Don't get me wrong; I think you're all right. But that won't keep me warm in the middle of the night

[talks_to_nisse]

Who: Sindre and Wilm
When: Tuesday, 22 March
Where: Dos Llamas
What: An awful blind date, but a resurgence of a friendship.

Comments

[oranje_windmill]

Willem stopped in the middle of the restaurant, thinking both no way and should have known as he starred at the back of the blond currently sitting at the table Elizaveta had told him to go to.

But this was his life here lately, wasn't it? That he would wish for a friend to start talking to him again, so he'd be set up with them on a blind date?

Still, it did at least achieve the effect of putting him in the same place as the Norwegian, which was something he'd been having trouble achieving ever since that Saturday morning breakfast what seemed like forever ago. With a sigh, he walked the rest of the way to the table, coming around to the other side so he was facing Sindre.

"Well, at least Elizaveta has taste," he told the other man, his tone was weary, dry.

[talks_to_nisse]

"Clearly," Sindre responded in the same, dry tone, "I hadn't realized the two of you had met."

His sarcasm wasn't enough to keep the memories of that dream from flooding back, however. Wilm underneath him, how he sounded...

Sindre couldn't do this. Not with his anger, not with...other complications. Pushing his chair back, he stood to leave.

"Thank you for the wonderful evening. I'll be on my way."

[oranje_windmill]

"Wait," Willem said as the other man got up to leave. "We need to talk. We might as well do it here."

He mentally cringed at his own choice of words, flashes of a dream where Sindre was much, much friendlier dancing in his brain before being pushed aside by the desire to finally talk with at least one of his estranged friends. To talk with someone who could maybe help him figure out what the hell was going with this whole mess.

[talks_to_nisse]

Sindre didn't sit, but he did brace a hand on the table, leaning in. Trying to rid himself of any vestigial dream fragments as he came closer to Wilm, he hissed, "I don't see what we have to talk about. It was funny, haha, I'm sure you got a laugh. But I don't want to talk to you."

[oranje_windmill]

Willem stood starring at Sindre for a few seconds, looking like he'd been slapped. Then, his mouth set in a grim line, he too leaned in towards the other man.

"Funny?" he repeated, his voice quiet. "You think I said what I did to be funny? You think I would lie to you, screw over two friends so badly they'd alienate themselves from me, back stab my best friend, and that I'd do it all just for a laugh? You really think that lowly of me?"

[talks_to_nisse]

"I didn't," Sindre stressed. "But when the man I care about, who's supposed to fucking--" he cut himself off as his voice broke on the word.

Swallowing hard, Sindre leaned back a bit. Voice cold, he tried again. "I told him. He got angry. Turned me away, and not kindly. So tell me, Wilm. What else should I think of you?"

[oranje_windmill]

The sight of Sindre so upset drained some of Willem's anger away.

"I have no idea why he did that," he said. "When everything he's ever said or done indicated that what I told you was the truth."

He took a deep breath, let it out, and looked the Norwegian straight in the eyes.

"I don't know if he changed his mind or if something else is going on, but I believed everything I told you when I said it. It's why I said anything despite his asking me not to. That and the fact that I thought I was helping two people I care about. And I'm sorry you got hurt because of it."

And with that he leaned back, watching the Norwegian. He didn't know what else he could say to convince Sindre he was telling the truth, but at least he had finally been able to say his piece.

[talks_to_nisse]

Sindre stood a moment longer, trying to read Wilm's face. He sounded sincere. And his words made sense.

But he sounded sincere when they last spoke. And nothing about his story made sense in light of what had happened. Why would Søren be concerned about Wilm saying anything to him, if they hadn't discussed it, if it weren't true?

In the end, he sat. He had to trust Wilm, because the man was right. It made less sense that Wilm would lie. It wasn't in his nature to do it.

Besides, Sindre wanted to trust him. Wanted to think that Wilm wouldn't do this.

"Why, then?" he asked. "You've spoken to him about me; why would he do this?"

[oranje_windmill]

Willem let out a long breath when the Norwegian sat down. He sat opposite, grateful the man at least somewhat believed him.

When Sindre asked his question, the Dutchman shook his head.

"I have no idea, honestly. Talking to him right after was the first time I became aware anything had changed."

He looked at Sindre across the table.

"I'm assuming that you talked to him no more then a few days after our conversation?"

[talks_to_nisse]

"The day after," Sindre confirmed. "I went over, he pulled me into looking at apartment ads, I told him...and he got angry. He seemed tense while we were going through the ads, but other than that, I have no idea what set him off."

Sindre fiddled with his water glass, debating whether to ask his next question. It wasn't that he didn't believe Wilm, but he didn't want to believe Søren would break off contact with him over nothing.

"Are you sure there wasn't anything? Even unrelated--anything that might have caused him to be upset beforehand?"

[oranje_windmill]

Willem shrugged.

"If there is, he didn't bother to tell me. I was as surprised as any one else, and even more so to find out he was mad at you."

Conversation was interrupted then by an approaching waiter, who wanted to know what the two men wanted to drink.

[talks_to_nisse]

Ordering, Sindre waited until the waiter was out of earshot before speaking again.

"I'm...glad, that you didn't give me bad information on purpose. For any reason."

[oranje_windmill]

Willem's expression turned a bit serious then, and when he looked Sindre in the eyes again as he spoke.

"Something to know in the future. I pride myself on the fact that people know they can trust my word. And I don't screw over friends."

[talks_to_nisse]

Sindre held Wilm's gaze as long as he could, but he did have to drop it. That was something he probably should have been able to take on faith about the other man.

"I'm sorry for thinking that. I just...I'm sorry," he finished a bit lamely.

[oranje_windmill]

Willem realized he was probably being a bit harsh, but he couldn't help it. The strength of his word and his loyalty to his friends were things he prided himself on, and having that called into question stung. Still, he was forced to admit he might have challenged someone else about it had he been on Sindre's end of things.

"And I'm sorry you got hurt by all this."

Taking a deep breath, he picked up his menu and began scanning the contents.

"Since we're here we might as well get something to eat. Do you know what's good here?"

[talks_to_nisse]

"Thanks..." Sindre said, ducking behind his menu. He was not ashamed, in this moment, to take the low road.

"I like their empanadas," he suggested. Truthfully, he hadn't eaten at Dos Llamas frequently, but they were normally fairly good.

They lapsed into silence once again, as Sindre floundered for anything to say. "How have you been?" he asked, unable to come up with anything better.