Lukas closed his eyes as soft breeze blew past, ruffling his white-blond hair. He loved the feeling of the wind on his skin and the strange scents from someplace far away that it brought with it. It reminded him of his childhood days of sitting with his legs dangling on the edge of a cliff high above a fjord in his homeland. He could still remember the way the water sparkled. The intimidating stone walls rising above on the other side and the cloudless blue sky high above.

And he was pretty sure Emil was there. But of course, he had been really young. He was too scared to go near the edge so instead he would hang not too far from him but not too near the edge of the cliff as well, telling him stories that he'd made up, stories of he and Lukas going on adventures, slaying dragons, saving princesses and such. All the while he could keep on calling him "Big brother" like he used to. Like Lukas always wanted him to. In exchange, Lukas would tell Emil about the fairies, the trolls and the sprites that he met and had befriended. Emil always looked skeptical whenever he would tell him that they were real and he still was until now. Although Emil would always try to sound enthusiastic, excited and interested in the topic, Lukas knew that he really didn't believe them and had slowly begun to pass them off as stories that his brother had told him to entertain him when he was younger .

And maybe they were. Still, you can never tell with Lukas.

Mathias watched Lukas all the while and he couldn't help but smile at the calm, peaceful look the Norse had on his face right now. He was almost tempted to reach out and touch that face and for an uncontrollable moment, he could feel his hand lifting from the ground beside him and slowly inching toward the Norse's face. But upon realizing what it was doing, the Dane quickly balled his hand into a fist, withdrew it and forced himself to look away. He could already feel the heat rising to his face. What was he thinking? This isn't right. Not right at all. He shouldn't be feeling this way towards Lukas, especially since he was his prisoner. Mathias had just started to suspect about that jumpy, flittery feeling in his chest that he felt whenever he was around Lukas but even when he had finally thought of a theory, he just couldn't seem to wrap his mind around it. It wasn't right for someone like him to have those kind of feelings towards someone like Lukas. He knew that. Yet, he couldn't stop it. Whenever those dark sea-colored eyes fixed him in their gaze, it always started. It wasn't only that. It was his scent as well. Even after two weeks in that cell, Lukas still smelled like the sea and just that scent always left the Dane reeling. He had become so familiar with it by now, in fact, that he could immediately recognize it and associate it with Lukas. And there was also something about that cold, hard gaze of his that Mathias just couldn't resist. And that sadness. That sadness in his eyes that the Norse was always trying to hide...Mathias just wanted to find the reason for that sadness and just...destroy it, or whatever.

Mathias' turned a deep scarlet when he realized that he had been staring at Lukas for a long time now and that the Norse was also staring back at him with his cold gaze. "What?" He asked coldly.

Mathias quickly looked away, scratching the back of his neck. "N-Nothing..."

Lukas narrowed his eyes but didn't press any further and continued to stare at the scenery. The both of them sat atop a hill right near the Kalmar base camp. Mathias still didn't know what had given him the idea to take Lukas out on a day like this and it beat him as to why the boss had even accepted the proposal but he was glad he did. There was nothing like fresh air to clear your mind.

Mathias sighed and cast a sideways glance at the Norse. He seemed to be enjoying his momentary freedom. Still, it made Mathias' heart sink a little to think that at the end of the day, Lukas would be put back in his cell. You rarely saw the Norse look happy (Well, at least as close to happy as you can get with Lukas) and although he still couldn't comprehend it, the Dane felt like it was his duty to make him happy. Or at least, for as long as was possible. He drew in a breath through his teeth and sat up straight. "So!" He said cheerily in an attempt to make conversation. "Tell me about your brother."

Lukas stared at him coldly. "Why do you want to know?"

Mathias shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "I just wanna."

Lukas just continued to look at him coldly, distrustfully, and something seemed to hurt in the Dane's chest at that look of absolute distrust.

The Norse's look suddenly softened and he said, "There isn't much to tell. Our father is Icelandic and our mother is Norse but he's more on the Iceland side while I'm more on the Norway side." Mathias raised his eyebrows. "So you're sort of mixed?" Lukas shrugged, "You can say that." Then his hard gaze returned. "What about you?"

Mathias looked surprised then shrugged and looked away. "There's really nothing to tell. My parents died when I was younger" -You really don't want to know how- "and I've lived in an orphanage" -At least, that's part of the truth- "But I never liked it there" -That's definitely the truth- "So I trained and came here." That wasn't entirely the truth...

Lukas raised his eyebrows. "So the only reason you're fighting in this war...is because you don't like the orphanage you were sent to?"

Mathias laughed but even he couldn't hide the forced tone of it. "You're funny, Norge." But you don't want to know the truth.

Lukas scowled. "Again, please refrain from calling me that. And don't give me your stupid 'You're-on-Kalmar-territory-so-I-can-do-the-hell-I-want' talk please."

Mathias laughed. "Nice one, Norge."

Lukas continued to scowl as he stared at the Dane. "Why...?" He whispered softly. Mathias blinked, "Why what, Norge?" Lukas looked surprised then seemed to have realized what he had said. He quickly looked away and Mathias' heart skipped a beat as he realized that the Norse was blushing. REALLY blushing. "Nothing..." He grumbled. The Dane grinned almost out of happiness rather than his usual impulse.

"Say Norge." Mathias stared up at the sky. "What's it like in your hometown?"

Lukas didn't answer for a long time but when he did, he said, "Like any other village. Quiet, peaceful, with lots of farmlands. Right on top of a cliff on a fjord...Beautiful view."

Mathias took note of how he had replied in stitches instead of full sentences. He whistled then said, "Must be nice, living in the country."

Lukas shrugged his shoulders. "Can't complain."

"So my guess is your family owns a farm?"

