We hate the rain when it fills up our shoes

But how we love when it washes our cars

We love to love when it fills up the room

But when it leaves, oh, we're cursing the stars

-Ingrid Michaelson, How We Love

Norway hated rain. He hated it when the cold droplets fell on his nose and on his head and in his clothes. He especially hated it with the cold weather where he lived. No matter what, he'd always end up caught in a rain storm, having to run just to get to shelter. The freezing rain made his fingers and toes numb and it made his hair damp and cling to his face. It made his shoes soggy and it made them squeak with each step he took. It was unbearably annoying.

Of course, he couldn't say that rain was all bad. For one thing, it washed the dirt off of his face, it made his skin and shoes shiny, and it washed his car for him. It watered his plants and it also helped him sleep at night. The soft pattering of raindrops on his window created a soothing and peaceful place to fall asleep under the covers. With this being said, Norway couldn't say that he completely hated rain. However, Norway did feel as though the bad aspects of it outweighed the good.

This was sort of the way he felt with love.

For one thing, Norway enjoyed it immensely when the atmosphere was filled with love. Although most of the time he felt as if most nations didn't like him, being loved was something to remind him that there was at least one person in the world who kind of did. And of course, Norway couldn't help but love that feeling. Whether it was from his brother or from his fellow Nordics (most commonly Denmark), Feeling that "loved" atmosphere always made life a little better. That was the good side of love.

Of course, like rain, love never lasts.

Norway of course loved the feeling of being loved. But who's to say it will last? It almost never did, at least not for him. Iceland left him, and almost made him feel as if his little brother hated him. And then of course, there was that period where Denmark went insane and neither loved each other. Even after he was given to Sweden, he knew he'd never have or be able to have another bond like they had. It almost killed him to feel so unloved and unhappy.

Norway felt as though the bad aspects of love outweighed the good ones.

But that was the past, and this is now. And he knew that if he didn't start looking at the future rather than at the past, he was going to miss out. While he knew this was true, having that grain of memory when speaking with Iceland or Denmark- or anyone else, really- was enough to prevent him from getting his hopes too high and letting his walls down. So he didn't, and sacrificed his emotions in return.

He simply did not want to be hurt again.