Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor any of the characters. Hetalia and the characters belong to Himaruya Hidekaz, and you belong to you…Or Denmark. Whichever you prefer. Warnings: some SuFin, some OOC, and fluff :3

The Balcony

You slumped down into your chair, defeated. It's hopeless, you thought with a glare. Every guy alive is a jerk.

After two years in a relationship with the so-called "guy of your dreams," you finally learned that he was cheating on you with three other girls. Some boyfriend, alright.

Sinking lower into your favorite armchair, you pondered the many possibilities for revenge, feeling even more upset with each plan you rejected. You knew you weren't going to do anything to him – it was just fun to pretend.

As if understanding you, your calico cat padded softly into the room and jumped onto the arm of the chair. She mewled at you.

"I'm fine, Patch," you said with a chuckle. "To be honest, it doesn't really hurt all that much. He never really talked to me, so I guess I shoulda seen that coming, huh? " You stroked Patch's soft fur and she purred in response, as if comforting you. You smiled a little sheepishly at yourself. "I suppose it's not healthy to be talking to a cat like this, but it's not like you'll tell anyone, right?"

She blinked up at you with his big, green eyes.

A knocking on your door turned the both of your attentions to the front window, and you could make out the faces of Finland and Sweden, fellow co-workers and best friends of yours. They were both dressed in what their culture considered 'formal attire.' Finland looked worried, staring at the door almost as if he pitied it. Sweden, on the other hand, bore his usual expression of annoyance/boredom. You sighed, knowing they weren't aware you were looking at them from your living room, or that you knew their very reason for coming.

You stood up with a grunt, holding the small of your back and bending backwards until it cracked, and Patches took the cue and padded off into your bedroom, seeming to take interest in the curtains overhanging your window that swung in the breeze of the cool summer night air. You shuffled over to the door, not really wanting Finland to go out of his way to comfort you like he always did when you were upset. You two were close friends, of course, but you hated it when someone pitied you. It made you feel weak and helpless. Sweden probably just came along as he usually does – he has a tendency to follow his cheerful boyfriend around everywhere.

Opening the door, you put on the best faux smile you could muster. "Hey, Tino!" you chirped, using his human name as you usually did with him. He always did the same to you.

For some reason, he did not look concerned anymore. In fact, he looked as chipper as ever. He must have wiped the frown off of his face when he heard you coming to the door. But why? "Terve, (y/n)! Good to see you again!" He bounced a little as he spoke, his small voice ringing pleasantly throughout the large house as it usually did. "We came to see if you needed help getting ready for the party!"

You were slightly taken aback by this. He's usually one to comfort you, but he's acting now as if it was any other day. It wasn't necessarily good, nor bad. Just…Abnormal. "Party?"

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" Sweden grunted under his breath in his natural low voice.

"No hemmetti! Don't tell me you forgot?!" Finland gasped as if it was the most abominable crime ever committed. You leaned against the doorframe for a moment, trying to remember. Party…Party…Oh crap! The party!

All of the countries were invited to a party hosted by Prussia for Lord-knows-what, and you realized with a pang that you were planning on going with your now ex-boyfriend. You had a dress picked out and everything in your closet, and you were so excited to show him to the other countries. I'm never going to date again, you thought sourly. Trying to shift your thoughts to the present, you attempted a smile. "Oh yeah! That party!"

Finland could see right past the smile, and you knew it. But he didn't acknowledge it, save for a sympathetic glance that faded as quickly as it appeared. Sweden continued to stare at you like he usually did. Finland scanned you up and down, and his face was suddenly struck with terror. "It's in half an hour, and you aren't even ready!"

You looked down at your tee and jeans, and almost laughed aloud at his expression. "I guess…I dunno, I just don't want to go."

Finland stared at you with wide eyes and an open mouth. Even Sweden raised his brows a little. You never said no to a party! You were as home at a party as America was! Or even Prussia! He blinked at you a moment, then laughed loudly. "Oh, of course you are going! It's almost mandatory!" You rolled your eyes at him, and he clapped his hands in front of his face. "Please?"

