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countessofravenclaw · 11 months ago

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A homeland this north, country dear fathers! Part cinco

Winter is the time for holidays, celebrations, and fun. Nina, Gastón, Luna and Matteo receive a wedding invitation to France for the New Years and decide, since they're already going to Europe, why not take everything out of it and take a well-deserved skiing vacation? Simon and Ambar join them and all is set for a relaxing holiday at Finland's northern region called Lapland. A place for speed, reindeer, fun, and dangerous situations... Just kidding, what could possibly go wrong at the winter wonderland? (There is a Finnis Christmas song linked on the title)

Katson taivaan tähtiä ja niiden helminauhaa

“Joo, ja tässä oli kysymys siitä, että potilas on tosi huolissaan tilanteessa, koska on jonkin tason ympäristöinsinööri.”

“Korkea-alainen paikka nuorella miehellä, mutta jos paperit tosissaan Oxfordista on, niin ei ihme kyllä. Eli työ on aikalailla matematiikkaa. Joo ymmärrän ihan täysin.”

Nina raised her eyes from her kindle as she heard the voices from the door. At this point she wished that she understood this language, because she felt like every time doctors or nurses started speaking Finnish to each other, it felt like they were trying to keep something from them. Obviously, maybe they should have made some effort to learn the language before coming to this country, but it happened to be one of the hardest languages in the world, so it would have been impossible.

Were the doctors back already? The last exam had been performed on Gastón about 30-45 minutes ago. He was sleeping at the moment. Nina was glad that he was able to get some rest, even with them needing to wait for the results which would determine the whole future of his career.

Even if Nina mostly cared that he was alive and able to live a normal life, she still knew how big of a blow this would be for him. He had worked so hard, and still struggled with imposter syndrome about it all. He didn’t deserve to lose it and feel like he had always been right about not really deserving the high position he had in the first place.

“Hey.” She gently shook Gastón on the shoulder and he opened his eyes, “I think they’re at the door.”

“Good morning,” an older man walked into the room with the neurologist from before, “I’m Kaarne Pekkanen, the head of neurology here at Lapland.”

“You’re here about the test results?” Nina asked.

“Yes,” The older doctor nodded and the nurse who had come in after them went to adjust Gastón’s bed, so he was more in a sitting up position. “First thing I wanna ask you is that, have you noticed that I’ve been speaking English to you?”

“Uhm,” Gastón answered, and Nina furrowed her brow as well. She hadn’t realized either. “No, not really actually, but I do understand.”

“We’ve lived in England for years,” Nina tried to explain. She did not understand what the doctor was getting at. “It’s automatic.”

“Lo que estamos tratando de decir es algo bueno.” The younger neurologist who had been speaking Spanish before started. “It means that your language comprehension is unaffected, which is a good sign.”

“Let’s just get to the point because I understood that you were worried about this.” The older neurologist continued as he pulled a tablet out. “I have reviewed the new images and the results of all the tests, and I can safely say that I don’t see any signs of dyscalculia or any other learning or comprehensive difficulties.”

“No?” Gastón asked confused.

“No.” The doctor nodded, “Right now, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to keep doing your job. Obviously, if you start exhibiting those kinds of symptoms later in life, then get yourself to a neurologist as soon as possible, but that is not something that will definitely happen. I have to say that you’re extremely lucky. Many people in your position wouldn’t be here to tell the tale or be able to live a normal life.”

“But I still don’t remember what happened.” Gastón stated.

“Loss of the short-term memories that directly predate the impact is very common. The patients that regain them often do so in about 24 to 48 hours after the impact, but there are some cases where the memories resurface months later. But the longer it takes, the more unlikely it becomes, but there is nothing to worry about. You have not exhibited any other difficulties with forming memories or recalling them.”

“Okay.” Nina saw Gastón nod.

“That being said,” The doctor continued, “You have a long road ahead of you. You have suffered a high-grade concussion, recovering from which will take time. We're gonna keep you here under observation to make sure your brain won’t start to bleed or swell. You will experience strong migraines, tunnel vision and vision blurriness. The physical therapist will come and see you today to make sure your movements are alright.

“Thank you.” Nina squeezed Gastón’s hands as the doctor’s left the room. “See, you’re okay.”

“Well, not exactly okay,” Gastón shook his head as he breathed, “But I take it.”

“Hey, how is it going in here?” Matteo and Luna walked through the door 30 minutes later.

“I guess a little better,” Gastón answered, “I’m not feeling great, but at least I don’t need to go on disability retirement in my 20s.”

“What?” Matteo asked, confused as he sat down on a chair that was on the other side of the bed.

“They had a momentary suspicion that he might have suffered some damage to the parietal lobe, but in the end the worry was unwarranted,” Nina ruffled some of his hair, “He won’t even have dyslexia. That doesn’t mean though, that you now need to start solving some rational function calculations, just to prove that you can do it.”

“That being said, I’m gonna be stuck here for a while,” Gastón sighed before turning to look at Luna and Matteo. “Now that all of this is settled, can you two tell me what happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Luna questioned.

“No,” Gastón shook his head, “apparently, it’s due to the collision. I might never remember. That’s why you need to tell me.”

“Well, we decided to go down the black slope,” Matteo started, “It was narrow, so we went down on a single line. We stopped about halfway, and after we started moving again you somehow derailed. I wasn’t looking so I didn’t see it…”

“I did,” Luna nodded. “You just all the sudden went straight left and went over the bank to the trench.”

“I found you at the bottom completely unresponsive.” Matteo added. “It was horrible… I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“It wasn’t very great for me either,” Gastón laughed shortly. “How did I go left like that?”

“There probably was some ice on ther—” Matteo started saying but he got interrupted by Nina’s phone ringing.

“Oh noh,” Nina let out of her mouth as she took her phone to her hand and looked at the caller ID.

“What is it?” Gastón looked at her concerned.

“It’s your mother,” Nina showed Gastón her phone screen. Funny story about this whole situation was that Gastón's parents had zero idea that any of this was going on. Telling them hadn’t been on the forefront of Nina’s mind.

“Why is she calling you?” Gastón questioned.

“Your phone is broken,” Matteo interjected, “It got caught between you and the tree in the impact.”

“So, nothing obviously is going through,” Nina noted.

“And Mom is exactly the kind of person who would notice that.” Gastón grimaced again as he closed his eyes for a moment. It was clearly another migraine wave.

“I won’t be able to ignore this,” Nina continued, “What do I say to her? I can’t just lie.”

“I can answer it,” Matteo suggested.

“It will not lessen any suspicions if you answer my phone, while Gastón is not answering at all,” Nina shook her head, “I’ll find some way…”

She got up from the chair and walked to the hallway and put the phone onto her ear. “Isla? Hi!”

“Nina, I’m so glad I caught you.” Isla's voice rang from the other end, “I didn’t interrupt anything?”

“No, not really.” Nina answered while trying to wrack her brain about how she was supposed to deliver the news to Isla. “Is this urgent?”

“No, not really. I was calling you because we haven’t been able to reach Gastón and you know that that’s not like him. Everything goes unread.” Gastón had been right. She had noticed the radio silence. And it definitely wasn’t like him, he and Nina had been sending tons of photos to their parents and kept them up to date about the trip. “So, I just wanted to ask if he had lost his phone or something.”

“Oh no, it’s not lost, “Nina started before realizing that this was not how she should be phrasing it, “...but, it’s broken. I should have informed you sooner.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it darling,” Isla continued, “You’re all just so up there in the north and the signals can be fuzzy. I thought it was better to be safe than sorry to make sure that nothing has happened.”

“I—” Nina realized that this was the moment when she was supposed to tell the truth. A mother deserved to know what had happened to her son. “Actually…”

“Nina? Is everything alright?” Isla must have picked up on Nina’s hesitation.

“It is…or well, as okay as it can be right now,” Nina started, “About what you said about nothing having happened… that’s not actually true.”

“Mom,” Gastón said as Nina had walked back into the room with his mom on the phone, “before you freak out, I’m okay.”

“Several hours unconscious doesn’t sound okay!!”

“Okay, I’m not okay, per se,” Gastón sighed, “I’m alive. Does that sound better for you?”

“Not really,” Isla’s voice came from the phone. “What were you doing?”

“Skiing and being hit by a tree.” Gastón explained “But, that doesn’t really matter anymore. I’m in the hospital now, and they have done all kinds of work-up on me.”

“What is the diagnosis? What hospital are you in?”

“The central hospital at Lapland. High grade concussion.” Gastón explained again. “But like, I don’t need surgery. Only really here for observation anymore.”

“Darling, put the camera on,” His mom’s voice said, “I want to see you.”

“No, Mom,” Gastón shook his head, “you don’t want to see me. I don’t look that great. You’ll freak out even more.”

“Okay,” Isla's voice came from the phone again, not really sounding reassured and who could blame her, “Your father just got home. We’ll need to talk about this. We’ll call you after.”

“Don’t freak Dad out too. Start with the alive part.”

“Gastón, we love you.”

“I love you too Mom.” Nina took the phone back as the call disconnected.

“Well, that went better than expected,” Gastón leaned back.

“That was better?” Matteo questioned. “Isn’t this like their worst fear?”

“It is,” Gastón sighed. “I was half expecting her to start planning on coming over here. Although, I am not putting past her calling this hospital… Well, if that happens, I’ll guilt trip them into making a huge donation afterwards.”

“They’re worried,” Nina grabbed his hand again, “Of course they are.”

She suddenly noticed her phone buzzing on the counter she had put it down on.

“How has everyone noticed this now?” She said out loud as she noticed all the unread messages that were flooding in.

“What is it?” Gastón turned around. Nina turned her phone around to show the messages she had received from both James and Jacob. They had both sent her numerous messages about Gastón’s radio silence.

“They’re asking me if you’re dead.” Nina said as she looked at her phone again. “Obviously, they’re joking… What should I say? Flor and Oliver can’t know, they’re on their honeymoon.”

“Make a new group?” Matteo suggested from the other side, “So you don’t need to type it out multiple times.”

“You want them to know?” Nina asked Gastón.

“Yeah, they should.” He answered simply.

“Okay,” Nina nodded and started typing. She put everyone except Oliver and Flor into another group chat. They noticed almost immediately.

Ariana: What’s going on here? Nina: I made a separate group so we don’t disturb Oliver and Flor on their honeymoon James: Why would they be disturbed? Jacob: This is very ominous Nina: Okay… The first thing is that Gastón’s phone is broken so that’s why he has been out of reach Marlee: Was this the disturbing news? I’m sure Oliver and Flor would have not minded this being in the general chat Nina: No, there is more

Nina was thinking about the best way to phrase this when Ariana started typing furiously.

Ariana: I KNEW IT! You’re pregnant. Nina: No. No one is pregnant Jacob: I’m still confused. Mind explaining what’s going on Nina: I was getting to that. You all know how we’re in Finland? James: Yes, you’re skiing. We know this. How is it relevant to whatever is going on?

Nina took a deep breath and started typing Gastón’s current condition.

Nina: This is about skiing. Yesterday, Gastón got into quite a serious accident on the slopes and spent some time unconscious.

Her phone lit up with an upcoming group video call almost as soon as she had sent the message.

“I should have expected this,” Nina turned to Gastón, “I can deal with it.”

“I guess I should show my face to them. To show them I’m alive.”

“Okay,” Nina nodded and accepted the call.

“We weren’t serious about you being dead!!”

***

“Mom, you aren’t my OB so stop.” Delfi said as she sat on the couch. She and Pedro had had her parents over for dinner and obviously they had spent the whole time talking about the pregnancy.

Obviously, she loved talking about their baby, but Mom and Dad were drowning her in a thousand different medical details that surely would never be relevant. That's what you got when they were doctors, but they weren’t OBs, they were surgeons, and she wasn’t even planning to have a C-section.

“I fear we're starting to get too used to this,” Pedro patted Newton’s head as he laid his head on top of Delfi, “We won’t be able to surrender him back to Gastón and Nina soon.”

“Where were they again?” Delfi’s dad Daniel asked as he sat down.

“They went to a wedding in France,” Delfi explained, “One of their University friends from Oxford. Then they went skiing to Finland with Luna and Matteo and Ambar and Simon joined them as well. They’re coming back at the end of the week.” Delfi scratched Newton behind his ear, “I’m jealous.”

“Skiing can be dangerous. It carries more risks than skating.”

“Not to mention if they hit their head.”

“Obviously I know that I’m not able to ski,” Delfi rolled her eyes and ran her hand on her stomach, “But the country seems really pretty. Maybe we should have gone along. I don’t think Nina was skiing.”

Her phone suddenly started ringing on the coffee table.

“Speaking off,” Delfi picked her phone up. “It’s her. Probably wants to check on Newton.”

“Don’t tell her that we have pretty much spoiled him rotten,” Pedro laughed as Delfi got up on her feet. “We won’t be allowed to watch him again.”

Delfi rolled her eyes at her husband and picked up the call. “Nina? Hey!”

“No, you didn’t interrupt anything,” Newton followed her and went to sit on her feet. “But tell me, what have you been doing? Ambar sent me some pictures a couple days ago. Honestly, I am jealous. I hope you and Gastón have drives worth of pictures, because I want to see them all…”

Delfi’s voice started trailing off and Nina kept talking on the other side of the line.

“Oh,” her expression changed drastically, “What do you mean?”

Pedro furrowed his brow as Delfi’s expression changed again.

“What?!” She suddenly looked extremely concerned, “Oh my god!”

“What’s going on?” Pedro mouthed to Delfi as he got up to his feet.

“Yes, of course I understand that,” Delfi said to the phone after listening for a while. She made a couple of hand gestures toward Pedro that gestured to him to be quiet. “No no, don’t worry about anything like that. We got this. Don’t worry about anything.”

“What was that about?” Pedro asked as Delfi finally cut the call. “Was it Nina?”

“Of course, it was her,” Delfi said while staring blankly ahead for a moment before looking at Pedro, “Gastón’s in the hospital.”

“WHAT?!” Pedro stared at her. “Seriously? Is he okay?”

“Obviously not, hence the hospital,” Delfi stated. “Apparently, he fell on the slopes. He has been there for a few days now.”

“What are you talking about?” Delfi’s parents asked as they walked back to the living room. “Has one of your friends gotten hurt?”

“Yes,” Delfi nodded, “You know, Newton’s owners that we just mentioned, who were skiing. Gastón got into some kind of accident and is in the hospital now. What I understood from Nina, his wife, he has a bad concussion and was unconscious for several hours.”

“What grade?” Delfi’s dad asked. As a neurologist, he obviously was curious. “Usually, long-term loss of consciousness can result in a brain bleed.”

“I don’t know,” Delfi shook her head, “I didn’t start pressing Nina for details. It must have been horrible for her.”

“Wasn’t he Isla and Marco’s son?” Delfi’s mom asked, “Perida?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you used to date him? You at least talked about him a lot when you were 16.”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant to the current situation,” Delfi huffed and turned towards Pedro, “The reason why she called, since this isn’t like common knowledge yet, is because they aren’t coming back when they said. They don’t know when they’re coming, since he isn’t discharged yet.”

“They are gonna want clear images and him off narcotics,” Daniel noted, “He was lucky that he didn’t have any spine damage or even amnesia.”

“You told them that we’ll take care of Newton as long as they need, right?” Pedro asked Delfi.

“Of course, I did,” Delfi responded and turned to look at the dog who was staring her in the eye from where he was sitting next to her on the couch. Somehow, it seemed like he had understood what was going on. Delfi ran her fingers in his fur, “I know, I know. He’s okay. I think we should call Simon and Ambar, maybe they can tell us little more. I didn’t want to start to grill Nina about this, she’s dealing with enough.”

***

“For light and life!” Master Assek cried as they dashed into the Nihil ship.”

“Bell had rarely felt the Force with him so powerfully as he did at the moment he rushed forward into a blazing array of blasterfire, slashing through the air that surrounded him so closely he could feel the heat. The scent of ozone filled Bell’s breath. Yet his lightsaber blade deflected every blaster bolt so smoothly that it seemed to be moving itself, aiming without any conscious work from Bell other than fierce concentration. All around him, he saw a sea of faceless, soulless masks -- Nihil shooting, scattering, scrambling -- and, advancing upon them, the Jedi swift and sure.”

““Now!” Master Indeera called over the fray, acknowledgment of the warning from the Force they all felt. Bell ducked behind a metal girder to shield him for the seconds it took to strap on his breather. No sooner had he done so than the telltale hiss from the air vents revealed that the Nihil’s poison gases had been deployed.”.”

“Too late, Bell thought with satisfaction. It’s your turn to be too late.”

“You really should have done your own audiobooks,” Gastón remarked as Nina turned a page on the book, she had been reading to him. During the time he had been in the hospital they had already gotten through both Light Of The Jedi and Rising Storm, now they were on Fallen Star. She had refused the mere idea of leaving his side to go do something with the others. Nina was really hoping that Gastón would get released before they made it to Phase III of the High Republic books.

“You are the only person who actually likes to listen to me read,” Nina rolled her eyes. Her own books were going to be produced into audiobooks now, as the trilogy was going to be finished. The publishers had for a moment suggested that she could do it herself, but she had shut it down as fast as she could. She wasn’t an actress capable of something like that. “You and Newton.”

As part of the final book’s release celebrations, Violetta Castillo and Francesca Caviglia, who had been the celebrity ambassadors for Nina’s book series since the second book—They were also friends of her and Gastón. They had been fans and Violetta was Gastón’s boss’ daughter and Francesca knew Matteo as well—were going to read the first chapter in a live stream. The actual audiobooks were going to be read by actress Camila Torres who Violetta and Francesca had actually recommended, since they were friends.

“April must have gotten caught up with something,” Gastón noted as he looked at the clock on the wall, “The student doctors are probably the ones who are put on chest compressions and those probably take a while.”

They were waiting for a call from April Ruiz, Gastón’s cousin. After they had sent her a text about the situation, she had insisted they’d talk as soon as she was on her break.

“Or not,” Nina said as her phone started ringing. She had been thinking that before they got home, whenever that was at this point, they needed to go get Gastón a burner phone or something. They couldn’t fully rely on her phone alone. She transferred the call onto the tablet she had and positioned it so both of them were visible on the frame.

“Hey!” April appeared on the screen, her brown hair tied on two braids with colorful scrunchies. She looked very alike to Isla, which could be quite odd as she was the daughter of her half-sister, but genetics worked in mysterious ways. “I finally got out of there.”

“We can do this later if you're too busy,” Gastón responded.

“Oh nonsense,” April waved away as she took a sip off some water bottle, “I have plenty of time as long as someone doesn’t code. First of all, Gastón you literally are the last person of us who I thought would land himself in the hospital with a freak accident. I always thought it would be Jonathan, he would do it for views, or William and Mel just because they wanted to one up each other.”

“I think the preferable situation would be that no one would do it. I don’t recommend this at all,” Gastón groaned and shifted his position. He was mainly given oral medication now, outside the thing that they put on his IV every morning. Nina wasn’t fully sure what it was…tramadol maybe. It was a good thing and a sign that he was getting better, but as the doctor had said, the recovery was gonna be a long road. “Mom completely freaked out, I doubt Aunt Mía and Aunt Elise would like this any better.”

“Oh, they would not,” April shook her head, “I looked over the reports you gave me. You realize how lucky you are? You could have had a brain bleed. Wear a helmet next time.”

“There’s not going to be next time,” Gastón responded, “I have been forbidden from ever skiing again by a higher power.”

Nina rolled her eyes as he glanced at her. After his accident, everyone else had canceled their lift tickets as well. The sport was proven to be way too dangerous.

“Do you know about the discharge yet?” April asked.

“No,” Gastón shook his head. “I mean, I feel like a prisoner.”

“They said that they are getting a full set of images tomorrow again,” Nina added. “I guess that means the neurologists are looking at them again.”

“Yeah, I get that,” April nodded, “They has to really make sure nothing has been missed, like swelling and bleeding. I would say that if the next ones are fine, they’re releasing you in a couple days, if you’re off the meds. You can tell them that they can prescribe you intravenous stuff and I can give them to you, if that helps them release you faster. They’ll go right along with the IV.”

“Hold on for a moment,” Gastón responded, “Who said anything about an IV? It’s not like I’ll need one after getting out of here.”

“Need is a subjective term,” April rolled her eyes, “but it’s gonna help. You’re in for a bad time after you’re out, the fluids will help.”

“You just want to use me as your personal pin cushion, don’t you?”

“Well gee Gastón, sorry that I care,” April snarked. “Which one of us is a medical professional?”

To an outsider it would sound like an extreme exaggeration that a medical student was calling herself a medical professional, but they didn’t know April. About a year ago, alongside with full time medical school, she had gotten herself certified as a paramedic and did occasional shifts at one of the fire stations in Buenos Aires. The overachieving gene ran on both sides of Gastón’s family.

“Nina, do you want to speak some sense into him?”

“If it’s something that will help,” Nina looked at Gastón, “Let her do it.”

“Okay, we see about that once we get home, we don’t even know when that is,” Gastón sighed, “You haven’t told anyone right?”

“Of course not,” April answered. “With our family? Everyone would lose their minds in a mere mention of a head injury. They’d be thinking that you’re going like grandpa, before anyone would have any time to explain. You have to tell Jonathan though, he’s not gonna forgive you or me, if he hears it later.”

“I think I need to start telling people as I get out of here. Only our closest friends know… Mom gets to handle grandma…”

“Yeah, that might actually end up killing you,” April laughed, “The whiplash of her perfect eldest grandson doing something stupid alone…You don’t want to cross her. Uuuf, I am being paged,” April looked over her phone a second, “Time to go save some lives. Call me when you know more and… I’m glad you’re okay, truly.”

“Who were you talking to?” Matteo and Luna came through the hospital room door.

“April wants to impale me with needles when we get home,” Gastón remarked, “Whenever that will be.”

“Since you have a professional medic who can help you be more comfortable, you should use it,” Nina looked at him, “She cares about you.”

“Nina, we moved the rest of the stuff you’ll need to the hotel,” Matteo said as he sat down. He, Luna, Simon and Ambar were flying to Helsinki and back to Argentina in a few hours. Luna and Matteo were taking most of Nina and Gastón’s things with them, so they didn’t need to deal with them. “Look, I’m in no hurry to leave…”

“Matteo, we don’t know when we can get back. There is no point in you waiting on me.”

“Okay,” Matteo rolled his eyes. “Just, don’t get yourself into any more accidents.”

“I’ll see to it that he won’t.” Nina laughed. “He better not.”

“It’s time for us to go,” Ambar and Simon appeared at the door. “Take care of yourselves.”

“Well, now we have been officially abandoned.” Gastón joked after everyone had gone.

“Maybe we’ll survive,” Nina laughed and reached back for the book when her phone buzzed again.

“They have to be kidding,” she said as she looked at the email.

“What is it?” Gastón asked.

“Just Mereilla,” Nina answered. “She’s sending me dates and stuff like that for the PR circus that was supposed to start as soon as we got back… but now we’re not coming back.”

As this was the last book in her debut trilogy the publishing was taking everything out of it promotion wise, especially as the previous books had been so popular.

“I need to talk to her at some point, to tell her that I’m not doing it.”

“Why not?” Gastón looked confused.

“You really think I’m going to be running around doing interviews, signings and public events, tours and who knows what else when you’re in this kind of condition?” Nina shook her head, “Absolutely not and it's not a conversation.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know, put my foot down and let them come up with something else? It’s their job… but these also are the people who told me that changing my name wouldn’t be a good idea.” Nina sat back down. She hated all of this PR and marketing affairs. She was the writer, it was her art. Everything inside was poured into those. She could say what she wanted. That’s why she did it. Not for the fame or the money. “I did zero promotion when the first book came out and it did well, so they can’t just say that it’s all necessary. And we have Violetta and Francesca, marketing through them will do much more than I ever can…”

“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt,” Minna, one of Gastón’s regular nurses since he had been admitted, came through the doors. She was only a couple years older than them and really nice and they had gotten to know her a little bit as the hospital stay had gone on. She had actually promised to take a look at Nina’s books once she had time. They had also talked about how she had always wanted to visit Argentina and about her fiancée who was Sami native and her family herded reindeer. “But the images were changed for today.”

