The next few days passed faster than Lukas would have liked. Before he knew it, he was headed for England with Mathias. The boat ride made him nervous, though. He didn't like the constant rocking or swaying on the sea and would prefer to be in a plane, yet Mathias had insisted on them going together. Lukas couldn't refuse that, so there he was, stuck on a boat and feeling more nauseous than he had ever felt in his entire life.

"You doing okay?" Mathias asked, walking over. "You look extremely pale." He put a hand to Lukas's forehead. "Let me guess, you're seasick?"

"How could you tell?" Lukas asked, resisting the urge to vomit. He had been fighting back the sickening bile for hours. "How much longer are we on this stupid boat?"

"Maybe for a few more days," Mathias answered. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Days?" Lukas gasped out. He ran up to the deck and looked out on the railing. It was true. He didn't see any land in sight.

Mathias followed after him. "Lukas, you're acting odd. Are you okay?"

Lukas bent over the railing and vomited into the sea. "I just can't do this," he sighed out. "I can't do all of this fucking rocking and shit."

Mathias frowned. "Motion sickness," he observed. "Why don't you go lay down? I can show you to the bunks."

"Yeah," Lukas softly said, nodding. "I think that would work." He began to walk down the staircase to the lower levels. "Please show me to the bunks, Mathias. I feel sick."

"I hope you feel better soon," Mathias said, leading Lukas down a corridor with many doors. He stopped at one with a "12" on it. "This is our room."

Lukas blushed as Mathias unlocked the door. He hadn't realized they would be sharing a room. His jaw dropped when he saw their bags in the room underneath a bunk bed with a small nightstand. That was all that was in there. That's all there was room for. "Pretty close quarters, huh?" he softly said.

"Which bunk would you like?" Mathias asked.

"I'll take the bottom one," Lukas said, flopping onto it. Once he was lying down, it did help with the constant rocking. He barely noticed it as he curled up under the blankets. "This really does help, Mathias," he softly said, voice muffled from the blankets.

"I'm glad," Mathias said, climbing up to his bunk. "You can lay there the whole time if you'd like. I can let you know when we're close."

"Could you?" Lukas asked. He personally hated being lazy and lying around, but he had to for this time. His hand went to his forehead. "I really don't like this rocking motion, Mathias."

"Do you want me to get you a bucket or something?" Mathias asked. He personally didn't notice the rocking at all and could walk around just like he could on land. He jumped down from his bunk, causing Lukas to groan. "What?"

"Stop walking around like that," Lukas groaned. "It's like you're bragging that you can walk around and I can't." He sighed and rolled over to his side, huffing out to himself. "But yeah, a bucket would be nice."

"I thought so," Mathias said. "I'll be right back. Stay there." He chuckled. "Well it's not like you can really go anywhere anyway."

"Just go get the fucking bucket," Lukas snapped, glaring at Mathias.

Mathias laughed as he left the room. "I'm on it, Lukas."

Lukas laid there and grumbled to himself for a few moments about the frustrating Dane. Yet why was Mathias so charming at the same time. It almost made Lukas regret yelling at him. Almost. Lukas still felt Mathias deserved all of the yelling most of the time. After all, it was Mathias's frustratingness that triggered the yelling. But to Lukas it seemed as if Mathias enjoyed being yelled at by Lukas, and that was something that Lukas didn't exactly understand.

Then again there was that side of Mathias that Lukas just adored. It was the crazy hairstyles that he would sculpt his hair into, or that wide smile of his. Maybe it was also those icy blue eyes that made Lukas feel like he was flying. He just didn't know what he was doing whenever Mathias looked at him. He forgot everything except for Mathias and would revert to being a babbling idiot if he didn't have all of his wits immediately return to him.

"One day, I'll tell you," Lukas softly vowed to himself. "I'll tell you exactly what I feel."

Mathias came back in a few minutes later. He was carrying a small, white bucket. "Here you go. The crew member I ran into sends his regards."

"What did you tell him?" Lukas asked, fighting the urge to sit up and beat the shit out of the smiling Dane. He knew he would get nauseous if he even did so much as lift his head from the pillow.

"I told him that I had a friend feeling a little seasick," Mathias said. "It's not that big of a deal. He said that made you the fifth passenger since we took off. So it's a common thing on these ships. You're fine. It's nothing to freak out over."

