In Which Berwald Meets the Cutest Man in the Office

(Peter is not yet adopted)

When Berwald went to the head of his department to ask that he work with a different member of the Sales and Marketing team, he didn't think he would quite be this lucky. Standing before him was Tino, the absolutely cutest man who worked at this branch of Heta Secure Software. Berwald had never actually spoken to or formally met Tino, but he certainly had noticed him. And now they were going to be cubicle partners.

It was better anything than Berwald could ask for.

The department head of Engineering and Programming, Ludwig Beilschmidt, had been quite understanding when Berwald came to him with complaints about his former cubicle partner Gilbert. The self-proclaimed Prussian was loud and constantly pestered Berwald to the point where he could hardly focus on his work. Ludwig had sighed knowingly when presented with this information and said that he had hoped a stern partner like Berwald would calm Gilbert down. Though Gilbert was an excellent member of the Sales and Marketing team, he was quite difficult to work with.

Now Tino, notoriously one of the most underestimated and fierce members of the marketing team, would be sitting only a few feet away from him. Berwald could understand why Tino might be mistaken as a fragile and delicate man. He had never seen Tino exhibiting any signs of anything else. With those large violet eyes, pale blond hair that framed his soft round face, and slim figure, Tino seemed anything but fierce. It didn't help that he looked up at Berwald with an expression of fear plastered across his face. He was clutching his box containing his belongings with shaking hands and generally looked displeased with the current situation.

Berwald knew he had a reputation of being the silent, stoic, stern but brilliant engineer in the office. He'd gone through many members of the Sales and Marketing department who were so intimidated by him they could hardly work. On several occasions, Berwald wondered why the company insisted that each member of the Engineering and Programming team work closely with Sales and Marketing.

However, Berwald was quite happy with that policy now.

Tino on the other hand was quite unhappy with those arrangements. He was very glad to get away from his former partner, a large odd Russian named Ivan. However, he was merely being transferred from one giant scary man to another. Berwald was notorious for being frightening and liking no one. Tino generally got along with most people, but even he was unsure if he could work with this man. The way he was scowling at him…

Being aware of the fact that his face tended to frighten people, Berwald tried to soften the permanent scowl on his face.

"Hello," he said quickly, trying to seem friendly.

This seemed to pull Tino out of his fear-induced state of shock. Remembering himself, he quickly smiled sweetly at his new cubicle buddy. His nose crinkled as he smiled and his head bobbed to the side as he returned the greeting. Cute, was the only thing Berwald could think of looking at him.

"I'm Tino Väinämöinen," he introduced himself. His voice was higher than most men and his accent made it almost sound like he was singing. Berwald frowned when he heard the slight tremor in his voice. "Um, I don't think we've been formally introduced before. You must be Berwald."

True to his usual quiet nature, Berwald simply grunted in affirmation and gestured his arm into the cubicle, making room for the little man to get by. Hesitantly, Tino entered and moved to the empty desk, sitting on the wall directly opposite Berwald's. At least we won't be facing each other, Tino thought with some relief.

Berwald's face really was scary, though Tino didn't think he was an ugly man. He was simply very tall, broad, and unusually quiet. Additionally, he always scowled as if he constantly smelled something gross.

As Tino set about setting up his desk, Berwald attempted to make small talk. "Look forward to working with ya," he said quietly. He suddenly became aware of how deep his voice was.

"Mmhmm," Tino responded automatically, busy arranging a framed picture of a fluffy white dog.

Quickly, Berwald gave up on making conversation and returned to his work.

Within a week, a little routine developed between them. They only greeted each other in the morning, said farewell when the work day was done, and consulted briefly with each other on the projects they shared. This suited Berwald just fine, as he was never a man of many words. However, he wouldn't mind becoming closer with Tino. Berwald didn't have many friends and thought it would be nice to consider Tino one.

Tino, on the other hand was, very uncomfortable with their current communication. The constant silence was awkward to him and he was no longer as afraid of Berwald as he was at first. Slowly he was learning that the man could be very sweet by going out of his way to make Tino's work easier. Yet, he still knew absolutely nothing about Berwald's personal life.

By the middle of the second week, Tino was ready to change things up.

