Disclaimer: All characters (Including Prussia's Awesomeness) belong to Hidekaz Himaruya! IKEA isn't mine either.

A/N: No, I am NOT in love with CaterinaSicily, as a CERTAIN Reviewer was implying (curse you, anonymous reviewer! :D) I do love them, but only as a friend! X3

Warning: Implied (non-descriptive) rape and abuse

Plot: Berwald lives a seemingly normal life. He works hard in IKEA, he lives in a posh penthouse apartment with his wife and adopted son and not to mention he's wealthy thanks to his position as a manager of the company and is highly successful thanks to his P.A. Toris. But under the tip of the iceberg, Berwald is constantly abused by Tino and he isn't sure that his adoptive son Peter really sees him as a dad. Everything in Berwald's life just goes over a tiring and saddening routine until one day, everything dramatically changes…

Berwald had never felt so stressed. His day was normal, his work was normal, but of all days he felt like doing nothing more than falling over on the sofa just to nap and rest all the stress away. He swears that one day he'll drop dead from not resting enough. It's ironic, considering that Sweden is said to be a country where the work-life balance for individuals is one of the best in the world.

He opened the electronic-activated door to his penthouse apartment and was greeted with a dimly-lit living room. It was tidied thanks to Tino, his wife of 5 years, but that would mean that he doesn't have work today and he's home…

Great. As well as all the pent-up stress, his stomach started to act up and twist as if a large hand is squishing it. Beads of cold sweat ran down his neck as he walked (cautiously) into the room and closed the door behind him, dropping his suitcase by the sofa as his eyes warily scanned the room, looking for the smooth blonde mop of hair belonging to his wife.

"Oh, Ber~! I heard the door open."

His heart skipped a beat and his pulse raced more quickly.

Tino appeared behind him, holding a carrot in one hand and a short knife in the other, while wearing a sweet smile on his face.

"T'no…" Berwald mumbled and slouched his shoulders a little to try to relax.

Tino wrapped his arms around Berwald's body without putting the carrot and knife down and hugged him from behind, breathing in deeply. "I missed you today. I always miss you so much…"

The tall Swede lifted a hand and rested it on the hand which was holding the carrot. He may be right-handed, but he'd rather risk his weak hand than—

"You finish work at 5. Why did you come home an hour later?" Tino's mumbling was poisonously sweet. It had a bitter undertone it, making his sentence sound as if it's been laced delicately with arsenic. "You know I hate it when you come home late." Berwald could feel a cold metal edge touching his neck gently.

Relax, breath normally, relax, breath normally… imagine yourself listening to the ocean waves and seagulls…

"Th' traffic was bad," Berwald simply said, feeling the knife blade touch his Adam's apple with each syllable he pronounced. "Th' car must b' getting' old. It's slow."

Tino's arms released Berwald from his gentle grip and the knife was removed. The Finnish man walked back to the kitchen, carrying on with chopping more vegetables to prepare for making soup tonight.

The Swede just couldn't understand his wife sometimes. Today was his lucky day. Whenever he's late, Tino would go mad and throw all sorts of things at him. It used to be things like throwing the sofa cushions (and then they laughed at the futility of the situation and moved on) but then somewhere, Tino became more violent. He once threw a mug and it broke upon hitting Berwald's temple, knocking him out and leaving a bloody mess. Tino then got him to A&E, sobbing and telling the staff that his husband bumped into the shelf and the objects on it all fell on him… but of course it was a lie. When they got home (with nothing more than bandages around his head) Berwald started the argument, demanding why Tino had to throw a mug at him, but the Finn said he had enough of Berwald not being loyal enough. The Swede dismissed it as a one-off petty argument, but that night, however, he must've been hit on the head hard again because when he woke up, he was tied to his bed, with his bare back exposed, and Tino was straddling him, holding a knife. That night was hazy, but it was painful and forced. Berwald wasn't blindfolded so he could see what kind of power Tino had over him. And it wasn't just the knife which was used to carve 'MINE' into his lower back that caused him the most pain…

Berwald took a deep shuddering breath. He didn't know where it had gone all wrong. But he wouldn't dare think of questioning Tino. He loves him! They're married; they even have a (adopted) son who doesn't know about his 'mama' hurting his 'papa'. Plus, Berwald has his job as the manager at IKEA which has become extremely popular during the past 3 months, so business is good and money is pouring into the workers' bank accounts like a powerful continuous waterfall. The only worry he has is his wife's abusive nature… but he can't afford to waste time worrying about the faded scars on his body or whatever is waiting for him in bed at night, he just has to live life normally for the sake of his love for him…

"Berwald? Is work going okay?" Tino suddenly asked from the kitchen area as if he's making a casual comment about the weather.