Lukas sighed. "Thank you for the bucket, Mathias." He wanted to say much more than that, but he just couldn't yet. He wanted to tell Mathias what he truly felt toward him. Those feelings he had been feeling for the past couple months wanted to make themselves known, but he felt it wasn't the best idea yet.

"You're welcome," Mathias said, grinning. "Mind if I sit on your bunk and keep you company?"

"I actually think I might like that," Lukas admitted. "Go ahead and sit with me. I won't argue with it." He didn't include how badly he wanted Mathias to sit with him, hoping that Mathias would just sit down with him for the rest of the afternoon.

"Sorry that you're not feeling well, Lukas," Mathias sighed, sitting on the edge of Lukas's bed. "I hope you get to feeling better soon." He frowned. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Just keep me company," Lukas sighed, trying to ignore the sickening aftertaste of vomit in his mouth. He knew there was nothing to make that go away that wouldn't make him even more sick than before. "That's all I really want right now."

Mathias smiled. "So you actually want me around to keep you company?" he teasingly asked. "I'll have to remember that."

Lukas really wished Mathias wouldn't tease him like that. It was getting him slightly flustered. "Oh, shut up," he sighed. He really hoped he wouldn't end up blushing. That would be the death of him. Then Mathias would know something was up, that was for sure.

Mathias grinned at him like a child. It infuriated Lukas how carefree he seemed. Why did Mathias get to be all carefree when Lukas would puke his guts out if he even stood up for longer than five minutes? It just wasn't fair! But at least Lukas had company.

.

A few days later, Lukas managed to stumble off of the ship with no help from Mathias, even though the Danish man offered to help him twice. He was still pale and not feeling his best, but he didn't want any help from anyone else. He was determined to do this all on his own.

"Look, you really don't look good," Mathias said after a couple blocks of walking. "We should just take a break and let you get used to land again soon."

"Stop worrying about me," Lukas sighed. "I'm fine." He was hit by a sudden wave of nausea and bent over, retching at the side of the road. There was nothing in his stomach to come up, though, so he was safe. "See? There is nothing left to come up. Not even bile, Mathias."

"You know, with most people, I would be disgusted by this kind of talk," Mathias began, "but with you it's different." He sighed. "I just wish you could be feeling better."

"I said to stop worrying," Lukas irritably snapped. He frowned and put a hand to his forehead. "Mathias, just listen to me. I'll be fine by tomorrow once I'm used to land." He started coughing at he retched into the street once more. "Just don't worry about me."

"No," Mathias said. "Fuck that! I will worry! You have no one but me here, Lukas. Who else is going to worry about you except for me?" He sighed. "So if you have a problem with me worrying about you, you can just shut the fuck up, because I'm not stopping."

Lukas felt a wave of relief wash over him, yet he didn't show it, knowing that Mathias would never let him live it down. "Fine. Be that way then."

"I will," Mathias insisted, crossing his arms. He frowned at Lukas, yet the worried expression on his face didn't leave. "Lukas, you're my best friend and the only person I know and have to talk to here. Of course I will fucking worry about you, okay?"

Lukas sighed. "I said fine," he groaned before coughing and retching once more. "Can we just find the military recruitment place?" He narrowed his eyes and looked ahead and saw two men walking down the street with a small Asian boy in a school uniform with a blanket wrapped around him. "Why don't we ask them?"

Mathias smiled. "Yeah, they're the only people I've seen since we've gotten off that damned ship anyway." He hurried over to them, grabbing Lukas's arm and pulling him along. "Excuse me!" he called out to the men. "Could we ask you a question?"

The taller man turned to them. He had blond hair and glasses. His blue eyes examined them as his shorter, blond companion sized them up with his emerald green eyes, placing a protective hand on the small Asian boy's shoulder.

"Sure thing!" the bespectacled man said. He smiled at them. "What is it I we can help you with?"

"Alfred, he's cold," the shorter man said, picking up the boy and hugging him close.

"Hey, I'll meet you at the flat," the first man, Alfred, said to the shorter man. "Get Leon home. I forgot how cold it is. I'll help these two and then be right there, okay?"

The shorter man sighed. "All right," he said. "Just don't take too long. I know how you love to talk to strangers."