Nervously, he stood behind Berwald's chair, waiting to be noticed. However, Berwald was very absorbed in his work and didn't notice the man trying to get his attention until Tino cleared his throat loudly.

"Can I help ya?" Berwald asked quickly, turning his chair around to face his work partner. His expression was dark, in what Tino thought could be worry.

"Um, yes," Tino began nervously. He gave himself a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. Berwald watched him patiently. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out to lunch with me today. Maybe we could get to know each other better."

Berwald's face reddened. He liked Tino, very much. He was just… so damn adorable. Tino watched him expectantly, waiting for a response. Berwald simply nodded in affirmation, not trusting himself to speak. Relief instantly washed over Tino, glad to be accepted.

"Great!" Tino said with delight, "I look forward to it!"

Berwald was surprised by Tino's offer. He'd assumed that Tino was still too afraid of him to want to spend more time together. But Tino had surprised Berwald in many ways the last week. Though he was clearly frightened of Berwald at first, he always tried to be his usual cheerful self around him. Additionally, Berwald witnessed how the Finn could be very tough when the occasion called for it. Whether on phone calls with clients or dealing with the other members of his department, Tino knew how to succeed and would do anything to do it.

In Berwald's mind, this only made Tino more adorable than before.

When the time for lunch approached, Berwald quickly finished up whatever he was working on. He gathered his coat and awkwardly waited for Tino. As they left the office together, Tino filled the silence with cheerful chatter. He knew Berwald well enough at this point to not expect much conversation from him.

"I was thinking we should go to this little café I like. It's called The Little Red Tomato," Tino paused to glance upward at his tall companion. "Does that sound okay to you?" he asked hesitantly.

Berwald nodded. "Where ever ya want to go."

With his confidence returned and the hesitancy gone from his voice, Tino continued making small talk. Berwald didn't say much in response beyond one word answers. Luckily, the ride down the elevator to the front desk was short.

"Hey Tino! Headin' ou-" the flamboyant secretary Feliks began to greet them as they passed, but he stopped short when he saw Berwald's stare. "Oh. H-hello Mr. Oxenstierna."

The other secretary, Toris, smiled politely at the two of them as Feliks pushed his chair back and angled himself slightly behind the Lithuanian. The two of them were the perfect pair to be at the front desk. Toris acted as the polite and courteous greeter while Feliks was flamboyant and welcoming (when he wasn't feeling too shy).

With a small laugh of amusement at Feliks's fear, Tino waved hello. "We're headed out to lunch! See you later Feliks."

Toris nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to his computer while Feliks watched warily as the two office workers left through. Berwald was quite certain he heard Toris scolding his desk partner for his impolite behavior towards Mr. Oxenstierna. This only made him smile sadly to himself. Unfortunately, not everyone overcame their initial fear of him. Though Berwald tried to be friendly, it was hard to do as a naturally introverted person. He was grateful that at least Tino wasn't afraid. Most of the time.

The walk to the café was thankfully short. The café itself was rather small and quaint, with older architecture and a stone façade. The doorway was framed with climbing vines that covered the building. Two little wrought iron tables sat out front with two little chairs around each. Inside, the café was divided in half by a long counter. A few more tables sat on one side of the counter and the café display and kitchen took up the other side. The walls were brick and the whole room had a rich and inviting atmosphere. As soon as Tino walked through the door, he was greeted cheerfully.

"Mr. Tino! How are you!" A happy tempered Spaniard hopped over the counter to great them.

His bright green eyes flashed with delight as he threw his arms in the air to give Tino a quick hug. Tino laughed and informed him that he was doing fine. Almost instantly, Berwald knew he didn't like this too friendly, wonderfully tanned man. Without realizing it, he glared angrily down at him. The Spaniard seemed completely unfazed and smiled up at him cheerfully.

"Hello Mr.!" he greeted, holding out his hand for Berwald to shake. "Are you a friend of Mr. Tino's?"

All Berwald could do in response was stare at the hand extended in shock. But the cheerful man waited patiently for him to react.

Luckily for Berwald, Tino jumped in and introduced them.

