Emil had never had an issue with being gay, but then he had never had a boyfriend either. He used to have a crush on his best-friend-since-forever Matthew, but he hadn't felt the same way, so they just stayed friends. No, being gay wasn't a big deal; even his parents had said so.

Seeing ghosts, on the other hand, could easily lead to issues.

Yep, definitely leading to issues, Emil thought as they pulled up to their new house, and he noticed a face in one of the upper windows.

"Are the old owners still around?" he asked his parents.

"No, they moved out about five years ago," his mom replied. "They only now decided to sell the house."

"Why? If they were moving out, wouldn't they sell the house right away?"

"I heard their son committed suicide," said his dad with a mischievous smile. "Right in your room, Emil!"

"Don't say that, you'll freak him out!" chided his mom.

"Nah, Emil likes ghost stories, don't you?"

"Uh huh," Emil said absentmindedly as they began unloading the car. The face was gone from the window, but the blinds were still slightly askew.

If there was a ghost living in his room, he'd find some reason to move into the smaller guest bedroom. Contrary to popular belief, most ghosts were too consumed with their own deaths to bother anyone, but it would be kind of creepy to share a room with one.

Emil helped move box after box into the house, avoiding his room until they were all done. His mom pointed out which room was his, but he just stacked his things outside of the closed door.

"Did that actually freak you out?" his dad asked, nodding towards the door.

"No," Emil said defensively. "I'm just saving the surprise until we get all the boxes in." Once, a long time ago, he had tried to tell his parents about his "ability." His dad had ruffled his hair and told him to stop watching The Sixth Sense.

"Alright, kiddo, just don't let your mom trip over your crap."

Once they had the car all unloaded, his parents left him alone to explore his new room. He opened the door slowly and peeked inside but found no one, living or dead. He shuffled inside, carrying three stacked boxes, and plopped them in the middle of the room. He did the same with the next three boxes, setting them down next to the others. As he carried in the last box, he felt a slight stirring in the air. He looked up, unsurprised to see the ghost silently studying him.

"H-hello," he said quietly. He hadn't meant to stutter, but he hadn't expected the ghost to be so attractive. Of course, ghosts usually appeared as the dead people remembered themselves, so it was rare to see a ghost look like their own death. This man, this boy, couldn't have been much older than Emil. His straw blond hair hung over his indigo eyes, and a slightly confused look rippled over his otherwise calm face.

"You..." he began slowly, "you can see me?" His voice was flat, save the slight confusion to match his expression. Emil gave a slight nod, doing his best to meet the ghost's piercing gaze. He didn't have to for long, because the ghost quickly retreated through the wall. Just then, Emil's mom called him down for dinner. Emil laughed when he went downstairs and saw that they were sitting around a large empty box with delivery pizza on some unpacked plates.

"Hurry up, kiddo, the pizza's getting cold," his dad said, so he sat down and grabbed a piece.

"How do you like your room, sweetie?" asked his mom, and Emil flushed. He really hoped the ghost didn't hear that.

"I, um, I didn't get a good look at it yet," he said. "I might switch to the other room." Depending on where that ghost spent his time, that is.

"So you did get freaked out by that kid who offed himself!" his dad laughed.

"No, I didn't! And, Dad, you shouldn't joke about things like that."

"Oh, relax, it's not like he can hear me." Suddenly, there was a crash from upstairs, making the three of them jump.

"What was that?" Emil's mom asked quietly.

"I left some boxes stacked upstairs," Emil said quickly. "One of them must have fallen over."

"Emil, I hope nothing broke..."

"I'm sure it's fine! And anyway, Dad, it's really awful to joke about…" he paused, having a hard time saying the word, "suicide."

"Alright, I wasn't being serious anyway. I lost a cousin the same way, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Emil had met the cousin after it had happened.

After dinner, his dad followed him to his room to help set up the bed and bookcase. They were both surprised when they opened the door and found the bookcase already put together and halfway filled.

"Oh, right, I forgot that I already started on that," Emil said smoothly. "Sorry, it's been a long day."

"You can say that again. I didn't know you were so handy, Emil."

"Well, I do my best."

They put the bed together, unpacked the blankets, and made it up. His dad asked if there was anything else he wanted help with, but Emil shooed him out. Not ten seconds after he was gone, the ghost came back, looking ever so slightly sheepish.

"Sorry for knocking your boxes over," he said quietly.

Emil shrugged, listening to his dad's footsteps disappear down the hallway. He had already surveyed the damage, and nothing had broken. "Thanks for setting up my bookshelf, you didn't have to do that."

This time it was the ghost's turn to shrug. "It wasn't that difficult."

"I can, uh, switch rooms, if this one is yours."

The ghost stared at him with that piercing gaze, and Emil once again had to force himself not to look away. It was so intense and cold and beautiful, like a snowstorm. "I wouldn't have put your bookshelf together if I wanted you out," he said finally.

