Catching Up [Berwald]

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Timo went home from work that morning humming with happiness, playing with his phone in his pocket, waiting impatiently for Berwald’s text. Of course, typically, it came while he was asleep, but when he woke for work he sent an apologetic text back. Through infrequent and sporadic texts between Timo’s breaks they managed to set a time and place, but Timo didn’t stop texting after that, telling Berwald about the wasp that had got into the café after the delivery and about how the girl who worked next to him was expecting a baby. He always hated the impersonal look of abbreviations; so all of his texts were perfectly written, though peppered with smiley faces, even though he was aware of how much each one was costing him. It was worth it.

It was just as well that they left an hour between Timo’s shift ending and their meeting, because in the end he overslept and had to rush to work without a shower, so when the shift ended he ran home not just to change, but also to shower. He left the house only a little later than he’d hoped, light hair only towel dried and smelling strongly of his lily of the valley shampoo. His mother had always used it, and so he did too, even though it was his only indulgence these days. He was dressed in neat (if a little old) black trousers, a white shirt and his favourite blue sweater vest, his beret comfortably perched on his damp hair and his necklace hanging around his neck. He’d debated whether or not to wear it. He didn’t want it to seem like he’d only put it on because Berwald was there, but when he’d tried to leave the house without it he’d felt naked and had to rush back to get it. He was planning on hiding it under his shirt like he did at work when he got there.

But, typically, by the time he reached the café that they’d agreed to meet at, Timo had completely forgotten about it. Especially when he spotted the tall figure of Berwald just arriving too. Beaming, Timo jogged closer and waved, trying to catch his attention. “Berwald!” If possible he looked even more pleased about seeing him than he had done before, probably because he’d been anticipating this meeting, and all the texts had reminded him about just how much he’d missed the older man. It also no doubt helped that he’d finally got more than a couple of hours sleep, though there were still dark marks around Timo’s eyes. It would take more than one night to make up for all the years since he’d last really had enough sleep.

“It’s so good to see you again!” Timo said, happily as he came to a halt in front of Berwald, smiling up at him joyfully. “How’re you today? Hasn’t the weather been beautiful! I got to listen to the evening chorus as I walked over and it was really nice.” Timo was already happily babbling away, as though seven years apart had never really happened. “Let’s go inside! It’s a little chilly in the wind now the sun’s set.”

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Unsurprisingly, Berwald had been in an exceptionally good mood ever since meeting Timo again. Berwald texted Timo the second he had the chance to. However, he didn't receive an immediate reply, which sort of bothered him at first. Though after he thought more about it, he just came to the assumption that Timo must've been resting or working. He really hoped Timo was resting. Berwald had been worrying his head off about the small blond since the moment he noticed how fatigued Timo looked. It made him want to help Timo in any way that he could.

Eventually, Timo replied to Berwald's text. Though they had already set a time and place at some point, the two of them continued exchanging messages at random intervals – Berwald had guessed that Timo was only able to reply during his breaks. The blond felt a small smile tug at his lips every time he got a new message from Timo. He especially liked the strangely random ones because they were exactly like the kinds of things Timo tended to chatter about when they spoke in person.

He spent most of his dinner that night telling his parents about Timo and how the two of them had had a chance reunion earlier in the day. They both remembered Timo, fondly thinking back to the days when Berwald was still a teenager and practically connected to Timo at the hip. They were both glad that their son got back in touch with his old friend.

Berwald had spent a lot of the day thinking of his meeting with Timo as he worked. For some reason, thinking of the small blond made the hours fly by faster and the next thing Berwald knew, it was almost time for him to leave for the cafe he and Timo had agreed upon as their meeting place. He double checked himself in the mirror, finally deciding he looked presentable.

It was probably just ten seconds after arriving at the cafe that Berwald heard a familiar voice.

“Berwald!”

The tall blond waved back as Timo jogged closer to him. The first thing Berwald immediately noticed when Timo came to a stop in front of him was his silver cross necklace, it was not tucked into his shirt this time. “It's so good to see you again,” he said, smiling brightly. “S'good ta see ya, too,” Berwald replied, letting a tiny smile of his own curl his lips. He opted to just chuckle softly at Timo's adorable chattering instead of properly answering him. The small blond was so cute without even trying to be. He grunted softly, which was his own way of agreeing with Timo about moving inside.

“M'glad ta see yer st'll wear'ng that neckl'ce I g've ya,” Berwald mumbled, finally bringing it up since Timo didn't have it tucked under his shirt today. He tried to fight down the blush he knew was coming but predictably failed anyway.

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Berwald’s grunts and chuckles as a response to his conversation were familiar to Timo, even after all this time, and really just made him smile fondly. It was probably in response to Berwald’s quietness that he’d become quite so chatty – though he had been pretty bad to begin with. He didn’t mind carrying the conversation. It was better than awkward silence. “Oh, it smells nice!” He said, as they entered, enjoying the familiar mixed smells of cooking from his own café. Happily, he led the way inside, spotting a nice looking table in the corner where they could look out onto the street and heading over to it.

He blushed darkly when Berwald mentioned his necklace, his hand reaching up to hold onto the cross, which was smooth and warm under his touch from where he’d held onto it for comfort over the years. “A-ah, yes.” Timo hesitated, biting his lip, unsure whether to admit how often he wore it. “I like to wear it.” He said, finally, as he sat down. He pulled his hat off, his hair just slightly curled from where he’d had the hat over it wet. It was good to be out of the wind, though, especially with his hair still a little damp. Timo was usually quite good with cold weather, though he preferred to be snuggled up in plenty of layers for it, but with the wind chilling his hair it was harder to stay comfortable.

