Tino didn't expect for it to rain at all. The weather just didn't seem rainy-like, and the sun had been shining bright and cheery that he'd even gone out without a jumper and just a simple pair of jeans and a shirt.
It wasn't supposed to be a long trip, he just... Got a little distracted by all the flower stores taking out their wooden market stalls and colourful signs, selling really pretty roses and tulips that just made the Finn stop and stare in wonder, because Valentine's day always made him happy, no matter if he hadn't had a date for so long now. Just looking at all the couples made him smile and want to blush a dark crimson,
Tino had just gone over for a moment to check out the red roses sold by a very enthusiastic and pretty young girl, probably still in school, fumbling about in his pockets to buy a bouquet for himself. His tongue tripped over the 'please' and 'thank you' when she complimented him, and said that anybody would be happy to receive the flowers from him.
The Finn didn't want to disappoint her, so he just smiled along and left, and that's when the rain started to fall.It came suddenly, drenching Tino fully in the first few seconds and leaving him gasping and breathing hard because he was cold, wet, and stranded in a street without an umbrella or a jacket, while everyone got under their coats or covered their heads, running for cover or home, quickly forming puddles splashing under heels and leather shoes while the rain beat down, the sky still a light, clear blue.
The blonde was going to jump on the closest bus back to his apartment, because the walk home didn't sound too handsome right then. That is, until he heard the barks of a small dog, right around the corner. His heart broke, and he knew that he'd rather get even wetter than let the poor dog soak, whining pitifully in small broken sounds, because no one should be forced to do that, not on valentines day or ever, even if it was but a dog.
Next thing Tino knew, his legs were already carrying him around the corner, small hands lifting up the spread out sheets of newspaper that covered the little white ball of fluff, shaking and bristling at the unfamiliar touch of the Finn's fingertips. He sat on the balls of his feet, looking at the sweet dog yapping and bending this way and that, excited over seeing someone pay attention to it. "You're so cute! Who'd leave you out here like that?" Tino gushed, leaning forward and rubbing under the puppy's chin, giggling quietly when it tried to lick his hand excitedly. He forgot all about the rain, now droplets falling down steadily, his hair sticking to his forehead and clothes heavy. The Finn picked out a small rose from the bouquet he held, placing on it on top of the dog's head, petals sticking to the wet fur.
Tino sat back, smiling and folding his hands in his lap as he watched the confused puppy try and shake the flower off its head, before picking it up and snuggling it close to him, laughing when it immediately started squirming around and wagging it's short tail.
He was going to say something but a gruff voice beat him to it, startling him and making him realise a small, embarrassing squeak. "What are you doing here? You're wet," Blunt, heavily accented and amazing, it made Tino blush a dark red and glance up, to meet the gaze of a tall man, with beautiful, beautiful eyes, he didn't even realise that a wide, black umbrella was cutting off his view of the sky, and prevented the rain from falling on him any further.
"U-uh, I- well, I was caught out here, in the rain I mean, a-and I found the cutest puppy and I forgot!" He stuttered, nervously smiling up at the emotionless face, a little taken aback at how serious this new comer was.
The dog -Hanatamago, Tino decided- yapped and he stood up quickly, embarrassed over how dorky he'd probably had looked, and god, the blue eyes were really a nice sort of blue, weren't they? The man sighed, and Tino looked to the ground, chewing on his bottom lip and trying not to make eye contact. Anything but eye contact. "Come, I'll walk you," was he Swedish? He sounded it, Tino was sure. He didn't want to walk anywhere with him, the Finn was sure he'd trip over or knock into him or say something embarrassing that'd make him hate himself forever because this only happened in romantic chick flicks and never in real life.
But standing in the middle of an alleyway, with the rain pattering down gently, sharing the same umbrella and keeping that awkward silence was worse than anything.
So Tino agreed with a nod, and they walked nowhere, because he never told the Swede his address, and the other never asked, and because walking in the rain with someone else was fun, even if they didn't talk much for the next few hours. It even felt as if the roses that Finland held were given to him by the man, no matter how strange that was. "Your eyes are beautiful!" He had stupidly blurted, immediately freezing in his tracks and cheeks flaming up as he mumbled poor excuses. "Berwald," Was the curt answer, before Tino felt warm lips pressing against his own, and a gloved hand holding his chin up gently. That was the best kiss the Finn had ever received, even if he was wet and cold. Until, of course, the forgotten Hanatamago decided that she'd had enough and bit Berwald on the wrist, to which Tino had to apologise a million times again, and scold the little dog while Berwald smiled.