“Is that a good thing?” Gastón questioned.

“Hopefully,” Minna smiled. “If they’re clear, also starting this evening we’ll see how you’re faring without any intravenous meds. We do need to keep the IV going with fluids until you leave. I can’t make any promises though, all clear for flying and things like that are still up in the air. If you were just from Helsinki for example, we would tell you to take the train, but with you, flying can’t be avoided I guess.”

***

“This is the final boarding call for passengers booked on flight 372A from Helsinki to Buenos Aires. Please proceed to gate 3 immediately. I repeat. This is the final boarding call for passengers booked on flight 372A from Helsinki to Buenos Aires. Thank you.”

“Come on Matteo, we need to go,” Luna was dragging Matteo across the airport to their gate.

“I know, I know,” Matteo shook his head as he, Luna, Simon and Ambar lined up at the gate with their boarding passes. “Just… this doesn’t feel right.”

“Nothing will happen to Gastón,” Luna placed her hand on his shoulder. “He’s gonna be alright.”

“They just need to wait for a while,” Ambar added, “He’s probably gonna be released soon, but I doubt he’s allowed to fly so soon.”

“Some vacation this turned out to be,” Simon crossed his arms.

“Well, we had fun,” Luna shrugged, “No one could have seen this coming.”

“But I think we’re all good for life-time on skiing.” Ambar noted.

“Yep,” Matteo nodded. “Luna, did I mention that Isla and Marco are giving us dinner after we land? I really need to talk to them.”

“Yeah, of course.” Luna nodded as they boarded the plane.

***

“We’re in Helsinki right now,” Gastón said to his parents over the tablet, “The flight is the day after tomorrow. I’m all cleared to fly, but they did recommend that we take 24 hour layovers just in case. We will land in Miami and then come from there to home, so it’s gonna take a while.”

After he had been released, they stayed at Rovaniemi for a couple of days, just so he was able to gather his strength a little bit. Then they had taken a night train from there to Helsinki where they were now.

Honestly, he was glad that he was out of that hospital, but he couldn’t lie and say that he was in good health. He still felt really terrible and wasn’t looking forward to the flying part at all, but he and Nina both wanted to go home. He was gonna feel terrible for a while, that was what they said, so they couldn’t just wait it out.

“They wrote me quite a long sick leave, so I’ll miss about three weeks of work at least.”

“That’s a good thing,” His dad responded, “You need to take it easy now.”

“But we’re glad you’re coming home,” his Mom added, “You’re seats are in first class right?”

“No,” Gastón responded, “Why?”

“You aren’t serious,” Both of his parents' faces became extremely disapproving.

“I’m not that kind of person who upgrades their flights just because they can. It’s not worth it.”

“Gastón, you’re hurt. If this isn’t worth it, then what is?” Mom started, “We have enough miles that our grandchildren will never need to pay for a flight in their lives. It is worth it.”

“Gastón,” Dad’s face was serious, “I know the people at Finnair well, the upgrade is happening whether you like it or not, but I know you would like to do it yourself so… the choice is all yours. I’m ready to make some phone calls, and I will make them.”

“Okay,” Gastón relented, “If I’m being blackmailed to do this…”

“All we want is for you to get home safe.”

“Yeah, I know that.” Gastón said. He turned to Nina who had been sitting on the bed next to him, mostly observing the call with his parents. “I guess we don’t have a choice.”

“I agree with them. Just didn’t come to think about it.” She looked at him, after the call ended, in a way that she used when she was trying to convince him of something—She usually succeeded. “You have a concussion, a severe one. You spent a long time in the hospital. The flights are gonna be exhausting for you and it’s important that you’re comfortable.”

“I know I can’t win this battle, so I am claiming my defeat,” Gastón nodded and pulled their flights up on the tablet to upgrade them, “Hopefully you aren’t thinking that I’m gonna sit there alone. You’re joining me—Auch…”

A wave of sharp pain took over his head and he couldn’t focus on the tablet.

“Lay down,” Nina’s hand went on his shoulder and pushed him gently down on the bed. This was not the first time this had happened, nor would it be the last as it was gonna be normal for the recovery. Normal didn’t mean it was fun. “This is exactly what they meant.”

She took the tablet off his hands and gave him a pill that he swallowed. “There, now they’re upgraded. You don’t need to pretend for me.”

“I’m not trying to,” Gastón groaned as he closed his eyes, “I just hate feeling so helpless.”

“You’re not helpless, just need some help right now.” Nina ran her fingers in his hair, and he enjoyed her touch for a moment. That alone was able to make him feel better. “You’re hurt and can’t act like you aren’t. So, listen to me, your parents, April—especially April since she knows what she’s talking about.”

“I don’t know what I would do without you.”

***

“How are you feeling?” Matteo asked as he and Luna met up with them at the airport when Nina and Gastón finally landed in Buenos Aires.

“You don’t want to ask me that,” Gastón responded simply, “I’m just glad we're home.”

“We can carry these, and Matteo will drive so you get a break,” Luna said as she and Matteo grabbed the bags from the baggage claim carousel. “Most of your stuff is at your place already.”

“Thanks for doing this,” Nina said as she grabbed Gastón’s arm. He walked just fine, but she was still a bit scared of him getting super dizzy all of the sudden.

“You think we would have left you stranded?” Matteo laughed, “I would have to face the wrath of the whole Vasquez clan.”

Nina laughed at that. Gastón’s family had reacted as Gastón had said they would. In other words, they had freaked out, even when he had already been out of the hospital at that point when the full extended family outside of April had gotten to know, but you couldn’t blame them. Isla’s father, Joakim Vasquez had died in a car crash and was declared brain dead at the scene many years ago.

“You’re late,” a brown haired young woman was leaning on the wall on their front porch as they pulled up to Gastón and Nina’s house.

“Getting the bags took longer than expected,” Nina said to April as she pulled her key out to open the door. Luna and Matteo had insisted on handling the bags.

“Well, at least you’re here now,” April slung a bag that she had with her—It looked like an ambulance jump bag—and grabbed Gastón by the arm. “You need to go sit down.”

“I have been sitting down for hours,” Gastón seemingly tried to protest, and April was clearly not having it.

“Have you seen yourself? You’re white as a ghost. You get yourself in this situation, so you deal with the consequences. Remember what I said last time?”

“She’s definitely related to Isla,” Matteo laughed as he and Luna dragged the bags upstairs and Nina followed them. “It is almost scary.”

“Very much,” It was very accurate. If Gastón would had ever had a younger sister, April was exactly how Nina would imagine her.

“But how is he? Really?” Matteo asked as he and Luna and dumped the bags on the bed. ‘

“Better than a week ago,” Nina nodded, “He mostly just gets really tired, but those migraines really do take him down. Thankfully he managed to sleep most of the flight.”

“Are you tired too?” Luna asked as Nina yawned for a moment.

“It’s been a long way home,” She answered.

“You can go downstairs and relax for a moment,” Matteo said. “We can manage the unpacking. Your closets are so organized that blind people could find their way around.”

Nina nodded and started walking downstairs. She saw that April had already put the IV on Gastón’s arm as she walked to the living room. “Do you need anything?”

“I think I need you to sit down,” Gastón looked at her. “Nina, you look exhausted.”

“Matteo and Luna said the same thing, but I’m fine…”

“I’m not going to stay put if you don’t sit down.”

“Okay,” Nina relented and sat on the couch next to Gastón. The color had slightly returned to his face. The fluids were clearly helping. “How is it?”

“I keep using the train analogy,” Gastón cringed, “I feel extremely phlegmatic.”

“Fatigue is normal,” April answered as she unhooked the blood pressure meter off Gastón’s arm. “Bb is a little up, so stay put. You do realize right that the only reason why they let you fly was because they wanted to let you go home. If you would have gotten hurt here, there is no way you’d be allowed to fly this soon.”

“I know that it’s all “normal”, but it isn’t fun.”

“It’s not supposed to be,” April rolled her eyes, “I can draw you a very illustrative picture of what actually happened to your brain… Well, at least you are forced on a little bit longer vacation now.”

“At least I submitted the report about the University summit before all of this,” Gastón closed his eyes, “I do have to inform our management secretary about this, so that they’ll know I’ll be gone. They probably won’t like it.”

“They’ll have to deal with it,” Nina shook her head, “There is no way you’re going to be working remotely.”

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“How’s the publishing going Nina?” April asked as she put the last tool she had had back into the bag.

“I’m personally out of it as much as possible,” Nina explained. Thankfully, her publishers understood the current situation and the marketing team had created a new plan.

Couple of interviews that could have not been canceled she was doing remotely, otherwise she wasn’t going to be appearing in person anywhere to do press. There was that one interview withhe Nordic literature union... Her agent and the Pr team were still working on it, but it looked like it was not possibly to chnage it. So it would probably still be in person, since they would be sending someone. BUt that was many weeks away, so maybe at that point she would be able to do it.

From the team’s recommendation, she had put out a statement as they neared the launch date, personally stating that “She wished to be there in person, but couldn’t due to an unforeseen family emergency”.

“Don’t look at TikTok.” She shook her head. “The debate right now is between if I have cancer or if this is some sort of mystery which will lead to the next series.”

“Gotta love a vouch fanbase,” April rolled her eyes, “I am surprised that Angelina and Liliana haven’t blown up Gastón’s phone about getting an early access to your books, because they’re such fans. I remember how mad they were when they found out that Gastón was marrying you and they didn’t know. Hopefully they are keeping their mouths shut.”

The doorbell rang at the moment.

“They’re here already?” Nina went to open the door to Delfi who was holding Newton’s lease.

“Hey!” Nina crouched down and hugged the dog tightly as he wagged his tail enthusiastically. “I missed you.”

“He has missed you,” Delfi said as Nina took the collar off of Newton. “Pedro and I were no substitute, even though we would have liked to keep him. Labradors make great pregnancy emotional support.”

“That’s great to hear,” Nina said as she stood up and Newton B-lines straight into the living room. “Newton, wait—”

She followed him. Newton was a calm, well behaved dog, but he still was young and easily excited. She was scared that he was gonna jump on Gastón, which wasn’t good as his cracked ribs were still healing as well. She wasn’t even able to hug him properly yet.

“Hey buddy. Did you miss me?” Gastón scratched Newton behind the ears as he licked his arm. He hadn’t jumped but had sat himself calmly next to the couch. The dogs really seemed to sense the mood of their owners and adjust their behavior accordingly.

{}

Wooo, well, this is the end of this story... Hopefully everyone enjoyed this fateful journey to my home country during the day after Christmas. And this is part of my expanded timeline now, so keep in mind that Gastón suffered a severe concussion while 27. I think I might wrote some stuff while he's still in recovery down the line. This also almost accidentally became the proper debut appearance of April Ruiz, Gastón's paramedic/med student cousin who will be a bit more involved in his and Nina's lives as we go down the timeline. But that's all yall, for reading and let me know if you liked my little story.

#Soy Luna #soy luna fanfiction #gastina #lutteo #simbar #pelfi #kind of in the background #Christmas #DCLA Holidays #Finland #I have my silly faves visit my country

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countessofravenclaw · 11 months ago

Text

A homeland this north, country dear fathers! Part cuatro

Pakkasyö on, ja leiskuen pohja loimuja viskoo

This chapter will include lot of medical nonsense that I mostly made up. Accuracy comes second to the story, the story is the priority, so bare with me okay

“What’s going on here?” Ambar and Simon had just finished descending a slope when they heard sirens.

“Hopefully no one has gotten hurt,” Simon remarked as they took their skis off. “Hey, can we take break? I really need a donut.”

“I could never deny you that,” Ambar laughed, “Hopefully they aren’t out.”

They grabbed their skis and started walking toward the central hub of the slopes where the cafe was located. As they were walking, the noise of the sirens started deluding. Whatever that had been, it was moving away from them.

“I think I can totally fit three of those in my mouth.”

“Don’t you even dare to try it,” Ambar gave Simon her sternest look, “I am not gonna perform a Heimlich on you when you choke, mostly because I don’t know how. Should we go on a first aid course?”

“When will we find the time to do that—?”

They had reached the center and to their surprise, they saw Luna standing in front of it, looking frantically around.

“Hey! Luna!” Simon called to get her attention.

“Oh my god! Simon and Ambar!” Almost like lightning Luna had appeared in front of them. “Thank goodness you’re here. I didn’t know if I should call you and I wasn’t sure if you’d hear…”

“Luna, what are you talking about?” Ambar furrowed her brow. Luna was speaking faster than normal and looking extremely frantic. “Where are Matteo and Gastón?”

“Did you hear the sirens?” Simon asked, “Did you see what that was about?”

“He fell and we didn’t know what to do, until some other people came behind us who knew where to call,” Luna launched into another fast-paced spiel. She was almost looking scared, “He wasn’t moving…”

“Wait, Luna, hold on…” Ambar wasn’t understanding anything, “Who wasn’t moving? Slow down.”

“Okay,” Luna took a shaky breath, “We decided to try this black slope, and there was some ice and he fell onto the trench and hit a tree.”

“Wait, so, someone got hurt?” Simon didn’t seem to be able to keep up either. “The sirens were for you?”

Luna nodded.

“And since you’re here… it means that…” Ambar started grasping the full picture.

“It was Gastón,” Luna continued, “He, he wasn’t moving… It looked like he was dead.”

“Oh my god!” Simon exclaimed.

“So, you got help?” Ambar tried to stay calm. Staying collected under pressure was part of her job and this was not the time to freak out. “And I suppose Matteo went with him, did they say where?”

“I think it was to the Lapland Hospital,” Luna responded. “I’m not sure.”

“Text Matteo, right now.” Ambar tried to think. “Does Nina know?”

“NO!” Luna looked horrified for a moment. “I didn’t even think about that. I’ll have to tell her…” She scrambled to get her phone out.

“Luna waits,” Ambar grabbed her hand, “If she doesn’t already know, she needs to know asap. Her husband is on his way to the hospital with presumed head trauma and who knows what else. She is his next of kin and is the only one with some say. Who knows what kind of brain surgery he will need… However, this can’t be told over the phone.”

“Oh.” Luna stared at her.

“Here’s what we’ll do,” Ambar took a deep breath, “Find out the hospital from Matteo, then Simon will drive you there. I’m gonna take the other car and get Nina.”

“It should be me,” Luna tried to protest, “I’m her best friend.”

“I know that,” Ambar continued, “but time is of the essence right now. We all know how she’s gonna react, it does not matter how it’s told to her. We don’t know how much time we have here. This needs to be a surgical strike. I’m sorry Luna, but you’re terrible at tough love. Go to the hospital, this surely is hard for Matteo as well, he needs you. I’ll go get Nina. Now lets move!”

***

“Miespuolinen, 27-vuotias. Laskettelurinteessä laskenut puuta päin. Mahdollista pää- ja selkäydin traumaa. Murtunieta kylkiluita. Taju mennyt monta kertaa matkan aikana. Tajuton tälläkin hetkellä.”

Matteo watched in horror as the paramedics wheeled Gastón in. This was not happening. Everyone was speaking a language he didn’t understand… and his best friend was lying there unconscious…

“Hei! You can’t go in there.” A male nurse got Matteo’s attention.

“I’m sorry,” Matteo tried to straighten his thoughts out enough to get some English out, “Is… is he going to make it?”

“He is in good hands,” the nurse assured him while pulling a tablet out, “Can you tell me his full name?”

“Gastón Perida.”

“You tourists? From where?”

“Buenos Aires.”

“Okay, so Argentinians,” The nurse put something down on the tablet before turning toward the treatment room, “Hei! Potilas on argentiinalainen. Pistän tulkille kutsun tulemaan.” Then he turned back toward Matteo, “You speak pretty solid English, how’s his?”

“Uh… better than mine,” Matteo noticed that he had been gripping his hands together so tightly that they were almost white. Miracle he hadn’t bent his wedding ring in the process, “He lived in England for six years.”

“Well, thats good to know,” The nurse nodded, “We still have paged a translator, because we can’t rely on patient’s language skills, especially with head trauma.”

“You mean,” Matteo tried to find words, “he might be in such bad shape that he can’t talk?”

“Not exactly, but you never know with these kinds of cases before throughout examination. Trauma to the head is serious, especially with possible added spinal trauma.” The nurse tapped on the tablet again, “Social security number?”

“I, I… I don’t know his,” Matteo mumbled. He had the key to Gastón and Nina’s house, had known his phone password almost as long as they had known each other… but social security? That wasn’t something you shared a lot… They hadn’t thought they would ever need to know.

“You’re not family?”

“He’s my best friend,” Matteo responded, “SO… no, not family, technically.” Technically, technically… Gastón and his parents were his family, as much as Dad and Sofia were… sometimes even more. “But… but, he should have his driver’s license somewhere on him.”

“Sotusta ei tietoa, mutta ajokortti on kuulemma jossain taskussa! Tarkistakaa!” The nurse yelled to the treatment room.

“Kysy omaisista!”

“Since you’re traveling here from afar this might be hard, but is there any family we can reach to be here—?”

“Hei Antti! Sormus. Naimissa!” Someone from the back yelled and the nurse turned back to Matteo. “He’s married. You know the wife? How can we contact her?”

“Oh, she’s here,” Matteo felt absolutely terrible at that moment. Nina. He hadn’t even thought about her… She didn’t even know! “I mean with us. Not at the slopes, though.”

Matteo scrambled to get his phone from his pocket. He was just about to call Nina when he noticed a couple of messages from Luna.

Luna: We’re on our way with Simon! Luna: Oh, Ambar went to get Nina. How is it? Matteo: I don’t know

“She’s on her way here,” Matteo responded to the nurse, “I don’t know how long it’ll be.”

“Okay,” The nurse sighed, “Is there anything you can tell us. Any previous medical history, previous injuries, alergies?”

“No, nothing,” Matteo shook his head, “Outside of like sprained wrist and ankle when we were 14, but that surely isn’t relevant.”

***

Nina looked over at her phone as she made another cup of tea. There was nothing out of the ordinary that no one had texted her. They were having way too much fun at the slopes, and you couldn’t blame them for forgetting her for a moment, since there was no way that anyone, even her husband, could convince her to join sliding down mountains at dangerous speeds.

But hopefully, Gastón had taken pictures of the views, so he could show her since he had neglected to send her any today.

She sat down on the couch, enjoying the fireplace.

She opened her book and had just started reading a new chapter when she was startled by a sudden gush of cold air as the door opened.

“Ambar?”

Ambar suddenly burst through the door. Her face was red, and she looked kind of sweaty. She also looked like she was out of breath.

“None of you were supposed to be back for a couple of hours…” Nina glanced at her watch, “Actually, it is really early.”

“Yes, I know that” Ambar didn’t start taking her outdoor clothing off, instead she opened the closet and pulled another jacket out. Nina couldn’t fully see which one it was, but it didn’t look like one of Ambar’s or even Luna’s… but that couldn’t be right.

“Ambar, why are you here?” Nina got the sense that something was off. No one had ever come from the slopes before it was dark.

“Yeah, about that,” Ambar looked straight at Nina and took a deep breath. She had her “I mean business” face on, “Okay, this will be a lot and I will speak straight because this is important.”

“Why are you acting like you’re in the courtroom?”

“Because otherwise, I won’t get this out,” Ambar walked to Nina, still fully dressed in outdoor gear, even wearing the shoes. “And it’s crucial that I do. We don’t have much time.”

“You’re scaring me.” Nina noticed that the jacket Ambar was holding was one of hers, “What is going on?”

“Please sit down.”

“Why?”

“Just do it,” Ambar took her arm and practically yanked Nina onto the couch, “I told you, we don’t have time.”

“Time for what?”

“Look,” Ambar sat next to Nina, “There is no easy way to say this, but I have to rip the band aid off. Luna, Matteo and Gastón tried this bigger slope today—”

“Oh, Luna said that she wanted to try one of those,” Nina noted, but then she saw the look on Ambar’s face, “Wait… what happened?”

“I’m just gonna say this,” Ambar took another breath, “Gastón hit a patch of black ice, and got totally derailed off the path, and hit a tree.”

“What!?” Nina stared at Ambar. Her brain felt like it was going in slow motion. “He collided with a tree?”

Imagines started swirling in Nina’s mind. Collisions with trees were one of the biggest risk factors in the whole sport…

“Matteo went with him to the hospital.”

“He’s in the hospital!!??” Her brain started finally to catch up with what Ambar had just said.

“Luna said that he was in pretty rough shape.”

“I… We… We need to…” Nina felt like she had been suddenly paralyzed. Her thoughts made no sense. She couldn't form comprehend sentences. Her breathing started becoming shallow. Gastón was in the hospital…

“We need to go there now,” Ambar placed her hand on Nina’s arm, “So now, you need to get up, I have your coat right here, put the shoes on and get in the car.”

“Yeah… yes…” Nina carefully got onto her feet. It still felt like her body was shutting down.

“Hey, Gastón’s not dead,” Ambar handed Nina her coat, “Your husband is alive, focus on that.”

***

“Matteo!” Matteo bounced his knee up and down nervously as he heard the noise. He looked up from the chair he had been sitting on, and saw Luna and Simon enter the waiting area. Luna ran to hug him.

“Hey, whats going on?” Simon asked. “How’s Gastón?”

“I don’t know,” Matteo shook his head, “Last I saw they were doing imagining or something… I don’t know, but it sounded bad. He has not been awake at all, or I mean, like conscious. They’re not telling me anything and I can’t understand what they have been talking about.”

“Why aren’t they telling you?” Luna questioned.

“Because I’m not family,” Matteo sunk back into the chair, frustrated, “This is the first time someone has ever said that…”

He looked up suddenly, “Nina! She needs to be here. They’ll actually talk to her.”

“Ambar went to get her,” Simon explained, “She texted me that they are coming.”

“Yeah, of course,” Matteo nodded, “They asked me his social security code, but I didn’t know it. I hope she does, because I don’t want to call Isla and Marco about this… at least before we know what is going on. I can’t do that to them.”

“Do what to them?”

“Isla’s father died in a car crash, Marco lost both of his parents to cancer and Isla almost died due to a condition that even to this day is not really specified. They don’t have the best track record with people ending up in hospital.” Matteo sighed, “I don’t want to tell them until we know what’s the case. They’ll overcome with worry; they have lost so much already. I can’t let them think that they are losing Gastón as well. Plus, it's not really my decision… it’s Nina’s.”

At that moment the doors to the waiting room opened up.

“Matteo!” Frantic-looking Nina ran up to him, with Ambar behind her. Panic was evident behind her eyes. “What’s going on?! Is he okay?”

“I don’t know.” Matteo answered truthfully, “They won’t tell me, because I’m not the next of kin. That's you.”

“Who do I talk to?” Nina looked around, her voice still clearly vaiwering.

“I think the nurses' desk is right there,” Matteo got up from the chair, “they have talked English to me here, so you shouldn’t have a problem.”

“Okay…” Nina turned around. As she started walking toward the desk, everything about her body language basically screamed dread. You couldn’t blame her.

Matteo decided that the best thing to do was to follow her, because one, he wanted to hear what was happening to Gastón, and two, Nina didn’t look that steady on her feet.

“Excuse me!? I need to talk to somebody!” Nina said at once as she made it to the desk. She didn’t appear to struggle with getting English out, given her clear British accent, but her voice still wasn’t fully firm and higher pitched than usual.

“Miss—?” The nurse who was manning the station started saying.

“Mrs.—” Nina corrected them. “—Perida. My husband was brought here. Can someone tell me what is going on?”

“Perida?” The nurse seemed to be looking something up from the computer, “If you wait for a moment.”

She pressed her earpiece. “Hei! Mulla on kympin omaiset täällä. Joo, vaimo näyttää olevan. Nuori nainen, kyselee aviomiehensä perään, sama sukunimi. Joo, laitan tulemaan.” The nurse turned back to them, “Yes, I got it here. If you follow me, we’ll get a doctor to talk to you.”

“Thank you,” Nina breathed. She then looked at Matteo, “Come with me?”

“Yeah, of course.”

