I'm back! Sorry for taking so long about this, I've had some bad days and a writer's block, ugh.
Thanks to DancingOnRainbow for beta-reading! :D
"I still don't get it."
Denmark was sitting by the end of the giant table Sweden had made two hundred and five years ago. His feet were lying on the surface and he seemed pretty comfortable, though the blond brows furrowed and gave him an expression of confusion.
He looked like himself. The hair was still spiky and blond as always, and after being hugged involuntarily, Finland could also confirm that the strands were as soft as they had always been. The face had maybe become a tiny bit thinner, bones had become visible just under the pale skin but it only made him look better. To contradict this fact that could witness of having been ill, his eyes shone even brighter and the colour seemed to have gotten stronger, somehow. It was like it had become deeper, friendlier. It was strange. The grin was as wide and devilish as Finland remembered and the laugh was still very obnoxious and loud. Denmark hadn't changed at all.
"What exactly don't you get?" Finland asked politely and reached a hand down for Hanatamago to lick. Her small and rough tongue happily licked all over it and smothered it with her saliva, her tail wagging eagerly as she did so. The Finn couldn't keep off a happy smile as he let her lick his hand, smothering it and making it sticky when she decided to bound off to somewhere else.
It turned out that Hanatamago had been very fast asleep and she hadn't heard or smelled the presence of Finland when he was carried home. There could be no doubt she would have come to them the moment the door was opened, though, if she had been awake. When she had seen Finland for the first time, there was no suspicion. She didn't growl at him or anything like what you heard dogs did towards people supposed to be dead.
She had been all over him, jumping up despite having learned she was not allowed to do that and she had been yapping and barking loudly, the tail wagging so much it nearly made her fall to the side. Her tongue had run over every piece of naked skin on the Finn's body and he had simply not been able to resist her, instead crouching down to pet her and ruffle her fur and she had only been happier. Actually so happy that she, despite her small size, had been able to tumble him to the floor and trotted all over his body and face while she was yapping and licking.
Finland had been smiling so widely and laughing so loudly that Sweden hadn't been able to find it in him to stop Hanatamago. She knew what she was doing was not allowed but Sweden doubted she would obey or even listen if he told her to stop. And really, she was just happy to see Finland once more. He had been gone for so long and even she had missed him deeply.
She was still the happy and yapping dog she had always been and whenever Denmark had been over, she would bark at him and occasionally nip at his ankles - Sweden claimed it wasn't true and that he never saw it when Denmark complained - and she would still wag her tail whenever Sweden and Sealand got home and wanted to play with her.
She would wait excitedly by the door for Sweden and Sealand to return after having been out for whatever reason. She would still run around and play with other dogs when they took her for a walk and she would still show her playful nature.
But it was always less than before. Before Finland had left she had been like a bomb of energy that never dampened. It would only disappear after several hours of playing or running and she would always use every single bit and piece of energy before she went to sleep. And the place didn't matter. She slept where she fell.
Her yapping wasn't as loud and happy - as happy as a dog's yapping could be, of course - as before and she didn't do it as much, either. Every day, she would be sniffing around by the couch and the furniture in general, seeking for the small man who always talked to her and pet her and played with her. When she never found him, she would whine lowly before trotting back to her place beside the fire and she would fake a sleep, though her eyes would occasionally open and seek the nearby surroundings for the presence of that kind man. The ears always hung sadly and you could see the sadness in her dark eyes. The pain was nearly clear enough to be felt physically. Like it bored into your soul.
It pained Sweden to see this. Every time he saw it, he never said anything and he never said to Hanatamago that Finland was gone forever. He knew she wouldn't understand and he knew that it wouldn't change anything. He knew it would only bring him so much more pain to say it out loud so he just didn't. Sealand had seen it, too. But where Sweden was sad and felt immense pain in his silent heart, Peter tried to take it cool. He knew about death and he knew that the dead couldn't come back to life.
He knew that Finland would probably never come back.
Bu that didn't mean he had wanted to believe it.
"I mean, you've been dead for over four hundred years and there have been no signs whatsoever about your return. How the hell did it happen, and why?" the Dane asked with a curious voice, looking under the table to find the small dog. The animal found him as well and for once trotted over to him and gave his hand a quick lick before pushing its little head into his hand, allowing - more like begging - him to pet it. And so he did. It was rare that Hanatamago allowed him to touch her without being torn to shreds so he used every opportunity he got.
"Ah. For once it's not something simple you don't get," Finland said with a small smirk on his lips, earning a sound from Sweden that could be called a snort. Denmark threw a napkin at his face.
"It seems it's because of some of my people. A group of people who identified themselves as Finns apparently went to the Swedish government," the Finn looked over at Sweden who gave a single nod, "and begged them to do something. They wanted their country back, they wanted to go home."
"And you didn't do anything?" Denmark sent an accusatory look at Sweden who sent back a cold and indifferent one. How could one be so stupid? He thought he knew the limits of Denmark's idiocy but he had clearly been wrong. The cold and icy blue orbs bored into the Dane's face, partly hoping it would create a hole through the man's head.
"Don' be an idiot, even if that is what ya do the best. 'Course I tried. I argued with my boss for weeks 'bout it but nothin' helped and nothin' happened. The group return'd to their houses at Russia's place and didn't come back." That had hurt. To know that there were still Finns who wanted Finland back and that the Swedish government said they could do nothing to help. But as much as it had hurt, it had also angered him immensely.
That small group - they hadn't been more than twenty people - had been collecting signatures from people around the world who wanted the country of Finland to return. They had managed to gather some hundred million signatures before meeting with Sweden, his boss and government. As the representative of Sweden, Berwald hadn't been allowed to make a decision. He had to follow his boss and what his government thought as the best.
His boss had told the group that this was not Sweden's affairs or decision. Sweden didn't have the power to make Finland a country once more. It was something they would have to debate with the entire world. At that statement, Berwald had opened his mouth for the first time in the three hours the meeting had lasted. He said that he would arrange such a meeting and though it had been a lot of trouble, he had managed to do it.
And so, a month after the visit in Sweden, the group once more got together, this time in Berlin, Germany. The rest of the nations had been there, some curious, some resigned. Many of them saw this meeting as one of Berwald's desperate attempts to get his wife back and nearly all of them looked like they had already decided what they would vote.
But seeing the group of Finns and their many signatures, some of the nations changed their minds. For days, the humans had been given lodging at a nearby hotel while the debate raged. Berwald was silently immensely relieved that these humans were very clever and had brilliant arguments and ideas for bringing Finland back.
