Disclaimer: If I owned this anime and these lovely individuals, then that would imply that I literally rule the world.
...Which I don't, so there you go. xD
Acknowledgements: A shout-out is in order, I think, for two very dear friends within this fandom. Ms. International and grimwoode, this one's for you, darlings! ;D
Author's Notes: I am rather new to the Hetalia fandom and this is my first fic for it, so please be gentle! Constructive crit. is welcome, but please no hate. If there are any mistakes with either translations or characterizations, then feel free to let me know. But again, no flames, please!
Just a few things to note:
- This is by no means a NorFin fic. They are dear friends, and the standard pairs (DenNor and SuFin) are the only established relationships in this fic. But, you know, if you wish to interpret their friendship as such while reading it, then be my guest. ;D
- My personal headcanons for the Anko Family may be mentioned briefly a few times throughout the story. I personally headcanon Denmark and Norway as being parent figures to Iceland, Greenland, and Faroe Islands, in the same way that Sweden and Finland are parent figures for Sealand, Ladonia, and possibly Åland. Yes, Norway is still Iceland's biological brother, which technically makes Denmark his brother-in-law, but due to their age differences and the fact that they all but adopted Iceland as a child (and raised him both together and separately), they view him as a son and he views them as his "parents." Finland and Sweden are more or less his "uncle figures"
- That being said, Greenland and Faroe Islands will be mentioned in this fic but very briefly. They are both female and younger than Iceland.
- Like Finland in the Hanatamago Family, Norway is the "mother figure" due to his mother hen tendencies. And no, it has nothing to do with his looks. Physical appearance aside, he just has a maternal side to him and possesses motherly traits like Finland.
- Last but not least, I kept seeing this headcanon/scenario float around Tumblr that Finland and Norway team up when it comes to scolding or taking care of either Sealand or Iceland, so here's my take on it :D
Enjoy!
/
Iceland breathed in the fresh, cold air of the Norwegian countryside, Mr. Puffin and Icekit at his side. He grinned to himself as he reveled in his newfound but very brief freedom. With Finland and Norway both distracted and bickering in the kitchen over what to give him for his fever - Norway distrusted modern medicine, while Finland preferred the practical use of it - he had seized the chance to escape out the back door for some much-needed fresh air, if only for a few minutes.
When he had woken up that morning, feeling feverish and ill, he had tried to hide it from the others at first, but with little success. Almost immediately, everybody had been all over him - feeling his forehead, asking him where it hurt the most, and flipping on the news in order to check whether a volcanic eruption or financial crisis had occurred within the country.
The other two Nordics, and their "sons," Ladonia and Sealand, had decided to visit them for the next two weeks. They'd been there for a couple days now, before Denmark and Norway planned a family outing for their guests on this very day. As much as his family grated on his nerves sometimes, he really loved them deep down and had been looking forward to getting out of the house and spending time outdoors. A series of severe winter storms and dangerously low subzero temperatures had kept the family trapped indoors for the past couple of days, and to say that they had become a bit stir crazy would be an understatement. As well as being restless and annoyed, Iceland just loved winter sports, and it seemed to him that Norway had more to offer in that regard than his own country, especially in terms of skiing or snowboarding, given the towering mountains that eclipsed the elevations of his country and made it appear pitifully flat. However, with him being sick, Norway made it adamantly clear that it was out of the question for today. They would most likely end up going on another outing later in the week, but Iceland would just have to miss out for now, and no matter how much he had tried to appeal to Denmark with the cutest pleading look he could muster and nearly managing to break his resolve, his normally easygoing father figure had caught one fierce warning look from Norway, and that was that. With a "sorry, kiddo" and affectionate hair ruffle, he and Sweden departed, with Sealand, Ladonia, Greenland, and Faroe Islands following in their wake.
Finland had volunteered to stay behind with Norway, so that he could help him in taking care of Iceland. It was the usual custom for those two to team up when it came to scolding or mother-henning over him, his sisters, Sealand, or Ladonia. Poor Iceland knew all too well, as he was too often the brunt of it.
He wants me to call him "big brother," but he acts more like a mother... or rather, a sMother, Iceland mused humorlessly to himself. And he wonders why I sometimes call him "mom" or "mama" sometimes either by accident or facetiously. But then again, I call Den "dad," so I guess it doesn't really matter.
"Ow, stop that!" he protested, as Mr. Puffin pecked him warningly on the arm.
"Better get your ass back inside before Mama Norgay and that crazy Finn catch you out here," the puffin taunted.
