had when they'd first snuck into his house. His slightly-damp hair clung to his face. He'd thrown on some proper clothes - comfortable, warm, and clean. And even if he sounded tired and irritated, just as they had expected, he didn't sound half as off as he had when they first set eyes on him.
Good enough, Jonna thought. Out loud, she said, "Never mind that. Feel better?"
"...Yeah." Hannu frowned. There was something about his expression that suggested a 'thanks' was on the tip of his tongue, but refused to come out. "Are you guys done messing with my house?"
"Nah. We're done cleaning your house. We'll be having another cup of tea, and then we'll get out of here."
It wasn't much. Even Hannu couldn't argue against that. So, he didn't. He let them nudge him to the kitchen. Let them put the kettle on. Let them heat up the soup that they had brought for him. They acted as if everything was just the same as it usually would be. Joona and Jonna didn't even need words to decide how to go about it. All it took was a glance, and they understood.
Just keep going. Let the warmth in.
"So, I was talking to Paju the other day, and you won't believe what she's going on about now...."
Normal.
When it was finally time to leave, they did it with a smile. Joona reached over and ruffled Hannu's hair. "We'll come and walk with you on the way to work tomorrow, okay?"
"If you're feeling up to it," Jonna added.
Hannu shook his head, a familiar sour expression creeping across his face as he moved to sweep his hair back into its proper place. "Forget it. I don't need you two hanging over me."
"Too bad."
"We're doing it anyway."
"Deal with it."
The glare that Hannu sent both of them could have stripped paint, but it didn't matter. They were more than used to it.
A moment later, the two of them were silent as they looked over at Hannu's house in the chill of the falling snow. It wouldn't be hard to craft an excuse for any of it. For the reason that Hannu had been so uncommunicative. For the fact that they had stayed longer than they had expected.
Hell, Jonna thought. As long as we say that he's not dead and that he'll probably come in tomorrow, Dad won't even ask about the rest.
"Ready to go?" she asked her twin.
"Yeah." Another glance back at the house. She followed his gaze. In the front window, the edge of a curtain twitched. "Let's go."
The next morning, they were on Hannu's doorstep in the cool frosty darkness, when it was too early for the sun to even think of peeking up over the horizon.
They rang the door once. Waited. Listened to the sound of yapping from inside.
Nothing. They shuffled their feet. Glanced at each other. This is too much like yesterday, they both thought, though neither of them said it.
"Try again," Jonna said.
Joona frowned, shrugged, and rang again. Nothing. Yapping. Nothing. Then the muffled sound of feet, and someone grumbling as they made their way to the door.
The lock clicked as it slid out of place. Then Hannu emerged, shoving his hat down over his ears, glaring at them both.
"Seriously?" he asked.
Jonna shrugged. "We told you we'd be here," she said, smiling. "We weren't going to back out on you."
"Ugh...."
There was that sour look again. But it didn't matter. True, he had that same tired look they'd seen on him the day before. But the colour had come back to his face, and he at least seemed more energetic than he had yesterday. And -
"At least you didn't try sneaking in through the window this time," Hannu muttered as he locked up and stepped down the walk, leaving the two behind - or trying to.
"Well, we might have, if you hadn't come."
"Yeah, except you wouldn't have been able to get in."
"What?"
"I closed it. And locked it." A satisfied smirk flitted over Hannu's lips. "You assholes aren't going to get away with it twice."
"Huh! Well, we'll just have to find another way in," Joona said, giving Hannu a shove.
"You can't lock us out. Don't forget it."
Hannu rolled his eyes and muttered something less-than-affectionate under his breath. Jonna pretended not to hear, and just smiled and shoved him, mimicking her brother.
Even if Hannu did manage to forget it, they'd remind him.
They'd always find a way in.
End
Fandom: A Redtail's Dream
Characters: Jonna, Joona, & Hannu
Rating: 10+
Length: 4k
Summary: Hannu is gone from work for a few days, claiming to be sick. Jonna and Joona decide to pay him an unannounced visit.
