I got this idea when listening to the song Daylight by Maroon 5 the other day and felt the need to match the Kalmar Union with it. I, sadly, do not own Hetalia or the characters mentioned in this one-shot. I wish! But those rights belong to the creator Hidekaz Himaruya. Read, review, something or else I'll send Norway's trolls after you. You've been warned.
Love,
~Satsue
February 11, 1814 The dissolution of the Kalmar Union.
Denmark knew the day would come when he'd lose Norway. He didn't expect it to come so soon though, and when Norway declared his independence, it had been a fatal blow to Denmark. Physical wounds would have been much more painless than the backlash of the kingdom he never wanted to lose. Sweden had already left and taken Finland with him, all that left in that old, empty house was Norway and his younger brother, Iceland. They held on longer, but Denmark always knew the day would come when he'd regret everything he'd done, the day Norway cut the final ties and severed the Union of Kalmar. It was February 11, the predicted date that Norway would leave Denmark's house for good. All his things were all ready to be taken back, not much since he'd never needed much and Denmark had always provided the kingdom with any necessities he'd ever dreamed of. Leading up to this day, Norway hadn't spoken much, probably to save Denmark as much time to grieve later when it was already too late to stop him from leaving.
"Danmark, I'm going to declare independence." It was those few, simple words that crashed down on the Dane's world like snow from an avalanche, a terrifying nightmare that he wished he could only pinch himself and awaken from, but alas, it was all real, every last moment that seemed to last more than a year as the Danish man's heart thumped slower and slower as realization dawned in his thoughts: Norway was leaving. Norway would never be back. He wouldn't see Norway wake up early in the morning, he wouldn't be the last thing Norway saw before falling asleep every night. He would be gone. And that would not be okay.
Denmark never cried, not once. But this terrible day that he his world shattered like thin glass, all those years that he had tried in vain to cover his sorrows with a smile and pretend such little things as tears did not exist; his strong barriers cracked and broke down, just as broken as his heart.
He had clutched Norway with such weak force and cried, pleading that it was not true, that he wasn't leaving, anything to hear that the Norwegian was lying to him, that it'd be okay, that Norway would still be there in the morning for him.
"Don't Dan-.." Norway's voice had been strong, unwavering as he pushed the Dane away, his deep blue eyes twin pits of nothing; no emotions to give a single clue to read his thoughts. It almost made Denmark feel more pain, those two eyes that seemed to stab his chest like double blades coated in a layer of venom, bleeding him dry slowly and intoxicating his heart, twisting and withering away like a dying rose.
Later that night, as the Norwegian kingdom was away tending to his own belongings in his room, getting ready for his final night at Denmark's beloved home, the Danish man had had way too much liquor and was now nearly passed out and dead in his own room, the tears spilling out in small streams down the sides of his cheeks as he lay still on his king sized bed, a glass wine bottle clasped tightly in one hand so hard his knuckles began to turn a ghastly white coloring. A whole collection of multicolored glass bottles smashed from the Dane's fit of rage, the shards scattered all over the floor glittering in the half light of the moon outside.
The soft velvet covers of the bed were already soaking with the mix of liquor and warm tears as Denmark rested, unmoving, staring high up at the ceiling, not a single thought in the world.
It was round midnight when he had decided it was best to fall asleep and forget about everything in a pleasant dreamscape where anything and everything was possible. Climbing under the covers in his lonesome bed, he closed his brilliant, yet troubled and sorrowful cerulean eyes, hoping to lose himself in a dream that he would never be able to wake up from.
But it wasn't long until the soft creak of the old door snapped his dreamless mind fully awake and he half sat up, his eyes adjusting to the light that poured into his large bedroom from the door where a sheepish Norway peered through.
"Norge? What-" He yawned, surprised at his appearance so late at night.
"Can't sleep." Norway murmured softly, his gentle voice only audible enough for Denmark to catch it echoing through his silent room.
He had an oversized shirt on- probably one of Denmark's he had borrowed a long time ago- and his cross pin had been taken out, so his light blonde hair fell messily in his eyes, small tufts sticking out at random places, his detached curl floating off the side of his head, a strange occurrence Denmark still hadn't quite understood.
Padding quietly on bare feet over creaking oak floorboards, Norway pushed himself up onto the Dane's bed and wriggled his way underneath the covers uninvited.
Facing Denmark with his emotionless eyes and stoic expressions, he buried himself into the pillows and pulled the sheets up to his exposed neck.
Taken aback by his sudden intrusion, Denmark quickly recovered, giving a small, forced smile and closing his eyes, whispering, "God nat, Norge."
