5th September, 1988
Pelle and Marlene sat in the park for nearly an hour without speaking to each other. Dinner had finished, so Marlene dropped Dad and Mum off at their hotel. Before going back to the house, Pelle tried to jump out of the car which prompted them to stop and just sit in the park. The dinner hadn't been bad for Marlene, but Pelle was not having any of it.
If she had to choose a word; drained. Without Pelle to bounce conversation off of, Marlene had to converse with her parents head on. By the Jesus, that was a tiring affair. Mum was a major nitpicker, and Dad just always tried to fill silences.
"I wonder where Anders is," Pelle whispered, his voice hoarse and coarse. Marlene turned her head slowly to look at her twin, eyes ripped away from the starry night sky above them. Pelle was staring at her. Normal people would be unnerved by Pelle's wide eyed stare, but Marlene was unmoved.
"Staying with the grandparents. I asked on the car ride over." With that, Marlene turned her head back up to gaze at the infinite abyss of space. Then a star, running across the darkness caught Marlene's eye. She smiled and nudged her brother, pointing to the star. "Make a wish, Pelle."
"I wish to see the year 2000."
"You can't say it out loud or it won't come true," Marlene laughed. Pelle smiled and the twins looked at each other, the same tired eyes and weak smiles.
"That's the point."
Marlene snorted and shoved him. Pelle chuckled and put his arm around his sister. She leaned into him, surprisingly warm and comfortable. Pelle was known for being one cold motherfucker, but temperature wise, the man was usually running on hot.
They watched the stars appear for another few minutes before they left their comfortable bench. Returning to the car and starting it, Marlene threw a random tape from the backseat into her tape-deck. Motley Crue began blaring out of the speakers, making Marlene's face go bright red. Pelle turned to her, broad, surprised smile on his face.
"I thought you didn't like metal?"
"Shove it. Glam metal doesn't count." Marlene turned up the volume, driving off at he same time.
Pelle would never admit it, but he liked Motley Crue. He and Marlene bonded over it when they were younger, then Marlene started hating metal. She thought it was why Pelle got so dark so quickly. Later, she realized you can't blame music for the blades that roamed her brother's skin every night. Marlene only came to that conclusion because she, herself, had a myriad of scars on her thighs. The old ones were silver now, the newer ones still an angry red (purple in a really hot shower).
No talking took place, except for insults, for the car ride back. The twins were too busy singing their lungs out. Pelle couldn't actually sing, he just knew how to make his voice all scratchy. Marlene found it fucking hilarious.
Marlene was so tired she felt like she was nodding out behind the wheel. By the time they reached the house, both twins were walking like corpses to the house, the last of their energy spent in the car. Marlene was probably feeling as tired as when she was writing her final AP exams. Now that was fucking exhausting.
The elder twin opened the front door and they walked in. Pelle locked it behind him. Marlene kissed his cheek before he retreated up the stairs, no doubt to sleep for 15 hours. Oystein was such a bitch when Pelle didn't feel like rehearsing. Marlene always defended her brother, but sometimes Oystein was right. So she'd go to his room and sit with him till he felt like getting up. It was like Pelle took his energy and will to live from Marlene.
"Lena?" Oystein's soft voice called out. A soft smile appeared on Marlene's face as she walked to up the stairs and to Oystein's bedroom.
Oystein was sat up, bedsheets around his waist and his chest bare. He looked like he was just about to drift off into sleep before he heard the twins push through the door. He smiled at her and Marlene smiled back, flopping on the bed beside him. Oystein rubbed her back lightly.
"How was it?"
"Good food. I got a chicken parm. Pelle got steak tartar, because he's gross," Marlene told Oystein, her words muffled. The black haired man chuckled lowly. Marlene turned over and sat up, matching her friend.
Without a word, Marlene took off the silver cross. She pulled the charm of the cross off the chain and threw it into the wooden wall like a throwing star. The cross stuck, sticking out of the wall like a cross in Flanders' Fields. Oystein's eyebrows shot up. "Wow."
"Practice, my love. I'm stealing some clothes, I want to get out of this fucking nun habit," Marlene announced, standing up.
With steady footing, Marlene walked over to Oystein's dresser. She opened it and a wave of fresh linen hit her. It wasn't as if the clothes were especially clean, the house was just especially dirty. The cleanliness was nice but foreign.
Marlene pulled out a random t-shirt and inhaled it deeply. She sighed happily then got out a pair of jogging pants from another drawer. Without a second thought, she stripped down to just the blue bra she put on this morning and her lace underwear that had cats on them. Oystein stifled a laugh from the bed, resulting in Marlene flipping him off before pulling on his clothes.
"You look really good in my clothes," he told her as she crawled into the spot beside him.
"Shh. Sleep time."
Oystein just chuckled and shook his head. He lay down beside her, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her close, putting the two into a spooning position. Oystein peppered her shoulders and collarbone with soft kisses. Marlene smiled and hummed. "You sure you wanna sleep?"
"100%. I've got class in 12 hours and I'm tired enough to sleep for 13."
"Alright, Lena. Goodnight," Oystein chortled. Marlene turned around and kissed him softly. Just as it was getting a bit heated, Marlene broke apart, turning back around.
"Night."
*
Nights were always cold. If you moved a milometer, the sheets to wherever you just moved would be ice cold, waking you up instantly. It didn't help that the house was made basically of just wood with little insulation. How Oystein slept in a t-shirt was beyond Marlene. She resolved to buy a massively thick blanket for the next time she slept over.
The sun came up at around 7, casting luminous rays of golden light over Marlene and Oystein's faces. Marlene had slept as light as a cat for years and years, so the bright light woke her up instantly. Her eyes pulled open; slow at first, then she got used to the light. Marlene looked around the room for a second.