"Oh, you know me so well," Alfred said with a smile. "Now go, get him home. I can see him shivering from here." He turned to Mathias and Lukas once the two people he was with continued walking. "What can I help you two gentlemen with?"

"Do you know where the military recruitment building is?" Mathias asked. "My friend and I just finished our training up in Sweden and are planning to join the British military."

Alfred's eyes widened. "You're serious? Wow! I'm in the American military! I can take you right there! It's down this street here!" He smiled widely, extending his hand. "I'm Private Alfred F. Jones! Pleasure to meet you! For a Swede, your English is great!"

"I'm actually Danish, and he's Norwegian," Mathias said, shaking Alfred's hand. "I'm Mathias Køhler, and this is my friend Lukas Bondevik."

"You sound like my brother," Alfred laughed. "He's Canadian, and he always corrects people when they say he's American." He grinned widely and led them down the street.

Lukas began coughing and retching once more, doubling over on the side of the street.

Alfred stopped in his tracks. "Hey! Woah! Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's getting used to being back on land," Mathias explained. "He was sick the whole time we were on the ship here."

"That's terrible," Alfred sympathized, frowning. "Does he need any help or anything?"

"He'll bite your head off if you offer it to him," Mathias warned. "You might not want to right now."

Lukas frowned. Was that how Mathias saw him, just some angry Norwegian guy? It hurt a little to hear him say something like that so casually, but he decided to shrug it off. Mathias probably didn't mean it in a hurtful way anyway. He just wished he could talk long enough to join the conversation with Mathias and Alfred, but he knew it would only make him retch and cough more. It bothered him even more. Mathias seemed to get along very well with Alfred, and it almost made him jealous how quickly the two just clicked. A jealous pang hit Lukas right in the heart. But why was he so jealous?

.

As Lukas and Mathias got to the base, Lukas felt exhausted. He was at least relieved that Alfred was gone, yet he regretted that he was unable to say a word to him. Alfred seemed nice enough, and it made him wish he could become friends with him. But Lukas always had trouble being friends with people. It partially made him wonder what made Mathias even want to be his friend.

"Mathias, am I as unfriendly as you made me sound?" Lukas softly asked that night as he laid down in his bunk. He was once more on the bottom bunk while Mathias was on the top due to there not being enough room in the separate barracks for them.

"As I made you sound?" Mathias asked. "What do you mean?" He poked his head down from the top bunk, hanging upside down so he could look at Lukas.

Lukas frowned. "You made me sound really unfriendly today is all," he softly said. "And I was wondering if that was how you really see me is all."

Mathias's eyes widened. "How about we take a walk?" he asked. He looked toward the window, and the sun was still up, just beginning to set. "I want to talk to you about something I should have told you back in Sweden. But it's best if it's just us."

Lukas sat up. "I think I can handle it," he said, nodding when he didn't feel nausea. He slowly got to his feet. "Let's go on that walk, Mathias."

The Dane giddily jumped down from the top bunk, grinning at Lukas as he landed in front of him. "Let's get going," he said, smiling.

The conversation didn't even start until the two were well away from the base and away from anyone. They were walking through the woods and found a nice clearing with a log they could sit on and talk.

"Now what did you want to talk about?" Lukas asked, sitting gingerly on the log. He didn't trust it. It looked old, and he didn't want to fall through the bark into a rotted out middle. Yet as he sat on it, it seemed sturdy enough.

"Look I don't really know how to say it," Mathias said, looking at Lukas. He sat at Lukas's feet and leaned against the log. "But I guess I've felt weird since I met you…"

Lukas's heart sped up a bit when Mathias said that. Could he be hinting at…? No, he couldn't be...That was impossible! "What are you talking about?"

"I don't care if you reject me from your life, and I know we're in a dangerous part of Europe to be talking about this, but I'll just come out and say it," Mathias said. "I feel the same way about you that Berwald feels about Tino. I always have, but I had to suppress it because I've been scared of how you would feel about it."

"What makes you think you can tell me this now?" Lukas asked, trying to add a tone of annoyance to his voice. He doubted he was doing a good job since his voice sounded slightly higher than normal.

"Tino dropped me a hint when we left home," Mathias softly said. "But don't be mad at him. He was only trying to help."

"Damn that little Finn! You're right, he is the tiny, dangerous one!" Lukas raged, clenching his fists. His face was beet red, and he didn't know what to do. "I should've known better than to talk to him! But he just seemed so kind and trustworthy!"