You didn't bother to try and hide your frown now. "Tino, you and I both know that the main reason why I wanted to go, and that's been thrown in the trash. So why would I want to go?"

An expression gleamed in his large, brown eyes that you did not expect – mischievousness. "Because I can guarantee that there will be something worthwhile for you! Come on, olkaa hyvä?"

You put your hands on your hips challengingly, not buying a word of it. "And what might that be?"

"Denmark, of course!"

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks, and you choked on air. "E-excuse me?"

"What? You didn't think he'd be there?" Finland laughed. "Come on, you can finally tell him how you feel!"

"It's not that easy!" you hissed, crossing your arms defiantly.

"Sure it is! I've seen the way you look at him! I'm sure if you just say what you think, you two will be together in no time!" Finland cooed. It was like he saw your breakup as an opportunity, something you didn't think of at all until now. "Now come on! We have to get you ready!" He giggled and grabbed your wrist, rushing you to your bedroom, with you yelling at him to knock it off the entire way. Sweden watched for a moment before walking calmly over to where Finland led the flustered girl.

...

"I don't know about this, Tino…"

You examined yourself in your mirror, twirling in your dress and frowning. It was a light, flowing, long dress with the prettiest shades of (f/c) you would ever see on anyone. You left your hair down, and it flowed as naturally as the dress did. Your makeup matched the outfit perfectly, topping it off like the icing on a cake. You had picked this exact outfit out special, wanting it to be a surprise for your ex. I guess I'd rather surprise Denmark…

In truth, you were head over heels for the boisterous Nordic. It had been that way for a while, which was probably why your relationship with jerkface McCheater spiraled out of control in the first place – he was nothing like Denmark was. And your best friend was helping set you two up? At a party? Maybe you were dreaming.

If you were, you didn't want anyone to wake you up.


Flashback:

"Hey, Tino? Can I ask you something really personal?" you shifted from where you sat at Sweden's house. You and Finland were sitting face-to-face on the floor, gossiping some juicy info back and forth, and Sweden sat on an armchair, watching you two silently as he always did. Finland seemed surprised at the sudden question, but nodded nonetheless, seeming eager. "How would you react if I said…I may like someone else?"

Finland blinked in surprise, leaning back a little, saying nothing for a long time. Eventually, he spoke softly, "Who?"

You gulped. "I think…Denmark. Is that crazy?"

He blinked again, and you could see even Sweden raised his brows in disbelief from the corner of your eyes. You looked down at the carpet beneath you. It felt good to get it out, but you always knew your blunt ways of telling secrets always surprised him, so you decided to let him sink in the new info. You felt…Guilty. You just got a new boyfriend, but your old affections for the Danish man seemed to blossom back up again. You had to tell Finland. He was your best friend, and his brother was the man in question, right?

Right.

He smiled at you, and you looked up at him nervously. That wasn't necessarily what you were expecting, but it didn't look bad. "(Y/n), I think that you two would make a good couple."

It was your turn to be stunned silent. You shook your head furiously after a few seconds. "No! That's not what I want! I can't be liking him if I'm dating someone else! That's not right! How do I stop it?"

Finland chuckled. "That's not possible. I can't teach you to not like someone, (y/n). I'm sure whatever happens, it's for a good reason."

You looked back down again, his advice not quelling your remorse enough. "Will I be on the naughty list for this?"

He laughed. "I will see about that, but I'm pretty sure you couldn't be on the naughty list no matter what you did!" You smiled at his compliment, and he continued, "You know, I think you would be much happier with him then you are now."

Your smile turned upside-down, and you shook your head again with the same vigor. "No, I don't think so. I'm really happy now. I just want to stop liking Denmark! That would make it all better!"

Finland sighed. "Alright, if you say so. But I will tell you, sometimes things aren't always what it looks like at first."