Pulling the menu over, Timo opened it a little nervously. He hadn’t eaten out for a long time, and he knew that the café that he worked at was really above his budget. Still… He didn’t want Berwald to worry. Perhaps he could just get a drink and something little, and then if he could get some extra shifts at the café he might be all right. He almost had enough for the rent, and he’d just been food shopping, so he could make that last until the end of the month.

“Have you been here before, Berwald?” He asked, looking up at him and smiling. “It all looks so good! Do you know what you want?” Perhaps Berwald wouldn’t be planning on having much to eat either, and then Timo could probably get away with just having a coffee. “I can never decide! The menu at my café has a really nice tomato soup, or a ham and pea one and I always want to have both, so one time I tried to mix them. It didn’t taste too bad, but I think it’d be better if it wasn’t a cream of tomato soup and if I just used a little.” Timo wasn’t a bad cook, per say, but he did have weird tastes sometimes. Still, he smiled cheerfully at Berwald, unaware. “That’s the best thing about working there, though. Sometimes I get some food to bring home! Well, that and all the nice customers. Do you get to meet nice people with your delivery job?” He asked.

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Berwald took one more deep breath of the cool, crisp air before following in after Timo. The weather really was wonderful that night. The tall blond had always liked chilly weather. He especially liked the feeling of cold wind on his skin, even when the weather was more nippy than most people were comfortable with. However, Berwald thought the warmth of the cafe was nice as well. He silently agreed with Timo, finding the smell of the cooking food appetizing and strangely comforting. He allowed the small blond to lead the way to a nice little spot in the corner. Though Berwald had blushed himself when he mentioned the silver cross, he found Timo's reaction - a blush even darker than his own - very amusing and, at the same time, endearing. He grunted in a pleased kind of way, very happy that Timo actually liked wearing the silver cross.

The tall blond watched Timo open a menu as he reached for one for himself. He flicked through the menu carefully, making sure to read everything on it. Berwald had always been very slow at placing his order whenever he ate out because he always wanted to make sure he ordered something he'd definitely enjoy. Ordering something and ending up not liking it made Berwald feel like he wasted money.

“Jus' once. S'been a wh'le s'nce then,” he answered, looking up from from his menu. He paused for a moment, thinking, before finally answering Timo's second inquiry. “'m n't sure ta be hon'st. 'm not th't h'ngry so I guess I'll ord'r someth'ng light,” the tall blond said as he began flicking through his menu again. He was planning on ordering at his usual pace but realized that, if he did, he would end up making Timo wait. With that particular thought in mind, he tried to decide on an order faster than usual.

Berwald felt his stomach do a few flips as he wondered what cream of tomato, ham and pea soup tasted like. 'Guess his tastes are st'll as str'nge as ev'r,' the older man thought fondly, feeling nostalgic. Berwald was glad to hear that Timo got to be around nice customers – the small blond really did not deserve one of those short-tempered customers that liked to yell at waiters and waitresses.

“I s'ppose I do but most of 'em are pr'tty m'ch jus' too scared ta h've a prop'r conv'rsation with me so I c'n't really know fer s're 'bout wheth'r they're nice or not. S'noth'ng new. Some a' th'm are n'ce enough ta pret'nd they're not scared, though. And there's th's old lady I l'ke who owns a sm'll grocery st're I alw'ys m'ke deliv'ries to,” Berwald said, kind of surprised that he was able to say so much.

For some reason, Berwald found himself taking a closer look at Timo. It was only then that the older man finally noticed the dark, heavy marks under the blond's purple eyes. “T'mo... Ya said ya w'rk two jobs but... exactly how m'ch do ya work? Ya look l'ke you should be sleep'ng instead a' meet'ng with me here,” Berwald said worriedly, feeling extremely concerned about his friend.

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Nodding happily when Berwald said that he only wanted something light, Timo relaxed instantly. That meant that he should be able to get away with just having a coffee, and he wouldn’t have to worry so much about how much it cost. Like any other person in the service industry, Timo had good customers and bad ones. It was just that he dwelt more on the good ones, and treated both types of people in the same way. A glower or a complaint was rarely enough to put Timo off, at least on the surface, and he tried not to take any personal comments home with him. He’d had a few bad times – night shifts had a tendency to draw out drunken customers, and Timo was left alone fairly regularly – but Timo didn’t mind, because as far as he was concerned the good far outweighed the bad.

He pouted a little to hear that Berwald wasn’t quite as lucky as him, but at the same time caught himself thinking happily about how much Berwald was talking to him at the moment. Sometimes it was a little hard to understand him, but Timo had easily enough got used to his way of speaking again at least. When they’d first started speaking it had taken Timo a while. “She sounds nice! I’m sorry some people are silly, but at least it’s not everyone!” Timo smiled at him brightly. “Maybe some of them will get better as they get used to you.”

The question about his work caught Timo off guard and he blushed again, embarrassed that Berwald was worried for him. He waved his hands to try and distract Berwalds attention, a little flustered. “I’m fine, really! I only work part time at the café, and it’s fun!” He tried to reassure him. He was tired, but he always was these days, and at least he’d had a decent sleep the night before. “I over slept this morning, so I had plenty of sleep then, and I’d much rather miss a couple of hours of sleep than not be able to see you.” Timo admitted, his blush darkening a little. “It’s been so long!”

Timo realised that he was just babbling on and embarrassing himself more, so he shut up and looked down as he rummaged in his pockets for his wallet. “A-ah, I think I’m just going to have a coffee, so I’ll go and get it now.” He said, standing up as he finally found his wallet. He knew Berwald was likely to take a while deciding on what he wanted, but all of the smells in the room were making Timo a little hungry and he wanted something to distract himself from them. Perhaps a coffee would wake him up enough to stop him from embarrassing himself quite as much again too.