Only a few seconds of silence suspended in the air tight with tension before Norway murmured, "I don't want to go to sleep, because I know that I won't be here to sleep beside you tomorrow."
Denmark's eyes opened slowly, fixing them on Norway who stared back defiantly.
"So don't go to sleep yet, okay?"
He wasn't but a few inches away from the Dane and he gently lifted a small hand up without disturbing the covers and touched Denmark's rough cheek lightly with the tips of his own soft fingers, a single touch that lasted no more than a few seconds before he took it away, returning his hand beneath the covers shyly. It was dark with only a few visible stars that casted light along with the half-moon into the room of shadows and so Denmark wasn't able to see Norway's face clearly. He couldn't see if it was embarrassment or some other emotion that had crossed his face in those precious moments he had began to sink back under the covers.
"Norge.." Denmark trailed off, at a loss of words for once, still in a bit of shock at Norway's uncharacteristic acts.
"What?"
"I.. I don't want the sun to rise, because then you'll be gone forever. I won't ever be able see your grumpy face in the morning, I won't be able to se those very rare, but perfect smiles you give only to little Iceland, I won't be able to fight beside you in battle, I'll lose everything." Denmark's voice grew faster and his heartbeat sped up just thinking about the sudden turn of events that would come with Norway's departure the next morning.
"You make it sound like I'm dying." Norway fidgeted, pulling the covers higher so they came to his nose.
"Norge- I'm serious, I won't ever.." As he searched for the right words, a small realization dawned on him, the real reason why Norway leaving made him dread life was simple. "I won't ever be able to tell you how much I love you, Norge."
Norway's deep blue eyes widened, his fists letting the covers fall and expose his blanched, dumbstruck face, paralyzed with a small jolt of shock.
A moment of silence passed as the two stared at each other blankly before Norway flipped over and buried his face into Denmark's pillow, his voice muffled by the fabric, "Annoying."
This small comment made the Dane beam widely, his large hands which had been scarred from numerous past battles lifting up to remove the Norwegian's face from his pillow. The smaller man feebly pawed at Denmark's actions, but obliged, looking up at the Danish man's childish grin, countering with his own stubborn frown. "Stupid." He shifted closer to the Dane until there was hardly an inch of space left between them. He buried his face in Denmark's chest, closing his eyes and breathing in the distinct and fading scent of liquor.
"Don't go to sleep yet." Denmark's cracked and rough-edged voice panicked and poked into Norway's conscious.
"Idiot. I'm not sleeping." He looked up into those shimmering blue eyes that flashed in the half light, full of gentle and kindness, a warm feeling the Norwegian wished to stay suspended in forever. At some point, the Dane had managed to wrap his strong arms around the waist of the smaller man, leaving no space between the two, only but another reminder that they wouldn't be this close the next morning, and every morning after that.
Denmark placed an expert kiss on the Norwegian's soft lips, a touch as gentle and delicate as the fragile wings of a butterfly. Norway reached up and ran a hand over the Dane's jawline, stroking his cheek softly and quietly as his eyes fluttered close, unable to keep the drowsiness away.
He fell into a deep, peaceful sleep and Denmark watched for another half hour, lost in all Norway's simple perfection of his sleeping figure, before he too could no longer fight off sleep. Darkness slid over his blurred vision and he entered a relaxed, dreamless slumber.
Several hours later, he awoke to a immediate loneliness, already knowing what he feared most of all.
The morning sunlight seeped into the cold room, the one thing Denmark now hated the most. Because he knew that the daylight signaled the Norwegian's departure. He knew that he'd be long since gone, far away from his lonesome house filled with horrors and ghosts of the memories.
As he turned to see where Norway was once lying in his arms, he caught sight of a small envelope, the letters scrawled out across the front in perfect calligraphy, all written in Norwegian.
Denmark did not want to read that letter. He already knew what it contained. But he opened it anyways.
Danmark,
I know you are sulking and dreading everything right now. But you and I both knew that this day would come. I'm not going to lie to you. I swear on my life this is not the last we'll see of each other. I promise. Take care of Ice for the time being, he'll need a bit of help while I'm gone. Stop pretending your life is over, move on. I'll be back soon.
Until then..
I love you,
-Kongeriket Norge
Clutching the letter hard against his chest, Denmark moved silently over to the windowsill, opened the latch off it, pushed the glass open gently, and leaned forward. The corners of his lips twitched, his blue eyes deep oceans of despair. Crossing both arms and burying his face into the crook of his elbow, he sobbed, the letter being torn from his fingers and carried away by the cold morning breeze.
At last he looked up the the rising sun and gave a small smile, a stray tear making its way down his soft cheek, as he repeated Norway's promise in a soft whisper, "I promise.. I love you."
