A/N: What did I dooooo? Explanation. This needs explanation. Well, I got up one morning during winter break and bam, I started writing this before I was even fully awake. Yep. The ending of this story was way better in my head. Ughhhh. BUT. This is longer than anything I have ever written before- any chapter of any story or any oneshot. AND IT FEELS GOOD. Speaking of other stories, I WILL get that Spamano story updated very soon! I've been working on it quite a bit, and I hope to get it up sometime in the next week. But I have finals and driver's ed all week, so hopefully I have time since I will only be at school for less than five hours a day! Anyways. I'm sorry for the terrible quality of this story. -hides-
The rising sun kissed the horizon, turning into a blanket of soft pinks and oranges. Crisp morning air blew through the town with the slight breeze, creating a chilly temperature.
Denmark pulled his coat on over his dress shirt, not bothering to button up the jacket. He had somewhere to be, somewhere much more important.
With Norge, he reminded himself, a slight smile tugging at his lips. Denmark hadn't seen Norway in almost two months, and the Norwegian had called the Dane the other night to ask Denmark to meet him for dinner in a fancy Norwegian restaurant. Denmark had agreed without a second thought, not even bothering to check his calendar.
Not trying to hide the huge smile on his face, Denmark began to inspect his garden, watering each and every plant before setting down the watering can and letting out a sigh of satisfaction. Stretching his arms over his head, he heard his back pop quietly, and squinted. The bright sun was now visible, yet still low in the sky, and the air was the tiniest bit warmer. Birds chirped in the nearby trees, singing a song for the world.
Denmark straightened his jacket before climbing into his small car. He checked his watch and frowned ever so slightly before shrugging and putting the key in the ignition.
Eight o'clock. There would definitely be traffic in Copenhagen, especially on a Friday morning.
Backing out of the driveway, Denmark contemplated his choices. His flight to Oslo didn't leave until twelve- and he didn't even have to be at the airport until eleven-thirty.
Finally deciding what to do, the tall blond drove to a small cafe next to the local chocolate shop.
A bell tinkled lightly overhead as Denmark stepping into the small chocolate shop, and he was greeted with a cheery grin from one of the employees.
"Good morning, sir! Can I help you?"
"Yes, actually. I'd like to get this," he pointed to a medium-sized chocolate box in the display case, "and have it wrapped- but just a ribbon or something." He smiled at the man, who nodded and gladly pulled out the box of chocolates.
"Is it for someone special?" the man asked, winking while cutting a long red ribbon and tying it tightly around the box.
"Ah... Yes, someone quite special to me," Denmark said, his smile softening and a faint tinge of pink creeping up on his face.
"Well, I'm sure this lucky person will enjoy this treat- it's one of a kind, you know!"
"Oh, yes, I do know! This place only has the best!" Denmark nodded, taking the box of chocolate from the man and handing him the correct amount of money.
"Thank you very much!" Denmark said with a final wave as he walked out the door.
"Thank you as well! And good luck!" the other man said, waving back.
Holding onto the gift in one hand, Denmark made his way out of the chocolate shop and into the coffee shop next door.
Ten minutes later, Denmark was back in his car, sipping his hot coffee and whistling tunelessly, a stupid grin on his face. He was as restless as a child on Christmas Eve, not able to sit still at all.
It wasn't often that he and Norway got together, and whenever they did, there was either someone else there as well or Norway was always ignoring Denmark or calling him an idiot.
Denmark didn't care, though. He was still excited to see the person he was closest to- and still considered his best friend.
He knew why he was excited, and couldn't help it.
An hour and a half later, Denmark finally made it to the airport.
There had been much more traffic downtown than he had anticipated, but he didn't really mind.
Finding a parking spot had been horrendous, but he had managed.
He had made it to the airport right on time.
Making sure he had the box of chocolates and his wallet with him, Denmark threw his old coffee cup in the nearest trashcan and waltzed into the airport through the sliding glass doors. Quickly, he turned down a hall and used a key to enter one of the elevators with a big sign saying, "DO NOT ENTER: EMPLOYEES ONLY."
