Some might call it a lifelong friendship. Others, a passionate platonic devotion. But Willem knew the situation for what it really was and what it always had been: unrequited love.

Over a decade had passed since their first introduction, and he had fallen. Hard and fast. It had been that simple for him, even from such a young age, to know that this was the one person that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Those feelings had only grown stronger with time and with each letter that they had sent to one another over the years. Letters progressed to emails. Emails progressed to texting and phone calls. And in time, those turned into video chats.

Each level that was added only caused Willem's emotions to multiply. Each new fact that was gleaned from their conversations was carefully stored away as a precious moments. Each new moment that they spent talking with one another was enough to cause his heart to race in his chest. He had always yearned for the next text, the next call, the next moment that they would spend together.

If only the distance hadn't been a factor at all, then he would have had the courage to express the emotions that he had kept bottled up inside for all of those years. He would've expressed how he felt, and then they would've been happy together. Because now… Now that they were going to the same university together to be able to actually spend time around each other in person…

It was only during those first couple of weeks at the university that Willem had realized that he had missed his chance… That he should've acted sooner…

His heart had felt like it had shattered that day, and he had been suffering in silence ever since. There was nobody that he dared turn to, nobody that he trusted enough to let into that broken part of him. He refused to even confide in his sister once she had arrived at the same university two years later. He knew that she would never understand what he was going through and that she would only have tried to stick her nose where it didn't belong. Besides, why allow someone to try to fix something that didn't have a cure in the first place?

For all of his outward stoic appearances, his heart had been a fragile little thing. Nobody had been aware of his feelings before, and he certainly wasn't going to start divulging them now. His feelings were his own, and he owed that to no one.

Art was enough of a solace for him. He didn't need other people. It was the purest expression of his emotions. Even though anybody who saw his art never understood it, it was his outlet for all of the bottled up emotions that he held within him. It never stopped the heartache completely though, and even despite how much he sometimes wished it would, his love never faded.

However, just because he himself chose not to divulge his emotions or relationship drama (or lack thereof) to everyone around him, it didn't stop other people from doing the same in return. More specifically, the guys that he was on the soccer team with tended to be the source of this particular bane of his. Even now, Willem could feel the tight thrum of a headache creeping up the backs of his eyes and into his temples.

Regardless of how much it pained him to listen, this was still one of his friends that was hurting, his roommate, and even though he may not outwardly or openly show it, Willem still cared. He cared more than he would ever let even himself believe.

“I just don't understand what I did wrong this time…” Mathias mumbled, eyebrows furrowed together above a pair of bright blue eyes as they jogged laps around the field, the rays of the sun beating down against the backs of their necks. “It seems like Lukas just gets mad at every little thing that he thinks isn't right, and then he takes it out on me by taking all of his stuff. He ignores all my phone calls and texts and even blatantly ignores me whenever we're at hockey practice together, besides trying to nail me with the puck. But then a few days later, he's back to talking to me and telling me how much he's sorry and that he misses me and that he never meant to leave and that he didn't mean any of it and that he still wants us to be together and that he didn't know what came over him. He does it every single time, and it's honestly driving me a bit crazy with as moody as he's been being recently,” Mathias finished with a wide gesture of his arms before they fell to his sides as he hung his head in exhaustion.

Willem sighed gently, shaking his head as he slid his fingers back through his gel-spiked hair. It was a motion half in exasperation and half in resignation. “Matt…”

“I would just dump his ass and tell him to move on!” called one of the other team members, a German student named Gillian, as he ran past the pair. “He's no good for you, Matt!”

At those words, Mathias's pace stuttered and a frown began to form on his face. Willem could see it for what it really was though: hesitation and fear, even though Mathias would never admit to being anything but fully confident and happy.

Shooting Gillian a glare that caused the other student to speed up along the track, Willem pulled Mathias over to the side with a frown and placed a hand on the other's shoulder. “Look, I have no right to interfere in your relationship or tell you what to do or what to say or how to act or any of that. Your relationship is with Lukas and Lukas alone. He's the one that you should be talking to about all of this. If you… If you really want to be with him and you respect him… Then you should keep your relationship between the two of you and communicate everything that you're feeling to him. That's the only way that you'd end up fixing things.”

Mathias opened his mouth as if to say something before shaking his head, his expression becoming pensive. Willem took that as a sign for him to continue talking.

“If you start bringing other people's opinions into the relationship, then it all starts devolving into a my friends said this or my friends said that contest, where it becomes more about what everybody else thinks rather than what the two people in the relationship think and feel about each other.” Willem raised his free hand and pointed over in Gillian's direction where the white-haired man was mingling with a group of some of the other soccer players on the other side of the field. “That's exactly what that was. And there will be plenty of other people who will try to put their opinions in your ear.” Willem let both of his hands fall to his sides and looked away, his voice becoming distant as a familiar tight pain clenched his chest. “And if you really… If you care about Lukas… And if you value the relationship between you both, then it would be better to talk everything out with him.”

Not that he really expected Lukas to end up giving Mathias the same courtesy in return. After all, Willem had met the guy, and there was just something about Lukas that gave him red flags that made his skin crawl when he was around him. It was something in his demeanor and the way in which he carried himself. It gave Willem the impression of nothing short of an arrogant, pompous, conceited child who felt entitled to everything and then proceeding to throw a tantrum and throw things or beat people up when he didn't get his way.

Maybe he was just biased though, since most other people that were outside of the soccer team's circle seemed to think that Lukas was this outstanding guy. Willem knew better though. He knew so much better than anyone else the damage that Lukas had caused and was continuing to cause upon the people that he cared about. Willem had been the sole witness to the bruisings and depressive episodes that Mathias had gone through because of that bastard.

Mathias deserved better.

And it only hurt Willem's heart even more to see Mathias force a smile in front of everybody else and pretend that there was nothing wrong with the world. It hurt that Mathias felt that he was the only person that he could come to about anything and everything while he had to hide what he was feeling from everybody else. But the real killer was that it hurt Willem that he couldn't be there for Mathias in the ways that he wished that he could be.

