Finland's eyes fluttered open and he blinked a few times to allow them time to adjust to the bright sunlight streaming in through the window. Finland then yawned and stretched in bed, effectively popping his back. Once satisfied, he stopped and sat up. Smiling happily at the peaceful morning. He glanced down and saw Sweden lying there, sound asleep. He laid on his left side, curled slightly and his right arm loosely hugging Finland. Finland carefully moved Sweden's arm from him and laid it on the bed as he got himself out of it. Finland then silently moved across the floor to the door. It was time to take their dog, Hanatamago, on her morning walk. Finland opened the bedroom door, careful not let it creek and then he closed it quietly behind himself. Finland then cautiously walked down the hallway, passing their sons' shared bedroom. Finland paused at the door and peeked inside, only opening the door a crack. He smiled when he saw both boys, Sealand and Ladonia, sound asleep on their beds… Sort of.
Sealand had fallen off the lower bunk sometime last night. He was currently asleep on the hardwood floor, one foot caught on the mattress, the other on the cold wooden floor. He was on his back, arms outstretched. His head tilted to one side, mouth open wide with a little drool hanging out. Sealand's hair was in total disarray and he was tangled in a mess of blankets and pillows. Apparently they went with him when he fell. Ladonia on the other hand was wrapped tightly in his blankets, the only thing that could be seen was his nose peeking out. Finland satisfied with what he saw. Quietly closed the door and continued down the hallway to the stairs.
He happily went down in his silk button down pjs. The pants were pure snow white, but the top had a sideways sky blue cross across the front. Once he reached the bottom of the stairs Finland was attacked by Hana. You see the little dog has pounced on the Finnish man the second he has hit the first floor. Finland startled by the sudden pounce yelped loudly. Quickly he clasped a hand over his mouth, cutting his own yell short. The other hand was used to catch Hana before she could fall. Finland once again paused, hoping that he didn't wake up any of his family. After about a minute Finland released a sigh of relief.
'Good, it doesn't appear that anyone heard me.' Finland thought.
He scurried across the living room, anxious to get started on the walk. He slipped on his favorite pair of boots and a coat, before attaching Hana's leash to her collar. Once done, the pair went outside. Finland breathed in the fresh air. It felt nice to be out in the open. Snow littered the ground and the surrounding pine trees. Finland enjoyed giving Hana her morning walk. Since they lived pretty far out from everyone else, Finland could give Hana her walk in his pjs and no one would care. Finland continued to grin as he allowed Hana to pull him through the snow covered pine forest. Suddenly Hana stopped and she began sniffing at the ground.
"What have you got there?" Finland wondered as he knelt down to see what it was.
There on the snow covered ground, sparkling in the rising sun were two little pendants. Finland bent down even further to take a closer look.
"Great find, Hana." Finland complimented as he starched the top of her head and held up one of the charms to the sunlight. It looked to be a rectangular computer chip with a white wire across the front in the shape of a sideways cross.
'Cute!' Finland gushed. 'This is perfect for Ladonia.'
Then Finland grabbed the other charm and held it in the palm of his hand. It was a circular pendant, one side of the background was black. The other, red with a white diagonal stripe between. There was a glass dome over the front of the charm, causing a sparkling effect in the rising sun.
"Wow!" Finland marveled. "What great luck! Sealand will love this."
Finland quickly slipped both charms into the back pocket of his pjs. Finland finished walking Hana and they both headed home. Hana and Finland arrived back home a few minutes after eight. Silently opening the door and slipping inside. Finland slipped out of his boots and coat, putting them neatly away. Finland then released Hana from her leash before picking her up and placing her in the backyard.
'Don't want her waking the boys before we're ready.'
Finland closed the door with a soft click before heading downstairs to find Sweden. Silently creeping down the wooden staircase, Finland made his way to the woodshop area. Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, Finland turned toward the first door on the left and twisted the knob before pushing it open slowly. Being mindful not to startle Sweden with any loud sounds. Once the door was fully open, Finland strolled inside. And there, just as Finland had predicted, stood Sweden putting the finishing touches on an order for a wooden table. Finland made his way over to the Swedish country. Being careful not to bump into any of the bigger nation's projects.
They littered the edges of the large rectangle room. Finished projected laid closer to the door, getting ready to be delivered. Unfinished projects were closer to the furnace so Sweden could work on them and still be warm. It was always quite cold and drafty in the basement. A large sturdy oak table stood in the center of the room. Pieces of wood and hand tools littered its polished surface. A cabinet leaned against the back wall. Power tools and all sorts of wood and odds and ends were stored in it. He stopped in front of the furnace, soaking in its warmth, waiting for Sweden to turn around and face him. Said nation did a moment later.
"What?" He muttered.
Finland didn't often disturb him while he was working, unless he needed something from the workshop or from Sweden himself.
