(ReaderXNordics) 13: It all started with....

Cold Coffee




Berwald took the opportunity to take in what was (f/n)'s house. Her house wasn't very big, but apparently had a big garden behind the house.

The minute she had brought him home, she took him outside to the garden and told him to wait there while brewing him some homemade coffee.

After she brought out the coffee, they sat on a swing, the seat made of part of the tree bark the swing was hanging one, with white ropes and flowers entwined around them. The sunshine in the sky made the tree look majestic and glowing. It was quiet, with the wind blowing now and then. The birds occasionally chirped their tunes, making soft music. Flowers nearby swayed to the wind, as if they were dancing to an unknown waltz. This was the place that she loved coming when she had a good or a bad day. It calmed her, and she would always go back into the house feeling refreshed.

She hoped that Berwald would feel the same.

She'd never seen him outside the library, only seeing him work in the dusty confines of the library. His nose would be buried in some book or he would be busy cataloging some new book that he had just received. The only time he would go out was to go home. But sometimes, she wondered if he ever went home at all.

She always assumed that his 'home' was a small but spacious enough room in the library itself on the top floor, where nobody was allowed to go to (or haven't explored). She wondered, if he ever felt lonely at all.

He hadn't said a word when he was sitting next to her, occasionally sipping the coffee. She had left hers untouched, and it was starting to get cold.

Subtly looking at him, she took in his features as she drank her coffee. He had light blond hair and greenish-blue eyes. His pale skin complimented his features, and the thing she liked the most-he was a lot taller than her. Sure, he looked scary, but when he noticed she was staring and looked at her straight into her eyes...she didn't feel scared at all.

At first glance, she found him silent and difficult to understand. Looking into his pools of greenish-blue, she wondered if there was more to him that meets the eye. Was he the playful type? Wait, why would he be playful? He doesn't seem like that type at all! Another thing that made him stood out was whenever she saw him, he was reading a book about arguments or debates. Was he interested in those?

Slightly blushing, she realized that she had watched quite a lot. Either Berwald didn't notice it or he didn't know what to say, but he didn't comment on the fact that she was trying to hide her face behind her hair till her blush disappeared.

And the last thing she noted, he looked very familiar.

"Is something wrong?" Berwald spoke, watching her with equal intensity as she was watching him.

"I'm wondering...do you know Emil? I feel like we met before."

"We met. I was with the others when we came here for Emil."

"Oh...I'm..I'm sorry, I forgot..."

She lowered her head bashfully, mentally slapping herself for forgetting this one. How could she forget him?? And if it wasn't bad enough she actually pitied him...wondering if he ever had someone who would spend a lot of time with him or not. She mentally shook her head, and remembered Emil telling her that he was close to Tino.

"So, what country do you personify?"

"..Sweden.."

She noticed a flash, just a tiny flash or surprise in his eyes. Well, the fact about what he was surprised at, she knew. When Emil had told her he was a country, he expected her to...well...have an over-dramatic reaction. But no, she surprised him by calmly saying, 'Why didn't you tell me sooner? This is pretty cool.'

Which made him freak out and shaking her till she was dizzy and annoyed.

But, she was surprised that Berwald could be surprised. It didn't seem like...something he would usually do.

But then again, she didn't really know him, did she?

Her coffee was getting colder than ever. She quickly gulped down the remaining, seeing that the Swede had already finished his. Holding out her hand to take his cup, her eyes widened ever so slightly when he pulled back.

Instead, he grabbed her cup while she was still surprised, and made his way to the kitchen, all in a few seconds.

Now, how had that been possible?

Taking a look around for something she did not know, she sighed, breathed in and went into her kitchen, feeling refreshed, but confused in the same time. She took her time to go to the kitchen and when she arrived, the Swede was already wiping the cups and placing them in her cupboard.

Now, how did he know where she kept her cups?

"I opened the cupboard and checked..I guess..." he replied, and she looked at him in bewilderment, and wondered if she had accidentally said it out loud.

"No, you didn't...and I don't know how I know either."

She just stared at him, and he did the same. No words were exchanged. Their eyes, told each other everything. The door behind her was closed by the wind, and he just leaned on the counter.

Finally, he spoke.

"Would..you...like to come to my place sometime?"

She stared at him with a 'what?' expression. His stoic face didn't even move an inch.

But there was that ever so subtle blush starting to form on his face. Smiling, she went up to him, gave him a chaste kiss on his cheeks and muttered,

"I'd love to."