Archive of Our Own

He couldn’t believe the day was coming so fast. He had no IDEA how he got himself into this mess. Somehow he had become a mail order bride. He was going to be leaving the day after tomorrow and he was a bundle of nerves. He was moving to Sweden. Sure it had to be better than Russia but still… He was a man dammit! Not a woman! He could never be someone’s wife! This had been frustrating him to no end! He started packing the last of his things in an IKEA box. How fitting. He sarcastically laughed to himself.

Tomorrow was fast approaching, and Berwald had so much to do. He had completely remodeled his small house, a cottage really, set at the edge of town and surrounded with nearly pristine woodland. The garden was neatly tended, except a few quaint holes added by a mischievous white puppy.
The tall Swede sighed, wiping his fair-skinned forehead. There, the bedroom was done. Simply but tastefully decorated, the whole room featured hardwood everything - two homemade nightstands, a dresser and an extra long sleigh-style bed he had made himself. Rubbing his thumb on a spot that he could never get perfect, he frowns a bit, and looks in the mirror. Matthias had told him he should start smiling more, but he just didn't have a reason to. Yet.

He sighed as he placed his favorite white hat on his head and looked in the mirror. He definitely wasn't a girl! But some of his features weren't very manly either. He grumbled maybe it won’t work out and the guy will send him home. He grabbed his carry on bag for the plane trip and slung it over his shoulder. The rest of the boxes would come later.

Berwald busily put the finishing touches on the simple white sign that read “Väinämöinen”. Into his car he went, a simple dark blue Volvo with soft, warm seats, and started toward the airport. The little white puppy watched out the bay living room window, a sad expression on her cute little face because ‘daddy’ was leaving.

At the airport, the tall Swede stood a small distance from the exit gate and held the sign. How had Matthias convinced him to participate in the whole mail-order bride thing, he’ll never know. He wasn’t even sure if he would get along with the Finnish bride. All he knew was that the young man’s name was Timo, he was blonde with the prettiest violet eyes Berwald had ever seen and a smile that could make glaciers melt. He shifted nervously, not knowing what to expect.

He was nervous and fidgeting in his seat as the plane landed and pulled into the gate. He should have refused, he should have never even gotten into this mess. If he had just stayed with Ivan at least he’d be free, well sort of. The light came on that he could unbuckle his seatbelt and leave the plane. He stood on his tiptoes to reach his carry on bag that was above his head and started for the door. He had saw that the man who “ordered” him was tall, that would be nice. He blushed and got mad at himself for admitting that he was short. Another complex of his; he found himself short and plain looking, with fat in odd places for a male.

Deep in his own thoughts as he walked out of the terminal he almost didn’t notice his name “Väinämöinen” on a white sign high above the crowd. He gulped, maybe if he just hid, the giant Swedish man would leave thinking he never came. He could take the next plane back to Finland. The freakishly tall man had a scary face; so stern and uncaring. Pictures of bondage flashed through his mind. He definitely wanted nothing to do with that! But something about those Ice-blue almost green eyes behind the glasses made him gravitate to him.

Berwald checked his cell phone for the time, glancing up to the New Arrivals flight board. He should be coming along any time now, and now the giant of a man was getting nervous. How had Matthias convinced him this was a good idea again?! The Swede sighed, looking around for those pretty violet eyes. The young man, Timo, had seemed alright through the site, messages and all, but how would he be face to face? Great, now he was getting nervous. Glancing around the small airport, he caught a flash of violet glancing nervously in his direction. He held the sign up a little higher, which wasn't difficult given his stature, and hoped the person sheepishly walking toward him might be Timo.

“H-haloo,” Timo stammered as he walked up to the tall intimidating man, not making eye contact. “A-are you Berwald Oxenstierna?” He sounded the strange name out slowly hoping he wouldn’t anger the scary-faced man. Up close he was even taller than he thought. He’s eyes were level with the other man’s chest. Somehow this irritated him even through all his nervousness. He cautiously looked up at the Swede. He’s face was rough looking with sharp edges, even though that face was menacing there was something almost… cute about him. The Fin blushed.

"Ja, 'm B'rw'ld. Ya 're T'mo V'n'm'nen?" he asked quietly, massacring the poor Fin's last name. The giant of a man had to look down at the seemingly shy blonde, and he didn't realize his own actions when his roughly calloused hand lightly brushed those pink-tinged cheeks. Berwald was surprised at how soft and warm those cheeks were.

The Swede smelled of freshly cut wood, with a hint of lavender, probably from soap. He lowered the sign, letting it just tuck under his arm. "D' ya h've l'ggage?" he said after an almost painful silence.

Timo automatically leaned into his touch but seconds later blushed and turned away. The large hands of the Swede were gentle but he could tell he did a lot with his hands. Unlike the Fin who generally didn't make much with his hands. He smelled good too which made him blush more.

The shorter man snapped out of his thoughts at the question, "Uh, n-no. Just my carry on. I-i'm having some boxes sent to your house... if that's ok?" He'd hoped it was alright that he could keep some of his things from home.