Other: Disclaimer - portrayals of seasonal affective disorder in this fic reflect my own experiences, and might not be a 1:1 match to the experiences of other people.
Winter Blues
"Again? This is the fourth day this week. You aren't seriously ill, are you?"
Jonna listened and watched as her father frowned in response to what the person on the other end of the telephone line said. She didn't need to ask about who it was.
"Hmm. I see. Do you think you'll be well enough to come in tomorrow, then? ...'Maybe'?"
A moment later, her father was left staring at the phone, his expression a mixture of things – annoyance and frustration among them. But mostly he just looked tired. He pinched the bridge of his nose, counted under his breath, then sighed.
"Jonna -"
"Right, right. I'm on it." She reached for an apron and hairnet. "Hannu again?" As she tied her apron on, she saw a thoughtful look cross her father's face.
"...Yes. Have you heard from him?"
Should have expected that, Jonna thought. "I think he's actually sick, if that's what you mean." It wasn't unheard of for Hannu to take a day off when he was, strictly speaking, sick of people in general rather than sick from anything in particular. But for him to be gone so many days in a row was unusual. "Joona!" she called over to her brother. "You haven't talked with Hannu, have you?"
"Not since Sunday!"
She lifted her eyes to look at her father, as if to say, 'There, you see?' But he still looked unconvinced, and she honestly couldn't blame him. "I'll go over with Joona when we're done for the day. We'll know if he's faking it or not. Okay?"
"All right." He patted her on the shoulder. That frustrated look was still on his face, but it eased a little after her suggestion. Good enough. "For today, just take over for him. Again. Okay?"
"Got it." She headed toward the back.
"And Jonna?"
"Yeah?"
"Keep the breaks to a minimum."
The air was cool and crisp when Jonna and her brother stepped out of the store. Lazy, fluffy flakes fell, drifting down to give the ground a light dusting of bright white against the hard-packed snow, which would no doubt cover it like a thick plush carpet if it kept up. They breathed it in, took in the fresh scent, and then headed off in the direction of Hannu's house, bringing good spirits and a thermos full of vegetable soup with them.
Jonna carefully tucked the thermos under her arm, and put her hands in her pockets to protect them from the chilly air. "D'you think he's faking it?" she asked, glancing at her twin.
"Hmmm...." Joona stroked his chin, lifting his eyes skyward as if giving the matter serious thought. "Maybe. Why not skip out, if you can get away with it?"
"But it's been three days."
"Four." A pause as he considered that, followed by a shrug. "Well, if he is sick, we're walking right into a deathtrap of germs and snot."
"Gross."She laughed. "Or maybe he's over it and just needed one more day to get himself together."
"Or maybe we'll catch whatever plague he has and end up having to stay home for a week."
They quieted when Hannu's house came into view.
"Is he home, do you think?"
"Well...."
A path of footprints in the snow led down the front porch, and down the walk, and then back. On top of the hard-packed path was one set of footprints, and beside it, one set of paw prints. They were dusted with a light coating of undisturbed fresh-fallen snow.
"I think so. Ring him. We'll see."
The doorbell chimed, followed by an explosion of yapping from inside. They waited. And waited. Nothing. No sound of footsteps; no familiar shushing directed at the dog before the door opened. Just the sound of yapping and snuffling at the door.
Jonna glanced at Joona. "Well. Ville's home."
"Mmhm." Joona frowned. Tried the doorknob. "Locked," he said, lifting his eyebrows. "D'you think he's out?"
"The footprints...."
"Right." There was a pause for a moment as Joona looked the door up and down. Then he shrugged and gave it a good thumping. "Hannu!" he called. "Open up! It's us!"
They waited.
Nothing.
Jonna shifted from one foot to the other as her brother gave the door another experimental knock. "Looks like he's playing hard to get," she said.
"Yeah." Joona shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a snort. "Well, it's too bad for him. We'll have to just tell dad he caught the plague, I guess."