"Look at what I found while walking Hana." Finland beamed as he held the charms out to show Sweden. Sweden leaned down to take a closer look.
"Very nice." He said as he straightened back up.
"And," Finland continued, blushing slightly. "I was hoping that you could make some nightstands and could incorporate these" He gestured to the charms in his other hand. "Into the design."
Sweden nodded. That would make that nightstands so much more personal for the boys since a charm of their flags would be on them. Sweden saw something flicker in his perpetual and he instinctively grabbed Finland just before the furnace exploded in a fiery mess. Shielding him from the flames and flying metal shards. Heavy black smoke filled the air. Choking the inhabitants of the room. Finland's eyes stung and he couldn't stop coughing. Ok more of hacking up his lungs...But that's beside the point. It took Finland a moment to notice the heavy weight against him.
Finland cracked his eyes open. His vision blurry from the tears streaming down his face. His body's attempt at getting the ash and dust out of his eyes. He saw a hazy blob of blonde and navy blue. It took Finland a moment to realize that it was Sweden, quickly he wrapped his arms around him, helping him to staying standing. But Finland was shocked to feel shards of...SOMETHING protruding out of Sweden's back. Finland pushed that shock to the back of his mind. He needed to stay focused. He glanced around the room. Fire was dancing on the sturdy oak table, licking tools and quickly spreading to the other wooden projects and climbing the walls. Finland closed his stinging eyes, hoping to calm his racing mind and heart.
'Okay.' Finland panicked. 'I have two opinions. I can carry Sweden on my shoulders, it would be faster but then we would be closer the smoke. On the other hand, if I try to drag him while crawling. We would be farther away from from the smoke, but then it would take much longer to get out of the house and we would be exposed to the fumes much longer. Oh what to do!? What to DO!?' Finland questioned, starting to hyperventilate, thus allowing more smoke and ash into his system. Dust and ash coated his throat and filled his mouth. Needless to say he began coughing and hacking. A mixture of wet ash and blood escaped from Finland's mouth and sputtered on the floor. Panic and instinct kicked in.
'OUT OUT OUT!' His mind screamed repetitively.
Adrenaline pumping through his veins. Quickly he forced the Swede up and over his shoulder, much like how one does it with a sack of flour. Once Sweden was situated correctly. Finland charged forward, breaking down the closed basement door with one well placed kick. Thick black smoke greeted them on the other side of the door. Finland coughed, more blood and dust leaked out of his mouth. He hurriedly stomped up the wooden steps, eyes waterly and half closed. The world around him a dark, blurry mess. He made it up the steps in record time, now all he had to do was make it through the living room to the front door.
Bare feet raced across the floorboards, desperate to make it out of the burning house. Finland felt his hip graze past the leather armchair. That didn't slow him down in the least. He rushed forward, anxious to get out. Suddenly his knee collided with the edge of the coffee table and he tumbled forward, dropping Sweden in the process and both landing hard on the wooden floor. Finland cried out in pain, only to choke on the thick smoke. Tears streamed down his face and he laid there clutching his knee. Sweden laid unceremoniously on his side , half curled up. His eyes closed and glasses missing. Finland's survival instinct kicked into high gear. He struggled to his feet, Trying to breathe as shallowly as possible. Finland squirted through his tear filled eyes.
'Where's Sweden!? Where's Sweden!? WHERE'S SWEDEN!?' He panicked.
He whipped around, trying to scan the area before him. All he could see was dark, blurry shapes. Finland took a step forward and kicked something soft. He quickly went into a crouch and felt around with his hands. At first all he felt was scoot covered floor boards. Then his hand hit something, hurriedly he ran his hands over it. It was… a toss pillow. Finland angrily tossed it aside. Not helpful in the least. Finland went back to searching with his hands. A moment later and his hand bump against something else, without hesitation he ran his hands over it. Sticky, scooty hair and burned tattered clothing. Yep, here was his husband. Finland quickly grabbed him and yanked him onto his back. Finland blindly turned and raced through the living room, hitting furniture left and right. But that had no effect on Finland. Right now his main concern was getting out of the burning home with Sweden. Finland came to the front door and charged it. Ramming it with his shoulder and bursting it off it's hinges.
Finland gladly gulped in the flesh air as he straggered away from their home. When he was a good distance away, he set Sweden down on his side. One arm beneath his head and he put his legs in a half curled position. Finland did this so that Sweden wouldn't choke on his own blood or vomit and so he wasn't lying against the metal shards in his back. Finland looked down at his husband. His blond hair was sticky with scoot and grim. His navy blue military outfit was burned and ripped with little specks of blood all over it. Silver framed glasses that would normally be perched on the edge of his nose were nowhere to be seen.
