AN/ This was so fun. Sorry guys, but I totally have a headcanon that the Nordics get super flirty when drunk. And we've already established that Norway's a little sleazy.

LUKAS'S EYES were bloodshot, his face tired. He drove silently, completely focused on the road. Natalia was dying in the silence. She knew that silence was what he needed, it was something she had hated when they were dating. Natalia closed her eyes and leaned her head back, trying to listen only to the sound of the car. But soon the thought of the man next to her crept in again, she fell asleep thinking about him…

Natalia remembered the night they first met vividly. She was drinking with Kateryna and Ivan, and the night had dragged on long enough that all three of them were plenty drunk. That seemed to be the only way they could sit together: Halfway into their second bottle of vodka.

There was a group in the back, the loudest in the bar. All of them were pissed drunk, and Natalia couldn't stop staring at one of them. He was winking and throwing out compliments at every girl that passed the table to go to the bathroom. Natalia was enthralled with him. She had never known that confidence, not since she was an unstoppable child running wild and free.

"Natashka? Where are you going?" She had stood up, and downed the last of her vodka.

"I'm going to kiss that man over there." Natalia shook out her hair and adjusted her dress. Kateryna laughed, and if Natalia had not been drunk, she would have seen the disgruntled look Ivan donned. But she didn't see it or his sudden protective attitude, and strode towards the bathroom.

The table grew quite as she approached, and Natalia wouldn't deny that the stares she was getting felt good. One of them whistled, and Natalia turned. She met his gaze. Indigo eyes staring, drinking in every inch of her. Natalia liked it. A lot.

She grabbed his arm, "C'mon, jackass."

Natalia dragged him away from the noise of the bars and whoops from the table. The blonde stopped her and turner her into the wall. Natalia gasped, and waited patiently as he leaned in.

They're lips met softly, surprising both of them. And Natalia was so pleased at the way his gentle hands stroked her sides the sounds of the rowdy bar disappeared until it was just the sound of their mouths meeting. The pay phone was no longer digging into her head, and the bare brick wall was no longer cold and rough against her skin…

"Snowflake." Lukas's ever gentle hand was on her leg, "We're at you're apartment."

Natalia woke with a start, confused and groggy. She looked to Lukas, "What?"

"We're here." Lukas said softly. He undid his seatbelt, "I'll walk you in."

"No. I wanna go to your place." She grabbed his hand, "Please. I wanna help."

Lukas took her hand in both of his, "You've helped plenty. Besides, there isn't much to do. Tino's called the cops, everyone's been looking for him. I just…" He paused, and sighed. He spoke in a whisper "I don't know what else to do."

Natalia moved her hand to squeeze his shoulder, "I just want to be there."

His lips twitched up in a smirk at the sight of Natalia: limp, half-asleep, and her hair sticking to her red cheek where she had been resting on the car seat. Lukas grabbed his seatbelt, buckling up again, "Thank you, Snowflake… It means a lot."

Natalia let him go, and closed her tired eyes again.

Lukas's driveway was filled with the cars of his friends, and the house was lit up like a lightbulb. He didn't want to deal with everyone just yet, so he shut the car off at the very end and sat, taking a moment to himself. He really should have seen this coming. Emil couldn't stand Lukas, and he had no clue as to why. One minute the boy was complaining about Lukas being a 'rock' and the next he needed to give him some space.

Lukas got out of the car and walked around to Natalia's side. He opened the door and leaned down, kissing her forehead, "Snowflake, c'mon." She groaned and moved her head, not waking. Lukas chuckled and unbuckled her, then lifted her up bridal style.

He kicked on the door, and Tino opened it. The small man looked at Lukas sadly, then at Natalia in his arms. He stepped aside to let them in, "The cops are going to come back tomorrow. They want to talk to you…" He whispered.

Lukas didn't answer. Just continued through the house, ignoring Mathias and Berwald, and up the stairs. He went to his room and laid Natalia on the bed, then took off her shoes and covered her in the blankets. He went back downstairs and stood on the final step, staring at his friends. His family.

Mathias looked up at him, "Lukas-…"

"Thank you." He looked away from them all, "I'm glad you all are here."

"I'm sorry." Tino whined, tears falling down his face. "I was just so frustrated and I kicked him out…" He covered his face, hunched over and shaking. Berwald put a comforting hand on his back.

"Tino, don't." Lukas sat down next to his friend., "I've been a horrible guardian for the past eight years… I don't know what the problem is but it certainly isn't you. He loved being a part of your family…" Lukas rubbed his forehead, exhausted, "Tino, stop crying."

"I'm just worried!" He snapped, "Leave me alone." The room went quiet for a while. Tino's soft crying tapered to a few sniffles. With the quiet grew tension. Mathias started to fidget and look around, Berwald let out a loud sigh.

Lukas jumped up, "I don't want to sit here."

Mathias watched his friend pace around the living room, "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know, Mathias!" Lukas shouted at him.

The man looked at the floor, defeated so quickly, "Sorry…"

"C'lm d'wn." Berwald got up and grabbed Lukas's shoulder.

