Scream Me a Dream

“If I get back, and there’s one dent in my car…” Josef warned as they walked towards the gate.

“I swear I’ll drive it to the storage unit and go home, no pit stops.” Regan assured with a smirk as he followed behind them, carrying Soya’s carry-on bag, while Emmy and Soya followed behind them.

“Don’t think I don’t see that smirk Ronalds.” Josef said, glaring at Regan. “I know my mileage, and I know how many miles it takes to get from the house to the storage unit, one mile over and your ass is on the line.”

“Promise, I will drive your car straight there.” Regan repeated with a roll of his eyes.

“Don’t worry Regan.” Soya assured. “He’s like this with anyone that’s driven his car.”

“So, just you?” Regan teased.

Soya laughed. “Yes, just me, and he still glares at me whenever I grab the keys to use it. He’s just too protective of it.”

“I get it, but does he have to be an ass about it?”

“Yes.” Josef and Soya both said with matching smirks.

Regan rolled his eyes as he plopped down on one of the seats as Emmy and Soya took the seats across from him. Josef looked over at the windows, where he saw the plane docked, before sitting next to Regan.

“Now, I know you’re only in town for three more days.” Soya said, looking at Regan. “But I left a note on the counter with things to do, just in case you forget.”

“I’m not going to forget.” Regan whined.

“Shush, and listen Regan.” Emmy told him.

Soya laughed. “I know you’re not going to forget, but it’s just ‘in case’. I wrote the code for the storage unit and wrote down when Josef is due back, along with when I am due back in case anyone calls within the next few days. I left the number to Josef’s parents’ house just in case, along with Ville’s cell phone to be used in case of emergencies and you can’t get a hold of me.” Soya warned. “I don’t want that number circulating.”

“I know.” Regan assured with a nod.

“We also left a bit more cash in the drawer, if something pops up,” Josef finished. “But when you leave, take it with you for gas and stuff.”

“We want you to call the minute you leave New York.” Soya said.

“And the minute you reach Texas.” Josef finished.

“Promise.” Regan laughed. “You guys have to stop worrying, you’re acting like Emmy and I are taking this trip by ourselves. Her parents are going there with us too you know, following us in the U-haul.”

“We know.” Josef said.

“But we’re not going with you, and we just want to make sure you’re getting everywhere safely.” Soya said quietly.

“Aw, Soya, don’t make me feel guilty.” Regan groaned. “I promise I’ll call every time I cross a state line.”

“That’s all I wanted to hear.” Soya nodded in approval, just as they heard the flight being called.

“Hugs!” Emmy said standing and hugging Soya; Regan and Josef looked at one another, and gave each other a one armed hug, before letting go.

Emmy let go and launched herself at Josef, causing him to laugh, before Soya brought Regan into her arms. “Next summer, I say you and Emmy come with us.” Soya told him, hugging him tighter.

Regan laughed. “Sure! Free trip to Prague, like I’m actually going to argue with that.”

Soya grinned and pulled away, holding him at arms’ length, searching his face. “You’re going to do wonderful in Texas,” Soya told him. “I have the utmost faith in you, I hope you know that.”

“I know.” Regan said swallowing hard as he felt himself get teary eyed.

Soya smiled and kissed his forehead. “Amazing, I want daily e-mails and phone calls.”

“Promise.” Regan nodded against her shoulder as he hugged her again.

“Good,”

“And you’ll call me the minute you land.” Regan told her. “This whole worrying thing works both ways. I’m not really sure I like it.”

Soya laughed. “I promise I will call you the minute we step foot off the plane, all right?”

Regan nodded. “Good.”

“Be safe, and I love you, okay?”

“Love you too and I promise.” Regan nodded.

Soya sniffed and kissed his forehead one more time, before taking Josef’s hand and picking up her carry on.

“We’ll see you guys in January.” Josef said.

“See you.” Emmy said softly, giving a small wave and gripping Regan’s hand as they watched Josef and Soya wave back, before turning towards the gate and handing their tickets to the stewardess.

“Ugh.” Emmy groaned, burying her face in Regan’s chest.

“What?” Regan asked, wrapping his arms around her waist as he moved them closer to the window, knowing they wouldn’t leave until the plane was in the air.

“I’m going to miss her, tonight I have to go home and actually sleep at home.”

“You love your home.” Regan reminded her. “You love your family.”

