How To Fall From Grace [MxM]

Step 30: Fall back and let your boyfriend have an awkward talk with your mom

What in Sihlea's name had happened?

Marius followed Frey with his gaze as he disappeared up the stairs, leaving a clearly shaken mother and a conversation that would with all certainty be awkward behind him.

Fortunately, Marius was not the worst at uncomfortable conversations, so after a painful moment of silence he decided to break it.

"Of course I wouldn't ask you to leave, Lady Magnusdóttir." He turned to Valdís, who stood tense as a violin string with her eyes turned promptly downwards. "You know how Frey can be, and he wouldn't actually turn you away."

Valdís swallowed, needing a moment before opening her mouth to let a strained voice out.

"I believe this time it's understandable that he would."

Marius sighed through his nose, having anticipated this moment for a long time, but he had not been aware he would face it alone.

"It's about me, isn't it?" He got his confirmation as Valdís' lips pinched even tighter together. "I don't know how exactly he expected to hide it from you for too long, but I suppose he was hoping to win you over before that happened."

Valdís let out a trembling exhale as she opened her mouth again.

"It's nothing against you as a person," she whispered, clearing her throat in an attempt to speak more assertively. "But Frey is not in the position to do what he wants, even if it gets in the way of the life he'd prefer to lead."

Marius stifled the annoyance that wanted to build in his throat. He hadn't wanted to believe it when he'd watched Frey's struggles, hoping he had simply misunderstood things as he did sometimes, but his parents really had forced him to think that way. They had made him deny his feelings all along.

"I won't pretend to understand what's going on with your town and surrounding problems." He managed to soften his tone instead. "But you must realise I will never want Frey to sacrifice his happiness for anything."

Valdís had no reply to that, though a conflicted frown appeared ever so vaguely on her face.

So Marius sighed again, gesturing towards the kitchen.

"Why don't we have some tea?" He waved her along. "Take a moment to calm down properly."

He glanced over his shoulder as he hung the kettle over the fire. Valdís had quietly taken a seat by the table, gaze resting on the glass of dandelions with an increasingly deepening wrinkle on her forehead. Was cheering her up even possible? Was it called for? Perhaps she wanted to be alone.

Regardless, it was too late to not make tea now, and Marius was not one for letting people wallow in silence.

"I'm surprised he was caught off guard by the discussion." He tried to brighten the mood with a small laugh. "With the way he overthinks things, I expected him to have a lengthy speech prepared, at least."

"There's... More," Valdís admitted, possibly hesitant if she should say anything at all. "It's not just about you. He also found out about some... Things that I've been keeping from him... For a long time."

Marius raised an eyebrow, scanning her shaken appearance.

"Found out because you told him, or accidentally?"

"... Accidentally."

"So..." Marius hesitated. It didn't feel like his place to snoop, but it concerned Frey and Valdís was the one who'd brought it up in the first place. "... It was pretty bad, then?"

Valdís sat quiet for a while, contemplating something while staring out the window.

"Do you know about his condition?" she finally asked, and though Marius waited, no further elaboration came, so his eyes lowered to her trembling hands.