This wasn't the first time, it wasn't, and that made him worry more.
Stepping into the cold, dark house to find nothing (he feared something might have happened; Oh God, where was he?) was never a good sign.
He can't find him, can't find Russia. He can't find him, he's not here, he isn't standing in the door-way waiting for him (he never would understand why he did that) and he never said anything about a meeting with his boss (then again, the man was unpredictable, and Ivan always seemed desperate to stay away from him – what had he done to make the blond so fearful?), and all in all –
All in all, there hadn't been any words between them today, and with a shudder, he realized that that frightened him.
Normally he would be frightened of the nation himself (who in a drunken slur would compliment how Lithuania looked so "cute" that day), not frightened of his expression in general.
Not frightened of the fact that there was no smile today.
No nod, no acknowledgement, no "Be careful, Lietuva!" as he stepped out the door.
And now, he couldn't find him.
He mentally cursed himself as he pretty much flew up the stairs, down one corridor after the other, opening each door along the way and coming up with the same result: nothing.
So he tried each stair-case, each room on those floors (over and over and over – where was he?), and still nothing.
Letting out an annoyed sigh, he simply returned to the living room, grabbed his coat and wrapped it back around him, then, inhaling deeply, stepped back outside.
Snow covered the ground, frosting over the gray, tilting branches of a near-by tree, and the wind blew fiercely, bringing the promise of a snowstorm (how Russia would hate that).
Uncertainly, he let his boots drag through the snow (in a rush, but he wouldn't say it out loud, nor would he let anyone see that), and before long he could hear someone's voice over the overbearing gusts.
"T-that's not what I meant! I-I-I swear!"
Recognition crossed Lithuania's dark green eyes, and automatically he was drawn to the blond standing alone in the snow just a few paces away.
"Mister Russia?" he tried, tilting his head to the side.
"H-hm? Ah, Lietuva... H-hang on a moment, d-da?" the blond called over his shoulder (stuttering, shivering – why did he look so scared?)
"U-uhm... Mister Russia, there's no one there... Are... you okay? Not to say you've gotten ill, it's just..."
"N-nyet! … I was talking to the General, but he seems to have disappeared... ahh-hah, how bothersome."
Lithuania let out a sigh, rushing up to the larger nation to stand beside him.
"Who's, erm, the General? Not... erm, what was his name again...?" He rubbed his arms, shivering.
"Nyet, n-not t-that General, Lietuva." He laughed like the idea was silly, but his eyes weren't gleaming, and Lithuania knew the smile on his face didn't exist in the blond's mind. "General W-Winter."
The brunette was silent for a minute, pondering this. He had never heard Russia refer to any "General Winter" before, and the fact that this person seemed to be a spirit perturbed him, as well.
"... Y-you are aware... o-of, uhm, who the General is, da, Toris?"
Lithuania, not knowing how to answer, shuffled his feet then whispered softly, nervously, as if Russia would assault him for not knowing, "U-uhm, n-no Sir."
"Ah-hah~ I figured you wouldn't."
"Who is –"
"General Winter is neither my comrade nor my enemy – I wouldn't mind thinking of him as my friend, da, but he isn't, so I cannot. He can be both on... several occasions, actually. Amusing, da? … Hmm, I cannot... think of how to describe him, really."
"... I-is he... like... like the, uhm... god of winter, Sir?"
"I wouldn't call him a god, but, ahm... da, I suppose."
"I-I see. W-we should probably get inside, Sir... T-this wind isn't going to do us much good."
"Hmm? Lithuania can go ahead~ I want to stay here and maybe he'll come back, da? I need to speak to him, actually, but you turned up just a few seconds after I got here..."
"Y-yes, but you'll f-freeze if you s-s-stay out here."
"Nyet, Lithuania would be the one to freeze. Go."
"... But I –" One look at Russia's face (the glare – that was too uncharacteristic), and the brunette had to nod and turn on his heel to leave. "Yes Sir."
Lithuania thinks I'm insane. How quaint. He was here, I'm telling the truth, why won't you come back? Come back, don't leave me alone, don't leave...
Thinking about these things made his head ache (and his heart too, but Lietuva would worry, and Russia hated to make his Toris worry – not that the brunette didn't look adorable when he was afraid), and he was cold, he wasn't being honest with his... "secretary", for lack of better word.
It was hard to be.
Russia liked lying, anything to keep Toris from believing that he truly wasn't insane or crazy or not well.
Whatever Lithuania believed was the truth.
"Lithuania! Oh God, where the hell were you?"
The brunette winced as he turned around, spotting both of his brothers near the stair-case, Eduard pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, Raivis shivering – as always, and it was Russia's fault, too.
"S-sorry!" he apologized, coming toward them.
"... Ehhh, Liet, you s-scared us, w-where were you?" Raivis stuttered, knitting his eyebrows together.
"Eh? Russia didn't tell you..."
"... Actually, we haven't seen Ivan all day."
"What...? Well, that's... sort of... odd. But, uhm... how are you... guys?"
"Oh, we're fine. We're not being kept in a house against our will and Russia's definitely not an insane drun –"
"I get it, okay, okay."
As soon as he reached them, Lithuania peered over Eduard's shoulder, raising an eye-brow.
"You brought your... phone... and it's in..." He read the Estonian scrawl on the screen, and let out a sigh, mumbling, "You seriously shouldn't have that. If Mister Russia catches you, he isn't going to be pleasant about it."
"I know. I've had it ever since we came here, you know. Ivan's not here, right? You could call Poland..."
Polska is the last thing I need right now, honestly...
"... Y-yeah, that'd be great."
"U-uhm, what if R-Russia comes back? T-then you'll be in trouble, an-and it'll be Estonia's fault..." Latvia trailed off, noticing that Estonia was biting his lip, apparently scared of the idea as he pocketed his phone.
"T-tonight, then?"
"If he even comes in..." Lithuania muttered, half to himself, half to the other two.
And he better. I don't need to worry about someone that scarred me. Mentally and physically, might I add. Damnit, I do need to call Feliks... Later, later, later. Not right now, he'll keep me on the phone as long as he can, and I don't want to be standing around for an hour. Ivan will get angry, and...
"Toris?"
Snapping back to attention, the brunette turned to the voice – smooth and childish, almost genuine, but he was aware of it all being a lie.
"S-Sir?"
Fumbling over his words, he straightened, glancing over his shoulder at Raivis and Eduard (hide) and nodding as his brothers flew up the stairs.
"Ah, General Winter didn't come at all after you left..." Ivan muttered, sounding disappointed as he walked past the Lithuanian. "U-uhm, Toris?"
"Y-yes... Sir?"
"Do you think I'm going mad?"
Lithuania's eyes shot open to their full extent, and it took all his will not to take a step back and yell at the blond.
… How... does he expect me to answer that?
"N-no! O-of course not! I just... think you should t-try and get more sleep, is all... ha ha..."
"Lithuania lies." Russia sighed, fading up the stairs into the darkness of the corridor. "Mm, also, tell Estonia and Latvia lights out – ahm, for all of you, actually. It's... ah..."
"... Ten, I think."
"Da."
"But you're still not going to sleep, are you?"
"... Ah, nyet. I don't know where I would be if I listened to Lietuva, ah-ha~"
What is this.
I mean really.
I need to stop writing RussLiet so much, but I just love this pairing~ Even though... it's... totally unrealistic.
UH ANYWAY.
Reviewing would be much loved. :D
And I might actually continue this.