Hello again! Finally school is over and summer is here, I'm so happy! So we're getting down to the ship, and well the actually case. Get reading for a ride of feels, and a bit of shock, Hope you like the chaper! XD

"Dammit, Leon! Let me go! Your shoulder hurts!" The world span around him in dizzying twists and turns, the bumpy actions of Leon's walking made Emil's head smash against his captor's lower back. The Icelander had to force his eyes close so he didn't let his gaze fall any lower.

He heard a door being pushed open, and Emil suddenly found himself in a crumpled mess on Leon's bed.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on in our case?" Leon spun himself around on the spinning office chair in front of his desk.

"I don't think that's very good for your health," Emil pointed out. "But I did get a list of suspects' information. Do you have a laptop here?"

Leon nodded, pulling out a sleek black rectangle. "This is a gaming laptop, but it should do, right?"

In just a couple seconds of booting up, the screen flashed into a dozen blinding colors and logged itself in. The Icelander signed into the HVPD database, and pulled out the digital folder of the case file he was working on.

"Your theory about Sadik was incorrect. I do believe we have a new main suspect." Emil pulled up a photo of a rather intimidating looking man, if you call baby-faced criminals intimidating. "Ivan Braginsky. He was arrested six months ago for breaking into Berwald's facility in an attempt to steal information. In addition to himself..." Three more photos popped up. "...He hired three henchman to accompany him, those of which claim to have been blackmailed."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "I can't believe this guy's our main suspect. I mean like, he doesn't even look scary."

Emil shrugged. "Well, now that we know who our new main suspect is, what are we going to do now?"

"Kick his ass and send him to prison."

"Sounds fun. However, I don't entirely think Hédévery will allow much of the 'ass kicking' without any evidence."

"So...?"

"So, that's where you come in. You're going to use your hacking abilities-"

"-Cantonese magic."

"Yeah, no. Anyway, you're going to use your hacking abilities for good this time. Instead of looking up personal information about me, you're going to take a look into the HVPD database. Look up all of the files and cases concerning Ivan Braginsky in the last seven to eight months and report back to me as soon as you can."

"M'kay, Boss. I'll do all the dirty work, and you can, like, plan our next move."

"Can you not make it sound like I'm a mafia boss in an old gangster movie?"

Leon snickered quietly and took his laptop back from Emil. After working said "Cantonese magic," Leon managed to find a couple of files that were practically overflowing with information about the Russian.

Last Name: Braginsky

First Name: Ivan

Age: 28 years old

Sex: Male

Date of Birth: XX/XX/XXXX

Hair Color: Platinum Blonde

Eye Color: Violet

Height: 5'11"

Weight: XXX lbs

Description: On XX/XX/XXXX, Ivan Braginsky was apprehended for reportedly harassing pet shop employee, Toris Laurinatis. No charges pressed, suspicions to why still stand an unsolved mystery.

Recently Updated: On XX/XX/XXXX, Braginsky was apprehended again for breaking into Möbler, a company run by its president, Berwald Oxenstierna. No charges have been filed yet, though has clearly stated that he will be suing as soon as his company has expanded.

It has been noted that Braginsky may have taken the job as an assassin working for the Vrede en Liefde.

"What's the vrede en liefde? Some Metallica band?"

"No; the Vrede en Liefde is a mafia that's located in a really bad neighborhood. I mean, I've even been there myself once. I got harassed and stuff, and-Wait a second, I already told you this story. Anyway, the Vrede en Liefde is a notorious gang that is bad news for the HVPD. Nearly a third of our cases are unsolved because of that gang."

"You think they'd hire an Asian hacking genius; someone that's also good with blowing stuff up?"

"Shut up. Look up Braginsky's last known whereabouts."

"So pushy, Ice."

Leon pulled up another window, and a list of Ivan's banking deposits, withdrawals, countless accommodations, and occupations appeared.

"Woah, like, this guy has a huge rep. His most recent job was working in an-! ...Not cool."

"What?" Emil leaned over Leon's shoulder, craning his neck to reach the screen.

"This naughty assassin works as an elementary teacher...in my brother's school."

Emil smirked. "I think it's time to launch another interrogation, don't you?"

"...What do you mean?" Leon's liquid golden eyes widened. "No...He's my bro, dude! That's totally not cool. Seriously, I don't think he's going to be much help to this case. Let's just blow up the elementary school or something and drag this Russian dude to prison hell."

Emil slammed the laptop close. "No way! What if class is still in session, huh? How are you going to explain to all of the parents of all those children of what happened? 'Oh, we were taking down an assassin that just happened to be an elementary teacher.' Or maybe something like, 'I'm sorry; we were just trying to knock down a potential terrorist.'"

"Well...when you say it that way, it sounds like people will be getting hurt."

"Because that's exactly what will happen!"

"Tch, whatever. We have to apprehend him somehow."

-linebreakYaobabywegonnainterrogateyou-

-Several days later when Leon is all better-

"What, aru?! What do you mean there's an assassin in the school I work at?!"

Emil held the bridge of his nose in irritation. "I said, 'break the news to him lightly.'"

"It's not like doing what you said would, like, make any difference to his reaction. Right, teach?"

