APH - Den/Hun - Unexpected Invitation - Chapter 13
Lili continued to take a couple of small bites from the cold treat as she listened to Elizaveta, nodding in understanding about how she felt towards Roderich. "I see." Sever the string... The Liechtenstienerin got lost in her own thoughts for a little bit before noticing Elizaveta's distracted gaze, following her eyes to see the dancing birds. The girl smiled, enjoying the game that the flying creatures were playing. However her eyes widened in shock when Elizaveta confessed about her feelings, even though she had had her suspicions.
But Lili was glad that the Hungarian had trusted her with it, and flashed Elizaveta a small sympathetic smile. "Lizzy...really? You're not kidding, right?"
Silence came upon Valdimar, Tino, and Peter for what felt like hours.
Even Valdimar seemed so shocked that he nearly stumbled over himself while falling back onto the couch behind him. It's not as bad as I thought it would be - no, it's more like it's different than what I thought. The Icelander didn't expect this - one day without Mathias, and he's already fallen for another nation. And a nation who was once married to a man who she still seemed to be glued to.
Valdimar searched for the other Scandinavians' reactions. Tino appeared have his head blown off. Peter didn't seem to understand this situation all that well, but still was surprised by this. His eyes fell back upon Mathias, who looked defeated; sighing, Valdimar thought this over. Well, at least she isn't married. But how does Elizaveta feel about Mathias? Finally, after a long silence, the teen answered as he regained composure, "I...I see." A pause. "If that's really how you feel, then...I guess you should just follow it."
...
"No, I'm not." Her answer seemed to come out too soon and abruptly for the Hungarian. I've...I've said it. The atmosphere seemed to shift: Elizaveta's face saddened, and her hands moved up to her face to mask it, while making sure her dessert didn't contact her skin. The thoughts she wanted to suppress had haunted her mind again. This is my punishment for not listening to Roderich, isn't it?
The voice at the other end seemed to hear her. Yes, it is.
A layer of water glazed over her eyes in her palms uncontrollably - that voice had further aggravated her mood. No, dammit - not in front of Lili. Oh, I'm so sorry... Her voice cracked greatly as she spilled herself out. "Lili, I don't know what to do. Roderich loathes that man, and he, for sure, won't like hearing this at all. How am I able to maintain a good relation with him if I'm interested in a man that he's disgusted with?"
Berwald and Eirik were equally stunned at Mathias' response. They were at a loss of words, as this issue had never come up before. As Eirik stared at Mathias, he couldn't help but feel bad. He...he looks so dead. He could never remember a time that Mathias looked like this...the only time I he had seen the Dane even worse off then this was at the end of the Kalmar Union.
Mathias continued to stare at the ground, aware that all eyes were on him now, more than before. He wasn't surprised by their shocked silence. As he listened to Valdimar, his eyebrows knitted and glared at the ground with such intensity anyone would have thought a fire would start on the spot.
"It's not that easy," Mathias spoke, a hard edge to his voice. "I just...I don't know what's wrong with me." He buried his face in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. He felt a headache starting to develop.
Berwald stared at him for a while longer, than finally decided to speak up, though embarrased by what he was about to say. "Mat'ias, if w'at I saw w's w'at I t'ink it w's," he paused. "Th'n look' l'ke she's attra'ted t'you too." The Swede blinked, remembering how both Mathias and Elizaveta had been in a daze when he interrupted...whatever it was that they were doing.
Mathias sat silently. She's probably over at Roderich's now. I wonder if that bastard said anything...
...
Lili's eyes widened in surprise and she let out a small squeak at the sigh of the Hungarian. She quickly got up and took the ice cream out of Elizaveta's hands, placed both of their treats down in a bowl on the table, and hugged her tightly. I...I've never seen her like this! What am I supposed to do? The Hun's sadness seeped through to the Liechtensteinerin, as emotionally connected to the other female. "Sssssh, Lizzy." Her voice was calm, quiet, and soothing. She continued to hug her tightly, not wanting to let go until the Hungarian felt better. "You're just going to have to tell him. If Roderich is mature, he'll accept it and move on with his life. If he makes a huge deal of it...well, then he's just not worth your time." Lili felt bad saying such words against a man who had been so kind to her, but it was the truth. She couldn't bare to see her friend like this.
Tino frowned. He looks so miserable. Again, the Finn wanted to help - walking over to the Dane and plopping down beside him on the sofa, he folded his fingers together as he bent over. "There's nothing wrong with you, Mathias." A smile adorned the boy's face. "There's nothing wrong with falling in love. Though..." He cut himself off, realizing what kind of trouble Mathias could get in if he had an affair with Roderich's ex-wife, of all nations.
Valdimar cleared this throat. "I hate to say this, but Roderich's in the way, isn't he? But if what you say is true, Berwald...maybe Elizaveta is going through the same thing right now." He tried to imagine being in either Mathias' or Elizaveta's situation. That's pretty tough, he told himself, beginning to sympathize for his fellow Nordic. Valdimar raised his head up to see Tino settled beside Mathias - with his face in his hands. His chest seemed to have lost the location of his heart for a moment. Oh, no, please don't cry.
...
The ends of the Hungarian's sleeves began to absorb the tears that had shed from Elizaveta's eyes. She began to sob audibly, sniffing now and then. "No, Lili - you don't...I can't leave Roderich. He's one of the only few people who has ever been there for me for so long, but this...I've never given my heart over to anyone besides Roderich until now, and his reaction...I can't..." Elizaveta took a deep breath, attempting to alleviate herself. She finally withdrew her hands from her face, revealing a face stained with dry tears and melancholy green eyes. "I...I guess the only thing I could do is tell him."
The Hungarian returned the Liechtensteinerin's hug, nearly wanting to choke her in her embrace for seeming neutral in this situation. Her voice seemed to soften as Lili's did, and murmured into her ear, "Thank you so much, Lili. I'm glad you're here for me when I need it."
Berwald and Eirik nodded at the Icelander's words. It was true that Roderich would be a dilemma-after all, he was still so protective over his former wife. The Norwegian sighed, leaning back on the sofa again.
"You always have to get yourself into a mess, don't you?" Eirik couldn't bare to look at the Dane-it was such a pathetic sight. Oh Mathias, what are you getting yourself into? The Norwegian shook his head at the thought.
