Berwald Oxenstierna, newly admitted exchange student from Sweden to Finland, stood awkwardly looking around the busy lobby. There were students streaming past him in every direction, but no one seemed to register him. It had said in the letter that somebody would be sent to show him around... hadn't it? The Swede was becoming unsure of whether he was in the right place orif he had just misunderstood. He was just on his way to check the letter again when he noticed someone standing a bit away; a short boy with blonde hair. He was leaning his shoulder against a pillar and tapping away at his phone. Berwald eyed the boy's jeans, shirt, shoes and bracelets a bit judgementally. They didn't really match all that well to be honest. He glaced around briefly before deciding that he could at least go ask the boy if this was the right place. He seemed to be the most calm out of the people occupying the big space. Berwald moved over to the boy, who didn't notice him even as he stopped right behind him. Berwald stood quietly for a while before clearing his throat, making the boy snap his eyes up from his phone with a violent start.
"Voi herranjumala!" the boy exclaimed and leant back heavily against the pillar. "Helvetti, sä oikeesti säikäytit mut! Tai siis et sä oo mitenkään pelottavan näkönen, tai siis joo, oot sä pelottava. No, ei sillä väliä, ei se kai tahallisa ollu. Oli se munkin syytä; mä unohdan aina missä oon. Muuten, en oo nähny sua täällä aikasemmin, ootko sä uus? No tietty, sullahan on kaikki kamat mukana. Voi jumalauta! Mun piti näyttää sulle koulua! Unohdin ihan kokonaan! Anteeks! Mä oon Tino, mikä sun nimi on?"
Berwald was left staring in awe at the boy. His light blonde bangs were swept to the right and his eyes were a unique violet that sparkled as he smiled up at the tall Swede. He was quite possibly, probably, definitely, the cutest thing Berwald had ever seen. The Swedish boy looked into the other's eyes and knew that if there had ever been someone in this world that he would want to marry, it was this boy.
It took him a moment to snap out of his quite dramatic inner monologue long enough to realise the Finn had probably asked him a question, and that he did not understand a single word of what this beautiful person had just said.
The short Finn was starting to look a bit uncomfortable under the intense gaze Berwald wasn't really aware he had fixed on him. Berwald realised that he would have to break the silence somehow. What does one say, though, when one doesn't understand anything your beautiful, wonderful, perfect conversational partner says?
"... Pratar du svenska?" Good. Great. Really smoth, Berwald. That must no doubt be the most perfect way to start a relationship ever. No seriously, there should be applause and an award waiting because of this revolutionary new way of flirting.
"... Ai, puhutko ruotsia?" The beautiful boy looked quite crestfallenand slowly lowered his uncertain gaze to his shoes. Berwald had never before felt such a strong urge to kick himself, or possibly throw himself through a window. He couldn't wait until someone asked him how he met his future life partner. "Oh, you know. He spoke to me in his native language, I spoke in mine, and we didn't understand a thing. It was love a first sight." How stupid can you get?
"Uumm," The Finn slowly raised his eyes from his shoes, which matched his violet eyes, Berwald noticed. The smaller of the two drew a deep breath and seemed to try to make eye contact, but his eyes drifted to the side as he began speaking. "Uh, do you speak English?" Heavens be damned if his accent wasn't the cutest things Berwald had ever heard. Once again it took him a couple seconds to realise he had been asked a question. Only this time he understood and knew how to answer.
"Yes, I speak English." Yes, perfect, just make sure to be excessively clear so that this poor wonderful person can't help but feel like an idiot. This is going swimmingly. Berwald's self degoratory thoughts came to an abrupr stop as the Finn practically beamed up at him with relief written all over his face.
"Oh, that's great! It would've been really awkward if you didn't. I mean, not that you're awkward to be around or anything, really, it just would've been..." The boy stopped and inhaled deeply, as if to calm himself and his thoughts down, and then seemed to backtrack in his mind. "I'm Tino Väinämöinen, what's your name?" Good Jesus that accent was so adorable it was going to kill him.
Berwald's thoughts were going haywire again, but he felt his mouth form the words out of habit. "Berwald Oxenstierna."
The cutie named Tino - what a beautiful name - tilted his head a little and made a concentrated face. "Pärvalt?" he asked hesitantly, obviously not sure how to pronounce the foreign name. Berwald should've figured as much. Afer all, he himself had no idea how to even begin to pronounce the other's last name, and he didn't even dare try writing it down.
"Almost," he still said, trying to ease the other's struggle. "It's Berwald with a 'd'. And a 'b'." He quickly added the last part and hoped that Tino hadn't noticed the unintentional reference. His hoping might have payed off, since Tino just nodded thoughtfully and made an even more concentrated face. "Pärvalt?" he asked finally. He said the name slowly and seemed to put a lot of effort into the pronounciation, though it didn't make that much of a difference from before. Maybe Finns didn't use 'b's and 'd's? Berwald honestly had no idea.
"Yes," he said instead. "That's it." Tino's face lit up and Berwald felt like the luckiest person alive for getting to see that smile.
"So..." said Tino and gestured towards one of the corridors. "Shall we?"
Translations:
Finnish: Oh my God!
Finnish: Hell, you really scared me! Or, you don't look scary, or yes, you're really scary. Well, it doesn't matter, I'm sur eit wasn't inentional. It's kind of my fault too; I always forget where I am. Hey, I haven't seen you before, are you new here? Well of course you are, you've all your bags with you. Oh God! I was supposed to show you the school! I'd completely forgotten about that! I'm sorry! I'm Tino by the way, what's your name?
Swedish: ... Do you speak Swedish?
Finnish: ... Oh, you speak Swedish?
Thanks to Elizina for making the Finnish actually sound Finnish.