Okay, I hope you enjoy this! Read on! (there's translations for Berwald's choppy speech, so bear with me ^-^)

(this was reposted for my failure at partitioning the two parts! sorry!)


Berwald hated lying to people. Granted, he hated talking to people just as much, but it should be known that he didn't like lying to everyone, especially teachers, about the supposed fights he got in.

He never really fought Mathias. Mathias was his best friend, as much as he hated to admit it, and that first day that Berwald came to school with the cuts and the bruises, Mathias spoke up immediately, claiming that he had attacked Berwald. Mathias knew that Berwald didn't want to tell everyone about his family troubles.

However, that put him in the awkward position of having to go to the nurse with Tino. Berwald didn't have anything against the little blond. He had actually found him attractive, but didn't have the guts to admit it.

"You really shouldn't fight Mathias." Tino said quietly when they were about halfway to the nurse. Berwald grunted indifferently, which Tino took as initiative to continue. "All he does is end up hurting you, and then you both get in trouble."

Berwald muttered something in the quiet voice of his that no one seemed to ever hear; "Y' don't kn'w wh't y' t'lking ab't." (you don't know what you're talking about.)

"Then enlighten me." Tino replied, shocking Berwald. No one ever heard him before, why should the little wheat-blond be any different?

Berwald only responded by blinking his green eyes at the Finn, before turning his gaze back towards his destination. "D'n't w'nt t' t'lk ab't 't." (Don't want to talk about it.)

Tino hummed indifferently, as though he really didn't care, but he really was curious. What wasn't the Swede telling him?

The nurse took care of Berwald's wounds, and sent the two back to class a few minutes later. Kids were chattering excitedly about Fish Camp when they walked in, and Tino immediately skipped over to Mathias, who was sitting with Lukas. The two blonds were in a very heated argument, though Tino could see a small hint of amusement in Lukas' dull blue eyes.

"Hey kid." Mathias grinned as he noticed Tino was there, and Lukas just nodded in his direction, having talked more than enough for the day. "We got our partners for the project."

Tino's face fell a little, as he heard Eduard yelp. (Ivan was attempting to convince him to 'become one with Mother Russia, da?') "Oh…"

"Hey, maybe next year?" Mathias smiled sympathetically at him, not knowing why Tino was so crestfallen.

"Yeah…" Tino looked around, seeing that everyone he knew was already paired up; Eduard had Ivan, Alfred had Arthur, Lukas had Mathias, Feliks had Toris, and Tino had no one…

"Tino." Ms. Braginskaya called him over. "I'd like you to be paired with Berwald."

"But Ms-"

"No buts." She interrupted, holding up a hand. "I think you would really help to keep him from fighting with Mathias during this camp."

"But I didn't know he was even participating." Tino replied, tilting his head to the side. Why would silent Berwald want to help tutor kids for a month?"

"Yes, he even came early to get the permission slip." She smiled. "Now go greet your partner!"

"Yes ma'am…" Tino walked over to where Berwald sat at the back of the classroom. "Hey. We're partners…"

Berwald grunted in acknowledgment as he readjusted his square glasses, blond hair falling in his face a little. Tino leaned over, holding the hair from Berwald's face as he looked him dead in the eyes. "Wh't y' w'nt?" (What you want?)

He hadn't meant to be as harsh as he sounded, but the unintentional sharpness of his voice, when coupled with his usual perma-scowl, seemed to frighten the little Finn.

"I just wanted to actually see your eyes…" Tino was blushing a little, shocked by his own forwardness.


"Hi! I'm Peter!" A little blond boy with bright blue eyes and rather large eyebrows (though Tino thought they looked cute) was bouncing around as though he was a little to hyped up on sugar. Berwald was inwardly groaning as he took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Hi Peter!" Tino crouched a bit to ruffle the younger boy's hair. "I'm Tino, and this is Berwald."

When Tino glanced at Berwald, who was now looking down at the eighth grader with his usual perma-scowl, he shrunk back a little, slightly afraid. What was it about this boy that frightened him so? Was it the look that he always had, making him look angry at the world? Was it his stoic eyes, never betraying any emotion other than anger, or annoyance?

"Come on!" Peter grabbed Tino's hand, yanking the older boy after him. In his shock, Tino reached out to grab the nearest thing to keep him from falling forward. It happened to be Berwald's hand, but he said nothing as they were dragged to the dorm room that would be their home for the next month.