"I guess." Jonna stepped to the side, peering through the front window, biting at her lower lip. No sign of Hannu. Nothing. There was something not quite right about it; even when he was in a bad mood, if he knew that it was the two of them, he would usually open the door anyway, even if just to tell them off. But there was no way around it; the door was locked, and they'd have to leave without even speaking to him. ...Then again - "Wait," she said. "I have an idea."
"Hmm?"
A grin spread over her face as she turned to her brother. "Follow me."
They sneaked around the side of the house together, Jonna leading the way. Finally, she pointed to the window she had in mind. "There," she said triumphantly. "The kitchen window. He usually keeps it open a crack. I can get in that way."
Joona peered up at it. "You're sure you can fit through that?"
"Why not?"
"Well, I dunno, your ass is pretty big -"
She shoved him against the wall and rolled her eyes as he burst into a fit of laughter. "Shut up and just give me a boost, will you?"
"Fine, fine...."
With the thermos set carefully on the ground, they set to it. Joona bent and cupped his hands for her. She eyed him suspiciously, then took the boost up. Planted her hands firmly on the windowsill. Bit her lip and felt around for an opening and tried to ignore the shaking she felt under her, which she knew was Joona's laughter, just barely held in. "Don't let me fall," she said.
"I won't."
"If you do, I'll strangle you."
"I'd like to see you try. Any luck yet?"
"Hold on...."
Just as she had expected, the window was cracked open, even though it had been crisp and cool all day. Jonna bit her lip, slipped her fingers under it, and pulled. The window resisted for a moment, then slid up. "Got it," she whispered. "Just give me a sec. I'll come through and then let you in."
"Just hurry up already, will you? You're heavy."
"Shut up," Jonna muttered. Then she took a deep breath and pulled herself through.
It was a tight squeeze. She twisted. Pulled. Exhaled. Flailed. Grabbed for purchase and managed to get hold of the edge of the countertop. Then she drew herself through - and fell in a heap onto the floor.
"!" She clamped her jaws shut and covered her mouth to hold back the yell that threatened to spill out. Slowly, she waited for one second, then another. Then she uncovered her mouth, and let out a string of curses under her breath.
The sound of claws clicking on tiles approached, and the next thing she knew, she had a face full of dog tongue. "Ugh - yuck - stop it, Ville! No kisses," Jonna whispered, pushing the puppy away. He obliged her in that, at least, and settled for snuffling at her ears instead, wagging his tail and looking very interested in the fact that she'd chosen a very... unique method of entering the house.
Jonna sat up and listened. Nothing. No footsteps. Nobody approaching. No sound of Hannu asking what that sound was. Was that good? Maybe. Maybe not. As she stood, she reflected that if this were anyone else's home, she would have a lot of explaining to do. But then again - it was Hannu. It didn't matter.
She leaned out the window and gave her brother a thumbs up. "All clear," she whispered.
"Any sign of him?"
"Nah. Maybe he's sleeping. Go around the front; I'll let you in."
As her brother stomped around to the front, Jonna bent to tug off her boots, then walked softly to the door. Ville followed at her feet, tail wagging.
There was no sign of Hannu anywhere. But the house didn't have the empty feeling that houses tend to have when nobody is home, and that meant something. Finally, as she peered down the hallway toward her friend's bedroom, she saw a hint of the warm glow of a lamp underneath his door.
Bingo. So he was home.
She unlocked the front door and let her brother in. Waited while he slipped out of his shoes. Knelt down to pet Ville, who seemed to be glad for the attention.
"Well," she said. "He's home. I think. Looks like it, anyway. Light's on in the bedroom."
"But he didn't hear you?"
"No, I-"
"What the hell?"
They looked over.
Hannu stood in the hallway, rubbing his eyes. The expression on his face sat somewhere between 'What the hell are you doing here?' and 'Get the hell out'. He was in his pyjamas, with a bathrobe draped over his shoulders, and his hair so mussed that it appeared as if he hadn't brushed it in days. He looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed.