***

“Skiing accidents are often very serious.” To doctor continued her explanation, “Especially the collisions with trees. Your husband has multiple broken ribs plus severe head trauma.”

“What does that exactly mean?” Nina asked while fiddling with the rings on her left finger.

“What we’re optimistic about is the fact that there is no neck or spinal trauma. The problem lies in the fact he has not been able to stay conscious but is still breathing on his own. The MRIs and the CT have not been clear, which is not a good sign.”

“Wha… what does that mean?” That was the only thing she could say. Nina had been trying to convince herself that everyone had just overreacted. Gastón had just blacked out, had a broken leg or an arm and was fine… that had been the only thing keeping her from going into a full panic… which was slowly creeping in now.

“It means that we have been unable to determine the damage to his brain,” the doctor continued. “The plan at the moment is to keep him under strict monitoring for twelve hours to see if he wakes up on his own, because that would be the ideal situation… if he doesn’t we’ll need to move fast because brain bleeds will require operating as soon as possible.”

“A brain bleed?” Nina had to grab on Matteo’s arm for support, so she didn’t lose her balance.

“That is the most likely outcome.”

“Just tell me how bad this is,” Nina finally asked. She didn’t understand most of the medical jargon.

“At this case, it is really serious. We’ll gonna do our best. Since he is quite young, there is a slight possibility that he might wake up on his own.”

“So, they won't have a clear picture of everything until he wakes up,” Nina was sitting on a chair at the hospital’s waiting room. After talking to the doctor, she was trying to explain everything to the others… while she just wanted to fall apart. “They said that they can’t know the amount of brain damage or how it will affect him before, but anything from motor and cognitive functions can be affected to… to… amnesia.” Her voice finally started to break.

“Amnesia?” Luna who had been holding her hand questioned.

“Anything from couple of months to even years, many years,” Nina shook her head, “Apparently it is very common… if he even makes it. He could stop breathing any second, he would need to be intubated and put in the respirator… or be declared braindead…” She buried her head in her hands. She couldn’t keep it together any longer as the tears started streaming down her face, “I— I can’t… I can’t be a widow before I am thirty…I can’t be a widow at all. I can’t do this.”

“Nina, they are telling you those things because they are legally obligated to do so,” Ambar started explaining, “They have to acknowledge every possible risk factor, but it doesn’t mean those will happen.”

“I know that, but I can only think of the worst,” Nina tried to take a breath, she couldn’t have a panic attack right now, “Just… You never really know what Till death do you part really means do you? Until you stare it in the eye—”

“Mrs. Perida?” A nurse suddenly walked up to them.

“Yes!?” Nina frantically looked up alarmed, “What’s happened?”

“Your husband is stable so we’re transferring him to a ward for observation,” The nurse explained.

“Can I see him?”

“Yes, if you come with us,” The nurse nodded, and Nina got up from the chair.

She followed the nurse down a hallway and into an elevator, down another hallway, around a corner, and to a hallway with a bunch of rooms.

“It’s this one,” She gestured to one of the doors.

“Thank you,” Nina took a deep breath again. She tried to keep herself from shaking, but it probably wasn’t very unusual that she was afraid.

The nurse had opened the door and was holding it open for her. Nina gathered herself and walked in.

“Minna, potilaan vaimo.” The nurse said something to the other nurse who was in the room.

Nina walked slowly deeper into the room. The hospital bed came into her field of vision inch by inch.

The view was astounding. Gastón was just lying there… it almost looked like he was sleeping. Nina walked closer. The sight was scarily simple, there wasn’t any blood or scars. The only thing indicating that he was hurt were the oxygen tubes going into his nose.

His eye was also black, and there was some bruising on his face and forehead. Nina noticed them as she brushed some of Gastón’s hair off his face.

It was finally setting in that this was all real. Not just some nightmare she would be able to wake up from and see the love of her life sleeping next to her, not unconscious in a hospital bed…without any knowledge if he was ever going to wake up.

A wave of insurmountable dread and fear filled her in that moment. Nina ignored the beeping heart monitor on the wall and grabbed Gastón's wrist. She had to feel for herself that he was alive.

Feeling the pulse and seeing his chest rise and go down, didn’t really do anything for her in terms of peace of mind. There was no magic cure that would make him wake up.

Nina tried to swallow her tears, but it was getting harder to do so…She had never been a strong person to begin with. Wondering and just waiting to see if her husband was going to live or die, that wasn’t something she had been prepared to go through. She couldn’t go through this. She grabbed the hand she was holding tighter.

“Esto no puede estar pasando. You can’t leave me. Newton is waiting for us to come home. You need to fight. Fight for me, for our future children, for our life. For your life…I can’t do this alone…”

“Doctors were pretty optimistic about his prognosis,” Nina jumped as nurse walked up and adjusted the IV that was hanging on a hook next to the bed, “Even if they have to operate, him only being 27 is a huge advantage.”

Nina nodded. She wasn’t sure how much of that was just said to reassure her. The nurses might not have understood what she had said, but her tear-stained face surely gave everything away. She looked back at Gastón’s hand… she realized suddenly that it was the left hand.

“Excuse me, uhm, his ring. Was it taken off during the examinations?” Or had it been lost on the slopes during the accident? That would be the last nail in this coffin. It was maybe a bit materialistic to wonder about that now, but the wedding ring was as important to Nina as it was to Gastón. Gastón’s ring had a custom engraving on Nina’s handwriting, just like hers had his. If it was lost, it almost felt like a prelude to losing him.

Plus, it was an Aguirre ring. Maria had tragically died a year after their wedding and almost all of her custom pieces were already viewed as priceless pieces of art. Their rings were no different, especially since they had been one of the last pieces made before Maria’s condition had worsened.

“Oh, yes,” the nurse who had brought Nina there, grabbed a zip lock bag from the table, and handed it to Nina. “It can come down to minutes so, it's just easier if he doesn’t have anything that we need to remove.”

Nina held the bag in her hands. The ring and the watch he had been wearing were there. She put the watch in her bag but fished the ring out and put it on her left index finger.

“There are a couple of things we need you to sign,” the other nurse came back handing Nina a tablet.

“Of course,” Nina looked at the tablet, “What is this?”

“Since you’re from overseas, it’s hard for us to obtain his medical records,” The nurse explained, “The hospital lawyers are on it, but your consent will make it easier as he can’t give his consent at the moment.”

“Okay,” Nina nodded and singed her name at the bottom of the form, “Uh, I have his ID.”

“Good, I can just scan it,” The nurse nodded, “The other form is just general information. Was it correct that his blood type is A positive?”

“Yes, it is,” Nina answered as she signed the other form. The only reason why she actually knew that was because Gastón had started donating blood at Oxford with Oliver and James. The blood drives had come there quite often. He was also a registered organ donor. It was something that had been agreed between him and his cousins to honor their grandfather, Joakim Vasquez, who had saved up to five lives after he had died, by organ donations.

That probably didn’t carry over to other countries though… That would mean that Nina would need to be the one to sign over his organs… No, no, no, she couldn’t even fathom the thought right now.

“This is the last one,” The nurse handed her another ipad, with another form, “It’s the consent form for the operation. If it needs to be performed, everything will be happening fast so it’s better to have preliminary consent.

Nina felt like she was operating on autopilot when she signed her name on the line again.

When the nurses had gone again, she buried her face in her hands. She couldn’t believe that she had just done that. She had just signed a document, giving her consent for them to perform brain surgery on Gastón, even if it was to save his life.

No matter how optimistic the doctors were. No matter if he was young. It was very possible that he was going to die.

This had not been what she had meant by a new era beginning in her life. She had no life without Gastón. He had been by her side through everything, the year they had been apart had been the worst in her life.

She couldn’t do this; she couldn’t be the one to tell these people to disconnect him from the respirator—even when he wasn’t even on it yet—and watch his heart stop. She couldn’t be the one to tell his parents that they had lost their only son, their only child.

Her hand went to touch the necklace Gastón had gotten her for Christmas as she tried to calm down. None of that had happened yet, that was the worst-case scenario.

He could still wake up… and even if he had a brain bleed, they could still do something about it.

She couldn’t fully fathom the outcome of that, though. Him not able to walk she could take, but amnesia… She wasn’t fully sure how she could keep on living if he didn’t know who she was.

She hated waiting like this, without knowing a single thing.

Beeb! Beeb!

***

After Nina had gone Ambar, Simon, Matteo and Luna sat silently.

“It probably does no good to any of us just to sit here,” Ambar broke the silence, “they won’t let visitors in, I presume. I feel like all the hippa laws are a bit stricter here, given the welfare country.”

“You’re probably right,” Simon stood up from his chair, “I think we all need some coffee. I think I saw Starbucks across the street.”

“Good idea!” Luna jumped up.

“Yeah, we should go back to change out of all this skiing gear,” Ambar nodded.

“You go,” Matteo looked up, “I’ll stay here.”

“Matteo,” Luna looked at him disapprovingly, “You should come with us. You need to get some air. It would be good for you.”

Luna grabbed Matteo’s hands and pulled him up.

“We won’t be far. Nina will tell us if something changes.”

“Okay.” Matteo sighed.

As they were making their way out, they passed another nurse's station. The people there were talking very loudly.

“Hohhoijaa, tulin juuri kymppi huomeesta. Kahvitauko kyllä jo kelpaisi”

“Kymppi? Mikä juttu se nyt olikaan? Oliko se se argentiinalainen?”

“Joo, se. Turistiporukka laskettelureissulla. Mun ymmärryksen mukaan tais olla kolme nuortaparia. Oli jotenkin laskenu puuta päin tai jotain. Vielä ei oo saatu hereille. Vaimo on aika järkyttyny.”

“No, olisin kyllä minäkin jos oma mies päätyisi tällä tavalla sairaalaan. Aivoverenvuodostahan lääkärit tossa puhu. Ei olisi yhtään ihme.”

“Kauheata tuo on. Vaikuttavat aika nuorilta myöskin. Kuinkakohan kauan ovat edes ehtineet olla naimisissa?”

“Sanoitteko Argentiina? Ehdin jo ihan ajatella, että ovat brittejä. Naisella oli ainaki täysin selvä brittiaksentti ja puhuu täydellistä englantia. Saipa oma kielipää vähän virkistystä.”

Wonder what they’re saying?“ Luna wondered as they kept walking. Matteo just nodded, not really reacting. “You okay?” Luna asked as they walked outside to the crisp freezing air.

“Of course, I am not,” Matteo shook his head, “This should have never happened.”

“It’s not your fault,” Luna reached for his hand, “The black run slope was my idea.”

“It was no one’s fault,” Mateo shook his head again, “I just don’t know what to think.”

“The healthcare here is top-notch,” Ambar noted.

“That doesn’t still mean that things can’t go wrong. Everything they said is a real possibility.” Matteo sighed, “I just can’t even bear to imagine it… Gastón is the reason why I am even here right now. It was because of him I ever even managed to have a cordial relationship with Sofia. Saved me a whole lot of unnecessary misery. He doesn’t deserve this, nor does Nina.”

“Maybe it will just be like you,” Luna suggested, “Just focus on the positive.”

“I fell three meters,” Matteo noted, “It wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t a high acceleration collision. I wasn’t at risk of a brain bleed or being unconscious for hours. I only blacked out…”

Matteo hung his head again. All of this was bringing all the emotions he had been trying to avoid for the past 17 years. More people he loved couldn’t die. “I was 10 when Mom died. I said goodbye to her while she was lying in a hospital bed, barely able to talk. There was nothing to be done and we all knew it. It just… It can’t be happening again.��

“He’s not going to die,” Luna took Matteo’s hand, “Not if there is any good in the world left.”

“Are we sure there’s any good in the world to begin with?”

***

“GASTÓN!!!!!”

Everything went black…

…there were voices that intertwined with each other…

“Ei reagoi valoon!”

“Aloita tippa!”

“Will he make it?”

“Lucha por mí, por nuestros futuros hijos, por nuestra vida. Por tu vida... No puedo hacer esto sola…”

The blinding light was directed toward him.

He had to open his eyes.

As soon as Gastón opened his eyes he became hyper-aware of the pounding pain on his head and on his sides…

…he was lying down on a bed…in an unrecognizable room…

What was going on?

“Don’t try to get up.” A person he didn’t recognize, who was wearing a white coat said in English, but the phrase was then repeated in Spanish by a different voice. Someone else, who Gastón couldn’t see from the side, pushed him back down as he had been trying to look around the room better.

“Espera... qué... ¿Qué estamos pasando?”

“You’re in the Central Hospital of Lapland,” The person with a coat said again, and again it was repeated in Spanish. There was a translator present? Why? “You have been in an accident.”

An accident? That explained the pain he was in… “What?”

Nothing made any sense.

“You suffered a severe impact to the head and have been unconscious for several hours. Can you tell what year it is?” The doctor shone a bright light in both of his eyes.

“2027.”

“Do you know your full name?”

“Gastón Joakim Perida.” Gastón didn’t fully understand why he was being asked all these questions.

His whole body felt weird, like he had no strength left.

“You recognize this person?” The doctor pointed to his left. Gastón realized that his left hand was being squeezed had been squeezed quite tightly for a while now.

“Nina?” He turned his head to see her sitting next to the bed, wearing a worried but also relieved expression.

“And she is…?”

“My wife,” Gastón looked at the doctor again. Why was he being asked that? He looked at Nina again and noticed that she had some tears in her eyes.

What on earth was going on?

“Can you recall at all what happened?”

“Uhm,” Gastón tried to think, but all he remembered was getting off the ski lift, “No.”

The pounding pain in his head got worse and his vision started getting blurred. He needed to close his eyes.

“Viisi milligrammaa morfiinia.”

A nurse who had been standing on the side did something on the IV and the pain started to subside.

“I remember that we decided to try one of those black slopes,” he started speaking, “We hadn’t done it before. We got on the lift and got off at the top… then nothing…”

***

“Follow the light with your eyes,” Nina watched the doctor shine a flashlight on Gastón’s eyes.

The confusion had started to ward off and he was starting to comprehend what was going on, which was relieving, but she didn’t still like watching him being in pain.

“Move the eyes from side to side,” the doctor seemed to furrow his brow for a moment, before he asked Gastón to do that again.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t like some of the pupil movements,” The Doctor put the light away and pulled the tablet he had had up, “It could be nothing, but since the images we have had have not been clear, I’m gonna order a full neurological workup on you.”

“What does that mean?”

“You have a severe concussion, so I just to make sure there isn’t any underlying damage to the parietal lobe.” The doctor stood up, “Just a routine precaution. Right now, you need to get rest.”

After the doctor had gone, Nina breathed a shaky sigh of relief and grabbed Gastón’s hand again, caressing his knuckles with her thump. “I thought I lost you.”

“What happened?” Gastón grimaced after putting his head back down on the pillow. His voice was still quite hoarse. “Was there an avalanche or something?”

“No,” Nina shook her head, “I don’t know exactly. Luna and Matteo—”

“Wait, if I was in an accident, what happened to them?” Gastón’s face started growing alarmed and he started pushing himself up, “Are they okay?”

“Don’t try to get up,” Nina pushed gently on Gastón’s shoulder as he tried to move. “They’re fine. It was only you. Matteo was the one who came with you here. I didn’t have time to ask him for details…You’re never skiing again.” She finished sternly. She would not allow him to put himself at risk like this again. He could have ended up much worse off.

“I think I can oblige,” Gastón grimaced again, “I feel like I have been run over by a train. I just don’t understand…”

“Don’t try to think too hard right now,” Nina brushed his hair back, “It’s a lot at the moment, so obviously things aren’t making sense.”

“I don’t remember what happened,” Gastón sighed again, “That’s freaking me out.”

“You don’t remember at all?” Small alarm bells were ringing in Nina’s head, but she shut them down by reminding herself that the doctors had not been concerned by it.

“No. We got of the lift, put the skis on, and then I woke up here.”

“I’m just happy you’re talking to me right now.” Nina leaned over him, careful not to put any weight on him, and softly kissed him before leaning her head next to his on the pillow. “I love you.”

She got up as they started hearing footsteps approaching down the hallway. “They probably coming to check your drip.”

“My god!” It wasn’t a nurse, it was Matteo who suddenly appeared at the door, “You’re alive!”

“Maybe,” Gastón responded as Matteo rushed to his bedside. “Don’t exactly feel like it.”

“The fact that you feel pain is a sign that you’re alive,” Matteo shook his head, “I’m taking it.”

“You scared us,” Luna, who was next to Matteo said, “I thought you were dead.”

“The visiting hours will be over soon, so we have to make this quick,” Ambar came through the door, “Great to see you awake. What’s the verdict?”

“Concussion that’s extremely severe,” Nina started. She thought it was best if she explained since Gastón should preserve his energy. “That’s what they’re operating under since he’s awake. They did order a neurologist exam, so not quite out of the woods yet.”

Beeb! Beeb!

The monitor had started beeping very loudly and the nurses hurried into the room.

“Venrenpaine on alhainen ja pulssi koholla.”

“Kutsu lääkäri tänne.”

“What is going on?”

“We’re a little bit worried about the blood pressure so we paged the doctor. Nothing to be alarmed by.”

… … …

“Time of death, 17:16”

“We’re so sorry…”

… … …

“NO!!!!”

Nina shot up on the bed in the dark room.

Wait… It had been a dream.

She felt tears fall from her eyes and she was shaking all through out. Her hand automatically went to feel the other side of the bed, only to find it empty and cold.

Of course, he wasn’t here… He was in the hospital, kilometers away from her.

But he was alive. When the beeping had started and they had worried about blood pressure, he had woken up after a while.

Nina went to feel the ring on her left ring finger. Taking the engagement ring off at night had been a struggle, but in the end, she had managed to do it. But she always slept with her wedding ring, she almost never took it off.

The room temperature was absolutely freezing. She took a couple of shaky breaths as she pulled the blanket tighter around her, like that would actually help.

Only one thing helped her when she woke up after a nightmare, but she couldn’t have that right now.

***

Matteo rolled over on the bed. He really should not have expected to be able to get much sleep.

Yep, this wasn’t going to work. He got up as silently as he could, so he didn’t wake up Luna.

As he walked into the kitchen in the dark to have a glass of water, he started hearing furious paced typing. Only one person typed that fast.

“Nina?” He walked into the living room to see her hunched on the sofa, light from the computer illuminating her face. “What are you doing awake?”

That was a stupid question.

“This is the only way I can get my thoughts in order,” Nina quickly looked at him.

“Okay,” Matteo nodded and sat next to her on the couch and took a peek of words written on the computer screen. “Dark.”

“I write what I feel.” Nina shook her head. “I don’t sleep well alone. Very clear showing that I’m used to way too good. Been too happy and now I’m punished for it.”

“No one should be punished for that,” Matteo placed his hand on Nina’s shoulder, “and you are not. Gastón could have been much worse.”

“But he’s not okay, either.” Nina looked down, “I’m just scared that if I close my eyes my phone will ring, and they will tell me that he has crashed and there was nothing they could have done, and I wasn’t even able to say goodbye. I should have stayed at the hospital, but they didn’t let me.”

“He’s gonna get better.”

“What if he won’t? I know that I’m just being paranoid, but he seems to be doing a little too well. They didn’t actually think he was gonna wake up. What if there is something they overlooked something or what if he gets worse, like the amnesia is delayed or something? I’m not a doctor, so I don’t know. I’m scared that tomorrow he won’t recognize me.”

“He would need to lose a lot of years for that to happen,” Matteo noted. He did completely understand why Nina was so worried about all of that, and it was totally justified of her.

“Ten is enough,” Nina looked down again in the dark, “You try explaining to him why the person he has talked to twice is his wife.”

“You know he has had feelings for you ever since that photography class,” Matteo noted trying to lighten the moment, “He would probably be delighted.”

“Maybe,” Nina laughed slightly, “But, I’m still scared.”

“I know how you feel,” Matteo grabbed her hand, “I have been through this, when Mom died. I cannot even fathom if Gastón went too but he isn’t doing that. We need to keep the faith up that it’ll be okay.”

“Yeah,” Nina nodded and brushed her eyes, “I shouldn’t keep you up. I’ll try to leave as early as I can in the morning. They said that they can give me a little leeway in the visiting times.”

***

“Hey.” Nina walked into Gastón’s hospital room at eight o’clock in the morning. She maybe should have gotten a little more sleep, but she just couldn’t.

“Hey.” Gastón turned to look at her and Nina relaxed a little bit as the recognition shone in his eyes. She knew it was a stupid thing to be worried about, but that was just how she was. She didn’t want to start bombarding the doctors with stupid questions either, so she kind of was just left alone in her head and that was never good. She had thought that she might need to talk to April. She could answer all the stupid questions Nina had, but she knew the couldn’t just get Gastón’s family involved in this until he wanted them to know.

“I didn’t wake you right?” Nina asked as she sat down in the chair beside his bed.

“No. Apparently, with a fresh concussion, you don’t exactly sleep well.”

“How are you feeling?” Nina grabbed his hand and kissed it, “Are you in pain?”

“I’m not not in pain,” Gastón grimaced. “Okay, I’m in pain.”

“Has someone come to check on you yet?”

“Someone has, not sure who,” Gastón answered, “It was not the neurologist… It’s too early for that… Why are you here at this time?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Nina answered truthfully. Gastón could always catch her with a lie. “I just wanted to be here.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere,” Gastón closed his eyes for a moment, “Seems like I’m gonna be stuck here for long time. I hate the fact that everyone is speaking to me through a translator, AI, or a living one. I can communicate with them in English.”

“That’s energy that you shouldn’t be using right now.” Nina brushed his hair out of his forehead to inspect the bruising which hadn’t started to fade quite yet. He was also still on oxygen. She didn’t like how pale he looked. He had never looked like that before, not even when he had gone through a more serious case of a virus in 2021, which had made him miss almost three weeks of classes at Oxford.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?” Gastón asked her suddenly.

“It’s not important,” Nina shook her head.

“You know that’s not gonna work with me.”

“Okay, I was having a bunch of nightmares,” Nina admitted, “about you. About yesterday…because they were telling me all kinds of things about what was happening when you were unconscious.”

“Like what?”

“They told me that you most likely had a brain bleed.” Nina squeezed Gastón’s hand tighter “I signed papers to let them perform brain surgery on you.”

“Well, I’m really glad that I didn’t need that.” Gastón laughed slightly.

“But it’s okay now,” Nina continued, as she watched Gastón swift in discomfort. She hated to see him like this. He was on strong drugs, but there was only so much those could do. “Is there anything you need? I can text Matteo to bring stuff over.”

“I’m not sure if there is,” Gastón closed his eyes again, “I mean all I can do is lie here. If I look straight ahead for too long, I get super dizzy. I won’t be able to even read.”

“Well, I can read to you,” Nina ran her hand on his arm.

“You know I prefer it.”

“Hola.” A woman who looked like a doctor walked into the room with couple of nurses. Nina stared at her for a moment, as it had taken a moment her to realize that the doctor was speaking Spanish. “Soy la neuróloga Iiris Jokinen. I know what you’re probably wondering, I’m the only one who knows Spanish in the whole building.”

“Can I ask, why this is necessary?” Gastón asked as the neurologist shone the light into his eyes, “I mean what kind of brain damage can I have?”

“You suffered a severe impact to your head and were unconscious for a significant amount of time.” The neurologist explained, “We’re just being throughout. The doctor who checked you out yesterday noted that, because of the unclear scans, we need to confirm that there isn’t any underlying damage to the parietal lobe that could cause dyscalculic, dysphasic, dyslexic, apraxic or agnostic symptoms.”

“But…” Nina hadn’t really understood what that had meant, but, from the change of his expression, it seemed like Gastón had. “...don’t those mean like my ability to do math and shape and size comprehension?”

“Dyscalculia does result in difficulty learning or comprehending arithmetic—”

“But that can’t happen,” Gastón’s face started growing alarmed. Nina started to understand what he was talking about, and she placed her hand on his shoulder, “I have masters in science and technology, from Oxford. I work at an environmental construction company as one of the assistant engineers on the executive team there. I—”

“I understand the concern, but let's not get ahead of ourselves,” The neurologist continued, “But I have to tell you that there is a possibility. Right now, I’m gonna order another head CT and MRI and then we’ll do a couple of other primary mathematical comprehension tests, and we’ll go from there. There are also a couple of treatments that have been developed in recent years so recuperation is possible, and you have your young age going for you. There is no guarantee that you would reach your original ability, but close is possible. I’m going to page my attending to take a look after the tests are done.”

