Just a short epilogue to wrap this up. Thank you everybody! Some tags I saw in Tumblr on the last chapter's note's reblogs made me blush a lot. I do read those, btw.


Epilogue: It is better now

Norway felt the chilly air against his face when he walked the quiet road with the Danish nation next to him. The winter came soon in his northern lands, and the harsh wind from the sea made it even colder. Norway himself was well adjusted to the weather in his land, but his poor Danish lover was another story. While the Norwegian calmly accepted that the winter was once again here, Denmark was still wishing that the summer would come back.

"It is cold, Nor", he said, "can we ran home?"

"There is ice on the road", Norway replied, "you will slip and hit your head."

"But it is so cold."

"I told you to dress better", the Norwegian muttered and glanced at the Dane who was still wearing same jacket he had used during autumn, and kept his head uncovered. That would have been perfect in his own land around that time of year, but here he was only suffering.

"I am trying", Denmark said and grinned, "you will warm me up when we get home?"

"I am not letting your cold feet and hands anywhere near me", Norway replied, and Denmark let a whining sound, though the Norwegian was in fact holding his hand, that gave him some hope about cuddling later when they got home.

"Cold, cold, cold", the Dane chanted, and Norway rolled his eyes.

"This is our first winter here", he said, "how you will ever survive four next ones?"

"Maybe I will evolve and get a thick fur?"

"That is not how evolution works", Norway noted, "we will go shopping tomorrow and you will buy whatever I tell you to buy."

"Okay", Denmark muttered. He felt like it was a good idea to trust the Norwegian with winter clothing. After all, while he was shivering from cold and feeling the winter way too well, Norway looked like he was completely comfortable, only slight blush on his cheeks showing that it was cold outside.

"Idiot", Norway muttered.

"But I am your idiot?" the Dane asked hopefully, and leaned to kiss the Norwegian's cheek after he nodded, "I love you."

"Your lips are so cold I don't understand how you are still speaking", Norway said.

"If I need to tell you I love you, I would do it even if my lips are sealed together and I am taking my last breath", the Danish nation said, "those shall be my last words!"

"Dane", Norway said and pushed him a bit with his shoulder. Denmark laughed and wrapped his arm around him, pulling the Norwegian closer.

"Just warm me up later, will you?" he whispered, and this time Norway didn't decline. He only nodded, but that was promise enough for the Dane who knew his lover well. It also seemed that the Norwegian was walking just a bit faster. They had settled down in a small town, and got a place that was a bit farther from other houses, offering them more space and security. Norway didn't care where he lived in his land, but sometimes he saw Denmark looking to south with a thoughtful expression on his face, and the Norwegian knew he felt the longing. Even when he was there with the man he loved most, he would never feel complete ease when being so far from his land and people. Norway knew it, because so he also felt when he was away from his own place.

But when they got home and the door closed behind them, leaving the cold winter outside, there was no hints of longing or homesickness in the way how the Danish man pushed the Norwegian against wall and kissed his neck.

"Dan, let me take my jacket off first and take my bag to the work room, would you?" Norway said and flinched when cold nose touched his bare skin.

"Just drop the bag on the floor", the Dane replied between kisses, "and I can take your clothes off. More layers make this only more exciting."

"You are impossible", the Norwegian muttered, but didn't really hurry up with pushing the man away, "patience, Dan."

"How can I wait when I need to feel warm with you?" the Dane asked with whining tone, but did step back to allow the Norwegian to do whatever he thought should be done before they got carried away.

"Just sit down and let time pass", Norway replied, "that usually works."

"That is boring", the Dane complained, but smirked when the Norwegian raised his hands up to show that he didn't care. Denmark looked after him, but his attention was soon taken away by his phone that informed him about received email. Because there wasn't much to do, the Dane decided to check who was reaching for him so late in evening after he had already finished his work hours.

Norway was away only few minutes, but when he came back he found the Dane standing in the same spot and staring his phone with a frown. Norway frowned too and cautiously walked closer.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Sve", Denmark said and sighed, "he checked on Rikke today. Like we asked him."