Mathias muttered into his hands: "I know, I know, dammit." He wished he could just crawl into a hole at the moment. Never in his life had the Viking felt so...weak. He was disgusted with himself. He couldn't get his mind off of the Hungarian and it was starting to drive him insane. "It doesn't help that I ran in with the guy the other day either..."
...
Lili felt her heart sink as the Hungarian spoke, especially when she uncovered her face. It pained the Liechtensteinerin to look into Elizaveta's eyes, and she let herself be crushed in her embrace. "Lizzy, you know I'm here for you. It's no problem at all." She smiled before speaking again. "It'll be hard, but when does a Hun let anything scare her away?" Lili giggled, wanting to see Elizaveta be strong in the situation. It disheartened her to see her as anything less than the strong woman she was. "It'll be okay, I promise."
Again, Valdimar was struck. ...I wish this was a dream, but it isn't. All of this doesn't feel real at all. He hated to fire so many questions at the Dane, thought it couldn't be helped - Mathias was at the center of attention, right here, right now. "Wait, you ran into him? From the way you phrase it, it doesn't sound like the greatest thing happened with him." If that aristocrat did anything to Mathias...
Tino laid a hand on Mathias' shoulder for comfort, almost hesitating to do so since Mathias became quite violent when angered or frustrated. "Nothing...that bad happened, did it?" The Finn just prayed for the best for his friend - there wasn't much he could do at this point aside from supporting him. His relationship with Elizaveta would be in shreds if Roderich found out, anything like that...
...
Elizaveta's lips twitched; eventually, her lips curved up into a smile, and genuinely chuckled. "Of course - again, thank you, Lili...ah!" She turned to look at her ice cream, checking to see if it had melted. Even though there was a puddle of tan liquid, there was still a ball of the ice cream barely surviving. Quickly, though still mannerly, the Hungarian swept her tongue across the surface of the leftover chunk. "I'll do my best to not upset Roderich. Here, Lili, eat the rest of yours before it becomes a soup." Elizaveta giggled as well, finally getting back into her happy mood, handing over her ice cream.
Mathias finally lifted his face from his hands, blinking a few times from the sudden light. He sighed. Might as well tell them everything...
"I had nothing better to do so I decided to go on a long walk. Before I knew it I ended up pretty far south from here, and I bumped into Elizaveta. She invited me over and we just chilled out for a bit. But apparently Roderich has some issues going on that were getting to her, and he actually left a letter saying he was going to drop by." Mathias paused, taking a breath. "I told I'd go as not to make things awkward, but before I could even leave her house, next thing I know I have a gun pointing in my face by that aristocratic bastard." Mathias scowled at the memory.
Eirik jolted up and looked at the Dane in surprised. "Roderich? With a gun? What the hell?" He looked around to see the reactions of the other Nordics. Berwald too looked a bit surprised. That's not good...
...
Lili smiled widely, glad to have Elizaveta happy again. "Oh wow-you're right!" Lili took the ice cream from the Hungarian's hands and started to eat it again. She giggled as both girls had to try to prevent the ice cream from dripping on them as they ate. Oh Lizzy, please be okay.
After a little more talking and giggling and smiling, Lili licked her lips happily as she finished off the cold delight. She turned to Elizaveta to see if she was finished, and wondered if they would head back to Roderich's home.
Valdimar's irises began to burn a blue flame. That...bastard! Why would he do that? He was glad that Mathias didn't break down here - that would have been the worst of them. I don't want to remember the last time he cried. The Icelander didn't think of it in such a way that he hated it when the Dane cried, but rather, he hated the atmosphere whenever he did. Valdimar pictured the Austrian in his mind, as well as a gun rammed up into his face. That is not a pleasant surprise. Ever.
Tino even yelped from the word 'gun' itself, which startled Peter and his dog. The animal yapped several times as if to say to the Finnish teen, 'Don't do that, you scared me!' "A-A gun? You didn't fight in Elizaveta's house, did you? W-What happened? Why did he do that?" This was just like the scenario when Mathias told him a scary story - but worse, because it was real. Peter, also getting the same vibe from Tino, wobbled over to his 'mother' and settled down in his lap, listening intently. Man, this sounds so cool...only if I was a recognized nation already, then I'd be in situations like these, desu yo!
...
Elizaveta grinned, trying to focus on enjoying and finishing her midday snack rather than think about the problems she had. The Hungarian licked a finger in which the ice cream had dripped on, giggling alongside the Liechtensteinerin. She had thrown in the rest of the food into her mouth when Lili had swallowed the remainders of hers. Standing up, Elizaveta nodded to the other female nation to indicate that she was ready to leave. "Let's get back to Roderich's house," she suggested, though not too confidently. "I'm sure your brother is going to worry about you if you stay out here any longer."
Mathias shook his head. "Of course we didn't fight, especially her house of all places." The Dane's eyes narrowed at the memory. "He was just being defensive, thinking I had done some harm to Elizaveta. Of course," Mathias flashed a grin, some humor returning to his voice, "He always loves to flatter. Called me 'the most despicable and unruly of the five Nordics' and a 'boastful, arrogant, infamous Viking'-so you can see we have a lovely relationship already." The Austrian's insults still rang in the Dane's head, and he couldn't help but smirk, a flash of darkness appearing in his eyes, though it quickly went away.
Eirik and Berwald stared at Mathias in amazement. The Norwegian repeated Mathias' words in his head. Roderich seriously said that? I'd like to see what he thinks of the rest of us... Berwald too seemed a bit frustrated, taking the insult at being a Viking personally, as the other Nordics probably did as well.
"So...what happened?" Eirik asked cautiously, knowing very well what Mathias could do when angered. The Dane shook his head again, sighing. "Nothing. Elizaveta came and saw what was happening, broke it up-in good timing too-and Roderich went back home."
...
Lili stood up as the Hungarian did, nodding back to her. "Yeah...though I'm more worried about what my brother could have possibly done in my absence." She laughed. "Let's hope we don't find the two of them strangling each other." The Liechtensteinerin started to walk back towards Roderich's manor, though pausing to wait for Elizaveta before leaving the area of the ice cream shop. At least she's smiling again...I hope Roderich doesn't make this into something worse than it really is.