"Out," he said, biting the words and pointing toward the door, as if the word by itself wasn't clear enough.
Jonna and Joona glanced sideways at each other. One look was all it took to confirm it. They weren't about to back down so easily. Not after all the trouble they'd gone to.
After all, what were friends for?
"Not so fast, Hannu," Joona said. "We came to see how you were doing."
Hannu frowned. "I'm coming back to work tomorrow, okay? So just leave."
"Are you sure you're fine?" Jonna asked, tilting her head. Catching Hannu in a bad mood wasn't that weird, but something about the way he carried himself just didn't seem right.
"What?"
"You look awful."
"Thanks. Now go away."
Jonna glanced at her twin again. There was a look in his eyes that she knew very well. She had no doubt that hers were the same.
"No can do. We're here, so we're staying for a while. Isn't that right, Ville?" Jonna asked the dog.
She could see the 'why me?!' expression on Hannu's face out of the corner of her eye. Ville, on the other hand, looked absolutely thrilled at this prospect of company.
In the end, they nudged him toward the kitchen, sat him down, and made tea.
Hannu stared long and hard at the open window. "You broke into my house," he said flatly.
"Oh, hush," Jonna said. She set the thermos of soup that they had brought with them on the countertop, then pointedly pushed the window shut. "We didn't break anything."
"It was all Jonna's idea."
"Joona!"
"Well, it was."
"Yeah, and you sure didn't have a problem with helping me."
Hannu, it seemed, didn't even have the energy to argue with them. He just folded his arms on the table, planted his face on them, and groaned. "You guys suck," came the muffled muttering from his direction.
"Nah. You know you just love us having us check up on you." Jonna grinned, and grabbed the kettle as it whistled.
"Yeah. Besides, it could be worse, y'know? It could be your parents."
There was another muffled, frustrated sound, this time with a healthy layer of disgust to it. They all knew that if Hannu's parents had caught wind that their little sweetie honey bun had the sniffles, they would have immediately dropped everything to come and fetch him and bring him over to their place for some tender, loving, smothering care. A surprise visit from the twins was getting off lightly in comparison.
There were a few clean mugs left in the cupboard. Jonna reached for them, and said nothing about the jumble of used mugs in the sink, many of them with the old, used teabags still in them, and the piles of cardboard boxes stacked haphazardly on the countertops, and the way the entire place looked out of order. She simply poured for the three of them, and put a generous spoonful of honey in the mug meant for Hannu.
She set it in front of him without comment, and watched as the pathetic and frustrated ball uncoiled itself to carefully grasp it, cupping it in his hands, looking down into it as if he didn't want to look at her, and not at her brother either. Maybe he was embarrassed in addition to being annoyed. That was all right. He'd survive. But best not to comment on it, she decided, holding her tongue for once. Now wasn't a good time.
"It's been slow the last few days," she said, glancing at her brother over Hannu's head, knowing he'd pick up her lead. "It's the snow keeping people in, I think. So we've had to make our own fun."
Joona caught the line she that threw to him, and went with it. "Yeah! You wouldn't believe it, yesterday, we were so bored, we had to resort to pranking our dad, and that wasn't exaaactly a great idea -"
They talked about work. About switching things around just to mess with people. About who passed through, and who stayed for a chat, and what they had to say about everything. They did not talk about how awful Hannu looked. Even if he did look awful, sitting as he was like that, with his messy hair hanging limply in his face, and bags under his eyes that were so dark that it was clear he hadn't had a proper sleep in days.
But it wasn't long before Hannu brightened up a bit. Sat a little straighter. Breathed a little easier. Dipped his hand to pat Ville while he listened, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips as Joona described how they'd found their way in.
"You guys are crazy," he muttered.
"Yeah, well. Someone's got to be." Jonna grinned. Then he paused, and after glancing at her brother, she edged toward the subject. "Y'know, Hannu... you look awful."
"Gee, thanks."