"Oh, right." Emil stuck his hand out. "I'm Emil Steilsson." The ghost hesitantly took his hand; his skin felt cold like a snowstorm, too.

"I am...was? Lukas Thomassen."

"Nice to meet you, Lukas."

"Likewise, sweetie."

Emil started, unsure if he had heard correctly. There was a glint in the ghost's, no, Lukas's eye, and a smile slowly spread across his face.

"Oh, my god," Emil groaned. He had heard.

"Not quite, kiddo."

"Stop that!"

"Emil, sweetie, are you all right?" called his mom.

"I'm fine, Mom!" he answered. Lukas grinned cheekily at him. "I am not sharing a room with you!" he hissed at the other boy.

"Too late, unless you want your dad to think you're afraid of a ghost."

Emil groaned again. "Just so you know, I'm no Haley Joel Osment. I don't take care of unfinished business for people, so don't ask."

"I wasn't going to," Lukas said smoothly. "Don't have any, anyway."

Now that the mood was suddenly serious, Emil asked his usual questions. "Did it hurt?"

"Like hell."

"Do you wish you hadn't…?"

"Offed myself?"

"Sorry about my dad, he didn't mean it like that."

"It's alright. And yes, I wish I hadn't, so don't you do it." Lukas flicked Emil lightly on the nose, sending a chill through his face. "Stop that frowning, you look cuter when you smile."

"Don't say weird things like that," Emil complained, turning away as he blushed. Great, now his nose was running. As attractive as this ghost was, Emil preferred when the dead kept their clammy hands to themselves. But that gave him an idea. "Hey, can you do me a favor?"

"I already did you a favor, remember?" Lukas gestured to the bookcase.

"Come on, I'll owe you." As soon as the words left his mouth, Emil regretted them. He didn't know anything about this guy, other than the fact that he had killed himself in this very room, and that he liked to listen in on Emil's family.

"Hmm, well, what's the favor?"

"My best friend doesn't believe that I can see ghosts."

"Who would?"

"We've been best friends since kindergarten, so he should believe me."

"So, what? You want me to move some things around like some poltergeist?"

"Yeah, that would prove it to him."

"Fine, I'll do it, but you owe me."

"I know."

"Good."

They stared at each other, and Emil finally looked away. "I'm going to get ready for bed. Don't watch me or do anything strange."

"I make no promises."

Emil was really starting to wish he was ignorant about ghosts. Or that there was some kind of supernatural lock to put on the bathroom door.

Matthew came over the next morning, having offered to help Emil unpack. Emil's mom let him in and sent him up. Emil was busy reorganizing his bookshelf, since Lukas had apparently spent all night reading his books and sorting them by how good he thought they were.

"Oh, hey, Mattie," Emil said when the boy entered the room.

"Hey, Emil, how's it going? This house is great."

"Yeah, it's my mom's dream house supposedly." The air stirred slightly, and Emil noticed Matthew shiver slightly. "Actually, the house came with an extra…surprise."

"Huh?" Matthew zipped up his hoodie.

"It's haunted."

"Hey, now, I'm just minding my own business," Lukas said dryly from behind him.

"Oh, is that so?" Matthew said offhandedly, having not heard the ghost standing three feet from him. "Woah!" One of the books had come off of Emil's bookcase and was floating in the air.

"I don't even know how to haunt people," Lukas complained, flipping through the pages of the book. "Boring." He flicked it across the room.

"Hey, I like that book!" Emil said angrily.

"Emil, is this some kind of joke?" Matthew asked meekly.

"No, Mattie, this is an asshole ghost who lives in my room."

"I beg to differ; I don't live anywhere." Lukas picked up a shirt from one of the boxes on the floor and inspected it. "You have the same fashion sense as all boys your age. That is to say, none."

"But…but!" Matthew was staring at the floating shirt with wide eyes, so Emil had him sit down on the floor.

"I tried to tell you before, but you wouldn't believe me," he said quietly. His best friend looked him in the eye.

"Emil, I'm sorry I didn't believe you before. That's kind of a lot to ask someone to believe without proof."

"I know, but now I have proof."

"Is it...is the ghost near me?" Matthew stuck his hand out in front of him, and Lukas brushed his own over it. Matthew shivered and stuck his hand in his hoodie. "Please don't do that. Emil, tell the ghost not to do that."

"I can hear you, you know," Lukas said sardonically. "I'm dead, not deaf." Emil snorted.

"What?" Matthew asked nervously.

"He said that he can hear you."

"That is not all that I said."

When they were finished, Emil and Matthew went downstairs to eat leftover pizza. "So, what's the ghost like?" Matthew asked quietly. Emil checked around for his spectral roommate before answering.

"His name is Lukas, and he's a little older than us."

