Love in Theory and Practice

Aftermath

I wanted to say something, from explaining why I was in that apartment to the perils of drinking too much alcohol to how this could destroy his health. But I kept my mouth shut, wisely deeming the topic to be unwelcome for someone who just wake up and suffering from a hangover. My experiences with Erin seemed to be useful, after all.

Ville, on the other hand, alternated between studying me and his room. I could see on his face he was trying to remember with difficulty what happened last night. His expressions were surprisingly easy to read; it changed from confusion to disbelief to guilt as his gaze finally landed on me. I offered him a reassuring smile, or at least I tried. It came out as a grimace halfway through, when I remembered how his face hit the floor the night before.

"We didn't... tell me that we didn't.... last night...", I heard him say under his breath. He was looking everywhere but me, looking upset and disappointed about something.

"Ah, no?", I offered, not sure what he meant. These artsy people were so hard to read.

"No?", he echoed back in relief, his voice deep and a bit hoarse. He looked back at me hopefully, for what I don't know.

"Let's go with no". I absolutely had no idea what we were discussing but it seemed to be the correct answer to whatever burning question he had as he looked more dishevelled than upset.

He released an audible sigh of relief and tried to move to a more comfortable sitting position with this long legs stretched in front of him and back against the wall, wincing all the way. With that copius amount of alcohol he threw up, its a wonder he could move at all. But then again, Finns and alcohol.

He eyed me a less warily now, particulary looking as disturbed as he should be with a stranger in his apartment. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name the last time", he said while reaching for his pack of ciggies.

"Weil. Dr. Weil"

"Doctor?", he asked. He lit one before offering me some.

"Not the medical kind"

"I see."

Silence.

"I found you passed out in the hall- " "Are you some sort of -"

"You go first", he offered with a hint of amusement, his mouth in a loopsided grin.

"Okay, well I found you passed out in the hall.  I tried to wake you up but you won't budge. So I had to drag you inside your... " I gestured the room with my hand. "It's getting too cold out". No need to mention the weird name calling and the accidental floor kissing on his part.

He was about to put the cigarette in his mouth but his hand froze midway. "Wait, what are you doing in this building?", he asked suspiciously.

"I live here too. I mean, the apartment just across the hall. Your parents - Anita and Kari - were kind enough to help me find a place".

"I see".

No follow up questions nor comments after that. He just continued sitting there, smoking and looking at the wall across him. I just sat there at the floor, waiting for a hint of appreciation for helping him out and holding his hair back while he expelled all the ghastly contents of his stomach. So much for niceties. But then again, the Valo spawn didn't come across as a nice person anyway.

I looked at my watch and ran my Saturday schedule in my head. Time to solve the mysteries of the universe again.

"Well, this was nice. I gotta, ya know, go" I quickly mumbled as I stood up and stumbled towards the door.

"Wait."

"Yes?", I glanced back and saw him standing too, a safe few feet away from me. He let out an audible sigh and looked at me with... understanding?

"Look, sweetheart", he said, his voice resigned. "Do you want an autograph or a picture, perhaps?". He was holding a pen in his right hand.

"Autograph? Picture? Of what?"

"Isn't it what all this is about?", he asked genuinely confused. "The dinner with my parents, the unfortunate incident at my house, the one in the hospital..."

I felt my cheeks heat up in embarassment.

"I truly appreciate your support with our music and the band, but please do respect my privacy," he continued. "I am flattered that you would go to such lengths. But these attempts, they became intrusive and unsettling."

Huh?

He quickly added, "There is nothing wrong with idolizing someone or in being a fan. Hell, I certainly am one. At some point in our lives,  it can become some sort of escapism as well. But pretending to be someone else, a doctor at that, does not seemed to be..."

I was speechless but it didn't last long. I didn't hear the rest of the words spewing from his mouth as my ears tuned out everything after hearing the implied condescension.

I faced him and with as much coldness I could muster:" You know what, I understand how you could mistake me for - what you called it? - a fan, seeing I'm a stranger and have no business being here in your apartment . But I assure you, I have no interest in you nor your music - which I never even heard of by the way. I was minding my own business and happen to owe your parents a lot which is why I helped you in the first place. To be pretend to be a doctor? How ridiculous! For your information, I got my two PHDs before I even turned 20 and I am a published theoretical physicist. So again, I have much better things to do which actually matters in the real world, unlike whatever it is you do here!"

He looked dumbfounded at first with my angry tirade but his expression turned dark as he processed my words in his headache ridden head. I didn't wait for his comeback though and turned to walk away. "Hold it right there! That was uncalled for -", he started hotly but I was already out of his apartment and halfway to mine. Thankfully he didn't follow me out.

"A thank you would have been nice!" I yelled from the safety confines of my door as an afterthought before slamming it behind me.

A wave of exhaustion washed through me as soon as the door closed. Coupled with my highly strung nerves and the fading effects of adrenaline, I half stumbled half crawled to my room.

He really got such beatiful eyes.

I was already asleep before my face could even hit the pillows.