I'm sorry for being so long. I really do love Tino, Ber and all of you. Especially starrynights1987, Lily Lewis, NivalKenival, MonochromeCupcake, IntraSule, OhMyLeppy, Tino Oxenstierna, fan and IzzyK97. You guys are all awesome people and thank you for encouraging me to keep writing :) AdmiralAwesome is my lovely darling beta and bestfriend and I don't what I'd do without her 3

Also, I've been thinking about a DenNor side oneshot that tells you some stuff about Lukas (and what the fuck is up with him), so if you would like me to do that please tell me so that I get off my ass and write it quicker (I promise it will have sexy times) and should I post it separately?

Sorry for the shortness and the wait, I'm working hard to write more :)

I do not own Hetalia or any of these characters. Do I still need to put warnings up here?

Tack, kiitos, merci, danke, muchas gracias, grazie.

Another stolen kiss in Ber's office. Quiet telephone calls, and a little time after school where Peter beat him at every video game they played while Ber watched on, smiling.

All that had happened since Monday, when Tino had gone to the newspaper office first thing in the morning and agreed to the three girls' conditions.

And now it was Thursday morning.

And it was his birthday.

His eighteenth birthday.

He'd actually forgotten, at least until his parents had burst into his room singing.

Emil had murmured a quiet 'happy birthday' at the school gates before disappearing, but he hadn't seen Lukas at all.

Which was rather worrying. Was he still so annoyed with him that he wouldn't even wish him a happy birthday?

Tino escaped from his English class as the bell rang for lunch with a sigh of relief, running his fingers through his hair.

"What's up with you, Tino?" Eduard had managed to keep pace with him. "You weren't concentrating at all during that lesson, and you're usually good with English."

"I know, but I'm worried, it's my birthday, and-"

"Oh, happy birthday! You're eighteen now, right? You can go get drunk."

Tino turned to him incredulously and Eduard, seeing his raised eyebrows, gave a short, dry chuckle. "Right."

"Yeah. And I'm just a little worried, because I haven't seen Lukas at all today. And even though we're having a fight..."

"Is it so much that he's ignoring your birthday?" Eduard nodded understandingly as they reached Tino's locker.

"Exactly." He shoved his books inside and closed the door with a slam, turning back to his friend. "But I've also got this really bad feeling."

"What kind of bad feeling?" Eduard began to push his way through the mass of people around lockers, and Tino had to stay close behind the taller boy to get through.

"The kind of bad feeling where something really, really bad is going to happen, and at least one person's going to hate me."

"Got any idea what it is?"

Tino frowned. "Nothing at all."

They reached Eduard's locker, where the Estonian began to neatly place his belongings inside. "Tino, you're... Seeing someone, right?"

His heart seemed to stop for a second before juddering back to life. "W-what are you- how?"

Eduard grinned wryly. "You've looked rather dopey in a doe-eyed, sighing way, recently. Plus your blush in English the other week."

Tino felt his cheeks burn with the memory. "Right. Why did you ask?"

"Could it be something to do with that person, the bad feeling?"

"I suppose... God, I hope not. Though I don't see how it could be."

Eduard shrugged. "Well, I could easily be wrong."

"Hmm." Tino chewed on his lip worriedly. "Oh well. But, Eduard?"


"Please don't tell anybody that it's my birthday."

Eduard looked at him strangely for a second before nodding. "All right. I don't understand, but it's none of my business, I guess."

Tino ignored the prod to confess all and waited for his friend to take his lunch from his bag, then set off at a pace that prohibited further conversation.

They'd barely got outside when a pale hand grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into the middle of the courtyard.


After pushing him down onto a bench, his cousin finally turned to face him, dark blue eyes sparkling with barely disguised temper.

"What-" A crowd had gathered around them and they took a breath in unison.

"Happy birthday to you!" He could only stare in horror as his cousin led the group in the song, and other people around the area joined in. The cheers were almost like a bloodthirsty crowd baying for death in a roman arena. (Or maybe he was just thinking about his Ancient History class too much.)

They were silenced as Lukas' clear voice reached over the noise. "Congratulations on your birthday, Tino. Now you can drink - legally - and have sex with anyone you want!"

He barely heard the laughter as he stared at Lukas, whose gaze bored into him for a couple of seconds before flicking over to his side. Following his gaze, his heart pounding before falling completely, he understood what the purpose of all this had been.

Berwald. Standing stock still, eyebrows furrowed. Their eyes met for what seemed like an age, and Tino saw a flicker of something he couldn't quite identify in the sea green depths before his boyfriend- if he still was that now - turned away.

His shoulders were tense and he radiated hostility.


He turned to the cake someone was holding towards him and blew out the candles obediently.

Don't hate me.

As he soon as he could get away, he excused himself and practically ran from his friends.

He pulled his phone from his pocket as he neared the far edge of the soccer pitch, away from busy ears.

Fingers scrambling to find Ber's number, but wavering over the green call button, he cursed.

Could he talk to him?

Tino breathed in deeply and let his thumb fall, and lifted the phone to his ear to hear the ringing tone.

Which went on.

And on.

He was beginning to despair of Ber ever picking up the phone when the tone stopped.

"Ah d'n't wan' t'talk t'ya, Tino."


"Ah know ah shouldn't've 'ssumed th'ya were eighteen b'cause ya were drinking, but y'should've told me."

Tino felt the stirrings of anger. "I'm over sixteen and that means that I can have sex with whoever I want! What difference does three bloody weeks make?!"

There was a short silence on the other end of the line. Then; "Tino, in Victoria, th'state 'n which we live, it's against the law f'r a person'f authority t'have sexual relations with an'one under eighteen."

"Holy-" He stopped and let himself fall to a sitting position. "Oh god, Ber, I didn't realise, your job-"

"No. Not my job. Ya didn't trust m'enough t'tell me ya were seventeen."

The phone slid out of his hand, emitting beeps that barely reached his ears.


Once again, I'll try to be back soon, and let me know about the DenNor :)

Much love (and cookies) to everyone,