He let his hand fall softly, and reached for the carry on luggage. " 'Lr'ght, I'll c'rry 't f'r ya th'n. I'll b'ld ya sh'lves f'r yer st'ff too, 'f ya w'nt." his voice was reasonably deep, but didn't seem to carry much emotion. He took the handle of the carry on in his hand, and looked across the reasonably vacant airport. " 'Ts g'ttin' l'te, sh'll w' go?"

Timo decided he liked the pitch of the other man's voice, but his accent was so think it was hard to understand him completely. He nodded at the question but wanted to protest about his bag. It wasn't that heavy, he could carry it. But he was too tired to care too much at the moment. They walked silently to the taller man's car. "I got it." The Fin snapped as the Swede made to open the door for him. He shouldn't have done that, the look on the other man's face was, he thought, murderous. "I mean, sorry. Y-you don't have to do things for me. I'm a man, I can do it." He quickly added hoping the tall blonde wouldn't hit him.

Berwald's hand brushed the door handle, but retreated when Timo rather assertively said he could do it. " 'Lr'ght." he said simply, no anger in his voice. If anything, there might almost have been a bit of disappointment. He placed the carry on in the back seat and walked around to the driver's side, having to really bend to get into the driver's seat. Obviously, the designers of the vehicle hadn't meant for someone as tall as Berwald to *ever* attempt to drive it, and he had to sit a bit awkwardly as the seat didn't go back quite far enough.

The Swede went to say something to the shorter man, but ended up just shaking his head and starting the car. He wanted to know why those violet eyes had fear in them and why he had cringed after the door situation, but figured it was just nervousness so he remained quiet.

" 'Re ya h'ngry?" he asked after a pregnant pause, having driven no more than a few blocks from the airport. They were along a long stretch of seemingly empty roadway, fringed with dense woods and the occasional farmer's field. Berwald's small house was out in the middle of nowhere really, quiet solitude just the way he liked it.

" H'ope ya d'nt m'nd.." he slowed his speech, having difficulty with the pronunciation since it was largely vowels, "quiet" as he turned a corner widely, up into a driveway. The house set nestled amongst old growth trees, a humble little cottage with an unusual bay window. Peering out of that bay window, fogging the glass with her hot breath, was a little white puppy.

"W're h'me. Th'ts m'... our... dog..." he corrected, a tinge of pink crossing his face.

Timo thought about the question. Food hadn't even crossed his mind till now. "Y-yeah... I could eat." He glanced at the blue eyed man and turned back to the car window watching trees and wildlife go by as they drove. The shorter man tried not to fall asleep on the car ride home but it had been a long day. He was nervous however as to what would come next. Where was he taking him? Did he live in the middle of nowhere?! This did not sit well with the Fin. The Swede turned into a long gravel driveway. Timo could faintly hear the sound of a yapping dog a little ways away.

Berwald's home was quaint and he imagined children and a dog playing in the yard. Well clearly there would be no children... He saw a little white dog barking through a bay window, obviously happy to see his owner. "W-we have a dog?" A slight pink tinge came to his cheeks and he wore a small smile. He had always wanted a dog. "W-what's her name?"

" 'M n't r'lly a g'd c'k, s' I h'pe ya 'ren't a g'rmet..." he said with a bit of embarrassment as he slips from the car. He stretches, whacking his head on a low-hanging tree branch, a very colourful swedish profanity coming from his mouth. Rubbing the back of his head with a scowl, he opened the back of the car and withdrew Timo's carry on luggage.

"S'rry 'bout th't. I th'nk th't tr' h's it out f'r me..." he said, trying to make a joke but failing. Sitting on the sheltered front porch beside the awning-covered swing, obviously homemade as none offered such intricate woodwork anymore, were a series of boxes with Finnish and Swedish customs stickers, all bearing 'IKEA' on the side.

"Th're's yer st'ff, r'ght?" he asked as he walked toward the front door. Turning the knob as he had little need to lock it this far out in the countryside, a little white blur shot out and was against Timo's leg.

"H'n', g't d'wn... ya kn'w b'tter..." he says with a small sigh. "We d'nt g't v's'tors, she 'nly s's me..." Meanwhile, Hanatamago was absolutely and instantly smitten with the Fin, tail wagging a mile a minute and a doggy smile across her face. She yipped excitedly, paws back up on his leg to beg for cuddles.

Berwald sighed a little, embarrassed at her 'poor' behaviour, and hastily moved the few boxes inside to the simply decorated living room. All the wood looked old, the unique knotholes and old grains making each piece of furniture special and a work of art. Definitely the home of a lonely bachelor, warm decorations were nonexistent. In fact, there was little in the living room and kitchen but the bare essentials except one very old sword on the wall above the wide fieldstone fireplace and the soft pink basket in the corner belonging to Hanatamago. "It's a b't sp'rse..."

"That's ok, I can cook." Timo said nonchalantly as he too got out of the car. He winced when he saw Berwald hit his head. " Have you ever thought of trimming the tree branches so that doesn't keep happening." Noticing a small scratch on the tall man's head he frowned. "We'll have to clean that up when we get inside."

