Small hands clamped securely together, the beating of a butterfly's wings tickling the blond child's palms. The ten year old boy gazed at his marvel through a small gap between his thumbs, giving a quiet laugh.
Stepping over to his baby brother, a toddler barely three years old, Norway sat beside him in the powdery snow. In a silent gesture, he shifted his hands to place the opening in his view, violet eyes peeking in curiously at the tiny insect. Iceland cooed in an innocent wonder as it fluttered about inside, amazement found in this delicate creature. Both Nordic children realized that a new beginning would soon come into being…
Spring was soon to grace the Scandinavian land.
Setting free the butterfly and watching as it fluttered into the pale, cloudy sky, Norway pulled his brother onto his feet in a delicate manner and grasped his hand as they strolled through the wintry landscape.
"Nowwegur," spoke Iceland in a gentle voice, tugging at his coat, "Will it reawwy come?"
"I hope so, Icey," he replied, "I know it's real chilly up here, but there has to be." Iceland nodded, giving a sneeze and a sniffle. Glimpsing back with a tender expression, Norway stroked the soft, silvery locks of hair. "Come here…you'll catch another cold."
He unzipped his coat, lifting the small boy into his arms and zipping him inside to keep him cozy. "Þakka þér," thanked the Icelandic boy, nestling against his big brother contently and falling asleep in the warmth. Admiring the child in his coat, Norway grasped him closely and made his way back to their home.
He stopped after reaching a short distance from the house, giving a confused look and remaining silent as he observed the now unfastened doorway. Hurrying inside, he looked around. "Who's here?"
Sky blue eyes of an unfamiliar boy, vividly glistening beneath spikes of wild blond hair, peered from over top the couch as he turned and sat upon his knees. "Finally home, I see~" He remarked in a quirky ambiance, resting his arms along the top of the couch, "I've been waiting to meet ya!" He seemed only a few years older than the Norwegian, possibly eleven or twelve; this allowed him to slightly lower his guard.
Confused from the stranger on his sofa, he kept the bitterness in his stare. "Who are you?" he asked in a detached tone, already aggravated from the obnoxiously lively greeting. Standing from his seat, the boy marched over in front of him. He raised his hand, lightly plucking at the distinctive curl of his hair, forcing the Norwegian to shudder.
"Name's Denmark, cutie! I'm your big brother!" His eyes shifted from Norway to the slumbering Iceland in his arms. "Boy, do I feel lucky to have two pretty little sisters!" In an instant, his hand was struck with a impulsive slap, Persian blue harsher as he felt offended.
"We're boys, idiot…get out of my house." He turned, making his way for the staircase. Darting in front of him, the Dane gripped his shoulders. Unaware of the unpleasant death glare on the Norwegian's face, he pulled him over to the couch.
"I'm a Nordic, too, ya see, so I'll be staying with ya," Denmark explained, "Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt ya or your little brother. I'm here to protect ya!"
"We don't need protecting, so go play 'blockhead in shining armor' somewhere else." He fell quiet as a hand brushed his cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. The Danish boy smiled warmly.
"See? Just wanna be friends," he assured, "What's your name? Will ya tell me?" Unable to look away from the lovely sky blue eyes, he blushed in embarrassment. Deciding to give in, he muttered:
"Norge…"
"Well, it's nice to meet ya, Norge~ Ya know what? I'll tell ya more about me, as a treat!" He sat back down, patting beside him in a gesture for him to sit.
"How vain…" he thought, reluctantly taking a seat beside the Dane. "Fine…I don't really care."
"Okay, cool! Course ya know I'm Denmark! I like the color red, I hate Sweden, and I dream of beating him to a pulp and telling him how much of a nerd he is!" He laughed wildly, putting his hands on his hips proudly. The longer he talked, the more his ego grew, Norway noticed. Halting him in mid-speech, he directed his focus intently on Denmark.
"I like blue; it reminds me of the ocean…I hate loud, rambling idiots…and I have many dreams, too many to name…" He leaned back, sighing as he rubbed Iceland's back, "I want to learn magic, to protect myself and my brother…to be a good big brother to Icey…and, of course, find a soul-mate one day. Not anytime soon, but one day. Those are only a few goals that I hope to accomplish."
"Wow, ya really have a lot of dreams, Norge!" Denmark patted his head, "You're just a kid, but you're such a grown up, like how ya talk and everything. Ya know what? You're more grown up than I am!" Giving an odd expression, Norway turned back to him.
"What do you mean by kid…? You're the same age as I am…or close to it." The comment brought the Dane to laughter again, wrapping his arm around the younger boy's shoulder.
"Yeah, I am, Norge. Ya act too old! Maybe ya should go out and have a little fun. I mean, c'mon, spring's gonna come soon!" At the word spring, the Norwegian's attention sparked. He looked at him directly in the eyes curiously. Denmark looked back, "Huh? Did I say something weird? What is it?"
"So, you heard the same thing…that spring will be here early this year…?"
Surprised by Norway's sudden interest, he crossed his leg over the other and nodded, "Mhm. My gramps told me so, and he knows what he's talking about! He said that there are already places in Nordic land where the snow is melting away and plants are already popping up out of the grass! He even took me to see em! The reason he sent me here was that he said this land would be the prettiest place in the world to see once spring came! He wanted me ta see it!" The younger boy nodded, flattered by the words he spoke. His land…the most beautiful?
"It's not that pretty…but I suppose you can stay…only until spring comes though. Then you can make your own choice about whether it's pretty or not."
The acceptance into his home pleased the Danish boy, "Tak~ I'll make sure ya won't regret it!"
After receiving a warm, tight hug from Denmark, Norway wondered if he made the right choice…
A/N: Translation Notes: Nowwegur - 'Noregur' is the Icelandic way of saying 'Norway'; Þakka þér - Icelandic for 'Thank you'; Tak - Danish for 'Thank you'
Alright! Another one finished! I'm enjoying these 100 theme challenges! I'll post links to the pictures after I finish them! Thank you for reading~!