With Trees

He couldn't remember a time when all he heard was the wind in the trees. Everything was nearly alien to him. The sound of singing birds, the clean air hitting his face and blowing his blonde hair, and even the sun warming his face. Berwald Oxenstierna couldn't recall a time when he was truly out in nature. And that thought upset him.

He had lived in Stockholm his entire life. Most of his time was spent meeting people at clubs and cafes, talking to them about future work projects and hook ups. Out here in the woods, looking back at his lifestyle, that seemed like a very strange and complex way to live.

The Swede stopped at a sudden noise coming from off the path. It sounded as if someone was just... stomping about in the leaves? He adjusted his glasses to get a better look, and that was exactly what it was. Indeed, off the trail there was a shorter blonde man with headphones in, headbanging and romping around, dressed in black with a backpack on his back. He found himself staring now.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" The figure in the woods stopped and looked back at Berwald. He had piercing violet eyes and a noticeable Finnish accent.

Berwald blinked and shook his head a little. "Oh, 'm sorry. I was jus' confused, I guess..."

The man in the woods pulled out his earbuds and made a questioning face, stepping forward. "Confused about what? You've never seen a man headbang before?"

Again, Berwald shook his head and involuntarily put his hands up a tad. "Nej, not like that. 'S just. Yer' headbangin' in the middle of the woods is all..."

Now the man in the woods seemed somewhat offended. "Look here, you Swede. I suppose you've never heard of Folk Metal before, so I'll just tell you that trees are brutal as hell." The man made his way through the brush and now stood before Berwald on the trail. Berwald had no idea what to do with himself. The man from the woods looked him up and down. "You have a name, Swede?"

"Ber-" He coughed. "Berwald." The Swede frowned a little at his smooth introduction, but the man before him smirked a little.

"And I have the pleasure of being known as Tino," he brushed the hair out of his face, still curiously looking at the other. "You don't look like you get out much, Berwald."

Berwald raised a brow and turned to face him, crossing his arms. "Excuse you, but I'm a very well resp'cted person in Stockholm."

Tino laughed. "No, you oaf, I mean outside. Outside with nature and stuff. People don't normally wear a button-down shirt and tie to go hiking."

Self conscience, Berwald looked down at his attire, then back up at Tino. He had a point. "Oh well, 's not like I can change now 'r anything."

Tino crooked his head. "This is what kills me about you people. The noisy streets, cubicles, and all that loud electronic music has made you a product of society, exactly what the system wants! You're not in Stockholm now, you are hiking, just take the damned shirt off."

Berwald stared at the man who he had literally just met seconds ago, now telling him to take off his shirt. Berwald gave him a wary look. There was a chance this Tino could be a sexual predator. Or, he could just be a forest-child with a rebellious spirit. However, before he could act or say anything, the smaller man from the woods was already upon him, his hands trying to take off his tie.

Berwald stepped back, holding the tie defensively. "'Ey, man, you c'n't jus' do that...!" Normally, he would find himself glaring at whoever would try and do something like that so suddenly. But not this time. In fact, he found himself flustered in front of the man.

Tino grinned cockily. "Alright, fine then, Berwald." He took another long look at him. "You need to loosen up. Come off the trail with me. Then you'll gladly remove your society-approved shirt to prevent it from tearing up in the brush."

Never before had the Swede met someone like this. He couldn't even think straight, and without thinking things through, he followed the man off the trail to walk amongst the trees with this Tino.

The Finn glanced over at him. "You don't seem like you have many friends."

Berwald blinked and stopped, a little offended. "Vad? I do too...! What makes you say that?"

Tino shrugged. "Your intimidating face is pretty put-off-ish."

"You think I look intimidatin'? Then why 're you talkin' t' me?"

Tino laughed. "Well, I can't take you too seriously when you're wearing a pocket-protector with no pens in the pocket. While in the woods."

The Swede thought about this. That did sound pretty ridiculous. He loosened his tie. "You talk of not letting society shape you, but yer' wearin' a store-bought band T-shirt 'nd listening to 'n iPod. Yer' hypocritical..."

Tino stopped and gave him a look. He opened his mouth to say something, but then paused. "Unlike you, I am part of a counter-culture." He said this rather proudly.

"I am, too..."

This made Tino giggle. "Oh?"

Berwald nodded. "Nightlife 'nd Eurobeat."

"I don't really think that's much of a counter culture."

"It is."

The Finn looked at him weird. "Nightlife huh? What, you sleep around in gritty clubs? You're gay aren't you?"

Berwald stared at him. First he was about to take off his shirt and now he was asking about his sexual preferences? This guy either didn't care about privacy or just didn't care. The Swede flushed red a little.

"Well..."

Again, Tino laughed. This time it being an awfully hearty laugh. "Aaaah, that's rich. You're gay. haha!"

Flustered, Berwald crossed his arms and stood there, staring in an unamused manner.

"Aw, get over yourself, don't get your panties in a twist. Let's drink." Without warning, Tino removed the back pack from his back and took out a large bottle of vodka. Berwald made an incoherent noise.

"What, ya' jus' carry that around with you?!" The Swede made a face and stepped closer for better look.

"I'm Finnish, what do you want from me?" He smirked and opened the bottle. "Half the fun of meeting a stranger out here is drinking with them."

"So ya' walk around 'ere, headbangin', 'nd wait f'r someone t' see you, then you talk to them like you've known 'em f'r years and drink with 'em?"

Tino thought for a second. "Hey, it's a fun social experiment." He took a sip from the bottle and offered some to Berwald.

The Swede sighed and stepped forward to drink as well.

ooOOoo

The sun was now setting. Berwald's shirt was completely off and laying in the grass next to him. There beneath some trees and before a small river, two strangers laid there, laughing at nothing. Three-fourths of the vodka was gone. If anyone were to see them, you'd think they had known each other for years, or were even lovers.

Tino rolled over to his side to get a better look at the other. The Finn was pretty good at holding his liquor, and was only barely buzzed now. He could still think clearly. However, Berwald on the other hand, just looked like a red hot mess.

Curiously, Tino trailed his hand down the Swede's chest, which wasn't nearly as hard as it looked. Berwald seemed to hardly even notice and laughed as if he was being tickled.

"Tell me, Berwald," he smirked, "you're gay, do you think me, a person you just met, am attractive?"

The Swede grinned and nodded eagerly. "Jah...!" He hiccuped. "Jus' m' type..."

Tino grinned and looked off at the water. "You're a pretty piece of flesh, too."

Berwald giggled. "Eheheh.. yer' gay, too..."

"Ei, I'm bi you little shit." With that, Tino adjusted himself to lay on the other's chest, which moved up and down slowly. He knew eventually his new found friend would pass out pretty soon.

Or now.

Tino considered himself to be a forest child, so he had no problem with laying here and eventually falling asleep on this man-pillow. Besides, he had a pistol on him, so he felt secure anyways. He watched the sun's final rays disappear as he drunk the last of the liquor. This was good. He'd get this guy's digits tomorrow morning. He was quite interested in this tall and stolid Swede, though he didn't know why.

But despite that, Berwald sure was comfortable.