Beige.

That's the only way Lukas could describe it. His new home was incredibly beige. Beige trim lined the white walls, which enclosed rooms filled with beige furniture. The entrance to the apartment stood in a large living room, which seemed to double as an office. To the left, the door to the bathroom. And to the right, the bedroom. Nothing more.

Everything in this unit seemed stuck in time. It was kind of perfect. In a time where his head was cloudier than it had ever been before, Lukas needed this under-stimulation. It was calming. Any other time he would have scoffed at the dated interior design, but today it was just the thing he needed.

He approached the bedroom, the corners of his lips twitching slightly in amusement at the myriad of brochures sitting at the edge of the bed. He slipped his jacket off, which happened to be the only possession he could take with him, and placed it on the hook on the bedroom door. Curious, he picked up a few of the brochures and managed to stifle a laugh at the titles. The Safe House: A Safe Place was definitely his favorite. The redundancy was incredbile.

After taking a small stroll through the unit to familiarize himself with his indefinite home, Lukas grabbed his key and slid it into his pocket. He wanted to see if he could find Mathias. None of the other units' doors were labelled, but he figured the Dane might be in one of the common areas on the first floor. The officer that drove him here had explained that the safe house had common areas like the kitchen, living room, and dining room on the first floor where he would most likely see other people in protection.

Exiting the unit, Lukas crept towards the other unit on the third floor to see if he could hear anything. Unfortunately, nothing. Just silence and the sound of curtains moving in the wind. They must've left their window open.

Realizing that he might look like a creep to anyone who came upstairs or possibly exited the unit, Lukas quickly strode down the hallway to the staircase, descending onto the second floor. The second floor had four units rather than two, presumably containing smaller residences. He didn't want to risk an awkward encounter with a person if he was caught standing outside their door, so he moved along to the first floor.

Upon entering the hallway he heard the sound of the sink running in the kitchen, and quickly shuffled down the hall into the room, expecting to see the golden-haired Dane. Instead, he came face to face with a small blonde girl washing a mug. When she saw him she jumped, letting out a yelp as Lukas put up both his hands in an attempt at seeming unthreatening.

"Sorry- didn't mean to scare you" Lukas quickly let out, his heart racing as the girl removed her hand from clutching her chest. She seemed like Emil's age, maybe a bit younger. She was dressed quite cutesy, yet looked as though she hadn't slept in years. She reminded him of a porcelain doll, perfect yet kind of eerie, like she wasn't meant to be there.

"That's okay" she replied, "I just wasn't expecting anyone to be in here. I haven't seen a single person since I got here besides the security team."

"Oh- well I'm Lukas" he said as she set the mug down on the drying rack.

"Erika" she replied, giving a quick smile that gave the impression that she wasn't really open to further conversation. Lukas nodded in acknowledgment of their introduction, not wanting to bother the anxious girl further by asking any questions. Besides that, he wasn't the best at making conversation anyway. Any attempt at speaking would lead to awkward drivel.

Feeling uncomfortable now that he had overstayed his welcome in the kitchen, Lukas clicked his tongue and turned back into the hallway. He decided instead to try the living room. No luck there either. He nearly turned to leave but heard the sound of footsteps on the staircase. Not wanting to startle another resident, Lukas sat down on the couch and picked up a newspaper as if he had been sitting there all along. A few seconds passed before the sound of the footsteps neared the living room. Lukas resisted the urge to turn around as the footsteps stopped. 

"Lukas?" he heard before turning around to the sight of Mathias standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, looking exhausted. Lukas rose from the couch before pausing, not exactly sure what to do. The last time they had seen each other Mathias had kissed him, so he didn't exactly know how to greet him. A wave? A hug? Lukas was definitely not taking initiative on a kiss. He stood rigid for a few seconds, simply running over the options in his brain before Mathias let out a breathy chuckle.

"Earth to Lukas" Mathias said goofily, waving his hands in front of Lukas with a grin. Lukas snapped out of it before looking over at the Dane with a sympathetic expression. 

"Are you okay?" Lukas asked, suddenly remembering the state Mathias had been in a day prior. He moved closer for a moment, trying to observe Mathias' state. Mathias just grinned. 

"Always such a scientist" he began, lightly scolding Lukas for his inquisitive scanning. "I'm fine. Really tired, but that's to be expected considering the shit they pumped into my body. I lost a lot of muscle but it's okay. Now that I'm unemployed I'll have time to hit the gym." Lukas smirked at his humorous attitude. It's what he admired most about the Dane. No matter how bad things got, Mathias always managed to keep a smile on his face.  