"This is my coworker Berwald," he explained and gestured to the tall man behind him. "Berwald, this is Antonio. I've been coming here a while, so we've gotten to know each other."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Berwald!" Antonio said pleasantly and dropped his hand.

"Mmm," Berwald grunted in response.

He was taken aback by Antonio. Antonio was either very friendly, or completely oblivious to Berwald's scowls. He seemed less intimidated than even Tino was and Berwald didn't know how to react to him. Luckily, they didn't have to interact for long.

"Antonio, get your lazy ass back over here!" a short, angry man yelled from behind the counter.

With a smile, he turned to his coworker. "Sorry Lovi, be right there!" he called back. "You'll have to forgive Lovino, he's always like that," Antonio explained to Berwald.

Antonio led the two back to the cashier where they were to order. Tino listed off some of his favorite items and Berwald decided to pick whatever he suggested. After taking their order, Antonio continued to make conversation with Tino. Berwald felt incredibly awkward, not knowing what he should do.

Suddenly, Antonio turned to Berwald. "Oh! If you work with Tino then you might know a friend of ours who also works there!" He stated excitedly, "Do you know a Gilbert Beilschmidt? It's hard to miss him."

Berwald was not surprised at all to hear that Gilbert- the most obnoxious man in the whole office- was friends with Antonio- the over cheerful café worker- and Lovino- an angry Italian man with dark hair who had glared at him the entire time.

"Yes. I know 'im," Berwald answered finally.

This seemed to please Antonio very much. "Did you hear that Francis? He knows Gil!" he cried over his shoulder.

A man with tied back wavy golden hair and a bit of scruff on his chin poked his head around the wall that separated the kitchen. He had an inquiring look on his face and one of his perfect brows quirked. The man looked Berwald up and down before replying.

"Tonio, Cher, I do not believe that's a good thing," Francis replied, his accent clearly French. "I don't think he likes our dear Gilbert."

"Hmph, like anyone could like that bastard," Lovino muttered.

It appeared that Antonio couldn't believe someone could dislike Gilbert. His face screwed into a perplexed expression. With an awkward laugh, Tino excused himself and Berwald and they sat in the corner of the café near the window.

"So, um, what do you think of the place?" Tino asked nervously.

"'s cute," Berwald answered honestly.

Tino smiled with approval. "Hm, yes. I like it here. Even if the staff is… unique."

Just then, Lovino came over with their food. He instructed that if there was anything wrong with their meal to let him know and that he would "correct the French bastard" for them. Tino thanked him politely and the Italian retreated back to the counter. The rest of the café was completely empty.

"So, tell me about yourself Berwald," Tino demanded after they picked at their food a few minutes. "We've been working together a while and I still don't know much about you. Have a family? Girlfriend? Boyfriend? Roommates?"

At his words, Berwald felt his throat tighten with anxiety. He didn't like to talk much and he certainly didn't have a lot to say about himself. He would much rather hear about Tino.

"No fam'ly. Just a broth'r, Matthias. I live with 'm," Berwald answered carefully.

Tino nodded in interest. "What's he like? Is he older or younger than you?"

"He's m' older broth'r, but he doesn' act like it. We don' get along. Nev'r have. He's a right pain in th' ass," Berwald explained.

He surprised himself with how open he was being with Tino. Normally, he wouldn't open up to someone like this. But Tino seemed enthralled. His large violet eyes watched him carefully, gaging Berwald's reactions. Berwald found, he didn't mind opening up to him.

"Ah yes, roommate troubles. I know how that is," Tino responded. "I live with my best friend, Eduard. Great friend, horrible roommate. He's really into computers." Tino laughed to himself, remembering something funny. "I tried to date him once. Not my best idea in the world. But we're still good friends."

The last sentence peaked Berwald's interest. 'So Tino doesn't mind dating guys'. Berwald had never really dated anyone, girl or boy. He'd never had any interest in it. But now he found himself wanting to date Tino. Berwald liked him. He was sweet and gentle but also fierce and above all adorable.

"So, you're not dating anyone?" Tino asked again. Berwald shook his head. "Yah, me neither."

'And he's single too.'

As they walked back to the office, Tino felt the lunch went very well. He was surprised at how much Berwald had opened up to him. Berwald was really a sweet guy, once you got to know him. Tino was beginning to learn that Berwald's scowls usually weren't angry, but embarrassed or worried or awkward.