“This can’t be happening…” Gastón buried his head to his hands after the neurologist left the room for a moment.

“Hey, look at me,” Nina turned his face to look at her.

“If I have brain damage and can’t…” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I can’t do my job…”

“It hasn’t come to that yet, and you have options. Remember what you said about teaching a week ago?” Nina squeezed his hand again. Gastón wasn’t fully meeting her eye, “You do remember that, right?”

“Yes, I do,” Nina let out a relieved breath as Gastón responded, “I can’t teach something I can’t do.”

“They said that there are treatments… even if it does happen, it’s not the end.”

“But I can’t just stop working. I can’t do that to you. I should—”

“Don’t say you need to provide for me,” Nina looked at him disapprovingly for a moment, “You have never needed to do that. You have just happened to have an extremely well-paying job. You are capable of doing that and so much more, no matter the circumstance. We already have more than we need. We’ll figure it out, together. It is In sickness and in health for a reason and you were the one who once said that you don’t need to start saving for retirement.”

“It was supposed to be a joke… at the time.” Gastón ran his hand on his forehead.

“I know you’re scared,” Nina pulled both of his hands into hers to put his ring back on his finger, she had been holding on it since yesterday, “I’m too, I mean, I hate to see you like this. But I’m sorry if I don’t seem to be that worried about this, I’m worried because you’re worried, but I’m just glad you’re alive. Whatever happens, we’re gonna get through it together. I’ll stand by you through whatever is coming right now. I can’t live without you, I already tried that once.”

“I love you.”

{}

Okay, so I wasn't intending to end this hee, but it was getting super long, so were getting an extra part. Also, I wanna ask if anyone would be interested in me writing a alternative one-shot about Gastón losing his memory for momentarily? I think it would be kind of fun, if he lost those 10 years be back in S1 of SL. Please let me know.

#Soy Luna #soy luna fanfiction #gastina #lutteo #simbar #pelfi #kind of in the background #Christmas #DCLA Holidays #Finland #I have my silly faves visit my country

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countessofravenclaw · 11 months ago

Text

A homeland this north, country dear fathers! Part tres

On allain avaruus, ja tähtipolku kauas vie

“Look at the sky.” Ambar linked her arm with Simon as they walked out of the hotel at Rovaniemi.

“It’s beautiful,” Simon looked up and squinted his eyes, “You can see the stars so clearly. How is it just 5 pm?”

They had landed in Rovaniemi a couple of hours ago, and had dropped their stuff at the hotel where they were staying for the night. They would be driving to Saariselkä tomorrow, after doing a couple of touristy things at Rovaniemi, like the Santa’s Village which Luna had insisted on.

“The sun will barely even come up,” Ambar nodded while looking at the sky. “We will have very limited daylight time while skiing.”

“Good because then I’ll have an excuse not to freeze to death,” Simon laughed while pulling the jacket he was wearing closer to himself. “This jacket is probably so heavy for a reason.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Ambar patted him on the head, ruffling his hair. “Like where is the hat? This is the one time you’re actually not wearing a beanie.”

“Right here,” Simon pulled a ridiculously bright blue woolen hat with purple and yellow tassels.

“I should have never let you and Luna go shopping on your own,” Ambar laughed as Simon pulled the hat over his head, “but it was worth it. This is way too adorable.”

“Speaking of adorable,” Simon pointed behind Ambar’s head. They had been walking a catwalk that was lined with all kinds of tourist shops. Behind her, the one that Simon was pointing toward, was a shop that had a sign that read “Muumi”.

“A Moomin shop?” Ambar turned around and dashed to the display window.

“I guess so,” Simon followed her, “I was speaking of the shirt on the window. This was like an anime we used to watch with Maya while I was growing up. You know it too?”

“Of course, I know Moomin,” Ambar answered, “Did I never tell you how I loved those books? The author was Finnish. They sell all sorts of merch. I always wanted those mugs, but Sharon said that they looked tacky.”

“Well, let's go buy you some,” Simon suggested.

“Oh, we’re absolutely gonna buy some.” Ambar grinned at Simon as she kept scanning the window, “Oh, and look at those baby clothes. We need to get them for Delfi and Pedro.”

“They won’t probably need to buy any clothes themselves soon,” Simon laughed as they walked out of the store 20 minutes later.

“It’s the least we can do,” Ambar smiled, “This is so exciting. Hopefully, they return the favor someday.”

“Hopefully we will be able to fit all this in our bags once we leave.”

“There is always room in your suitcase if you make it,” Ambar remarked, “I learned that from Jazmin.”

“Is it just me, or did it get colder all of a sudden?” Simon shivered again.

“Not really,” Ambar looked at a temperature that was displayed on a big light-screen at the end of the street. “But it can feel like it I guess since we just came from inside.” She shivered herself a little bit. It was not like she was extremely used to these freezing temperatures herself. “Has something to do with the heat regulation of the body and homeophosphatic balance… or I don’t know. Something with biology and maybe physics… ask Gastón, he might know.”

“Is that a Starbucks up ahead?” Simon looked at the end of the street. “I need something warm right now.”

“Good idea.” Ambar said simply and sprinted into a run, “Last one there pays!!”

“Hey!” Simon ran after her, “We have combined finances!!”

***

“Olette siis menossa tapaamaan pukkia? Oh sorry. Väärä kieli. You are going to go visit the good old Santa?” Taxi asked said as Gastón, Nina, Matteo and Luna got into his vehicle, with a broken but understandable English.

“Yes, that is correct.” Gastón answered him as he got to the front seat.

“You are the first tourists I have had this week, which is very surprising.” The driver kept talking while turning the car’s radio on and music that sounded like Christmas music in Finnish started playing. “The two weeks before Christmas, I was just driving Japanese and Chinese tourists back and forth. So, tell me, where are you coming from?”

“Buenos Aires,” Matteo piped up from the backseat.

“Latin America? That is the first in my cap. You speak very good English, but I could swear you had a British accent.” The driver pointed towards Gastón, and he shared a quick glance with Nina. This has happened way too many times already.

“Our, no, WE are so excited to go here… or was it there?” Luna stumbled through a sentence in English. “Was it alright?” She whispered to Nina in Spanish.

“It was fine.” Nina whispered back.

“Well, my friends, here we are.” The car started slowing down as a huge number of light-up structures came into view on the side of the road. Since it was 8:45, they had wanted to be there at the opening time, but it was still dark. “Joulupukin Satukylä, or well, to you, Santa’s Magical Village, or whatever it is in Spanish. Have fun!”

“He was really nice,” Luna said as they waved their taxi driver goodbye and stood at the gate waiting for Simon and Ambar. Their taxi came five minutes later.

“Was your driver very talkative?” Matteo asked them as their car also drove away.

“No, didn’t say a word,” Ambar answered while putting her gloves back on. Simon already looked like he was freezing after being in the cold outdoor air for two minutes.

Well, it was -15 degrees Celsius. It was cold. Having lived through many London winters, Gastón and Nina were much more used to actual below-freezing temperatures than anyone else. Luna, Matteo, Simon and Ambar were not so. Luna and Simon, having lived in Mexico most of their lives, had never even seen snow in their lives.

“Ours actually was,” Matteo continued.

“Hmmm, I thought that the Finnish people are known for not really talking.” Ambar pondered, “Or at least there was something about bus stops, when I did the research.”

“Hey! Are we not gonna go in?” Luna was jumping on her feet. Maybe because she was cold, or because she was so excited.

“I am ready for some hot chocolate.” Simon said still shivering, “Or that Glugo stuff. I am freezing.”

“I think it was called glog, they call it glögi.” Nina said as they walked in. She had pulled up the map of the village on her phone.

“Simon, you are cold because you have not closed your jacket all the way,” Ambar scolded Simon and fixed his zipper.

“So, apparently this is the line for the Arctic Circle,” Nina read from her phone as they stopped in front of a row of stone pillars.

“Hey! I AM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD!!!” Luna had already jumped over the line.

“Luna! Wait for us!” Matteo yelled as the other jumped over the line as well.

“Well, now we can cross that off our bucket list…”

“Oh noh guys…” Matteo suddenly started looking around. “Where did she go? Guys, I have lost Luna.”

Everyone looked around. Luna really had vanished, even when she had just been waiting for them at the other side of the Arctic Circle.

“How do you lose Luna?” Gastón asked, trying hide his slight amusement. “She was wearing literally the whole rainbow. We are surrounded by snow; she will stand out.”

“I don’t know,” Matteo shook his head.

“Okay,” Ambar said, not sounding concerned at all. Well, it would be Luna, if anybody, who would get lost in a foreign Nordic country. Not to mention in freezing temperatures. “Raise your hand if you are surprised?” No one raised their hand.

“OMG, SO CUTE!!!” All of them turned their head towards the noise.

“That has to be Luna.” Simon said.

“Let’s go,” Ambar nodded, “Before we get kicked out of here because Luna was terrorizing an elf.”

Soon enough Matteo, Simon, Ambar, Gastón and Nina found Luna at the husky yard.

Luna was patting the head of the dog that was sitting next to the fence, and talking animatedly to the employee there, who was in fact wearing an elf costume. The poor elf was looking very confused.

“Luna! Finally, we found you.” Matteo was first on Luna’s side. “What are you doing?”

“I was just asking them how many dogs they have, and can we take one home.” Luna looked Matteo innocently, “So Newton has a friend.”

“Luna, first, we are not getting a dog, our lives are way too busy. And second, they don’t understand Spanish,” Matteo gestured towards the elf.

“I apologize for my wife; she just gets so excited sometimes. How many dogs do you have?” Matteo asked in English.

“We have seven adult dogs and ten puppies that were born a month ago.”

“Thank you!” Matteo took Luna from the shoulders, “Come on. Let’s go see Santa.”

“But the puppies were so cute!!” Luna whined as Matteo led her off to the others.

“Luna look, I love you,” Matteo sighed. Ambar had been right. This was not surprising from Luna at all, “But you can’t go wandering off like that. We are not in Buenos Aires.”

“Matteo, I am an adult girl, I can take care of myself.”

“I know, but we are in a country where they don’t speak Spanish, you don’t speak Finnish and your English could use some work,” Matteo sighed, “Tough love, but it is important. You can actually get lost in here.”

“Okayyy, I am sorry.” Luna rolled her eyes.

“So, can we now go inside?” Simon was stepping in his place to keep warm. “I am literally becoming a snowman here.”

“Weren’t we supposed to go and see Santa?” Ambar questioned as she rolled her eyes at Simon.

“The post office is close here,” Nina said while looking over the map that she had. “We could go there first.”

"You can send a post from here?" Luna piped up.

"Well, this is the place where you sent all the letters to Santa," Gastón noted. "How do you think he gets them? Of course, he needs his own post office."

"OMG! Let’s go!"

"Luna wait! Don't just dash-" Matteo yelled, but Luna had already taken off running,"-off."

“You might wanna get an air tag,” Gastón suggested. “So, you can locate her if she disappears in the snow.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Matteo shook his head.

“I vote yes,” Ambar raised her hand.

“This isn’t a democracy.”

"Hey! What are you doing just standing here?" Matteo jumped as Luna suddenly appeared to be standing next to him. "Weren't we supposed, like go?"

"Well, we were, but then you ran away" Ambar noted.

"Oh, yeah... I guess I did. Sorryy." Luna tilted her head. "But I could not find the post office. So, l had to come back."

"Luna, we are standing next to it," Nina pointed to a sign two meters away from them. "I just was about to say that when you ran away."

"Okay, I learned my lesson," Luna shook her head in laughter, "I won't do that again."

"Does everyone have their letters?" Matteo asked after he had signed the card to his Nonna in Italy and talked Luna out of sending a card to everyone of their friends.

"Yep!" Simon said as he and Ambar came to the counter with a postcard.

"I specially signed it, so Simon's family knows that he has not frozen into an ice-sculpture," Ambar patted him on his head.

"Worry that is not unwarranted." Simon said as he fixed his hat. "How do people live in this weather?"

"With proper get up probably," Gastón said as he and Nina came to the counter and posted their own letters. "A professor I talked with at the Aalto University said that Finnish people are known for their endurance or whatever that was. Sisu? Anyways, if we want to meet Santa we should really get going. We still have that drive to Saariselkä.”

“I am so excited to meet Santa!” Luna was skipping ahead as the rest were trying their best to keep up with her as they entered the place called Joulupukin Toimisto. As they were there in the morning, the sun had just come up and it was nearing 10:15, there was no line, so they could just freely walk the queue.

“Uuuu, what is this?” They stopped in front of a big picture that was on the wall of the queue. Or more like, it was a drawing. Drawing of the globe with some odd instructions.

“The…earth’s…rotational…speed…regulator…” Luna read from the drawing. “What does that mean?”

“Actually, I don’t know,” Matteo said, while looking at the wheel, “Gastón! Wanna translate this?”

“It means that this is supposed to be a device that regulates the earth’s rotation,” Gastón explained looking at the painting.

“I guess it relates to the fact that Santa manages to fly all over the world in one night,” Nina continued.

“Would that actually work?” Matteo asked Gastón while eyeing the drawing.

“Earth’s rotation, rotational speed, angular velocity and the electromagnetic current are all part of the theory of relativity,” Gastón said while looking at Matteo. “You do not want me to go on. But in a quick review, no, it does not work. This is all based on Magic.”

“Had to try,” Matteo shrugged.

Soon they made their way to the end of the queue.

“I can’t believe it! Santa Claus really is real!” Luna exclaimed as the old man in a beard came into the view.

“I can’t believe Santa Claus let Luna sit on her lap,” Simon laughed after they were walking out of Santa Claus’s office.

“He probably thought she was still a child.” Gastón joined him in the laughter. Nina and Ambar, who were walking behind them, just rolled their eyes at them.

“That was so much fun!!!!” Luna was still jumping up and down as she and Matteo exited last from the building. “Santa was so nice. And I got finally present my Christmas wishes in person.”

“Luna, Christmas was a week ago,” Nina noted to Luna as she and Matteo caught up with the rest of them.

“Yeah, I know that,” Luna just shrugged, “I meant for like next year.”

“You mean this year.”

“Yeah, sure. The earlier the better! Maybe now I will actually get that banjo.” Luna threw some pretend dagger eyes at her friends.

“You want a banjo?” Ambar asked dryly in complete disbelief.

“YES! I have been asking one for years.” Luna nodded, “No one has gotten me one.”

“And maybe that is a blessing…” Ambar whispered to Simon.

“What?”

“Ah, nothing.” Ambar shook her head, “How much time do we have left?”

“The drive is almost three hours” Gastón answered looking at his phone, “The weather is probably quite a big component in that. But today’s is not that bad. Can’t imagine what would happen in a snowstorm. To answer your question, we have time, but we really should make sure we leave before it’s dark again. The rental cars were available for the pickup as soon as we want.”

“We should probably go eat at some point.” Matteo pointed out.

“I read that there was this restaurant that was completely built out of snow here,” Nina explained.

“No way!” Simon exclaimed, “How is that even possible?”

“I guess the same way they built those huge sandcastles. Apparently, that is another tourist thing in Finland. Somewhere called Lappeenranta they built one every year.”

“OMG!!!!” Luna suddenly exclaimed. Matteo quickly grabbed her arm, so she was not able to run away. “Look at them! They are real?”

“What are real?” Everyone turned to look where Luna was pointing.

She was pointing towards the reindeer yard.

“Hold up a second.” Gastón asked, “You did not know that reindeer were real?” He exchanged a skeptical look with Matteo.

“Well, I thought they were just fairytale creatures.” Luna started speaking, “Just like dragons and unicorns. I mean Santa Claus is not real, I know that, so I thought his reindeer were not too.”

“Luna, quiet down,” Simon hushed her, forgetting that it was pretty unlikely that any of the people around them understood what Luna had been saying in Spanish, “You can’t just shout something like that out loud. There are children around. You’ll end up in the notty list for good.”

“Uuuups.”

“Well, anyways. Reindeer are mostly native for arctic areas like Northern Europe and I think there are some in Canada.” Nina explained. “Their whole affiliation with Santa Claus comes from lot of legends.”

“Well, can we go see them?” Luna asked jumping up and down once again.

“Well, why not.” Ambar nodded. “They are cute. You are right.”

“Hey! Can these reindeer really fly?” Luna asked the reindeer keeper, who was also dressed as an elf.

“Ööööö, Anteeksi?” The keeper asked a bit confused.

“Luna.” Matteo reminded her. “Sorry about that.” He started speaking English. “We are tourists from Argentina. She was just asking you if these reindeer can actually fly.”

“Oh noh,” the keeper laughed, “These ones don’t. Santa has a lot of different reindeer for different purposes. These guys right here don’t fly with him on Christmas Eve, but still are very important to our small village.”

“Can we meet Rudolf?” Luna asked. “What?” She said once she saw all the others staring at her. “I wanna see his red nose.”

“I wish you could see him,” The keeper responded, “But Rudolf and the other Flying Forces are resting. They had a long journey on Christmas Eve flying all around the world, even with the earth’s rotational speed regulator. But if you really wanna meet him, keep your eyes open next Christmas Eve and you might catch a glimpse of him.”

***

Nina sipped her tea while sitting at the table in the Villa they had rented for two weeks at Saariselkä. They had arrived there yesterday and looked around for a bit. Today was the first day the others would actually head to the slopes.

“So, what are you gonna do today?” Luna flopped the chair next to her yawning and almost spilling her orange juice.

“I think I’m gonna take a walk, once the sun is up.” Nina said and stirred her cup. “There is this one hiking path that I read about. There are some beautiful sights here, so I’m taking the camera… And I promised to call Mom as soon as we got settled up here, so I’ll do that. The sights will at least make that somewhat enjoyable. I’m sure she has helicoptered at least ten different things she needs to bring into my “Attention”.” She made quotation marks.

“Tell her to talk to my mom if she wants to fuss,” Gastón kissed Nina on top of her head as he sat down, “They can form a support group. They’re just scared that they’ll never get grandchildren if we die here middle of nowhere.”

“Add my mom to the list,” Simon piped up, “You don’t want to hear what she said when I told her where we were going. I mean, she’s right in some aspects, I am gonna freeze. Are all our mothers just way too overprotective?”

“I still wish Mom and Dad would have actually picked if they wanted to be protective or not,” Gastón laughed, “More often than not, they just let me do what I wanted, but then suddenly they were convinced I was deliberately putting my life at risk. I’m still surprised they ever let me back to Roller after the fire.”

“What I am wondering about, is why are we awake before the sun?” Matteo leaned back while munching on his cereal.

“The sun is coming up at 11, so not for hours,” Ambar noted while sitting down to braid Luna’s hair. “and going down at 2 pm, so we can’t just operate according to it. The gear rent place opens at 9:30, so I think the best is to be there as soon as it opens. Our class starts at 10, so we need to be there.”

“I agree,” Gastón nodded.

“You sure you don’t wanna join us?” Luna whipped herself out of Ambar’s reach as soon as she had finished tying the elastic onto the braid. “You can still change your mind and come join us in our lesson.”

“No,” Nina shook her head, “I told you already. No one will have fun if I’m there. I’ll come to ice skating once we're doing that, so that's one sport covered.”

“Okay, I think it’s time for us to leave.” Ambar got up from the table pulling her own hair into a ponytail.

“Have fun,” Nina kissed Gastón on the cheek as he got up from the table, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Us?” Gastón and Matteo glanced at each other. They had opted not to take any lessons, given that they had done quite frequent skiing while younger. It was to be seen how good an idea that was going to be. “Never.”

“I’m being serious,” Nina saw from the corner of her eyes the guys doing their handshake when Gastón turned back to her.

“Of course, you are. Don’t worry.” Gastón ran his finger through a lock of her hair, “We’re not going on a black slope at the start. We’ll start off easy and be careful.” He leaned down swiftly to kiss her.

“Send me pictures when you get to the top.”

***

“I think we still got it,” Matteo and Gastón stopped at a curve of a slope. They had gone through a few green and blue slopes first, after leaving Luna, Ambar and Simon in the care of the skiing instructor, just to get a feel for it again. The good thing was that they both were in good shape and some of the muscle memory from their skating days still existed.

They were now on one of the red slopes.

“I think we do.” Gastón agreed. The slope they had taken came all the way down the fjeld. It wasn’t steep, but more a long narrowing path down the mountain. “Can we stop for a sec. I need to take a pic of this.”

“Nina won’t call the police if you don’t update her every fifteen minutes.”

“It’s not that,” Gastón rolled his eyes as he took his gloves off and fished his phone out of the breast pocket of the jacket he was wearing. “This is a beautiful view.”

It was now noon, so the sun had finally come completely up… Or well, as up as it was going to come, which wasn’t high, but up it was.

“I guess it is true,” Matteo squinted his eyes in the sunshine as he took the skiing goggles off. “Hey! Since we're doing a photoshoot, take a couple of me, so I can post them.”

“You sure it’s wise to announce your location publicly?” Gastón raised an eyebrow at Matteo.

“Because my fans would swarm me?” Matteo laughed, “I mean they do love me, but Finland barely has any, unfortunately.”

“Maybe, but you never know with those fans of yours.” Gastón rolled his eyes as Matteo posed with the skis.

“Right,” Matteo kept laughing, “I forgot that you don’t like them, after they thought Nina and I were dating when we first started writing songs together.”

“It never bothered me like that,” Gastón gave Matteo a look, “You know that, and it was for five years, but implication of some people being so invested in it is still so bizarre.”

“I have been too scared to look at some of the corners of the internet,” Matteo admitted cringing.

“Although, I gotta admit it was kind of amusing to wake up in the morning and see that the first thing that pops up on TikTok, is a swifty-level fan post about the new song you wrote and how the lyrics and subtext absolutely confirm the romance—When she’s literally sleeping in my bed.” Gastón shook his head, “but it’s so odd how some are invested. I don’t get it.”

“It’s not like you’re the most anonymous person on the planet anymore,” Matteo chuckled, “You do know they call you the “young rising promise who will revolutionize the whole construction scene” or something like it. You name has been out there ever since the promotion.”

“I used to be the child no one knew Isla and Marco Perida had, and I am grateful for them for that.” Gastón rolled his eyes again. He knew why his parents had done it, to keep him out of their business and to let him become his own person with his own path. “At least there’s no tabloids, which surely would have already accused me of benefitting from nepotism. I mean, it is what it is. We’re out there and I accept it. Nina is going to become more known as time goes on and she deserves every inch of that success, and I will never leave her side. But mark my words, I will not ever let a photographer close to my children.”

“You need to have those children first,” Matteo nudged Gastón teasingly, “When’s that gonna happen?”

“Not you too.” Gastón groaned, “You’re worse than my parents.”

“Hey! I’m just caring about my godchild here.” Matteo raised his hands onto the air.

“Who decided that?”

“You, if you know what’s good for you.” Matteo smirked, “I’m not telling you to do anything, just having a conversation. You have been married two and a half years now, you have a house, a dog and more than generous cash flow for two people in their twenties that will just increase. Plus, you haven’t been able to keep your hands off your wife since you were 17. I know that you have always wanted children.”

“Of course, I have,” Gastón responded, “and so does Nina. We have talked about it a lot. It’s just not happening at this second. We have all the time in the world. You don’t think we’re actually gonna tell you when we’re trying? That would be crossing some lines. When there is actually something to tell, you will know.”

“I will hold you to that.”

“You know, why am I the one getting interrogated?” Gastón crossed his arms, “When are you having a kid?”

“Wow,” Matteo shifted himself back, “I’ve been married for a year and we’re constantly between work and shows…”

“And I’m not gonna question you any further,” Gastón finished his point before looking at the view down the mountain again, “You know, life’s really good right now.”

“Agreed,” Matteo nodded while tapping Gastón on the shoulder. “Do we deserve it?”