Tino released a sigh. That's good. I could see him get into a fight with Roderich in one split of a second...Elizaveta must have really helped then. As he hinted before, the Finn wasn't against Mathias falling for that Hungarian nation, though what bothered him was the political issues and debates that could arise. Also, there was a good reason to like her - how, exactly, the Dane developed feelings for her, Tino couldn't seem to pick that out, nor thought that he should.
As expected of Roderich, to just leave - so what I heard about him was true, Valdimar thought, tapping his chin with his index finger. He chuckled from Mathias' brightened tone of voice and the story that came along with it. I don't think his visit to Elizaveta's house caused his emotions to turn - that's not enough. It probably started when he let her over to his place...and that wine stain... The Icelander became curious - he didn't want to ask anything too personal or too obvious, but formed a question he deemed more appropriate to bring up: "Did your visit to her house alone make you fall for her?" I'd like to know what happened at your house, Mathias. It's frightening to arrive there and see something like that one step in.
...
Elizaveta caught up with Lili quickly, as to not let her wait for too long. She, too, let out a laugh tinted with worry. "Yes, I hope they didn't do something like that." The walk back to Roderich's home didn't take too long, and by the time she was within his property, the Hun closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Please, Roderich, don't make such a big issue out of this. Her hand reached out to the door and twisted the handle, pulling it lightly to open the entrance. Roderich's familiar voice began to fill her ears.
"Vash, you do know that I think through these things for an extended amount of time before settling with a decision. I have my reasons for my choices." The Austrian was discussing with the Swiss for what seemed like hours, his eyes serious and convincing. Though he had been sitting at a table just to converse with Vash, Roderich still maintained his manners and composure, which was evident through his posture - a straight back and hands folded on the piece of furniture in front of him, but no elbows on it.
His attention veered away from the Swiss as the two women returned; Roderich nodded at the two of them as he murmured, "Welcome back. Did you two enjoy yourselves?"
Elizaveta felt her heart ache again. Why am I feeling like this? I hope it's just that I'm nervous to talk to him, not that I want to be with both Mathias or Roderich... She mentally kicked away her excessive concerns and walked up to the Austrian at a leisurely, constant pace. "Yes; thank you, Roderich."
Eirik allowed himself to lean against the back of the sofa again, himself glad that the Dane was starting to cheer up again. So Elizaveta came to his aid. Interesting. He was thinking thoughts similar to Valdimar's, and turned to Mathias, wondering if the Dane would tell them anything. Berwald continued to stay silent, though he believed he already had a good idea about the situation.
Mathias shook his head again. "Not...quite." He paused. "Things were sorta awkward after that...but then she just asked if she could come over for a visit since she had nothing else to do. And so she did. Aaaaaand then we just sort of chilled and I guess it just started from there." The Dane obviously kept out anything more on purpose, such as what happened with Gilbert and then the drinking...Oh hell like I'm telling them anything about that.
...
Lili walked in quietly behind the Hungarian, glad to see the two men having a peaceful though serious conversation. Vash also sat erect in his seat, across from Roderich, his pose similar to the Austrian's. "Yes, I realize this Roderich. But I hope you have realized all the consequences, not just those affecting you but the other nations as well." Though there was a trace of bitterness in the Swiss' voice, it was still calm, allowing a wave of relief to wash over the Liechtensteinerin. Vash turned to the two women, by instinct looking his sister up and down to see that she was okay.
Before her brother could ask, Lili chirped up. "Yes, we had quite a wonderful time. Thank you." Vash coughed and turned back to the Austrian. "Well, I suppose we should leave now. Lili and I have some issues to deal with tomorrow morning." He got up, beckoning his sister to his side, who complied. The Swiss nodded to the Hungarian. "Thank you, Elizaveta, for watching over her." His focus went back to Roderich. "I suppose we'll meet again soon."
Valdimar slowly mumbled a muffled 'mmhmm'. He could tell that Mathias was avoiding certain things, but he couldn't blame him - if he wanted to keep it to himself, then let him be. Plus, it'd be incredibly awkward to hear the details. A shiver crawled down his spine.
Tino leaned his head to the side. "But...are you okay, Mathias? Why don't we eat? I'm sure that, after getting that off your shoulders, you're hungry now." He sent a smile to the Dane as Peter bounced in the Finn's lap, agreeing that he was starving. "Also, if Roderich starts to become a problem, we'll be there for you." Valdimar, over on the other sofa, nodded in congruence. Though the two Nordics knew that the Dane wasn't a child and could look after himself, they still worried about his dangerous side - his Viking side - and the Mathias they loved.
...
Roderich bowed, particularly to Vash's sibling. "Of course." The cough snatched away his attention from Lili and he straightened up, simply nodding to the Swiss. "I'm quite certain we shall," the Austrian confirmed, though curtained his dislike for discussing politics with the nation very well.
Elizaveta wore a grin on her face to the brother of the two siblings. "Anytime, Vash." Good, looks like I kept good watch over her, seeing as Vash didn't blow off a fuse. She turned to gaze down at the Liechtensteinerin, her voice softer. "Again, thank you, Lili. I'm glad that you came over today. Good luck tomorrow morning." On the inside, she wished that Lili would have stayed, just in case the Hungarian pulled Roderich's nerve while confronting him. I don't want to handle it alone if it ends up that way.
Mathias looked to the Finn, giving him a small smile. "Yes, I'm fine Tino." His heart stirred at Tino's supporting words, and he was tempted to just wrap everyone in a giant bear hug, valuing the few moments that the Nordics could just be a family. He let out an exaggerated sigh and jumped up to his feet. "Thanks you guys-seriously."
To Eirik and Berwald's relief, the Dane seemed to have regained his cheerful and humorous demeanor, and nodded in agreement to Tino's words. "P'rty h'ngry m'self." The Swede put a hand on his stomach for emphasis. He walked over and put a hand on the Dan'e shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "An' y'know we're her' f'you." Mathias blinked in the Swede in surprise, but nodded back, confidently. "Yeah yeah-I'm not a baby you guys. Don't forget who raised all of you." He grinned. Good. We're off the topic. I really don't want to talk about it anymore.
Eirik rolled his eyes. That's the Mathias I know. "Yeah, I'm actually pretty hungry myself. So...what's for dinner?"
...