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

'Ah. T'mo's so cute,' Berwald thought to himself when he saw a small pout form on his friend's lips. He vaguely wondered if it was normal that he found his friend so adorable. He shrugged the thought off quickly, though, intent on properly listening to every word Timo said. “Maybe...” Berwald said quietly, smiling softly at Timo's optimism. He truly didn't mind that people tended to avoid having conversations with him, he was just so used to it already. And he was terrible at talking and socializing anyway so he believed it was pretty much a good thing that most people were afraid to talk to him. For some reason, thinking of his aversion to social situations caused Berwald to start reminiscing about the past, back when he and Timo were still teenagers. Berwald had always thought that the two of them made a strange pair because while Timo was friendly and excellent at talking to people, he was stoic and quick to shy away from others.

Berwald caught himself thinking about how cute Timo was again as he watched his flustered friend try his best to reassure him that he was fine. The tall blond wasn't entirely convinced, though, because he was completely aware that Timo still looked so very tired. Berwald wanted so much to just escort the younger man home so he could sleep. The next thing Timo said, however, made him falter slightly. “...I'd much rather miss a couple of hours of sleep than not be able to see you. It's been so long!” the small blond said with a blush on his face.

Berwald immediately felt his cheeks heat up in turn. He wasn't even able to come up with a proper response for his friend. He was so happy about what Timo said that it was almost painfully embarrassing. Berwald only nodded, still unable to find his already barely used voice, as he watched Timo leave to buy coffee for himself. As soon as the small blond left, Berwald promptly began brooding about him since he was still incredibly concerned about his friend's health. Timo said his job at the cafe was only part time but what about his job at the toy factory? It seemed to Berwald that poor Timo was constantly working. The tall blond felt extremely uneasy at the thought. “I really w'nt ta help him...” Berwald absently mumbled under his breath, completely lost in his musings.

It took a few moments for Berwald to realize that he was spacing out. When he finally came back to his senses, he found himself staring at the menu in front of him. He had been so preoccupied with thinking about Timo that he completely forgot about picking something to order. 'Maybe I c'n jus' get a slice of cake or a sandw'ch or someth'ng...' he thought as he sighed softly, somewhat amazed that he was able to zone out like that.

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Perhaps if Timo wasn’t quite so embarrassed he might have noticed Berwald’s blush as well, but he kept his eyes on the table as he searched for his wallet, and on the battered object once he found it. It was a half hearted attempt to keep his own blush hidden, or at least make his embarrassment less obvious. As he made his way up to the counter a small frown settled on his lips, as he wondered just why it had made him so embarrassed. He was well aware that he hated people being worried for him, but this was much worse. Perhaps it was because he didn’t want Berwald to find out how much he was struggling to make rent some times. It was something Timo didn’t like to think about much himself. His grandfather had always used to terrify him with horror stories about bad little boys who ended up living on the dump, and there had been an awful couple of weeks, those weeks when he’d lived at school, when he hadn’t quite known what would happen to him. But then his boss had caught him trying to wash in the bathrooms at work, and for a dreadful moment Timo had thought he’d be fired, but instead his boss had offered him somewhere to live – and even discounted the rent so Timo could afford to live there. Timo did still regret having to drop out of school, but what choice had he had?

Glancing back at Berwald now, Timo smiled again to see that the other man seemed to have spaced out slightly, but didn’t have long to look before the waiter returned from clearing a table. Timo smiled brightly at him, and ordered himself a black coffee, trying not to look at the tasty looking sandwiches and cakes that were arrayed by the counter, his stomach reminding him that he’d only grabbed a quick breakfast that morning. Well, he’d eat when he got back.

Taking his coffee when it was made, and leaving a small tip, regretful that he couldn’t leave more, Timo returned to Berwald, smiling happily at him as he sat down again. At least his blush was mostly gone now! “Some of those sandwiches look really good!” He said, cheerfully, as he smelt his coffee, pleased that the waiter had listened to his request to make it strong, just like Timo liked it. “Have you decided what you want yet?” He asked. It’d be nice if Timo could offer to pay for Berwald, but even as a child Timo had never really been able to. The few times he had got pocket money after his mum died he had always spent it on his friends, and always Berwald in particular, and if Timo had had the money to pay rent this month already sorted he probably would have offered to pay, but he was always a little scared of not being able to make rent.

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Berwald grunted softly in acknowledgment of Timo returning to the table with a cup of coffee in his hands and a cheery smile on his face. “Some of those sandwiches look really good! Have you decided what you want yet?” Timo inquired, his adorable smile never leaving his face. Berwald inwardly agreed with the small blond. A lot of the sandwiches did look really good. It was part of the reason why he was having such a hard time deciding on what to get. He shook his head softly in response to Timo's question as he mumbled an apology, embarrassed for taking so long to decide. 'Hm, he really did mean jus' a coffee... Isn't he h'ngry?' Berwald wondered to himself as he observed the cup in Timo's hands, making a conscious effort of not frowning even slightly. He was aware that his face had the tendency to become even scarier when he frowned and the last thing he wanted to do was frighten Timo.

Berwald noted that his stomach always hurt after he drank coffee on an empty stomach. He didn't know for sure if Timo's stomach was as sensitive as his or if the small blond was even that hungry. But Berwald knew he wouldn't stop worrying about the younger man until he actually did something about it. However, it was then that the tall blond encountered somewhat of a problem. He didn't know how to bring up his concern for his friend without completely embarrassing himself. Berwald knew it wasn't bad to worry about Timo – What kind of friend would he be if he didn't? – but he also knew that he was starting to take his amount of worry to almost ridiculous levels. The tall blond remembered that things had been no different when the two of them were still teenagers. Berwald had always been the type to constantly worry about people he cared for.

