Berwald tried to let himself believe that the pretty little blonde had a perfectly respectable reason to be waiting on a corner. He was waiting for someone. He needed to cross the street. He lived nearby.
But after the third or fourth time seeing him in the precise same spot, it became steadily harder to lie to himself. There was really only one reason for that sort of behavior, and as much as Berwald wanted to think anything else, there was nothing else to think.
The pretty little blonde was a prostitute.
He wondered what had landed him there. Surely no one intended to sell their body to make a living. It was sort of a last resort, so how had this beautiful man been reduced to this? What had happened in his life that was bad enough to warrant such a rough occupation?
Before he even registered the action, he found himself driving through the worst part of town yet again. Depending on which direction he was coming from, he had to to get to his house. And, sure enough, the blonde was sat pretty on the curb, a fur-lined jacket the only thing he had to keep off the cold.
Berwald could see how he shivered, no matter how hard he tried not to. And then the man seemed to hear the engine of his car, or maybe he felt Berwald's stare; Regardless, he looked up, making unabashed eye contact that Berwald couldn't help but return.
The blonde had never paid him much mind, somehow sensing that the man driving the little Volvo wasn't seeking his services. But Berwald had begun to slow down subconsciously, and that apparently meant something to the blonde, for, after a moment of glancing around, he got to his feet and made the trip up to the driver side window of Berwald's car.
To be honest, he panicked a bit. He hadn't meant to silently call the man over, but now that he was nearly there, he'd feel rude just driving off. Clearly the man expected something of him, and how was Berwald supposed to explain that that wasn't what he was after without offending the other?
His time to ponder it ran out as the blonde tapped gently on his window, bending at the waist just enough that his face was visible in the frosty glass. And god, he was beautiful, his eyes sparkling in the flickering light of the street lamps and teeth flashing in an inviting smile.
His window was down, when had he pressed the button? Had he? God those lips were the perfect cupid bow shape. He'd probably look cute pouting.
"Evening." The blonde greeted, smile growing just a little. Berwald only stared, but that didn't seem to deter the other. "You don't look like the type to come around here." He commented, leaning his arms against the frame of the window and resting his chin where they folded.
Berwald still found himself unable to respond, nervous and stunned to be talking to him after simply stealing glances for so long. His voice was a smooth tenor and light and sweet, like honey. Or maybe Berwald just liked to make that comparison. The man laughed, quirking a brow.
"You okei in there? You look like you've never seen a whore before!"
The Swede balked, eyes going wide, earning another laugh.
"You don't need to sugarcoat it, I know what I am." He said with a roll of his eyes. Berwald couldn't find the words to say. The blonde probably thought he was mute or something. The other cleared his throat, a shiver visibly running down his body, despite his best attempts to stifle it. "So, handsome, what's the sitch? Am I wasting my time?" He finally asked.
Berwald swallowed, biting his lip for a moment as he gripped his steering wheel. He'd never even considered buying a prostitute; It wasn't the sort of thing he involved himself in. Generally, if the legality was even close to questionable, he avoided it.
But god, was it an inviting idea when faced with that coy little quirking of lips. His smile was crooked. Oh god.
Another shiver sealed the deal. Even if this wasn't the prettiest man he'd ever seen, which he was, Berwald's heart was too soft to let the little thing freeze to death just because he couldn't get a lay. He nodded, gesturing towards the passenger side of the car.
His face lit up at that, and he stood up straight, crossing over to the other side of the car and letting himself in, plopping down in the seat with a clearly relieved sigh.
Again, Berwald found himself staring. He had the gorgeous creature sitting shotgun, turning to look at him with another smile. It took him several seconds to start his brain up again, rolling the window up and getting the car moving again. He turned the heat up too.
The blonde put his fingers against the vents as discreetly as he could. The poor thing didn't even have gloves on. But then, he didn't have much on in the first place. Just a low-cut V-neck with dark denim shorts over black tights. The jacket probably wasn't doing much of anything for him. It was a wonder he wasn't turning blue.
Once he'd had time to thaw out, he turned Berwald's way.
"Alright, my name's Tino." He offered, drumming his fingers against his thigh now that they had some sensation back. Berwald nodded, glancing his direction. Tino. A name to a face.
"'M Berwald." He replied, receiving a delighted giggle.
"So you can talk!" Tino announced, sounding almost surprised. "That's good. It's a pleasure to meet you, Berwald."
The Swede wondered if all prostitutes were this courteous, or if Tino was just special. He had the suspicion that it was the latter.
"Y-You too." He returned, taking one hand off the wheel to rub the back of his neck. Tino seemed to sense that he wasn't very good at conversation, for he reached and turned on the radio, keeping the volume low so it wouldn't be too intrusive, but enough to keep them from feeling too awkward. After a while, he began humming along to some pop song that came on.
"I hate this song." He commented, but he continued to hum along nonetheless. Berwald quirked a brow, but didn't question it. He didn't speak again till it was over.