The lift took him right up to where he needed to be, and he was greeted by a smiling woman behind a big mahogany desk.
"Godmorgen, Mr. Denmark!" she greeted him, tucking a lock of long blond hair behind her ear. "Going to visit Mr. Norway today?" she asked.
"Godmorgen, Simone! Ah, yes, I'm meeting him tonight for dinner." Simone smiled knowingly, entering something into her computer.
"Your plane is almost ready, sir. It will be about half an hour! They're refueling right now and checking to make sure everything is in order," she informed him.
Denmark grinned. "Alright, thanks."
"Not a problem, sir. Enjoy your visit!" Simone never lost the genuine smile on her face. Denmark liked her- in a way, she reminded him a bit of himself. Shaking his head a bit, he smiled at her once more before taking a seat in one of the few plastic chairs by the window, watching as the small private plane was checked by the many workers scurrying around.
The fact that he had so many people working around the clock to accommodate him always astounded him. His people were so loyal and hard-working. Which reminded him- he had to tell them to take a break soon.
Half an hour later, Denmark was seated in one of the big comfy chairs in the small private plane, sipping a small soda. He had his feet kicked up on one of the footrests, all ready to go. All they were waiting for was the runway to be clear so they could take off.
The plane was already late, and when they finally started to move, it was already one o'clock. He was in no rush; he wasn't supposed to meet with Norway until six o'clock sharp. And he knew that the Norwegian would kill him if he was even a minute late.
Soon enough, the plane started to rumble and Denmark felt it roll out into the runway, picking up speed as it went. The plane went faster and faster, until the nose tilted up and the plane found itself in the air, gaining altitude. Denmark smiled as he looked out the window, seeing the many colorful buildings of Copenhagen, and the cars the size of ants crawling through the city.
Clouds dotted the blue sky and the city below them became the sea. The flight from Copenhagen to Oslo wasn't a long one, but Denmark couldn't help but fidget in anticipation.
"Sir, we are going to be landing in about ten minutes." Denmark put the magazine he was skimming through down and looked up at the co-pilot standing in front of him.
"And when we land, you and Søren are both going to take a break and enjoy yourselves, right, Sebastian?" Denmark said, smiling.
"O-of course, sir!" Sebastian said, nodding quickly. "What time would you like for us to be ready to return to Denmark? I mean, the coun-"
"Yes, I know what you mean," Denmark laughed, cutting the man off. "Don't worry about it. Tell Søren that I said you two may return home whenever you want. I'll be able to get home without a problem."
Sebastian furrowed his eyes worriedly. "Sir, are you sure?"
"Positive. You deserve it," Denmark assured the co-pilot.
"Well then, thank you Mr. Denmark. We'll see you when you return. Have a good evening."
"You too, Sebastian," Denmark smiled warmly as the other man turned around to leave.
He had a feeling he wouldn't be in the mood to take a plane home anytime soon.
Denmark straightened his jacket as he stepped off the terminal and into the airport. He greeted the attendants in the room with a polite nod and wave of his hand before making his way to the elevator. He whistled to himself as the he heard the rushing of the lift, followed by the ding signaling his arrival on the ground floor.
As the doors open, Denmark stepped out into the main lobby of the airport, which had a fair number of people bustling around. Familiar with his surroundings, Denmark was easily able to get to the exit of the building and hail a taxi.
Climbing into the car quickly to escape the chilly air outside, Denmark gave his destination to the driver, who nodded and drove away from the crowded airport carefully, watching out for pedestrians and other cars that seemed to come out of nowhere.
The drive throughout the busy city of Oslo was a quiet one, broken occasionally by the sound of honking horns from other drivers who all wanted to get where they were going. The usual afternoon traffic wasn't as terrible as it could get in Copenhagen, but it was still tedious trying to get through the hundreds of cars and intersections.
At long last, the taxi came to a halt in front of the restaurant that Denmark was supposedly going to meet Norway. Thanking the driver, he paid the man before stepping back into the icy weather. Pulling his jacket closer to his body to try and keep warm, Denmark looked around him. No sign of Norway yet. But then again, it was only five- their 'appointment', as Norway called it, wasn't until six.