"I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS, ARU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

"Chill, teach. There's no need to worry. There's just an assassin coming after you. And he just so happens to work at your school, and he just so happens to be one of our main suspects. There's nothing a little Jackie Chan magic can't do!"

"I know damn well that there's an assassin in the school! You already told me that, aru! What I don't understand is how he got there in the first place, or why he's there!"

Emil rested his chin on his hand. "Well, those are all very good questions. First things first, though. Have you heard of the name Ivan Braginsky before?"

Yao glared; he obviously didn't like being asked questions. "Maybe. I don't know, aru. That name doesn't ring any bell in particular. Stop asking me questions!"

The Icelander pulled out a picture of said assassin, watching with slight amusement as Yao snatched the picture out of his hands and gawked at it.

"Hold on, hold on. I know this guy, aru! He's the one who's been stalking me!"

Leon's eyes bugged. "Hold up, teach. There's a guy stalking you?! You didn't even bother to tell Kiku? Or me? Or Mei? Even Yong Soo?"

Yao pouted. "Well, I didn't think it mattered, aru! I was afraid that if you guys found out, you all would murder the man! I had no idea that this weirdo was an assassin!"

Emil tucked the photo back into his breast pocket. "Well, now that that's out of the way, what classroom is he teaching in?"

"Room 107."

"Can I kill him now that we know he's an assassin?"

"No."

-linebreakhongicecreamisyummy-

A/N: We are now switching to third person view to make things more hilariously dramatic. Enjoy!

"Ivan Braginsky, please come down to the main office." The intercom's fuzzy static blared into fourth grade classroom.

"Kol, kol, kol. I'll just be a moment, da?"

His students nodded, and began chatter wildly. Basically, they were screaming.

"Ah, the joys of raising brats...Makes me just wanna plow their tiny undeveloped brains with special knowledge."

He walks down the hallway towards the main office, when he hears a certain Chinese man's yelling.

"Aiyah! Don't put your pencils into the vial, aru!"

Ah, yes. There's the reason why I haven't blown up the school yet.

The door to the main office opens. Closes.

"Mr. Braginsky?"

"Yes, that's me." A thick Russian-accented voice replied. "Why was I called down?"

The main office lady stood up and left. "You'll find out," she replied over her shoulder. "They told me not to be here for the time being."

"They?"

A short silver-haired boy stepped into the room. "Ivan Braginsky, was it?"

Ivan nodded. "Correct. I don't understand what is going on, exactly."

"Like, seriously? Dude, you're gonna seriously be like that?" Another short guy stepped out, this time an Asian with brown hair.

"I still don't understand. Why am I here? Why aren't you boys in school?"

The silver haired boy gawked. "Excuse me, but I happen to have been a college graduate for several years now."

"And you?"

The Asian shrugged. "I just graduated several years back too. I mean like, school was too boring so I kinda like, graduated early."

'Wait. Hold up. Is he trying to get information on us?' The Asian and Icelandic exchanged glances.

A/N: And now we use names because we're lazy.

Leon narrowed his eyes and grabbed Ivan's throat, slamming him against the wall. "We'll be asking the questions here on out, Ivan Braginsky."

"Let me go, and we can all go home with four limbs, da?"

Emil cleared his throat. "You're an assassin, are you not? Working for the Vrede en Liefde? We've researched up on you, so there's no need to lie." He smirked. "We've got you cornered, Braginsky."

The Russian sighed. "Well, it can't be helped now. It is true. But I have taken up the job of an elementary teacher and have no intention of killing anymore people."

The Icelander's smirk widened. "Oh really? That's a damn lie and you know it. We all know the reason you haven't blown up this school yet is because of a certain person whom you've taken an intense interest in."

Leon glared at the Emil dully. "Not cool, bro. Not cool."

Ivan raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh? And do you have any evidence to back up your statement?"

Emil's cheeks reddened slightly in embarrassment. "Well, no. But we res-"

"Then you can't charge me for terrorism, da? So I'm innocent. Let me go, and there will be no hurting involved here."

Leon tightened his grip. "I don't really think that's, like, going to happen."

The Russian frowned slightly. "That's unfortunate." Ivan pried the Asian's grip off of him, and switched positions with Leon. Ivan had him pinned to the ground now, and somehow he had acquired a metal pipe that was slowly blocking oxygen from slipping down Leon's throat. "You have such a skinny throat, much like your brother's."

"H..How do you-ACK!-know that I'm his...bro...ther?"

"I did some researching, too. After all, if you want to take hostages in some lowly cafe, you have learn all about the employees. As for knowing the relations between you two, Yao was just for fun. Kol, kol, kol, kol."

Suddenly, the metal click of a finger ready to tap the trigger of a gun stopped all conversation. The grip on Leon's neck was loosened slightly, and he took this time to use the pipe against his perpetrator. A simple pressure on the fingers sent the Russian cursing in pain, finger bones cracked from the pipe's pressure. Leon then had a good look of who was holding the gun, and he stopped an appreciative smile from growing into his lips.

There stood Emil, like one of those action-packed Jackie Chan movies, gun ready to fire and placed between pale hands. In some ways, he reminded Leon of a certain Finnish waitress a lot, the serious expression of cuteness, the way the stances of their legs were always slightly spaced out, giving off a slightly intimidating look about them. Leon couldn't help but stare.

