*Sweden's POV*
It sounded like something was scraping against the wall with claws, as something fell onto the floor with a loud THUD!
I sat up quickly with a loud yell of shock, looking around to make sure everything was okay. Tino in bed beside me? Check. He was sound asleep, snoring a cute, quiet little snore. Light outside? I turned to look at the window. The small light on the lawn was off. No wonder the room was so dark. As unmanly as it is, or may sound...
I don't like the dark. It freaks me out.
As I began to hyperventilate, tears welled in my eyes. I wanted to find a light to turn on, but I was too scared to get out of bed. The darkness closed in on me, until it wrapped me into a sniffling, grunting, drooly, teary mess. All of a sudden...
"Berwald?"
I sat up and screamed at the top of my lungs, drool running out of either corner of my mouth. Tino wrapped his arms around me, and stroked my chin with a gentle fingertip. "It's okay," he whispered softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
I sniffled. "M' not sc'red!," I sobbed, wiping my eyes with the blankets.
Tino sighed, and patted my head. "Berwald, sweet one, you are," he whispered. "You're hiding under the covers from something; you're scared."
Hating myself for it, I began to cry harder, grunting louder and more rapid, cowering myself under the covers.
Tino uncovered me, and wiped my tears. "What's scaring you? Hm?," he asked. "Are you hearing something that's bugging you?"
I shook my head.
"Did you have a bad dream?"
I shook my head again.
"Did you see a scary shadow that you didn't like?"
Once again, I shook my head.
"Is it the dark, Berwald? Is the dark making you nervous?"
I nodded, wiping my eyes. Tino leaned down and kissed my lips.
"Don't worry, Berwald. I'm not going to let the dark hurt you. It's only the dark - you're stronger than it, right?"
"Jag hatar mörkret," I whimpered, wiping my eyes, and sniffling twice. Tino nuzzled my neck, and stroked my hair.
"Why don't we turn on a light?," he suggested, climbing out of bed. He walked into the darkness, which made me nervous, and I hid under the covers. But then there was a soft click, and I could see a faint light.
As I slowly came out of my hiding place, I saw that Tino turned on a night light, which slightly illuminated the room. The dark wasn't banished, but I was protected by the gentle, soothing beams of amber light.
Tino strolled back over to the bed, and climbed back in. "There. Are you feeling better now?," he asked softly. I nodded, clinging onto my wife.
Tino frowned, and patted my back. "It's alright, Berwald," he whispered. "There's nothing to be scared of. No need to be afraid. Nothing here to scare my Berwald; he's a brave one."
As Tino patted my back, I closed my eyes, and got cozy once again. Feeling safe again, I held Tino close, and fell asleep.
*Finland's POV*
Tonight, Ber, Mathias, Lukas, Emil, and I sit in the den watching TV (although Lukas isn't actually watching; he's sleeping). Berwald sits up slowly, as not to disturb me, sitting to his right, or Emil on his left.
"H'ng on a m'nute," he excuses himself. "I h've t' go t' th' b'thr'um."
I pat his chest. "Okay, dear," I whisper. "There's no hurry - take your time."
Berwald responds with his signature "hm," and gets off the couch. As he looks down the dark hallway, I can almost see his eyes tear up.
"It's alright, dear," I remind him. "Turn on some lights as you go up. It's just the dark; it won't hurt you. You can be brave - I know you can."
He takes a deep breath, and shakily heads out into the hallway. After a second, I see the faint glow of the living room light on the hallway's wall, and I hear the faint "flick!" of the lightswitch as Berwald heads upstairs to do his business. I don't take complete notice of it at first, but I can almost see Mathias smirking out of the corner of my eye.
After a minute or so, I hear Berwald come back downstairs, and the lights shut off as he emerges in the doorway again. His glasses haven't fogged up, and not a tear is on his cheek. He made it!
I smile as he sits beside me. "Thatta boy, Ber," I praise him, ruffling his hair and kissing his cheek. "I knew you could do it! There's my brave Ber!" Berwald blushes, and kisses my neck in return.
Just then, Mathias huffs. "What, Berwald?," he laughs. "Are you still afraid of the dark?"
I can see a lump form in Berwald's throat. I know he's trying to toughly glare at Mathias, but being faced with an insult, he feels genuinely hurt, and he just can't manage a very threatening look.
"Hah! He is! He's still afraid of the dark!," Mathias cackles. "You all remember that one time when we were younger, and the power went out in that storm, right? And how it was so dark, you couldn't see anything? Berwald screamed like a girl and peed his pants!" Mathias breaks down in a fit of laughter.