This meeting had been one of the few where Sweden actually bothered to open his mouth and try to make himself understandable. He loved to argue and debate and even if the topic made him feel emotions and got his blood to rush a bit faster than normally, he continued. Whenever anyone spoke to him, he never broke off eye-contact and he answered all of the questions shot at him, save for the private ones coming from Denmark, France and Prussia. Questions like 'Ever gotten off to the thought of Finny?' and 'How many times did he top?'
The questions were, of course, highly inappropriate. Not only because they brought the nations' secret in danger, that all of these men and women were in fact representations of a country. Not only because none should ask Sweden such things. Most of all, they were inappropriate because Finland was no more, because Tino had been buried a long time ago. Sweden couldn't believe that they could make themselves ask such things when they knew what Finland had meant to him.
But maybe they hadn't known exactly? Did they even have a clue? Any idea at all how everything Finland had done had made Sweden's heart race, that the smallest smile directed at him had forced his heart to set an unhealthy pace because it was a smile just for him? Did Denmark or France or Prussia know how Finland had made him feel? Did any of those fools have the slightest hint of knowledge about the way Sweden would care for Finland when he felt down, when he froze, when he was angry, when he was drunk - which only happened about once or twice a year - or when he simply felt a need for comfort?
Finland had normally never sought for his comfort, had always been too scared of him. It had seemed completely nuts to seek for comfort and safety from the biggest and scariest man he had ever seen but sometimes, when Hanatamago, Sealand or his beloved snow-covered nature or his dear reindeers couldn't cheer him up or make him feel good again, he would go to Sweden. Shaking with fear, yes, and shaking with discomfort, yes, but as soon as he found himself in Sweden's arms and found himself be gently squeezed in the grip, he would also find himself slowly begin to relax.
And as he relaxed more and more, he would also find himself in a feeling of safety, of comfort and of appreciation. It never lasted for long, though. The few minutes where the anger dwindled to make room for relaxation and comfort, it grew silently and unnoticed until it broke free and crept into every pore of his skin, making him yelp and instantly push away from the Swede, not daring to look at him when he dashed away while blabbering out apologies and promises of never being so silly and weak again.
Sweden would just stare after him, face blank but mind and heart racing, wishing for nothing more than Finland returning and find his place in his arms again. That was there he belonged, Sweden thought as he went back to his work.
He waited for the meeting to be over before he walked over to the perverted men and hit their heads together with a sound that resonated throughout the room before letting them lie unconscious on the floor, earning shocked looks from the few nations that had seen him do it. On the inside, he had been burning up with anger and fury for the three men on the floor. The fact that they had dared to ask that kind of questions when he was here! That they had the audacity to thinkhe would find the questions appropriate, let alone answer them. In fact, he had wanted to bury them in the cold snow in his country, waiting for them to show up again, covered in the freezing substance and meet his face that wouldn't have revealed a thing despite the anger raging behind the expression that wasn't present.
On the outside, he had showed absolutely nothing. He had knocked out the two nations and the ex-nation without as much as a blink of an eye, not a single hint of emotion being showed on his face, only making it all seem that much more scary.
Probably needless to say, they hadn't agreed on anything after nearly a week and therefore decided to stop, much to Sweden's and the Finns' anger, though only the humans showed it. Sweden acted polite and thanked the other nations for their time while he was dying on the inside, his heart once more finding its place around his stomach where it seemed to have camped while Finland was not around. He also thanked the humans for their determination and told them to never stop believing, because he certainly wouldn't. It was done with few words, of course, and a blank face that had them nearly cower back in fear. They seemed surprised by the words, though, and they nodded slowly to him whereupon he turned around and marched out of the room.
"Took another hundred years before somethin' happened. Got a new king who had many relatives descendin' from Finland from the time when it was a country. At first, I thought it wou'd now be easy to get Tino back but it didn't go like that. Even if he had relatives descendin' from Finland, he didn't agree with me on the idea."
Berwald had been so very angry and so very frustrated. If not even a man with so many relatives from Finland wanted to get the country official again, then how the hell was it supposed to happen? One thing was sure; Sweden would never really stop trying. He might be silent about it and never say a word about it when around his boss and government - or the other nations - but he never stopped trying. His hope, though, was a different case. As decades went by and turned to centuries, the hope in his chest had slowly dwindled and was almost choked.
Until it had happened. He had found Tino by the grave and he hadn't understood anything. His boss didn't seem to like the idea of bringing Finland back and his government was the same. So why in the world was he here...?
"Turned out my government and king had finally agreed on bringin' Finland back that very day, actually only few hours before I found him." Which had explained why Tino had been so thin and shaking. He was still 'new' if you could put it like that.
Finland nodded once before Sealand turned in his 'mother's lap and spoke. He might have grown pretty much and he might not be exactly a child anymore but he still liked to sit in Finland's lap when he was allowed to. Maybe he associated it with the time before Finland's death?
"You know, mama," he began, signalizing that he had indeed grown, not only in size but also in mentality, "I'm very happy you are back. I missed you a lot."
But he was certainly not too old to call Finland 'mama'. The others vaguely wondered when this would happen.
Unlike the others, Sealand had changed a lot. He had grown much taller and his hair had adopted a dark shine. The eyebrows, that had been bigger than the usual person's already before Finland died, had grown even bigger and bushier, making it clear that he was England's brother. His big and blue eyes had gotten the same deep shine as Denmark's and made him look more serious, though it was easy to tell that this wasn't quite the case.
At first, Finland's face fell into a sad expression before it was lit by the warmth that was also in the smaller boy's words. He then hugged him tighter.
"I'm sorry for leaving, Peter," he said and placed a kiss on the top of the blond head. His violet eyes were closed peacefully and after the kiss, he let his head rest on the smaller one, looking at Denmark across the table.
"It's okay. You're back now, right?"
Finland hummed lightly. But of course it wasn't okay to leave, even if it wasn't his fault.
Norway was sitting on his right side on the long side of the table and Iceland was sitting between Norway and Sweden. On Sweden's left side sat Finland, sitting between the two arch-enemies so they wouldn't kill each other. Not that they hadn't tried. In Finland's lap was Sealand who was surprisingly quiet until he had talked. Hanatamago was on the floor, running from man to man to get attention.
Finland had set the table with different kinds of food, snacks and drinks. Denmark had announced his arrival just around noon and as both Finland and Sweden had predicted, he arrived an hour later. With him was Norway and Iceland who didn't seem too happy though they were very curious.
Iceland hadn't really changed a lot, either. His hair had grown a tad longer and his eyes had gotten a harder shine as well as a hint of violet and green that mingled with the blue, giving it a highly peculiar colour. The face was serious as it had always been and the only thing that seemed different was the jaw that was slightly more lined and heavier marked.
"Now," Finland said and let Sealand down from his lap, watching him run around with Hanatamago for a moment before turning his head back to Denmark who had grabbed a hand full of grapes and demanded Norway to feed him. The Norwegian flat-out declinedit and instead focused on the Finn as he spoke.
