Emil woke to his alarm blaring loudly. He groggily threw his hand from underneath the sheets to hit the snooze button. after failing miserably for the 5th time he decided to just wake up. He blinked a few times. He got up and looked at the clock 7:15. He sighed before walking over to the mirror that hung on his dresser, he looked at his reflection and yawned widely he stretched. It was the first day of school. They had only moved in a week ago and already everything was unpacked and arranged to everyone's liking. Emil walked to the door and went into the hall and went to the bathroom. He took a shower, brushed his hair, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and freshened up. Then he went back in his bedroom to get dressed before going downstairs for breakfast.

"Morning." Emil sat down at the small round table where his brother, mother and father were already sitting.

"Morning sweetie!~" His mom looked up from her food with a warm smile.

"Morning Emil." His father placed his newspaper down when Emil had walked in.

"Hey." Lukas didn't look up from his food even when Emil sat down across from him.

"So... You boys excited for your first day of school?" His mom asked after swallowing a spoonful of egg.

"Yep." Both brothers replied in sync.

"Wow you're both seniors! before we know it you'll be moving out and getting married! Oh promise you'll still visit us when we're old and alone!" His dad placed the back of his hand dramatically.

Everyone laughed. Soon after the laughter settled Emil pulled out his phone that had made a little bling to notify there was an unread text. It was from Mathias.

"Hey! Excited for school?"

Emil texted back. "Meh. It's school. I'm kinda nervous actually."

"Mm. I understand. So Ya guys settled yet?"

"Yea."

"GTG I have to get on the bus. Love you."

Emil smiled lightly. "Love you too."


Emil sat down at the table for lunch. This was it. He didn't have anyone to talk to. He wasn't in school with anyone he knew before and he hadn't really talked to anyone. He was okay sitting alone, honestly. But he kinda wanted someone to talk to. Then someone walked over. He had black hair that was slightly longer around his ears. He was wearing a gray tee-shirt with a band logo displayed on it that Emil didn't recognize. He had black jeans and red high tops. He sat down next to Emil and waved.

"Hello."

Emil looked at the kid more closely, he had brought a lunch from home that didn't look like anything Emil had seen before. The kid had dark brown eyes.

"Hey. I'm Emil."

The kid smiled. "I'm Li Xiao."

Emil smiled. "That's a cool name. Are you new too?"

"Yeah. I'm from Hong Kong I live with my brothers Im Yong Soo, and Tai my sisters Mei, and Lien and we live with our older brother Wang Yao. We used to live with Kiku too but he moved out a few years ago."

Emil giggled a little. "Must be hard with that many siblings. I have an older brother named Lukas he's a pain in the neck."

Xiao laughed too. "I'm the youngest out of all of them."

Emil's mouth gaped. "Woah..."

Xiao giggled at the reaction. "Yeah... They're hard, Especially Yao. He's a stick in the mud pretending he knows everything."

Emil snorted with laughter. There was only one other person he knew who could make him do that and it was Mathias and even then it took a lot of work. " Finally! That sounds just like Lukas, oh my god."

They carried on like that until lunch ended. They had a few classes together after that and talked after school before they had to go home.

"So are we friends?"

Xiao laughed. "Sure, you're only the first person who I've actually talked too today and you're funny. Funnier than my siblings I'll tell you that!"

"Pssh... You're family must know nothing about funny, I sure don't."

Emil thought for a moment. He had never been called funny by anyone but Mathias. And boyfriend or not Mathias was a little crazy. Not like Emil wasn't either.

"Haha. You're right. Welp, I gotta go. See ya."

Emil slung his backpack over one shoulder. "See ya."

Xiao got on his bike and rode off waving, Emil started walking the opposite direction waving back.

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

When Emil turned around a corner he took out his phone.

"Hey, I think I found a friend." Emil texted excitedly.

"Oh! That's great! Anything else?"

"No, aside from that no one really talked to me. Everyone was too busy saying hi to friends and figuring out classes. How bout you? How is everyone?"

"Great. Alfred and Mattie are fine. They say 'Hi' too. Gilbert almost got expelled for riding his skateboard in the hall. The usual really."

Emil smiled. But he frowned a bit when he felt his heart ache.

"Haha. Classic Gil..."

"Yea. It's not the same though. Not without you."

The pain in his heart became stronger.

"Yeah... It's so weird to get to school and not see you waiting by the front door with Tino and Berwald."

"They really miss you. I miss you."

Emil's heart burned like a flame.

"I miss you too."

He waited for Mathias' response. After a few minutes it finally came through.

"I love you. wanna Skype or something tonight?"

Emil lightened up at the idea. Even if they did it fairly often since Emil moved, He cherished the time he had to talk to Mathias face to face.

"Yes. I love you too."

"GTG :'("

"OK."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Emil put his phone back in his bag. His brain became lost in thought. Mostly about his old classmates and his new friend Xiao.

'Is this home sickness or longing?'