It was the first time she'd seen Oystein's room during the day.
There were two guitars on stands in the corner of the room, clothes everywhere, and all the furniture was light oak. Oystein's bedsheets were a light blue with a navy blue comforter, which made Marlene smile. Even Euronymous likes blue.
Too cold was the room so Marlene just closed her eyes and snuggled into the sheets further. Behind her, what she thought were sheets, moved closer to her. Oystein's long, pale arm reached over and held her waist, his bare hand finding the one spot of her exposed stomach. Marlene smiled.
But then she got to thinking. That was never good.
Oystein could ignore her in front of their friends, treat her like one of the boys, but as soon as there's nothing to prove, he's suddenly the softest boyfriend in the world? It's not like Jan, Pelle and Jorn didn't know. They knew because Marlene told them. Otherwise, they'd think the night of the party was a one-off. But Oystein didn't have to prove Marlene had a boyfriend to her parents. He didn't have to prove anything to her.
"I can smell the rubber burning. What're you thinking about?" Oystein rasped with a light air to his words. Marlene smiled and put her hand atop his hand on her stomach, lacing their fingers together.
"You."
"I'm amazing, I know," Oystein chuckled, placing a wet kiss to Marlene's neck. He playfully bit her neck, sure to leave just the tiniest little mark just behind her ear. Marlene giggled and flipped over. Oystein smiled down at her and began to comb his fingers through her hair. "What about me's got your mind wandering, Babe?"
"Random person walks up to us on the street. They say 'What's she to you', what do you respond?" Marlene quizzed. Oystein's eyebrows furrowed and his hand movements stuttered for a second. "I don't care what your answer is, I just want to know."
"I'd tell them you're my girlfriend."
"And if Jan asked you what I am to you?" Oystein paused for a second. Marlene held his pale blue eyes with her own, knowing the answer without him even having to say it. She smiled, putting her slender arm around Oystein's waist, under his arm. "Metal dudes aren't allowed to have personal connections with anybody."
"Lena, you know it's just for the look-"
"Oystein, love, I get it. I don't really give a fuck, I was just asking." Marlene was being genuine. Her kind eyes told Oystein that, however his lips pulled into a deep frown. Indeed, it did sting a little, but with time the sting would go away - or Oystein would make it official. Marlene gave him a smile and chaste kiss. "I'm making breakfast."
Oystein nodded, promptly slumping on his back with his arm over his eyes. Marlene got out of bed, joints popping and bones creaking. She stole the pack of cigarettes off the bedside table then left the room, closing the door after her.
As she walked by Pelle's room, she backtracked. Softly, Marlene knocked on the wooden door and pushed it open with a creak. Pelle's coffin was sealed. Marlene just smiled.
Without a word leaving her lips, nor one noise made save for the floorboards, Marlene pushed open the lid of the coffin. Pelle's bright blue eyes were wide open, given he slept with his eyes open, and his blond hair splayed across the pillow beneath him. Marlene crouched to the ground and began to stroke her brother's scarred arm.
"You'll never leave me, right?"
"Jesus H. Christ!" Marlene nearly jumped a hundred feet. Pelle chuckled, finally looking at his sister with her hand over her chest and breathing ragged. Marlene growled and smacked him. "You motherfucker. I thought you were asleep."
"I know," Pelle replied calmly, his voice melancholy but soft. Marlene regained her composure and began to stroke Pelle's arm once again. "Answer the question."
"Sorry, my fucking soul left my body when you asked. Repeat it?" Pelle just laughed at the request. His eyes wandered his sister's face. Marlene shook her head.
Finally, Pelle repeated himself. "You'll never leave me, right?"
"Pelle, you're my twin brother. I'm contractually obligated to constantly be by your side," Marlene chuckled. "Don't you remember the promise we made in the womb?"
Pelle shook his head, his lips returning to a frown. Everyone was frowning around Marlene today and she didn't like it one bit. Marlene liked happy people, laughing people. She loved dancing people, even if it was to that God awful disco music. She loved singing people, even if it was a ballad on karaoke night. Marlene just liked when people were taken by bliss. Alas, this morning would not be a morning of bliss.
"I'm serious."
Saddened by the lack of happiness that was surrounding her that day, Marlene was silent. For once, the verbose Marlene Ohlin was quiet. She just let the warmth of Pelle's skin under her fingertips fill her up. In the moment, Marlene was stealing her energy away from her brother. To be fair, she was probably stealing back the energy he'd already stolen from her.
Marlene forced a smile. "Pelle, I wouldn't leave you if there were a gun to my head. The Oldest Ohlins will go on till we die."
The Oldest Ohlins was what Pelle and Marlene were labelled by teachers. They looked extremely close to Anders, and so secondary school teachers called the twins that. Filled with a hopefully fond memory, Pelle cracked a small smile. His eyes found Marlene's.
"So why Euronymous?"
"He's got a cute ass."
"Marlene."
"He's sweet. And charming. A bit of a prick, but not to me - and that's the important part," Marlene sighed. The older twin sighed and nodded. "If me seeing Oystein upsets you this much, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Pelle's face went serious. "Break up with him."
Knots tied in Marlene's stomach. She was just starting to really like Oystein. It was almost a choice. Her brother's extremely limited happiness, or her own happiness. When put like that, it didn't seem like much of a choice at all, did it? Marlene knew who she'd choose every single time.
"Then break up with him, I shall." Pelle's face relaxed and the muscle in his forearm followed suit. Marlene's nose started to tingle, which made her feel like crying was just the next step. So she stood up, put on a brave face and smiled. "Breakfast is in 20. I'm making eggs and toast."
***
a/n: it's been a hot sec. sorry. wrote most of this at 2 am on a school night so enjoy the fruit of my labour. fuck all of you :)