Norway looked exactly like himself. Nothing had changed in him. Even his curl still flowed somewhere by his neck, free of his actual body. The eyes were still dull and lacking depth like Denmark's did. The hairpin was attached to the rebellious strands of hair by his left ear, keeping them in place.
"You and Nor were as kind as to disturb Ber and me the day I came back. Care to tell why?"
"'Course," Denmark grinned and resorted to feed himself the grapes. "It was in the telly. Said that Sweden merged with Finland only hours after Finland's comeback. At first, when they announced that Finland was back, I called Swe but he didn't answer. Then they talked about that merging-thing and I decided it might be the best to check up on you two. Might be Swe had gotten a heart-attack or something." He winked to the Finn who blushed deeply and dropped his fork onto the plate with a loud, clattering noise that got Hanatamago to stop playing for a second, looking over at her owner to see if he was okay. She then continued playing with Sealand who looked like he really didn't want to hear those kinds of things. Sweden, though, was completely cool about it and simply made a comeback of his own.
"If ya knew what happen'd, ya would hav' been the one sufferin' from a heart-attack," he said with a completely blank face, only making Finland blush even deeper and hide his face in his hands. Even his ears got red.
It wasn't that he was embarrassed by what he had done. He was just very surprised afterwards - he had never thought he would do such a thing, and not at all to Sweden! - and whenever it was mentioned - which was only when Denmark was around - he would blush. It was just a reaction, he couldn't help it.
Denmark nearly choked on a mouthful of beer, making him cough for close to a minute. He pushed back and away from the table, leaning forward a bit and hammered on his chest to get his breathing under control. When he raised his head again, his face was bright red and his shoulders were trembling slightly from the violent coughing. He wiped away a few tears from his eyes, then directed his gaze at Sweden, letting it slide to Finland, then back, as if trying to figure out if the bigger man was lying.
"Oh," he choked out, hitting his chest once more and denying Norway's 'help' with the gesture of a hand. By the time they had been partners, he knew better than to allow Norway to help him with these kinds of things. "I-I see. Is it then... safe to assume that little Finny is no longer… little and innocent?" The smirk quickly returned to his reddened face and he crossed his arms over his chest, looking triumphant. Norway's face was as blank as Sweden's when he directed his gaze at the two nations by his side. He was silently wondering if that could really be true, even if he couldn't care less. What Sweden and Finland did or didn't do together was their case and there was no need for Denmark to put his nose into it.
Yet the Norwegian didn't stop him. If he was lucky, this conversation would soon earn Denmark a couple of punches. Something he only deserved.
His words, though, got Finland to finally react in another way than blushing and hiding. He looked up and stared directly into Denmark's eyes, his violet orbs suddenly hard and slightly annoyed.
"Den, I'm not as 'innocent' as you may think I am. There is a damn reasonthat I was the one to... to initiate it." But his words lost power as he was still blushing and he made a small break. It was true, though. Finland had been the one to start the love-making the day he had asked Sweden to marry him.
The thought still got his stomach to do a back-flip. He was going to marry Sweden. It seemed so... magical. For centuries he had been scared of the man and he had never thought he would maybe get closer than good friends. Finland would never in his life have thought he would be asking for the man's hand in marriage, it had simply never occurred to him. Sweden had been a friend, that was all. The Finn had never believed it to evolve into something more.
And yet, that was the case. Just a week ago, he had sat by the other end of the table, shaking all over and feeling like shit, and he had still been asking Sweden to marry him. It seemed so unreal, yet so fantastic. He could feel butterflies flap around in his stomach by the mere thought of it.
Denmark howled with laughter.
"No way! Don't tell me youwere the one to jump ol' grumpy Rockface!"
"I didn't jumphim!"
The Dane rolled his eyes, still chuckling. Clearly, it didn't matter to him if Finland had been jumping or humping or whatever. It was the fact that Finland apparently had taken control.
"Fine, whatever you say. But seriously, Swe? Did Finny really to-"
He was cut off by a knife flying past his ear, only half a centimetre from cutting into it. Denmark stared at Finland, shock building in his eyes while Norway simply raised an eyebrow to show what he thought about Finland's throw. Iceland sat with a bucket of Coke and looked from person to person, looking unimpressed. Sealand and Hanatamago had gone outside to play.
"Be glad my aim is so good, Den. I could easily have cut off your ear. Though that would probably only have made you prettier." He earned himself another snort from Sweden and Norway's lips twitched in something that was almost a smile.
"He's got a point," he stated and dodged a napkin thrown at him, his face once more as completely and utterly expressionless and blank as it always was. The blue eyes seemed dull as they rested on the Dane's face, observing the annoyance quickly lining every feature on the tall blonde's face.
"Don't you dare take his side!" Denmark growled and looked genuinely annoyed. "I was just asking a question!"
"But that kind of question is not on the list of questions I had planned to answer when you said you would come over!"
"You should have, though," the Norwegian commented and crossed his arms over his chest, looking directly at Finland, "when you know what kind of person Den is."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
Finland sighed lightly before pushing away from the table and stood from his chair, starting to gather their plates with calm and steady movements of his hands. The limbs were still smaller and much thinner than Sweden liked despite having fed his dear wife the best and most nutritious food he could think of, always making sure some kind of dessert followed. Finland would sometimes tease the Swede about spoiling him and being too kind but in all honesty, he didn't mind it one bit.
He got to eat Sweden's food and though the man had things Finland categorically refused to eat - surströmming was one of those - he was generally a great cook. Besides, whenever Sweden was in the kitchen, he would always wear an apron. It wasn't something that affected Finland in any way, he didn't find it sexually arousing, but it was just hilarious to watch a giant man like Sweden in something so feminine.
Once, it had made Finland vaguely wonder how the Swede would look in a wedding dress. The thought had been both incredibly ridiculous and somewhat interesting and the sound Finland let pass his lips by the mental picture made the man in question turn around, skillet in one hand and palette knife in the other. He hadn't said anything, the slightly questioning gaze being enough to make Finland explain. Berwald's answer had been 'Und'r no circumstances. You're m' wife so ya will wear the dress,' whereupon he had returned to watch his cooking, like telling a man to wear the wedding dress was the most normal thing in the world.
And though it must seem weird to everyone else, Finland didn't really mind the thought of being in a wedding dress. It would only be for a day, anyway, he could cope with the... unmanly-ness he would radiate. And if a certain Dane would venture to question his manliness, a certain Finn would simply remind the other exactly who invented flaming alcohol-bombs and exactly who nearly beat the shit out of Russia by shooting and skiing - at the same time.
