Emil found himself sprinting once more. This time it was to meet his best friend. He found himself not gasping for air as he ran, it was a strange feeling. Maybe he was actually becoming in shape? That was strange.
Different thoughts ran through his mind. Why did Leon want to meet him? Why in the park? Why was it him? Was it because he needed to slap him? Well if it was he was prepared for that slap. He did kind of deserve it.
Emil could remember a time before events of that night where he would run this fast. It was when he was being chased by his tormentors. Those horrible children, they would often purposely wait for him to exit class or maybe even exit school before chasing him all the way back home. It was then that Matthias would chase them off while Lukas cheered Emil up.
Emil sighed, oh how he hated those days.
However, there was a time where something amazing happened and looking back to it, that wasn't so bad.
It was when Leon first became his friend.
-------(Flashback)--------
"Let me go!" Emil squealed as another child grabbed a handful of his sliver locks. Pulling the poor child down to the ground. Another child laughed then kicked his legs causing him to cry. Three children all waited for him outside his class. The poor boy huddled up into a ball on the ground, the kicks of the others hurt, but he didn't want them to see him crying.
"He still looks ugly as ever." The second voice commented
"I think it's that ugly sweater." The first looked at the sweater, Emil instantly grabbed onto it. He didn't want them to take his sweater, Lukas had worked incredibly hard in making it for him.
"We should take it and rip it off." The third voice suggested.
Suddenly Emil's hand was pulled back and he was met face to face with his tormentors. They were trying to tear his sweater off, however Emil wasn't going to back down he tried to swipe at the other children only to have him kicked even more.
"Hey, like, stop!" A voice shouted, Emil looked up his purple eyes met with the dark brown eyes of his saviour. The three bullies all looked back at the boy, who was much shorter than them in hight, yet despite being so minuscule the owner of that voice walked right over to Emil and stood in front of him. The boy opened his arms out then glared at the bullies.
"Leave him, like, alone!" He growled. "If you don't... I'll, like, make sure you do."
"Oh how cute." The first bully hissed, causing Emil to shiver. The boy picked up Emil then held his hand tightly.
"Don't look back. Let's go."
With that the two young children ran, adrenaline kicked in. They were both chased by those three bullies throughout the school, it wasn't until they crawled through a tight crevice that they were truly alone. The two boys just looked at each other before Emil burst out tears.
He tried to speak out, but only garbled words came out of his mouth. The other boy seemed to smile softly, however when Emil looked up, his smile turned to a frown.
"If I'm around they won't hurt you okay, so.. Like stay with me. U-uh I'm, like, Li Xiao Chun but you can call me Leon." He greeted, looking down at the sliver-haired crying boy in front of him.
"I-I will." He cried, hugging onto the other boy. Emil had been so lonely without any friends...
...and the truth was Leon was just as lonely.
-------(Flashback over)-------
Since when was Emil so unfit? He seemed to be coughing up a lung, he had ran so fast. Maybe he had jinxed it earlier, he shouldn't have thought that he was actually fit! He did skip many physical education lessons, and he didn't do a sport outside school. Well, that was unless you could consider binge watching television a sport well then he was physically fit.
"Ah.. Shit.." He cursed. Then looked up to see the park gates. He walked in, the dark of the night brought the park a different kind of perspective, it was a perspective of the fact that the park was incredibly scary. He finally saw him, he called out to the boy and the two of them locked eyes before Leon initiated contact.
The boy ran over to Emil then.. Embraced him tightly.
Emil stood there awkwardly, he had no idea what to do. The socially awkward teenager was even more confused when his socially awkward best friend hugged him. On a good day he expected at least a smile from Leon, however a hug. Was Leon drunk?
"I can't, like, stay long." Leon began, he smiled brightly then started into Emil's eyes. "So I have something to tell you.."
Emil suddenly turned red. He looked at Leon then, the other boy laughed.
"I had loads of, like, fun with you today!" Leon seemed happy to go to the party. However, it wasn't the thing that Emil was hoping for. He still smiled in return then Leon hugged him once more.