"So, why tonight?"
Berwald blinked, looking over for a moment to see if his companion's facial expression would help explain what the question meant. It didn't.
"Um, what d'ya mean?" He asked.
"I mean, why tonight? I've seen you drive by before, but you've never stopped." He explained. Berwald's ears went red, and he focused way too hard on the yellow stripes in the road. "Were you just too nervous before, didn't have the money, or?"
He thought on it. Why had he stopped tonight? Sure, it was colder tonight, but did that really explain it? He knew that if he hadn't stopped, someone else would have. Tino was gorgeous, after all. And he knew it was wrong to pay someone for sex, but…
"Ah don't really know." He admitted, frowning. "S' cold out." He added. Tino smiled wryly, sitting back a bit more in his seat.
"You're telling me. But I've been out in worse." He said. "In less." He added as an afterthought, pulling his jacket closer about his frame. Berwald frowned.
"You should be a' home." He pointed out, not liking the way that made the blonde shift where he sat.
"I'm afraid that's not an option." Tino sighed, his fingers lacing together as he turned his face towards the window. "Home is a friend's couch, if I'm lucky." He mumbled, but Berwald heard. So he really was selling himself because he was having a hard time. Berwald wished he could give the poor thing a house and a million dollars, but he was sure his sympathy would come off as pity, so he kept it to himself. Tino started humming again.
They made it through the bad part of town and into the nicer bit. Not the ritzy side, but definitely safe enough to raise children. Tino watched the buildings go by with apparent interest.
"Are we going to your house?" He wondered. Berwald's brain faltered for a moment as he was reintroduced to the sweet sound of the other's voice, and then he was left to scramble for words.
"Tha' was the plan. Is tha' weird?" He asked, glancing Tino's direction. The blonde shrugged.
"Rare, but not weird. People usually just rent a room at the motel across the street." He offered. "It'll be nice to actually have a working heater." He laughed, as if it was a laughing matter. Berwald's stomach clenched.
They pulled up in the driveway, and Berwald parked his car in the garage, shutting it off before letting Tino out and awkwardly leading him towards the door. At least he didn't drop his keys in his nervous state.
He was followed inside, and he heard Tino sigh happily as the warm air surrounded him. After observing Berwald removing his shoes, he bent down to take his own off. Berwald caught himself staring, those shorts making it hard not to. Tino noticed too, chuckling when the Swede flushed all the way down to his shoulders and murmured an apology.
"You're allowed to look, you know? That's sort of the point." He suggested, taking a moment to stretch before casually wrapping his arms around the taller man's neck. "Wow, you're tall." He observed, tilting his head up till their eyes could meet. Berwald grunted in agreement, carefully extracting himself from the position and shepherding his guest into the living room.
Once he'd managed to sit the little thing on the couch, he got to work building a fire in the fireplace, leaving it to grow while he put on the kettle. When he returned with tea and cookies, Tino quirked a brow.
"You know, most guys just get right to it." He offered, taking the teacup regardless and dropping some of the offered sugar cubes and crème into it. Berwald felt his face get hot again as he retreated to his armchair with his own tea, sipping it and stealing glances. Tino caught every one, even as he diligently worked his way through the cookies on the plate.
After a drawn out silence, Tino sighed, slumping a bit on the couch.
"Um, thank you." He breathed, settling his empty teacup on the coffee table. "It's been a while since anyone's been so nice to me." He admitted. "I know it comes with the job, but… Well, this was a nice surprise."
Berwald frowned, torn between anger and sadness. Anger at the people that had used and abused the beautiful creature before him, and sadness that Tino was used to it. That he, clearly, believed that was all he was worth.
The Swede cleared his throat, putting his own cup down.
"We nee' to talk abou'… This." He began, pushing his glasses up his nose. He could already see how on edge his guest was just from that, and he grimaced. "It's not tha' yer not attractive-"
Tino deflated, his body seeming to curl in on itself, and he looked even smaller. Berwald's stomach hurt.
"Oh god, please don't tell me you thought I was a girl-" Tino groaned, rubbing his face. The bigger shook his head quickly, cutting him off.
"No, tha's not it." He promised. "It's just tha'… Well, Ah don't really feel righ' payin' for sex, an'-" He said quickly, but it was his turn to get cut off.
"Oh." Tino breathed. "Oh, you're a romantic."
Berwald's brows furrowed as he watched Tino fall into apparent despair.
"I always find the romantics." He lamented, shoulders drooping. He looked like he was either about to murder someone or cry. Berwald wasn't sure which. Time for damage control.
"Er, Ah can still pay you." He offered. Tino looked up at that, brows knit.
"You can't pay me for nothing." He shot back. Berwald bit his lip, shrugging.
"Ah can pay you for yer time." He suggested. The other still didn't look convinced. The Swede squirmed, at a loss for what to do. It was clear that the little blonde wasn't going to accept any charity, but his conscience screamed at him for even considering the alternative.
