Ch 2: Morning after.

Morning light shone in through the window, sending shards of light on a boy curled up under the blankets. How does he get from under the blankets to getting dressed? He dressed, wincing at his aching muscles, and went into the kitchen to find his brother. "Morning." Ravis murmured while entering the kitchen, eyes shifting about, careful not make contact with anything.

"Morning Ravis…Will you run tea upstairs for me? I'm running a little behind." Toris turned; his face had a purplish bruise spreading across his cheek.

Ravis started shaking.

"T-t-to Ivan?" His already pale face became whiter. "A-al-alright…" he said, picking up the tray, trying to control his shaking as he did.

"It'll be ok Ravis." Toris' hand rested to the Latvian's shoulder.

The boy nodded uncertain. "What happened to you…"

"Ivan got frustrated." Toris replied with a sigh, "It's nothing too bad."

"I'm sorry." Ravis looked down and took the tray, his shaking making everything on it shake impossibly hard. Toris turned back to his cooking as Ravis made his way up the grand staircase. When Ravis entered Ivan's office he found the Russian sitting at his desk, signing papers. "I-I-I-Ivan….I b-b-brought your tea…" Ivan turned his head at the Latvian's voice and smiled.

"Ah Ravis~. Thank you. Come in…" The Russian stood and motioned to the chairs and table in the corner of the room. The Latvian nodded and slowly took the tray to the table, miraculously not spilling a drop. As he quickly turned to go and bolt from the room, Ivan's words froze him. "Why not stay and have a glass, Da?"

"A-al-alright…" The boy sat down hard in his seat and tried not to meet the elder's eyes. 'Why did I agree to stay?'

Ivan smiled and his voice was so sweet, it dripped honey. "Toris didn't think you were old enough…" Ravis didn't utter a sound fearing the pain of a beating if he did. "But my word is final and I thought you were ready…" The only thing Ravis could manage to do was nod, chewing on his lower lip to keep the tears at bay.

"S-s-s-sir…I have to go help T-T-T-Toris.."

"He's doing just fine." The short answer was followed by Ivan standing, a new look on his face, the friendliness that was present previously, gone.

The boy's shaking grew worse as he mumbled, "If you s-s-s-say so…"

"Ravis~…" the Russian came closer and began to stroke Ravis' sides. The Latvian nodded again, wincing and turning his head away. "Ravis~ you love me Da?" Forcing Ravis' head back, Ivan kissed his already bruised lips, as tears leaked from the young boy's eyes once more. At that moment, they were interrupted by Toris, walking in with a tray of breakfast. The shattering of plates brought Ivan out of his dream-like state of kissing Ravis. Ravis, seeing a chance, rushed to help Toris clean the mess.

"Sorry M-M-M-Mister Russia…" The poor boy stuttered as he continued to cry.

Ivan responded with a dark smile, his aura beginning to form behind him. "It wasn't your fault."

"Al-Al-Alright….w-we'll go fix it…"Ravis' shivering didn't stop till he was safely out of the room and the only response he got from Russia was a faint grumbling. "I'm sorry Toris."

"Ravis…has he done that to you before?" The fury leaked into the Lithuanian's eyes, just as the worry reached his voice.

"N-n-no…" He said, obviously lying as he wiped the tears from his face. Toris sighed, setting the tray on the counter. He knelt and hugged his brother tightly.

"You can tell me later…Stay with Euard in the library" he cooed into Ravis' ear, and stroked his hair hoping to comfort him. Pacing was heard from upstairs, and Latvia buried his head in Toris' shoulder in quiet response to the footsteps.

"Alright….." the response was nearly impossible to hear, and the boy reluctantly let go of his older sibling before he ran off to hide. Toris looked upstairs worriedly once more before beginning breakfast again. After a while, Ivan came down the stairs silently, giving no clue to his butler that he was there.

"You and your brothers will never leave Da?" His quiet voice broke the silence as Toris spun around quickly to face Ivan.

"Ivan! I…I didn't hear you!" A fake smile rose onto the Lithuanian's lips. "I'm sorry about breakfast being late; it'll just take another min-"He was cut off by Ivan, whose eyes glittered cruelly.

"Answer me Liet." He said, his very well known pipe in one hand and a half empty bottle of vodka in the other.

"Never." Toris refused to me the Russian's eyes. "We'd never leave you sir.." He gulped as a small childish chuckle came from Ivan.

"You love me too much." He said, quickly crossing the room to kiss Toris none too gently.

"….Da…." The Lithuanian replied quietly, "We all love you Ivan…" He refused to meet the Russian's eyes, knowing Ivan would only see the lie in them.

"Ravis doesn't…he needs to learn to." He enforced the idea by nipping at Toris' neck. "Where is he Toris?"

It sounded like a warning, and Toris paled instantly, staying very still. "I wouldn't know." His voice was calm and unreadable, though his heart pounded in his ears. In an instant, Ivan picked him up and threw him to the floor with a thump.

"WHERE IS HE?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Toris struggled to stand but was unable to, still sore from his last beating. As if knowing it was the worst time to enter, Euard ran in, followed shortly by Ravis.

"Toris, is something-" He stopped short at the sight of Ivan, who had kicked Toris into the cabinets, knocking him unconscious.

"Ravis…" A dark smile played on the Russian's lips. "I want to discuss something with you. Toris says it's safe…" Ravis stayed hidden behind Euard, shaking violently. Ravis glanced at Toris, who was lying unmoving from where Ivan had left him.

"Alright…" He was slightly confused by the whole ordeal, unsure what choices he really had. Ivan came and put a hand on Ravis' shoulder squeezing.

"Euard. Clean the mess your brother made." He exited, leaving Euard to his job and led Ravis upstairs to the boy's bedroom. As he shut the Latvian's doors, the boy began to whimper and cry.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Toris opened his eyes. "Ravis?"