'Ah! I could jus' off'r ta buy him someth'ng ta eat,' he thought, pleased that he was able come up with something not too embarrassing to say to the small blond. “D'you w'nt anyth'ng in particul'r, T'mo? Lemme treat ya ta someth'ng ta go w'th yer coffee,” Berwald mumbled. The tall blond was very far from rich but spending more than he expected probably wouldn't hurt his wallet too much. And since it was for Timo's sake, Berwald found himself not minding in the slightest that he was about to spend more. Even if it meant that he might have to dip into his savings again to make ends meet, the tall blond was more than willing to treat his friend to some food. He recalled all the times when Timo had been the one to spend money on him. 'He alw'ys used ta spend his pock't money on oth'rs, nev'r hims'lf... T'mo's alw'ys been... so kind. He des'rves ta be shown the s'me kindness,' Berwald thought to himself as he adjusted his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose.

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Timo was a little amused when Berwald apologised for not having decided yet. He didn’t mind waiting! He remembered that Berwald had always taken his time deciding and he was more than happy to wait again. Anyway, the longer Berwald took to decide, the longer they’d be together. Once Berwald had finished, Timo wouldn’t have much of an excuse not to go home and sleep, whether he wanted to spend more time with Berwald or not. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind waiting!” He reassured him, happily, still cupping his coffee and enjoying the smell of it. He could certainly handle coffee on an empty stomach, and there had been a few times when he hadn’t been able to afford food so had lived off the instant coffee he kept in his flat for a few days until his pay check came through. But then again Timo liked his coffee so thick it was practically a soup, and would happily drink five or six cups in a morning if he could afford it.

Embarrassingly, Timo found himself blushing a little again as Berwald offered to buy him something to eat. It was nice of him, and Timo hesitated. He didn’t want Berwald to have to spend money on him, but on the other hand Timo was hungry, and he didn’t want to upset Berwald by refusing the offer. “You don’t have to!” He said, quickly, not wanting Berwald to feel obliged. “B-but if you’re sure you want to… there’s a tuna sandwich that looks really nice?” He said, just a little shyly. It felt odd to ask something of someone. He usually avoided doing it unless he really was in serious trouble. But he’d noticed that sandwich not just because it looked tasty, but also because it’d been cheap, so he wouldn’t have to feel too bad about asking Berwald to pay for it. “Really, though, if you don’t want to, I don’t mind!” He said, just to make sure that Berwald knew that he didn’t have to.

((This was tougher than it probably should have been to write, and time kind of caught up on me, so I hope it’s all right. I know it’s a little short, and there’s probably some mistakes in it too, so I’m sorry!))

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

'C'nsid'rate as ev'r,' Berwald thought to himself as he grunted in response to Timo saying he really didn't mind waiting for him. Timo's words were reassuring but the tall blond still couldn't help but feel pretty bad about taking so long. He knew that prolonging their time together meant the younger blond would have less time to sleep. He had been worrying about the small blond since the two of them had been reunited so Berwald was still terribly aware that his friend looked like he needed a lot more sleep than he was getting. He was very, very happy that his friend genuinely wanted to spend time with him but the thought of Timo not getting enough rest made him feel horrible. But what bothered the older man the most was the fact that there was actually a part of him that wanted Timo to stick around longer than he had to. Even after all the years the two of them spent apart, Berwald could not deny that he still loved spending time with the younger man. 'Can't b'lieve I w'nt m're of his time wh'n I know he should be spend'ng it sleeping,' he thought, mentally scolding himself for being so selfish.

“I really w'nt ta, T'mo, so let me, 'kay?” Berwald mumbled softly, a small smile on his face. “Jus' a tuna sandw'ch? How 'bout cake? I'll get ya a slice of whatev'r ya w'nt. I could get ya a bowl of soup, too, or ev'n s'me pasta if that's wh't yer in the mood f'r. Jus' get whatev'r ya l'ke,” he said, fully set on spoiling the younger man as much as he could. “Don't th'nk 'bout how much ev'rything'll cost. S'fine, I really w'nt ta,” he added gently after a short pause, hoping that Timo wouldn't hesitate too much.

((Of course it's alright! Your posts are always amazing. <3 Please don't apologize! I should be the one apologizing for always taking forever to reply. ;;; I didn't see any mistakes so no worries. Also, your post isn't short at all! In fact, whenever I look at the stuff that other people post, I'm always just like: Aren't our posts a little bit too long?! XD))

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Nodding a little, Timo risked something he didn’t often do, and glanced up to meet Berwald’s eyes, his own shining with another smile. “Thank you, Berwald.” It didn’t make him feel any better about making Berwald buy things for him, but at least he was reassured that Berwald was all right with it. He still shook his head when Berwald tried to offer him something more though, still smiling. “Really, Berwald, it’s fine!” He said, happily. “It’s nice of you to get me a sandwich and I don’t need anything else.” He might still get something when he got home, but he wouldn’t need too much after that. There was no point in asking for something that he didn’t need after all!

And to distract Berwald from the subject a little, Timo reached over and gently nudged Berwald. “If you know what you want you should go and get it.” He said, happily, wondering if the other man had decided while they’d been talking. “Or if you’re still not sure, maybe looking at the sandwiches they have out under the case will help you decide?” He suggested, happily. He wasn’t trying to push Berwald to decide, he still didn’t mind waiting, but he did think that trying to encourage Berwald to think about what he wanted to eat might make him forget about pushing Timo to ask more of him. Really, it was bad enough that Timo had given in to asking Berwald to get him a sandwich! Timo would probably feel even worse about it when he got home and was by himself again.

((I don't think you can have too long posts. I like it, that's why I feel bad about writing less. XD;; When Timo can chatter more I'll be able to write more again though!))

