Den was too stuck in thought for the rest of the day. Even oblivious Elias could tell something was up. It was getting closer to finishing time and Den just constantly stared at the clock and the door. Elias already gone home
Emma finally decided on a simple dress, her favourite black one, and her long button down red coat in the end. She wrapped her cream coloured scarf around her neck before she walked into the bakery, glancing around for Mathias.
Den had his head on the table buried in his arms and he was sleeping, the glasses wonky on his face
Emma giggled a little when she saw him with his head down and lightly tapped him, smiling softly.
With a groan he lifted his head, adjusting the glasses and smiled at her, "oh shi- crap im sorry!" he panicked, yanking the apron off and pulling on his jacket, "sorry! You look...nice...," he calmed, staring dreamily at her.
She laughed, shaking her head at him. "Silly, it's alright." She giggled, smiling at him before she noticed him staring again and she turned bright pink.
He blinked and shook his head, "im sorry! I really need to stop doing that, hehe.."
She giggled a little before she shook her head. "No it's alright." She said quietly. "It's fine."
He smiled and started to walk outside with her, pulling on a hat and scarf to keep himself warm. To her he was probably a stranger, but to him she was still his wife. He took her hand, not caring if he was being too creepy with the affection. "You alright? Are you cold?"
She blinked down at their hands when he took her hand and smiled a little, feeling slightly awkward but knowing this man missed his wife. "I'm fine~" She said happily.
"Alright-oh...I'm not ...freaking you out am I?" he frowned, loosening his hold on her hand
She shook her head, smiling up at him as she adjusted her scarf. "No, it's alright. I forgot my gloves at home anyways, and your hands are warm so it's fine." She said with a sweet smile.
"Oh" he grinned faintly, squeezing her hand again, "that's good then. Just let me know if I ...suddenly start acting weird, heh.."
She smiled up at him, nodding. "I promise I will~" She said with a light hearted laugh, looking up as small white snowflakes began to fall.
He also glanced up, smiling when the snowflakes gently started to fall from the dark sky, "I remember waking up one morning and it had snowed..." he sighed, "my wife was so excited she wanted to go out in the snow even with just a shirt on."
She laughed, raising an eyebrow at him. "She ran outside in nothing but a shirt? That sounds like something /I/ would do." She giggled. "Not so odd."
"woah, really? You'd run out in the freezing cold with just a long shirt which so happened to be mine?" He laughed
"Well probably not if it was yours since I just met you." She laughed, shaking her blonde curls. "But run outside in a shirt, yeah."
He smiled and shook his head, trying desperately not to just open out with everything and how he felt about her. She could possibly just be someone completely different but even after 24 years Den knew Belgium when he saw her.
They arrived at the building where the play was taking place. He sat her and himself down, sighing comfortably. "It's warm in here. Like my hands" he joked
She giggled a little and took off her scarf and coat, shaking out her hair when she removed her hat. "It is warm in here..." She stated, glancing around the theatre. "I've never been in here before..."
He smiled, surprised at how giggly she seemed. Then again Belgium use to be like that. Use to. "Really?" He asked, "I uh...alright...I'll admit it, I did have three tickets...the other two for my kids but...well..." he lowered his head and shrugged, "I'm so sorry but...you just...you almost seem exactly like my wife and I just couldn't help it! ...Sorry am I freaking you out?" he frowned.
She blinked, tilting her head a little. "You have more kids other than Elias?" She said before she frowned a little and shook her head. "No, you're not freaking me out. I mean...I know I can't be the same as your wife, but if it makes you happier to be friends with me, then I'm glad to be your friend."
"..." he blinked, forgetting that he hardly told her about his life, other than going on and on about his wife. "I'm so sorry...you must think I'm creepy.." he frowns, burrying his face in his hands.
She smiled and shook her head, gently patting his back in an effort to comfort him. "No I don't~! Honest. Don't worry about it."
He glances up at her with sad eyes, "...Emma...why...why are you so kind...? Normally if I tried to get friendly with a girl she'd scream and run away from me..."
She shrugged a little, unsure herself. "I don't know." She said simply. "Something about you just seems kind and warm. And you seem hurt." She said with a small frown. "I don't like seeing you hurt."