Oblivious to the other's inner turmoil, a wide grin spread across Mathias's face that lit up his eyes as he wrapped an arm around Willem's shoulders to pull him into a quick hug and not seeming to notice the way that Willem tensed up slightly under the contact. “You know you're the best, right? Somehow you always know the exact thing to say that'll make me feel better. I know you never say much in front of the other guys, or in front of anyone else really, but it makes me feel that much luckier that I've gotten to have you as a friend for so long.”

Willem blinked slowly, letting out a quiet breath in resignation and giving Mathias a gentle pat on the back. “I know… I know…” If only those words wouldn't feel like a knife through his chest every time that he said them.

Pulling away, Mathias's grin only grew wider as he reached up to ruffle Willem's hair and jog away while cackling with laughter. “Come on, Ned, you slowpoke. We've got a practice to finish!”

For a few moments, Willem simply stood there in stunned silence with his breath caught in his throat, watching Mathias as he ran off. The way that the sunlight cast a golden sheen on his spiked honey-colored hair. The way that some of the longer sections of his hair clung to his sweat-dampened forehead. The way that his blue eyes sparkled with mirth as he laughed.

It was a sight that touched his artistic muse and could've broken his heart with how beautiful that Mathias was in that moment. If only his heart wasn't already broken...

He pressed the heels of his hands against his burning eyes, fending off unwanted tears that had threatened to spring up. Rubbing his face, he grimaced with a sigh and jogged towards the other side of the field where the rest of the team were congregating as they finished their warm-ups.

He was tired. So tired. It felt like every part of his being had been drained, and all he wanted to do was sleep to gain whatever solace that the quiet darkness of unconsciousness could provide.

However, there was a smaller part of him that wanted to paint, to draw, to feel the familiar weight and textures of his brushes and pencils in his hands. There was that unexplainable need to create an explosion of color and infuse his emotions into the canvas. It was his therapy. It was what he needed after a day like today. It was one of the few ways that he could let himself go and to let out all of the emotions that he had kept bottled up for so long.

Everything else seemed like an exhausting chore in comparison.

Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Goal.

The weight of each kick of the soccer ball felt like a brick being added to his shoulders. It was a dull, monotonous rhythm that would've put him to sleep if it hadn't been for the fact that he had to attempt to keep himself from being run into by the other team members that were on the field.

Left. Right. Left. Left. Right. Left. Pass.

At the very least, no one could tell that anything was wrong with Willem or that his head wasn't in the practice game, that way he didn't have to worry about answering anyone's questions. Then again, nobody ever noticed when there was…

A chorus of cheers erupted from around him as Antonio scored the winning goal for their team's match just a split-second before the final alarm went off to signify the end of the practice session. Antonio was one of the new talents that had just joined the team that year, and with his easy-going attitude and impeccable footwork, he had quickly become one of the favorites on the team.

That didn't mean that Willem liked him. However, that might've been simply because of some of his own personal prejudices and protective nature over his younger sister, whom Antonio happened to be dating. It made his skin crawl just to think of somebody being around his sister, and perhaps that had ended up making Willem be a bit more hostile towards the male than he deserved.

That didn't seem to deter Antonio from trying to make friends with his girlfriend's older brother.

“Hey, Willem!” Antonio exclaimed, seeming to pop up behind the taller man out of nowhere as Willem stalked towards the edge of the field where his duffel bag was. “Did you see that last shot, mi hombre? I can't believe I nailed it on the final second, especially with Gillian blocking the way. It was-- It was increíble!”

Willem simply grunted in response, his shoulders tense from the proximity of the other man and casting a glare in his direction. It didn't even phase Antonio who still had a ridiculously wide grin on his face.

However, it wasn't until a few moments later when an petite arm looped itself around his right arm that Willem realized that Antonio's smile hadn't been directed towards him at all.

“Hey, big bro,” came the unmistakable delicate sing-song voice of his younger sister. “You guys were awesome out there. Especially you, mon amour,” she said as she let go of her brother in order to nestle herself comfortably into Antonio's outstretched arms, her shoulder-length honey-blonde curls bouncing with the movement. “You just keep doing better and better each time that I see you. Your old team in Barcelona must be missing you right now.” She giggled as she stood on her toes and placed a kiss to Antonio's cheek.

“Sí, sí. They've definitely mentioned that they miss playing together, mi querida Annabel. But fear not, for I am never going to leave your side.” The softness in Antonio's gaze as he gently reached up and caressed Annabel's curls caused a sharp stab of pain in Willem's chest.

Maybe that was his problem. Maybe he was jealous of his sister's relationship and how much Antonio genuinely seemed to love her. From everything that he had seen since the two had been together, the man had always treated Annabel like a princess.

Some sort of emotion that he couldn't have explained must have been showing on his face, because when Annabel looked over at him, her smile immediately faded into an expression of concern. Willem quickly turned away to scoop up his duffel bag.

Clearing her throat, Annabel reached up and patted Antonio's cheek, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “I'll meet you later for dinner, okay? I needed to talk to Willem about a couple of art assignments, if you don't mind.”

He silently cursed his bad luck.

A small part of Willem had hoped that Antonio would end up protesting, but he knew that he was hoping in vain: it wasn't in Antonio's nature to protest to two siblings spending time together. “Of course not, mi hermosa. I'll meet you at our usual place then? Say at about six?”

“That sounds perfect,” Willem could hear Annabel saying as he started to walk away across the field with his bag in tow. “I'll see you then!”

Of course, before Willem could even get too far away from the practice field, another obstacle presented itself as Mathias approached him once again. “Hey, Ned!” With that heartstopping smile on his face.

“Matthias,” he mumbled, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead and hitching the strap of his duffel bag more comfortably onto his shoulder.

“I just wanted to thank you for listening to me earlier, and I hope that I didn't sound like I was whining.” Mathias chuckled. “Anyways, are you heading back to the dorm?”

“Well, actually--”

“We were just heading to the art studio, actually,” Annabel stated, cutting off Willem before he had a chance to speak.

“Oh.” Mathias tilted his head to the side slightly, a gesture that always reminded Willem of a confused puppy. Regardless of any possible confusion that Mathias felt, he didn't miss a beat as he continued speaking. “Hey, Annabel. That's fine. I was just going to let Ned here know that I was going to be late getting back to the dorm since I was going to take his advice and try to talk things out with Lukas.”