Finland was a lot tougher than he appeared. He could consume amounts of alcohol a man his size shouldn't be able to and when drunk enough, he had two personalities; either raging mad and violent or extremely affectionate. Therefore, he was very careful about who he got drunk with. The drinking contests with Denmark didn't really count; Denmark always passed out before Finland was just barely tipsy.
At one point in time, Finland had actually thought about challenging Russia or Latvia but by second thought - and after Sweden's repeatedly words not to do so - he abandoned the thought and settled with drinking Denmark senseless.
Standing in the kitchen and cleaning the plates, he could hear Norway and Denmark continue their bickering in the living room and they were starting to be too loud. Especially the Dane's obnoxious and vociferous personality cut through the otherwise silent atmosphere.
As Finland's hands grabbed the sponge and quickly cleaned off the dishes he could hear the language turn from English into their own languages, Denmark shouting in rough and sharp Danish while Norway responded in his softer and more singing tongue. This was a clear sign that something needed to happen and someone had to get them apart before things got out of control. You never knew what that could result in as they had both been Vikings and still had the ferocious and merciless nature very much intact.
There had been one time where Finland had watched the Norwegian and the Dane fight with the fists and it had - too - quickly turned into something completelydifferent. Sweden had been the one to cut off the fight - now more like rough foreplay - and kick Denmark out of the house, even if they were at his place, whereupon he had made Finland calm down. Only then had he directed his gaze at the Norwegian who was still standing by the wall Denmark had pressed him against. He was shaking and the otherwise stoic and blank face held a peculiar expression that neither Finland nor Sweden had liked to voice. The small man had stormed off and away about a minute later when he seemed to understand what had just happened.
They heard the man's car start, then the wheels screech against the asphalt before the vehicle drove away, probably way too fast. Minutes later, while Finland still had his hand over his mouth and eyes wide as saucers, they had heard a soft knock on the door whereupon Denmark opened it and demanded them out.
There had been a hard shine in his eyes that clearly indicated it would unwise to rebel against him right now. So Sweden and Finland simply followed suit, despite the Swede sending his archenemy a look slightly less hard than normally. Upon closing the door, they heard the lock turn and it was clear they wouldn't hear from him in a few days.
"Denny," the Finn said loudly from the kitchen, for a moment silencing the beginning fight in the living room. But even if it was only for a moment, it was a moment long enough for him to continue. "Could you check up on Peter and Hana for me? And Nor, get over here, Swe wants to talk to you."
The last part wasn't really true but it all worked out. Denmark left the living room while he continued to grumble in his own language until he was outside. Norway moved into the kitchen to find Sweden messing around with stuff in the fridge. The smaller blonde's face was slightly redder than usual, only working as a proof that Finland had been right. Norway rarely got colour in his pale cheeks but when it happened, you could be sure it was because of Denmark.
"You called?" he said, voice plain and unmarked by the former event, fooling anyone else but the Nordics to believe he was unaffected, though his bright cheeks and eyes told a different story.
Finland looked over at the Swede, partly hoping he had something to come up with so they wouldn't have annoyed Norway without reason. You simply didn't do that.
"Mh," the bigger blond grunted before straightening again, eyes boring into the Norwegian's. "Kick Den's ass for me when ya get home, 'kay?" Their eyes were locked at each other for a while before the smaller man looked away, biting his lower lip while his hands clenched into fists. His body was shivering ever so lightly.
"Of course. What else would I do?" he mumbled before he gently nudged Finland aside to fill a glass with water.
As they were all seated again and Finland had decorated the table with countless cookies and cakes and other kinds of sweets, the talk went on. Sealand, cold and wrapped in a thick blanket, his cheeks bright red and hair wet from melted snow, was now sitting beside Denmark and Norway so that more fights wouldn't occur. In his hands was a big cup of steaming hot cocoa and he inhaled the scent greedily before blowing on it. It was still too hot to drink. Iceland was sitting onthe opposite side, quiet as always, with his glass – more like bucket - of Coke.
Denmark had been denied more beer and Finland knew it pained him to see the Finn to have a bottle of vodka by his plate. Sweden and Norway had opened a bottle of wine - much to the others' surprise - and they conversed across the table. As well as they could when none of them really talked a lot.
It was a long time since Finland and Sweden had given up on the 'no alcohol while Peter is present' policy. First of all, because Denmark was often around and when Denmark was around you had to have beer, whether you liked the idea or not. Otherwise, he would just bring his own. Secondly, because Finland had been caught in taking a swig of his beloved vodka before going out and enjoying his saunas. Sweden was never one to drink alcohol and when he did on those very rare occasions, he would settle with wine.
Finland had never seen Sweden drunk. He didn't know if he wanted to. If Sweden reacted to alcohol the same way he did, it could end very badly. Finland being mad and violent was bad enough but Sweden was much bigger and much stronger and no matter if he became violent or affectionate, the consequences could be fatal.
If this was the reason Sweden never drank anything stronger, Finland wasn't sure. He just knew that he was fine about it. As long as no one took his vodka.
Much to everyone's surprise, he was the one to shoot the Dane a question after having eaten a cookie and rinse it down with a mouthful of the clear liquid.
"Den," he started and instantly got the Dane's attention. The man had been looking at Sealand, smiling at him and talking with him, seemingly trying to ignore the fact that Norway and Sweden were conversing. "When you and Nor watched my resurrection in the television... did they mention anything about my... my lifespan? Did they say something about how long they believed me to... last... this time?"
The question was asked in a hushed voice and he was nearly mumbling, half-lidded amethysts focusing on the plate before him, as if he believed the other cookie - chunks of the best Swiss chocolate mixed into it - had the answer to his question.
He was... really worried about that. How long would he last this time? If he had first been dissolved, wouldn't he be more vulnerable than before? Wouldn't it be easier to... destroy him again? Would he remain alive from now on? And, his eyes darted to Sweden and his staring, unreadable face before moving to Sealand who was now munching on a cake, eyes directed at him, what about the others? What had the other nations been like? He knew nothing, hadn't been told anything about their reactions. He hadn't dared to ask Sweden, afraid that he would be too hurt by having to relive that memory.
Hanatamago yapped at him by his right side and he automatically reached down to pick her up and set her onto his lap. This was normally not allowed but on special occasions Finland would let her sit in his lap for a while.
He buried his thin and now shaking fingers in her fluffy fur, scratching her skin carefully, yet a bit absentmindedly. Nails scraped over the soft skin beneath the great amount of white and incredibly soft fur. Fingers intertwined in a few locks, curled them around the tips of his fingers as he spoke again.
