Saw the quote "And everything went to shit within a matter of seconds" on tumblr and got inspiration for this little story. So here you go, a story about Emil preparing a birthday party for Lalli!

Modern AU

Warnings: Some swearing. The show "Svenska Hollywoodfruar" and "Project Runaway". Something almost catching fire.

The alarm woke Emil up. He turned it off, threw the cover to the side and sat up. Excitement already filled his body and he jumped out of the bed, rushed to the calendar to cross over yet another day and looked at the brightly coloured squared that showed the day's date. Lalli's birthday. His smile widened. He had already arranged for his friend to come over in the afternoon. Movie night, he had said. What he had not said was that he had planned to make this the best birthday ever for his friend.

He showered quickly, dried his hair and made sure every strand of hair laid precisely where they should. He knew he would have to fix that again later. He got dressed, jeans and a black t-shirt. He would change into something more fitting for a party when the preparations where done. Scrambled eggs and sandwiches for breakfast while he surfed the web on his phone to look for a nice cake to make. After finding one he took care of the dishes and took out everything he needed, before strapping a pink apron around his waist and starting up the oven.

Homemade cake. Lalli probably had never had something like that before. Maybe. Emil didn't actually know, but since most people got their cakes from the store it was pretty safe to assume. He mixed the ingredients, humming quietly as he worked. When it was done he poured the batter into a cake tin and put it into the oven. He threw the empty egg box into the trash, put the dirty dishes in the sink and filled it up with water. He hung the apron over one of the chairs and left the kitchen. Emil sank down in the sofa and started zapping through the channels, looking for something to watch while the cake was baking. He found one of his favourite shows, Project Runaway, and leaned back in the couch while watching what designs they'd come up with this time.

He wasn't quite aware just how immersed he could get into the show, but one episode ended and another started and he sat there, thinking how muh better he would be at designing some of the dresses, being in awe about some other designs, groaning when everything went wrong for the designers and yelling at the judges when they didn't agree with him. Another episode started and his mind started poking him because wasn't there something important he was doing? He yelled at a designer for choosing a very ugly fabric and then the smell of burned food reached his nose.

"Ah shit, the cake!"

He jumped out of the couch, hit his leg on the table and saw the remote disappearing under the sofa but didn't stop to pick it up. Smoke was slipping out of the oven and Emil waved it away, open the door and pulled out the cake. It was a mess of burnt cake and he dropped it into the sink. He poured water over it to cool it off and let out a sigh as he saw his failed creation. Okay, part one of the day did not go according to plan but... He glanced at the watch. There was still another four hours until Lalli was supposed to come, he had time to try again. He grabbed the apron, tied it around his waist and threw the disaster in the trash. He cleaned up the cake tin, took out a new bowl, placed it on the table, poured flour in it and went to the fridge to grab two eggs.

He groaned as he realized he had used the last two for the previous cake. Never mind, there was time, he could make it to the store. He needed more milk anyway. He untied the apron, let it fall to the floor and grabbed his wallet. The brown shoes he had out didn't really fit with the jeans but they'd have to do for now, he didn't have time to dig in the wardrobe for better ones. Weather was hot, so he didn't need a coat and he left the apartment, ran down the stairs.

And slipped on one of the steps.

His foot twisted under him and sank down on his arse, grabbed the banister and pressed his forehead against it. Pain shot through his leg and he had to bit his lip to not scream.

"Okay. This is... Okay. I can still do this", he mumbled as the pain slowly subsided just a little. He pulled himself up, avoided putting weight on his twisted foot and took a couple of deep breaths. He shifted his weight, but another wave of pain shot up from his ankle and he grabbed the banister with both hands, lifted the foot from the floor again.

"Shit."

He tried taking a step, but limped heavily and had to support himself with the banister. There was no way he'd get to the store. He took another step, because maybe he could walk it off. Of course he could. It wasn't broken. It couldn't be.

Emil cried out as he put his full weight on his damaged foot and quickly moved back to the other foot, clenched the banister until his knuckles turned white.

"Okay, no cake. That's fine. I can do something else."

He cursed again as he realized he had to go back up the stairs. Maybe he could just sit on the stair until his foot was good again. Yes, that sounded like a reasonable idea. No, wait, it wasn't. Lalli was supposed to come over, he couldn't be sitting in the staircase when the other arrived. He let out a sigh and started making his way back up. He used the banisters on both side of the stairs to keep as much weight as possible off the foot, limped heavily back into the apartment and sank down on the couch. He carefully removed the shoe, clenched his teeth against the pain and let the shoe fall to the floor with a thud. His ankle was already swollen, had almost grown to the size of a tennisball. He leaned back, took a deep breath and carefully moved his foot. It hurt, but no, it wasn't broken. Just a sprain. He let out a sigh of relief and got up again. His foot almost gave away when he stepped on it and he fell back into the couch.

"I'll just... stay here", he decided.

He placed his leg on the back of the sofa and laid down, looked at the ceiling and listened as the judges of Project Runaway decided who'd go home this time. Emil's eyes closed as he tried to will the pain away. No success. He opened his eyes again, searched the coffee table for his phone. There was no way he could had Lalli over when he was in this much pain.

The phone wasn't there. Emil let out another groan as he realized it was still in the kitchen. Fine, he needed ice for his foot anyway. He got up again, hopped into the kitchen and grabbed the phone. He dialed Lalli's number as he made his way over to the freezer and pressed it between his shoulder and cheek to have both hands free.

"Lalli."

"Hey, Lalli. Listen..."

The phone started slipping and Emil panicked, tried to grab it, but it fell, hit his arm, bounced to the sink and sank down into the water.