The shorter man whipped around, "Don'y you fuckin' tell me to calm down, Berwald! My little brother is out there alone, and scared, and in danger!"

"Y'lling ain't gonna-…"

Lukas grabbed Berwald's collar, "What? Not gonna help?!" He was nearly shrieking, "Well maybe it is! Maybe I don't want to sit and wait for the police to call and tell me he's dead!" Lukas pushed Berwald away (tried to, it'd take more than an angry shove to move the bear of a man), "I'm terrified! And I hate it! I-I… I don't know what to do!"

The room went quiet again, and the tension returned. Lukas gasped for breath, struggling to quell panic. He took one deep breath and closed eyes, completely still.

Lukas's indigo eyes opened, calm once more. He shook his head, "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate. I'm tired… I…" He looked around, "You guys feel free to stay if you need to. In here, the guest room-…"

"Peter is in the guest room." Tino said, sniffing and wiping his eyes.

"Ok. I'm going to bed." Lukas left the room in a haze, taking the steps slowly. He didn't go to his room, but the one across the hallway. The door creaked as it opened, and Lukas stepped into the dark.

The room was light blue, Emil's favorite color at the time. Or second, Lukas wouldn't let him pick out the white color. The furniture was handmade, cheap. Created by Lukas's own hands before the inheritance had finally come. Lukas had a hell of a time learning how to make it. Thankfully Berwald was a good teacher.

Lukas went to the closet and opened it. He and Emil were eight years apart, a big enough gap for them to have completely different tastes in style. Lukas remembered frowning upon Emil's black skinny jeans and metal music. Lukas shut the closet, chuckling, remembering the day Emil skipped school to get his nose pierced. And how quickly Lukas took it out when his little brother came home. He went to the desk, finding long forgotten photos Emil had taken. Lukas always enjoyed seeing his little brother's photos, he never got the chance to see them anymore.

"Lukas?"

He turned his head sharply, and spotted Natalia in the doorway. He swallowed thickly and put the photos down, "I was just…"

"You don't have to explain…" She came forward, and leaned against Lukas's shoulder, "He'll be okay."

Lukas turned and pulled her into a hug, "I've never been so worried."

Natalia hugged him back, lifting her head to kiss his jaw, "It'll be okay, Lukas…"

"Will it?!" Lukas pulled her back, gripping her shoulders tightly, "Can you tell me with all certainty that it will be okay?!"

After a moment's pause Natalia shook her head, her eyes glinted with seriousness, "No. I can't. But I know Emil. I know that he can handle himself…"

"No thanks to me." Lukas said bitterly, stepping away from her and moving towards the bed. He grazed the black blanket with the tips of his fingers, "I taught him that you know. I've figured it out." He sat, voice choked, "Constantly hiding my emotions, keeping to myself, living life in secret." Lukas looked back at Natalia, eyes full of tears for the second time that night, "He picked that up from me. And teenagers are all messed up, you know. Now imagine what would happen if you took a child, killed his parents, and taught him to shove all of his emotions so deep inside his heart he can't even realize them himself."

Natalia sat next to him, her hand resting on his shoulder, "Lukas. You're parents died too. You have feelings too. Don't forget about yourself…"

"That's what I'm supposed to do!" He broke down, crying more than he had in probably his whole life, "He's the child. I'm his guardian-…"

"You're his brother!" Natalia whispered, "My sister used to say 'If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.' Of course, 'Mama' was her and the 'nobody' was my older brother and-and she never listened to her own advice but this really isn't helping is it… Lukas please don't cry."

The man started to laugh, small chuckles and sobs, "I thought- I thought you were just telling me not to forget about myself."

"I know, but it's awkward when you cry." She pouted, face cold, "I'm not used to seeing you…"

"Emotional? No one is." Lukas wiped his eyes, "Don't worry. I'm done. No more tears."

"No you should cry…" Natalia murmured, "I'm here."

Lukas smiled at her and wrapped his fingers with hers, "Thank you for that."

Natalia blinked up at him, "I'm sorry."

Lukas looked at her, "For… "

"For saying that your parents…" She didn't finish.

Lukas shook his head, "It's forgotten."

There was a silence—the night seemed full of them—then Lukas blurted out, "I hated them… All they did was love me and shower me with attention."

Natalia smiled and shrugged, "I guess Emil gets that from you too."

Lukas stared at her for a moment, then started laughing. A wheezy laugh of that made his eyes water, "Oh my God, you're right." Natalia, at a loss for words, started laughing with him.

Lukas wiped his eyes, "I was always so upset that he didn't get attention you know. He was such a cute little kid. I think that might be why I acted out so much…"

Natalia moved her hand to his back, "You've always been a good brother, huh?"

Lukas nodded, "Yeah… God I'm worried."

Natalia kissed his cheek and his neck, then lied down on Emil's bed, "Come, tell me more about him."

Lukas swallowed, and took a deep breath as he kicked off his shoes then lied next to Natalia, facing her. Their hands twined together. She fell asleep soon into his second story, but Lukas still spoke. His voice never louder than a whisper. He didn't sleep that night, and morning was a relief for his dry throat and his loneliness.