"We should do this again!" Tino suggested when they returned to their cubicle.

Berwald nodded in agreement. "Yes, we should."

The weekly visit to The Little Red Tomato became routine for the cubicle partners. Tino started to feel completely comfortable around Berwald and Berwald started to feel completely comfortable around Tino. They frequently became distracted in each other's presence, spending much of the workday talking. For the first time ever, Berwald felt he had someone he could open up to, someone he didn't feel awkward around.

Slowly as their friendship grew stronger, something seemed to change in their relationship. Berwald wanted them to be closer; more than just friends. He wasn't sure if his feelings for Tino could be considered love, but they certainly weren't platonic. And since Tino would casually find reasons to touch him, like putting a hand on his shoulder or patting his hand, Berwald began to wonder if Tino felt the same way.

A few months into their weekly outings, Tino missed a lunch because he was in a meeting. It was the first time either of them was unable to make it to their regular lunch date. Berwald found he was more disappointed than he expected. Tino told him that he should go to lunch without him, but he found he couldn't go there without Tino. To make up for it, Berwald casually invited Tino to dinner at his house that night. This was his chance to test the waters, see if Tino was open to furthering their friendship.

"Yah, sounds like a date!" Tino agreed cheerfully, trying to hide the fact his heart was pounding. Berwald had just asked him out.

"Um… yes. A date," Berwald responded, feeling nervous but delighted that Tino called it a date.

Dinner went fantastically. Tino discovered that Berwald was an excellent cook and kept a good and tidy house. Berwald made sure that Matthias was gone for the evening and wouldn't interrupt them. Both were very nervous at the start, but by the end, they fell back into comfortable conversation and enjoyed each other's company.

Tino entertained Berwald with stories of all the times he'd been mistaken for a woman (which was a surprisingly large amount). Berwald found this to be perhaps the funniest thing he'd ever heard and couldn't stop laughing (from that time on, Berwald would often refer to Tino has is girlfriend, just to tease him). For the first time, Tino heard the Swede's deep laugh, which he thought was rather funny.

As Tino was getting ready to leave several hours later, he made the most impulsive but worthwhile decision in his life: he gave Berwald a quick kiss.

And Berwald kissed him back.

That made it official for the two of them. They were dating. Tino had never been happier with anyone else. Of all the other people he'd dated, no one quietly looked after him like Berwald did. Berwald was just grateful to no longer be alone and to have someone as sweet as his dear Tino.

The office buzzed with gossip about their relationship. Nobody could believe that fragile Tino would ever date the intimidating Swede. There were rumors that Berwald had forced Tino into a relationship. Immediately, Tino quashed all rumors that suggested such a thing and fiercely defended his boyfriend. Berwald didn't like the attention from his coworkers, but was tickled pink that Tino was so protective of him.

Months passed and their relationship grew more serious. More and more often, Berwald would stay at Tino's apartment. Eventually, Berwald spent hardly any time at his place anymore and Eduard grew accustomed to an extra person in his shared apartment with Tino. The two of them began discussing getting an apartment and officially moving in together, since they were practically there already.

Berwald was eager to escape living with his brother, but worried that it would cause a fight. Though Berwald wasn't very close to Matthias, he still didn't like fighting with him, something that happened quite often (and sometimes it led to punches being thrown and living room brawls, even though both men were well into their 20's). Matthias had already been vocal about his disapproval of Tino and often complained that Berwald wasn't home often enough.

"I know you don't want to confront your brother, Berwald. But it's not like you were going to live with him forever," Tino encouraged him.

Tino was feeling rather impatient about the whole situation. He didn't particularly like Matthias either and was tired of Berwald being coerced into listening to him. If Tino had his way, they would've moved in together much sooner.

So finally, after dating Tino for nearly a year, Berwald finally confronted his brother about it. Tino accompanied him, to offer emotional support (and perhaps break up a fight). Berwald thought it would be best if Tino stayed out of the way at first, to help Matthias keep his cool.