"What they don't know won't hurt them," Iceland replied, "and besides, they're too busy bickering like an old married couple. They won't even know I slipped out -"
"Iceland!"
Too late.
Iceland groaned as he turned to face Norway, standing in the doorway with Finland at his side, Finland wearing an expression of reproach and Norway one of annoyance.
"Iceland, just what do you think you're doing?" Norway's scolding tone caused Iceland to bristle with annoyance himself. "What did I tell you about going outside in this weather?"
"What, you mean the clear and sunny weather?" Iceland retorted sarcastically, gesturing towards the bright morning sky that was awash with the bright colors of sunrise.
Norway folded his arms over his chest. "Clear and sunny though it may be, it's still much too cold for you to be outside. If you haven't caught your death of cold yet, you just might if you stay out here any longer. Now come inside this instant!"
When he didn't budge, Norway turned to Finland. "Finland, make him come inside."
"Come inside, Iceland."
Iceland rolled his eyes. Every time Norway had scolded him so far today, he'd turned to Finland for back up, as if Finland were his henchman in sMothering.
In all honesty, he truly appreciated the fact that Finland had opted to stay behind for his sake. He knew that the energetic Finn possessed a great affinity for winter sports as well, but even so, as much as he loved both Nor and Fin dearly, he had dreaded what was to come once those words left Finland's mouth. It wasn't so much that he didn't want Finland around. It was just the fact that... one mother hen is bad enough to deal with as it is, but two? Together, Norway and Finland were a force to be reckoned with.
"No! It's hot inside and I need fresh air," he protested, likewise folding his arms over his chest. He knew this behavior was rather childish, but he'd been stuck in that house for days, and this cold or whatever was certainly not doing any wonders for his mood.
Both of the older nations' eyes widened at Iceland's defiance, and Finland approached him slowly. Iceland shrunk back somewhat, not entirely sure what the Finno-Ugric nation was going to do or say to him. Before he could contemplate it any further, he found himself being lifted in the air and slung across Finland's shoulders, much like a lamb being lifted onto a shepherd's shoulders, his pets trailing closely behind
"Hey, what are you doing?! Put me down!" He tried to struggle out of Finland's hold, but it was in vain. Aside from him being worn out and sick, Finland was very strong, with the sort of chubby muscularity akin to that of an American football player. As soon as they were inside and Norway had closed the door behind them, Finland set him down gently, and he and Norway were all over him immediately.
"What were you thinking, Iceland? It's - 25°C outside!" Norway chided.
"Yes," Finland agreed, throwing a blanket around his shoulders and leading him over towards the fireplace to warm up. "You're just a little island nation, after all. Your climate is moderated by the sea, and you're not as accustomed to extreme temperatures."
Iceland snorted. "Little island nation"? And I can handle subzero temperatures just fine, thank you very much! he thought to himself. It was true that his climate was relatively mild in comparison to other nations that resided on the same latitude (and even lower), and it was true that he much preferred a mild climate over a harsh one any day. However, that didn't mean that he couldn't tolerate harsh climates if need be!
Norway's continued scolding snapped him out of his musings. "And, Iceland, I've told you again and again... please, wear something on your head when you go outside while it's snowing. Your hair is soaked!" Iceland started as he felt Norway and Finland trying to "dry" his supposedly wet hair with a towel.
"My hair is not soaked. It was just flurrying," he insisted, trying to bat their hands away. They paid him no heed and continued to rub away, until they were finally satisfied that his hair was completely dry.
"And if you must go outside," Finland added, "at least wear layers." Iceland snorted again. Their idea of him layering was to dress as if he were to embark on an expedition in Antarctica for months on end.
"That's probably how you got sick in the first place."
"Or because of all that licorice you eat."
"Fin's right, Iceland. You need to start eating healthier foods. I keep telling you this, but you never listen."
"And drink healthier as well! All that coca-cola surely doesn't help."
"Neither does that ungodly rotten shark meat you snack on all the time, I'm sure."
"Or, you know, I just caught a bug and got sick like any other normal person," Iceland interrupted, his voice oozing with a mixture of sarcasm and exasperation. Then again, being the personification of a nation wasn't exactly synonymous with being a "normal person." Regardless, he hoped they got the point. "I get it, okay? Can you two just please get off my case already?! I'm tired!" He then cringed at how harsh he sounded, but he was just too tired and irritated to take much more of the fussing and fretting.
