The Dream series is a series of one-shots that reference and link into each other but have separate stories. There is no particular order to read them in but I will list the chronology at the start of every story if you do end up deciding to read them in chronological order. The dream series focuses on DenNor and DenIce. Enjoy!

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Sætur Drauma, Dan

(End of the Dano-Norwegian Union. Chronologically the second story)

Usually Iceland was afraid of the dark. Not tonight. Tonight he embraced it's cold and unfeeling aura. Tonight he bathed in the light of millions of stars. Tonight he lost his troubles in an endless pit of blackness. It was cold out so Iceland wore a sheet around his shoulders. It was dark so Iceland carried a lantern in his small hand. He'd resolved to 'escape' from his room earlier that day, after taking a walk with Dan. Dan was indeed a bad liar. Iceland had seen through every word he'd spoken. The biggest lie he'd told; 'Norge will be back in a bit, he's just taking care of some business'. Iceland didn't need to ask what business. He already knew. Nore was going to leave them. It wasn't a surprise. Iceland had sensed it for some time know. He noticed it a month back, when Nore had stopped singing him lullabies to help him sleep in favour of spending more time around Dan. Iceland didn't have to be a genius to know why he was spending more time with Dan. It was because soon Nore would not get that simple pleasure. Because at that time Nore was close to making up his mind about leaving. So, of course, when Dan had told him those mere stories, he'd been able to see through them. Easily.

Quietly he crept along the dark hallway, detecting the cold of the floorboards beneath his feet through his socks. His lantern cast strange shadows as it flickered and burned but Iceland wasn't afraid. He'd seen even stranger shadows a century earlier. Right before Nore had decided to move him to Copenhagen so that the three of them could be together. A shiver ran through Iceland's body, though he wasn't sure if it was the cold or the eerie thought of how a century ago things had been so different. It was probably cold, Iceland thought as he watched his breath condense before him to form beautiful Icy clouds before his very eyes. The thought that it shouldn't really be this cold indoors briefly crossed Iceland's mind, but he dismissed it as it was entirely possible that the fires had gone out in the rooms for everyone was sleeping and no one was tending them.

Iceland was up hoping to find a new place to hide. Possibly a balcony to watch the stars and sunrise from, a study with books to read or even another secret magic room like the one's he'd seen Nore work in. Nore often was working in magic rooms, with magic potions and magic assistants. Iceland had been used to it for so long that it was almost strange that he hadn't come across a glow from behind a bookcase or the smell of smoke and a potion brewing nearby. But Iceland tried not to think of magic these days, for it reminded him of his missing brother. The absence of these simple things made his chest ache with longing for the feel of warm arms around him, a soft voice telling him fairy stories and the promise of safety and protection from someone more experienced than you. Maybe the fact that he'd given up on these things was why he was so surprised to spy a glowing light from an open door near the end of the hallway.

"Nore?" He called, slightly hesitantly, as he crept along the cold hard floor. "stórí bróðir? Is that you?"

No reply.

Silently he kept walking towards the lit room. With all his heart, he hoped that it would be Nore in there, practicing his magic as normal. He desperately wished that everything was back to normal. That Nore might have come back. That they could be a family together again. That maybe things weren't as bad as he thought that they'd be. For once in his life.

His solemnly slow pace had meant that getting to the room had taken some time. No matter. Whoever was in there was still in there. And then Iceland thought of the one thing that could ruin his reverie. There could be no one there. This could simply be a room where someone had left the light on. He almost turned back out of fear but he had to know.

"Nore?"

No reply. Carefully he placed a hand round the crack of the door, levering it open with all of his childish ten year old might. Light flooded out of the room, momentarily blinding him as his eyes adjusted. First he saw the outline of a figure lying against a desk. Then the papers surrounding it. And then the face of a young man in the flickering light of the candles that lit the room.

It was Danmörk.

Iceland felt a small sigh escape from his lungs. He caught his breath abruptly. When he sighed...he sounded just like Nore. Damn it. Just what he needed. The disappointed sinking feeling of having your hopes dashed coupled with the painful realisation that he sounded just like the one person he missed the most in the world. He bit back the urge to wake the sleeping Dane in the most painful way that he was capable of (For revenge) and slowly approached him. He was dressed in the same things he'd had on earlier that day, a warm-ish coat, trousers and boots. Suitable clothing for going out walking in the fresh air. Decent protection from the cold but this night was something else entirely. Dan had to be freezing. Iceland wasn't sure why, out of respect for his brother's ex husband possibly, but he found himself removing the sheet he'd wrapped around his shoulders and transferring it to the Dane's. Possibly it was just simple human kindness that had lead to this action. Iceland decided to think that as he held back another sigh.

"Come back Nore" He spoke into the cold night, addressing no one in particular "It's lonely with just Dan"

Iceland turned and shuffled towards the door, shivering already from the cold eating away at him. He should get back to his room to fetch another sheet so that he could go back to wandering about. He picked up the lantern, the wick of the candle within had burnt low. Maybe he should just go back to bed and sleep. Maybe he'd dream of something irrelevant for a change.

"Sætur Drauma, Dan" he whispered as he turned out of the room and back into the freezing hallway.