Not wanting to stay out in the cold any longer, Denmark entered the restaurant and was greeted by a warm, friendly atmosphere. Though appearing to be small on the outside, the restaurant was very nice on the inside: warm, colorful, quiet. A pleasant aroma drifted from all throughout the building, filling Denmark's nostrils and making his mouth water.
"Good evening, sir. May I help you?" Denmark turned to see a woman standing near a podium, holding a book in one arm. She had a pencil tucked behind her ear and she looked at him expectantly. "Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes, actually. But it's not until six o'clock."
The woman sighed, looking down and opening her book. "Name?" she asked.
"Uh… Mathias Køhler," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Eyes widening, the woman nodded frantically. "Of course, Mr. Køhler. I must ask you to wait one moment, however, as we get the table set up in the back," she informed him. "Please, take a seat and make yourself comfortable."
"Don't worry about it," Denmark said, smiling at her reassuringly. "I am quite early, after all."
The woman nodded once more and scurried to the back of the restaurant, and Denmark took a seat in one of the chairs placed up against the wall, tapping his feet as he waited.
As time wore on, Denmark got more and more nervous. He constantly glanced at the silver watch on his wrist, only to find out how little time had passed since the last time he had checked it.
Five minutes passed.
Then seven.
Eight.
Ten.
Fifteen.
"Mr. Køhler?" Denmark's head snapped up and his feet stopped hitting the carpeted floor.
"Hello again!" he greeted as the woman from earlier had returned, looking less nervous.
"Your table is ready," she informed him. "Come with me." Standing up, Denmark followed the lady back through the restaurant, past the other people who were eating and talking amongst themselves, laughter and chatter filling the large dining area.
Entering a more private, secluded room, Denmark noticed that it was much smaller, and there was only one table with two candles placed in the center. He raised his eyebrows questioningly and looked at the woman standing who had brought him there.
"Mr. Sørenson called and requested a more private room," she explained upon seeing confusion on the Dane's face. "He said you two had some matters to discuss that shouldn't be overheard by anyone else."
"Ah… of course," Denmark said slowly. "Thank you very much. I'm sure it won't be long before he arrives. If you don't mind, could you please show him the way here?"
"Yes, that won't be a problem at all." She nodded to him before exiting the room. Denmark looked the table over, noticing two glasses of water and two menus already in place. It seemed almost… romantic, he noted, quirking an eyebrow. There was no way Denmark would believe that Norway had arranged for that as well.
Sliding into one of the wooden seats, Denmark checked his watch one more time. Five fifty-five. He blew out some air and tugged on his tie a bit, knowing that Norway would be arriving any minute.
Not a minute later, Denmark.
Sure enough, four minutes later, the door opened again and Norway walked in, slight surprise etched on his normally stoic face.
Denmark quickly stood up, almost knocking his chair over in the process.
"You're here early," Norway mused, not moving from his position in the doorway.
"Yeah…" Denmark smiled slightly. "Yeah, I am. I've been here for almost an hour," he admitted, causing Norway's eyes to widen even more.
"What… an hour?" Norway asked. "What have you been doing all this time?"
"Oh… you know. Causing trouble," Denmark winked. "Take a seat, Norge," he gestured to chair across from him. Norway looked like he was having an internal struggle with himself, trying to decide if he should retort or take sit down. In the end, Norway rolled his eyes, sitting in the seat Denmark had pulled out.
They sat therein an awkward silence for a moment before Norway picked his menu up, pretending to look through his options.
"Norge, don't tell me-" Denmark started, but was cut off right away.
"Shut up."
Pouting, the Dane picked up his menu and flipped the pages, trying to find something more exciting than fish and potatoes, but to no avail.
Not long after Denmark and Norway had picked up the small menus, they heard a knock on the door, and a waiter entered the room with a small notepad.
"Hello, may I take your orders?" he asked, looking at Norway first.
"I'll have the smoked salmon," Norway said, folding his menu and handing it to the waiter.
"Very well," the waiter said, turning to Denmark. "And for you?"