"Yes."

"You work there?"

"Yes."

"Like, everyday?"

"Yes. Unless it's market day."

"What happens on market day?"

"We sell our harvests in the market. All the farmers do that on market day."

"Must be fun."

Lukas looked at him strangely then and Mathias couldn't help thinking, Gods, this has got to be the most boring conversation ever.

Then the Norse said, "You know, why don't you stop stalling and just ask me right out about all the information you need for your boss?"

Mathias was taken aback. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped a few inches. Then he shook his head. "But would you tell me if I asked you?" He asked.

Lukas maintained his hard look before shrugging his shoulders. Mathias wasn't sure if this meant a yes, a no, or a maybe but after that there was complete silence. The Dane sighed and hung his head.

"I don't know..."

Mathias looked up. Lukas was looking away from him but his face had turned a slight redder. "I don't know how I can handle this..."

Mathias looked at him, puzzled. "Handle what Norge?"

Lukas seemed reluctant to, but he turned to face the Dane and there was something different about him with that single look. Not only was he not scowling or staring coldly, but he was blushing and it looked like he was trying to suppress something. Suddenly, a warmness grew within Mathias' chest.

"I can't seem to express these any better, but...Somehow, whenever I'm with you...I'm all of a sudden really happy...And I don't even know why..."

Mathias' eyes widened. It was just the same as what he felt around Lukas...What could this possibly mean? "Norge, what are you-"

"I didn't expect it." Lukas continued. "I didn't even ask for it...But why...did it have to be you?"

Mathias' chest suddenly felt close to bursting. "Norge...Are you saying..." He left it at that. They both stared into each other's eyes and even without speaking, they knew what it meant. Mathias' chest felt like it was going to explode any minute now and he could barely contain it.

Where...just where did this sudden...this sudden confession come from?

"Norge..." The Dane said slowly. "I didn't know-"

"Lukas"

Mathias blinked. The Norse looked away.

"Just...call me Lukas."

Mathias blinked again then grinned. "All right then. Lukas!"

Mathias opened the cell door for Lukas and stepped aside for him to pass. The Dane couldn't help but grin almost stupidly at the Norse, who only gave him a weird look in exchange.

As the Dane locked the cell door behind the Norse, he sighed then leaned his back against the cool bars.

A silence so deep and long followed. Then the Dane finally spoke, "Did you mean it...What you said just a while back?"

Lukas stayed silent. A minute passed. Two. Three. Four. Five...

Just as Mathias was about to count to the fifth minute, he heard Lukas say, "Yes."

Mathias could feel his heart hammering against his chest. Was it...true?

The Dane slowly turned around and met the Norse's eyes. And it was then that he knew. He realized everything. This feeling...was not something to be taken lightly.

Mathias suddenly felt conscious of himself. He blushed deeply and looked away. "I...I think I'll go get us some dinner!" He said quickly and walked awkwardly away.

But as he ascended the steps, Mathias couldn't hide the spreading smile on his face.

In fact, he was so consumed by his own happiness that he didn't notice the red-eyed albino standing there until he was right in front of him. AL the happiness seemed to drain out of Mathias at the sight of that face and his silly grin was replaced by a scowl. "Kohler." The albino smirked. "Beilschmidt." Mathias replied coldly.

Gilbert sighed. "Ah, what a day it has been! Haven't been seeing you around lately, Kohler. Say," He threw his arm around the Dane's shoulder which Mathias was too slow to avoid. "Been hearing about you and that Nordic spy lately. Heard that you two are getting really close to each other. Like best chums or something." He smirked and Mathias was just loathe to see that smirking face near his.

"Yeah, so what if it's true? What's it to you?" Mathias lifted Gilbert's arm away from him. Gilbert smirked. "More than you think." He said softly then sauntered off.

Mathias only stared after him, bewildered. Surely he had anything else to say? And then, what exactly did he mean?

But the Dane pushed these thoughts out of his mind as he walked to the cafeteria with a slight spring in his step. Gilbert could creep him out as much as he wanted, Mathias didn't care.

Because this feeling, this growing feeling. This overwhelmingly wonderful and happy feeling, could not be denied. Could not be suppressed and hidden any longer.

Because the Dane had realized that he had just fallen in love for the first time. And with a Nordic for that matter.

How this was all going to play out was not on Mathias' mind right now. Because now, all he wanted to do was sit there on his usual spot outside the Norse's cell and talk and listen to whatever Lukas had to say.

And that in itself was already good enough.

This. Has got to be. One of the most DISORGANIZED chapters I have ever written ;A;. I mean, just look at the mess I made of things!

I barely even know where that confession came from too XDD. I mean, I just wanted to write about how Den and Nor have a conversation about...things...then I must have gotten impatient and wrote that. Or else, I started losing inspiration about what they should talk about XDD.

But really, there are some things that you just can't hide for long and I guess Lukas just couldn't hold back anymore XDD.

I think things are starting to get to a climax here. But only starting. Oh and I have found, like, the perfect song for this fic! Halo by Beyonce. Because! 'Remember those walls I built? Well, baby, they're tumbling down. And they didn't even put up a fight. Didn't even make a sound. I found a way to let you in. But I never really had a doubt. Standing in the light of your halo. I got my angel now. It's like I've been awakened. Every rule I had you breaking. It's the risk I'm taking. I ain't never gonna shut you out!' *singing off-key*

Yeah, pretty much had the song on repeat while writing this chappie...Oh Norway~~! (Breaks down in tears for no apparent reason)

Oh and your reviews! I have absolutely no words to say just how much I love them! Thank you thank thank you thank you so much! ASFLDFDGHHIJIHJBKSALDKHSJKBM NVFKSZHFVS!

Keep them coming ;)

~Anon~