As Mathias showed way through the hallways, Berwald unquestioningly followed him. It was a pretty big school, smaller than his last one, but he had already managed to get lost one time. He figured it was better if he kept up with the guy.

As Mathias opened the door to the classroom they were supposed to be at, Berwald realized they were a bit late, since the whole class was already there and all the people stared at them as they entered.

Mathias led the way to the two free spots in the back of the room, eyeing Henrikk who was for some reason smiling, it creped him out for sure. Berwald saw the smile too, but he didn't know how much a smile from Henrikk meant to Mathias. As they sat down, the swede looked at Mathias and saw him bite his lip in a nervous manner. He didn't really get it, was the smile a threat?

Mathias saw Henrikk look back at him and smile during the whole class, and he knew something bad was about to come. He didn't know what, but he was damn sure it was something that would quite easily stop the little befriending thing he had going with Berwald. God knew what the guy would tell him. It could be that he was just planning to beat him, but no, not with that smile. He knew Henrikk was planning his next move, his next show. Yes, he could see the headlines 'How to make Mathias Khøler a friendless loser once again' played in the hallway!

He huffed in frustration. He knew he had to somehow avoid Henrikk, so settling at that thought, he decided that whenever recess time came, he would do anything to not be at the same place too long. Showing Berwald around the school would then fit perfectly with his plan.

He glanced over at the Swede, noticing that he was looking straight at Henrikk with a rather harsh look. Had he already realized that Henrikk was a dick?

When the school day was closing in on its end, Henrikk hadn't done anything yet much to Mathias's surprise, and walking through all the possible hallways in the school, he and Berwald had gotten to know each other much better.

Berwald had apparently moved to Denmark from Stockholm because his parents' job place had been moved. Both said parents were also working at the same place as architects. They had moved around quite a lot, but Berwald said that he finally thought they had settled down for good.

Walking to the bus in a slow peace, Mathias was a bit surprised to hear Berwald be the one talking the most when it came to his family and old friends. It was now obvious to him that Berwald only took the effort to talk in longer times when the subject really interested him. As he thought he had heard, the guy's best friend before they moved had been a boy named Tino who, surprisingly enough, also was his cousin. He thought it was a bit weird that some peoples best friends were their family, but how could he judge him, he only had his sister when it came to friends.

As both stopped besides a streetlamp at the bus stop, Mathias smiled. Berwald was in the middle of telling a story of how he and Tino once had broken into a swimming hall together with a gang of other fellows who usually didn't do anything wrong. Mathias couldn't believe it. Berwald seemed so serious and was yet capable of doing such a thing?

"Did you guys get caught?" Mathias interrupted.

"No, that's the f'nny part, police never found out who did it" Berwald replied.

Mathias laughed. "They probably didn't investigate well enough, bet you guys probably left like, hundreds of clues"

"well…n't hundreds, a few maybe. The police usually do a good job investigating bad crimes and such, b't they never really gave any effort into that case." Berwald said.

"I usually don't do stuff like that though, Tino was the one to convince me into doing it with them…" he added quickly.

"Relax, I'm not going to tell them." Mathias said. He took his time and dragged the collar of his jacket over his chin. It was cold outside, probably around minus six degrees Celsius.

He saw Berwald relax seconds later. Both leaned against the streetlamp and calmly watched as other students walked past, many of them were walking home in larger groups.

"So don't you have any friends you usually hang out with?" Berwald mumbled.

Mathias lifted an eyebrow. Looking down at his shoes that were covered in snow he tried to get some of it off.

"Nah… not really." he answered.

He saw Berwald shift.

"Why not?"

"Some stuff that happened a while ago… "

Berwald looked questionably at him.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I didn't kill anyone. If that's what you think" Mathias said. "It's just that people have a hard time liking me, if you understand"

Berwald nodded and pushed his glasses up again. He understood, but at the same time he didn't. Mathias seemed nice enough, charming, handsome, and funny and talk active… the opposite of what he himself was. He looked at Mathias's black-eye; a proof of that at least one guy in particular didn't like him, but why?

