Sleep Starve

Chapter 18

Dislcaimer: I don't own Hetalia! Enjoy.

Emil and Li Xiao made fast friends.

Emil isn't sure why, or even how it happened, but one minute he was struggling to made conversation and the next he's treating this kid like he'd known him for his entire life. They made jokes and Li Xiao teases Emil on occasion with little to no retaliation other than a muttered 'tík' or hálfviti' because really, he has no good come backs.

He isn't sure why, but by the time that they got to where the road splits between their houses (already completely soaked), he didn't quite feel like he wanted to go home yet. Apparently his new found friend felt the same, because they merely ducked beneath the shelter of a shop. The worker at the register glared at them, as if they had come inside merely to make his life harder.

Indeed they did, when Li Xiao accidentally startled Emil by turning around too quickly and sending him crashing into a display of stuffed toys. They both scramble away and no one saw them, but the employee still glared daggers at them as if he knew it was them and wished them eternal damnation for it.

They left the shop shortly afterwards, still giggling, and even though the rain had lightened up considerably, it was still raining fairly hardly. They ran through the rain, having decided to go to Emil's house because, in all reality, it's closer and it doesn't look like the rain was going to let up anytime soon.

Besides, Lukas and Matthias were supposed to be out, so what was the harm of having Li Xiao drop by for a few hours?

Apparently more than Emil had expected.

They were only about halfway through the door when Emil realized that if they didn't change their close soon, the house would be full of puddles, no doubt angering his brother. Which was fine for Emil, as he has plenty of clothes to change into himself, but meant that Li Xiao would have to borrow his clothes.

He changed, then left Li Xiao with a pair of pants, a shirt, and an "I'm sorry, they might be a little big."

"Emil, you worry too much. You're literally apologizing to me because I wear smaller clothes than you." Li Xiao rolled his eyes.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize- that's the point of what I just said!"

"Sorry!" Escapes him before he can stop himself, and Emil excuses himself into the kitchen before Li Xiao can retaliate. 'Sorry' is almost always the right thing to say to his brother- why doesn't Li Xiao accept that he says the word maybe a little too often?

He started to make some hot chocolate; just because he was dry now didn't mean that he wasn't still cold.

Li Xiao came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, looking rather swamped in Emil's clothes. He couldn't help but smile at the sight, handing him a mug without a word.

Nodding his thanks, Li Xiao sat next to him at the table in silence.

Oddly enough, it was very much a comfortable silence, unlike those that he suffered whenever a family member tried to engage him in extensive conversation. Emil didn't like to waste words, something that he'd apparently inherited from his brother.

Li Xiao was someone he wouldn't mind 'wasting' words on, if he were up to breaking the silence.

"My brother should be home in a few hours."

Li Xiao nodded, tapping the rim of his cup. "What do you want to do until then?"

"I have no idea." He said frankly. "I've never actually had anyone over before." Emil was fairly sure that he was blushing, but he ignored it. So he'd never had anyone over before, big deal. Was it?

"Never?" Li Xiao didn't sound very surprised. "I haven't really either, but entertaining your siblings is a lot like having friends over, in my experiences."

Emil was unimpressed. "I'd hope not. That'd mean that my friend was annoying and trying to hard to have a conversation with me when I don't want to."

It was quiet for a minute, before Li Xiao laughed. And, oh Thor, Emil didn't want him to stop. The feeling of making someone- especially Li Xiao- laugh was amazing, and it made him happy. He laughed too, but more out of wonder to a new feeling and because he was happy than being amused by himself.

And while Emil had heard Li Xiao chuckle and give a small laugh, it was no where near as good on his ears as a full out laugh. His laugh was something that Emil could listen to for hours, he thought.

The sleeves of his sweater protected his hands from the bite of the hot chocolate, but after a few moment's speculation, he felt that the hot chocolate wasn't why he was feeling warm. As cheesy as it may have sounded, his heart was swelling with affection for Li Xiao and his body actually warmed at the sound and sight of his laugh and smile.

They ended up playing video games in the living room and, when his family got home and kicked them out so that they could watch T.V. (after they stared for a few moments), Emil even lent Li Xiao his laptop to play around on- a dangerous thing to do for any avid internet user- while he read yet another book.

Eventually it was time for him to go, as there was school the next day, and for once, Emil didn't want someone to get out of his hair. He'd actually miss Li Xiao's presence, which wasn't something he was accustom to. Missing people, it wasn't his thing. Probably because he'd never had anyone to miss before.

That's when he decided. This whole friendship thing? It wasn't nearly as hard and much more amazing than he'd initially thought.

A day or two late (honestly right now i haven't slept well for months jfc) and it's been too long since I've updated. I'm sorry you had to wait for so long! Hopefully I'll be back on top of updates soon. I'd love it if you could drop a review- I'll be up for nearly twenty four hours soon and it sucks, so it'd be much appreciate it, and it'd honestly make me feel a ton better.