Willem's heart sank at those words, the edges of his eyes prickling painfully as his shoulders sagged just the smallest fraction. It wasn't like he expected anything different to happen, so he had nobody to blame but himself for getting his hopes up.

Annabel glanced between the pair of men that towered above her, Mathias looking excited while her brother looked...defeated and even more withdrawn than usual. “Ah, I see. Antonio and I have a date at six, but I was going to ask Willem for some pointers on a few art assignments before I headed that way. I hope that things go smoothly for you, since I know that things have been pretty rocky between you and Lukas for a while now, yeah?”

Mathias's smile faltered for the briefest second, but Willem knew that nobody but him would notice it. “Well, it has been for a bit, I guess, but I'm sure that it's just because of some sort of built-up stress that Lukas has been under, especially with getting sick during hockey season and trying not to lose his scholarship. I'm usually the only one that ends up being around, so I tend to end up taking the brunt of his temper, but that's okay.”

That was the biggest bunch of bullshit that Willem had heard. He knew that wasn't the cause of how things were. That was just how Lukas was as a person. Nothing was going to change that, and it wasn't just one isolated incident of it either.

The corners of Annabel's mouth twitched with concern. “He hasn't hurt you though, has he? Because if he has--”

“Mathias!”

The resounding shout from the other side of the field made the trio jump slightly in surprise, though Mathias had a look of resignation on his face.

“Sorry, guys, but I've gotta run before Lukas decides to add this to the list of things I've done wrong.” There was only the faintest hint of sarcasm in Mathias's voice as he rolled his eyes. With a wave of his hand to the pair of siblings, Mathias ran off.

Willem turned his back so that he wouldn't have to see what he could only expect would be the boyfriends leaping into each other's arms and kissing. He would've started walking away, but his sister still held him firm in her grip.

“Oh no you don't, mister. You're coming with me,” Annabel stated firmly, her free hand sliding into the pocket of the overalls that she was wearing. With her other hand, she pulled on Willem's arm in order to drag him towards the art studio. Of course, if he had even so much as resisted the movement, she wouldn't have been capable of even making him budge an inch. As it was, Willem was being compliant.

That didn't mean that he was willing to talk though. He wasn't in the mood to even begin to divulge a fraction of the dark hidden secrets and feelings that he had kept bottled up inside of him for so long.

The distance between the soccer field and the art studio was only a little over a block, but to Willem, that trek felt like an eternity. At least it had been made in silence. Annabel opened the door and gestured for him to enter the building. She followed him in, searching for an empty room before locking the door behind her.

Annabel placed her hands firmly on the table that was now between them, staring at Willem with a frown. “Look, I know that something is wrong. So please just tell me what's bothering you. I know that it has to have something to do with Mathias and Lukas.” Willem winced. “I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I could see it. Even now. Every time that somebody says Lukas's name, you end up looking like you want to throw up or hurl yourself out a window. It's something that I've been noticing for the past six months since I came here. I just wish that you had enough sense to actually open up to someone. To open up to me. I'm your sister. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

The look of open hurt in Annabel's eyes made Willem cringe internally, but all he could do was shake his head as his hands gripped the strap of his duffel bag until the tough canvas nearly cut into his hands. “There's nothing that you need to know. Lukas is just an asshole that shouldn't be trusted. He's no good and you need to stay away from him before you end up getting hurt by him too. So just drop the subject.”

Annabel raised one hand to twist her fingers into the green ribbon that was tied in her hair like a headband. At first he thought that he had successfully diverted the conversation. Her voice was quiet when she spoke, and it caused a lump to form in Willem's throat. “Lukas hurt Mathias, didn't he? That's why you're getting so upset, isn't it?”

He couldn't help the small surge of anger that nestled itself into the base of his throat, and it took several moments for him to be able to restrain the sudden emotion enough for it to not show in his voice. “Look, it's not my relationship and I have no right to interfere in it. It would be best if you just dropped it and moved on with your life. There are more important things for you to worry about.”

That was apparently the wrong thing for him to say, however, because Annabel puffed out her cheeks as her nose started to turn red. One of the tell-tale signs that she was on the verge of tears. “Well I wouldn't have to worry so much if you would just open up to me, to anyone. You always keep yourself so closed off from everybody, especially recently, and you keep all your emotions bottled up to yourself, and it's not healthy, Willem!” She pressed the tips of her fingers against her eyes and shook her head. “You always end up listening to everyone else's problems whether you actually want to or not, but you never open up to anyone in return even after dealing with the weight of everybody's situations, and I know that it has to be weighing down on you more than you'll ever admit.”

“Well it's not your problem to fix, Annabel,” he muttered dully. He loved his sister and he hated seeing her like this, but he just couldn't risk opening up the can of worms that was his emotional turmoil. He had to protect himself at all costs, even from those he loved.

Annabel crossed her arms over her chest, looking as if she'd just had the wind kicked out of her. Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to get out the words that she wanted, but after a few futile moments, her shoulders slumped and her eyes glistened with tears. Willem wanted to reach out and comfort his baby sister, but he couldn't. If he did, he knew that his carefully constructed control on his emotions would shatter, so he stood idly by.

The silence stretched on for several more moments until Willem could feel the bile rising in the back of his throat from the stress, his stomach twisting in knots. “Can you at least give me advice on my art pieces while we're here?” came the faint whisper. It eased the tension in Willem's shoulders for the time being. It hadn't been an admission to stop prying, because he was sure that Annabel would end up poking her nose back into the matter. However, it was enough for the moment to have the subject changed.

Releasing his grip on the strap of his bag, he slowly lowered himself onto one of the stools at the table. He kept his voice gentle when he spoke. “Yeah, I can do that…”

Annabel glanced over at him, biting her bottom lip as she nodded. Heading over to one of the cupboards, she withdrew several semi-finished canvas paintings, and Willem was patient as she discussed the assignment relating to each, what she was attempting to achieve, and what she had already done.

By the time that he was done giving her suggestions and critiquing the pieces with his artist's eye, Annabel's normally perky disposition had almost fully returned, though there was a slow reluctance to her movements that Willem knew was caused by her unwillingness to simply leave matters as they were. He knew that she wanted to say more on their previous discussion, but she simply thanked him and returned her works to their places, leaving soon after telling him that she didn't want to be late for her date with Antonio.

