38. "There's only one way you can pay me back for those items you stole, be my slave till I get tired of you."
The man couldn't remember when he had started doing it, it had to have been a long time ago when he had began taking from his boss. At first it was small things, extra food for Ravis, a [pamphlet from the library, simply to have something to read. But it had soon began to escalate, and Eduard couldn't stop himself when his eyes met the proud medal Ivan began showing off.
"It's nice, yes? I got it for being so good." Ivan said happily, beaming as the Baltic's forcefully clapped for the man.
"Very nice, Mr. Braginsky." Toris said, sounding more genuine than the others could have managed.
"I can't believe you got such a medal." Ravis said, making the other's glare, but Ivan overlooked the insult, and continued to wave it around.
"It seems I have been having some of my things stolen, so I want a careful eye on this medal, you three can handle it?" The Russian asked, and all three nodded, though Eduard's eyes still held onto the small prize. Ivan smiled and walked away, planning to place the medal in his room.
When he was out of earshot, both Toris and Ravis turned to Eduard.
"Don't you dare think about it." Toris warned. They both knew that it had been him ending up with Ivan's things. The middle boy blushed slightly.
"What?" He asked in an accusing tone.
"If you take that, we'll all be in trouble!" Ravis whined, but was squashed by the oldest, fearing Ivan might overhear.
"Eduard, please, we know this is getting out of hand, and we can find you help eventually, but don't take that." Toris begged, his green eyes pleading with the boy to hear him. Eduard looked away. Of course, he wanted to take the prize since seeing it. Ivan deserved so such award anyways, but he nodded.
"Yes, of course." He promised, but his hands burned from the idea of holding it. Toris gave him a weak smile. He wanted to have faith in him, but there was very little.
"Ravis, go start preparing dinner." Toris told the youngest. Ravis hesitated, looking up at Eduard, before nodding slowly and heading out of the room. With Ravis gone, Toris grabbed Eduard's arm.
"Eduard, if you take that, I can't defend you." Toris said with pained eyes. Eduard stared back with confused and worried ones.
"I...I won't let me and Ravis get punished because of this. I know you're sick, but if you do this, I won't stand up for you." Toris warned, and Eduard could feel a lump form in his throat. He had to have that medal, he couldn't stop thinking about it.
"Eduard, listen to me. He suspects it's you, but he has no problem bringing me and Ravis down too. Please…" Toris's arm fell to the hem of Eduard's sleeve and held it. Eduard looked down at it. He wanted to say he could do it, but he knew where he was headed as soon as he got the chance.
"I have to have it…" Eduard said, which made the taller man grow stiff. His eyes were wide with hurt, before he looked away.
"Fine." He said harshly, before letting him go. "But don't expect me to beg for you." He said, before hurrying out of the room to go help Ravis, who he now planned to send to bed hungry, in hopes that he could avoid Ivan's anger.
Eduard sighed, before staring up the stairs which Ivan had disappeared, His hands were still sweaty, and he swallowed hard. Holding it would be enough, he told himself. If he could just hold it, he wouldn't have to take it, and he would be satisfied.
Eduard started up the stairs slowly. Ivan had appeared at the top, beaming happily as they crossed paths.
Eduard nodded towards Ivan as they did, but continued on. He heard Ivan reach the floor, and assumed he was clear to go.
He headed straight for Ivan's room, and slowly pushed opened the door. He shivered when the cold air hit him, Ivan liking to keep the room cold for some strange reason. The man took a step inside, before looking around for the medal.
It was sitting on a vanity, right in the open. He approached it carefully, as if someone was going to spring out and trap him. He thought about what Toris said, how he wouldn't save him. But Eduard needed to take this. It was killing him not to have it.
He stood in front of the mirror and picked up the award. It was small, and cold, and on it, Eduard saw that it had writing inscribed on it. He pulled it close to his face, and adjusted his glasses before reading it.
Got you?
Eduard stood confused, what did that mean? But then the light in the room switched on. Eduard gasped and dropped the medal, quickly whipping towards the door to see Ivan standing there. His face wore a smile, but his expression was angered. Eduard began to panic, realizing he had been caught.