Emil narrowed his amethyst eyes, the smirk that had plastered itself into his face earlier had returned. "Even if we can't charge you with terrorism, we can charge you under the charges of stalking and struggling and fighting against a police officer." He kicked Ivan over onto his stomach, and linked both of his hands behind his back with cold steel handcuffs. "Oh yeah, and I almost forgot. Did I mention that I was recording this on my smartphone?" He pointed to a small device that was mounted against a potted plant. "So yeah, I think I've got evidence for every charge I'm going to place on your head. Ivan Braginsky, you're under arrest for stalking, struggling against the apprehending from the HVPD, and you also confessed to being the mastermind behind attempting to kidnap Tino Väinämöinen. You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can, and will be used against you in court." He turned to the back of the main office. "You can take him away now."

Two police officers strolled in, to be more specific, Mathias and Lukas stumbled in, looking extremely tousled and flushed. Emil shielded his eyes with his hands immediately. "Gross! Can you guys not perform some type of PDA every time you're on the job?"

Lukas, although still maintaining his apathetic composure, seemed amused. "Hm. We all know that you'll be doing the same, Ice. It's just a matter of time." He tilted his head to the side, letting his gaze fall upon Leon, who, in turn, gave back a small snicker.

Emil wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Shut up! That's totally gross, you pervert of a brother!" Shut up, before I start admitting to it.

Mathias decided to speak up. "Aw, come on, Icy! He's just joking around!" He pulled up the Russian back on his feet, pushing him out the door. "It's time for us to head out! We'll see you back at the station!"

"Hopefully not licking each other's faces like you just did." Emil mumbled, and Lukas stuck his tongue out teasingly.

Leon smirked as the Norwegian and Dane left. "They're cool. Especially your brother. He's super cool."

Emil picked up his phone and stopped recording. "Damn you, I'm going back to the station. Don't get into my car. I'm not letting you in, moron."

The Asian ignored the Icelander's weak threats, following Emil's trail like a hyperactive puppy. "Aw, come on, Ice. You're the super coolest. I'm not joking, come on."

"Fine, whatever. You can get a ride from someone else. Or walk home."

"Awwww, but come on! I like riding with you! You get all flustered over the silliest things and it's super adorable!"

"Shut up. If you keep saying things like that I'm never letting you into the car." Emil forced his flaming blush down, instead, he glared as intensely as he possibly could at the Asian.

They walked towards Emil's car, and said Icelandic boy shoved himself into the front seat. When the Asian just stood there, looking smug as he always did, Emil crossed his arms and glowered. "What are you waiting for? Get in!"

Leon smiled and sat in the passenger seat, setting his seat as far back as it possibly could. "You're funny, Ice."

"Whatever." His hand fumbled with his keys, and they dropped to the floor, a space in between himself and that stupidly stupid Asian.

"Hold up, I can-"

"No it's okay, I got-"

"Hey, I feel them here-"