Finland didn't look much better, in fact he probably looked worse. He sandy blonde hair was tangled with scoot clumps and grim. His pale skin was beneath a fine layer of dust. His pajamas were tore and dirtied beyond recognition. A nasty purple bruise was rearing its ugly head on Finland's left knee. And it was no small bruise. It covered his entire kneecap. Finland blinked several times, clearing up his hazy vision slightly. Finland furrowed his eyebrows, something was wrong here. Oh so very wrong. Finland snapped his head up and whipped it all around. There was no doubt about it, their sons: Sealand and Ladonia were nowhere to be seen. Finland raised his eyes to the second floor. There through the boy's bedroom window Finland could see shapes struggling about, they looked to be the size of young children.
'Why haven't they come out yet?' He thought. 'Maybe they're TRAPPED!'
Finland gulped and panic fueled him as he stood up. He stole one more glance at his husband, before sprinting back to the house. He whizzed through the broken threshold, only to be stopped when he coughed up more blood and wet, slimy dust. It splattered onto his night clothes. Forever dyeing them a crimson red. He choked as his body attempted to reject the smoke and toxins in his body. Quickly he went down on his hands and knees. The air was slightly cleaner down there, since smoke rises. Finland scurried his way through the living room on all fours, barely avoiding furniture and even crawling underneath the coffee table. His knee screaming in agony from all the pressure being put on it. But Finland kept going, his boys needed him right now.
Once he reached the stairs, he scampered up them still on all fours, then he scampered to his sons' shared bedroom. The door was closed so Finland stood to open it. Immediately, the smoke stung his eyes, causing them to water profusely. He whimpered and instantly regretted it. Smoke slipped in and caused him to cough up blood once more. Quickly Finland put one hand over his mouth and nose, hoping to falter at least some of the hazy air. With his other hand he grabbed the bedroom door knob, yelping when it burned him. BIG MISTAKE. In opening his mouth, Finland allowed smoke to claw at his raw throat. He doubled over, a mixture consisting of blood and slimy dust and grim pouring from his mouth and landing on the hardwood floor with an audible splash sound. Clamping a hand over his bloodied and dirty mouth, Finland grabbed the knob again, ignoring the pain and ripping the door off it's hinges. He barged into the room, seeing only burry shapes through his reddened eyes.
"Boys." He gasped.
He saw a fuzzy shape the size of a child, pulling on another fuzzy shape the same size of a child. But this child looked different. First off he appeared to be on top of something and he appeared to have a long white flowy tail.
"MAMA!" The boy with blonde hair yelped. "HELP!" He cried, yanking on his younger brother.
Finland surged forward, grabbing the orange blob and yanking it from it's perch. He spun around, picking up the other child size blob and then he started rapidly limping toward the doorway. Unfortunately, the fire had spread to quickly and it was now dancing in front of the room, gnawing on the plaster walls. Finland did the only thing he could think of, he jumped out the window. He cradled both boys in his arms and limped as fast as could, heading straight for the window. At the last second he lept up, twisting in midair and protectively holding his sons' heads to his chest. A moment later Finland's back slammed into the glass, shattering it upon impact. Then due to his momentum Finland performed a backward somersault before landing on his feet. SNAP!
A scream escaped Finland's throat along with a trickle of blood. He feel ungracefully onto his back, still clutching his children to his chest. Sealand pushed himself out of the embrace, his hands still resting on Finland's shoulders.
"MOM! MAMA! WHAT'S WRONG!?" He practically screamed into his ear.
"A-ankle." He replied through quivering lips.
Sealand looked down. His guardian's ankle was bent awkwardly, clearly broken. It was beginning to swell and turn purple.
"Mama," Sealand whispered. "Yo-your ankle."
"Y-yeah," Finland groaned. "I k-know."
He continued to whimper softly as he waited for the pain to subside. While Sealand had pushed away from Finland to see the damage, Ladonia on the other hand, had curled up on top of Finland, shaking in the cool morning air. A minute passed before Finland was able to think and breathe properly, the pain in his ankle subsiding some. Their three heads perked up when they heard the unmistakable sound of cracking wood. Their house was beginning to collapse and they were still much too close to it. They all laid there, frozen for a moment before Sealand lept into action. He wrenched himself out of his mother's grip and grabbed him underneath the armpits.
Then he proceeded to drag his mother figure and brother across the rocky and snow litter ground. Away from their burning home. Finland clutched Ladonia close to his chest, not wanting him to slide off of him. Finland whimpered every time his bad ankle hit a rock, his eyes squeezed shut. Sealand continued to drag them till they were right by their father figure, Sweden who was a safe distance away from their home. Sealand gently laid Finland and Ladonia down and slowly sank to his knees. Hey, his family was heavy and his feet hurt from all the sharp rocks. Sealand breathed out. Man, he was exhausted and it was only like 8:20 in the morning. He looked at his brother only to see him flicker in and out of existence.
"His laptop!" He gasped.
Sealand pushed himself back onto his feet, before sprinting back to the burning remains of their once loving home.
"SEALAND!"