From Best Friend to Boyfriend (Hetaila, HongIce)

Chapter 19. It was only a kiss

Tino glanced up at the clock, it had been an hour since school had ended, Peter and Erland had returned home. The male took a sip of his drink while he watched the clock hand switch. With each passing second Tino began to get even more worried. He took a pause, then glanced up at the ceiling.

"Why did you decide to add drama to this story? It was all going great.." He mumbled to himself, obliviously talking to some omniscient narrator. The Finnish male twiddled his thumb as he swung his chair back. Then picked up the phone in front of him.

"Mama! Where's Ice?" Peter questioned, he walked into the room holding a toy to his chest. The man that he had called mother just blankly stared at the wall, he hadn't a clue where Emil was. He was so concerned by this point that the male even considered calling the police. No, it's fine.. He'll call the other's phone.

Tino ran a hand through his blond locks as he listened to the phone ring. "Please answer... I don't want this stupid story to get what it wants from me." Tino placed down the phone when he heard the prerecorded message telling him that the caller on the other side wasn't on the phone at the moment. He almost threw his phone on the ground.

Thinking for a brief few moments he had another brilliant idea. He searched for Leon's number and called it. Waiting a few minutes he heard someone pick up on the other side.

"Yo?" Leon greeted, unsure why Tino would call him.

"Leon, is Ice with you?"

"No, like, why?"

"Do you know where he could've gone? He isn't home right now an-" Tino bit his lip, he couldn't finish his sentence, he was just so worried that he began to cry. "-and I'm really worried for him." The Finnish male sniffled once more.

"That's weird, he was walking home just now." Leon didn't realise that Tino was on the verge of tears. Leon felt a sudden drop in his stomach this wasn't good. He paused.

"C-Can you come over?"

"I'll be, like, right over."

Tino placed the phone down, then buried his face in his hands. The male looked at Peter, who was still standing in the room the small child walked over to his mother and hugged the Finn tightly. "It's going to be fine, we'll find ice again and be one happy family, right?"

"I hope so."
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Leon gasped for air, glancing at the door to Emil's current residence, the male burst through the door only to find the remaining members of Emil's small family, his brother, Matthias, and Berwald, in the living room looking petrified while Michelle and Francis called everyone they knew.

"Did you find him?" Lukas questioned, the male looked shaky, ever since he was told that Emil was missing he couldn't sit down. His baby brother was missing, this was like a worst nightmare come true.

"If I did, he would, like, be here, right now."

Leon didn't show them the pain that he was going through, the youth felt like his whole world was breaking. He looked outside, then bit his lip.

Tino hadn't stopped crying since Berwald came in. The smaller of the pair just felt safer in his arms. Berwald had rushed home from work the second that he heard Emil had gone missing. It was clear that the entire family was currently stressing out. Even Francis and Michelle were stressing and they weren't part of the family.

Francis glanced at them all then clicked.

"We haven't called the infirmary! I'm going to call them now." The French male dialled the number, then patiently waited for the other side to pick up, he walked into the kitchen to begin his conversation. The rest of the house stayed silent, ready for another disappointing development, however, Francis' face reads otherwise. He placed the phone down, then looked at them all. "Well... I have news, I don't know if it's good or bad."

Tino looked up at him and with red stained eyes, he gave his judgment. "Just tell us!"

"Two hours ago a boy was dropped off at the infirmary by an unknown person. It was Emil, a nurse there identified him, he's currently suffering in one of the wards with cyanide poisoning." Francis gave the family the devastating news. The four of them all looked at each other. "Can you take care of the boys?" Tino questioned, Francis nodded.

Within moments they had gotten up and rushed to the car outside. Leaving Francis, Michelle and Leon in their house in order to take care of the boys. Leon glanced at Michelle, it was obvious he was terrified. The girl walked over to him and hugged him gently. "W-Who could've, like, done this?" He questioned, feeling Michelle shrug the boy began to feel angry.

"I can't just stand here while Ice is practically dying in the hospital. Michelle I'm going after them." Leon was still tired from his run around earlier, but now he had a sense of panic. His adrenaline kicked in as he began to run once more. Michelle and Francis watched him with the same expression.

"It's obvious he loves him." Francis mumbled, then looked at Michelle who smiled. "I think it's cute.."

The two stood side by side. "Is Emil going to be okay?" Michelle asked, in response Francis pulled her into a side hung. "It's Emil, of course he'll be okay." Francis reassured, little did Michelle know that his words held a sense of pain to them.

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In his mind it didn't matter, Leon needed to see Emil. His actions at this moment in time were justified, no matter the suspicions he was going to find him and make sure that he was safe. Leon felt so helpless, how could he have let that happen? He should've walked with Emil, walked him to his house. Not let him go home alone.

Why was he so stupid?

The male glanced up at the hospital building, it wasn't too far from here now. He continued to run up until the entrance of the hospital where he was forced into walking. He swore that if could run he would. He slowly walked up to the reception then, asked where Emil's ward was. Of course, that wasn't enough.

"Who?" The woman questioned, the sounds of her chewing gum irritated Leon. "I said Emil Steilsson, tell me where his room is." Leon wasn't playing around, the woman slowly sat over at her desk then typed some incoherent words onto the computer screen. "Up the stairs to your left."

Leon paced his walking, he looked up the stairs and the second that no one was around he ran up them. Following the directions that the nurse had given him, he ended up in a ward used to treat poisoning. Walking through the ward halls, the sounds of screams and different chatter echoed Leon's mind as he met Tino and Berwald sitting in front of a room, beside them was Matthias, who was walking up and down the hall muttering hateful words.

Tino and Berwald didn't question why Leon was here, neither did Matthias. Leon was sure that if it was any other situation they would've.

He entered the room only to find Emil laying in the hospital bed. Lukas beside him holding his hand gently. Leon looked at him, then noticed that his older brother was almost on the of verge tears. "Leon... You came?" Lukas questioned, his voice, quiet.

Leon replied with a nod, he couldn't speak at this moment. Lying in the bed was Emil, his lover, his boyfriend, his best friend. Emil looked pitiful, with multiple tubes sticking from his arm and mouth it was obvious that he had his stomach pumped. With a heavy sigh Leon walked over to him, then took his other hand. Resting his back on the wall he slid down, then held his hand tightly.

"I'm sorry.." He apologised, then looked down to his knees. "I'm sorry that you're like this."

Leon knew that he wasn't going to live this down. Yet, he was going to wait for Emil.

Wait for him to wake up...

... no matter how long it took.