Lili smiled at Elizaveta. "Of course, Lizzy. And thank you!" The Liechtenstienerin fidgeted. I don't really want to leave her...what if Roderich gets out of hand? But brother wants to leave...
Vash nodded to the Austrian. "See you then." He turned to depart Roderich's home, but realized that Lili was hesitating, looking preoccupied. He slightly frowned at his sibling. "Lili? Didn't you hear? We're going." What did those two talk about?
Lili's head snapped up at the Swiss' words, realizing that she should leave. But... "Yes, of course. Sorry." She quickly turned to Roderich and nodded to him. "Thank you once again. I hope we didn't cause too much trouble." With that, the siblings left, closing the door of the manor behind them.
Once outside, Lili stopped. Vash walked a few steps before realizing his sister wasn't following him. "Schwester, what's up? We have to go home." The Swiss was puzzled by the Liechtensteinerin's actions. Lili, however, bit her lip, wondering how to tell her brother what she wished to do. "U-um...bruder, I was wondering...if I could have some time to myself, just for a bit?"
Vash's eyes widened at her request. He quickly huffed: "What? No, not now-it will be dark soon. I can't let you-"
"I am very well aware of the time. But really, I just need to think about some things...and I know how to defend myself." She cut off her brother, patting the gun concealed under her uniform. "You've taught me well. I'll be back before dinner, I promise." Lili didn't mention that what she really wanted to do was to eavesdrop on Elizaveta and Roderich. She felt bad for having to leave the Hungarian in such a situation, alone by herself. Please Vash...
The Swiss still couldn't help but stare at his sister for what seemed like ages. She's never before asked to be left alone. Vash was ready to tell her "no" and that she was coming home and drag her along if he had to, but the look in the Liechtensteinerin's eyes-such confidence-only caused him to sigh.
"Fine. But only because we only live ten minutes from here. But if anything happens-"
"Don't worry-I'll be home safe. Besides, nothing is threatening here." Lili was overjoyed that her brother was actually cooperating. Vash gave her sister one last look before nodding. "Okay." He turned and walked away. Like hell I'd let her be alone. He decided to watch his sister from a distance, making sure she wasn't getting herself into trouble.
"If you guys want to eat that fish I got for Mathias, we can all have that! Or anything else in those boxes," Tino happily offered, picking up Peter as he stood up. The youngest nation nearly dropped Hanatamago in the process, but was able to carry the weight of the dog with him. Peter chanted childishly, "Let's eat, let's eat! I want food, desu yo!" Barely capable of cradling his 'child', Tino steadily ambled over to the kitchen with penguin like steps to amuse Peter.
Valdimar, too, got onto his feet. "I'm fine with that." He walked over to Eirik to rejoin his brother, though surveyed the Dane on the way over. He, too, noticed that his Puffin adjusted itself on his shoulder, as if to say that things seemed calmer now. Looks like he's pretty happy now. Let's just hope the mood can stay like this.
The former couple made sure that the two left unharmed, and once the click of the door was heard, silence came upon Roderich and Elizaveta for a minute; both of them were compiling their thoughts within that time frame. The Austrian decided to speak up first. "...Are you alright, Elizaveta? What happened?" He returned to the table he sat at before, though in the other seat so that he wouldn't reminiscence of the talk he had with Vash just minutes ago.
...
Elizaveta followed his steps, easily reading what he wanted her to do. She settled down across from the man, fixing her dress to feel comfortable in her chair. Her hands, palm sides up, stared at her as she gazed down upon them. Her memories of last night seemed to play in her mind at lightning speed. "I'm sorry, Roderich. I drank quite a bit of wine, only because my visit to Mathias' house was such a rare occasion; he was telling me a scary story, and I happened to get startled by a book that had fallen, so I threw a wine bottle at it."
She flustered lightly, embarrassed to be telling him such a ridiculous anecdote. Roderich must disapprove of this. However, Roderich was actually quite amused, for he could easily imagine that - if he had done the same thing to her (though he wouldn't, just because he wasn't that much of a storyteller), and the same thing happened, she would have performed those same exact reactions. Plus, he enjoyed that rare moment in which the woman blushed. Elizaveta continued without awaiting for a reply. "Then I got up to clean it up, but then I tripped, and I landed on the glass with my hands. Mathias tended to the wounds, though."
...I shouldn't have said that, Elizaveta realized, her chest receiving an unusually hard thump from her heart.
Roderich's finger twitched from hearing the Dane's name. At least she was taken care of, he attempted to think positively. "I see-"
"Roderich, I'm sorry for doing such a thing," the Hungarian burst aloud, cutting off the flow of the Austrian's words. "You're not too fond of drinking, nor do you appreciate Mathias all that much."
"Elizaveta, calm down." Struck, the Hungarian held her breath briefly before exhaling, her shoulders losing tension as she did so. "I'm not your father. You don't have to seek approval from me for anything. You're a grown up woman who can take care of herself very well - though you can get out of hand sometimes, you know how to control or fix yourself."
The Hungarian felt her insides tie up into a secure knot. Only if you knew what I wanted to tell you, Roderich.
Berwald followed Tino to the kitchen. "M'ght as well. It'll g'to w'st oth'wise." The Swede was amused with his "wife"'s actions, but gently pulled Peter away from him. "Why don't y'go t'Mat'ias?" He knew that the micronation loved Mathias, since he always spoiled him and was the "cool uncle".
Eirik looked to his sibling, making eye contact in such a way that if anyone else was to see them would think they were telepathically communicating. Mathias had gotten over the two of them having their bromance by now and pulled up his sleeves, finding it a little warm in the Finn's house. "So, what's the plan for tonight?"
...
Lili watched her brother depart before sneaking around to sit below a window, her position hidden from any passerbys or onlookers. After quietly settling down, she was glad that she could hear the Hungarian's and Austrian's voices rather clearly. Her heart fluttered when Elizaveta made her outburst, and she couldn't help but smile at Roderich's reply. See Lizzy? He seems to be doing pretty well so far...
Vash walked a distance away, up a hill before looking back. He could make out the Austrian's manor from where he stood, but could see no sign of his younger sibling. He took a deep breath. Lili, what's on your mind? He figured he'd wait a few more minutes-turning around, he could see his own home in the distance. I have to have faith in her. Besides, the Swiss was proud that he had taught the Liechtensteinerin how to handle a gun, and she was quite vicious with it, from what he had seen in the shooting range. Those few minutes passed quickly, and letting out another sigh, he turned around and headed for home. She better come back soon...