As the door clicked quietly behind her retreating form, Willem pillowed his head in his arms. He hated this feeling. He hated feeling as though his entire soul was shattering in his chest, over and over again. It didn't help that it felt like someone was constantly taking a sledgehammer to his chest. He wanted to cry. He could feel the tears welling up in the backs of his eyes. He knew that if he let himself though, he wouldn't be able to stop himself, and he wasn't up to the task of diverting every single person that he knew would end up asking him about what was wrong.

Forcing himself up off the table, Willem pushed himself into a standing position, shoulders hunched as if the weight of the world weighed down upon him. As he turned to leave, something inside him hesitated. It was an itch in the back of his mind, a tingle that made his fingers twitch with anticipation.

Resting against the wall nearby was a stack of blank canvases that students used for painting. One of the tables nearby was stacked with several cases of oil paint tubes, containers of paint brushes, palettes, and other miscellaneous artist's tools. Placing his duffel bag on the floor by his stool, Willem shuffled over to cases of paints, gently running his fingers along the tubes of colors.

Titanium white. Cadmium lemon. Hansa yellow light. Cerulean blue. Cobalt blue. Pthalo blue. Gold ochre. Chromatic black. Viridian. Sap green. Burnt umber. Burnt sienna. Portland grey medium.

He instinctively picked through the colors of paint that lay before him, a vision of a painting already forming in his head with each new color that he picked out and placed next to his palette. Willem only hesitated for a brief moment once the paints were chosen before he scooped them up in his arms and brought them over to his stool, dragging an easel along behind him. He went back for a canvas and the other tools and brushes before sitting down.

Willem's breath felt lodged in his throat for several moments as he stared at the almost intimidating expanse of vast empty whiteness. It was blinding in a way, like the feeling from staring at glistening snow for too long. Squeezing the colors onto his palette, he picked up a paintbrush and dipped it into a mixture of lighter and darker blues.

Raising the brush, he hesitated once more, stilling the nervous tremble in his hand. And then, he painted, and he could feel all of his emotions come crashing down around him, spreading down along his arm and out the brush and onto the canvas. Each stroke and color was a conduit of emotion.

Willem stayed in the art room that night.

Annabel stared sullenly at the pizza in her hand, watching the cheese-covered crust droop sadly towards the plate. She barely even noticed it when a warm hand slid into hers from across the table, her fingers absentmindedly running circles against the smooth tan skin. It wasn't until she heard the melodic pitch of her boyfriend's voice calling her name that she snapped out of the daze that she was in.

“Ah, mi corazon, what trouble has put such a sad look on such a beautiful face?”

Annabel glanced up at Antonio, lips stretching into a thin smile. She had hoped her worry hadn't been noticeable, but whether it was or not, she knew that Antonio would've picked up on it anyways. Setting the pizza down, she wiped her fingers off on the napkin before taking his hand and twining their fingers together.

“I don't know. I don't know what's going on. Willem keeps acting weird and distant and he's hiding something from me about Mathias and Lukas and the stuff that's happening between them. There's something about the entire situation that's causing my brother to be hurting, and the few things that I could pick up on that I managed to pry out of him earlier don't make much sense…” Annabel sighed, bringing Antonio's hand up to her cheek and leaning into the warm skin. “It worries me. It worries me that Willem might end up getting hurt… He said that I might end up getting hurt if I don't keep my nose out of it, because Lukas can't be trusted…”

That comment made Antonio's gentle smile fade away, replaced by a neutral expression that he used to conceal his anger. “Go on.” His voice was too soft.

She turned her head briefly to press a kiss against the palm of his hand before speaking. “When I tried to ask if Lukas had ended up hurting Mathias, Willem just told me to stop worrying and to mind my own business, because it wasn't my place to interfere, just like it wasn't his place to interfere with their relationship…” Her eyes slipped closed as she felt his fingers gently stroke her cheek soothingly. “I know that Mathias has been hurt by Lukas, emotionally at least, with all of the back and forth head games that he keeps pulling on Matt. But I think…” she trailed off, biting her lip and turning her head away. Annabel glanced around the restaurant before leaning closer to Antonio and lowering her voice so that the other patrons wouldn't be able to hear. “I think Lukas may have ended up physically hurting him. I think that's why Willem's been adamant about the fact that Lukas can't be trusted and that I need to stay away from him. I think that's why Will's so torn up and hurt, because I think he knows something since he and Mathias have been roommates ever since they started college together, and they've been friends since before that…”

“Shh, shh, shh… It'll be okay.” Antonio's hands cupped her face, tilting her head up so that their eyes met. His voice was soothing as he cooed quiet words of reassurance to her. “Everything will be okay. I promise that I won't let anything happen to you, mi amor. I swear that I'll do everything that I can to help. I'll keep an eye on your brother during all of our soccer practices to make sure he doesn't get worse, and I'll keep an eye on Mathias too, to help make sure that nothing serious ends up happening. You have my word on it.”

A shaky breath passed through Annabel's lips as a heavy weight seemed to fall off of her shoulders. It was a lot of stress to deal with, especially with how Willem had been acting since she arrived and the difference in his behavior from when he had left home. It had been like some sort of terrible revelation or event had happened which had ended up breaking him. He didn't seem to notice or care. He just kept trying to hide it from her and everyone else. At least Annabel knew that she could always rely on Antonio, and it made her happy to know that if there was anything troubling her then she could always openly speak with him without any sort of criticism or being told that she was overreacting. He made her feel special and important and loved.

Nodding her head, a fond smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “You know you really are the most amazing man I've ever met.” She reached up her hands and gently rested them on top of Antonio's. “You always seem to know just the right words to say to make me feel better.”

He chuckled softly before leaning over and pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Before you say anything about it, it's not because of my psychology courses. I just want to make sure that you're happy and safe, and I'm always going to keep my word and do everything that that requires. You're my heart and soul, and if it were required of me, I would gladly lay down my life to protect you if it meant that I knew you would live to see another day.”