"It's not, like, I'm afraid of... the same thing happening again." He could feel Sweden's stare intensify by close to a billion, could nearly even feelthe way the blue eyes narrow the slightest bit. Norway had taken his glass of wine but hadn't drunk any of it yet. He was also looking at the Finn as the man seemed to creep closer into himself and the chair, further away from the rest.
He couldn't deny it, though. The thought of him dissolving again, the thought of his government and boss - when he got such once more - was still dwelling in the back of his head, just over the conscious part of his mind so he would constantly be reminded of it. It was very much possible, wasn't it? That something like this could happen once more...
He didn't want that. Finland didn't want to leave this place again, especially not since he was going to marry the man beside him. His eyes had found the small dog's face and the black, glistening pools stared directly up at him, the head tilted as if she wanted to ask him a question.
"But, you know... It's good to know if others have faith in me, right? If they believe me to be... good enough to survive this all. I mean, it's quite the experience for a country, right? To be dissolved, then re-enacted. Not even Prussia managed to do that, right? He was never established as a nation or kingdom again, he just kind of... sticks around. I don't... don't quite want to end like him."
His heart was beating faster and his chest was starting to ache with the pressure the beating muscle put upon it. Only vaguely did he notice how his breath had quickened, too, and that his fingers were clenching the soft fur of Hanatamago's body. She didn't utter a sound, though, simply stood on her hind legs and had her front paws on his chest as she slowly licked his chin. The rough tongue scraped over the skin and though it stung a bit it wasn't exactly uncomfortable. It was just her way of worrying for him. She just wanted him to be okay.
The sad expression on his face was nothing she was used to and though Finland doubted how much she knew about faces and expressions, he didn't doubt that she could sense his mood. He had never doubted that. Dogs were good at sensing your mood and they tried to react the best to it, tried to either cheer you up if you were sad or make you stay happy if you felt good. Finland loved animals, and especially Hanatamago. They were so sweet and kind. They never thought about what you said, only cared about the tone. They didn't judge you like others did and they didn't have any prejudices for you, unless they had had a bad past.
Animals were precious. They just wanted food and attention and in return, they gave you the best friend you could ever get. They might not be able to talk, might not be able to discuss your problems with you, but they were there. You could list all of your problems to them and they wouldn't think badly of you for not finding the courage to talk with the cute boy from class. They wouldn't think you an idiot for anything. They just gave their love to you on those two conditions: food and attention.
Finland didn't notice that a hand had found his shoulder as he sat with Hanatamago. He just looked into her deep, seemingly endless and beautiful, glistening eyes, watched the black shine and glitter with warmth and love, feeling her rough tongue continue to lick over his chin and then his cheek as he bent his head a little forward. She yapped happily, her small tail wagging even more as she with all her might seemed to want to lick his skin off.
The hand on his shoulder tightened a bit before relaxing, the fingers going to stroke over the fabric of his shirt. He could feel his bones be poked gently, creating a shiver that rolled from his neck and down to his lower back, making his skin erupt in goose bumps. He knew the hand, knew who the strong and big but impossibly kind fingers belonged to.
He didn't need the stoic and emotionless voice to talk to him to know the person. And yet, he liked to hear it. The voice was welcome, he had come to treasure it in the four hundred years he had been deep in the ground, yet high in the sky. Every day had he yearned to hear it and every time it spoke to him, he had begged for it to last just a little longer. Just... Just a little longer.
Just stay with me.
It was an incredibly selfish wish and Finland felt bad for having it. He had changed so much and now... He didn't doubt that Sweden still loved him so deeply, that the strong heart only beat for Tino and for himself. He was not sure if the wish he felt in his heart, the tug at the muscle he had begun to feel whenever he thought of Sweden, was a good or a bad thing.
He didn't want to... to be too dependent on one person. He wanted to be big and strong on his own, he wanted to become a great nation, a strong and mighty country so he didn't have to fear the others. He didn't like the thought of having to depend on someone else.
Finland knew he wasn't the strongest around but that was not a thing he wished for... He was strong, yes, he had nearly beaten Russia in the Winter War, but also only nearly. If he had been just a tiny bit bigger, just had a bit more men, then he would have won. He wanted that, he wanted to be able to defend himself without having people to support him.
But at the same time, his heart now beat with a wish to stay by Sweden, stay by his side and live his life with him. Maybe not 'till the end but at least... at least for a while. Was he weak for thinking like that? Would he be considered weak by the other nations if they found out he wanted to stay with Sweden?
. . .
Yes. He would. They would see it as weakness, that he wasn't strong enough to maintainhimself. He was a weakling in their eyes, he couldn't be a tough and violent person as the others could.
But they were wrong! Finland could be badass and tough, too. He was the one to invent some of the spiciest candy ever - his dear salmiakki - that people from around the world had problems dealing with, he was the one to get the idea of setting alcohol on fire in a bottle and throw it, making it a bomb. He was one of the countries with the best aim, only beaten by Switzerland who he held regularly shooting contests with.
How could he notbe badass? Just because he looked small and fine and delicate didn't mean he couldn't be someone else... But that's the thing about looking like one person and actually being like another. People only notice your outer layer.
"I hav' ya under my custody, Tino," the voice said to him, coming from somewhere behind him. Close. Another hand found his other shoulder and the fingers gently curled, grabbing him tightly, yet not even near enough to make it hurt. They were... too kind. How could Berwald have these kind fingers when he used to be a monster, a Viking that everybody feared, the supreme ruler of the North along with Norway and Denmark? A beast like that shouldn't be able to show that kindness.
People only notice your outer layer.
But Berwald was much more than that, Finland had come to find out. Sweden looked like the biggest and scariest creeper you could find on the planet and he looked like he was always staring at you, judging you for things he knew you had done despite never having said a word about it. He could look right through your souland your mind, he could read your thoughts if you just gave away a single emotion.
He was seriously creepy.
But more than that, he was also the kindest person you could ever meet. He was selfless and only cared for those he held dear. He always put others before himself if they meant something to him. He treated Finland like a princess, gave him what he wanted when he wanted it and he never questioned it.
Sweden took care of him in such a way that Finland couldn't help feeling like he was being a nuisance, that he somehow managed to annoy Sweden who didn't show it, just kept on doing what he was doing to make his wife feel nice.
Sweden loved him unconditionally. He treasured him, cherished him and made him feel like he was something special. Sweden had scared the shit out of Finland in the beginning, yes, but after having spent over four hundred years in complete and utter darkness without going bonkers, Finland had come to realize that Sweden's love for him was the purest thing he would ever be as lucky to meet. Sweden really, truly only wanted the best for him and he would stop everyone in harming him if it was possible. He would do anything to make sure his dear and precious wife was fineand didn't miss anything.
