Norway was never good with gift giving. From his many years of being alive, he had trouble finding presents to give his family that they wouldn't already own. Everyone had cabinets filled with cooking utensils, gift cards were too easy, clothes quickly became out of season. The months of careful observation paid off once he managed to discover small details and remarks from the other Nordics, which he used to eventually find appropriate gifts for Christmas.

His holiday shopping was almost complete. He had saved the best, and admittedly most nerve-wracking, present hunt for Iceland. It was especially difficult to shop for his younger brother because of his lifestyle. Iceland lived miles away, and took every question as an accusation. Norway couldn't even ask about the weather without his brother giving a stoic, "Fine." He was growing distant by the day, and Norway was on a mission to find a gift that would draw him closer to their family.

It was a week before Christmas. Snow whipped Norway's body as he walked across Iceland's yard. He had called his younger brother to ask if he was in the mood to meet and visit a local shopping center, and for Norway, to watch out for what interested him. The latter informed him that he would be running errands most of the day, but he needed proof that it wasn't a cheap lie. The distance his brother put between them scared Norway at times; he and Denmark made sure the youngest Nordic knew he was appreciated, though it was as if Iceland wanted nothing to do with them.

A hearty knock to the door of the teen's house gave nothing but an echo. Maybe he really is out, Norway thought to himself before shoving his gloved hands into his pockets. He had a spare key. Iceland gave him one when he was bedridden with a fever a few years beforehand, and unless he really did change his doorknobs like he promised he would, it should have still worked. Norway never needed to use it after he recovered. The man pressed his face against a window to check for any sign of light sneaking through Iceland's closed curtains. Upon not seeing a lamp in use, he pulled the key from his leather satchel and cautiously inserted it into the keyhole. The doorknob made a satisfying click, signaling for the Norwegian to enter.

Ice's home was unusually warm. A light scent of fish wafted through Norway's nostrils. It was one level, a kitchen and living room meeting him upon entrance. The compacted size didn't leave room for visitors, which fit his personality perfectly. Norway closed the door behind him and kicked his shoes on the doormat. He didn't want to ruin the wooden floor with his snow-covered boots, especially because he wasn't supposed to be there. This was the one chance the man had to poke around his brother's home to look for something he might need. The idea hadn't entered his mind until he saw freshly washed dishes shining from a counter, and he chuckled to himself at the vast amount of utensils his brother owned. It was only mid-morning, he had all day.

Because of the intimidating tidiness of the rest of the cottage, he began in Ice's bedroom. From being a teenager once, he understood that his action was on the same level as an invasion. A cool breeze chilled his spine as the door silently opened. Did he imagine it? It occupied his mind as he scanned his brother's bedroom. The tight, square room fit a twin sized bed, a bureau, a desk and rolling chair, and a tall bookcase. Nothing seemed out of place, that was, until Norway's light eyes found a moleskin book making a dent in the comforter of the bed.

The man tip-toed his way to it. He quickly glanced over his shoulder before letting his fingers roam the cover of the journal. This, Norway told himself, held the answer to what his Christmas gift would be. It wouldn't hurt to take a peek at what was written inside, would it? His jacket fell to the floor and he sat beside the book. He opened it to the bookmark placed halfway though the lined collection of pages. It was definitely a diary of sorts. No, it didn't make sense to start at the last entry. With a deep sigh, Norway turned to the beginning and began reading. He was strictly looking for a gift idea, he reminded himself.

May 11,

Brand new journal, eh? Well, not new. Fin gave this to me for my birthday, but I needed to use my last one up before I started this one.

A memory flashed through Norway's mind. That's right, Finland did give Iceland a moleskin at some point.

Nothing much happened today. I met with my boss to talk about some issues in the fishing industry . I'm torn over what to think about how much damage we do to the ocean, but how else are we supposed to make money? I picked a few things up at a convenience store for dinner tonight.

Norway shut the journal. He would get him some writing supplies, why hadn't he thought of that beforehand? There was no need to continue reading, he accomplished what he came to do. Yet, Iceland didn't tend to mention the meetings he held with his boss. If anything, he avoided political discussions when the group was together. Curious, the man flipped through the next few pages in the book.

May 23,

Had leftover oats for breakfast. So many people see my country as some kind of aesthetic paradise, maybe I should embrace that more.

He was met with more short entries, all depicting his brother's daily activities. Groceries, meetings, stories from public transportation. The routine filled four pages. Norway caught himself yawning at one point. Was Ice...boring? No, there was no way he could have raised a dull brother. As if he were desperate for validation, he turned the delicate pages until he stumbled upon the longest one he had seen.

June 1,

Kind of pissed, kind of okay, definitely not happy.

I 'm currently at Den's house. We're all staying over because we had a meeting earlier today, and our flights are tomorrow. I'm glad I get to leave first thing in the morning. Everyone is annoying me! Sweden and Fin left me with Sealand and Ladonia the second I got settled in. Den tried getting me to take shots at dinner, and Nor keeps pointing out the pilling in my sweater. He even started a tally of how many strings he found. If he's really that concerned, he should just buy me more shirts!

Then, right after the meeting, Nor confronts me out of nowhere. He claims I don't talk to anyone anymore. I talk to people outside of my family! I don't have to be surrounded by all of them 24/7.

Norway smirked at the sight of a crudely drawn horizontal line across the page. At the far right was a circle, with an arrow pointing to it and a caption saying, "Out of 10, Nor is an 8.5 on the stress scale." He had to admit, it was cute. Did he really bother Iceland that much?