"heh well...you're right about the hurt part...the kind and warm, ...ehh, Not really.." he cleared his throat and sat up, "I've had this wound...here,"he says, pointing to where his heart was, "for years and years...for the past 24 years and it just aches everytime I wake up..." he whispered, "it's never healed.."
She frowned sadly, looking up at him before she fidgeted a little. "...Can I see a picture of her?" She asked quietly. "I want to see how we look alike.
"..." He bit his lip, knowing that he always kept a small photograph of her in his pocket. He waited for a while to show her but suddenly the lights in the concert hall had dimmed and the play was starting. "...sorry" he whispered, sitting back in his seat and keeping his eyes forward.
She frowned a little, her shoulders dropping before she too turned to the stage. "I'm sorry..." She said softly.
He kept his hand pressed over his heart, knowing that he was having a bit of a panic since he knew, that if he showed her a photo, he might not ever see her again. He breahed heavily, trying to concentrate on the show.
Emma seemed to notice his distress and frowned, shifting uncomfortably in her seat while her eyes flickered over to him every once in a while.
About an hour later when it was the half time break and the lights grew on again Den let out a sigh, turning his head and smiling to her, putting on a fake happiness, "good show, huh? Do you want me to go get you anything from the shop?"
She smiled a little sweetly at him, nodding. "It was!" She said happily, though she seemed to notice something was wrong with him. She still wanted to see the picture, but she didn't fuss about it. She laughed light heartedly and shook her head. "No, it's alright~"
"Aww you sure? I might just go take a piss- I mean-go to the bathroom" he grins awkwardly, standing up. It was just an excuse to get her to forget about asking for the picture.
She smiled and nodded, waiting for him. She rocked back and forth on her heels, humming a little as she glanced up at pictures of the actors on the walls.
He narrowed his eyes at the queue outside the toilets, even outside the men's and just rolled his eyes, wishing it were a rock concert instead, then maybe they'd be selling beer at the shop. He walked up and down the little hall which was packed with people, not wanting to go back and sit down in case she'd ask.
Once he started to hear the narrators voice again telling the audience the show was about to continue in a few minutes he frowned and headed back to his seat, scooting through the isle and sitting back down next to her with a sigh.
She sighed a little when he came back just in time for the lights to dim, frowning as she turned back to the stage. She shifted a little in her seat, still feeling slightly uncomfortable.
He was a little more relaxed, keeping his eyes on the stage and constantly pushing his glasses up his nose, feeling a little uncomfortable himself.
She watched the show, frowning a little as she kept thinking about why he wouldn't want her to see the picture. Half of her wanted to ask again, but she knew he would say no.
He turned his head to her every now and then to give her a smile and reassure her so that hopefully she'd feel more comfortable and not want to see the picture or ask anything more about his wife.
He sighed when the show had finally finished, feeling himself sweat a little when the bright lights glowed on. They seemed so much more brighter than before. It was so uncomfortable. He turned his head to Emma, giving a sheepish grin, "wow, that main guy was actually a chick."
She smiled a little at him before her eyes flicked down again, as though she had done something wrong. "Yeah..." She said quietly, biting her lip a little as she looked everywhere but him.
He stood up, pretending to put on a cheerful attitude until he noticed she looked sad and leant down, "...Bel? What's wrong?" he asked, accidently calling her by that name.
"Emma." She corrected automatically before she winced and frowned softly. "Sorry..." She said quietly.
He took her hand, smiling again, "c'mon. I'l take you home..it's late," he smiled, helping her up and leading her out of the theatre
She took his hand, squeezing it a little softly before she sighed softly. "Hmm...so do you think-" She stopped herself, swallowing before she shook her head. "nevermind."
He kept his eyes forward, noticing that it wasn't snowing outside but it was pitch dark. "hm? Do I think what?" he asked
"...do you think we could stand in the light?" She asked softly, squeezing his hand tightly as she avoided his real question.
"hm?" He blinked, remembering how Belgium had a fear of dark and stepped with her into the spotlight of a street lamp in the middle of the now deserted pathway between the car park. "You don't like the dark...do you?"
She held onto his hand tightly, her eyes flicking around. "No..." She said softly, shivering. "It's...a long stupid story." She laughed softly.