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Berwald met Timo's gaze and, for once, did not let his eyes awkwardly drift away from the small blond's purple ones. “Thank you, Berwald.” The smile on the younger man's face could not be described as anything less than absolutely brilliant. As the older man looked into eyes bright with sincere gratitude, he felt a weird fluttering sensation in the pit of his stomach. The feeling was extremely foreign but he quickly decided that it wasn't unpleasant. “S'okay... Ya d'n't have ta thank me,” he mumbled, cheeks lightly tinging pink. As much as he loved receiving words of gratitude, the tall blond knew that he had never been any good at accepting them without feeling slightly embarrassed. He decided to take Timo's word for it when the younger man said that he didn't want anything else. He still couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at being denied the chance to do something more for his friend, though. He grunted softly in understanding.

Unfortunately, the tall blond still hadn't decided on anything to order yet so Timo's suggestion to look at the sandwiches displayed out under the case sounded like an excellent idea. “I'll do that,” Berwald said quietly, nodding a little as he set his menu aside. As he fished his wallet out of his pocket, a sudden thought came to mind. 'T'mo said he didn't w'nt anyth'ng else but maybe he'd be will'ng ta share a slice of cake w'th me,' Berwald thought as he adjusted his glasses again. “'m gett'ng a slice of cake ta go w'th m'sandw'ch. Let's spl't it, 'kay?” the older man said, standing up to leave so his friend wouldn't have a chance to argue. “Be right back,” he mumbled. Just as he was about to turn and leave the table, however, Berwald realized something. 'He bett'r not be frett'ng too m'ch 'bout th's,' he thought gravely. But Berwald figured that he knew Timo well enough to know that he probably was. Not really thinking his actions through, he let his hand reach out to touch the top of Timo's head. He ruffled the younger man's soft blond hair gently, affectionately. “Please don't w'rry 'bout it, T'mo. S'jus' a sandw'ch and s'me cake,” he said quietly. He withdrew his hand and briskly turned to walk to the counter.

It only took a minute or two of looking through the glass case for Berwald to finally choose a sandwich – ham with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and cheese – and a slice of cake – strawberry shortcake. The waiter let out a predictable yelp of fear when it was Berwald's turn to order but the tall blond went ahead, unaffected by the familiar reaction, and told the man what he wanted. “A h-ham sandwich, a tuna s-sandwich and a sl-slice of strawberry sh-shortcake... R-right away, s-sir!” the waiter stuttered, hurriedly moving away to start preparing the tall blond's order – and probably partly to escape his terrifying stare. Berwald took a few Sol out of his wallet as he waited.

((I like long posts, too! Berwald is always so quiet, though. XD I tend to make him chatty in his brain so I can come up with more stuff to write, LOL.))

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Humming happily as Berwald tried to brush off the thanks, Timo’s smile grew even brighter, and just a little fond. Berwald was always too modest when it came to praise in his opinion. “You deserve to be thanked, though!” He reassured him, finally looking away. Normally he didn’t have any problem with meeting people’s eyes, but for some reason Berwald’s had always made him feel a little odd, even after he was mostly used to Berwald’s terrifying look. Maybe he just felt guilty that he couldn’t seem to be completely comfortable around him.

“O-oh? Okay!” Sharing a cake sounded quite nice, Timo decided, his thoughts already causing him to drift away. He hadn’t had cake in a while, not for a couple of months, when they’d had some left over at the café and he’d been able to take them back with him, and they’d been a little stale because they were old. Maybe sharing it was something that might be more suited to couples, but Timo wasn’t fussed about that. Berwald had been – was still? – one of his best friends, and he felt comfortable around him. Sometimes if Berwald caught him off his guard he still felt the fear that had been his initial response to the other boy freeze him, but Timo always felt bad about that because he knew that Berwald would never hurt him. Happily lost in thoughts, he was surprised when Berwald turned back round to him, and couldn’t hold back from flinching slightly as the other blonde reached out, closing his eyes. He blushed darkly, realising what he’d done, and felt even worse when Berwald just ruffled his hair. That didn’t feel too bad – it actually felt rather nice – and Timo did lean into it a little, though he was aware his hair was still a little damp from his shower. “I’m not worrying!” He tried to reassure him, looking up at him with a soft blush once again covering his cheeks, but Berwald was already gone, heading up towards the counter.

Timo watched him hovering there, obviously trying to decide what to get, and made a pleased noise. It was good to finally have a moment to himself to take Berwald in. He’d grown up so tall! Of course, he’d always been tall, especially compared to Timo, but he was even taller now. He looked strong too, and Timo admired the way that he moved, wishing that he could be as strong and commanding as Berwald was. Or, well, perhaps a little less. He didn’t want to be quite as terrifying as Berwald could be! Maybe if they shared it out between them, they’d have one normal man. Realising he was staring, Timo looked away, back out onto the road. A fond smile formed on his lips as he remembered how close they’d been back at school. It’d be nice to have that closeness back, he’d like to just have the physical presence of him beside him for most of the day, knowing that Berwald was there with him, but they lived so far away it would be difficult. Still, having Berwald back was better than nothing! Timo would just have to find a way to juggle his two jobs and seeing him as often as possible. He didn’t want to invite Berwald home, though, as much as it would make his life easier and he’d feel guilty about doing it. His flat wasn’t nearly as nice as Berwald’s home, and considerably worse than either of the flats Timo’d lived in with his father. He’d be embarrassed to have Berwald round.