“Teenage you would probably faint if he knew,” Gastón laughed, “We’ve come a long way. Anyways, should we go down and see how the ski-schoolers are doing?”

“Sure,” Matteo nodded grinning, “Who do you think has fallen the most?”

“I have no idea.” Gastón shook his head.

“I gotta go with Simon,” Matteo concluded, “Luna has the agility and Ambar won’t let herself fall if Luna doesn’t.”

“Well, hopefully you won’t fall,” Gastón grinned and started sliding ahead, “See you at a lower altitude!”

“Hey!” Matteo jumped to follow Gastón, “That was a false start!”

***

“So, now that you all have mastered the snow plowing, we’re starting with turns.” The ski instructor kept talking as Luna, Ambar and Simon stood in a line on their skis.

They had spent most of the morning learning how to stay upright and how to control the speed while going down.

“How do we turn?” Simon raised his hand like he was in school, “Because these are so stiff and don’t curve. How is it even possible to maneuver them?”

“It’s not about the skis' maneuverability,” The instructor continued, “It’ about the pressure, the friction and force. Basic physics.”

“Fabulous,” Ambar sighed next to Luna, “Didn’t realize we needed math.”

“—But it’s actually super simple,” Luna turned back to look at the instructor, “You actually only need to lean side to side to go left or right. There’s a catch though. You are not gonna go left by leaning left.”

“Then where are we going?” Luna asked. That didn’t make any sense to her.

“By leaning left, you turn right. I know, that’s confusing, but it just needs some rewiring in your head. Let’s try it.” The instructor slid closer to the start of the training slope, “Follow me.”

So, they wormed around while trying to make their skis turn while also trying to get moving.

“This clearly will need some work.” Their instructor sighed as they finally made their way down the training slope. “Come on! And we go again!!”

“I did not sign up for a boot camp.” Simon rolled his eyes as they stepped on the escalator lift.

“I think this is fun!” Luna did a small jump. The ski boots were extremely clunky and didn’t feel the same as her skates did, but she would deal with it. “I can’t wait for the bigger slopes.”

“At least you match energy with our teacher.” Ambar remarked, “He probably does this every day. I would love to get access to your backup energy converter. I guess it is like Gastón said. These people have that sisu thing and all the guys go to do military when they turn 18.”

“Sounds awful,” Simon shook his head, “I could never go to war.”

“Good thing you would not need to fight Russia.”

They spent at least an hour honing in their technique of turning and all of them finally managed to go down the training slope gracefully.

“Okay, you guys.” The instructor clapped his hands, after another hour, “I think you’re ready to hit the slopes. Have fun!”

“Okay, hopefully we’re good enough,” Ambar looked down at the training slope. “Time to go find some actual slopes.”

“So, we need to go down this again,” Simon nodded.

“Hey! I have an idea.” Luna jumped up, “Let’s go down this while holding hands.”

“You serious?” Ambar turned to look at Luna.

“Sounds fun,” Simon was actually smiling, “Let’s try it.”

“Okay,” Ambar shook her head amused before grabbing Simon’s hand and they started sliding down the slope.

At the start it went well…

But then as they were starting to turn left, Luna who had been leading their train, accidentally turned right, while Ambar and Simon were turning left…

Long story short, they totally dripped and ended up falling on top of each other.

“That’s a one way to get down the slope.”

Their pile had slid the rest of their way down the slope where Matteo and Gastón had apparently been waiting for them.

“Where did you come from?” Ambar asked as they scrambled on their feet.

“From one of the red slopes,” Matteo said as he helped Luna up. “Came to see if you were done.”

“We are,” Luna said, “Uuuu, so what slope should we now do?”

“We took couple of green ones at the start,” Gastón started, “They’re beginner friendly. Wide and away from the forest so there is no danger if you fall or derail.”

“So, who has fallen the most?” Matteo added.

***

“Weeeeeee!” Luna was gliding on the ice and Matteo tried his best to keep up.

None of them had gone on the slopes today, they had already been there for many days, and they were taking advantage of the brief daylight to do something else. They were ice skating.

Luna had been the one insisting they try it, given their background. Matteo did have to admit that skating on ice with blades under your feet instead of wheels was a completely different experience.

Luna obviously was a natural. It was no matter what she had under her feet, it still looked like she was flying.

“Matteo stop snailing around!” Luna called as she turned around and tried skating backward. That didn’t go as smoothly, but she was moving forward.

“I’m coming.” Matteo rolled his eyes.

“This is so much fun!” Luna started circling around Matteo, “I mean it’s not like normal skating, but still familiar.”

“I think this actually is normal skating.” Matteo pointed out.

“Do you think I might be able to try an axel?”

“I wouldn’t try it,” Matteo shook his head, before looking at Luna sternly, “Luna, I’m being serious. Don’t try it. I don’t want to head to the ER during this trip.”

“Okay,” Luna rolled her eyes, “I won’t do any jumps. Pirouette will do.”

She skated a small round and tried to do a pirouette. The problem was that the ice-skates didn’t have a break at the toe, they had blades with spikes. So, when Luna tried to spin, the spike caught onto the ice, and she tripped completely over and fell onto a pile of snow.

“That goes onto the list of your top ten wipe-outs Chica Delivery.” Matteo laughed as he skated closer to where Luna was lying. “Chica Delivery? Luna? You okay?”

Suddenly his arm was pulled, and he fell face first into the snow as well.

“Hahahaaa!” Luna curled up from laughter, “Got ya. I have always wondered how’d you look as a snowman.”

“Now you got me started,” Matteo shook his head smirking as Luna jumped up from the snow and back onto the ice. He grabbed some snow from the pile and formed it into a ball.

Sadly, Luna had time to notice what he was doing before he had time to throw the ball.

“Hah, missed me!” she dashed for the pile and formed her own snowball, “This is war now.”

***

“I didn’t fall that many times, so I’m taking that as a victory,” Nina pulled a shawl over her shoulders as she curled up on the couch next to Gastón as they were all hanging out in the Villa’s living room.

“My muscles are way too out of shape,” Ambar massaged the base of her feet. “But it was fun.”

“That’s it!” Luna sat in one of the armchairs with a huge cup of hot chocolate, “You all need to start skating again.”

“Yeah nope,” Simon got from where he had been sitting in front of the fireplace.

“Hey!” Ambar’s phone dinged, “Delfi sent me a new sonogram.”

“Uuu, let me see,” Luna grained her neck, “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“No,” Ambar blew some hair off her face.

“Are we having a gender reveal party?”

“We would like to throw one for them with Jazmin, but they aren’t telling us,” Ambar shook her head as she kept examining the picture, “I’m sure they have already found out. Gastón, isn’t your cousin a doctor? Can you send this to her, and she could tell us?”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure April won’t want any part of this,” Gastón laughed while he had been absentmindedly playing with Nina’s hair, “and she’s not a doctor, yet. She will be a neurosurgeon, not a radiology tech or OBGYN. She won’t be able to tell a thing, but we’re very well situated if someone has a brain injury…or well, you are. She won’t be allowed to operate on me.”

“Look at the sky.” Matteo pointed out of the window.

Everyone turned around to look out the window. The sky was lit up by colorful swirls.

“Northern lights?” Nina gasped, “I was sure we wouldn’t be so lucky that we would see any.”

“Luck is on our side,” Gastón placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Can you go get the camera?” She asked him while looking out of the window. Ever since they had decided to go to Lapland, she had been hoping they might be able to catch the Aurora Borealis—the official name was beautiful, but it was a game of luck, so she hadn’t wanted to be too hopeful. “I don’t know how good pictures you can get through the window but…”

“Why would you need to take those through the window?” Gastón said as he handed her their DSLR camera. “Let’s go outside. Who knows if we’ll be able to catch these again.”

“You aren’t seriously going out right now?” Matteo looked at them horrified.

“Why not?” Gastón looked at him confused, “It’s only 11:45.”

“Yeah, but did you notice that the temp has dropped to almost -30?”

“It has?” Nina looked at the digital temperature indicator. “We’ll be fast.”

“Seriously?” Both Luna and Simon asked in unison.

“So, we take it that none of you are joining us?” Gastón questioned, “Ambar?”

“I think the window view is enough for me too,” Ambar noted, “It’s a bit cold for me too.”

“Bunch of wimps,” Gastón shook his head laughing as he and Nina walked out of the doors. “It’s not like we’re being completely irresponsible and braving a snowstorm. It’s not even windy.”

“It’s so clear, look.” Nina pointed toward the sky, which was completely clear, and the moon was shining directly at them, surrounded by numerous northern lights.

The swirls of light were moving continuously. It almost looked like they were dancing.

“There must be some tricks on how to get good pictures of these,” Nina said after looking through the camera lens. Gastón was the one of the two of them who was a bit better at nature photography, while she had the better knacks at photographing people.

“Decrease the shutter speed and the aperture and increase ISO between 800 and 3200, to about 1600. Use manual-focus and a steady hand,” Gastón adjusted the way Nina was holding the camera.

“Did you research this at some point?”

“No, but Dad has taught me all of his tricks,” He shrugged as Nina snapped a series of pictures. “I don’t know how I even remember it, but it’s all about getting as much as light as we can.”

“Okay,” Nina said and directed the camera back at the sky, “These are looking much better already. I never thought we would get to see the beauty of Auroras in person.”

Gastón couldn’t fully look at the pictures as his gaze kept focusing on Nina and how her face was illuminated by the light from the sky. She was so beautiful.

“Put that camera down for a sec.”

“Why?” Nina turned to look at him.

“Because I can’t stand a moment longer without kissing you.”

“You’re impossible.” She giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Impossibly in love with you.”

Making out in the snow under the moonlight had not exactly been on their bingo card for this year, but that didn’t make the moment any less special as their bodies started intertwining with each other.

Suddenly a strong gush of wind blew past them.

“The wind seems to be picking up,” Gastón wrapped his arms tighter around Nina, “The storm might be coming after all. We should get going before you freeze.”

“Well, there are things we can do to get the body heat back up.”

***

“I really wish I could have seen the pics you got yesterday,” Luna said as she, Gastón and Matteo finished descending one of the red slopes.

“Well, you were already asleep,” Gastón shrugged, “Nina said that she’ll transfer them to the computer during the day. We can look at them in the evening. Your loss for not coming with us.”

“How did you even take that long?” Matteo furrowed his brow. Something was telling him that Gastón and Nina had not minded at all having been left alone to take that moonlit stroll to hunt for the Aurora Borealis. “We were sure you had been frozen into icicles.”

“And yet you went to sleep.” Gastón rolled his eyes. “Almost like you don’t even care… Anyways, where to next?” We’ve done almost all of the basic slopes now.”

“Uuuu, so what have we not done?” Luna looked at the map that was on the wall of one of the cafes.

“The Black ones,” Matteo pointed to one of the narrowing black lines on the map. “We wanted to get some experience before doing those.”

“Well, how about we go try one?” Luna hopped up on her snowboard. After a couple of days, she had switched the skis to the board. She seemed to actually prefer it. “I mean we have experience now, and it can’t be that hard if people here do it.”

“I’m in,” Gastón nodded, “Matteo?”

“Well, why not?” Matteo nodded and looked at the map again, “The chair lift is right up ahead.”

“Well, that took forever,” Gastón remarked as the lift finally got up top, “Felt like it was gonna take a lifetime.”

“Well, we’re here now,” Luna attached her left leg back up to the board. “The last one down is a loser!”

Gastón and Matteo just laughed and headed down the slope after Luna.

The slope was quite steep and there were trees all around with deep trenches on both sides.

As the slope was also quite narrow, they ended up descending it in a singular line. Gastón first, Matteo second, and Luna last.

“That looks really steep,” Luna remarked after they had taken a small break about halfway down.

“Maybe, but nothing we can’t handle right,” Gastón said as he put his gloves back on. “Ready to continue?”

“Yeah, just in a sec,” Matteo turned to Luna for a moment as Gastón already started sliding down.

“Aaaah!”

“Oh my god!” Luna’s face turned horrified all of a sudden.

“What?” Matteo turned around to see that Gastón had somehow disappeared off the slope.

“He… he somehow all the sudden went straight left and straight to the trenches,” Luna pointed forward.

“Ah, I see,” Matteo tried his hardest not to laugh, as he carefully started descending to the spot Luna was pointing toward. “There must have been some ice there or something. You might not hold the best wipe-out record much longer. Gastón, you okay?!”

There was no answer. That was weird.

“Did you hear me?” Matteo inched closer to the bank of the trench. “Gastón?”

“Don’t scare us like that—” Matteo peeked over the bank onto the trench…

Gastón was there, on the bottom… Lying completely motionless, face against a tree.

“Dio mio!” Matteo quickly took his skis off and jumped into the trench. There was so much snow that he progressed with difficulty, but he was finally able to make his way to Gastón, his heart in his throat. “Gastón!!”

“Hey, you okay!? Answer me!” He grabbed Gastón shoulder and turned him around, shaking him. He was completely limp, and his eye was black and they were closed… “Wake up!”

“Matteo?!?” Luna’s voice came from above, “What’s going on?”

“He’s completely unresponsive!” Matteo yelled at her as the waves of dread washed over him.

“What!? Is he breathing?!?”

“I don’t know,” Matteo looked at Gastón again. How did you even test for a pulse? Something he should have learned to do after Mom had died, but he hadn’t thought he would be in a situation like that ever again. But here he was, holding his best friend’s seemingly lifeless body in his arms, 17 years later. “No, no, you can’t do this Hermano, come on. Wake up!!!”

{}

Uuuup, told you nothing was gonna go wrong am I right? Well, here we are. This happy go lucky adventure hs just gotten just tad bit more diar. So, honestly, I don't know what else I can really say right now. Tune in to read the next chapter... when it comes out. You really though I was actually gonna tell you when it's gonna be huh?

#Soy Luna #soy luna fanfiction #gastina #lutteo #simbar #pelfi #kind of in the background #Christmas #DCLA Holidays #Finland #I have my silly faves visit my country

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countessofravenclaw · 11 months ago

Text

A homeland this north, country dear fathers! Part uno

Taakse jo jäänyt on syksyn lohduttomuus

“You still think it was a good idea to take Newton out on this weather?” Nina said to Gastón as he came through the door with Newton.

It had been raining hard the whole early October evening, but her husband still thought that it couldn’t possibly be stopping him from going on his run with their dog.

“I turned around when the thunder started.” Gastón said, as that would make it any less crazy.

“You’re soaked to the skin,” Nina walked into the downstairs bathroom and grabbed Newton’s towel and handed it to Gastón. Newton was just sitting on the floor next to him wagging his tail and tongue out—also soaking wet, “He’s gonna zoom around for an hour now.”

“Then let's let him,” Gastón just laughed, “Hey look, I turn 27 next week and be in my late twenties, so I gotta have the fun now.”

“Getting poured on is fun?” Nina just shook her head again before her eyes focused on a pile of papers on the chest of drawers, “What’s that?”

“I got the post,” Gastón answered as he hung his, completely soaked through, jacked on a hanger.

“I don’t know why we still have paper post delivered,” Nina picked up the envelopes, “How has it not died yet? I’ll look through them, you need to go shower and change before you catch a cold.”

Nina put the envelopes on the coffee table as she sat down on the couch after Gastón had gone up. Newton curled next to her as she opened her phone. Her publishing agency had sent her couple of emails that she had left unread earlier in the day, so she opened them now. They were about the publishing announcement of her third book, which would finish her debut trilogy that she had started while in university.

Something that had started as a “stupid idea”, although Gastón liked to differ on the topic, was now finished and had given her defining career, and she honestly was getting a weird feeling of sadness about it. One era in her life was kind of over and she needed to figure out what to do next.

“Was there anything interesting?” Gastón walked back down the stairs.

“Where?” Nina looked up as he sat on the other side of Newton, who was dead asleep in a bagel position.

“In the envelopes?” Gastón asked again amused, “We don’t get much paper post. Who on earth is sending some?”

“I didn’t look at them yet.” Nina admitted, “I had a couple of emails from Mereilla that I needed to read. You know, about the press release and about quotes for it.”

“They are sending you those now?” Gastón furrowed his brow, “They couldn’t wait till tomorrow?”

“They came earlier today actually,” Nina opened her phone again, “I just didn’t look at them. You know how busy the end of the year is if the book comes out in January. But there is nothing I can do about these now. I’ll be going over there for that meeting on Monday anyway.” Nina put her phone away and reached for the post.

Most of the envelopes were either advertisements or some other insignificant stuff. Under all those on the other hand was a thicker envelope.

It was dusty rose-colored, and envelope was really textured. Her and Gastón’s names were written with perfect cursive on the front with their address. The stamps indicated that the envelope had come all the way from France. It was even sealed with a wax seal that had the initials “O & F” on it.

“I think we know what this is,” Nina handed it to Gastón, because she would never be able to break the seal. She didn’t have the fine motor skills for that.

“I thought for sure they wouldn’t send paper ones,” Gastón remarked, “But here we are. Explains why it took so long. I was already starting to get worried.”

He pulled the invitation out of the envelope and handed it to Nina.

It read:

Flor Astrella and Oliver Carson invite you to celebrate with them as they become Mr. and Mrs. Carson on 31st of December 2026 at The subterranean monolithic church of Saint-Jean 18 Rue St Jean, 16390 Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, France Starting 15:00 The reception will be held afterward at Le Château Charmant Le Bourg 16320 Boisné-la-Tude, France

“So, they did settle for the new year’s after all,” Gastón remarked, “Now I need to call James and Jacob to see if they knew and I was the one left waiting for the invite. Well, now we don’t need to make plans for the new year’s.”

“Well, we do need a plan,” Nina noted, “since we’re traveling to France.”

“I know that,” Gastón laughed and grabbed the tablet that had been on the coffee table, “So, the closest airport to that place is the Bergerac and there is a train station near as well, the Chalais. I think it might be smarter to get a hotel closer to the airport… Good thing about this is that I don’t need to get any time off, so we can do what we want.”

The whole executive team at Castillo Corporation had a consecutive summer vacation from the 19th of December to the end of January.

“So, if we got this today…” Nina was turning the invitation on her hands, “...although, I doubt Luna and Matteo check their mailbox every day. Should we call them to tell them that these have come?”

“You are so certain they are invited?” Gastón was grinning at her, and Nina rolled her eyes at him. Gastón had been the one to matchmake Flor and Oliver at Oxford, once upon time, and Nina had helped. They had been close personal friends with them, ever since Oliver had been Gastón’s roommate, but Matteo was Flor’s cousin. “Just joking, Matteo would never speak to Flor again if she didn’t invite him. These surely were sent in the same batch.”

“We should talk to them before we book any accommodation,” Nina continued, “So we can do it together.”

“I agree,” Gastón nodded, “but do we really wanna spoil the joy that they got a wedding invitation, given that nobody really knew when this was gonna be happening. Last time I asked, Oliver gave me like three dates. Maybe we should just wait until at least tomorrow for them to get it and then talk.”

“You’re right,” Nina nodded and scooted closer to lean on Gastón’s shoulder. Newton was still between them, but they were used to the clingy third-wheeling dog. They wouldn’t have it any other way. “You know, there has been so many weddings since we came back.”

“That’s true,” Gastón seemed to count with his fingers, “Simon and Ambar, Us, Pedro and Delfi, Elizabeth, then my uncle, Luna and Matteo, Jonathan and Windy… That’s all, right? That’s seven, Flor and Oliver are the eight.”

“It’ll be nice to be just a guest again,” Nina continued, “Being a bridesmaid has been exhausting. Your uncle’s wedding was really nice.”

“Because your boss, who had very recently promoted you very unexpectedly, wasn’t there. The aforementioned boss being also a person who your parents don’t particularly like. I still wonder why Mom and Dad let me even work at Castillo Corporations.” Gastón laughed slightly, “Flor and Oliver’s wedding will be so much more peaceful. And I definitely see why they chose the date… New years can be so romantic…”

Nina smiled as she felt his hand creep up around her waist, pulling her closer.

“Your suits are still fine, right?”

“Yeah,” Gastón nodded, “I don’t think I will wear the black one, though. I wear it too much for work. I don’t want to feel like I’m in the business meeting with people from Tokyo while celebrating my friends’ marriage.”

“Wear the blue one,” Nina simply stated. She couldn’t fully agree with his sentiment about the black suit, not that she understood anything about engineering collaborations with the Japanese, because she did not mind at all looking at Gastón in a suit. He looked way too good in business casual, or any kind of other formal wear. “I’ll have to call Mora, because I don’t have anything for an actual winter wedding. It’s probably going to be quite cold.”

“Just make sure it has a zipper on it.”

“You have a preference now?” Nina asked Gastón playfully. She knew exactly what he meant by that.

“What if I do?” he answered her glance. Her hand started running up his bare arm—He had thrown on just a T-shirt after the shower. “You know that Mora doesn’t look at me normally anymore.”

“Then maybe you should learn how to open buttons,” Nina continued, “She knows that they don’t fall off my clothes just naturally when she has to fix them.”

“I’m working on it…but only way I can do that, is by—” Their faces had gotten steadily closer as the back and forth had gone on. Now there were only millimeters, and she could feel his breath on her face, “—practice.”

Newton whined as he jumped off the couch before he was completely squeezed between them. He was probably giving them a very judgmental look from the floor, but neither Gastón nor Nina didn’t see it, because they were so wrapped up in each other.

They were only interrupted by a phone ringing on the coffee table.

“We really should get a soundproof safe where we can put those into,” Gastón huffed annoyed, “We get way too many mystery phone calls at very inconvenient times. That’s yours. Who is it?”

“Luna,” Nina grabbed her phone, “Who would have thought? No more mystery relatives. Well, I actually don’t have ones”

“I swear Luna and Matteo have some kind of sixth sense for extremely poor timing,” Gastón shook his head, “Mark my words, if we end up not being able to have children, it’s because they are not giving us the chance.”

“I’ll get rid of her as quickly as I can,” Nina laughed. Gastón was right in some sense. Luna was 25 and a grown woman, but she still had retained her never-ending positivity and innocence… She did sometimes have a habit of not realizing that she had just walked in on something.

Luna was calling a video, but Nina didn’t really deem it necessary to get up. Hopefully, this wasn’t going to be that long of a conversation.

“Hey!” She pressed the button and Luna's face became visible on the screen.

“Hii!” Luna was clearly beaming, “So, guess what?”

“What?” Had Luna called to play charades?

“Guess where me and Matteo are spending the New Years?” Nina shared a glance with Gastón. Either Luna and Matteo had checked their mail, or this was a huge coincidence.

“Well, where?”

“No, you have to guess.” Luna continued.

“Okay,” Nina rolled her eyes at her. She wasn’t that in the mood for a long-winded guessing game, especially since she knew the answer. “France?”

“How did you know?” Luna exclaimed.

“This came in the mail,” Nina showed the envelope on the camera.

“Told you they had gotten it as well! “Matteo’s voice came from the background.

“Yeah, but I didn’t want to assume!” Luna yelled back.

“You do realize right that we actually kind of know Oliver and Flor better than you do.” Gastón joined in the conversation, “Or at least more recently.”

“Hey! I know my cousin better than anybody!” Matteo appeared next to Luna on screen.

“I mean, she’s getting married so somebody might know her pretty well…”

“Yeah, I prefer not to think about that.”

Nina propped her phone up on the coffee table, as this conversation seemed to become a four-way one. She cuddled on Gastón’s side, and he wrapped his arm back around her waist. This was probably gonna take a while after all, so no reason why she shouldn’t be comfortable.

“Well, we were actually also wondering if you had gotten the invite, since they aren’t giving us that much time,” Gastón continued, “We should look at the accommodations. It's probably easiest to arrive a day before.”

“Yeah,” Matteo was rubbing his neck, “I get why they’re having it in France, since that's where they live, but I gotta admit, this does feel like a bit of a hassle to go all the way there for just two nights...”

“Well, we’re not in any kind of hurry to leave,” Nina started saying. “It’s winter there, so there could be lot of things to see that you don’t in Summer.”

“Wait,” Matteo looked pensive for a moment, “What if we went skiing, on the Alps.”

