Henrique and Mogens are three years old apart.
Henrique yawned as he made his way over to the bus stop, the red backpack slung over his shoulders. It was barely seven in the morning, so Henrique was one second away from falling asleep on the ground. He was anything but a morning person, and the chilling weather of Amsterdam wasn't helping him at all with this sleepiness. He just wanted to wrap himself in a blanket and sleep the morning away.
However, that thought vanished as soon as he saw a familiar back facing him. There was a boy with dirty blonde hair, hands stuffed inside his pockets with a white scarf wrapped around his neck. Henrique couldn't mistake him for anyone else.
"Mogens, you're here early!" he strutted close to the boy and stood beside the Dutch, a playful smile on his lips. For two years, Mogens had always stood here in the morning. The boy was always getting to school alone since his parents couldn't really drive him, and Henrique's high school just happened to be near his, so they met and took the bus together. Though Mogens was always very distant and quiet, Henrique knew he was just a softie at heart. The boy's secretive favorite flower was tulips! Henrique only found it out on pure accident! It wasnt like he spied on the younger boy, he got better things to do and an annoying brother at home to take care of.
"You know I'm always early.." he heard Mogens say softly beside him, though he ignored that.
"So... how old are ya again?" asked the Portuguese, his eyes blinking as he stared down at the boy. If he remembered correctly, Mogens must be..
"14." was Mogens's brief and cold answer. Henrique frowned, brushing a hand through his shaggy hair. For a 14-year-old, Mogens was really short. Maybe he hadn't hit puberty yet?
"I know you're thinking about it again, Henrique. Your face shows it all." the boy's face turned bright red and Henrique let out a light laugh. That seemed to make the younger one blush harder.
The Portuguese sighed and turned to stare at the coming bus. "Don't worry, you've just not struck puberty yet. Look at me, I'm only 17 but I ain't getting any taller anymore.." he said, a bit in distress. In last year's check up, he was 1m75 and in the nearest one, he was 1m76. Of course he would be pissed! Meanwhile, his annoying younger brother, Antonio, was growing quite considerably. No way would Henrique accept when Antonio grew taller than him - no no no way!
"Just you wait, I will tower over you soon!" Mogens stuck a tongue out at him and Henrique rolled his eyes playfully.
As if.
Two years later...
"Hey Mogens. Long time no see!"
Henrique waved upon seeing that familiar back again, a little surprised that the younger one was finally here, standing at the bus stop again. Mogens actually moved a few weeks after, and Henrique hadn't heard from him since...
But now, after two years had passed, Henrique would be lying if he said he didn't miss Mogens. Morning bus daily routine got kind of boring when the quiet boy wasn't there anymore. Still, Henrique wondered how he himself survived that long to finally be in college now, 19 and fully grown. Though his life was passing quite well to his liking, Henrique couldn't help but feel bitter.. he was still the same height! For two years, he hadn't grown another single inch, and Antonio was only some inches until he grew taller than Henrique himself.
"Oh. Henrique?" he grinned at how Mogens hadn't really changed much. He was still that scrawny short boy with those messy dirty blonde hair and quite a big attitude if Henrique had to admit.
Ilya cheerfully used his fingers to push some strands of hair out of his eyes. "You're back! Where did you go two years ago?" Ah.. as petty as he may sound now, Henrique was a little glad Mogens was still as short as ever. The boy barely grew at all, so he was only standing at near Henrique's chest.
"I went back to Brussels with my sister. But my mother thought it would be better if I took school in Amsterdam here like how I used to." answered the Dutch disinterested, turned his head away as the bus came closer. Henrique followed its movements, both staying silent for a full minute straight before he felt something inside of him snap.
Dammit. He had to say.
"Oh - don't you worry! Your puberty is only coming late!" at that, Mogens turned fifty shades of red and glared daggers at him, who sucked in a breath and looked away. Mogens pinched his arms painfully. "How cruel can you be, teasing me when I only just got back." which made the older of the two yank them back and scream loudly. Damn kid.
"Sorry, I had to! You look like you were thinking hard about it!" Mogens pinched his arms even harder. Henrique tried to move away but the boy held him back. For a scrawny 16-year-old, Mogens was surprisingly strong. After another minute of arm pinching and pure pain, the Dutch spared him and turned around, crossing both arms as he huffed.
"Wait a few more years, Henrique, and I'll be the one laughing."
The older man rolled his eyes before he stepped on the bus, Mogens following quickly behind.
That wouldn't happen, would it?
Two years later...
Henrique turned to Antonio, who was shorter than him by an inch. After two years of studying abroad in Toronto, he arrived back in Holland to see his still annoying brother. He had been ecstatic when he realized Antonio was shorter than him, until he met Antonio's boyfriend. It was some British guy named Arthur bushy-brow Kirkland, who towered over both of the brothers by half a head. Henrique didnt even know where Antonio even found him...
However, there was one thing he was sure. His parents hadn't bothered to glance at his brother once at the airport, while Arthur was there as well. He suspected it was because of Antonio dating another man.. Their parents weren't exactly.. supportive of things like this.
Anyway, Henrique turned back to Antonio as he waved.
"Leaving now. You both have fun."
