He doesn’t understand why they were here. All he wanted was a quiet birthday at home with the friends he loved so dearly. Instead he was sitting in a Vilnius nightclub with a Pole without a care in the world, a somewhat drunk Latvian, and an Estonian who was just as exhausted as he was.

The whole experience was Poland’s doing and served as a (not so desired) birthday present. “You’re too uptight! Stop thinking about work for once and let’s all go have some fun!” Poland had excitedly said to the group over cake that he (reportedly) made himself, though Lithuania didn’t really believe it though he went along with it anyway. He was not one to hurt his old friend’s pride.

Though he appreciated Poland’s gesture, it was only a mess from the moment they left the house. He let Poland drive to wherever it was they were going, only they had begun to realize Poland was driving in circles and he really didn’t know the streets well enough to get them where he wanted to go. Lithuania insisted he’d take over but Poland was stubborn as a mule, saying he was just fine and knew what he was doing. Lithuania had left it at that as he was in no mood to argue.

It had taken close to an hour but Poland figured out where they were and parked in a paid car lot. Lithuania had thought they were heading to one of the new classy bars that opened up in the downtown core. He didn’t really do bars anymore but tonight he was with friends and it was a special occasion after all. But he noticed that they had already past two and with them quickly passing the third one, Lithuania was drawing a blank on where they were heading.

Poland wasn’t willing to give answers. But when he spotted their destination, his face lit up like a light and grabbed Lithuania’s hand and ran towards a small lineup.

“So what is this place?”

“Just look!” Poland said and pointed up towards a purple neon sign. Lithuania immediately recognized the place and groaned. It was a popular nightclub for 20-something year olds.

Their problems had continued on when Latvia almost couldn’t get into the building. The bouncer seemed skeptical of Latvia’s age and appearance. This was a frequent problem and another reason why Lithuania didn’t like going out. If it was clear they were going to be drinking, they either did it at home or at an establishment in Riga where people knew who he was. He was eventually cleared to be let in but deep down Lithuania wished he wouldn’t had been. It would have made the perfect excuse to go home.

They had left their coats in the drop off section at the entrance and desperately hoped that nothing would get stolen from their pockets. The club is massive and hundreds of young adults crowded the main room where the real party was at. The music was ridiculously loud for Lithuania’s taste and the vibrations of it all made him feel slightly nauseous.

He was happy to see Poland have a good time, who wasted no time heading to the dance floor. It was one of the few moments where his “stranger anxiety” seemed to vanish and was happy to mingle with the locals. But he wondered if he did this for himself rather than for him.

As they watched Poland have a good time, they lost Latvia at the bar. He and Estonia stuck together for the night, sitting in a booth and sharing the same bottle of vodka. The music was giving him a headache and doesn’t really understand why people like it so much. But he had to remind himself that though he appeared young, he was an old man who was never really much into mainstream music. These days he was still stuck listening to classical, 80s Lithuanian rock, and his old batch of 20s and 30s jazz records that he bought while he was still living at America’s house. Estonia seemed to be more open to the music than he was and noticed him enjoying certain tracks whenever he bopped his head or tapped the table with his hand. The only downside in Estonia’s eyes was the difficulty in keeping a conversation going. Sometimes the music became so loud that they couldn’t hear each other despite sitting next to one another.

But Lithuania was doing more than just noticing his mannerisms. He hadn’t been able to stop staring at him since they gotten to the club. Lithuania’s eyes had been scanning him everywhere but no matter what was happening around them, each time they got stuck at Estonia’s odd-coloured eyes, an elegant mix of blue and green. The lights were low in the room but still it appeared as if they had a glow to them.

Oh who was he kidding? Estonia was always alluring, whether he was drunk or sober. He had a charm about him that just couldn’t be ignored.

Lithuania tried to put his thoughts elsewhere. The song had changed to something more tropical while keeping to the typical electronic sound and with his eyes closed, it took him away to a sunny beach somewhere south, perhaps Greece or even Seychelles. He can feel the warm sun against his skin but even in his own world, he remains careful of the sun’s rays as he casually sits in a long chair under an umbrella, for he burns easily if he stays out for too long. He is catching up on some of his reading while the waves gently crash along the shore. The area is secluded and it all belonged to him.

