“Hey Andreas, which girl are you going to ask out to the dance?” Nils asked.

They were all seventeen, a group of students hanging out on the benches near the school.  Andreas had known them since he was a child and they grew up together.  In the crisp winters, they threw snowballs at each other and sledded down the hills.   In the long summers, they chased frogs in the creeks and built rickety forts with branches and rocks.  As the years passed, their carefree energy turned to adolescent awkwardness. They became taller and their voices deepened, and some of them developed an athletic build. They were now reaching the liminal state of almost adulthood.

“Mm, I’m not going,” Andreas replied.  “I need to focus on my studies.”

“Seriously?  All you do is study and you never want to have fun.” Johan groaned.  “Why do you need to try so hard anyway?  Your family runs the lighthouse so you’re already set for life.”

“There’s nothing wrong with striving,” Andreas insisted.

“Whatever, you do what you want,” Henrik sighed.  “You’re missing out though.”

It’s not true that I never want to have fun, Andreas thought.  All this studying is just a means to an end.  A ticket to more options.

***

He was eighteen now, far away from home.  The function room was filled with other first-year students hailing from different corners of the world.  There were long tables laden with silver trays of crudites, chocolate biscuits, and delicate tarts with berries and custard.

Andreas grabbed a cup and filled it with iced tea from the beverage station.  He looked around for any familiar faces and spotted his roommate.  He headed over, but his roommate was busy chatting with a few other classmates.  Hanging out on the periphery of the group, Andreas’ eyes slowly drifted around the room and paused upon seeing a particular student in the far corner.

The other student had wavy chestnut hair and possessed a face that followed the golden ratio.  He wore a stylish scarf and a charcoal woolen coat that accentuated his tall slender build.  The way he held his cup exuded an effortless elegance.  Andreas found himself staring across the room for far longer than he should.  The other student was deep in conversation with the people standing next to him, but at one random moment, he turned his head and glanced in Andreas’ direction.  The corners of his mouth turned upwards in a warm smile.  Andreas almost dropped his drink and quickly averted his eyes.  The other student turned back to his companions and continued the conversation.

Andreas never ended up speaking with this other student, but he spent the rest of the night stealing glances at him from his side of the room.  The tingling he felt under his skin after each furtive glimpse both excited and frightened him.  He had never felt this way before.

***

Viro walked into the kitchen.  Andreas had been reading a book at the table.  A mug of lukewarm black coffee stood near his hands.

Andreas put the book down.  “Morning!”  He blinked when he noticed that Viro had already changed out of pajamas and into regular clothes.  “Oh, you’re already dressed.  That’s…good…”  It’s been almost a week now and he’s become more independent.  It was a positive development, but he felt a twinge of wistfulness.  “Do you want breakfast?  We’re out of eggs but I can make toast.  And we have coffee.  I made it earlier.  It’s gotten a bit cold.”

Two slices of bread went into the toaster.  The nichrome wire inside glowed a brilliant red.  After a couple of minutes, the slices popped out again, nicely browned and crisp.  Andreas put the toast on two small plates.

Viro had already sat down at the table and was watching him silently.  His eyes lit up when Andreas approached with the food.  He bit into the toast and savored the crunchy texture.

“Do you want to try some coffee?” Andreas asked.  Viro gave him a curious look.  Andreas retrieved an empty mug from the drying rack and poured the dark brown liquid into it.  He handed the mug to Viro, who examined its contents before taking a sip.  His nose wrinkled and he pursed his lips.

“Is it too bitter?” Andreas asked.  “You can add some milk to it.”

Viro tilted the cup at a steeper angle and downed the rest of the coffee.  Andreas raised his eyebrows and then softened his expression into a smile.

***

“I’m going to drive to town to buy more food,” Andreas said later that day.  “Do you…want to join me?  We’ve only been at home and the lighthouse for the last few days and I thought you might want a change in scenery.”

Viro blinked and stepped towards him.  They headed outside to the faded gray sedan in the driveway with Bjorn in tow.  Viro took the passenger’s seat while Bjorn lounged in the back.

The drive to town was quiet.  The road stretched far ahead of them like an asphalt ribbon cutting through green velvet.  Viro stared out of the half-open window.  His raven hair strands fluttered in the wind.

“I’m also going to pick up my mail and my paycheck,” Andreas said, breaking the silence.  “I get paid a small salary to maintain the lighthouse.”

Viro turned to look at him, then returned his gaze to the passing scenery.

When they reached town, Andreas parked his car next to a curb by the post office.  Viro and Bjorn stood outside while Andreas went in.  He returned with a few envelopes, which he stuffed into the inner pockets of his coat.  He walked across the street to the bank where he deposited his paycheck and withdrew some cash.

Their last destination was the grocery store.  Andreas opened the door and a tiny bell hanging from the doorframe chimed.  He stepped in and grabbed a small basket.  Viro followed with Bjorn at his heels.  Andreas headed to the section of the store where the eggs were located.  After he placed an egg carton in his basket, a middle-aged married couple approached him.  He recognized them from community gatherings his family had attended when he was younger.