Peter wailed as Berwald pulled him out of Tino's hands. The Finn, too, turned around to see what was going on. The young hopefully-to-be-nation stared into the Swede's eyes, somewhat frightened for a moment from his expression, though his eyes began to sparkle as he nodded and set down the dog. Hanatamago skipped over to the Finn as Peter determinedly approached the tall, mighty Viking and, like a squirrel, climbed onto his back. An ecstatic expression swept across his face. "C'mon, Unc'! You can't skip out on a meal, desu yo!"
Tino thought about Mathias' words for a moment, trying to think up of something creative to do while the family was together. He smiled as he came upon an idea. "How about we go outside after dinner to see the Northern Lights? I think there will be some out here tonight."
Valdimar returned Eirik's look, as if to give him a sort of reply, though perked as Tino mentioned sightseeing. He had seen these auroras many times from his own home, but he believed that Tino's home always had a more impressive view of them. Also, to observe them with the rest of his family was an experience he didn't want to miss. "I'd like to do that."
...
"Also, Elizaveta," Roderich continued, sounding as if he was trying to completely convince her, "You maintain better relations with other nations than I do. Yes, I dislike Mathias - but I have my own opinion about him, and you have yours." Elizaveta's stomach seemed to churn. "We don't have to be in absolute accordance for me to remain friends with you."
The Hun nodded as thanks; the way that Roderich spoke made her believe that everything would turn out well if she confessed to him here. The fact that he said friends, too, seemed to boost her confidence...yet she still hesitated.
"Is there something on your mind?" She was too transparent; Roderich had analyzed her clearly, and was rather skilled at it for being with her so long. Elizaveta took a breath. Step by step, Elizaveta.
"Roderich." Her voice croaked there, and the Hungarian paused to recover her normal tone. "If that's what you say...then I want to tell you something. Please promise me you won't break our bond or friendship."
The Austrian was astounded. Never had Elizaveta thought of one thing that could tear them apart - he actually became rather anxious to know what she had for him. "No, I wouldn't, Elizaveta," he murmured softly.
The woman swallowed with a dry throat. Her hands started to rattle without her control, and attempted to prevent them from doing so by grasping one hand. It didn't help. Her thoughts were now disorganized and wild - Elizaveta could feel the blood rushing through her head, every pounding heartbeat against her body, the cold air eating at her hands...
"Elizaveta?"
The Hungarian gasped silently, happening to remember Lili and her words of comfort spontaneously, which gave her the courage to let it go. Her words were clear, but sudden: "I've fallen for Mathias."
"Woah!" Mathias nearly lost his balance when Peter decided to attach himself to him. He laughed, and hoisted the boy onto his shoulders. "I'm not skipping out on a meal, don't worry, kiddo." It was nice to forget about his troubles and to spend some quality family time with the others, and he grinned at Tino's suggestion. "That sounds like an awesome idea!" Mathias didn't get to see too much of the Northern Lights (he was a bit too far south), so to be able to see them along with the others was an offer he couldn't refuse. His thoughts started to drift back to the past, but he quickly started playing with Peter to get his mind off of things.
"I concur-seeing the Lights would be great." Eirik responded, though he also saw them on an often enough basis. The Norwegian watched Mathias and Peter, lightly shaking his head. He walked over and set up the dining table so they could eat together. Berwald joined him, bringing out the plates. "Look' l'ke we're seein' t'lights."
...
Lili played with a blade of grass as she listened, nodding at the Austrian's words. Good. Looks like things shouldn't be an issue. She leaned against the outer wall of the house, straining her ears after hearing some silence. The Liechtensteinerin than realized that it wasn't that she couldn't hear them, but that Elizaveta had taken a long pause. Lizzy, you can do it. She tried to channel her energy and thoughts to the Hungarian, closing her eyes. I know you can.
She then inhaled and took a deep breath when she heard her friend say the words that she was so afraid of uttering. Lili waited for the Austrian's response, praying that he wouldn't make a deal about it.
Peter was joyous that Mathias decided to let him stay on his back and giggled as the Dane entertained him. Valdimar grinned to himself, glad that their normal selves had returned, even if Eirik shook his head at them. However, he wanted to discuss something with his brother. "Hey, Eirik...do you have a feeling that Mathias is hiding something?" the Icelander murmured quietly, his eyes on Mathias to make sure he wasn't overhearing them. "You know, that wine stain."
"Alright! I'm sure the Northern Lights are going to be even brighter tonight than any other day," the Finnish boy replied to the Swede with a smile, removing their dinner from the refrigerator and heating it up. "Oh, and thanks, Berwald. Could you also get out the utensils?"
...
Roderich was stunned.
He was stunned for so long that he thought he died.
The Austrian didn't expect this at all. She had visited him once, and he was once her guest as well - but all in one day. One day. He couldn't recall the last time the two had contacted each other in any way, but already, the woman who was once his spouse, and who still seemed attached to him, was already giving her heart out for another man. It even took the two of them a much longer time to get together; but in one day - with Mathias, of all people? He was convinced that this just was not true, that this was a dream, or...that Mathias had hypnotized her.
Roderich knew he shouldn't be jealous, or outraged, or - any of that. He knew that he should act like a gentleman, accept it, and move on. Somehow, he just couldn't touch that, even with the divorce papers and the time spent to pacify his feelings then. Mathias - oh how he loathed that name now - it simply couldn't be true. His thoughts and emotions were beginning to smudge and mix together into a hodgepodge, to the point where he simply had no clue what do to anymore.
His voice was edging violence. "Are you serious?"
Elizaveta's hands automatically curled up into tight fists. Something seemed to punch her to say the answer. "Yes."
The Austrian noisily got onto his feet, his knee bumping into the table's leg as the chair beneath him jerked back with a grating skid. One hand clenched his face, while the other pounded the desk; remembering his promise - which he hoped that he would be sane enough to keep - Roderich opened his mouth, then closed it, and opened it again; finally, he muttered, "I'm sorry, Elizaveta. Let me think this over." He quickly made his way to his room, out of sight from the Hungarian.