"A hot shower should take care of it. I mean, you don't sound that bad. It'll get you feeling right again."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Hannu muttered, downing the last of his tea. "I'll get to it after you leave."
"Hmm... No," Joona said. "No can do. We know you too well. You'll just head back to bed and sulk for the rest of the day." Joona ruffled his hair, ignoring the way Hannu glowered at him.
"Can we trust you not to do that?" Jonna asked, tilting her head. When all she got in response was some noncommittal muttering, she nodded. "That does it, then. I'll take care of things in here. Joona, you know what to do."
"Right!" Joona grinned, pushed back his chair, then dipped his hands to haul Hannu up. "Come on," he said over Hannu's protests. "After a bit of steam, you'll feel juuust fine."
They ignored his complaining. Of course. They always did.
The fact that Hannu merely complained about it rather than physically resisting was telling. Instead of fighting Joona off, he merely deflated, muttering less-than-complimentary things under his breath while Joona marched him off to the shower.
That left Jonna alone. Or - not quite alone.
"Well, then," she said to Ville as she dipped her hand to scratch behind his ears. "What do you think of all this?"
She got nothing in reply but a whine, and some snuffling at her hands, and licking at the remnants of honey on her fingers. That was all right.
Sink. Hot water. Soap. The clink of mugs as she filled it up. Jonna pushed the kitchen window open a crack to let in the cool fresh air, and then after thinking about it, pushed it open even further. The house had a close, stuffy feeling to it, and as the cold seeped in, it cleared a little.
Better.
She slipped through the kitchen, poking around, gathering things to put in the sink, stacking other things to put away. As she collapsed cardboard packaging for the recycle bin, she was aware that all this was a bit much. A little. Maybe. A visit was one thing. Friends coming into his house, making a fuss, cleaning it... that was another thing, and it was a bit too much. But then again, it wasn't anything that she and Joona wouldn't have done for family. And Hannu practically was family.
"So that's how it is," she said quietly. "That's that. It isn't weird at all. Right, Ville?"
"Right!"
She turned around, raising an eyebrow at her twin. "I wasn't asking you," she said as Joona stepped into the kitchen.
"So, you'd rather ask someone who can't talk?"
"Sure." She took up her place next to the sink, and handed him a teatowel. They fell into position without a word, just like at home. The water was too-hot on her hands, but in a way, that was good. The better to wash everything away.
"How's Hannu doing?"
"Fine, I think. He just needs to clear his head a little. That's all."
"Hmm...."
"What?"
"I feel like there's something else going on, here. He isn't usually quite so..." Jonna frowned down at the sudsy water, groping for the word, unable to find it.
"...Weird?" Joona offered.
"Not quite what I was thinking of, but sure. I just mean - he isn't usually like this." She lifted her eyes to the window, looking out at the quickly-falling evening and the way their matching figures reflected in the glass. "He's usually better at keeping himself together."
Joona quieted for a moment, considering this. "Well, he hasn't been living on his own that long. Maybe he's just not used to it, and that headcold hit him hard. You know how his parents always did everything for him."
"And it's been a long winter."
"And cold."
"And dark."
"Hmm."
"Mmhm."
There was a long moment as they both thought about that, turning the idea over, digesting it. No noise, just the sound of dishes clinking in the sink and the scrape of the scrubber. It was true that Hannu had been even less sociable than usual for a while. More distant. Even moodier than his normal moody self. It had crept up so slowly that it was hard to notice. But taken together... well. Suddenly, everything made sense.
Jonna drew in a long breath and drained the sink. "I don't think anybody needs to know about this," she said.
"Right. We'll just tell dad that he had one hell of a cold."
"Right."
The rest of the work went more quickly with two. Cleaning up. Airing everything out. They attacked Hannu's house with broom and vacuum. Pushed back the curtains. Swept everything out. Ville followed at their heels, sniffing around, shadowing them as they tried to set things to rights.
They were more efficient than they ever were at work. Both of them knew it.
Best not to comment on it.