It was a bold statement, but it was also one that was completely sincere and chivalrous. Chivalry wasn't a trait that many men possessed these days, and that's one of the reasons that Annabel had fallen in love with Antonio. He was different in so many ways compared to the rest of the male populace, particularly the boys that had been in her high school or that would come into her work.

Annabel could still remember the day that they had met like it was yesterday. She was working at the cafe just as she did every morning, making and serving breakfast to the customers, many of whom would come in for the sole purpose of ordering the Belgian waffles that she made. It was her own recipe and it hadn't been too difficult to convince the owner of the cafe to add it to the menu after she tried them.

The aromas of fresh coffee, sizzling bacon, warm butter, sugary syrup, and waffle batter permeated the air. The quiet murmur of voices and the clinking of silverware, and the sounds of the cooktop filled the cafe as the waitresses greeted customers and took their orders. An autumn breeze was blowing against windows that gleamed with reflected sunlight. Despite the warm and sunny atmosphere outside the cafe, she knew that a storm was supposed to make its way into the area that afternoon.

It was half past seven whenever a rowdy group of college boys had filed into the cafe, making her cringe. She always hated it whenever senseless meatheads like them ended up coming in, because they always seemed to make it a point to try to make all of the women uncomfortable or to flirt with them, and Annabel certainly wasn't in the mood to tolerate any lewd comments that were directed towards her.

That small bubble of anxiety remained in her chest the entire time that she was cooking the orders. It only grew as she picked up the serving tray that had the table's food stacked on it and she reluctantly plastered on a professional smile and trudged her way over to the table with the boys. Just as she was about to reach the table, a cackle rose up from one of the boys sitting on the end. Suddenly, a foot caught her ankle, throwing her off-balance and sending the entire tray of food crashing onto the table and floor. It was followed by howls of laughter from the entire group.

“How about you watch where you're going next time, you fucking klutz? You could've stained my shirt, and I just bought it!” There was another chorus of laughter.

It felt like her heart had stopped in her chest. Her face was burning and her hands were starting to shake as she whispered out several apologies. Kneeling and picking up the tray, she delicately started cleaning up the ruined food and plates and cutlery. It was such a waste, after the time that she spent cooking it all. Those thoughts were soon discarded as one of the other college boys spoke up, sending a spike of fear piercing her heart like an arrow.

“Look, boys, she's at least good at something on her knees. Why don't we bring her back to our dorm with us and see if she's not good at anything else?” From the corner of her eye, she saw the man on the end raise his hand behind her and start to swing down.

Instinctively, Annabel squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation for the slap...that never came. Blinking in confusion when a yelp of surprise and pain came from the student, Annabel turned around to see him standing there, holding the guy's wrist. All Annabel could do was stare in barely concealed awe, gazing at the head of damp black curls.

“Ey, cabrón, that's no way to talk to a lady, nor is trying to touch her. I would highly suggest you pay the owner for the damages done and the food you wasted, and then I would suggest you leave before the police become involved. I'm sure this wouldn't be the first time that they would've been called on you, and I'm sure none of you need any harassment charges…”

Annabel watched the group's range of expressions from anger to fear to the paleness of pain.

“Why, you little--” The student was cut off as Annabel's savior twisted his arm more painfully behind his back.

“I don't believe I asked you to talk…” He shook his head, sighing before nodding to the owner of the cafe who had come over to investigate the ruckus while Annabel had been distracted. The two quietly conversed amongst themselves for a few moments before the man finally let go of the delinquent's arm and stepped off to the side for the owner to continue dealing with the group.

Shaking her head, Annabel reluctantly returned to her duties and cleaning up the remains of the ruined breakfast. It was only a few seconds later that a second pair of hands was picking up the dishes too, making Annabel pause and glance over. To her surprise, it was the young man that had saved her earlier. “Y-You don't need to do that. It's my job…”

He gave her a wide smile when he saw her surprise. “Your job, it may be, but everything is easier when you work together. Besides,” he paused, his expression becoming more somber, “what they were trying to do and what they did wasn't right. There's no reason for you to suffer for their actions.”

Warm relief spread through her chest, nodding her head slowly. “Thank you,” she stammered out, picking up the loaded tray once everything was cleaned up. “You didn't have to do that…” Annabel mumbled, hesitating before passing the tray off to one of the other girls that was there and going to wash her hands.

To her surprise, the man was waiting for her when she came back. “It was the right thing to do, so my honor dictates that I must. I know how hard your job is, and there's no reason for people like that to go around harassing a beautiful woman and making it worse.”

“But--”

“It was an honor to serve you, my lady,” he murmured, holding an arm across his stomach as he bowed. It only made the blush on her cheeks darken. “I hope that we may meet again, Annabel.”

Before she could say anything in her state of shock, he had already disappeared out the door of the cafe. “W-Wait, I--” she called out with an outstretched arm that eventually fell to her side. I didn't even get to know your name.

Annabel had tried to push the encounter from her mind after that, but all that she could think about was him. His smile. The gentle cadences of his voice. The soft green hues of his eyes. His naturally sun-bronzed skin. They had barely even talked, but there was something about him that she just couldn't let go.

And she had absolutely no way to find him or to figure out who he was.

A part of her had begun to despair, already having given up on the prospect of meeting him again. It wasn't until the next day when she had arrived at work that the heaviness in her chest had lifted. Sitting in one of the booths of the cafe with the morning light streaming in through the window was him. The sight of the smile that lit up his face when he saw Annabel made her heart flutter.

“You! I wasn't expecting to see you again after you just disappeared yesterday,” Annabel murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she stood by his table. “I never got a chance to thank you for what you did yesterday…”

“What I did requires no thanks, my lady,” the man stated, pressing a hand over his heart. “It merely joys me to be able to see your face again.”

“Well, I work here nearly every morning, so if you end up coming by, I'm more than likely going to be here,” she murmured, hands fiddling with the hem of her uniform's skirt. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat. “You never did tell me your name, even though you knew mine...”

The man looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, did I forget to do that? Lo siento. It must've just slipped my mind, considering what those...degenerates had been saying to you and what they were trying to do. Me hizo enojar. No woman should have to fear for her life…” Shaking his head, he held out a hand towards her with a gentle smile. “But yes. I'm Antonio,” he stated, his grin only widening whenever Annabel took his hand.

