This is not what it looks like

[oxenstierna_b]

WHO: Berwald & Sindre
WHEN: 17th of July, afternoon
WHERE: Berwald's house
WHAT: Flower Egg looks like Tino temporarily. It's doing bad things to Berwald's sanity... and that was without Sindre finding out.
WARNINGS: There will be sex.

Comments

[talks_to_nisse]

Swearing as he searched his pockets, Sindre almost beat his hand against the door as he came up empty. How had he forgotten the key to Berwald's house when the whole point of coming here was to check up on him?

Taking out his own key and cellphone, Sindre silently berated himself as he bumped the lock. Just because Berwald had vanished a few days ago and then didn't call like he promised wasn't a reason to act stupid, his mounting anxiety wasn't any reason to forget something so basic.

Door open, Sindre slipped inside, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Not yet. Berwald hadn't been himself for too long now, and if he had to spy on him during one of his friend's moments of weakness to get a better idea of how to help, he would.

When he actually found Berwald, however, he had to bite the web between thumb and forefinger, hard, to keep the wounded noise from slipping out

[oxenstierna_b]

Flower Egg got up when Sindre spoke, a strangely blank expression on her face though her body shook with glee at seeing a familiar person. She tried to run to him, forgetting in her exitement what little she learned about moving in a human body, and only succeeded in falling of the sofa, letting out an alarmed little bark.

Berwald got up more slowly, staring first at Sindre with blank, worn horror, and then turning to Flower Egg because even she was easier to deal with than that terrible cold look Sindre was giving him. He pulled her back onto the sofa, patting her to calm her down.

As soon as her whimpers had quietened down, he turned to adress Sindre again.

"'s not Tino," Berwald told him, still so emotionally numb his voice came out flat and calm. It was absurd to tell him it was actually Flower Egg but... what else was he going to say. "it's Flower Egg. She's cursed."

[talks_to_nisse]

If Sindre hadn't known Tino, hadn't known that the other man would never do such a thing, he might have considered the possibility Tino was faking. But it was something Tino would never do, and there was no denying that the person with Berwald was acting like a dog.

The tight knot in his chest loosened at that train of thought, but it did not disappear. The person Berwald held might be Tino. He might merely be a close look-alike. He might even truly be Flower Egg.

But.

But.

Regardless of who it was, Berwald still clearly had no problems curling up with him on the couch. He didn't bother to let Sindre know where he was. He told Sindre to stay away. And, most damning, Berwald's face had screamed horror when he saw him.

"I see," was his only reply, his voice still coated with icy calm. "That makes everything perfectly acceptable. That perfectly explains why you didn't want me here, why you wanted to wait."

[oxenstierna_b]

Sindre was angry. Berwald wasn't sure he'd ever seen him like this, not at him at least. He wasn't even entirely clear on why... unless it was his silence. Suddenly he remembered the creature in the apartment. Maybe there had been other madness too, if things were anything like last year. He'd just left Sindre to deal with all that alone, what had he been even thinking.

He hadn't. He'd just not wanted to deal with explanations, and with someone else seeing the... mockery of Tino Flower Egg had been transformed into.

All that still wasn't a good enough excuse for what Berwald had done.

So this was how it would end then, he thought, before they'd even really begun anything. No more than you deserve, he thought, with something almost like vindictive satisfaction

[talks_to_nisse]

It was almost fascinating, Sindre couldn't help thinking, how he could actually see Berwald turn self-conscious. Shoulders hunching slightly, body turning just a hair more toward Sindre, but in hiding, not display.

He didn't think he'd ever understand how a man this attractive could go so long without understanding it.

Levering himself up on one elbow, Sindre took a moment to simply look. He didn't bother hiding what he was doing or his appreciation. He just hadn't had the opportunity to really see Berwald unclothed earlier, and so long as Berwald wasn't running for the shower he'd take a few moments now.

He didn't indulge for too long, however. He could see Berwald like this more often now that he had the right to, and he really wanted that shower. Pushing himself up to his feet, he turned and extended his hand for Berwald to grab.

"Let's go, then."

[oxenstierna_b]

There was something very absurd in walking through the house naked, holding hands. At least the sense of surreality was suitably distracting that Berwald didn't feel too embarrassed.

Still, when they got to the bathroom he breathed deeply, as reality reasserted itself. They were in the bathroom and going to shower and all was normal... wait, shower... together? Berwald gave a narrow eyed look at the shower space at the other end of the room, calculating in his mind if it was even a feasible idea, if Sindre wanted to... the shower was over the bathtub, and while they might fit they'd have to be quite close.

...Berwald might be the only person to worry about being close in the shower after having sex

[talks_to_nisse]

Stepping over the lip of the tub, Sindre turned to face Berwald. His gaze landed on the marks darkening on Berwald's neck. His forehead creased slightly as he pressed his fingertips to the darkest one.

"These are going to bruise," he said softly, voice somehow pleased when he intended to sound apologetic.

Quite possibly

[oxenstierna_b]

Berwald shifted slightly, an indesicive motion that was neither towards or away from Sindre, as if he couldn't decide. His face became a studied mask of neutrality.

"'s ok," he said quietly, focusing on not blushing or otherwise showing what those words and tone did to him. Really, he wasn't sure what to think about it all... and he certainly wasn't ready to inspect closer why the thought of having these marks on his body so oddly appealing.