If he hadn't gone to the bathroom just then, Berwald probably would've had another accident right on the couch. The Swede turns to look at me, his face bright red like he's been outside in the blazing sun without sunscreen on. He tears up, the liquids automatically overflowing, and he trembles violently. I gasp, and hold him in my arms, looking angrily to Mathias. Emil perks up and softly pats Berwald's back as he cries of hurt and embarrassment.
"Mathias!," I growl. "Stop making fun of him! Stop! We all have our fears, and Berwald's is the dark! Might I remind you, that you're afraid of shadows? The last time you saw one of a tree on the wall, you thought it was of something scary, so you began to cry? And when the wind blew, you got so scared that you threw up everywhere? So who are you to judge poor Berwald?!"
I can tell that Mathias wants to argue with me, but he's either so shocked or plum out of comebacks, so he stays shut up. As I feel my shoulder become wet with a mixture of Berwald's tears and drool, I lift up his head to see his face. Ber's eyes are red, puffy and swollen, and his bottom lip is slightly puckered out as he tries to keep from whimpering. It causes little rivers of drool to run from either corner of his mouth. Even still, a few puppyish whimpers find their way out.
I rest his head back on my shoulder to keep his face hidden from Mathias. Emil strokes him from his head, back down his back, then all the way back up. "You fully embarrassed him and hurt his feelings, Mathias," I tell the Dane sternly. "Apologize to him."
Mathias's eyes widen. "But-...!"
I cut off his complaint. "Apologize!"
Mathias sighs, and comes around to give Ber a manly pat on the back. "Jeg er ked af, Berwald," he says, quite sincerely, actually. "I didn't mean to hurt you. You don't have to forgive me or anything."
Berwald doesn't move, so I assume he doesn't forgive Mathias, especially for bringing up the embarrassing memories of having accidents. I look to the Dane with a softer expression. "Kiitos," I respond. "Now, make yourself useful and get some tissues, olkaa hyvä."
Mathias goes into the kitchen and brings back the tissue box.
"Kiitos again," I say. "Look away; we're cleaning him up."
Mathias buries his face in a pillow, and Emil and I use a couple of tissues to dab away Berwald's tears. I help him blow his nose, as Emil pats away his drool.
"All better," I whisper, leaning Berwald back and kissing his lips.
Knowing with light that Berwald is afraid of the dark, for this whole week, Mathias tries to prank Berwald a lot. Not before I can get to him, that is. I won't let him scare my Berwald.
*Denmark's POV*
Finally! Tino went down to the market on the corner to get some milk this evening. I can finally have my chance to scare Berwald!
I mean, I did feel bad when I insulted him and made him cry last week. I honestly didn't know he was going to burst into tears like that! And I really was sorry about it when Tino made me apologize. But even still, it's kind of funny that he's twenty-one and still fears the dark. I mean, I thought he got over it when he was at least eleven years old!
I stand in the hallway trying to conceal a smirk, hiding it with the pile of dirty laundry with my arms. "Ohh, Berwald!," I call out in a sing-songy voice as the Swede comes down the hall.
He looks to me with his normal, solemn expression. "Hnn?," he says cocking his head slightly. "Hej, M'thi's. Wh't 're y'u d'ing?"
I erase the smirk completely with a sweet look. "Mind taking these down to the washing machine?," I ask kindly, placing the clothes in his arms.
He shrugs. "S're. I 'spose," he says. He opens the door to the cellar, and heads down. When I know he can't see me, I smirk, and flip the switch beside the door, making all the lights in our fancified cellar go off, leaving Ber to stand in the dark. To cut off any more light from seeping in, I close the door behind him.
I feel satisfied and clean now that my prank is out, but then I hear a loud, unmanly
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
And that's when the triumph slowly fades to guilt. A lot of guilt.
*Sweden's POV*
I go to bring down the laundry to the laundry room down in the cellar. Why Mathias can't do it himself is beyond me. Not that I mind doing it. Community service, I guess.
I turn the left corner after hitting the bottom of the stairs, being to go around the coffee table in front of the couch. All of a sudden, all the lights downstairs go off, and nothing was even touched. Not a single ray of light is left. It's the end of sunset hour, and it's an unfortunate, starless and moonless night.
Quickly as I can manage, I throw down the clothes, and begin to turn around to run back upstairs. But not before the invisible monsters of the darkness dance around the empty room, holding me captive in that exact pinpoint in the room.
A flashback seeps into my mind as fast as the lights turned off...
The wind blows wildly, shaking the trees outside...
Rain and hail hammer down on the delicate roof of our little cottage...
Little Lukas, Tino, Mathias, and Baby Emil cower in the corner of the living room...
All around, the lights suddenly flicker...
And the darkness takes its place in the room...
Though the ones I love are around to protect me
I don't feel safe...
We've become minions to a darkened world...