Mathias nodded. "Don't be fooled. He knows what he's doing," he said. "I've lived with him for four years, Lukas." He was quiet for a moment. "So I don't know what to do now that you know." He took a deep breath. "I guess I just want to hear you say it."

"Hear me say what?" Lukas asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Tell me how you feel about me," Mathias simply said.

Lukas's heart rate skyrocketed in his chest. There was no way he could say it out loud, especially to his face! Who cared if Mathias openly admitted his own feelings? Good for Mathias! Lukas was an entirely different person! He shook his head.

"Why not?" Mathias asked. "I told you."

"I'm not good with words," Lukas softly said, shaking his head. "I can't say it, Mathias. Please don't make me."

Mathias thought for a moment. "Then show me."

Lukas was shocked for a moment. Could he do that? Could he trust himself to do that? Could he convey all of that to the magnificent Dane with the perfect smile? He reached down and caressed Mathias's cheek in his hand. His hands cupped Mathias's face and leaned down before softly pressing his lips to his.

It was an experience like one Lukas had never known in his life! He felt so alive as he kissed that beautiful Danish man! He couldn't help himself as he kissed those lips over and over. He was so overwhelmed by those secret desires for Mathias that he just couldn't stop. It was like a strange addiction, an addiction to those soft, pink lips.

"Wow, Lukas," Mathias breathed when they pulled apart for air. "You sure are something. I should ask you to show me things more often, huh?"

Lukas blushed bright red. "Sh-Shut up, Mathias," he stammered at him. "You told me to show you, so I did."

"You sure as hell fucking did!" Mathias agreed, laughing. "And I loved every moment of it!"

"Stop, you're embarrassing me," Lukas softly said. He looked down into his lap and blushed even more, having aroused himself without realizing it. His hands immediately flew over his crotch.

"Oh, Lukas," Mathias sighed. "You too?" He smiled at him and turned to face him, positioning himself between the Norwegian's legs. "How about I help you with that? I can do you a nice favor in exchange for a favor for myself."

Lukas shook his head. "Not tonight," he softly said. "How about tomorrow? This will go away soon enough." He was pained by it, but tried not to show it.

"Look, blue balls hurt, Lukas," Mathias said. "I am just as aware of that as you. Let me help you with it." He reached for the button of Lukas's pants.

Lukas placed his hand on top of Mathias's. "Fine," he said. "Do it. I won't stop you."

Mathias grinned up at him before unbuttoning and unzipping Lukas's pants and removing his length from them. He inspected the erect member before licking at it gently, Lukas gripping the bark of the log tightly as he tried to contain moans that threatened to escape his throat. Moments later, Mathias took the entire length into his mouth.

Lukas had never felt something like that before. He was so overcome with pleasure that his eyes rolled back and everything went out of focus other than the feeling of Mathias lightly sucking on his member. A long moan escaped his mouth as he reached down and ran his fingers through Mathias's hair as he continued moaning out. And when he hit his climax and release, he moaned out Mathias's name, filling Mathias's mouth.

Mathias spit it out onto the ground and looked at Lukas. "Those moans of yours," he said. "I want to hear more of them."

"You do?" Lukas panted, smiling. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"All in due time, Lukas," Mathias said, smiling. He stood and held out a hand to Lukas. "But we should probably head back to the base now."

Lukas adjusted himself in his pants and buttoned and zipped them back up. "What about you, Mathias?" he asked.

"I'm fine," he said. "What mattered was that you were taken care of." He gestured to his crotch, where nothing was showing at all. "See? I'm fine." He leaned in and kissed Lukas. "Let's head back, shall we?"

Lukas smiled. He was so happy that Mathias had finally confessed to him like that. It made him so happy that he felt like singing and dancing, and that's exactly what he did.

"If I didn't care more than words can say,

If I didn't care, would I feel this way?

If this isn't love, then why do I thrill?

And what makes my head go round and round

While my heart stands still?

If I didn't care, would it be the same?

Would my every prayer begin and end with just your name?" Lukas sang.

"And would I be sure that this is love beyond compare?" Mathias sang back.

"Would all this be true if I didn't care for you?" they sang together before coming together to kiss.

And Lukas felt like, for the first time, he didn't need an airplane to fly.