"He's... He- He's not dead..."
He blinked his grip on the man in his lap loosening.
Was- Was he lying to him?
Why?
"Lukas..." Matthias breathed, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "Please... Please don't lie to me. Don't sugarcoat it. Please."
"Matthias, please believe me." Lukas whispered, wrapping his arms around his neck. "I may appear cold and indifferent to some or dark and cruel to others but please believe me when I say I wouldn't lie to you."
Matthias' brain seemed to refuse to except the information that was being sent.
"Please-"
"I'm not dead Matthias."
Matthias' eyes went wide slowly and just as slow, he looked up to face into the doorway and there stood Berwald. His best friend, his brother with his arm in heavy bandages and in slings, next to him was Tino who wore simple tee and jeans and was hanging on the Swede's good arm. Matthias felt his arms go limp as he continued to stare at the two men in the doorway, eyes completely overwhelmed by a wall of tears.
"Berwald..."
Berwald smiled softly as he slowly made his way to the Dane's bed, followed by Tino.
"You're not- You're not dead." Matthias said dumbly.
"No." Berwald nodded in agreement, as he slowly, with the help of his Finnish lover, lowered himself into a chair near the bed. "But I came pretty damn close though."
"How-"
"A strong will." Tino beamed, resting his head against Berwald's shoulder. "And quick thinking on Mr. Ivan's part after we rescued him, Berwald barely slipped through."
"He he..." Matthias chuckled, surprising everyone present.
"Matthias?"
"A-a-are you... Are you okay?"
Matthias didn't respond as he threw off the covers and moved Lukas to one side as he swung his legs over the bed and quickly ran to the other side of his bed and gathered the still wounded Swede in a tight hug.
"I thought I lost you." He whispered, allowing tears to flow. "I thought I lost you. You're my brother."
"As you are mine." Berwald sighed, excepting the Dane's hug with some difficultly. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." Matthias smiled as he pulled way. "So where's Ivan?"
"At the police station." Tino said. "They wanted to talk to him..."
"WHAT?! AFTER ALL HE DID?" Matthias gasped. "Why are they still trying to haul his ass back to jail?"
"I don't think that's what they're doing..." Tino whispered.
"I don't care... Where's are my clothes?"
It was a difficult task getting clothes decent enough to say that they didn't come from the Emergency Room and what made the task even more difficult was the doctors. They seemed content on keeping the four college students forever trapped in the hospital until their idea of healed was deemed. It wasn't until Matthias' father mysteriously showed up with a smile, a wave and photo id to clear the pathway for all four men were they able to get to the police station to try and reason with the police force to save Ivan.
It didn't take them long to reach the station and Matthias wrenched open the front door only to run smack into the large Russian man's chest, surprising the Nordics, the police and even Ivan himself.
"Mr. Kohler?" Ivan asked, completely baffled. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be resting in the hospital?"
"Eh-? Never mind that!" Matthias said as he jumped back onto his feet, grabbing the large Russian man by the arms. "We're here to help you."
"Help me?" Ivan asked. Sorely confused. "Help me from what?"
"Them." Matthias said as he pointed at the policemen. "They're trying to throw you back into jail!"
"Now hold on a minute kid-"
"No."
Ivan blinked several times, eyes roaming the scene around him to allow the rest of his brain catch up and suddenly chuckled that lead out to an outright laughing session. All men present paused to look at the Russian, who was holding his stomach and wiping his eyes. After awhile, he took a deep and regained his composure long enough to explain his situation to the four Nordics.
"What's funny?"
"You are, Mr. Kohler." Ivan smiled through his laughter. "I'm not getting thrown back into jail."
"You're not?" Tino gasped. Surprised.
"Nope." Ivan smiled. "I was cleared of all charges."
"You were?"
"Indeed."
"So- So you won't go back?"
"No." One of the policemen smiled. "We gave him a full pardon, a large apology and a metal trauma settlement."
"The last wasn't necessary." Ivan sighed. "The apology was enough."
Tino, in the meanwhile, was studying Ivan his eyes roving over the Russian man's figure. Ivan no longer wore the prison orange jumpsuit as he now wore a simple turtle neck white sweater and dark slacks. Tino's eyes narrowed, something was missing he wasn't sure what- when...
"I got it." Tino said, clapping his hands together in sudden realization, confusing all those present.
"Hmm?"
"Wha-"
"Tino?"
Tino ignored all of the chatter around him and quickly began to dug through his side bag and pulled out the pink scarf and wrapped it around the Russian's neck, surprising even him.
"Better." Tino nodded.
"Oh..." Ivan smiled, fingering his scarf as tears began to form in his eyes. "That's where that has been. It's even been cleaned... No blood."
"Oh you have no idea how long it took me to get the blood out." Tino sighed exasperatingly as he hung his head. "I guess my mama was right."
"Thank you." Ivan said, gathering the Finnish boy into his arms. "It is best welcoming gift."
"It was yours originally..." Tino chuckled, returning the hug as his own tears fell. "It's a thank you... Thank you for saving my Berwald."
"Yeah..." Matthias said as he joined in on the hug. "Thanks Ivan."
"I owe you my life."
"Thank you so much."
Soon everyone was in on the group hug around the Russian man, though Berwald did have some difficulty as tears began falling from all five men and smiles spreading as happy sobs entered the air.