"Shit."

Emil quickly pulled it up again, but the screen was black. It wouldn't turn on.

"Shit", he repeated and leaned against the countertop. The freezer started beeping, angry at him for leaving it open for too long and he grabbed a pack of ice before closing the door. He took the phone and the ice in his hands and started moving back to the couch.

He had, however, forgotten about the apron.

It slid as he landed on it and he fell backwards, hit the back of his head on the table before landing on the floor. One second later he was covered with flour. His foot throbbed and everything felt so stupid and Emil growled, placed an arm over his eyes and stayed on the floor. He'd stay there until everything was right again.

Ten minutes later he decided that he had stayed on the floor long enough. He used the chair to pull himself up, ignored the pounding in his head and the bowl and the apron on the floor but picked up the icepack and the phone. It was probably too late to save the phone, but he picked it apart, tried drying it using a corner of his shirt that wasn't covered in flour and made an attempt to turn it back on. It didn't work. He shook his head and put it down on the table, made his way back to the couch and laid down. He elevated his foot the best he could and placed the icepack over it before leaning back to look at the television.

Svenska Hollywoodfruar. Of course. Emil tried reaching for the remote, but it wasn't on the table. Why was nothing where it was supposed to be? He had a vague memory of seeing the remote falling beneath the couch and he really didn't want to move again so fine, he would watch the terrible show.

And it. Was. Terrible. There was so much drama and backstabbing and fake smiles and they were just so stupid and Emil could hardly stand it. He threw his shoe towards the television, hoping to turn it off, but missed by a mile.

"If you'd stop being such asshats!" he yelled at the television.

And it never stopped. All the bickering made the pounding in his head increase and he made a mental note to get a landline installed so he'd be able to call for help if something like this happened again. He took the icepack off his foot and placed it against the back of his head for a while. The headache lightened, but instead the throbbing in his foot increased and he grabbed a pillow, placed it over his face and let out a frustrated scream into it. Which definately didn't help the headache.

The pillow fell down to the floor and Emil continued watching the stupid show. As another episode came to an end he heard light scratching on the door. Lalli. He let out a sigh.

"Door's open!" he called.

Lalli was used to helping himself inside as he often arrived when Emil was making food, and Emil stayed on the couch, watch the commercials as he listened to Lalli hanging his coat and taking off his shoes in the hallway. He settled up as the other came into the livingroom and gave a sheepish smile.

"I tried cancelling."

Lalli tilted his head and Emil blushed slightly as Lalli's eyes swept over him. He realized just how unkempt he must be looking. He pulled his fingers through his hair, tried to at least get that in order, but flinched as he touched the bump in the back of his head. Lalli settled down on the coffee table and grabbed Emil's hand, slowly felt the back of Emil's head and frowned slightly.

"You okay?"

Emil considered saying that yes, of course he was okay. Couldn't Lalli see just how okay he was?

"...Not really." Emil laid down again. "I was going to tell you not to come but..."

Emil gestured towards the kitchen.

"My phone died. Sorry."

Lalli didn't answer, instead his hands grabbed Emil's foot and Emil flinched again, tried to pull away, but Lalli's grip was too firm. He put the foot down again, grabbed the now melted icepack and disappeared into the kitchen.

"I was going to make you a cake", Emil explained when Lalli came back.

Lalli didn't answer, just sat down on the armrest and took Emil's foot again, wrapped it carefully. Some of the pain subsided and Emil tried dusting the flour off his clothes.

"Pizza?" Lalli asked and Emil stopped.

"Huh?"

"I can order pizza. If you want to."

Emil's stomach rumbled and he realized there'd be no way he could make food himself right now so he nodded.

"Pizza sounds nice. If you don't mind."

"Then I wouldn't have asked."

Lalli got up again, fetched his phone and disappeared into the kitchen again. Emil heard him placing the order and then the sound of water running followed.

"You don't have to do that!"

Lalli didn't answer. Emil wasn't sure if he hadn't heard or if he ignored Emil's call but he decided it didn't matter. He looked down on his clothes, considered for a moment to go change into something clean but decided that no, Lalli didn't mind anyway and he really didn't feel like getting up. Lalli came back into the living room, glanced at Emil and then disappeared again. A couple minutes he returned again, changed into the pyjamas he kept at Emil's house for the times he stayed until too late. He dropped a pair of pants and a shirt in Emil's lap before disappearing again. Emil started changing into the clean clothes, got slightly distracted when the doorbell rang, but he heard Lalli dealing with it and continued changing. Lalli smiled at him when he passed on the way to the kitchen and a minute later he returned with the two pizzas.

"The remote is under the couch", Emil stuttered as Lalli went to fetch a movie.

"What happened?" Lalli asked and Emil knew he didn't mean only the remote.

Emil let out a sigh and told Lalli about his plan to surprise Lalli with a cake and how everything that could went wrong. Lalli smirked a little and Emil glared at him when he sank down in the couch next to Emil.

"It wasn't funny."

Lalli started the movie and Emil leaned back, started eating the pizza.

"Anyway, sorry for ruining your birthday."

"It's not ruined", Lalli answered and started eating his own pizza. "I wanted a movie night, we're having a movie night."

Emil smiled.

"Yeah, you're right. I guess it worked out in the end."

He grinned towards Lalli.

"Happy birthday, pal."

Lalli smiled back.

"Thanks."

He glanced towards Emil's bandaged foot before turning towards the television.

"I'll stay over the weekend. To help you."

"You don't..." Emil started, then changed his mind. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

Emil turned back to the television, focused on the movie. He would get another try next year to make the perfect birthday party for his friend.