Mathias, blissfully unaware of Lukas's gaze, wrapped his arms around Loki's waist, pulling him closer so their bodies were pressed against each other as their lips connected around tangled tongues once more. They'd been going at this for a while. Mathias, he truly didn't know how he wound up like this, tangled up in a web of lies. It all happened so fast. He found a safe haven, took shelter, did something stupid out of loneliness and desperation, and suddenly he was some guy called Magnus Køhler.

Name coincidence aside, Denmark really pitied this Magnus guy. His boyfriend- who apparently couldn't even tell his own lover apart from some stranger- was a fucking psycho. Numerous times, Loki had set something on fire simply because "fire is pretty". The pyromania was hard enough to deal with. Then, there were the... incidents where Loki would physically harm anyone who dared to look even vaguely interested in his man. Karl, who was Loki's best friend, had noticed that Mathias wasn't who Loki thought he was. Yet he dared not speak a word. Mathias only knew this because of a small conversation they'd had in private.

A week after Denmark had arrived. By then, Mathias had been getting the hang of how things worked around here. How the staff attacked at night. How the other communities nearby- Cafe, Trolleys, Exchange, Playroom... whatever the sign above them said- would interact. How there probably wasn't an exit. How generally fucked he probably was. He'd also started responding to the name "Magnus," since everyone seemed to call him that.

Speaking of everyone else... well, to say the least, he was unsettled. The main few he knew were Loki, of course, then his little brother Eirikur, and their other friends Karl and Toni. All of them seriously freaked him out.

Loki, to begin with. He looked just like Lukas, except for his red eyes and red hair. Yet he acted nothing like Norway. He was way too emotional to be Norway. When he was happy, smiling and giggling at every little thing. When he was sad, bursting out in tears and sobbing loudly at even the smallest hints of irritation or indifference. When he was angry, a flamethrower pointed in your face. To see so much emotion on Norway's face terrified Denmark. At least he still got into arguments with his brother, but...

Eirikur actually enjoyed calling Loki "big brother". The first time he heard it come from the Icelander's mouth, he was sure this was some freaky fever dream. Even if he didn't look as similar to Emil, with his black hair and eyepatch, his good eye blood red. He didn't even act like him, either, his personality much like Loki's. In fact, Denmark had no idea why they didn't get along more. Eirikur idolized his brother. Hell, if they weren't related, one would think it was some kind of weird teleiophilic crush. Yet Loki completely rejected him, refusing to be called "big brother" and constantly pushing him away. Mathias had a feeling Lukas would love if his brother acted like that.

Karl. He seemed normal enough compared to the others. A weirdly happy ginger version of Sweden. He was the only one of this strange group who didn't have red eyes. He had much more normal looking green eyes, full of kindness. He resembled his counterpart the least of them all. He seemed much older, wiser, and maturer than everyone else. Mathias had an odd kind of respect for him, and he suspected the feeling was mutual.

Then there was Toni. He was the psycho version of Finland. He was the likely outcome of someone sucking all the sweetness from Tino and replacing it with more shotguns and death metal. Then again, Denmark didn't know much about him other than that he was a mythic bitch... or, a mythic bastard in this case. Mathias didn't dare fuck with Toni, and neither did anyone else. Except for Karl. Even if this got many a shotgun shoved in his face.

Apparently the Finn had grown tired of his shit by now. Today, they had all had breakfast (meatballs, meatballs... more Swedish meatballs) and, after a few too many mentions of how much Toni "loves those Swedish balls," he'd gotten embarrassed and frustrated enough to storm off. He really didn't even have that much reason to be embarrassed since Mathias managed to keep his laughter in while Loki and Eirikur didn't seem to get the joke at all. Karl, naturally, was the first to get up and run after him. Denmark soon followed him out of unwillingness to be left alone with the pyromaniac brothers.

After a while of searching with no results, Mathias found Karl lying on the ground with tears in his eyes. He sighed and decided to try and comfort him.

"Hey, buddy... he'll be alright. He'll turn up again," Mathias reassured the Swede, gently stroking his arm. That was what typically calmed him down.

Karl shook his head, his shaky voice low as a whisper. "That's what I said 'bout Magnus."

The Dane backed away a bit, a clear look of shock on his face. Karl smiled warmly up at him. "What? Did you really think I w's fooled? I know Magnus. You're not him. That said, I only referred t' ya as such for the sake of Loki's heart. The boy's quite fragile." He chuckled, extending his hand. "But that aside, who 're ya really?"

Denmark paused, slowly taking his hand and shaking it. "Mathias. Mathias Køhler."

Karl nodded. "Ah. Interesting." He looked around, jumping slightly. "Fan. Loki's looking f'r us. Y'know how he is over ya. We can talk later, alright?"

Alas, they never had another private talk like that. Loki was always up in Mathias's business, and he never could get away. This was about when he started to regret not admitting his true identity earlier, as Norway had just approached him. His Norway. The real Norway. Lukas fucking Bondevik.

Shit.

Mathias quickly ripped himself out of Loki's arms, staring at Lukas with a red face that clearly displayed how badly he fucked up. Loki growled, tightly wrapping his arms back around the Dane. "What's the meaning of this?!" He hissed, glaring at Norway.

Norway glared at Denmark, putting a hand on his hip. "I ask the same, Mathias."

"It's Magnus," snarled Loki, "and he's MINE."

Lukas glanced down at him in confusion. "No. This is Mathias. Mathias Køhler. My..." He hesitated, his voice lowering so the nearby Iceland couldn't hear and tease him later, "My boyfriend."

Mathias gently pushed Loki away. "N-Nor, please l-let me explain- this was all a big m-misunderstanding-"

"A misunderstanding," Norway repeated, scoffing. "Yeah, right. What is there to misunderstand about his tongue down your throat?"

Denmark remained silent.

"I'll listen to whatever stupid excuse you have later." Lukas shook his head and turned away from him. "I'm leaving so I don't kill anyone in rage."

Mathias grabbed his wrist. "But Nor- I-I- A lot of people have been goin' missin' out there, a-and I don't know what I'll do w-without ya-"

Lukas turned his head back to him, scowling. "Just go fuck your new boyfriend if you get lonely."

He then ripped his arm out of Mathias's grip, walking away and leaving the Dane alone with Loki once more. Denmark collapsed, tears in his eyes. Loki was absolutely furious, demanding to know what and who the hell that was. But Mathias didn't respond. He didn't even hear him. Not over the voice in his head, screaming:

NORWAY IS IN DANGER! STOP HIM!

But he knew nothing he did could fix such a terrible mistake.