"Why?" he asked, looking straight at him.

That one Mathias hadn't seen coming.

"…" Mathias tried to come up with anything except the real truth, looking away for a moment with his mouth half open.

He couldn't tell him the real truth could he? No, it wasn't safe yet. But what should he say?

"It's a secret" Mathias eventually said, looking away.

Berwald frowned. He wasn't really a fan of secrets. Still, he figured it was for the best not to ask more about it. Something had clearly happened a long time ago and Mathias didn't look too comfortable talking about it. The way Mathias seemed a bit nervous made him more curious though.

Mathias suddenly moved away from the streetlamp.

"The bus is here" he informed.

Mathias was the one to pick seats, and as usual, he sat down in the middle of the bus behind the second door and Berwald sat down next to him. Mathias couldn't help himself but to look. It was unusual for him to have someone sit down next to him, even when the bus was full, people avoided sitting next to him. He furrowed his eyebrows for a second, turned his head to look outside and then smiled. He guessed it was pretty nice to have someone to sit next to.

During the bus ride he saw someone staring, others turning around to whisper something to the one's sitting next to them; Mathias was sure Berwald noticed them too, but he didn't seem to care.

Completely out of the blue Mathias suddenly remembered that he hadn't really asked where Berwald lived. He knew that he lived close enough for him to step onto the bus at the same place as him, but nothing more than that.

Really wanting to focus on something else than the suspicious looks he got from the other passengers in the bus he turned to Berwald and noticed that the guy was already looking at him too. He saw how Berwald quickly looked another way and guessed he had just been staring at his black-eye again and smiled.

"So Berwald, I know you live somewhere close to my place but, where? "

Berwald thought for a while "ya know that slightly big house that has one green painted side but all the other sides are white?"

Mathias nodded.

"Well, that's the place" Berwald exclaimed.

"That's like almost next to my place!" Mathias replied. He wasn't exaggerating either; the house was literally just three houses away. How could he have missed that? How couldn't he have noticed that a house so close had been for sale?

Mathias turned around again to look at Berwald with a smile, but in the crook of his eye he could also see Henrikk stand up from his buss seat in the back of the bus. His smile faded as he saw Henrikk' grow on the way towards them.

"So"

Henrikk clasped his hand down on Berwald's shoulder and Mathias noticed how Berwald jolted, tensed and then how his expression darkened. Mathias didn't even know that a person's mood could change so visibly.

Berwald turned his head to stare directly at Henrikk and the smiling guy laughed a loud and short laugh.

"Sorry if I scared you, Berwald, but I and the guys in the back there just wondered if you wanted to sit with us."

Mathias opened his mouth to protest, and then closed it again. He couldn't really speak on the behalf of Berwald, could he?

"I mean, you don't want to sit next to a guy like Mathias! Am I right?" Henrikk continued and threw Mathias a cocky smile as he did, before laughing loudly again. A few guys in the back of the bus laughed too.

Mathias felt a hint of fear grow inside him, even if the conversation was between Berwald and Henrikk, one never knew how it would turn out.

There was a silent moment in the bus. Mathias looked at Berwald and their gazes met. He noticed how Berwald looked conflicted and he felt himself get nervous. He knew that expression. For once he actually had the chance to get a new friend and now he was going to lose it!?

Berwald looked at Henrikk again.

"Thank you, but no thanks. I'd rather sit here"

"Ha! That's what I thought! See, no one want's to sit with you Mat- wait, what?" Henrikk stopped talking like something had hit him right in the head and his smile faded.

"I said I'd like to sit here" Berwald repeated, face completely serious and voice deep.

Mathias's eyes widen. What?

"Now if you will excuse us, we were right in th' middle of a conversat'n" Berwald said expressionless.

Henrikk stood silent for a while, his expression darkened, and then he backed off, laughing a silent cynical laugh. "Yeah right, the offer still remains if you change your mind" He said with an obnoxious smile.