“I do.” Emmy agreed. “But I guess, I’ve gotten used to the family that Soya and Josef just created without even thinking about it. I mean seriously, who would really want to hang out with two seventeen year olds as much as they do. Who would care as much as they do? Josef acts like an asshole most of the time.”

“Most of the time?” Regan asked amused.

“Okay, like ninety percent of the time.” Emmy laughed. “But that guy cares about us just as much as Soya does. It’s just weird that tonight I’m not going to sit around their living room arguing about what eighties movie was better: Sixteen Candles or Breakfast Club.”

“Breakfast Club.” Regan said automatically, causing Emmy to tighten her hug with a laugh.

“You know what I mean.”

“I do.” Regan nodded. “But you know them; it’s going to be like they never left, they’re going to call pretending they forgot to tell us something, only to make sure we’re okay. We’ll be fine.”

Emmy sighed. “I know.”

“They need this, Josef hasn’t seen his family in like two years, and Soya hasn’t been back home in eight. I mean, I think us missing them is minor compared to what they’re feeling.”

“If you think Soya and Josef aren’t going to miss you just as much as you are going to miss them, you’re fucking crazy.”

Regan grinned down at his girlfriend, kissing her softly. “Yeah, I’m gonna miss them.”

XxxxxxX

Soya settled into her seat and grabbed her purse, searching through it only to turn to Josef, “Did you-”

“Soya.” Josef said patiently as he looked over at her. “He’s going to be fine. He’s going home, packing his stuff and spending the rest of the week at Emmy’s. We left him all the emergency numbers as well as all the contact numbers, you even wrote down ‘911’ in case he was to forget in sheer panic. He’s going to be fine.”

Soya stared at Josef before giving a small laugh. “I was going to ask if you’d grabbed my iPod.”

“Oh.” Josef said, reaching down to grab his bag off the floor. “Yeah, sorry.”

“You worry.” Soya said, taking her iPod from his fingers. “And I only wrote down ‘911’ because it happens.”

Josef snorted, “Right.”

“It does!” Soya defended as she took her book out, setting it on her lap before she buckled her seatbelt.

“What are you reading now?”

“Nothing.” Soya said, covering the book spine, only for Josef to reach over and take it from under her hands.

Josef looked at the cover only to roll his eyes. “The Short Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.”

“Shut up.” Soya said, grabbing the book from his hands. “I liked Edgar Allen Poe way before Ville did.”

“Doubtful,” Josef laughed. “But whatever makes you feel better.”

“I also have Oscar Wilde in my bag.” Soya said. “Would it make you feel better if I read that?”

Josef snorted as he buckled his belt and leaned back, glad that he had decided to get the first class plane tickets instead of the couch Soya had wanted. “Whatever you read Soya it’s going to be depressing and angst filled, let it be a story about a heart underneath a floor board, Dorian Gray or about electroshock therapy.”

“Tell-Tale Heart is a classic! The Picture of Dorian Grey is a beautiful story.”

“In what world?!” Josef laughed.

“And The Bell Jar is…” Soya hesitated. “Well, an amazing book.”

“I never argued that, I just think you have a thing for the depressing, which is odd considering your usual chipper demeanor.”

“Says the man that has only opened one book in his entire life.” Soya muttered as she opened her book to where she had left off.

“I read.” Josef said, turning to look at her. “Just not as much or as obsessively as you do.” He teased.

Soya rolled her eyes. “Tease me all you want Josef, just know that in ten hours time you’ll be getting yours.”

Josef glared at her before turning in his seat, putting in his ear buds and decisively ignoring her. Soya grinned before putting in her own earphones and looking down at her book, just as the flight attendants came out to the aisle to go over the basic flight instructions. Soya and Josef had been on so many planes and so many trips, they tended to tune the instructions out.

“You know.” Josef said, pulling out Soya’s earphone an hour into the flight. “It’s not funny to make fun of me.”

“I know Josef.” Soya said with a roll of her eyes.

“I’m not looking forward to this you know.”

“I know Josef.”

“It’s why I’m such an asshole.” Josef pointed out.

Soya snorted. Josef came from a large family and he was the youngest of five. He had an older brother, Július Radomir, then the twins Johan Řehor and Johana Růžena, Jarmila Radka or Mila as she was usually called came after the twins, then Josef Radik. When Soya had first heard all their names she had laughed, Josef had glared.

Ivana, their mother, had loved the idea of them having the same initials, JRK, but also had them all within a year of each other.