"I know, just let me-!"

~~~ Doki.

"Oh." Their index fingers, instead of linking around a metal keychain, had somehow managed to find each other, linking around each other like some awkward form of pinky promising.

"Well...I, like, um..."

A soft clearing of the throat. "Uh..."

"This...is nice...?"

"You're still delusional, China."

Leon pulled away, a smirk playing on his lips. "China?"

Emil covered up his heavy blush by picking up his keys. "Yeah, well...If you can call me by my birth country, I can call you by yours."

"I was born in Hong Kong, Emmy."

"Tch, whatever. I'll call you Hong, then. Stupid moron." Emil didn't know how he could feel any more humiliated.

"Sounds good, Ice."

The rest of the ride to the station was silent.

-linebreakwoopwoopstereotypicalfluff-

"He's in holding now." Lukas ruffled Emil's silver mop, earning a choice Icelandic word. "In fact, he wants to talk with you for a couple moments. He asked this to be a private matter."

"And you're just going to go along with it?! He's a registered dangerous criminal now!"

"Don't worry, you can just tell me what happened later. And plus, Wang told me how you can 'totally use a gun like a boss.'"

Emil grumbled, closing the door behind him.

"We meet again, young consultant boy."

"Shut it; I'm here because you sent me in."

"Funny how a criminal such as myself can have so much power over an innocent soul such as yours, da?"

"..." Seriously, this guy is an even bigger pain in the arse than I thought.

"You see, I wanted to talk to you because I have information that you want."

"...What do you mean...?"

"It seems that at this very moment, your brother-in-law is in quite the pickle. You see, the people you're dealing with here are more dangerous than you think. My henchmen have Mr. Waifu in their custody right now." Ivan smiled sweetly. "I could give him back to you, along with some information about the group I'm associated in... For a small price, of course."

Emil fidgeted with the pen in his hand, twisting it this way and that. "...What...What are your conditions...?"

I can't believe I'm doing this.

This could get me in serious trouble.

What the hell am I thinking? What if this guy is plotting against me or something and makes me do something that costs me my job?!

What if he wants to kill me?!

The Russian seemed to spot Emil's discomfort, and he laughed, a low 'kol, kol, kol.' "Don't worry, it's not anything dangerous, really. I want you to break me out of prison, then you can have the information, and I'll let your brother-in-law go. That's fair, da?"

"...No. Definitely not. Why would I want to do a stupid thing like that?"

"Because your relative's life is at risk here, and by two o'clock sharp tomorrow morning, he'll be full of bullet holes. That's not what you want, is it?"

"..."

"Good, Officer. Here's what you're going to do."

Emil listened vaguely, a sick boiling feeling scratching at his stomach lining and forcing its way up his throat. Each syllable the Russian pronounced sent a shivering tremble up his spine, buzzing his brain.

"-And make sure you don't tell anyone else about this, or else I might just have to kill Mr. Waifu."

-linebreakohsnapohsnapintensnessEmilbreaksIvanouttaprisonwhoopssorrynotsorry-

-Later that evening-

It was to get Tino back alive.

It was to get his brother-in-law, his family, back alive.

...Right?

Emil forced his thoughts on the same pattern, forcing them on the path that he wanted them to be. There was no way in any pit of hell that he was going to admit to himself that he was only doing this for selfish reasons.

Of course, it wasn't a selfish thought at all! He just wanted to find out who his kidnappers were, what business they had with his family, and why they were targeting him so he could throw their sorry asses to jail.

...So that's how Emil found himself sneaking into the Hetalia Ville Police Department, attempting to break out one of the most cunning assassins known in the city. The police guards on their nightshift would be on his trail any minute, so he had to get into the prison cells fast before any of them could spot him.

And, of course there had to be difficulties.

Of course.

-linebreakswtichingthirdpersonPOVswhyyouberussiantobreaksomeoneoutofprisonEmmy-

-Several hours earlier-

"Hej! Asian kid with the eyebrows!" An obnoxiously loud Danish-accented voice yelled out.

Leon could take names like "Asian kid." It was perfectly fine; Leon accepted his Asian-ness. But putting something about his English-food-induced eyebrows into the mix is not okay.

"...What do you want?" Leon forced the most ugly name-calling thoughts in his head down. That wouldn't be appropriate. Not at all.

Because Leon is a good Asian kid. He grew up with a loud Chinese brother who grew out his hair like a girl's. And said brother taught him discipline.

"I was wondering if you could watch over the ruffians for me! Norgie and I are taking the rest of the day off to plan our wedding!"

"...A little soon, don't you think?"

"Not at all! We want to get this done as soon as possible!" Mathias lowered his voice significantly. "To be honest, I didn't think Norge was in a hurry to get this done. If anything, he'd be one to take his time and tie the ol' knot in a year or two!"

Leon shrugged. "Hum, I don't know. I've never been engaged."

"So can you please work the night shift? Please?"

"I thought I was going to work the night shift in the cafe."

Mathias guffawed. "Aw, come on! The night shift is just cleaning and closing up! You can do that tomorrow morning before the cafe opens! For now, you can take my night shift and watch over the prisoners! 'Kay?"

"Tch, whatever. I, like, don't really care that much. What do I do? Walk around the prison cells and laugh at them or something?"

The Dane shook his head. "Nah, you just gotta patrol the area. Just walk around a bit, stay in one spot for a while, and make sure no one tries to escape!"

"Gee, that makes me wanna do this even more." He rolled his eyes sarcastically.

Mathias smiled, white teeth sparkling like some kind of stereotypical anime smile. "Yeah! Thanks a bunch, my Asian brother-in-law!"

