Raivis exhaled with a shiver, shutting his eyes. "Come on, sleep, idiot.." The boy scolded himself. He would have loved to have his upper back not aching, that would probably help with this.
Turning on one side, he hugged onto Eduard, slipping an arm under him and wrapping the other one over him, also wrapping his cold legs around the other's.
Eduard shifted slightly, not bothering to wake up, just taking one of Raivis' hands and kissing it's knuckles.
—What's up? — the other blond asked with a whisper, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, pulling Raivis' hand closer to his neck. — It's late.
"Aha, it is, Sherlockai," Raivis rolled his eyes, and hugged on tighter.
—I can't sleep. it burns. My back, I mean. — Raivis buried his face into Eduard's back of neck, muttering almost inaudibly. — Tell me a story. Ludzu.
Eduard sighed, opening his eyes and rolling over on his other side, to be facing the younger Baltic.
— A story won't cool your pain. You need medical treatment. — his stern eyes didn't look as scary as he thought they did, since he had to squint to see anything, both without his glasses and in this dark, oppositly from Ravis' wide open eyes, starring dully. — More than bandages and morphine, more than the ice and more than some stupid salt. — Eduard's voice trembled in a try to keep a whisper yet sound stern. — If you just agreed to—
—Iga, ne... What you have in mind is too dangerous. just... — He let out a slight groan from the pain caused by his muscles twisting and skin turnning as he turned on his other side, so that Eduard faced his back. — Could you put your hands on my shoulders.. ? — Raivis asked, now wrapping his right arm over Tolvydas' waist, putting his other into a triangular position under his head. B—but dont squeeze or r—rub, ok? — He added with a worry.
Eduard bit his lip in annoyence of the younger not wanting to listen to his, much better than Raivis' ideas of pain relievement.
—If you wish so. — He slid his hands under Ravis' nightshirt, fingers dancing up his back onto his upper back. "Golly, either my arms really are as icicles or his back is on fire!" Eduard thought, softly pressing his hands onto the scars. — Better? — His previously scolding tone had softened into a carrying and worried one.
—Ja... thank you.. — Raivis shuddered, clinching harder on the elder Balt. The cold did soothe, but also stiffen his back.
Eduard was just on falling right asleep again, when Raivis asked;
—When.. when you run away.. who will you go to?
—Hah? — Eduard raised his head, but didn't open his eyelids. It felt too cold with them open. — Repeat that?
—Who will you go to when you're out of here? — Raivis turned his head back slightly.
—Oh.. — Eduard had not really planned that part though. His ridiculously clever mind had thought only up to the part where he escapes, not after that. — Suomi, probably. We had been.. quite close, until.. well.. — his voice went dull, he sighed and put his head on top of Raivis'. — Why do you ask?
—Just curious. — a million things ran though the young Baltic's mind. "Not stay with me and Lietu? Why? I know Suoma is really important to him.. but what about us?".
—You? — Eduard smiled slightly, now curious as well. — Who will you go to?
—I? — Oh, this question.
—Yes, you.
Raivis had not noticed, that from nervousness he was embracing Tolvydas quite hard, not allowing him to breathe normaly.
—If you two are not asleep in the next thirty seconds, I swear to all the gods I will feed sleeping pills into your two throats myself— Tolvydas was not the happiest when awoken, and the three had to wake up early the other morning. — Raivis, you're suffocating me. Eduard, at least try to be quiet— His nerves were high, proabably due to a very unhappy cut off of a very happy dream.
Raivis quickly pulled his arm away, and inched toward's Eduard, leaving a gap between himself and the brunet.
—I—I'm sorry— I did not mean to hurt you — tears dwelled up in the young boy's eye corners.
Tolvydas looked over his shoulder and shot a glare, but opon seeing his dearest and only fellow Balt like that, pained physically and now also emotionaly — what was his fault — his gaze quickly shifted from angry to apologetic. He leaned on his elbow and turned around, to be facing the two, and sat up in the bed, extending his arms toward's the younger receiving a judging glare from Eduard, who had pulled his hands from under his shirt, sat up, and was holding Raivis close.
—Goodness, dear— I didn't mean that— I—
—I—I'm sorry! I really am! — Raivis tried to bite down sobs, what made him cough.
—Shhh, — Eduard tried to both calm Raivis and quiet Tolvydas. — Calm down. — he firstly adresses Raivis, gently kissing his cheek. — You too, Leedu. — His blind eyes raised up to (almost) Tolvydas'.
Swallowing guilt, Tolvydas held the brim of his nose and breathed deepily, counting to ten.