Norway sighed in response, jolting Iceland out of his thoughts as he felt him card a hand through his hair. "Oh, Icey. Let's just get you back to bed."
Iceland shrugged and let them lead him back to his room. Once those two were in their "mother hen," mode, compliance was the only option, and admittedly, he was starting to feel tired. Much to his embarrassment, Norway tucked him in like a child and kissed his forehead. Iceland groaned and pulled the covers over his head, a blush creeping across his pale features. Why did Nor have to do that in front of Finland, whom he looked up to as both his friend and uncle figure? ...Although, of course, he would never admit that sentiment aloud.
"Try to get some rest, Iceland, all right? Finland, could you stay with him while I fix him some herbal tea?"
"Of course!" Finland replied cheerfully, before reaching over to smooth down a few unruly strands of Iceland's hair.
"You know, Icey, we only get so concerned about you because of... well, you know... everything that you've gone through in the past," Finland stated rather uneasily, worried about whether or not he'd dredge up unpleasant memories for Iceland with his statement.
Iceland, in turn, merely shrugged. "Fair enough." He couldn't deny that he didn't exactly have the best track record in terms of his health. Between the devastating effects that the major financial crisis of 2008 and the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 had on his body and the contrasting "fire and ice" topography of his land that caused him to be slightly sickly, it was no wonder his parent figures were so protective and babied him at times.
Finland began to absentmindedly stroke his hair and hum a Finnish lullaby under his breath, to which Iceland once again blushed. He didn't notice Norway's presence until he felt another hand carding tenderly through his hair.
"Here, min kjære, this should help," he murmured, smiling softly as he handed Iceland the aforementioned cup of herbal tea.
"Thanks, Nor," Iceland replied, taking the cup and wrinkling his nose at the bitter scent. But he figured it wasn't supposed to taste good. It was medicine, after all.
"Icey, I'm sorry if we came off as harsh earlier." Norway spoke after a few minutes of comfortable silence, continuing to run his hand through Iceland's white-blonde hair. "We weren't so much angry as we were concerned. Please try to understand."
Iceland shrugged. "I know," he replied breezily. "Finland already explained it to me."
On his part, Finland smiled brightly. "Are you hungry, Ice? You haven't eaten anything all day."
"Yes, Icey, let's get some food in you. You need to keep your strength up, even if you're not all that hungry."
"I'm not sure if I can handle anything much beyond soup," Iceland replied honestly. "But any kind of soup with fish in it would be great."
"How about mackerel soup?" Norway suggested.
Iceland's face lit up, and he nodded emphatically. Both of his caretakers grinned at the endearing sight, and Iceland noted with surprise how strikingly similar they looked to each other with their identical expressions.
"Actually... might I recommend halászlé?" Finland piped up. "I think you'd love it!"
"What is it?" Iceland questioned curiously.
"It's a Hungarian dish and usually just referred to as 'fisherman's stew'," Finland explained, and proceeded to list the ingredients as well. "Hungary shared a fantastic recipe with me, and I have it nearly memorized. She used to make it for me and Estonia whenever we were sick or upset, and she still does."
Mama's boy, Iceland smirked as he thought to himself. But he quite liked Finland's Uralic cousin. She was similar to Finland in many ways (and Norway as well, to a lesser extent), for all three were motherly and nurturing, but powerful and sometimes lethal warriors all the same. He remembered having been to Hungary a few times, when Finland had invited them along to visit his cousin. He liked Hungarian food and Hungary's cooking, and if this fisherman's stew was anywhere near as delicious as her goulash, then it would surely be good.
"All right, I'll try it."
"Great!" Finland clapped his hands together and leapt up. "Trust me, I know you'll love it!"
"I'll help you as well," Norway stood up with Finland. "Maybe we can add some medicinal herbs to it. Do you think they would go well with the recipe?"
"Maybe." Finland shrugged and then grinned. "It might be fun to put some... twists on the recipe."
"Please, no twists!" Iceland pleaded, his mind flashing to a rather... traumatizing experience in which Finland and Hungary decided to combine each of their iconic dishes just for giggles. The grotesque hybrid - "Fingarian" food, as he and the other Nordics had dubbed it - had left him without appetite for at least a week.
"Okay, okay." Finland threw his hands in the air, laughing. "Come on, Norja. I'm hungry for a taste of Hungary."
"... Please tell me that wasn't meant to be a pun."
