So Be It // o. maatta

Chapter Seventy-Eight

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Alex's POV

I laid in bed, snuggled under layers of blankets, the blue glow of my laptop illuminating my bunker of a room. By now, Molly was practically living with Dylan, so I always got the place to myself, which was honestly so fucking refreshing. Especially on days like those.

It was the semifinal of the Olympics, and Finland was playing Sweden. The winner advanced to the gold medal game versus the Canada/USA winner, while the loser battled the Canada/USA loser for bronze. You could say I was a ball of nerves.

Besides the perpetual nausea, I also had to deal with the time. The game started at seven in the morning in Pittsburgh, so I had to get up and hour and a half earlier than I normally would have. It was worth it, though.

I buried my body down, into the mattress, pulling my Suomi sweatshirt sleeves down, over my hands. God, even with the heat turned all the way up, it was freezing.

Just as the NBC coverage was cutting away to commercial, there was a knock at my door. I moaned, bitter that I had to get out of bed. I was just starting to warm up...

Pushing my laptop off my hips, I sat up. I pulled my black leggings down, so my ankles weren't poking out at the bottom, and meandered to the door. It was probably just Molly forgetting her key, or something.

I was quite surprised when I opened the door, and Sunshine pushed past me, immediately tossing his body in Molly's bed, like he owned the place. "I have to ask you something." He proclaimed.

"What?" I wined, shutting the door gently, and crawling back to my alcove.

"Since Olli's gone, over in Sochi, do you guys have kinky phone sex?"

I dropped my chin to my chest, in pure disgust, thinking for a moment, before rolling my head 90 degrees, so I faced him. "You're a dirtbag. And not even a cool, teenage one."

"I'll take that as a yes?"

My eyes narrowed. "Whether or not my fiancé and I are having kinky phone sex is none of your business."

"I'm just trying to write a speech for your wedding. And it'd be funny if I included something about filthy phone sex."

I turned my attention back to the game, since play had just resumed. "Why don't you talk about your's and Rob's kinky phone sex, instead?" I suggested.

I wasn't paying attention to him, but I could tell from the silence that Beau was pissed. This amused me. Beau was a great guy, and I loved him like a brother, but it was just genuinely enjoyable to push his buttons; he had so many.

"I don't approve of your insinuation that I'm gay."

"I don't approve of your insinuation that I'm a whore." I replied, keeping my eyes on the screen. Just four minutes remained in the game.

He sighed, loudly, rising from the bed. "I've got to go pick Rob up from the airport."

"Ooooohhh!" I cooed, like I was back in seventh grade.

"Fuck off, Alex." He spat, opening the door, and pulling it shut behind him.

I kinda half-smiled. I hated, yet loved that dick, all at once.

I watched my Mac's screen intensely as the clock ticked down to its few remaining seconds. My expression dropped as I saw the clock hit zero.

Fucking Sweden.

I sighed, overwhelmingly disappointed. I knew Olli wanted gold so bad, but now the best he could get was bronze...I mean, I was proud of him either way, but he wanted gold so bad....

I rolled over, and buried my face into my pillow, trying to slip back into slumber. I had an extra hour until I needed to be up, getting ready.

I cuddled with my blankets up, right around my neck, and was on the verge of sleep, when my phone chirped from until my pillow. I groaned, but grabbed it nonetheless.

A text from Olli popped across the screen.

'Can we talk?'

Instantly, I felt more alert. Thumbing out a text:

'Of course.'

Within seconds, my phone blared Olli's special ringtone; Yellow, by Coldplay.

"Hello?" I answered, pushing the phone to my ear.

"Alex, baby." He croaked. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" I asked, concerned.

"That I couldn't win you gold. I mean-" His voice cracked. "Bronze is nothing compared to gold, and I fucked up, Alex, and I'm sorry." The poor thing was hysterical on the other end.

"Oh, Olli, baby, don't say you're a fuck up. Hun, you're at the goddamn Olympics. You're playing in the bronze medal game. Honey, it may not be the one you had your sights set on, but I know you're going to come back home with a medal."

"What about Jussi and Amelia?" He rasped. "They'll forever know their dad as the guy that couldn't win gol-"

"Olli Maatta." I stated, as firmly as I could. "Jussi and Amelia are going to have the best goddamn father they could possibly get. They won't think of their father as the guy who couldn't seal the deal, but as the guy who went to the Olympics at nineteen and won a medal. Olli baby, you're so accomplished already. Each day I grow more proud of you, you can't even comprehend it."

He choked out a sob.

"Where are you?" I asked, gently.

"In a washroom stall."

"You're in a public bathroom?"

"Yeah." He mumbled.

I felt so bad for him. He was entirely too hard on himself; thought he was the cause of every loss. There were lots of devastating things in the world, but seeing someone so beautiful, someone so talented be so hard on themselves was at the top of the list of most heart-shattering.

"Olli, I wish I could be there to comfort you. I truly do." I whispered. "But you know I can't. I can only comfort you from my dorm. And even though we can't see each other, you know how much I hate it when you're upset. Please stop crying, or I'll start crying too."

"Don't cry!" He automatically murmured.

"Then don't you cry, either. I love you, and I'm proud of you no matter what happens. I've been so madly, and passionately in love with you since I met you, and that'll never change. You're everything I want; everything I need, okay, Olli? And if you don't win a medal, that won't change a thing."

He stifled another sob, before sniffing, like he was trying to compose himself. "I love you too, hun. I love you so much. I can't wait until the wedding."

"Neither can I, baby."

We carried on like this, crooning sweet nothings for ten minutes, trying to calm the other down, before I admitted, "Olli, I'm really tired, sweetie can we talk later?"

"Of course." His accent sounded so thick. It always came across thicker on the phone. "But uh, Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you uh, not end the call? Like just, lay the phone next to your pillow? I kinda want to hear you breathe, as you fall asleep. It'd make me feel like I was back, with you, and not continents away..."

Internally, I 'awed' his level of adorableness. "Yeah, sweetie. And don't worry, you'll be back soon."

"But I still miss you so much..."

"I miss you too, darling. But you need to be strong. Be strong for me, okay?"

"I'll be strong for you." He agreed, softly.

"Good. Now, I'm going to lay the phone down. I love you, and I'm incredibly proud of you, Olli."

"I love you too, Alexandra." His voice whispered.

And that was the last thing I heard before I laid the phone down, and allowed sleep to whisk me away.