"Hey Berry! It's been a while," Matthias greeted him when he came home one rainy evening to find his absent brother waiting for him at the kitchen table. His appearance- messy, dark blond hair that stuck up in every direction; thick, expressive eyebrows; mischievous, sparking blue eyes; and a large, always open or smiling mouth – showed how different the demeanor of the two was. Like Berwald, Matthias was tall, though not quite as tall as his brother. He made up for this small deficit in his height by being much broader than his brother. "Which is odd, since you're my roomie. I should see you more often, Berry."

After containing any complaints he had about the nickname 'Berry', Berwald calmly greeted his brother. His older brother Matthias had an interesting personality, as Berwald would put it if he was being nice. If he was in a foul mood he would say Matthias was childish, rude, controlling, and irresponsible. Generally, Matthias simply behaved like a party animal. However, he wasn't easy going all the time. If he didn't get his way, he tended to get angry. Matthias's temper was even worse than Berwald's (which rarely showed itself) and it often cause Matthias to turn violent.

"So, whatcha doin' here? Not staying the night at your girlfriend's place?" Matthias asked as he shed his wet raincoat and threw it on the counter.

Once again, Berwald swallowed any complaints about Matthias's respect for Tino. Only he was allowed to refer to Tino that way. But Berwald was there for a specific reason and he needed to pick his battles. It wasn't the time to be nitpicky.

Matthias shuffled over to the fridge and pulled out a can of beer. "Want one?" he inquired of Berwald. Berwald politely declined. "Your loss," Matthias sighed with a shrug. He never said no to a beer, especially free beer.

"I've actually been wanting to talk to ya," Matthias stated, throwing himself down in the seat across from Berwald. "You've been gone too much. Us living together was supposed to help us grow closer. Which doesn't work if you're gone all the time."

Surprised that Matthias was ready to discuss the exact topic he came here for, Berwald swallowed nervously. "Yes, ab't that-"

"Finally breakin' up with him are ya? You've been together for… well, ever," Matthias guessed with a stupid smirk on his face. "And as glad as I am that you've finally been laid, I agree that it's time for you to move on."

To help contain his frustration, Berwald pulled off his glasses and wiped his eyes wearily. He really didn't want this to turn into a brawl. It was a good thing he brought Tino. Thinking of him waiting in the other room helped Berwald keep his temper.

"Matthias if ye'd let me explain," he nearly begged with frustration.

"Okay, explain away. No need to get pissy," Matthias replied defensively, folding his arms across his chest.

'Great, things are already getting testy,' Berwald noted with annoyance.

"Tino an' I are still tog'ther," Berwald explained slowly. Matthias stared at him blankly. Berwald continued, trying to make him understand, "We're very serious."

This made Matthias frown, but he didn't say anything. He didn't like the way this conversation was headed either.

"We want t' move in tog'ther," Berwald continued. "I'm goin' to move out."

The frown on Matthias's face grew bigger. His folded arms were tensed and his eyes kept their gaze down. It wasn't that he didn't expect this conversation to come; Berwald had been serious for so long that Matthias was surprised it didn't happen sooner. But that didn't change the fact that he was angry.

"What if I say no?" Matthias asked coolly, finally looking at Berwald.

"'m not askin' permission. 'm movin' out," Berwald answered firmly. He wouldn't let his older brother control him like this anymore. No matter how much he yelled or fought.

"You oughta listen to your older brother," Matthias warned, his voice dangerously low.

"I don' have to," Berwald replied, pushing away from the table. In his mind, the discussion was over; he was leaving.

The bang of a fist slamming on the table stopped Berwald in his retreat. He turned around slowly to find Matthias half out of his seat and looking positively furious. Just seeing his brother's overreaction to the situation made Berwald angry.

"Hold on a damn second! We're not finished here!" Matthias growled.

It was clear to Berwald that Matthias was now past reason and that he wouldn't cool down until a few punches were thrown. This was exactly what Berwald had wanted to avoid- he was too old to be acting like some hormone enraged teenager- but he was close to losing it too. Luckily, Tino chose that moment to emerge from the other room to check things out.

"Is everything alright?" he asked calmly, quickly looking from Matthias to his boyfriend.

"Oh look, your damn girlfriend has decided to join us!" Matthias cried with false enthusiasm, eyes trained right on Tino.

