Emil kept an eye on Lalli, watched as the other sniffed the food Emil had given him. Emil didn't know why he was drawn to the Finn, why the Finn had suddenly gotten him interested in learning a new language. Sure, he didn't do much progress, but he was trying at least. There was just something...
He had felt it already the first time they met, when Lalli just walked past him. Like... Like he didn't need to pretend to be something in front of the other. Lalli wouldn't care anyway. It didn't keep him from trying to keep his appearance up, but it was nice knowing he was accepted... No, not really accepted. Lalli simply Did. Not. Care. And it was nice.
Emil on the other hand cared maybe a little too much. He pulled his fingers through his hair when he felt the Finn staring back at him and quickly looked in another direction. Lalli went back to the food in his hands, and Emil looked at the bowl in his own hands, his mind still occupied with the Finn, tried to figure out what the deal between the two of them actually was.
He couldn't claim to understand the Finn, understanding him was hard. Somehow he just knew how to handle him. The Finn brought out his need to protect someone, to protect Lalli. A little like how it was with his cousins, like they needed someone to care for them, to look after their needs.
Except, it wasn't like that. He glanced at the slender man beside him again. Lalli didn't exactly seek him out like his cousins did, and he didn't really demand Emil's attention, at least not in obvious ways. The Finn was just content with his company. Emil leaned back, smiled. Maybe there wasn't actually anything to try and figure out.
Maybe friendship simply worked like that.