Disclaimer: Yeah I own everything...muhahahaha!

Pairings: Sufin.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

And The Rain Continued To Fall

It had started out as the faintest of drizzle, the little drops of rain barely making anyone run for shelter. And so when those tiny drops morphed into big, spots of wet puddle, it was no surprise that everyone dashed for the nearest place with a roof, the popular choice being a nearby café owned by a jovial Spanish man.

What was unusual was the sight of a man walking in the midst of the armory of rain pellets, dodging every other pedestrian without blinking, his eyes focused but dazed at the same time; as if looking at something beyond the vision of the naked eye. His jaws tightly clenched, pale, parched lips firmly pressed against each other.

That man was none other than Berwald Oxenstierna, a man nearing his 25th birthday, give or take a few weeks.

It would have taken a very keen observer to notice the rippling of the muscles on his otherwise empty mask of a face from time to time. The reason behind them…?

Fear, anxiety and anticipation.

If you have ever felt like your stomach weighed about a ton and your legs had frozen stiff but could still be moved, and your head was filled with the buzzing of a swarm of angry wasps, and your mouth dry and your throat as rough as sand paper, then you could easily relate to Berwald's condition. Well his physical one at least…as for his state of mind, you would have had to fallen for a certain Finn.

Yes, Berwald Oxenstierna was in love, a little fact he came to stumble onto somewhere between his house and the quaint café at the corner.

"I lo'e Tino…I l've hi'…I l've him…I…"

He was frantically whispering that three word sentence as if it was his link to this world of the living, as if it was his sense of being.

When Berwald had stormed out of his studio apartment earlier that evening, he was still hesitant to label the rumbling feeling in his chest as love. His turbulent heart was much too insecure to delve into the technicality of the feelings, but was busier realizing that whatever he felt was beyond the normalcy of mere 'friendship'.

And so as he weaved his way through the rain, the wetness, the crowd of people jostling past him, he had an epiphany.

He was head over heels in love with the man called Tino Väinämöinen. As in love love; where you want to see the other person as frequently as possible, where you want to simply feel the warmth of fingers entwined around your own or where a cord is plucked somewhere somehow in your heart every time your eyes catch a glimpse of unshed tear sparkling at the corner of their eyes and you suddenly feel a lump in your throat and you can't swallow 'cause you are too caught up trying to take in anything and everything about them.

Yes. He was in love.

Lost in his thoughts, he amazingly managed to end up before the cherry tinted door of a modest cottage, 30 minutes away from his own home, hair dripping wet from the onslaught of rain.

Only then did the full reality hit him like a bus with its brakes cut.

I am standing before Tino's house…I am standing…oh Gud…what am I going to do?

Half wanting to turn around and make a mad dash into the night, he chose to smartly tap on the door, well as smartly as he could with a trembling fist.

Two knocks and not a single peep.

Thinking that the man in question was truly stuck in some meeting with boring clients, he was about to take his leave, albeit dejectedly that the door swung open to reveal a slender built young man, dressed in pajamas decorated with brown bears with party hats.

"Eeeep! Berwald……you're soaking wet!"

Tino exclaimed as he stared at his sudden visitor.

"Hn…I'e go' som'thin' to sa' to you."

"That can wait; you're going to catch a cold if you stay like that!"

"No, it 'an't!"

Tino jerked upwards in surprise as a hand grabbed his own with trembling fingers.

"Berw…."

"I lo'e you…I l've you Ti'o!"

Despite the rumbling rain outside, despite the soft tenor that shook with every syllable, Tino heard each and every word that had left the others lips loudly and clearly.

So palpably that he was shaking at his very core. It was as though the storm was no longer outside, but rather inside his very being; churning like a coiling snake, ready to unleash its fury at any second.

"I…I…Berwald…I…ummmm…I…."

He could feel the intensity in the man's gaze as it remained hovering over his form, swallowing him up in a tempest of turbulent and conflicting emotions.

"I…I can't…I mean…I don't know…I don't know…I…"

The clammy hand holding his own had disappeared as its owner slowly backed away from him, his pupils dilated as he took in the stream of tears running across Tino's face.

With one final look as if to sear the visage of Tino in his mind forever, Berwald darted away from the door, leaving behind the cries of a startled and confused young man.

"Berwald…wait….Berwald…WAIT!"

Tino rushed out of his house, the front door banging sharply as he swung it back on his way out.

"Wait, Berwald! Please! Wait."

Half sobbing and soaked to his bones, Tino looked around him, trying to make out the silhouette of the man who had disappeared into the merciless rain.

"Berwald! BERWALD!"

Somewhere nearby a dog yelped as his master howled into the night, his tears mingling into the rain.

Okay first, sorry for the delay. I turned 18 yesterday (29th April). I am actually kind of worried about this chapter. I tried to write something dramatic and slightly laced with angst, but I am not sure how well it turned out. So please do tell me! *insert nervous look*

I'e go' som'thin' to sa' to you = I've got something to say to you.

Gud is God in Swedish.

Now for the replies to the charming reviews.

Maikyaera: I remembered you asking to see a few more text messages in between these two, so I tried to incorporate it into the last chapter. I hope chapter 8 is up to your par.

xXxSilverMoonxXx: lmao…smack sense into Tino…haha! Your reviews are always so fun to read. I hope I get one again for this chapter as well.

Ripan: I read that Sweden doesn't have a national flower, so I decided to go with what the majority agrees on. I am sorry to hear that you had a bad evening, and I am glad to have made you smile at least a bit more. Please guide me in the future as well.

Kenpachi-sama: I won't kill a character……………I think! =P

Demoness Drakon: I am glad you found it to be good. Hope chapter 8 is to your liking as well.

Purplecatgirl: You are not strange, it's quite cute actually! I am really happy that you like my writing style.

A Girl Called Fabian: Do you like chapter 8? Please do let me know.

S.I.R.E. Ruby-san and Bika-chan: Thank you SO SO much! Hope this was to your liking as well.

Anina-chan: I am psychic…hehe… I am really honored that I 'own' you text books and can make you squeal…so tell me; did you squeal after reading this?

Cravingvanilla, Talentless Freak and Pianoislove: I am giddy with such kind words, thank you! XD

Nyou: Yeah, I have been told that before. I will correct it once the story is completed, thanks for the input.

It's raining over here; can I have a torrent of reviews?

*puppy eyes*