"Hey, Mattie, how's it going?" said Emil's dad cheerily as he walked by their makeshift table.

"Hi, Mr. Steilsson, the house looks great!"

"Thanks! What do you think of Emil's room? He wants to switch, because the last occupant killed himself in there."

"Ah, well," Matthew gulped and glanced at the stairs. "I think it's a great room, but it might be good to switch. You know, bad mojo and all that."

"I don't understand you kids," Emil's dad laughed, shaking his head. "You have no problems watching horror movies, but you get freaked out by 'bad mojo'? Hey, what time are you supposed to be at the Køhler's, Emil?"

"4:30."

"Alright, remember that you'll have to leave earlier, since we live farther away now."

"I know, Dad."

Emil was so busy glaring at his dad's back that it took him a while to notice Matthew grinning at him. "What?" he asked when he looked over at his friend.

"Is Lukas as cute as Mathias?"

"Oh, um." Emil felt his face instantly grow hot. "Ah, yes, but in, like, a different way? I didn't really think to compare him to Mat."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"That I'm sharing a room with a hot ghost? Like he'd even believe me."

"Oh, right, there's that."

Matthew left soon after eating, and Emil went to his room to grab his backpack. "Who's Mathias?" Lukas asked casually, lounging on Emil's bed. Emil gaped at him.

"You weren't listening in on us, were you?"

"Hmm," he hummed noncommittally. "It's nice to know that after being dead for five years, I'm still pretty."

"You're kidding me…"

"Oh, no, what was it you said? Something about sharing a room with a hot ghost?"

"I'm moving into the other room, I swear."

"Do you really think two doors and a hallway is going to stop me from bugging you? I'm having the time of my life here. Well…"

Emil slumped onto his bed, carefully avoiding the cold entity next to him. "How many dead jokes are you going to make?"

"I haven't spoken to anyone in five years; I have at least that many saved up. So who's Mathias?"

"He's the son of my dad's best friend, and he helps me with my homework. He's your age, I think."

"He's probably not my age."

"How old are you anyway? Or, rather, how old were you?"

"Seventeen." Lukas sounded so distant, and his eyes looked so sad. Without thinking, Emil reached out and brushed a piece of hair out of his eyes, ignoring the chill that passed through his fingertips. Lukas caught his hand and held it lightly. "You forgot to mention his alleged attractiveness."

"Oh, uh, yeah," Emil muttered, pulling his hand back. He stood up and grabbed his backpack and helmet. "I'd better head out, if I want to get there on time."

"Shall I grab my jacket?"

"What?"

"Is it cold out? Because if it is, I should grab a coat."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Emil regarded him carefully; he had never seen a ghost go bonkers, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen. Lukas smirked at him.

"I'm coming with you," he said. "I was joking about the coat, though. I'm dead, I don't get cold."

"I know that! Wait, what? Why would you come with me?"

"I want to see if he's as cute as your friend made him out to be."

"Have you even left this house since you died?"

"Once, for my funeral." That dampened the atmosphere once again, and Emil sighed.

"Fine, you can tag along, but then we're even, okay? And you can't cause trouble or do anything weird."

"I'm still not making any promises."

Lukas was silent on the way to Mathias's house, and Emil wasn't sure if he was following. Actually, he wasn't even sure how ghosts usually travelled. Did they have to float around everywhere, or could they just pop up wherever they wanted? Emil had never asked one, but he had never exchanged more than a few words with one anyway. He didn't turn around to see if Lukas was there or not; if he really wanted to tag along, he could figure out how to get there.

Emil parked his bike in front of the house as usual, and Lukas was there when he looked over his shoulder. He rang the doorbell, trying to ignore the ghost standing just a little too close behind him. It didn't take long for Mathias to open the door.

"Hey, Emil! How's it—?" He cut off suddenly, his eyes looking just past Emil's head. "Um, how's it going?" Emil was about to answer when Lukas interrupted him.

"Oh, can you see me, too?"

"What?" Mathias asked.

"What?" Emil asked, looking between Lukas and Mathias. Lukas was calmly assessing the older boy, and Mathias was gaping at the ghost.

"Um, okay," Mathias said carefully, looking behind him. "Let's go to my room, and hurry. Oh, and don't touch anything, ghost."

"Is that how you welcome guests?" Lukas asked dryly.

Mathias ushered them through his house and into his room, closing the door behind them. "Sorry about that," he said with a slight smile. "My mom can't see spirits, but she can sense them, and she freaks out."

"Your mom can sense ghosts?" Emil asked. "Wait, no, you can see ghosts, too?"

"Yeah, I didn't know you could, too."

"Wow, I've never met anyone else who could."

Mathias gave him a genuine smile and ruffled his hair. "So, where did you come from?" he asked Lukas.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, this is Lukas. He's haunting my new house," Emil supplied.