But what was he to do? If Tino wouldn't accept money without having done a service, then he'd eventually wander back out into the cold for another customer. And Berwald had to decide which was more important; His morals, or Tino's safety.
That had his conscience singing a different tune.
"U-Um, what do you… Do?" He managed. The blonde lit up.
"Pretty much everything." He replied without hesitation. "Well… Within reason." He added, face scrunching up as if he just remembered something particularly foul. He probably had.
Everything. What was everything? What did that include? What was within reason? What wasn't?
"Um…"
Tino seemed to realize how at a loss the Swede was, for he smiled sweetly.
"How about you take me to a bedroom and we'll see what happens?" He suggested. Berwald nodded quickly, earning another smile. It was a little crooked.
After taking a moment to take the dishes to the sink, he led the way to his room, standing by awkwardly to give his companion a moment to look around.
"Wow, it looks like one of those interior design catalogues in here!" He commented after a long pause. Berwald wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, but opted to take it as one regardless. He watched the blonde walk forward towards the bed, noticing that the sway in his hips was much more confident now, and realising it was because this was familiar territory for him. That filled him with both a sadness and a sort of strange anticipation.
Once he had sat himself down, Tino turned his face up to catch Berwald's eye, flashing another smile as he patted the mattress beside him. It wasn't crooked this time, and Berwald wondered briefly what had changed. But then he was stepping towards the blonde, any control over himself lost when Tino reached towards him, as if for an embrace.
That, of course, wasn't what he was after at all. When Berwald made it over, he was promptly pulled forward until he fell on top of the smaller man, scarcely managing to catch himself in time to avoid crushing the lithe frame. Tino only grinned.
"So, Berwald." He chirped, hands smoothing down the Swede's chest in practiced paths. "What's the budget for tonight?" He inquired. The words took a moment to form meaning, for Berwald had nearly forgotten the entire prostitute aspect of the current event. He bit his lip, frowning.
"Whatever you wan'." He eventually managed to reply. He didn't really know how much this sort of thing would cost, since he'd never thought he'd find himself in this position. He knew it wasn't cheap, but also had a range of prices in his mind from a couple hundred to several thousand, depending on what movie one trusted to know how much a person would sell themselves for.
But he knew that the price would depend on the act, as well as the skill level and attractiveness of the performer. He'd seen enough SVU to know that much. And, considering how gorgeous Tino was, he got the feeling he was about to empty his wallet. But he didn't want to offend him by naming too low a price.
The little blonde frowned up at him, hands pausing.
"That's not a budget, big guy." He commented, earning another frown.
"Ah'm… Not really sure wha' to even expect. Don' wan' to offend you." He admitted. Tino seemed to grasp the situation then, nodding as his hands resumed the stroking of Berwald's chest.
"Oh, I forget sometimes that this isn't a universal thing for everyone." He said with a mirthless chuckle. He then proceeded to list off every sexual act Berwald had ever heard of, and several he hadn't, and how much they would cost. It was enough to have his head spinning by the end, numbers and positions getting mixed up in his mind.
Eventually he gave up on trying to keep it all straight, and just shrugged.
"Whatever you wan'." He repeated. Tino pursed his lips, but then sighed and nodded, shifting carefully till he could wiggle his way out from underneath the Swede's chest and further onto the bed. He beckoned for Berwald to follow, pushing him down and straddling his hips, fingers coming to tangle in his short hair as he leaned down close to his ear.
"Here are the rules:" He breathed, smiling against his skin when Berwald shivered. "Condom, no compromise. I don't care what you say, unless you got tested yesterday and have documentation, anything but oral, you are using one."
Oh, real rules. This wasn't part of the 'game.' Berwald nodded. Tino visually relaxed at that, and Berwald wondered when exactly he'd tensed up in the first place.
"If you're uncomfortable with something, tell me, and I'll stop." He promised. "And I expect the same courtesy from you." He added. "I might be selling myself, but I expect some respect." He grumbled. Berwald nodded again, his fingers itching to grab those hips. His strength to resist the temptation of the blonde waned more and more with each passing moment. It was so much harder to remember that he didn't like paying for sex when the gorgeous thing sat heavy in his lap. But he wanted to hear Tino's rules, so he kept his hands to himself.
Tino thought to himself for a bit, lips drawn together in concentration. After a while he huffed.
"I've actually got a whole list, but I don't think I'll have too many issues with you." He announced, returning his gaze to Berwald's face. "But there is one more: No kissing."
Berwald's eyes went wide, lips parting. It was a good thing Tino mentioned it, because he definitely would have captured those lips had he not.
"Why's tha' a rule?" He wondered. Tino smiled, but it looked more sad than anything else.