"Right", Norway muttered, "half year has passed. How was it?"

"Fine", the Dane said with shrug, "he writes here that he couldn't notice anything special. She seems to be healthy and was out with some friends when he saw her. He didn't dare to approach her, but it seems she is not sick. He managed to find out that she is playing in band again and got a job as secretary in one company."

"That sounds like she got her life together", Norway said with a nod, "but it would be the best if Sve checks the situation again in one year."

"Yeah", Denmark muttered and closed his phone, "Nor, I have been wondering something."

"Have you now?"

"When you fixed her memories", the Dane said with a slightly hesitating tone, "what you saw?" Norway didn't reply right away, but used a moment to observe Denmark's expression and think how he could explain the things he has seen in the mind of mad woman.

"Do you really want to know?" he finally asked, guessing what the Dane was after.

"At this point I think I should", the Dane replied, and Norway nodded after he saw that the man was serious. He walked to the living room, gesturing the Dane to follow him. When they had settled down on the couch, he started to explain.

"Her mind was… Rather messy", he started, "there was no order there or anything logical, no basic needs or feelings. It was just like yarn with millions of knots, impossible to figure out where it ends or starts or what is its' meaning."

"So she was really mad?"

"Definitely", Norway sighed, "I could see that she really cared about you. When she saw you first time, she fell in love."

"You know, I wouldn't have answered to her feelings."

"I know", Norway said, "and I was in her memories. I saw how she saw you, and thought she felt strongly she also understood that you were not interested. First it seemed like that would be all, but then she…" Norway paused suddenly, and bit his lip.

"Just tell me everything", Denmark said quietly.

"It was your presence that started to take an effect then", the Norwegian said, "but that wasn't all. She had something in her mind, like a problem. It wasn't functioning like it should have and that caused her to feel some feelings strongly. She also had tendency to be possessive of anything she thought as hers, and she decided that you were hers too."

"But…"

"I know", Norway said, "it was tragic love. Only one-sided. At the very end, it turned to hate."

"I am sorry", Denmark muttered, "I made her suffer so much."

"It wasn't only your fault", Norway reminded him and leaned against the man, "she had had problems all her life. It had already destroyed her previous relationship, and she was supposed to take medicines, but she stopped for some reason just few weeks before she met you. It is true that your presence messed her up and made her madness stronger, but it wasn't the sole reason. This all was just a horrible coincidence." Denmark nodded, but looked still upset so the Norwegian leaned closer and kissed him gently.

"Don't worry", he said, "she is doing fine now."

"I know", Denmark nodded, "what exactly you did with her memories?"

"Not much actually", Norway said, "that mess almost pulled me too deep, so I couldn't change everything."

"But you erased something, right?" Norway shook his head.

"The only thing I erased was the memories during the last hour or so before she came to us", he explained, "rest I just altered bit. I made her remember that she never fell for Jens, though I couldn't erase the memory itself. I changed some things, like the reason why she came to Oslo and what happened there, and some things that happened at the coffee place. That was all I needed to do." Denmark nodded and wrapped his arms around the Norwegian, nuzzling his nose against the man's hair.

"How she knew I didn't die?" he asked.

"That was my fault", Norway replied, "her madness made her suspicious, and so she followed me around. I should have noticed her, but my thoughts were elsewhere. That is how she got an idea that Jens did not die. I am not sure exactly what she thought, because her mind became too messy at that moment." Denmark nodded again.

"I hope her life will be better now forward", he said, and Norway nodded. For a while they didn't talk, but after few minutes the Norwegian glanced at the Dane and smiled softly.

"Was that all you wanted to know?" he asked, "is your mind at peace now?"

"Yes", Denmark said and smiled back to him, "thank you, love."

"Anytime", Norway replied and took his hands, that were still slightly colder than normally, "do you still need to be warmed up?" Denmark smirked and hummed when the Norwegian started to caress his arms.

"I do feel a bit cold, indeed", he said.