The door slammed in his face.

He had been sleeping peacefully until just about an half an hour ago when Ulfhild and Hilda barged in and immediately sent him off to have a bath. Now he was clean of all the blood and dirt from yesterday and as well as donned in his normal brown cloak. Apparently it was ‘just perfect’ for the wedding. Ulfhild had then checked his head and removed the bandage, and then he had been promptly kicked out of the house.

His own house. Kicked out of it.

Signe and Hilda were the only ones left in the house now as Ulfhild carted Vero off towards the village.

He should be peeved about it. He would be, honestly, if it wasn’t for the anxious feeling running through him.

Signe was getting married today.

Johan sucked in a breath and turned around. There must be something he could do to distract himself, maybe even something to help with the wedding.

He started walking towards the village but only got a few steps before he stopped, eyes caught on something in the trees.

What was that? Red string?

Johan cocked his head in confusion and walked closer. A red string was tied around one tree and stretched off into the darkness of the forest. He pulled on the taunt string and watched as it bounced back into place, and the forest lit up around him.

“Woah..” His eyes widened. The sun had risen just high enough to peek into the forest, lighting up everything. Vibrant red flowers were all around him. They covered the ground, following where the string disappeared, and some were even growing on the trees, covering the intertwining branches above in red.

It was not like that yesterday.

Johan glanced to the path leading to the village, then back to the string.

Well…he did want something to distract himself.

He followed the string. From the first tree it stretched on to a second, then a third, and even further. The red flowers followed it the whole way, deeper and deeper into the forest.

Before he knew it he reached water. The ocean stretched on as the string continued along the treeline to the right. Johan knew where he was now. The string had taken him in a long detour around the village, now somewhere to his left.

There was still more string, but instead of being tied to trees, the string was now just on the ground, carefully laying on top of the flowers. For a second he thought about turning back and just going to the village. In the end though, curiosity got the best of him and he grabbed the string, letting it run over his palm as it led him even further.

It didn’t take long from then before he reached the string’s end at the opening to a cave.

…The same cave they had used to leave Heaven all that time ago. Johan frowned, dropping the string like it burnt him. He glanced into the cave.

And reeled back, cursing to himself.

“Johan!” Note yelled after him but Johan turned on his heel, ignoring the footsteps following behind him.

Nope, today was a day for Signe, Johan was not dealing with Note today.

Unfortunately, that’s when the consequences of yesterday’s event started resurfacing. His head had been fine while he was walking, the small ache being easy to ignore. Running, however, was apparently still off the table.

Johan stumbled and Note quickly caught up, grabbing his arm and spinning them both around so he stood in front of Johan, blocking the way back.

“Really?” Johan ripped his arm free and took a step back.

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“Wait! Can we just- talk it out?” Note asked, hurriedly as Johan got his ribbon, about to throw it up to one of the trees on the ledge above. “Please?”

That made Johan stop. The misery was clear in his voice.

He closed his eyes for a long moment. Then he turned to Note, impatiently gesturing for him to go on. Note didn’t hesitate at the chance.

“Today is a day for celebration!” He started loudly. “Signe is getting married! I wanted to wait before speaking to you… but I don’t want us to avoid each other. Not today. I didn’t do the best job of leaving you alone but-” Note tok a deep breath before hurrying on to his next words. ”When you came down from the mountain yesterday, drenched in blood and needing stitches- I just…I just want to talk this out and get past this but you’re so stubborn and even with a fractured skull you would rather go off with Frey and pass out somewhere than go home and talk to me-!”

“Is this whole conversation about bashing me?” Johan asked flatly and Note glared at him.

“Let me finish. Please.”

Johan huffed and crossed his arms but stayed silent.

“I don’t want to look back at this wedding and think of how much I wanted to just speak with you the entire time. We’re family. We should have fun at her wedding, not avoid each other. I’m sorry that I lied-”

He raised a good point. Johan hated to say it but-

”I agree.” He bit out, interrupting Note in the middle of the apology.

“I didn’t want you to-” Note froze, eyes widening as the words replayed in his head. He turned to Johan. “Wait. What?”

“I agree.” Johan said plainly, so very, incredibly unhappy with the whole situation and with himself for actually agreeing, but this was Signe’s day.

Note’s jaw dropped, clearly shocked at the turn of events. Then his eyes turned suspicious. “Really?”

“We shouldn’t be fighting at her wedding. I agree.” Johan huffed angrily and gestured around them. “But is this really how you wanted to do it? Leading me to the middle of nowhere and blocking my way back?”

Note was silent for a moment, looking away. “No. But would you have listened if I didn’t?”

Fair enough. Johan absolutely would not still be there, no.

He closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face. It was Signe’s wedding day. Her happiness on her big day trumped this whole mess.

He waved his arms in defeat. “Sure. Let’s put this past us. I forgive you for lying.”

Note clenched his jaw. “I wish that was true.”

Johan stared at him. “I forgive you.” He said slowly. “That’s what you want to hear! So stop-!” Johan shook his head, not finishing the sentence. Fine. Whatever. He let out a heavy breath. Note would do whatever he wanted anyways.

“You don’t even regret it.” Johan said bitterly and pushed past him.

“I do.” Note said quietly, and Johan paused. He looked back. Note wasn’t trying to follow him now, his fists clenched by his side as he spoke, voice quiet. “I am sorry. I do regret it. In the moment I didn’t - I didn’t understand what happened - and I still don’t really know. But after yesterday… I guess we both know now that there’s something more to you and your powers.”

With a shaky breath, Note turned. Their eyes met. “I need you to know this; I never, never, meant to betray your trust, and I never meant to keep it from you. Not forever. The lie…it just slid out. I didn’t know what to tell you so I just… and then Frey got here and it was too late. I had waited too long and broke your trust and I wasn’t there for you and I’m so sorry. I should have told you when you woke up. You should have heard it from me.”

Johan couldn’t find any hint of dishonesty in Note, only wide eyed sincerity. It seemed he had been more affected by this than Johan thought.

“I guess we’re both idiots.” Johan sighed. He had been too focused on feeling betrayed to even think about Note’s side of it. “I should have talked to you.”

“I don’t blame you.” Note said. “It would all have been avoided if I just told you the truth. I would have avoided me too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Well, I wouldn’t have done it exactly the same. I don’t think I would bring Frey to search for a sheep on a mountain and come back drenched in blood with a cracked skull and then pass out on Emil’s couch as they brawled.” Note sent him a sly look.

“You’re not going to let that go are you.” Johan grumbled and started walking back to the village. It wasn’t his best moment. “It wasn’t my fault, there was an overgrown grassmann on the mountain, and a stalker in the village.”

“Really?” Note sounded surprised, disregarding the stalker comment and quickly following after him. He made a thoughtful noise. “I’ve never seen one before, do you think it’s still there?”

“Probably. We left it skewered on a rock so...” Johan waved his hands. “I guess I used my powers- I don’t really know.”

“That lightning yesterday was you?” Note asked in shock.

Johan grimaced. He still didn’t remember any lightning but considering the context… “I guess.”

Note stared at him for a long moment then finally he let out a soft laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe the mess you get yourself into. You’re unbelievable.”

Johan grinned but refrained from saying ´I know right´.

“That was a compliment.” Note said after a moment of silence.

Johan laughed.