The three would be spending a month in the dorm rooms that no one used anymore except for the yearly Fish Camp. (it was part of the old college campus that no one used anymore. Only the main part of the campus was used as the Hetal High School, and the rest was decidedly abandoned) They would do everything together, and the two older kids would teach the incoming freshman about high school. The kids got to miss school for an entire month (and they didn't even have to do the work they missed!), and would become very good friends. Tino and Berwald, being juniors, would become make-shift parents for the kid, and Peter, being the eighth grader, gained two older friends. The kids who went through the camp never ended up being beaten up.

"Okay, so what are we going to learn first?" Peter asked as the two older boys threw their bags on beds.

"Calm down." Tino laughed quietly, running a hand through his hair. He was nervous, being in a closed space with Berwald, but somehow, it oddly felt natural. Tino didn't know how else to explain it.

"Berwald?" Peter skipped over to where the larger boy was sitting on his bed, jumping into his lap. Berwald didn't look even slightly surprised. "What are we gonna do first?"

"J'st 'sk h'm." (just ask him)

"I did!" Peter whined, bouncing a little in his lap. Tino wondered just how this kid managed to get into the eighth grade; he acted like a six year old. "He didn't answer!"

"H's th' w'fe." Berwald's lips quirked up in what Tino assumed was a smile. He felt his heart go thump at the uncharacteristic emotion on the boy, until he realized what he said. (He's the wife)

"I'm not the wife!" He crossed his arms, bottom lip jutted out a bit in a pout. Berwald's lips only quirked higher at the childish gesture.

Cute, Berwald found himself thinking, before he answered. "Y's y' 're." (yes you are)

Tino rolled his eyes, before his lilac eyes fell back to meet Berwald's. For a moment, he was entranced, trying to figure out just what color Berwald's eyes were; he ended up settling on a pretty combination of greenish-blue.

"St'r'ng 's r'de." Berwald pointed out quietly, though now he knew that the Finn could hear him. (staring is rude)

"I-I was-wasn't s-staring!" Tino stuttered, eyes wide open as though a child who had just gotten in trouble for breaking a vase. Berwald chuckled a little at this, though he felt bad when Tino's eyes narrowed, looking irritated—maybe even a little scared of the smaller blond.

"Are you two dating?" Peter's presence was suddenly known—though Berwald hadn't forgotten about him—and Tino blushed.

"N', w' 'rn't." (no we're not) Berwald set the Peter on the floor, and the boy ran over to Tino, jumping on his back. Berwald couldn't help but smile a little bit as Tino made airplane noises, pretending to fly around the small dorm room. Tino, seeming to forget for a moment that Mathias wasn't his partner, plopped down in Berwald's lap with Peter still on his back. Berwald, seeming to forget for a moment that Tino didn't love him back, wrapped his arms around the two blonds sitting in his lap, his smile getting a little bit wider. They sat like that for a moment, content, before Tino realized that Berwald wasn't Mathias, and jumped up, leaving Peter in Berwald's lap.

"S-sorry…" Tino was blushing a deep red as he went back to his side of the dorm room.

It was about then that Tino realized that there were only two beds. Either Peter was going to have to sleep on the floor, or someone was going to have to share with someone else. Tino's blush came back full force (after it just disappeared) as his thoughts drifted to sharing a bed with Berwald.

"There are only two beds." Peter piped up, thinking the same as Tino. "You two are sharing, 'cause I don't want to sleep on the floor, or share with someone else."

"I-"

"Th't's f'ne." Berwald interrupted Tino, his eyes locked on Peter's. There was some sort of private conversation going on between the two, and Tino felt left out, until Berwald looked at him finally. "T'no, 's th't 'k'y?" (that's fine…. Tino, is that okay?)

"Yeah, fine." Tino found himself squeaking, before cursing himself inwardly for giving in so easily.

"G'd w'fe." Berwald's lips quirked up in that weird half-smile, half-scowl again, making Tino's heart beat. (good wife)

The only problem was that Tino didn't know whether it was because he was falling for him, or if it was out of fear.

And he hoped desperately it was the latter.


OKAY. So I feel like I'm totally butchering this couple. But I can't wait to see what happens...

Even though that's my job to figure it out ._.

If you have any suggestions/critiques, let me know! Don't be afraid! I don't bite. Much...

Review? ^-^