And... even if he knew this, even if Finland knew that Sweden would probably help him gain independence if he asked for it, Finland didn't feel like he could ever ask that. He wanted to but he also wanted a life with Sweden. He was going to marry him, marry the scary-as-hell man behind him who now had his big hands around Finland's face, fingers brushing over cheeks that slowly became wet when his eyes leaked and tears started to fall.
There was complete silence in the room. Only Hanatamago made sounds and they were small whines, followed by a head gently pushing into his chest, small paws trotting at his stomach. She whined again when he didn't react immediately. Finland got one of his hands to stroke the small and furry head, earning himself a less miserable whine and a trying lick to his fingers instead.
Sitting like that, with warm water running down his cheeks, staining them with long and red trails, he opened his mouth to ask another question. It had, in all honesty, been bothering him a while and he wanted an answer, even if it might be… painful for the others to hear. Especially for Sweden.
Curling the white and cottony coat of Hanatamago around his fingers, he sent Iceland a look and noticed how the man's eyebrows raised a bit, giving him a slightly questioning expression, wondering why Finland looked at him like that.
"How…" His voice broke and he had to try over after having cleared his throat. He felt a slight blush creep over his cheeks as this happened and he felt embarrassed, just a bit. "How did… the others react?"
There could be no doubt what he was referring to. He felt the hands on his shoulders tighten the tiniest bit and then relax once more. Of course Sweden would feel anxious about that topic. Iceland, though, merely looked surprised and held Finland's gaze over his oversized mug with Coke.
"Why do you expect me to answer that?" he asked flatly, though with a bit more life and commitment than his older brother.
Finland couldn't quite find a fitting answer for that and let his head fall a bit forward, thinking Iceland wouldn't answer his questions. He had somewhat hoped he wouldn't have to fish long for an answer as he wanted it to pain them as little as possible, especially Sweden. Few seconds later, though, the Icelandic lowered his mug and peered into the dark substance, as if he was pondering on how to answer the question.
Then, after a long moment, he looked up again, finding Finland's eyes once more. There was something in them that the Finn wasn't used to. Something like understanding, like he understood why Finland wanted to know this.
"They were all very sad, of course. Except for Swe, I think Estonia took it worst. He was very depressed in the following years and his economy suffered a serious downfall. It was over, though, after about, I think it was five or ten years, and now, his country is blooming like never before. Everybody else was grief-stricken, too."
Finland nodded slowly, biting his lower lip.
"More than that," Iceland added, now having his gaze on Sweden's face though that man only looked at the back of Finland's head. "We were all worried about Swe. You can't imagine how hard it hit him. It was a serious blow to all of us but Swe was worst off."
The Finn felt his chest constrict and he made a broken sound, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Fingers grabbed harder around his thin shoulders.
"Where Estonia tried to talk about it with Latvia and Lithuania, Swe kept his sorrow to himself. He didn't talkto anyone about it, let alone let us help." Iceland was glaring at the Swede who only had eyes for his precious wife. He… He didn't want to hear this. He knew he had been bad off and he knew he hadn't been acting like one should when dealing with such a change in your life but he had been unable to seek assistance from others.
But if Finland wanted to hear, if he wanted to know what had been going on, then so be it. Then Sweden wouldn't interrupt, even if it pained him to let the conversation continue.
"He was quieter than usual. Yes, that is possible," the Icelandic added when Finland made a sound of disbelief, "and he would often space out, look out in front of him and completely forget about everyone else until we either yelled at him or poked him hard in the sides."
A small silence stretched out between them as Iceland tried to determine if he had said enough or if Finland wanted more information. When the Finn didn't do or say anything, he figured that he had to say more. He did so, even if he would prefer to remain quiet. But it seemed Finland had placed some kind of trust in him and as much as he was unsure why he apparently deserved it, he didn't want to misuse it.
"Even France and Poland managed to stop their constant fight about fashion for a while. Prussia was surprisingly quiet, too. Even seemed to avoid his brother a bit. I don't know why, though."
"Well," Denmark interrupted, causing Finland to snap his head upwards and look over at the blond who had a surprisingly serious expression on his face, "he loves his brother incredibly much, even if he doesn't want to admit it. Not in the same way as Swe and Finny love each other, of course, but as brothers. I bet he feared something would happen to Germany, maybe got some bad conscience himself. Raised Germany to be a cold and deadly war-machine, y'know?"
Iceland and Norway nodded. Finland and Sweden didn't do anything. Sealand was completely quiet.
"And Russia," Sweden felt a rush of sudden anger go through him by the mentioning of the man who had taken away his precious Tino all those many, many years ago, "seemed surprised. I don't think he expected you to fall anytime soon since you survived his cold grasp."
There was another small silence in which everyone just looked at Finland as he stared at the dog and curled his thin fingers around in her fur.
Then Sealand talked, much to Denmark's obvious surprise. It seemed he hadn't quite gotten used to the fact that Seland was growing up.
Sealand didn't want to act childish right now. He knew this was very serious and he hadgrown older and become more mature, he shouldn't fall back now.
"I was there, too," the blond boy reminded them, making Finland's shoulder tense a bit. "I might not be a country yet, but I still had to deal with it. I wanted to help papa because I could see he was sad but he didn't want it. So I tried to deal with it on my own, too. Can that be why I've grown?"
"Mm, I think so," Denmark mumbled and sat further back in his chair. "When someone experiences something horrible, like this, and they survive without too many troubles, they tend to grow a bit, just only in the mind. As we are countries, and you are a micronation, your physical growth could be a sign of your ability to go through hard times. Which is a good thing."
Sealand smiled widely even if the topic in general was sad. Growing was the best thing he could imagine. He really wanted to become a country! Even now, when he had seen how tough it could be and that an entire country could still die, he wanted to become one.
It took a while for Finland to find it in him to nod slowly. When he did, he felt new water press into his eyes and he let it flow as it pleased. So… people had actually been caring about him. They had been worried about Sweden, too. That was somewhat nice to know, even though the circumstances for the sudden care could barely have been any worse.
He felt his head carefully be bent backwards and the tears stopped rolling for a moment before then falling to the sides. The eyes opened and he found himself face-to-face with Sweden. The blue orbs were showing emotions and his fingers... The calloused fingers were still so soft despite the proof of the hard work he did every day.
"Tino," the man mumbled, holding his face carefully in his big and strong hands with too much care for him, "I wou'd never let ya die again. Ya are goin' t' marry me and I will make sure ya go back to normal. Ya will be strong'r with me."
His chest tightened painfully for a long second and his face screwed up, causing him to inhale air with a wheezing sound before the feeling disappeared and he could relax his face again. Hot water continued to leave his eyes as he looked up at the Swede.
"And... my country...? When will it... be back to normal? I don't... don't want to be this weak..." He could barely do the chores he used to. Just a quick cleaning of the house was enough to have him napping for hours.