((Heee, yes! That works well. <3))

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Berwald hadn't been particularly excellent at math when he was still in school but, due to constantly calculating expenses in everyday situations, he had become quite adept at mentally adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing large numbers. It was a skill he developed for the sake of keeping all of his costs within budget. Every month, Berwald would make a very, very precise budget for his family that included all possible expenses for the specific month they were in. Each budget the tall blond made was so precise that buying an extra carton of milk could throw the whole thing off. There was hardly any allowance in the budget when it came to extra spending. If their small family went over budget with their groceries, they'd cut down on water. If they spent a little too much on a nice dinner out, they'd use less power around the house. And if no amount of adjusting their expenses could keep them in budget, Berwald would always just take on more delivery jobs to earn the Sol they lacked. After a minute of mental calculation, the tall blond was relieved to discover that the Sol he had spent so far wouldn't cause any adjustments to be made on the budget. He was surprised to find out that he even had a few extra Sol left over to spend on something else. However, it wasn't as though he would regret his decision to buy something for Timo, even if he had gone over budget. Berwald felt like he wouldn't mind taking on a third job just so he could afford to eat out more with the other blond.

Berwald let his gaze drift back to Timo as he waited for his order. The small blond was looking out onto the street with a smile on his face. He tried to follow Timo's line of sight, curious about what was putting that smile on his face. But Berwald found that he couldn't quite see that much of the street from where he was so he decided to turn his attentions back to his friend. He always felt himself get a little nostalgic whenever he observed the younger man. Until their very recent grand reunion, the two of them literally hadn't seen each other in years. The time they spent together as teenagers was almost dream-like to Berwald now. They had been through so much together. The tall blond wanted so much to just be close to Timo again. The younger man had been, was still and would probably always be his dearest friend.

The stuttering voice of the waiter who had taken his order brought him back to the present. “H-here's your order, s-sir!” the waiter said, nervously holding out a tray to the tall blond. Berwald grunted appreciatively as he took the tray with one of his hands and used the other one to pay. After receiving his change and leaving a tip (the waiter couldn't hide his shock at the fact that such a scary guy left him a tip at all), Berwald made his way back to Timo. “H'llo,” he greeted quietly, setting down the tray of food safely on the table and taking his seat again. He took the tuna sandwich he ordered for Timo and placed it in front of the younger blond. “Hope strawb'rry sh'rtcake's alr'ght w'th ya,” he mumbled as he gestured to the slice of cake with one of his hands.

[Timo Väinämöinen]

Looking up when Berwald returned, Timo clapped his hands happily when he saw the tray that he carried. Everything looked so good! His stomach gave a little rumble, reminding him again that he hadn’t eaten since his snatched breakfast that morning, and he blushed lightly, hoping that Berwald hadn’t heard that. “It’s more than all right!” He quickly agreed, moving to help Berwald clear the tray by picking up the plate of cake and putting it on the table. Once Berwald had removed his own sandwich, Timo put the tray to one side so it wouldn’t get in the way of their meal. “Thank you so much!” He beamed at Berwald again, waiting patiently for him to sit down so they could eat together. It reminded Timo a little of how they’d first met. Or the second time, rather. The first, Berwald had saved Timo from a few boys who decided that Timo looked like an easy target but had got frustrated when there was little more than a few cents in his wallet. Unfortunately one look at Berwald had sent Timo running for home, terrified. Of course, that meant that Timo had spent all night up worrying about it, feeling bad for how he’d reacted to the boy who came to his rescue, and when he’d spotted him eating alone at lunch the next day, Timo had nervously joined him to apologise and thank him. And though he was still scared, he’d returned the day after that too, until slowly but surely he began to become more comfortable around Berwald and they started to spend more time together.

Glancing over, Timo tried to work out what sandwich Berwald had got. “Is it ham?” He asked, curiously, looking back up at him. “I liked the look of that one a lot too! I bet you’ll enjoy it a lot!” Timo tucked a wayward strand of hair back behind his ears. Now it was almost dry it was getting a little wispy, but he was used to that. Since his hair was so light and so long it was hardly surprising. At least he’d had it cut relatively recently, so it wasn’t too long at the moment.

When Berwald was seated, Timo made a pleased noise, waited for a moment, and then picked up his sandwich to take a bite. He made a pleased noise as he ate, obviously enjoying it a lot. Fish was cheap on the island and Timo had always eaten a lot at home anyway, but he really did enjoy it anyway, and tuna in particular. Humming out as he swallowed, he looked up at Berwald. “It’s so good!” Maybe Timo was easily pleased, or just hungry, but it did seem like an especially delicious sandwich. Perhaps it was because Berwald had brought it for him?

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

“Yer welc'me,” Berwald said, feeling a small smile tug on his lips as he watched Timo beam gratefully at him. On normal days, the tall blond's expression hardly ever changed. Several days could go by without him cracking a single smile. But when he was around Timo, it was just easier for him to let some of his emotions escape and actually show on his face. Though the smiles that were meant for the small blond were reserved and never that bright or brilliant, they always meant a lot because Berwald only smiled for people he cared a lot about. There was no denying how much the older man had missed the small blond. Timo was the only person, aside from his parents, that could easily make his entire day. The younger man's cheery attitude, adorable chattering, endearing smile and... just everything about him; all of it made Berwald want to smile – and not just a small one, not the usual ghost of a smile that only curled his lips slightly, not the poor excuse for a smile that failed to completely express what he was really feeling. Berwald hoped that he could get over all of his awkwardness around the small blond someday and smile for him without holding any of his emotions back. The tall blond was truly thankful that he was given a chance to rekindle his friendship with Timo and possibly become even better friends with the younger man.