Flashback end


You now know that the truth behind that statement had so much to it that, even after almost two years, it made you mentally slap yourself for not listening to him sooner. You were glad you told him, but at the same time, you couldn't help but notice that Finland had begun mentioning Denmark more often after that. You think he really liked the idea, and it irritated you a little then. You were trying to forget the guy! But now…Now you had no limits anymore.

"(Y/n)…You look so beautiful!" Finland squeaked. "You look like a princess!" You turned to face him, blushing. Sweden, who was sitting on the side of your bed next to the bubbling blond, nodded in approval, his face as blank as it always was. Patches was sitting in the windowsill, watching you curiously, as if to say, 'Why do you look so pretty? Where are you going?'

"I don't know, Tino…Do you think he'll like it…?" You turned and examined your rear in the mirror, nervousness pasting every nerve in your body.

You could see his reflection behind you as his eyes glinted with that same knowing mischievousness as before. "He won't be able to take his eyes off of you."

That thought made you smile.

...

As Sweden pulled into Prussia's over-sized driveway at his over-sized mansion, you got the butterflies in your stomach again. You felt yourself fidgeting. Pulling at the helm of your dress, patting down your hair, checking your makeup…Anything to get you distracted from what was to come. Maybe I should have added more makeup…Is my hair out of place? Maybe this dress is too simple?

Finland cleared his throat, catching your attention. You turned to see his sympathetic gaze fixed on you. "(Y/n), I know you just broke up with…him," he said softly, deliberately avoiding using his name. He sounded like a mother soothing a child. "But I can tell you right now that this was the right decision. You need to tell him how you feel the second you two are alone. I'm sure he will return your feelings a hundred percent."

You thought about that. How can I get him alone? Let alone tell him how I feel…He's really cool, but he's awful at listening to people when they're trying to be serious…And what will I say? For some reason, however, you felt like you really wanted to keep this conversation going. It allowed you to think about Denmark and what it would be like if he actually did like you back. The happy thoughts eased your fidgeting as you exited the car. Finland noticed that whatever he said helped you, so he ended the discussion there, much to your disappointment, and politely kissed Sweden's cheek as the rigid man opened the car door for him, effectively making him blush – something not seen on common occasion.

It made you think about him even more.

You watched them talk for a moment, Finland whispering something in Sweden's ear, and wondered what that would be like with Denmark. You pictured him opening doors for you and bringing you to parties, and you would kiss his cheek as a thank you, and he would grin that sly grin of his and wrap his strong arms around you and hug you tightly, maybe even spinning you around a little, laughing in his loud, wonderful laugh that you liked so much…

These thoughts made you extremely impatient. You had courage now – that picture gave you the determination you needed! So you waited for Finland and Sweden, not wanting to leave them so impolitely but wanting to see Denmark ASAP. By the time they had finished their small discussion about whatever it was (you couldn't help but notice that Finland glanced over at you more than once during their little secret exchange) and they had approached you, you were bouncing in place. I'm gonna tell him tonight…I'm gonna tell him tonight…

Your party of three walked to the over-sized door (Man, Prussia really has an ego problem) and you knocked as politely as your boiling nerves would allow. You rang the doorbell. The music was very loud through the walls of the house, and Finland tapped his foot to the beat behind you, making you giggle and Sweden blush a little again. Your friend, America, was the one to answer the door. While you were hoping it would have been Denmark, you figured maybe it would be better if your presence was left to be a surprise.

"Hey, dudette!" America shouted in his usual loud voice. He was appearing to have difficulty in speaking over the loud music that blared the second the door was opened. You could see many people dancing and laughing and drinking inside. "Sorry Prussia couldn't be a good host and answer the door! The dude's too drunk to see straight!" America laughed for a hearty moment as the exact country mentioned stumbled around the room, shouting random, slurred words in German at people with a big, crooked grin plastered on his face. You couldn't help but laugh along; he was barely able to stand!