And that's when Leon's jaw dropped all the way down to the floor. "WHAT THE HELL?"

The Danish idiot waved behind him as he walked away. "We all know how close you and my little bro-in-law are! Especially how immediately you both became 'friends!' See ya later!"

-Present Time-

And that's how Leon found himself in this situation.

Lounging against the wall, updating his Hetabook status to "Partying with the bad boys," and giving Mr. I'm Russian, Da? the Asian stinkeye.

"I see you're very close with that bowtie child-boy, am I right?"

Leon snapped his cell phone shut. "You mean, Emil? Sure, but I wouldn't call him 'child-boy.' I'd say he's more a cute girly boy."

"Kol, kol, kol. That's a very accurate description. But it can't be just his physical features that remind you of girls, da?"

"...What do you mean?"

"He's gullible, thinks he's so strong. It's really quite feminine, is it not?"

The Asian half laughed. "I'm going to have to, like, disagree with you. Emil is, like, uber manly. He's, like, the manliest girly guy I know." Leon had to lie; it was to boost Icy's reputation.

"Kol, kol, kol." And that was all the Russian said.

Or laughed.

Whatever.

Leon decided to walk around the prison a bit, half smiling at one prisoner who tried to aim his urine at his finely polished shoes.

"Silly prison jerk." Said prisoner threw a nasty glare his way.

Leon decided to commemorate this moment by telling his dear Icelandic friend about his nearly urine-covered shoe. How he got his number would remain a secret.

Hint Number One: Cantonese Magic

Leon (Hong's a Douche): Dude! You won't believe what just happened!

Emil (Fridges be Bae): Kinda busy right now. Leave me alone.

Leon (Hong's a Douche): This prison guy almost peed on my shoe! LOL ( ´▽)

Emil (Fridges be Bae): I don't care that's not funny. Leave me alone you idiot.

Leon (Hong's a Douche): Aw y u throwing a tantrum Ice?

Emil (Fridges be Bae): Shut up I'm not a kid. I'm really busy doing something so stop texting me.

Leon (Hong's a Douche): What r u doing?

Emil (Fridges be Bae): None of your business. Now leave me alone.

Leon (Hong's a Douche): U kno wat? Ima gonna call u right now.

Emil (Fridges be Bae): WHAT THE FUCK NO LEON NO STOP IT

Leon (Hong's a Douche): Lol nope. Dialing rite now. (´) (A/N: Lol look it's the APH Korea ahoge face-Praise dis)

And before he rounded the corner, Leon heard the loud ringtone he had installed onto Emil's phone.

What. The. Hell.

-switchingthepovsyagottalovedapovswahaha-

Emil had sneaked from dozens of police officers, dodged a plethora of motion-activated alarms, and even went as far as to botching all of the cameras...

...Just so he could get caught by his co-worker that he may or may not have a slight infatuation towards?

Slight is an understatement.

Emil froze as his ringtone went off, alerting most of the prisoners and a very damnable Asian. A flick of the flashlight; a pair of surprised topaz eyes; and a heavy electrifying shock to the gut.

"Holy...shit...you just...tazed...me...unghhhh..."

"WHAT THE FUCK I'M SORRY HOLY FLIPPING SHIT I'M SORRY."

As the flashlight revealed a writhing Icelander, Leon jumped back slightly.

"Emil?"

And that was the second official time Leon used his actual name.

"What are you doing here? Ice, hey, you okay?"

"Nngh...I'm fine, no thanks to you. I just came...I just came here to, uh..."

"Spit on some of our foreheads?"

"Pick up your naughty girlfriend charged for first degree murder?"

"Pick up your naughty boyfriend charged with first degree murder?"

"Kick around a couple douches?"

"Free food?"

And that's why criminals are the best conversationalists.

"No, no, no! I just-" Emil took a peek at the time on his phone.

1:45 am

"Dammit! Leon, let me through! I need to...I need to talk with Ivan for a minute."

"Do you really think I'm, like, that stupid? You do know that I'm the prison guard for the night, right? And as prison guard, I'm supposed to enforce the rules. And the rules are-"

"Talking to criminals after hours are strictly prohibited, I know. But I really need to talk to him so let me through!"

"No. I can't, it's against the rules, Ice. Plus, talking to bad boys is not healthy for a goody goody boy as innocent as yourself."

"Dammit Leon! So help me, I will-"

"I said no, Ice." The Asian snapped at Emil a little harsher this time, which made the Icelandic flinch.

"Please, Leon. I really, really, need to talk to Ivan. I can't explain right now, but I promise I will when I get the chance. Please, Leon. Please, Li Xiao."

Doki.

Damn, how was his European co-worker/friend (Emil has very mixed emotions about this word) able to do this to him? His heart jumped out of his chest, struggling against his internal bonds, trying to break free and land in Emil's now-clenched hands. Leon didn't want his Icelandic friend to talk to some ruffian who could have an ulterior motive by talking with him. The Asian pinched the bridge of his nose; honestly, he wasn't very fond of how overprotective he was being towards Emil. It was as if, as if he was in love with him.

Love.

The word burned on the tip of his tongue like burnt scones.

Emil gave Leon a look of what seemed like a mix between utter disappointment and confusion. What the hell...? Said Icelander took the Asian's silence as an opportunity to shove him and unlock Ivan's cell.

"Get out of my way. This is for the benefit of the both of us." Emil swiped the cell keys from a nearby hook, quickly unlocking the cell and letting Ivan out.

"Ah, Mr. Consultant. I did not know you would find me here."

"Shut up. You're the one who came up with this. Let's get this over with so my cousin can have his wife back."

"You seem very perplexed. Will it affect the escape? I hope it won't, da?"

Emil groaned. "It's nothing...Let's just get out of here."

Ivan smiled. "Oh, no. I am getting out of here. You will play as the distraction. Unless...you want Mr. Waifu to act as a testing dummy for my new gun, da?"

Emil glared; this wasn't part of the plan! And frankly, Emil didn't want to confront the snarky Asian that was probably going to test out his kung fu on. "Whatever. You better let Tino go, you freak. I'm serious."