He followed the Swede to the front door and went to pick up one of the boxes when he was bombarded by a cute little white fluffy dog. He smiled as he picked her up and hugged her tight. "She's so adorable!" He laughed a little as her puppy kisses tickled his face.

Still holding Hanatamgo he gingerly walked around the house. It was a little barren. He would have to fix that. That is if Berwald let him. So far the tall 'scary' man had been pretty nice. He walked into the kitchen, well at least he would have all the appliances he would need to cook. He let Hana down as she began to squirm and took a peek in the fridge. He didn't have much. He'd have to ask if he could go grocery shopping tomorrow. "It looks like you have the makings for Swedish meatballs." He stated and started pulling things out of the fridge. Realizing he was probably being too forward he apologized, panicking a little. "I-i'm sorry! H-here I am just waltzing into your house, doing as I please."

"H've, j'st n'v'r g't t' it..." he said, putting pressure on the little cut after they were inside. Not bothering to put any medicine on it, he watched Hana for a bit as she and Timo explored the house together. "It's yer h'se too n'w, if ya l'ke it, th't is..." he said after a moment, pink creeping across his face. He distracted himself by rummaging through the fridge and pulling out a few ingredients, and setting them on the counter.

"R'ght... g'tta sh'w ya yer r'm" he said with a bit of realization, wandering down the simply decorated and short hallway to the point where three room doors stood in a square. He opened the door to the right first, revealing a perfectly clean bathroom with a large clawfoot iron tub and shower curtain, an old cast iron free-standing sink but a modern toilet. The second door he opened revealed his own room, with it's seemingly oversized sleigh bed in lighter-toned wood. Everything was deep, rich blue except the floor, which was a well-worn old wood.

Closing that door, he opened the one to the left, which contained another home-hewn bed and everything was done up in a paler blue and white. "I r'm'mber'd ya l'ke l'ght blue s' I t'k it t' m'nd wh'n I b'ght cl'th..." he said, sounding a little nervous even.

Timo followed him silently, Hanatamago in his arms, inspecting the bathroom as he walked by. It was a nice mix of old and modern. He liked it. After a long day a bath sounded nice. The second room Berwald showed him was his room with a HUGE bed. A slight blush came to his cheeks. He was glad they did not have to share a bed... yet. When they finally got to his room and the tall man opened the door to reveal a room that was perfect for him. "Th-this room is... for me? I-it's wonderful." The shorter man walked through the room examining everything. Hanatamago jumped onto Timo's new bed and made herself at home. He was almost in awe at how nice this person was being, so far. He had only been with him a few hours. 'So far so good', he thought.

Berwald was worried that Timo wouldn't like the room, as it shared a wall with his own and the kitchen. He hoped though that the window seat overlooking the side garden would be a bonus though, as the unusual collection of flowers made for a pretty summery burst of colour. "Th'ght ya m'ght l'ke yer 'wn r'm, c'se 'v'ryon' s'ys ah sn're at n'ght." he says after a long silence. He rubbed his arm a little, not really trying to look at Timo's round rump in those pants, but it was kind of unavoidable.

"Ah'll... c'rry in yer b'xes..." he manages, excusing himself wordlessly to the living room. Carrying in the box labeled 'bedroom', he sets it down on the floor. " H'pe th' dr'sser is b'g 'nuff. Ah c'n m'ke 'n'ther if it's n't..."

Hanatamago had made herself comfortable right in the middle of Timo's bed, forepaws crossed and looking very, very pleased with herself.

"It's a wonderful room." The purple eyed Fin said with a smile. "Don't worry about it, Ivan snored too." He paused, that was the worst thing he could have said! Talking about ones ex was a major taboo.

"Um... thank you. I really can get my own boxes. The dresser is beautiful and just fine." The shorter man suddenly felt very awkward and didn't know what to do with himself. "I'll be right back!" He ran past the tall Swede and went into the bathroom locking the door. 'Now what Timo?' He asked himself as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was tired and looked to be about 10 years older than he really was today. He really had gotten himself into a big mess.

Berwald watched Timo zoom past him, the bathroom door closing quickly. He hadn't even really made notice of the mention of an 'Ivan', assuming this person was a relative or something he'd have to ask about later. The Swede stepped from the tidy bedroom, knocking twice on the door lightly.
"W'ggle th' h'ndle, 'r it'll r'n f'rever..." he says before his footsteps fade down the hallway and into the kitchen. A few bumps and bangs could be heard, along with some muffled conversation and Hana's happy yips.

" Ah kn'w H'na, Ah kn'w. Ah'm 'n idiot, 'nd k'p s'yin' 'll th' wr'ng th'ngs..." the tall Swede was talking to the little dog, who kept getting bits of meatball mix tossed down to her. "'nd n'w T'mo pr'bly th'nks Ah'm w'rd 'r s'methin.." he said with a sigh, wiping his wide hands on the plain blue apron he'd tied around his waist. The meatballs were soon in a skillet, flavourful smells coming from the kitchen as the meat cooked and some pasta boiled. The sauce was even coming along nicely, a rarity as the Swede usually managed to screw up one of his favourite meals somehow. Another spoonful of pan drippings into the sauce, a sprinkle of salt than pepper.

