Scandinavian Heartstrings, in Drop D.

Chapter 8.5 The storm beneath my wings

The Floridian sun beat down on the suburban house on the hot July morning. An eighteen-year-old Toki slept on the couch but stirred when he heard the familiar sound of keys hitting the front door lock. A sweaty and exhausted Skwisgaar let out an ostentatious sigh of relief as he lifted his shades and entered the blissfully cool, air-conditioned lounge room. He held a cardboard tray with two large, plastic cups in it and he quickly walked over and wordlessly handed the tray to Toki. He then trod over to the air conditioner, turned everything to maximum and stuck his face in the luxurious air stream.  

"It's not even fucking 8am!" Skwisgaar lifted his ponytail to cool his already sun burnt neck. "I didn't think that I would miss anything about Seattle, but this heat is bullshit!" He pulled at his white, sweat stained shirt to billow out the warm air and replace it with cold.

"Suppose that means we'll get a big storm this afternoon." Toki said, staring at the cups in his hand.

"Even the rain is hot! Fuck, try explaining that to someone back home. Hot rain; it's like being pissed on." Skwisgaar continued to grumble.

"What are these?" Toki asked holding out the tray.

"The only thing that might get me through this summer. They take coffee and blend it with ice and milk. It's a gift from the gods." Skwisgaar proclaimed into the vents of the air conditioner. "Figured you'd be feeling this heat too, so I got you one."

Toki took a sip from one of the cups. "Blargh!"

"Ha!" He scoffed in amusement, "That one's mine, it's with soy milk." He held out his hand to indicate that Toki should give it to him. The younger man got up from the couch and handed it over. The Swede's fingers wrapped around it like an octopus's tentacles.

"How can you drink that stuff!?" The teenager asked as he rubbed his tongue on the roof of his mouth in an attempt to wipe away the odd taste.

"It's good for you, you know? Lots of protein. This thing is essentially a meal now." Skwisgaar said with the straw in one corner of his mouth. "An old bandmate got me onto it, he's a vegan; Has a you tube channel or something now. Dresses all Black-Metal and makes nachos with mushroom-cheese or something."

Toki took a sip from his own and made a sound of approval. He looked at the branding on the cup. "This is from that new place, Duncan Hills. I thought you said you wouldn't be caught dead in there?"

"Arrg, that place is even more tacky on the inside." Skwisgaar had a suitably Swedish sense of taste when it came to interior decoration, "But she had the early morning shift so no one saw me and I got free coffee out of it, so whatever." He had an internal battle as to how many times he could brave standing in that place as the coffee was damn good.

"So, which girl was it this time?" Toki asked conversationally as he scrunched his thin blanket into a ball at the end of the couch.

"You know that cute little thing with the curly hair from the Gelato place?"

Toki looked mortified, "You didn't?!" Skwisgaar smiled a devious and knowing smile at him, "Damn it, Skwisgaar! How the fuck could you do that? You know I like her!"

"Yeah, I know." He continued to smile at him, "Which is why I fucked her best friend." He pointed to the frappe cup in his hand. "I also gave her two tickets to the show next week on the condition she brings Miss Gelato with her."

Toki turned a light shade of pink with embarrassment "Now why the hell did you go and do that?"

"Well you weren't going to make the first move, so I did it for you." Skwisgaar looked over at the teenager in anticipation of a 'Thank-you' he didn't get. "You're welcome." He said pointedly into the airstream.