A Not-so Perfect Christmas

All Sweden wants is a memorable Christmas. But when a snow storm knocks the electricity out, the Nordics must make the best of it.

"Sweetie, I'm home!" Åland called as he walked through the front door of the home they shared. He carried brown bags encasing bottles of various alcoholic beverages.

"I'm in the kitchen," Sweden replied. He stood by the oven, stirring a pot of soup. He had on his blue apron, even though he would change his clothes underneath for the party later. Lightly in the background, Christmas music played.

Åland walked into the kitchen and set the bags down on the bar. "I had to prepare for Denmark and Finland, you know. You really should ease up on the alcohol taxes, dear."

"So I can have a nation of drunks? If they want beer that bad, they can just go to Denmark's or Norway's," Sweden said. He tested the soup, and then added some salt.

He had been cooking since he woke up. He had finished the turkey, the side dishes, and the saffron buns. He still had a cake to make once the stew was finished.

"Why didn't you ask me to help you?" Åland asked.

"Because I'm a better cook, sweetie," Sweden replied with a smirk. Åland came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

"When is everyone coming over?" he asked.

"I think in three hours, so around 18:00*," Sweden said before tasting his stew again. "That gives me enough time to finish this, make the cake, get cleaned up, and put my new suit on."

"Are you sure you don't want help, honey?" Åland asked.

"I'm sure," the Swede answered. His gave Åland a kiss before he walked away. Åland decided he could pass time by taking a shower.

Meanwhile, Sweden poured the stew into a bowl and got the supplies to make the cake. He mixed the ingredients and put it in the oven. This gave him time to start setting the table. Åland came out of the shower, a towel around his head and his blue, yellow, and red robe on. He turned the T.V. to see there was a storm coming. He shrugged it off and put the T.V. on a channel that played Christmas music.

Sweden finished setting the table and went back to the kitchen to check on the cake. It still had forty minutes left until it was finished. He went into the living room to find Åland on the couch, checking his phone.

"I'm almost finished!" Sweden trilled. He sat next to Åland and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Åland set his phone down and pulled Sweden into his lap.

"Åland!" he squeaked. "I still have to finish cleaning up!"

"You can relax a bit, dear. You've been working your butt off these last few days! You need to take a break," Åland chided. Sweden crossed his arms.

"Fine, but in thirty minutes I have to check on the cake," he explained. Åland untied the back of Sweden's apron and laid it on the chair next to them.

And so for the next thirty minutes, Sweden cuddled on the couch with Åland. Both of them seemed to forget about the cake between the numerous kisses they shared. It was the timer that sent Sweden briskly walking to the kitchen to pull the cake out. The kitchen smelled wonderful now.

"Åland, go get dressed! I need to decorate the cake and then clean up," Sweden told his boyfriend. He did just that.

He put red and green icing on the cake, in stripes. He set it the refrigerator until it was time for desert. Then he hopped into the shower to clean up. After, he got dressed in a blue sweater, khaki pants and black dress shoes. Usually he didn't wear sweaters but Sweden thought it would be cute to match Åland.

He came down the stairs to see Åland standing by the door.

"I think Denmark, Sister Denmark, Norway, and Sister Norway just pulled in," he said.

"That means probably my sister, Finland, and his sister are all in a car together. Nice," Sweden replied.

"Oh don't worry, sweetie, this Christmas will be wonderful!" Åland exclaimed.

"I hope so."