Berwald snapped to attention. It's a habit he developed thanks to Tino. Even hearing his voice makes him shaky, though his stoic face doesn't show it.

"Ja… work is norm'l… W' have new workers, but they have a lot t' learn…" Berwald was lying about his new workers. In fact, they're the most competent bunch of Swedes he hired for ages. Even his current workers seem to be lacking in socialising with customers, and that isn't good now that more people are buying from IKEA…

Tino laughed drily. "New guys are bound to be useless until YOU train them into submission!" He stopped stirring the contents of the soup pot and sent a smirk to his husband's direction. "Of course, I'll be submissive ANYTIME when it comes to you and our bed…"

Berwald sent him a weary, forced grin as he went to sit down and switched on the 50" plasma flatscreen TV. Deep down, he's trying not to say what's on his mind. He isn't afraid of saying how things really are between him and Tino. He doesn't want to say anything to destroy their strong relationship…

On TV, a Breaking News report suddenly flashed across the screen and the cameras changed to a scene with a warehouse in the background being examined by police and fire engine workers.

"News are just in about the latest killing of a stripper who was found brutally murdered and dumped in this abandoned factory in the early hours of this morning," the news reporter man read out his report. "It is not officially confirmed whether this incident is connected to the last 3 murders in which the victims were sex workers, but for now the police are investigating possible suspects and are willing to listen to ANY witness reports…"

Tino sat next to Berwald, watching the news with disgust. "It serves those prostitutes right. They're a bunch of homewreckers who do nothing more useful than pass around STDs…"

Berwald's used to his wife's cynical attitude. But it's not really right to say something like tha-

Tino sidled up next to his taller husband, hand rubbing his thigh with a playful smile. "Hey, Peter's at his friend's house for a sleepover tonight… how about we have some fun together once we finished dinner?"

Berwald's heart jumped a little in excitement, but also fear. He knows what'll happen. It'll be the same like most nights whether Peter is at his friend's house or in his own warm bed, quietly sleeping away in his 'perfect' family home while Berwald's tied down (like always, literally and metaphorically) and mercilessly pounded into by Tino, while the Finn whispers his pledges of love every time.

Dinner was very quiet apart from the occasional small talk, but Berwald doesn't feel like eating. He's anticipating tonight too much. If he had friends, he'd make a split-second excuse to get out of the penthouse apartment and-

Riiiiing~! Riiiiing~!

Tino groaned and put his fork down, standing up off his seat. "Who on earth could be calling at this time?"

He answered the phone (irritated), but his features softened into a genuine warm smile. Berwald stared at his features, trying HARD to remember the last time he had seen him smile for real and not for tormenting Berwald's shaky soul.

"Hello! Yes, it is… what? He isn't…? They just took him right now?" Tino paused, listening and nodding. "Okay, we'll be right there. Thank you. Bye, bye." He put the phone down, sighing and turned to Berwald, crossing his arms.

"Peter accidentally bumped his head and he was taken to hospital. It's just a cut, but they have to make sure," he explained. He murmured darkly into Berwald's ear. "Too bad we can't spend our lovely night together, huh? There's always tomorrow…"

The anticipation was killing Berwald inside and out. It was like growing icicles had started to pierce into his heart.

The two got to the hospital and met their son, who had just been operated on and now has a bandage around his head. It reminded Berwald of Tino's first assault on him and he shuddered, suddenly scooping Peter into a hug as if to reassure himself more than the confused boy.

"Hey, dad, I'm feeling better now! You don't have to worry!" Peter protested, almost yelling into Berwald's suit and the man let him go.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, but it was very silly of you to get into such an accident!" Tino scolded the boy before hugging him too.

At that moment, a nurse came along and asked for Tino to sign some papers so that Peter could be officially discharged. Tino said he'd take over and leave Berwald to get the car ready to leave. So Berwald was now walking across the car park, which was almost deserted at this time at night.

He stopped when he bumped into someone by accident who swore loudly and stumbled, turning around to face him with a grin.

"Hey watch it, big guy! I know all the guys love me, but that's too much!"

Berwald just stared at the man. He was wearing a thick black coat, but it didn't hide the man's startling silvery hair and shocking red eyes. When he took the step back, he seemed to be limping on one leg. His face wasn't angled, but it wasn't long or round either – more like in-between. But all Berwald was thinking was that the man looked gorgeous. Even in the glaring lighting of the car park lampposts, the man looks stunning to him. The man just quipped a quick smile and a wink before hobbling off on the bad leg towards the hospital.

Long after the mysterious man went into the hospital, Tino and Peter eventually walked back together towards the car, chatting and laughing, only to be left wondering why Berwald seemed so spaced-out as he sat in the car, resting his head in his hand.

Berwald knows Tino will demand for answers later, but for the first time in ages, the Swede felt like his stress is floating away, however temporary it was.