"The group is havin' a meetin' with my boss," Sweden murmured, lips only centimetres from touching the Finn's forehead.
'The group' was - of course - the people that had collected signatures from people around the world. At the moment, they were busy talking and arguing with Sweden's boss and Sweden's government about how exactly to do this. They hadn't figured anything out yet but it was hundred per cent sure that Berwald and Tino would be the first to know when something had been decided.
"When they hav' decided, ya will feel stronger. It'll take a long time, probably years, but ya will be strong, Tino. Trust me. Once the government has be'n chosen, ya will start t' feel better. From there on," the lips finally met the smaller man's forehead, sending small jolts through the Finn, "it will be up t' ya. But I will be here and help ya. Ya are not alone, Tino."
A very long moment passed where Sweden and Finland just looked into each other's eyes, something slowly building between them. It wasn't physical - only the tightening feeling that returned to Finland's chest and heart - but it was something far deeper and far more intense than Finland had ever felt and he didn't know how to feel and how to react. He just knew that Sweden was right, that Sweden's words would come true and that Sweden was not lying to him.
Yes, Sweden was indeed the scariest person you could meet, yet he was also the kindest and the most helpful.
Eventually, it became too much for Denmark. He stood from his chair, sending it slamming into the floor because of the power. His face had taken an expression that was hard to decipher; pure shock, pure amusement or pure disgust.
"Wow, aren't you the world's sappiest dude, Swe," he exclaimed and tried to look unaffected by the sudden flow of emotions that had been between Sweden and Finland.
Sweden had never showed emotions while he was present and now that seemed to go back to normal. His face turned into a blank piece of skin as he looked over at the Dane.
"Says the man who gives pink cards an' choc'late to his lover on Valentine's Day," he said and kept close to Finland who had placed his hands atop of the other's.
"Den is the cheesiest person ever," Norway agreed and rolled his eyes before getting up as well, walking over to Finland and looking down at him. And though his face was at least as blank as Sweden's, this was something different. Finland didn't know much about Norway and what hid beneath the unmoving face. He did with Sweden.
"Ber is right. You will get up again just fine," he said and lifted his hand about halfway to Finland's face, then stopped, letting the hand waver in the air. He was clearly in doubt about whatever he had been about to do. Finally, after a long and relatively tense moment, the hand landed on top of Finland's head, gave it a single rub before quickly being withdrawn, like Norway was afraid of the contact.
"Just listen to Ber and avoid every advice Den gives-"
"Hey, I heard that!"
"- and you don't have to worry about a thing." There was the smallest ghost of a smile on the Norwegian's lips but it didn't develop as he nodded to the Finn before walking back to his seat next to Sealand. The micronation looked slightly nervous as he sat with his mug and observed his 'parents'. He didn't say anything, instead took a sip of his Coke and snapped his fingers while ducking under the table. Hanatamago was instantly by him, yapping and wagging her small tail, eager to play again.
"How did you even know I do that?" Denmark asked as he sat down on his chair after having pulled it up again. "I don't think I ever told you about my gifts to Nor."
"Just because you don't doesn't mean I'm the same," the Norwegian mumbled, looking to the side with his arms crossed over the chest. "And you aren't exactly quiet or subtle about your presents." But as one could expect, Denmark only seemed to notice the first sentence. His face lit in a giant smile as he pulled Norway into his lap, grinning up at him. Norway nearly blushed, a faint pink tint covering his cheeks as he tried to get out of the Dane's grip, but to no avail. The taller blond had him in an iron grip.
"You actually tell people about the things I give ya? Aren't you a precious little one!" he exclaimed and hugged the other tightly, way too excited about that small revelation.
"I just... Den, let go of me, I swear, I have my trolls with me, they can beat you any time if I ask them to!" Denmark didn't even seem to consider this option as he still didn't let go of the Norwegian. "Den, I'm serious, let go! I don't really tellothers about your presents but I can't really... Årh, for faen, Danmark, kan du slippe meg!" Now it was clear that he was blushing but he didn't stop fighting against Denmark's grip. "If they ask, I answer, okay?!"
The Dane seemed to completely ignore the man's words, instead just hugged him tighter, the fingers digging into poor Norway's sides. And though Finland had a feeling they should be helping the man, neither he nor Sweden did anything. Iceland and Sealand were the same; they just sipped their drinks and looked at the scenery and Norway that slowly got more colour in his pale cheeks and still wriggled to get free. In the end, Sealand had collected too much energy and was again running around with Hanatamago, laughing loudly.
It was dark outside before the other nations left. The heavy clock in the corner had just struck one in the night when Denmark pulled up from his chair, putting his glass of water down. Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland had all insisted that the Dane shouldn't have more alcohol, not even after Sealand had been put to bed. Denmark was good at holding his liquor but he had a bad habit of being more likely to throw a fit when things didn't go according to plan if he had alcohol in his system.
Finland and Sweden had excused themselves around ten to put the micronation to bed. It had notbeen possible to ignore wriggling eyebrows and low whistles from Denmark as the 'parents' took Sealand to bed and tucked him in.
As he had grown up, he no longer demanded a bedtime story. Not even when Finland asked if he was sure.
He instead grabbed one of the many teddy bears Sweden had given him and looked up at the two nations. This was a thing he and Finland had often discussed before. Finland was of the opinion that the Swede was spoiling little Sealand and made the boy unable to accept a 'no' while Sweden had argued back with 'Our boy deserves the best'. It was this kind of discussion that could often end up being heated and even if Finland would be scared shitless by Sweden when they decided to stop while everyone was okay and unharmed, the Finn would also be incredibly annoyed.
Sweden was spoiling Sealand. That was the reason the boy was sometimes acting troublesome and it was also the reason that he always demanded attention. This wasn't to say that Finland didn't like the boy, absolutely not. He loved him very much, like his own, biological son that he could never get because he was the representation of a country. The Finn would often lie in bed for a few hours, fuming over Sweden's apparent blindness to what his too big amount of generosity was doing to Sealand, until he would finally fall asleep.
And the next day, everything went back to normal. Finland was, if possible, even more scared of meeting Sweden's cold and blank face when he woke up, afraid that he had went too far this time. Finland was the type of person who was usually very kind and only very rarely raised his voice but when he did, you knew you had caught his attention. In a not too positive way. Finland wasn't the type to yell just because of something ridiculous or non-mattering. He couldn't resist a good discussion, though, eager to make his opinions clear and at the same time effectively changing the picture of him being kind and sweet to the people that observed.
"Mama, don't leave us again, okay?" Sealand mumbled and turned to lie on his back, looking up at Finland's face. The Finn swallowed heavily and troubled, then managed a smile and stroked the small boy's face and hair.
