Norway wasn't as innocent as Sweden had taken him for.
He had heard stories, rumors floating around on the streets of Stockholm, but he paid them no mind.
It was only when the castle's staff started getting involved that he began to expect him.
"Are ye sleep'n 'round?" he asked him one night when they were sitting by the fireside late at night.
Norway almost dropped his mug of water and averted eye contact, a sour look spreading across his face.
"'M not gonna judge ya. Just wanna know."
Sweden stared at him. For three years, Norway hadn't said a word to him. He hadn't said a word to anyone, at least, to his knowledge. He didn't expect any response.
To his surprise, Norway stood up and grabbed a piece of paper and a hunk of charred wood from around the flames. He wrote two simple letters in black ash.
Ja.
Yes.
Norway was communicating with another human being with words.
Sweden quickly handed him a child's crayon he found in the desk next to him and handed that to him instead, along with a new sheet of paper. Norway took it shakily and looked at Sweden as if awaiting directions.
"Why?"
It makes me feel better.
"What d'ya mean?
It makes me feel like I have power. That I'm not a good-for-nothing.
"Why d'ya think that?"
You know why. I don't need to explain what happened to me. You know enough.
"…D'ya really feel any better, Halvard?"
Norway's eyes started to tear, but he kept writing.
No. I feel worse afterward. But it helps me forget for a while.
"…Nn."
I'm in a lot of pain. You know that. It's taken this long for me to finally at least accept what happened. He inhaled and grit his teeth, trying to prevent himself from crying. Just bear with me while I work through this.
"Yer not alone."
I feel like I am, though. And I'm terrified.
"I'm here. Yer not alone."
Norway sniffled as he started to cry, but gave Sweden the most genuine smile that he'd seen in a long time.
Thanks.
For those of you who are wondering about the sex thing.
In my headcanon, Norway sleeps around to a certain degree. Part of it has to do with the sexual freedom/statistics I've seen with modern day Norway, the other part of it is psychological. A friend of mine and I were roleplaying and this idea came up about Norway and his sexuality, and it just stuck. As a psychological crutch, it has to do with the concept of power. Norway has been taken over and controlled by various countries over its history. Lacking any sort of control or say about yourself is detrimental. People under that sort of pressure, who feel like they have no control, tend to develop disorders that have to do with creating superficial control. Eating disorders are a common, well-known example.
For Norway, it was a sexual thing he developed for awhile to get that feeling of control. He doesn't do it willingly, it's a psychological problem that he eventually got addicted to. I understand if this idea doesn't sit well with some people and I don't like to address it unless necessary because a lot of people think that it's weird, but it's such an important part to Norway's character for me that I have to.