Svana only lived a few blocks away, thankfully. It made their constant visits much easier, especially since Mathias had failed his driver's test. He preferred his bike anyways. It only took around ten minutes of easy pedaling for her house to come into view. It was a nice two story home with gray siding and dark shutters. The lawn was well-trimmed and green, giving the house a tidy and clean atmosphere.

Mathias strode up to her door and pressed the doorbell. It echoed for inside for a moment before he heard little footsteps running down the hall inside, followed by the sound of the lock turning. The door cracked open to reveal a little boy, barely six years old. He had pale blond hair that hung just above his eyes and wide blue eyes.

Mathias folded his arms, looking down at the boy with a sternest expression he could muster.

"Are you allowed to answer the door?" The little boy shook his head, ashamed. Mathias sighed, letting his arms fall back to his sides.

"Alright, well don't do it again." He smiled. "Now where's my hug?" The boy giggled and leaped forward, embracing Mathias around his middle.

"Emil!" Came a voice from inside the house. "What did I tell you about opening the door?" Svana appeared at the end of the hallway, hurrying towards the two of them. Upon seeing Mathias, she visibly relaxed. She pushed her long blonde hair behind her ear, still annoyed with her younger brother. "You're lucky it was just Mathias." She turned her attention back to her overly-happy boyfriend.

"And I wish that you would have called or texted ahead, so that I would know when you were getting here." He shrugged in response.

"I like to be unpredictable."

"Is that what you call it?"

Mathias laughed, ruffling Emil's hair as he pulled away.

"God, everyone is roasting me today. Gimme a break, will you?" Svana's normally stoic disposition faltered, letting a small smile break through.

"Maybe they wouldn't roast you if you weren't such a dumbass." She quipped, turning on her heel and leading them back inside. Emil scampered upstairs to continue whatever he had been doing prior.

The Bondeviks' house was unnaturally clean, seemingly making it colder than it really was. Mathias could hear the humming the air conditioners from where he stood. Svana led him upstairs and into her bedroom, where she was folding clothes. Mathias plopped down on her bed, knocking over a stack of shirts. She gave him an irritated glance.

"So do you want to come over for dinner tonight? Berwald invited his friend over and I don't want to be caught in all that awkward sexual tension alone." He explained, hoping that he wouldn't have to beg her.

"Can't." She said simply. "My parents will be out and I have to watch Emil."

"He can come too!"

"I promised that we'd be staying home." Svana added miserably. "As much as I'd love to witness your awkward family dinner, I don't want to be grounded."

Mathias groaned, flopping back onto a pile of shorts in defeat.

"Fine. I can't believe you care so little for my sanity." Svana chuckled, shaking her head.

Mathias arrived home around five that afternoon, not a care in the world. Berwald was slouching on the couch next to his 'friend' Tino. Tino was rambling about anything and everything, while Berwald listened in silence, aside from the occasional grunt of agreement. God, he had no social skills.

Mathias headed straight towards them, sitting down in the large space between them. Tino cut off abruptly and Berwald sat up straighter.

"Am I interrupting something?" Mathias spoke up after a moment of offended silence. Berwald sighed, glaring at him.

"Can you stop being a jackass for a few hours?"

"I can't deny my true nature."

"Mathias, leave your poor brother alone, will you?" Their father called as he exited the kitchen. "You're making Tito uncomfortable."

Tino coughed, forcing a kind smile.

"It's Tino, sir. With an N." The man nodded, seemingly confused.

"Right, that's what I said. C'mon, Mat. Your mom wants you to help out with dinner anyways."

Mathias exaggerated a groan, as if getting up required too much energy. He hoisted himself to his feet and headed back into the kitchen, pausing to turn back to the two on the sofa.

"Don't get into too much trouble, you guys. These walls are thin." Mathias was out of the room before anyone could protest the statement.

The evening passed rather quickly for him, although it might have lasted a lifetime for everyone else. The hour was filled with teasing and innuendos, followed by parental scolding. Mathias was surprised no one had excused themselves early.

Afterwards, Tino and Berwald said their goodbyes (which took quite a while). Before Mathias had the chance to say anything, Berwald had shoved past him to go upstairs. He looked to his parents for an explanation, but he was met with pitiless expressions. A few seconds passed before his father said anything.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been a dick."

His mother looked horrified and smacked his arm, which was countered by an uncaring shrug.

Mathias sighed and followed his brother upstairs. Berwald's door was left partially open, allowing a thin stream of yellow light to spill into the hallway. Hesitantly, he pushed it open and leaned against the threshold.

"Are you going to be pissy for the rest of the week now, or what?" He asked Berwald, who sat at his desk with his head in his hands. No response. "You know I'm just teasing you guys, right?" The other boy lifted his head, looking at him blankly.

"I'd prefer if you didn't." Ber turned around in his chair, facing him fully.

"Yeah, well it's what I do. You aren't gonna make me apologize or anything, are you?"

"We both know that wouldn't happen." He pursed his lips in thought. "Can I ask a serious question though?"

Before Mathias had the chance to reply sarcastically, he received a sharp glare.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead."

"Would you care if I was...gay?"

He paused for a moment, realizing that he would have to give a serious, genuine answer.

"To be honest, I don't care what your preference is. As long as it's not dogs, you're fine with me." The tension that Mathias didn't notice before lessened, and Berwald seemed to relax a bit.

"Just...don't tell mom or dad, alright? I don't want them getting upset." He replied quietly.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed."

Despite their countless differences and fights, the two teenagers weren't unfamiliar with moments like this. Moments where Mathias was genuine and Berwald let his guard down. Although they would never admit it to anyone, they enjoyed them.

"I feel like we should hug." Mathias said decidedly.

"Definitely not. I'm serious-" But of course it was too late. The other boy had already wrapped his arms around his unwilling brother, who sat stiffer than a board. "I hate you."

"You love me."

When Mathias woke up, it took him a while to realize he wasn't in the midst of a bloody battle. Everything was pitch black. The only thing he could feel was soft carpeting under his feet and the fast pumping of his heart. He couldn't have been in his bedroom; the room was always lit from the orange streetlights outside. Not to mention that he was standing.

His eyes began to adjust and he took a step back. He had been standing mere inches from a pale, smooth surface. As it came into focus, he recognized it as Berwald's door. An eerie feeling crept up his spine, leaving him thoroughly confused. The hallway was silent: something that Mathias was uncomfortable with.

Usually the air conditioners would be blasting behind doors, or the cicadas would be humming from outside. Hell, it wouldn't be unusual to hear the floorboards creaking. None of it was present. Mathias slowly walked back to his room, closing his door firmly behind him and locking it.

He had never experienced sleepwalking, and the re-occurring nightmare didn't comfort him either. The digital clock on his night stand displayed that it was almost a quarter of three in the morning. Mathias shook his head and laid back in bed, ignoring the sheets. He felt abnormally cold, but the slick sweat made him feel clammy.

Tossing and turning, he kept an eye on the clock as he tried to fall back to sleep. Once it hit five in the morning, he declared it a lost cause. Mathias pulled his phone off its charging cord, blearily searching for information on sleep walking.


A/N- Can I say that I am just really sorry for making 3/4 of this chapter filler and exposition? It killed me.