Elizaveta remained where she was, her nails digging and injecting pain into her scarred hands. Her eyes, which have already cried too many times today, had given up holding back the tears she was fighting back once again. Two minuscule rivers streamed down her cheeks; beads of water eventually dripped from the frame of her lamented face onto her sleeves. Her quivering hands, now stained with blood, slowly rose to her face as the Hungarian weeped, in which the tears and crimson liquid polluted one another.
This is the end of me.
Mathias was oblivious to Eirik and Valdimar as he continued to entertain Peter, looking over to Tino to nod in agreement. "Let's hope so." The Dane turned his attention back to the micronation, smiling. "So, think you're strong enough to take on ole' Uncle Matt?" Before Peter could respond, Mathias hoisted him off of his shoulders and began tickling him. He had to do everything he possibly could to keep his mind off of things-and he hoped he could keep it up while with his fellow Nordics.
Berwald muttered a "o'course" and went to setting out the rest of the table, allowing Eirik to step to the side with his brother. His eyes also glanced now and then to the Dane, and he kept his voice low: "He's obviously hiding something." The Norwegian remembered the wine stain on the ground, and then Berwald's encounter..."Thing is, I'm not sure if it's just some more personal stuff or what. 'Just chilled' could have various meanings."
...
Lili held her breath for so long that even she was amazed-that, or she had exhaled without her knowing it. The tone of Roderich's voice was not a good one, and it was obvious from the delayed response that he had been in shock. Oh please oh please oh please Roderich don't get angry. She cringed as she could hear the faint sound of something hitting wood, and a mutter she couldn't quite make out, and footsteps. The Liechtensteinerin's heart sank, and she thought her stomach had practically consumed it as she could make out-just barely-soft weeping. From her position, it was barely audible, but Lili strained her ears. Lizzy... She wanted to get up and run into the house and hug the Hungarian and not let her go and tell her everything was going to be okay, but she knew it was bad enough that she was already there eavesdropping. No...I'll wait to see what Roderich does. She looked up at the darkening sky. Oh Vash, please forgive me...
Peter could feel the blood speeding up in his veins as Mathias questioned him. "Yeahhhh, desu yo! I could totally-" Without notice, he was suddenly brought down to the floor, bursting into laughter that filled every corner of the room with it. Tino jumped slightly, unexpecting this, but simply chuckled. He's his normal self now, I hope. The Finn went back to preparing the dinner, humming to himself.
Valdimar had to raise his voice's volume up a notch, not particularly affected by the micronation. "You're right. I don't think we can do much right now, but we should at least keep watch over him." He coughed silently before continuing, "Let's go eat dinner - I can smell the fish from here."
...
Elizaveta, once she calmed down (though not too much), removed her hands from her face, leaving spots of faded red on her skin. Her appearance wasn't her priority at the moment. She knew well that Roderich wouldn't come out for a long while, probably not until he soothed himself with music and piano playing, and carefully rose to her feet, sniffing. The Hungarian made her way to the exit of the home, not picking up any noises from down the hallway where Roderich walked down, and left.
Once the Hun quietly shut the door, she stood on the Austrian's porch for what felt like years. She wasn't sure where to go now. Elizaveta wanted to return home to calm herself down and be alone, but at the same time, she wanted Mathias; she wanted to flood her nostrils with his scent, be in his presence, and feel the warmth of his body against hers. Thinking once about Roderich's reaction could - and probably will - flick a trigger and cause her to burst into a sob again.
The Hungarian sighed, and slowly treaded through Roderich's land, with no destination in mind, allowing her feet to roam wherever they wanted to.
Eirik nodded to his sibling. "Yes-let us." The Norwegian walked to the now set table, casually slipping into a seat, his eyes drifting back to Mathias. That guy...
Berwald got out some drinks (though he brought out some pop for Peter) and placed the glasses at the respective places. He too then sat down. He mused to himself how, after so many years, the Nordics always took the same seating arrangement around the table. He at one end, Mathias usually at the other, with Eirik and Valdimar on one side, Tino and Peter at the other. The Swede zoned out, lost in memories.
Mathias looked over, noticing everyone getting ready to eat. "Come on, you." He picked up Peter and went to the table, plopping down the micronation at his usual seat (or usual ever since Berwald had bought him off eBay...or adopted him, whichever way you wanted to look at it). He settled himself at the end opposite the Swede. He took a sip of his drink, and then absentmindedly, he softly drummed his fingers on the table. "Hey guys-after we see the lights and such, I'll be heading back home. I really need to crash." He didn't want any of them to force him to stay the night, and hoped that they would understand.
...
Lili perked up at seeing the Hungarian. She's leaving... The Liechtensteinerin was about to run up to Elizaveta and hug her, but then realized that the Hun may want time alone, to herself. She quietly got up, brushing off her uniform, and walked in the direction of her home, pausing behind a tree to see where the Hungarian was going. Should I? Maybe... Something told the girl not to approach Elizaveta. She sighed, knowing the voice was thinking of Vash. Just for a bit, that's it. Just to let her know I'm here. Before her inner voice could protest, she ran up behind the Hungarian, tightly hugging her, burying her face into her back and soft hair.
"Lizzy," Her voice was muffled. "I have to go home soon. But...I heard everything." She bit her lip at the confession of her eavesdropping. Please don't get mad at me.
Valdimar trailed closely behind his brother and settled down in his traditional seat. He observed the rest of the dining table, seeing if everyone else had sat down in their chairs. Noticing that two spots were still open - with the exception of Tino, who was spreading out plates of various foods - the Icelander leaned back in his chair to witness Mathias dragging over Peter.
Peter was panting out the several remaining 'ha's inside of him from the tickling until a blank expression came upon his face. He blinked a couple of times as he was carried over to the dining table, also admiring his eye level from such a great height. I wanna be this tall when I'm a nation! Then everyone would fear me, desu yo! He landed not too gently on his seat with an accompanied 'oof'.
Tino had finished setting up the dinner table after placing two baskets of bread rolls on each side. He then glanced at Mathias with a concerned look on his face, but eventually nodded. "Alright, if you say so."
Valdimar sat up at his words. But...we left him. Doesn't he usually want to stay? He eyed Eirik once more, but then looked away. I guess I can't blame him. It looks like he had a long day.
...