The fact was, that no matter how old Josef was, he was the baby of the family and therefore his brothers, who were a lot bigger than Josef, liked to pick fun of him, not only in the mental sense but in the physical too.

Soya turned to look at him, not trying to hide her amusement. They went through the same conversation every time he found out his family was coming to visit or they went to visit his family. “You being the butt of your brother’s jokes is not why you’re such a jerk. You’ve been away too long to let that bother you.” She pinched his cheek. “You’re looking forward to it. Now give me my earphone back.”

“Do you know the ridicule those guys put me through?!” Josef asked his voice filling with panic. “I think once we get there, we should just rent a car and drive the twelve hours to Finland.”

Soya stared at him in disbelief. “It’s not a twelve hour drive Josef, it’s more like a day long drive, and you haven’t seen your brothers since Július got married two years ago! And even then you haven’t seen Mila’s baby boy yet.”

“He’s like six months now.” Josef muttered.

“You miss your family as much as I miss my friends, and I’m sure with your brothers married now and starting their families, they’ve calmed down a bit. It won’t be as bad as you’re making it out to be.”

“Július gave me a wedgie at his wedding reception, Soya.” Josef said glaring at her, causing her to snort as she remembered him telling her about it, also the pictures Johan had sent her. “He pulled my underwear up saying I should be use to it because of the tights I wear, and had my mother not stopped him, Johan would have stuck my head in a toilet. All those teen movies where the jocks pick on the nerds, I lived that for sixteen years!”

“You love your brothers no matter what they do, and you’ll be seeing your sisters as well, now give me my earphone, I like this part.”

“You’ll be my shield right?” Josef asked. “I mean, they can’t get to me if you stand in front of me.”

“I can’t stand in front of you the entire time Josef! And last time I talked to Johan he said he was looking forward to see you.”

“Yes! So he can finish what he started! My brothers are monsters Soya! Big, hulking, blonde haired and blue eyed monsters! You think I’m a bitch because I drop you every once in awhile in rehearsal, these men are worse than I am.”

“And you’re pretty damn mean.” Soya nodded. “Now give me my earphone.”

“Soya!” Josef whined.

“Josef, I promise to protect you to the best of my ability.” Soya humored. “Though I still say they aren’t as bad as they used to be and you’ve exaggerated.”

“I begged my mother to send me to Julliard, Soya. Begged.”

Soya rolled her eyes as she held out her hand. “I know, I’ve heard the story. Earphone please.”

“What are you listening to that you’re so adamant to get your earphone back? Please don’t tell me it’s HIM, because it’s getting obsessive Soya, and a little weird.”

“Julian Plenti with a bit of Interpol mixed in.” Soya answered with a sigh. “Give me my earphone back; I don’t go around stealing your earphones.”

Josef sighed. “Only if you promise to protect me from my brothers.”

“I already did!” Soya laughed.

“No, you were humoring me. Seriously, promise me.”

“Josef, I promise to protect you from your brothers.”

Josef started at her, before slowly handing her the earphone back. “Fine.”

“Thank you.” Soya said shaking her head. “Now, take your little relaxant and go to sleep. I don’t want to deal with you anymore.”

Josef smirked. “You know, for someone who prides themselves on being so nice, you’re a bitch sometimes.”

Soya looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. “You’re annoying when we travel Josef, and you know it; it’s a long flight and I don’t want to deal with your anxieties, so take the pill and sleep.”

“Only because I love you.” Josef teased, taking the bottle of pills from his bag, popping one in his mouth and dry swallowing it, before putting his music back on. “See you in nine hours.” He muttered.

Soya grinned, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

“Hmm.” Josef nodded.

The next nine hours, Soya went back and forth from reading to pulling out her sketch books, to watching the in flight movie, before boredom set in and she went back to drawing, once her own iPod had died, she’d stolen Josef’s, seeing as the man practically had the exact same playlists as she did.

A half an hour before the plane landed, Soya woke Josef up, so he would have time to fight the sleep off and be semi awake by the time they landed. She asked the stewardess for a cup of coffee, which Josef sipped on for the remaining time of the flight, slowly waking up and adjusting.

“How are you feeling?” Soya asked as she adjusted her carryon bag on her shoulder and walked next to Josef as they went to claim their luggage.

“Groggy, but fine.” Josef said, giving a yawn. “How are you feeling?”

Soya shrugged. “Tired, but good.”

Josef smirked at her. “Do you realize you’re only a ferry ride away from Finland?”