"You look better" Lukas replied simply, his lips still slightly curled upwards at the sides. He was really happy to see the Dane recovering. There was nothing he hated more than seeing him look palid and sickly in the laboratory.

 "Obviously not the best I've looked but I've still got it" the Dane said, flexing his arms like a bodybuilder. Lukas let out a soft chuckle before dramatically rolling my eyes. 

"Ok Schwarzenegger, we get it" Lukas replied. Mathias scoffed at the response before setting his arms back down by his sides. A few seconds of silence followed, with Lukas not knowing what to say and Mathias seeming to ponder something. The Dane leaned against the wooden post of the doorframe for a moment before figuring it out. 

"Quick question- why are you here? I know you're a snitch and all but I thought the raid went relatively smoothly" he suddenly blurted, catching Lukas off guard. 

"Oh- well, uh- I sort of got threatened?" Lukas choked weakly, watching on as Mathias's eyes widened. The Dane straightened up from his position in the doorway and took a step forwards, suddenly very concerned. Lukas took a step back, trying to maintain the distance between them. He didn't know why but disclosing that information made him feel as though he were reliving it. Lukas immediately felt quite anxious, standing in the bland living room with the Dane's eyes seemingly boring into his soul. He kept reliving the night before, where he held the knife in his living room for hours on end expecting someone to jump out and try to kill him. 

Lukas felt his hands begin to shake and his breathing pattern quicken. He couldn't quite figure out why he was reacting like this. His conscious brain knew he was safe where he was, but his body obviously did not want to listen. He took a few steps backwards before lowering himself back onto the couch. Mathias rushed forwards, noticing Lukas's slight tremble. 

"Hey hey hey hey hey" Mathias repeated softly as he sat on the couch and wrapped his arm around the Norwegian's shoulders. "Why don't we get you upstairs." Lukas nodded, calming slightly as Mathias helped him up from the couch with a gentle hand. 

The two walked in silence up the stairs, Lukas tense as he led the way, still feeling a bit panicked. He had never experienced anything like this in his life. Upon reaching his door, Lukas unlocked it and shuffled inside with the Dane in tow. After re-locking the door, Mathias placed his hand on Lukas's back and led him into Lukas's temporary bedroom. The two sat down on the edge of the bed, Lukas still shaking slightly. Mathias once again wrapped an arm around the Norwegian, pulling him closer towards his chest in a sort of protective hug. 

They sat there for nearly half an hour, Lukas's breathing wildly fluctuating as Mathias gently worked his hand back and forth on Lukas's back, trying to calm him down. Eventually the Norwegian calmed down and sat upright on the bed. 

"I'm sorry- about that-" he blurted awkwardly, feeling overwhelmingly guilty as Mathias retracted his arm and stood up from the bed. Lukas couldn't believe he had just done that. He was embarrassed. Mathias had been through so much worse, yet he was the one being coddled like a baby. 

"Don't be sorry. I get it" Mathias reassured with a smile, trying to comfort the rigid Norwegian. "You should get some rest." Lukas nodded, still feeling guilty as he climbed up onto the bed and crawled under the covers. Maybe it was the lack of sleep that was getting to him. 

Lukas watched as Mathias lowered the blinds, making sure the room was dark enough for sleep. It was only mid-day after all. After he was done, Mathias walked back over to Lukas and made sure he was tucked in sufficiently. Lukas cowered his head shamefully as the Dane made sure his sleeping conditions were ideal. He hated himself for showing so much vulnerability. 

"Thank you" he let out quietly, looking up at Mathias with an appreciative stare. Mathias bent down and placed a kiss on the Norwegian's forehead. 

"It's the least I could do after what you've done for me" he replied softly before turning and walking across the room, preparing to leave. Lukas felt himself grow anxious again. 

"You can- stay" Lukas uttered as Mathias reached the door, "if you want."

Mathias turned back to face him, knowing that Lukas didn't want him to leave. He hesitated for a moment, not knowing what Lukas actually wanted him to do. Should he stay on the couch in the living room? On the bed? In the bed? 

The answer to his questions was revealed as Lukas shifted up a bit and untucked the other side of the comforter, making just enough room for Mathias. 

"Don't mind if I do."