"Oh, yeah!" America slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Come in, guys! Can't leave you out here so late at night!"

You thanked him and entered, with Finland and Sweden right behind you, hand in hand. The second you entered, America ran off to the kitchen. Finland grabbed your arm surprisingly forcefully with his free one and whispered in your ear, "Alright, I have a plan. Go to the study. Denmark's there, but stay hidden and quiet."

You didn't have time to question what he meant or what was going on, for Finland had disappeared with his date into the crowd of half-drunk, hyperactive people. You had been to some of Prussia's parties before, and knew this house well. Especially the study. While you loved partying, sometimes you enjoyed spending time alone in the study, which was always peaceful and quiet. You slunk quietly to the room, listening to the music slowly fade away to nothing as you walked farther and farther down the hall.

The second the room was in view, you realized Denmark was sitting on the couch in there, facing the opposite way of the door. You couldn't see his face, but he looked…Anxious. He seemed to be fidgeting as much as you were earlier, and you tried to stifle a giggle with your hand as he checked his breath. He's too cute…Now where to hide… You remembered your favorite spot in the room was the window/door that led to a balcony overhanging the pool outside – it was simply breathtaking at night. There were large curtains that hung on either side of the glass door, and you opted to hide in there, running as quickly (and as quietly) as you could when he bent his head down in his hands for a brief moment, as if trying to calm himself down. Once you hid, you could get a clear peek at his face. It was the perfect hiding spot! Maybe that's why Finland had you hide here?

Your thoughts paused as you realized something. Denmark was frowning. He never frowns. You could make out the glint of worry in his eyes, his hands twitching and not seeming to be able to hold still. It looked a little strange, contrasting with the calm atmosphere of the study.

The room was very tall, perhaps twenty feet high, and almost every wall had bookshelves reaching from floor to ceiling. The only window was the large one you were hiding by, and the brick fireplace cast a warm glow upon the nervous male country. There were two couches – one facing the other – with the fireplace on one side, the window on the other. You remembered asking Prussia why he had a room like this, and he just muttered something about West liking to read. He probably likes reading, you thought with a smirk. He just might think it's too unawesome.

You watched Finland and Sweden walk in, Finland trying not to giggle as the young couple made their way around to sit on the other couch. The second Denmark looked up at them – a quick motion, like he was expecting them – Finland wiped his smile right off, looking serious and solemn. Of course, Sweden's expression never changed. You pressed yourself a little closer to the cool glass. What are they up to…?

"Is she here? Did she come?" Denmark looked as hopeful as a little child asking their parents about Santa Claus. Who is 'she'?

Finland gave an exasperated sigh. "No, she didn't. She was too upset to come." Denmark slumped down in the couch. The usually exuberant country sighed again. "Honestly, Tanska, you always do this! Every time there's a party, you keep Sweden and me running around, checking to see if (y/n) will be here! It's stressful!"

You thought your heart stopped. Me? He did that for me?

Denmark shook his head. "I know, man. I'm sorry. I just…I was hoping she'd come. I could've helped cheer her up, you know? I am good at that," he added with a chuckle, making you roll your eyes. "And…I was gonna tell her how I felt. But I suppose that'll have to wait. I can't have her feel rushed."

What?!

"I'm sure she wouldn't feel rushed. She's probably relieved to be away from him," Finland said.

Denmark scoffed. "Nobody should treat (c/n) like that. I'd rip his throat out with my axe if I ever saw him again!" You couldn't help the smile that spread across your face.

"I know, you've been saying that since the day she told you about him," Finland shook his head. "And I'd rather you didn't do anything violent like that."

"But I should!" Denmark swung his fist in the air in front of him, some of his usual energy seeming to take light again for a brief moment. "She deserves so much better than that!"

"Like you?" Finland, Denmark, and even you jumped as Sweden spoke for the first time since you arrived. It took Denmark a moment to process what he meant, but by the time he did, your face was already beat red. You could see that his cheeks were tinted with a few shades of pink as well, but you assumed that it was just the firelight. In actuality, the firelight merely dimmed his harsh blush down a few tones, which was really as red as your soft face was. You were close to shaking where you stood, terrified of what he would say.

