Two years ago - Christmas Eve
"Lukas?" Emil pushed the door open slightly, only to sigh when he spotted the figure on the couch. "There you are. Tino and Berwald are looking for you."
"I'm not in the mood."
"Not in the mood? What..." Emil entered the room, set on questioning his brother's behaviour until an understanding expression crossed his face. "...Wait. This is about that again, isn't it?"
The silence gave him his answer.
"Lukas, are you still hung over that? That was last Christmas! We..." Emil glanced away, "...we have to move on."
"He had a reason to leave, and I just want to know what," Lukas sighed, sinking back further into the couch.
Emil had no response to that. He stared at his brother for a moment, before turning away to leave. "...The others are baking right now. Join if you feel up to it."
He only received a half-hearted murmur in reply. Emil shook his head, and left. He was worried about Lukas's behaviour, but he couldn't let the others know. The Norwegian hadn't been the same since Mathias had disappeared on Christmas Eve the previous year.
"Mathias..." Emil mumbled as if that Dane was directly in front of him. "...If only you could see just how Lukas is acting because of you..."
He received no answer, of course, and he slumped his shoulders and made his way towards the kitchen where Tino and Berwald were busy baking. He didn't catch sight of Lukas's stare as the Icelander strolled past the slightly-opened door.
The Norwegian sighed out of his nose, and stood as he walked over to the window. There was snow outside, and his eyes became clouded when his mind automatically spawned the thought of Mathias bursting into the room and challenging him to a snowball fight. In all the years he had been alive, he'd never thought that it would be now that he would accept.
"Mathias..." he murmured, placing a hand on the freezing cold glass.
"Lukas!" Tino smiled as he stuck his head into the room abruptly.
Said Norwegian jumped back from the window in shock to stare at the Finn. Tino took no notice, though, and grinned.
"We could use some extra help in the kitchen with the gingerbread!" the Finn tugged at him, the smile still plastered onto his face (but they both clearly knew that Tino knew exactly how Lukas was feeling).
He sighed in defeat and stood. "...Fine. But not for long. I'm not really in the mood."
"Okay!" Tino laughed, happy with his response, before he left the room and skipped towards the kitchen.
Lukas pinched the bridge of his nose before turning back to the window. A small part of him hoped that maybe he would catch a glimpse of Mathias bounding up the garden path, but there was nothing.
His hand clenched as he grabbed the door, and his knuckles whitened. He needed to face the facts and realise that it was unlikely that he'd ever cross paths with the Dane again. The Norwegian was about to leave the room before he paused. Taking one last glance at the winter wonderland outside, his shoulders slouched.
"...Jeg savner deg, Mathias*."
And with his words hanging heavily in the air behind him, Lukas left the room - shutting the door firmly behind him.
*"I miss you, Mathias." - Norwegian