Iceland tuned out their conversation, focusing his attention on Mr. Puffin and Icekit instead. He seriously hoped that Finland and Norway would stay true to their word and not try to get creative with the ethnic dish. Somehow, though, he knew that they still would. Put any of the Nordics in the kitchen with each other or another nation, and the result was often some of the most inedible creations that even the hungriest dog in the world wouldn't touch.
"We are not putting that much paprika in there!"
"I gave it fifteen minutes, and they didn't even last two," he told his pets dryly.
"That's what the recipe calls for!"
"Precisely. No offense, Finland, but your cousin can go overboard with the paprika sometimes."
"Well, we don't have to add as much as she does."
"How about we don't add any at all?! No spices of any kind. The poor thing's stomach probably can't handle spices right now."
"Paprika's not that spicy. Besides, you tried to put butter in it a few seconds ago!"
"It's better than what you wanted to add before!"
"Great. This sounds like it's going to taste interesting already," Iceland groaned to his puffin sarcastically.
Within several minutes, after more bickering and struggling, Finland and Norway entered Iceland's room, carrying the soup over to him and setting it down.
"We... er, couldn't agree on what to add to the soup or how much, so we each compromised and settled for something different," Finland stated, smiling brightly. "I hope you like it!"
Iceland eyed the soup warily, and then glanced back up at their expectant faces. Great, Iceland thought to himself. Finwegian food. Or would it technically be Hunwegian? Norgarian? Well, might as well try it after they went through the hassle of making it. It certainly can't be anywhere nearly as bad as Fingarian food, right?
He was wrong.
He only managed to swallow three mouthfuls of the concoction before bolting up, running to the bathroom, and making offerings to the "porcelain god."
He was still vomiting when Norway and Finland found him, on his knees and practically in pain.
"What," he managed to choke out, "in the name of Odin was that... thing you tried have me eat just now? Are you guys trying to poison me or something?!"
Both Finland and Norway knelt down beside him, each rubbing his back apologetically. "We're sorry, Iceland." Norway spoke first, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and holding him tightly. "We should have just followed the recipe."
Finland nodded in agreement. "We just wanted to add our own special touches to it... to personalize it in a way. It was our attempt to put love into it."
"Well, if love really tastes that disgusting, then I don't think I ever want to experience it," Iceland grumbled. Norway and Finland both laughed in response, before helping him up.
"Go get cleaned up, you," Norway said gently, "and then we'll watch a movie together."
"Can it... be a Disney movie?" Iceland asked, somewhat self-consciously.
Norway laughed softly. "Anything, sweetheart. Anything you want."
"And once your stomach settles, we'll stick to the recipe this time and make it again." Finland spoke now from his other side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
"Er... no thanks. I'll be surprised if my appetite returns any time soon," Iceland muttered, and this time, all three of them laughed.
/
An hour or so later, Iceland found himself snuggled tightly between his two caretakers on the couch as the movie finished, Finland languidly stroking his hair while he nestled against Norway's side like a small child. They had even allowed him to snack on some licorice, once he'd recovered from the food mishap.
"Are you comfortable now, Icey?" Norway murmured to him lovingly, as he tightened his embrace on him and pressed a few kisses to his head.
Iceland nodded contentedly and yawned, rubbing his head against his parent figure's chest. "'M sorry if I was difficult to take care of today," he murmured sleepily.
"It's all right, Icey. You're sick; it's understandable. Besides, at least you're not like Fin when he's sick. He makes serial killers look like saints."
"Oh, come on. I'm not that bad when sick!"
"Yeah, right."
Finland stroking his hair and Norway's heartbeat against his ear as he held him was starting to lull him to sleep. "Thanks, guys," he whispered, before finally dozing off - feeling warm, safe, and loved in their embrace.
And that's how their "husbands" and rest of the family found them that evening, with both of them curled up protectively around Iceland in a cuddle pile.
/
End Notes: I headcanon Finland, Hungary, and Estonia to be related due to sharing linguistic kinship and common ancestry, hence why I referred to her as Finland's "cousin" in this fic. I also headcanon her as having been a big sister/mother figure of sorts to Finland and Estonia as they grew up in the Ural Mountains together.
Also, is it just me who thinks that Finland and Norway would look frighteningly similar to each other if they decided to pull a prank by swapping clothes or facial expressions? Haha.
Translations:
- halászlé: also referred to as "fisherman's soup," consisting of several river fish species and paprika, among other spices. It's actually quite delicious! {Hungarian}
- min kjære: "my dear/darling/sweetheart" {Norwegian}
- Norja: "Norway" {Finnish}