"Hmm, not gonna do that" Berwald mumbled barely hearable in return.

Mathias's expression looked more and more amazed.

He watched as Berwald turned to look at him again. He was completely speechless. Someone had chosen him over Henrikk. No one did that.

"That was a b't annoying, wasn't it?" Berwald said lowly.

"Yeah" Mathias said in return, expression completely blank, still a bit baffled by what had just happened. To him it looked like Berwald thought he had just done something completely normal. Did he even know what he had just done?

"I'm sorry but why didn't you say yes?" He asked.

Berwald looked at him questioningly.

"Like, Henrikk is kind of the better option" Mathias explained. He somehow hurt himself saying that, but it was true. He wanted Berwald to be his friend, badly, but saying no to such a thing was simply not something that was going to leave you 'alone'. Henrikk was known for picking on or bullying people who didn't want to be his friends.

"I don't think sitting next to someone who speaks like that to other people is that much better than sitting next to you. He's an ass, you're not, I think" Berwald replied expressionless.

Mathias breathed a laugh, noticing the most likely un-intended funny correction at the end of the sentence.

"I don't exactly like people who beat others either" Berwald continued, hinting to Mathias's black-eye.

"Yeah, not many people do" Mathias said, smiling faintly. He didn't really know how to respond.

Both went silent for a while, Mathias tugging his jacket over his chin again and Berwald fixing his glasses.

"Yo, Mathias, You're not planning on taking a long trip are ya!?"

Mathias looked up quickly, recognizing his sister's voice. Oh, where they there already!?

Mathias saw Berwald get up from his bus seat and did just the same, throwing his bag strap over the shoulder. It was weird. Sometimes the bus ride seemed to take forever. Now it felt like it had just gone a minute or two.

As all three stepped off the bus, Berwald sent Mathias a questioning look. Mathias looked at his sister and realized that Berwald probably wondered who she was.

"If you wonder she's my sister and her name is Mathilda" he whispered. Berwald mouthed an 'oh' and looked at her. She sure looked like someone who could have been Mathias's sister; they both had the same wild, sand-blonde hair.

All three walked the same way for a couple of hundred meters, Mathilda way behead of the two older guys, before they came to the hill leading towards Mathias's house. Of course the hill had three roads. One leading to Mathias's and Mathilda's house, the other one leading to a weird yellow house where two cranky old people lived, and the third leading to the house where Berwald lived.

Mathias and Berwald stopped walking as they came to the hill, whereas Mathilda kept walking.

"So, see you tomorrow?" Mathias asked. "Sure" Berwald replied.

"Okay, see ya then" Mathias said, slowly turning to walk away.

"Oh, wait a second" Berwald said hesitatingly.

Mathias stopped and turned to face him, eyebrows lifted.

"Could I get your number?"

"What?"

"Could I get your number?" Berwald repeated. He fixed his glasses and adjusted the bag strap, waiting for the blond to reply.

"Oh, of course" Mathias mumbled. He hadn't expected the question, but Berwald was new in the town, so having at least one person's number wasn't a bad idea, he thought. He fumbled with his phone and unlocked the black and white screen.

"Uh, here it is! Nine… Eight…"Mathias started. He felt his voice shake as he talked.

Berwald pressed down the buttons on his phone, listening carefully so he wouldn't press the wrong button. He found the number to be quite like his.

"And… Seventy seven"

Mathias smiled awkwardly when he saw Berwald write the last numbers down and looked down to his shoes, suddenly finding them very interesting. Berwald finally nodded as saying 'got it' and then said a barely hearable 'good bye'

Mathias waved and said 'good bye' too, feeling his voice get a bit lighter at the end.

He blushed a bit as he saw Berwald walk away and turned around, noticing that Mathilda had stopped walking and waited for him further up the hill. He tried to walk fast, wanting to catch up with her.

Only halfway there he could see the huge grin she had on her face.

"So Mathias" The younger started when he was there.

"Who was that?" She grinned widely and lifted an eyebrow.