"It's too intimate." He offered, looking to his left as if he couldn't bring himself to make eye contact in that moment. Berwald had to wonder at that. Prostitution was, after all, an intimate business. And it was then that it dawned on him: Tino himself was, as he put it, a romantic.
No matter how much he pushed it down in order to do his job, the fact that no kissing was a rule was proof enough; deep down, Tino still believed he might have a chance at love. He reserved the most innocent yet most passionate thing for a person he hoped to someday share it with.
And that meant that, if he played his cards right, Berwald might have a chance.
"I don't mind kisses, just not on the mouth." He amended after the long silence. Berwald nodded his assent to the rule, and Tino nodded in return, pausing a moment before sliding down until his hips were pressed flush against the Swede's. He smiled at the way Berwald's breath hitched, sitting up and slipping out of the jacket.
Berwald knew the man had a killer figure, but he didn't know how killer. The jacket covered up the waist-to-hip ratio that currently had him entirely transfixed. No, he wasn't model-thin, but he was round in all the right places.
"You can touch." He pointed out, taking Berwald's hands when the larger man hesitated, placing them on his hips before letting go. Berwald took the initiative, running his hands from his hips to his ribs and back down. Then his thumbs were rubbing circles into hipbones, dipping to tease at the V his legs formed. Tino let his head fall back, eyes shut and hand planted on the tops of Berwald's thighs, the lamplight catching on his throat and highlighting the curve.
"Yer so beautiful." The Swede breathed, looking up into those eyes. Tino's face flushed prettily, and he leaned in, fingers wrapping around Berwald's shoulders. Violet, he realised. His eyes were violet.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere." He husked, breath catching despite his words as Berwald rolled his hips upward, holding Tino in place with a firm grip. "That might, though." He chuckled, pressing closer. Berwald instinctually wrapped his arms around him, holding him against his chest as he fought down the urge to press his lips to the blonde's. He barely managed.
When he was released from the embrace, Tino wiggled his way down until he was situated between Berwald's legs, hands dancing teasingly over his jeans, smirking at the bulge already present. He made quick work of the button and zipper, tugging till they slid to rest about halfway down the taller man's thighs.
Had he not been so transfixed with watching the blonde work, he might have been embarrassed as his arousal was pulled from his underwear. Or maybe when Tino gave a nod of apparent approval. But he was too busy taking in the way the smaller licked his lips, or how his eyes hooded as he leaned forward. Even as he took an entire half of Berwald into his mouth, he was stunning.
The Swede's breath stuttered and he hissed, unable to keep himself from arching as Tino sunk down further and pulled up with a powerful suck.
"Oh, fan!" He cursed, throwing his head back against the pillows. Tino paused, sitting up.
"Berwald," he prompted, waiting till the man was paying attention. "Where are you from?" He inquired, quirking a brow. Berwald flushed, fingers gripping at the sheets below.
"Sweden." He replied. He was a first generation immigrant, so his accent was thicker than people were used to hearing.
"Ah." Tino commented, as if he should have known. "No wonder."
Now it was Berwald's turn to be curious. Tino picked up on it, and smiled sweetly.
"I'm Finnish. We moved here when I was little, but I was in school in Finland long enough that I learned some Swedish. I've been trying to place that accent of yours, so it's nice to know." He offered, bending back down to lick Berwald back to attention.
"Just curious, sorry." He said lowly, mouth sinking back down and cutting off any reply Berwald might have given.
To say he had a talent for it would be an understatement. Berwald could have come in mere seconds if the smaller blonde had let him. But he was very good at anticipating when he needed to pull off to stop an orgasm in its tracks, and he had Berwald positively writhing by the time he finally sat up.
"Alright, condom." He commanded. "I've got some with me if you need." He added.
Berwald nodded, sitting up on his elbows and watching as the blonde slid a packet out of his pocket, checking the label before slipping it back in, digging for another one.
"That won't be big enough." He mumbled, brows furrowed till he found another one, pulling it out with a triumphant laugh. "Alright, hold still." He instructed, tearing it open before carefully taking it out and rolling it on. Berwald groaned, fingers shaking where they gripped the sheets. Tino chuckled.
"Eager." He commented, maneuvering back up to sit closer to the Swede's waist. Berwald couldn't find the words he needed to reply, so he remained quiet, resting his hands on Tino's thighs, unable to keep from touching him anymore.
The smaller took a moment to strip himself, making a small show of wriggling out of the shirt and the tight shorts. Then he laughed.
"Sorry, it's kind of hard to make getting out of tights sexy. Stockings, yes, tights, no." He explained. But Berwald was still enchanted as the fabric was rolled down to expose the milky color of the skin beneath. "I wouldn't wear them if it wasn't so cold out." Tino explained, clambering back up and tugging at Berwald's shirt in turn. "Your turn, handsome." He murmured, easing the fabric up and waiting for Berwald to raise his arms so he could pull it off.