"I'll have the same thing he's having," Denmark said, following Norway's actions. The latter raised an eyebrow at the Dane, but didn't comment.
The waiter took both menus and put the notebook in his pocket. "I will be back with your orders soon," he said before exiting the room.
When the door shut, Norway folded his hands in his lap, and looked Denmark right in the eye, but didn't say anything.
"So…" Denmark began, fidgeting with the box in his lap. "I have something for you." He passed the box over the table, and the gold edging of the red ribbon sparkled in the candlelight.
Norway frowned, but took the box, carefully sliding the ribbon off and lifting the lid off. His eyes widened as he saw the dozens of chocolates lined up in rows, each one a different shape.
"Why?" was all he asked, analyzing at the different, intricate designs on each individual piece of handcrafted chocolate. It was almost… beautiful.
Denmark shrugged, studying Norway's face. "No reason."
"Denmark…" Norway said, almost nervously, staring at the ground.
"Hey, if ya don't like chocolate, I can always take it back," Denmark joked. "Or I'll eat them myself."
"No… it's not…" The Norwegian flushed and continued to stare at the floor. "Never mind."
"Nor, what's wrong? You can tell me," Denmark's smile faltered as he sat there hopelessly, not sure what to do.
"Forget it. It's nothing."
"Lukas..."
"I said it's nothing," Norway snapped, glaring at the man across the table.
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry," Denmark sighed in defeat and his face fell.
"Really, Mathias, just don't worry about it, okay?" Norway's voice softened, but he still didn't meet Denmark's gaze.
"Okay, I won't. But if you ever need-" they were interrupted yet again as the waiter came back into the room, this time carrying a tray with two plates on it.
"Here you are, sir," he said as he handed the plate to Norway.
"Thank you," Norway said coldly, but the waiter didn't seem to notice as he turned to hand Denmark his food.
"Thanks," the Dane said, and the waiter hurried out of the room.
Denmark offered an apologetic smile to Norway, who just huffed, poking at the fish on his plate.
Denmark himself wasn't feeling so hungry anymore either, but he forced himself to eat some of the food in front of him.
"Hey, Norge..?" Denmark started, waiting to make sure he had the other's attention before continuing. "Why did you ask me to come up here?"
Norway swallowed before responding. "What, did you have other plans?" he scoffed.
"No, but even if I did, I would have cancelled them to be here with you," Denmark answered honestly. "I mean- uh, to see what you needed," he corrected himself quickly, mentally slapping himself for saying something so stupid.
Norway almost choked on his water in surprise when he heard that. He knew Denmark was clingy, but he hadn't missed Norway that much, had he?
Denmark watched Norway try to come up with an answer for a moment, and in the end the latter bit his lip and frowned.
"I... We need to talk," Norway said flatly.
Denmark raised his eyebrows, not sure what to expect. "About what?"
"Mathias, when was the last time we talked?" Norway asked quietly, gazing into one of the flickering flames in front of him.
"Uhhh... Two days ago?" the Dane guessed.
"No, the last time we actually talked. A real conversation. Just the two of us?" Norway sighed, finally catching Denmark's eyes.
"Oh. Well..." Denmark bit his lip, trying to think.
"Exactly. So long ago, neither of us can remember," Norway said. "It shouldn't be like this."
"Norge..."
"Let's go back to my house. I still need to talk to you. But not here." The Norwegian stood up, striding over to the door. Denmark scrambled to follow after him, pulling his wallet out of his pocket.
When they got to the front counter, Denmark quickly paid, then Norway led the two of them to the car he had parked on the side of the street.
Norway kept silent on the way back to his house, hands clutching the wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Denmark watched him cautiously, a small smile on his face.
The Norwegian knew all the shortcuts of the roads by heart, and it wasn't long before they pulled into the driveway of his small white house.
Still silent, he got out of the car and walked to the door, not checking to see if Denmark was behind him.
The Dane hurried to catch up, making it to Norway just as he got the front door open.
The smaller man seemed to tense up a bit as they stepped inside, and he turned to face Denmark.
"Stay here," he ordered curtly, turning on his heel and walking towards the kitchen. He was back less than thirty seconds later.