Antonio stared at him confused, unaware of how tight Arthur's arm was around his body. Arthur was throwing dark stares at people who threw them dirty glares for the sake of them being gay. Henrique had learned that Arthur was the definition of protectiveness, especially if it concerned Antonio.
"Why so soon?" asked Antonio, face falling a little. He almost felt bad, almost.
"Well, I'm not going to interrupt your date anymore. I'll catch the last bus home, it's late and I still have work to do." he said, passing Antonio a casual glance. The younger man tried to pester him with his watery puppy eyes that could have worked years ago. But for now, it wouldn't. He was way past that dirty trick!
Henrique walked under the tender sunrays of sunset. It was already six twenty in the evening and the street was quite empty. Antonio had told him the bus still followed the same old routine it did four years ago, so if he left now, Henrique would manage to take the first ride.
There was only a man waiting at the bus stop. Henrique didn't pay much attention as he came to stand beside the other. They stood in silence until Henrique's phone stared ringing. Strangely enough, it was Antonio's cute little henchman (he didn't even want to know how that came out to be), who was supposed to be working back in Sicily. Did Lovino just make a call from all over Italy?.. Henrique seriously couldn't understand that Italian anymore.
"Yes, Lovino?" he answered, heaving a sigh as he brushed his hand through his hair. Out of the corner of his eyes, Henrique noticed how the man on his right sucked in a breath.
"Ciao, Portuguese bastard. Are you with that idiotic Spaniard?" Lovino's heavily-accented voice could be heard from the other line, which made Henrique frown a little. "No. He's with Kirkland."
Holy crap! He's still with that punk?"
Henrique rolled his eyes. "He's not a punk. He just dresses like one. Besides, if Arthur ever heard you talking about him like that, he would kill you with those eyebrows of his."
"I'll destroy him before he can even do that!" and that only made Henrique snort. Loud-mouthed as Lovino was, he knew too well the Italian wouldn't dare take Arthur one on one - he was too much of a coward to do that.. though, it's not like Henrique would, either...
Henrique put away his phone before silence fell over, and he was left wondering why it was taking the bus longer to arrive than he'd expected. Maybe Antonio was wrong about the time, and it had already left. Fed up, the young man turned around with a sigh and decided to leave. However, all of a sudden, his wrist was yanked back. He jumped a little as his own amber eyes locked with striking hazel ones.
Messy dirty blonde hair falling over his ears with an old, torn white scarf wrapped around his shoulders and neck.
Mogens. He widened his eyes considerably, gasping as he looked at the taller man in front of him. He was a head and a half taller than Henrique, much to his horror.
"Henrique." Mogens' voice was deeper too. However, he was somehow still this quiet, distant, stoic Dutch boy Henrique had always known.
"OH MY GOD-" he screamed, pushing away the boy and stumbled backward, almost falling to the ground. Almost, had it not been for Mogens who reached his hand out, wrapped them around Henrique's wrist and pulled him up in a swift movement.
Henrique stared at the man with eyes as wide as tennis balls, unable to mutter another word. This guy here, tall and toned with broad shoulders and those piercing hazel eyes of his was Mogens? Only two years had passed and the Dutch had already grown that much?! How - how was this even possible? The boy barely reached his shoulders just two years ago-
"I see you hadn't gotten taller over the last two years." commented Mogens quietly as he let go of the Portuguese's hand, who, in turn, flushed darkly.
"Crap", how the hell.. Henrique stuttered, flailing his arms around like a kid. "How - how tall are you now?" he exclaimed, overwhelmed. He felt like fainting.
"18 and 1m95. It seems that youre right after all, my puberty came late. I have to thank you for that."
Henrique gaped and pointed a finger at Mogens, who looked extremely amused by this. He swallowed thickly and turned around, still confused as he stared to walk away. How in the world-
Henrique froze on his spot and whipped around when he heard that voice again. "Where are you going?" Mogens said quickly, blinking his eyes. "Back to the past, when I was way taller than you!" Henrique snapped childishly.
Mogens snorted before he stepped forward abruptly, making Henrique flinch back a bit. The boy-man stared down at him and Henrique realized just how embarrassed the Dutch must have felt when he was looming over him years ago. The older man shied back even more as he glanced at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Maybe it was. Maybe it could open up and eat him.
"I told you before, didn't I? 4 years ago... I would tower over you."
Henrique's embarrassment vanished instantly. He stomped his feet in anger, arms crossed as he stared to retort. "Well, you're still a kid to me. Don't go thinking you have a leg up on me, Mogens! Just because you're a little taller.." however, he soon quieted down when he saw Mogens break into a wide smile for the first time. The boy's lips were curled up and his eyes brightened, his usual stoic face softened visibly as a soft breeze blew gently past his hair.
Oh no, he's hot.
"You're so childish. Never would have known that, Henrique."
Henrique fumed, following after Mogens as the boy started to leave. "And that's why you are wrong, Mogens. I'm an adult now, so childish and Henrique don't stay in the same sentence, unless it's Henrique is not childish at all-"
Somehow, Henrique didn't realize that he had already missed the bus, and he didn't even know where Mogens was leading him to.
But one thing for sure, it wasn't Mogens who followed him now, but him following that familiar back.
Something never changed.