Soya sighed and looked up at Josef who was giving her a teasing grin. “Stop making it sound like Finland is right across the street Josef.”

“What?!” Josef laughed. “Technically it is.”

“If that’s what you think, then you should take a geography class, no matter what way we go, we still have to pass through multiple countries to get to a ferry that goes into Finland.”

“Only like one or two countries” Josef muttered

“Three.” Soya corrected. “And we’re not driving to Finland, I’m taking a flight to Pori on the seventh. We’re going to grab our luggage, go toward the front and meet your mother like we promised.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Soya laughed as she watched Josef give a tired sigh.

“I do miss my mother.” Josef muttered. “And my sisters.”

“And your father, and your brothers.” Soya added.

“I’ll agree to missing my father, but I could care less about the monsters.” Josef growled.

Soya rolled her eyes as she pulled her suitcase off the conveyer belt. She’d packed enough to get her through the next month; after the month she would either have Josef ship more of her clothes out to Finland or just end up buying herself an entirely new wardrobe, due to the fact that her winter clothes for New York were not going to be at all useful, come November in Finland.

She saw Josef’s suitcase and pointed it out to him, helping him pull it off the belt before they started walking to the entrance.

“Do prdele.”(Oh shit.) Josef cursed in his native tongue as he stopped walking staring at the front doors in disbelief.

Soya turned, only to see two hulking blonde men running up to them, with matching grins. Squealing and fearing she would get run over, Soya jumped out of the way at the same time that the two men tackled Josef to the ground.

Soya turned and saw the two men laughing as they lay on Josef who was struggling to get up from underneath them.

“Vítejte doma miminko bratr!”(Welcome home baby brother!) Johan laughed as he got up from on top of Július who laughed as he got up from the ground, high fiving his brother instead of helping Josef up.

“What happened to protecting me?!” Josef groaned as he sat up and glared at Soya who was covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.

“Josef, they came straight at me! I would have been killed under their combined weight!” Soya laughed, only to squeal when Július scooped her up in a hug.

“Are you calling me fat baby sister?!” Július teased before he tossed her easily over to Johan who twirled her around.

“Never!” Soya laughed, “Oh, let me down, I’m getting dizzy.”

Johan immediately put her down, but hugged her tightly. “We missed you baby sister.”

“Oh! Her you hug!” Josef complained as he got up from the ground. “Me you tackle! And I’m fucking blood!”

“Stop your bitching Josef.” Július said, rolling his eyes at his little brother before grabbing Soya’s suitcase, starting to wheel it towards the entrance as Johan took her carry on from her shoulder and followed his older brother.

Soya went over to Josef as linked her arm with his. “I promise to protect you now.”

“Thanks.” Josef grumbled, “You know how you always tell me that your parents love me more than they love you?”

Soya nodded. “Because they do.”

“Yeah well same goes for you. You know, ever since they met you, Johan and Július love you much more than they love me.” Josef grinned, not at all hurt about it. He loved that his family loved Soya as family and not just some girl he danced with.

Soya laughed, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “So true.” Soya teased. Ever since she had met Josef’s brothers nearly six years ago, they had taken to calling her baby sister, not because they thought that she and Josef were together, but because they felt the need to protect her just as they protected their actual sisters.

“Josef!”

Josef looked up and let go of Soya, dropping his bags as he ran and hugged his mother, her long blond hair whipping around as Josef twirled her. Soya smiled and bit her lip as she watched the interaction, looking up when she felt arms wrap around her waist. She looked over to her right and grinned.

“Johana!” Soya laughed, hugging Josef’s older sister. “Are you all here to greet Josef?”

Johana snorted. “Please, we could care less for Josef’s arrival; we all wanted to see your pretty face again.” Johana teased as she pinched Soya’s cheek.

Soya laughed. “I doubt that.”

“And it’s not all of us.” Johana admitted. “Daddy and Mila are at work, but they’ll be home for dinner. Johan leave the boy alone!” Johana yelled at her twin as she saw him about to grab Josef who was talking to their mother. Johan glared at her, only to turn when he heard his mother start reprimanding him.

Johana turned to Soya with a teasing grin. “Are you ready for the crazy house?”

“Oh Johana, how I’ve missed it!” Soya laughed as she walked forward to give Ivana Kolar a hug when Ivana called her name, clearly offended Soya had waited so long. Yes, Soya thought as she hugged the older woman, she definitely had missed Josef’s large and crazy family.