Hearing footsteps in the hallway, he began to set the simple table for two. A slight tinge of pink crossed his face, thinking about the fact he was setting a place for a second person, his 'wife' even.

He had washed his face in hopes that it would help. His eyes were still red from crying. As he rounded the corner to the kitchen he could hear Berwald chatting with Hanatamago. It was almost like they were having a conversation as she was yapping back at him. It made Timo giggle a little. It also made the smaller man sad. What was he doing here intruding on this happy little family? Timo only hoped he could put his angst-y past behind him... and continue to make them happy.

"It smells good in here." He took a whiff of the air that smelled of homemade food. "So um, Su, what's your favorite food? So I know what to make you for meals." He smiled, not realizing he just gave the Swede a nickname.

Berwald turned a bit, hearing Timo's voice, looking over his shoulder. " M'ne? Sw'd'sh m'tb'lls 'nd surstromming 'n br'd" he said simply, while sampling the sauce with a spoon before pouring it over a dish full of the browned meatballs. "Wh't's yers? Ah'm n't th't g'd at c'king, b't Ah w'll try."

The meatballs and pasta now sitting on the table, a slight tinge of pink creeping across his cheeks as he pulled the chair out for the Fin to sit. The chairs were simple and functional, but the backrests were rather intricately carved with the motif of pine boughs. Each long pine needle was carved out in relief, creating a unique feel and touch. " 'M n't 'ny g'd 't m'king sw'd'sh m'tb'lls, 'v'n th'gh th'y're mah f'v'rite f'd..."

Timo mentally gagged at the word surstromming. That stuff was so disgusting! To each his own he thought. He's favorite treat was salmiakki. "Don't worry about, I can cook the meals." The Fin said with a slight blush. He really didn't mind cooking. And he thought he was rather good at it.
He sat in the chair hesitantly. He really was the 'wife' in this situation wasn't he. He tried to smile sweetly anyway. "I'm sure it's good Berwald." He took a small bite of the swedish meatball, chewed slowly, and swallowed. Well it wasn't the worst food he had... but it definitely wasn't the best either. "I-it tastes just fine." He lied. He knew exactly what ingredient was missing and what spice there was too much of. He'd have to teach him how to make them they way he does. The violet eyed man smiled to himself.

"What kind of food does Hanatamago eat?" The short man asked as he saw the taller man slip her some table food.

The tall Swede sat down opposite Timo and began to eat silently, a box of hot drink supplies on the table, and a steaming cup of water in a soft blue mug sitting by the Fin's plate. A metal hook hung from Berwald's, the slightly acidic smell of some very strong and very black tea mingling with the food. " T'ld ya Ah'm n't a v'ry g'd c'k... th're's s'meth'ng m'ssing..." he said after a few bites, frowning at his own cooking disappointment.

Speaking of Hanatamago, she was at Berwald's heel, looking up at him happily and wagging her tail. Wordlessly he placed down a second little plate that had been cooling just for her beside his own.
"H'na? She g'ts d'g f'd 'nd wh't'ver Ah'm h'ving f'r d'nner th't n'ght. She's a b't sp'led" he leaned down to stroke her head softly, quite affectionately and surprisingly tender for someone his size. The little pup yipped happily and chewed on a meatball without a care in the world.

After choosing a hot chocolate packet with mini marshmallows the Fin spoke without thinking again. “I can fix it for you, the meatballs I mean.” He blushed at his forwardness. “If you want me to I mean.” He glanced as the tall man, almost to tall to sit at the table, feed the small plate of food to the cute, white dog. “She really loves you.” Timo blushed again. He saw the love in both their eyes for each other. Hana wasn’t just a pet to Berwald, she was a family member. He smiled as he watched the two interact.

His last “family” didn’t work out. If you could call it a family. It was more like Timo was allowed to do whatever he liked as long has he came home to Ivan every night. The Russian made it very hard for Timo to trust and open up to people again. He never wanted to be taken advantage of like that again. The short man shivered at the thought. ‘Quit thinking about the past!’ he told himself. Berwald seemed like a very nice man, he was beginning to hope something good would come of this new leaf in life.

"Th't'd be gr't." he said, while finishing a last spoonful of gravy-laden pasta. The last few meatballs from his own plate, laced with gravy, went down to Hana's plate.

"She's b'n m' fr'nd f'r a wh'le now, s'nce Ah f'nd h'r in th' sn'w. Sh' w's s' t'ny, Ah c'ldn't l've h'r 'lone o'ts'de 'nd sh' n'v'r wn'ts t' go o't n'w." The aforementioned canine didn't care, and was busily lapping the thick gravy from the plate, little tail waving happily.

