The knocks were timid, as they hesitantly tapped at the wooden surface. Steady, and uneven, they ticked in a quiet contrast to the rhythmic breathing of the sleeping inhabitant. Eyes blinked blurrily, sleep still hanging over them in a blinding film as thoughts began to tumble around, slowly at first, and then faster. America sat up quickly, his feet falling heavily across the carpet, too tired to take care for the people sleeping downstairs. He opened the door, still half asleep until he noticed the man before him.

"T-Toris? God dude, don't you know it's like… God, I don't even know what time it is…" He said, looking around blearily.

"Sorry, America. I didn't think I'd be back here tonight," he laughed awkwardly.

"It's cool, I guess… Wait? Back?" Lithuania tensed slightly, realizing what he had said.

"Uh, yeah I was here… earlier... for Mr. Russia," He winced slightly on reflex at the name. The movement caught the American's attention and he eyed the smaller man carefully. A couple of buttons were missing from his shirt, his hair was a wreck, and he had hickeys and bite marks around his collar, dipping down beneath it to where America's eyes couldn't reach, but could thoroughly imagine.

"Did you find him?" He whispered.

"Yeah…" The men watched carefully, gauging the other's reaction. America's eyes had become unfocused, thoughts far away leaving the pathetic figure alone standing in his door way. The small man cleared his throat.

"Uhm… America?" America's eyes narrowed to attention.

"Oh, yeah. Come on in," He motioned to his room, opening the door wide for the other and taking a step back. "Lemmie just grab the spare pillow from the closet," he said as he wandered to the far end of the room. Lithuania shifted awkwardly, looking around the room and noticing two empty Styrofoam cups and the half-empty pot in the coffee maker.

"Found it!" A pillow flew from the closet and fell on to the bed with a puff. America closed the door and grabbed his own pillow from the bed, making his way for the couch.

"Hey, America… I can't take your—"

"Shut up, Toris," the American laughed kindly. "You look like you've had a pretty exciting night yourself."

Lithuania blushed heavily, feeling horribly guilty for being in the room at all, let alone taking the other man's bed. He knew it was unfair to come as he had and his hair fell over his eyes in shame. He only came here because he didn't want to deal with Estonia and Latvia's apologetic eyes—the eyes which saw his bruises and bite marks and refused to look him in the face. That was it, right?

" Stop lying to me, Liet. It's not like I'm completely retarded! Why are you still seeing him?"

"P-Poland, I wasn't…" His green eyes shone, distanced and aloof with a bitter playfulness.

"Whatever, Liet," he turned to leave but sighed instead, "I love you, Lietuva. And… And even if it takes like, another forever, I'm still waiting for an answer. I know things are super hard right now, but I can help… I want to help…" His green eyes met mine with a penetrating severity and all I could do was look away, suffocating in their kindness.

"Are you okay?" a deep voice questioned in the small man's ear, ripping him away from his thoughts.

"Yeah, I was just thinking…"

"Anything you need help with?"

"No, no…" He stood still as America shifted his weight between his feet, more than ready to go back to sleep. He glanced at the bed and back at Lithuania.

"I can't take your bed. Let me take the couch, this is your hotel and it's my fault that I got kicked out of my room anyway, and—"

"Toris?"

"Yeah?"

"Accept a little kindness once in a while. God, you're almost as bad as my old man England," he laughed. And Lithuania looked sheepish again but walked toward the bed, pulling back the sheets.

"Thanks again, America."

"Yeah, no problem."

America's mind was in turmoil as he lay on the couch. It was hours after Lithuania had arrived and although the man was sleeping soundly, sleep was far from the American's thoughts. He had just spoken with Russia hours before… Why would he do something… No, that wasn't right to say. What happened between them? Visions flashed in his head of clothes discarded haphazardly about a floor, a long winter coat thrown thoughtlessly off. He imagined a large pale body covering the smaller man as they rutted in to each other. Platinum blonde hair fell casually over the writhing man's shoulder as he bit down…

America's clothing started to feel restricting and a painful tightness pulled him away from his thoughts. His body was hot, itching under his shirt and he turned over, trying to ignore his arousal, but the throbbing in his groin refused to let it go. He looked up to find Lithuania sleeping comfortably in the bed as the sun began to peak into the window. Realizing that sleep was now lost to him, he stood, grabbing a towel from the rack outside the bathroom and closing the door behind him. He turned the water on as cold as it would go and stepped in, gritting his teeth against the shock.