I honestly don't know where this came from. We were doing a freewrite during creative writing class and I asked my friend for a quote for me to work off of, and what she gave me was "No, I don't have gum." She was being silly but since I didn't have anything else to work off of I started writing. And then somehow it turned into Estonia/Lativa..... Anyways, enjoy it.

"No, I don't have gum."

It was an obvious lie, but I didn't care. I just kept on mechanically chewing; occasionally blowing a bubble, just to rub it in his face. He said something, but I wasn't really paying him much mind anymore, but it must've been to point out the chewy sweetness in my mouth.

"Yeah but, I don't have anymore."

Another lie and I still didn't care. He could think what he wanted. Or better yet, he could take a hint and stop badgering me for gum. It was mines, all of it. He then fell silent, which allowed me to chew and chew and snap and chew in blissful peace as I slowly slipped into the inner realms of my mind.

His trembling and quiet voice eventually snapped me back to where I was. "W-well…E-even if you have t-that one p-piece…you c-can still s-share…c-can't you?"

…What? My eyes shifted to focus on him for the first time since we had started our conversation, checking to see if he was serious. But I didn't have to check, I already knew he was.

"I suppose. But if you want to share is so badly, you're going to have to come and get it yourself." I don't know what compelled me to say that. Rather, the words just fell out of my mouth. And after they did, I popped a bubble in his face and he flinched. I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from twisting upwards in a smirk of contempt. Now he'll know to leave me alone.

Or so I thought he would…

I mean, sure he paused, but after that one brief moment of hesitation, his quivering lips approached mines. I have to admit that I was very taken aback. Even more so as I felt his soft shy little tongue probe into my mouth and steal that piece of gum. And then he pulled back and shrank in his seat. His violet eyes refused to meet mines afterwards yet there was a satisfied look on his face.

I considered leaving it at that. I really did. When I licked my lips I tasted the lingering flavor of the gum mixed with alcohol….which explained why the kid was daring enough to actually steal my gum. He really is too young to be drinking, but he loves the taste of alcohol, the way it burned his throat, the warmth that spread through his body, the lightheaded giddy feeling he got. At least, that's what he told me once during those rare occasions like now. When I wasn't deeply engrossed in a book...

Anyways, I found myself leaning closer to him. "Since I shared, it's about time you returned the favor." I could've pulled out another piece from the pack that was in my pocket but, for some odd reason I wanted the one that he took from me. And I wanted to taste more of the mix between alcohol and artificial fruit flavoring.

"B-but…---" I didn't give him time to finish his sentence before I clumsily crashed my lips on his. Except I wasn't able to take the gum from his mouth as easily as he had from mine. When I dipped my tongue in to claim it, it was matched by his own. My head was swimming at these new sensations. I groaned against his mouth, an unfamiliar sound to my ears. At that moment he relinquished his hold of the candy, letting me take it back into my mouth.

I sat back against the couch in a daze. It must've been because he was drinking. Maybe I was getting tipsy from whatever alcohol that was lingering in his mouth. But I knew in the back of my mind the impossibility of that. It was nice to pretend, however.

Not too long passed before he came back for my gum again. We swapped it a few more times, each kiss more passionate and lasting longer than the one preceding it until the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard. I straightened myself out, pushing my glasses back up to rest on my nose as they should.

"Hey, so this is where you two were! Eduard, Raivis, it turns out Ivan's going to be home early from his meeting so I need your help in getting the house ready. Oh, and we need to decide what we're going to eat tonight…" Oh great, that meant there was no more time to be wasted. There was no way that either of us on the couch could refuse to help the older one, even if he spent too much time catering to Ivan's and Feliks' whims instead of hanging out with us. Because if Ivan did come home and the house wasn't as clean as he'd liked…it would surely be Toris that would bear the most of the punishment.

The younger one shortly got up after me and the three of us set to work.

It wasn't until later that I realized that Raivis got to keep my gum.

Some few days later I found myself bookless again and was lounging on the couch chewing gum…The tiny familiar frame of my fellow Baltic came and sat down next to me. A while passed before he asked if I had any gum…

And I said, "No, I don't have any gum."