“Andreas, good to see you,” said the avuncular husband with crows feet around his eyes.  “Will you be attending the upcoming festival?”

“We hope you’ll come,” said the matronly wife.  “We haven’t seen you at any community gatherings since…since you came back.  Our niece will be there.  We’d like to introduce you.  She’s about your age.”

“Um…I’ll probably be too busy,” Andreas replied.

“With the lighthouse?” asked the wife.  “Ah, but you should have some fun.  It’s not good to just work all the time.”

Viro, who had been looking at the various goods on the shelf, walked up to Andreas.  Bjorn followed him, tail wagging.  The friendly smiles on the couple’s faces faded and they took on a colder demeanor.

The husband eyed Viro suspiciously.  “Do you know this person?” he asked Andreas.

“Oh, he’s my friend…from university,” Andreas replied.  “He’s just visiting me.”

“Where are you from?” the wife asked Viro.  He looked at her blankly.

“Um…he’s from one of the countries further south,” Andreas cut in.  “He doesn’t understand our language, so he won’t be able to respond to you.”

The couple stared at each other.

“Anyway, we need to get going,” Andreas said.

“All right,” the wife said.  “Good to see you again, Andreas.  Hope to see you at the festival!”

Andreas led Viro and Bjorn to the cashier and quickly paid for the eggs.  They left the store and headed back to the car.

Once they were all inside the vehicle and the doors were closed, Andreas sighed.  “Sorry, that was awkward.  I should have known that would happen.  The people here are generally nice, but not used to seeing outsiders.”

Viro looked at him.  His silver eyes seemed to stand out even more than usual.

“Since everyone knows everyone else, they tend to stick their nose in your business all the time,” Andreas continued.  “They’re always trying to introduce me to their daughters or nieces.  People here get married pretty early.  Generally they have a family by the time they’re my age.”  He looked at Viro.  “Is it like that where you’re from too?”

Viro stared at him blankly and blinked.

Andreas sighed again.  “Never mind, you don’t have to answer that.”

On the drive back, Andreas decided to speak more.  “My parents married right after they graduated high school and had me shortly after.  We had a simple, quiet life.  My father maintained the lighthouse and my mother took care of the home.  I did well in school and they were supportive of me studying abroad, since very few people on this island have that opportunity.  I promised I’d come back and take over the lighthouse in their old age.”

They approached the house.  Andreas pulled into the driveway.  After he pulled back the parking brake and turned off the ignition, he clutched the steering wheel and looked downward.

“They didn’t even make it to forty before they died in the car crash,” he said sadly.  “I don’t even know why it happened, since they’ve always been careful drivers.  There was just too much rain and fog that day.”  He tried to hold back his nascent tears.  Viro sat very still, unsure of how to react.  Slowly, he reached out and placed his hand on Andreas’ arm.  

Andreas turned towards him, his eyes watery.  “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.  It’s been three years, but it feels like it all happened yesterday.  I miss them a lot.”

Viro looked at him sympathetically.

“Thank you for listening, even if you can’t understand me,” Andreas said.

***

It was evening now.  Andreas and Viro finished their dinner of meatballs and potatoes.  Andreas took the plates, utensils, and cups to the sink for washing.

“We’ll have to figure out what to tell people if they ask about you,” Andreas said as he lathered up the dishes with soap.  “I guess you could also stay at home when I go to town, but I don’t want you to feel like you’re stuck here.”  He looked out the window as he washed.  An idea came to him.  After he finished placing the last item on the drying rack, he turned to Viro.

“Hey, um…do you want to see something neat?”

***

They opened the door to the lantern room.  Andreas carried a flashlight and a large blanket.  He and Viro wore thick coats since there was no heat in the lighthouse.

“I come up here at night sometimes,” he said.  “You get a good view of the Northern Lights.”  He laid the blanket on a clear spot on the floor.

Through the large windows, they could see waves of otherworldly green light dance across the darkness.  It was like an ocean in the sky.  They both lay down on the blanket, staring up in awe.

Andreas turned his head towards Viro, who was still staring upwards.  “Some nights I just stay here for hours, staring at the lights.  When I was a kid, I thought it was magic.  I know what causes them now - it’s just solar wind colliding with gases in the atmosphere.  But I think it’s better when you don’t try to explain it and just enjoy the view.  It’s very calming…”

Somehow, while Andreas was talking, they had subconsciously moved closer together.  Their fingers were nearly touching.

“And beautiful…” Andreas continued, his voice softening.  Viro turned to look at him.

“Like you…” Andreas breathed.

Their fingers brushed against each other.  Andreas felt a simultaneous chill and warmth radiate through his hand.  Viro leaned his face in closer until Andreas could feel his soft exhales.  Andreas lifted his shoulder and turned so that he was now on his side, completely facing Viro.  He placed his hand on Viro’s cheek.  Viro responded by placing his hand on Andreas’ chest.  Through the thick coat, he could feel Andreas’ erratic heartbeats. 

“Viro…” Andreas whispered as he leaned in closer.  Viro slid his hand upwards until the tips of his fingers rested on the back of Andreas’ neck.

They kissed.