"He'd better not get used to this," Joona grumbled as he came in from taking the trash out, pressing the door shut, kicking the snow from his shoes.
"Better not get used to what?"
They looked over. There Hannu stood, looking much more put together than he had when they'd first snuck into his house. His slightly-damp hair clung to his face. He'd thrown on some proper clothes - comfortable, warm, and clean. And even if he sounded tired and irritated, just as they had expected, he didn't sound half as off as he had when they first set eyes on him.
Good enough, Jonna thought. Out loud, she said, "Never mind that. Feel better?"
"...Yeah." Hannu frowned. There was something about his expression that suggested a 'thanks' was on the tip of his tongue, but refused to come out. "Are you guys done messing with my house?"
"Nah. We're done cleaning your house. We'll be having another cup of tea, and then we'll get out of here."
It wasn't much. Even Hannu couldn't argue against that. So, he didn't. He let them nudge him to the kitchen. Let them put the kettle on. Let them heat up the soup that they had brought for him. They acted as if everything was just the same as it usually would be. Joona and Jonna didn't even need words to decide how to go about it. All it took was a glance, and they understood.
Just keep going. Let the warmth in.
"So, I was talking to Paju the other day, and you won't believe what she's going on about now...."
Normal.
When it was finally time to leave, they did it with a smile. Joona reached over and ruffled Hannu's hair. "We'll come and walk with you on the way to work tomorrow, okay?"
"If you're feeling up to it," Jonna added.
Hannu shook his head, a familiar sour expression creeping across his face as he moved to sweep his hair back into its proper place. "Forget it. I don't need you two hanging over me."
"Too bad."
"We're doing it anyway."
"Deal with it."
The glare that Hannu sent both of them could have stripped paint, but it didn't matter. They were more than used to it.
A moment later, the two of them were silent as they looked over at Hannu's house in the chill of the falling snow. It wouldn't be hard to craft an excuse for any of it. For the reason that Hannu had been so uncommunicative. For the fact that they had stayed longer than they had expected.
Hell, Jonna thought. As long as we say that he's not dead and that he'll probably come in tomorrow, Dad won't even ask about the rest.
"Ready to go?" she asked her twin.
"Yeah." Another glance back at the house. She followed his gaze. In the front window, the edge of a curtain twitched. "Let's go."
The next morning, they were on Hannu's doorstep in the cool frosty darkness, when it was too early for the sun to even think of peeking up over the horizon.
They rang the door once. Waited. Listened to the sound of yapping from inside.
Nothing. They shuffled their feet. Glanced at each other. This is too much like yesterday, they both thought, though neither of them said it.
"Try again," Jonna said.
Joona frowned, shrugged, and rang again. Nothing. Yapping. Nothing. Then the muffled sound of feet, and someone grumbling as they made their way to the door.
The lock clicked as it slid out of place. Then Hannu emerged, shoving his hat down over his ears, glaring at them both.
"Seriously?" he asked.
Jonna shrugged. "We told you we'd be here," she said, smiling. "We weren't going to back out on you."
"Ugh...."
There was that sour look again. But it didn't matter. True, he had that same tired look they'd seen on him the day before. But the colour had come back to his face, and he at least seemed more energetic than he had yesterday. And -
"At least you didn't try sneaking in through the window this time," Hannu muttered as he locked up and stepped down the walk, leaving the two behind - or trying to.
"Well, we might have, if you hadn't come."
"Yeah, except you wouldn't have been able to get in."
"What?"
"I closed it. And locked it." A satisfied smirk flitted over Hannu's lips. "You assholes aren't going to get away with it twice."
"Huh! Well, we'll just have to find another way in," Joona said, giving Hannu a shove.
"You can't lock us out. Don't forget it."
Hannu rolled his eyes and muttered something less-than-affectionate under his breath. Jonna pretended not to hear, and just smiled and shoved him, mimicking her brother.
Even if Hannu did manage to forget it, they'd remind him.
They'd always find a way in.
End