27. "Your nose is bleeding –!"

Lukas leaned against Berwald boredly as they both stared at the tv. They sat on the couch, and their surroundings seemed quite normal for a couple, but something wasn't right. A presence that was missing could be felt by both of them, and it kept them unnerved, though they had tried to relax by cuddling up against each other and distracting their distraught minds.

"He's been gone for hours…" Lukas mumbled quietly. Neither of them had spoken about him, but they were both on edge. They knew what he was capable of doing when he went out drinking, but they hadn't wanted to put up the fight, Mathias had been fighting to go out for a few days now.

"I know…" Berwald said, his normally calm voice showing signs of worry as well. From behind his glasses, Lukas could see that Berwald was glancing towards the door, in hopes that he would stumble in, unharmed and okay.

"We shouldn't have let him go alone…" Lukas said, sitting up. Berwald sighed in agreement. Stubbornness had caused them to allow Mathias to leave, and now, they regretted it.

"Let's find him." Lukas said, and Berwald nodded, not needing any further persuasion. The couple stood up, and hugged each other lightly, both afraid of what they might find of the Danish man this time. They loved him, but he could be so stupid and careless sometimes, they thought if they just let him get hurt, he would learn, but they always regretted it in the end.

When they pulled away, the taller one initiating it, the started towards the door, already having ideas on where he was. But when they took a step forward, they were shocked to see the door swing open, and there in the doorway stood their bloodied, goofy grinned boyfriend.

"Are we going out?" He asked with a sheepish smile that let them know he wasn't drunk. They were both relieved at first, before they both realized he was still beat up.

"Mathias, what happened?" Lukas demanded, sounding accusing, but Mathias knew he was probably just worried. Lukas was the first to approach the Dane, his hands immediately holding a bruised cheek of his as he took in the injuries.

"Who did this?" Berwald asked, his concerns more focused on revenge. How dare someone hurt Mathias? Of course, he could hold his own, and Berwald knew that, but that didn't stop the anger that filled him, before approaching Mathias.

"Just some guys at the bar, made fun of me for refusing beer." He explained, which was a shock to them both, which Mathias could read on their faces.

"What? I wasn't really in the mood…" He confessed, though, in reality, their arguing and stubbornness actually had gotten to Mathias, and he had found himself unable to drink, knowing they would be upset and hurt by it.

Not that he would admit that to them though.

"So they beat you up?" Lukas asked, his own voice sounding angry now as well. He noticed a black eye, a bloodied nose and lip, and various bruises and cuts all over the other's body. Mathias just shrugged.

"I think they were drunk. I didn't want to fight them though, so I kind of just let them wail on me until they tired out." Mathias confessed, once more growing a bit sheepish, since he knew they knew he could have killed them if he wanted to, but he hadn't wanted to fight back. He didn't want them thinking he hadn't listened to their pleas.

"Ya shoulda kicked their asses." Berwald said without remorse, and Lukas didn't disagree, much to Mathias's surprise, but he didn't question it. They were probably just upset he looked like this.

"Sorry for going out." Mathias finally said, but Lukas shook his head.

"We're sorry we were so stubborn about it." He admitted, and Berwald nodded in agreement. Mathias smiled, but as he did so, blood dripped down his chin.

Lukas rolled his eyes a bit, still upset that he allowed himself to get beat up. "Come on, let's clean you up." He said, before leading the other out of the carpeted living room and into a bathroom. Berwald followed, gently resting a hand on Mathias's shoulder and rubbing it soothingly.

"We're glad yer home safe." Berwald told him, and Mathias smiled, wiping the blood from his mouth once more.

"Me too." He said, before he was sat on the toilet by Lukas, who had once been used to cleaning Mathias and Berwald up this way, and though it had been a long time, Lukas still seemed to make easy work of it as he dabbed at wounds.

Berwald stood in the doorway, assisting Lukas when he could, but was content enough to watch as Mathias whined and whimpered, but still stared at Lukas with loving eyes as he was taken care of. It was endearing.

"I was thinking of you guys, as they hit me." Mathias confessed after Lukas had finished his bandaging. They had all made their way back to the tv was off, and they all laid with each other. Berwald was sitting down, Mathias was laying on the couch with his head rested on Berwald's lap, and Lukas was laying on top of Mathias, who had insisted he do so despite his injuries.

"How come?" Berwald asked, running his hand through Mathias's hair and gently petting him, an action the Dane found comforting.

"I was afraid they might knock me out, and I wouldn't come home." He confessed. It would have been hard to knock such a force out, but Mathias hadn't doubted them, since their drunken rage fueled even weak men. "I didn't want you thinking I had picked a fight with them." He added, before closing his eyes.

"We would have worried about you before we worried about that." Lukas told him, gently drawing on the other's chest as he laid on him. Berwald hummed in agreement.

"I'm still sorry…." Mathias said quietly, but Berwald just shook his head.

"Get some rest…" Berwald said, and Mathias had no objections. It wasn't long for him to be asleep, his body aching more so than he let on. Lukas climbed off of Mathias once he was snoring, not wanting to cause him any more difficulties.

"Goodnight, Matt…" Lukas said, gently caressing his face a moment, before looking towards Berwald.

"And goodnight to you too." Lukas said. He took off Berwald's glasses and set them on the coffee table. Berwald nodded slightly and was kissed by Lukas gently.

"Night."Berwald said when their lips pulled apart. Lukas smiled lightly, hardly seen in the dark, before walking to their bedroom. Berwald looked down at Mathias, who was sleeping soundly. He continued to play with his hair, before closing his eyes.

"Thank you for coming home, Mathias."