“Antonio…” she murmured, a warm fluttering in her chest. “It's nice to officially meet you. What brings you--”

“Annabel! We've got some orders that need you!” one of the girls called from the kitchen, making Annabel wince and her shoulders droop slightly.

Turning back to Antonio, she grimaced, opening her mouth to apologize but he merely shook his head. “Go, mi hermosa. We can talk more when you are done with work.” He brought the back of Annabel's hand to his lips, pressing a gentle to kiss to her skin. “I will be waiting for you.”

And wait for her, he did. Once her shift was over, they exchanged phone numbers, arranging to spend time together outside of Annabel's work so that they could get to know each other better. With each moment they spent together, Annabel fell even deeper in love than before. It was like a fairytale dream, where the knight in shining armor swoops in to save the princess and they fall in love.

She still couldn't believe that she had gotten so lucky with him. Though as she sat now, gazing at Antonio across from her in their restaurant booth, Annabel couldn't help but to think that perhaps it wasn't luck at all. Maybe it was destiny.

The thought brought a smile to her face as she nuzzled against the hand that was still cupping her cheek. “Well, I don't want you to lay down your life for me. Who would help me finish all of this pizza if you were gone?” she teased, reaching over and running a hand through Antonio's curls briefly, a wide smile on her face. She may not feel completely better about what had transpired with her brother earlier, but she knew that there was no one else that she would ever turn to except for Antonio.

He laughed, shaking his head as he picked up one of the pieces of pizza. “You make a fair point,” he said, holding out the piece to Annabel for her to take a bite before eating it himself.

“I do really appreciate that you're willing to look after Mathias and Willem. I truly hope that nothing is going to happen, but I can't help but to worry,” she said quietly, taking another bite of her pizza.

“I just want to do everything I can to help. Willem's your brother, but both of them are also my teammates, and I'd like to know that they're okay too,” Antonio said, taking her hand with a reassuring smile. “I'm sure that we'll get this entire mess sorted out soon enough.”

She knew that the words were meant to be comforting, but Annabel couldn't help the ache of worry that gnawed at her chest as she gave his hand a squeeze and looked out the window. “I hope so… I truly hope so…”

His body ached and his eyes burned. His movements felt far more sluggish than they should've been. Exhaustion and fatigue were lingering just outside the edges of his consciousness.

Still, Mathias forced himself to smile and not look panicked as he strode around the university campus in the very early dawn light. He couldn't let himself let others see how he was truly feeling inside. He hated it, but he had learned from a very young age that people looked for any signs of weakness that they could exploit.

He would say that he had lived a privileged life. His mother was an esteemed neurosurgeon, and his father was a civil engineer who hailed from a wealthy family in Denmark. However, he had been quick to find out that once kids his age knew who his parents were and the money they came from, that was all that the kids cared about and wanted. Even when Mathias was upset or sad, all of his “friends” would only be empathetic and caring up until the point that they were able to come over to his house to “cheer him up” and spent the entire time playing with all of the stuff that was there, and completely ignoring Mathias once they got what they had wanted.

So Mathias shut himself off from them. He stopped showing when he was upset or sad so that he wouldn't get used. He was always still caring and got along with everybody at school, but he wouldn't allow anyone close to him. He wouldn't let himself be surrounded by fake people who only cared about their own selfish wants without any regard to who they hurt in the process.

It had led to a rather lonely existence though. At least, until he had met Willem. Willem, who never asked for anything nor expected anything in return for the things that he did. Who always struggled and worked past any difficulty or obstacle that had been set in his way. Who was always there for him to lend an ear when Mathias was feeling down or under pressure by his parents. Who always accepted Mathias without caring about his heritage or his parent's money.

The sheer amount of acceptance he felt towards and around Willem had helped lift a heavy weight off his chest and shoulders that he hadn't known had been there before. It honestly had made Mathias want to just run away with Willem from everything else that was around them, to run from the loneliness of their lives. His senior year of high school, he had finally worked up the nerve to describe his plan to Willem, but before he even got the chance to, his parents had dashed all of those hopes and dreams to pieces when they reintroduced him to Lukas.

Lukas was the only child of one of the influential families that Mathias's parents were close friends with. Their family had been amassing wealth and power through their connections and beneficial marriages for generations. With the closeness of their families, they had been around each other at many different social events and galas. However, Mathias had always made it a point to sneak off to the most remote part of the event as possible or to hide under the food tables in order to scrounge a steady stream of snacks.

The two families lost touch after a while as the Lund family enrolled Lukas into a private international boarding school so that the two parents could travel around for their jobs and just because they could afford to travel so much. However, once the Lunds had returned back to town during Mathias's senior year, everything changed… The parents acted simultaneously as though they had never even been apart at all and as though they had just survived the apocalypse and had thought that they would never see each other again.

For Mathias, all he could think about was his own future and building his own life far away from any of the drama associated with the wealthy so that he could live a simple life and spend his time with Willem. He didn't care about Lukas or what his parents had been doing. He had his own plans that he was trying to set into motion. Unfortunately, events didn't unfold that way.

It was only several nights after the families had been reunited that Mathias's parents gave him the world-shattering news: Lukas had told his parents that he wanted to marry Mathias. Both sets of parents had discussed the matter, and it had been decided that it would be a...mutually beneficial union for all. Not that Mathias had been respected enough to be included in on that decision. He had heard of arranged marriages before and knew of several people who were a part of them, but he had never believed that his parents would be that willing to sacrifice his happiness for their own goals.

Of course, he knew that was why he hadn't been included in on the decision-making process, because they knew that he would reject it. As it had ended up standing, he had a difficult enough time convincing his parents that he wasn't ready for marriage and still wanted to pursue going to university before settling into some sort of arrangement like that.

In the end, Mathias's parents relented, and he could already smell the sweet scent of freedom. But it was a short-lived rejoicing when he eventually discovered that Lukas was going to attend the same university as him. So that you two can bond and become closer to each other, his mother had explained.

The part that sucked the most was that he couldn't tell Willem about any of it. He wanted to, but it felt like his burden and his alone to bear. All he could do was try to make the best out of his time left and to make sure that time was spent not feeling alone. It took all of his courage to muster up the nerves to ask Willem the biggest favor he had asked anyone before: Would he come to the same college as him?

