Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Was it simple enough to say that she was beautiful? It was my first day on the job and I could hardly believe the sight before me. She was absolutely stunning, with the way her hair fell, the sun's rays reflecting off of her platinum blonde hair, her paled skin almost glowing in the sunlight. She glanced my way as I made my way towards her. She had a pretty face. Okay I guess pretty was an understatement, but she was just so... Perfect. I couldn't find a better word in my vocabulary to describe her. I flashed my most charming smile at her and asked her for her order. She fumbled for her words, blushing before spilling out the correct order.

I nodded and gave her a slightly flirtatious wink before returning to my station to make the best fricken cup of coffee that I've ever made in my entire life. When I had finished, I capped the black liquid and slyly wrote my phone number on the side of the cup. When I looked up to look at her, she was deeply engrossed in.. Whatever it was that she was doing. I quietly made my way over to her and slipped the cup of coffee onto the table, without her even noticing! My grin relented larger before I forced myself to go man the coffee register and not stare at her too much.

And then just like that, the next day I found her huddled up in her corner once more. She was looking out the window she was sitting by and... She looked sad. Sad and something else? Anxious? No... Some kind of mixed woman emotion.

I quickly slipped my apron on and quickly walked over to her before any other of my coworkers could. Almost tripping over myself I might add. When I had finally made it over, I plastered a grin upon my face before speaking up.

"Hej!" I spoke with a charismatic tone.

She narrowed her eyes. Uh bad sign Mathias! Bad sign!

"Hei-" She said quietly.

"You're the same woman from yesterday!" I injected enthusiastically.

"It appears so.." Her slender fingers played with the ends of the sweater that she was wearing. She seemed uncomfortable. Was I making her uncomfortable? I hadn't even started flirting!

"Do ye come here often?" I tried to sound more friendly... Charismatic if you will. Hopefully that would make her less uneasy. Maybe I was being a bit too overbearing? I watched as her eyes looked around the cafe. She didn't look too annoyed, maybe she just wasn't used to social interventions early in the mornings. Maybe she just wasn't a morning person?

"Every day," she sighed and let our eyes lock. Her eyes were darker shades of blue, seeming to pierce through my skin, locking into my inner thoughts.

From then on we introduced ourselves, finally able to put names to each other's

faces. Her name felt like liquid gold on my tongue. She then proceeded on ordering black coffee and I proceeded to make the world's second greatest cup of coffee.

The day moved forward, and multiple battles were won unlike the war however.

At the end of the day when I hung up my apron, I felt myself becoming a little sad. I quite liked Svanna and from what I could tell, she didn't seem to completely hate me either. Maybe I could make a new friend? The thought of a new friend energized me.i gathered the rest of my belongings before exiting the cafe.

I walked hurriedly against the cold back to my apartment, the wind stung my face and brought tears to life in the corners of my cerulean eyes. The air entering my lungs stung like skin pressing against frozen metal. Slowly I breathed though my nose, hoping for the unreturnment of the sensation.

When I came to my apartment I slowly opened the door, already glancing around for Berwald. Berwald was my brother, my junior of four years. I myself was twenty six, and him in return twenty two. He was easily described as a gentle giant. His height towering at six foot three. His gaze intense and focused, his mouth turned in a steady line turning neither upwards nor downwards. His nose was somehow perfectly angled as a ninety degree triangle and the remaining of his facial features finely angled and chiseled. At first glance he was a frightening character, however as I mentioned before, a gentle giant.

I spotted Berwald parked on his favorite spot on the couch, looking out the window. This is usually what I found him doing when I got home. I knew he did many things when I was away but it was nice to think that maybe he waited for me to come home.

I walked over to him and lightly tapped his shoulder to get his attention. He glanced up at me, the corner of his mouth turning slightly upward. He signed to me hello. I signed my regards in return and we proceeded onwards. We talked about my day, and even his own, which seemed to include painting, sketching and spending time at the deaf school where his ongoing partner of three years worked.