Berwald grunted, nodding a little in response to Timo's inquiry. He got himself settled at their table again and waited for Timo to start on his sandwich. After a short moment, the younger man picked up his tuna sandwich and bit into it. The pleased sound that Timo made brought another light smile to Berwald's lips. The older blond had a weird feeling that seeing Timo so happy made him happier than the younger man himself. He had always liked doing things to please the small blond because Timo's smile was always more than worth the effort. “M'glad ya seem ta l'ke it,” Berwald said, chuckling softly. He took his own sandwich and bit into it. He was glad to find that it tasted very good. “So... anyth'ng ya wanna talk 'bout in part'cul'r?” Berwald asked in good nature, hoping he could coax Timo into pleasantly chattering away like he always did.

((Sorry for the shortness, SOBBB. ;A; I really, really, really want to add more but... I have to get ready to leave now. OTL I promise I'll make my next post longer! Also, by the next time I PM you, I'll be in America already! XD So bye for now, Timo! <3 I'll probably get back on here within the next two days!))

[Timo Väinämöinen]

The slight smiles that Berwald gave were enough of an indication to Timo how Berwald felt. It had taken a while, but over the years he had gotten used to the small changes on Berwald’s face, and how to read them. The slight curve of Berwald’s lips meant as much to Timo as any brilliant smile from any other man, or perhaps even more since he knew that they really were just for him. Berwald’s smiles were precious precisely because they weren’t easy or bright like Timo’s own, they weren’t just for any one, and because Berwald put so much effort into them.

Nodding a little at Berwald’s inquiry, Timo swallowed, and then beamed at him. “I have so much to tell you!” He said, happily. They still had years and years to catch up on, after all. Leaning in closer, trying to close the gap that the table created between them, for a moment Timo thought back to all those hours they’d spent in the school cafeteria. Maybe things hadn’t changed so much after all. “Hmm, let’s see, now.” He said, squirming a little, trying to decide what to tell Berwald first. “Oh, I guess I should tell you about my boss first! He’s a really nice man. He helped me when I need to find a flat, and he’s been really good with giving me all the hours I need too.” Taking another bite from his sandwich, Timo was distracted enough by his thoughts to let a little of his hunger show, eating more quickly than usual, although that was also so he could swallow and continue. “His name’s Will. I want you both to meet one day!” He wasn’t so sure they’d get along that well, but Timo wanted to believe that they would because they were both very important to him. In some ways, Will had taken the place of his father, and Timo trusted him perhaps too much.

“Oh, and my job’s really fun! I get to make toys for all the children. We were really busy last month making little toy lanterns for them to buy at the marketplace, but we’ve started making Christmas presents for this year now.” He said, squirming happily. Christmas was only just over for this year, but Timo was always looking forward to Christmas. “I get to paint all the toys!” He’d always had a bit of a creative streak, but it came more naturally to him in design than the actual crafting of things. Still, over the years he’d got pretty good at it, and while the job did get repetitive and tiring, Timo was too grateful for the job to complain too much. And he did get to make toys! He got to help make children happy!

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Berwald was happy to hear that Timo had such a nice boss. Even though he had never met the man, he was extremely grateful to him for being kind to his friend. He wasn't so keen on actually meeting Will, however. Berwald knew he was hardly any good at getting along with most people. But he firmly decided to himself that he would try to get along with Timo's boss as best as he could. The two of them meeting was probably of some amount of significance to the small blond because it seemed to Berwald that Will was important to the younger man. “M'glad he's good ta ya. I look forw'rd ta meet'ng 'im s'meday,” Berwald mumbled, nodding a little. The tall blond took another bite of his sandwich and chewed slowly as he continued listening intently to Timo talk.

Watching Timo energetically talk about his job at the factory made Berwald melt a little. He imagined the toys Timo painted bringing smiles to so many children's faces. The tall blond felt himself smiling softly at the thought in turn. But thinking of Timo painting ended up making his thoughts drift to wood carving. Berwald started building furniture long before he met Timo but he only took to carving small wooden figures a couple of years after the younger blond moved away. It was the embellishments he adorned on the furniture he made that inspired him to try carving figurines. He thought that the two tasks were alike anyway. He didn't carve sculptures as often as he built furniture but the tall blond had managed to become so talented at wood carving that people would say his miniature wooden sculptures of animals looked like they could spring to life at any moment. Berwald wondered if Timo would ever want to paint one of his sculptures. Or perhaps since the small blond was always around toys being manufactured, he could give him ideas about what to carve. Berwald didn't carve figurines too often because he had a hard time coming up with full three-dimensional images in his mind. He preferred carving detailed designs into the surfaces of the furniture he built.

The idea of telling Timo about his wood carving crossed Berwald's mind but, out of shyness, he decided against it. 'He'll f'nd out 'bout it ev'ntually,' the older man thought as he briefly recalled the wooden sculpture that sat on his work table back in the workshop – he had just started working on it earlier that day. It was his most recent project, the one he planned on giving to Timo when he was finished.

“S'good ta hear ya h've fun at yer job,” Berwald said after he swallowed another bite from his sandwich. The tall blond was feeling pleasantly nostalgic. Talking and eating with Timo like this reminded him of all the time they spent together in their old school's cafeteria. And that was when it finally hit Berwald. Didn't Timo want to be teacher when they were younger? He hurriedly searched through his memories and recalled one of the times the younger man mentioned his dream to teach. Berwald's mind went blank for a split second. What could have happened to Timo to make him have to give up on his dream? Due to his awkwardness, the tall blond wouldn't have wanted to bring up Timo's old dream but he was so caught up with his sudden realization that he didn't have a chance to thoroughly think about what he said next. “T'mo, I jus' rememb'red... I-I thought... ya w'nted ta be a teach'r.”

[Timo Väinämöinen]

It was a pity that Berwald didn’t have the courage to tell Timo about his wood carving. That was the kind of thing that caught Timo’s imagination, and he would have been more than happy to help in any way he could – in painting, or in offering designs. Timo was always designing little cute animals and creatures, and he’d love to see how Berwald would render them in 3D. He’d always loved Berwald’s work anyway, though he loved most of all to watch Berwald work. There he seemed most at home, and Timo was always more than happy to see him truly comfortable.