But his mind can’t let him off the hook that easy. Estonia had now morphed into the scenery. Wearing blue swimming trunks, he sat beside Lithuania under the umbrella and had one arm wrapped around the other man, playing with the tip of his medium-length brown hair. They stared at one another affectionately for a brief moment until Estonia had gone in for a quick kiss on the lips. The daydream startled him and made Lithuania jump in his seat suddenly, confusing Estonia as he cocked an eyebrow.

“Are you okay?”

Lithuania could feel his face was warm and was grateful that the room was dark enough that no one could see how red he truly was. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he replied nervously. “Just had a strange daydream.”

“Sounds like you need another shot,” Estonia said as he poured him a glass of vodka.

Yes, that was exactly what he needed right about now.

Lithuania had never noticed that Latvia had joined them from the bar but he didn’t seem to stay long when Poland had grabbed him to the dance floor. He didn’t really pay much attention as his mind became heavily clouded by the kiss. He wondered what of kind of lips Estonia had. They always looked so soft and delicate. His own were not as enticing. They always felt dry and brittle, no matter how much chap stick he used, and far from desirable. His anxiety was partly to blame for it. He developed a bad of habit over the years that had him biting his lips.

He found himself staring at Estonia again from the corner of his eye. But something was throwing him off. Estonia seemed closer than before. Was he always this close? Anything seemed possible considering how spacey he was tonight.

But then he felt it. Fingertips brushing against the top of his hand. Lithuania swore his heart was going to burst out his chest.

Estonia had grabbed Lithuania’s hand from under the table and neither one of them moved. He never expected Estonia to pull something like this. Was this an honest confession? Or a moment caused by alcohol?

Lithuania felt his hand being gently squeezed and it was opening the door to emotions he didn’t know he had. God, how he wanted all of this to be real.

He turned to face Estonia, not once letting go of his hand, and saw the nerves in his face. Something snapped from within him. Lithuania never thought twice when he closed the gap between them and planted a kiss on Estonia’s lips. It was quick and simple, no fireworks or earth-shattering explosions, but it didn’t leave Estonia any less surprised. It took some time for shock to wear off and it left Lithuania wondering if he truly messed things up between them. But with a dreamy look in his eyes, Estonia put his fears to rest when he pulled Lithuania’s face closer and brushed his bottom lip with his thumb. He leaned over and whispered in his ear.

“Kiss me again.”

Latvia and Poland danced together with their drinks in one hand and glow sticks in the other. In the midst of their fun, Poland had gotten a glance of the happy couple up in the booth and a wide smirk quickly came across his face. He cheered loudly, exciting up the folks nearby him, but only he knew the true reason for the cheer. His plan was a huge success and could have only been possible had he and Estonia not gotten together weeks prior. He remembered the conversation quite clearly in his mind. They were enjoying some cinnamon rolls in the kitchen when Estonia brought up the topic.

What would you say if I liked Lithuania?

Poland had nearly jumped out of his chair in excitement. He was honest with him. Estonia and Lithuania were both his dearest friends and thought they’d be perfect for each other. His marriage to Lithuania at the time was political and to say he still didn’t harbour any feelings towards his partner would be an understatement. But Poland wasn’t as selfish as others made him out to be. He would give them his full support and approval, especially if he knew the feelings were mutual on both sides. Lithuania had never expressed his feelings about Estonia to him but Poland wasn’t fooled. He saw the stares, the smiles, heard the flattering comments that bordered on flirting—Estonia thought he was crazy but Poland was positive that everything would be fine.

Just leave it to me and you’ll see for yourself!

The club was more or less his idea, even though there was a very high chance that none of this would have gone through had Lithuania not given into his demands. But nevertheless, everything worked out and Estonia now owes him a home-cooked meal complete with dessert. Not a bad trade off in his books.