"Ah, I knew it was my little Eduard taking my things." Ivan said, walking into the room. Eduard gulped and quickly picked the medal up and placed it on the vanity.
"N-No sir, I-I was just looking at it!" Eduard argued, back up as Ivan came closer, but the Russian clicked his tongue in disdain.
"I wish you wouldn't lie to me, I already know it's been you. Just wanted to catch you in the act." Ivan said. Eduard began to shake as he hit the wall behind him. He had nowhere to go.
"It was an accident Ivan! I-I'm sick!" Eduard tried to argue, but Ivan stopped walking. He was a few feet away from Eduard, and still continued to smile at him.
"You're very very sick." Ivan said slowly, making Eduard shiver at his words. The Estonian closed his eyes as Ivan talked on.
"My poor sick Eduard, can't stop himself, can he?" Ivan asked, approaching Eduard once more and rubbing his cheek. The man bit his lip to suppress the whimper that nearly escaped him.
"Does Toris know you're sick? And he didn't tell me?" Ivan asked, making the smaller man open his eyes quickly.
"N-No! No one knows!" Eduard argued, making Ivan cock an eyebrow in surprise.
"Are you sure? I can bring him in here. I'm sure he would love to help me take care of you." Ivan said, but Eduard just shook his head.
"Don't bring him into this. You need to punish me, not them." He argued, his eyes looking at him with tears.
"So you agree, you should be punished?" Eduard's face paled. "Well, if Eduard thinks so~"
Ivan pushed Eduard to the ground, and he well with a thud and a groan. Ivan tapped his chin in thought.
"What should I do to you? I suppose you have to repay me…" Ivan thought allowed. Eduard looked towards the bed with scared eyes, fearing the worst.
"I should take something of yours, yes?" Ivan suggested, and Eduard simply nodded, trying to calm down, wanting to seem brave though his heart was racing.
"Stand up." Ivan said, and Eduard did so quickly. The Russian approached the smaller man, who despite his best efforts, began to shake. Ivan gently reached up towards Eduard's face, and took off his glasses.
"I should keep you from stealing as well." Ivan said, before snapping the frames in half. Eduard didn't move as he lost his vision a bit. He didn't dare squint, he didn't want to see what was going to happen anyways.
"My little Eduard needs to learn his lesson well. I should take you to the basement." He said in a purr that made Eduard begin to cry more.
"N-no…" He begged, but Ivan simply smiled.
"I don't think you should pick the punishments, yes?" Ivan said. He grabbed at Eduard's shirt and began to drag him. The man wailed and pleaded, begging not to be left in the basement. It was where the worst punishments would take place for them.
As they walked in the hallway, Ivan suddenly stopped, surprised to see Toris standing in front of the stairs. In his arms he held all of the items that had been stolen from Ivan.
"Sir, I know I shouldn't interrupt you," Toris started, making Ivan raise an eyebrow.
"But I came to confess, I'm the one who has been stealing from you." Toris said quietly. Ivan tilted his head in confusion, and Eduard tried to stare at Toris, unsure what he was doing.
"Eduard admitted to it." Ivan explained, but Toris shook his head.
"He knew it was me. He told me not to do it, but I wouldn't listen. Mr. Braginsky, please understand, Eduard isn't completely right in the head." Toris said, staring at his brother, who only looked away.
"He thought he could protect me, but I know better than to lie to you." Toris assured. Ivan was silent a moment, trying to decide what was the truth. He could just punish them both, but then there would be no guilt felt by anyone, and he wanted one of them to wither in it.
Eduard fell to the ground as Ivan let go of him. Eduard looked up as Toris's hand was grabbed.
"You'd be willing to take his punishment?" Ivan asked, and Toris simply nodded.
Ivan looked back at Eduard, who stared up at him with unfocused eyes. Ivan growled, before pulling Toris down, making his drop all that was in his arms.