“That’s a really good idea!” Luna exclaimed, “Although, I have never skied… But it looks so much fun. Lets do it!”

“We actually never have been skiing together,” Gastón noted to Matteo, “I often went to Canada with my parents, when I was younger. But I agree, that’s a good plan. We’re all on vacation anyway, so we could just find a ski resort in the alps and stay a week or two. What do you think?”

“Well, I also have never skied—” Nina answered the question directed at her, “—nor will I. It seems dangerous. Anyway, I like the plan, there are other things to do for me.”

“Oh my god! We’re going skiing! I’m gonna see snow!” Luna had gotten up and was doing some sort of dance.

“In this case, we need to plan even more,” Gastón piped up again, “You should come over tomorrow so we can get all of this sorted.”

***

“If we want to go to the Zillertal Arena, Gerlost is the closest town, so we could stay there.” Matteo was crouching down toward the laptop.

He was glad that they had come up with this plan. He hadn’t been skiing in a while, and since they were in Europe anyway, why not take everything out of it. Obviously, he was super happy for Flor too and excited for the wedding as well.

“I don’t know,” Gastón seemed to shake his head, “Do we wanna stay in a hotel? I mean could we Airbnb a villa or something?”

“Uuuuu. Good idea!” Luna jumped up from the floor where she had been trying to get Newton to give her a paw… He hadn’t fully mastered obeying someone outside of Gastón and Nina yet.

“That was in Austria, right?” Nina looked up as well, “What’s the closest airport?”

“Innsbruck,” Gastón answered, “It’s about an hour away. We do have to connect from Charles de Gaullen. Anyways, then we can rent a car from the airport and just drive—”

His phone started ringing.

“Really?” Gastón grabbed his phone from his pocket. “I’m sorry, but I have to answer this. I’m still on call for a couple of hours.” He got up from the couch, “Gastón Perida.”

“You sure you don’t want to try skiing?” Luna had joined Nina back on the floor with Newton while Matteo kept scrolling on all the different booking sites.

“I have never done it before.” Nina shook her head and held her hand out for Newton, “Newton, give me the paw.” The dog obliged immediately, giving his left paw to Nina's hand, “Good boy. You see, it’s about the tone of voice and eye contact. Treats also help.”

“I have never done it either,” Luna grabbed a couple of treats from the coffee table and threw them in the air while Newton caught them. “But it seems like so much fun. I need to take lessons, we could do it together. Who’s the bestest boy in the world?” She sunk her fingers in Newton’s fur to ruffle it aggressively, “Give me a paw?”

Newton just sat down next to Luna wagging his tail and looking at her confused.

“Why isn’t it working?”

“You’re too easy target,” Matteo laughed from the couch, “You give way too many treats as it is, so he doesn’t see the need to work for them.”

“Anyway, back to topic,” Luna sighed while Newton was now licking her hand, and begging for more treats, “Nina, you never know if you don’t try.”

“I can live with never knowing if can I ski or not,” Nina stated, “I’m not athletic, nor do I enjoy it. I would just get myself hurt.”

“Luna, don’t push it.” Matteo said before Luna was able to open her mouth again. “What’s taking Gastón so long?” He craned his neck to look towards the guest room of Gastón and Nina’s house, where he had gone to take his call.

“I don’t know,” Nina looked at the same direction, her face showing mild concern. “He doesn’t usually get calls that take this long while on call. Hopefully, there isn’t actually something really wrong, that he needs to start working on.”

Just as Nina had finished saying that, the door opened back up and Gastón walked out of the room. To Matteo, it kind of looked like he was shaking his head slightly and looking annoyed.

“What’s wrong?” Nina got up from the floor at once and walked up to Gastón. If Matteo had slightly sensed that something wasn’t right with Gastón after that phone call, Nina obviously had picked on it immediately.

“There is nothing wrong, exactly,” Gastón sighed, “I don’t necessarily have good news.”

“What is it?” Matteo frowned as Gastón and Nina came to sit back on the couch.

“So, the call I just got was not from a panicked client who is worried about some bridge structure,” Gastón started, “It was our international representation and relations coordinator.”

“Okay, I don’t know who that is, but sounds important,” Luna remarked from the floor.

“What did they want with you?” Nina asked while ruffling Gastón’s hair. It was a comforting and affectionate gesture that, Matteo was pretty sure, she had adopted from Isla.

“Well, thats the thing.” Gastón continued, “I am being sent on the behalf of Castillo Corporations to give a series of lectures about our work to Aalto University.”

“Isn’t that an honor?” Luna asked again from the floor. “I love talking about skating to kids.”

“It would be,” Gastón sighed, “If this wasn’t going to happen on January 2nd, 2027.”

“Two days after the wedding?” Matteo asked shocked.

“Where is Aalto University?” Nina questioned, “You said it was an international affair. That’s not in Buenos Aires.”

“Aalto University is the most prominent engineering, business, and art university in Finland.”

“Finland?”

“Where is that?” Luna was making a lot of pondering faces, while Newton next to her was just staring at everyone.

“In northern Europe,” Gastón answered, “In between Sweden and Russia…but this means that alps are gonna be a bust, since I have to fly straight to Finland after the wedding. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Nina had taken his hand, “But, are they allowed to do this? You are supposed to be on vacation.”

“They are if all the bases are covered,” Gastón nodded, “I’m compensated for the lost day, getting paid, and getting a bonus. Apparently, this is really important…and I’m an assistant engineer, the most junior at that, in the team. I have not even been on the field for five years. I have no basis to refuse.”

“They’re not giving you a lot of warning,” Matteo frowned.

“From what I understood, there was an unexpected change of circumstances. PR usually handles all kinds of school exhibitions when it comes to possible career presentations, but apparently, these lectures are part of some sort of summit with a bunch of different companies. I need to attend an assembly with them, representing us and our work against the climate change and stuff. PR rep can’t do that, it needs to be somebody who is actually working on the stuff, meaning an executive team member, and apparently all the higher-ups unanimously wanted me to do it.”

“Aren’t you a higher-up?” Luna questioned.

“If I start explaining the bureaucratic hierarchy, we will be here till the wedding. I don’t even get it myself sometimes.” Gastón sighed again, “The bottom line is, that this foils our plans.”

“Your work doesn’t need to stop us,” Luna piped up. She had that look in her eyes, which signified that she had had an idea.

“I don’t think any of us want to be flying back and forth between France, Finland and the Alps.”

“I didn’t mean the Alps, or whatever,” Luna jumped up from the floor to a standing position. “Why can’t we all just go to Finland? It’s still a European country, is it not? Can’t we ski there?”

“Actually, I think we can…” Matteo muttered, and he understood what Luna meant, “It’s really in the North, they surely have snow.”

“Okay, I looked it up,” Nina had been on her phone, “Finland is in the Nordic regions and its largest northernmost region is called Lapland. It’s a huge tourism destination, for example for skiing. The Artic Circle runs across it… and it’s where the Santa lives.”

“Really!?!” Luna turned around.

“Let her explain,” Matteo pulled Luna on the couch.

“The really popular ski resort there is called Saariselkä,” Nina read, “It’s a little less commercial, than other ones…apparently… We could probably find and nice Villa there where we could stay and there would be a lot to see. And… was the University close to the capital?”

“I think so,” Gastón frowned, “It was somewhere called Otaniemi, which was in somewhere called Espoo. I need to look those up, but it sounded like in the capital area, like close to the airport.”

“So, we can just look around at the capital, while you’re in your conference.”

“That’s settled,” Matteo clapped his hands, “We fly to Finland after the wedding, Gastón does his thing and then have a fun vacation.”

“Yeah,” Gastón was nodding again, “Although, I’m just a little worried about the Jet lag. I think we should go to France as soon as possible after Christmas, just to get used to the European time, to actually be presentable at places.”

“That makes sense,” Nina nodded, “We can't leave until Boxing Day is over, and then we need time to pack, so the 28th? It will be a long flight.”

“I apparently get all the necessary information on Monday, so we can’t do any booking on the Finland’s front before it, but we should get the flight and the hotel to France now, so the ball is rolling.”

***

“I swear that’s the case,” Ambar said as she sipped her drink while she and Luna were sitting on the terrace of her and Simon’s house. Luna had eaten dinner with them as Matteo had a meeting with his management, “She doesn’t usually act like that. There has to be a reason.”

“How do you know?” Luna grabbed another cookie from the table. Simon and Ambar had gotten really into baking together recently, “These are super good.”

“Thanks!” Simon said as he walked back out and sat next to Ambar on the swing, “We asked the recipe from Monica.”

“I just have this gut feeling.” Ambar continued. “Watch me be right.”

“Moving away from that topic,” Simon grabbed his drink, “What are you and Matteo doing for Christmas?”

“Nothing special. Haven’t decided yet. Sofia and Alexander are apparently going to be in Italy, so I guess we could go stay with Mom and dad in the mansion” Luna shrugged, “Uuuu, are you going to Mexico?”

Both Simon and Ambar shook their heads.

“We need to try to make that happened at some point,” Ambar looked at Simon, “It feels so unfair to your parents that we’re never there for Christmas.”

“Trust me, its chaotic” Simon laughed, “We’re probably better off here.”

“I don’t mind some chaos.” Ambar smirked at him. “We really should try and make the effort. They must miss you.”

“I know,” Simon nodded, “I mean it would be nice, but a bit of a hassle. We can try next year.”

“Thats a deal.” Ambar smiled.

“Oh,” Luna’s eyes widened in some kind of realization, “I didn’t tell you yet. We’re going to France for the New Years!”

“France?” Simon questioned, “How did you come up with that? What you’re gonna do?”

“We’re going to a wedding.” Luna explained while pulling picture of the invite up on her phone.”

“That’s great!” Ambar took a look at the invite, “Flor? She was Matteo’s cousin, right? And… Did you know the groom too? Sounds familiar.”

“Well, not really, but kind of,” Luna looked at her drink, “Gastón and Nina know him…”

“Oh right,” A realization hit Ambar, “He was Gastón’s roommate. I almost forgot, it has been so long. This makes sense though, she caught Nina’s bouquet and everything.”

They had spent considerable time with Gastón and Nina’s group from Oxford during the days leading to and after their wedding, but that had been quite a long ago now. They had gotten along well, and Ambar was actually a little sad that they had not been able to get to know each other a little better.

“So, four of you are going there together?” Simon asked.

“Of course, they are,” Ambar kept looking at the invite, “Wasn’t it Gastón and Nina who made them get together in the first place?”

“I think it was,” Luna nodded, and started laughing “Oh, I remember when Matteo found out… It was so funny. Before I forget, I need to tell you about this awesome plan we came up with.”

“What plan?”

“Wait for it…” Luna paused for suspense, “We’re going skiing! Since we’re already at Europe.”

“You are going skiing?” Ambar looked at Luna questionly “Have you even skied before?”

“Nope,” Luna spun on her chair, “But it looks so much fun… I thought I might try a snow board, or why not both?”

“It is fun,” Ambar nodded.

“When have you been skiing?” Simon turned to Ambar.

“When I was younger, Sharon had often business with some Ski resort people. I got to do what I wanted, so I signed myself up for some private lessons and then spent my day on the slopes. She didn’t care, only took care of the bill.” Ambar explained, “Then we stopped, which was a shame. That place was always one of the more fun vacations I took with her. All that said, it was really fun and quite similar to skating.”

“Well, I have never skied, or done any other winter sport,” Simon seemed to shiver from a thought. “I have never seen snow.”

“Me neither,” Luna jumped up for a moment, “I’m so excited. I wanna make a snowman so badly.”

“You didn’t tell us where you we’re going skiing.”

“Oh, I didn’t?” Luna sat back down and started talking with very fast pace, “We thought about the Alps at first, but Gastón got a call from his job, so we couldn’t do that so now we’re going to Lapland.”

“Wait, Luna, slow down,” Simon interrupted, “So you couldn’t go to the Alps. What does Gastón’s job have to do with anything?”

“Because he got called to do something at Aalto University right after the wedding.”

“Aalto University?” Ambar questioned, “Isn’t that in Finland?”

“Yes,” Luna nodded, “That’s why we’re all going there and then we’ll go far off north from there and stay somewhere called Saariselkä, where we can ski.”

“Now I’m jealous,” Ambar hummed. She had met couple of finnish exchange students while in law school, “I had to take couple of business classes at UCA, and there were couple of exchange students from that school specifically. All of the countries up north of Europe are intriguing, not the mention beautiful. Is Gastón doing some lectures there or…?”

“I don’t know, something like it,” Luna shrugged, “Ask him.”

“I will,” Ambar continued, “That school has very high rankings on digitalization and sustainable innovations.”

“Well, it sounds like you have a lot of fun planned,” Simon took a bite of his fifth cookie.

“Simon, we don’t have anything planned for New year’s and after, right?” Ambar suddenly asked. “You’re taking a break with the band?”

“Yeah,” Simon nodded, “Pedro was the one to insist on the full vacation for the summer. Why?”

“Just that…” Ambar continued with a pensative voice, before she turned to look at Luna, “...any chance we could come with you?”

“With us?”

“Yes,” Ambar continued, “Not to France obviously, since we’re not invited, but we could meet up with you once you’re heading up to the north.”

“You mean we would go to ski too?” Simon looked at her quizzingly, “You realize that I have never done it right?”

“Of course, I know that darling,” Ambar patted Simon on his arm, “But Luna’s taking lessons, and so would I need too, so we could all do it together. It’s so much fun, almost like skating, but just down a slope. You’d like it. Right, Luna?”

“Yeah, of course!” Luna exclaimed, “Simon, it would be so much fun. I’m sure you’ll like it!”

“Well, okay then. This is a battle I can’t win.” Simon laughed and shook his head.

“So, I think I should call Nina now,” Ambar got up and grabbed her phone from the table, “just to make sure they’re okay with this.”

“I’m sure they will be.”

“But, it’s good still to ask.”

Ambar walked back inside and opened the door to the side room that Simon used for playing music.

“Hey! Ambar.” Nina answered her phone at once. The audio quality sounded like she was somewhere out, with footsteps and background noise, and talking through air pods.

“Hey! Is it a bad time?”

“No. I just got out of a meeting with my publishers, which ran a bit late. Just heading home now.” Nina answered as the footsteps kept going, “What’s up?”

“So, Luna told us about your plans,” Ambar continued, “That you’re going to Finland.”

“Yeah, Gastón got a mission from work to go there.”

“Must have been an honor for him. Getting to go represent the company in that scale, it’s pretty big.”

“It is, and I know he appreciates it in a way. The timing could have been better, though.”

“Well, about that.” Ambar started again, “Like I said, Luna told us about the plan for skiing at Saariselkä… and I wanted to ask if you have nothing against that me and Simon would be coming too? I haven’t skied in a long time, but I have wanted to get back into it for a while now. Plus, I think Simon could use some exposure to cold air.”

“Of course, we don’t have anything against it,” Nina’s voice said on the other end, “It would be amazing if you came too.”

“That’s great. What day was it when you’re gonna be heading up to Lapland?”

“We’re gonna finish the timeline today, as Gastón gets the details. Your timing is actually perfect, because we haven’t booked anything yet.”

“I can help with that.”

“You want to talk to Gastón about that, he has been coordinating this the most.”

***

“Yeah, two nights at Otaniemi, and then we’ll fly to Rovaniemi,” Gastón recapped for Matteo, as they, plus their wives were sitting in Gastón and Nina’s living room one late October evening.

“Ambar and Simon are meeting us at the airport when we fly to Lapland,” Nina explained, “We can go look around at the capital Helsinki while Gastón is giving those lectures at the Aalto University.”

“Well, you seem to have it all under control.” Matteo leaned back on the couch, “Remind me to travel with you more often.”

“I don’t know how I can wait two months!” Luna exclaimed from the floor where she had been playing with Newton. “By the way, is Newton going to that doggy-daycare again for that? We will be gone for almost three weeks.”

“No,” Gastón answered, “Delfi and Pedro will be taking care of him.”

“Delfi and Pedro?” Matteo questioned.

“Delfi has had dogs her whole life,” Nina explained, “She has sometimes gone with me to walk him when we have been talking about her producing that book trailer for me.”

“I do wonder if they are planning on getting a dog themselves,” Gastón pondered. “Pedro said something about it being good practice. Who knows what that’s about.”

“Well, that would be a bit odd,” Luna continued, “I mean, Ambar said that she swears that Delfi is pregnant so…”

“Really?” Nina questioned, “Huh, well that would actually make sense. She has seemed a bit tired, but we shouldn’t really speculate on that. It’s not our business.”

“They will probably tell us when it is its time,” Matteo started speaking, “Not like we are on the godparent short list.”

“I think Jazmin has the dips on that,” Luna noted, “Ambar did say that she is willing to go to war about it.”

“Poor Delfi and Pedro.”

“I hope we get to know before I start Christmas shopping,” Luna said while scratching Newton behind his ear. “I can already come up with so many cute things to give them.”

“Luna, it is October.”

“Yeah, so I only have two months to do the shopping and wrapping,” Luna countered.

“Don’t even speak to me about Christmas shopping yet,” Nina sighed, “Year by year it gets harder. It feels like everyone already has everything, especially after all the wedding gifts. I don’t even know what to ask myself.”

“Probably something everyone has trouble with as we are supposed to be so called adults now or something,” Matteo sighed too.

“Uuuuh! Let’s play a game!” Luna said so excitedly that she scared Newton and made him jump from her lap onto the sofa and curl next to Nina while eyeing Luna judgmentally. “Uups, sorry.”

“Should we be scared?” Gastón joked.

“No,” Luna roller her eyes. “What is the best gift you remember getting as a kid? Maybe that can give us some inspiration for gifts this year. Hold up a second, I’ll text Simon and Ambar that as well… you know what, I’ll just put that in the group chat and tell everyone to record a video about it so we can all know each other’s… okay that is done… So, who goes first?” Luna clicked her phone’s record button and started a video.

“Uhmmm, I can.” Matteo spoke hesitantly and Luna turned her phone towards him.

“Go ahead, it is already recording.”

“Uhm… okay,” Matteo started, “When I was nine, the last Christmas… before Mom died, I had just started piano lessons because dad wanted me to do that instead of playing the guitar. But they still gave me my first guitar as a Christmas present and mom asked me to sign it, and of course she didn’t know, none of us did, but she still got to witness my first autograph ever. I think the guitar is somewhere at storage at Dad and Sofia’s place right now.”

“We need to go find it!” Luna exclaimed, “I wanna see it!”

“We can go do that, but I do not know where it actually is.”

“No problem! Nothing is impossible to Luna Valente!” Luna stopped the recording and pointed the camera towards Nina. “Nina you are next!”

“Okay.” Nina stared at the camera blackly for a second, “Uhm, so. Well, this will sound really cliche, but it was a book. It was the Christmas right after Mon and Dad had finally gotten divorced… I remember it because that really was the first Christmas, I remember having some peace and them not fighting, since they were not together, obviously. Mom and Dad, both gave me the same book as a presents, I didn’t tell them that, obviously because I didn’t want them to fight. But to me it just kind of symbolized that they were on some small level on the same page, by both knowing what I wanted, even if they did not know how to communicate and would not for many years.”

“What book was that?” Gastón asked and reached for her hand. Newton had crawled on Nina’s lap and had dosed off quietly snoring.

“I don’t remember,” Nina answered. “It was children’s book, and I definitely didn’t take it to Oxford. One of the copies is probably still at dad’s. I think the mom’s copy got lost in some box when we moved to Mora’s. I can ask but it’s probably lost forever.”

“So, your parents still don’t know about that?” Luna asked from behind the camera.

“No, they don’t, and I don’t think I will ever tell them.” Nina said and fiddled with Newton’s ear, “Well that was that.”

“I’ll go last.” Luna started another video on her phone. “So Gastón, your turn.”

“Okay, mine also involves my parents. It was when they gave me my first camera.” Gastón started. “It was our first Christmas in the house they still live in. I didn’t know it at the time, I was nine or something, since I was on third grade, but that was the time they really had started having money. They gave me this small digital camera, and I did not know how to use it and I thought it was stupid. Like I said: I was nine. Anyways, we actually went to Canada that year for the New Years and that's where I actually learned to ski. There dad took me out and actually taught me how to use the camera and told me that: even if I didn’t appreciate it then, it could bring a lot of things in my life. You all know how Mom and Dad met at the photography course at university, so that’s what he obviously meant, and now I know that he was right.” He scooted closer to Nina on the couch and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Aww, that was cute,” Luna squealed, “Okay, Matteo take this.” she threw her phone to Matteo. “My turn.”

“Okay, it is recording.” Matteo said and directed the phone towards Luna who was still sitting on the floor.

“I don’t fully remember this, since I was five, I think, but Mom and Dad told me that I was always drawn towards all kind of sun and star things.” Luna started, “Well, now we know why, but at the time they just thought it was cute. So, for the Christmas that years they got me this huge sun shaped pillow. And apparently what I said when I got it was: but why is it the sun? I am the moon!! But the pillow was so cute and me and Simon had so much fun jumping on it.”

“What happened to it?” Matteo asked.

“Yeah…” Luna laughed, “We kind of broke it with Simon…”

***

“...and that’s how I got my first guitar.” Simon stopped talking and Ambar pressed the button on the phone to stop the recording.

“There and sent.” She handed Simon his phone back. “Luna and her ideas.”

“I mean this is a good idea,” Simon scrolled through the chat, “Maybe little early, but better be prepared. Your turn.” He pointed the phone at Ambar.

“I don’t know what I am supposed to say to that,” Ambar looked down, “I spent my childhood with Sharon. I need some time to think about the best gift.” She blew out of breath, “She never really cared to make sure I got something I liked… I know, I know, I’ll bring it up to my therapist when I go next.”

“Oh well, there is no hurry with these,” Simon put his phone on the sofa.

“You know what we do need to hurry with?” Ambar opened her laptop. “It’s goig to be up to -30 degrees at Saariselkä.”

“Uuuf,” Simon leaned back on the couch, “I’m gonna become a living snowman.”

“Not if we get the proper gear,” Ambar rolled her eyes at him, “We’ll rent the skiing gear and snowsuits from there, but we both need proper winter jackets, preferably two, lighter and heavier ones. Then gloves, shoes and hats, the list goes on. This will be fun.”

“If we don’t freeze to death.”

“You have lived way too long next to the beach—” Ambar laughed when both of their phones dinged. “—Is that from the group chat?”

“Yeah, it’s Delfi,” Simon frowned looking at the group chat, “It’s a video with a title: Our best Christmas gift will be arriving a little later. What does that mean?”

“GIMME IT!” Ambar grabbed the phone from Simon and looked at the chat, “Oh my god! I knew it.”

“It might not—”

“What else could it possibly mean?” Ambar looked at Simon with disbelief, “Lets look at the video.”

The video was a picture collage of Delfi and Pedro that lasted maybe 15 seconds, until a picture from their wedding faded into a sonogram and a text: “Coming in April.”

“I was right,” Ambar smiled smugly at Simon.

“Have to say that you were,” Simon nodded smiling, “This is amazing. We should call them.”

“Absolutely agree,” Ambar nodded as well, “So we can get the godparent situation sorted as well… Although, Jazmin probably edited this video, which would mean that she knew.”

“Darling, I told you before,” Simon placed his hand on Ambar’s knee, “It’s not our decision. Delfi and Pedro have the right to pick, we’ll get our chance later. Plus, we already have a goddaughter.”

“Valeria is your goddaughter, not mine.”

“What’s mine is yours. That’s kind of how marriage works.”

***

“Nina! Look how cute this is!!” Luna jumped up while holding up a red and green Christmas onesie, “We should get these for Delfi and Pedro.”

“It is cute,” Nina reached out to touch it, “but feel how rough it is. It should be softer, and maybe the Christmas theme is a little too on the nose.”

“Argh, this is hard when we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl,” Luna groaned and put the onesie back.

It was late November and Luna and Nina were at a local mall doing Christmas shopping. They had gotten gifts for everyone else, but had left Delfi and Pedro as the last ones.

“Lot of colors can be considered as gender neutral,” Nina pointed out, “As long as we don’t get pink. Let's look at some light blue ones for example.”