Elizaveta halted in the middle of her steps as Lili embraced her from behind as her head faced the starry night sky hovering above her. No matter how much her heart desired, the Hungarian couldn't form anymore tears to shed as her eyes were dry from doing so earlier. She was too conscious of her breathing while she searched for the right words to say to the other nation. Amazingly, her voice was fluid, clear, and motherly, yet was heavy with sorrow. "That's fine, Lili; I wanted you to stay when I spoke to him. But return home now - there's not a lot we can do right now."
Berwald snapped back to attention at the arrival of Peter at the table. He saw everyone was settling down, and he looked to Mathias. The Dane's eyes looked unfocused, as if he was lost somewhere else as he drummed his fingers and stared at his glass of beer. Eirik noticed Mathias' behavior and exchanged glances with Valdimar, knowing the two were having the same thoughts. Well, if crashing will make him feel better. . .
Mathias smiled at the fellow nations. "Thanks." Great. They all gave me the "look". He then perked up and rubbed his hands together, again returning to his normal demanor. "Well then, let's dig in! C'mon Tino, you take too long! Sit down already!" Eirik shook his head once again at the Dane, sighing. But he agreed. "Yeah-if we don't hurry up and eat we might miss a chance at seeing the Northern Lights at their best."
...
Lili held onto Elizaveta for a bit longer, her body and hold easing as the Hungarian spoke. She nodded her head and then stepped back, looking at the other female nation. "Well..." For once, Lili couldn't think of what to say. She fidgeted and then stood erect, confidence back. "Yes. I'll head home now...but you know you can call me whenever you want to." Lili gave the Hungarian one last squeeze before turning around and running back to her home, taking note of the time. Good-if I'm fast enough, I can still get home without making Vash too upset. The Liechtensteinerin paused at the top of a hill, looking back once more at the Hungarian, before disappearing over the edge to her home.
At Mathias' command, Tino jumped again and nodded, too distracted with the facial expressions the other Nordics just had. "R-Right!" He quickly occupied his seat, completing and filling the dining table. "Dig in, everyone!"
Valdimar hesitantly reached out for a bread roll, mainly because of being distracted with Mathias' strange demeanor. He was on the verge of ranting again, but managed to hold it in. What's wrong with you now? Valdimar wanted to yell at him, though did so in his head. I hate it when you...ugh, forget this. He stole a bite off of his bread, a little too violent to be considered good etiquette, but remembered to keep his head cool throughout the rest of the dinner.
Peter, with the belief that he'll grow stronger the more he consumed, grabbed everything he could possibly reach and dumped a handful of each type of Finnish food onto his plate. He was too focused with eating that he didn't focus on his table manners, and ate away. The host stared at the micronation for a moment before chuckling with a full but closed mouth.
...
Elizaveta had remained in the same spot for at least another few minutes after the Liechtensteinerin had left; the only type of answer that came out from the woman for the young girl was a simple nod, but nothing more. After sorting through many thoughts, the Hungarian's feet started shuffling off once more, again without any place to go in mind.
Her legs led her into German territory, though Elizaveta kept on a straight face. I'm not surprised to see myself already heading towards Mathias' home. Her eyes zoomed past the grass beneath her, an attempt to view the Danish land; but of course, from where she was, she had no hope. It was a rather long walk across Ludwig's property to get to his home, after all. Elizaveta hoped that she wouldn't bump across either of the two brothers, but what was even more on her mind was where the Dane was, what he was doing, how he was (with the thought of Roderich's reactions lurking deep in the back of her mind). Without fear yet with a rather expressionless face, her instincts and wishes continued to guide her to Mathias.
Eirik stole a glance at the Icelander, noticing the masked frustration. He turned his attention back to his plate and grabbed some food, keeping quiet. Berwald did the same, glancing at Mathias every now and then. As for the Dane, he heartily took some of the food and began to eat, though he noticed everyone's actions. Sorry, guys.
Dinner seemed to pass by surprisingly quick, with Mathias cracking a joke now and then and Eirik teasing him, so that the two got into friendly debates. Berwald shook his head now and then, trying to remember when was the last time all of them had been together for dinner like this. At the conclusion of their meal the nations got up and put away everything, not wanting to make Tino have to clean up his place by himself.
"All right-time for some sky n' light watchin'!" Mathias stretched, content with a full stomach. Berwald opened the door and the Nordics stumbled out, laughing and talking some more before settling on top of a hill behind the Finn's home. Mathias, Eirik and Berwald stopped their teasing and looked up, the Northern Lights already present in the sky. The Dane caught his breath, the beauty of the lights stirring his emotions.
They all sat in silence for some time, staring at the lights. Finally, as everyone seemed mesmerized, Eirik managed to speak, though his eyes remaining fixated on the sky. His voice was barely above a whisper and filled with nostalgia: "...I miss these days."
Berwald and Mathias continued to stare at the sky, remaining silent for a few moments. Berwald was the first to break it. "M'too. It's n'ce, th's." This occasion...though the reason we ended up being together... The Swede dismissed the thought.
Mathias closed his eyes, just for a moment. But in those few seconds he felt such a rush of emotions and warmth mixed with pain in his body that when he opened them again, he laughed. Eirik and Berwald were startled by the Dane's sudden outburst, taking their eyes off of the sky to look at him. Mathias grinned at the others. "You guys make it sound like we're not able to see each other and be like this anymore. I don't see why we don't do this more often." He sighed. The Dane then slowly got up.
"We're family, neighbors, right? We should just plan a day a month or somethin', y'know? Anyway..." He trailed off, again looking to the sky. The Northern Lights were slowly fading. leaving a violet and pink tinted sky in its leave. "I feel like I'm going to collapse on the spot. I better head home."
Elizaveta began to feel more sluggish and wiped out as she wandered across Ludwig's land; it was much like last night, when the lightning strikes startled her and the book thumped down (which still seemed to always gnaw at her memories, because she had so many connections to it) because she was tired then, too - and with that, the things she had done with Mathias when her Hun side had awoken hit her. Her throat became dry not for thirst, but rather the Dane himself. The Hungarian huffed a few times from her thoughts and the cold weather as her steps became uneven and less stable. Dammit, not again.
She hated her situation right now - there wasn't someone there for her to give her warmth from the chilling air, someone to bump into when she was clumsy due to sleep, someone to comfort her; Elizaveta was alone, vulnerable, and emotionally damaged. She knew no one would be coming for her aid anytime soon. Why didn't I just go home? It was just a few minutes away from Roderich's house. Her attachment to the Viking had overridden the welfare of herself; she realized that she wouldn't be able to stay awake for much longer.