"Of course not," he answered and leant forward to plant a soft but ever so gently kiss to Sealand's forehead. Sealand also managed a smile and then shifted to get under the covers and blankets and Sweden also let his lips softly touch the boy's face, this time the cheeks.
"Sov gott," he mumbled.
"Nuku hyvin," Finland said with a smile before turning off the lights and closing the door quietly. Outside ofthe room, they looked at each other for a long time, both pair of eyes glistening with a shared happiness. Afondnessfor their little boy so strong that seemed to shine through the eyes, nearly making it physically visible how much they loved him, how much they would sacrifice for him.
And for each other.
Very carefully and slowly, Sweden reached out a hand that shook ever so lightly as his heart started to thump harder against his ribs. He let the fingers curl gently around the Finn's shoulder, his eyes boring into the prettiest orbs he had ever seen and probably would ever see. There could be no eyes prettier than his. Flawless amethyst with the thousands facets of a diamond, glistening so strong and clear he thought they were sparks that would set his heart on fire and blind his own pair of icy blue orbs. A depth like none he had ever experienced, so many feelings able to break through and make themselves present. A depth in which he would get lost, drown, if he didn't watch out.
Finland didn't say a word when Sweden pulled him closer and bent forward to carefully catch perfect and delicious lips with his own, making the blood in his veins burn with the ferocity of a thousand flames. The only sound was one so soft it could as well never have been there. It was a sound of happiness and content, nearly like a small hum that sent soft and feathery jolts through the bigger man's body and he closed his eyes as Finland did the same.
Sweden's other hand slowly went around the Finn's waist and carefully added more weight to press him closer, yet giving him enough room to get free if he would want to.
Finland hadn't meant to deepen the kiss. It wasn't on purpose that the small head with soft and blond locks tilted the slightest bit and it was most definitely not on purpose when he leaned upwards, standing on his toes, to get more contact with the Swede.
Or so he tried to tell himself. But the reward he got sent cold and pleasurable, excited, shivers down his spine, making goose bumps erupt all over his body and the small hair in the back of his head stand up. Sweden had made a content noise, a mix between a grunt and a moan, while his body stiffened for just a moment before relaxing and he let another bit of his self-control go as he grabbed around Finland's waist and lifted him off the ground, eliciting a small cry of surprise from the smaller man. It was quickly silenced, though, when he pressed their lips together, his body creating a single shiver of pleasure.
He felt Finland put his arms around him, leaning forward so Sweden didn't have to stretch his neck that much, answering and once more deepening the kiss.
At some point, it was probably very good that they were interrupted here.
Someone cleared his throat behind them and Sweden whirled around, holding Finland tightly and sending his usual death glare at whoever had decided to disturb them.
No one could be surprised to see that the wide grin belonged to Denmark and that he was leaning against the wall, looking utterly comfortable with his arms crossed over his chest and one leg lazily crossing the other. His eyes shone mischievously and a chuckle came from his throat as he observed the two nations.
"Was wondering what took you so long," he simply stated and though most people would have been warned and probably already fleeing by the glare that Sweden sent him, Denmark was completely unaffected by it. He was used to it, after all. "Seems the reason is pretty legit for once."
"Go back down," Sweden growled at him as he slowly let the Finn down again, hands still lingering on the small shoulders.
"Right, right, just don't eat each other when people could pass by, eh?"
"Look who's talking," Finland shot at him along with an annoyed glance. One of his hands had went to clutch Sweden's shirt. "You're even worse than France. At least he knows when enough is enough."
"Harsh words from such a pretty-"
"Don't you dare." Sweden would not allow Denmark to speak about his adorable wife like that. The Dane was vile and obnoxious and he would probably not hesitate in falling back into his raging Viking-personality if he got the chance. Sweden could see it happening if Finland was nearby and he would do whatever it took to hinder anything. Denmark shouldn't even dare to thinkabout letting one of his filthy and perverted hands touch sweet little Tino.
Denmark knew this and though he didn't like obeying Sweden, he also knew that he didn't want him and Norway to team up against him. He had tried that once. It had taken a painful long time for his hair to grow out again after being burnt. So he settled with throwing his hands in the air in defeat, though still with the mischievous grin in place, before he walked down the stairs.
"Don't make us wait, lovebirds!" he sang, then laughed before a hard voice silenced him as Norway apparently scolded him.
Annoyance still rushed through Finland's veins when he turned around to face Sweden who looked as stoic and emotionless as always. It changed, though, to an expression of surprise when the Finn grabbed a fistful of clothes and more or less forced the other to lean forward, lips crashing together once more and making both of the men sigh lightly.
It lasted far from long enough. Finland pulled away all too soon, sending him a weak but so very happy smile before he took Sweden's hand and tugged it to get him to move. Sweden agreed after a moment of complete surprise, then moved with his precious wife.
Few words later, Denmark, Norway and Iceland were sent home. Denmark was grinning widely and sent Sweden and Finland telling looks and wriggled with his eyebrows so much it annoyed Iceland enough to take the man's hat and throw it away. The Dane whined and instantly went after it. It took long enough to make Norway and Iceland able to say a more polite 'goodbye' than Denmark had come up with. After that, they left, grabbing the Dane by his arms and dragging him to their car.
Once inside again, Sweden and Finland sat by the table. The smaller of them sat on the surface, sighed deeply and leaned his head back, eyes closed and feeling heavy.
"He's so exhausting," he mumbled.
"Mh," was all he got in response and he cracked one eye open
while raising his head a bit. Sweden was nodding softly and he looked very sleepy. "Very exhausting."
Finland chuckled lightly - a sound so precious Sweden would always remember it in both mind and soul - and shifted a bit so he was leaning forward and had a foot gently placed on Sweden's knee. His elbow rested on his own leg, and in the palm of his hand was his chin, eyes looking at the Swede. "Thinks someone's tired," he said and leaned forward to tap the man's cheek.
An eye was opened lazily, then closed again, and the ghost of a smile haunted his lips as Sweden muttered "Ma'be."
"Well, then go to bed!"
"Don' wanna. Sittin' fine."
"Come on," Finland chirped and slid down from the table and so close to Sweden that the man could feel the Finn's hot breath on his face. His skin was covered in goose bumps in few seconds. "You don't want your wife to carry you, do you?"
Phew. These things are getting long, aren't they? I am currently writing the wedding-parts but they are a tad too long so I'm trying to cut them down a bit. Any idea how hard that is?
Sorry for possible out-of-character-ness, especially for Sealand's part!
Translations:
Sov gott = Sleep well (Swedish)
Nuku hyvin = Sleep well (Finnish)
Årh, for faen, Danmark, kan du slippe meg! = Damn it, Denmark, let go of me! (Norwegian)