"Well," Denmark said cautiously, "I don't know, really. I mean…" You were clinging on to every word. What was it? What was he going to say? Did he really like that idea? "I don't know if she'd like that, you know? I really like her – a LOT – but she's just my friend." He frowned again, and you felt your heart melt in both joy and sympathy. He looked so upset by this, he wasn't being his usual loud self. "She doesn't think of me like that…"

When Denmark hung his head down a little, Finland stole a glance at you, knowing somehow where you were hiding, and smiled softly. He planned this confession all along, the sneaky little…You smiled gratefully at him, and he nodded before looking back at his wallowing companion. "How do you know?" he asked simply.

Denmark groaned, throwing his head back on the couch loudly. "You ALWAYS ask me that! My answer won't change! She's perfect! She's fun, kind, smart, pretty…And I'm just –"

"Completely oblivious," you stated calmly, stepping out of the curtain to reveal yourself. Denmark froze, staring at you in complete horror. Finland smiled at your comment, catching the double meaning. He simply cleared his throat and said goodbye, entwining his fingers with Sweden's and leading him out. He patted your shoulder as he exited.

"(C-c/n)…" Denmark stuttered, staring at you. He clearly liked your outfit – he just didn't seem to want to bring it up. "How long h-have you been in there?"

"Long enough," you answered simply, hoping your blush didn't give anything away. He seemed too caught up in his mortal terror to notice. You had the upper hand on this one – he was caught completely unprepared and you knew that he felt the same way. You liked the idea of this. However, you tried to remain calm and not fangirl in front of him. You smiled and gestured to the balcony. "Care to join me?"

Denmark blinked in surprise, but nodded and stood up, allowing you to go first, just like how Sweden opened the car door for Finland, making you mentally swoon. But he clearly took this as a bad sign – it was very unlike you to act so formal around anyone, especially him. He looked less like the child asking about Santa and more like a child caught stealing a cookie from a jar.

You nodded at him as a thank you and walked to the balcony. Crossing your arms on the edge, you leaned over a little to take in the view that always took your breath away. The balcony was lit with white lights along the edge, with roses growing over the outside of the rounded stone balcony. The pool below was lit as well, but nobody was out there. The water was still, the blue light from beneath the water shining brightly back up at you and reflecting on your skin, and lights around the trees and shrubs that surrounded the pool matched the ones on the balcony itself. You knew Germany and Austria were usually the ones to decorate Prussia's home when he threw parties, because it was usually messy, and Prussia never saw a reason to be fancy when he knew he was going to get completely smashed with some of his buddies. You mentally reminded yourself to thank them later. You could hear Denmark walk next to you, mimicking your pose, but you turned your attention to the late-July sky, hoping to think about what to say next. You really didn't think this through well.

The moon shone brightly, full and high in the starry sky, with only the Milky Way daring to break the endless surface of the twinkling stars with its purplish clouds. Each one of them appeared to be smiling down at you and him, giving you the inspiration to speak. Not turning your gaze from the sky, you said, "Beautiful, isn't it?" You got no answer, but you could feel his gaze on you now. "I always liked this place; it's so quiet and nice here. I feel like I can just detach myself from everyone and think clearer. Do you have a place like that?"

When you turned your head to face him, you almost laughed at his puzzled look he was giving you. Clearly that was not the topic he expected. He thought a moment, turning to watch the pool. Fireflies now began winking their lights over the hedges and the grass, some venturing as high as the balcony itself, before flying back down to join its companions. You took this moment of silence to take in his appearance.