"..." he knelt down infront of her, enough so that he was eye level with her, "hey...Emma? look at me..." he whispered. "What's wrong?"
"...I want to see." She said softly. "I want to see her..." She murmured, biting her lip a little.
He frowned, at first thinking she was talking about her own mother or something, "...see you?" he asked hushly after a short pause
"No not me, her. I want to see her..." she said quietly, looking at her fingers as she played with them. "Just out of curiosity...I want to see what she looked like..."
"...oh...her," he bit his lip, straightening up, "...well um..." he cleared his throat, stuffing his hand into his pocket and pulled out a scrunched up photo of him and Belgium, a photo Simon sneakily took during an old Christmas period and hands it to her
She took the picture and smoothed it out beneith her fingertips, as though it were something very delicate. She stared at the picture for a little while before she fell silent and stiffened, her eyes a little wide.
He felt himself tremble a little as he watched her. "...well?"
"...it looks like me..." She said quietly. "Like...everything she...I don't understand..."
He dropped his shoulders, wanting so badly to just tell her the truth. "..told you you reminded me of her..."
She stood there silent for a little while before she looked up at him, her eyes wide. "I...but she looks...she looks EXACTLY like me...like a twin...a replica..."
He frowned, lifting his head and readying himself to just tell her, "Emma I..." he bit his lip and knelt down so he was eye level with her, placing both hands on her shoulder. "What Im sbout to say...it...it wont make any sense..."
She raised an eyebrow at him, looking a little confused. "...what?" She asked softly.
He took in a deep breath before starting. "Theres...more to me than what you think...Theres one of us for every country in the world and ...I'm..." he paused nervously, "Denmark.." he took the photo from her, pointing at Bel in the photo. "This is Belgium...my wife...she died 24 years ago, Emma. The same time you were born..."
She looked at him a little funny, but inhaled deeply and tried to understand. "Alright..." she said quietly. "So...what? I have the same birthday.."
He frowned and shook his head, holding her shoulders again, "No, Emma. Don't you see it? /You're/ Belgium! You died 24 years ago and was reborn into human.." he gemtly held the side of her face, stroking her cheek with hus thumb as he felt his eyes water up behind his glasses. "sweetie...you're my wife."
Her eyes widened and she looked at him with frantic eyes, trying to soak it all in. "No...no I can't be that...that doesn't make any sense..."
He shook hus head, "no...no it doesnt make sense because no human except for our bosses and our secret hospitals know about us.." he leant closer to her, his nose barely touching her as he whispered, "Em...you're a nation"
She shook her head, looking up at him with a scared expression. "no, I'm not." She said quietly. "I'm a PERSON. I'm not a...a nation...belgium is dead...there IS no Belgium..."
"Nej nej please LISTEN to me!" he straightened up, "you are Belgium and I'll prove it!" he said desperately, "First of all, Belgium's human name WAS Emma! You love sweet foods. You love strawberry's. You like poppies your national flower but you prefer roses. There's something about guys shirts you love. You've been called a kitty because of your smile." he went on before dropping to his knees in front of her, holding her arms, "please you have to believe me!"
Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, finding everything he said true. "How...how did you know all that..." She said softly. "I..." She paled. "I think I need to sit down..."
He frowned worriedly and helped her over to a bench under some shelter, holding her hand and catching his breath to calm down. "Why do you think Elias called you mom the day he met you?" he turned her face towards him, "because thats your son, Bel...our Elias.."
She sat down on the bench and held her head in her hands, running her fingers through her hair. "I...I can't...I feel like I'm going to pass out..." She said with a small whimper.
He decided to give the truths a rest for now and wrapped an arm around her, stroking her hair. "shh...easy..." he whispered soothingly against her ear.
She shivered when he touched her, though a part of her couldn't help but feel a little soothed by the action. "My head hurts..."
He hugged her close to himself, rubbing the side of her arm comfortingly, "its okay...im sorry,"
She wrapped her arms around him tightly, the truth of it all and the dark starting to take a hold on her.
He sighed and wraps his arm around her too, relived that she wasn't going to run away. He pressed her head against him, breathing in her scent. "Its okay..." he whispers again, stroking his fingers through her hair
She was too worked up to feel uncomfortable, wrapped up warm in his arms where she could hide. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, shaking.