—I'm sorry. I should not have said that.
—And what do you have to say to Leetu? — Eduard tried to shoot a glare, but missed by far.
Wordlessly, he leaned over and hugged the other, loudly sighing.
—Atsiprašau.
Raivis rubbed his cheek on Eduard's sleeve, looking away from Tolvydas.
—Oh, do not be like that. Please, Raivi.
—I didn't mean to hurt you.
Tolvydas brushed some of Raivis' hair away from his eyes and over his ear.
—You didn't that much. I've been trough worse. It's fine. — He gently cupped the fellow Balt's cheek, eyes asking for forgiveness. — Come on, we dont need a fuss right now— Rusija might hear us— A—and it is very late, we should all sleep, dont you agree?
Receiving a small nod as an answer, he lied back down, still holding the other's cheek gently, staring into his eyes. Eduard too made himself more comfortable, resting his head on a higher pillow, embracing Raivis over his chest. Raivis snuggled in between of the two Baltics, then reached his hands to hold Tolvydas'.
—Who will you go to?
—Pardon?
—When you leave this place. Where will you go?
—Aah.. — Tolvydas remembered his dream. He and Alfred, on a sunny beach, not bothered by either snow or Ivan. — Amerika, perhaps.. but that is later. the first few years I will settle around with Lenkija, until I get up on my own feet. I am sure he would not mind housing and helping me.. We're.. good friends... Despite past disagreements.. — he trailed, remembering a few instances of how Feliks had left him on the ice, bu brushing those thoughts away with a happy memory of their times spent ruling half of Europa. — And you, dear?
That question again.
—I.. — "Who will I go to? Iga is going to the nordics. Lietu to Polija... who do I even have without these two?" he let out a noise from the back of his throat, and looked past Tolvydas' curious eyes. "Baltkrievija? She doesn't favour me too much.." It seemed like those blue eyes were starring right back at his soul, and Tolvydas rad his mind. — I dont.. I dont know, I guess I will stay here...
—Latvija! — Tolvydas' eyebrows knitted together, his hads held his wrist tightly. — You do not say or think these kind of things now! — His lip trembled in worry. — Did you colden your head, dear— Tolvydas quickly hugged the fellow close to his much warmer body. — Goodness, no, you font say these kind of things.. — his fingers reached the the cold side of the wooden bed, and he allowed himself to tap his nails against it.
—But—
—No buts here, Latvyte. You cannot think of staying here.
—But—
—What did I say just now, dear?
—But you two are the only ones I can go to! And both of you are leaving me! — Ravis' wrists stiffened as he clenched his fists. — You both have other friends.. I dont.
Tolvydas might have just rethunk everything he had said about going to Alfred or Poland.
—Dear, that does not mean you should stick around with Rusija.
—Think about it! — Raivis was now sobbing heavily, and Eduard who was still giving Tolvydas an angry look (that was still aimed badly), pat his back reasuringly, as if saying, "you can come to Finland with me." —We all leave,you two leave me, and then I am alone for another anexation! It won't take one day how Krivija will get me a—again..
—Lettimaa? — Eduard softly ruffled the other's hair. — But I won't leave you. I'll be right by your side, just like Livonia, aigh't? — he softly kissed his back of head. — Leedu, I mean, is Amerikaa more important than the only fellow Balt there is? Look at him.
A worried sigh left Tolvydas' lips. This night is a mess. "Ak, Latvyte.."
—I.. how about.. — he wanted to suggest something else, that still let them all go their own ways, but keep Raivis safe. —Ak, dieve...
—"Ak dievee" for sure, Leedu.
Raivis held Tolvydas' clothe tightly in his hand.
—Ludzu, Lietu.. Lietuva..
—Come on, really?
Tolvydas let his head down with a desision, exhaling and softly kissing the other Balt's forehead. "Lieku," he thought,
—I'll stay, Latvyte.
Eduard chuckled, "oh how quickly one's mind can be changed," Ravis' little hands pulled the other Balt closer.
—Paldies paldies paldies...
—Laba, laba.. žinoma. — He rolled his eyes and brushed some hair out of his face. — Can we sleep now? It is, afterall, really late..
Eduard closed his eyes, and rested his head besides' Raivis, minding to not touch his hurt back. That was to be taken as a yes.
— 'Night.
Raivis shifted a little bit, to get more comfortable without his back hurting.
—Ar.. ar labu nakti.
Tolvydas kissed the other's forehead again, head gently falling onto the other Balt's shoulder.
—Labanaktis, Latvužėle.