He was wearing his usual suit, but you couldn't help but notice how the lights from both the white electric strings of bulbs and the pool's glow blended so artfully on his strong face and jawline. His eyes sparkled with the lights, too, and you felt yourself smile softly. He looked so incredible. His hair seemed softer than usual in the starlight, and you felt the almost overwhelming desire to hug him closely, wanting to feel his body pressed against yours in a soft hug. You knew he liked you back. That made you so happy you could just reach over and kiss his cheeks that seemed to radiate a bright pink.

His voice brought you back to the real world. "No, not really. I never liked sorting out my thoughts. I just like doing things. Thinking about them makes it complicated."

You laughed. "It does, yeah. But it's nice, too. You can sort out your feelings. I do that a lot more often now."

Denmark frowned at you. "I'm really sorry about that, (c/n). I wish I could do something to help." You turned away, looking back up at the stars, frowning in thought. You could feel his gaze not leave you, but you didn't mind. It felt like he was really infatuated with you right now – he was envying your appearance just as you were envying his not a moment ago. You liked the thought of that quite a lot.

"No need," you said, smiling again. "I guess now that I can think about it more, away from all of that, I realize how badly I was treated. I will never make that mistake again."

Denmark took what you said wrong, and you knew it. His gaze turned downwards remorsefully as he mumbled, "I guess I put you in a weird position then, huh?" You watched him a moment, thinking about the best way to answer this. You knew, deep down, that this was a moment you would never forget, and you wanted to make it as wonderful as possible, but leading him like this was tugging at your heart strings almost to the breaking point. When he got no response, he looked up at you guiltily. "It's okay if you don't feel the same. I underst-"

You couldn't take it anymore. You jumped over and hugged him tightly, burying your face into his neck and wrapping your arms around his shoulders. You felt his muscles tense in initial surprise, but eventually he sunk into your strong hug and returned the embrace. "Like I said," you chuckled, your voice muffled by his skin, "Oblivious."

"So," his breath tickled your ear. "Does this mean you like me, too?"

You giggled at his tone of voice. He sounded hopeful again, and it was just too adorable. The fireflies were just background now – the backdrop was nowhere near as magnificent as the sound of his heartbeat was. "Yeah, it does."

The heartbeat the last word was said, you felt yourself be thrown, and you squeaked in fear. Denmark, in his usual loud and boisterous ecstasy, had tossed you up into the air happily, catching you bridal-style and holding you closely once he had you safely in his arms again. He was repeating "Yes!" and "Thank you!" over and over again, but you thought it was endearing. He spun you around, shouting and cheering. You laughed and kissed his cheek, successfully stopping him dead in his tracks. You laughed aloud at his expression, and that sound made him grin ear to ear.

"That's the Mikkel I know," you whispered, nuzzling his cheek with your nose. He flushed red at the use of his human name.

"Come on, (y/n)!" You felt your heart flutter, liking the way he pronounced your name with his all-too-charming accent. His eyes sparkled with an energy that you haven't seen before in him. They sparkled with joy and love, not just his usual mischievousness. "Let's go enjoy the party!"

And, thinking back to all those years ago, looking down at the engagement ring that rested on your finger delicately, you remember enjoying it more than any other party you had ever been to.

END


Author's Note:

This was a request from Pineapplebombgirl, a super awesome user/friend of mine who commented on all of my other Fanfictions :3 Thank you! ~

I'm sorry this was so bad – I've never written with these characters before. Denmark is especially OOC, so I'm sorry for that. :( I had little ideas for this one, but I really tried my best! Please let me know how I did, and how I can improve! …Unless you want to tell me that they're OOC. I already know that :P

Finland's translations, for those who are curious: "Terva" is like "hello," "No hemmetti" is an exclamation (sorry if it's inappropriate – I don't know if it's swearing or not), "Olkaa hyvä" is Google translates version of "Please" in Finnish, although there really isn't a real word for that, from what I've read…And "Tanska" is "Denmark."

I also wanted to say, if you're confused, yes, our dearest Finny did plan all of this out. He wanted Denmark and you together from the start – he planned the whole thing to set you two up X3

Thanks a bunch if you're actually reading this!

~Dreampainter