He whistled lowly at the sight, but chose not to comment, taking Berwald's blush to mean that enough had already been said. It wasn't long before his pants were gone as well, and Berwald lay bare before the Finn, glasses fogging from the heat coming off his face, breath almost laborious with excitement.
Tino shimmied out of his own pair of lacy monstrosities, letting the underwear fall to the floor before shifting to straddle the larger man's hips again.
Berwald swallowed thickly, drinking in the sight, the stunning curves, the attractive flush, the quivering muscles that belied masculinity. Tino was perfect, and Berwald wished he could explain all the reasons why, but knew the other likely didn't have the time.
"Gorgeous." He sighed, letting his hands come up to squeeze those hips again, trailing upwards to cup the round face. He almost forgot the no-kissing rule, barely managing to redirect his lips to the blonde's cheek instead, feeling the heat beginning to gather there from the compliment.
"I-I thought we talked about this flattery stuff." Tino huffed, pressing on his shoulders until he was lying flat against the pillows again, fingers tracing the lines created by the muscles in Berwald's chest, enjoying the way they quivered under his touch.
"Can' help it." Berwald groaned out, shuddering at the pleasant sensation. "Yer so beautiful Ah can' keep it in." He explained, watching the shade of Tino's skin darken several shades.
"That's enough out of you." The smaller reprimanded, rolling his hips back and rendering his lover incoherent as he moaned in approval. They just rocked like that for a while, Tino pausing with a gasp. "Mm, do you have lube?" He wondered, waiting while the larger man processed it, eventually receiving a nod.
Berwald reached towards his nightstand, easily locating the bottle and handing it over, panting in anticipation. But before he could settle back down, Tino grabbed his hand and squeezed some of the lube onto it before dropping the bottle and twisting to display his backside. Berwald froze.
"You've done this before, right?" The blonde asked, glancing over his shoulder. Berwald nodded, trying to wet his throat.
"Long time ago, though." He admitted, dipping his fingers in and coating them carefully. Tino just hummed, leaning forward to expose himself more, apparently unaware of how he stole away Berwald's very breath. He persevered though, easing a finger through the muscle, stomach clenching pleasantly as Tino gasped, the sound morphing into a moan as Berwald sunk the finger in further and moved it around a bit.
It didn't take long before Tino was requesting another one, and then another, and then he said he was ready, waiting for Berwald to remove his fingers before turning back around, making quick work of lining them up. He glanced up, catching Berwald's eyes.
"You ready?" He panted, holding still till Berwald nodded. He began the process of moving down, whimpering when the head pushed in, then sighing as if in relief when he made it all the way down.
"God, Ber," he mumbled. "You're huge."
Berwald didn't have enough blood available to devote to blushing.
"Move." Tino requested, shifting his hips a bit. Berwald complied, rolling his hips in slow circles and listening carefully to the sounds Tino let out in response, making sure there was no pain involved. Once they'd adjusted to each other, his hands took their familiar position on his hips, helping to guide him into the rhythm that his thrusts were taking.
"Oh, mm, a little more to the-OH!" Tino yelped, head thrown back as it tapered into a moan. "There!" He confirmed, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Berwald's.
They rocked that way for long while, then Tino collapsed forward, arms shaking as he pushed himself back up.
"Shit, I'm sorry." He bit out, forcing himself upright again. "Most people don't last this long." He mumbled. Berwald didn't comment, opting instead to wordlessly flip them over, pressing another kiss to the Finn's cheek before resuming his previous pace, changing angles until he had the blonde moaning again.
With the new position, Tino was able to wrap his arms around the taller's neck, pulling him down so that they were nose to nose.
"Oh my god, seriously, were you lying about it being a while? You're way too good at this!" He whined, his legs wrapping around Berwald's waist. "If you keep this up, I'm going to-" His words fell into a stuttering cry instead, and it seemed he was done trying to speak.
Berwald hadn't lied, it really had been a while since he'd been with someone. And he knew he couldn't really be all that great in bed. So if Tino was really feeling as good as his moans would imply, it meant that he wasn't used to anyone caring much about how he felt.
Sex was easy to make pleasant if one took the time to listen to their partner. It had taken only a few seconds to locate the blonde's prostate, and that was all he really needed. If Tino was truly so unused to real pleasure, then he was not sleeping with the right people.
Tino was biting his lips, eyes shut tightly while his nails raked along Berwald's shoulder blades, not enough to break skin, but close.
"Please tell me you're close!" He cried, arching to postpone his own orgasm. Berwald nodded, his own breath just as shaky as the smaller man's, glasses perched precariously on the tip of his nose. Tino's hands carefully removed them, reaching to set them on the nightstand before wrapping around his neck, pulling him down.
Berwald kissed at the other's collarbones, neck, and shoulders, craning his back to keep the rhythm which was steadily becoming less steady. The shorter man moaned, muscles tensing.