Blinking at the sudden question, Timo was caught out about it. Trying to claim that he didn’t still want to be a teacher would be a lie, as would any way that immediately came to his mind to explain away his school record, and Timo hated lying at any time, but even more so to Berwald. A soft blush formed on his cheeks and he looked away as he realised a bit of a silence had formed between them, before the answer finally came to him. “I-I had to get a job pretty quickly.” He explained, fiddling with his hands under the desk, and hoping that Berwald wouldn’t ask any more. He realised that that probably made more questions than it answered, but at least it was the truth, and he didn’t have to tell Berwald about his failure to complete school. That still hurt Timo a little; he was disappointed with himself. Then again, what else could he have done? It wasn’t even as though he could try and do college to catch up as he barely made rent as it was. Still… maybe one day, Timo thought, trying to be optimistic. Anyway, he probably wouldn’t have made a good teacher. Maybe he wouldn’t have liked his students, or they wouldn’t have liked him. Perhaps he wouldn’t have even got the grades to be one even if he had gotten to take his exams.

Timo forced a smile, and eyed the cake that sat between them as a distraction. Now he’d finished his sandwich he was looking forward to it, but he looked at Berwald again, waiting for him to finish. He wondered what the older man was planning to do with it, to cut it in half, or try and share the plate between them. He was a little worried about that. He didn’t want to cause any awkward moments between them!

“How’s your sandwich?” Timo asked, not wanting to leave a silence between them. “We have one at work I think you might like. It has sardines and tomatoes in it! I tried it once, it was really good.” He smiled brightly. “I’m trying to convince my boss to make it into a toastie, but he’s refusing. I think he could add some cheese and it’d still be really good!” He said, happily speaking his thoughts again. “You should come and eat in my café sometime. If you want to, of course!” He added, quickly, a slight blush forming on his cheeks.

[Berwald Oxenstierna]

Berwald wanted to take his words back almost as soon as they left his lips. He mercilessly berated himself for bringing up a topic that was more than likely to be sensitive – and it did prove to be very sensitive, judging by the expression Timo was making. The older blond felt his heart pang painfully as Timo looked away, a light blush coloring his cheeks. The guilt he felt gnawing viciously at his insides grew even more pronounced over the short silence between the two of them. As the tall blond was trying with everything he had to muster the courage and nerve to mumble out an awkward apology, Timo found his voice. “I-I had to get a job pretty quickly,” the small blond said somewhat shakily. Berwald felt his mouth go dry. Did that mean... Timo didn't get to finish school? The tall blond's stomach dropped at the thought. If the terrible ache in his chest was anything to go by, the amount of his guilt probably increased a hundredfold. As Berwald watched his friend force a smile, the guilt nearly became too much to bear. He wracked his mind for something – anything – to say to make Timo feel better but, as usual, the older man was at a loss for words. If the younger blond really hadn't finished school... Berwald couldn't even begin to comprehend exactly how Timo felt because what he had always wanted to do in life didn't require him to finish school.

The tall blond himself never finished college. His parents insisted on him finishing but Berwald decided to drop out after his first year. At the time, his parents weren't saying anything to him about their struggles to pay his tuition but he eventually found out about how much they were sacrificing to send him to school. Berwald promptly told them that he didn't need to finish school since he could just work at the woodwork shop. Since he wanted to support his parents and let them lead comfortable lives, it had been his initial plan to get a college degree so that he could have a higher paying job; and, because of his passion for woodworking, he had also intended to work at the woodwork shop, even if it was just as a side job. Of course, things didn't go as planned but Berwald still had his woodworking and he was more than happy with just that. He had always firmly believed that as long as he worked hard enough, he would be able to support his parents and himself. With Berwald juggling two jobs in the present day, his belief about hard work holds true since he and his parents are still getting by perfectly fine.

“How's your sandwich?” Timo asked, directing the topic elsewhere before Berwald had a chance to apologize properly. “S'good,” the tall blond mumbled, even though his guilt had somewhat ruined most of his appetite. However, the smile that formed on the small blond's face as he talked about a sandwich at his cafe made the older man feel a little better. Berwald took a small bite out of his sandwich as he listened to Timo talk, vaguely noticing that the younger man had already finished his own sandwich off. “You should come and eat in my cafe sometime. If you want to, of course!” Timo said, quickly adding the latter bit as a very light but noticeable blush dusted his cheeks. “Th't sounds nice... I'd l've ta drop by fer lunch or someth'ng soon,” Berwald said softly. “Oh, um... Ya can st'rt on the cake already if ya w'nt ta. Spl't it howev'r ya l'ke, I'll t'ke what's left,” he said, nudging the slice of cake closer to Timo.

The tall blond visibly hesitated before he continued speaking. “S'rry 'bout... th't topic I brought up a l'ttle while ago. W-w'sn't th'nking m'words through...” he said, swallowing nervously before speaking again, “I had ta get a job quickly, too... Dr'pped outta college aft'r m'f'rst year.” The tall blond had suddenly taken to staring intently at the slice of cake in between him and Timo while he spoke. He had never had any serious issues about dropping out of school before but the idea of Timo knowing about it actually made him feel ashamed. He was glad that he was able to say it to the small blond, however. For some reason, not telling Timo about how he dropped out of college was completely different from not telling him about his wood carving. Berwald figured that it was because Timo would learn about his wood carving eventually and because he had no idea when another chance to bring up his failure to finish college would come up. The tall blond just hoped that Timo wouldn't think too badly of him for dropping out.