"Come on," Norway said flatly, taking Denmark's hand in his and leading them up the stairs. Denmark's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he felt Norway's slender fingers intertwine with his own.
He led them down the hallway, to a room Denmark immediately recognized as Norway's, but he just couldn't figure out why.
As soon as Norway shut the door behind them, Denmark was utterly lost.
"What are you doing, Norge? Locking the door so no one will hear me scream when you kill me?" he joked, yet still unsure.
"Shut up, idiot," Norway hissed. "I told you, we need to talk."
"Alright, I'll listen. I promise," Denmark said, and when the Norwegian tried to separate their hands, Denmark only clasped them tighter together.
Norway frowned, but didn't protest.
"I've been thinking about what you said the last time we talked," Norway started. "About how you said we never talked anymore, and you missed us... before." Denmark knew exactly what the Norwegian was talking about and gave his hand a firm squeeze, silently encouraging him to go on.
"I wanted to tell you that I was sorry. For hurting you so much over the past few years. I haven't been there for you, when you've always been ready to help me with anything. I've been avoiding you, and I'm sorry."
Denmark couldn't believe what he was hearing, and felt his jaw drop a bit.
"Lukas..." he said. "Are you trying to tell me..."
"I want us to try again, Mathias. I've put this off for far too long, and I never wanted things to end up like this."
Denmark's eyes softened as he rubbed his thumb over Norway's hand. "You know... There were times when I thought you really did hate me, and you would never talk to me again," he admitted wrapping his arms around Norway and pulling the smaller man closer to him. Burying his face in the crook of Norway's neck, he whispered, "I didn't know what to do back then."
Norway pushed Denmark away lightly, lightly cupping the taller man's cheek in his hand.
"You idiot," Norway whispered, pressing their lips together. "If you thought for a second that I didn't love you, you were wrong."
Denmark felt like time froze in that moment and his legs turned to jelly.
"Norge... You can't be serious," he said in awe, touching his lips, not able to believe what had just happened. Norway took his hand and guided it back to his side, kissing Denmark again, longer this time, more sweetly.
"I wouldn't lie to you," he whispered, and Denmark felt the Norwegian's breath ghost over his lips.
Slowly, hesitantly, Denmark placed a hand on the back of Norway's neck, bringing them together once more. He felt Norway's soft, warm lips on his own, and easily molded into the other man's touch. The Norwegian's fingers ran through Denmark's hair, a comfort.
When he started to feel light-headed, Denmark finally pulled back, gazing at Norway with such a stupid smile on his face that the latter started to laugh.
"Who would have thought that something like that could make you so happy?" Norway laughed. "You're too easy to please."
"But Norge," Denmark smiled, kissing the other's cheek. "You love me! I never thought this day would actually come!"
"Don't ruin it, idiot" the Norwegian warned. "I still can and will kick you out of this house. Now get in bed." He turned around and began to strip off his clothes, sliding into bed when he was left in nothing but his boxers. Denmark gaped at him before Norway sat up and glared at him.
"Well, are you coming or not?"
Denmark quickly nodded and pulled his own clothes off, joining the waiting Norwegian under the warm covers.
He found himself face to face with Norway and wrapped his arms around the smaller man's back, bringing him closer that their chests were pressed together.
"Thank you," Denmark whispered, and he felt Norway relax in his embrace. Slowly, the Norwegian returned the gesture and wrapped his arms around Denmark's neck, toying with the locks of long blond hair with his cold fingers. The Dane shivered at the touch, and Norway kissed Denmark on the shoulder, stroking his hair.
"I love you," Norway murmured. Denmark sighed and Norway felt the Dane's warm breath on his ear.
"I've loved you forever," he responded, moving back so he could place another kiss on the Norwegian's lips.
Norway hummed contently, leaning back into the Dane.
"Goodnight, Mathias," he said, tightening his arms around the bigger man.
"Goodnight, Lukas," the Dane murmured, pressing one last soft kiss to Norway's temple.
At that moment, Denmark knew that he couldn't have asked for anything better in his life. And at last, all the pieces had been put back together.