"And apparently haunting you, too." Mathias's face turned serious, and he leaned down to speak to Emil softly. "Emil, is this ghost bothering you?"

"What? No, he's not bothering me. I mean, he's bugging me, but it's fine."

"Would you two stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Lukas interjected.

Mathias straightened up and stuck out his hand, grinning at the ghost. "Mathias Køhler."

"Lukas Thomassen." They shook hands.

"So, Lukas, what are you sticking around for?"

"Oh, you know, just to annoy Emil." Lukas slung an arm around the boy, making him shiver. He tried to shrug the ghost off to no avail. "I already told him, I don't have any unfinished business."

"Then why aren't you at peace?" Mathias asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I, well…" Lukas's voice grew quiet. "I always thought this was my punishment, like purgatory."

"Punishment?"

"For killing myself."

"Ah…ah."

"Mathias, I think you watched The Sixth Sense too many times," Emil said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "I've never had a ghost ask me to do anything for them."

"Well, I haven't either, but they've always been pretty rude to me."

"Probably because you stick your nose into their business," Lukas said snidely. "So how many of you psychics are there?"

"I'm not psychic," Emil protested. "I can't see the future or read minds."

"Right." Lukas smirked. "Because if you could read minds, you two would already know that you want to screw each other."

"What?" Emil shrieked.

"What?" Mathias added.

"Oh, come on, I'm dead, not dumb. Emil, you were just talking with your friend about how cute Mathias is, and it's written all over his face that he likes you, too."

Emil covered his face with his hands, blushing furiously. "Are you serious right now?" he groaned.

"You think I'm cute?" Mathias asked happily.

"You should've heard what he said about me, though. 'That ghost, what a hotty!'"

"That is not what I said!"

"Aw, look, now you've embarrassed him." Mathias pulled him away from Lukas, wrapping his arms around the boy. "Poor Emil, being teased by the hot ghost."

"Knock it off!" Emil tried to wiggle out of his arms, but once again he failed.

"Yeah, knock it off, Mathias." Lukas said, pulling him back. "He obviously likes me better anyway."

"Let me go, you're freezing!"

"Yeah, let him go, Lukas. He's known me longer."

Emil didn't understand how this had turned into an argument, and he really didn't understand why Lukas and Mathias were grinning at each other. He finally freed himself from the two of them and stepped back to look at them. They almost looked like they were flirting, and a thought occurred to him that he was instantly ashamed of.

"What is it?" Lukas asked, looking at him curiously.

"Ah, um," he stuttered, blushing. "I was just thinking that you two would make a good couple."

"That may be so," Lukas mused, "but I think you and I would make a better one." He grabbed Emil and pulled him back between the two of them.

"You've got to be kidding me," Mathias groaned. "You're a ghost!"

"So?"

"You can't date Emil; he's still alive! And he and I would make a better couple, anyway."

"Okay, that's enough!" Emil said exasperatedly, putting a hand on Lukas's and Mathias's chests to push them apart. "Are you really going to fight over me like children when I'm right here? You know, you could just ask me my opinion!" The other two fell silent.

"So, what is your opinion, Emil?" Mathias asked quietly.

"Um, on what, specifically?"

"Let's make it simple," Lukas said. "Who would you rather date?"

Emil suppressed a groan; this was quickly turning into a bad dating game with him as the main character. But two pairs of expectant eyes stared down at him, so he considered the question. He had had a crush on Mathias for a while, but he couldn't just count Lukas out. As far as attraction went, they were both cute in their own ways. Mathias had an easy-going personality, but sometimes it was a little too much for Emil. From the time that he had spent with Lukas, he seemed to be quieter and more sarcastic, which he enjoyed as well.

"Uh, well, who says I have to choose, anyway?" he said finally, crossing his arms. Really, he had just come over to work on homework and maybe do some harmless flirting, not play Paris (or be their golden apple either, for that matter). "Maybe I wouldn't date either of you."

Mathias and Lukas gaped at him. "Did we both just get rejected?" Mathias asked Lukas.

"I don't think you're being totally honest with us," Lukas chided. "It's okay to say that you'd rather date a ghost than that loser."

"Hey, I'm not a loser!"

"Okay, you know what, I'm going home." Emil grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "You two stay here and work out your sexual tension." He turned and exited Mathias's room, leaving the other two in temporary silence.

"Of course," Lukas said quietly, "we could always woo him together."

Mathias looked at the ghost in surprise, but a smile soon spread across his face. "That's the best thing that's come out of your mouth since you got here."

AN: This story was inspired by a NorIce story on here by Variegata where Iceland is a ghost in Norway's new house. If you enjoy NorIce, you should definitely check it out; it's called "100 Days of NorIce." It was also sort of inspired by the Mediator series by Meg Cabot, which I would also recommend you read. I hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading!