Work Text:
Arttu stared down at the twenty-cent coin in his hand, raising an eyebrow. Johnny had given it to him at a party last night, and said it was bewitched. Allegedly, if he were in the presence of someone who had romantic feelings for him, the coin would glow blue.
He had to have been joking, right? Arttu thought, rolling his eyes as he glanced out the bus window. I was drunk, and whining about not being able to find a boyfriend. So, he was probably just making fun of me.
Then again, Johnny claimed to be a witch. He kept crystals and tarot cards in his house, and had a lucrative side hustle as a palm reader.
But, none of that Wicca stuff is real, Arttu thought rationally. He’s just fleecing gullible people out of their money.
The bus arrived at his stop, and Arttu pocketed the coin. He disembarked and began trudging home, through the snow.
“Hey!” a familiar voice called.
Arttu glanced up, and saw Mirko standing there, on the front steps of his building.
“What are you doing here?” Arttu asked curiously.
“I was bored,” Mirko laughed, “and so I decided to pay you a surprise visit. Is that okay?”
“Of course it’s okay,” Arttu smiled. They had been friends for over a decade. He had long since gotten used to his bandmate showing up unannounced. If most people did that, it would be annoying. But, Mirko never seemed to drain his social batteries like other people did.
“Do you still have that beer in your fridge, that we drank last time?” Mirko wondered hopefully.
“Yeah,” Arttu nodded, fishing for his keys in his coat pocket. “You can have some while we watch the hockey game.”
“Oh, is JYP playing tonight?” Mirko asked.
“Yeah, against HIFK,” Arttu nodded. Damn it. Where were those keys?
“…Whoa,” Mirko gasped suddenly.
“What’s the matter?” Arttu asked, glancing up from the pockets he’d been digging around in.
“Your ass is glowing,” Mirko said, eyes wide.
“My what is what ?” Arttu replied, bewildered. And then he saw it. A faint blue light, was emanating from the backside pocket of his jeans.
No way, he realized, eyes widening as he pulled the gold coin out of his pocket. Had Johnny been telling the truth?!
“Where did you get a glow-in-the-dark coin from?” Mirko asked, not understanding what this meant.
It means he’s in love with me, Arttu reddened, eyes widening in shock. No. That can’t be right.
If Mirko really had feelings for him, why wouldn’t he have acted on them by now? It didn’t make sense.
But what if it was true? Arttu wondered. Mirko was certainly handsome, and Arttu couldn’t pretend he’d never fantasized about touching him. But, if the coin was some sort of trick, then telling Mirko he wanted to fool around, might ruin their friendship.
And did he actually want anything more from Mirko, than that physical gratification? He wasn’t sure. He’d always assumed Mirko was straight, so he’d never allowed himself to think about it too hard. Letting himself develop a crush on someone who preferred women, would only lead to heartbreak.
But, the coin was telling him that Mirko was interested. Not only in men, but in him , specifically.
“…Arttu?” Mirko blinked, confused. “Is everything alright?”
Arttu felt the keys he’d been looking for, in his pants pocket. He should let Mirko and himself inside. It was stupid and irrational, to keep standing out there in the cold. And yet…
“Arttu, why is that coin glowing?” Mirko asked.
And Arttu found that he simply couldn’t answer.
“I…I have to go,” he stammered, and turned away.
“But…this is where you live,” Mirko replied, baffled. “Where are you going?”
“I said I have to go!” Arttu repeated cryptically, and started running.
%%%%%%
He was out of breath, when he got to Johnny’s place.
“Open up!” he cried, pounding on the door.
“…Hello to you, too, Arttu,” Johnny replied, rolling his eyes, as the door swung open. “What’s the matter?”
“Your stupid coin is the matter!” Arttu cried, as he stepped into Johnny’s kitchen, and shrugged his coat off. “It didn’t stop glowing, until I was twenty meters down the street from Mirko!”
“So, Mirko loves you,” Johnny smirked, shutting the door behind him, and sitting down at the table. “That’s great. I kind of expected it.”
“Well, I sure fucking didn’t,” Arttu snapped. “Are you trying to say that this coin is for real, then? It’s not just some prank you came up with, to screw with me?”
“Arttu, why would I do that?” Johnny asked, his smile vanishing. “You seemed genuinely depressed last night, about being single for such a long time. So, I used my powers, to enchant that coin, and help you find someone.”