After walking through what seemed like a living hell, Elizaveta sensed a change in the air and even opened her mouth to taste and breathe it in to the fullest. Her eyes, which were stinging from the lack of moisture, closed to focus on her tastebuds; the air was salty and the aroma of the sea clung onto it, and also gave off an adventurous aura that seemed to make Elizaveta's leftover energy reach its pinnacle. Her lungs held her breath as she realized, without having to take a single glance, that she was on Mathias' land.
"I'm home," she barely whispered with a faint smile, before collapsing in a bed of flowers.
...
Valdimar and Peter were lost in their own thoughts as they swallowed their portions of the dinner: Valdimar deeply pondering about Mathias, Peter dreaming about becoming a superpower. The two of them, almost simultaneously, finished their meals at the same time, and were surprised to see how fast they had engulfed the Finnish plates. Tino was rather stunned as well, but was glad that his cooking wasn't bad and that they had cleaned his plates of any bit left.
Eventually, Tino had gotten up to set the plates aside for later cleaning, though was surprised to see that the other Nordics had joined him and tidied up after themselves. They had done much more than just stack a pile of dirty plates smeared with sauce or whatnot, which further astounded him. The bond between the six of them seemed stronger than ever right now. A family is a family, he thought happily.
Valdimar, who gradually got over Mathias' sporting, had enlightened himself and almost struggled to catch up with the other Nordics to view the Northern Lights, as Tino had suggested doing. However, the aurora had appeared too close to his eyes even one step out of the Finn's home, making his eyes widen in awe. Peter's own eyes seemed to sparkle and glitter beneath the colorful glow of the lights. The Icelander's attention veered to the Dane as he laughed, startled at first, but smiled at his words.
"You're right. We should stay together more often." He began to feel a sense of regret - leaving Mathias behind the other day for his and Eirik's boating tripped seemed rather cruel. Valdimar's fist clenched. "But we know that we're with each other in our hearts."
Tino watched the Icelander, once again surprised. He chuckled. "Mmhmm!" the Finn agreed. Noticing that the Northern Lights were dying off, Tino released a muted sigh, then bobbed his head once at the Dane. "Okay then, Mathias - bye~! Don't fall asleep while walking back home." Valdimar had nothing to say - or didn't want to say anything - but only gave Mathias a nod as a goodbye.
The micronation dashed over to the Dane and hugged his leg, too short (or Mathias too tall) to grasp him any higher. "Get well soon, okay? And make sure you come back so that you can train me, desu yo!"
Eirik also nodded towards Mathias. "Yeah, don't fall off the bridge and drown." Eirik said in his usual voice, but Mathias could detect the jest behind it. He grinned at the Norwegian. "I'll try-and I'll blame it on you if I do, just because you said it." Eirik shook his head, but was glad that the Dane wasn't moping.
"S'ya lat'r then, Mat'ias." The Swede nodded to him. "T'ke care." Even Berwald couldn't help but feel glad that the two of them could get along without being bitter.
Mathias laughed as he looked down at Peter. "Yeahyeah-you keep working on your moves, got it?" He then grinned at the Nordics, laughing again. "Thanks, everyone-don't go crazy with me gone, m'kay?"
With that, he waved goodbye and headed home.
Mathias lost track of how long it had been and how much time had passed since he left Tino's house. He let his body carry him forward, though all he wanted to do was collapse, exhausted for a number of reasons. While he was glad that the Nordics had opened up to him as a family and that he had been able to stay with them for some time, the emotions he felt with them could not replace his feelings when it came to Elizaveta.
He let his mind wander, and not to his surprise it went to the Hungarian, not just about the night before but picking at all the other memories he had of her, from sporting matches to wars to conferences. Of course, his mind quickly did go back to the day and night before, and he realized right then that what he wanted more than anything was to feel the touch of the Hun's skin against his again, absorb her warmth, taste her. He was so lost in his dreamworld that it took him a few minutes to realize that he had entered his own territory. Woah, did I even cross the bridge? The Dane couldn't remember-he couldn't remember anything about his walk back home. His mind had been full of memories and desires for him to have taken note of his surroundings.
As he wearily approached his house, his stomach churned just as now his home reminded him of the Hungarian. I wonder if she's okay... As he looked around, taking in the area of his home, allowing himself to get back in touch with reality, he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned and walked towards the strange lump in the flower bed and...
His heart skipped a beat. There she was. The tormentor of his thoughts, in the flesh, sleeping amongst the flowers. Mathias didn't know how long he stood there for, but it felt like eternity, and he could have, too. What is she doing here? How long has she been here? She looked so...peaceful, despite, from what Mathias could make out, dried blood on her hands. He finally exhaled, and then looked around. I hope she hasn't been here long... The Dane narrowed his eyes, and looked back to Elizaveta. As tired as he was himself, he felt a burst of energy, and with it he gently picked up the woman. Oh, Eli. Do you have a screw loose in your head? Mathias shook his head, knowing he should be asking himself that same question. Cradling the Hun in his arms, the Viking made his way to his home, the warmth of Elizaveta keeping him content.
He had once again ignored his surroundings, his thoughts focused on the woman in his arms and his gaze fixated directly in front of him, but he was inside his house before he knew it. Now the exhaustion was starting to catch up, and he nearly stumbled as he made himself get to a bedroom. So...tired... His vision started blurring, and his mind couldn't seem to make any comprehensible thoughts. Mathias put down Elizaveta on the bed, and made his way to leave the room. But his fatigue got the better of him, and fell next to her. Okay, fine, two minutes, regain my energy. He seemed to have lost the body with his brain, and before he knew it, everything was black.
A/N:
If you haven't noticed, we only roleplay the other characters when we need to - after all, this is a DenHun roleplay, so we have no point of keeping the other minor characters in when they won't contribute to the pairing. XD So now it's back to just Denmark and Hungary again.
The point where Denmark and the other Nordics look at the Northern Lights go by pretty fast, only to catch up with Hungary's side of the RP. Sorry about that. D;
Lovely how the atmosphere at Finland's house eventually contrasts with the one at Austria's house, haha. SO ANGSTY.