Finishing the tea that seemed strong enough to peel paint, the Swede soon was up and began to do the dishes without a word, Hana now laying under the table licking her muzzle in contentment.

Soon enough, the dishes were washed and dried, put away neatly in the cupboard again. Berwald frowned at the arrangement in the cupboard, since all the frequently-needed dishware was up at his height level, and Timo was shorter.

Looking over to the Fin, he hung up the damp dishcloth on a chrome-coloured ring. "Ya c'n redo th' c'pb'rds h'w ya l'ke, s' ya c'n r'ch st'ff. Th'y 're a m'ss 'nyw'y..." which was his own odd way of saying 'please make yourself at home'.

Timo had placed his finished plate on the floor for the white pup to lick up whatever was left on it. He was hoping to get her to like him more but Hanatamago seemed to snub her nose up at him. That was weird the blonde thought. He ended up just rinsing and washing his plate in the sink along with Berwald's.

"I-if you're ok with that. " The Fin used his violet eyes to glance at the everyday plates on the top shelf. "I might just do that tomorrow."

After dinner Timo decided to explore the rest of the house. It was small but cozy. The living room didn’t have much to look at though. There was a TV in the corner, when the Fin first arrived he wondered if there was even going to be electricity and running water. There was also a couch and a chair; both appeared to be handmade. “ You like to work with your hands a lot huh?” He questioned the tall Swede. “Do you do anything else in your spare time for fun?"

Berwald cleaned up the little bits of mess from dinner and let Hanatamago go outside to potty while Timo explored the house, returning inside just as the Finn was looking around the sparse living room. The Swede's hand rested on the back of the couch, thumb rubbing a swirl in the wood. "Ah m'ke f'rn'ture. M' dad t'ght me h'w t' do it." he said, looking at the callouses on his own paw-like hands. Not at all soft and delicate like the Finn's, his own almost looked deformed from the years of pulling splinters out and busted knuckles when a peice of lumber would slip.

" Ah 'v'n b'lt yer b'd 'nd th' dr'sser." he added as an afterthought, before moving Hana off the couch and onto a stool that was covered in white dog fluff. He patted the little dog on the head when she laid down, not caring she was evicted from the couch cushion. Berwald looked to Timo,
"H've a s't. It w'nt br'k, Ah pr'mise."

He picked up a small piece of wood from under the sofa and a small knife."Ah wh'ttle. N'v'r b'n g'd at it, so Ah try t' g't b'tter. Ah g'rden too, b't H'n' d'gs the h'les f'r me..." he said with almost a smile, looking to the little happy dog for a moment.

The small block of wood was a nice rustic rendition of Hana on her stool, although unfinished. Knife blade shaved off a tiny bit of the wood as his jaw set firmly, but not in any real expression except perhaps determination. He then sat the statue down beside her, on a small table. "Wh't d' ya do f'r f'n, T'mo?"

Timo blushed a little. What he liked to do was a little silly, but it was great fun! “W-what I like to do? Well I love sauna’s they’re so relaxing. I like watching the Moomins on tv too! Oh but my favorite thing to do; my friend Eduard and I would always get together at Ivan’s house and come up with fun festivals! Like, “May the fourth be with you” day, and random “Celebrate your toenails day!” It’s kind of cheesy but we would have a blast doing it!” The blonde kept rambling until he realized (or so he thought) that the Swede wasn’t really listening anymore. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to talk so much.” He sat in the chair and stared at his feet.

The violet eyed man was feeling awkward again until he yawned. “I think I’ll just go get ready for bed now.” He got up slowly and unsurely walked to his new bedroom. He unzipped his carry on bag where he had kept his pajamas in case his luggage and boxes were lost, he also grabbed his toothbrush and shuffled to the bathroom.

He sat on the toilet all thoughts of the day running through his mind. When he was finished he flushed the handle and changed out of his dirty clothes he had worn all day and put on a pair of pale blue pajama pants and shirt. Timo then fished in the medicine cabinet to find the toothpaste (he hoped Berwald wouldn’t mind him using it) and started brushing his teeth. He blinked suddenly realizing the toilet was still running. He remembered what the Swede had said about jiggling the handle so he tried that. It stopped running but now for some reason it was filling up, fast! It began to over flow. “Voi paska!” He cursed, now know what to do. “Vittu, vittu, vittu!”

Berwald had indeed been listening, even cracking a small smile with the unusual festival day ideas. Maybe he'll suggest a day for Hanatamago's love for digging in the garden sometime. "It's 'kay..." he started to say, unable to finish 'it's okay, you can talk all you want and I'll listen to whatever you have to say' before Timo yawned. Figuring the Finn was tired from the day's ventures, he nodded, "
'Lr'ght." he said simply, petting Hana for a few moments while Timo disappeared into the bathroom.

He ended up wandering to his bedroom and changed into just his pajama pants when he heard muffled vulgarities echoing from the bathroom. Out of his room in a flash, he heard the all-too-familiar sound of the toilet doing its rebellion with the overflow. Knocking on the door a few times, he frowned when he noticed the door was locked. "T'mo, ya 'kay? Ah hur w'ter. Did th' t'let m'ss up? Ah'll f'x it if ya 'pen th' d'r." he knocked again, "T'mo?" he said, sounding a bit worried.