One of evil
Loneliness
Isolation...
The fact that I can't see anything safe in sight...
Gives me chills...
Dread replaces the bones in my body...
And feeling of cowardice shoos away the muscle...
A shrill peep wriggles its way out of my voice box...
And out into the open air...
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
*Denmark's POV*
The second I hear Berwald scream, I throw open the door, and bolt downstairs, not even thinking to turn the light on. My legs shake as Berwald continues to wail loudly, and I turn to the left to see a shocking sight.
The Swede threw himself on the floor out of fear, the clothes I gave him previously strewn about him, as he shrieks and squalls like I've never seen him do before. He looks completely helpless, and it breaks my heart.
I run right over to him, and pat his shoulder. "Shhh, shhh, Berwald," I whisper frantically. "I'm sorry, I shouldn'tve done that. It was a jerk move of me, I know. I'm really sorry. Please stop crying...please..."
Berwald must be having a full-on panic attack; no matter how softly I whisper to him, he can't stop crying. Sure I'm afraid of facing an angry Tino when he comes home, but what I fear the most is...
...What is Berwald going to think of me when he does stop crying? He's going to hate me forever...I know he is...
All of a sudden, there's a chorus of "What happened? What's going on? Is that Berwald?," and a band of nations running downstairs.
When they come into the room, I can see my boyfriend, Lukas, Emil, and his Chinese boyfriend, Jun, who is staying with us for the week.
Everyone gasps upon seeing Berwald in such a state, and rush over to us. "Ó minn, Mathias," Emil inhales. "What happened to him?"
I sigh, and shake my head, tears threatening me, almost yelling at me that they're going to fall. "I fucked up," I lament. "I fucked up really badly." I stroke Berwald's bangs back, still trying to get him to stop stroking out. But nothing I do works. I feel like a complete røv.
We all take turns trying to relax Berwald. Lukas tries to get the Swede to breathe deeply. Berwald doesn't even listen. Emil tries to help him think of a happy place. Just like he did with Emil's older brother, he still doesn't listen. Jun even tries massaging his neck and face. Berwald sits still for about ten seconds before burying his face in his hands.
There isn't much else we can do. Besides, I hear someone throw something down in the kitchen, and a small pair of feet bulleting down the hall. "What is going on in here?!," a Finnish accent cries, as the cellar light turns on. Well, I'm already in big trouble.
As Tino tears down the stairs, I look down at my hands to find a couple of dewy drops resting upon them. Realizing quickly what happened, I swipe my face with the back of my hand, and look down at Berwald's agonized face.
"Look, Berwald," I whisper, pulling his hands away from his face. "Light. You're safe now...there's light."
Tino rushes over, and kneels beside us all, looking down at poor Ber. "Oh my sweet dear!," he gasps, holding Berwald against his shoulder before turning to glare at all four of us. "What. Happened," he demands.
I sigh, fully beginning to weep. "Don't blame anyone else, Tino," I bawl. "It was all my fault. I don't know what I was thinking. I feel horribly...and I deserve to feel like this."
Tino sighs, and pats Berwald's back. "It's not right to pull off pranks, Mathias," he says firmly. "Berwald didn't like it at all. He obviously finds no humor in your 'jokes.' Apologize to him right now."
Bottom lip trembling, I lean into Berwald's ear, and whisper softly. "I'm sorry Berwald," I whisper. "I really am sorry. Having a fear of the dark isn't stupid at all. I remember how scary that storm was...you were really scared. There's nothing wrong with it. Even when you're an adult."
Lukas pats both of our shoulders. "Yeah, Ber," he whispers. "Who knows? You might even get over it at some point. It can come naturally, or you might have to work at it a bit."
"And even if you do have to help yourself get rid of it, there's no rush," Emil chimes in. "You'll always be able to take your time - getting over a fear takes a lot of patience."
"Of course!," Jun says, ruffling Ber's hair. "And, like, you'll always have us here to help. We're always here if you, like, need any help with it. We'd be happy to."
Tino kisses Berwald's lips. "And if you decide you want to try to overcome the fear, you can go right ahead," he whispers. "If you don't feel ready, there's no need to start right now. The challenge will always be waiting for you."
Berwald snivels, and turns to look at me. And I come up with a plan. "Perhaps...you and I can overcome our fears together as one," I offer. "S-since they're kind of similar...you know what I mean."
Ber takes off his glasses to rub the fog off the lense. "Re'lly?," he squeaks.
"Of course," I say quietly. "What do you say?"
Berwald nods, and holds out a hand. "De'l," he declares. I smile, taking his hand and giving it a shake. Well, though I don't think Berwald's going to take any more laundry downstairs for me anymore, I'm glad that the wall of tension between us has been knocked down.