“Isn’t it exciting!” Luna kept gushing, “They are really having a baby. First ones of us to have one.”

“It definitely is,” Nina nodded.

“Just think, maybe someday our kids will be besties, just like us,” Luna grabbed Nina’s arm.

“It’s definitely possible,” Nina laughed, “But we’ll never probably going to control the timing that much. We can’t know if our kids are going to be the same age.”

“Awww, look at that!” Luna dashed towards a display, specifically toward a white romper with grey sleeves and blue giraffes on it. “I’m getting them this one. Uuu, maybe we could buy some more from Finland, so we have baby shower gifts ready.”

“There is no babyshower planned.”

“There definitely will be,” Luna had dashed toward another display, “if Ambar and Jazmin can help it. Oh, did I tell you yet how many hats I have bought for our trip? They’re so cute.”

{}

So, it depends on the platform that you are reading this on, how common knowledge it is that I am in fact Finnish. So obviously I have wanted for the longest time to write a story where our characters go to Finland, and because I am pretty predictable, obviously they would go to Lapland and explore the beauty that our winter wonderland really is. This part was obviously mostly set up, so the story itself will get going little more in the next part. BUt hopefully, you enjoyed Newton's most prominent appearance to this day in my story. One more note, I am a former student of Aalto University, (I changed majors so I switched colleges) so that's why I chose it for this story. However I did have to bend some fact with this, just like with Oxford, there is no classes at the start of January, but that was the date I had to work with to have the wedding for the New Years

#Soy Luna #soy luna fanfiction #gastina #lutteo #simbar #pelfi #kind of in the background #Christmas #DCLA Holidays #Finland #I have my silly faves visit my country

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countessofravenclaw · 11 months ago

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So, happy late December!!! As we approach the heart of the Holiday season. I have new story for you!

Winter is the time for holidays, celebrations, and fun. Nina, Gastón, Luna and Matteo receive a wedding invitation to France for the New Years and decide, since they're already going to Europe, why not take everything out of it and take a well-deserved skiing vacation? Simon and Ambar join them and all is set for a relaxing holiday at Finland's northern region called Lapland. A place for speed, reindeer, fun, and dangerous situations… Just kidding, what could possibly go wrong at the winter wonderland?

I mean, it's been a long time coming. I hope that everyone is aware that I am a Finn, so obviously had to write a story of them travelling to my country at some point. The first chapter will be out in about 24 hours.

#Soy Luna #soy luna fanfiction #gastina #lutteo #simbar #pelfi #kind of in the background #Christmas #DCLA Holidays #Finland #I have my silly faves visit my country

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countessofravenclaw · 11 months ago

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A homeland this north, country dear fathers! Part dos

Winter is the time for holidays, celebrations, and fun. Nina, Gastón, Luna and Matteo receive a wedding invitation to France for the New Years and decide, since they're already going to Europe, why not take everything out of it and take a well-deserved skiing vacation? Simon and Ambar join them and all is set for a relaxing holiday at Finland's northern region called Lapland. A place for speed, reindeer, fun, and dangerous situations... Just kidding, what could possibly go wrong at the Winter Wonderland? (There is a Finnish Christmas song linked on the title)

Kylmä voisko olla kellä, talven säästä kun tuoksahtaa

“So do you know who other representatives are attending that conference?”

“At least someone from Renishaw,” Gastón answered as he put his glass back onto the table. It was Christmas day and he and Nina were having dinner at his parents, “Maybe that’s why they wanted me involved, cause I worked there, but I don’t know. Apparently, it was a bit of a mess on PR’s part before HQ got involved and they realized they needed to send an engineer from the executive.”

“You did go to HR and ask if it was allowed?” His dad furrowed his brow. “Set stone vacation time should not be changed.”

“Yeah, Dad, I did,” Gastón sighed, they had had this conversation at least twice, “Everything is covered. I even asked Ambar to check. Do you need to see the bank deposit of the bonus to believe me?”

“We believe you,” Isla responded, “But it doesn’t seem right that German sent specifically you to do work on your vacation.”

“If you didn’t want me to work for Castillo Corporations,” Gastón rolled his eyes, “You could have just said so.”

“Why would we have done that?” Marco questioned, “The company is a huge opportunity for you.”

“As long as you are happy, we are happy,” Isla continued, “But…”

"I know you don’t like him, and dislike him all you want—” Gastón sighed again, “—but he just happens to be my boss, and he handpicked me for a promotion I did not deserve.”

“No one here is going to agree on that,” Nina ran her hand on his arm.

“Anyways,” Gastón continued, “I’m not being best friends with him. Can we just stop talking about this? My work is eating into my vacation as it is.”

“Of course,” His parents agreed, “You got everything set on the trip otherwise?”

“Yes,” Nina answered, “I’m actually quite intrigued to see the Central Library at Helsinki. It’s apparently quite new, not even ten years old.”

“You got the flights booked okay too?” Marco asked next, “Because it’s almost impossible to find flights to France for the New Years.”

“Good thing we booked them early enough,” Gastón remarked, “A week later, we would have been in trouble.”

“Sofia mentioned that the wedding will be held in some ancient church,” Isla noted, “You both have a proper jackets for it right? It might get cold.”

“Yeah, we do… Wait, are they invited?” Gastón stopped on his tracks. Flor was Matteo’s cousin from Lucia’s side. Gastón had no idea what kind of relationship Flor or her parents had with Alexander, especially after Lucia’s death.

“Sofia said that they were,” His mom continued, “She was a bit surprised too, but they can’t make it. Matteo is taking their wedding present. Hopefully, you’ll land on some good weather. It can be so unpredictable early in the winter at Europe, especially in the south. That reminds me, you did take those influenza vaccines?”

“Yes,” Gastón answered diligently. Of course, Mom was going to fuss over every little thing, even when he was an adult. “We got the prescriptions from the pharmacy and April actually gave them to us, now that she has the medication licenses.”

“She truly has worked hard. Mía is so proud of her. She is surely getting the residency she wants.”

“Because neurosurgery residency will be easier,” Gastón laughed, “Hopefully this makes up from me not becoming a doctor, since your niece will be one.”

“It’s always good to have doctors as your acquaintances,” Isla nodded, “I actually recently was talking to Serena…”

“Who?”

“Dr. Serena Alzamenti.”

“Delfi’s mom?” Gastón realized, “You’re friends with her now?”

“Shouldn’t I be?” Isla shrugged, “As I was saying, she actually told me that lots of vaccines that are in use in the north for example, are starting to be useful here as well. She has told Delfi to consider vaccinating the baby with additionals as well. It’s something you should consider too.”

“Yeah,” Gastón moved his arm around Nina, “We will think about it… Once it’s it’s time. Don’t start.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

“When was the last time you skied?” Thankfully Dad changed the subject before Mom could start going on about grandchildren.

“2016… I think,” Gastón responded. “So, it’s been a while, but it’s gonna be fine. You remember how good I was?”

“You were a natural in it, but you’re not 16 anymore,” Marco pointed out, “So be careful. The emergency number is different there.”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t get in trouble,” Nina glanced at Gastón, “Thankfully, they can’t spend the whole day there as there is so little light. We did look up the emergency number. 112 is the most common one in Europe, but they didn’t use it at England. But I doubt, we’re gonna need to use it.”

“Are you getting your hair cut before you go?”

“Mom, not now.”

***

“I’m so ready for the adventure!” Luna exclaimed through the screen. Gastón and Nina were having a Christmas night video call with them after they had gotten back from Gastón’s parents. “I can’t wait! Uuup, Simon and Ambar are calling us, we have to go.”

“We’ll see you at the airport. Merry Christmas!”

“You know, I actually agree with your mother,” Nina ran her fingers in Gastón’s hair after they had disconnected the call.

“About what?” Gastón laughed, “About the vaccinations? She just had to bring that up…”

“About you needing a haircut,” Nina looked at him, “You’re representing the whole company. You could go get one on the 27th, before we leave.”

“Okay, I’ll get my hair cut,” Gastón rolled his eyes before placing the tablet down and wrapping his arms around Nina's waist. “Can we now stop talking about my hair? Come here.”

He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her softly and Nina wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I have something for you.”

“You already gave me a present,” Nina looked at Gastón disapprovingly as he reached into one of the drawers under the TV.

“Then this is another present,” Gastón responded as he handed the small box to her. “Open it.”

In the box there was a dainty silver chain. It was about a choker length and had two stones on it. The first one was a pink stone, while the other one was scarlet red.

“It’s a tourmaline, while the other one is a garnet.” Gastón said while pointing to the stones, “They’re our birthstones.”

Nina still sometimes couldn’t fully believe the lengths he went to with even Christmas gifts. It should have not been a surprise, given how much effort he had put into her engagement ring for example. “It’s beautiful.”

“I got it so stones can be added to it—” Gastón said while clasping the necklace around her neck, “—when we want. I didn’t put Newton in there, though.”

“Don’t tell him that,” Nina laughed as they looked at the dog who already was snoozing away under the Christmas tree. “I love you.”

“I love you more.”

***

“Matteo, come on!!” Luna was wheeling through the terminal hallway that left from the car-park to the check-in where they had agreed to meet up with Gastón and Nina.

“Luna, wait!” Matteo finally caught up to her. He was pushing the trolley that had all of their bags and breathing heavily. “We all can’t fly on our feet.”

“But, I’m so excited!” Luna did a twirl, “I mean, we're going to a wedding and to a brand new country which is basically a winter wonderland. I’m gonna learn to ski…”

“That’s all super great,” Matteo nodded, “But if you want any of that to happen, mind helping me with the bags?”

“Oh, of course.” Luna stared for a moment before grabbing one of the bags off the trolley. “Sorry, I forgot.”

“We should have hitched a ride with Gastón and Nina,” Matteo huffed as they started moving again, “They’re able to park at one of the priority parking slots and don’t have to drag all the stuff for kilometers.”

“Doesn’t your Dad have that kind of thing as well?” Luna questioned.

“He kind of does,” Matteo nodded, “but, it’s through the embassy. It’s not his. Gastón has the full access to almost all assets Isla and Marco have, because it’s all theirs. You know that they are richer than Dad.”

“There they are!” Luna pointed ahead as they started approaching the bag check-in area. Gastón and Nina looked like they had just dropped their bags off.

“Hey! You did make it on time after all,” Gastón laughed as Luna and Matteo reached them.

“I hate parking,” Matteo simply remarked. “I can’t wait to be rid of all of this luggage.”

“You have jackets on your carry-on right?” Nina asked right before Matteo would have started to load the suitcases, “It’s winter in France and will be cold.”

“Oh, right.” Luna dove into one of their suitcases ad pulled some jacket out, “Thanks’ for the reminder, otherwise we would have completely forgotten.”

“Okay, lets go.” Gastón started leading the way toward the security.

***

“Okay, I’m here.” Luna dropped down on the bed in Gastón and Nina’s hotel room. The clock was striking 12 soon, they had three hours before the wedding ceremony was about to begin. “What were we doing again? Matteo went with Gastón to get food… I’m starving!”

“I called in some reinforcements, since we couldn’t take Jazmin with us.”

Whenever Nina had needed to get her hair done for something, which had actually been quite often, during the time they had been living in Buenos Aires again, she had relied on Jazmin’s services. Nina wasn’t that good with her hair, especially with added length she had gained during the years, if it really needed to be done. She was able to do the basic ponytails and braids, and curl them on basic beach waves, but those wouldn’t really work for a winter wedding.

So, while struggling to figure out what she was going to do, she had realized the obvious solution.

“Reinforcements?” Luna rolled over on the bed when there suddenly was a knock on the door.

“I should not be surprised, but you have a great taste in hotels.” Nina got up from the armchair in the room to open the door to Ariana. “Hey.”

“Hey! Gastón did the booking,” Nina said as she hugged Ariana. “What has happened with your hair?”

“I’m gonna make a counter of how many people say that,” Ariana rolled her eyes. Her usually colorful highlights were gone, and her hair was significantly shorter. “I’m gonna let Grace test this rainbow technique on me, but I didn’t think it would be very appropriate for the wedding so bob it is for the time being. Hi Luna.”

Ariana walked over to the vanity and dropped her bag on the table. “So, I heard that you two need some help with the hair?”

Nina had called Ariana to see if she could help her. She had done her hair multiple times when they had been roommates at Oxford. Ariana had started working at the salon her brother and sister-in-law owned after she had moved back to Ireland. She even went to cosmetology school now.

“Oh my god yes!” Luna jumped up from the bed, “I totally need some help.”

“That’s what I am here for,” Ariana pulled her hair back, “I’ll gonna start from you, since I actually looked up couple Mexican style braids I want to try.”

“Go, for it,” Luna planted herself in the chair before the vanity.

“Where are you staying?” Nina asked as she sat down on the bed and watched as Ariana started to sort Luna’s hair from the messy bun it had been on before.

“Couple blocks away from here,” Ariana answered, “Closer to the train station. Obviously, it was impossible to get anything in the town the wedding is in, so I didn’t even try. Anyway, I’m heading off to Paris for a week after this. Checking a couple of modern art museums and getting some supplies for Grace.”

“It’s great that everyone is coming here,” Nina responded, “It’s been so long since we’re all have been together.”

“I know right?” Ariana had finally gotten Luna’s hair completely detangled. “I mean Marlee’s girlfriend isn’t able to come…”

“She isn’t?”

“No, she apparently had work,” Ariana explained, “Marlee is coming with Jacob and his boyfriend—I forget his name. We haven’t met him before, so should be fun. This all just solifies that I am officially the last person standing single with no plus one.”

“Well, I don’t have a plus one,” Nina moved her head, “Technically…”

“Nina, you’re married, you’re never going to have a plus one again,” Ariana rolled her eyes. “Not like that. So that doesn’t exactly make me feel better. I wasn’t able to fill my empty plus one slot. I don’t know what I am doing wrong. Honestly, I’m totally up for being set up with someone at this point, so if you know single guys, please tell me.”

“Uuu, Ramiro’s single.” Luna piped up from the chair.

“Ramiro?” Nina stared at Luna, “Estas siendo seria en este momento?”

“Progue no?”

“Uhm,” Ariana looked confused, “I still don’t speak Spanish… So, who was Ramiro again?”

“Oh, he’s my skating partner.” Luna explained with her very broken English. Nina translated the incorrect part to Ariana.

“Old friend of all of us,” Nina explained. “He was in our wedding.”

“Oh, the one with big curly hair?” Ariana’s eyes widened just a little bit in recognition. “I think I remember him, he was one with those extravagant dance moves. He was cute, I give him that.”

“I can totally set something—”

“But I doubt he’s willing to move to Dublin,” Ariana sighed, “I can’t come to Argentina. Otherwise, I totally would be game, but international relationships might be a bit too hard. We have a good thing going with Tom and Grace right now, and I’m really gonna be able to do more once I get my cosmetology papers. What kind of aunt would I be if I just abandoned Marianne and Liziel? Yeah, I don’t think it’s gonna work…but I mean, never say never I guess.”

“There is someone out there,” Nina leaned back on the bed, “I’m sure.”

“Okay, enough boy talk,” Ariana turned Luna around, “You’re done.”

“Wow, this is so great!” Luna spun on the chair as the door to the room opened up again and Gastón came in.

“You’re back?” Luna got up from the chair, “Is Matteo back too?”

“Yeah, he took your food to your room.”

“Okay. See you in the bit!” Luna yelled after dashing out of the door.

“Hey, Ariana,” Gastón hugged her briefly before sitting on the bed next to Nina, “You’re already here? And what happened to your hair?”

“And that’s two. Hair takes time,” Ariana rolled her eyes. “Do you want help too?”

“I think I’m good.”

“You sure?” Ariana kept eyeing Gastón, “When was the last time you got a haircut?”

“Literally couple days ago, why is everyone onto me about that?”

“If you say so,” Ariana turned around, “Nina your turn.”

Nina pulled her rings off her finger, before sitting on the chair. She almost never took them off, the engagement ring only at night, the wedding ring never. But she didn’t want them getting douched in hairspray, so she handed them to Gastón.

"Luna had an idea to set Ariana up with Ramiro," Nina told Gastón.

"Really?" Gastón raised his eyebrow and looked at Ariana, "Don't tell me you're going for it."

"I actually would, if I could move to Argentina," Ariana remarked, "I'm sick of being single. Maybe I'll try tp pick up some Italian guy at the wedding..."

Gastón looked like he disapproved.

"If any of you start pulling a protective older brother act on me, we're so done," Ariana shook her head, "I already have an actual brother, who made mt high school dating life terriple."

"I don't know where you got that idea from."

“Honestly, can you actually believe that Oliver is getting married?” Ariana remarked as she pulled a flat-iron through Nina’s hair.

“It was bound to happen eventually,” Gastón shrugged, “What do you want me to say? When we all met, you would have not believed that I would be married.”

“But still somehow you are,” Ariana rolled her eyes. “You two are some sort of story book soulmates, that earthly people like me will never understand.”

“I wouldn’t maybe say that much,” Nina chuckled as she met Gastón’s eyes and saw a particular gleam rise into them.

“I mean, I would.” Gastón responded, “Oliver at least didn’t need to be in a love triangle with only one person. Nina, you should really write a book about that.”

“I’m not doing that alone.”

“Anyways,” Gastón went back into the topic they had deviated away from, “I mean obviously Oliver needed some help, who doesn’t when it comes to girls, but the effort paid off.”

“He truly has grown up,” Ariana tilted her head, “Just yesterday he was that redhead kid who always had to blend colors everywhere.”

“Aren’t you younger than him?” Nina questioned as Ariana called Oliver a kid.

“That’s irrelevant.” Ariana rolled her eyes, “Who remembers birthdays anyway?”

“We do?”

“Well, that's great for you,” Ariana laughed again, “And I’m done and I gotta run. See you at the church.”

“Thanks Ariana!”

Nina turned toward Gastón after Ariana had gone, “How much time do we have before we need to leave?”

“About an hour before the train,” Gastón looked at his watch, “I’ll text that to Matteo.”

Nina got up from that chair and looked her hair in the mirror. Ariana had done a thick fishtail braid that she had pinned up.

“Luna and Matteo promise to be on time,” Gastón said as he started buttoning his shirt up. “So, lets hope that’s the case. I gave them a time 15 minutes before.”

“That is smart,” Nina responded as she put her rings back on her finger after finishing her make-up.

Nina walked to the closet and took her dress off the hanger. Mora had found her this midnight-blue velvet dress that went below the knees and had small bell sleeves on the wrist. The color matched perfectly with Gastón’s suit.

“Can you zip this up?” She asked him as he had just pulled the suit jacket on.

“With pleasure.” Gastón circled around the bed and Nina turned her back on him so he could pull her zipper shut.

“You’re gorgeous.” He ran his fingers on the zipper he had just closed. His voice was coming from right next to her right ear, and she could feel his breath on her neck, which was making her extremely distracted.

They had attended quite a lot of weddings during the past years, and there had been literally zero instances where the dress she had worn hadn’t been unceremoniously disregarded to the floor at the end of the night. It was just the romantic atmosphere that put you extremely in the mood, which was also helped by her husband looking extremely attractive in a suit. Tonight, was not going to be any different—

“Luna and Matteo will never let us hear the end of it, if we make us late.” Gastón placed a little kiss on Nina’s cheek before moving away from her to grab his cufflinks from on top of the chest of drawers to put them on. "No matter how tempting that would be right now."

“Sometimes we should actually just try it,” Nina chuckled as she checked her necklace in the mirror.

“And get the never-ending side eye? Gastón looked at her as he finished lacing up his shoes. “Remember when they dragged us to Disneyland right after our honeymoon? What were they expecting us to do?”

“I don’t know.” Nina walked over and straightened his tie. She had not been tying those since the Blake days, so she wasn’t even sure if she knew how to do it anymore. Good thing, that she didn’t have to, but she was almost sure that Gastón left his crooked on purpose so she would come and fix them. “Okay, now we’re ready.”

“Matteo says they’ll meet us in the lobby in five minutes so we're right on time.” Gastón helped Nina her coat on before putting his own on. It was about -2 Celsius, which was actually a bit on the colder side. The air was dry and light snowflakes had started to billow down from the sky. Basically, perfect weather. “Let’s go.”

“Lets go.” Nina grabbed her purse and linked her arm with Gastón as they walked out of the door.

They had just made it to the lobby when Luna and Matteo appeared behind them.

“Ah, we see you were on time.”

“Flor would kill me if we were late,” Matteo shrugged as he straitened his bow tie one more time. He had opted for a classic black suit with a red bow tie to match Luna’s dress which was red and black with a rose pattern. It looked quite distinctly Mexican. She had paired that up with an outragedly bright pink coat.

“I’m so excited for a family wedding!” Luna was skipping as they started walking. Thankfully the train station was close by to the hotel.

“I’m excited for Flor…” Matteo responded, “...not so much the family part. Nonna’s family is huge and I’m not sure how many Flor has invited. Fede said that he and Ludmila were invited as well, but couldn’t come. I haven’t seen some of this family for years and not looking forward to explaining myself, what I do, how old I am and where I have been. You’re lucky, you’re just here celebrating your friends.”

***

The subterranean monolithic church of Saint-Jean was actually a chapel that had been carved into a rock. It was basically a cave, but super intriguing. The whole chapel was almost a work of art, which suited Oliver and Flor perfectly.

“This is beautiful,” Nina said as they walked in. The time was 14:30, so they had arrived perfectly on schedule.

“It is,” Gastón said while looking at the place all over. “But, Mom was right. It’s definitely gonna get chilly in here.” He wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer to him. Nina was quite receptive to the cold.

“Gastón, Nina!” they turned around to see James walk into the church with Isabel.

“Hey!” Gastón hugged him as they came up to them. He and James hadn’t seen each other in a while, and he had really missed him. They had become really close at Oxford.

“Wow, this day really has arrived,” James remarked, “Oliver is really getting married. Good for him.”

“Well, you’re next,” Gastón pointed out as Isabel had just gotten done showing her engagement ring to Nina. They had gotten engaged a month prior.

“Apparently, I am.” James nodded.

“You are,” Isabel rolled her eyes at him.

“Do you have a date yet?” Nina asked them.

“No,” Isabel laughed, “You have no idea how hard it is to find a venue in London. I have tried, and I work for the field. James is not that keen on just getting married at Disneyland Paris. We’re gonna try and manage it for next year.”

“So, you need to drag yourself back to England at some point,” James finished.

“I don’t need you to do that,” Gastón sighed, “I’m getting dragged around the world as it is. Who knows where they think to send me next at my job.”

“Oh, yes, the job where you “accidentally” got yourself promoted to an executive position,” James laughed, “You know, I’m jealous of what they have you do. You’re clearly their PR darling.”

“Don’t be.” Gastón shook his head, “It’s not as fun as it sounds. How are you doing at TEXEL?”

“Actually, I heard, through the company, that Renishaw is looking for an assistant manager for the design division of a hydropower station.” James straightened his jacket, “I know it’s a long shot, but—”

“I wouldn’t say that at all,” Gastón remarked, “Totally go for it. You definitely have a chance. Do you want me to give them a call? I could put in a word for you.”

“Well,” James seemed to hesitate, “What can you say? You have never been my employer.”

“Maybe not, but I know you and I know how you work. I would hire your for us, if it was up to me, which is apparently something I will be involved with eventually, at least when it comes to new team members.” Gastón took his phone out, “Think about it. I’ll forward you the contact of the head recruitment agent there, Warren Merill. At least contact him.”

“I don’t know.”

“James, let him do it.” Isabel looked at James, “You have connections, so use them.”

“And I think it’s time to stop the work talk,” Nina added, and she wrapped her arm back around Gastón’s. “We better go and sit down.”

“Have you seen anyone else yet?”

“No, not yet,” Gastón answered while scanning the chapel, “We came with Luna and Matteo, but they got sucked into somewhere with relatives probably.”

“There they are.” Nina pointed toward the left row of benches. Maybe about five rows from the altar, they saw three people sitting there. A woman with an almost white blonde hair and freckles and a man with an earring. Next to him was another man, whom Gastón didn’t recognize.