"B-Berwald, please-" He panted, and the Swede picked up his pace in response, receiving a high-pitched keen in response. He felt himself reaching the brink, and knew Tino was already perched precariously there. But he wanted, needed to see his face when he lost it. It was the only way he could confirm that Tino was really feeling it. He hated to think that he might be faking his enthusiasm, but he was sure the man got plenty of practice. But a real orgasm was pretty hard to fake.
Tino seemed a bit surprised by the sudden eye contact, and then he seemed a bit bashful. Berwald could see his thoughts racing behind his eyes, watched his expression change several times, going from uncertainty to fear to determination in the span of a few seconds.
It was Berwald's turn to be surprised when, upon arching one final time with orgasm, Tino smashed their lips together, hugging Berwald's neck with his arms and keeping him in place. The Swede wondered why he'd broken his own rule, but wasn't about to argue, kissing him back as he too fell over the edge, rolling his hips a few more times before falling still, panting against the Finn's neck as he came down, drinking in the way the other man's body shuddered on occasion with aftershocks.
After a minute or so, they pulled apart, taking a moment to clean up after themselves. Berwald threw the condom away while Tino reached for tissues, and after a moment of staring at each other, they wordlessly settled against the pillow together. Tino sighed, shifting a bit before craning his neck to receive another kiss.
"You're going to be bad for business." He grumbled upon pulling away. Berwald quirked a brow, absently reaching for the covers and pulling them up to drape over the both of them. Tino sighed again, snuggling under the blankets, resting his head over Berwald's heart. "I think I like you a little too much." He admitted, hand fumbling for a time before eventually finding the Swede's and lacing their fingers.
"Ah don' see why that's a problem." Berwald replied, his free hand hesitantly running through the pretty blonde locks he'd been dying to touch all night. Tino didn't comment on it, so he continued to card through as they spoke.
"Because, a whore isn't supposed to fall in love." Tino replied wistfully, refusing to look up.
Berwald frowned, hand halting, traveling down to reposition the Finn after a moment of thought, so that he could look at him properly. Tino didn't look like he was about to take it back, and that sent a little rush of excitement down the Swede's spine.
"Look at me." The smaller scoffed. "Give me some tea and a good fuck, and I'm yours forever." He joked, laughing without the humor. Berwald didn't join him, frown only deepening. Tino seemed to understand that he wasn't going to be able to laugh it off, and he bit his lip.
"I'm sorry." He offered softly. "I shouldn't have said anything. I know it's really unprofessional of me. It's just… It's been a really long time since I've found someone I'd like to see more than once." He explained, smiling sadly.
After watching his expression fall closer and closer to frustrated tears, Berwald hooked a finger under his chin, raising his face till he could kiss him again. The other didn't resist, so the larger deepened it, leaning him back a bit with the force.
"Ah'd like to see you more than once too." He assured the other man quietly, letting him sit back up. Tino looked incredibly torn by the words, like he desperately wanted to believe them, but had been taught enough times that trust was dangerous. "Ah'd like to keep you off the stree'." He added. "Stay here."
He had thought that would go over rather badly, but Tino simply bowed his head, lip trapped between his teeth again.
"I wish I could." He managed, though his voice was cracking. Berwald took a breath, trying to remain calm since it was apparent he needed to be the emotionally stable one at the moment.
"Why can' you?" Berwald demanded, keeping his voice gentle as the smaller's frame began to shake. It took a long time, so long that the Swede was beginning to think he wouldn't get a response. But Tino finally calmed down enough to reply.
"I might not be very old, but I've been through enough to know better than to think that good things come so easy." He answered. "Whenever something like this happens, something always goes wrong soon after." His breath hitched. "Pretty words come easy when you want them to. I… I don't really know why you'd even say that. You hardly know me, and you must know I can't offer you anything."
Berwald's brows furrowed. He knew that the other had a point. It was sort of unwise to offer to let him stay. That was a very good way to get used. But then, sometimes logic wasn't the most important part of a decision. But how could he make Tino see that too? He mulled it over, wishing he was better with words.
"…Sometimes, you have to trus' what yer heart's tellin' you to do." He finally offered. Tino stilled, sort of frozen for a moment, the words processing slowly. When he looked up, his brows were knit, mouth a thin line. He looked to be at a loss for words, so Berwald put him out of his misery, pulling him back down and reaching for the lamp.
"Get some sleep." He suggested. "You can think 'bout it tomorrow."
The light went out, and Tino didn't say anything more, so Berwald assumed that he was going to do just that, and settled in for the night, draping an arm around the other man. He could only hope that he'd still be there in the morning. If nothing else, he'd have to stick around to get paid.
Then again, Berwald's wallet was in his jeans, and Tino had taken them off, so he had to know where it was. If he really wanted to leave, he'd just take the money of his own accord. Berwald would just have to wait and see the next morning.
