Fem!Finland (Femland?), because I have trouble putting a guy in a skirt when it comes to fanfiction. And I really wanted Finland in a skirt. AU. If you don't like high school AUs, I suggest you click away. However, if for some odd reason you enjoy SuFin private school genben, then please indulge, because I do, too. (I am simply incapable of writing proper yaoi).
Side note: It's not a Japanese school. They wear uniforms because it is a private school.
Other side note: I apologize to France-lovers. I love the guy too, but if there is an antagonist in this piece, it is definitely him.

Berwald knows that Tiina doesn't realize just how appetizing she is to the male eye. She doesn't know how lovely she is, how her lavender gaze intrigues, how her soft hair and body invite. She doesn't know how alluring her legs are, smooth and slender from beneath her uniform skirt. She doesn't know how her smile enchants, or how her patience breeds infatuation. She doesn't know how hard it is for him to keep her all to himself.

The halls of the private school, in a constant state of traffic with men and women and men, stupid, staring men, are prime locations for the Swede's anxieties to thrive. Francis, unsatisfied with his multiple girlfriends and boyfriends, leers... as does Russia (for completely different reasons). The Estonian smiles charmingly at her. When she bumps into some broad-shouldered stranger and drops her things, the blond boy turns and helps load them back into her arms, grinning and uttering nonsense about heroes and the ladies who help them thrive. Berwald wants to crush them all.

"Su-san, did you hear me?"

He quickly snapped back into focus, giving Tiina a short blank stare. Sighing and smiling in understanding, his favorite Finn repeated the words he'd missed.

"I'm staying after school for World Religion club, so you can go on ahead without me, okay?"

Berwald's mind works at lightning speed, recalling numerous boys that are also a part of the WR club. He wants to tell her that she is forbidden to go, that she is his and she just can't be alone with so many men without him. But her eyes are so soft, and he likes to believe that they are only for him, that she won't ever choose another over him, and that he can trust her. He can trust her. So he nods and she smiles, slinging her bag over her shoulder and waving cheerfully. "See you tomorrow, Su-san!"

He raises his hand in parting, and when she has left the room he picks up his own bag and steps silently out the door. The halls bustle with students that chatter nonstop. Berwald sifts his way through the crowd to his locker, which unfortunately is situated a few down from the leering Frenchman. Francis has a woman (or a very feminine man) pressed against his locker, but Berwald has no trouble ignoring a couple of rich kids sucking face. It was the Prussian's hobby to oggle lovemakers, not his. But he did, with his impeccable hearing, catch onto what conversation passed between saliva swaps. Not that he listened-- his senses simply honed in when the playboy froggy informed his present fling that, no, he could accompany her home as he had a World Religion club meeting to attend. Berwald's fingers twitched as he extracted the proper homework materials from his locker.

With a short slam of metal, Berwald had already made up his mind.

- -

Seven minutes after the meeting had ended, Berwald knew that staying and waiting was the right choice. While sitting outside the classroom, anxieties had, of course, festered in his brain. What if Tina got mad at him? What if it had been a test of trust and he'd failed miserably by sticking around? He really hated that idea.

But right now, as that stupid Frenchman stayed behind to torment the Finnish girl, Berwald was very glad that he'd stayed. In fact, if that idiot took a step closer...

"Tiina, baby," Francis cooed, "wanna be my girl?"

Tiina laughed nervously, hesitantly even, straightening chairs and replacing books on shelves. "No thank you, Francis. I would not want to compete with your, ah... other beloveds."

"There's always room for one more," he assured her, lounging against the window. Berwald hoped the glass wouldn't hold.

"Actually, I'm, er... seeing someone."

All thoughts of shattered glass disappeared from Berwald's mind in a cloud of smoke. Him? Did she mean him? Could she possibly, by some stroke of heavenly luck, see into his heart and extract his own feelings herself? Certainly, Berwald had never asked her out, per se, because... well... since he'd made her acquaintence, gotten to know her, and eventually fallen for her, he'd simply assumed that she recognized her place as his. For two years she had belonged to him. And now she was saying it out loud for that idiot Francis to hear.

"You are, are you? Is it that frightful Swedish friend of yours? Ah, my dear, he simply cannot compliment you the way I can." Francis pushed away from the window and made his way to Tiina's prone form. He had her back against the teacher's desk. Francis leaned in toward her. "I can make you feel fire."

"It's not Su-san," Tiina proclaimed as the very man himself threw open the door. She and Francis jumped and turned to stare. Tiina felt her jaw unhinge. "S-Su-san? I... I thought you went home..."

Berwald caught himself and paused mid-step, registering her words.

'It's not Su-san.'

'It's not Su-san.'

'It's not Su-san.'

It wasn't his heart thudding dully in his chest, either. No, his chest had hollowed out. All that beat painfully inside was a bad memory.

"Su-san?"

Frankly, the hollow space inside hurt to hear her say his name so sweetly. He gave Francis a meaningful stare and the blond immediately jumped back, retreating with a suave wave and quick feet. Berwald and Tiina were left alone.

" 'm sorry," he mumbled and turned on his heel.

"Su-san, what are you apologizing for?" Tiina trailed after him down the long hall, her hand grabbing the strap of his bag. "Su-san, what's wrong? You're acting weird. Francis didn't do anything if you're worried..."

He stopped suddenly and she ran into his back. Berwald turned to her, his eyes betraying a foreign emotion. One she'd never seen. One that had her stepping backwards into a wall in something akin to fear.

"Who'sit?" he asked lowly, following her until she had no more room to step. She had her back against a bulletin board, her head situated between breast cancer awareness and a colorful orchestra flyer.

"Wh-who is what?"

"Who're y' with?" She still looked confused. Those eyes were killing him. "Y' tol' that idiot that y' were with some'n. Who'sit?"

And then she did something he never would have imagined. She laughed. As his heart was stolen from his chest and tossed out the window of a speeding train, she laughed, those beautiful eyes dancing. It didn't seem quite fair. Tiina caught his dark mood and her laughter trailed off into nervousness. "Don't be silly, Su-san. I was lying."

The cogs in Berwald's head turned. "... Y' lied?"

"Of course. It was a tactic. I just wanted Francis off my back."

His fingers clenched and the muscles in his jaw twitched. "... Y' mean it?"

"Su-san, you would have known if I was with somebody. There's no way I could have gotten it past you."

With those words Tiina had seen his heart on the floor, picked it up, dusted it off, and handed it back to him. He graciously accepted its return, his forehead landing on her shoulder in relief.

"Good. Tha's good." She didn't speak. Berwald closed his eyes and took in the clean smell of her uniform blouse. "Y' can' be w' anyone else."

"Su-san?"

Berwald grunted. "Be w'th me."

He felt more than heard her swallow. "S-Su-san..."

" 's a tactic. T' keep stup'd men off ya."

Tiina's muscles relaxed and she even let out a laugh. He reveled in the feel of her small hand on the back of his neck and the smile in her voice. "Sure. Okay."

- -
This is meant to be multi-chapter. Let's hope I can produce even a second part.
A big THANK YOU! to who informed me so kindly that "Tina" is not a Finnish name, while "Tiina" is.
As a last note, I apologize to any- and everyone whose minds have fractured from lack of yaoi. But I just couldn't put male Finland in a skirt.