Timo stood wide eyed like a deer in the headlights has he heard the knocking on the door. He panicked, what was he going to do?! This was turning into a horrible first day. He sloshed through the water to get to the door. Somehow he had gotten completely soaked. He‘s pale blue pajama shirt was clinging to his frame. He unlocked and slowly opened the door sheepishly. “I-I’m really sorry! I broke the toilet! I don’t know what happened! I’ll pay to get it fixed I promised!” The Finn flailed, he was nearly in tears. He just wanted this day to be over with. The giant Swede would surely send him home for this!

Berwald pulled the door open and squeezed past the soaked Finn, a tinge of pink across his face because of the way that thin cotton fabric clung to the smaller man's form. Hunched over the rapidly flowing toilet, he called it a pain in the ass in mumbled Swedish, lifting off the heavy porcelain lid and setting it aside. Reaching down into the tank, he paid little attention to the fact he wasn't even wearing a shirt and his pants were rapidly growing drenched with frigid water as he wriggled the stopper. Soon enough, the water quit flowing and the only noise left was his breathing and the faint dripping of water down everywhere.

" S'ok, th' th'ng n'ds r'pl'ced 'nyw'y. Ah'll fix it t'm'rrow." straightening up, he walked the few steps over to Timo and lightly touched his cheek with a wet (but clean) hand. "Dun cry, Ah br'k it 'll th' t'me. H'lp m' git t'wels t' cl'n up..." he grabbed several of the fluffy clean ones on the rack and tossed them rather uncerimoniously into the flood on the floor, he knelt and began mopping up the water. The tall Swede looked a bit awkward folded up so much, but he was glad he wasn't looking at his new bride, because the way the smaller man was standing, with a wet shirt, was damn hard to resist.

All the Finn could do is stare at the shirtless Swede work. He was very well built. He wouldn't mind being under him. He blushed, what was he thinking at a time like this!? He leaned into the larger hand ever so slightly. "I'm still sorry I broke." He whispered and began helping him dry the bathroom.

Timo yawned as they dried the last little bit of the floor. He felt like he might pass out right here. The Finn swayed and leaned against the wall for balance.

Soon the bathroom was back to right, minus a water stain on the wall that the Swede shrugged off with a mumble of 'it needed repainted anyway' in his unusual speech.

Noticing the small swayed a little, his arm stretched out to wrap around and steady him, pulling him close. "Ya 'kay?"

The smaller man blushed. He could feel his strong arm around him. "I-i'm fine, I'm just tired. I'm going to bed." He rushed to his room and shut the door. For some reason he was out of breath and slightly... aroused. The tall Swede was slowly becoming attractive to him. Besides his scary face he was a fine specimen of a man. He was being very nice to him too... he didn't deserve all this. He hardly knew the man and didn't want to rush things like he had with Ivan. Everything went right back to Ivan. The blonde lay on the bed and curled in a ball. He began to silently sob himself to sleep.

Berwald finished the bathroom up wordlessly, and leaned against Timo's door for a moment on his own way to his room. "God natt." he said quietly, before disappearing into his own room. Hana whimpered and scratched at Timo's door for a moment before nosing open Berwald's door and climbing up onto his very high bed with her little doggy stairs.

" Ah th'nk he h'tes m', H'n'..." he said mournfully, stroking her head softly. The tall Swede still hadn't put a shirt on, and the little white dog soon snuggled up against his chest, her own face tucked under his chin.

The next morning, Berwald was up bright and early as always. He showered quickly, his hair still scruffily messy from towel drying, when he ventured out into the kitchen to make coffee. Soon enough, the strong smell of black coffee filled the house, drifting down the hallway and out the open kitchen window. Freshly baked bread scents soon followed, along with the sounds and smells of bacon and Hana's persistent scratching at the Finnish man's door.

He awoke with a start hearing scratching at his door. Where was he?! What’s going on? This wasn’t his room! Timo sat straight up and looked around the room. The morning sun light was streaming in but it must have not been too late. He looked at the clock that sat on the homemade night stand by his bed, 7:58. Then it dawned on him where he was. "Oh yeah...", he mumbled rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He could smell coffee and desperately needed some and aspirin. The long day yesterday had given him a headache.

The Fin heard scratching and whimpering at the door again. It must have been the little white dog, Hana. He slowly rolled out of bed and didn't bother changing clothes yet. Not like the Swede won't ever see him in his pajamas. He slipped his feet into some slippers that sat by the bed and stumbled sleepily toward the door. "Hei pikkuinen." He smiled picking up the happier puppy now that he was awake. Hana licked his face and he giggled. "Pidän sinusta liikaa!"

The smell of coffee and bacon filled the whole house as he walked toward the kitchen, Hana still in his arms. He yawned and sat down in a chair by the table. "Hyvää huomenta, tuoksuu hyvälle! Voinko saada kahvin kiitos?" He automatically spoke in Finnish.