-.-.-+-.-.-
Tino woke with a yawn, surprised he could stretch his whole body out. This was explained when he opened his eyes to find himself in a bed, not a couch or, worse, a futon. That was pretty rare, but a look around the room reminded him that he'd stayed at Berwald's house instead of returning to his corner and squeezing in one more lay.
He sighed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. The bed was empty, which meant that the taller man was already up. He'd probably left for work, and Tino was sure he'd find a note and some money left for him somewhere, telling him to be gone before the Swede got back.
But, after slipping back into his clothes and leaving the room, he found not a note, but the man himself, standing before the stove in a pair of pyjama pants, pushing some eggs around a pan. He looked up at the sound of Tino's footsteps, and managed to get his lips to form a small smile.
"Mornin'." He greeted, returning the majority of his attention to the food. "There's coffee, if ya wan'."
His accent was heavier in the morning, Tino noted, awkwardly walking over to the coffee maker. Berwald opened a cabinet and got a mug, handing it over before picking the spatula back up.
"Crème in the fridge." He offered, nodding towards the device. Tino opened it to find a standard bottle of plain creamer, pulling it out and pouring some into his coffee before retreating quickly to the table. He very rarely stayed the night with a customer, even less commonly in their house. If he did, he was typically expected to be gone before they woke, or before anyone could get home.
But Berwald didn't seem anxious to get him out, silently cooking a breakfast that he divided between the two of them, sitting down across from the shorter when it was all done, a fresh cup of coffee in his hand.
Tino looked down at the food, mouth watering a bit at the sight. He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten to eat something home-cooked. It'd been takeout for ages, and maybe some leftovers from someone's fridge if he was lucky. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but devour the offered meal when his stomach began to growl.
Berwald was a good cook, to say the least. If he wasn't so full, he might have asked for more, rude as that would have been.
The Swede topped off his coffee for him, then took the dishes to the sink and rinsed them off before fitting them into the dishwasher and sitting back down. And now, without food as an excuse, Tino knew they were going to have to talk.
"Um… Thank you. For, uh, breakfast. And coffee. And, er, last night…" He rambled, not really sure what else he could say. Berwald just shook his head, taking a sip of his own drink. At this rate, Tino was going to start sweating.
It was quiet for a while, then Berwald cleared his throat.
"Have ya though' abou' it?" He asked, voice gruff. Tino was so distracted by how much he liked the husky sound that his answer was delayed.
"H-huh? Oh! Um…"
To be honest, he'd forgotten. Well, not really forgotten, he was just in denial that Berwald had really asked him to stay. Good things like that just didn't happen to him. Why would Berwald want some poor, used up whore lying around his house? He was clearly doing well for himself, considering he was an apparently single man with a house to himself. His belongings were rather nice too, so it wasn't as if he didn't have anything going for him. What good would Tino do him?
"I… I mean… I just don't really… Understand." He said, voice careful.
"Don' understand wha'?" Berwald wondered. The smaller man pursed his lips.
"I don't understand why you'd want me here." He elaborated. Berwald seemed a little surprised, and he set his coffee cup down.
"Ya don' realize how amazin' ya are, do ya?" He asked, only confusing the Finn further. He sighed. "Tino, yer beautiful." He began.
Tino heard that, sure. It usually stopped after the sex, but he'd heard it. Was his beauty really all Berwald was after? Did he want a trophy wife or something? Surely he could do better.
"An' yer a lo' stronger than I think ya give yerself credit for." He added, coughing a few times and sitting up. "Not everyone could do wha' you do. Some people would just give up." His voice was becoming clearer as he became more serious. "Ah can see tha' yer at a bad place in yer life. Everyone goes through tha', and Ah think you deserve a chance to pick up the pieces and put yer life back together."
Tino frowned. He'd been unprepared for this speech he was being given, and now he felt the need to make himself smaller, his arms wrapping around themselves as Berwald spoke.
"Ah have to admit, Ah do like you a lot." He said. "Tha's probably part of the reason Ah offered. But even if you don' feel tha' way 'bout me, Ah still wan' you to be happy." He finished, picking up his cup again and taking a sip, as if rewarding himself for speaking so much.
Tino had to mull it over, and Berwald kept quiet while he fretted over it mentally. He wasn't even sure how long it took before he looked back up, only to find the Swede still waiting patiently.
"Y-You…" He trailed, sucking in a deep breath. "You're really serious?" He asked, expression almost fearful as Berwald nodded.
He was really being offered a place to stay. Not just a couch on occasion, not just a takeout meal when someone pitied him enough to afford it, not just a motel room with filthy sheets and a broken heater. A real house, with real rooms, real food, and a real man who wanted to help him.
What right did he have to accept something like that? But then, what right did he have to refuse?
"If you want, you can stay for a few days. If you don' like it, you don' have to stay." Berwald offered.
As if Tino would ever want to leave. But that was fair. That was reasonable. Maybe all he'd need was a few days. If he could just spend a few days sorting things out, maybe he could find a better job. And if he had a better job, he might be able to start taking care of himself properly again.