"You know where to go." He told Toris, who nodded. Eduard began to shake his head, and opened his mouth to speak.
"W-wait…" He said, trying to regain his composure, but was stopped by gently hands grabbing at the other's shoulders. Ravis stood above him, and kept him quiet until Ivan had followed after Toris.
"He told me to shut you up." Ravis explained, taking Eduard's jacket off of him. The second eldest man began to shiver as he came to realize how close he had came to truly being tortured.
But now, Toris would have to face it.
"Why did he lie?" Eduard asked Ravis, who seemed to be the adult in this situation as he gently wiped at Eduard's tears.
"He said he knew you were sick, and he didn't want you to suffer because of it." Ravis explained. Of course, he had told Toris not to, but the elder one felt a great responsibility over the two of them, and refused to let Eduard truly be hurt.
"I'm so sorry." Eduard cried, covering his face. Ravis patted his back carefully.
"We need to stay awake so we can tend Toris when Mr. Ivan is done." Ravis explained. He seemed numbed to this, as if Toris sacrificing himself was normal, though it still pained him greatly.
Eduard nodded, before hugging the younger man tightly. Guilt ate at him as he thought about how foolish he had been. He wanted to die, how could he have let this happen?
"I'm sorry." Eduard cried again, and Ravis just let him do so, though it wasn't he who he needed to say sorry two.
At around four am Toris walked into the bedroom's. He was quiet, not wanting to wake the two, but they both sat up when he walked in.
"Toris…" Eduard said, but the man didn't speak.
When they turned on the lights they find the eldest without clothes. His skin was red from where ropes had been tied on him, and his back had scars and scabs and even bleeding wounds from where he had been hit. His eyes were both black and swollen, and there wasn't an inch on his body that didn't have some sort of mark of Ivan's. Both the boys got to work, gently dressing Toris after tending the wounds they could, the whole time, no one saying a word.
Ravis had began to cry and had to excuse himself, unable to look at Toris's body. Eduard had to look though. This was the fate Toris had saved him from.
Eduard didn't know what to say, how to beg for forgiveness, and as if Toris could read his mind, the Lithuanian spoke up.
"You don't need to apologize." He explained, but Eduard shook his head.
"Why did you do that?" He whispered, tears in his eyes. "I should have been punished, it was me."
"I don't want to see you hurt."
"So you'd rather get beaten yourself?!"
"I'd rather we just all be good!" Toris snapped back, making Eduard fall silent. Toris sighed, before leaning his head on Eduard.
"I'm sorry, I know it isn't your fault." He whispered. But it was his fault.
"I'm sorry." Eduard said, tears streaming down his face. Toris had been crying too, but he was better at keeping his tears silent.
"Don't apologize." Toris said, taking Eduard's hand. The boy looked down at it, before looking away.
"I think you're sick too." Eduard said after a moment of silence. Toris chuckled slightly at that.
"I am." He admitted, before closing his eyes.
Eduard left it at that, and just let Toris rest on him. Ravis soon returned, and he had a cool cloth to put on Toris's forehead, since he tended to fall ill after punishments, not that anyone blamed him.
"Let's put you in bed, Toris." Eduard whispered. Toris nodded in agreement and stood up, walking towards the bed, stiffly and painfully. He laid down, and Ravis placed the rag on his forehead.
"Goodnight." Ravis whispered, but Toris had already passed out. Eduard gently rested a hand on Ravis's shoulder.
"You need to sleep too." He said. The boy looked away from Toris.
"I hate Ivan." Ravis whispered, before turning into the other man who lead him to his bed.
"I know…" Eduard hated him too. Ravis laid down, before sighing.
"It's our fault Toris get's beat." The boy whispered. Eduard frowned. It was his fault this time, but it had been Ravis's fault before. Eduard closed his eyes, and ran a hand through the golden blond hair.
"Go to sleep." He told him. Ravis looked away, before nodding. He hadn't wanted to be told it wasn't their fault. He knew it was. He wanted to be told that Toris was going to stop.
But he never would. He loved them too much, and cared too little about himself anymore.