Please Stop Your Crying

Latvia X Sealand One Shot

Peter knocked quietly on on Raivis' door. He hadn't been to school in for almost two weeks and their teacher asked him to check in on Raivis. One of his friends older brother's answered the door, trembling violently.

"Hello?" He said, trying to scoop his brown hair from his face, it was greasy, like he hadn't washed it in a while.

"Yes, I'm Peter..."

"Yes, Raivis' friend, I don't know if he's up to having any visitors."

"Yes, but our teachers worried and she wanted me to check in on him to make sure..." Peter was cut off.

"No, no visitors, I'm sorry but you'll have to go home." The man started to shut the door, but Peter managed to stop it with the tip of his shoe.

"Please, he's my best friend."

The mans face seemed to shift from fear to sadness. "You are?" He shook his head. "Okay, but you'll have to be quiet, Mr. Braginski is sleeping."

Peter smiled thankfully, stepping inside. "Thank you so much..."

"Toris, now hurry, Raivis is in his room." The man hurried him down the hall.

Peter walked silently down the hall, wary of every single sound he made. The house was in an amazing state of disrepair. Crumpled wrappers and all sorts of trash spilled from half closed off rooms. Peter was starting to feel sick. He couldn't see how anyone could live in such squalid conditions.

He paused, hearing a voice in one of the rooms, he recognized this one. Eduard, he'd come to the school several times to pick up Raivis. Peter paused before opening the door. The few times he'd met Eduard he came across as rather shook his head, strings of blond hair falling over his face. He had to find Raivis, maybe he could even convince Eduard to let him play for a while. With a fresh resolve he opened the door.

Eduard was standing over a thin mattress covered in a stained blanket, running a washcloth over a thin, pale arm.

"Hello?" Peter said, walking in and closing the door behind him. Eduard turned, instinctively hiding the figure on the bed. He was visibly relived once he recognized Peter.

"What are you doing here? I told Toris not to let anyone in." Eduard said, his voice was raspy and strained, like he was fighting a sore throat.

"Raivis hasn't been in for school." Peter said, his heart was beginning to drop in his chest. Eduard looked even worse then Toris. His face was pale and smudged with soot, he had dark bags under his eyes, and his glasses hung at a weird angle. "Teacher wanted me to check on him."

Eduard stepped aside. "He hasn't gotten out of bed in days." Laying on the bed was Raivis, curled tightly into the fetal position.

"Whats happened to this place?" Peter asked. "Whats happened to all of you?"

"Since the iron curtain fell we haven't had enough food, all our farms where destroyed by Ivan in the war, the rest of the others isn't fairing much better." Eduard turned back to the bed. "Raivis is taking it the hardest, Toris and I have been doing our best to take care of him." Eduard's shoulders shook.

Peter watched this, he wanted to comfort the older man but couldn't find anything that seemed good enough. They stayed in choked silence for what seemed like hours.

"Peter, your name is Peter right?" Eduard slowly turned to him.

Peter nodded. Eduard walked up to him and grabbed his shoulders. "I want you to take Raivis home with you. Whatever you have to give him has to be better than this."

Peters eyes widened and he tried to speak but couldn't. Raivis was his best friend, he had to help Raivis no matter what. Eduard pulled Raivis into a sitting position, wiping down his chest.

"Raivis, You're going with Peter." Eduard said. "Peter can you get his clothes out of the chest?" Peter nodded, going to the chest at the foot of the bed. He got out Raivis' normal military uniform and handed it to the other. Eduard dressed Raivis, who just sat, staring at the wall, limp as a rag doll. Eduard lifted Raivis to his feet.

"Take him Peter." He said, helping Peter support his friends weight. Peter held Raivis upright, making sure he was stable.

"Good luck." Eduard said, kissing his youngest brothers cheek. Raivis looked up at him, tears welling up in his blue eyes.

"Lielais brālis?*" Raivis murmured softly. (*big brother)

"Not now Raivis, you have to go." Eduard wrapped him in a blanket.

Raivis's tears started rolling down his cheeks, leaving dirty streaks. "No! Eduard, Please, I want to stay with my brothers!" He cried.

Eduard looked pained, his eyes begging peter for help. Peter hugged Raivis to him, his friend felt fragile, like a newly hatched bird.

"Lets go." He said, I'll bring you back to see Eduard and Toris when your better." Peter tried to smile reassuringly.

"Promise?" Raivis sniffed.

Peter nodded, and Raivis smiled weakly.

"Okay." He said. Peter took his hand and lead him out of the house. Once outside the gates Peter felt a hard tug on his arm, Raivis had stopped in his tracks. He was staring forlornly at the crumbling manor. Peter pulled on his arm.

"Raivis, come on!" He grunted, unsuccessfully trying to get Raivis to come with him. Raivis broke out of Peters grip, letting the blanket fall to the ground he ran back toward the house.

"I'm sorry, Peter! I CANT GO WITH YOU!" Raivis sobbed as he made his way back into the house. Peter watched stunned, bending down to pick up Raivis's blanket. He wrapped it around his shoulders, feeling tears welling up in his own eyes.

But that was so many years ago...

Peter sat, staring at the fallen manor. The soviet union was no more. He and Raivis had met a few times in passing, but today was the first time since they had made any special time for each other. Peter shivered as a cold wind bit at him. He pulled the tattered blanket tighter around his shoulders.

He turned his head, spotting a tall figure. The figures shoulders where hunched and he was shaking, seemingly unable control himself. Peter smiled, he took off and hugged the figure, who was stunned into silence.

"Peter." Raivis cried softly. "I'm sorry, I wanted to go but, My brothers, I couldn-"

Peter silenced him with a soft kiss.