"God morgon. Ta för dig av kaffe." he said still a bit sleepy himself, speaking perfectly good but heavily accented Swedish. The tall man didn't bat an eye at the poetic flow of the Finnish tongue, but wordlessly pulled a coffee cup down for the Fin, a huge steaming cup of coffee sitting close to him as he continued breakfast. He poured a large cup of the strong black brew and set it before Timo as Hana bounded in, a bundle of furry energy and glee.

"M'rnin' H'n'." the Swede stroked the little dog's head with a single finger for a moment, before turning to the Finnish man. A timer buzzed, and he pulled a freshly baked whole-grain loaf out of the oven. Sitting on the table were mixed fares, more than enough to feed seven people, from traditional finnish and swedish breakfasts, to western things like bacon, eggs and cereal.

The swede wasn't properly dressed either, his skin tight undershirt clinging to his frame in all the right places, a button-down men's dress shirt hanging loose around his broad shoulders. Pants were unbelted, and hanging dangerously low. "Ah h'ope th're's s'meth'in ya w'll l'ke..."

As the Fin reached for a fish sandwich his violet eyes glanced over the Swede's body. He looked... dare he think it, sexy cooking breakfast in the morning. He shook his head a little, it was only 8 o'clock! He took a bit of the sandwich and chewed. It was bland, he have expected it since the meatballs the night before were too. He sipped his coffee and munched on his sandwich. He gulped his last mouth full down and stated. "I should take a shower and unpack. I still haven't settled in yet." He topped off his coffee and took it to the bathroom with him locking the door.

'Lets hope I don't flood the bathroom again.' He thought to himself trying to figure out the shower faucet. When it was turned on the shower head was obviously set for a tall man and he had to adjust it. The water felt nice on his skin, he could feel all the dirt and grime wash away. "Here's to a new life." He mumbled after he was clean and turned off the water. He reached for a large towel, dried himself off and wrapped it around his middle. As he brushed his teeth he realized... he had not brought clothes in with him to change. "Paska" he swore and opened the door just a crack to peek to see if anyone was around.

Berwald was finished with breakfast. He knew it was bland but he didn't want to ruin any of the Finnish foods, as he wasn't really sure of their preparation. The Swede ate in relative silence, nodding to the newest member of the house as he spoke.

Not needing to say anything much, the Swede picked up his own mess and Timo's as well, putting leftovers away and dishes in the sink to be washed. He was just passing the bathroom as the door opened, his bare abdomen right at Timo's face level.

"Ya n'd s'meth'ng?" he asked, having paused, a blush across his pale-skinned cheeks because Timo was clad in nought but a bath towel.

Timo tried not to panic but the tall man's well sculpted abdomen was right there. And he himself was only in a towel. He blushed red and stuttered over his words. "I-i forgot clothes t-to put on. I-i'll just... " In his panic he decided to just make a run for it and rushed to his room before his towel could slip off from around his waist. He panted as he shut the bedroom door behind him. The Fin was afraid he might die of a heart attack before the end of the week.

Berwald blinked, thinking he'd just seen a Finnish blur clad in just a towel run across his hallway, though he saw more bare ass than towel. A tinge of pink crossed his cheeks but he shook it off and walked to Timo's door. "Ya 'kay?" he asked, hearing the smaller man's heavy breathing on the other side of the door.

Hana barked at his feet, soon distracted by the little dog. "Ah kn'w H'na, 'tis th' d'y we go t' th' p'rk... Ah g'tta g't dr'ssed..." he knelt down to stroke her head for a moment, before wandering into his own room. He didn't bother to shut the door, plain forgetting to do so. The little dog was on his bed, happily in the center, watching her daddy get dressed.
He came out of the room a few minutes later clad in a pair of jeans and a lavender shirt that worked well with his violet eyes. Walking past the other man's room he noticed the door was open, and the tall Swede was wearing nothing but his boxers. He blushed and turned quickly toward the living room. A living alone out in the boonies why wouldn't he just leave his door open. Timo regained his composure quickly this time and made his way to the living room. He sat on the couch turning on the TV. Maybe there'd be some hockey on. The short man really had no idea what he was suppose to do with himself out here.

He was in luck, he found an old rerun of the Moomin's on TV. It was his favorite show as a child. Feeling nostalgia set it he was thinking a sauna sounded really nice sometime today.

The tall blonde soon wandered out of his room, the waist of his pants still unfastened, a tight t-shirt tucked loosely into them. A thinner flannel long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows hung loose and open around him as he made his way toward the living room. It really was sparse, wasn't it? He sighed a little, hastily fastening the pants since he didn't think Timo would want to see his blue boxers hanging out of his jeans.

"S' it w'rks." he said, sitting down on the sofa on the other side, Hana trotting in happily. "D'dnt th'nk it w'rked." he commented, starting the slow process of fastening up his shirt. It smelled nice and clean, and a bit like lavender and pine shavings.