“Hey!” Jacob and Marlee turned around as they walked to the row of benches. “You’re finally here.”

“We’re not late.” Gastón responded as he and Nina sat next to Jacob. James and Isabel went around next to Marlee and Ariana joined them shortly as well.

“Okay, so,” Jacob started speaking, “Miles, this is my other former roommate Gastón Perida and his wife Nina, who was Marlee’s roommate. This is Miles Toller, my boyfriend.”

“Great to meet you,” Gastón shook Miles’ hand. “I have heard a lot about you.”

“I have heard a lot about all of you.” Miles responded, “I gotta say, you don’t sound very Argentinian.”

“Six years does miracles to the accent.”

“Pheew, we finally found you,” Matteo and Luna suddenly appeared next to them.

“Should you be sitting this far back?” Nina questioned. “You’re family.”

“Look, we’re probably gonna be forced to sit with some great aunt once removed the whole reception, so we’d rather join you when we’re allowed to pick where we sit.”

The ceremony started after a while. Oliver showed up right before and had had time to say quick hi, before taking his place at the altar. The wedding was small and there was no bridal party. Oldest of Oliver’s younger brothers was acting as the best man, while Flor’s high school best friend was the maid of honor.

The ceremony was relatively short and performed in English, for Oliver’s sake. He had privately admitted to Gastón that he had started taking Spanish and Italian lessons, due to Flor’s heritage, but progressing slowly.

Well, at least some progress had been made, since the last sentences of his vows were in Spanish and Italian. Gastón knew about that, since Oliver had asked him to grammar check the Spanish part, plus teach him how to say it.

“That was so beautiful!” Luna apparently was bursting with energy as they exited the church after the ceremony. “I understood almost everything! I am getting better at English!”

“I give him props,” Matteo nodded, “I mean, Flor has great taste… and he did bring the effort. The Italian was almost correct.”

“You finally dropping that overprotectiveness act?” Gastón laughed, “It’s actually time.”

“That act saved you from looking super stupid.” Matteo countered as they walked into the reception venue and looked over the seating chart. “Yes, I love her!”

“What?”

“We’re seated with you guys.” Matteo pointed to the seating chart, “Thank goodness.”

“Okay, so here are the people who kept me on track at Oxford.” After dinner, Oliver and Flor had made the rounds around the tables, saying hi to everyone with their parents. “So: Ariana Williams, Marlee Wynne, Jacob Tomas, James Wilson and, Gastón and Nina Perida. Then we also have Isabel, James’ fiance, and Jacob’s boyfriend Miles.”

“And my cousin Matteo Balsano and his wife Luna.” Flor added.

“Quite mad that we haven’t been introduced before.” Oliver’s mother started saying, “Honey, who were your roommates again?”

“Gastón and Jacob.”

“The ceremony was really beautiful,” Nina said to Flor and Oliver, “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Flor was caressing Oliver’s arm, “He learned some languages for me. But honestly, we have you to thank.”

“We just notched you into the right direction.” Gastón remarked.

***

“Hah, we made it about 5 minutes longer than you did.” Gastón remarked to Matteo as he and Nina returned back onto their table during the anniversary dance.

“Accomplishment.” Matteo rolled his eyes at him.

“Aren’t they doing this in the wrong order?” Marlee asked. “Doesn’t the anniversary dance start with everyone and then go from married longest to shortest? Well, what do I know.”

“I’m glad that they are doing it this way,” Nina said as she sat down. She had maneuvered her chair into a position so she could completely lean herself on Gastón. “If it was the other way around, we would be one of the last ones on the floor. Our wedding was enough eyes on us while dancing to last a lifetime.”

“I agree,” Gastón’s arm crept from her waistline to her hip, pulling her closer to him, “We can be the last ones on the floor when it’s our grandchild’s wedding.”

“Are we supposed to read something into that?” Ariana perked up.

“Read something into what?” Gastón and Nina exchanged glances with each other.

“Well, you can’t have grandchildren with no children.” Marlee continued, with a sly smile.

“Oh, no no no,” Nina started shaking her head, “That’s not the case, at all.”

“Even if it was, you really think we would tell you now? At Oliver’s wedding?” Gastón shook his head, “That suggestion is reflecting on very badly on you girls. We’re not having a child, right now.”

“Well, had to try.” Ariana leaned back. “How were we supposed to know? We almost never see you, and Nina doesn’t drink anyway, so there are no signs.”

“Okay, time for the bouquet toss!!” The maid of honor announced through the microphone, “We’re doing this a little different. So, if you’re married, engaged, or in a happy relationship stay in your seat. We want to see the single ladies on the floor!”

“Well, aren’t you gonna go?” Marlee asked Ariana.

“I thought we were gonna do this together,” Ariana scoffed, “I’m not gonna go out there alone.”

“Just because I’m attending stag tonight, doesn’t make me single,” Marlee noted, “But you’re not gonna miss out on this. What if you catch it, and that way you finally find love.”

“It’s just a superstition.”

“I mean it works. Didn’t Flor catch Nina’s and two months later they were engaged?”

“She did,” Nina nodded to Ariana encouragingly, “Go.”

“Okay.” Ariana said and got up from the table.

“So, we’re all basically rooting for her to catch the flowers and then have a one night stand with somebody in attendance here?” James questioned.

“I guess so?” Gastón shook his head.

“It would be good for her.” Marlee remarked, “She’s the only one who has that freedom. Rest of us don’t. She has to have fun.”

***

“Haven’t you looked over that slideshow about ten thousand times already?” Nina sat next to Gastón on the bed of their hotel room at Otaniemi.

They had landed to Helsinki-Vantaa airport at noon and then figured out the public transportation system, to get them to Otaniemi. Good thing was that there was an app which gave you the route, the busses or trains you needed to take—at their case it had been both—and what ticket they needed to buy.

Now it was late at night, and they had settled at their hotel.

“I know.” Gastón sighed, “I’ll stop now.”

“Make sure you do.” Nina closed his laptop and put it on her side of the dresser, so it was out of his reach.

“I’m sorry this turned into my work trip,” Gastón sighed again as she cuddled on his side and he wrapped his arm around her.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. There was nothing you could have done.”

“Maybe there would have been something if I tried hard enough, but…”

“But you want to do this.” Nina completed his sentence. She knew him way too well, sometimes better than he did himself.

“I guess I do,” Gastón nodded, turning to look at Nina, “Not the conference part that much, even when it is important, and I know how necessary it is… Anyway, it’s the talking to the students part that’s actually interesting for me. I guess, I am looking forward to that.”

“Of course, you are,” Nina ran her hand on his arm, “You’re definitely a much better person to talk to them than some PR person, who is getting paid to make it sound good. You actually do the job and can tell how it is actually like.”

“They’re freshmen.”

“That makes it even more important. You have been where they are. You are also a very good teacher. I would know.”

“So, we’re basing that off of a physics course, you never should have taken in the first place—” Gastón questioned laughing, “—and that I helped you with for completely different motivations than for you to actually learn physics?”

“As long as it worked.” Nina shrugged slightly.

“And it did work.” Gastón smiled at her and kissed her left hand right next to the rings.

Suddenly both of their phones dinged.

“Hopefully Luna and Matteo have not broken the showerhead or something,” Gastón remarked as he pulled his phone out. “Oh, it’s not them.”

The message was from the group chat they had with Pedro and Delfi, that they had created as they were taking care of Newton.

Pedro had sent a picture there, where Newton was laying on the couch with Delfi, head on her stomach. She was only about five months along, second trimester, so had really started to show in recent months.

“Aww,” Nina said as she looked at the picture, “That’s so cute.”

“It’s official. We have lost our dog to an unborn baby of our friends.” Gastón laughed.

“Well, it’ll be very good to know that he’s good with kids,” Nina noted, “But Labradors naturally are like that.”

“That’s true. Our boy is in good hands.” Gastón kissed Nina on the top of her head before reaching for the TV remote, “So, what you wanna watch? We haven’t binged Andor in a while.”

“Do we really wanna go through that emotional turmoil again?”

“My answer is yes.”

“So, you got everything?” Nina asked Gastón as he was getting ready to leave early in the morning. For some reason, the conference was starting at 8:30.

“I think so,” Gastón zipped up his backpack after putting his laptop in there, “I just need my IDs.”

“Got them right here,” Nina spun two lanyards on her hand. One of them was Gastón’s basic work ID at the Castillo Corporation and the other was the ID specifically issued for the conference. “Come here.”

“You are a lifesaver.”

“It’s my job.” Nina grinned and straightened his collar that was sticking out under the cardigan he was wearing before putting the lanyards around his neck, and then kissing him. “I love you. Now go out there and show them what my husband is capable of.”

“I love you.” Gastón said to her before grabbing his jacket from the closet and walking out the door. “Have fun and you need to tell me everything in the evening.”

It was definitely quite colder in Finland than in France. On this particular morning, it was -8 Celsius and you could see your breath.

The conference was being held at a building on the campus called “Dipoli” which apparently was like the administrative building…

You were able to just walk there from the hotel they were staying in. Otaniemi was also called “Teekkari village”, the word Teekkari apparently was what the student in the science and technology faculties called themselves.

Finnish University culture was quite different from England for example. Gastón had done some research about it with Nina’s help. The students wore overalls specific to their majors with pins sown into them and some variation of finnish graduation caps with some sort of tassels coming out of them. Those costumes were mostly commonly seen during the first of May which was a local holiday to Scandinavia and Nordics in general.

There also were no dorms. Most of the students lived in apartments provided by independent nonprofit companies that provided affordable housing for students.

Gastón found the Dipoli building quite easily. The area wasn’t that big, and building was distinct. He should have not been surprised, the founder of the University was an architect and Gastón as an architecture minor could appreciate it.”

“Gastón Perida, representing Castillo Corporation.” He showed his IDs at the door and was let into some sort of a lounge.

“Gastón?” Suddenly he was approached by a familiar voice.

“Elias?” He turned around and saw his former manager from the time he worked at Renishaw walk toward him. He had worked directly under Elias Winton for most of his internships and the year after his graduation at Renishaw, and he had become some sort of a mentor to him during that time.

“I didn’t come to think that they’d be sending you.” Elias remarked after they had shaken hands.

“Well, then it’s a surprise for all of us.” Gastón laughed, “How are you doing?”

“I’m a main project manager on the carbon efficiency front now. A little bit of a step up from a team manager. You know HQ let me hear it for letting you quit.”

“Well, it had nothing to do with the company. It was just the time to go home.”

“And we couldn’t possibly keep you from moving onto bigger things” Elias added, “Which you obviously have done. Castillo Corporations and the executive team definitely count as that.”

“No one will ever believe me when I say that it was a completely impromptu promotion.” Gastón ran his hand on his neck. “But, yeah, I’m doing great.”

“And you got married? Same girl?”

“Yes,” Gastón smiled while twisting his wedding ring, “Two and a half years ago now. We had the wedding quite fast after we moved back to Argentina.”

He stopped and thought for a moment. James had never said no about him putting in a word for him at Renishaw. Even if he wouldn’t want him to give a formal recommendation, he could still put his name into the rotation through Elias. “By the way, I heard that you’re searching for an assistant manager for hydro power.”

“Yes,” Elias nodded, “We have had a couple of meetings about it now. We want the spot filled as soon as possible. Hopefully before April.”

“So, this will be completely off the record,” Gastón started, “but I think I know a person who would be perfect for the role.”

***

Luna, Nina and Matteo stepped off the escalator at the top level of the Helsinki Central Library.

“Wow, this is cool.” Luna said while looking around.

“Honestly, I’m actually surprised that they can make libraries this modern.” Matteo remarked, “Blake’s was ancient.”

“You should have seen the library at Oxford,” Nina noted as they walked forward. The library had a curved ceiling and walls were windows. She raised the camera that had been hanging on her neck and took a picture of the sight. She also snatched a pic on her phone and sent it to Gastón, “That was ancient. This is more than a library, more of a community center.”

“Uuuu, Nina!” Luna suddenly jumped next to Nina grabbing her arm, “What if they have your books here?”

“I doubt it.” Nina shook her head. “They have only been translated into English. I’m not a notable author internationally. Only in Argentina. No one here would care.”

“Well, we should still go and see.” Luna said before bouncing forward. “They totally should have it here, I mean your books are the best. Do they have a section for Spanish books here?”

“I doubt that too.” Nina said, but Luna was already dragging her forward. Matteo was following them and giving Nina the: “You don’t question her” look.

Nina was sure they surely wouldn’t have her writing in here. None of the libraries of note didn’t. Blake only did because she was a notable alumni with Gastón, given that she had a degree from Oxford.

Luna, in some way had already scouted the section where they held the books that were in other languages. English books seemed to have their own section. How she had found it so quickly, was beyond anyone. Luna had dreadful navigation skills. They had only found their way to the Helsinki centrum from Otaniemi because Nina knew how to use that HSL app. But if Luna really wanted something, she would always succeed.

Nina eyed the titles absentmindedly. The Spanish section was quite sparse, but she did recognize couple of the titles. She took her phone out and saw that Gastón had responded to her message. His message was saying that the conference would be running at least for one more hour and then he still had the lectures left.

Nina really wished that he could have come with them to see the capital, but his job obviously came first right now. Once they were in Lapland, they would have plenty of time. Even with Simon and Ambar and Luna and Matteo, there would be more than enough time to have just to themselves.

“Nina! Nina! Nina!” Luna was suddenly jumping in front of her like a bunny.

“What?” Nina looked at her confused. Luna was holding some sort of book in her hand, but she was jumping so furiously that Nina didn’t get a good look.

“Okay, Luna, let's calm down,” thankfully Matteo walked over and got Luna to slow down gradually by placing his hand on her shoulder, “We don’t wanna cause a scene. What do you have there?”

“Look! I found it!” Luna held a book up to Nina, “Told you.”

Nina stared at the book before taking it from Luna’s hand. Why on earth did the Finnish Central Library network stock her book? The book was only released five years ago. This was the original Spanish version, from the second print. The copy also looked new and crisp.

“Excuse me? Can I be any assistance?” They turned around and saw a staff member smiling at them.

“Oh, noh,” Nina shook her head slightly to get herself to focus, “I was just… just wondering… well, maybe I wasn’t wondering. Just surprised that you have this here.”

“Oh yeah, I have actually read that one personally,” The staff member responded after checking the book cover, “Well, the English version. That and its sequel are actually one of our more recent arrivals. The board specifically picked it out, because it’s written by a young female Argentinian author, so it brings nice variety. I personally really love it, the author really captures the topic she’s talking about.”

“Oh, we know,” Matteo piped up as Nina wasn’t able to get something out of her mouth. She did have some fans, through her books and working with Matteo and Latino BookTok really loved to talk about her books, but in this country, she hadn’t prepared for this in the slightest. “You’re talking to her.”

“What?”

“Yeah,” Nina started awkwardly, “I’m Nina Perida, or well, it’s Simonetti in this context… I promise I don’t usually go around libraries looking for my own books. We’re tourists and my friends here…”

“It’s an honor to meet you,” The employee continued, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize—I thought you were British.”

“Common misconception,” Matteo laughed, “Gastón’s gonna be so mad that he missed this.”

Nina rolled her eyes at him. Luna and Matteo loved to tease her and Gastón about the fact that they got mistaken as brits almost everywhere they went, because they spoke English with British accents. What else were they supposed to do? Nina had really learned how to speak English after she had moved there.

***

“...and that’s why we prioritize renewable energy sources on all of our projects to keep the construction of today and tomorrow as sustainable as possible. That is the number one value in our company, and we are dedicated to upholding the climate goal of completely fossil-free future.”

Gastón turned his laser pointer off and switched onto the last slide. He had given the same speech two times already. First to the people studying the same major he had: energy technology engineering, then machine industry majors, and finally now he was talking to the chemical engineers.

“So, that’s all I have to say today. Any questions?”

Multiple hands rose in the auditorium.

“Speak freely.”

“You said you were Argentinian,” A guy in the third row started speaking, “Why do you have a british accent?”

“Bueno, ¿Hubieras preferido que hubiera hecho todo eso en español?" Gastón leaned on the table that was behind him as the auditorium filled with bunch on “no’s”.

“Yeah, didn’t think so, porque todavía puedo hacer eso.” He grinned. “I am Argentinian, lived in Buenos Aires since I was four, but like I said at the start, I studied at Oxford. I lived there for six years, so you would think that accent would catch on. So, any other questions?”

“How did you get such a high place at the company when you’re so young?” A girl from the second row asked, “If that’s okay?”

“Yeah, it’s totally okay,” Gastón nodded, “I get why you would think that. I am young. How I got where I am is a really long story, and I won’t lie and say that there haven’t been moments when luck has been on my side. But all that said, when it comes to it, I always put in the effort and work. I put in the work while I was in college and when I got the job I continued. I didn’t start at the executive team when I got hired at 24. I was a member of an energy preservation team, which was a lower tier division at the company. My effort there caught the attention of the higher ups, and I was offered a promotion. It’s not about the age. It’s about effort and passion you’re bringing with you and what you can offer, because everyone of you will bring so many ideas to the field. That doesn’t mean that work should totally over take your life. I have a wife and we have a dog, and family will always be a priority for me. Balancing that and your work life is something everyone will learn on their own.”

“You did extremely well today.” A professor approached Gastón after the students had left.

“That’s great to hear.” Gastón nodded as he was grabbing his laptop. “The kids were really great.”

“You managed to keep them really engaged,” The professor continued, “a lot of guest speakers don’t always do that. Have you done this a lot?”

“Surprisingly, today has been my first time,” Gastón admitted.

“You couldn’t tell. We might need to note to Castillo corporations that they sent you next time we have a guest speaker from there. You should keep doing this.”

“Hey! How did it go?” Nina perked up from the bed where she had apparently been reading a book, when Gastón opened the door to their room.

“You’re back already?” He questioned as he walked in. “I thought you’d be longer.”

“We had to cut the sightseeing bit short as Luna and Matteo got too cold,” She put the book away as he walked to her and gave her a small peck before starting to pull the cardigan off. “I understand. They aren’t used to it and maybe better that they won’t experience the deep freeze before we get to Lapland where it really will be cold. But tell me, how was it?”

“Well, the conference part was tolerable, because it’s for an important cause, obviously,” Gastón sat on the bed after he had gotten done changing, “but giving the lectures, I actually really liked it.”

“I though you would.”

“The kids were great,” Could you really call them kids? They had been in the 18 to 20 age range. “And they had lot of great questions… I loved it.”

“Thats so great that you did.” Nina smiled at him.

“That just got me thinking that maybe I should do more of this kind of stuff. I mean like teaching.” Gastón continued, “If I should ask the company to send me do this kind of stuff more… I mean not overseas, because I don’t want to be away… or…”

“Or?” Nina was looking at him quizzingly, “I don’t understand.”

“You remember when I was maybe thinking about doing the PHD?”

“Yes,” Nina responded, “But you decided against it because it wasn’t worth it to you at the time.”

“Yes… Now I am just thinking that maybe I should do it after all.”

“You mean argue for a PHD?” Nina asked again.

“Yeah,” Gastón nodded, “If I had a PHD, I could teach at a university. What do you think about it?”

“If that’s what you want to do,” Nina grabbed his hand, “Of course I support you.”

“I don’t wanna quit my job, that’s not what I meant,” Gastón continued, “I guess I could enroll at the University of Buenos Aires or somewhere as a doctoral student and do that on the side, maybe reduce the hours for a little bit. I could at least try.”

“We both know you can do it,” Nina squeezed his hand, “And it probably won’t be hard for you, since you’re so smart.”

“Let’s hope so,” Gastón laughed quite nervously, “I don’t need to make any final decisions about it now. So, tell me, what you did?”

“Nothing that special. We went to see the library and the church and then looked around in couple museums close by.” Nina started talking, “Actually, Luna found my book at the library.”

“Really?” Gastón questioned.

“She did,” Nina continued, “and then an employee came over and started talking to us about it and she turned out to be a bit of a fan… I was not gonna tell her who I was until Matteo blurted it out.”

“Always count on Matteo to have the worse timing,” Gastón laughed.

“The bottom line is that I ended giving her an autograph, which you know I hate doing.” Nina sighed, “Why would someone ever want my autograph?”

“You are amazing writer, and the books are amazing,” Gastón traced his finger on Nina’s chin. “I totally understand why. I wish I could have been there. I’m jealous that I missed seeing this side of the country on this trip… I guess we’ll have to come back here then.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, how about we return here. Like for our third anniversary. It’s summer here then and we could go look around lots of cities… stay in nice hotel rooms…” He slid his hands on Nina’s back.

“You’re already planning another vacation?” Nina raised her eyebrow at him, “We’re not done with this one.”

“I have not even been on vacation yet,” Gastón scoffed as he pulled her closer, “I have been working.”

He kissed her deeply.

“Now I’m on vacation.” He said as they separated for a brief time.

***

“Come on Simon!” Ambar said as she and Simon were strutting across the Helsinki-Vantaa airport to find their connecting flight’s gate where they were meeting the others.

“Darling, we’re not in any kind of hurry,” Simon caught up to her wheeling the suitcase. Their luggage would be transferred from one plane to another but given that they had left from Buenos Aires during the summertime and touched down in Northern Europe in the winter, they needed a change of clothes and other things to be accessible.

“Well, we shouldn’t leave them waiting either.” Ambar remarked.

They had landed on gate 28 and the flight to Lapland was leaving from gate 5, so from a totally other side of the terminal. That was understandable, it was a smaller domestic flight in a small country.

“Ambar! Simon!” They heard the yells as they passed the TSA checkpoint.

“Perfect timing.” They stopped and waited for Luna, Matteo, Gastón and Nina to catch them up from the gate. “Hey! How was the wedding?”

“It was so beautiful,” Luna started a huge flood of words, “I wasn’t allowed to go and catch the bouquet.”

“Yeah, that’s not really an activity for married women.” Ambar laughed. “Did you see who caught it?”

“Ariana did.” Nina answered, “One of my roommates if you remember.”

“After we forced her onto the floor.” Gastón added.

“Do you know where our gate is?” Matteo asked Simon and Ambar. “No matter how big or small the airport is, you never find your way around.”

“I think according to the map, it’s that way,” Simon pointed ahead, “We need to walk as far as we can.”

“Fabulous.”

“So, how was the school?” Ambar let Simon go ahead with Luna and Matteo as they started walking and joined Nina and Gastón. She wanted to hear about the infamous Aalto University.

“Great,” Gastón responded. “Got things that I needed to get done done.”

“How were the kids?”

“Dependable were they really “kids” per say,” Gastón continued. “I think the youngest were 19… But otherwise, it was honestly my favorite part of the whole thing. Had so much fun talking to them. Gave me really things to think about, about what I wanna do.”

“Sounds ominous.” Ambar raised her eyebrow. Over the years, her, Gastón and Nina had formed a bit of a comradery—in addition of the strong friendship they all shared—over being the ones who had spent the longest at school and had the highest degrees so to say. Not that it made anyone else’s accomplishments any less important. Ambar was immensely proud of everyone in their group over how far they had really come.

“Not really,” Gastón shook his head. “Just some things in the future that I might wanna do. But that’s the future, I have time to think about it.”

{}

Okay, so you all obviously have noticed that even if this story follows Gastina, Lutteo and Simbar, it will be very Gastina-centric. Because whose story do you think you're reading? Others will get their moments but there is a very good story reason for Gastina getting most of the focus. This story would have not worked if they had taken the trip just two of them. Luna and Matteo obviously were invited to the wedding of Matteo's cousin and Simon and Ambar join them for added fun. Because this fic will be just fun and nothing bad will happen at all. I also took this opportunity to catch up on all the people from Oxford, who I hope everyone has missed since GOS finished. I wanted to do a small round on what they're all up to now, with Oliver getting married and James is engaged while Jacob and Marlee and in stable relationships. Ariana's still single. I said I wouldn't abandon them and we see how far they have come from calling themselves the "singles club of Oxford".

#Soy Luna #soy luna fanfiction #gastina #lutteo #simbar #pelfi #kind of in the background #Christmas #DCLA Holidays #Finland #I have my silly faves visit my country

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