At first, there had been silence on Willem's end, but eventually a wide smile had split his face as he nodded enthusiastically. It was one of the few times that he had ever seen Willem look that happy, and it made Mathias's chest swell with warmth to know that he was the one that put that smile on Willem's face. So they made their plans to be roommates, and for the past three and a half years, they had spent as much of their time together as possible.

Willem had always ended up being there for him throughout everything, even listening patiently to all of the drama that Mathias had been dealing with regarding Lukas. There had never been a night where they hadn't ended up falling asleep listening to soothing music or nature sounds  together or where they fell asleep just talking with one another.

But last night, Willem hadn't come back to their dorm room.

After Mathias had finished talking with Lukas about his attitude, which didn't end up going well, he had returned to his room with the expectation that Willem would end up being there. Only he hadn't been.

Hours had dragged on. Mathias knew that Willem should've been back to the dorm by then. It wasn't like him to suddenly just disappear or change his schedule, especially without any sort of notice. He knew that Willem had needed to speak with Annabel and help her with some of her assignments, but he also knew that Annabel had a date with her boyfriend so she wouldn't have been able to keep her brother for that long.

It was eight o'clock when he tried calling Willem's phone the first time. No answer. He started pacing around the room at nine. He called again. Still no answer. At ten o'clock, Mathias was on the edge of his bed, legs bouncing anxiously. He called three times that hour. No answer any of the times. By the time midnight had rolled around, Mathias had called a total of thirteen times and left over twenty texts in increasing franticness.

It was one in the morning when Mathias bundled up in a hoodie and sweats and left the dorm to look around the campus. There had to be some sort of sign of Willem somewhere. There had to be some sort of logical explanation for him not showing up that night.

Maybe he ended up finding a girl that he took a fancy to and was staying the night with her? No, Willem wasn't that type of guy. Plus there had never been a moment during the time that Mathias had known him that Willem had shown even the slightest interest in dating anyone, much less going further than that. Maybe he had a family emergency? No, that didn't seem likely either because Willem would've let him know if something was wrong. Maybe he went out and got drunk at a bar? No, definitely not; Willem was very anti-alcohol and had gotten into several arguments with people who tried to pressure him into drinking.

Beyond those thoughts though, lay the darker what-if's that began to creep in with the rising amount of hysteria and sleep deprivation added to the amount of caffeine he had consumed.

What if Willem had gotten mugged? What if he had gotten stabbed and dragged into a dark alleyway? What if he was dying? What if he had been kidnapped? What if there had been some sort of shootout and he got caught in the crossfire? What if he had been hit by a car and was in the hospital? What if he had amnesia and couldn't remember who or where he was? What if he just mysteriously disappeared without a trace? What if he never got to see Willem again? What if--

The weight of a heavy hand landing on his shoulder caused Mathias to bite back a muffled scream, even as he dropped his ninth cup of coffee and watched it decorate the sidewalk like a blood splatter. His hands instinctively shot up to guard himself as he whirled away from the other person, squinting in the darkness to try to make out the other's features.

It was only after a few moments later, once the sound of his blood pounding in his ears had quieted, that he recognized the familiar voice calling his name.

“Mathias. Mathias, relax. Hey, it's just me. Calm down. Deep breaths, Matt.”

It took Mathias a few seconds of inspection to decide whether or not he was merely hallucinating or if the tall figure standing in front of him truly was Willem. He decided he didn't care either way, very nearly flinging himself into Willem's arms and squeezing him tightly.

“Oh, thank the gods that you're okay…” Mathias mumbled, feeling dizzy with relief. “I looked all over for you and called and text you, but there wasn't any response, and I had waited for you to come back to the dorm but you didn't… I thought you were gone…”

The words caused Willem to sigh, his own shoulders drooping tiredly. A hand came up and rubbed Mathias's back. “I'm sorry…”

Those were the only words that the taller male could get out as Mathias pulled back slightly, looking up at him. Mathias noticed the dark shadows under Willem's eyes, the tightness of stress, the fatigue, the different colored paint splatters that were stuck to his skin… That was when Mathias noticed that Willem was still wearing the same clothes that he had left the previous day's soccer practice in, not counting the addition of paint flecks to the rumpled clothing as well.

Suddenly Mathias felt very stupid as he stood there sheepishly under Willem's gaze. “You...never left the art department, did you?” It felt so obvious, and yet he was in such a panic that he didn't even think to look there. All he could think about was the fact that Willem's pattern had changed and that he was scared of losing him.

Shaking his head, Willem coughed deeply into his elbow, shoulders slumping. “No, I hadn't. I ended up working on a project but passed out on the table after a while.” Mathias could feel the tremble of Willem's hand as he continued rubbing his back, almost absentmindedly. There was a pause. “What time is it?”

Reluctantly dropping his arms from around Willem, Mathias pulled his phone out of his hoodie pocket, glancing at the time. “Just a little past four in the morning.” He had been waiting and looking for Willem for over eight hours… Mathias glanced up at him, but his roommate's expression looked dead and emotionless. An unsettling feeling wound its way into his stomach, making him anxious. “I tried calling and texting you,” Mathias tried, attempting to coax some sort of reaction out of him.

Willem just stared at him. “Oh.”

Something was wrong. Mathias could feel it.

“I'm pretty sure my phone died, because I didn't hear anything. I'll check it later.” That was better, but there was something still...off with the way that Willem was acting. Or maybe Mathias was just overreacting because of his fatigue and worry. Maybe it was just making him look into things too deeply and out of perspective. They were obviously both exhausted after all.

“Right. Yeah. Didn't think about that. Sorry,” Mathias mumbled with a sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. He was definitely starting to crash from the caffeine and adrenaline wearing off.

Before he could say anything, Willem spoke up. “Let's head back to our room,” he muttered, resting a hand on Mathias's shoulder. “We could both use the rest…”

Mathias let out a sigh of relief, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah.” At this rate, he was just glad to have Willem back. “Let's go,” he said, kicking the murdered coffee cup off the sidewalk and leading the way back to their dorm building with Willem right by his side.