The Russian nodded, smiling slightly. "A deal is a deal. I will have him out by tonight. Meet me at the old alleyway next to your Danish friend's cafe."

"...Okay."

Emil quietly unlocked the door, only to have run into a large brick wall.

"What the fu-?!"

Hold up. It's just Leon.

"Leon, this is an important matter, so, uh, don't butt in. Ivan is being released, and if you tell anyone, I'm afraid I'm going to have to-"

"...Why didn't you tell me?" Leon's eyes held something of disappointment and worry. His hand gripped Emil's shoulders almost roughly, and his lip jutted out slightly in a small frown. "This...is like, really dangerous. He's one of the most wanted criminals in town, you know." The apathetic tone of his voice had a shaky edge to it, like that of a dull knife.

"Why were you listening in? Eavesdropping is really rude. It's none of your business, so why should you care?" Emil looked away, sneaking out the door.

Something in Leon's demeanor cracked, and suddenly Emil found himself being shoved against a wall, with Leon's arms on either side of him.

"Don't you care?! Like, at all?! Listen, I don't know what's going on, Ice! He's a fucking criminal! Why are you doing this...?" When he received no reply, he forced his head down to block any emotion from being seen. "...Why...?! That guy's a fucking assassin! What if something happens to you? What if you're just being taken advantage of?"

Leon didn't know what was happening.

He didn't know why he was losing control.

He's my best friend! Of course I'm worried about him!

Are you sure this is just about your best friend? His subconscious was really pissing him off.

Or maybe you want him to be something more...?

Shut up! He's my best friend, I'm keeping it strictly at that.

Oh, are you now? Let's, like, see how that works out for you.

Leon suddenly found himself yelling at the latter, tears forming upon his eyelids like morning dew. "-Can't you understand that doing this alone will only make things worse?! You could've talked to your brother or something, I'm sure he'd help!"

Emil's face wrinkled up in frustration. "I can't! You don't understand! If I tell anyone, I'll-" He broke off his sentence, looking away. "And I'm not as weak as you think. I can handle myself."

Leon perked his head up, amber eyes flashing dangerously. "Bullshit, Emil. You could be the damn strongest person in the world, but that Russian will take you over in a blink of an eye."

Emil slapped the Asian hard across the face. "I knew you wouldn't understand, Leon. I don't even know you that well, why would you even care in the first place?"

Doki. Doki.

And all the words came dribbling from his lips like a river.

"...You're wrong, Emil. You're wrong. You're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong, you're wro-"

A/N: You were expecting a confession, weren't you? WAHAHAHAHA

"OKAY I GET IT JUST TELL ME WHY, YOU STUPID MORON!"

"I'm not telling anything until you tell me what kind of deal you made with Russian Satan."

"Dammit! I don't need to tell you anything!"

"You do."

"Excuse me?!"

"...You do have to tell me."

"Why? You're not my mother, or my brother, or Captain Hédevéry, are you?"

"Maybe not, but I am your co-worker and closest thing you've got to a friend, aren't I?"

"Hmph. I don't know." A creeping red pigment sneaked across Emil's cheekbones.

Damn...He's got a point. Friends tell each other everything, right?

No, not everything. Some things are more private than others.

Ah, you're right. He can't butt into my business, even if he is a friend. My only friend.

Or something more...?

"You don't have the right to ask all these questions."

"Actually, I kinda do. I'm a consultant, remember?" Leon's expression softened. "And I also ask because I, like, care. A lot. About. You." The last words were uttered almost mechanically, as if he was forcing them out.

Emil felt his heart race for a moment before coming up with a completely (un)logical reasoning for Leon's "kind-of" confession. Of course he would care about me. We're friends. "Leon..." Why are we arguing again? Why is my heart beating so fast? Why am I questioning my friendship with you?

"Emil...Tell me what's going on..."

The Icelandic gazed at Leon's golden eyes, confused as to why his face seemed to grow closer.

And closer.

"...I...Well...He has my-" He let his eyes flutter shut, unable to keep Leon's gaze any longer.

Which turned out to be a huge mistake.

Click.

"Say anything else, and Tino won't be the only person terminated, da?"

Damn it. I totally forgot that HE was still here.

Ivan had a handgun pointed against the side of Leon's head, his fist clenched tightly around the sleek mess of dark brown locks. Leon winced slightly as he was pulled back, the roots of his hair tingling with every yank.

"Let him go, Ivan. This wasn't part of the plan."

"Neither was cuddling with your boyfriend, but sometimes disturbances occur. We just have to fix them."

"Not like this. Let him go." Emil tried to keep himself calm, but he could feel his hands trembling.

I'm reliving a memory, right now. Not the same person, but it's happening again.

"Mm, no can do, Mr. Consultant. You were about to tell him our deal, and you remember the conditions, don't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Tell me what happened, Ice." Leon appeared to be perfectly calm, his expression apathetic.

"N-no..." Dammit, he was stuttering. "I...I can't...and how did he get that gun...?"

"It'll be fine, just tell me. Tell me what the deal was between you and Ivan. Oh, and I'm assuming he, like, stole it from the rifle holder on my belt." Crazy how he could be so nonchalant during a moment like this. Just a couple minutes ago he had been close to tears.

"Your friend's life is on the line, Mr. Consultant. Do you really want to get rid of him so badly?" A small smile graced the older man's lips.

"Tell me."

What do I do?

"My finger's slipping~"

I don't want him to die!

"Go on, Ice."

If I tell him, his head will be chock full of bullet holes!

"Three..."

I don't want him to die...!

"Emil."

He's...

