at work or at the sports centre.
Karina fixed him with another hard stare. "Do it."
Karina was a force to be reckoned with and Jørgen sighed in defeat. "I will. Sometime. Maybe."
"Soon, Jørgen." Karina started for the door. "Do it soon. Who knows, tourist season is coming up and maybe someone will sweep in and steal him from right under your nose."
Jørgen's head snapped up. She had a very good point. How often had he had flings with tourists? He'd had one last summer, and the summer before, with either gay or bisexual men. Out or closeted. It hadn't mattered which, because the fling had only lasted for the short period they'd been on Svalbard.
The thought of someone else hooking up with Frey... Jørgen didn't think it was likely, with how scared Frey always seemed to be of everything, but there was still a possibility. So Jørgen had to man up and do it. It was a simple question. If Frey was straight or not interested, that would be it, but then at least Jørgen would know.
But it was easier said than done.
*~*~*
Instead of showering at the sports centre, Jørgen and Karina opted to jog home. Both had their bags on their backs as they set a steady pace down Street 100 towards the town centre. Longyearbyen was still blanketed in snow, but the roads were ploughed. They both wore pull-on trousers and jackets over their shorts, because it was too cold to be outside without, even when they were jogging.
They didn't talk, just jogged in comfortable silence. They passed Jørgen's house and continued down Street 500. Jogging into the centre of the settlement, they swung to the parallel street and continued further down it before swinging into Street 234, which lay opposite the Spitsbergen travel agency. They were nearing the crossroads where they would have to turn right when Jørgen saw him.
Jørgen stopped in his tracks. He watched as Frey exited a door holding a rubbish bag in each arm. A small white and brown puppy ran after him, circling around his legs. Jørgen started towards him. He didn't know why, it was the opposite way of where he was originally going.
Frey didn't notice him. He was busy holding the two bags, which looked rather heavy, and looking at the dog that half-ran around his feet. It looked precarious and Jørgen quickened his pace.
It happened in a blink of an eye. Jørgen couldn't tell if it was on the dog or the ice, but Frey lost his balance and crashed to the ground.
Jørgen ran the last distance. "Are you ok?"
Frey groaned and pushed himself up on his knees. He grimaced and Jørgen crouched down and took his arm. Frey flinched at the touch, but this time Jørgen suspected it was because of pain. He had fallen on that side, so he must've sprained his wrist.
"Does it hurt when I do this?" Jørgen pressed down slightly with his thumbs over Frey's wrist.
Frey flinched again. "Y-yeah."
A small, black dog-nose was thrust in-between them and Jørgen was startled at the cool feel of it against his hand. Then a pink, hot tongue came out and licked him. Jørgen smiled down at the puppy and the big, heterochromic eyes looking back up at him.
Frey carefully plucked his hand out of Jørgen's grip when Jørgen's attention was centred on the dog. "It's just a little sprain, nothing much. I'll just wrap it and it'll be fine," he mumbled.
"Sure?" Jørgen looked up at him worriedly.
Frey nodded. Then he bent down and scooped the dog up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trip on you," he whispered to the dog, petting it lightly. The puppy licked his ear excitedly in return.
Jørgen was aware of Karina standing on the road, arms crossed and a foot tapping impatiently, but he ignored her for now. Instead he retrieved the two bags from the ground and threw them into the rubbish, then turned back to Frey and reached out to pet the puppy. "He's cute. What's his name?"
"Kosmo," Frey replied in a low voice. "His name's Kosmo."
"Cool name." Jørgen patted the pup on the head a moment more, then became aware of the
Karina fixed him with another hard stare. "Do it."
Karina was a force to be reckoned with and Jørgen sighed in defeat. "I will. Sometime. Maybe."
"Soon, Jørgen." Karina started for the door. "Do it soon. Who knows, tourist season is coming up and maybe someone will sweep in and steal him from right under your nose."
Jørgen's head snapped up. She had a very good point. How often had he had flings with tourists? He'd had one last summer, and the summer before, with either gay or bisexual men. Out or closeted. It hadn't mattered which, because the fling had only lasted for the short period they'd been on Svalbard.
The thought of someone else hooking up with Frey... Jørgen didn't think it was likely, with how scared Frey always seemed to be of everything, but there was still a possibility. So Jørgen had to man up and do it. It was a simple question. If Frey was straight or not interested, that would be it, but then at least Jørgen would know.
But it was easier said than done.
*~*~*
Instead of showering at the sports centre, Jørgen and Karina opted to jog home. Both had their bags on their backs as they set a steady pace down Street 100 towards the town centre. Longyearbyen was still blanketed in snow, but the roads were ploughed. They both wore pull-on trousers and jackets over their shorts, because it was too cold to be outside without, even when they were jogging.
They didn't talk, just jogged in comfortable silence. They passed Jørgen's house and continued down Street 500. Jogging into the centre of the settlement, they swung to the parallel street and continued further down it before swinging into Street 234, which lay opposite the Spitsbergen travel agency. They were nearing the crossroads where they would have to turn right when Jørgen saw him.
Jørgen stopped in his tracks. He watched as Frey exited a door holding a rubbish bag in each arm. A small white and brown puppy ran after him, circling around his legs. Jørgen started towards him. He didn't know why, it was the opposite way of where he was originally going.
Frey didn't notice him. He was busy holding the two bags, which looked rather heavy, and looking at the dog that half-ran around his feet. It looked precarious and Jørgen quickened his pace.
It happened in a blink of an eye. Jørgen couldn't tell if it was on the dog or the ice, but Frey lost his balance and crashed to the ground.
Jørgen ran the last distance. "Are you ok?"
Frey groaned and pushed himself up on his knees. He grimaced and Jørgen crouched down and took his arm. Frey flinched at the touch, but this time Jørgen suspected it was because of pain. He had fallen on that side, so he must've sprained his wrist.
"Does it hurt when I do this?" Jørgen pressed down slightly with his thumbs over Frey's wrist.
Frey flinched again. "Y-yeah."
A small, black dog-nose was thrust in-between them and Jørgen was startled at the cool feel of it against his hand. Then a pink, hot tongue came out and licked him. Jørgen smiled down at the puppy and the big, heterochromic eyes looking back up at him.
Frey carefully plucked his hand out of Jørgen's grip when Jørgen's attention was centred on the dog. "It's just a little sprain, nothing much. I'll just wrap it and it'll be fine," he mumbled.
"Sure?" Jørgen looked up at him worriedly.
Frey nodded. Then he bent down and scooped the dog up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trip on you," he whispered to the dog, petting it lightly. The puppy licked his ear excitedly in return.
Jørgen was aware of Karina standing on the road, arms crossed and a foot tapping impatiently, but he ignored her for now. Instead he retrieved the two bags from the ground and threw them into the rubbish, then turned back to Frey and reached out to pet the puppy. "He's cute. What's his name?"
"Kosmo," Frey replied in a low voice. "His name's Kosmo."
"Cool name." Jørgen patted the pup on the head a moment more, then became aware of the
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