If we said Tino's existence was a canvas; it was grey. If we said Tino was a colour; he was gray. He was every shade of monochrome personified. He stared around him with eyes that barely saw light. He spent every day in a weird haze. The days dragged: the days flew by in a blur.

He watched the door in some kind of expectation. He just knew it had to open again. He just knew it had to. But he knew that it could be centuries again until he saw his soft giant walk in.

How on Earth did he screw up a kiss? A kiss! One of the most basic procedures of human life and yet he messed it up… Just like he had messed up his dinner. Pouring his dinner into a bin, he pondered it further. Were his lips too dry?

Oh gosh.

What if Berwald felt no spark, no bliss, no pastel sky? What if Berwald felt no cliché, no dizziness, nothing? What if…

What if they were doomed? A ship to sink, an ornament to shatter, a peaceful mountain waiting to erupt into a volcano?

What if…

Tino found himself neglecting life. He knew that his usual reply of "Everything is great, how about you?" was not going to cover him this time as his sobs endeavoured to escape. In consequence he dodged every person he saw, whether it was a civilian or a normal country, and only ever noticed Hana.

"What is going to happen?" He asked his precious dog, sitting her on his lap and petting her. "Are we over? Did we ever 'begin'? What are 'we'? Why is everything that is so hypothetical… Well, why does it hurt so much?"

The dog looked at him blankly, her ears twitching as she tilted her head.

Poor little Tino did not know that worse was yet to come. However, as Tino looked at Hana's dark eyes, he knew something sinister was to happen…

Later his dreams confirmed this theory.

"Listen to me, Tino," Lukas said, in a dreamy field, sat on a bench. Tino's head whipped around, searching for his dream Berwald. Dream Berwald was different from real Berwald. Dream Berwald openly loved him. Dream Berwald was obvious with his emotions. Dream Berwald could never hurt him.

"Tino, you need to find Hanatamago a place to stay."

"Lukas, don't be silly. She's happy in my house."

Suddenly a familiar grey figure sat down next to Tino, so casually that Tino was offended. Silence, with his snarl and grey features, smiled down at him.

"It looks like I conquered your castle, hm?"

The Norwegian pulled Tino's gaze towards him and spoke in a grave manner.

"Your house will not be safe soon. You must give Hana to a kennel or Eduard. Please, just make sure she is safe."

Tino sighed to himself. Lukas always had a way of sneaking into his dreams to pass on messages. But was this Lukas' real magic or just Tino's brain? To be safe, Tino decided to ring Matthias to pick up Hana. Of course the Dane was as ever ecstatic to hear about getting a temporary pet to spoil. Something in Tino nagged him inside.

I should have asked Ludwig… But that would mean returning his calls…

Tino left the door unlocked for Matthias and lined everything he would need neatly at the door. He had kissed and hugged his precious doggy in advance and made his way upstairs. He always felt guilty when he cried in front of Hana for his baby always acted as if she had done something wrong. Silent tears trickled down his round cheeks as he nestled himself into his blanket kingdom. He smelt Berwald's side of the bed to imagine him beside him again. He traced the outline of the room as his head poked out a little, memorising every little detail from Berwald's clothes to their book collection. He looked to the window, which casted pure white light into his room, and memorised the patterns on the curtains. He made shapes in the lines and knew there was a demon lurking somewhere. Somewhere in those patterns on the curtains…

Tino felt something touch him. It grabbed him backwards slightly so his back was up against it. He screamed.

"Hush Tino, it's just ya old buddy!"

Tino huffed as he wiggled for room in Matthias' grasp. Matthias lightened his hold on him, now just resorting to stroking his back.

"I'll take good care of her, I promise."

"Good."

A few moments of silence passed, spent with Matthias stroking Tino's back. Tino felt words on the edge of his tongue. They were hopeless, meaningless, nothing.

"Why did I make him leave?" He asked the curtains on the wall, not moving his gaze from the shapes he had made in the lines.

"Maybe he just wants a little love? He's a man, y'know?"

"Yes, I know what gender he is." Tino replied, suddenly feeling a sickening sensation fill him. He was growing uncomfortable with the idea of telling Matthias his problems… for he didn't want to hear Matthias' answers. Regardless Matthias continued.

The Dane's warm breath tingled against Tino's ear as he whispered: "Well maybe he just wants to be held?"

Strong, large arms wrapped around the smaller man's waist, enveloping him in the affection and warmth he was so starved from. He adored getting this attention… But it wasn't Berwald- It was Matthias.