"...Two..."

...important...

"Emil!"

To me...!

"...One..."

I can't let him die!

"EMIL!"

"STOP! STOP, DON'T DO THIS!" Emil wrapped his arms around Leon's neck, one hand resting on the side of the latter's head, specifically, the one that the gun had been pressed up against.

"It's alright, Emil." Leon mumbled into the fabric of the Icelander's brown jacket.

Emil pulled away slightly, the most shocked and horrified facial expression making its way onto his face. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?! THE GUY'S ABOUT TO KILL YOU AND YOU THINK EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE FINE?!"

"I think you're getting exaggerating a bit, Emil."

"No, you're taking this way too lightly!"

"Dude, it's fine. There's nothing to be worried about."

And once again, they ignored the gunman that was currently holding a rifle to Leon's head.

"Excuse me?! I should be worried! Dammit, there's a gun pointed to your head!"

"Calm down, Ice."

"I'm perfectly calm! I..." He backed away a step, bringing out a gun of his own. "I'm not going to let it happen again."

"What the hell are you talking about?! Put the gun down!"

"N-no. I'm not going to lose another person that I care about." Emil didn't know what he was saying anymore, he could feel his brain going slack, the pool of tears leaving his eyelids in fat drops.

Ivan's hold on his gun wavered a bit. "You wouldn't..."

Emil pressed the trigger, sending the tiny bullet into the wall to the left of Ivan's face. "Next shot will be aimed at your face." He snarled, eyes full of fear, anger, and whatever else he was feeling.

"Put the gun down, Emil." A crisp voice broke through his thoughts, and he let his eyes wander to the direction of the voice. He shook his head at Leon, though his grip on the gun wavered.

"Emil, listen to me. Put the gun down. You're going to kill us both. So put the gun down."

"N...no...I have to protect you..."

"You're not a knight in shining armor, Emil." You're the princess. "Please, Ice. Put it down, don't let anyone get hurt. Do it for...uh, for me." Well, that didn't sound awkward. At all.

"Hngh..." Emil half sobbed, letting his hands fall to his sides as he fell to his knees. The gun dropped to the floor with a soft thud. "I don't even know-hic-what I'm-hic-saying..."

Ivan didn't yank Leon back as the Asian grabbed Emil's hand and pulled him close. Emil hiccuped quietly, letting his arms loop around Leon's neck loosely.

Leon stroked the latter's back slowly, his hands resting at Emil's hips. He didn't care that the uniform Mathias had given him was getting peppered with wet spots from Emil's tears. "Shh, it's alright now, Ice."

"I don't think so. I'll kill both of you before I get away." Ivan smiled, his gun pointed at Leon's back.

"NO!" Emil clawed for the gun, attempts in vain as Leon held him down.

"Calm down."

As Ivan pressed the trigger, Emil closed his eyes tightly. "Leon, I want you to know I love you, please don-"

Click.

Click click.

CLICK CLICK CLICK.

CLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICK-

"Why isn't this thing working?" Ivan seemed slightly frustrated, which probably meant he was really, really pissed off.

"It's probably because that gun isn't loaded." Leon continued holding onto Emil, smiling as Ivan kept dropped the gun on the floor.

"That's unfortunate. I'll just have to leave without killing anybody today. Hm, До свидания. (Goodbye) Don't expect Väinämöinen to be breathing before nightfall today."

Leon didn't even bother going after him. Emil had started trembling like a wilted leaf in the wind, hanging onto the Asian's sleeve for dear life. The guy had been through a lot today; it would be understandable for him to go into shock not long after this.

"Emil, you alright?"

"P-please call m-my s-st-storebror..." The Icelander didn't care that he had just called his brother by his old nickname. He could stop shaking, his lips and limbs felt like lead.

"You got it, Ice." Leon dialed Mathias' number quickly into his phone, the dial tone ringing no more than twice.

"Hej! Officer Køhler speaking."

"It's Li Xiao."

"Oh, hey buddy! How's work going? Any of the bad boys ask for your lunch money?"

"I need to speak to Lukas. This is urgent."

"Woah there, man! Whaddya mean you have to speak to Lukas? I can tell him whatever you want to say to him."

"This is for Emil. He wants to talk to his brother. At least that's what I think he wants to do. I don't understand Norwegian."

"O-oh. Hold on for a moment." The rough noise of whispering and movement could be heard through all the light static. "Hello? Li Xiao? Where's my lillebror?" Lukas sounded as if he had just woken up, which was understandable, given that it was three in the morning.

"He's right next to me. Let me put him on the phone." Leon gently pried open Emil's fingers, closing them around his phone and placing it up to the boy's ear.

"...S-storebror..."

"Emil? Is everything alright?"

Emil made a sound of disapproval. "N-nei."

"Do you want to tell me what happened? Where are you?"

The Icelander sucked in a breath, his hand on the phone wavering. "N...nei..."

Leon took the phone from Emil, covering his hand on the speaker. "Tell me what you want me to say, and I'll tell him, Emmy."

"Tell him...to get Tino...Tell him to br-bring back-up."

Leon nodded. "Okay." He uncovered the phone speaker. "It's Li Xiao again. Emil told me to tell you to get Tino. Bring back-up."

"What the hell? Where the hell is Tino? Why the hell was he missing in the first place? Why doesn't Berwald know about this?"

"Not everything has to do with hell, Mr. Bondevik. And I don't know why Berwald doesn't know about it." Emil mumbled something just loud enough for Leon to hear. "Tino is in the alleyway next to the cafe Mathias works at."

"Alright. Keep my brother safe, moron. We'll be getting Tino now."

"Okay. Goodbye." Leon hung up the call, pocketing his phone away. "Emmy, you doing alright there?"

"...Leon, mér finnst illa...(I feel unwell)" Emil mumbled, his syllables slurring together. The whole room span around him, his body buzzed noisily, almost as loud as the ringing in his ears. Emil felt his eyes roll to the back of his head as his body went slack and the world closed in on him like shadowy darkness.

