CATFISH - CHAPTER 1 - RECOUNT

WARNINGS: Slash, deception, emotional issues, teenage problems.

I hope you enjoy the story, feel free to leave any feedback or comments.

Violet eyes flickered across the glaring screen with contempt deep within them. Emil rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head to the black ceiling to release the tension. Stretching out his arms, which had been hunched over the keyboard for far too long, was a good decision. His eyes were strained from the contrast of the screen to the world around him, a thick, cold, suffocating blanket of darkness. Darkness was no worry; sleep was evading him, anyway. It would never matter how long he stayed up, as either way he wouldn't be asleep. Nobody disrupted the detached teenager, nobody dared. They didn't want a lecture on privacy and spacial awareness, so everybody kept their distance and allowed Emil to go about his affairs without known intrusion. Needless to say, the other members of the household were worried. They would attempt to bring him food, which was often left outside the door to go cold. He only left his room about once a week, which wasn't enough. There were never any lights on, leading the suspicions of his housemates to increase exponentially. These suspicions were never stated out loud, yet were spoken through facial expressions. None of them were true, of course. The only one who really knew what went on in his room was Emil himself.

Five months earlier

The silver-haired boy tapped thoughtfully at the keys, reams of letters materialising on the screen. A sudden change in scenery astounded him. A message. A red circle indicated the new message next to the envelope icon. Emil had friends, yes, and he wasn't a loner. Still, not many people found him interesting to stick around long enough to get to know him. Hesitating, he moved his mouse to click on the notification. He had expected it to be from his brother, Lukas. It wasn't. It was from a girl whose face he vaguely recognised. Skimming through the tediously long message he gathered the point she was attempting to get across.

So her name is Li… She seems… nice.

Emil wasn't stupid; far from it. However, perhaps he could have been more skeptical at some moments in time. It could very well have been another fake account set up by Mathias, his brother's roommate. It'd happened on several occasions beforehand, with disastrous results on both hands. If it was him, he'd been clever this time. For starters, he usually named his fraud blog something completely obvious. Also, his posts were so apparent it was laughable. He often wrote about the best beers to try or how to annoy Norwegians. Emil cracked up whenever Mathias attempted conversation, often going as far as to humour the unsuspecting fool. It sometimes seemed as if the Dane cared more than than his brother, which was ridiculous. Lukas never bothered to leave food outside his door, even if it was guaranteed to be left to go cold. Mathias left notes on the tray, just random things he would tell Emil if he had the chance. He also liked to peek his head in to check on the boy from time to time.

After replying to Li, the young man found himself drawn to her. Not romantically; there were reasons as to why he could never feel that way towards her, one of them being the fact it might have been Mathias. He felt like they had connected. Emil had sensed a new friendship blooming since he clicked the mouse.

That one click was the one that ruined his life.

A distinctive knock was heard on the door, before it slammed open after no recognition. "Little brother, you've got to eat." Lukas entered the room, thrusting a bowl of cereal in his sibling's drowsy face. A deep sigh left his mouth. Emil had fallen asleep at the keyboard, once again. It was rare for the boy to do anything productive, but it was getting pretty ridiculous. "Emil." the blond poked his brother's cheek several times, he did not stir. "Emil." shaking the teen's shoulder worked within an instant.

"Space." One word did the trick. The older brother sighed, taking a few steps back, still holding out the cereal. "What's that?" the boy asked, pointing vaguely to bowl as he wiped his face.

"Some form of breakfast. I don't know, just eat it you moron!" Lukas was slightly agitated by his brother's no-can-do outlook on life. He seemed too carefree for someone of his age.

"No, if it's unidentifiable, I will not have it in my mouth." Emil huffed.

"You're such a sissy, you know. Come find me when you man up." his brother left the bowl on his desk before slamming the door behind him.

"So, how'd it go?" Mathias pounced on Lukas from nowhere, shocking him out of oblivion.

"He was an ass, what did you expect?" the older man wrapped his arms around the younger's shoulders, consoling him.

"You were like that when you were his age, no need to get pissy!" a jokey grin formed on his face.

"I'm not pissy, but I don't think he's in a phase. There's something wrong and he won't ask for help…"

"He's a smart kid, Lukas. If he needed help, he'd ask."

"... You're right." There was a fifty-fifty chance that Mathias was right, but there was also the possibility that he wasn't. But the Norwegian was willing to take risks, especially as his brother was involved.

One thing I've learned in life is to take risks when you can, because time runs out, feelings change, and what you once thought could happen won't happen, all because you took too long. Some chances have to be taken, even if the receiver won't appreciate them as much as the giver. It's always worth it in the long term. Well, that's what Lukas assumed. He wasn't naive, just a little insensitive.

Thanks for reading, if I get some good PMs or reviews, etc, then I'll update this soon!

~ Kanarichi