"Hmm, maybe." Tino's reply came out more as a sigh than a statement. He felt Matthias' body against his back. It felt reassuring but misleading. Something was happening that Tino knew it was outside of his domain of control.

"Poor little Tino. So small, so soft." Matthias purred in a slightly condescending manner, "Who would leave such a beautiful boy?"

"Oh Matthias! How can I screw up at something as simple as a kiss?" Tino felt his mouth exclaim without any planning from his brain. Tears ran down his face as he felt his breathing become shallow and quick. Oh gosh, why did he have to cry in front of someone else?

Due to them both being on their side, Matthias could only wipe away the tears from one of his cheeks. Tino still refused to turn around to look at him, concentrating on the lines of the curtains.

"There, there, buddy. I'm sure it wasn't your kisses. Have a little think of something else you could have done, hmm?"

Tino wept harder, not wanting to think about how he could have hurt Berwald.

"I'm so cruel to Berwald," He hiccupped in an uneven pitch, "I'm so awful!"

The other man wiped away his tears and hushed him.

"No, no Tino. Don't. Come on now, everything will be fine. There now." The Dane murmured softly as he brushed the Finn's soft, fine hair. A swift kiss landed onto Tino's temple. It felt good: it felt wrong. As Tino's sobs began to die down, Matthias spoke up once more. He leaned closer to Tino's ear.

"I've got a little problem that only you can help with, Tino."

Horns and bells rang internally for Tino. Something about that statement was truly menacing.

"How about we make a deal, hmm? I give you all the affection that Berwald never gave you. And in return, you pretend that you love me."

For a split second, Tino actually considered it. Matthias was handsome and quite fun to be around with when he wasn't fleeting away. If Tino combed down the Dane's wild hair and maybe closed one eye, he could look like Berwald too. His fingers stroked Matthias' pointed nose, relishing the sharp point.

B ut his stomach churned as if he had drunk rotten milk. Something was going on here, something different to what Matthias what letting on. His blood boiled inside of him and he felt his skin crawl.

"Something's not right here, Matthias. But thank you for the offer."

He could imagine Matthias' smirk behind him as Matthias replied: "What are you going to do about 'Su-san' then?"

The lines on the curtains can make pentagons, Tino realised in his madness. Lukas was right, something was going on in this house. For the next move seemed so out of character to Tino but yet so sinfully perfect. That point on Matthias' noise was so tempting, he saw the chance and took it. He stroked it once more until he brought his fist forward and smashed it against the Dane's face, feeling that beautiful point crumble against the back of his fist. A satisfying crunch echoed in the room.

" I want you to leave." Tino said calmly, as if he was addressing the curtains instead of a great Viking nation. He heard Matthias scuffle away to the bathroom to attend to his nose. A soft smile sat on his lips whilst his eyes glazed over with true dejection. He did not care about what had just happened, nor about what Matthias was up to. He just lay there, staring at the curtains, wondering what it meant to be dead.

His vision of the curtain and the pure white light became distorted as Matthias stood in front of Tino. He bent down so he was at level with the shorter man's face and grinned at him, blood dripping from his nose to his lips, contrasting with his teeth. Satisfied with himself, the bloodied man stole a kiss from Tino's lips. The Fin would be lying if he said he did not like the kiss but he would also be lying if he said he appreciated Matthias' blood dripping on to his soft cheeks.

"There's nothing wrong with your kisses, silly." Matthias grinned down at him, blood dripping and eyes scheming. He licked his lips, smirking at his latest conquest. The feeling of disgust swamped Tino's soul, now repulsed by Matthias and himself.

"Fudge off, Matt!"

Something flipped inside the taller man as he now gazed back down at Tino with a frown.

"Come on now, Tino. Berwald isn't here to baby you anymore. Why don't you swear?" He wiped some blood of his nose and grinned again, if not with a slight sadness in his eyes. "Berwald was right. You are a pathetic excuse of a man."

The Finnish man lurched out of the bed to hit him but the Dane dodged swiftly and pushed him back down on to the bed.

"I love you Tino."

The smaller man screamed at this statement, feeling his insanity slipping by him. He burst into a mess of sobs and choking on hot air. Matthias sat there and grinned down at him before leaving without another word.

Anyone else would have asked why the spikey-haired man had kissed him. Any other person would have questioned the minutes of madness that had just passed. Instead the fragile man lay there, wondering if he should have rung Ludwig after all.