Leon caught Emil's head before it could slam against the cracked concrete floor, his hand running his fingers along his silver strands tenderly. "You work too hard. Give yourself a good rest. I know this must've been, like, a scary thing to go through."

Leon left the building premises, tucking his friend's (it would be safe to assume that they were friends now, right?) body under the seat belt in the passenger seat of his red Porsche. It would be safe to visit the hospital to check if he had any damage whatsoever, but having a day off would be most beneficial.

"Just take it easy, Ice."

-Time Passes-

When Leon had made it to Emil's house (don't ask how he found out. Hint one: Cantonese Magic), he unfastened the Icelander's seatbelt and hoisted him up onto his shoulders.

"Dude, you're really light, you know that?"

Leon twisted the knob to the front door. Locked. "Dammit; this is really convenient. I'll have to go through the window now. Hopefully one of them is open or I'll have to drop Ice off outside."

He rounded the corner of the house, slinking around until he found a window that was miraculously open. To make matters even better, it was right above a small platform that would make it easy to jump from. Unfortunately, it was on the second floor of the house. Leon glowered at the open window frustratingly. He did this before to another house, he can do this again. The only problem was that there was a living, breathing person on his shoulders.

Not that Leon had carried the dead on his shoulders onto a house before.

He untied his belt to his dress pants, tying it around Emil's waist, around his own arms, and around Emil's legs. He repeated this until he had made Emil a somewhat safe seat belt. He would still have to hold him, but at least there was some sort of protection. Leon held one of his arms to the small of Emil's back, the other grabbing the edge of the roof. he just managed to get the upper half of his body up when he noticed Emil slipping from his hold. He leaned himself forward, and the unconscious Icelander followed his movements, slipping onto the roof. Leon followed suit, and hoisted Emil back up onto his shoulders. The room the open window was located in seemed like a fairly small area, a simple bed, simple work desk, something one would see in a simple house. What got Leon's attention was the large bird cage holding some kind of bird that kind of resembled Leon of a panda, except with a bow tie and a yellow beak.

"Puffin...?" Leon was pretty sure that the bird inside that cage was a puffin. But the real question was, how did Emil get his hands on one of them?

He shook his head; this wasn't the time to be peeking around Emil's room! He untied the makeshift seat belt around Emil and himself before laying the latter down on his bed. Lying there, Emil resembled a child, wisps of silver hair spread out on the pillows, his lips parted in a slight "O". It was definitely a sight to drink in, and Leon made sure that the memory would burn into his mind permanently.

"Rest up, Ice." Leon swept Emil's hair back from his forehead and let his lips fall upon the skin there before sneaking out the window.

Leon would really need a rest after this. But he had to deal with something first.

-Time Passes-

Leon pulled open the front door, quietly shutting it before taking off his shoes and letting out a yawn. Seeing Emil so vulnerable, his brother Lukas worried about him got him thinking.

"Li Xiao? Why are you home so late?" Yao walked in holding a cup of Oolong tea.

"I had the night shift today. Filling in for one of the officers."

"Oh, well, you should get some sleep."

"I will. First I have to speak with Kiku about something."

"Kiku? He's in his room. He said he was going to prepare for bed. Tomorrow is his last day here, can't it wait until then?"

"No. I'm going to make some tea first." Leon tiredly stepped into the kitchen, pouring in a packet of chrysanthemum tea. It was too late in the night to make the real stuff. The water was already hot, so he poured it into two cups. He figured that Kiku would want a cup too.

Once he finished, he padded his way into the guest room, or the one that formerly used to be Kiku's while he was still living there. "Kiku? May I come in?"

His Japanese half-brother looked up from the futon he was preparing. "Li-kun? Yes, come in. It's quite a pleasure to see you. I haven't seen you around much. Sit." He pat his hand on the futon before sitting himself down to the spot next to it. "May I ask what is on your mind?"

"I wanted to apologize for my distant behavior during your visit." This is when Leon explained everything about his, as Emil diagnosed it, 'jealousy,' and that is why I've come to seek your forgiveness."

Kiku took a long sip of tea thoughtfully before speaking. "I see. In all honesty, Li-kun, I expected this. Yao and I are closer in age and in thinking, so it would seem perfectly logical for you to feel like this. It should not be you to apologize for your feelings, but me, to apologize for noticing yet not saying anything. I am truly sorry."

Leon stared down at his cup of tea, the sweet golden liquid churning in the tea cup gently. "No, Kiku. It's my fault. I just wanted to be with teacher more, and because of that, the feelings I felt were wrong. I shouldn't just become distant like that because you and gège are closer. It was my error in thinking, so I should be the one apologizing."

Kiku choked back a sound of shock, stroking Leon's hair with a smile. "It...it is alright. You're forgiven, Li-kun. I hope from this day forward, we can all become closer as a family."

Leon nodded, picking up the now empty tea cups and heading out. "Yeah. Goodnight, Kiku." He closed the door behind him and discarded the cups in the sink.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest, and a new, light feeling replaced it. He was content.

Yeah, he really deserved a day off.

Hahahaaaaa! Soooooo love you all and hope you liked Emil's confession! See you next update. :)