"Mathilda, no" Mathias mumbled and smiled, but quickly changed his expression to a serious one.

"Mathilda, yes" She replied.

Mathias sighted. Here it comes, he thought.

"He was damn hot! Did you see that!? Like, are you friends with that guy!? Is he coming over some time?!"

Mathias rolled his eyes.

"Because if he is I'm going to steal a tiny kiss or something, I mean! Wow!"

Mathias couldn't deny that he had seen Berwald's handsome look but at the same time, he couldn't deny that his sister was a complete dork sometimes.

"Mathilda, he's only a guy I met today, I don't even know if he sees me as friend material yet"

"Oh shut it, the guy said no to sitting with Henrikk instead of you, he sees you as friend material" Mathilda replied.

Mathias grimaced. "You don't know that"

"And also, I heard that he asked for your number so yes, I know that"

Mathias huffed, staring at his sister.

"But he is coming over right, I mean if you're not going to take him I am, because damn!"

Mathias groaned.

"You're not taking anything, Mathilda" Mathias said. He didn't know why, but he just didn't want his sister to 'take' Berwald. He knew she was just teasing, but still… and it wasn't like the guy wasthat handsome.

"And no, he's not coming over" He added before Mathilda managed to ask.

Mathilda pouted.

"Well it's nice seeing you actually talk to someone who isn't me for once though" Mathilda said. Mathias smiled at the comment, completely missing out on the fact that Mathilda bent down and took a handful of snow in her fists.

"But you have to admit it-"Mathilda started, making Mathias turn to look at her.

"I am the best" She said, and before Mathias knew it, she had flung the snow right in his face.

It. was. Cold.

As Mathias was desperately trying to get the snow away from his face he noticed that Mathilda had already started running the fastest she could, laughing really loudly.

Mathias grinned, scooped up a handful of snow too, and ran after her.

No way was his sister going to have the pleasure of entering the house warm and without snow in her face.

When Mathias and Mathilda entered the house, both had snow down their jackets and cold hands. They were both laughing and pushing each other away when they dropped their bags down in the hallway. Mathias had definitely not shown any mercy.

He heard his mom say 'hello' from the kitchen and greeted her back. She wasn't usually home at this time of the day, but maybe she had a day off? He could smell a faint hint of dinner that supported his theory.

He kicked off his shoes and ran up to his room and flung himself down on the bed. The warm bed sheets smelled newly washed and were black, just as he liked them.

He glanced at the one poster in his room that had a picture of the band 'My chemical Romance' on it. He knew perfectly well that the band had split, but their songs were awesome and he felt like they understood him.

Right now, he didn't really feel like listening to music though, he felt like screaming…out of joy.

He didn't know if Berwald looked at him as friend material, but the guy had asked him for his number. His number! He was new in town and having a person who knew they place probably wasn't a bad idea, but still!

Mathias rolled over to his belly, making a tiny scream down in the pillow.

Friend or not, there was finally a person who wasn't in his family that didn't think he was utterly repulsive or pathetic.

He heard his dad's car drive up the driveway and seconds later he heard his mom yell the word 'Dinner' loudly.

He heard his stomach growl. Maybe dinner wasn't a bad idea.

His mom had made pancakes for dinner, a nice meal if you liked it. Mathias laid one on his plate, watching as Mathilda covered hers in sugar and blueberries. His dad, a man in his late forties, looked at him with a smile.

"You seem happy today" he remarked.

Mathias nodded and Mathilda passed him the sugar.

"That's because he got a boyfriend" Mathilda muttered.

Mathias looked at her with a grim expression. That was definitely not what he wanted his parents to think.

"What, I'm just telling them the truth" She remarked.

"I didn't get a boyfriend Mathilda I barely know him" He replied. He knew she was joking, but still.

"He's just a new guy, he just moved in in the house with the one green wall down the street" he informed his parents, feeling his cheeks warm up a bit.

His mom chuckled and smiled.

"What's his name then?" She asked.