He really gets on my nerves sometimes. I know he means well, but he's always embarrassing me. They all do, but with my bro its like its his job to breathe down my neck. Why don't any of them understand that I like being alone? No one needs to know my business.

Note: Buy more lopapeysa.

The Norwegian stopped there. If it wasn't for lopapeysa, he would never have realized this entry was written in English. He skimmed through the previous pages, admiring Ice's curvy handwriting as he went. Why was he writing in English?

June 3,

I got a message from Hong Kong yesterday. He invited me to a group chat on some app with some other "teenage" nations. I hate being so young, but at least I'm not the only one cursed like this. He had talked before about getting some of us together to maybe hang out, but that was a while ago. I was surprised to find that he actually did it (Our last text exchange was from early May, maybe I don't talk to as many people as I thought I do).

We all decided on codenames. Its childish, I know, but I have to admit that its kind of fun. There's Red, Pink, Blue, Purple, Gold, and then me, Green. Its easier to call them all by their screennames , especially because Hong Kong had the bright idea to make it so none of us know who is who. Besides, some of those nation names are long and hard to spell, haha. I just hope I don't slip up in front of the other Nordics; we're keeping it a secret from the other countries. Everyone seems interesting so far. I think I know who each color belongs to, though its had to tell because all of us have weird older brothers. The good news is that my phone is actually blowing up for once! We would meet up soon if it wasn't for all of us being so far away. We've decided to get together and go out for lunch after the next world meeting. I think I'm actually excited?

Norway reread the entry, and then read it again. Ice had friends? The thought shocked him more than he'd like to admit. He counted off the adolescent nations. There was Latvia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Liechtenstein, Seychelles, was that it? Was he really talking to all of them? Intrigued, he skipped a few pages (and a couple more stress meters). There were a few more routine entries, and then one for Ice's birthday.

June 17,

I'm crying. I don't know why, but I am. I get like this every year. My birthday wasn't even that bad this time, yet here I am, depressed and sobbing. I hate celebrating with my family; it's like none of them understand that I'm not them. I'm not an adult and I'll never be one! I don't even have cool battle stories to tell. All I have is a puffin and volcanoes and a dumb baby face, while they have...literally everything else. I hate being like this. What did I do to deserve becoming a nation? Is there a refund on this lifestyle?

Something sunk into Norway's stomach. Six months prior, his brother had cracked open the book he was holding, scratched the pages with a pen and tears, and probably fell asleep crying in the exact spot he was sitting in. Iceland had seemed genuinely appreciative that he and the others had thrown him a party, though now Norway was doubting his memory. His brother had been compliant, but...was it out of anxiety? He himself was known for remaining stoic; was it hereditary?

Later-

I feel a little better now after talking to Blue. I think she's still the only one who knows my color (other than Hong Kong anyways). She seems sweet, and she even offered an ear if I have problems in the future. I'm not planning on accepting it though, haha, I don't want to make a totally random stranger my therapist. On another note, is there therapy for nations? I should ask her about it.

The Norwegian squeezed the bridge of his nose. This couldn't have been his brother's journal. Iceland didn't have friends. If he was feeling down, he would have texted him. He knew his older brother was always there for him. He flipped to the next month.

July 1,

I finally got to meet the group! We went to this quaint little restaurant on the border of Belgium's house. The weather was nice enough for outdoor seating, too. I told Nor I was going out to explore the area, and as far as I know, he fully believed me.

I didn't think it would be strange to be with other teenagers, but trust me, it was. We spent some time trying to recap the world meeting while we waited on our food. None of us could connect the pieces together. Well, Gold and Purple could, but that's only because they're attentive. Why do I even need to pay attention during those things? I'm an island in the north who minds my business.

Overall it was one of the best times I've had in a while, years even. There were a lot of laughs, and a lot of cultural exchanges, too. It's nice to also put a name to the face for everyone in the chat. Sharing a decadent chocolate cake with a group of friends (oh my god they're my friends!) gives off this almost magical feeling! I think I was actually glowing after we split up. But you know who else was glowing?

Blue. She was so pretty. I mean, I'm guessing she always is. I never noticed her during meetings, but sitting across from her at that café table had me outright admiring her. She has this huge smile and a smooth voice. Is it bad that I'm kind of looking forward to seeing her again more than I am to seeing everyone else?

What he was doing was a total invasion of privacy. Iceland never mentioned any of this to him or the others. That meant they weren't supposed to know, right? But why? And who were these people? Who did Ice catch feelings for? Why did he have to lie about his whereabouts? What did he look like when he was having a legitimately fantastic time?

He had to stop. Yet, Norway had to know what happened next. A good fingering of the pages indicated that a good chunk of the diary was still waiting for him. He could just take pictures of the rest and read them at home; that way they could at least be paired with a soothing cup of coffee.

Norway decided on buying him another journal, and maybe a few sweaters, too. There was no need to stay in Ice's room and disrupt his space any further. Holidays were easier in the old days, he thought, and it would be nice if his brother updated his online wishlist, too.

A thunderous knock forced the man out of his skin. The open book remained in his hands, and he turned to face the sound. Iceland stood in the doorframe, coat-covered chest heaving.

"What the hell are you doing?"

AN: Wow, long time no see, huh? I got the sudden urge to write the other day, and for some reason my mind went straight to my middle school roots haha. You're probably wondering about the M rating (and probably disappointed too oops). This definitely isn't a lemon, but *possibly a spoiler* I am planning on depicting some themes in the future that might be a tad too much for the T rating.

Who do you think is who?