The look he was giving Tino worried Berwald. He didn't want Tino to be dragged into it. Holding his hands up defensively, he took a few steps towards his brother.

"Matthias!" he commanded, voice loud and firm, "This 's nothin' to get so angry ov'r. We're just goin' t' leave now."

Unfortunately, this had the opposite effect than Berwald had expected.

"The HELL it is!" Matthias roared. "This is about ye learning some respect! You've never listened to me in your life! All I'm tryin' to do is keep this family together and because of your damn sissy boy toy-"

At this point, Matthias was stopped by a fist to his jaw. Berwald pulled back, shaking the pain from his hand. He knew he'd regret it, but Berwald couldn't stand Matthias talking about Tino that way. Tino cried out in protest as Matthias returned the blow and tackled Berwald to the ground. They rolled around on the floor for several minutes, knocking into furniture, banging heads on the hardwood flooring, and exchanging curses. But their brawl was quickly ended by Tino, who forcibly pulled Matthias off of Berwald.

With a heavy breath, Tino pulled Berwald off the ground. "C'mon let's go," he said shortly, clearly upset.

Matthias and Berwald regarded each other for a moment. Finally, Matthias turned away, angry tears running down his cheeks. He was hurt: hurt that his brother didn't want to have a close relationship with him, hurt that he would choose his boyfriend over his brother, and hurt that they couldn't seem to communicate without it turning violent.

Tino pulled Berwald away and led him to the car, noticing a slight limp in Berwald's step as he walked. Neither of them spoke, the tension between them causing the silence. Berwald was relieved that the ordeal was over and that at least he didn't have much left at his apartment to move. Tino was both furious at Berwald and concerned about his physical wellbeing.

"'m sorry," Berwald apologized first as Tino drove them back to his apartment.

With a sigh, Tino glanced sideways at his boyfriend. "Are you hurt?" he asked as his attention went back to the road.

"Only a l'ttle," Berwald responded gruffly, testing his limbs. His ribs felt a little bruised, his jaw was sore, there was a lump on his head, and his right knee was a little banged up. But besides that, he was perfectly fine. He'd had worse.

After a pause. "I wish you hadn't started a fight with your brother over this," Tino said slowly.

Berwald shrugged, trying to hide his embarrassment. "We'd a fought anyway."

With a grunt, Tino acknowledged the statement. But Berwald could tell he disagreed.

"You didn't seem to like Matthias calling me your girlfriend," Tino noted, glancing at him. Berwald could hear the slight tremor in his voice. He was hurt. "I don't understand, you call me that all the time."

Berwald could hear the unspoken question, Should I be angry about that?

"Matthias meant t' insult ye," Berwald tried to explain, but it was difficult to find the right words. "I don' mean it in th' same way."

Tino simply hummed in response.

"I love ye," Berwald said simply.

Tino turned to face him fully. With a small smile he replied, "I love you too, Ber. And I'm sorry that I've caused all this trouble."

Berwald's head shook firmly in disagreement. "No, 's not yer fault."

The rest of the ride to Tino and Eduard's apartment was in silence, both parties quietly processing their feelings. As Tino parked the car and moved to get out, Berwald stopped him with his hand. With a concerned expression, Tino slowly sat back down. He needed to tell Tino something he'd been thinking about for the past few days and he needed to do it while he had the courage.

"What's wrong Ber?" Tino asked softly.

Berwald closed his eyes a moment to collect his thoughts. "I know I've been calling ye m' girlfriend. But I think, I wan' t' call ye m' wife," he managed out nervously.

Tino's eyes widened in surprise and he looked a little perplexed, as if he was having a hard time understanding what Berwald had just suggested. "Your wife?" he whispered to himself. Slowly his cheeks began to redden his eyes glistened. "Okay," he answered with a shrug.

Berwald pulled him into a tight hug. "Good," he muttered in response, feeling a little red and teary himself.

And that's how meeting the cutest man in the office ending up being the best thing that ever happened to him.

AN: I just need more Sufin domestic fluff in my life, so here it is.

Thank you to my beta Shelby, for helping this actually make sense.

Also, thank you for reading!

Heart,
Allie