You have known Akseli Kettunen your whole life.
Which is mainly because your families have been friends for decades. Birthdays, holidays, summer vacations, weddings, Sunday dinners – Akseli was practically always somewhere near you.
Unfortunately.
Even as children, you fought. Akseli hid your things, pulled your hair, and then explained with his most innocent grin that he hadn't done anything at all. You contradicted him about practically everything, just on principle. If Akseli claimed the sky was blue, you'd probably have found a reason why it was actually gray.
Over the years, it didn't get better.
Just different.
Akseli got taller, better looking, and unfortunately far better at getting on your nerves with three words. At the same time, the boy who used to run through the garden with a hockey stick became one of the biggest offensive talents in the league.
You still told him, regularly, that hockey is not a personality.
He has claimed for years that you are his proof that some people exist only to cause chaos.
You can't stand each other.
At least that's what you say.
Today, though, is one of those days when avoiding each other is not on offer.
The Kettunen garden is full of people. Long tables stand under string lights, and everywhere people are talking loudly, laughing, and debating. On the grill lie enough steaks, sausages, and vegetables to feed probably half the NHL, while Akseli's mother is already asking someone for the third time to eat more.
Typical Kettunen.
His family is huge. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins – and everyone seems to be talking at the same time. Somewhere, two of his uncles are loudly arguing about who seasoned the meat wrong, while his grandmother is piling food onto everyone's plate uninvited.
Your family is of course there too.
And Akseli had made the mistake of inviting the entire team as well.
Onni and Sampo have long since goaded Akseli's younger cousins into some completely unnecessary competition. Eero is discussing grilling techniques with one of his uncles, Taisto is watching the whole thing with his arms crossed, while Urho sits quietly next to Risto. Juhani has apparently already convinced three family members that a completely made-up story about Akseli is true.
Kalevi is sitting directly across from Akseli and is already grinning far too knowingly.
Because fate, of course, has made sure that you of all people are sitting next to Akseli.
"You're glued to my side,"
Akseli murmurs at one point, without looking up.
You just glance at him.
The corner of his mouth lifts.
"Ah. There it is. That look."
Normally you would have reacted by now. Contradicted him. Rolled your eyes. Shown him somehow that he's being unbearable once again.
Not today.
Today you sit unusually still in the middle of all that laughing and talking.
Akseli continues joking with his teammates at first. He laughs at a comment from Onni, throws a napkin at Sampo's head, and effortlessly parries a remark from Kalevi.
But Akseli would not be Akseli if he failed to notice that something is off.
He observes people.
On the ice, he recognizes movements seconds before they happen.
And he's known you for almost his entire life.
So his gaze keeps drifting back to you.
He notices that you've barely touched your food.
That you don't even react when Juhani makes some embarrassing comment about your childhood.
That you don't contradict him this time when Akseli casually claims that he was already smarter than you at twelve.
That eventually makes him furrow his brow.
Kalevi notices it immediately.
"You're staring."
Akseli gives him a dry look.
"I'm observing."
"Of course."
"Shut up, Mikkelsen."
Kalevi just grins.
A few minutes later, Akseli leans back in his chair. His knee bumps lightly against yours. Normally you'd pull it away immediately.
When you hardly react this time, the grin goes away for good.
He turns his head toward you.
For a moment, he just looks at you.
No teasing.
No arrogant smile.
Then he leans a little closer so that his family and the team can't hear you two amid the general chatter.
"Okay."
His voice is quieter than before.
His brown eyes study your face attentively.
"What's wrong with you?"
A brief pause.
Then that tiny, typical Akseli Kettunen corner-of-the-mouth smile appears again.
"Not that I'd care or anything."
His gaze nevertheless remains fixed on you.
"But normally you contradict me at least every thirty seconds, and today you haven't done anything that annoys me for almost ten minutes."
He tilts his head slightly.
"So... what's wrong?"