Berwald had been going to the deaf school for many years, even before he and Tino started dating. He enjoyed interacting with the kids and some of the teachers. I knew Berwald got lonely sometimes and I was happy for him. I was happy he had people who shared his abilities and experiences. Berwald especially liked hanging out with the littler ones, as well as some of the kids who were known to have behavioral issues. They seemed to have taught him as much as he taught them and when Tino popped into the picture and it seemed like Berwald was happy. From what I could tell anyways.

There were still days however when he had a hard time. Whether it be a mishap with a stranger on the street or he had a nightmare about how he initially came to be deaf. When those days came about, I was glad he and I had chosen to live together, if not for his sake, then for mine.

Berwald wasn't always deaf, in fact he didn't become deaf until about the age of four. I remember it very clearly, and he only bits and pieces which I was thankful for. He and I were sitting in the backseat of our family's car, with our parents in the front seats. I remember the moment when the light had turned that soft green. At the time Berwald had troubles pronouncing the word "green". I remembered our father's voice repeating the word green to Berwald and him sitting in frustration trying to pronounce his "r".

I remember seeing a flash of metal and the sound of my mother's screams.

I remember the twisted car seat containing my small, unconscious brother.

I remember Auntie telling me that Berwald couldn't here me when I talked to him in the hospital.

I remember the funeral service.

I remember the first time Auntie Freya's house for the first time.

I remember holding Berwald's hand when he whimpered in his sleep.

There was a lot I wish I didn't remember, but instead the images were engraved into my memory. I wasn't sure how much exactly Berwald remembered, because well... We never talked about it. Even though it had happened many a years prior, it was still painful like a wound that never completely scabs over.

I signed to him about the woman that I had met earlier that day and... Probably talked about her a ... Little too long. Which then in return earned me some brotherly teasing from him. Of course. This then possibly resulted in casual brother wrestling on the carpet floor. Possibly. That is until Tino had turned up at the apartment and asked what the hell we were doing, which I insisted was extreme yoga, though it seemed he could see through this genius lie.

We proceeded with a typical night, eating dinner together, picking a movie to watch, watching that movie, someone falling asleep first and the remaining two pulling childish pranks on the other. The usual.

The evening felt like the family that could have been.

As I retreated to my own bedroom I found myself thinking about Svanna, the woman I had met earlier that day. My stomached tossed with butterfly wings hitting the encasing at the thought of her. It was possible that I was excited about the possibility of a new friend right? Yeah, that was it.

Over the next month it seemed like the friendship that we may have been building had a steady progression. I myself learning what made her tick and the little tells about her expression. The slow blink when she was bored, the eyebrow cock when she was interested, the leaning forward when she wanted to say something, the tapping of her foot when she was sad. All of these things, hardly noticeable, though I myself was proud to have noticed them at all. Maybe it was because I was more in tune with other people's actions then the normal person. Perhaps it was because I already lived with an unreadable brother. Or even... Possibly it was because we just clicked?

Welp here ya have it folks. Unfortunately if you thought I was going to cover that month period you were sorely mistaken. I really don't want to spend too much time on this fiction because I still have to finish two others. This is just the one that's inspiring me right now I suppose. Sorry if you thought my updating was slow, I had state testing and other things and even if I may have the time, I'm usually pretty distracted when these things pop up so.. Again I apologize.

I bet I took you by surprise about Ber, I myself wasn't planning on including SuFin but I had the idea to make Berwald deaf and the more I thought about it, the more I thought it was a great fit to the story. So here. /also I may or may not have been crying when I wrote abo what happened. /I don't understand why I was so emotional but I was and it was a pain like have you ever tried writing fanfiction when you're writing like no it does not work.

I believe the next chapter may be told from Svanna's point of view but I might throw in some Mathias here and there. I like know the plot of my story but a bunch of little details like that I'm basically just winging so. Yeah. Thank you for the reviews they are so sweet gahhh you guys are the best!