This is the seventh of a series of fanfics I plan to do where I get the quote of the day off of a list and then write whatever it makes me think of. I hope this turns out as good as I want it to.

Pairing: Sweden/Finland

Quote: "When I saw you I was afraid to meet you. When I met you I was afraid to kiss you. When I kissed you I was afraid to love you. Now that I love you, I am afraid to lose you." By Roy Croft

---

When I saw you, I was afraid to meet you...

Young Sweden was out in the snow, gathering wood for a fire, when he noticed a little shape against the white backdrop. At first he assumed it was some kind of an animal but as he got closer, he realized it was a little boy.

Not just any boy, though. It was another nation.

The taller country was fully aware of how scary he normally looked to people when he first met them so he did not approach the little person at first. He did not like scaring people. It really hurt him to have others look at him like he was a monster without having really met him. Honestly, it made him really nervous to meet other people because of it.

As much as he would like to know who the other nation was, he did not want to frighten the little boy so he did not go up to him.

After a moment, though, he noticed that the child had no jacket, scarf, or anything like that. What was he doing out in the snow like that? Didn't he know that he could catch a cold? Maybe he did not have anyone taking care of him...

It looked like he would have to go over to him, after all.

He walked over to where the little boy was admiring a small snow rabbit.

"Hey. Kid." Sweden said shortly, the only way he knew how to speak.

The child jumped, startled by a voice suddenly behind him and the taller blonde could not help but flinch. He had known this was not going to go well...

"Y-you scared me!" the boy exclaimed, offering a nervous smile, despite what had just happened. "Who are you?"

"Swed'n," he replied. "You?"

"I'm Finland," the boy said.

-

When I met you I was afraid to kiss you...

Sweden and Finland had just escaped from Denmark's house together and had settled down on the ground to sleep for the night.

Tino had complained of being cold so the tallest Nordic was now holding him close to his chest.

Honestly, he wanted him closer than that but he did not dare scare the smaller nation like that, not when he had just agreed to run away with him. He had already asked too much of Finland. He was not about to push his luck.

Berwald listened as his new partner's breathing came to a slow and he had fallen asleep.

It was almost torturous being this close to him. He had never known that the other nation smelled this good of felt this soft.

He blushed when he realized what he was thinking.

It was a good thing Tino had fallen asleep first.

After a few minutes, though, he could not help himself. He just had to do something. It was driving him crazy to be this close and not be able to do anything at all. He had liked the smaller country far too much for far too long.

As if he could not control his own actions, Sweden leaned forward and placed a small kiss on the top of Finland's head.

He would protect him always.

-

When I kissed you I was afraid to love you...

The two nations had been living together for about one hundred years now but they were still just friends, despite the fact that they were often called husband and wife (even by Sweden himself).

Even though Berwald knew that he cared deeply for his housemate, he was terrified that Tino did not feel the same. He often thought that he gave signs that he did but it was too big of a risk to bring it up. After all, it was better to never know than to be rejected and lose Finland from his life forever, wasn't it?

So he locked up all romantic thoughts into a far corner of his mind and threw away the key. They were far too dangerous.

Every day, though, it became more difficult to hide his feelings, especially from himself.

"Su-san, I missed you," Tino said one evening when Berwald came into the kitchen. "Did the meeting with your bosses go well?"

"Hnn," the taller nation responded. "Guess so."

The scene of his 'wife' in that apron of his, cooking at the stove with that bright smile he always seemed to have these days, made his heart melt. It was just too adorable. He could not stand this anymore.

Sweden crossed the room, going over to him.

"I'm glad to hear that. Dinner is almost finished. I made your favorite," the little blonde smiled up at him. "Did you re-"

Finland's speech was cut off by the other's lips on his suddenly. At first, his eyes widened in surprise but he quickly figured out what was going on and returned it. He had been waiting for a long time for the other nation to make a move like that, after all.

-

Now that I love you, I am afraid to lose you...

"Su-san, I can't stand to see you hurt like this..." Finland said softly, starting to clean off his lover's arms where he was wounded.

Sweden just shook his head at first but then sighed after a moment. "S'war, F'n. G't hurt s'metimes in war."

The smaller nation laid his head against the taller country's chest once he had bandaged the other's arms. He wrapped his arms around his waist tightly in a hug.

"You don't have to keep this up, you know," he told him softly. "I'll be okay... I'm not afraid if Russia takes over. I would rather just see all of this fighting stop... I don't want you to get hurt for my sake anymore."

"No," Sweden replied firmly, hugging his partner tightly against him. "I'll fight f'r you s'long as I c'n."

"I love you," Finland said softly, sadly.

"L've ya, too," the 'husband' replied.

Even with that said, though, he knew in the back of his mind that he could not keep this up forever.

Nothing scared him more than that...

-

Review please!

Be sure to check out my other stories, too, if you like this quote theme. They're about different characters.