A few days couldn't hurt.
He nodded, eyes trained on the table.
"T-Thank you." He added. Berwald didn't respond, just stood up and looped back around to get more coffee. He squeezed Tino's shoulder on the way, though, leaving him alone in the kitchen as he headed into the living room. The Finn was thankful for it, for he'd been fighting back tears.
He wasn't sure why he was crying; Embarrassment, fear, relief. Maybe all of them at once. All he knew was that he'd gotten very lucky, and he had a lot of work to do.
-.-.-+-.-.-
"Do ya need a ride?" Berwald asked groggily, sitting up in bed. Tino smiled, leaning over for a kiss, the action feeling a lot more natural than he thought it ever might.
"No, it's nice outside, so I'll walk." He replied, standing back up to finish getting dressed. Berwald hummed, the sound reminiscent of tires on gravel with how low his voice was so early in the morning. Tino adored it.
He leaned down for one more kiss once he was dressed, giggling when Berwald wrapped an arm around his waist as if to prevent him from leaving.
"I'll be home around three." He promised, wriggling till he was freed.
"Call me if ya wan' me to pick ya up." Berwald rumbled, rolling over and letting his eyes fall shut again.
"Alright. See you later." Tino agreed, slipping out of the room and heading for the door to get his shoes on. The bookstore was about a twenty minute walk, but if he didn't hurry, he knew he'd be late for his shift. Still, he hated to get the Swede up earlier than he had to be. He had his own workday soon, so that last hour was important.
He liked walking, anyway. It gave him time to think. Time to remember a few years ago when he'd been walking the streets for an entirely different reason. Time to remember the kind man that had offered him a few days that had turned into a few years. The kind man that had gone from a stranger to a fiancé in what felt like no time at all.
It was strange to think how differently his life might have turned out if he hadn't taken a chance and walked up to that Volvo. He'd known the man inside was pretty straight-laced, and he'd been surprised when he agreed to take him home. At the time, he'd been freezing and desperate. As long as it got him out of the cold, he'd have walked up to anyone.
Of course, things had gone a bit differently than he'd anticipated, but he was lucky they had. Without Berwald, he was sure he'd still be sitting on the same corner, or maybe somewhere a lot worse.
It hadn't taken him long to charm himself into a job at a bookstore. He knew how to flirt, and it had proven an invaluable tool for him. But, even after he'd saved up enough money to stay in a hotel, and even when he'd saved enough money to get himself an apartment, and even when he'd promised to be out in a few days, and even when he'd promised to be out in a few weeks…
He'd stayed.
Berwald, of course, hadn't minded. He never said anything, never pressured him to get going, never asked him what he was doing with all of his money, never asked him to help pay bills or rent. He just made breakfast every day and opened his arms every night.
At some point, Tino's money wound up in Berwald's bank account, just like his heart had wound up in the man's care. And, at some point, he'd stopped thinking he needed to leave. He stopped thinking Berwald wanted him to go. He stopped thinking he couldn't fall in love.
They were supposed to get married in a few months. It was something he always imagined, but never dared hope he'd experience. The idea filled him with a giddy anticipation. He was nervous, but excited at the same time. The ring around his finger helped him believe that he had really become a valuable part of Berwald's life, not just a hindrance.
It'd taken years to feel like he mattered, but he wouldn't trade it for anything. Berwald made him feel wanted, and that was all he really needed. All that time struggling to survive, sleeping around just so he wouldn't freeze to death in an alley, embarrassing himself and doing things he'd always regret; It was all worth it.
It was worth it, because he had a place to go home every night, had a place he could call home, with a man just waiting to tell him how much he loved him, how much he wanted him to remain forever, who would never let him sit on that corner again, never let him shiver against the cold as he waited for someone to think him pretty enough to slip a bill into his pocket.
It was worth it because someone loved him, and he'd learned to love someone in return. And that was more than he'd ever even dared to dream.
A/N: It actually took me a surprising amount of time to get this put up. I honestly finished this pretty quickly after Christmas, but shit's been popping up left and right for me, so I kept forgetting to post.
This was my Christmas Present for the ever lovely, ever wonderful Tora-Star. She is a fantastic friend, and has helped, and continues to help me deal with a lot of the aforementioned shit that has been and continues to pop up. We met over SuFin, and she's become an invaluable friend to me since.
So this Christmas fill is offered every year, and this was the request I got. And honestly, it was fun to work with Tino and Berwald again. It's been a while, so it was fun to get back into the swing of their characters. They were, of course, different than I've written them before, considering the situation, but still the same at their cores. I've missed these big dumb blonde losers.
Anyway, I've got to get back to that shit that has popped up. Thanks for reading, and I'd appreciate any feedback you care to leave me. Merry January 20th, since Christmas is hardly appropriate at this point. Till next year~!
KuroRiya
九六りや