Timo glanced at the other man. "Do you mean the TV? Was it broken?" He tilted his head a little. He spotted Hana and tried calling her to him. He really did like dogs and the little white fluffy puppy was the cutest he'd seen. He wished she liked him more. She was obviously a daddy's girl, so he gave up and went back to the subject on the TV. "What kind of shows do you like?" He asked trying to get to know the Swede a little bit better.

"Ah dun w'tch it m'ch." he said after a moment, picking up the little dog and placing her on his lap. His fingers trailed along her back from ears to tail. The little dog promptly parked herself on Berwald's lap, a single paw stretched out to try to touch Timo.

Timo smiled and reached out touching her paw lightly with his fingers. "Then... what do you do all day? Work I suppose? I'll do whatever you normally do... " He trailed off... maybe what he normally did was... no the man's been nice so far. He doubted he'd try anything funny at this point. But the Fin was bored already and wanting something to do. And he actually wanted to get to know this scary-faced man better. Especially since potentially he'd be here a very long time.

"Ah w'rk, 'nd g'rden m'stly..." he said while fingers trailed along Hana's ears and head mostly, the pup extremely pleased to be getting attention. "Wh't d' ya n'rmally do?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice. The tall man leaned against the back of the sturdy sofa, riverstone green eyes watching the violet-eyed man, gaze intent.

"Wh-what do I normally do? Lots of things I guess... Come up with new and exciting festivals, go to the sauna, hang out with Eduard and Erzsebeta, and on Christmas Eve..." He trailed off, he was getting way ahead of himself. "I like holidays and always try and make them big and fun!" The Finn added to save himself. Did he really just almost out himself as Santa Clause?! "Hey I know! We should go to the sauna! Have you ever been there? Is there one around?" Timo was practically bursting at the prospect of doing something familiar to him.

"Ah go t' 'ne 'ro'nd h're..." he grunted quietly, still petting the little white dog who had now rolled over onto her back all over Berwald's lap, and was lightly pawing towards the Finn.

The older woman who ran the sauna was always asking the Swede for little favours, fix this or tend to that. In exchange he got to hit the sauna as long as he wanted instead of for the short periods of time like everyone else. Berwald could lurk in the sauna damn near all day and enjoy his relative solitude. "W' c'n go if ya w'nt."

The violet eyed man truly smiled for the first time after arriving. His face lit up like a Christmas tree as he spoke. "Really?! We can go to the sauna? Can we go right now? Let me go find my things!" The Fin jumped up and without thinking hugged the Swedish man and dashed toward his room.

When Timo got to his room he realized what he had done and flailed blushing. The giant man hadn't said anything, though he really didn't have a chance to say anything. The Fin calmed down long enough to find the box with he's toiletries and essentials his pack for the sauna. After finding what he wanted he walked out back to the living room, face still red and still a bit flail-y from what he did.

The Swede watched with surprise as the Finn animatedly sprung from the sofa, hugged him and disappeared down the hallway. Berwald's face was red as an apple and felt as hot as the sun as he watched Timo dart down the hallway. After a silent minute or so, he ended up grabbing a small bag of belongings and a large box of tools. Setting them both by the door, he turned to practically run into the smaller man, the giant Swede still blushing fiercely.

"I.. ah... um... I'm ready." The Fin stammered and flailed, faced red. "A-are we ready to leave?" He looked away from the tall Swede as he took a step back. An automatic warning went off in his head that he was in the danger zone. Or so he would be if he were with Ivan. But he was not...who's to say that the Swedish man hadn't even thought of touching him in such a way yet. Timo began to panic over it... he was actually attracted to the tall man. If something bad happened... he might not have the will to get away.

"Sh'll we?" he asked softly, while opening the door for Timo and picking up all of the bags with ease. "Be g'd H'na, we'll b' b'ck l'ter. G'ard th' house." he said to the happy little dog, who could truthfully do little more than bite the ankle of an intruder. Even then, Hana was more likely to roll over for belly rubs than attack.

The tall man didn't make any moves on the Finn yet. He really didn't want to scare the violet-eyed man, who shied like a deer and had the soft eyes to match. Together they walked to the car, and the jade-eyed man opened the doors for the Finn, placing their belongings in the backseat. On the passenger side was a little basket with a doggy seat belt, obviously belonging to the small white fluffy dog.

The Fin saw the little doggie seat belt and smiled. "You really treat Hana like your own child don't you? That's really cute." So big, scary, Swedish man really did have a soft spot for something at least. Timo had noticed the man doting on the little fluffy dog and thought it was really sweet. A thought crossed his mind that he wouldn't mind the other blonde doting on him like that. He blushed and shook his head.

He silently looked out the window watching trees and shrubs go by as they headed to the sauna.

"H'na's m' 'nly fr'nd s'met'mes." the Swede said simply, as they were settling into the car. He backed the vehicle from the drive and began the 15 or so minute trip toward the sauna. Oh there were so many things the man wanted to say, to ask, to learn about the little Finnish man that had come to Sweden to be his wife. He just didn't have the words to say them.