"If you're there next time..I'm sure I'll have fun again." He whispered, seemingly purring it in his ear as he walked off. Emil turned red, he was about to have a panic attack, it felt as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest and run off never to be seen again.
Emil wondered what Leon had meant. Did this mean he had hope?
Did this mean that Leon liked him...
...that would be amazing!
-------------
Emil had decided it would be best to return back to his room. He suddenly was feeling much better than before, maybe it was because he wasn't carrying the guilt of dragging Leon down with him any longer... Or maybe it was because he was just hugged by the love of his life.
He climbed up the tree that was conveniently placed beside his window. He slowly made his way across the branch then jumped into his room. He didn't know how long he had been gone for, all he knew was that most of his family had gone to bed and that Matthias was probably passed out on the couch with Lukas trying to sleep beside him.
Emil sighed as he lay down on his bed. Looking up to the dark ceiling. He managed to wiggle his way out of his clothes, then quickly changed into his pyjama's. They smelt nice, Tino must've washed them.
"I need to apologise.." He murmured, then could hear a voice on the other side of the door huff in response.
"You do." The voice agreed, Emil jumped out of his skin. Lukas was sitting outside his door?!
The sliver-haired male instantly jumped up, he ran over to his door and opened it. Lukas was sitting outside his door, huddled up. Emil looked down at him, and he just laughed.
"You know, I'm sorry for how I acted." Lukas apologised first. Emil could feel the tears swelling up. He bent down to his brother and hugged him tightly.
"I-I'm sorry.. I just.. Everyone was going to that party and I-I never really get to go anywhere... Then you guys you all are really cool and I always feel like I'm the distant one." Emil cried, Lukas was shocked by how easily the boy was admitting his feelings. Usually he was incredibly distant, always annoyed by the actions of the other members of his family and seemed to try and side with Berwald.
The sound of yapping alerted Lukas to a certain little dog.
Hanatamago came running down the hall, behind him Tino stood. The small Finnish man seemed to feel even worse than Emil or Lukas and it was obvious on his face. He walked over to the two brothers and sat down beside them, the family dog sitting on his lap.
"I'm so sorry." Tino apologised, recalling to his previous actions. "I did what I did because I wanted to protect you. You're so young, still so naïve, you haven't been through what I've been through.. It's a cruel world out there."
Emil agreed then realised how reckless he had been. Both Lukas and Tino were in fact the correct ones here and he didn't want to admit it. He sat in between the two of them, and that's when the three of them began to talk.
Lukas began to tell stories about his high school experience, and that 'one time' in junior high. Emil was officially scarred after that story and could never see Matthias or Lukas in the same light after that.
Tino joined in, explaining how he would do the same stupid things that Emil was doing. He explained that parents were just made to protect you, and since he never really had any parents, he relied heavily on Berwald and he explained that at one point he was in a bad spot. Apparently he was kidnapped by this incredibly scary guy, then forced to become apart of his 'empire' whatever that meant. However this guy lost all his power and when someone else took control he was free to leave.
Emil really didn't understand that story all too well, however Tino seemed to be incredibly into it.
Sitting out in the corridor, using the wall as back support. They talked until the early hours of the morning. That was until Emil had fallen asleep, then Lukas followed shortly after. Tino smiled as he was drifting off, Hanatamago sleeping on his lap.
Emil finally felt much better.
------(This is just a cute part I needed to add)------
Berwald had awoken to find his wife missing. With a heavy sigh he got up then picked out a large blanket, looking out into the hall he saw a charming sight. He picked out another large blanket.
After finally picking two suitable blankets, he walked out with into the hall. He spread one out and it covered all three of them with it. He knew that it was just barely encroaching onto August but the nights were cold and he didn't want any of them waking up with the shivers,
He kissed Tino's forehead before looking down at the other blanket. He made his way downstairs then noticed how Matthias was already shivering, after being passed out on the couch.
With a huff Berwald threw the other blanket over him. He sorted it out, and instantly Matthias had a large grin on his face. Berwald ruffled the others hair before heading back to his bed.
He had done what was needed.
For he was... A silent hero.