"Berwald" he mumbled. He felt his cheeks warm up more. Why did his sister have to make everything so embarrassing?!

He continued to pour sugar on his pancake. He had a sweet tooth and couldn't really help it.

"I'm going to ask him if he wants to join Mathias to the prom" Mathilda said teasingly.

Mathias's eyes widen.

"We have a prom?" He asked.

"Dear didn't you know? We got an email last week" His mother informed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mathias asked.

"You were all buried in your books and heavy music so I didn't want to bother you" she replied.

Mathias leaned back in his chair. He remembered something about an email yes, but why hadn't he heard of it at school? He shrugged the question away, looking at Mathilda.

"By the way, no. you're not asking him" He said to her with a stern expression.

Mathilda made a childish smile and laughed.

The dinner then continued like normal, Mathilda discussing with her mother and father, and Mathias keeping silent. He wondered if the chance of Berwald wanting to go to the prom with him as a friend even existed, and if, would Henrikk who always went there try to beat him up or bother him in any possible way. He usually never went to proms, most because he had no friends to go with, but this time…

He took another pancake, once again finding himself head over with thoughts.

Tomorrow was going to be Wednesday, and since his sister was talking about the prom so much, he guessed the prom was going to be on Friday?

He put his plate in the dishes when he was done eating and went upstairs. He looked at himself in the mirror that hung over his desk, seeing that his black-eye had gotten better. It was slowly fading away and maybe if he was lucky, it would heal completely till Friday.

He whined as he touched around his eye. It still hurt though.

He guessed that if the topic came up and Berwald actually wanted to go, then he could join him. But he didn't have too much hope when it came to that matter.

Later during the day and evening he spent his time reading an old book he had read several times before, and fidgeting with his phone, wondering if Berwald would answer him if he sent a message. The book he read was 'the collection of Danish fairytales'. He felt a bit childish reading it, but he enjoyed the easiness of the book. The stories weren't filled with problems and death wishes as he usually experienced every day in the real life.

Around 11 P.M he felt tired and decided to put the book down. He had read every story in it so many times before now that he knew them by heart anyway.

He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling with his phone in his hand.

He stroke the phone screen with his thumb over and over, wondering if he should send Berwald a message. What was he doing? How was his family? Was he already asleep?

He unlocked his phone and found Berwald's number. He could at least give it a try.

"Hi"

He waited nervously, biting his lip.

He felt the phone vibrate in his hand and looked down at the screen with big eyes.

"Hi"

He fucking answered! Mathias screamed in his head. He thought for a while, wondering what he should reply with.

"What are you doing at the moment?"

He waited for a minute or two.

"Nothing special, carrying the last boxes with things into my room…you?"

Mathias bit his lip again, wondering what to say. He looked around himself, finding nothing interesting to answer.

"Just laying around"

"Cool, meet at the bus stop tomorrow?"

"Sure!"

Mathias groaned, regretting writing an exclamation mark at the end. It made him sound way too into it. He looked around himself again, this time spotting his blue bag. He usually dropped gym and he guessed his gym shorts gym shirt was still inside it unused. Tomorrow he would make an exception though, he just felt like he had to. He made a hum, wondering if Berwald knew they had a gym class tomorrow.

"Btw, we have gym tomorrow if you wondered. "

It went another couple of minutes.

"Oh, okay. Thanks for telling me. Got to go now, so, good night" Berwald wrote.

Mathias smiled when he read the words. He didn't know why, but the 'good night' made him a bit giddy.

"Good night" Mathias wrote back.

When his phone screen blacked out, he breathed out relieved. That hadn't gone too bad, he told himself. He yawned and smiled, feeling his eyes get tired.

He got up and brushed his teeth before going to bed again, laying there for a while with a strange feeling on the inside. He brushed it away as pure happiness, a rather rare thing he felt. For once, he actually looked forward to the next day.

Ok, people. thanks for the reviews, but please review and tell me what you think of this chapter too!

Next chapter will involve fluff.!