It was actually really nice, all things considered with how stressful the night had been. Being able to take a moonlit stroll in the early morning hours when the crickets and fireflies were still out… The morning breeze gently rustling the leaves of the treetops and bushes… It was relaxing and only made him feel that much more drowsy as he leaned against Willem's arm for support. They had taken early morning walks together before, but those times were usually filled with chatting. Mathias had never really taken the time to appreciate the surrounding nature as he did in those moments.

Willem grunted quietly when Mathias leaned against him but otherwise made no move to push him away. He would never say it, Mathias knew, but they both needed each other in a way. Their companionship was very precious to both of them, and Mathias knew neither of them were willing to lose the other for anything or anyone. Which was what made Lukas's complaints and moodiness all the more stressful to deal with, but he wasn't going to worry about that for the time being.

They reached the building all too soon, Mathias reluctantly sliding in the card key to open the door. The trek through the building was quiet, save for their muffled footsteps against the carpeted floors and the dull thud of the stairwell door closing behind them as they made their way up to their floor. The deserted hallway stretched in front of them, the pale moonlight making patterns play on the carpet through the windowpanes that lined the outer wall.

Sometimes Mathias cursed the fact that he had to come to this school. Especially after nights like tonight where Lukas only made things worse and made it all the more difficult to live his life freely. He didn't hate Lukas and he never had, but certain behaviors of his always seemed to find a way to push Mathias almost to his breaking point. If it weren't for the fact that the relationship or engagement or whatever they even really were… if it weren't for the fact that his family's name and image were on the line, and the fact that Mathias's parents would surely end up cutting him off from any money or inheritance that he would likely receive, then Mathias would have already left and disappeared somewhere. It wouldn't have mattered where. After all, that had been his plan after high school anyways.

Now he was cornered between a rock and a hard place, because now he had to maintain this facade of a relationship and deal with all of Lukas's bullshit on top of it. He had thought that when he had made the deal with his parents that he would have at least had time to breathe and spend time with Willem unhindered like he had originally planned…

“Mathias, the door,” Willem prompted, shifting his duffel bag to the side and giving Mathias a gentle nudge with his elbow.

Right, the door. “Sorry. Haha. Guess I was spacing out. Sorry about that,” Mathias chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck and unlocking the door.

Willem merely gave a noncommittal grunt and stepped inside the room, dropping his bag on the ground near the foot of his bed. Whenever Mathias stepped inside and locked the door behind him, he flinched slightly with surprise as Willem gripped his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

Gazing up into the other's sea-green eyes made his heart leap in his chest at the incomprehensible emotions that he found there, turning his eyes into stormy seas that Mathias almost felt that he could drown himself in. The emotion there was a drastic change to the dead lifelessness that had reigned earlier.

“Did he hurt you?” There was a growl to Willem's voice. It shocked Mathias with the intensity.

“W-What?”

Willem took a slow breath, his teeth clenched. “Did. Lukas. Hurt. You.”

Oh. Mathias shook his head, letting out a small bitter laugh. “No, there was just more bickering, as per usual. It wasn't as bad this time though.” That much at least Willem didn't have to worry about, though Mathias knew he was bound to worry about him one way or the other. Something seemed different about Willem's reaction this time. It was like something had set him off, but Mathias couldn't put his thumb on what it could be… “Why--”

“You're wearing my hoodie.” All of the emotion seemed to drain right out of Willem as his shoulders slouched with fatigue.

At the statement, Mathias couldn't help the embarrassed flush that crept its way up his neck, making him feel uncomfortably warm under Willem's gaze. “Am I? I didn't notice. I had just grabbed one and tossed it on when I went to go find you. I must have grabbed one of yours by accident. Here, I'll take it off and--” Mathias was cut off by Willem's hand resting on his when he went to lift the bottom hem of the shirt up.

“Matt, it's fine. I don't mind if you wear my clothes. We're close enough to the same size. I'm not that much taller than you…” He trailed off, his eyes darkening slightly as he gripped Mathias's chin between his fingers and holding their gazes. “I would just be wary about wearing anything around Lukas, because of the way he would take it and how he would be bound to react. That's not something I'm willing for you to go through. Do you understand?”

His throat felt dry as he paled, nodding as far as he could. He hadn't even thought of that possibility. And Mathias knew that Willem hadn't meant for it to, but those words sent a cold chill of fear down his spine, making him shiver. Lukas would end up seeing the shared clothing as a sign of possession, of ownership, of Mathias belonging to someone else, and that would make him absolutely livid. There wouldn't be anything stopping Lukas from taking his fury out on first Mathias and then Willem. Mathias wouldn't put it past Lukas enjoying having Mathias and Willem watch one another have the shit beaten out of them.

Feeling that the message was conveyed, Willem gave a short nod before letting go and backing away in order to flop down on his bed in the darkness of the room. His eyes closed with a groan.

Mathias felt almost dizzy from the sudden lack of contact and the loss of warmth, watching as Willem settled onto the bed. The faintest snores echoed from his lips as he almost instantaneously fell into a deep slumber. He stood by the door, watching the other for several more moments before shaking his head wearily. Walking over to where Willem lay, he gently removed the other's shoes and pulled his legs fully onto the bed before draping a light blanket over his sleeping form.

Willem looked peaceful in his sleep as Mathias reached out and wiped away some of the paint smeared on his cheek. If only things could be simpler… If only life could've been simpler and kinder to the both of them…

Letting out a sigh, Mathias shook his head, sitting on the edge of his own bed and staring at the other's silhouette for several long moments. It was moments like these that made Mathias resent Lukas, resent his parents, resent Lukas's parents for messing up the plans that he had been so carefully making before the stupid arranged engagement occurred. Most importantly though, he resented himself for not acting sooner.

In the end, he supposed that none of it really mattered though, not when Willem didn't feel the same. After all, why else would he constantly be trying to tell him to fix things with Lukas? And yet every time that he kept going to Willem for advice, Mathias kept expecting a different answer, kept hoping for a different answer.

Biting his lip, he curled up on his side, pulling the fabric of the hoodie close around him and slowly inhaling the scent. Maybe it was stupid or naive, but even after everything that had happened and that continued to happen, Mathias still had hope…