Romance and Quidditch | Oliver Wood

Chapter Nine: Hard Talks

 Gustav and Oliver wrote back and forth with each other for five months, telling each other about their lives and beginning to feel closer to each other than they did before. Things weren't awkward at all after that kiss; in fact, everything seemed brighter, at least to Gustav.

 It took time, but Gustav was finally able to convince Oliver to visit him in Stockholm. Gustav wanted him to meet Tommy, Alice, Birgitta and Magnus, his other sisters, and maybe even his father (although Stefan Olsson knew nothing about Oliver yet).

 "Tommy!" Gustav burst into his brother's room, a letter clenched in his hand. "I've done it!"

 "My God, Gustav." Tommy looked up from his typewriter. "What the hell have you done to make you act like this?"

 "Here." Gustav held out the letter triumphantly. "Read that."

 Tommy took it and peered down at it. "Oh. Is Oliver Wood coming to visit?"

 "Yes, he is, and I expect you to be nice to him."

 "Why wouldn't I be nice to him? He sounds great, from what you've said about him. I'm going to be nice to him, Gustav, so you don't have to look at me like that."

 "Well, he is great," Gustav replied. "You'll see, Thomas Olsson."

 Tommy sighed. "All right, but I don't think it's me you'll have to convince. Alice seems pretty skeptical."

 Gustav scoffed. "Alice is skeptical of everything."

 "And then there's Mom," Tommy went on. "She seems worried that you might be throwing into a relationship without really thinking about it first. I heard her saying so to Magnus."

 "So what are you trying to say?"

 "I'm saying that I think it's good Oliver's coming here for a visit. That way, Mom and Magnus and our sisters and maybe Dad and Ingrid can all meet him. If this is serious, he's going to have to meet with your whole family."

 "Of course it's a serious relationship, Tommy. Why would he agree to come all this way to see me and meet my family if it wasn't serious?"

 "Well, you've only seen him in person a handful of times," Tommy pointed out, "During which you kissed once, and you just write to each other the rest of the time. Are you sure he's committed, and that you really are committed?"

 Gustav sighed. "Yes. I'm sure."

 "And what are the two of you going to do together when he gets here? He's not going to be staying here, is he?"

 "No! No, of course not, that would be way too awkward for all of us."

 Tommy raised his eyebrows. "Right. I was just-"

 "No, I know what you're thinking," Gustav snapped. "I'm not going to just throw myself at him because he's interested in me. What you're thinking might not even happen."

 "All right. I was just-"

 "Don't, Tommy. Don't pretend to understand. Of course I've thought about it. Just because you're not interested in sex doesn't mean no one else is."

 Gustav snatched the letter back and stormed out of the room, pulling the door forcefully shut behind him.

 When he had heard his brother's bedroom door slam, Tommy looked to the clock and, seeing what time it was, went to the kitchen to make dinner.

 Tommy thought hard and long while cooking. No, he supposed he couldn't really understand what was going on with his brother. Gustav was so certain he was in love with this man, this handsome English quidditch player whom Tommy had never even met, and he himself had never been through something like that.

 The two brothers had learned to accept themselves and each other many years before. When Gustav knew he was gay, Tommy was the first person he opened up to about it. Tommy, in turn, told him that though it seemed like he was able to be romantically interested in people, he wasn't interested in sex, and didn't think he ever would be.

 To be honest, it was Tommy's own fault he had never been in any kind of romantic relationship. He thought maybe he could have romantic feelings for a woman or a man, but he had never given himself much time to explore that realm of possibility. He had thrown himself into his writing, which he considered the second-most important thing in his life after his family.

 "Gustav!" he called. "I made dinner, if you want any!"

 Tommy had just sat down to eat when he heard his brother's bedroom slowly open and close. Gustav came into the kitchen, an ashamed look on his face.

 "Now, is that the face of a man who's awaiting his true love's arrival?" Tommy asked. It was meant to be teasing, but it sounded a little forced coming out of his mouth.

 "No. This is the face of a man who wasn't fair to his brother," Gustav replied softly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said. Our situations are completely different."

 "That doesn't have to matter, though. I shouldn't have been as judgmental as I was. You were right about me not being able to understand. It's not a bad thing that you're in love. I'm almost forty and I'm still single, so I think that's a bit pathetic. Now, would you stop sulking and eat already? I set out a plate for you, so you better eat it."

 Gustav nodded. "All right." He sat down and picked up his fork. "Tommy...our family's accepted me, right? Mom, Dad, Magnus, Ingrid, our sisters?"

 Tommy smiled. "Gustav, if they couldn't accept you, then they'd be blind not to."

 They both smiled, and just like that, everything they had been worrying about was no longer a trouble, at least not for the rest of the night.