Niko simply gaped, forgetting all about the chatty Dane currently helping her out of the limo. The limo ride had been somewhat long and they'd taken back roads into the city, from what Niko could tell. Therefore it was an unmemorable ride, while Mathias, who sad opposite her was strangely quiet. She soon discovered why when she looked up. He was staring at her, almost in awe. After she'd blushed a dark red and Mathias commented that she looked adorable like that, she promptly fired back an insult, instantly regretting it. She had to remember where she was at and not be distracted by the annoyingly sexy piece of Danish hunk sitting across from her.
Forgetting herself for a moment, Nikolina simply stared. She was not easily impressed, but she would admit that the foreign diplomats section of the governmental compound was beautiful.* While she didn't know what type of architecture it was, it was obvious that it was grand and old.
After remembering her backpack, she turned only to see the still-talking Denmark had it. She reached up and tugged at it, momentarily pausing the Danish mouth.
But to her surprise, Mathias gave it to her after asking if she really wanted it and she responded by glaring at him until he handed it over.
Slinging it over one shoulder, Mathias urged her gently forward with a hand on her other shoulder. Walking side-by-side, Mathias allowed her to take it all in before launching in a history lesson of the surrounding buildings.
They were walking along a bricked pathway to the second largest building in the area. The first was directly behind them, which had two wings that were perpendicular to the long, tall, rectangular, castle-looking building that stretched behind them. The two wings connected to the building that they were headed for, which was also a long, rectangular, regal-looking building.
If Niko had looked at an aerial view of the place, she would have discovered that she and Mathias were in one big square courtyard surrounded by rectangular buildings that formed a big square on the governmental grounds.
However, she was in a bit of a daze as everything around her was unfamiliar. So she let Mathias steer her around his country and down the long wide hallway with many, many doors.
The hallway was eerily dark and quiet, though there was a light on at the end of it.
Denmark, quiet for once, led her onward, a steady hand at the small of her back and his footsteps the only indications he was still next to her.
Denmark's boots echoed loudly on the stark environment around them, while Nikolina padded almost noiselessly in flats beside him. The hallway seemed to go on forever and Niko could see from the large, high windows at the end of the corridor that night had fallen.
When they finally reached the corridor's end, and the single light burning, Norge's stomach growled quite loudly, sounding even louder in the stillness.
She almost jumped; the noise startled her so much. Denmark, pulled from his silent musings about the boy next to him, glanced down at Norway and grinned. Norway mumbled an apology but Mathias just waved it off before saying "We'll stop by the kitchen before I show you your rooms."
Denmark yanked open the door they'd stopped in front of and bowed Niko through it first. She stepped into the dark and almost started when lights immediately lit up baseboards everywhere, revealing a stairwell.
She peered at the down set, but Denmark lightly grasped her shoulders and steered her up to the next level. While they were walking, he addressed her, "don't think you'd want to go to the basement now. The courts are creepy enough during the day. Tried to get them to move those upstairs but old Rasmussen** wouldn't have it. That old place is a freaking labyrinth. We've lost people down there too, as a matter of fact…"
Mathias ignored the familiar white walls, wood banister, fluorescent lighting, and royal blue carpeted narrow stairs as he gently guided Norway upstairs. He trailed off halfway up as he accidently looked up.
Only to get a face full of hot, taut, Norwegian ass wrapped in tight black jeans as he got too close to the Norwegian ambassador. He would've totally grabbed it too, if he hadn't been an ambassador trying to make a good impression on the young boy (he still thought Norway was a boy!) in front of him and if he hadn't felt a tiny trickle of something flow from his nose.
He quickly brought a hand up to cover his nose as he realized Norway had stopped and turned around, concentrating on him.
After boredly examining Mathias covering his nose (was that blood between his fingers?) Norway asked him, "Is there anyone else here?"
"Over five thousand people work here and several hundred live here, but it's the weekend and there shouldn't be anyone near here. Why?" Mathias managed, muffled slightly as he tried to get his nosebleed under control.
Unfortunately, he realized Norge had noticed his predicament as the boy (girl) mumbled "tilt your head forward, stupid," as he turned back around. Then, louder, "No reason, just thought I saw someone" and she continued cautiously up the rest of the stairs, leaving Denmark to scramble up behind her, while keeping a firm pinch on his nose.
Niko would've kept going if Mathias hadn't stopped her at the fourth floor. To break the silence he smiled at the adorable boy (girl) next to him, who paid him no mind and said "third level's the terrace and fourth is the glass bridge to my place-which leads to the International Compound-where all the ambassadors stay. Embassies are on the outside of the compound."
She absorbed the information, giving no outward sign that she was listening. But after a slight pause, she thought of something she'd been meaning to ask since she met the loud, most certainly not attractive Dane.
"When do I get to meet the other ambassadors and the Folketing?" Nikolina's voice was muffled by the continued blue carpet from the stairwell, which ran along another white-walled hallway. Nikolina just knew she would be getting lost in the endless miles of white-walled, blue carpeted corridors that seemed to run everywhere in the government buildings.
She had named the Danish Parliament and was eager to see the famed government in action.
Mathias clapped a hand behind his head, hiking the strap of-when had he taken her book bag back? up and his soft (for once!) voice permeated the quiet between them.
"Well, the Folketinget usually doesn't meet on Sundays, so you'll have time to meet the other ambassadors tomorrow in a casual setting. But its back to work on Monday-or, in your case, first day of work."
Norway looked up, slipping him a sidelong look as they reached the door at the end of the brightly lit hallway.
Here, Mathias paused and rummaged in his pocket.
As she drew level with him, Niko eyed the fancy brass, old-fashioned key he pulled from his trench coat.
Inserting the key and turning until the lock clicked loudly, Denmark grinned that shit-eating smile that Niko was beginning to lov-hate and turned to her.
"Welcome…to my house, otherwise known as the Nordic Compound."
Well, a bit of a filler chapter describing the general surroundings. Not exactly what I wanted, but whatever. What's that that Norge sees on the staircase? Stay tuned to find out!
Also, a special thanks to Wikipedia for the facts on the Danish government and influential government figures.
*I'm not exactly sure what the government buildings in Copenhagen look like and since I'm too lazy to look it up, I'm making them all up. Blame Alfred for my laziness :D
**Anders Fogh Rasmussen was the prime minister of Denmark from November 2001 to April 2009. He is the second most recent prime minister of Danmark (For all those non-Danish reading this!)