“You don’t have powers ,” Arttu scoffed skeptically.
“I do,” Johnny insisted. “I’m a witch.”
“Witches aren’t real,” Arttu shook his head. He was a lifelong atheist, and it had puzzled him a great deal, when Johnny started hanging out in neopagan circles. How could anyone actually believe in magic?
“The coin is real,” Johnny said certainly. “And I can prove it. Middy, come here, please!”
Arttu heard the sound of the bedroom door opening.
“Hey,” Middy waved, blushing slightly. He was half-dressed, and his nipple ring glinted in the candlelight. “What’s up?”
“I’m sorry,” Arttu reddened. “I didn’t realize your boyfriend was here tonight.”
“It’s alright,” Johnny shrugged. “The last time someone came knocking on my door in the middle of the night, it was a life or death situation. So, I wanted to make sure you were alright, before I sent you packing.”
“Is Arttu hurt?” Middy asked, looking concerned.
“No, babe,” Johnny shook his head. “I gave him this coin yesterday. It glows when the person holding it is standing next to someone that loves them.”
“That’s a neat trick,” Middy said, impressed.
“Hand me the coin, Arttu,” Johnny instructed, holding out his large hand.
Arttu hesitantly placed the coin in Johnny’s palm.
Johnny slung an arm around Middy’s tiny shoulders, and instantly, the coin glowed a bright and brilliant blue.
“I love you, Johnny,” Middy smiled.
“I know you do,” Johnny smirked, leaning down to give Middy a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, too.”
“So…the coin is for real, then?” Arrtu realized, embarrassed by his friends’ public display of affection.
“Yeah,” Johnny laughed, handing the coin back. “I guess Mirko’s really into you.”
“The coin glowed, when he was with Mirko?” Middy guessed.
“I-It did,” Arttu blushed.
“And what did you tell him, when he saw it glowing?” Johnny asked.
“I didn’t tell him anything,” Arttu confessed. “I just ran over here.”
“Are you not interested in Mirko at all?” Middy asked, looking as if he didn’t believe it.
“I mean…he’s good-looking,” Arttu shrugged. “But how do I know if I love him, or not?”
“That’s not a question I can answer for you,” Johnny said seriously. “Why don’t you just take him out on a date, and see what happens?”
“But, if I’m wrong about how I feel,” Arttu hesitated, “And I don’t really love him, then I would just be using him. I’ll end up breaking his heart.”
“I mean, you seem like you love him,” Middy shrugged.
“What?” Arttu blinked nervously. “How so?”
“You’re usually so grumpy,” Johnny teased, “But, when he walks into a room, your whole face lights up.”
“No, it doesn’t!” Arttu quickly denied it.
“I think you’ve been repressing your feelings for a long time,” Middy said softly. “I was the same way. For years, I was so certain that Johnny would never like me back. So, I never said anything to him about my feelings. I almost convinced myself that those feelings weren’t there at all.”
“But they were there,” Arttu nodded, understanding. “And he does like you back.”
“And you know for certain that Mirko likes you!” Middy encouraged him. “So, just make a move on him! Nobody is saying that you have to get married, or anything. Just ask him out, and see where it goes.”
Arttu imagined it for a moment. Marrying Mirko. Wearing matching suits, and matching rings, the same shimmering golden color as the coin in his hand.
He realized, shocked, that he actually liked this mental image very much.
“So, go get your guy,” Johnny grinned. “I want to see you two be happy together.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it,” Johnny said, standing up.
Arttu’s jaw dropped, when he peered around the corner, and saw none other than Mirko standing there, on Johnny’s doorstep.
“Johnny, have you seen Arttu?” Mirko asked, looking worried. “We were standing outside his place, talking, and suddenly he took off running, and..,”
“I’m right here,” Arttu said, stepping out of the kitchen and revealing himself.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Mirko cried, impulsively pulling Arttu into his arms. “I thought you’d gone crazy or something.”
Maybe I am crazy, Arttu considered. And then, even with his two friends standing there watching, he boldly kissed Mirko on the mouth.
“What…What are you doing?” Mirko gasped. But, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he leaned in, close enough that their noses were touching, like he was hoping Arttu would do it again.
“Something I should’ve done a long time ago,” Arttu smiled, connecting their lips once more. Mirko tasted like cigarettes, and yet still somehow so sweet. “Will you be mine?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”